Nice bench PR, all of that OH work must have carried right on over!
As a side note walking with the sandbag in the zercher position really blows lol.
It looks like it did. What surprised me more than the bench PR was the push press PR close to competition actually. Because looking back all I did leading up to it was axle clean and press and I never exceeded 76 kg on that, slingshot benching and a small amount of strict pressing. So even though I never went over 76 kg for a closely related lift I got a 10 kg PR and got 100 kg on the push press.
06.04.
Got up extra early to get in my training before work today. My shift is horrible and the gym I would go to doesn’t open early enough and closes too soon to train there today. So instead of squats I did deadlifts today because I can do them at home.
This was also the first deadlift session after competition and my back strain.
1 conventional deadlifts @ 125 kg
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 5
2 trap bar deadlifts
10 x 111 kg x 3 with 30 sec rest between sets
3a kneeling ab wheel roll outs
3 x 10
3b 45° back raises
3 x burn
Notes:
- disappointed with deadlift performance! They didn’t look that bad on camera but they felt very slow and not strong. Also 5 reps on the + set is just laughable with this weight. Maybe my core is just a little fatigued from yesterdays training or it just wasn’t my day.
- did the trap bar deadlifts without a belt. They were alright but the short breaks made me suffer a good bit.
- workout was very draining. These short rests between sets are getting to me. I just never did something similar.
- back felt really good throughout the workout
- small note on the diet: I hit a new low on the scale, so that is going alright. I feel pretty good so far and my “diet plan” seems to be working.
08.04.
Worked out directly after my shift. Had my buddy and colleague lift off for me and stopping time.
1 bench press @ 85kg
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 9
2 slingshot bench press
10 x 90 kg x 3 with 30 sec rest between sets
3 lat pull
4 sets of 10-15 reps
4 bicep curls
one drop set without counting reps
5 high row (targeting lower traps. Not sure if this is what it is called)
3 x 15
Notes:
- During all of the sets with 85 kg I didn’t think my + set would go well but 9 reps was a positive surprise!
- the bar was shitty, it had so much spin that it hurt my wrists.
- my triceps was burning like hell and felt like it was going to explode. So I skipped any other pressing.
- slingshot benching was okay. This is usually a very light weight but the short rest periods don’t allow for heavy weights.
09.04.
1 squat @ 95 kg
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 10
2 front squat
10 x 55 kg x 3 with 30 sec rest between sets
3 lat pulldown
2 x 15
4 back raises
3 x 40 with BW
Notes:
- squats were both terrible and awesome. Had the right intensity today.
- sick PR on back raises
girlfriend knocked out 40 reps, so I had to do the same obviously. My glutes were on fire! - Did feel my glutes pretty hard on squats as well. In a positive way.
- went belt less for everything but the + set on back squats.
- my legs were shaking like crazy after the squats and front squats. Nearly fell down the stairs in the gym. I can already feel the crazy DOMS coming
- girlfriend hit a new best on squats. She still has some form perfecting to do on these but it is getting better. Once she gets oly shoes her squats will improve even further. Her deadlifts looked really good to me. She is learning and adapting to new stuff very quickly.
10.04.
Rode my bike for about an hour. Weather was nice and I have time today. I just like to move around I guess. Plus doing some aerobic conditioning can’t be bad. That said, my quads were just screaming in pain whenever I rode uphill. I am crazy sore from this new program. In a good way though. My back feels really good again and only my pec gives me some trouble occasionally.
Now onto foam rolling to speed up recovery!
11.04.
My sleep has been very bad lately. I barely slept for four hours and had a pretty packed day.
So I was in Hannover, which is the capitol of the federal state I live in (the more you know…).
My girlfriend and I visited the crossfit box that hosted my strongman competition.
First we took a weightlifting class which was 1,5 hours. The coach there is a real pro. I am happy that he was pleased with my technique with snatches. He and some other guys and girls were also very suprised how mobile and flexible I am. This happens a lot. You just don’t expect a man my size to be that mobile.
After that we went on to train our usual stuff.
1 log press @ 65kg
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 8
2 strict press
7 sets of 3 with 30 sec rest @ 55kg
- 1 x 2 (couldn’t get the third there)
3 pendlay row
didn’t count sets and used 3 to 6 reps… If I had to guess I’d say 8-10 sets @ 60 kg
4 pull ups (band assisted)
about 5 sets of max reps
5a biceps curls
1 x run the rack, starting with 22,5 kg db’s, 17, 5, 12,5, 7,5 for max reps each
5b facepulls
2 sets
Notes:
- fantastic day. We trained a long time
- weightlifting was fun
- got to chat with the head coach again. She was a very successful strongwoman and powerlifter. I love to talk to her and she is a great coach. She will host some strongman seminars in the near future which are affordable for me.
- the log that I used was a real oak log. It was heavier and had a little larger diameter than my own log. I loved that thing. The only negative thing about the log pressing was my choice of clothes. I wore a polyester shirt and I was sweating very much (like always) because of all the weightlifting before. So the wooden oak was extremely slippery on my chest and I had problems keeping my balance. I think this prevented me from getting more reps in my + set
- I also upped the weight on log presses. Benni told me I was too conservative with my max there.
- After log pressing, we had to leave the box and go to the attached gym (also awesome). I thought I was going to bench press that day so I didn’t bring my belt. In the box they had a belt that fit me but now in the gym I had to go belt less for the strict presses. But aside from that I just didn’t expect 55 kg to be so heavy.
- I had an awesome day
- was coaching and spotting my girlfriend on the bench press, that is why I didn’t keep track of sets and break times for my rows.
13.04.
Legs were still sore.
I also unleashed madness because I was stupid and obviously can’t do math.
Finally slept through the night without waking up. But I still didn’t have a lot of sleep total.
1 conv. deadlifts
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 3 (2 min pause)
x 1 (30 sec pause), x 2 (30 sec pause), x 5 (45 sec pause)
x 2
2 trap bar deadlift
10 x 136 kg x 3 with 30 sec pause between sets
Notes:
- It was hard to get my mind right today. Couldn’t really get my head in the game for deadlifts, I started to get more motivated when I used the trap bar.
- very disappointed with conv. deadlifts again. I don’t know what is going on there. A few weeks ago close to my competition I felt really strong on deadlifts and I was sure That I had a 170 - 180 conv deadlift in me. Now however I struggle with this baby-weight. I used to rep this out like I was doing cardio when I pulled sumo.
- however I have beaten my total volume from last session (which is the progression protocol for this plan). I couldn’t beat last session on the + set but I added one set of “myo-reps” (forgot who created this name) to add two more reps with this weight.
- I meant to do 116 kg on the trap bar. I started my first set and thought damn that’s heavy. But I didn’t think much of it because my quads were really sore still and I felt weak in general. So I thought yeah it is just tougher than usual but I can get through this somehow, I just need to man the fuck up!
Starting with the 4th set I did mainly touch&go reps, starting with the 5th I applied chalk. I refused to take my belt because I thought I won’t touch my belt with this baby weight, fuck that! Going into my 7th set I finally realized that I was using 20 kg more than anticipated. I got through all sets. - after I rearranged all the equipment I felt bad. Really bad. I went into the house and had to lie down on the floor. My vision got a little blurry, my stomach was upset and I felt very weak. Never had this happen this strong before. I think I didn’t consume enough food before training + the lack of sleep these last weeks may be taken its toll too.
I know it is the last thing you want to do right now, but either taking a deload week or a few days of very low intensity might let you get back into the gym fresh and motivated again. This is a tough hurdle for me as well when I start feeling burnt out.
a trainer i know recommends fruit before workouts,i throw some in a blender with water and maybe some sugar i drink it about 30 minutes before work out
@littlesleeper : Actually I am looking forward to a deload. But is scheduled to be in two weeks (which is the end of this micro cycle) so I am unsure about when I should deload. I have two more sessions to go this week (bench on Friday and squat on Saturday). Then there will be another training week with 4 sessions next week. After that there is a planned deload. I am unsure if I should keep with the plan or deload early… To be honest I would like to stick to the plan and continue this cycle but I know that a deload has to take place in the near future. That said besides today my body feels great. Nothing is aching or hurting.
@cavemansam : Sounds delicious! Right now I am on vacation (not away from home, I just took a week off from work) and I tend to get a little less focused on my eating. I eat either too much or not enough protein or drink more alcohol than usual.
16.04.
My girlfriend and I drove down to Magdeburg to visit @buckaubarbellbenni and his girlfriend. We had an amazing time and a great workout! I love going there to train and chat with the two.
1 Log press out of the rack
62,5 kg x 5
67,5 x 5
72,5 kg x 8 - PR!
2 Incline log press
2 x 62,5 kg x 8
1 x 62,5 kg x 12
3 OHP stability training ( one 16 kg kettlebell hanging from a resistance band on each side)
3 x didn’t count. Was pretty heavy actually.
4 Pendlay rows
5 x 65 x reps
5 band assisted pull ups
3 x max reps
6a lateral raises
2 x 5 kg plates x 30
6b face pulls
2 x reps
7 band triceps pushdowns
1 x reps
8 reverse hypers
2 x reps
Notes:
- I didn’t count reps on a lot of stuff
- log presses were good
- log incline presses are great. I wish I could always do them. I think I would replace bench pressing with them.
- taught my girlfriend how to overhead press with the barbell. She was pretty good with them and will get better with practice.
- great workout and nice day!
18.04.
I will deload this week and won’t continue the program I am doing next week. I can’t keep up with recovery and think I won’t make the best progress like this.
1 banded squats
50 kg + band tension for 8 sets of 3 reps
2 banded deadlifts
50 kg + band tension for ca. 8 setf of 3-5 reps
3 physio ball leg curls
3 sets
Notes:
- everything was smooth (it should be with this weight)
- long day at work
- banded deadlifts are great. This really might be what I need for my deadlifts. They were suggested for me by Alpha anyway.
I’m interested to see how you progress with the bands man. Enjoy the deload! Think you’ve earned it.
1 Like
24.04
Soooo this workout happened.
I was dead tired. Could barely keep my eyes open despite consuming espresso and coffee.
I also haven’t squatted heavy in a while. I think I haven’t gone over 110 kg in almost half a year.
I just planned to go by feel and see what happens. Didn’t really plan anything for this workout
1 Back squats
2 x 20 kg x some
2 x 50 kg x 5
1 x 80 kg x 5
1 x 80 kg x 1
2 x 100 kg x 1
1 x 110 kg x 1
1 x 120 kg x 1
1 x 130 kg x 1 (wraps from here on)
1 x 140 kg x 1 - ties all time PR
1 x 145 kg x 1 - new all time PR
1 x 150 kg x 1 - WTF?! New all time PR by 10 kg
1 x 110 kg x 4
Notes:
- How did that happen?!
- made sure to sink my squats deep today (which for me is slightly below parallel)
- the 130 kg moved very easy and quick so I loaded 140 kg and started to get nervous. My girlfriend was a huge support today, she helped me where ever she could. The 140 kg went surprisingly fast. The 145 kg were a little harder but without a real sticking point or without turning the lift into a good morning. For the 150 kg I got pretty nervous and fired up. I asked two guys to be my side spots (my girlfriend was my back spot) and attacked it. It felt heavy on the walkout but I was able to get it. It was definitely hard and I could not have done more. My hands were shaking afterwards, my legs felt toasted and when I dropped to 110 I racked it after 4 reps because I realized there was just nothing left in me. (Man this reads like I set a new record or something on a forum that is used by guys who can strict press this weight :D)
- girlfriend tested her maxes for the first time ever. She got a 77,5 kg squat (I slightly touched her arm on the 80 kg squat which was more of a mental help but it is what it is), a 50 kg bench press, a 35 kg OHP (this was the second time she has done this exercise) and a 100 kg deadlift. Everything at 65 kg, without a belt and with 1 year of training experience. I think that is very good and I am proud of her.
- I set 150 kg as a squat goal for this year… looks like I reached it pretty early
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Beast! Good job on the squat PR. I too have gotten a few random ass squat PRs. Couldn’t tell if real life or just high on hamburger meat.
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26.04
I am out of town all week so I get to train in a different gym. I trained with a fellow student today and just followed his lead. The volume was ridicoulus. This was far more bodybuilding than I am used to
1 10 minutes of rowing
2 bench press
5 x 3 with 100 kg - volume PR
3 slingshot bench press
100 kg x 8, x 7
4 pull ups (assisted)
6 sets max reps
5 OHP
4 x 50 kg x 8
6 Cable rows
4 x 8-12
7 Low incline db press
3 x 22,5 kg x 8-10
8 lateral raises
3 x 10 kg x 10-12
9 lat pulldown
4 x 10-12
10 Biceps
2 sets
Notes:
- the DOMS will last me a good bit…
- good effort on benching.
- workout took forever even though we kept rest short
- was fun to do something I am not used to.
Edit: -got some discomfort in my right biceps while benching. Also my right elbow got pretty pissed. I need to finally figure out how to deal with my shitty forearms.
26.04
Body is still feeling sunday’s workout. After 8 hours of mainly sitting at the seminar and studying later at the hotel I needed to do something so I can sleep.
So I decided on cardio. And not the cool, strongman type cardio.
1 stationary bike
15 min
2 hand bike (was just curious about this)
6 mins
3 Rowing
10 mins
4 stationary bike
30 mins
Notes:
- this was in no way difficult.
- I sweated, burned some calories and did something active. Mission completed
- this type of cardio is boring as shit. But I believe it has the potential of increasing recovery.
27.04.
Should have skipped this workout.
1 sumo and conventional deadlifts
120 x 3, 3 (each style, so 6, 6 total)
2 sumo deadlifts
3 x 120 x 8
3 HS crunch machine
3 sets
4 leg press
8 plates for 3 x 15
5 leg curls
3 x 12
Notes:
- had no energy, motivation and drive when I got to the gym
- not very productive
- haven’t pulled sumo in ages. Felt a little foreign but I think I still may be stronger with this style
- I am honestly just working out so much this week so I can sleep better and burn more calories to counter this shitty nutrition situation
- body was not recovered from squats, noticed that too late
01.05.
1 log press (clean once)
75 kg x 7 - PR I guess (?)
2 log press max reps in 75 seconds (clean as often as you need/ want)
70 kg x 9
3 strict log press (clean once)
50 kg x 10
50 kg x 9
50 kg x 9
4 log press (clean once)
50 kg x 13
5 OHP
40 kg x 10
… about a 2 hour break …
6 bent over row
40 kg x 15
40 kg x 15
40 kg x 15
7 pendlay row (pausing the bar before each rep)
50 kg x 8
50 kg x 8
50 kg x 8
60 kg x 6
60 kg x 6
60 kg x 6
40 kg x 20
Notes:
- On the set with 70 kg I hit the log under my chin on what would have been my sixth rep. That threw me off and caused me to lose at least one rep
- I am in a pretty good position for my next contest with the log press
- rows were great. I focused on quality instead of weight or quantity. Need to further work on these
- my girlfriend tried log pressing for the first time. I was pretty amazed by how well she performed. She got 2 singles with 40 kg (couldn’t get the second press) and she managed 30 kg for 10 reps without a belt. She just started overhead pressing with the barbell 3 weeks ago and has never push pressed before.
- I found a program that got me interested. I don’t seem to be allowed to post a link but I am unsure if I am ready for this kind of approach (the program is heavily influenced by Westside, at least with the ME efforts).