The Training of the Hal

12th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 2x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 2 x 2 x 220kg

SGDL: 2 x 3 x 170kg, 2 x 4 x 120kg (fast)

13th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 2x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 230kg

HB Squat: (beltless) 6 x 4 x 150kg

Machine Row: 2 x 10 x 119kg, 2 x failure x ~90kg

Very nice high-bar squatting today, RSR going well despite the added stress of squatting to a max beforehand (or near-max today, but still >500lbs). Bench later I thinkā€¦

13th


Later:-

Bench: w/u with 5, 3, x110kg; 5 x 140kg, 3 x 145kg, 2 x 150kg

Just a few heavy sets last night, more volume today.

14th


Bench: w/u with 2x4x110kg; 6 x 3 x 140kg

Quick bench session today, took the day off squats etc. Plenty more to come tomorrowā€¦

15th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 2x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg

HB Squat: (beltless) 5 x 152.5kg, 5 x 5 x 155kg

Just the usual 240kg / 529lbs again today because I wanted to push the high-bar squats a bit more. This was the 6 x 5 day of the RSR; I missed out a 6 x 2 day because I felt good, so I have one in hand to fall back on if Iā€™m struggling. I also put the weight up, for the simple reason that it felt too light. As I am still getting used to the movement, my strength and proficiency are increasing quite rapidly for now - thereā€™s no reason to limit myself, so why not keep adding weight? Maybe a 220kg high-bar squat will be on the cards in the near future!

Out of curiosity, what are your HB numbers based on? Is it a true 1RM or some laid-back training max?
Asking because RSR seems so challenging to me and you do it after training maxes. Good work man!

@squats_and_milk My RSR weights are based on my best beltless high-bar squat of 190kg. I have hit 200kg with a belt and might be able to do more on a good day, but itā€™s basically a max. Since I havenā€™t trained my high-bar much Iā€™m not yet very efficient, so I am finding it quite easy at the moment. In fact, Iā€™m considering dropping the RSR after the 6x6 and doing some work with sets of 5 for a while to see how far I can push it, but I think finishing the routine first is probably best - as the intensity goes up I might find that I begin to struggle.

16th


Squat: 3x70kg, 3x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg (550lbs, =PR), 2 x 230kg (=PR)

Push Press: 2 x 5 x 90kg

I felt like going for something big today, and I think equalling my best squat qualifies, especially after 6 x 5 yesterday. Still no new PR, but as Iā€™ve said Iā€™m concentrating on increasing my high-bar beltless squat and my ā€œbaseā€ of strength to push me on towards 600lbs in the next few months, so all is going to plan. Push press is feeling very strong.

17th


HB Squat: (beltless) w/u with 3x70kg, 3x120kg; 6 x 6 x 160kg

Machine Row: 15, 10, x 119kg, then to failure close-grip with 80kg

I felt like a different session today, so focused on high-bar alone instead of the usual routine. Iā€™ve increased my ā€œRSRā€ weights even more because I was getting bored of not feeling that failure is imminent at any given moment during a squat set. Nice session.

18th


Squat: to 230kg

Push Press: 5 x 90kg, 4 x 100kg, 2 x 105kg (231lbs, PR), 4 x 90kg

Pullups: 12, 10

19th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg (with 5 sec pause), 1 x 240kg, 1 x 245kg, 3 x 230kg (507lbs, rep PR!)

Some bench coming up now.

19th


Later:-

Bench: 5x110kg, 3x110kg; 4 x 3 x 140kg, 6 x 140kg (PR!)

Short bench session but finished very well with that rep PR.

20th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg

HB Squat: (beltless) 3 x 5 x 170kg, then a quick triple

I was running out of time with the HB squats, and didnā€™t want to push it and get injured, so I left it at 3 sets of 5 instead of 5 and just added a quick triple onto the end right after the last set. Iā€™m very pleased with my HB progress and 240kg low-bar felt good too, so plenty of reasons to expect more PRs this month.

21st


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 2x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg (=PR), 1 x 252.5kg (~556.5lbs, PR!)

OHP: 8, 8, 6, x 70kg

Very strong squatting today, all lifts felt pretty comfortable and depth was good throughout. Strict / semi-strict presses to finish.

Here comes 600lbs, look out for it this spring!

22nd


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 2x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 230kg (both paused)

OHP (starting with power clean from floor): 10 x 60kg, 3 x 5 x 80kg

CG Pulldowns: 4 x 8 x 91kg

An easier session today because Iā€™m hurting a bit after yesterday (I assume thatā€™s why, anyway). Solid pauses on the squats, and the clean and press sets felt good.

Damn, thatā€™s not too shabby at all. Only 20 kgs to that 600 barrier, I bet youā€™ll do it before summer!

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congratz on the 556 dude! Keep to the grind dude! :grinning:

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@squats_and_milk Definitely getting better every week. Iā€™m working on that 120kg push press as well, but youā€™re ahead of me in terms of bodyweight ratio so I might just have to go for 130kg this yearā€¦ Itā€™s feeling stronger so weā€™ll see.

@farmerowen1 Thanks, Iā€™m inching closer to that next milestone, certainly not stopping any time soon!

23rd

Bench: w/u with 2x5x70kg, 2x3x110kg; 1, 2, 3, x 140kg, 1, 2, 3, x 145kg, 1, 2, x 150kg

Just some wave ladders for bench; I had 4 hours of chemistry and mathematics tests to get through in the morning, and didnā€™t feel that traveling to the gym for squats after that would be worthwhile as I was so tired. The bench sets were ok.

Training for the 24th to follow soonā€¦

24th


Rugby: ā€œfriendlyā€ match vs a local team, easy win but plenty of fitness work involved


Later:-

HB Squat: (beltless) w/u with 3x70kg, 3x120kg, 3x160kg; 4 x 4 x 180kg

Seated Row: 2 x 12
Machine Seated Press: 2 x 12

25th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 3x160kg, 1x200kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 230kg, 1 x 235kg

HB Squat: 8 x 2 x 160kg (short conversation at the bottom of each rep!)

Push Press: 6 x 80kg, 5 x 90kg, 3 x 100kg

In the college gym and helping to train some of the younger rugby players, so I had to put up with the bars in there, which are slightly off-putting (thick, bent, poor knurling). So, just 235kg today, but still alright. Very long pause squats involved saying something at the bottom before coming back up - just mixing it up a bit!


26th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 2x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 245kg, 3 x 230kg (= rep PR)

DB Standing Press: 8 x 30kg DBs, 6 x 32kg DBs, 5 x 34kg DBs

Good session. Still feeling strong, more PRs coming soonā€¦

27th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 2x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg

HB Squat: (beltless) 3 x 3 x 190kg (massive PR, of course!)


28th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 2x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 1 x 255kg (562lbs, PR!)

OHP: 3 x 8 x 70kg

Great squats, very fast out of the hole as well. Bench laterā€¦