2/28/11 Max Effort Good Mornings

Max Effort Chain Suspended Good Mornings
Worked up to 415 x 3

Zercher Rack Pulls
Worked to 455 x 5


Bent Over Rows
3 x 8-10 (245#)
My back is getting much stronger because 225 now feels light!

Reverse Hypers
3 x 10

GHR Situps
3 x 10

2/27/11- DE Bench

DE Bench- 3 chains/side
185 + chains 8x3 ( 4 sets close grip, 4 sets wide grip)
Rep set
275 x 10

Fat Bar Tricep Extensions
4 x 8-10

Neutral Grip Pull-dows + purple band
4x 8-10

Shrugs
225 x 80 reps

DB Side Raises
3 x 12

Abs
3 x 10

Training is going good. No injuries or complaints. Bodyweight is about 260 right now. I plan on staying here and competing at 259 @ the meet in April. Putting bench shirt on Wednesday for some work.

2/25/11- DE Squat

DE Squat w/ 4 chains/side (about 160# of chain)
325# + chain 8 x 2

Speed Deadlifts w/ mini bands
315 8 x 2
We trained up @ Absolute today and they just purchased a deadlift platform. Was nice to use the platform to set up the bands. It was also nice to use a deadlift bar again!

Back extensions
3 x 10

1 arm DB row
3 x 10-12

GHR
3 x 10

Weighted Abs
3 x 12

2/23/11- Max Effort Bench

I did not train on Monday because I was sick as hell. I could barely get out of bed so I thought it would be best to let whatever I had run it's course and get rid of it as quick as possible. I haven't missed a training session in quite a long time so I obviously felt terrible. Felt good enough to train today, so here is what we did...


ME Bench Press- Reverse Band
Worked up to 335 x 2 and 355 x 1 before adding bands
Added Reverse Bands (Strong/Green Band) The way we set it up this time there was almost no band tension at the top of the lift so we were probably getting around 80-100# at the bottom and close to 0 at the top.
405 x 2
425 x 2
445x1
3board- Competition Shirt Grip
455x3
405x8

Nate worked up to 545 x 2 if I remember right and did some 3 board work with 585. We weren't getting much help with that 3 board so this was a pretty good day.

Standing Overhead Strict Press (Military Press)
95x10
135x8
155 2 x 5


Straight Bar Tricep Extensions
4 x 8-10

Pull Ups
4 x 8-10 (2sets neutral gip and 2 sets wide grip)

Heavy Shrugs
4x 8-10

BB Curls


Abs

2/20/11- DE Bench Press

DE Bench w/ 2 chains
6 x 3 w/ 185 + chains
2x3  w/ 225 + chains

DB Floor Press on foam block
4 x 8-10

Close Grip Pull Downs
4 x 8-10

Band Tricep Extensions
3 x 12-15

Side Bends
2 x 12

Cable Abs
2 x 12

2/18/11- Suit Work

Squat Suit Work
Worked up to 555 in briefs
595 x 1 Suit straps down
645 x 1 suit straps down
685 x 1 straps up (little squirley on the bottom)
705 x 1 straps up (PR). Much better technique, felt easier then 685

Nate worked up to I believe 825 with no straps and Tom took a few singles with 645 w/ straps down.

Decided to just pull heavy today as we may deload next week before getting ready for the meet in April

Deadlift with briefs
Worked to 605 x 1 (PR)

To get 2 PR's in one day was great. I feel very confident in these 2 lifts and hopefully 2 and half months of training can iron out some kinks and be able to put a good first meet together.

Seated Rows
3 x 12-15

GHR Situps
2 x 12-15

Harvey Back
3x10 w/ safety bar.

Great day today! Always a good day hen you get to squat big weight!

See video here: http://www.youtube.com/user/jmadonia74?feature=mhum

2/16/11- Max Effort Bench

ME Bench- Floor Press with Football Bar
Worked up to 245 x 3
265 x 1
275 x 1
295 x 0
If you ever feel the need to feel like you have the strength of a 9 year old girl, do this!

DB Incline
4 x 6-8

Tate Presses
4 x 8-10

Pull Ups
2 x 8 Neutral Grip
2 x 8 Wide Grip

DB Curls
3 x 10

Indian Club Swings
3 x 10 forward and backward

This day all around sucked. I came into training late due to a test (that went about as good as our training) and was just flat. No one had any energy today and we all got our asses kicked today. We'll regroup from this crappy day and hopefully put up some big weight in the squat Friday!

2/14/11- Max Effort Squat

ME squat- Close Stance Low Box Giant Cambered Bar
Did triples until 325#
Then worked up to 465 x 1
This was incredibly hard as my box was about 3 inches below parallel when I watched the video and the cambered bar will really swing if you don't stay tight and stand up properly... Just a plain old ass kicker.
Tom worked up to 465 as well and Nate worked to 555.

Sumo Stance RDL's
4 x 6-8

Chest Supported Rows
3 x 8-10

Harvey Back
4 x 10
This is a tough exercise. It basically involves being in a bent over position with the safety bar with a rounded back.  While staying in this position (similar to the bottom of a good morning) arch your back and then round back over. These get hard real quick. Will try to post a video soon.

Seated Cable Abs
3 x 10-12

It looks promising that we may do this SPF meet in Columbus, OH @ the end of April. I really hope it works out because a bunch of Buffalo guys from Absolute gym will be heading down and it would be a great meet if we could all go down and support eachother. Plan is to take something heavy in the suit Friday with no bands on and kind of see where I'm at squat wise. If we do this meet we will get some general training in for a couple weeks and do a somewhat abbreviated meet prep phase. We'll see what happens...

2/13/11- Strength - Speed Bench

We had to switch our sceule around a bit because Tom is unable to train with us on Sundays nowdue to work. We decided to switch our Sundays to out DE bench day and put our max effort bench work on wednesday so Tom can work with us on ME days. This alsomakes Sundays a little easier on Nate because he is coaching and lifting at the same time on Sundays which kinda sucks when you are in a bench shirt sometimes! Anyways here is how today went...

Strength Speed Bench with looped medium bands and quadded mini bands.
Worked up to 285 + bands x 1

Nate Worked to 405 + bands x 1

Not sure what the ands are at top, best guess would be around 150-175#

DB Bench
4 x 6-8

Neutral Grip Pull Downs
3 x 10

KB Tricep Extensions on floor
4 x 10-12

Lat Raises w/ chains
3 x 12-15

BB Curls
3 x 10-12

My bench set up is feeling more comfortable every week and I m starting to have a little more confidence in this lift finally. Nate looked strong as usual, and is ready to put up a big total whenever we compete.

We are really trying to plan on doing the SPF meet in Ohio at the end of April. Hopefully we can work out the logistics (aka money) and head down as it should be a good meet to compete at.

Hope everyones training is going good!

VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/user/jmadonia74?feature=mhum
youtube keeps jackin my music! Hope this one stays up

2/11/11- strength-speed squat

Stength - Speed squat w/ heavy and medum band = about 275 at top.
worked up to 465# + bands in briefs. Somewhere around 730 at top.

Speed Deadlifts
5 x 2  405#
3 x 1 495#

Reverse Hypers
3 x 10

Band Leg Curls
3 x 12-15

Neutral Grip Rows
4 x  8-10

Abs
5 x 10-12

Squat feels great! No complaints, just need my bench to catch up, haha

http://www.youtube.com/user/jmadonia74

2/9/11 Strength/Speed Bench

Strength/Speed Bench with quaded mini band and looped average band
185# + bands  8 x 3

DB Bench
3 x 10-15
My shoulder is very tight from deads the other day, kept these light.

Vogepohls
4 x 8-10

Football Bar Tricep Extensions
4 x 6-8

BB Shrugs
100 total reps w/ 225#

Everyone is getting stronger and training continues to be consistent and without any problems. Gotta train hard and smart at the same time, not always easy.

VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jmadonia74

2/7/11- Max Effort Deadlift

Max Effort Deadlift- Off of ~ 4" boxes
Worked up to 635 x 1 (PR!)
Tried 675 but was just to heavy right now, technique felt fine but sometimes it's just too damn heavy.
Down set - 405 x 13

GHR with average band
3 x 8-10

Pull Ups
4 x 8-10

Foam Roller sit ups w/ weight (95#)
3 x 10-12

Short day today, I was pretty smoked from pulling and the down set of 13 made my back feel like jelly!

Congrats to UB's own James Starks on winning a superbowl title with the Green Bay Packers yesterday. We are very proud of him here @ UB. Buffalo is a great sports town but doesn't always have alot to show off in terms of titles, so it is nice when one of our own gets one!

You can see the video here or click over on the right of your screen!
http://www.youtube.com/user/jmadonia74?feature=mhum

2/6/11- Max Effort Bench

Max Effort Bench- 2 board
Worked up to 345 x 3
365 x 2
385 x 1
405 x fail
My bench is getting better slowly wit the changes I have made, but I still have some bad habits that sneak in especially flarring my elbows out when I press instead of pulling the bar apart and using my triceps to press the weight. More time under the bar!

Standing Military Press (no leg drive)
Worked up to 185 x 3
155 x 8 (downset)
It still amazes me that multiple people have done 500+ in this movement!

Fat Man Pull Ups
4 x 8-10

Kettle Bell Tricep Extensions
3 x 10-12

Shoulder Cleans
3 x 10-12

DB Curls
2 x 8-10

Descent day, just felt a little flat today coming off deload week. 
Superbowl pick: Packers  Score: 27-24
Good luck to UB alum James Starks tonight! Great kid with a whole lot of talent. I had the pleasure of woring with James while interning with the UB strength staff and he was a great kid to be around, I am pulling for him tonight.

See video here or on the new video sidebar on the right side of your screen!
http://www.youtube.com/user/jmadonia74?feature=mhum

2/4/11- DE Squats -Deload

DE Squats- Deload

Worked up to 325 - 6x2
Weight was very light and the legs felt good and pretty refreshed

Sumo Stance RDL
4 x 8

Bent over rows - reverse grip
3 x 8

GHR's
3 x 12

Seated Cable Crunches
4 x 15-20

Side Bends
2 x 10

No real training on Wednesday because UB was shut down due to the "storm". I am glad this deload week is over because I am bored out of my mind and can't wait to get unnder some weight again! Max effort bench on Sunday.