# stencil 2.0: NYC Workout Journal



## stencil (Apr 21, 2004)

I'm carrying this over from a previous journal at a previous site.  Less than a year ago, I started lifting regularly.  I started with a 115lb bench press and 135lb squat.  I also started with about 20% bodyfat.  My stats today are approximately:

176lb
10% BF
15.5" arms
32" waist

I also train twice a week in martial arts: ShoreiKan Goju Ryu karate.  It's a very tough system that is extremely aerobic and tough on the joints.  It's great stuff, though.

So my routine goes like this:

Monday: Back & Biceps
Yates Rows
Shrugs (BB)
Wide-grip lat pulldowns (hoping to turn this into pullups soon)
DB Curls and / or BB curls

Tuesday: Karate
30 min plyometrics / aerobics
60 min sparring, kata, technique, rolling, etc.

Wednesday: Chest & Triceps
Flat bench press
Incline / Decline DB press (alternating weekly)
Skullcrushers
Weighted Dips
Cable crossovers

Thursday: Karate
30 min plyometrics / aerobics
90 min sparring, kata, technique, weaponry

Friday: Legs & Shoulders
Squats
SLDLs
Calf Raises
DB Shoulder press
Bent-over reverse flies


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## stencil (Apr 21, 2004)

Monday:

Yates rows: 135 x 10, 185 x 8, 185 x 8, 195 x 6 (new weight)
Shrugs: 275 x 8, 285 x 8, 285 x 8 (new weight)
Wide-grip lat pulldowns: 170 x 8, 170 x 8, 180 x 5 (new weight)
DB curls: 35 x 5, 35 x 5 (hammer), 35 x 4

Tuesday:

Karate was intense since it was the Sensei's birthday.  I think he wanted to give himself a present of seeing his students sweating their heads off.  Was a good night all in all though.


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## atherjen (Apr 21, 2004)

You have defintly come far!  Keep it up!! 
BEst of luck with your goals!


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## Monolith (Apr 21, 2004)

Ah, neat, ive been waiting for someone who incorporates plyometrics to start a journal.  Any chance you could log a couple plyo workouts? 

And good luck!


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## stencil (Apr 21, 2004)

Monolith:  Sure thing.  One caveat, though - they're not standard, typical plyometrics, as they're based around karate techniques and muscle targeting.  Some of the standard things include pushups with hand claps, one legged dips & jumps, shuto (chop) drills, leg raises with another person pushing the legs back down, side-step running, side-step running with medicine balls, etc.  It's called "daruma taiso".


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## Monolith (Apr 21, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by stencil *_
> Monolith:  Sure thing.  One caveat, though - they're not standard, typical plyometrics, as they're based around karate techniques and muscle targeting.  Some of the standard things include pushups with hand claps, one legged dips & jumps, shuto (chop) drills, leg raises with another person pushing the legs back down, side-step running, side-step running with medicine balls, etc.  It's called "daruma taiso".



Sounds neat... ive been toying with the idea of switching to a complete plyometric routine for a few months, just to increase explosive, agile power.  Its a bit more appealing than just gettin huge, but we'll see.


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## M.J.H. (Apr 21, 2004)

Nice to see that you started a journal over here man, good luck!


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## stencil (Apr 22, 2004)

Thanks, dude.

I already missed my chest / tri workout last night since it was a friend's birthday.  Have plans after work tomorrow as well.  Going to karate tonight.

Will try to make up chest workout tomorrow before work.


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## stencil (Apr 23, 2004)

Karate was pretty intense last night.  Tons of cardio & plyometrics.  Included:

Fast side chops
Shoreikan pushups (sort of like Ashtanga yoga pushups)
Medicine ball situps (100-ish)
Slow and fast stance walking with a 180lb guy on my back
Leg raises with someone throwing the legs back down at the top
Sanchin breathing and contracting exercises
Tons of stretching


Then did some sparring.  I'm learning some new crazy techniques that include a LOT of takedowns.  Let's just say I hurt in some strange places.


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## stencil (Apr 26, 2004)

Yates Rows: 135 x 10, 195 x 8, 195 x 8, 195 x 8
Shrugs: 285 x 8, 285 x 8, 285 x 8
Wide-grip pullups: 5, 6, 6 (bodyweight - first time!)
DB curls: 35 x 8, 35 x 8 (hammer), 35 x 6
Cable curls: 90 x 8, 90 x 8


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## M.J.H. (Apr 26, 2004)

Nice weight used on Yates rows man, good work. Shrugs are looking good too. Have you ever tried DB shrugs? I prefer DB shrugs completely over BB shrugs, but that's just me.


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## stencil (Apr 27, 2004)

Yeah, I've tried DB shrugs.  They're good because of the angle, but the DBs at my gym are in an annoying area and they only go up to about 85lb.


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## M.J.H. (Apr 27, 2004)

Damn, that sucks. Okay then, stick with the BB shrugs, lol.


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## stencil (Apr 27, 2004)

Yeah I know.  Get this - they recently bought some 90s and just plopped them on the floor next to the rack.  *sigh*


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## GRIFF (Apr 27, 2004)

haha that really sucks bad about the dbs, but its good to see you keeping a journal here. My gym has everything upto 150s,one of these days i'm gonna tear em off and curl em for 10 or 12 haha, maybe not, but thatd be nice. Actually itd be more of a reverse hang clean than a curl, but itd suffice.


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## stencil (Apr 27, 2004)

Yeah Griff.... it was actually a nice surprise to see the 90s sitting on the floor.  I won't be needing them any time soon as I'm DB pressing 60 and shoulder pressing 50 and curling 35, but hey... sooner than later I suppose, right?  I'll just have to find another gym.  There are plenty here in NYC.

Tonight, karate was intense.  Lots of cardio and plyometrics.  Got my ass thrown around during sparring, too.  I'm gonna be hurting going into tomorrow.


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## stencil (Apr 28, 2004)

I'm going to try to track my diet here as well since it seems like the thing to do.  So far today:

Meal 1:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 tsp honey
1 scoop ON Whey
1 cup black coffee
1/2 bagel w/cream cheese (meh... they were sitting there at work)


Workout:
Flat bench press:
Decline DB press:
Skullcrushers:
Weighted Dips:
Cable crossovers:


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## stencil (Apr 28, 2004)

Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 185 x 6, 185 x 6, 185 x 4
Decline DB press: 60 x 8, 60 x 8, 60 x 8
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips: +25 x 8, +25 x 8, +25 x 6


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## stencil (Apr 30, 2004)

So much for logging my food.  Heh.

Last night karate was nice and intense.  Sweat my head off, but got to rest a bit at the end due to some white belt tests.  Felt good to get some real cardio in.


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## stencil (Apr 30, 2004)

Squats: 135 x 8, 265 x 8, 275 x 8, 275 x 8
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 245 x 6, 245 x 6
Mule calf raises: 400 (stack) x 12, 400 x 12, 400 x 12
Hammy curls (machine): 140 x 8
DB shoulder press: 50 x 8, 50 x 8, 50 x 8*
Reverse bent-over flies: 20 x 8, 20 x 8, 20 x 8*

*supersetted

Wiped myself out tonight.  Missed leg workout last week, so this felt pretty evil / good.


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## stencil (May 3, 2004)

Yates rows: 135 x 10, 195 x 8, 195 x 8, 195 x 8
Shrugs: 275 x 8, 295 x 8, 295 x 8 (new weight)
Wide grip pullups: 6, 6, 6 (bodyweight)
Cambered bar curls: 80 x 8, 90 x 6
DB hammer curls: 35 x 7


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## stencil (May 5, 2004)

Some good karate last night.  A couple new students, so the second half was more mellow than usual since I was teaching.

Chest & triceps tonight.


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## stencil (May 5, 2004)

Felt really good tonight, and I think I *finally* perfected (well, close at least) my bench form.

Bench press: 135 x 8, 185 x 6, 185 x 7, 185 x 7
Incline DB press: 60 x 8, 60 x 8, 60 x 8
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips: +35 x 8, +35 x 8, +35 x 8
Cable crossovers: 65 x 10, 65 x 10, 65 x 8

Skullcrushers felt especially good because I got to use the 35lb plates on each side for the first time.  Something about an EZ bar with big plates just looks really cool.


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## stencil (May 7, 2004)

Karate last night was amazing.  Good plyometrics, even did something we call "swimming:"

1.  Lay down on a hardwood floow, belly down, arms out in front of you.
2.  Pull yourself across the floor using ONLY your arms.  It'll look like you're doing the butterfly or breath stroke.
3.  Push yourself back using ONLY your arms.  This will feel a bit like shoulder presses.
4.  Repeat, then do the same using ONLY your legs.

Also started learning seunchin, my final kata before I test for black belt.  It's a pretty intense, beautiful kata, and uses a lot of wrist and angle subleties that had them screaming and burning by the end of the night.  Good stuff.


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## stencil (May 7, 2004)

Oh - also, I ordered some Lipoderm Ultra which should arrive today now that I finished up the Ab-Solved.  The Ab-Solved didn't seem to do too much for me, so I'm guessing that what's left of my 10% bf is sub-cu fat.  Will report on the Lipoderm as it goes through its cycle.


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## stencil (May 9, 2004)

Oww.  After a weekend of partying and eating crap, my workout today was painful.  Energy ran real short, too.

Squats: 138 x 10, 225 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 8 (new weight)
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 245 x 8, 245 x 6
Seated calf raises: 180 x 10, 180 x 10, 180 x 10
DB shoulder press: 50 x 8, 50 x 8, 50 x 8*
Bent-over reverse flies: 20 x 8, 20 x 8, 20 x 8*

*superset


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## stencil (May 10, 2004)

Wide-grip pullups, bodyweight: 6, 6
Wide-grip lap pulldowns: 180 x 6, 180 x 6
Yates rows: 185 x 8, 195 x 8, 195 x 8
Shrugs: 275 x 8, 285 x 8, 285 x 8
Standing DB curls: 35 x 8, 35 x 8, 35 x 6


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## stencil (May 12, 2004)

For those who want to see a picture, all I have right now is a mug shot.  I'll add more (body shots) soon once I take some with the digicam.

http://home.nyc.rr.com/fruhlinger/me1.jpg


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## stencil (May 12, 2004)

Good chest day:

Flat bench press: 135 x 10, 185 x 8, 185 x 8, 185 x 7
Decline DB press: 60 x 8, 65 x 8, 65 x 6 (new weight)
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips (+35): 8, 8, 6 (new weight)
Cable crossovers: 65 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x 8 (new weight)


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## stencil (May 13, 2004)

Forgot to update some plyometrics:

Swimming, 30 feet, both ways
Decline situps with medicine ball (20lb, since that's all my girlfriend will catch right now), 100
Side-stepping sprints... not sure what these are called, 5 min
Shutos (chops, basically), both hands, 100
Shoreikan puships
Situp kicks, 100


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## stencil (May 17, 2004)

Yates rows: 135 x 10, 195 x 8, 195 x 8, 195 x 8
Shrugs: 295 x 8, 295 x 8, 305 x 8 (new PR)
Wide-grip pulldowns: 165 x 8, 172.5 x 8, 180 x 5
Standing DB curls: 40 x 5, 40 x 5 (hammer), 40 x 0 (new PR)
Cambered bar curls: 90 x 8, 90 x 6


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## stencil (May 19, 2004)

Had a great workout last night at karate.  It was hot, sweaty, and felt like a major detox, especially after what I ate this weekend (mmm...chicken pot pie...)

Anyway, we did the usual plyometrics, including some horse squats, probably a couple hundred of those.  The pushups felt especially good and I feel primed for chest / triceps tonight at the gym.


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## stencil (May 19, 2004)

Felt like crap tonight for some reason, probably because I'm still getting rid of a cold I had over the weekend - Monday.

Flat bench: 135 x 8, 185 x 8, 185 x 7, 185 x 6
Incline DB press: 60 x 8, 60 x 6, 60 x 8
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 6
Weighted dips (+35): 8, 7, 6

Does anyone read this?  Heh... I know I don't push / pull as much as most of you, but... hi!


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## stencil (May 20, 2004)

...guess not!


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## stencil (May 21, 2004)

Good karate session last night.  A full two hours.  Included some weaponry which is a great workout, swingin a 7' bo staff around.  Even broke one of the staffs during a sparring session.  Oops.


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## stencil (May 23, 2004)

Squats: 135 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 6, 295 x 8
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 245 x 6, 265 x 4
Seated calf raises: 180 x 11, 180 x 10, 180 x 11
Seated DB shoulder press: 50 x 8, 50 x 8, 55 x 6
Bent-over reverse flies: 20 x 8, 20 x 8, 25 x 6


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## stencil (May 26, 2004)

Your favorite journal-maker is back with an update from karate last night.

Very intense session, to the point that I actually had to stop for a second and shake out my legs.  They were SITLL killing me from those squats on Sunday.

The new kata (Seyunchin) is coming along very slowly.  It's very technical and unusual.  I love it.


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## M.J.H. (May 26, 2004)

Damn bro, I can't imagine squats and then trying to do karate, lol. I don't know how you do it!


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## stencil (May 26, 2004)

Yeah, it can be tough, but I actually find that it helps stretch them out and take care of the sharper part of DOMs, if that makes any sense.  It kinda feels like rubbing out a bruise or something like that.

Last night was especially brutal since the sensei decided it was time for us to work on our kicks and horse stance, which is a deep, squatting stance.   Yay.  My quads were not loving it.


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## stencil (May 26, 2004)

Yesterday's diet was pretty decent, but something's amiss, I think.  My energy levels could be better and I end up feeling bloated at night.  Here's what I had:

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 scoop ON whey w/ water
Green tea

Lunch:
Grilled chicken (about 1 breast)
1/2 cup brown rice (at the most, didn't eat much of it)
1 cup broccoli
Green tea

Snack:
1% cottage cheese, 6 oz

Snack 2:
1 cup Kashi GoLean cereal w/ 1/2 cup 1% organic milk

WORKOUT

Post-workout shake, 1 scoop ON whey w/water

Dinner:
Grilled chicken over romaine lettuce
2 tsp natural ranch dressing


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## stencil (May 26, 2004)

Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 185 x 8, 185 x 7, 185 x 7.5
Decline DB press: 65 x 8, 65 x 8, 65 x 8
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips: +35 x 8, +35 x 7, +35 x 6
Cable crossovers: 70 x 10, 70 x 8, 70 x 9

Felt great tonight - going to up all those weights next week.


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## stencil (Jun 1, 2004)

Squats: 135 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 8, 295 x 8
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 265 x 6, 265 x 5
Mule calf raises: 400 (stack) x 12, 400 x 12, 400 x 12
Military press: 95 x 8, 115 x 8, 135 x 8
Front raises: 25 x 8
Bent-over reverse flies: 25 x 8, 25 x 8, 25 x 8
Knee raises: 30, 20
Incline crunches: +25 x 12


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## stencil (Jun 1, 2004)

Oh... diet was horrible this weekend.  Went out for a very nice 7-course dinner at a high-end restaurant Saturday night.  Was delicious, but surely filled with all sorts of evil things.

Drank Sunday night and ate one cheeseburger and one hot dog from the grill.  Was yummy, but felt like crap.  Still feel like crap.  It'll take a couple days to feel clean again.  Going to karate tonight, so that'll be a good sweat-cardio session to help things along.


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## stencil (Jun 2, 2004)

90 minutes of intense karate last night. Well, not THAT intense, but enough to get me sweating pretty nicely and get the heartrate up.

Diet yesterday was much better:

Kashi GoLean cereal w/milk
1 scoop whey
Tuna salad on whole wheat
Smart food popcorn
Green tea
Kashi GoLean cereal w/milk
[workout / cardio]
1 scoop whey
4 eggwhites, 1 yolk
steamed broccoli

Tonight will be back & biceps at the gym.


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## sftwrngnr (Jun 2, 2004)

Hey Stencil,
Good workout.  My .02 would be to focus on your form and make sure you aren't upping the weight just for the sake of upping the weight.  Keep your form good, and the weight will come.  Patience!  BTW... diet looks good... sigh... I gotta start focusing on my diet at some point.  Wife just made chocolate chunk cookies... YUMM!  BTW. In my book, there isn't anything wrong with having a high end dinner every once in a while!
-Dan


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## stencil (Jun 2, 2004)

Sftwrngnr: Thanks for the comments.  Yeah, I'm not too worried about the high-end dinner.  It's mostly what I ate during the day while playing videogames for 8 hours and then what I drank while playing poker for 7.  I had a good time, though.

As far as form, I totally agree.  I'm a form nazi.  As you can see from my reps, I'm not going crazy with powerlifting just yet because I'm a relativel newb (1 year now) and don't want to screw anything up.  I am, however, reading up on Westside and starting to bug SF as I plan to ponder my max lifts soon.  I'd really like to know what's under the hood at this point, if you know what I mean.


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## sftwrngnr (Jun 2, 2004)

Hi back Stencil,
I am new to Westside routine myself, and am just getting back into serious weightlifting after quitting for a number of years.  Thus far, what I can say about a Westside routine, is that it is pretty dang intense.  I would also say that powerlifting isn't for everyone.  I like it, because it is something I can do to truly challenge myself... I'm the one who determines whether or not I fail .
Best of luck,

-Dan


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## Mavs (Jun 2, 2004)

Hey stencil - Just wanted to say awesome journal, man!  Sounds like you've really come a long way since the 20% bf.  Let me ask you a question - what exactly are Yates rows?  I'm needing some good ideas for back movements.  Keep up the good work!!


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## stencil (Jun 2, 2004)

Yates rows are just underhand barbel rows.  I like them a lot more than standard bent-over overhand rows.  You don't bend over as much as standard rows.  Give them a shot - you should be able to lift a bit more than standard rows with them, though.  Keep the chest out, stick your butt out, and squeeze the shoulder blades together.


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## Mavs (Jun 2, 2004)

That sounds like a good movement to get great contraction in the back muscles.  I'll definitely start incorporating that...I appreciate it!


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## stencil (Jun 2, 2004)

Yup, they're great.  They're perfect if you do biceps on back day since they definitely use your bi's a bit.  By the time I follow them up with pulldowns, my biceps are already halfway there.  I'm lucky to get two quality curl sets afterward, which is fine with me because I hate curling (you'd understand if you saw my goofy gym and all the tools curling in the power racks).


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## stencil (Jun 2, 2004)

I had so much freakin' energy tonight.  I loved it.

Yates rows: 135 x 8, 195 x 8, 205 x 6, 205 x 6 (new weight!)
Shrugs: 275 x 9, 295 x 8, 305 x 8 (new weight!)
Wide-grip pulldowns: 165 x 8, 180 x 6, 180 x 8
EZ bar curls: 85 x 8, 85 x 8, 85 x 5 (failure)


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## Mavs (Jun 2, 2004)

Great workout, stencil!!


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## stencil (Jun 3, 2004)

Mavs:  Thanks.  Felt like I could have lifted just about anything, but I didn't want to hurt myself.

So for breakfast today, I went to order a nice egg on whole wheat.  I get it back to my office, and lo-and-behold, they gave me ham, egg, and mayo (???) on whole wheat.  I ate it, of course, but I already feel like I've gotten my full day's supply of fat.  Meh.


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## stencil (Jun 4, 2004)

Karate night last night.

30 min plyometrics / body weight exercises.
Breathing exercises
ShoreiKan Pushups
Crunches
Crunch / kicks
Squat strikes
Shoulder / back shuto

20 min heavy sparring

Lots of drama last night. During our workout some guy in a BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) gi just drops. He must have been almost asphyxiated or dehydrated. The crazy thing is that the other guys just stood around in him in a half circle doing nothing, not knowing what to do. Our instructor ran over there and pretty much saved him.

Then, while sparring with me, my friend Eddie rips his knucles open. Ever see bloody knuckles? Lovely.

Diet was pretty good.


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## M.J.H. (Jun 4, 2004)

> Lots of drama last night. During our workout some guy in a BJJ (Braziliar Jiu Jitsu) just drops. He must have been almost asphyxiated or dehydrated. The crazy thing is that the other guys just stood around in him in a half circle doing nothing, not knowing what to do. Our instructor ran over there and pretty much saved him.


Wow, sounds crazy man. Hope everything turns out okay with him. 

Everything is looking pretty good.


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## stencil (Jun 4, 2004)

MonStar said:
			
		

> Wow, sounds crazy man. Hope everything turns out okay with him.
> 
> Everything is looking pretty good.


I'm pretty sure he'll be okay.  He was moaning pretty loud and puking until the EMTs took him away.  Hopefully no brain damage or anything like that.  Not sure what happened to him, but martial arts can be a really tough workout if you're not in good shape.


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## M.J.H. (Jun 4, 2004)

Yeah I can definitely understand that. When I used to practice Tang Soo Doo it was completely exhausting. Hang in there bro.


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## stencil (Jun 4, 2004)

Tried an experiment loosely based on Westside on my bench and boy did it work.

Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 185 x 5, 195 x 4, 205 x 4!, 205 x 3!, 205 x 1!
Incline DB press: 60 x 8, 70 x 6, 70 x 6
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 7, 85 x 8 (dropped down to get better ROM)
Dips: +35 x 8, +35 x 7, +35 x 5


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## stencil (Jun 7, 2004)

Squats: 135 x 8, 225 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 6
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 245 x 8, 265 x 4
DB shoulder press: 50 x 8, 55 x 8, 55 x 8
Reverse bent-over flies: 25 x 8, 25 x 6, 20 x 12
Mule calf raises: 400 x 12, 400 x 12, 400 x 12


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## stencil (Jun 9, 2004)

Standard karate workout last night, although it was a little more painful than usual due to the leg workout the night before.  Not as bad as I thought it might be, though.  Guess I didn't go hard enough / low enough on those squats or something.


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## stencil (Jun 9, 2004)

Yates rows: 135 x 8, 205 x 7, 205 x8, 205 x 8
Shrugs: 315 x 8, 315 x 8, 315 x 9 (new weight!)
Wide-grip chinups, bodyweight: 7, 8, 6
DB curls: 35 x 8
DB hammer curls: 40 x 6
DB curls: 35 x 4.5


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## stencil (Jun 12, 2004)

Flat bench: 135 x 8, 185 x 8, 195 x 6, 195 x 5
Decline DB press: 70 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x 6
Skullcrushers: 85 x 8, 85 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips: 35 x 8, 35 x 8, 35 x 7
Cable crossovers: 70 x 10, 75 x 9, 75 x 8
Leg raises: 20, 20
Decline situps plyometrics (throwing ball to partner at top): 10


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## stencil (Jun 14, 2004)

Crazy diet yesterday.  Went to the Yankee game, had VIP tickets, so of course I had to eat:

3 hot dogs
1 beer
2 coke
2 slices of pizza (later that night)

Ugh.  I'm feeling it today, but should be clean within a few hours, especially after tonight's workout.


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## stencil (Jun 14, 2004)

Squats: 135 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 6, 295 x 8
SLDL: 245 x 6, 245 x 6, 245 x 6
Mule calf raises: 400 x 12, 400 x 12, 400 x 12
BB military press: 95 x 8, 115 x 7, 115 x 7
Reverse flies machine: 90 x 8, 115 x 8, 122.5 x 8


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## stencil (Jun 16, 2004)

Crikey.  Sweat like a madman last night.

Standard karate workout, shoreikan pushups, situps, kicks, sparring, etc.  Ouch.


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## stencil (Jun 16, 2004)

Yates rows: 135 x 8, 205 x 8, 205 x 8, 205 x 8
Shrugs: 315 x 8, 315 x 8, 315 x 8
Wide-grip lat pulldowns: 180 x 7, 180 x 7, 180 x 7


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## stencil (Jun 18, 2004)

Hot, sweaty karate workout last night.  Got caught in a severe thunderstorm on my way in.  Lovely.


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## sftwrngnr (Jun 18, 2004)

Wow dude!
Awesome workouts!
-Dan


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## stencil (Jun 18, 2004)

Thanks!

 Hey I just figured out your username.  Took me a few months, but I finally put it together.

 ...and as for your Bench being pathetic at 225, at my gym that would be a big deal.  I bench 195 for reps and people look at me like I'm some sort of meathead.  Cracks me up.  Freakin' NYC metrosexuals...


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## stencil (Jun 18, 2004)

Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 195 x 6, 195 x 6, 195 x 7
Incline DB press: 70 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x 6
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 85 x 8
Dips: +40 x 8, +40 x 6, +40 x 6


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## stencil (Jun 21, 2004)

Meh.  Wasted weekend.  Not a single workout, although I did walk around the city a lot on Sunday, probably a few miles.  Ate like crap for the most part, too!  Feel bloated and slow today.  Will work through it tonight.


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## sftwrngnr (Jun 21, 2004)

*Don't sweat it *

Hey Stencil,
I know there are many who espouse the virtues of "never missing a workout."  Certainly I work very hard to make it a priority, but the reality is, "life" happens, don't beat yourself up to badly!

I also wanted to say that I wasn't disparaging yours (or anyone else's) benchpress.  I call mine pathetic, because my goal is nearly 200 lbs more than where I'm at, so I've got a long ways to go .  Also, in the context of a 220lb powerlifter, a 225 is truly pathetic.

Keep up the good work!  Stay focused.

-Dan


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## Saturday Fever (Jun 21, 2004)

It's not pathetic. It's motivation.


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## stencil (Jun 21, 2004)

Squats: 135 x 8, 225 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 8
SLDL: 135 x 8, 225 x 8, 245 x 7, 265 x 6
Seated calf raises: 180 x 12, 200 x 10, 200 x 12


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## sftwrngnr (Jun 22, 2004)

Good leg workout dude!


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## stencil (Jun 23, 2004)

sftwrngnr: thanks!  Felt pretty easy actually, and I was pressed for time.

Wide-grip pullups: Bodyweight x 7, 7, 7
Yates rows: 135 x 8, 205 x 8, 205 x 8, 205 x 8
Standing DB curls: 40 x 5, 40 x 5 (hammer), 40 x 2, 35 x 4


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## stencil (Jun 25, 2004)

Great karate workout last night.  So much ab work - I actually failed out doing bodyweight ab exercises - haven't done that in a long time.


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## stencil (Jun 25, 2004)

Argh.   Crappy workout.  Ate crap all day, felt like crap, worked out like crap.  At least I was consistent, eh?  

 Flat bench press: 135 x 10, 185 x 8, 195 x 6, 195 x 4
 Incline DB press: 70 x 6, 70 x 6, 70 x 4
 Skullcrushres: 85 x 8, 85 x 8, 95 x 8
 Tricep pushdowns, flat bar: 120 x 10, 130 x 8
 Weighted dips (+35): 8, 6
 Cable crossovers: 70 x 8, 75 x 8


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## stencil (Jun 27, 2004)

Felt much better today.  Didn't come up with any new PR's, but I'm repping pretty well with relatively new weights.

 I did, however, add in some leg press sets, and absolutely loved them.  Also did my calf raises on there.

 Squats: 135 x 10, 275 x 8, 295 x 8, 295 x 8
 SLDLs: 225 x 8, 265 x 6, 265 x 4
 Leg press: 180 x 8, 270 x 8, 360 x 8 (not including weight of machine)
 Calf raises: 180 x 10, 270 x 10, 360 x 20
 Seated DB shoulder press: 50 x 8, 55 x 8, 55 x 6
 Bent-over reverse flies: 25 x 8, 25 x 8, 25 x 6


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## sftwrngnr (Jun 28, 2004)

Hey Stencil,
We ALL have crappy workouts once in a while.  Comes with being human .  Looks like you've got a good workout.  Solid numbers on squats and SLDLs.

-Dan


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## stencil (Jun 28, 2004)

Thanks dude.  For a relative newb weighing only 176, I'm pretty happy with those numbers.  300 is calling me on the squat, though.  I must resist as my form on 295 could use some work.

 The 265 SLDLs killed me.  My lower back is pretty cranky today from the squats and SLDLs.

 Tonight I'll do back & biceps, although I *hate* doing curls.

 Funny story regarding curls: I was working out Friday night, later than I usually do (9pm-ish).  Well at my gym at that time (and pretty much any NYC gym), the place kind of turns into a boy party, if you know what I'm sayin'.  While I have no problem with this and the lifestyle, things got creepy when some dude asked me spot him on some curls.  Yes, I said curls.  I obliged and got the hell out of there ASAP.


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## stencil (Jun 29, 2004)

Did nothing of note yesterday.  Annie was back in town so I hung out with her and she really didn't feel like hitting the gym.  The gentleman that I am, I instead took her out for a nice dinner and a beer.  Talk about doing the polar opposite of what I set out to do.


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## stencil (Jun 30, 2004)

Felt great at karate last night.  I think that's a sign I might need a week off from lifting - have been going hard for about 9-10 weeks.  Did a lot of bag work, got the heart rate way up, and felt like I could have kept going forever.


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## stencil (Jul 7, 2004)

Took a week off from lifting.  I'm back in tonight with back & biceps.  Have been going to karate, doing plyometrics, and keeping things running outside of all the crap I ate over the holiday weekend.

 Was going to switch up my routine, but I haven't really taken the time to do so.  You guys have seen my routine, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.  Keep in mind I can only do a three-day split and I do cardio at martal arts two other days a week.


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## stencil (Jul 7, 2004)

Yates rows: 135 x 10, 205 x 8, 205 x 8, 215 x 8
Shrugs: 225 x 10, 315 x 8, 315 x 9
Wide-grip pullups (bodyweight): 7, 7, 6
DB curls: 40 x 6, 40 x 6 (hammer), 40 x 5
BB curls: 75 x 6 (failure)


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## stencil (Jul 9, 2004)

Crazy humid night last night during karate.  Did about 40 minutes of plyometrics, including the usual pushups, situps, etc.  - but also did "swimming" in which you have to get on your pelly and pull, then push, your way across the floor using your arms only.  Then did the same using legs only.  Fun.


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## stencil (Jul 9, 2004)

Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 195 x 7, 195 x 7, 205 x 5
Decline DB press: 70 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x 8
Skullcrushers: 85 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips (40lbs): 8, 7, 6
Cable crossovers: 75 x 8, 75 x 8, 75 x 8


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## stencil (Jul 14, 2004)

Great karate session last night - felt really focused.  Sweat a lot.  Missed my leg workout this week.  No big deal.  Move on and up, right?


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## stencil (Jul 14, 2004)

Good back / biceps workout, with a little legs thrown in since I missed it this week:

Yates rows: 135 x 10, 205 x 8, 205 x 8, 215 x 8
Shrugs: 225 x 12, 315 x 8, 315 x 9
Wide-grip lat pulldowns: 180 x 8, 180 x 8, 180 x 6
Standing DB curls: 40 x 6, 40 x 4 (hammer)
Leg press: 360 x 8, 360 x 8, 360 x 8*
Calf raises: 360 x 8, 360 x 8, 360 x 15*

*supersetted


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## stencil (Jul 19, 2004)

Felt pretty weak today after a weekend of drinking in Atlantic City...

Bench press: 135 x 8, 195 x 7, 185 x 8, 195 x 6
Incline DB press: 70 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x 1 (failed)
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips (40lb): 8, 8, 8
Machine flies: 120 x 8, 135 x 8, 135 x 8


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## stencil (Jul 20, 2004)

Feel good today.  Karate session tonight, and then I'm going to be lifting in the mornings from now on.  I'm tired of shifting my schedule around all the time after work.


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## stencil (Jul 20, 2004)

Holy crap.  Intense, intense, hot, karate session tonight.  Was also asked to teach the warmups, which was stressful.  Only my first time doing it.  I forgot a couple things, but overall did a good job.  Did probably over 1,000 kicks.  Ouch.  We'll see if I can do squats in the morning.


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## stencil (Jul 21, 2004)

Hahahahahaha.

The idea that I thought I would get up this morning and go do squats is pretty funny in retrospect.  Didn't happen.

Will go tonight.


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## stencil (Jul 21, 2004)

Good lord I f*ing hate leg day during the hot, humid months.

Squats: 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 8
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 245 x 8, 245 x 6
Mule calf raises: 400 (stack) x 12, 400 x 12, 400 x 12
Military press: 95 x 8, 115 x 8, 115 x 8
Reverse flies, machine: 105 x 8, 120 x 8, 120 x 8


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## stencil (Jul 27, 2004)

Wide-grip pullups, bodyweight: 8, 8, 7
Seated cable rows: 160 x 8, 150 x 8, 160 x 7
Ez bar curls, standing: 85 x 8, 90 x 8, 90 x 8
10 minutes HIIT


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## stencil (Jul 28, 2004)

Hot, humid karate workout last night.  Arms are killing me.


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## stencil (Jul 29, 2004)

Flat bench press:  135 x 8, 185 x 8, 205 x 3, 195 x 4
Decline DB press: 70 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x 2
Skullcrushers: 85 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips (45 lbs): 6, 6, 5


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## stencil (Aug 3, 2004)

Yates rows: 45 x 20, 135 x 8, 205 x 8, 205 x 8, 215 x 8
Shrugs: 225 x 8, 315 x 8, 335 x 8
Wide-grip pullups, bodyweight: 6
Wide-grip pulldowns: 180 x 8, 180 x 6
Standing db curls: 40 x 8
Standing db hammer curls: 40 x 6


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## stencil (Aug 11, 2004)

Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 205 x 6, 205 x 6, 205 x 4
Incline DB press: 70 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x 4
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips (45): 8, 8, 6

Then some karate, of course...

Then some karate again...

Then tonight:

Yates Rows: 135 x 8, 205 x 8, 215 x 8, 215 x 8
Shrugs: 315 x 8, 335 x 8, 335 x 8
Wide-grip pulldowns: 180 x 8, 180 x 8, 180 x 6
Standing DB curls: 40 x 6
Standing DB hammer curls: 40 x 5


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## stencil (Aug 16, 2004)

Grrr.... got a bad cold.  Shut me down all freakin' week.  Even missed karate.

Yates Rows: 45 x 15, 135 x 8, 205 x 8, 205 x 8, 215 x 8
Wide-grip pullups, bodyweight: 6, 6, 6
Standing DB curls: 40 x 6, 40 x 6 (hammer), 40 x 5
DB shrugs: 80 x 12
Plyometrics, decline situps throwing 5kg medicine ball: 20, 20


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## stencil (Aug 18, 2004)

Karate was great last night.  Felt good to be moving around again.  Finally learned the rest of seyunchin, so I now know all I need to know before testing for black belt.


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## stencil (Aug 18, 2004)

Weakness all over, but it felt good to at least be back at it.  Only lost maybe 10% strength, should be back next week 100%.

Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 185 x 8, 185 x 8, 185 x 6
Incline DB press: 70 x 6, 70 x 0, 70 x 0 (failed to lift off, no spotter tonight)
Skullcrushers: 85 x 8, 85 x 8, 85 x 8 (could have gone back to 105, but took it easy)
Weighted dips: 35 x 5, 35 x 6, 35 x 5 (did these narrow grip, hit harder)
Cable crossovers: 75 x 8, 75 x 8


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## stencil (Aug 23, 2004)

Yates rows: 135 x 8, 205 x 8, 225 x 6, 225 x 7 (new weight)
Squats: 225 x 8, 275 x 8, 275 x 8
Lat pulldowns (reverse-grip lever machine): 90 x 10, 140 x 8, 160 x 8
DB curls: 40 x 7, 40 x 7 (hammer), 40 x 5


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## sftwrngnr (Aug 24, 2004)

Hey Stencil,
It's been a while since I checked in with you.  Looks like you're continuing awesome workouts.  Blackbelt!!  Wowsers. Congrats for now being in a position to get it.

I know only too well how much of a pain no spotters can be.  I workout in the early morning, and typically there is nobody there who will spot me, so I'm not progressing in my bench as well as I should.

-Dan


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## stencil (Aug 25, 2004)

Dan:

Thanks for the note.  Yeah, the no-spotter thing can be rough, but at least I'm getting in there and doing something.  I still get pretty sore even at 80%.

As far as karate, yeah, it's going pretty well.  I still have my final Kyu grading before I eventually test for black belt, so I have a while.

-josh


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