Week Five: Training

To bring any and all new readers up to speed, I'm currently preparing for my next amateur bodybuilding competition, scheduled to take place on August 7 in Enfield, Connecticut.  I've competed in four such competitions since June of 2009, nailing down three second place finishes in the Novice class, two fourth place finishes in the ultra-competitive Open division, and finally, at my most recent show in March of this year, a first place victory in the Novice division.  For the next six years (when I turn forty), the only division open to me is the Open class.  In other words, I've got a tough row to hoe from here on out!

Despite this, my current preparation is going very well, indeed.  I'm happy to report that, thirty-six days into my pre-contest prep, my body is making its most significant strides thus far.  Starting the prep at a soft, undefined 162.6 pounds, I've now dropped a total of 14.6 pounds of bodyfat, water, and overall bloat, bringing me to my new bodyweight of an even 148.  No complaints here, as I am well ahead of the pace I kept during my last such peaking period.  With almost seven full weeks to go, I have no doubt that while I might get eviscerated on stage in Connecticut, I will do so in my best condition yet.

My fifth week of training was marked by more strong, solid workouts (despite my weight loss, there has been no drop in strength as of yet), which I will now detail.

Monday, June 14: Quads and Abs (B)

 

1) Barbell Hack Squats, 2 warm-ups, 3 sets of 5 reps

 Barbell Hack Squats

2) Dip Belt Squats, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
3) Bulgarian Split Squats, 4 sets of 10-12 reps

4) Leg Extensions, 2 sets of 20 reps
5) Hanging Leg Raises, 3 sets of 5 reps

6) Lying Leg Thrusts, 3 sets of 12 reps

7) Crunches, 3 sets of 20 reps

• B-workouts are the more standard, "bread-and-butter" workouts in which the primary muscle group (quads, in this example) is trained with 3-4 sets of 3-4 exercises, covering a range of low, moderate, and high rep ranges.
• My sets of abdominal exercises were performed in a "staggered" manner, meaning I squeezed them in between sets of quad exercises in an effort to save time.
• Though it was quite a good workout overall, I wasn't overly thrilled with the dip belt squats, and aren't likely to use them again anytime soon.

Tuesday, June 15: Chest and Shoulders (B)

1) Incline Dumbbell/Cable Presses, 1 warm-up, 4 sets of 4-6 reps

Incline Dumbbell/Cable Presses

 

2) Incline Barbell Presses, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

3) Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes, 1 set of 20 reps
4) Supported Cable Crossovers, 1 set of 20 reps
5) Pec Deck, 1 set of 20 reps

6) Incline Rear Lateral Raises, 3 sets of 20 reps
7) Incline Side Lateral Raises, 3 sets of 10-12

• Just for the sake of variety, instead of doing three sets of the same 20-rep exercise when concluding my chest workout, I decided to hop around and do one set of three different isolation exercises. 
• Incline rear lateral raises are lateral raises for the rear deltoids performed lying prone on a low-angle incline bench.
• Incline side lateral raises are alternating one-arm lateral raises for the side deltoids performed lying on one side on a relatively high-angle incline bench.  They're a great exercise that require very little weight to hammer the side delts.

Thursday, June 16: Back and Hamstrings (B)

1) Top-half Deadlifts (a.k.a. Rack Pulls), 2 warm-ups, 3 sets of 4-6 reps

2) T-Bar Rows, 4 sets of 10-12 reps

3) Wide-Grip Pulldowns, 3 sets of 20 reps

4) One-legged Back Extensions, 3 sets of 12 reps

5) Lying Leg Curls, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• The top-half deadlifts (a.k.a. rack pulls) are performed in a power rack with the pins set so that the barbell is being pulled from a dead stop right around knee level.
• Though a very simple workout, it was very hard-hitting and left me extremely sore for a few days.

Sunday, June 19: Biceps and Triceps (C)

     (1-4 performed as a tri-set, with no rest between each exercise)

1) J.M. Presses, 4 sets of 5 reps

2) EZ-Bar Reverse Curls, 2 sets of 10-12 reps


or ...

3) 90-Degree Preacher Curls (a.k.a. Spider Curls), 2 sets of 12 reps


4) Three-Part Triceps Pushdowns, 4 sets of 21 reps


     (5-7 performed as a tri-set, with no rest between each exercise)

5) Barbell Preacher Curls, 1 warm-up, 4 sets of 3-5 reps


6) EZ-Bar French Presses, 1 warm-up, 4 sets of 10-12 reps

7) DeFrancos Three-Part Curls, 4 sets of 21-30 reps

And that, folks, was that.  Another solid week of training and dieting accompanied by some of my best gains thus far.  In my next installments, you'll get a record of not only my most recent workouts, but the changes in my diet that will be required as the competition gets closer.  Hopefully you'll enjoy reading my words and watching my videos.  Speaking of your enjoyment ...

If you do, in fact, enjoy reading/watching this blog and find it either inspirational or educational, why not consider making a teeny-tiny donation to the "Ken Banks Competition Fund"?  All kidding aside, these competitions are not inexpensive to take part in.  Between entry fees, OCB membership fees, polygraph fees, travel, lodging, and other miscellaneous costs, the show on August 7 is going to deplete me well over $300!  Donations of any amount will keep me going strong, and it's easy as heck to help.  Those with a PayPal account can simply click the button below:

Or, if you prefer, checks and money orders can be sent to Ken Banks, 229 Wilson St., Apt. C, Brewer, ME, 04412.  Regardless of whether or not I receive any donations for this show as I did for my most recent contest in March, rest assured I'll continue to keep you all up to date on my training!

Week Four: Training

Day twenty-nine, and all is well.

It is with mixed feelings I announce that, for all intents and purposes, the first third of my twelve-week pre-contest preparation is (thankfully) done, while two-thirds (frighteningly) remains.  Essentially, one month down, two to go.

For those of you keeping score at home, here's how my bodyweight has progressed from the start of the prep (though I weigh myself almost every day in an attempt to learn more about my body as well as compare my progress to my previous pre-contest preps, my "official" weigh-ins take place each Monday morning):

Day 1: 162.6 pounds
Day 8: 154.2 pounds
Day 15: 152.2 pounds
Day 22: 149.8 pounds
Day 29 (today): 148.4 pounds

If this means that I am victorious in my usual "War with One-Fifty" (typically when dieting for a show, my body seems to race towards one-hundred-fifty pounds, then kinda hangs out there for a week or better), then color me thrilled.  Once I have officially vanquished the 150-pound barrier (and make no mistake, despite weighing in less than 150 two "official weigh-ins" in a row, I might not be out of the woods, yet), gains seem to come fast and furious for me.  I'll keep you posted!

In any event, Week Four was marked by another round of solid workouts! Let's get to the nuts and bolts, shall we?

Sunday, June 6: Quads and Abs (A)

1) Squats (descending depth), 2 warm-ups, 6 sets of 3-5 reps

Barbell Squats.

2) Hack Squats (with barbell), 4 sets of 4-6 reps

 

Barbell Hack Squats, start and finish.

3) Hanging Leg Raises, 3 sets of 5 reps

4) Decline Leg Raises, 3 sets of 10 reps

• A-workouts are of the lowest intensity, usually using a 5 x 5 set/rep scheme for my primary muscle group, going as heavy as I can for five reps, and using ample rest time (approximately three minutes between sets).  
• When using "descending depth" squats, the first set after the warm-up and stretch is my heaviest set, and my thighs reach a depth just above parallel (I squat back until my butt lightly touches a stack of seven aerobic step risers that assure the proper height).  For my next set I remove ten pounds from the bar as well as one riser.  So, although the weight is lighter, the squat is deeper, and more difficult.  By the time I hit my sixth set, I am squatting all the way down to a stack of just two risers (see video below).

 
• My sets of abdominal exercises were performed in a "staggered" manner, meaning I squeezed them in between sets of squats and hack squats in an effort to save time.

Monday, June 7: Chest and Shoulders (C)

1) Incline Dumbbell Presses, 1 warm-up, 3 sets of 4-6 reps (final set as a strip-set) 

     (2-4 performed as a tri-set, with no rest between each)

2) Flat Dumbbell Bench Presses, 3 sets of 5-6 reps

3) Incline Push-ups, 3 sets of 5-6 reps
4) Pec Deck, 3 sets of 20 reps

5) Incline Lateral Raises, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

6) Rear Dumbbell Lateral Raises, 3 sets of 20 reps
7) Alternating Overhead Dumbbell Presses, 3 sets of 12 reps

• The final set of dumbbell incline presses were performed as a strip set, meaning I went to failure with a weight that allowed six reps, then immediately went to failure with dumbbells ten pounds lighter, and went to failure once more with dumbbells ten pounds lighter, still.

Wednesday, June 9: Back and Hamstrings (C)

     (1 & 2 performed as a superset, with no rest between each)

1) Lying Leg Curls, 3 sets of 20 reps (with a peak contraction on each rep)

2) One-Legged Back Extensions, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

3) Glute-Ham Raises (negative reps only), 3 sets of 5 reps

     (4-6 performed as a tri-set, with no rest between each)

4) Top-half Deadlifts, 3 sets of 5-6 reps
5) Supported T-Bar Rows, 3 sets of 10-12 reps
6) Wide Grip Pulldowns, 3 sets of 20 reps

• Top-half Deadlifts (a.k.a. Rack Pulls) are deadlifts performed in a power rack, with the pins set so that each rep begins right around knee level.

Thursday, June 10: Biceps and Triceps (B)

     (1 & 2 were performed as a superset, with no rest between each)

1) J.M. Press, 1 warm-up, 4 sets of 5-6 reps

2) Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curls, 1 warm-up, 4 sets of 5-6 reps

     (3 & 4 were performed as a superset, with no rest between each)
3) 90-Degree Preacher Curls, 3 sets of 10-12 reps
4) Lying Barbell Tricep Extensions (a.k.a. "Headbangers), 3 sets of 10-12 reps

     (5 & 6 were performed as a superset, with no rest between each)

5) EZ-Bar French Presses, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

6) EZ-Bar Reverse Curls, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

     (7 & 8 were performed as a superset, with no rest between each)

7) Cable Preacher Curls, 3 sets of 20 reps
8) 3-Part Rope Pushdowns, 3 sets of 21 reps

That arm workout concluded my training for the week.  As always, I am eager to read any thoughts, suggestions, constructive criticisms, questions, or anything else.  Thanks for reading!

Week Three: Training

Just like that, the third week of my three-month pre-contest training regimen is in the books!  Well, more accurately "in the book", or, even more accurately, "in the tattered 8 x 5-inch one-subject notebook I use as my training log that I will need to replace in a little over four weeks."  However I choose to word it, the good news is that my third week of training has been successfully completed, and, more importantly, my hard work in both the gym and kitchen is paying off nicely.

As I've mentioned in past entries, I started the first week of my twelve-week prep on May 17 in pretty soft condition with a bodyweight of 162.6 pounds.  One week later I was down to 154.2.  Seven days after that, 152.2.  I learned this morning, June 7, that I have whittled myself down to 149.8 pounds.  Most importantly, the past seven days have been marked by the most noticeable improvements to my physique thus far.  As expected, my extremities are closing in on being "contest ready" the fastest, as the veins in my arms and the cuts in my legs are both becoming more prominent.  My chest and back are both hardening up nicely, and, most satisfyingly, my serratus and obliques are starting to poke themselves out from their hiding places.  The fat covering my midsection has very noticeably decreased, and I'm again comfortably using the second hole in my belt.  Because all of this has come with no changes to "Stage One" of my pre-contest diet, the best is obviously yet to come.

Anyway, because the title of this entry is "Week Three: Training" rather than "Week Three: I'm Not As Fat As I Was A Week Ago", it's time to detail what I did this past week in the gym.  Bear in mind that I once again jump-started the week's workouts with a Sunday morning session before the gym had opened.  Whether this becomes my standard practice for the remaining nine weeks remains to be seen.

Sunday, May 30: Quads and Abs (C)
a) Light warm-up and stretch.

     (1-6 performed as a giant set, with no rest between each) 
1) Squats (full range of motion), near failure at 225 lbs.
2) Squats (full range of motion), near failure at 180 lbs.
3) Squats (full range of motion), near failure at 135 lbs.
4) Barbell Jump Squats, 12 reps
5) Genie Squats, 20 reps
6) Leg Extensions, 20 reps (see video of the entire circuit below)

     (7 & 8 performed as a superset, with no rest between each)
7) Bulgarian Split Squats (with dumbbells), 3 sets of 12 reps
8) Leg Extensions, 3 sets of 20 reps

     (9 & 10 performed as a superset, with no rest between each)

9) Squats (full range of motion), 2 sets of 3-4 reps

10) Leg Extensions, 1 set of 20 reps (only performed after the final set of squats) 
     (11 & 12 performed as a superset, with no rest between each)

11) Lying Leg Thrusts, 2 sets of 15, 10 reps
12) 1/4 Sit-ups, 2 sets of 25, 20 reps

• C-workouts are of a high intensity, marked by shorter rest periods, and plenty of intensity-increasing techniques.  While C-workouts are extremely difficult for all the bodyparts I train, they're absolutely brutal for quads!  This workout started off with a giant set of squats, jump squats, genie squats, and leg extensions, and, as detailed above, the squats were done as a strip-set, which was pretty damn hellacious.
• I didn't perform my last two prescribed sets of squats until after the supersets of Bulgarian split squats and leg extensions had been completed.  Doing so allowed me to pump up my quads significantly before returning to the power rack, making the last two otherwise dull sets of heavy squats ridiculously tough on the quads.
• Not surprisingly, this workout made my quadriceps incredibly sore for a couple of days.

Monday, May 31: Chest and Shoulders (B)

1) Incline Dumbbell/Cable Presses, 1 warm-up, 4 sets of 4-6 reps (see video below)

2) Incline Barbell Presses, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

3) Supported Cable Crossovers, 3 sets of 20 reps (see video below)

4) Reverse Pec Deck, 4 sets of 10-12 reps

5) Incline Side Lateral Raises, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Incline dumbbell/cable presses are one of my favorite chest exercises, as they absolutely torch my upper pecs.  As seen in the video above, they're performed like standard incline dumbbell presses, except the bench is placed in the middle of the cable crossover station, and a low-pulley cable with a very light weight is attached to each wrist.  This prevents my pecs from ever being able to "rest" during the entirety of the set, and gives me an incredible pump.  After all, I'm not just pressing, but sort of doing flyes at the same time.

Wednesday, June 2: Back and Hamstrings (A)

1) "Bottoms Up" Deadlifts, 2 warm-ups, 6 sets of 4-6 reps

2) Wide-Grip Weighted Chins, 4 sets of 4-6 reps

3) Lying Leg Curls, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
4) Alternating Lying Leg Curls, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• The deadlifts were performed in "bottoms up"-style: My first set was performed while standing on a platform of a few inches, increasing the bottom half range of motion, forcing me to pull the weight from below the level of my feet (which makes a set of deadlifts positively excruciating); set two was performed on a smaller platform so range of motion was slightly decreased; set three was a standard deadlift from the floor; and sets four through six were partial deadlifts in the power rack (a.k.a. "rack pulls"), resetting the pins on each set so the range of motion got shorter each time.
• Alternating leg curls are performed on a standard lying leg curl machine, one leg at a time.
• This workout made my back extremely sore, though I feel as though my hamstrings were done a disservice.

Thursday, June 3: Biceps and Triceps (C)
     (1-3 were performed as a "suicide" giant set; explanation below)
1) J.M. Press, 1 warm-up, 6 sets of 2-5 reps
2) EZ-Bar French Press, 3 sets of 10-12 reps
3) Overhead Tricep Extensions, 3 sets of 20 reps
     (4-7 were performed as a "suicide" giant set; explanation below)

4) Barbell Preacher Curls, 1 warm-up, 6 sets of 2-5 reps
5) EZ-Bar Reverse Curls, 3 sets of 10-12 reps
6) Machine Curls, 2 sets of 20 reps
7) DeFrancos Curls, 1 set of 21 reps
     (8 & 9 performed as a superset, with no rest between each)
8) Lying Triceps Extensions (a.k.a. "Headbangers), 2 sets of 20 reps
9) Drag Curls, 2 sets of 20 reps

• "Suicides" are absolutely crazy giant sets that involve "zig-zagging" between three or four different exercises for the same bodypart: one exercise is heavy (approximately 5 reps), one moderate (10 reps), and one light (20 reps).  Once I set up the barbells/dumbbells for the giant set, I "zig-zag" through a total of 12 sets with no rest in the following fashion: 5-10-5-10-5-20-5-10-5-20-5-20.  That's right, I crank out twelve sets in a row with no rest, only taking as long as I need to move from one exercise to the next, lowering the poundage slightly as I go through.  As you might imagine, these giant sets are quite intense.
• This was honestly one of the most intense biceps & triceps workouts that I've ever performed.  I accidentally dropped several barbell plates as I was trying to put them away, and my arms were aching and almost useless for the end of the night!  The aches and pains were severe enough to disturb my sleep that night, and the soreness the next day was ridiculous.

Mercifully, that insane arm workout finished off my third week of training.  Questions?  Concerns?  Criticism?  Suggestions?  As always, I'm all ears.  Or eyes, as the case probably will be.