Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1; 205x1
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 145x2; 155x2; 165x2; 175x2
RDL: 135x5; 155x3; 175x3; 195x3
Press w/doubled mini bands: 60# 8,8
Weighted incline sit ups: 60# 8,8

Weight: 201

Today:

Back squat: 135x5; 185x3; 195x3; 205x3
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 155x3; 165x3; 175x3
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; 165x1; 175x1; 185x1; 190x1
Weighted incline sit ups: 65# 5,5

Weight: 202. God damn Thanksgiving left overs.

Today:

Squat: 135x5; 185x3; 205x3; 215x3
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 155x1; 165x1; 175x1; 180x1; 185x1. Slowly getting back to where I was. Hopefully I'll be able to hit 195 in my next 8 week cycle while weighing 195. The goal is within sight.
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 150x2; 160x2; 170x2; 180x2
Weighted incline sit ups: 65# 6,5

Weight: 200

Yesterday:

Squat: 135x5; 185x3; 205x3; 225x3
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 150x2; 160x2; 170x2; 180x2
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 150x3; 165x3; 180x3
Press w/doubled mini bands: 65# 7,6
Weighted incline sit ups: 65# 7,5

Weight: 200.

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 145x2; 155x2; 165x2; 175x2
Incline bench press: 95x5; 155x3; 135x3; 145x3. Did these with a narrow grip, about an inch off the smooth which is the same grip I use on push presses.
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; 165x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1
Weighted incline sit ups: 65# 8,5

Weight: 201.

Am I reading this right. You are working out 3 times a week and each workout is exactly the same ??

any reason you dont do deadlifts or bench? pullups?

Not exactly the same. Squat, push, pull with the 'core' exercises being front squat, push press, and barbell row. Every 4th week I drop the core exercise and do a similar exercise (back squat, incline bp, RDL's most recently). Rep/sets vary each day as well between triples, doubles and singles. I also try to cycle the weight so that each 3 week cycle I add at least 5# to the top sets.

F'd my back up doing DL's a few months back. At my age (53) and with my job (bartender) I can't afford a serious injury so I'm probably done with DL's. Did some Romanian DL's last week which will have to suffice I guess. Similar story with BP. Years of lifting with crappy form (elbows flared) led to shoulder issues. Push presses are about the only 'push' exercise I can do regularly without pain. As for pull ups...I really suck at them so I don't do them very often.

I've been meaning to ask you. How is your chest development compared to the rest of your body, without doing any benching for a while?

I've had to cut bench presses down to once per week (the other two days are OHP) because I sometimes get some pain in my shoulder joints after a heavy bench day. I wonder if in a few years I'll have to quit benching too. (I'm almost 42).

If anything I actually seem to be bigger in the chest and shoulders than I used to be. It has been about 2 years since I benched on a regular basis but I have done some close grips with and without boards and this week I'm doing incline benches. I really don't think you'll lose anything by sticking with your current plan. If I had to do it all over again I would focus on overhead lifting and only do benches and variations as assistance exercises. Any benching I would do would be with elbows tucked. Too bad I learned that lesson a little late.

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 150x3; 165x3; 175x3
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x2; 165x2; 175x2; 185x2
Incline bench press: 95x5; 115x3; 135x1; 145x1; 155x1; 165x1; 170x1; 175x1
Weighted incline sit ups: 65# 8,6

Weight: 200

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1; 205x1; 210x1
Incline BP: 95x5; 115x3; 135x2; 145x2; 155x2; 165x2
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x3; 170x3; 185x3
Press w/doubled mini bands: 65# 8,7
Weighted incline sit ups: 65# 8,7

Weight: 199

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 150x2; 160x2; 170x2; 180x2
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 150x1; 160x1; 170x1; 175x1; 180x1
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x2; 170x2; 180x2; 190x2
Weighted incline sit ups: 65# 8,8

Weight: 198

Missed yesterday's workout due to sickness. Came down with something over the weekend that I thought might be the same **** I had a few weeks back. Had the runny nose Friday night, sore throat Saturday morning, felt like all around crap Saturday night which of course was one of our busiest nights of the year and by Sunday I was hacking up the green sludge. I was out of it all day Sunday but by yesterday I was feeling better. Body aches and coughing but nothing real bad. Actually don't feel too bad today. Assuming this doesn't get any worse I'll hit the gym again on Friday and I'll be on a twice a week (Monday & Thursday) schedule for the next couple of weeks due to the holidays.

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1; 205x1; 215x1
Push Press: 95x5; 135x3; 145x2; 155x2; 160x2; 165x2; 170x2; 175x2
Bent over barbell rows: 115x5; 135x3; 170x3; 180x3; 190x3
Press w/doubled mini bands 65# 8,8
Weighted incline sit ups: 70# 5,5

Weight: 198.

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 150x3; 160x3; 170x3; 180x3
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 145x3; 155x3; 165x3; 175x3
Romanian DL: 135x5; 155x3; 175x3; 185x3
Weighted incline sit ups: 70# 6,5

Weight: 198

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 155x2; 165x2; 175x2; 185x2
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 155x1; 165x1; 175x1; 180x1; 185x1; 190x1
Romanian DL: 135x5; 155x3; 175x3; 195x3
Push press w/doubled mini bands: 70# 6,5
Weighted incline sit ups: 70# 7,5

Weight: 196.

What a weird day. My knee was killing me. The first set of front squats (95#) I was in severe pain and was basically doing 1/2 squats. I put a knee sleeve on my left knee and worked through it. The extra weight helped me get depth. On top of the knee pain I still can't seem to shake whatever bug I've got. Still coughing and stuffed up. I was really worried about hitting my target in the push press. I was shooting for 185#. I wound up doing a solid 190#. Go figure. Then I get home and weigh myself and I'm 196 which is the lightest I've been in at least 10 years. Bottom line is I'm real close to my goal of push pressing body weight. I'm thinking of trying to get 3 workouts in next week by going Sun/Tue/Thur and trying for a max on Thursday.

Merry Christmas to all!

Yesterday:

Squat: 135x5; 185x3; 195x2; 205x2; 215x2; 225x2
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 150x3; 165x3; 180x3 (barely got the 3rd rep)
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1; 200x1
Weighted incline sit ups: 70# 8,5

Weight: 198

Today:

Squat: 135x5; 185x3; 205x1; 225x1; 235x1; 245x1; 255x1. If feels good just to squat (mostly) pain free.
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 155x2; 165x2; 175x2; 185x2. One year ago today I did 210 on the PP, a PR for me. I also weighed close to 220. So I've lost about 20 pounds of BW and 20 pounds off my PR. I'm OK with that.
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x3; 175x3; 185x3
Weighted incline sit ups: 70# 8,6

Weight: 199

Today:

Squat: 135x5; 185x3; 205x3; 215x3; 225x3
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x Fail. 185 was pretty hard but I wanted to give 195 a go. Didn't come close. Oh well, it gives me something to shoot for in '10.
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x2; 170x2; 180x2; 190x2
Press w/doubled mini bands: 70# 7,6
Weighted incline sit ups: 70# 8,7

Weight: 199

Happy New Year!

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 155x3; 170x3; 180x3
Incline BP (almost close grip...about 1" of the smooth...same grip as my push press): 115x5; 135x3; 140x2; 145x2; 150x2; 155x2; 160x2; 165x2
Close grip BP w/2 boards: 135x5; 155x3; 165x3; 175x3; 185x3. I'm going to do these twice a week. The last time I got my push press moving up I was also doing these.
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1; 205x1
Weighted incline sit ups: 70# 8,8

Weight: 197

Yesterday:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 155x2; 165x2; 175x2; 185x2
Almost close grip Incline BP: 115x5; 135x3; 145x1; 155x1; 165x1; 170x1; 175x1; 180x1
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x3; 175x3; 190x3
Press w/doubled mini bands: 70# 3,4. These kicked my ass today. I was planning on doing 8,6 and I didn't come close. Not sure why.
Weighted incline sit ups: 75# 5,5

Weight: 196

Maybe because you're losing weight? Are you restricting calories?

Yeah, could be. The thing is it didn't bother any of my other lifts but it was at the end of my workout so I might have been a bit drained.

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1; 200x1; 205x1; 210x1
Incline BP: 115x5; 135x3; 145x3; 155x3; 165x3
CG BP w/2 boards: 135x5; 155x3; 165x2; 175x2; 185x2; 190x2
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x2; 165x2; 175x2; 185x2; 195x2
Weighted incline sit ups: 75# 6,5

Weight: 194

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 155x3; 175x3; 185x3
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 150x2; 160x2; 170x2; 180x2
CG BP w/2 boards: 135x5; 155x3; 170x1; 180x1; 185x1; 190x1; 195x1; 200x1; 205x1
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 190x1; 200x1; 210x1
Weighted incline sit ups: 75# 7,5

Weight: 195

Today:

Front squat: 95x5; 135x3; 150x2; 160x2; 170x2; 180x2; 190x2
Push press: 95x5; 135x3; 155x1; 165x1; 175x1; 180x1; 185xFail. Arggh.
Press w/doubled mini bands: 70# 7,6. I was pissed about missing the 185 PP so I wasn't going to let these beat my ass like last week.
Bent over barbell row: 115x5; 135x3; 155x3; 175x3; 195x3
Weighted incline sit ups: 75# 8,5

Weight: 196. Felt like crap today...weak, drained, tired. I have a day off tomorrow so maybe I can get some rest.