http://www.lifeofastudent.com 175 pounds ripped or bust Sat, 17 May 2008 21:39:11 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Alright, so the date for my goal has come and passed. How did I do? "Be able to parallel squat 275 for 15 repetitions" - Not even close. I was banking on my squat progress being much faster than it actually was. I can bang out 240 pounds for 8 ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/05/17/weightlifting-stats-update-51708/ So I've been doing some introspection lately, and I've come to a conclusion as to why my gains are not as great as I'd like them to be first. First off, the amount of sets I'm doing is just not enough. I've averaging about 6 sets per workout, and while ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/04/18/why-im-not-hitting-my-potential-in-weightlifting/ So with my goal deadline a little less than a month and a half away, I thought I would go over how my progress is going so far. Goals: 1. Parallel squat 275 pounds for at least 15 repetitions. Three days ago, I squatted an all-time maximum, doing 230 pounds for 5 ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/03/13/quick-update-on-goal-progress/ The internet has been responsible for teaching me 99% of the knowledge I currently hold about weightlifting. I highly recommend the Bodybuilding.com forums as a great community that houses a wide variety of training experts. Regardless if you're a seasoned professional or just touched your first weight yesterday, the forums ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/03/01/two-online-tools-that-will-benefit-your-weightlifting-progress/ I was thinking about my workouts the other day, and it hit me. I'm likely not doing enough volume (only 4 to 6 sets per workout), and I'm pushing myself to failure on each set, which is not the greatest for nervous system recovery. So after some research, I've decided ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/02/23/changing-things-up-and-moving-to-a-new-routine/ Bench press has historically been one of my best lifts. Until freshman year of college, I actually was able to bench more than I could squat. I've always had a relatively strong chest and triceps compared to the rest of my body. A sample old chest/triceps workout I used to do: 3 ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/02/18/breaking-200-lbs-for-reps-on-the-bench-press-again/ My strength usually peaks over the summer, as I have more time to devote to lifting and my diet is much more accomodating to growth (in terms of calories and protein). During the school year, I make an effort to devote as much time as I can, but academics can ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/02/16/regaining-old-strength-and-pushing-past-my-old-plateaus/ So recently, I've taken a couple of proactive steps toward increasing my overall back strength. I recognized that grip strength was a limiting factor in my back training - during pullups, my grip was giving out far before my back did. Solution: The Captains of Crush Trainer Gripper I ordered this gripper ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/02/12/my-quest-to-build-massive-back-strength-and-width/ There is no other exercise that offers as high a level of muscular recruitment as squats. I also personally feel that there is no other exercise that brings as much "good pain" in weightlifting than the squat. I can pump out heavy weighted pullups or bench press 1.5 times my ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/02/09/squats-are-absolutely-brutal-but-so-worth-it/ So true... I've made so many on-the-spot goals for myself that were driven solely by how I felt at the time (a girl I liked, or a mistake I made). Goals are far more powerful as a motivator when they are physically written out, and even moreso when they are ... http://www.lifeofastudent.com/2008/02/08/goals-mean-nothing-unless-written/