The Training of the Hal

17th


Squat: to 3 x 3 x 225kg, 2 x 5 x 215kg

Bench: 5 x 115kg, 4 x 120kg, 3 x 125kg, 2 x 130kg, 1 x 135kg

Done. Intense phase is definitely intense… but big things coming.

18th


Off, saw Rae Sremmurd in London :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye::fire::fire::fire:

19th


DB High Incline: 10, 8, 6, x 30kg DBs

Various Curls and ab work

20th


Squat: to 5 x 4 x 205kg (was meant to be 202 but just went for the nicer number)

Bench: to 5 x 100kg, 4 x 120kg, 3 x 125kg, 2 x 130kg, 1 x 135kg

21st


Bench: 5 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 4 x 125kg, 3 x 130kg, 2 x 132.5kg, 1 x 137.5kg

Deadlift: to 1 x 180kg, 1 x 200kg, 1 x 210kg, 8 x 1 x 180kg (thick bar)

Pulldown: 3 sets

Cable Row: 2 sets

Facepull: 4 sets

Pec Machine: 2 sets

22nd


Bench: Isometrics in 3 different positions

Bench: to 5 x 120kg, 4 x 125kg, 3 x 130kg, 2 x 132.5kg, 1 x 140kg (paused)

DB Seated Press: 3 sets

Machine Chest Press: 3 sets

I have a pretty bad cold at the moment, so took today off squats. Big session tomorrow…

23rd


Squat: to 3 x 227.5kg, 2 x 4 x 227.5kg

Bench: 5 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 4 x 125kg, 3 x 130kg, 2 x 135kg, 1 x 140kg

Pushed through, and the reps were actually easily within my ability, despite feeling like death. Bench felt stronger, probably had a good few reps at 140kg in me.

24th


Deadlift: sumo to 220kg, then a few singles at 200kg, 5 x 3 x 160kg, and 3 x 3 x 120kg conventional

Bench: 5 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 4 x 125kg, 3 x 130kg, 3 x 135kg, 2 x 140kg (paused)

Bench Isometrics (2 positions)

25th


Squat: to 4 x 212.5kg, 3 x 227.5kg, 3 x 240kg (529lbs, PR!), 3 x 227.5kg

Bench: 5 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 4 x 130kg, 3 x 135kg, 2 x 140kg, 2 x 145kg (paused)

Facepulls

Bench feeling way better already! Relieved to have hit that top squat set today without too much trouble, even if there are plenty of improvements to make.

https://instagram.com/p/BPs1y5ZAc4E/

26th


Bench: 5 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 4 x 125kg, 3 x 130kg, 2 x 135kg, 1 x 140kg (paused)

Bench Isometrics (3 positions)

DB Incline Press: to failure

DB Press: to failure

Lateral Raises: to failure

Rear Delt Flyes: 2 x 12

CG Cable Row: 3 x 12

27th


Off

28th


Squat: to 220kg (traveling and went to a gym with a shitty squat rack so didn’t want to do more as it was at the wrong height)

Bench: 5 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 4 x 125kg, 3 x 130kg, 4 x 135kg, 2 x 140kg

DB High Incline Press: up to 5 x 40kg DBs (PR, lol!)

Loads of extras for upper back etc., but nothing too heavy. Back tomorrow.

29th


Bench: 5 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 4 x 130kg, 3 x 135kg, 2 x 140kg, 1 x 145kg

Deadlifts (fast, beltless double-OH): 4 x 5 x 130kg

Strict Press: 4 x 8 x 60kg

Pull-aparts

30th


Squat: to 4 x 212.5kg, 3 x 5 x 227.5kg (finally got the squat session done, back in normal gym now!)

31st


Bench: 5 x 100kg, 5 x 130kg, 4 x 135kg, 3 x 140kg, 2 x 145kg, 1 x 150kg

Bench Isometrics: 3 positions

Lateral and Rear Delt Raises to failure

Facepulls

Preacher Curls

Weighted Abs

1st


Bench: 5 x 70kg, 5 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 4 x 130kg, 3 x 135kg, 2 x 140kg, 1 x 145kg

Axle Press: 10 x 70kg (strict), 5 x 90kg

Pull-ups: 18, 10

DB Curls and Cuban Presses

Hamstring Curls / Leg Extensions: one set each

Fell and bruised my leg pretty badly yesterday, so postponing my squats until tomorrow or the next day. Pissed off, but there we go. Still making great progress overall!

2nd


Squat: to 3 x 227.5kg, 1 x 232.5kg (pain in calf from minor injury plus general knee wrap pain messed these sets up completely, so I aborted the squat session and will go again soon…)

Deadlift: 5 x 150kg, 6 x 2 x 190kg, 5 x 150kg (beltless)

Bench: 5x60kg, 3x100kg; 5 x 120kg, 4 x 130kg, 3 x 135kg, 2 x 140kg, 2.5 x 145kg (random gym spotter took bar too soon, but definitely wouldn’t have missed 3rd rep given it was a couple of inches from lockout and moving fast)

3rd


Leg Extension: 3 x 20

Leg Press: 3 x 20

Leg Raise: 25, 15

Bench: 5x60kg, 5x100kg; 5 x 120kg, 4 x 130kg, 3 x 135kg, 2 x 140kg, 1 x 145kg, 1 x 150kg (paused)

I wanted to make up for the missed squat volume, so did some nice bodybuilding work. As usual I won’t be lifting tomorrow (Saturday), so I’ll prepare for a serious session on Sunday (should be triples with 240kg).

Bench felt very strong, 150kg with no spotter and a long pause felt like nothing! Here it comes, two weeks out tomorrow!

4th


Off

5th


Squat: to 220kg, 1 x 240kg (calf pain back - made the decision to end it there and finish the session without wraps); 2 x 5 x 182.5kg, 5 x 192.5kg, 5 x 202.5kg, 1 x 222.5kg, 1 x 227.5kg, 2 x 202.5kg

Bench: w/u with 60kg; 5 x 120kg, 4 x 130kg, 3 x 140kg, 2 x 150kg, M x 155kg

Axle Press: 8 x 70kg, 5 x 90kg, 1 x 100kg, 5 x 90kg

Axle Deadlift: 3 x 3 x 130kg (doh); 5 x 180kg, 7 x 200kg (rep PR?), 2 x 220kg

(More) Bench: 12 x 120kg (rep PR!), 7 x 130kg

CG Pull-ups: one set to failure

DB Cross-Body Hammer Curl: 1 set to failure

DB Rear Delt Raises and Lateral Raises

So… calf bruising / cramp / general misery is still messing with my squat, but with just under two weeks to go I believe I’ll be able to recover and feel good by meet day. Looks like most of my squat training this week will have to be unwrapped, though.

Bench getting stronger again; 12 with 120kg felt easy to be honest, so that’s promising!

Deadlift… we’ll see

6th


Bench: w/u with 60kg, 5x100kg; 5 x 130kg, 4 x 135kg, 3 x 140kg, 2 x 145kg, 1 x 150kg, 1 x 155kg (paused)

Deadlift into Pins (Isometrics): 3-5 second pulls, x 5

Machine Row: 2 x 15

DB Curls: 15, 10

7th


Squat Partials to Pins (with pause): to 5 x 232.5kg, 3 x 272.5kg, 4 x 302.5kg

Squat: a few quick sets up to 3 x 190kg

CG Cable Row: 3 x 20

Leg Extension: 3 x 20

Quarter squats to pins today, paused at the bottom, for overload. Calf issue getting better slowly; I tried some aggressive foam / pvc rolling. Still pain in bottom portion of squat (where calf is stretched slightly and compressed), but I’m hoping it’ll be good to go a week on Saturday.

I generally consider these kind of assessments complete bullshit, but this was genuinely interesting!

I found a version of it online, and let’s just say that I came out as a little dopamine dominant xD! Perhaps that explains my love of high frequency, high intensity training…? :weight_lifting_man:t2::weight_lifting_man:t2::weight_lifting_man:t2:

8th


Squat to Pins at Waist Height (paused): to 3 x 192.5kg (beltless), 5 x 232.5kg, 3 x 252.5kg

Leg Press: ramped up to a few top sets

Loads of calf foam rolling etc.

9th


Bench: w/u with 60kg, 5x100kg; 5 x 130kg, 4 x 135kg, 3 x 140kg, 2 x 145kg, 1 x 150kg

Deadlift Isometrics vs Pins: multiple sets in two different positions below the knee

Incline DB Curl: 3 sets, light (for elbows)

DB Rear Delt Raise: 16, 12, 12, 12

Lateral Raise: 2 sets

Calf Massage Work

10th


Squat: (no wraps) to 2 x 180kg, 2 x 212.5kg, 1 x 222.5kg, 1 x 227.5kg

HB Long Pause Squat: 2 x 8 x 100kg (trying to stretch out calf)

DB Seated Press: 12, 10, 10, x 25kg DBs

Trying to maintain strength peak without hurting my calf any more. Hopeful for the meet in 8 days time…

11th


Off

12th


Bench: w/u with 5x60kg, 5x100kg; 5 x 130kg, 4 x 140kg, 3 x 150kg, 2 x 160kg (352.7lbs, PR!)

Pin Squat: low position (at parallel) to 3 x 190kg, 2 x 222.5kg, 1 x 232.5kg; higher position to 2, 3, x 262.5kg; low position to 4 x 2 x 222.5kg; then no pins for 3 x 190kg

Deadlift: 3x70kg; 1 x 190kg, 1 x 210kg, 1 x 220kg (beltless PR), 2 x 1 x 230kg (beltless PR), 1 x 240kg (beltless PR, = belted PR!)

Pretty fucking nice session! Calf seems to be recovering, and my bench was crazy, 160kg moved like nothing! I don’t understand the deadlift, must be from the isometric work I suppose, but feeling VERY strong today.