• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workout
      • Best BCAAs
      • Best Testosterone Boosters
      • Best Bodybuilding Supplements
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
      • Best Multivitamins
      • Best Collagen Supplement
      • Best Probiotic
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Magnesium Supplements
    • Protein
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Protein Powders for Muscle Gain
      • Best Tasting Protein Powder
      • Best Vegan Protein
      • Best Mass Gainer
      • Best Protein Shakes
      • Best Organic Protein Powder
      • Best Pea Protein Powder
      • Best Protein Bars
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Functional Trainers
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Trap Bars
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Cardio Machines
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Weighted Vests
      • Concept2 RowErg Review
      • Hydrow Wave Review
      • Best Jump Ropes
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

Athlete Journal: Chris Duffin, Entry 8 – New Beginnings

This week marks new beginnings for Chris - changes in his training program as well as his career. While it might not have been an optimum week, Chris still put in a literal ton of work.

Written by Chris Duffin Last updated on Oct 20, 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Welcome to the Athlete Journal of world champion powerlifter Chris Duffin. Follow Chris as he trains and competes in various events over the coming year. Chris’s journal will be posted every Tuesday. You can also read about Chris on his personal website KabukiWarrior.com.

New Beginnings

This week marked one of the changes I do in my training program. It also marked some changes in my life. I spent the previous week not working, before beginning my new career the next week. The week was incredibly busy for me and my head was all over the place, as I had some important life decisions to make about my future direction looming very close. It was all good, but very demanding mentally and emotionally. Unfortunately I can’t talk about the specifics in a public forum.

Luckily, I captured much of the week on film, as I honestly could not remember what I had done for training until I watched the videos. I had been too frazzled to even write down my training log that week. In watching the video it’s apparent I was taking out a lot of my emotion on the iron…as usual I suppose.

Also of note is that I began to ramp up my dieting phase for my next competition. You will likely see some leaning out already in some of the video.

MONDAY

I actually switched up my bench press training 1 week early, so this was week 2 of floor presses. A weakness…and an opportunity for growth for me.

Skipped mobility, as I was late to training.

Floor Press

135x10x10

225×5

315×5

365×5

405×4 – PR for me! Pretty sure I came back and hit it again right afterwards

405×2

Shoulder work – can’t remember since I didn’t film or log

Rolling Tricep Extensions

130×10

180×8

May be a PR…definitely a current PR for last couple years.

Sled Face Pulls

2 passes

WEDNESDAY

Switched up to squats using straight weights and the buffalo bar.

Squat

Warmup

605×1 – heavy and slow

Add knee wraps

650×3

Leg Press

2 sets

Ukrainian Stallion

3 sets

250lbs in hands plus band at hips – SEE VIDEO BELOW

FRIDAY

The week was getting to me by this point. Took Friday evening off.

SATURDAY AM

Fully Fasted training with USP Labs Fasted Training Protocol (FTP)

Switched up to deficit deads

Standing on 2” blocks w/weights on floor.

Warmup

Hook grip till about 550

Over under

635×1

Add chain

655-695×1, 3, 5

On the first single I almost passed out, and then fell over on the third when chains got under the weights, then finally hit it on the fifth.

Dumbbell rows – 1-arm, strict

150×25, 20 per side

Pullups

Bodyweightx10, 8, 8

Chinups

Bodyweightx8

One thing to note is I’ve been taking USP Labs stack with Compound 20 and Pink Magic and am just amazed at the way its helping me lean out further and get stronger at the same time. Absolutely love having my training powered by USP Labs, who is my sole performance supplement supplier.

Another shout out goes to my main recovery guru Philip Snell of MyRehabExcercises.com. He has helped me so much with a number of items in the last year and has allowed me to make significant progress. I’ve finally decided to take one area of his recommendations more seriously and I’ve been doing “dead bugs” on a regular basis. Maybe a little too regular, as is my way of doing things. I’ve been hitting them 1-2 times a day for the last couple weeks.

THE ENTIRE WEEK IN TRAINING:

USP Labs Sponsored Chris Duffin – A Week In Training #powerlifting #strength #USP Labs

About Chris Duffin

Chris is an accomplished powerlifter, coach, and gym owner. He is the world record holder for the raw squat in the 220lb class. He also holds a Guinness World Record for the most weight deadlifted in one minute at 17,010 pounds (42 reps of 405lbs). Chris Duffin is the head coach and co-owner of Elite Performance Center in Portland, Oregon.

Unlike many powerlifers and strength athletes, Chris is also enthralled with all things related to conditioning, nutrition, and supplementation. He is known for his detailed coaching and ability to provide immediate gains for his athletes.

It is not a surprise with Chris’s attention to detail and perfectionism that he is also an academic nerd with an engineering degree and a master's degree in business administration. Many of Chris’s coaching skills and high expectations that push people past their self-imposed limits have made him successful in the business world as well. To support the growth of his training facility, Chris’s full-time employment is as the general manager of an aerospace manufacturing company.

View All Articles

Related Posts

American powerlifter Patricia Johnson deadlifts 255 kilograms at the 2023 IPF World Masters Championships.
Powerlifter Patricia Johnson (+84KG) Sets Pair of World Records at 2023 IPF World Masters Championships
Hafthor Björnsson performs a seated row.
Hafthor Björnsson Puts Powerlifting on Pause for Return to Strongman Competition
Muscular person doing deadlift in powerlifting contest
Powerlifting Records: How to Compare Your Lifts to the All-Time Greats
Powerlifter Jamal Browner in gym performing heavy deadlift
Jamal Browner Nearly Pulls 510 Kilograms (1,124 Pounds), Approaching Heaviest Deadlift of All Time

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

New Year’s Fitness Sales (2025)

XWERKS Motion BCAA Review (2025): A Registered Dietitian’s Honest Thoughts

Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X Review (2025): Assault’s Best Bike Yet?

13 Best Exercise Bikes for Home Gyms (2025)

Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Review (2025): The Key to Post-Workout Recovery?

Latest Reviews

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt Review (2025)

Omre NMN + Resveratrol, Lifeforce Peak NMN, and partiQlar NMN on a red background

Best NMN Supplement: Fountain of Youth in a Bottle? (2025)

The Titan Series Adjustable Bench on a red background

Titan Series Adjustable Bench Review (2025)

A photo of the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbells on a red background

NordicTrack Adjustable Dumbbell Review (2025): Are These Value Dumbbells Worth It?

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2025 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About