Yeah, I saw some info on it in the PL and training sections. I know unstable and MM do sumo and are pretty pro for it but I keep hitting the it's your own personal preference thing so...

Food for yesterday.

Cals Fat Carb Prot
Whole Wheat 100% Bread Dutch Country ( 2 regular slice ) 180 2 34 8
Peanut butter ( 2 tablespoon ) 190 16 6 8
Oatmeal Our Family ( 2 cup, dry, yields ) 627 13 113 21
Whole Wheat 100% Bread Dutch Country ( 6 regular slice ) 540 6 102 24
Tilapia Fillets Walmart Box ( 12 oz ) 294 3 0 63
Cheese, processed, American or Cheddar type, nonfat or fat free ( 3 cubic inch ) 72 0 7 11
Yogurt, fruit variety, nonfat milk, sweetened with low-calorie sweetener ( 3 6 oz container ) 258 1 41 22
Milk, calcium fortified, cow's, fluid, skim or nonfat ( 1 cup ) 90 0 13 9
Egg, whole, raw ( 4 large ) 298 20 2 25
Spaghetti, cooked, whole wheat, NS as to fat added in cooking ( 2 cup, cooked ) 345 2 74 15
Game meat, deer, cooked, roasted ( 8 oz ) 358 7 0 68
Spaghetti sauce ( 1 cup ) 143 5 21 4
Milk, calcium fortified, cow's, fluid, skim or nonfat ( 1 cup ) 90 0 13 9
Micellar Matrix ( 1 serving ) 122 2 3 25
Now EcoGreen Multi Vitamin ( 1 serving ) 0 0 0 0
Total 3606 77 428 312

DL first time ever…

That was an interesting experience. Coming into today I knew I wasn’t going to push this like I have my previous two lifts earlier in the week. I wasn’t expecting anything and wasn’t going to get disappointed even if I could only do the bar. I’d be a bit worried but I wasn’t going to be upset. First was trying to choose between conventional and sumo. So, I started with the bar just to get the motions down and watch my form in the mirror knowing once I get weight on there I need to be focusing my head straight and up. Then I went to 135 just to get a little weight on there and see how each form felt. I thought that the sumo was going to feel weird and painful in my hips but it didn’t, not at this weight anyways. I guess even the short time that I was playing around at home with the broom stick helped get my hips used to having my legs ripped from their sockets. Then I went to a conventional stance. This surprisingly now felt awkward. I’m thinking because all my squat’s that I’ve been doing I’ve been training with a wide stance and really making sure I push my knees outward. It felt strange to try and keep them straight ahead. I didn’t feel that with out any weight but even the light amount of 135lbs I wanted to spread my knees apart. The next 12 weeks I’ll have to get deadlifts into my routine and play around with both styles for a little while but for now sumo it is. Once I decided on sumo I started adding a little more weight and went to 205. It went up pretty quickly so I jumped up to 255. I still didn’t have any problem at 255 and was really happy with that. It was at 315 I really felt it. My grip was fine but I had a little problem getting it off the floor but once it started it went up smoothly. The one thing I was most concerned about was my grip and not having a strong enough one to even go over 300lbs so this last life made me really happy. I didn’t feel any strain at all and didn’t feel the bar move in my hands. After this lift I figured if I can squat 355 I should be able to DL 355. Well, that didn’t happen. I couldn’t get it off the ground. The bar bent up a little then that was it. So, I brought it down to 325. I concentrated on keeping my ass down, my back arched, my shoulders rounded and as soon as I start getting it off the ground to push my hips up under it and lean back. I kept hearing in my head someone yelling ASS DOWN, ASS DOWN… gee thanks unstable. This was it, I started pulling and it started going up, LOCK OUT. Much to improve on here with form alone I'm sure.

DL 1RM MAX: 325

They're fun right?

How's your lower back feel? Sore?

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of these deadlifts. But that is just because I'm new to it and I have to get the form down. Actually. my lower back is fine. It's my hips that I'm kind of feeling right now.

Maybe I should work the conventional more. I believe I have a pretty strong back.

Okay now that this week is over it is time for some goal planning going into my next phase. I'll probably repeat some stuff I've already posted but this is my journal and I'll do what I want.

Current stats:
B/W: 177.74 lb (avg past week)
B/F: 13.3% (avg past week)
LBM: 154.1
Calories eaten/day: 3937 (last month avg)

1RM MAX:
Squat: 355lbs
Bench: 255lbs
DL: 325lbs

Goals after 12 weeks:
B/W: 181 (not to concerned with gaining a lot of weight really)
B/F: 13.6%
LBM: 156.384
Calories eaten/day: 3600

1RM MAX:
Squat: 375-390lbs
Bench: 275-290lbs
DL: 355-390lbs (well it is more like 355-375 but everything else was ending in the 90s)

Weak points to concentrate on:
Squats: Form, getting back out of the hole and not go forward and have to correct it.
Bench: midpoint on the rise, I slow down to much and almost stalled at 255 and that is where it did start going down at 265.
DL: Getting weight off the ground. FORM FORM FORM… picking one and lock it in.

Things to help the weak points:
Squats: Low box squats, Goodmornings and GM squats strengthen the arch and work on sitting back more
Bench: a 2-3 board press, elbows out tricep extension
DL: Work more full deadlifts into my ME/DE days. DL from 2-4inbox to help with the starting. GHR/Hypers to get my hams and gluts up to speed

The next 12week cycle:
Monday: DE bench
Tuesday: ME Squat/DL
Thursday: ME Bench
Friday: DE Squat/DL

Supplemental work for grip, calf and bi's done on either Saturday or Sunday along along with some GPP work.

This post has been edited by Jason2459 on Jan 6 2007, 05:34 PM

You know you have a great workout when you can barely lift the arms in the shower and when you step outside when it's 20degrees out it feels nice. I decided to do 8 sets of my DE bench and then do some Pin pressing. Something I did the first to third week last time but it was for my ME day. I actually did more weight and for reps today then I did by the end of the third week. I missed at 225lbs and could only do 1 rep at 220. I had no problems today doing 3 reps at 225. This was exciting. I'm contemplating doing the bulk fest even though my goal wasn't really to gain that much weight this time around but I might take up unstables offer and eat as much as possible where ever I can. I'll have to go to the goodwill and get some new pants.

New 12 Week cycle
Week1/Day1 DE Bench

Bench Press 60% 1RM
8x3@155

Pin Press (mid height)
1x3@155
1x3@180
1x3@225

DB Bench Press
1x10@55
1x10@60
1x10@65

DB Bent Over Rows
3x10@75

Tri Pushdowns
4x12@60

B/W 177.2

Cals Fat Carb Prot
Real Gains from Universal ( 133 gram ) 523 5 75 45
Milk, calcium fortified, cow's, fluid, skim or nonfat ( 2 cup ) 180 0 26 18
Now EcoGreen Multi Vitamin ( 1 serving ) 0 0 0 0
Real Gains from Universal ( 88.6 gram ) 349 3 50 30
Elite Whey, Banana from Dymatize ( 1 serving ) 112 2 3 23
Dextrose by NOW ( 5 tablespoon ) 180 0 48 0
Whole Wheat 100% Bread Dutch Country ( 6 regular slice ) 540 6 102 24
Chicken, canned, meat only, light meat ( 1 can (5 oz) yields ) 198 5 0 36
Cheese, processed, American or Cheddar type, nonfat or fat free ( 3 cubic inch ) 72 0 7 11
Salad dressing, KRAFT MIRACLE WHIP LIGHT Dressing ( 3 tablespoon ) 111 9 7 0
Yogurt, fruit variety, nonfat milk, sweetened with low-calorie sweetener ( 3 6 oz container ) 258 1 41 22
Sweetpotato, raw ( 1 sweetpotato, (5") ) 137 0 32 2
Oats, raw ( 1 cup ) 311 5 54 13
Peanuts, NFS ( 1 oz, shelled ) 165 14 5 7
Vegetable and pasta combinations with cream or cheese sauce (broccoli, pasta, carrots, corn, zucchini, peppers, cauliflower, peas, etc.), cooked ( 2 cup ) 361 15 41 16
Bread, cornbread, dry mix, prepared ( 2 piece ) 377 12 58 9
Milk, calcium fortified, cow's, fluid, skim or nonfat ( 1 cup ) 90 0 13 9
Micellar Matrix ( 1 serving ) 122 2 3 25
Now EcoGreen Multi Vitamin ( 1 serving ) 0 0 0 0
Total 4086 80 564 290

Today was a great day. First, I started today at the most I've weighed all year. Last year February I was 163lbs and started back working out seriously again and got up to around 178 or so until around June when I got married. One thing after another with the wedding, honeymoon, and then a bunch of work related trips I didn't get into the gym for a good three to four months. That's when I said that I've got to stop this crap of going hard for a little while then stopping and loosing it all and started this journal and new program based on westside barbell. I'll attach the graph and stats of my weight progress over the past year when I started working out and using fitday back last year. So, I can't stop now and I'm so excited about going forward with this program and power lifting in general.

Second thing that has been feeling good about today, well besides almost puking this morning, I'm really getting better at the box squats. The last time I did low box squats I missed completely at 310, couldn't get it back up, and was only doing 1 rep at 305. Today I was going good at 325 and then at the 345 mark I call it a miss because I did a touch and go and didn't give a pause on the box to release my hip flexors before coming back up. I also did a good 6 reps myself on the GHR on the first set and I really pushed myself on those to get 3s set by 10 reps. The most I've ever done on those. I have to get my hamstrings up to par. Then I also went up in weight on the hypers with a 1-2s pause on top. After that I was so completely wiped I had to sit were I was before I could get up to stumble into the showers. I did have on the plate for today some DB lounges and Abs. We'll see how my conditioning goes and if I can get those in next week or the third week in my three week wave.

Week1/Day2 ME SQ/DL

Low Box Squats
1x3@bar
1x3@95
1x3@115
1x3@135
1x3@165
1x3@195
1x3@225
1x3@255
1x3@285
1x3@315
1x1@325
1xmiss@345

GHR
3x10

Hypers with 1-2sec pause on top
3x8@90

B/W 179.2

Cals Fat Carb Prot
Real Gains from Universal ( 133 gram ) 523 5 75 45
Milk, calcium fortified, cow's, fluid, skim or nonfat ( 2 cup ) 180 0 26 18
Now EcoGreen Multi Vitamin ( 1 serving ) 0 0 0 0
Real Gains from Universal ( 88.6 gram ) 349 3 50 30
Elite Whey, Banana from Dymatize ( 1 serving ) 112 2 3 23
Dextrose by NOW ( 5 tablespoon ) 180 0 48 0
Whole Wheat 100% Bread Dutch Country ( 4 regular slice ) 360 4 68 16
Cheese, processed, American or Cheddar type, nonfat or fat free ( 2 slice, NFS (.75 oz) ) 62 0 6 9
OSCAR MAYER, Ham (chopped with natural juice) ( 6 serving ) 311 20 5 27
Vegetable and pasta combinations with cream or cheese sauce (broccoli, pasta, carrots, corn, zucchini, peppers, cauliflower, peas, etc.), cooked ( 2 cup ) 361 15 41 16
Sweetpotato, raw ( 1 sweetpotato, (5") ) 137 0 32 2
Peanuts, NFS ( 1 oz, shelled ) 165 14 5 7
Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked ( 1.5 cup ) 325 3 67 8
Shrimp, cooked, NS as to cooking method ( 1 oz, without shell, raw (yield after cooking) ) 30 0 0 6
Celery, raw ( 1 oz, raw, yields ) 4 0 1 0
Carrots, raw ( 1 oz, raw, yields ) 11 0 3 0
Egg, whole, fried ( 0.5 large ) 45 3 0 3
Cake, marble, with icing ( 1 piece (1/12 of 2-layer, 8" or 9" dia) ) 377 13 65 5
Milk, calcium fortified, cow's, fluid, skim or nonfat ( 1 cup ) 90 0 13 9
Micellar Matrix ( 1 serving ) 122 2 3 25
Total 3744 86 510 249

You can see where I stopped working out and using fitday by the flat lines and I did do a periodic check and put it in but they were not good and drops in weight. Report showing my last year's weight change:

Here are the min/max/avg states over the past year:

Off Today.

B/W 179.4!!!

Wow, I was really expecting my B/W to be around 178ish this morning. I'm already liking this DE ME ME DE setup even though it's been only two days into it. A Monday ME day was hard for me because I'd slept in all weekend, well 8am is sleeping in for me, and it's harder getting up at 5:30am on Monday so I don't feel like I have as much energy for the ME day as I do the rest of the week. Also, I'm always doing some type of physical activity on the weekend and sometimes I'm still sore going into the gym on Monday. I also like the day off between the two ME days. I pushed it really hard yesterday thinking man I have a nice day off from the gym to rest my body tomorrow. I really needed the rest today because between those low box squats and the GHR my hams, gluts, and hips are sore.

edit: Just did some calculating, yes I like numbers, I squated 11,975 total lbs yesterday.

Well just to compare, the last time I did low box squats I did a total of 3975lbs. That is including the misses on both days. That is a HUGE difference in my training intensity and I am really happy with that. I am starting with a much lower weight but I am using that time to work on my form and stepping out. I still keep a 1 minute break between sets though.

Holy shit, you box squat almost 4,000lbs?!!

Yeah I set the WPO record. Dave mentioned about not only looking at how much you're pushing during each set and striving to best that but also looking at the overal picture and see how much your doing by adding up every rep in every set giving you your total lbs lifted during that exercise.

Week1/Day3 ME Bench

Low Pin presses
1x3@bar
1x3@75
1x3@105
1x3@135
1x3@165
1x3@190
1x3@215
1x1@225
2xmiss@235 (DAMN IT!! I had this I know it but it got stuck half way up. So I gave myself a little break, 3mins, and went for it again. SAME THING!! I'm going to get this next week.)

Pull-ups
5x5

Combo Delt Raises (Plate Pinch 3(5lbs)Plates)
2x20@15

DB Elbows out Tri Ext
3x10@30

B/W 179

Back Posting for January 12, 2007
Week1/Day4

Box Squats 55% 1RM
8x2@195 (Hips were really sore this day so I did 8 sets and 2 reps)

Sumo DL 50% 1RM (Worked a lot on form and feet placement)
8x1@160 (I did one set of conventional and decided I really like the sumo stance)

Hypers
3x10@90

Side Bends w/ DB
3x10@70 (each side)

Hanging Leg Raises
4x15