The Danish Viking: back to 531: Road to 2-3-4 Plates

Bench PR coming up…hand me the popcorn.

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woke at 82,4 kg - 181,7 lb
2800 calories yesterday.


Todays training

The Danish Vikings Darkhorse

W10D3: Bench Test For Fucks Sake

Warmup: Jump rope, stretches, yoga stuff

Dynamic warmup: 4 rounds

  • jump rope 30 seconds

  • kneeling buttom up KB press each arm x 10

  • BPA x 12

Complex:

  • BB x 8, 8: DL, row, hang clean, front squat, strict press, back squat, GM, push press

  • Bench press 5 x 60, 70, 3 x 77.5, 2 x 85, 1 x 92,5 kg 0 x 100 kg Fucking fuck

  • tried a second time 1 x 60, 80, 90 kg, overload 1 x 110 unrack, 0 x 100 kg.

Not today… Really angry with myself. Should have abandoned at 2 x 85 kg it felt heavy, did the 1 x 92,5 kg, felt okay went up fine.

Well live to fight another day had a great squat day the other day.

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Bugger. What happened?

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Damnit all to hell! Sorry, Mort. I thought for sure you’d hit a double at 100 kgs. I think you should give it another shot next week. As everyone pointed out on your OHP day you haven’t been living in ideal circumstances to peak with the long days at work.

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^^ Agreed. I’ve read about some phenomenon where if you test a max once, then test it again a week or so later, you’ll be stronger. It may have something to do with letting fatigue wash away, or maybe it’s just your body saying “oh shit, we need to figure out how to move heavy loads NOW”

Either way, don’t lose faith. Give it another go in about a week

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Sorry to hear you missed it Mort but do t stress it mate. You deff have it in you and it will go up real soon. Now just start visualising your next lift and use your anger to hit a good number.

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woke at 82,9 kg - 182,8 lb
3100 calories yesterday.


@MarkKO I actually don’t know. I was absolutely sure that I would at least have gotten 100 kg.
I planned to hit 100 and a mini pr, as I did with squat. And from there figure if I would try 105 or more.
It just wasn’t there. It was the same with OHP. Maybe DH don’t do wonders for my pressing movements?
@Frank_C, @lava2007 Yeah I might try it saturday.
tomorrow I’ll test DL.
Thursday will be rest.
Friday and saturday I’ll hold two options open.
Main option start SGSS with 12 reps trial upper friday and lower saturday.
second option I’m so pissed wíth my bench that I’ll rest friday as well and then test bench saturday.

I’m pretty disapointed right now. I’ve trained hard and had I tested 4 month ago before DH I do think I would have done 100 kg.
But I’ll just keep grinding.
Yesterday I was about to skip SGSS and go right back to 531. But no SGSS it is.
Sorry for my ranting and feeling sorry for my self. I’ll be over it, I am over it. I’m 54 years old and I’m healthy thats whats matter.

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@mortdk, I can completely relate to being upset with missing your PR. And, it seems like you are handling it well enough.

If I may, however, I’d like to suggest that you try to look at this in a different light than “Fuck, I missed my PR”. View it in the light of practice, you are learning how to go in and go for a PR. This time, you didn’t get it. Now, what remains is figuring out the why’s and the why not’s so that in the future you’ll get it.

Like @Frank_C told me in my log, your body will dictate your schedule, you’ll schedule won’t dictate your body. The conditions for you to hit a PR right now weren’t perfect, and that you didn’t hit it does not undo any of your work.

You are stronger now than before and you’ll be hitting personal bests that have great form, more reps, and are heavier than the PR you missed now soon enough. Promise.

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Ah that’s no good mate.
I’m sure you’ll nail it next time

Healthier than most 20 year olds too I reckon

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This is what puzzles me a bit, I’ve tried to max a couple of times and with press and bench press I just haven’t found the right way.
Next time I’ll try another build up.

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You’ll get it, man. Don’t get too hung up on testing 1 rep maxxes, though. Keep putting the work volume in, and give it time. Rep maxxes and work volume/time maxxes are as useful for letting you know you’re getting stronger, and just having a bad day on your testing day can throw everything off.

I know how easy it is to get into your own head and start second-guessing yourself, but don’t be your own worst enemy. You’re smart, have a strong work ethic and are focused on your results, and those traits will get you where you want to be. Gains don’t always come at the same rate on all your lifts, and there will always be highs and lows. Maybe the Darkhorse program works well for you for lower body lifts, but not so much for upper, or you need to tweak some things for your specific needs?

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woke at 83,1 kg - 183,2 lb
2900 calories yesterday.


As I just have written in Steves log during winter and spring 2016 I regularly hit 100 kg for single and doubles once for 3 reps and I did 102,5 for a double and a single at 105 kg/231 lb.
Funny looking back I can see it was when I hit the scale with 87 - 89 kg, I had been doing BFB and was benching 3 times a week with one session heavy two a bit lighter.

I don’t test for 1 RM’s very often so that might be the real culprit that I’m not very used to it.
Well enough ranting, will be back in a couple of hours, hopefully with a DL PR to end the Darkhorse.

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Go get it @mortdk!!

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Bad luck Mort!
Eat more this week, throw your fav metal on LOUD, don’t underestimate this, then crush it.
If not, run Smolov Jnr for bench and you will think 100kg is a warm-up :grinning:

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A few kilos on the body gives several kilos on bench. So does frequency.

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This, adding a second day of bench every second week working on tempo paused reps worked well for me

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Congrats on the recent PRs Mort.

Bench is one of those lifts that my max can seemingly vary a ton from one day to another. I actually find it to be a very technical lift and easy to misgroove reps. You’ll get it.

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It’s a mental thing for you… I’ve seen your lifts and you have that weight in you right now today.

Working with a partner would help you lift heavier outside your comfort zone on the bench and IMO that is were the bench gains are made best

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Todays training

The Danish Vikings Darkhorse Final day

W10D4: DL test

Warmup: yoga stuff, stretces

Dynamic warmup: 10 min emom

  • Ropeskipping 30 seconds

alternating

  • KB swing 24 kg x 6

  • BPA x 15

Complex:

  • BB x 8, DL, row, hang clean, front squat, strict press, back squat, GM, push press

sweeping DL 2 x 3 @ 60 kg

deficit deadlift 3 x 70 kg

Deadlift

  • 3 x 80(D), 100(D), 115(D), 2 x 130(D), ½+1 x 140(D+H), 147,5 (B+M)

  • PR sets 1 x 157,5 (B+M) PR, 162,5 kg (358 lb) (B+M) PR 0 x 170

Volume

  • 3 x 140 kg (B+M), 10 x 100 kg (D)

  • Superset

  • squat: 5 x 60 kg, 3 x 5 @ 80 kg

  • Hanging leg raise 4 x 8

Done in 50 minutes + 25 minutes warmup.

Deadlifts moved well today.

Worked up to a mini pr of 157,5 kg moved well, made a decision to do 162,5 kg and then try 170 kg.

162,5 went up. it was hard but I knew there was more. So loaded up 170 kg and it just left the floor and I lost my brace or my lower back started to give in, so I let I down.

Absolutely convinced that I would have lifted 165 kg today.

Backoff sets were easy and the 3 sets of 5 on squats were very good and solid.

This is a 12,5 kg (27,5 lb) PR on deadlift. And I’m very happy with that.

To sum up the Darkhorse program by brian Alsruhe @Alpha

Press 5 kg (11 lb) PR

Squat 20 kg (45 lb) PR I did 110 kg earlier this year, but those were even higher than this one. So I’ll take it.

Bench No pr

Deadlift 12,5 kg (27,5 lb) PR

For me DH worked very well on lower body lifts not so much for upper body.

I’ll rest my case for now and start CT’s SGSS this Friday with an easy’ish session.

And start my journey to 90 kg or there about.

EDIT videos coming up tomorrow

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You might be right Hog, but monday it wasn’t going to happen :slight_smile:
I forgot the video of my benching, it’ll come up tomorrow.

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