Today was squat and bench day. B/W 96kg(211) - up by about 3lbs.
Hips felt tight and a bit sore in the atg squat position during warm up so I did a ton of foam rolling and stretching, then I did today’s program:
Squat
4 x 112.5kg(247.5) - 80% 1RM
4 x 112.5kg(247.5)
2 x 120kg(264) - 85% 1RM
2 x 125kg(275) - 90% 1RM
8 x 112.5kg(247.5)
Bench
4 x 92.5kg(203.5) - 80% 1RM
4 x 92.5kg(203)
2 x 97.5kg(214.5) - 85% 1RM
2 x 102.5kg(225.5) - 90% 1RM
2 x 102.5kg(225.5) this set wasn’t in the program but I was feeling my oats so I threw it in.
8 x 92.5(203.5)
And that was it. A simple program, where I’ll aim to add 5kg(11lbs) to the squat and DL in weeks 2,3,6,7,10 and 11, deload weeks 4,8 and 12 and repeat weeks 5 and 9. For the bench, I’ll aim for 2.5kg(5.5lbs) gains. If I can stick to this, on paper it should see gains somewhere between 15kg(33lb) - 30kg(66lb).
I had a 50 minute minute window of opportunity tonight so I got to the gym for deadlifts etc. I don’t normally go after work and now I remember why. The gym was packed, and olympic bars were few and far between. One guy set up in the squat rack with about 40lbs on the bar (for rack pulls) and then proceeded to talk on his mobile phone for 5 minutes. Anyway, after a good stretch I got a bar and some free space and did:
Deadlifts:
3 x 125kg(275)
3 x 125kg(275)
2 x 130kg(286)
2 x 140kg(308)
5 x 125kg(275)
Strict BB OHP:
5 x 50kg(110)
5 x 55kg(121)
5 x 60kg(132)
10 x 50kg(110)
Thought I should work on my lack of fitness and it seems a lot of the T-Nationers whose logs I lurk on are big into hill sprints for GPP. I’ve got a steep hill near my house that’s about 100 meters from top to bottom. I decided to sprint up and walk back down for as many repeats as I could in 20 minutes. Long story short I only managed 6. The first two were ok, by three I was blowing really hard and needed to wait at the bottom to recover, and by #6 I needed to cough up a lung. I gave each one everything I had, but was noticeably slower each time. Weak sauce but I had to start somewhere.
Yesterday was squat and bench day. Bodyweight 95kg(209lbs). After the usual foam rolling, stretches and warm up sets, I did:
Squats, to a low box:
4 x 115kg(253)
4 x 115kg(253)
2 x 125kg(275)
2 x 130kg(286)
3 x 130kg(286)
6 x 115kg(253) - this was supposed to be 8 reps but I didn’t have it today
Bench, paused on chest each rep:
4 x 95kg(209)
4 x 95kg(209)
4 x 100kg(220)
3 x 105kg(231)
7 x 95kg(209) - this should have been 8 too. No spotter so didn’t want to get stapled to the bench if I missed the last rep.
Today was something of a training revelation. I only had 45 minutes spare, and so I was umming and ahhing about whether to go or not. I figured I should take my opportunities while I could so off I went for deads and OHP day. Because I was strapped for time, I didn’t really warm up or stretch much, which could have been a dumb mistake if I’d injured something but I got through it without incident.
I warmed up with 1 set each of deads and 1 set of power cleans [both 5 x 60kg(132lbs)], then deads 3 x 80kg(176lbs), 3 x 100kg(220lbs), 3 x 120(264lbs) then work sets:
Deadlifts:
3 x 130kg(286lbs)
3 x 130kg(")
2 x 135kg(297lbs)
2 x 145kg(319lbs)
5 x 130kg(286lbs)
Strict standing BB OHP:
5 x 52.5kg(115lbs)
5 x 57.5kg(126lbs)
5 x 62.5kg(137lbs)
9 x 52.5kg(115lbs)
Dumbell rows:
8 x 42.5kg(93lbs)
6 x 45kg(99lbs) x 3 sets.
These rows were the same weight as last session, which was not the plan. I had planned to increase this week to 47.5kg(104.5lbs) dumbells, only to discover that the dumbells at my gym go up in 2.5kg(5.5lbs) increments from 2.5kg dumbells up to the 45kg(99lb). From there though they step up in 5kg(11lb) jumps, so my next move will be to the 50kg(110lbs) dumbells, then 55’s(121) then 60’s(132). I think I’ll have to up my reps with the current weight, and when I can get 10 reps with it for 3 sets I’ll be ready to jump up to the 50’s(110) for 6 reps.
The revelation was that I motored through those 13 work sets (plus the minimal warm up) in 45 minutes. I normally rest twice as long between sets but I’m thinking maybe I don’t need to at this stage.
Scheduled deload week and I decided to take it. Left knee and right shoulder have been a bit creaky lately. Instead of any Big 3 moves, I did something more like a bodybuilding session. After thorough stretch and warm up, I did:
Leg Press: 160kg(352)x 5 sets x 10 reps
Hamstring curls: 3 x 10 (on a machine so don’t know the weight - enough so that the last 2-3 reps were tough)
Lat pulldowns: 3 x 10 (as above)
Cable rows: 3 x 10 (ditto)
D/B Military Press: 22.5kg(50lb) 3 x 10 - taking it easy on my shoulder, it is a rest day afterall
D/B shoulder flyes: 10kg(22lb) 3 x 10
Hanging leg raise: 3 x max
I enjoyed the change of pace. 23 sets in 65 minutes got a nice pump going. But what is the deal with selfish bastards who can’t put the weights away when they’re done.
Some hero had done leg presses and gone home leaving 20 plates (400kg/880lbs) on the sled, so that some other dumb bastard (me) had to shift it before I could use the equipment. Dude seriously, if you’re strong enough to lift it, you’re strong enough to put it away afterwards. End rant.
My right shoulder was happy to be my friend again after a deload week and the short break freshened me right up. By Friday, I was itching to get back into the gym. So the program called for a repeat of my last training session, but I was feeling too good so decided to just move to the next week and add a litle weight. It was squat and bench day, so after stretching, some hip mobility work and warm up sets, I worked up to:
Squats
4 x 120kg(264lbs)
4 x 120(264)
2 x 130kg(286)
2 x 135kg(297) - program stopped here but feeling good so went up a few pounds to crack 300
3 x 137.5kg(302) - 3 felt easy so decided to do another set of this
3 x 137.5kg(302)
8 x 120kg(264)
Bench
4 x 102.5kg(225lbs)
4 x 102.5(225)
2 x 107.5kg(236)
2 x 110kg(242)
2 x 112.5kg(247lbs) - PR
6 x 95kg(209)
Finished with 3 sets of b.w. pullups (7,7,7 reps) and 3 sets of hypers holding a 10kg(22lb) plate. Overall pretty pleased with the small incremental progress.
I was away last week camping, so I only got to the gym yesterday. Both knees were a little tender from a lot of hiking and running down sandhills during the week, so I ditched the normal squat/bench day and substituted it for a back day. Bodyweight today 98.3kgs(216lbs)- this is up by 4kgs(8.8lbs) since I started training in February. After lots of foam rolling of the ITBs and some static and dynamic stretching, I warmed up with some light deadlifts (6 x 60kg/132lbs; 6 x 100kg/220lbs) then I did:
Deadlifts
6 x 125kg(275lbs)
3 x 140kg(308lbs)
3 x 150kg(330lbs) x 3 sets
Strict BB OHP
6 x 55kg(121lbs)
6 x 60kg(132lbs)
4 x 65kg(143lbs)
3 x 65kg(")
7 x 55kg(121lbs)
DB Rows
8 x 42.4kg(93.5lbs)
10 x 45kg(99lbs)
10 x 45kg(99lbs)
7 x 45kgs(99lbs)
Finished with some cable rows on a plate stack - don’t know the weight - did 2 sets of some x some.
And that was it for the day. Got a nice bit of DOMS in the back today, just enough to let me know I worked it.
Yesterday was scheduled squat and bench day but last week my knees (especially the left one) were telling me they no longer want to play. I was hobbling around for the early part of the week like an old man.
There has been no single incident where I’ve injured them so I’m stuffed if I know the cause. Any way, I decided to do conventional deads instead of squats yesterday, followed by bench. After copius dynamic and static stretches, plus foam rolling and warm up sets, I did:
Deadlifts:
115kg(253lbs) x 5
125kg(275lbs) x 5
130kg(286lbs) x 5
85kg(187lbs) x 10 x 5 sets
Bench press:
85kg(187lbs) x 5
92.5kg(203lbs) x 5
97.5kg(214lbs) x 5
60kg(132lbs) x 10 x 5 sets
DB Rows:
42.5kg(93lbs) x 10 each arm
37.5kg(82.5lbs) x 10 each arm - dropping down in weight grated but was necessary cos I was running out of gas
Also, using the DBs effectively means 2 sets (each arm) for the planned 5 repeats which was taking forever so I switched to BB Rows,
60kg(132lbs) x 10 reps x 3 sets
Hanging leg raises:
10 reps x 5 sets
With the extra volume, I felt pretty spent yesterday but the knees still love me this morning.
Travelling for work this week so I found a small commercial gym next door to my hotel. They had a squat rack, olympic bar and plates so I was sorted. After a brief stretch session, I did legs and shoulders.
Squat:
warm up with bar (x lots) then 60kg(132lbs) x 10, 80kg(176lbs) x 6, then I did work sets of
105kg(231lbs) x 5
112kg(246bs) x 5
120kg(264lbs) x 8
70kg(154lbs) x 10 x 5 sets
BB OHP
52.5kg(115lbs) x 5
55kg(121lbs) x 5
60kg(132lbs) x 5
35kg(77lbs) x 10 x 5 sets
That was it. I would normally have done some pulling exercise like pulldowns or DB rows and some hamstring curls but I didn’t have a towel to put on the benches, it was very humid and I was sweating like a pig (and I’m weaksauce). C’est la vie
Deadlift and Bench day. B/W 98kg(215lbs). After dynamic stretches and foam rolling, I launched into the deads first.
Deadlift:
60kg(132lbs) x 8
80kg(176lbs) x 6
100kg(220lbs) x 3
115kg(253lbs) x 3
then
125kg(275lbs) x 3
130kg(286lbs) x 3
140kg(308lbs) x 5
140kg(308lbs) x 3
Bench press
bar x lots
60kg(132lbs) x 8
80kg(176lbs) x 5
then
92.5kg(203lbs) x 3
97.5kg(214lbs) x 3
102.5kg(225lbs) x 6
60kg(132lbs) x 10 x 3 sets
DB Rows
40kg(88lbs) x 10 x 3 sets each arm
Cable rows
some weight x 10 x 2 sets
Home to a protein shake followed an hour or so later by the mother of all scrambled eggs - bacon, chicken, mushrooms, red onion, green peppers, chilli.
Squat and OHP day. Started as per usual with foam rolling and dynamic stretching, some good mornings with just the bar, then some warm up sets of squats (bar x lots; 60kg(132lbs) x 10; 80kg(176lbs) x 6, then
112.5kg(246lbs) x 3
120kg(264lbs) x 3
125kg(275lbs) x 5 (must have been holding my breath…on last rep my ears were actually tingling)
70kg(154lbs) x 10 x 5 sets. This is 50% of 1RM, for hypertrophy. Got to fill out those chicken legs.
Lying Hamstring curls
10 x 5 sets
Standing strict BB OHP
warm up sets, then
55kg(121lbs) x 3
57.5kg(126lbs) x 3
60kg(132lbs) x 7
35kg(77lbs) x 10 x 3 sets
Lat machine pulldowns (close grip) - no idea of the actual weight…heavy enough for me that the last set only managed 6 reps, so I went 10; 10; 10; 7; 6.
This session was just ok, neither great or bad. Just beige.
Let me just start today’s entry by affirming that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It seemed like a good idea at the time to get up at sparrow’s fart this morning and get to the gym for deadlifts and benchpress day. I was in there by 6:10am fueled by a protein shake but I just wasn’t feeeling it. After a warm up with the bar x lots, then 60kg(132lbs) x 8, 80kg(176lbs) x 5, I did:
Bench:
87.5kg(192lbs) x 5
95kg(209lbs) x 5
100kg(220lbs) x 5.
70kg(154lbs) x 10,10,7.
That was all the bare minimum the program required but it felt heavier than it ought to have done.
Then I switched to deads. Warm up with 60kg(132) x 6, 80kg(176lbs) x 5, 100kg(220lbs) x 3 then I did:
Deads
120kg(264) x 5
127.5(280) x 5
135kg(297) x 0…what the?? reset and pulled a lousy single.
135kg(297) x 1 Was supposed to hit 5 reps here but just didn’t have the juice. Real or imagined, I felt like my form was awful (rounding) so I just said ‘stuff it’ and went home.
These were weights between 75-85% of actual 1RM, and I’ve hit these weights/reps before. I can only put it down to early morning training, which is really not my bag.
Good session today. Got into the gym around 2pm, stretched and foam rolled the ITBs.
For the Big 3, I worked sets of 70%, 74% and 78% of 1RM, 6 reps for squat and bench, 3 reps for DL:
Squat: 100kg(220lbs) x 6; 102.5(225lbs) x 6; 110kg(242lbs) x 6
Bench: 80kg(176lbs) x 6; 85kg(187lbs) x 6; 90kg(198lbs) x 6
Deadlift: 107.5kg(236lbs)x 6; 115kg(253lbs) x 3 conventional, x 3 sumo; 120kg(264lbs) x 3 x 2 sets sumo
Strict standing BB OHP: 50kg(110lbs) x 6; 52.5(115lbs) x 6; 55kg(110lbs) x 6
DB Rows: 42.5kg(93lbs) x 8 each arm; 45kg(99lbs) x 8 each arm; 50kg(110lbs) x 8 each arm. Happy with this last set. Starting to look like big boy dumbells.
Seated lateral flys for the delts - 12.5kg(27.5lbs) x 10 x 2. These were just for vanity’s sake
Lying hamstring curls: on a machine, some weight x 6 x 3 sets.
Foam rolling and stretching then warmed up with squats with bar x lots, 60kg(132lbs) x 6, 80kg(176lbs) x 5.
Today aimed to add 5kgs to last week’s 70%, 74% and 78% of 1RM.
Squats
105kg(231lbs) x 6; 110kg(242lbs) x 6; 115kg(253lbs) x 6
Bench
warm up with bar x lots, 40kg(88lbs) x 6; then
85kg(187lbs) x 6; 90kg(198lbs) x 6; 95kg(209lbs) x 6
Deadlifts
115kg(253lbs) x 6; 120kg(264lbs) x 6; These flew off the floor so bumped up 10kg(22lbs) to 130kg(286lbs) x 3 x 2 sets. Done conventional with double overhand grip, I had plenty more in reserve.
Then did a rack pull from the knee with 160kg(352lbs) x 3. I did these just so I would know what the weight feels like in the hand. It’s going to be a while before I pull double bw.
Strict one arm DB Rows
42.5kgs(93lbs) x 8 each arm; 50kgs(110lbs) x 8 x 2 sets each arm.
Working in the range of 70-80% of 1RM means I am recovering faster, so am aiming to be back in the gym for the “B” session on Wednesday.
Did a light session of assistance work for the big 3 today.
Step-ups onto a 17" box holding 2 x 15kg(33lbs)dumbells. 10 per leg then switch. 5 sets. Harder than it sounds. Hoping this might help prevent knees caving inward on squats.
Incline BB Press
60kg(132lbs) x 10 x 3 sets
BW Dips
10 reps x 3 sets
BB Power Cleans
60kg(132lbs) x 5
65kg(143lbs) x 5
70kg(154lbs) x 5
72.5kg(160lbs) x 3 x 2 sets. This is about 47% of my deadlift 1RM, so quite happy with the speed off the floor. The toughest point in the deadlift for me is the first 2-3 inches off the floor. Once I get it moving locking out is no problem.