Cube Method Week 9

12/10/12
1.5″ Deficit Pulls:
Bar x 10, 5
135×5
185×3
225×2
275×2
315×1
365×1
405×1
—
455×1
495×1
515×1

Conventional Deadlift:
405x1x5 sets

BB Shrugs:
225x15x3 sets

GHR:
3×8

12/13/12
Floor Press:
185x5x5 sets

Incline DB Press:
60x15x3 sets

Band Pushdowns:
100

Standing DB Military:
55x10x4 sets

Band Flys:
15×3 sets

12/14/12
Squat:
305x2x3 sets

Wide Stance Pause Squat:
205x10x3

GHR:
8×3 sets

Oly Squat:
165×40

Stood on 45s which is about a 1.5″ deficit. Haven’t done deficit pulls in a long time, but when I did, I pulled 455 and missed 495. And this 515 is 14 lbs under my best floor pull, so we will see what that means next week. I did GHR’s instead of lunges because I believe I could benefit more from them. I want to make them a staple, regardless of what program I am doing. Changes my bar path a bit on bench. Hard to say if I like it or not because it was a floor press. Squats went per usual. High reps suck. Klokov presses, abs, and conditioning tomorrow. Next week we see what the outcome of this training cycle is.

Cube Method Week 8

12/3/12
Deadlift:
Bar x 10
135×5
225×3
315×1
405×1
—
430x1x6 sets

Deadlift from 4″ Blocks:
405×5

Pause Deadlift:
185x6x3 sets

BB Shrugs:
225x20x2 sets

Lat Pulldowns:
160x15x4 sets

12/5/12
Bench:
2×3 sets

BB Military Press:
12×4 sets

Band Pulldowns:
20×4 sets

Band Pushdowns:
100

12/5/12
Bench:
Bar x 10
95×5
135×5
185×3
205×2
—
235x2x3 sets

Standing BB Military Press:
95×12
105×12
115×12
135×10

Band Lat Pulldowns:
20×4 sets

Band Pushdowns:
25×4 sets

12/6/12
Squat:
Bar x 10
135×5
185×3
225×2
275×1
315×1
Add knee wraps and belt
365×1
405×1
425×1
Pulled all my reps conventional except for the final single at 430. Went sumo, didn’t even sit back as far as I should have and didn’t pull the slack out of the bar and was surprised still by how fast and easy it was. Lat pulldowns felt hard which was weird. Bench is still feeling weak. Changed things up a bit but it just didn’t feel great. Overhead press was good. Used some body English on the 135…should’ve probably gone for 125 strict but I wanted to do 135 so whatever. Squats were good depth-wise. Chicken-winged my final squat which tipped me over and I had to grind it with my back to get it. Had I had my elbows under the bar it would have been a smoke show. I only started training high bar when I started the Cube Method, and this squat was 7 lbs over my last meet squat and 10 lbs under my best squat, which were both low bar. Hoping to beat my all time squat in a couple weeks as long as I remember to keep my elbows down. This weekend will probably be curls, upright rows, and abs.