The Training of the Hal

30th


HB Squat: (beltless) 3 x 110kg, 3 x 160kg, 1 x 180kg, 1 x 190kg, 1 x 200kg, 3 x 2 x 180kg, 2 x 2 (long pause) x 160kg

OH Squat: 3 x 40kg, 2 x 3 x 60kg (paused)

Hamstring Curl: 3 sets

My shoulder blade / upper back muscle is starting to feel better, so hopefully I’ll be back to full speed soon. High-bar was alright, but it seems so much easier than low-bar for a daily max that I almost feel I’m not training… Pretty funny really! Got the 200kg today without a problem.

31st


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 230kg, 1 x 240kg, 2 x 2 x 220kg

HB Squat: 3 x 120kg, 3 x 170kg, 2 x 180kg, 4 x 2 x 170kg

Snatches + OH squats up to 70kg

OH Press: 3 x 70kg, 2 x 4 x 80kg

Weightlifting shoes arrived today, so I used them for HB squats and the light snatches (not powerlifting squats, of course).

Definitely easier in the overhead position, hopefully this weightlifting technique work will improve my mobility and balance in general.

Back to relatively light squats after that upper back issue; everything seemed ok, so I should be able to push on towards 600lb.

April 1st


Squat: w/u with 1x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 2 x 200kg, 2 x 210kg, 2 x 220kg, 2 x 230kg, 1 x 240kg

High Incline SM Seated Press: 3 x 100kg, 4 x 90kg, 4 x 80kg, 4 x 70kg, 7 x 60kg (long drop set)

Not too bad; 250kg was hard, but I managed to get a load of volume in afterwards and I think I’m back on track now.

2nd


Squat: w/u with 2x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 2 x 210kg, 2 x 220kg, 2 x 230kg

Tough session, the back-off volume is going up. Time for some heavier weights, I need to up my game…

3rd


Bench: 8 x 100kg, 5 x 120kg, 5 x 130kg, 5 x 140kg, 2 x 5 x 120kg

HB Squat: (beltless) 5 x 140kg, 3 x 180kg, 4 x 2 x 180kg

Push Press: 1, 2, 3, x 100kg, 3 x 5 x 80kg

DB Seated Cuban Press: 2 x 6 x 17.5kg

As mentioned, this was at a different gym, hence the easier squat session.


4th


Squat: w/u with 3x100kg, 2x180kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 2 x 2 x 220kg

HB Squat: (beltless, paused) 3 x 2 x 160kg

SGDL: 3 x 100kg, 3 x 140kg, 3 x 3 x 160kg

OHP: 8, 8, 6, 6, x 60kg

Not bad; hit 240kg within about 10 mins, then did some extra SGDL etc.


5th


Squat: w/u with 3x100kg, 3x140kg, 1x180kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 1 x 255kg (=PR)

High Incline SM Press (different machine): 5 x 60kg, 4 x 6 x 70kg

Low Pulley Row: 3 x 10

A very strong session, this time at another gym. I nearly went for a new PR, but I didn’t want to drop the bar in this gym so I left it there. Back home today, normal training tomorrow.

6th


Squat: w/u with 3x110kg, 1x190kg; 1 x 230kg, 1 x 240kg, 2 x 230kg, 2 x 220kg

Behind-the-Neck WG Press: 3 x 70kg, 4 x 3 x 80kg, 3 x 90kg

  • Some overhead squats, then -

HB Squat: (beltless) 3 x 120kg, 3 x 160kg, 1 x 180kg, 2 x 1 x 190kg

I had to use a different bar today, and it rotated too much and put me off. I was also tired from yesterday, so nothing too impressive today, but still 240kg again.

7th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 1 x 255kg (=PR), 2 x 220kg, 2 x 230kg, 2 x 2 x 220kg

Good effort today. 255kg is becoming more common as a top single, so hopefully it will start to feel more comfortable and / or I’ll hit a new PR very soon.

8th


Squat: w/u with 2x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg

Push Press: 3 x 90kg, 3 x 2 x 100kg, 3 x 90kg

DB Press: (Cuban press) 8 x 22kg DBs; then 6 x 30kg DBs, 4 x 34kg DBs (as standard press); then ~15 x 15kg DBs (as Cuban press)

All of this pressing is catching up with me, I might have to drop the volume back slightly soon and focus on speed and technique; I hope that supercompensation will mean some more overhead gains when I do finally peak.

Squats are going reasonably well, still pushing forward…

9th


Görner Deadlift Ramp: to 3RM with one finger to 50kg, then two to 120kg, then three to 140kg, then standard double overhand to 3 x 3 x 160kg

I couldn’t get to the gym today, so tried out this grip strength session. It was very tough, but I think it will be extremely effective given a few weeks if I throw it in after squats a couple of days a week.

10th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 2 x 210kg, 2 x 220kg, 2 x 230kg, 1 x 240kg

My right hand is in a pretty bad state after the grip work yesterday (the left one is actually fine), but otherwise nothing much to mention. I might bench later, but but I’ll move it to tomorrow if my grip is struggling.

The volume is going up now, and I will keep pushing until I start hitting more PRs and beyond.

Later on 10th…

Bench: w/u with 3x70kg, 3x110kg; 2 x 140kg, 3 x 10 sec. isometric x 170kg, 4 x 1 x 150kg, 2 x 2 x 145kg, 3 x 3 partials x 160kg, 2 x 5 x 110kg

Overload session for bench, trying it out for a change. I might stick with this for a while and see how it goes…


11th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 250kg, 1 x 257.5kg (568lbs, PR!), 1 x 250kg, 2 x 2 x 220kg

Here we go, finally another PR! Not my deepest or easiest rep, but definitely passable. I’ll certainly take it, and hopefully this will be the start of another up-swing and 260kg will fall very soon. I still got some extra volume in too, which should help to drive progress.

12th


Squat: w/u with 4x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 250kg, M x 255kg, 2 x 2 x 220kg

HB Squat: 5 x 3 x 160kg

250kg was deep and fairly comfortable for >95%, so I went to 255. Missed (due to fatigue from the last few days I guess), but not bad overall.

Congratulations man. Keep up the positive trend and you’ll smash 260 soon.
I also tried your deadlift ramp - forearms were done for 2 days…

13th


I was recorded doing some strength tests for the rugby team’s fitness testing. Nothing too heavy, just some decent singles.

FS: to 130kg, OH Squat: to 80kg, + some chin-ups.


Later:-

Squat: w/u with 1x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg

Görner DL Ramp: 1 finger to 3 x 60kg; 2 fingers to 3 x 100kg; 3 fingers to 130kg; 160kg standard

SGDL: 2 x 3 x 160kg, 3 x 2 x 140kg

Solid effort today. 250kg again, I’m definitely improving.

@squats_and_milk : My fingers are still hurting from the first grip session, so the one today certainly hasn’t improved the situation, but I think it will pay off when it comes to attempting a new deadlift PR.

And I wouldn’t say it’s MY deadlift ramp, Hermann Görner did this about 100 years before me, and I got the idea from Christian Thibaudeau. Great grip training method though!

14th


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

Muscle Clean and Press: 6 x 70kg, 3 x 2 x 90kg

A good session today considering I felt so sore and tired. I didn’t sleep very well last night, but got some nice sets in despite feeling sub-par.

15th


Deadlift: 3 x 120kg, 3 x 160kg, 1 x 200kg, 1 x 220kg, 1 x 230kg, 1 x 240kg (=PR), 4 x 200kg, 3 x 3 x 160kg

“Zombie” Front Squats: 3 x 70kg, 3 x 80kg, 1 x 90kg, 1 x 100kg, 1 x 110kg, 3 x 3 x 70kg

A day off from heavy squatting, but a PR-equalling deadlift instead. Front squats without hands were for position / technique practice. Today’s training is coming up now.

16th


Squat: w/u with 2x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 2 x 220kg

OH Squats and Drop Snatches: multiple sets at 40kg

Later:-

Bench: w/u with 2x3x70kg, 2x3x110kg; 3 x 140kg; 3 x 10 sec. support x 160kg; 6 x 2 x 140kg


17th


Squat: w/u with 3x70kg, 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg

OH Squat and Drop SNs: up to 50kg for sets of 2-4

Leg Raises and other Ab. Work: 10 mins.

Very sore at the moment, but 240kg went up regardless. Not bad speed actually.

18th


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 2 x 230kg, 2 x 220kg

Zombie FS: 3 x 70kg, 2 x 100kg, 2 x 110kg, M x 120kg, 6 x 70kg

Later:-

Bench: w/u with 3x70kg, 3x110kg; 6 x 2 x 140kg

Nice squatting at the moment, feeling more dynamic and powerful. Still tired and no PRs yet, but I have a lot of exams coming up and I also didn’t slept very well last week, so it’s understandable.
In other news, a couple of friends at the (otherwise empty) college gym decided it would be funny for me to have a pose-down bodybuilding style with one of them… I guess all my size has gone to my back!

https://instagram.com/p/BEWp01IFJUH/

19th


Squat: w/u with 2x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 1 x 230kg, 1 x 240kg

Zombie FS: 3 x 70kg, 2 x 100kg, 2 x 110kg, 1 x 120kg (PR)


20th


Squat: w/u with 3x70kg, 2x100kg, 2x160kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg (paused)

Zombie FS: 3 x 60kg, 2 x 90kg, 2 x 100kg, 2 x 110kg, 2 x 120kg (PR)

WG Pulldown: 10 x 82.5kg, 10 x 92.5kg, 10 x 127.5kg, 8 x 100kg

Seated Cable Row: 2 x 12

I’ll probably train bench later. Not bad, kept it at 240kg because I was using the college bars.

21st


Squat: w/u with 3x120kg, 1x170kg; 1 x 220kg, 1 x 240kg, 1 x 250kg, 2 x 220kg, 2 x 230kg

Zombie FS: 3 x 70kg, 2 x 100kg, 2 x 110kg, 2 x 100kg (I may have done another set of something, can’t remember)

superset with -

Speed Deadlift: 6 x 3 x 120kg

Ok. Still going. 250kg wasn’t the best rep, but I’ll take it.

Very sad to hear that Prince has died, he was a great musician and all-round performer. He will be remembered through his music; rest in peace.