Back is still being an ass but keeping moving feels like it’s helping a bit - more than targeted stretching and SMR did anyway. Might book in for a massage still.
Ring chins
2,3,4,5,4,3,2
Ss/ Pressups
20,25,30,35,30,25,20
Pullaparts
1000 over the course of the day
Sprints
10 x 60m @90%
Didn’t have a lot of time to do the 1k run to the stretch of road I sprint on and back so I just went to the park and ran between the goalposts.
Was a bit stiff in the morning but totally forgot about my back over the course of the day so that’s progress.
KB OHP
24kg x 10 x 10 - this is PR territory from when I was up around 105 so happy with this
Ss/ Ring chins
10 x 3
Pressups
3 x 20
Ss/ Leg raises
3 x 20
Ss/ KB hammer curls
24kg x 3 x 20
Run
1.15km - 3:35 - 3:07/km
Drop mic.
Wanted to crack 3:40/km before the end of summer and the closest I’ve come is 3:49 with a slight delay to stop the dog getting run over.
After a long day at work it all came together and I ran it at a good fast comfortable pace - was pushing myself but my lungs weren’t exactly on fire. Felt like I was going at a good pace from the beginning but didn’t think it was this good. Had to go back and check the time and measure the route on Google maps to be sure that my GPS hadn’t malfunctioned. Definitely helped by not saving myself for sprints or having just done them.
Tempting to try and crack 3 minutes now haha but I should focus on my middle distances - still got goals of a sub 20 minute 5k and sub 50 minute 10. Haven’t even gone further than 9k in a day yet, and that was over two runs so I’ve got a lot of room to apply the pace I’ve built into the longer distances.
Still feeling chuffed about this 
Run
GPS crashed but ended up going about 4.5km at an average pace of 4:32 for the first three k.
Pressups
20
50 - comfortable max. Haven’t ever gone above 50 and the last time I was around here I was 70kg.
Pressups superset with ring chins - EMOM
10 x 15 10 x 2
Break, day out with family including 8km hike
Swings
24kg x 3
40kg x 3
40kg x 3
24+40kg x 3
24+40kg x 3
40kg x 3
Ss/ Box jumps
6 x 3
Ss/ Ring chins
6 x 3
KB push press
24kg x 3
40kg x 3
40kg x 3
Strict KB OHP
24kg 15 - PR
24kg x 4 x 10
Both overhead movements feel a lot stronger on my right side - more stability than strength.
KB upright rows
24kg x 3 x 20
Ss/ OH triceps
24kg x 3 x 20
Ss/ Hammer curls
24kg x 3 x 20
Chins and heavy overhead stuff is the closest I’m coming to maxing right now and I’m feeling confident about them both - although still taking it easy.
Doctors wanted to see me mid August but I had to push the clinic appointment back to September because I was far from the hospital. Fingers crossed I will be cleared to lift then…
There is a meet on November 6th I am considering entering (if cleared) - it would be great to have that sort of drive and focus to both my training and weight again. Won’t be expecting big things, as I will only have 2 months of heavy training to prep and may not even make the planned new weight class by then but it’s a national qualifier and I could lift the JR 90kg total in my sleep, so long as I’m fit to do so. That’d give me until late February to really get back in shape if I chose to go to the bigger comp.
Then again, Grandma has sworn I’m cut out of the will if the doctors tell me not to lift and I make my brain explode again so there’s that to consider.
Run - offroad so account for uneven ground, opening gates, and trying not to slip on cowpats
5.17km - 23:46 - 4:35/km
5 second pace improvement over my last 5k - I did say I wanted to get it under 4:30.
Heading back to uni on Thursday so one more weights session tomorrow and then will probably do a shorter fast paced run Thursday morning - maybe aim for a sub 12 minute 3k, that’s doable but I’d need to be focused on keeping my pace up and not just cruising.
Ring chins
6 x 5
That’s all, just did these while packing the car.
Headed back down to Cornwall today.
Got a run in in the morning.
2.77km - 11:13 - 4:04/km - ran out of road and had to get driving so didn’t go the full 3k.
Then later.
Bench
Bar x 10
30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 10
60kg x 5 x 5
Squat
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 5
100kg x 5 x 5
Ss/ Pullups
8 x 5
Lateral raises
10s x 10
15s x 2 x 10
Ss/ DB seated shoulder press
10s x 10
15s x 2 x 10
OHP
Bar x 10,20
30kg x 15
40kg x 15
Good to get back into the barbell lifts - they all felt very comfortable and natural which is better than I expected. Not planning to progress the weight until I hear back from the doctors, but will progress bench and squat to 5 by 10s and if that is comfortable I’ll go up a bit.
Hill sprints
8 x 50m
Everything is sore after yesterday haha. Glutes and erectors have been worked in a way they haven’t been recently and made me pay for it this morning.
Was in town later so popped in and did some bro stuff for arms and abs, as well as a few sets of back extensions to get the erectors moving again.
That’s great news about the barbell lifts man! It must be very frustrating, and tempting to push harder, but you’re doing an awesome job. You’re squatting a lot more than me on your first session back lol. Also you’re looking a lot leaner, and you don’t seem to have lost much/any muscle mass so that’s great. Keep it up stud, and enjoy being back at Uni. Are you starting your clinical years now? 3rd year?
Thanks man! It’s all feeling good during sessions but oh my god I hurt the rest of the time haha. Starting 4th year so this is the hard one 
and will probably have some times where time management becomes key if I wanna get things done so I’m getting back in as much as I can before then.
Yesterday
Axle
60kg x 5
80kg x 5
100kg x 5
110kg x 3
120kg x 4 x 2
Bench
Bar x some
30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 10
60kg x 5 x 6
Squat
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 5
100kg x 5 x 6
Back extensions
5 x 20
Ss/ Chins
5 x 5
Dips
3 x 8
Ss/ DB curls
12.5s x 15
17.5s x 2 x 10
Today
Run
2.42km - 10 minutes - 4:08/km
Squat
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 5
100kg x 5 x 7
Bench
Bar x some
30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 10
60kg x 5 x 8
Have retained a lot more strength in my bench so I’m progressing to higher reps a little faster.
Pull ups
5 x 5
Later (checking out a new gym)
Db press
20s x 20
Elevator set (flat to upright)
27.5s x 7 x 10
Seated laterals
10s x 5 x 12
15s x 5 x 10
Chins
10 x 5
45° back extensions
3 x 20
Ss/ Seated row machine
Some x 3 x 12 - last set dropset to some x 10
Cable curls
Some x 5 x 10
Ss/ Rope pushdowns
Some x 5 x 10
Later
Hour of touch rugby
Sprints
400m of gentle jog, warmup drills, etc
150m x 5 @ 90% - minute rest. Died a little inside.
Later
Squats
60kg x 5
80kg x 5
100kg x 5 x 8
Bench
Bar x 10
40kg x 10
60kg x 5 x 10
70kg x 3
80kg x 3 x 3 - tried moving some heavier weights just to see how they feel but I’m not going to push it. This is still well within my strength limits and that’s nice to know. Will move to working reps with 70kg before I get stuck in at 80kg.
Was going to do some deadlifts but had quite a tender spot on my forearm that was making grip difficult so I did a bunch of massage on it and some light wrist curls instead. Helped a fair amount. If it’s playing ball tomorrow I’ll do a bunch of bodybuilding stuff at the other gym.
Swings
24kg x 5 x 20
Later
Went to the other gym again - will be going here most times but will keep deadlifting with my usual crowd at the old place on Sundays - there’s a couple of 300kg pullers and while I’m not lifting in with them at the moment it’s nice to absorb the gains by osmosis.
High incline flyes
Pyramid up, 4 sets of 10 - 20, and a back off
Pullovers
Pyramid up - few sets of 10 - 20
Lever pulldown
Few sets of 10 - 20
Ss/ Rear delt machine
Few sets of 10 - 20
OH triceps
Same drill - can use more weight on these than I expected
Cable curls
Ss/ Cable pushdowns
Forearm is still being a bit naff, babying it a lot and if it’s not recovered by Sunday I’ll deadlift with straps instead of the axle. Feels a bit golfers elbowy and is no doubt from jumping back in too quickly alongside a lot more volume on chins than I’m used to.
Run
4.4km - 19:00 - 4:20/km
Better than I expected for how trashed my hamstrings are feeling at the moment.
Squats
60kg x 5
80kg x 5
100kg x 5 x 10
Ss/ Deads (hook grip, no axle because forearm)
60kg x 10
80kg x 10
100kg x 5
120kg x 5
140kg x 5
120kg x 5
120kg x 5
Stopped squats
140kg x 1
160kg x 1
180kg x 1 - cool, I can do it, back to rep work I think.
Did some more reading about my brain thing - quite a few places state that they have no idea what can trigger my condition to bleed, so they don’t place any restrictions on activities. I’m taking that with a big pinch of salt because I was killing myself on the leg press when it first happened and in the couple of days afterwards any exertion made it worse (even bed based cardio 
). Interesting thought though, and gives me a bit of hope for whenever I get to talk to a doc. Promised far too many people I’ll take it easy until then though so won’t be jumping back in straight away.
Bench
Bar x some
40kg x 10
60kg x 5
70kg x 5 x 5 - 30 seconds rest
Btn pulldown
Straps - because forearm
Some x 3 x 10-20
Band facepulls
3 x 20
Heavy bag
6 rounds of 30 seconds - few different drills
Later
Wrestled the sea a bit.
Later
Swings
24kg x 2 x 25
KB clean and press
24kg x 3 x 10/arm
Run
PSA: Went further than 4 and a bit km today - not sure what got into me.
6.34km - 28:48 - 4:37/km
First and last 700m were spent going up (and then down) an incline so I’m happy with this pace.
