Im not enjoying deadlifts like squats, feels difficult to pull off the floor. Not sure yet where the weakness is, 5/3/1 seems to give good rep ranges and targets though
Still feeling powerful, 45kg now beginning to feel fast, confident of progress to come. However shoulders beginning to hurt a bit, i suspect from mondays decline smith, i have reservations about the smith machine
Dips - 3x10
Chins - 9,3,4 These 2 alternated
Arm pump sets rope pushdowns and EZ curls mixed together nonstop, 3 sets each
Chins - 5x4 - squat rack was in use, so did chins while waiting.
Squats - ramp to 87.5kg 4,4
Well now, i’m aiming for 3x5 here. last week was 5,4,4 at 85kg. Ive been doing squats every week since 13 dec last year. The problem wasnt just the top sets, even warmups felt over heavy, weights ive done 5x5 at. So i think a de-load is in order finally. Next week i’ll just rep something light
Incline db bench - 20kg x 10 22.5kg x 5
dropped the decline this week to see if they were causing last weeks shoulder pain. no pain so far which is good. Felt totally washed out by now so stopped workout.
So, not too sure on causes here. i’ve been diagnosed depression before, and been on ssri at the time. that was getting on 2 years ago now. However, from time to time a wave of depression will wash over me as it has last couple of nights, very litle sleep etc. been a while since last time, this might have thrown me off. Along with that appetite / diet as a reult has dipped, which wont have helped.
Plan - Get some sleep! still going to do 5/3/1 week 3 on thurs, and try and get the 11x3 hp3 workout in too. Other than that going to have an easier or higher rep week next week, back off a little, and restart progress from a touch lighter weight. I may also go 5/3/1 for squats too, we’ll see
Well had this up / down depression thing all week now, appetites at zero, as is sleep quality. So I knew as I walked in the gym I wouldnt last 11 sets for HP3. So I decided to ramp up, go for it, and if all of life is crap, at least I’d have a new PR. Failed at first attempt, but thought stuff it, psyced up again and blasted it up. It fought back, but up it went. One small victory is sweet…
Taking a week off, doing lighter stuff next week to tide me over, then pick up week after. Thats so long as sleeping and eating are back to where I want them
Its a serotonin booster, i’ve been taking 100mg a day for the last week. Its pretty good. I’d got in a rut of feeling low / negative about most things. This has picked me up with no side effects at all. Boosted libido which had disappeared, much more so than tribulus terrestis. I assume thats from the feeling relaxed and positive. Also great for sleep and appetite, so all round good stuff. Taking the week offs been good too. So ready to start again…
OK, week off out the way, and by the weekend i was itching to get stuck in again. Ive been doing my own program for 12-13 weeks now. To make a complete change, I’m going to start CTs push/hips 6x week program. I’m on holiday in 3 weeks but i can start a basis now.
Partial Bench (smith) - 10/15/20/25/30/35/40kg per side 7x3 - no power rack so kept the arm engaged on smith
Bench (smith) - 10/12.5/15/17.5/20kg per side 5x3 - stopped ramp as slowing and near to grinding
Push Press - 30/35/40/45kg 4x3
Incline DB Bench - 12/18/20/22.5/20kg db 4x6 working sets
Dips - BW/BW+5/BW/BW 4x6
Pec Dec - 10/15/20 for 15 and then 12 reps, final set 10 reps then worked down stack to 0 and exhaustion
Hopefully this is round about the way CT described. I’ve worked out the other 5 workouts for the rest of the week. Took an hour, and not as exhausting as i’d thought from reading the spill. Just have to see how this accumulates for the week. Once i’ve got used to this i’ll start adding the 5,8,11x3 waves perhaps.
Deadlift - 60/65/70/75/80/85kg 6x3 suprised didnt go higher, try thursday again
High Pull - 30/35/40/45kg 4x3 new exercise feels a bit odd, hopefully more practice will help, hard to not clean instead of stop at pull position
Squat - 40/50/60/60kg 4x6 felt a bit weak after deads
Leg Press - 2/2.5/3 pps 3x6 even weaker, stopped there, was planning leg extns after
Still feels good from monday. sore in my shoulders today so will be interesting to see how they feel and perform tomorrow. Perhaps could have done with ramping rack deads with smaller jumps might have helped deads themselves.
Partial Seated Press (smith) - 5/10/15/20/25/30kg side 6x3 35kg for 1 but grinding really so stopped
Push Press - 30/35/40/45kg 4x3 thinking of smaller jumps maybe
Bench (smith) 10/12.5/15/17.5kg side 4x3 weaker than last time, but 2nd in order as shoulder day
Out of time… events conspired against me. was going to skip workout and leave to tomorrow, but decided better to get in and do the main lifts at least. its a shame i was looking forward to DB presses, raises and facepulls. Sore in shoulders before, but less after. however lower back hurting today, so again have to see how that works out tomorrow
Deadlift - 60/65/70/75/80/85/90/95/100/105kg 10x3 going well
singles 110/115/120/125/130kg 5x1 no belt
singles 135/140kg with belt - NEW PR get in!
didnt know how deads would go today, had a sore lower back all of yesterday and today as well. at work this morning i couldnt keep my legs still though, i was itching to do something. previous PR with poor form was 120kg, havent got near to that for ages. Today felt great so went for it, and got it, good lower back throughout. in fact back didnt let me down, it was my legs shaking that limited things.
High Pull - 30/35/40/45/50kg 5x3 still feeling this one out, havent got my head round it yet
CT triangle pulldown - 30kg 3x8 for feel, slow, pause and hold
Seated Cable Row - 30/25/25kg 3xfeel
High Pulley pullovers - 15/20/25kg 3xfeel
Took an hour just deadlifting, getting on 2 hours total workout. Not rushed today though as after work not before. Not rushing and lower ramp steps seems to be key
One Arm DB Hang Clean Press - 10/12/14/16/18kg 5x3 new exercise
Push Press - 30/35/37.5/40/42.5/45/47.5kg 7x3 shoulders sore by the end, possibly pulled it a bit on empty bar warm ups
Bench (smith) - 5/7.5/10/12.5/15/17.5/20kg side 7x3 again shoulders niggling but better than weds
CGBP (smith) - 10kg side 4x6 trying these again cant always feel tris working
dips - missed these out as shoulders hurting
Rope pressdowns - 20/25/30kg x 15/12/8 always good at pumping / burning the tris
Wore a belt for push pressing for the first time, lower back feeling fairy beeten from yesterday so thought i’d protect it. Not bad overall considering effort of yesterday
I was planning on doing this workout on saturday but couldnt fit it in, so just going to carry on with the workout rotations on different days
Hang Clean - 30/35/40/45kg - 4x3 got everything warmed up nicely
Deadlift - 60/65/70/75/80/85/90/95/100kg 9x3 no straps
105/110/115/120kg 4x3 straps
125kg single - stopped here, just wanted to do max non grinding triples, not another run of singles
High Pull - 30/35/40/45/50kg 5x3 beginning to feel more natural
Shrugs - 10/20/30/40/45kg per side 5x6 this is on some iso bench with lever arms, very handy for shrugs
Preacher curls 5/7.5/10kg pr end 10/6/5 - dont know what the EZ oly bar weighs
Partial smith bench - 10/15/20/25/30/25kg per side 6x3
smith bench - 10/12.5/15/17.5/20/22.5kg per side 6x3 2.5kg per side heavier than last time
push press - 30/35/40/45kg 4x3 shoulders sore
incline db bench - 10/16/18/20/22.5kg 4x6 not so great today
dips - dropped as shoulders really hurting
pec dec - 15/20/15 3 sets failure
bit of a mixed result really, felt mostly strong, happy with atouch more on flat bench, trying to push myelf into the bench as described on this site, sometimes tricky to think that on the top set. no lower back soreness from yesterday though, must be adapting to more frequent deads
Shame i missed last 2 days… life gets that way sometimes ran out of time all round
Clean + Push Press - done with one hang clean then set of 3 presses
20/30/35/40/45/47.5/50kg 7x3
52.5/55kg singles NEW PR
57.5kg 2 failed attempts at clean
Thats all i had time for today
Interesting, pressing has been the same for all previous workouts, yet with a clean start i easily equaled a previous PR, and if only i could have cleaned 57.5 properly i felt like i could have pressed it. I normally take the bar out the squat rack. Im going to have to include this more often, or even all the time
Still been getting ready for holiday but got a session in today
Deadlift - 60/65/70/75/80/85/90/95/100 9x3
110/120/130/130kg singles
Felt pretty strong on these than last time i got a PR, but stopped a bit short of all out PR effort. I think i’ve got to back off going all out to a max single so often. My enthusiasm is perhaps overrunning my recovery. Since doing a few singles ive been feeling fairly beaten up on joints and shoulders
A possible 6x week plan as a bit of a change might be to do things 2x week instead of 3x, so:
Mon - Squat, leg press, sldl, abs
Tue - Push press, db bench, shrugs, facepulls
Wed - Bent row, pulldowns, curls
Thu - Deadlift, leg press, back extn, abs
Fri - Bench, db press, dips, pushdowns
Sat - Pullups, db rows, curls
first exercise triples, others progressively more reps to suit each day. Just considering it, might decide to push on with CT push/hips 6x split and stop doing the singles!
OK back off holiday and ready to go again. I’m going to again try to do 6x week as much as possible, with squats/bench/row/dead/press/pullups as listed before
legs 1 - squat
Box Squat - 40/60/70/80/85/90/95/100/105kg 9x3
singles 110/115kg NEW PR
first time with box squats, and squats with a belt. I always believed before in “training the core” with no belt. well, i think i’ve been in error. abs still feel used, and confidence of belt+bench to squat to is incredible. 15kg better than my last shaky attempt of dubious depth. Very happy. Unfortunatley no time for the planned leg press and stiff leg deadlift.
new powerlift total of all time bests is 102.5/115/140 = 357.5kg or 786.5lbs
Ok rested yesterday as legs still very sore from monday, but mainly as i tweaked my back with a press that wobbled on tuesday. Tomorrow is a 4 day weekend and gyms closed most of it, so a combo day today
Deadlift - 60/70/80/90/100/110kg 6x3
singles 120/130kg attempted 140kg but was welded to the floor
Decline Smith bench - 5/7.5/10/12.5/15/17.5/20/22.5/25kg side 9x3 27.5kg x 2, 30kg x 1, 32.5kg failed
benching a lot stronger than before by 10kg a side. possibly goes hand in hand with push press improvements. all in all a good day