How does that song go? “What a difference a day makes”. Back feeling loads better today. Decided not the train tonight but will be back at it tomorrow night. Feels good to be moving freely and happy that the body seems to have recovered pretty quickly. Winning
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Tuesday 8th May - micro 5 week 1
Squat and bench
Squat
Bar x 10 1
65 x 9 1
95 x 9 RPE 9 knees coming in on last rep,
95 x 7 RPE 10, went too deep on rep 8 and got stuck in the hole
95 x 7 RPE 9 knees coming in on last 2
95 x 7 RPE 10 last rep was a grinder
95 x 5 RPE 10 just plain awful
Focus on squating down between legs, keeping tight and pushing knees out. Felt really down on power tonight. It turns out that my Mid section and lower back were still sore from deadlifts.
Bench
Bar x 10
65 x 9
85 x 9 RPE 9
85 x 9 RPE 8
85 x 9 RPE 9.5
85 x 8 RPE 10
85 x 7 RPE 10 done
60 sec rest
65 x 10
Happy with bench tonight, still not tight enough or driving my back into the bench enough, but the bar moved good anyway.
Didn’t have time for accessories tonight. Had to go pick up number 1 daughter from scouts. Not a great session, feeling very tired. Had a flu shot today so am going to blame that !!
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Ha me too.
I don’t even think they try to be gentle lol
Yer tell me about it, the whole family got done, me and the wife didn’t feel it too much but my boy was not happy !! Well not happy until he got a lolly anyway. Lol
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I see the reps are increasing. How long do you get to keep adding reps to each set? I looked back and saw that you did sets on 8 and 5 on weeks one and two of your last micro cycle.
I’m loving my decreasing reps/increasing intensity approach. I’ve learned that it’s my favorite way to progress. I also prefer adding sets instead of adding reps to each set.
The Complete Power Look Program starts with 5 sets of 3 and uses the same weight until you build up to 5 x 6 on week four. I dreaded those week three and four workouts.
I can’t remember if you’ve discussed this, but did you see the video @losthog posted a few weeks back about bench technique? It was only one in a series but the other videos show up after the first one. It really helped me.
LEGDRIVE @Alpha made this video:
There is another on his site but here he starts of by doing 37 reps bench with 225 
Btw just stumbled over him and his youtube channel, remember to subscribe to him on youtube he would like 100K subscribers.
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Been following Brian since he had about 2k subscribers and have seen most of his stuff.
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This week was supposed to be 5 x 9, next week is 5 x 6 with higher weight. Then it’s a week of mini deload then into a week of testing max for 3 reps. Then a well deserved deload !!
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More and more I am starting to think that my bad days with more weight on squats are down to two things. 1, the physical - mostly technique issues. I think I have the strength but lose tightness and bracing as I descend and then contort my body to try and find a strong position as I come out of the hole. This just makes it harder!!
2. The mental, as the weights and or reps increase week to week I know it’s getting hard and that makes it worse. I know I can hit the numbers but when I get under the bar something changes.
Hmm lots to think about and things to fix.
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Saturday 12th May micro 5 week 1
I’M BACK
Deadlift and OH press
Deadlift
Bar x 10
65 x 10
105 x 10
125 x 9 RPE 8 that got the blood pumping
125 x 9 RPE 9 grip held but fingers were opening on last rep, no chalk today
125 x 9 RPE 9 speed was still ok
125 x 9 RPE 9 I am done
Deads moved fast tonight but boy high rep deadlifts suck. Well they make me suck! suck air big time.
Glutes and lower back really feeling it, big pump!
OH press - band pull aparts between sets
Bar x 12
45 x 9
55 x 9 RPE 8
55 x 9 RPE 9 last one was slow
55 x 9 RPE 10 last one was a real grinder, had to fully tense everything from calves to traps to get it up.
55 x 9 RPE 10 got 6 strict then had to use a little legs for the last 3
55 x 9 RPE 10 got 5 strict then had to use a little legs for the last 4
These felt so much better that last week. Didn’t get all the reps without a little legs. But Happy with it overall. Hard to keep lower back and butt tight because of the pump from deads. Could feel these everywhere after, even the quads were sore from squeezing so hard.
Pull ups - 4 sets cap at 8 as bicep still a little sore
8, 8, 8, 8
Superset with Push ups Max x 4 sets
30, 20, 15, 17
These worked up a good sweat and a great upper body pump.
Ab wheel roll out (from knees) 10 x 2 sets
Ate dinner before training tonight and probably didn’t wait long enough. Body was very stiff from 2 days at a work conference, sitting on my butt too much and long drives is the car. Back still felt strong though. Deads moved quick tonight and presses were much better. Felt really good to have a good workout again.
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Forgot to add weighed myself after training and was 85.9kg. Starting to think I just add more food and get back into the 90’s. I haven’t been that heavy since I was 30.
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It’s amazing how shit you can feel after sitting at a conference hey, diet and plans go out the window.
High rep deadlift really sucks and 4 sets, you’re awesome Simo.
It’s official DL day I’ve also pulled today.
Yeah fuck that diet stuff, might as well change the log title Going to be …
Now that made me grin inanely. Going to be a fat dad. Love it
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yeah you asked for it, going to be the heaviest ever …
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Yep and even driving the car is bad for me. I usually ride the motorbike to work, which puts my hips is a much better position. The food was actually pretty good, but rekon the breakfast alone added a kilo to my weight !!
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Off to Brisbane for a few days tomorrow with work so my training will be interrupted. I will try and get some bodyweight stuff done each day just to counteract the time I will spend sitting is card, on planes and in meetings. Hopefully my hips won’t be too jacked up when I get back to training later this week.
No chances of visiting one of the awesome brisbane gyms?
Not really, I have a friends birthday dinner one night so it only leaves one night free. I have much more time down in Melbourne and haven’t visited any of the excellent gyms down here either!!