I used them in November to get from 135x5 to 145x5 on OHP in 4 weeks. When I started, I could barely get the last rep of 135 up. Did 1,2,3,1,2, then next workout 1,2,3,1,2,3, then next workout 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3, then added five lbs when I could finish all 9 sets and start over with 1,2,3,1,2. Another thing I did, which I don't know helped or not, was after the last set, I would do a drop set (of about 85% of the work weight) for as many reps as possible.

That's a good way to do them. I'm going to continue with the ladders for awhile. I'll add 5 lbs when I can complete all 3 ladders.

Today:

Front squat: 115x5; 135x3; Ladders with 170: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; Ladders with 170: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Pendlay row: 115x5; 135x3; Ladders with 165: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Ab stuff

Weight: 211. Started my 'diet' today. I'm cutting out bread, potatoes and pasta. Smaller portions, no deserts. After 2 weeks I'll give myself one cheat day a week. I'll reevaluate after February. I don't want to get too skinny . I'd like to stay around 195.

Pasta and potatoes, OK, but bread? What are you going to do for fiber?

Oatmeal (sometimes with bananas or blueberries) 3-4 times a week and a salad & veggies with dinner.

Today:

Push press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1; Ladders with 155: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Rack pull (from knee level): 135x5; 185x3; 225x1; Ladders with 245: 1,2,3; 1,2,3. I'm going to do these until I get up to 275 and then increase the range of motion in small increments (assuming my back holds up )
Hammer Pd: 90x5; 110x3; 130x1; Ladders with 150: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
EZ curl: 70x5; 80x5; 90x5; 100x3

Weight: 208

Yesterday:

Front squat: 115x;5 135x3; Ladders with 175: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; Ladders with 175: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Pendlay row: 115x5; 135x3; Ladders with 170: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Ab stuff

Weight: 208. Ladders were tough today.

Well, you're doing 18 reps with a weight that is normally, what, your 5-8 rep max? Plus you're dieting.

Plus it was Monday

Today:

Rack pulls: 135x5; 185x3; 225x1 Ladders with 250: 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Push press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1 Ladders with 160: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Hammer PD: 90x5; 110x3; 130x1; Ladders with 155: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
EZ curl: 70x5; 80x3 Ladders with 90: 1,2,3; 1,2,3 Ladders gone wild!

Weight: 208. My weight belt was looser today.

Today:

Front squat: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; Ladders with 180: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; Ladders with 180: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Pendaly row: 115x5; 135x3; Ladders with 175: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Ab stuff

Weight: 208

Gym was closed yesterday. Of course I drove there and walked up to the door before I figured it out. Doh!

Today:

Rack pull: 135x5; 185x3; 225x1; Ladders with 255: 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Push press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1; Ladders with 165: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Hammer PD: 90x5; 110x3; 130x1; Ladders with 160: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Ab stuff

Weight: 208. Not losing any but at least I've been incredibly consistent.

Yesterday:

Front squat: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; Ladders with 185: 1,2,3; 1,2
CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; Ladders with 185: 1,2,3; 1,2
Pendlay row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; Ladders with 180: 1,2,3; 1,2
EZ curls: 70x5; 80x5; 90x5

Weight: 207. I was running late today so I cut the ladders short. I couldn't continue on a linear pace forever anyway . Hopefully I'll finish the ladders next week.

Yesterday:

Rack pulls: 135x5; 185x3; 225x1; Ladders with 260: 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Push press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1; 155x1; Ladders with 170: 1,2,3; 1,2. I used a slower, more controlled dip and it felt pretty good.
Hammer PD: 90x5; 110x3; 130x1; Ladders with 165: 1,2,3; 1,2
Ab stuff

weight: 206

Today:

Front squat: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; Ladders with 185: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; Ladders with 185: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Pendlay row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; Ladders with 180: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
EZ curls: 70x5; 80x5; 90x5; 100x3

Weight: 206. Feeling good, got all the ladders today.

Today:

Hammer PD: 90x5; 110x3; 140x1; Ladders with 165: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Rack pulls: 135x5; 185x3; 225x1; Ladders with 265: 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Push press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1; 155x1; 155x1; Ladders with 170: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Ab stuff

Weight: 207. Weird workout. Someone was using 'my' rack when I got there so I started with pull downs. Right when I was getting into the ladders on PD's the rack opened up. So I went into the leg room where the rack is and started with rack pulls since I didn't want someone to snag the rack. I was super setting PD's and rack pulls at this point. When I got to push presses I did 155 and then this gym regular starts BS'ing with me. I thought I loaded the bar to 170. I do a single and think 'damn that felt easy'. Then I realize that I hadn't put the weights on so I just did 155 again. Doh! Ladders went well after that but the last set of 3 was pretty tough.

Today:

Front squat: 115x5; 135x3; 165x1; Ladders with 190: 1,2,3; 1,2
CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; 165x1; Ladders with 190: 1,2,3; 1,2
Pendlay row: 115x5; 135x3; 165x1; Ladders with 185: 1,2,3; 1,2
Ab stuff

Weight: 207. I'll try to finish the ladders on Friday. Based on how heavy they felt today I might not get them.

Today:

Rack pulls: 135x5; 185x3; 225x1; Ladders with 270: 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Push press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1; 155x1; Ladders with 175: 1,2,3; 1,2. Pretty hard.
Hammer PD: 90x5; 110x3; 140x1; Ladders with 170: 1,2,3; 1,2
EZ curls: 70x5; 80x5; 90x5; 100x4

Weight: 207.

Today:

Front squat: 115x5; 135x3; 165x1; Ladders with 190: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; 165x1; Ladders with 190: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Pendlay row: 115x5; 135x3; 165x1; Ladders with 185: 1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3
Ab stuff

Weight: 206. Ladders weren't as bad as I thought they might be. I was going to do these for 6 weeks and then reevaluate. Since I'm at that point I think next week I'll do some max singles and then decide what to do going forward.

Today:

Rack pulls: 135x5; 185x3; 225x1; 265x1; 285x1; 295x1; 305x1; 315x1
Push press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 190xF. 185 went up easily. I figured I'd get 190 and then decide whether to try 195. Fail. I wasn't in the mood to try it again.
Hammer PD: 90x5; 110x3; 130x1; 150x1; 170x1; 180x1; 190x1
Ab stuff

Weight: 207

I was planning on going to the gym today to do some singles on front squats, CG BP's and Pendlay rows but we had a little brawl in my bar last night and my knee and shoulder (to a lesser extent) are jacked up. My knee is pretty badly swollen and there is a cut right below my knee which makes it painful to even bend my leg. I doubt if I'll be able to squat for a couple of weeks. Push presses are probably out for awhile as well. I should be able to do CG BP's and rows next week. ****ing drunken douche bags.

Today:

CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; 155x2; 165x2; 175x2; 185x2
Hammer PD: 90x5; 110x3; 130x3; 150x3; 160x3
EZ curl: 70x5; 80x5; 90x5
Ab stuff

Weight: 207. I still can't bend my knee through a full range of motion so squats (and crouching Cohen curls) are out for at least another week. I'm not sure if I can do push presses. I'll probably try some Wednesday and see how they go.

Today:

Seated press machine: 60x5; 80x3; 100x3; 120x3; 140x3; 160x3
Bent over barbell rows: 115x5; 135x3; 155x3; 165x3; 175x3; 185x3
Tri PD: 60x8; 80x5; 100x5; 120x5
Ab stuff

Weight: 206. My knee still isn't ready for push presses. Hopefully by Monday.

Today:

DB BP: 40x5; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3; 70x3
Rack pulls: 135x5; 185x3; 225x3; 255x3; 275x3
Ab stuff

Weight: 205. Pretty craptastic work out. I was going to do CG incline BP but my shoulder wasn't feeling good after 115x3 so I just did some DB BP's which felt a lot better. Rack pulls were OK. I added some more range of motion by standing on a hard mat. The pins are as low as they can go so I need to stand on stuff to increase ROM.

Sucks about the knee & shoulder - hope those heal up soon

Thanks. Feeling much better.

Today:

Front squat: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1; 205x1
CG BP: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; 165x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1
Pendlay row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; 165x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1
Ab stuff

Weight: 205. Felt pretty good. The cut on my right knee is almost completely healed and the swelling is gone. My shoulder feels better as well. I was kind of pressed for time so I just wanted to get in the gym and do something.

Today:

Rack pull: 135x5; 185x3; 225x1; 255x1; 275x1; 295x1; 305x1; 315x1
Push press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1; 145x1; 155x1; 165x1; 175x1
Hammer PD: 90x5; 110x3; 130x3; 150x3; 170x3
EZ curl: 70x5; 80x5; 90x5

Weight: 205. My shoulder felt good but I didn't want to push it. I should be able to get back to regular routine next week.