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rainman
07-29-12, 5:52 pm
I've been meaning to do a Journey of my own for a while, but wasn't sure how to run it. Basically, I'm neither a bodybuilder or a powerlifter, so as such have a slightly different approach to goals. For example...
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff279/rokin_album/FlagMk1_299.jpg
...took a shitload of dedication. I followed the same splits and meticulous diet preparation as many athletes on here do, but never went for PR singles or definition. I guess I've never been one for pressure. Instead I train for no other reason but to see what my body is capable of.
I've never had a PT session or followed a specific plan, training instead for what I believe makes me lift better. I like starting with the 'big compounds', before moving to freeweight isolation/ splits, mainly where I try to do a similar movement in a push-pull arrangement, (chins vs shoulder presses for example), finishing off with some cable work, so I don't slack off on the negative. I also use a weight belt quite a lot.
My rep range nowadays is 12, 10, 8, 6, 6, going up a weight each time, with the final sets being more if possible. When I can do my 6 6 then I go up a weight. After tearing my AC last February I am not really interested in doing singles. Much as I like to go up a weight, I am more interested in doing a solid 8 or 10 rep set. Reason being is that my 8 reps at my last workout was once my PB. That solid 6 reps will eventually become a solid 8, then 10 and so on.
I'm going to use this page to post up my diets and workouts, my thoughts on the lifting game, whenever I have a noteworthy training session or if I get another crackpot idea! I am happy to listen to advice on training too, so please chip in if you fell I am doing something wrong.
Thanks for reading.
John.

C.Coronato
07-30-12, 3:26 pm
That pic is insane bro! Much upper body strength for sure!

rainman
08-02-12, 8:23 pm
That pic is insane bro! Much upper body strength for sure!
Cheers. After seeing your shot in Flex that's a hell of a compliment, although I think I'm only destined for 'Circus Weekly'.

After my AC tear last February I kind of knocked the idea of doing the human flag on the head, but have refocused my training since then on core exercises and delt work to provide my body with a solid foundation for lifting, so figured I may as well give it a shot whilst I was the smallest I'd been in years. I'd love a 10 second hold. My best time is about 4-5 seconds currently.

I'll post up my workout in the next couple of days for last week as I am between gyms at the moment. Not impressed.

rainman
08-08-12, 5:44 pm
I decided to post up an average week of my current training plan, specifically from the final week of the gym I have used for years, to track my progress in my new haunt. My gym was shit really, with a wobbly bench, no squat rack, holes in the floor, dumbbells that only hit 90lbs, a load of machines, (most of which went up to '20'), which had no indication on what weight was on there*, and so on. I loved training there though. It was basic, sure, but had most of what I needed. The imperfections made me adapt. They've built some new fancy place now, full of cardio machines, no Olympic plates and a fucking cake shop/ coffee bar by the entrance. The smell of sweat has been replaced by lavender and Old Spice. The world is going to hell one step(per) at a time.

*- The number on the weight stack is in brackets in this log. Most went up to 20.
S/W- Split with... I love split routines and try to incorporate them to each set post compound.
The Abs/ Obliques were done between each set to break things up.

Monday AM (Arms/ Abs)
7ft. barbell curls: 12x45KG, 10x50KG, 8x55KG, 5x60KG (strict), 6x60KG, (swung the last 2 up!)
Close grip bench press: 12x70KG, 10x80KG, 8x90KG, 8x90KG.
Seated DB hammer curls: 12x22.5KG, 10x25KG, 8x27.5KG, 4x30kg, 3 and a half x30KG, (pissed about the last one) S/W 5 sets of 8x30KG weighted dips.
7's/ 21's/ whatever they're called nowadays S/W skull crushers (EZ bar same weight): 12x30KG, 10x35KG, 8x40KG, 8x40KG.

Tuesday PM (Legs/ Obliques)
Sumo deadlifts: 12x125KG, 8x145KG, 4x165KG, 4x165KG
Leg press machine: 12x(15), 10x(17), 8x(19), 11x(19)
Lying ham curls- using a stepper and DBs held between my feet: 12x27.5KG, 10x30KG, 8x32.5KG, 6x35KG, 9x35KG, (this hurt).
Leg raise machine: 12x(16), 10x(18), 10x(20), 10x(20).
Leg curls: 12x(10), 10x(12), 10x(14), 10x(14). NB - This machine only goes up to 14.

Thursday AM (Chest/ Abs)
Flat barbell bench: 12x77.5KG, 10x87.5KG, 8x97.5KG, 5x107.5KG, 4x107.5KG, 10x77.5KG, (paused).
Incline DB presses: 12x22.5KG, 10x27.5KG, 8x32.5KG, 8x37.5KG, 6x42.5KG S/W incline DB flies: 12x20KG, 10x22.5KG, 8x25KG, 6x27.5KG, 5x27.5KG
Cable crossovers: 20x(6), 16x(7), 12x(8), 8x(9), 8x(9) S/W DB pullovers: 20x22.5KG, 16x27.5KG, 12x32.5KG, 6x37.5KG, 6x37.5KG

Friday AM (Back/ Shoulders)
Conventional deadlifts: 12x125KG, 8x145KG, 4x165KG, 2x185KG, 1x195KG, blew out on my last ever 200KG using my faithful MB weights.
DB shoulder presses: 12x25KG, 10x27.5KG, 8x30KG, 6x32.5KG, 7x32.5KG S/W weighted chins with 45KG: 5,5,5,4,4
Bent over DB rows: 12x37.5KG, 10x40KG, 8x42.5KG, 8x42.5KG S/W side lat DB raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG, 6x20KG
Front delt raises: 20x12.5KG, 16x15KG, 12x17.5KG, 8x20KG S/W face pulls: 20x(10), 16x(10), 12x(12), 8x(14)
7ft barbell upright rows, (using straps now): 12x50KG, 10x55KG, 8x60KG, 6x65KG, 4x65KG S/W wide grip weighted chins with 30KG: 5,5,5,5,7 (+9 straight after dropping the belt).

Sorry about the KGs by the way. I hate them too. If you don't know the formula too convert to real man weight, you have to double the figure then add 10%.
EG) 20KG= 20x2(40) + 10%(4) = 44lb.

rainman
08-22-12, 2:30 pm
It seems like the most challenging thing a strength based athlete can do in the gym is actually putting a foot in one! I joined up one yesterday, the Surrey Sports Park, and it couldn't be more different to my old one. I always joked that DC Leisure (Mk.1) was very much like Rocky's cabin in Rocky 4, where we had to make do with what we had. It made us better lifters.
This new place was like Ivan Drago's super high tech lab. Olympic athletes trained there during the games and will continue to do so during the Paralympics. The Harlequins, (one of the most hardcore Rugby League teams around), use this as their primary training ground. Great, think I, as if this place accommodates athletes like these then I don't mind paying the fees. Until, on my induction, the gym attendant said the entire freeweight section is roped off most mornings between 8-11 so they can train, which is when I usually hit the gym.
Back to square one.

rainman
09-01-12, 6:35 pm
Finally managed to get myself a new gym sorted out- Workshop Gym in Guildford. So far this place is perfect, full of weight, plus a couple of dusty cardio machines in the corner. Dumbbells go up to 70KGs, with about a tonne and a half in Olympic plates and the assistance machines are there if I need them. Only pisser is that the chins bar is near enough at the top part of my overhead reach, so I had to put a couple of plates under the bar as I'm a bit of a short arse.

My first workout was Back & Shoulders day. Being my first workout for a month, plus the fact I've cleaned my body out of supps completely, everything was a bit strange, but feel I'm fitting in to the new place pretty well. I'm looking forward to training there.
Conventional deads: 12x70KG, 12x120KG, 7x140KG, 3x160KG, 1x170KG.
Dumbbell shoulder presses: 12x25KG, 10x27.5KG, 8x30KG, 4x32.5KG S/W 40KG weighted chins- shoulder width grip: 5,5,5,5,4 (and a half!)
Bent over dumbbell rows: 12x37.5KG, 10x40KG, 8x42.5KG, 6x45KG S/W Dumbbell side lateral raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG.
7ft. Barbell upright rows: 12x50KG, 10x55KG, 5x60KG S/W 30KG wide grip weighted chins: 5,4,3,3.

Then my calluses gave up on me. Today, 24 hours later, my hamstrings are knackered, my traps are screwed, my legs are grazed up from deadlifting and I still have bicep pump from the chins and rows. I'm looking forward to getting back on it again.

Ed Eliason
09-01-12, 7:32 pm
Dude that pic is crazy! Awesome stregth there for sure.

rainman
09-13-12, 4:26 pm
Right, just a quick update. Still finding my feet in my new place. No real numbers yet, partly as I had a month off beforehand and partly because I am still getting used to the equipment. I really can't seem to get the benches and my hand placement on the bars dialled yet, but that's mainly due to using the same stuff for about 5 years I guess. Screwed up myself pretty badly on my first legs day, as Workshop has a decent squat rack, leg press machine etc., so I was like a kid in a sweet shop, setting up and adding plates. Must have done about 15 sets on the leg press, another 10 on calf raises and suchlike. Then I spent the next 3 days waddling about like a clown.


Dude that pic is crazy! Awesome stregth there for sure.
Cheers. The video in your sig is something else. I've stumbled across your Journey a while back. Got some real good lifts in there.

Ed Eliason
09-13-12, 7:58 pm
Right, just a quick update. Still finding my feet in my new place. No real numbers yet, partly as I had a month off beforehand and partly because I am still getting used to the equipment. I really can't seem to get the benches and my hand placement on the bars dialled yet, but that's mainly due to using the same stuff for about 5 years I guess. Screwed up myself pretty badly on my first legs day, as Workshop has a decent squat rack, leg press machine etc., so I was like a kid in a sweet shop, setting up and adding plates. Must have done about 15 sets on the leg press, another 10 on calf raises and suchlike. Then I spent the next 3 days waddling about like a clown.


Cheers. The video in your sig is something else. I've stumbled across your Journey a while back. Got some real good lifts in there.

Thanks! I bet your legs were beat up after all those sets.

Appollonian
09-17-12, 8:28 am
Just wanted to say I'm subbed for your journey, thanks for stopping by mine. I hear you on not having a 'traditional' goal; I train for the love of it. If someday I decide to do a powerlifting or strongman comp great, but right now I'm focused on building a better me. Not saying those that train for shows or meets don't do it for love, and I respect those that do both.

I just need to remember to switch to SI units when I check in here.

It's awesome you were able to progress in a less than ideal gym situation. It's not the equipment that makes the person, it's the desire for something better.

The fancy gym you talk about may be something you would never consider, but I trained at one for nearly 4 years in my previous city in Alabama, and while the average person wasn't exactly an 'Animal', like I said a second ago it was my desire to do more for myself, and I've made my best gains yet at that gym.

Sprint
09-17-12, 9:05 am
In for this.

That human flag is epic.

rainman
09-17-12, 6:26 pm
Shit... better up my game! Thanks to all who have stopped by. My updates are few and far between and I usually am only bitching about cakes in a gym anyway, so thanks for getting this far. I am actually pretty humbled really, especially considering the numbers you guys are putting in. I lurk around the Journeys a lot, always getting inspiration, so hopefully I can give back a little occasionally.

The flag photo was mainly to break from the traditional way of training and go for something a bit more 'out there' as far as strength goes. My record is about 10 seconds, but I've had to put flag training on hold at the moment, mainly as my new gym would probably get pissed off at me using the Smith to hang off. Not sure where I'll be going in the future with this, or indeed my goals, but I'll try and keep it entertaining.

rainman
10-05-12, 5:47 pm
Figure I'd better update this once in a while, so here goes. The numbers are slowly going up again in my new gym as I'm getting used to the kit. I've pulled a couple of 180KG sumo deads, (I prefer conventional pulls), hit 4x107.5KG reps on the flat bench with no spotter, 2x150KG wide stance squats on my third week of doing them, (my last gym had no squat rack), and busted out weighted chins with 45KG of plates on.
I've been experimenting a bit with my workouts, so this is why I think I'm a bit short on some of my previous values. I've always worked shoulders and back together, but have instead been tagging bis to the end of chest day and tris for shoulders, a 'la Dorian Yates' split, although not to his intensity as I prefer 12, 10, 8, 6, 6 pyramids. I'm taking a week off for my wedding anniversary, (not my choice), but will be looking at moving a few bits around for when I get back. I'll post up my routine, which will be pretty similar to my old one but with a few different splits, when I've got it nailed.

A funny thing also happened at the gym today, as I walked in to a photoshoot. It was for another supp company. Obviously I won't say what it was, but it's a relatively new company started by a bodybuilder who has trained there for years. The guy's pretty legit and he has some good ideas with his product range, but competing against both the more established brands and our governments ridiculous 20% VAT price rise across the board means he's busting his arse each day trying to get a name for himself. I set myself up for my sumos, but trying to pull when a load of photographers are on the mats isn't easy at the best of times. A flash going off mid pull is even worse. I've got a horrible feeling that if they do use any shots of me in the background, it'll be one of my warmup sets!

rainman
10-18-12, 4:20 pm
I've been continuing to mix up my training a bit with regards to supersets. I went back to tris/ bis on Monday, with legs on Tuesday. Fairly routine, although I had to substitute squats with sumo deads on leg day as everyone seemed to be doing legs. Wednesday was chest day, but I ballsed up my flat barbell bench press. Basically, I find a bar I like and set one of my fingers in to the grooves on the knurled surface, arm width depending on the bar. That's how Rainman would do it, so that's how I do it. Picking up the wrong bar and not discovering this until late on in my sets means I was a bit down on previous days. Some people can just grab a bar and instinctively know where to set their hands. Sadly I can't.
So, rather than continuing with my usual chest workout, I decided to superset anterior and medial delts with some chest exercises to see how it went. Pretty well actually, although flat DB flies made my old AC tear scar tissue nag me a bit. Strangely enough, I am feeling quite a pump in my chest still. This may be due to mixing it up a little, or just holding the bar in a different place to usual, but I may run this for a few weeks to see how it goes.
Barbell bench press: 12x77.5KG, 10x87.5KG, 7x97.5KG, 3x107.5KG, 2x107.5KG.
Incline DB press: 12x22.5KG, 12x27.5KG, 10x32.5KG, 8x37.5KG, 5x37.5KG S/W front DB raises, (per arm): 20x12.5KG, 16x15KG, 8x17.5KG, 6x17.5KG
Flat bench DB flies: 12x17.5KG, 10x20KG, 10x22.5KG, 10x25KG, 7x25KG S/W side lat DB raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG, 8x17.5KG.
DB pullovers: 20x22.5KG, 16x27.5KG, 12x32.5KG, 5x37.5KG.
Tomorrow is back/ shoulders day, but will be focusing on back/ traps and the medial/ posterior heads mainly.

rainman
10-19-12, 2:04 pm
Back and shoulder day was OK. Blew a 185KG dead as I moved back to conventional pulls after a month sabbatical of sumos and time off, so I'm not too fussed as I can bring it back with patience. I may also run straps when pulling. A controversial topic, but to be frank if I am not competing then why not? I may finish on a couple of singles without them so I can keep some PB log, but for my 12, 8 & 4 rep range I am finding my callouses are getting shot to bits before I even start on my weighted chins, so I am not getting the full benefit from them. A double overarm grip would also reduce the risk of a bicep tear, although I've not had any issues thus far.
Conventional deadlifts: 12x70KG, 12x120KG, 8x140KG, 4x160KG, 1x170KG, crapped out on the 180KG.
DB shoulder presses: 12x25KG, 10x27.5KG, 8x30KG, 7x32.5KG, 5x35KG S/W 40KG weighted chins: 5, 4, 4, 4, 4.
Bent over DB rows: 12x40KG, 10x42.5KG, 8x45KG, 6x47.5KG S/W rear delt DB raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG, 5x17.5KG.
7ft barbell rows: 12x50KG, 10x55KG, 8x60KG, 6x65KG S/W 30KG wide grip weighted chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 + 9 more after dropping the belt after my last pull up.

Splits require a bit more tweaking. I'd like to keep cable crossovers on my chest day, so will probably run that split with pullovers. I may go to some kind of cable work for back and lats for this workout. I was meant to do face pulls today too but couldn't find the rope attachment. Arm day will probably remain the same as usual as far as routines go. The only non split day will be legs, but I try to do front-back-front... if that makes sense?

rainman
11-18-12, 5:58 pm
Quite a good week back at the gym after about a month of disruption through various factors. I still got most of my workouts in, but had to move things around a bit. Training wise, I've started to pull sumo again, (mainly as when I lift at work I tend to naturally adopt more of a wide stance), blew the shit out of my callouses through neglect, plus my elbow pain is going away slowly. Splits seem to be working pretty well, but there are a few tweaks regarding supersets to do I think. DB pullovers were a chest day exercise, but will try and split them with face pulls on back/ rear delt day.
These great posters appeared all over the gym last Thursday...
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff279/rokin_album/Poster.jpg
...one of which was stuck to the ceiling, which I only noticed on my first set of bench pressing. I've got to admire the passion of this mystery flyer producer, as the ceiling is about 25ft high.
Mon: Bis/ Tris.
7ft Barbell rows S/W 30KG weighted dips.
Hammer curls S/W tricep DB presses.
On the cable machine: 7s S/W Reverse grip tricep pulldowns.
Tues: Legs.
Squats.
Lying hamstring curls.
Leg press.
Seated calf raises.
Leg extensions.
Thurs: Chest, anterior & medial delts.
Barbell bench press.
Incline DB presses S/W front DB raises.
Flat bench flies S/W side delt raises.
Cable flies.
Fri: Back, traps, anterior delts.
Sumo deads.
DB shoulder presses S/W 42.5KG weighted chins.
Bent over DB rows S/W bent over DB flies.
7ft barbell upright rows S/W 30KG wide grip chins.

Appollonian
11-19-12, 7:57 am
Nice work man, good to see you in again.

That poster is awesome! I would've made it more menacing and mention the punishment of curling in the squat rack, but they made up for it by posting on a 25 foot ceiling haha.

Did you say you had to avoid straight bar curls for elbow pain? I remembered that about 10 years ago I had something similar and I just gave up on straight bar curls for a few years. Now they're not an issue at all. It gets easy for me to stick with one thing, especially if it gives results, but our bodies can get worn down by repeatitive movements and we just gotta listen.

rainman
11-21-12, 5:55 pm
Cheers. I don't update my Journey as often as I should, usually when something as cool as that poster comes up or I want to rant about change. I don't slack off, but have been the Best Man to my Brother, so his Stag Do and Wedding took a couple of days out and our company going in to administration in the past month hasn't helped.

The elbow pain has been a real pisser for the past couple of months. I curl with the 7ft bar, keeping my elbows to my sides and holding the bar just over shoulder width to hit the outer part of my biceps more. I feel this has attained more mass over any other exercise I've used for arms directly, but also put undue strain on the ligaments with hindsight. It really started when I miscalculated the plates on the bar and started off 10KG more than I expected, which tweaked it a little. It's been OK for the last few sessions, so I think a couple more weeks of holding with a closer grip and I'll start edging my arms out again.

Getting inspiration from your cocktails, I've been mixing up my pre workouts lately. I usually just use Pump/ A7, (my go to pre), but recently have been mixing 2 scoops GAA Torrent and 1 scoop AJ Rage. Friday's back day will be 2 scoops of SCR Torrent and 1 scoop OJ Rage. Looking forward to this one.

rainman
11-30-12, 1:43 pm
Bit of an update as I continue looking for my perfect split. A mid week arm injury slowed me down a tad, but I did what I could.

Monday (Arms).
Barbell curls: 12x45KG, 10x50KG, 8X55KG, 5x60KG, 3x60KG S/W weighted dips 8x25KG, 8x27.5KG, 8x30KG, 8x32.5KG, 6x35KG.
Hammer curls: 12x22.5KG, 10x25KG, 12x27.5KG, 4x30KG, 4x30KG S/W tricep DB presses: 12x25KG, 10x27.5KG, 8x30KG, 8x30KG.
Reverse grip weighted chins: Varying weights and reps between 20-30KG S/W reverse grip tricep pulldowns: 12x100lb, 10x130lb, 10x160lb.
Notes: I would've done close grip benching, but Monday is chest day for most of the gym members it seems.

Wednesday (Legs).
Squats: 12x70KG, 12x110KG, 12x120KG, 10x130KG, 8x140KG, 4x150KG, 2x160KG.
Lying machine hamstring curls: 12x25KG, 12x27.5KG, 10x30KG, 8x32.5KG, 6x35KG.
Leg press: 12x100KG, 12x150KG, 12x200KG, 10x220KG, 8x230KG.
Machine calf raises: 12x45KG, 10x55KG, 8x65KG, 6x75KG, 6x85KG.
Leg extension: 12x50KG, 10x60KG, 8x70KG, 8x70KG.
Notes: I didn't feel I went deep enough on the 160s, but good on the 150 squats, almost folded myself in half on the leg press and laughed quite hard when one of the guys started giving the chap on reception shit for playing "jousting music" in the gym. NB- It was Jethro Tull.

Thursday (Chest, front delts).
Barbell bench press: 12x60KG, 12x80KG, 10x90KG, 6x100KG, 3x110KG, 3x110KG.
Incline DB raises: 12x27.5KG, 10x32.5KG, 8x37.5KG, 4x42.5KG, 2x42.5KG S/W front delt raises: 32x12.5KG, 24x15KG, 16x17.5KG, 12x17.5KG.
Cable flies: 24x55lb, 20x70lb, 16x85lb.
Notes: My arm was a bit tweaked from building work in the house, so DB flies/ side lat raises went out the window, as did half my workout. Benching is getting back up again though, especially without a spotter. Could've probably hit 4 on my second set with one though, which is a shame.

Friday (Back, rear delts).
DB shoulder presses: 12x27.5KG, 10x30KG, 7x32.5KG, 3x35KG, 5x35KG S/W 45KG weighted chins: 6, 5, 5, 5, 4.
DB rows: 12x42.5KG, 10x45KG, 8x47.5KG, 6x50KG, 6x50KG S/W rear delt flies: 12x10KG, 10x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG, 10x17.5KG.
Standing barbell rows: 12x50KG, 10x55KG, 8x60KG, 6x65KG, 5x65KG S/W 30KG wide grip chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5.
Face pulls: 16x100lb, 12x130lb, 8x160lb, 8x160lb S/W 30KG reverse grip chins: 5s and 6s.
Seated cable rows: 20x100lb, 16x160lb, 12x190lb, 12x220lb S/W more of those chins. 4s and 5s this time sadly.
Notes: Deciding not to do deads on back day for a bit of variation. I may be switching up to 2 leg days and incorporate them then instead. Weighted chins and split workouts are a favourite of mine.

Appollonian
12-03-12, 1:06 pm
Solid work man. Good work accomodating a tweak instead of pushing through it. No reason for heriocs in the gym.

Jousting music? haha Honestly bad music in the gym is the main reason I lift with headphones blaring in my ears.

Before I hurt myself I was able to do deadlifts one day and squats another, just gotta leave enough time and rest in your schedule so you recover fully.

rainman
12-05-12, 1:15 pm
Monday (Legs).
Sumo deads: 12x75KG, 12x125KG, 8x145KG, 3x165KG, 1x175KG.
Lying hamstring curls: 12x25KG, 12x27.5KG, 12x30KG, 10x32.5KG, 7x35KG, 5x35KG.
Leg press: 12x100KG, 12x150KG, 12x200KG, 12x220KG, 10x230KG, 8x240KG, 4x250KG. 4x250KG.
Calf raises: 12x55KG, 10x65KG, 8x75KG, 6x85KG.
Leg extension: 12x55KG, 10x65KG, 8x75KG, 6x85KG, 6x85KG.
Notes: Sumos went well enough, plus I had more left in my legs for higher weight/ reps as opposed to when I do squats instead. I don't think this makes sumos, or indeed any deadlift, redundant on a leg day though, as they ached after the exercise. Conventional pulls may make another appearance in back day soon though. I'm happy to get to the 250KG mark on the leg press too as this is the only place where the 25KG plates are in the gym, as opposed to the standard 20KG/ 44lb ones scattered everywhere else, so 5 plates each side are starting to look OK. Well... below average in the new gym, but hey ho.

Tuesday, (Chest, front & mid delts).
Barbell bench press: 12x60KG, 12x80KG, 10x90KG, 8x100KG, 4x110KG, 3x110KG, 6(very slow & very paused)x80KG.
Incline DB press: 12x27.5KG, 10x32.5KG, 7x37.5KG, 4x42.5KG, 2x42.5KG S/W Front delt alternating DB raises: 40x10KG, 32x12.5KG, 24x15KG, (2x)16x17.5KG.
Incline DB flies: 12x17.5KG, 12x20KG, 10x22.5KG, 7x25KG, 7x25KG S/W Side delt DB raises: 12x10KG, 10x12.5KG, 8x15KG, 8x17.5KG.
DB pullovers: 16x27.5KG, 12x32.5KG, (2x)8x37.5KG S/W Seated barbell raises (bench at 45 degrees) 16x10KG, 12x15KG, 4x20KG. Bombed badly on these!
Notes: Really pumped about the benching today. I put more emphasis on my 12s, 10s and 8s over my max working sets, so am really happy to get 8x100KG, with at least another 2-3 in the tank. I may have had a fifth rep on my first 110 set, but was happy enough with what I'd done so far, so didn't risk it, especially as I had no spotter as usual. DB pullovers may move to back/ rear delt day in future. The barbell raises were a bad move. Amazing how 5KG can kick my arse!
I had my bench set at a 45 degree angle for all exercises, but may drop it back a little. Not to get more weight up, (although I know this would help), but rather to see how it works on my upper chest.

Appollonian
12-06-12, 8:16 am
Solid work rainman. 8 for 110 kg is awesome, especially not going for max reps.

Personally I think I keep the bench closer to 30 degrees, but I mix it up workout to workout, and sometimes in the same workout I might do 2-3 different settings just to mix it up.

rainman
12-07-12, 5:18 pm
Thursday, (Legs... yes, again).
Barbell squats: 12x70Kg, 12x120KG, 10x130KG, 8x140KG, 8x140KG.
Smith machine calf raises: 12x70KG, 12x120KG, 12x130KG, 12x140KG, 12x150KG.
Leg Press: 12x100KG, 12x150KG, 12x200KG, 10x230KG, 8x240KG, (2x)6x250KG.
Lying machine hamstring curls, (each leg individually): 12x10KG, 8x12.5KG, 4x15KG, 3x15KG.
Notes: 2nd legs day of the week. Going by something Big Al posted in one of his articles, that over 50% of your muscles are in your legs, I decided to hit them twice. Deads one day, squats the other. I concentrated more on depth this time, as I find it hard to judge in front of a mirror looking downwards. The single leg hamstring curls absolutely screwed my legs up.

Friday, (Back, traps, rear delts).
DB Shoulder presses: 12x27.5KG, 10x30KG, 8x32.5KG, 5x35KG, 0x35KG (bombed!) S/W 30KG weighted chins- shouder width: 8, 8, 8, 7, 6.
Bent over DB rows: 12x42.5KG, 10x45KG, 8x47.5KG, (2x)6x50KG S/W rear delt flies: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG, (2x)6x20KG.
Barbell upright rows: 12x50KG, 10x55KG, 8x60KG, (2x)6x65KG S/W 30KG weighted wide grip chins: 5x5.
Face pulls: 20x70lb, 16x100lb, 12x130lb, 8x160lb then seated cable rows: 20x160lb, 16x190lb, 12x220lb, 8x250lb S/W 30KG weighted chins- shoulder width reverse grip: 5s mainly but dropped to 4s and finally 3s before I decided to pack it in.
Notes: Bombed my second shoulder press set. Just couldn't boost the weight up past my shoulder, which felt a bit dicky initially, but ended up OK. By the end of this workout I was buggered. I dropped my initial weighted chins to 30KG from the 45KG I did last week as my elbow joints are messed up. I think it's because the chins bar is about 7ft up, so I'm starting with my arms fully locked out, being a short arse. Damage limitations.


Solid work rainman. 8 for 110 kg is awesome, especially not going for max reps.
Sadly you misread the post. It was 8x100KG + more in the tank. Still, I'll take the 110s! I may up my sets 2.5KG next week, but I'm not in any massive rush to be honest. Those 110s for 8 will come in time.

rainman
12-14-12, 12:31 pm
Sunday, (Arms).
Barbell curls: 12x45KG, 10x50KG, 8x55KG, 3x60KG, 3x60KG S/W 25KG weighted dips: 8, 8, 8, 8, 8.
DB Hammer curls: 12x22.5KG, 10x25KG, 7x27.5KG, 4x30KG, 4x30KG S/W tricep DB presses: 12x22.5KG, 10x25KG, 8x27.5KG, 6x30KG, 6x30KG.
Cable 7's, (or 21s or whatever the fuck they're called now): 100lb, 115lb, 130lb, 145lb S/W Cable reverse grip tricep pulldowns: 20x100lb, 16x115lb, 12x130lb, 8x145lb.
Notes: Got chatting to a couple of guys post workout. They were doing power cleans, which may well end up in one of my leg days. One of them was temping at a hog roast stall in London over the holidays. I knew the contents were grim, but shit me. I don't think I'll ever eat one again.

Monday, (Legs).
Sumo deadlifts: 12x70KG, 12x120KG, 8x140KG, 4x160KG, 3x170KG, 1x180KG.
Lying hamstring curls: 12x27.5KG, 10x30KG, 8x32.5KG, 7x35KG, 5x35KG.
Leg press: 12x100KG, 12x150KG, 12x200KG, 10x230KG, 4x250KG, 6x250KG, (then another 6 with my arms supporting my knees).
Machine calf raises: 12x55KG, 10x65KG, 8x75KG, 6x85KG, 6x90KG.
Notes: Blew a 185KG dead, but the 3 at 170 were pretty good. Cheating on the final set of the leg pressing was good! I go as low as I possibly can, taking the stoppers to the bottom hole setting, but the final little pushes kept tension on the quads.

Wednesday, (Chest, front & medial delts).
Barbell bench press: 12x62.5KG, 12x82.5KG, 10x92.5KG, 8x102.5KG, 2x112.5KG, 2x112.5KG.
Incline DB presses: 12x27.5KG, 10x32.5KG, 8x37.5KG, 6x42.5KG, 5x42.5KG S/W front delt alt. DB raises: 40x12.5KG, 32x15KG, 24x17.5KG, 16x20KG, 12x20KG.
DB pullovers: 12x27.5KG, 10x32.5KG, 7x37.5KG, (2x)4x42.5KG S/W side delt DB raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 10x17.5KG, 8x17.5KG.
Notes: Another happy week on the bench. I was in two minds about adding the 'washer' this week, as I like a couple of solid weeks at 8x whatever before moving up a bit. Figured I'd give it a go and I'm glad I did. Both sets at 112.5KG were lowered VERY slowly. Possibly could have got a triple, but I was pumped enough about the 8s.

Thursday, (Legs- Part 2).
Squats: 12x70KG, 12x120KG, 10x130KG. Then I took a video of myself and went back to... 12x70KG, 12x100KG, 8x110KG, (2x)4x120KG, 8x110KG, 12x100KG.
Leg press, (foot position much wider than usual): 12x100KG, 12x150KG, 12x200KG, 8x230KG, 6x250KG.
Smith machine calf raises: 12x140KG, 12x160KG, 10x170KG, 10x180KG.
Leg extension: 12x55KG, 10x65KG, 8x75KG, 6x85KG.
Notes: Squats really needed an overhaul, so I went back to basics. ATG style. The video showed I was effectively doing good mornings to get the bar down to a reasonable level.
This guy I know came in. Bit of a light chap. 5ft.6-ish. He used to lift in the 64KG class I think. He's a bit heavier now and was training deads. Pulled 240KG! The guy is an absolute monster. Pound for pound, it was one of the most impressive lifts I've ever seen and slowed me down a bit. It was good to catch up with him.

Friday, (Back, rear delts, traps).
Standing military presses: 12x50KG, 9x55KG, 7x60KG, 4x62.5KG, 3x62.5KG S/W 30KG weighted chins: 8, 8, 8, 7, 7.
T-bar rows: 12x40KG, 10x60KG, 6x80KG, 7x80KG, 5x90KG S/W rear delt flies: 12x12.5KG, 12x15KG, 10x17.5KG, 8x20KG.
Upright barbell rows: 12x52.5KG, 10x57.5KG, 8x62.5KG, 6x67.5KG, 5x67.5KG S/W 30KG weighted wide grip chins: 5, 5, 4, 4, 4.
Smith machine shrugs: 12x90KG, 10x100KG, 8x110KG, (2x)6x120KG S/W 30KG weighted reverse grip chins: 5, 5, 5, 4, 4.
Notes: I basically completely chopped up my back day as I still have the pain in my arm. Swapping the dumbbells for barbell exercises I think helped. I wasn't too happy with doing military presses as I feel my back arches too much and have always preferred DB rows a I feel it hits more of the back. The chins suffered due to the T-bars.

Appollonian
12-14-12, 1:11 pm
Thursday, (Legs... yes, again).
Barbell squats: 12x70Kg, 12x120KG, 10x130KG, 8x140KG, 8x140KG.
Smith machine calf raises: 12x70KG, 12x120KG, 12x130KG, 12x140KG, 12x150KG.
Leg Press: 12x100KG, 12x150KG, 12x200KG, 10x230KG, 8x240KG, (2x)6x250KG.
Lying machine hamstring curls, (each leg individually): 12x10KG, 8x12.5KG, 4x15KG, 3x15KG.
Notes: 2nd legs day of the week. Going by something Big Al posted in one of his articles, that over 50% of your muscles are in your legs, I decided to hit them twice. Deads one day, squats the other. I concentrated more on depth this time, as I find it hard to judge in front of a mirror looking downwards. The single leg hamstring curls absolutely screwed my legs up.

Friday, (Back, traps, rear delts).
DB Shoulder presses: 12x27.5KG, 10x30KG, 8x32.5KG, 5x35KG, 0x35KG (bombed!) S/W 30KG weighted chins- shouder width: 8, 8, 8, 7, 6.
Bent over DB rows: 12x42.5KG, 10x45KG, 8x47.5KG, (2x)6x50KG S/W rear delt flies: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG, (2x)6x20KG.
Barbell upright rows: 12x50KG, 10x55KG, 8x60KG, (2x)6x65KG S/W 30KG weighted wide grip chins: 5x5.
Face pulls: 20x70lb, 16x100lb, 12x130lb, 8x160lb then seated cable rows: 20x160lb, 16x190lb, 12x220lb, 8x250lb S/W 30KG weighted chins- shoulder width reverse grip: 5s mainly but dropped to 4s and finally 3s before I decided to pack it in.
Notes: Bombed my second shoulder press set. Just couldn't boost the weight up past my shoulder, which felt a bit dicky initially, but ended up OK. By the end of this workout I was buggered. I dropped my initial weighted chins to 30KG from the 45KG I did last week as my elbow joints are messed up. I think it's because the chins bar is about 7ft up, so I'm starting with my arms fully locked out, being a short arse. Damage limitations.


Sadly you misread the post. It was 8x100KG + more in the tank. Still, I'll take the 110s! I may up my sets 2.5KG next week, but I'm not in any massive rush to be honest. Those 110s for 8 will come in time.

Dang... I've honestly got issues with reading strings of numbers. If there are more than 3 characters is a row, I have to triple check to make sure I got it right. This time I failed.

Solid work regardless.

rainman
12-14-12, 1:42 pm
That's cool. Cheers for stopping by. I have enough trouble posting the numbers up, let alone lifting them in the gym!

rainman
12-18-12, 4:37 pm
Sunday, (Arms).
Close grip bench press: 12x60KG, 10x70KG, 8X80KG, 6x90KG, 6x95KG.
7ft Barbell curls: 12x47.5KG, 10x52.5KG, 8x57.5KG, (2x)4x62.5KG S/W 30KG weighted dips: 8 x 5 sets.
DB hammer curls: 12x22.5KG, 10x25KG, 7x27.5KG, (2x)4x30KG S/W Standing tricep DB press: 12x22.5KG, 10x25KG, 8x27.5KG, (2x)8x30KG.
E-Z bar 7s: 30KG, 35KG, 40KG, 45KG S/W Tricep press off forehead, (Skullcrushers sound like a preemptive failure!): 12x30KG, 10x35KG, 8x40KG, 8x45KG.
Notes: Really happy with today. Went up a washer weight on my curls, felt great on CGBPs, went for 30KGs on the dips and the tricep press off forehead felt really good, despite this being an exercise I've always suffered with. I skipped my current pre of A7 Watermelon and Creatine mono in favour of a pack of Animal Pump, (I've been laying off N.O. for a while), and my arms still feel killed, 3 days later.

Monday, (Legs).
Sumo deads: 12x70KG, 12x120KG, 8x140KG, 4x160KG, 1x170KG, 1x180KG, 1x185KG, bombed a 190KG.
Lying hamstring curls: 12x30KG, 10x32.5KG, 8x35KG, 6x37.5KG, 5x37.5KG.
Leg press: 12x100KG, 12x150KG, 12x200KG, 10x230KG, 8x250KG, 6(+6 supported)x250KG.
Machine calf raises: 12x60KG, 10x70KG, 8x80KG, (2x)6x90KG.
Notes: Happy that the sumos are actually beginning to creep up a bit, as with the rest of the exercises. 2 leg days per week must be working out pretty good I guess, although I feel like they've been hit by a truck.

Tuesday, (Chest, front & medial delts).
Barbell bench press: 12x62.5KG, 12x82.5KG, 10x92.5KG, 6x102.5KG, (2x)1x112.5KG.
Incline DB press: 12x27.5KG, 10x32.5KG, 8x37.5KG, 7x42.5KG, 5x42.5KG S/W Alternating front delt DB raises: 40x12.5KG, 32x15KG, 24x17.5KG, (2x)16x20KG.
DB pullovers: 12x27.5KG, 10x32.5KG, 8x37.5KG, 6x42.5KG, 5x42.5KG S/W Side delt DB raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG, 7x20KG, 6x20KG.
Hi/ Mid/ Low cable flies: 8/8/8x25lb, 8/8/8x40lb, 8/8/8x55lb, 8/4/4x70lb.
Notes: Performed the dreaded 'roll of shame' on my 102.5KG set, which pissed me off a bit. I didn't feel the bar was going up evenly, despite the weight being level on both sides. I'm putting this down to fatigue, as I haven't been sleeping too well these past few nights. I was in half a mind to go up, starting on 12x85KG etc., but was glad I didn't. Made up for it on the DB exercises though.
Nicked the cable flies from a Big Al Journey post, but have kept the pulley at shoulder height and kept tension throughout the full 24 reps. I. Hate. These.

Appollonian
12-19-12, 8:43 am
Nice work rainman. And I love Pump, just haven't had any in awhile sadly.

Do you feel like doing arms a few days before chest works well for you? I used to do arms Friday and then Monday do chest, and if I went stupid with arms sometimes I felt like it hurt chest day. Of course I could've just needed to step my game up and stop being a baby, so just wanted to see what you think.

rainman
12-19-12, 2:02 pm
I used to know a guy who said he liked to do triceps before chest as the blood pump in them gave him better stability when pressing. He did use a pretty wide grip on the bench though, although I could see where he was coming from. I love DB shoulder presses split with chins as I feel the blood pump in my back from the chins stabilizes my shoulders when pressing, which is exactly his way of thinking, but having a narrower grip on my bench I feel my tris are worked a lot harder in my presses, so it doesn't work for me so well, so a longer rest is optima;.

I prefer my old split with a 3 day break between them, (Arms Mon, Legs Tues, Chest Thurs & Delts/ Back Fri), but as I am trying out a double leg day 4 day split, with arms on the odd Sunday, I am putting this down to my body not adapting to the change. I also have had been training in the evening this week though, the Wife has been on nights, not to mention being made redundant a couple of weeks back and that niggling arm injury I picked up, so it could be anything really.

Ideally I would do Sun, Mon, Weds, Thurs, Fri like I did last week for the 3-4 day rest between body parts incorporated, or go back to my 4 day split again, but you never know what you can do until you try I guess. I have certainly had to up my game since stepping in to my new gym, but I've found you can't do shit but harm to your body if you don't listen to it and give it adequate recovery.

rainman
12-21-12, 4:53 pm
Thursday, (Legs).
Squats: 12x60KG, 10x100KG, 8x110KG, 6x120KG, 4x130KG, 2x135KG, 10x100KG.
Smith machine calf raises: 12x140KG, 12x160KG, 12x180KG, 10x200KG, 8x220KG.
Leg Extensions: 12x55KG, 12x65KG, 12x75KG, 10x85KG, 7x95KG>10x55KG.
Alternating leg lying hamstring curls: 12x10KG, 10x12.5KG, 7x15KG, 5x17.5KG>7x10KG.
Notes: Got an early start in as I am doing a house renovation with my Dad at the moment, so I did legs before starting work at 10am, like a bellend. Got a video of my 120KG squats, which are going to depth again. See those > things? Well, I was reading Fawaz's frankly bonkers Journey, (check it out... this guy's brutal), and he was doing these drop sets, so for my final machine sets I chucked off the added plates as soon as my final set was done and kept at it. To be honest, it made me feel sick.

Friday, (Back & rear delts).
Standing overhead press: 10x50KG, 8x55KG, 6x60KG, 4x65KG S/W 30KG weighted shoulder width chins: 8, 8, 7, 7.
T-bar rows: 12x60KG, 12x80KG, 8x90KG, 7x90KG S/W rear delt flies: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 10x17.5KG.
Face pulls: 20x100lb, 16x130lb, 12x160lb.
Notes: Had 45 minutes to train this morning due to helping Dad, today crawling round under floorboards wiring in the cooker supply. So why not smash back and shoulders up beforehand? My right arm is still buggered and time was limited, but I am improving on my OHP and I'm starting to feel comfortable with the T-bars. Would've liked more time, but the gym opens at 9am on Fridays. Still, got some damage done.

rainman
12-24-12, 6:05 pm
Sunday, (Legs).
Sumo deadlifts: 12x75KG/125KG, 8x145KG, 4x165KG, 1x175KG, 1x185KG, blew a 190KG pull.
Lying hamstring curls: 12x30KG, 10x32.5KG, 8x35KG, 6x37.5KG, 6x40KG.
Leg press: 12x100KG/150KG/200KG/230KG, 10x250KG, 8x265KG>12x150KG.
Seated calf raises: 12x65KG, 10x75KG, 8x85KG, 6x95KG>12x65KG.
Notes: Another good leg day, with me going up a washer on the deads. Good repping, no cheating bounce pulls with my initial pull from the floor being an issue. Leg pressing is finally going up a bit and I upped the machine weights too. Doing the initial weight straight after my final set is still making me feel sick!

Monday, (Chest, front/ mid delts).
Barbell bench press: 12x62.5KG, 12x82.5KG, 10x92.5KG, 6x102.5KG, 2x112.5KG, 1x112.5KG.
Incline DB press: 12x30KG, 10x35KG, 8x40KG, 4x45KG S/W alternating DB front raises: 40x12.5KG, 32x15KG, 24x17.5KG, 16x20KG.
DB pullovers: 12x30KG, 10x35KG, 8x40KG, 5x45KG S/W DB lateral raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 5x17.5KG.
Hi/ mid/ low cable flies: 8/8/8x25lb, 8/8/8x40lb, 8/8/8x55lb, 8/8/4x70lb.
Notes: My arm is really giving me shit. It was numb when I woke up and hasn't been right for a couple of weeks now. It feels like it's inside the arm, sort of at the top of the bicep, under the medial delt. I can still lift to an extent, (as the numbers say), but have found it packs in on heavier rep sets. I got a spot for my 112.5s, hence the double, but my spotter said the bar was waving about all over the shop. I may take a bit of a sabbatical from the gym, helped in no small part to their 11-6 opening times over the next week and a bit.
I hate missing gym time, especially as my numbers in most of my lifts are climbing, but it's gradually getting worse hammering the hell out of an injured arm each week. Crap.

rainman
01-04-13, 11:09 am
Sunday, (Legs).
Sumo deads: 12x80KG, 12x130KG, 8x150KG, 4x170KG, 1x180KG.
Leg press: 12x150KG, 10x200KG.
Notes: Crap training day! Through no fault of my own I had to cut the session short as I could feel a migraine coming on. I was feeling a bit ropey, but decided to train anyway, hoping that I could shake it off. On the 4th rep at 170, (a PB on sumos), I felt a sharp pain go through my head. I did feel good for 2x180, but felt so bad I decided to cut my losses.

Wednesday, (Chest).
Bench press: 12x62.5KG/ 82.5KG, 10x92.5KG, 7x102.5KG, (2X)3x112.5KG.
Incline DB press: 12x30KG, 10x35KG, 7x40KG S/W alternating DB front raises: 40x12.5KG, 32x15KG, 24x17.5KG.
Hi/Mid/Low cable flies: 8/8/8x25lb, 8/8/8x40lb, 8/8/8x55lb, 8/8/5x70lb.
Notes: Benching was back up again. I had a spotter though, so got a bit more confidence in me for the higher sets. Both of my third reps at 112.5s had a finger of the spotter under the bar just guiding it straight, so neither were write offs. My arm hurt a bit on the incline DBs, so I cut my workout short before I boosted the 45KGs up.

Thursday, (Legs).
Squat: 12x60KG/ 100KG, 10x110KG, 8x120KG, 4x130KG, 1x140KG, 1x140KG>4x100KG>4x60KG.
Lying leg curl: 12x30KG, 12x32.5KG, 10x35KG, 8x37.5KG, 5x40KG>6x30KG.
Leg press: 12x150KG/ 200KG/ 230KG, 10x250KG, 8x270KG, 6x270KG>10x150KG.
Seated calf raises: 12x65KG, 10x75KG, 8x85KG, 6x95KG>10x65KG.
Leg extension: 12x60KG, 10x70KG, 8x80KG, 6x90KG>7x60KG.
Notes: Drop sets are a killer! I may well incorporate them to each of my non-compound lifts going forward. I buried myself in the 5th rep on 130 squats. The singles at 140, and every other rep, were low enough to keep my happy and on my drop set I paused each rep at the bottom of the squat for a couple of seconds before bringing my fat arse back up again. Went all out as I have had a pretty poor showing in the past week or so.

Friday, (Back & shoulders).
Standing shoulder press: 12x50KG, 7x55KG, 6x60KG, 3x65KG, 4x65KG.
T-bar rows: 12x60KG, 9x80KG, 6x90KG, 7x90KG S/W 30KG weighted chins: 6,4,4,4.
Upright rows: 12x52.5KG, 10x57.5KG, 8x62.5KG, (2x)6x67.5KG S/W 30KG weighted wide grip chins: 5,4,4,4,4.
Face pulls: 20x100lb, 16x130lb, 10x160lb, 11x160lb S/W seated cable rows: 20x190lb, 16x220lb, (2x)12x250lb.
Notes: Pretty good I guess. My legs were buggered after the drop sets yesterday, so I lost my balance a couple of times on the SSPs. T-bars DO NOT go well at all with chins. I quite like the face pull/ cable row splits though.

Appollonian
01-04-13, 12:44 pm
Solid work bud. I never liked drop sets on squats, but that's just because I used to be afraid of bottoming out/not trusting the rack. I like mixing it up, too, after the 'main' compound lift of the day: super sets, drop sets, giant sets, whatever to really pound the muscles.

rainman
01-04-13, 1:37 pm
I've always used the main compounds as the foundation for my training, although I've only recently substituted DB shoulder presses for standing barbell presses. I have been considering doing a 5-3-1 style program for the next few months based on this, mainly as I've hit a plateau with my deads, so have been looking at what my max realistically would be currently, as well as looking at the other 'assistance' exercises. Having never followed a program before, I am interested to see how I get on with it.

rainman
01-11-13, 2:05 pm
Bit of a funny week, this one. I had to be at this house renovation project by 10am each day, so had to get to the gym early. Each day was a hassle; road closures due to land slides and accidents, schools back, faulty traffic lights etc. These things are sent to try us.

Monday, (Legs).
Squats: 12x60KG/ 100KG, 10x110KG, 6x120KG, 5x130KG, 3x140KG, 1x150KG.
Lying leg press: 12x30KG/ 32.5KG, 10x35KG, 8x37.5KG, 5x40KG>6x32.5KG.
Leg extension: 12x60KG, 10x70KG, 8x80KG, 6x90KG>8x60KG.
Notes: Buried myself in another squat, this time at 120, so decided to go 5s and 3s. The 150 was deep enough to have the guy I was spotting on the bench in between my sets to step forward thinking I was going to fold, but got it up and racked fine.

Tuesday, (Chest).
Bench: 12x62.5KG, 5x82.5KG, 5x92.5KG, 5x102.5KG, 5x112.5KG(!), 1x120KG.
Incline DB press: 12x30KG, 10x35KG, 7x40KG S/W DB pullovers: 12x30KG, 10x35KG, 5x40KG.
Notes: Keeping with the lower rep, higher volume theme, I decided to try it out on the bench. The 102.5s felt heavy, but with more in the tank I went for 112.5s and hit 5. Admittedly the fifth rep was an arse off the bench rep, but I was thinking "3 clean... maybe 4" before I set up. Happy, especially as I had no spotter. I should've gone for 122.5KG, but decided on 120 as it's a good milestone. I had a spotter for the 120, and I was quite comfortable with it. He was surprised when I re-racked after one, saying I had at least another clean rep in me. Time will tell I guess.

Wednesday, (Back).
Sumo deads: 12x80KG, 5x130KG, 5x150KG, 3x170KG, 1x190KG.
T-bar rows: 12x50KG, 10x85KG, 5x95KG, 6x95KG.
Notes: Another PB for the week on sumos, this time after a rep range based around 5s, 3s and single reps.

Friday, (Shoulders- plus a bit of Back).
Standing overhead press: 5x50KG, 5x55KG, 5x60KG, 3x65KG, 4x65KG.
DB rows: 12x40KG, 12x42.5KG, 10x45KG, 8x47.5KG, 8x50KG S/W rear delt flies: 12x12.5KG, 12x15KG, 10x17.5KG, 8x20KG.
Front alt DB raises: 40x12.5KG, 32x15KG, 24x17.5KG S/W side delt DB raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG.
Notes: I know I had a single at 70KG on the SSP, but my arm was niggling again. Between each rep I rested the bar on my chest and drove off with my lats on each rep, so was pretty fatigued by the 65s.

Abandoning the 5-3-1 idea for the time being, being that I think it will be more beneficial at higher weights, I am going to do a variation of the Y3K program which I did a few years back unwittingly. I was doing 12,10,8,etc/ heavy/ 12,10,8,etc/ descending weights over a 4 week period. I liked this as I got to deload, lift heavy and work a decent rep workout, all in a month. Reading up on Y3K I realized I was already familiar with this style of training, so will give this a go, but sticking to my own exercises for the time being. Next week I'll be doing my usual style of workouts, then my pump/ drop sets, before probably going back to another heavy week, increasing my base weight then.

rainman
01-18-13, 11:58 am
The second week of my Y3T style training, this week being the working sets I usually go for. Last week was the max weight week, whilst next week will be the pump week. It's all trial and error at present, so decided to up a washer on the deads and squats, but left the bench as, although feeling good for my 120 last week, I should've done a 122.5KG press to make it count!

Sunday, (Arms).
7ft. barbell curls: 12x47.5KG, 10x52.5KG, 8x57.5KG, 3x62.5KG, 4x62.5KG S/W weighted dips: 8x30KG, 8x35KG, 6x40KG, 6x40KG>6x20KG>5xBW.
DB hammer curls: 12x22.5KG, 9x25KG, 7x27.5KG, (2x)3x30KG S/W DB tricep press: 12x22.5KG, 10x25KG, 8x27.5KG, 6x30KG, 7x30KG.
cable 7's: 100lb, 115lb, 130lb, 145lb S/W rope tricep extension: 20x100lb, 16x115lb, 12x130lb, 8x145lb.
Notes: My first arms day in a few weeks. Not much strength lost actually. I was dropping the higher reps through fatigue, but that's to be expected as I had really painful arm pump. The final drop set of weighted dips was something to behold. I had some chap come up to me saying it was a hell of a thing to watch. Sadly, no video, as it was something I'd never like to do again!

Monday, (Legs).
Squats: 12x65KG, 12x105KG, 10x115KG, 8x125KG, (2x)4x135KG.
Lying hamstring curls: 12x32.5KG, 10x35KG, 8x37.5KG, 6x40KG, 6x40KG>5x32.5KG.
Leg extensions: 12x60KG, 10x70KG, 8x80KG, 6x90KG, 6x90KG>8x60KG.
Calf raises: 12x65KG, 12x75KG, 12x85KG, 10x95KG, 6x105KG>9x65KG.
Notes: I screwed up my squats today by not setting myself up properly as I was in a bit of a rush. I added 5KG to my weights from last week as I felt solid on my 150, so worked up to about 90% of that for reps. Totally killed it on the machine exercises, so made up for the rushed squats I guess.

Wednesday, (Chest/ delts).
Barbell bench press: 12x62.5KG, 12x82.5KG, 10x92.5Kg, (2x)6x102.5KG, 5x102.5KG.
Incline DB presses: 12x30KG, 10x35KG, (2x)5x40KG S/W alternating front DB raises: 40x12.5Kg, 32x15KG, (2x)24x17.5KG.
DB pullovers: 12x30KG, 10x35KG, 6x40KG S/W Side delt DB raises: 12x12.5KG, 10x15KG, 8x17.5KG.
Notes: Bit of a shit performance. Tuesday I was at an open air van auction with my Dad for the day, (it was a very cold day), and due to a delay with a buyer and finances, I didn't eat for about 7 hours whilst we waited for him at the yard. A schoolboy error, I know, but these things happen I guess. I was up until the early hours with Wife as well due to house emergencies and finances, so after 4 hours sleep and half my usual calories inside me I guess it was OK.

Friday, (Back/ traps).
Sumo deads: 12x85KG, 12x135KG, 8x155KG, 5x175KG, 4x175KG.
DB shoulder presses: 12x27.5KG, 10x30KG, 8x32.5KG, 6x35Kg, 5x35KG S/W 30KG weighted chins: 5x5.
7ft. barbell Upright rows: 12x55KG, 10x60KG, 8x65KG, 5x70KG, 4x70KG S/W 30KG weighted wide grip chins: 5x5.
Face pulls: 20x100lb, 16x130lb, 12x160lb S/W close grip cable rows: 20x190lb, 16x220lb, 12x250lb.
Notes: Really pleased with today. I useed straps on my later sets of sumos. I don't have a problem with grip, (hence my chins, sumos last week and human flag efforts), but rather that I've met yet another guy who's torn his bicep through deads. Damage limitations as far as I'm concerned. If I competed then things would be different, but I don't. DB presses were due to someone using the squat rack, so no OHPs today, but I was pleased with the numbers on an exercise I've not done in over a month.

rainman
01-25-13, 1:28 pm
The 'pump' week of my hashed Y3T template. Still trial and error, but I have got a few more ideas from this. I have always been in two minds about a high rep based workout, but I am banking on that it'll give me good enough recovery for a heavy week which should follow.

Sunday, (Arms).
7ft Barbell curls: 17x47.5KG, 16x42.5KG, 17x37.5KG, 20x32.5KG S/W BW dips: 28, 22, 19, 22.
Tricep DB press: 22x22.5KG, 24x20KG, 26x17.5KG, 33x15KG S/W DB hammer curls: 12x22.5KG, 15x20KG, 14x17.5KG, 22x15KG.
Tricep press off forehead: 21x30KG, 24x25KG, 30x20KG S/W Close grip E-Z bar curls: 20x30KG, 24x25KG, 28x20KG.
Notes: Why I didn't video my unweighted dips for the 'Animal Of The Month' comp I'll never know.

Monday, (Legs).
Squats: 10x75KG, 18x105KG, 17x95KG, 17x85KG, 19x75KG.
Lying leg curl: 19x32.5KG, 19x30KG, 20x27.5KG, 18x25KG.
Leg press: 17x230KG, 19x210KG, 21x190KG, 26x170KG.
Calf raises: 22x75KG, 21x65KG, 25x55KG, 27x45KG.
Leg extension: 18x60KG, 16x50KG, 16x40KG, 23x30KG.
Notes: I felt so sick at the end of this workout! Folded on the 20th and last squat, or should that be my 81st? In all honestly I was thankful to sit down after them, so the machines weren't that bad. None of that 'hands pushing my knees' bullshit on the leg press either.

Wednesday, (Chest & front/mid delts).
Barbell bench press: 17x82.5KG, 15x72.5KG, 16x62.5KG, 20x52.5KG.
DB incline press: 11x30KG, 20x25KG, 26x20KG S/W DB alt front raises: 52x12.5KG, 64x10KG, 80x7.5KG.
DB pullovers: 19x30KG, 17x25KG, 20x20KG S/W DB side delt raises: 20x12.5KG, 22x10KG, 30x7.5KG.
Notes: I was getting pins and needles in my forearms during my benching. I may well go to machines on the next reps week. Subsequent chest exercises were affected by the benching. Mind you, I guess that's the point. I had to keep it fairly strict as I have a tendency to throw lighter weights up and lose form in doing so.

Friday, (Back, rear delts, traps).
Standing OHP: 14x50KG, 14x45KG, 13x40KG S/W BW chins: 16, 16, 14.
Seated rows- machine: 17x40KG, 19x35KG, 21x30KG S/W DB rear delt flies: 15x12.5KG, 18x10KG, 23x7.5KG.
Wide grip BW chins: 15, 12, 10 S/W Upright barbell rows: 17x52.5KG, 15x47.5KG, 17x42.5KG.
Face pulls: 28x100lb, 34x70lb, 64x40lb S/W close grip cable rows: 31x190lb, 36x160lb, 47x130lb.
Notes: There was another film crew in the gym this morning, so I couldn't do my sumo deads. However, I've never been too happy doing drop sets on deadlifts, so I'm not too fussed. It's the first time I've used the machine row, so may incorporate it a bit more. I am surprised by the low numbers on my unweighted chins. This is mainly down to my elbows playing up and a very high chins bar.

rainman
02-01-13, 9:16 am
The 'heavy' week of my hashed Y3T style workout and I may require a bit of a tweak. I am happy with singles on sumos and deads, but not so much with pressing movements. I may tag arms on the end of other bodypart days a 'la Blood And Guts too. It's all a game at the end of the day.

Monday, (Arms).
Barbell curls: 6x47.5/52.5/57.5, 5x62.5, 1x67.5 S/W Weighted dips: 5x40KG, 6x40KG>6x20KG>14BW, (see video), 4x40KG, 8x40KG, 6x40KG.
Hammer curls: 6x22.5KG/25KG/27.5KG/30KG, 1x32.5KG S/W DB tricep behind the neck press: 6x30KG/32.5KG/35KG/37.5KG, 5x40KG, 4x42.5KG.
Skull crushers: 6x42.5KG/45KG/47.5KG/50KG, 4x52.5KG S/W E-Z bar curls: 6x42.5K/45KG/47.5KG/50KG/52.5KG.
Notes: Beaten up arms, but felt pretty good. The 6x30 hammers were a surprise, but I guess I had more in the tank from doing sets of 6s. My elbows ached after the weighted dips Animal Of The Month entry I made. Only the second time I've done dips in the past couple of months. See below...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjio06336Zo

Tuesday, (Legs).
Squats: 10x65KG, 5x105KG/125KG, 3x145KG, 1x155KG, buried in a 165KG.
Lying leg curl: 6x35KG/37.5KG/40KG/42.5KG, 4x45KG.
Leg extension: 6x70KG/80KG/90KG/100KG, 4x110KG.
Seated calf raises: 6x80KG/90KG/100KG/110KG, 5x120KG.
Notes: I was pleased with the 155, felt good for the 165, but it wasn't to be. As I go up in 20KG increments on deads, I may stick to this weight and go for 165 next time. I ballsed up the plates on the leg curl, so got a lot heavier than expected.

Wednesday, (Chest).
Bench press: 10x62.5KG, 5x82.5KG/92.5KG/102.5KG, 4x112.5KG, crapped out TWICE on 122.5KG.
DB incline press: 6x30KG/35KG/40KG, 4x45KG S/W alt. front DB raises: 6x15KG/17.5KG/20KG/22.5KG.
Notes: Wasn't feeling too hot this morning. There can be a million reasons for this, but ultimately I think 3 max days in a row wasn't the best idea. My first 122.5KG went up with my spotter's fingers guiding the bar on the chest>tricep mid part half. The second try and my left elbow gave out at the bottom. This was bad as I've never failed a bench this way. On the next heavy week I may go up 5KG and stop at 117.5KG. Rather 2 solid reps than a single. I'm no powerlifter, so I don't need the extra joint stress.

Friday, (Back & delts).
Sumo deads: 10x82.5KG, 5x135KG/155KG, 3x175KG, 1x195KG, bombed a 200KG pull, but not fussed.
Barbell overhead press: 5x50KG/55KG/60KG, 3x65KG, 1x70KG S/W 30KG weighted chins: 5x5.
Bent over DB rows: 12x42.5KG, 10x45KG, 8x47.5KG, 8x50KG S/W Rear delt flies: 12x15KG, 10x17.5KG, 8x20KG, 7x22.5KG.
Upright rows: 12x55KG, 10x60KG, 8x65KG, 4x70KG S/W 30KG weighted wide grip chins: 4x4.
Notes: I tried hook grips on the deads, but my thumbs felt like they'd been smashed with a hammer, so reverted to over/under grip. I don't like this. Still pulled a PB on sumos. Bombed a 200KG attempt, but I'm cool with that. Proof that I can lift as much with a double overarm grip with straps as an over/under without. I an starting to think a separate delts and back day may be in order, mainly as I'm spending 2 hours on this workout!

rainman
02-10-13, 8:06 am
12, 10, 8 and 6(ish) week. Some good. Some not so good. I am starting to re-evaluate my split again. I like it, but maybe tagging Tri and Bi exercises at eh end of other bodyparts may make more sense? Trail and error, as always.

Arms, (Sun. 3/2/13).
Barbell Curls: 47.5KGx12, 52.5KGx10, 57.5KGx6, (2x)62.5KGx3 S/W Weighted Dips: (5x)20KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 30KGx4, 30KGx2 S/W DB Behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 32.5KGx10, 35KGx8, 37.5KGx5, 40KGx4.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx10, 47.5KGx8 S/W Close Grip E-Z Curls: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx9, 47.5KGx5.
Notes: I lagged a bit on the BB curls, but brought it back with finally hitting 8x27.5 on the DB curls, (this has been evading me for at least a year). I used straps on the close grip E-Z curls as I was holding the non-knurled part in the centre of the bar.

Legs, (Mon. 4/2/13).
Squats: 70KGx12, 110KGx12, 120KGx10, 130KGx8, (2x)140KGx3.
Lying Leg Curl: 35KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 40KGx8, 42.5KGx5, 42.5KGx4.
Leg Press: 200KGx12, 230KGx12, 250KGx10, 270KGx8, 290KGx6, 290KGx4.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 110KGx6.
Leg Extension: 70KGx12, 80KGx9, 90KGx7.
Notes: The higher reps on the squats took it out of my legs early on, but got through the workout OK. I faded fast on the leg extensions, but was still happy with the numbers.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds. 6/2/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 62.5KGx12, 82.5KGx12, 92.5KGx10, 102.5KGx8, 102.5KGx5.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx7, 40KGx6 S/W Alternating Front DB Raises: 15KGx16, 17.5KGx12, (2x)20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx7, 40KGx6 S/W Side Delt DB Raises: 12.5KGx12, 15KGx10, 17.5KGx8, 17.5KGx9.
Notes: My first set of 102.5s took a lot out of me. Arse off the bench for the 8th rep, but it went up with no spotter. A pretty solid chest day, although I am thinking to include DB flies in there. Time is always against me unfortunately.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Fri. 8/2/13).
Sumo Deads: 87.5KGx10, 137.5KGx12, 157.5KGx8, 177.5KGx5, 177.5KGx1.
Barbell Overhead Press: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx7, 60KGx6 S/W 30KG Weighted Chins: 5,5,5,5.
Bent Over DB Rows: 45KGx12, 47.5KGx10, 50KGx8, 50KGx10 S/W Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx11.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx6, 65KGx5 S/W 30KG Wide Grip Weighted Chins: 4,4,4,3,3.
Notes: Really happy with my 5x sumo pulls. With hindsight I should have used straps, (I used over/under grip), as my grip was screwed for the rest of the workout. I also think 2 compounds in a day are beating the sit out of me.

Mr. Dead
02-15-13, 4:21 pm
Lookin' good, in here...!!!

rainman
02-15-13, 5:14 pm
Cheers for stopping by Mr. Dead. It's all still a work in progress with my Y3T at the moment, mainly as I'm not following the workout laid out by Neil Hill as such, but rather taking the idea of the 3 week variable weights/ reps and sticking with exercises I know. No disrespect to his methods or anything, but we don't have a rack, hack squat machine or other machines at our gym. I had an idea earlier this week about doing a fourth week, but incorporating front squats instead of regular, deficit deads* instead of regular, incline bench/ flat DB presses over my flat bench/ incline DBs, Fat Gripz for arm day etc. Currently looking at; heavy week, endurance 12-8 week, drop set week and 'wacky' week.

*- I hit deficit deads using 15KG plates instead of the 20KG ones earlier, so I pulled from a 1" drop. Ridiculous leg pain and a 20% drop in weight. When I get my journal out I'll post up the numbers for the week.

rainman
02-17-13, 12:39 pm
The drop set, maximum reps week begins. Overall a good week considering my arm tweak, but I'm happy I wasn't moving anything too heavy!

Arms, (Mon. 11/2/13).
Barbell Curls; 47.5KGx17, 42.5KGx17, 37.5KGx16, 32.5KGx17 S/W BW Dips; 32, 22, 21, 21.
DB Hammer Curls; 22.5KGx11, 20KGx12, 17.5KGx15, 15KGx15 S/W DB Behind The Neck Press; 30KGx15, 27.5KGx19, 25KGx19, 22.5KGx22.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers; 37.5KGx17, 32.5KGx18, 27.5KGx21, 22.5KGx23 S/W Close Grip E-Z Bar Curls; 37.5KGx14, 32.5KGx14, 27.5KGx17, 22.5KGx20.
Notes: Sickening pumps and right forearm pain carried over from last Friday's workout. Took a while to recover between sets.

Legs, (Tues. 12/2/13).
Squats; 70KGx10, 110KGx18, 100KGx16, 90KGx15, 80KGx18.
Lying Leg Curl; 35KGx17, 32.5KGx13, 30KGx11, 27.5KGx12.
Leg Press; 230KGx17, 210KGx17, 190KGx20, 170KGx22.
Seated Calf Raises; 80KGx18, 70KGx19, 60KGx21, 50KGx22.
Notes: High rep squats take a lot out of my legs, so today was not much fun. Happy with my initial 110KG squat reps. All low and controlled.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds. 13/2/13).
Barbell Bench Press; 62.5Kgx10, 82.5KGx16, 72.5KGx16, 62.5KGx15, 52.5KGx18.
Incline DB Press; 30KGx12, 25KGx18, 20KGx23, 15KGx28 S/W Alternating DB Front Raises; 15KGx25, 12.5KGx22, 10KGx29, 7.5KGx36.
DB Pullovers; 30KGx19, 25KGx16, 20KGx17 S/W Side Delt DB Raises; 12.5KGx21, 10KGx18, 7.5KGx22.
Notes; Forearms going numb meant I had to stop before my chest was spent on a good few sets. Arms being the highest part of my body in most chest movements don't help much.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Fri. 15/2/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads; 80KGx10, 120KGx12, 140KGx8, 160KGx4, 170KGx0.
DB Shoulder Press; 27.5KGx14, 25KGx16, 22.5KGx15 S/W BW Chins; 11, 12, 11.
Rear Delt DB Flies; 12.5KGx16, 10KGx19, 7.5KGx22 S/W BW Wide Grip Chins; 10, 9, 9.
Notes; Cut the workout short as my right arm was giving me shit again. Figured I may as well not make it worse, so quit before I did more damage. The deficit deads were done using 15KG plates instead of 20KGs, (like using the 35lb ones over the 45lb ones), dropping the bar height by an inch or so. I hadn't intended to go heavy, but was glad I did as I found my arm injury on the later exercises hampered my progress.

Appollonian
02-18-13, 8:13 am
How did you like high reps? High reps done with a mindful squeeze on every rep are killer, especially on squats. Looks like a solid week.

rainman
02-18-13, 2:09 pm
Yeah... like them. Of all the weeks though, the high rep/ drop set ones are the weeks that I'm most apprehensive of. Don't know if it's the fatigue, fear of losing form or getting buried in a 70KG squat in front of a hottie that's the problem, but I feel the potential for an injury is greatest on these weeks as it's easy to lose focus.

Although I'm not following Y3T to the letter, I feel training hard one week, doing 12-8 reps the next then a drop set week has been beneficial. If you look at my 01-11-13 week, I maxed a single 150KG squat. Today I did that for 3 reps, then hit 1x160KG. 10KG in 6 weeks is pretty legit. I don't expect to gain 5KG every 3 weeks, but small jumps add up over a year or so. Also, even though I'm feeling pretty beat up each week, it's a different style of pounding. I never deloaded, but with this I am sort of doing this every few weeks, then coming back the next week to go heavy again.

rainman
02-22-13, 10:36 am
The heavy week. Overall I am pretty pleased. Getting stronger, looking bigger, consistently knackered.

Arms, (Sun 17/2/13).
BB Curls; 52.5KGx6, 57.5KGx6, 62.5KGx6, 65KGx3 s/w 30KG Weighted Dips; 8, 8, 8, 8.
DB Hammer Curls; 25KGx6, 27.5KGx6, 30KGx6, 30KGx6 s/w DB Behind The Neck Press; 35KGx6, 37.5KGx6, 40KGx6, 40KGx4.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers; 42.5KGx6, 47.5KGx6, 52.5KGx5, 52.5KGx5 s/w Close Grip E-Z Curls; 42.5KGx6, 47.5KGx6, 52.5KGx4, 52.5KGx5.
Notes; Very happy with the BB curls- no swing reps and a good total. 2x6 at 30KG on the hammers was also good. Triceps were a bit lacking, but still happy with them.

Legs, (Mon 18/2/13).
Squats; 80KGx10, 120KGx5, 135KGx5, 150KGx3, 160KGx1, 160KGx0.
Lying Leg Curl; 37.5KGx6, 40KGx6, 42.5KGx6, 45KGx6, 47.5KGx5.
Leg Extension; 80KGx6, 90KGx6, 100KGx6, 110KGx6, 120KGx4.
Seated Calf Raises; 80KGx6, 90KGx6, 100KGx6, 110KGx5.
Leg Press; 150KGx10, 250KGx6, 270KGx6, 290KGx6, 310KGx4.
Notes; Happy with both the 3x150 and 1x160 squats. Buried a second 160 attempt in the hole. Swapped the leg extension and leg press around as the machine was in use and was really surprised at hitting 310s for reps with knackered legs.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds 20/2/13).
BB Bench Press; 65KGx12, 85KGx5, 95KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx4, 120KGx1.
DB Incline Press; 35KGx6, 40KGx6, 45KGx6, 45KGx5 s/w Alternating DB Front Raises; 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6, 22.5KGx6.
DB Pullovers; 35KGx6, 40KGx6, 45KGx6, 45KGx6 s/w Side Delt DB Raises; 15KGx6, 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx4.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies; 40lbx8/8/8, 55lbx8/8/8, 70lbx8/8/5, 70lbx8/8/4.
Notes; Hit 4x115KG on the bench for the first time, although the fourth rep was a struggle. Decided to add 2.5KG to each working set due to the 8x102.5KGs last week and was glad I did. Gripped the 120KG badly and had to adjust my hold whilst unracked, so not an ideal attempt. No spotter meant I didn't want to risk 2. Incline DBs also good PBs and pleased to hit Big Al's hi/mid/low cable flies again.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Fri 22/2/13).
Sumo Deads; 100KGx10, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx3, 200KGx0.
DB Shoulder Press; 27.5KGx6, 30KGx6, 32.5KGx6, 35KGx6, 37.5KGx3 s/w 30KG Weighted Chins; 3, 4, 5, 5, 5.
Bent Over DB Rows; 45KGx6, 50KGx6, 55KGx6, 55KGx5 s/w Rear Delt DB Flies; 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6, 22.5KGx6.
Upright Rows; 55KGx6, 60KGx6, 65KGx6, 70KGx5 s/w Wide Grip 30KG Weighted Dips; 4, 4, 4, 3.
Notes; Missed my 200KG dead PB attempt. Didn't even lift off the floor, even though the 195KG pull a few weeks back went up smooth enough. With hindsight I should've started on 137.5KG and worked up, as this was the weight I was using on my 12, 10, 8s week. Still, 3x180KG is a PB. The weighted chins hurt my forearms again and I was pretty busted by the end of the workout. Still took some good numbers, despite my disappointment on the final dead set.

Tiger
02-22-13, 11:26 am
The heavy week. Overall I am pretty pleased. Getting stronger, looking bigger, consistently knackered.

I'm knackered reading all that! Some solid work, bro!

rainman
02-22-13, 1:09 pm
Hey, thanks Tiger. It's more of a workout just typing it all up sometimes! I'm feeling pretty pleased so far with the structure of my training, but have just acquired a set of Fat Gripz based on your recommendation, so may start a 'wacky week', complete with deficit deads, front squats, and the grips on every DB/ BB set to break things up further.

Appollonian
02-22-13, 1:11 pm
The heavy week. Overall I am pretty pleased. Getting stronger, looking bigger, consistently knackered.


That's a 'win' in my book. Nice work man.

rainman
02-22-13, 1:21 pm
Ha ha. Thanks. I was messing around with the scales today, (I've not used them before- those balance things), and it looks like I've put on about 17lb since I was made redundant in November. Although I've gone up a notch on my lifting belt and my diet hasn't been spot on since having a proper structure to my day, I'm guessing the majority is muscle mass judging by my numbers.
May be time to wheel out the trail bike again. I may even do a video...

Tiger
02-25-13, 7:54 am
Hey, thanks Tiger. It's more of a workout just typing it all up sometimes! I'm feeling pretty pleased so far with the structure of my training, but have just acquired a set of Fat Gripz based on your recommendation, so may start a 'wacky week', complete with deficit deads, front squats, and the grips on every DB/ BB set to break things up further.

Looking forward to seeing this go down! Fat Gripz can school you hard if you try and jump in the deep end.

Kowboy
02-25-13, 8:36 am
Ha ha. Thanks. I was messing around with the scales today, (I've not used them before- those balance things), and it looks like I've put on about 17lb since I was made redundant in November. Although I've gone up a notch on my lifting belt and my diet hasn't been spot on since having a proper structure to my day, I'm guessing the majority is muscle mass judging by my numbers.
May be time to wheel out the trail bike again. I may even do a video...

Fat Grips are awesome man, they really crank up the grip. If you don't have access to an axle they can really help when using them on static holds, lunges, rows or anything really. Reverse curls will never be the same!

rainman
02-26-13, 1:57 pm
They're now sat next to me as I type. I love coming home to find parcels for me. I got the 'stealth' black ones, although they look like the standard sized blue ones. Just means they won't get grubby I guess. As next week is meant to be my drop set week I'll have a play around with them then and report back.

Minor mid week workout update as I'm here I guess. I've tried messing my split up a bit, doing delts as a full day yesterday. The idea was to tag arms at the end of delts for a set, then at the end of chest for a set, as my tris and bis get killed after one set of arms usually. Regular lurkers will know I like working delts in on back and chest days, (a sort of front/ rear torso split). I was really struggling to get a full delt day in to be honest without feeling like I was repeating motions through different exercises. Bit of a shame, as I did go all out on the delts, to the point where I was shit at the arm exercise at the end. Although what is new...

rainman
03-01-13, 10:13 am
12, 10, 8s week and a bit of split variation. I'm in two minds about it, but I'm OK with the layout. I may superset tris with delt exercises and bis with chest exercises going forward, as I can't seem to get my head right with switching from one bodypart to another. Hanner curls split with inclines may be interesting. I may have to think a bit more about this.

Delts, (Mon. 25/2/13).
Standing OHP: 50KGx12, 55KGx9, 60KGx7, 60KGx5.
Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx8 S/W Rear Delt DB Flies: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx7.
Seated DB Shoulder Press: 27.5KGx12, 30KGx10, 32.5KGx7,32.5KGx7 S/W Side Delt DB Raises: 17.5KGx11, 20KGx9, 22.5KGx6, 22.5KGx5.
DB Shrugs: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10 S/W Face Pulls: 130LBx12, 145LBx10, 160LBx8.
BB Curls: 50KGx10, 55KGx6, 60KGx2!
Notes: Mixed it up for a solid delts day. OHPs and DB presses in the same workout is possibly a bit OTT. Tagging biceps to the end is a bit of a waste as no energy was left for good reps.

Legs, (Weds. 27/2/13).
Squats: 75KGx10, 115KGx12, 125KGx10, 135KGx8, 145KGx3, 145KGx2.
Lying Leg Curl: 37.5KGx12, 40KGx10, 42.5KGx6, 42.5KGx5.
Leg Extension: 75KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx9, 95KGx6.
Seated Calf Raises: 75KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx8, 95KGx8.
Leg Press: 250KGx12, 270KGx9, 290KGx5.
Notes: A good legs day. The 8x135KGs crushed me a bit, but I got them up. Buried in the 3rd rep of the second set of 145s. Should've stuck with 135 for reps I think. Will possibly start on 35KGs for my leg curls next time.

Chest, (Thurs. 28/2/13).
BB Bench Press: 60KGx12, 85KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx8, 105KGx6.
DB Incline Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx4, 40KGx4 S/W incline DB Flies: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx7, 25KGx6.
DB Pullovers: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx5.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 25LBx8/8/8, 40LBx8/8/8, 55LBx8/8/8.
Notes: Super happy with the 8x105s on the bench. No shit reps etc., which made a nice change. DB inclines went badly, with a 40KG DB wobbling off my left leg, stretching my arm out. It affected the reps, with the DB flies suffering too.

Back, (Fri. 1/3/13).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx8, 180KGx3, 180KGx1.
Bent Over DB Rows: 45KGx12, 47.5KGx10, 50KGx8, 50KGx8 S/W 30KG Weighted Chins: 4, 3, 5, 5, 5.
Wide Grip T-Bar Machine Rows: 40KGx12, 60KGx10, 80KGx8, 80KGx7 S/W 30KG Wide Grip Weighted Chins: 4, 4, 4, 3.
Close Grip Cable Pulls: 190LBx20, 220LBx16, 250LBx12 S/W Reverse Close Grip 30KG Chins: 4, 3, 5.
Notes: A good, solid back day. Legs were still screwed from Wednesday, so the deads suffered, although my grip went first on the 180s. The unweighted T-Bar machine probably has a 20-25KG unladen weight, so maybe I should up my totals on that exercise!

rainman
03-08-13, 9:42 am
The drop set/ wacky week of my training introduced Fat Gripz to the equation, as well as the usual stuff. Some more PBs, a few experiments with the sets and the usual aches and pains.

Arms, (Sun. 3/3/13).
BB Curls w/Fat Gripz: 50KGx11, 45KGx13, 40KGx13, 40KGx13 s/w BW Dips: 31, 24, 18, 20.
DB Hammer Curls w/Fat Gripz: 22.5KGx8, 20KGx8, 17.5KGx11, 17.5KGx12 s/w Tricep BTN Press: 30KGx17, 27.5KGx19, 25KGx20, 25KGx19.
Close Grip E-Z Curls: 37.5KGx15, 32.5KGx16, 27.5KGx16, 27.5KGx15 s/w E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 37.5KGx18, 32.5KGx17, 27.5KGx19, 27.5KGx17.
Notes: First time using Fat Gripz and I was down about 5 reps per set on average. A very good aid to lifting, although I won't use them on any week apart from the drop set week for now.

Legs, (Tues. 5/3/13).
Squats: 60KGx10, 115KGx19, 105KGx16, 95KGx16, 95KGx14.
Lying Leg Curls: 35KGx15, 32.5KGx12, 30KGx10, 30KGx9.
Leg Extension: 75KGx15, 65KGx12, 55KGx11, 55KGx11.
Seated Calf Raises: 75KGx20, 65KGx21, 55KGx29, 55KGx22.
Leg Press: 250KGx12, 230KGx15.
Notes: Really happy with my 19x115s, although I should've hit 20! Post squat exercises were bad. Terrible pump in the hams and quads. Leg pressing was cut short talking to a guy about my training programme.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds. 6/3/13).
BB Bench Press: 65KGx10, 85KGx16, 75KGx17, 65KGx17, 65KGx15.
Incline DB Press w/Fat Gripz: 30KGx14, 25KGx18, 20KGx21, 20KGx22 s/w Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx17, 15KGx17, 12.5KGx22, 12.5KGx20.
DB Pullovers: 30KGx16, 25KGx17, 20KGx18, 20KGx18 s/w Side Delt DB Raises: 17.5KGx14, 15KGx16, 12.5KGx17.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 25LBx16/16/16, 40LBx12/12/12.
Notes: Warm up felt great, then my AC joint started giving me the arsehole again on the benching and DB pressing. Not too bad a session, (inc the Fat Gripz experiment), with rep numbers comparable to the last drop set week, but with a higher weight on the bench. Which is good.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Fri. 8/3/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads: 80KGx12, 120KGx12, 140KGx8, 160KGx5, 160KGx4.
DB Shoulder Press w/Fat Gripz: 27.5KGx12, 25KGx15, 22.5KGx18, 22.5KGx16 s/w BW Chins: 16, 15, 13, 13.
Wide Grip T-Bar Rows: 40KGx15, 30KGx17, 20KGx20, 20KGx24 s/w Wide Grip BW Chins: 10, 8, 5, 5.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 50KGx13, 45KGx12 s/w Rear Delt DB Flies: 17.5KGx12, 15KGx14, 12.5KGx13.
Notes: Using the 15KG plates to achieve a 1" drop on the deads again. Pulled well. Beltless until the top sets. Shoulder pressing with Fat Gripz worked well. I lost strength and focus towards the end. I preferred the solid back day last week, so another re-jig of the splits may be in order.

rainman
03-15-13, 1:28 pm
The heavy week rolls around again. Some good numbers but also a few disappointments and a decision to maybe change my focus a bit.

Arms, (Sun 10/3/13).
BB Curls: 50KGx6, 55KGx6, 60KGx6, 65KGx3 s/w 40KG Weighted Dips: 6, 6, 6, 3.
DB Hammer Curls: 25KGx6, 27.5KGx6, 30KGx6, 30KGx3 s/w DB Behind The Neck Press: 35KGx6, 37.5KGx6, 40KGx6, 40KGx6.
Close Grip E-Z Curls: 42.5KGx6, 47.5KGx6, 52.5KGx5, 52.5KGx4 s/w E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 42.5KGx6, 47.5KGx6, 52.5KGx6, 52.5KGx4.
Lying Cable Curls: 100LBx20, 130LBx16, 160LBx12 s/w Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 100LBx20, 130LBx16, 160LBx7.
Notes: Swung up a 4th rep on the 65KG curl, but everything else was totally strict, hence the number drop. My elbows felt smashed to buggery on the hammers.

Legs, (Mon 11/3/13).
Squats: 80KGx10, 115KGx5, 140KGx5, 165KGx1, 155KGx1, 140KGx3.
Lying Leg Curl: 40KGx6, 42.5KGx6, 45KGx6, 47.5KGx6, 50KGx5.
Leg Extension: 75KGx6, 85KGx6, 95KGx6, 105KGx6, 115KGx5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx6, 90KGx6, 100KGx6, 110KGx6.
Leg Press: 270KGx6, 290KGx6, 310KGx6, 320KGx3.
Notes: Completely fucked up loading my plates. Instead of 5x115/130/145, 3x155, 1x165 as planned, I managed to screw up the plates completely, hitting a PB on my 3rd set without realizing it. Despite hitting my goal I am not going to step up a weight, as I'd rather hit solid sets of 5s etc. getting there.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs 14/3/13).
BB Bench Press: 60KGx10, 85KGx5, 95KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx4, 120KGx2.
DB Incline Press: 30KGx6, 35KGx6, 40KGx6, 45KGx6, 45KGx6 s/w Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6, 22.5KGx5.
DB Pullovers: 30KGx6, 35KGx6, 40KGx6, 45KGx6 s/w Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx6, 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 40LBx8/8/8, 55LBx8/8/8, 70LBx8/8/8, 85LBx5/5/5.
Notes: Despite my shoulder niggles I hit 2x120KG on the bench, which I was really pleased about, especially as I had no spotter. I narrowed my grip a touch, which usually screws me up a bit, but I felt pretty solid throughout. Will add 2.5KG to my lifts from next week I think. the 2x6 of 45KG inclines were another PB, so overall a pretty good day I guess.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Fri 15/3/13).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx10, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx1, 190KGx1, 200KGx0.
DB Shoulder Press: 30KGx6, 32.5KGx6, 35KGx5, 35KGx4 s/w 30KG Weighted Chins: 4, 4, 4, 3.
Wide Grip T-Bar Rows: 60KGx6, 70KGx6, 80KGx6, 90KGx5 s/w 30KG Wide Grip Chins: 4, 4, 3, 2.
DB Rows: 45KGx6, 50KGx6, 55KGx6, 55KGx6 s/w Rear Delt Flies: 15KGx6, 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 20KGx9.
Face Pulls: 100LBx20, 130LBx16, 160LBx8 s/w Close Grip Cable Rows: 100LBx20, 130LBx16, 160LBx12.
Notes: What a difference a day makes. I managed to get the bar off the floor on my failed 200KG sumo pull, but it's the initial drive that's screwing me up. For a 'what the hell' venture, I decided to give the 200 a go pulling conventional, (with no warm up and having not pulled this style for at least 7 months), and got it close to knee height! I know pulling this way is more suited to me, but will stick with sumos. The chins busted my elbows up, so I'm giving them a break for a while. I weighed myself when I finished and I'm up over 20lb since last Summer. Kind of explains the elbow pain I guess.

Appollonian
03-15-13, 1:43 pm
Nice work going on rainman, are you happy with the size gain you've experienced?

rainman
03-15-13, 2:05 pm
I was just about to hit up your Journey. Strange that. I'm pretty pleased. I am certainly a lot bigger than I was. As I've only been squatting for the past 6 months, I think most of the weight is on my legs. The gains I've made would suggest a lot more muscle mass, although I don't ever measure anything. My lifting belt has had to go out a notch, but I think I'm getting a bit bloated from too much bread in my diet currently, so cutting that out will tighten it up again hopefully.

I have been toying with the idea of racing mountain bikes this Summer, as well as getting back in to my human flag training, as that is what I'm more famous for at the gym, despite not having done one in over a year now. The last time I had V-cut abs was when I was hitting them for 10 seconds, so maybe it's time to get pretty again!

Mr. Dead
03-15-13, 2:12 pm
Nice to see the hard work goin' on, in here...!!!

rainman
03-15-13, 2:19 pm
Cheers Mr. Dead, although my elbows are trying to push my towards the PS3.

Appollonian
03-15-13, 2:20 pm
Whatever you want to do, I'm sure you'll crush it, that's what matters.

I got into a habit of eating a lot of bread, mostly sourdough and other similar breads, and switched to mainly rice throughout the day. I can say I am hungry more now, but I think it's from the drop in fiber content.

Saeger
03-21-13, 3:48 pm
Solid work in here brother, keep it up.

rainman
03-22-13, 7:10 pm
12, 10, 8 rep week. Not bad really. Apart from a little tweak in my neck I think it was alright.

Arms... and a little bit of Delts, (Sun. 17/3/13).
Standing OHP: 50KGx8, 50KGx8, 55KGx4, 55KGx6, 60KGx4.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx9, 60KGx5, 60KGx4 s/w 20KG Weighted Dips: 12, 12, 12, 10.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 27.5KGx6 s/w DB Behind The Neck Press: 32.5KGx12, 35KGx9, 37.5KGx7, 37.5KGx6.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx10, 47.5KGx7, 47.5KGx7 s/w Close Grip E-Z Curls: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx10, 47.5KGx6, 47.5KGx5.
Notes: Fair arms day. Started on OHP as I was meant to hit Delts and Tris, but changed my mind. Each press was from resting on my chest with no leg drive. Still had sore elbows on the curls, but they didn't give in for once.

Legs, (Mon. 18/3/13).
Squats: 75KGx10, 115KGx12, 125KGx10, 135KGx8, 135KGx6, 125KGx6.
Lying Leg Curl: 40KGx12, 42.5KGx9, 45KGx5, 45KGx4.
Leg Extension: 75KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx8, 95KGx8.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 100KGx8.
Leg Press: 250KGx12, 270KGx9, 290KGx6, 290KGx8.
Notes: Buried in the 7th rep of the second set of 135KG squats, dropped down to 125, but was busted. Big quad pumps as usual. I am starting to really hate the leg press machine as I am screwed by the time I sit in it.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds. 20/3/13).
BB Bench Press: 60KGx10, 87.5KGx12, 97.5KGx10, 107.5KGx6, 107.5KGx5.
DB Incline Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8, 40KGx6 s/w Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx7.
DB Pullovers: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8, 40KGx7 s/w Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 40LBx12/12/12, 55LBx10/10/10.
Notes: Upped the BB Bench weights by 2.5KG. Felt OK for a 7th rep at 107.5KG, but had no spotter. Went for a 6th on my second 107.5s and had to do the roll of shame. Not fussed. The 12s and the 10s made up for it. I tweaked my neck on the 2nd set of 40KG inclines, so felt a bit pissed off for the rest of the workout.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Fri. 22/3/13).
Sumo Deads w/straps: 102.5KGx12, 142.5KGx12, 162.5KGx8, 182.5KGx6, 202.5KGx0, 202.5KGx1.
DB Shoulder Presses: 27.5KGx12, 30KGx10, 32.5KGx8, 35KGx7 s/w DB Rows: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 55KGx6.
Wide Grip T-Bar Rows: 60KGx12, 70KGx10, 80KGx7 s/w 15KGx12, 17.5KGx9, 20KGx6.
Notes: Decided to use straps on deads as it was reps day, so figured I'd pull a couple more on the higher sets. Again went up 2.5KG as my base setting. Never expected 6 at 182.5KG though. Decided to ditch the straps for my first 202.5 attempt. Got it up half way, but switching to over/under fucked me up a bit and I got wonky. Went back to double over grip with straps and it went up! Had I built up with an over/under prep and kept the reps lower I think I'd have been OK. I also nearly fell over at the top of my first 142.5 pull as my balance was off. It's a very love/hate relationship with them at the moment. DB presses were feeling light as hell too, until I tweaked my already buggered neck on the 35s, so had to cut an awesome workout short.

rainman
03-29-13, 9:43 am
Drop set week comes around again, all too soon in my opinion! I didn't use Fat Gripz this week. I also had a nasty migraine on Sunday, which affected my workout. I also ran a new pre-workout mix, (Universal Storm Fruit Punch & A7 Lemon & Lime), which gave me the sickening pumps. Highly recommended.

Arms & Overhead Presses, (Mon. 25/3/13).
Standing OHP: 50KGx12, 45KGx14, 40KGx13, 40KGx10.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx14, 45KGx13, 40KGx13, 40KGx15 s/w BW Dips: 26, 22, 25, 23.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx10, 20KGx11, 17.5KGx12, 17.5KGx12 s/w DB Behind The Neck Press: 32.5KGx13, 30KGx14, 27.5KGx16, 27.5KGx14.
Close Grip E-Z Bar Curls: 37.5KGx12, 32.5KGx14, 27.5KGx16, 27.5KGx17 s/w E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 37.5KGx16, 32.5KGx17, 27.5KGx19, 27.5KGx22.
Notes: Ridiculous arm pump on the drop sets. The OHPs took a toll on the triceps and the BB curls screwed my biceps. I rested the bar on my chest between OHPs and didn't use leg drive at all, so was pretty pleased. My right forearm still has a lot of pain on the negative motion on the hammers, so stopped when I was losing arm tension.

Legs, (Tues. 26/3/13).
Squats: 75KGx12, 115KGx18, 105KGx16, 95KGx17, 95KGx13.
Lying Leg Curl: 37.5KGx14, 35KGx11, 32.5KGx11, 32.5KGx10.
Leg Extension: 75KGx14, 65KGx13, 55KGx14, 45KGx14.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx18, 70KGx19, 60KGx21.
Notes: Nasty pump in my legs. My new pre-workout mix kept repeating on me, but I luckily kept it down. Was a bit late down, but got a good workout in. Back was stiff after the squats, but am putting it down to the migraine I had from Sunday.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds. 27/3/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 60KGx12, 85KGx17, 75KGx17, 65KGx16, 65KGx15.
DB Incline Press: 30KGx14, 25KGx16, 20KGx20, 20KGx18 s/w Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx18, 15KGx17, 12.5KGx21, 12.5KGx19.
DB Pullovers: 30KGx12, 25KGx20, 20KGx21, 20KGx22 s/w Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx21, 12.5KGx18, 10KGx26, 10KGx23.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 25LBx20/20/20, 40LBx16/16/16, 55LBx12/12/12.
Notes: Ballsed up my starting weight on the bench. It should've been 87.5KG, then down by 10KG a time. Pretty pissed off at this, but volume was still pretty high I suppose. To compensate, I raised the bench on the incline DBs, so now 4 notches up instead of 3. I may keep this up as it's more challenging and it'll hit more of the upper part of my chest.

Back, Rear Delts & Traps, (Thurs. 28/3/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads: 80KGx12, 120KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx6, 170KGx2, 180KGx1.
DB Shoulder Press: 27.5KGx14, 25KGx14, 22.5KGx17, 22.5KGx14 s/w DB Rows: 40KGx18, 35KGx16, 30KGx18, 30KGx20.
Wide Grip T-Bar Rows: 60KGx15, 50KGx14, 40KGx16, 40KGx18 s/w Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx16, 12.5KGx14, 10KGx18, 10KGx18.
Notes: Wasn't meant to be doing ascending pyramid sets with the sumos, but the 120KGs felt so good I decided to carry on. No straps, (just an over/under), although I could've probably pulled a couple more 160s. The double 170s and 180 single, considering the 1" lower bar, were a PB. However, it took a lot out of me, with the above taking 2 hours! Each DB press touched on my shoulder before pressing again. Felt knackered, but good. Upper back aches, but I'm missing my chin ups.

rainman
04-05-13, 7:57 am
Easter Sunday started off my week, which coincided with the clocks going forward an hour in line with British Summer Time and the traditional start to me getting pretty for the Summer. A bit of a tweak to the diet, coupled with a lot more hotter weather and me being quite a keen mountain biker, means I can quite easily get down to around 10% BF without changing much around or me doing any indoor cardio.

However, since the clocks went back for Daylight Saving Time last October, my life has been all over the place. The job I had held for 16 years went near enough overnight due to the company going in to administration, my Sister emigrated to Australia just before Christmas, my Grandpa is having a few serious issues and, to top it all off, the weather has been so shit here that I haven't wanted to wheel the bike/s out at all. Not helped much by the fact that I had a pretty major crash hauling my bike in to work in the rain 2 days before I lost my job, busting up my wrist. Yesterday, for example, there was snow on the roof of the van in the evening.

On the plus side, my redundancy, when I finally got it, was over 6 months' worth of salary in 2 lump sums, which will pay for home improvements and possibly a trade skills qualification, I've been able to help my Dad with a house renovation project and my strength has gone way up, although my diet has gone to shit too. I have been planning on buying a new bike and possibly doing some downhill/ enduro racing this year, but the Wife will probably kick me in the spuds if I do that.

So this week was meant to be my heavy week going in to the Y3T style routine structure I have been working on, but, being Easter Sunday, followed by a Bank Holiday Monday, my gym was shut. Don't know why... I guess everyone needs a holiday and it is a small gym. So I decided to take this whole week off from training, mainly to heal up some small injuries and rest the big tweak in my arm. All week I've been hungry to train, but stayed away so I can can heal. Minor injuries gone. The big arm niggle? Still there. Crap.

Appollonian
04-05-13, 8:50 am
Solid training last week man, drop sets are tough but I think in the grand scheme of things they are one of my favorite ways to up intensity.

I didn’t see if you posted about the job before or not but I’m sorry to hear that. On top of all the other things you’ve got going on that’s quite a bit for sure. All things considered I think a week off is exactly what you needed.

rainman
04-05-13, 9:32 am
Quite the opposite actually. A week off drove me crazy! Especially as I had done some pretty good numbers on deficit sumo pulls and my strength has been pretty good overall. It's the first week I've taken off since joining my new gym. I only usually take time off when I have an injury, so figured I'd I'd take time off before any little niggles turn in to big ones.

Thanks for your kind thoughts about the job. The worst thing was how it happened. Basically, I was a stock auditor in electrical retail, (anyone in the UK probably knows the company I'm talking about now). On Weds Oct. 31st I worked 8:30am-8pm to make sure everything was good before my week off. Not a hint. 8am Thurs. Nov. 1st I got woken by the radio alarm and heard on the news our company had gone in to administration. We had 3 members of staff turn up at 5:30am to do all the Christmas POS to hear it on the news too when they turned on the TVs. Totally unexpected. Then I drove over 300 miles as my Brother was getting married the next day and I was Best Man, before I had a very glum week holiday. Within 3 weeks I was out of a job. Still, I nailed the Best Man speech! I had half the guests at least, (well over 150 people), come up to me in the evening to congratulate me about the speech, so maybe a career in writing/ public speaking beckons...

Saeger
04-05-13, 9:46 am
Sorry things have been rough brother, keep at it and hang in there. Life changes and shit can go down hill quick, it's how you choose to get back up that hill that matters. Stay strong and push through it.

rainman
04-05-13, 9:59 am
It's all good thanks. In all honesty it was probably the best thing that could have happened long term. I had a 12 month plan to get out of there and maybe train up as a domestic electrician as I've been doing property/ building work as a hobby with my Dad, so to do it with a lump sum behind me was a blessing in disguise. All my time has been taken up with building work since December though, so I've not even started that yet.

Not to mention PRing of course. And I guess I don't have to tell you how much of a pick me up that is!

Appollonian
04-05-13, 10:17 am
Quite the opposite actually. A week off drove me crazy! Especially as I had done some pretty good numbers on deficit sumo pulls and my strength has been pretty good overall. It's the first week I've taken off since joining my new gym. I only usually take time off when I have an injury, so figured I'd I'd take time off before any little niggles turn in to big ones.

Thanks for your kind thoughts about the job. The worst thing was how it happened. Basically, I was a stock auditor in electrical retail, (anyone in the UK probably knows the company I'm talking about now). On Weds Oct. 31st I worked 8:30am-8pm to make sure everything was good before my week off. Not a hint. 8am Thurs. Nov. 1st I got woken by the radio alarm and heard on the news our company had gone in to administration. We had 3 members of staff turn up at 5:30am to do all the Christmas POS to hear it on the news too when they turned on the TVs. Totally unexpected. Then I drove over 300 miles as my Brother was getting married the next day and I was Best Man, before I had a very glum week holiday. Within 3 weeks I was out of a job. Still, I nailed the Best Man speech! I had half the guests at least, (well over 150 people), come up to me in the evening to congratulate me about the speech, so maybe a career in writing/ public speaking beckons...

I HATE taking time off, drives me nuts also, but like you said if you can head of an injury it's very much worth it. In a lifetime of lifting 1, 2, even 8 weeks off to keep an injury at bay is worth it. If I had listened to my body when my crap went down I probably could've taken 2-4 weeks off and be just fine right now. So it's OK to learn from mistakes of others, and next time you take off try and enjoy it... easier said than done, I know!

What a crappy way for that to go down. Maybe the old school idea of company loyalty where you could work at a place for 30+ years is dead but it’s not just the employees. Companies need to treat their employees with more respect or things will just get worse. I think if anything the last generation before us put up with more I don’t know, but what I’ve seen so far has been very disconcerting.


It's all good thanks. In all honesty it was probably the best thing that could have happened long term. I had a 12 month plan to get out of there and maybe train up as a domestic electrician as I've been doing property/ building work as a hobby with my Dad, so to do it with a lump sum behind me was a blessing in disguise. All my time has been taken up with building work since December though, so I've not even started that yet.

Not to mention PRing of course. And I guess I don't have to tell you how much of a pick me up that is!

This is great. I definitely believe that when you want something in your heart to happen, things can go into motion even if you don’t take action. Not getting into my beliefs here, but I think it’s fantastic you might be able to do something you’re more passionate about.

rainman
04-12-13, 5:53 pm
Figure I'd start with the famous Thomas Jefferson quote as this is my philosophy with regards to training. Not at all in my character, I took last week off so typically this week has been a disaster. Monday was spent walking with my Wife and the dog. Can't complain about that really. Tuesday I got hit with a migraine and Thursday was spent prepping a van for a customer until about 8pm, so the aforementioned dog was by himself for too long, so no gym. A grand total of 3 days training and, to top it off, my numbers always suffer when I take time off.

Arms and Standing OHPs, (Sun. 7/4/13).
Standing OHPs: 50KGx8, 50KGx9, 55KGx5, 55KGx5, 60KGx4, 60KGx2.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx5, 60KGx3(+1) S/W 30KG Weighted Dips: 8, 8, 8, 8.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7, 27.5KGx5 S/W DB Behind The Neck Press: 32.5KGx12, 35KGx10, 37.5KGx7, 37.5KGx6.
Close Grip E-Z Curls: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx10, 47.5KGx8 S/W E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx8.
Notes: Standing OHPs shockingly bad compared to previous numbers. I did do the full range of motion, with the bar resting on my chest between reps though. BB Curls went well enough. DB curls aggravated my elbows again. Funny that the positive part of the movement is OK, but the negative part is my weak point. Workout cut short due to me having to take photos of a bodybuilder we have at the gym. He. Looks. Fucking. Ridiculously. Cut.

Legs, (Weds. 10/4/13).
Squats: 75KGx12, 115KGx12, 130KGx10, 145KGx6, 145KGx5.
Lying Leg Curl: 37.5KGx12, 40KGx10, 42.5KGx7, 42.5KGx5.
Leg Extensions: 75KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KG7, 95KGx7.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8.
Notes: Trained, so of indirectly, with some new guy today, as we were both wanting to use the squat rack. He was pretty cool, and gave me an idea on training legs; splitting quads and hams/ calves up on different days. Quads were fucked by the end of squats. I decided to go up 15KG instead of 10KG between sets as I'd only get to about 70% of my maximum by only going up 10KG on reps week, where I'd rather hit 80-85%-ish.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri. 12/4/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 62.5KGx12, 87.5KGx12, 97.5KGx10, 107.5KGx3, 107.5KGx3, 107.5KGx3.
Incline DB Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6, 40KGx6 S/W Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx7, 42.5KGx6 S/W Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx7.
Incline DB Flies: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10.
Notes: Benching was a bit shit. Whenever I take a week off my benching nosedives. Almost failed the tenth rep at 97.5KG, so my subsequent benches suffered. I decided to hit triples of 107.5KGs, which was a stepdown from my 6 & 5s a couple of weeks back, but I got some volume in I guess. Just disappointing. I kept the incline on the bench higher, as before, and redeemed myself a little. I'll stick to this setting I think as I feel my upper pecs a bit more stretched. DB flies were not so good, as my old AC injury keeps hurting on this motion, so I stopped. I'd have done cable flies, but someone was on them.

rainman
04-20-13, 5:26 pm
Playing catch up this week, after missing a day last week and having the week before off. Should be a heavy week, but I am playing around with dividing up my splits more in line with how I like to train, so I've not been sticking 100% to my workout ethos. It's a work in progress, but I'll put up the full workout details after a trial period.

Back & Rear Delts, (Sun. 14/4/13).
Sumo Deads: 102.5KGx12, 142.5KGx12, 162.5KGx8, 182.5KGx3, 202.5KGx0.
DB Shoulder Press: 27.5KGx6, 30KGx10, 32.5KGx8, 35KGx2.
Bent Over DB Rows: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Notes: Woke with another headache and with a prior family engagement at 3pm, I should've stayed at home. Didn't. Trained. Fairly happy with the deads, despite the bar slipping out my hands on both the third rep of 182.5 and 202.5 single. I hurt my bicep on the 202.5 pull, which affected my DB shoulder presses and the rest of the workout, but have no regrets for training today. Seeing the state of some of my in-laws, piling shit food on their already full plates, eating because the food was there, made me even more glad I stepped up.

Triceps, Hams and Calves, (Mon. 15/4/13).
Close Grip Bench Press: 60KGx12, 80KGx5, 90KGx5, 100KGx5, 105KGx3, 107.5KGx3, 110KGx1.
Lying Hamstring Curls: 37.5KGx12, 40KGx12, 42.5KGx9, 45KGx5, 47.5KGx4.
Tricep Behind The Neck Press: 32.5KGx6, 35KGx6, 37.5KGx6, 40KGx5, 42.5KGx4.
Smith Machine Calf Raises: 100KGx12, 120KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx12, 180KGx10.
Tricep Rope Extensions: 70LBx12, 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx6, 160LBx4.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx8, 110KGx6.
Notes: Should've been 'heavy week', but as I was trying out my new split idea, I went heavy on some and volume on others. Funny thing was that it didn't feel like a workout, despite hitting PBs. First CGBP for ages was good. High volume to experiment with how to set out future lifts. Screwed up my left calf a bit, twisting it as I re-racked the Smith bar. Schoolboy error.

Quads & Biceps, (Tues. 16/4/13).
Squats: 75KGx10, 115KGx5, 130KGx5, 145KG3, 155KGx1, 165KGx0.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx6, 55KGx6, 60KGx6, 65KGx4(+1).
Leg Press: 250KGx6, 270KGx6, 290KGx6, 310KGx5.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx6, 25KGx6, 27.5KGx6, 30KGx6.
Notes: A third consecutive workout, (including Sunday's sumos), in as many days meant I was going in to this with severely fatigued legs. The addition of my screwed up calf meant my squats were rubbish. Going forward I'll either do this day before the Hams/Calves/Tris day, or move it later in the week. Really pleased with the 4 65KG, (plus a swung rep), on the 7ft bar curls, but upset I ran out of time, or I'd have done Leg Extensions and 7s too.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs. 18/4/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx5, 97.5KGx5, 107.5KGx5, 117.5KGx2, 117.5KGx1, 87.5KGx5.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx6, 35KGx6, 40KGx6, 45KGx2, 45KGx2 s/w Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6, 25KGx5, 25KGx4.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx6, 37.5KGx6, 42.5KGx6, 47.5KGx5 s/w Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx6, 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 40LBx8/8/8, 55LBx8/8/8, 70LBx8/8/8.
Notes: Pretty disappointed with the benching. Felt I had 3x117.5 in me, but after last week's number I'll take it! Volume wise, the rest was OK. No workout is a wasted one I suppose.

Back, Traps, Rear Delts, (Fri. 19/4/13).
Sumo Deads: 102.5KGx10, 142.5KGx5, 162.5KGx3, 182.5KGx1, 202.5KGx0, 200KG w/straps x 1.
DB Shoulder Press: 27.5KGx6, 30KGx6, 32.5KGx6, 35KGx6, 37.5KGx3 s/w BW Chins: 8, 8, 8, 8, 8.
DB Rows: 40KGx6, 45KGx6, 50KGx6, 55KGx6 s/w Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx6, 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6.
Upright Rows: 55KGx6, 60KGx6, 65KGx6, 70KGx5 s/w Wide Grip BW Chins: 8, 8, 8, 8.
Antoine Vaillant Deadlift Shrugs w/straps: 70KGx6@4 reps, 80KGx6@4 reps, 90KGx5@4 reps, 100KGx5@4 reps, 110KGx3@4 & 1@3 reps.
Notes: You know when you see something on the internet and you think 'Ooh. That looks cool. I'm going to try that'? I saw this video of Antoine Vaillant doing deadlifts, then shrugs with the raised bar, resetting and doing the same again for reps. Bad move, especially at the end of this workout. However, it's an awesome way to finish a workout, so they stay if I have time. This whole workout took 2 hours, so tweaking is required. Oh, and the bar slipped AGAIN on sumos, so I'm feeling I'm jinxed at 200KG+.

Appollonian
04-23-13, 10:41 am
Playing catch up this week, after missing a day last week and having the week before off. Should be a heavy week, but I am playing around with dividing up my splits more in line with how I like to train, so I've not been sticking 100% to my workout ethos. It's a work in progress, but I'll put up the full workout details after a trial period.


This is as it should be, find what works for you and discard what doesn’t. There are many things I would tell an 18 year old me if I could, this is one of them.

Keep up the solid work man.

When you say you hurt your biceps on the deadlift, was your arm straight? I had problems with this, especially how long my arms are relative to my body, so I’m always checking myself.

Shrug after a deadlift sounds nuts/awesome. My traps have never been more sore than when I was doing deadlifts. I can shrug and row until I’m blue in the face, but through in some deads on top and it’s over.

rainman
04-23-13, 2:15 pm
When you say you hurt your biceps on the deadlift, was your arm straight? I had problems with this, especially how long my arms are relative to my body, so I’m always checking myself.
Something like that. Just a momentary lack of concentration, probably down to the headache. I'm usually really careful doing these as I know 3 people with torn biceps through deads. My grip has always been a problem with sumos, mainly as I feel my arms are more 'bunched up' compared to conventional pulls. Long arms and short legs.


Shrug after a deadlift sounds nuts/awesome. My traps have never been more sore than when I was doing deadlifts. I can shrug and row until I’m blue in the face, but through in some deads on top and it’s over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHDg-qm0C9I
Here's the video I was talking about. Admittedly A.V. was doing them with about 30KG over my single PB for reps, so I fell a bit short! Got to love Antoine's videos. Even though they've given me some of the biggest amounts of pain, I've always tried to check them out as they've also bumped my training up a notch. The odd front flip and '2 Girls...' reference keeps them entertaining too!

Saeger
04-23-13, 2:29 pm
Doing some work in here bro, Keep on killing it

rainman
04-23-13, 2:58 pm
Doing some work in here bro, Keep on killing it
Cheers. Guys like you who keep churning out PBs keep me on my toes!

Saeger
04-23-13, 3:44 pm
Cheers. Guys like you who keep churning out PBs keep me on my toes!

You're doing pretty damn good, actually help motivate me. Keep on hammering through them workouts and eating like an animal.

rainman
04-26-13, 11:31 am
Up and down week. Some good PBs, but some crap joint injuries too. Wheeling out the bike on Sunday for the first time in 6 months was awesome. I'm probably only about 80% of what I was, but still flew through the trees to the point where I scared myself. A good thing. I really should get a video up of my rides as my kids will never believe I was quick once.

Quads & Biceps, (Sun 21/4/13).
Squats: 75KGx12, 115KGx5, 130KGx5, 145KGx5, 155KGx3, 165KGx1.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx6, 65KGx2.
Leg Press: 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGX12, 275KGx10, 300KGx6.
Seated DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 27.5KGx8.
Leg Extension: 75KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx7, 95KGx6.
7's- although I do 8 reps per section as I am OCD... hence Rainman: 30KGx8/8/8, 35KGx8/8/8, 40KGx8/8/8, 45KGx8/8/6.
Notes: Rode my bike to the gym, (6 miles and not hanging about), before hitting a squat PR. Ripped my shorts on the first 115 rep, so decided to run 5s and 3s instead of my planned 12, 10, 8s. Glad I did. Good Bis too. Spent a long time chatting to one of only 3 women I've EVER seen at my gym, so it took 2 1/2 hours!

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon. 22/4/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads w/straps: 80KGx12, 120KGx12, 140KGx8, 160KGx4, 170KGx2, 180KGx1- no straps on this one to make it count!
DB Behind The Neck Press: 32.5KGx12, 35KGx10, 37.5KGx8, 40KGx8.
Smith Machine Calf Raises: 140KGx12, 160KGx12, 180KGx10, 200KGx6.
Skull Crushers: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx10, 47.5KGx6, 47.5KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 37.5KGx12, 40KGx10, 42.5KGx6, 42.5KGx6.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx10.
Notes: Felt the Sumos today. Legs 2 days in a row aren't a good idea, so I may have to review split days. The Sumos fitted quite well in to this day, but it's hard to cram tricep and calf exercises in too.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds 24/4/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx12, 97.5KGx10, 107.5KGx5, 117.5KGx2.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx6.
Incline DB Raises: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx5, 45KGx0.
DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KG8, 25KGx5.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx7, 47.5KGx4.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 40LBx8/8/8, 55LBx8/8/8, 70LBx8/8/8.
Notes: Decided to do away with supersets. To be frank, I was busted after benching, so didn't give it a fair go. Benching was pretty bad- arse off the bench quite a bit, but only on the final reps. Inclines collapsed on the 6th 40KG rep, despite feeling good for a couple more. The 45s were a no go. The steeper incline is really giving me shit on the initial boost up.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Fri 26/4/13).
Standing OHP: Barx12, 50KGx5, 55KGx5, 60KGx5, 65KGx2.
Bent Over DB Rows: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 50KGx8 s/w BW Chins: 8, 8, 7, 6.
Wide Grip T-Bar Rows: 60KGx12, 70KGx10, 80KGx7, 80KGx8 s/w Wide Grip BW Chins: 8, 7, 8, 7.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 65KGx6 s/w Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx7.
A.V. Deadlift Shrugs: 80KGx6@4 reps, 90KGx6@4 reps, 100KGx6@4 reps, 110KGx6@4 resp, 120KGx3@4 reps.
Notes: My left arm hurt on the initial OHP, so stuck with 5s and 3s and ended up, as with the squats, with quite a good total. Maybe all compounds should be kept at these reps? My elbow joints also gave me shit on the chin ups, so all is not well. The workout felt good though. Good layout, but I think close grip cable rows would be a good finisher, but those Dead Shrugs kill me.
NB- I realized that as I was going from Upright Rows to the Deads I was using 15KG plates, (35LB ones), so was effectively doing deficit conventional pulls.

Appollonian
04-26-13, 1:27 pm
Congrats on the PRs this week!

I think biking before squats is a great warm up.

As for super setting big movements, I like it to a degree.

For years I would super set chest and back: chins with bench (whether flat or incline), rows with the other chest work, and so on. If I was trying to up my weight in bench, or wanted to try something different, I'd cut the super set action and rearrange my workout. I guess mixing it up in general is good.


Long arms and short legs.

My legs aren't exactly short, but I have really long arms, even for someone who is 6'4", so the arm/leg length ratio made deadlifts 'fun'. But that said having longer arms should mean shorter range of motion, which should help.

I'll check the vid out later, my connection right now is slow... thanks for sharing!

rainman
04-26-13, 2:01 pm
Thanks for stopping in again. My internet connection is screwed too. Strangely it only seems to happen around the time we have to renew our contract. I think the Dead Shrugs are at the 5:50 mark. Certainly worth a watch.

rainman
05-03-13, 5:37 pm
Drop set week and I have done some pretty good lifts here and there. The bicep injury from a few weeks back came back on the last day and my arms feel smashed to buggery. Figured I'd drop Animal Pump pre-workout each day to really bust me up.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 28/4/13).
Conventional Deads: 100KGx5, 120KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx1, 190KGx1, 200KGx0.
Close Grip Bench Press: 80KGx10, 70KGx14, 60KGx14, 60KGx13.
Smith Machine Calf Raises: 140KGx21, 120KGx22, 100KGx22, 100KGx19.
DB Behind The Neck Press: 32.5KGx16, 30KGx14, 27.5KGx14, 27.5KGx12.
Lying Leg Curls: 37.5KGx16, 35KG14, 32.5KGx12, 32.5KGx10.
E-Z Bar Tricep Pushdowns: 130LBx23, 100LBx24, 70LBx24, 70LBx34.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx18, 70KGx20, 60KGx19, 60KGx20.
Notes: First conventional pulls since I've been at the new gym, (so... about 9 months or so), and I felt they went pretty well. Not a typical start to a drop set week though. Grip slipped on the 200KG. I got the workout to 1 1/2 hours, so pretty good for the volume.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 29/4/13).
Standing OHP: 50KGx11, 45KGx11, 40KGx10, 40KGx12.
Barbell Rows: 70KGx13, 60KGx16, 50KGx15, 50KGx15.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx14, 12.5KGx17, 10KGx19, 10KGx21.
DB Rows: 40KGx15, 35KGx16, 30KGx16, 30KGx14.
Upright Rows: 55KGx14, 50KGx16, 4KGx15, 45KGx16.
V-Bar Cable Rows: 190LBx26, 160LBx23, 130LBx25, 130LBx30.
A.V. Deadlift Shrugs: 90KGx8@4reps, 80KGx7@4reps, 70KGx8@4reps, 70KGx7@4reps.
Notes: Went just over 1 1/2 hours again. Knackered by the DB rows, (which really messed with the flow of drop sets when alternating arms). OHPs felt alright with a closer grip. BB rows mixed it up a bit, as did cable rows. May need to squeeze face pulls in there too.

Quads & Biceps, (Weds 1/5/13).
Squats: 85KGx12, 115KGx20, 100KGx15, 85KGx17, 85KGx16.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx15, 45KGx13, 40KGx10, 40KGx9.
Leg Press: 225KGx16, 200KGx17, 175KGx21, 175KGx19.
Seated DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx14, 20KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 17.5KGx15.
Leg Extensions: 75KGx15, 65KGx13, 55kGx12, 55KGx11.
Notes: Finally hit 20 reps of 115KG. Burped up the Animal Pump powder mid leg press and had massive arm pump by the third set of BB curls. Didn't mind too much missing my scheduled 7s as I had to be somewhere. Got 1 1/4 hours total today, but spent an extra 5 minutes chatting to a guy between sets on the BD hammers.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 3/5/13)
Barbell Bench Press: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx16, 77.5KGx13, 67.5KGx14, 67.5KGx13.
DB Alternating Front Raises: 17.5KGx17, 15KGx21, 12.5KGx23, 12.5KGx22.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx18, 25KGx16, 20KGx18, 20KGx17.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx18, 12.5KGx20, 10KGx23, 10KGx26.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx18, 27.5KGx16, 22.5KGx18, 22.5KGx17.
Seated DB Press: 27.5KGx5, 25KGx5, 22.5KGx5.
Machine Pec Fly: 130LBx10, 100LBx16, 70LBx21.
Notes: Initial benching and DB work I was really happy with. Matched my last drop set on the initial weight of 87.5KG, despite being 2.5KG heavier than the last cycle. Subsequent sets have been with purposely shorter intervals, as I've been concentrating on the initial set. Felt a really sharp pain in my mid delt/ bicep area on my left arm (injury carried over from 14/4/13?) which messed up my plans. I'll do these again next week, injury permitting, but probably won't bother with the machine flies again as it felt a bit strange. I also took the dog out with my Wife on a 5 mile walk this afternoon. That's cardio done this month then...

rainman
05-10-13, 11:21 am
12, 10, 8s week. My left bicep injury is affecting my shoulder pressing, but everything else feels fine surprisingly. Any regular readers will know I have been training in a gym with a 'reputation' for the past 9 months or so, so have had to push myself harder. Nothing wrong with that, but it can be daunting when you see a guy doing 50KG DB shoulder presses with no spotter to even help him get them up. Anyhow, this aforementioned behemoth was talking to another regular, who pointed at me going "...that's the guy!" Turns out he was talking about my human flag notoriety, so I had to pull one on the Smith machine as the other guy had never seen one before. I surprised myself actually as I hadn't pulled a legit one for months. I think if the bicep injury continues then I may re-focus on doing these a bit more, as 50KG presses are a bit of a way off I think.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 5/5/13).
Sumo Deads: 102.5KGx12, 142.5KGx12, 162.5KGx8, 182.5KGx3, 182.5KGx2.
Close Grip Bench Press: 65KGx12, 75KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx4.
Lying Leg Curls: 37.5KGx12, 40KGx10, 42.5KGx7, 42.5KGx6.
DB Behind The Neck Press: 35KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 40KGx5, 40KGx5.
Mid-Mornings*: 10KGx12, 15KGx10, 20KGx8, 25KGx8.
E-Z Bar Tricep Pushdowns: 160LBx12, 190LBx10, 220LBx3, 220LBx3.
Smith Machine Calf Raises: 140KGx12, 160KGx12, 180KGx12.
Notes: Knackered. Bar slipped on the deads, but good otherwise. *- Like Good mornings, but I used a fixed weight bar on a Roman Chair. Not a great idea.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 7/5/13).
Barbell Rows: 70KGx12, 80KGx9, 90KGx6, 90KGx5.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx11.
Rotary Seated Machine Rows: 40KGx12, 60KGx12, 80KGx8, 100KGx5.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 65KGx7.
V-Bar Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx10, 250LBx8, 250LBx8 s/w Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LB5, 160LBx6.
A.V. Deadlift Shrugs: 90KGx6@4 reps, 100KGx6@4 reps, 110KGx5@4 reps.
notes: Was meant to be doing Standing OHPs, but went to DB Shoulder Presses after someone was on the rack. Gave up after 2 reps as my left bicep was still killing during overhead presses. Mixed it up a bit again, using machines etc. Not a convert as the handles went all over the place!

Quads & Biceps, (Weds 8/5/13).
Squats: 80KGx12, 120KGx12, 135KGx8, 150KGx4, 150KGx2.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx9, 60KGx6, 60KGx5.
Leg Press: 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx10, 300KGx7.
Seated DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7, 27.5KGx4.
Leg Extensions: 75KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx7, 95KGx10.
E-Z Bar 7s: 30KGx8/8/8, 35KGx8/8/8, 40KGx8/8/8, 45KGx8/8/8.
Notes: Ate too soon before my workout, so burped up strawberry milkshake all session, (don't judge me). It was very hot in the gym too and I got pretty fatigued early on, so these combined for a very bad day. The right bicep got a painful tweaky pump which affected the hammer curls.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 10/5/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 60KGx12, 87.5KGx12, 97.5KGx8, 107.5KGx5, 107.5KGx5, 107.5KGx3.
Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx9, 40KGx2, 40KGx5.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6, 42.5KGx5 s/w Behind The Neck BW Wide Grip Chins: 6, 8, 6, 6.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 40LBx12/12/12, 55LBx10/10/10, 70LBx8/8/6, 70LBx8/8/7.
Notes: Disappointingly I couldn't DB Shoulder Press a 12.5KG DB today without pain, so had to skip them. Everything else went well though. My lack of 10x on my 2nd working bench set meant I decided to triple set the 107.5KG ones. My first set of 40KG inclines slipped again, (higher bench angle and no spotter is a bitch), but went alright on the other set.
I also saw a few shots from a Muscle & Fitness shoot of a regular gym goer. Can't really name names as he run a supplement company of his own, but the shots were ridiculous. 4% BF and cut to hell. I keep trying to get him to compete again, but he's just a motivator for now. I've got a long way to go!

Appollonian
05-10-13, 1:29 pm
Nice work man! I think I’ve heard of what you call the mid-mornings, but I can’t remember who was doing them…. Sounds very tough though.

It's easy to compare yourself with other folks around you and I think it’s a good way to keep yourself fired up, but everyone is at a different point in their journey.

Saeger
05-10-13, 1:48 pm
Some great sessions in here brother. I think I am going to have to add the dead shrugs as well. I saw that video with AV and those look killer.

rainman
05-10-13, 3:37 pm
It's easy to compare yourself with other folks around you and I think it’s a good way to keep yourself fired up, but everyone is at a different point in their journey.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I've never really compared myself to anyone but the last set of my numbers in my journal to be honest. People may well be on different points in their journeys, but without wanting to break forum rules, some take different vehicles to get there. I'm cool with that. Each to their own. Others have the genetics of titans on their side. The funny thing is that to see a tubby lemon busting out behind the neck chins or holding yourself out horizontally gets you labelled as the freak sometimes!


Some great sessions in here brother. I think I am going to have to add the dead shrugs as well. I saw that video with AV and those look killer.
Just trying to keep up with your intensity my man. The Dead Shrugs are a good finisher for sure. As I'm not really a conventional puller they add a bit of variety.

rainman
05-17-13, 1:33 pm
This week has been a funny one. I started training to become a Domestic Electrical Installer on Monday, all self financed and a whole different ball game to anything else I've ever done before. The downside is that I have to get up at 5:30 every morning, walk my batshit mental dog for an hour, before driving 40 odd miles to get to the training centre. There until 4, then drive another 50 miles to get to my gym. This has certainly affected my lifting and, as I type this on Friday evening, I am completely shattered!

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 12/5/13).
Sumo Deads: 102.5KGx12, 142.5KGx5, 162.5KGx3, 182.5KGx1, 202.5KGx1. Finally...
Close Grip Bench Press: 75KGx5, 85KGx5, 95KGx5, 105KGx2.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx6, 45KGx6, 50KGx4, 50KGx3.
Incline Skull Crushers: 30KGx6, 35KGx6, 40KGx6, 45KGx6.
Seated Calf Raises: 90KGx6, 100KGx6, 110KGx6, 120KGx4.
DB Behind The Neck Press: 35KGx6, 37.5KGx6, 40KGx5, 42.5KGx4.
Notes: Finally got a +200KG dead. I found some chalk in the gym, so this may have helped, but I got it. C.G.B.P. wasn't so good as I was using a bar I don't like and people were using the machines I wanted to use, so had to adapt.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon. 13/5/13).
Standing Overhead Press: 50KGx5, 55KGx5, 60KGx5, 65KGx3.
Barbell Rows: 70KGx6, 80KGx6, 90KGx6, 100KGx4.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx6, 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6.
Bent Over DB Rows: 40KGx6, 45KGx6, 50KGx6, 55KGx5.
Upright Rows: 57.5KGx6, 62.5KGx6, 67.6KGx6, 72.5KGx5.
A.V. Deadlift Shrugs: 90KGx6@4 reps, 100KGx6@4 reps, 110KGx6@4 reps, 120KGx5@4 reps.
Notes: Good, heavy back and delts day. PBs on standing OHPs, (despite my knackered left arm), BB and Upright Rows. Good volume throughout. This was also my first PM workout in over 6 months as I was up at 5:30 and, surprisingly, it went really well.

Quads & Biceps, (Weds. 15/5/13).
Squats: 80KGx12, 120KGx5, 135KGx5, 150KGx3, 170KGx0, 170KGx0, 100KG(paused at bottom)x5.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx6, 55KGx6, 60KGx6, 65KGx3.
Leg Press: 225KGx6, 250KGx6, 275KGx6, 300KGx6, 325KGx3.
Seated DB Hammer Curl: 22.5KGx6, 25KGx6, 27.5KGx6, 30KGx5.
Leg Extension: 80KGx6, 90KGx6, 100KGx6, 110KGx5.
E-Z Bar 7s: 32.5KGx8/8/8, 37.5KGx8/8/8, 42.5KGx8/8/8, 47.5KGx8/8/5.
Notes: Concentrated more on depth with squats as I feel last week was shocking. Blew a PB max attempt twice, although on the first attempt I was on my way up but folded. Another PM workout and, again, was crazy busy in the gym this evening.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri. 17/5/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 60KGx12, 87.5KGx5, 97.5KGx5, 107.5KGx5, 117.5KGx2, 117.5KGx1.
Front Delt DB Raises: 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6, 25KGx5.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx6, 32.5KGx6, 37.5KGx6, 42.5KGx3.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx6, 17.5KGx6, 20KGx6, 22.5KGx6.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx6, 37.5KGx6, 42.5KGx6, 47.5KGx5.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 40LBx8/8/8, 55LBx8/8/8, 70LBx8/8/8.
Notes: Disappointing bench day. I felt very weak and was ready to pull over and go to sleep driving to the gym along the motorway. An early 3pm finish meant I was in by 3:30, and even got a spot from a regular. To see him subsequently bang out 6x140KG unassisted made me think I may be doing something wrong here! Dropped the Incline DBs down to a couple of arm niggles. The left one got very stiff on the bench.

Appollonian
05-20-13, 5:27 pm
For you bench I think it’s a combination of the new schedule, which usually takes me a few weeks to fully adjust to big changes, and having some good solid work before your bench at the end of your workout week. Regardless still a good looking week to me, awesome work on the deadlift PR!

rainman
05-20-13, 6:46 pm
Thanks. I'm not too disappointed really. I felt good for benching before I went, so I guess that's why I got pretty hacked off when I only got 2 reps on my final set. I may drop back 2.5KG and narrow my grip a bit. I'm with you on bench variations. If I move a finger width in or out on the grooves on the bar it really affects my lifting. A week off and I'm screwed for weeks! I've been stuck around the the 265-275 mark for ages, so am thinking taking a bit of stress off the shoulders and elbows may help.

When I finally got the pull up I must've held it up for about 10 seconds, looking at the plates in the mirror. If I'd stuck conventional I'd have probably hit it about 6 months back, but am happy I stuck with sumo pulls to get this far.

Appollonian
05-21-13, 9:05 am
Thanks. I'm not too disappointed really. I felt good for benching before I went, so I guess that's why I got pretty hacked off when I only got 2 reps on my final set. I may drop back 2.5KG and narrow my grip a bit. I'm with you on bench variations. If I move a finger width in or out on the grooves on the bar it really affects my lifting. A week off and I'm screwed for weeks! I've been stuck around the the 265-275 mark for ages, so am thinking taking a bit of stress off the shoulders and elbows may help.

When I finally got the pull up I must've held it up for about 10 seconds, looking at the plates in the mirror. If I'd stuck conventional I'd have probably hit it about 6 months back, but am happy I stuck with sumo pulls to get this far.

I wasn’t saying you should be disappointed that’s great work! Just relaying what helped a lot for me was to move my bench day to the start of the week, that’s all.

As for trying to move weight, going narrower does a little to cancel out my wingspan’s negative mechanical advantage. After my heavier sets and I work back down I do almost every set at a slightly different width, ranging from pinky finger on the ring to pointer finger just outside the ring; I like how it hits all over the chest.

That’s awesome man, when I can lift 135 from the floor pain free I’ll probably do the same and have my wife take a picture! What do you feel are the benefits of pulling sumo style?

rainman
05-21-13, 2:29 pm
I only put about the disappointment bit as I mentioned it in my original write up from Friday's workout. I've never taken anything negative from your comments and really appreciate the time you take to put input in my Journey.


What do you feel are the benefits of pulling sumo style?
Strangely enough, I feel more benefits with conventional pulling! I toast my hams when pulling this way, have more balance and can generally move a bigger weight. The reason I started pulling sumo was just for a new challenge really. I also found my lower back was aching a lot with conventionals. I find that if I can get the weight off the floor with sumos I am generally good for a lift, but when I can't get it, the bar won't go far. Conventional wise, I'd get half way then rely on back strength to snap it up. I have also found reps are easier on sumo pulling without losing form.
You do use the same muscles when pulling sumos as when you pull conventionals, but in a different order. Deficit pulls, (or, as I do it, using 35lb plates instead of 45s to drop the bar an inch), really screws my adductors, whilst standard 45lb plate sized pulling transfers more emphasis to the whole leg area over conventionals. You do still need a strong back,but I find I don't have to rely on it so much.
Probably some of the most impressively defined legs I've ever seen was a powerlifter at a SE unequipped UK competition a couple of years back. He waddled up with these monster pins, lifting in the 80-90KG BW range. I remember saying something to my Dad about his leg definition, then he pulled 260KG sumo style. That got my interest and it's been a long road from there.

rainman
05-24-13, 4:31 pm
This week I only went to the gym twice; I have been continuing with my Domestic Installer course and am up at 5:30 each morning to walk the dog as I was last week. So I tried to cram the big movements in 2 sessions. Going forward I may adopt a Layne Norton style PHAT training, (heavy upper/lower days, then hypertrophy upper/lower), as I think it's quite an interesting concept, although I love my splits I've come up with and the Y3T rep ranges.

Pulling Day, (Weds. 22/5/13)
Sumo Deads: 125KGx5, 145KGx12, 165KGx8, 185KGx3, 205KGx0.
Barbell Rows: 70KGx12, 80KGx10, 90KGx5, 90KGx6.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx8, 55KGx8, 60KGx4, 60KGx3.
Upright Rows: 57.5KGx8, 62.5KGx7, 67.5KGx6.
Notes: Picked my favourite bar, did 4 heavy exercises with it, and, apart from getting more weights, I didn't move from my spot in an hour. If this is what 'power' days feel like then PHAT is going to crucify me. 3x185KG deads were notable.

Pushing Day, (Fri. 24/5/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 65KGx12, 85KGx8, 95KGx8, 105KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx2.
Leg Extension: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 100KGx7.
Standing OHP: 52.5KGx5, 57.5KGx2.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 40LBx8/8/8, 55LBx8/8/8, 70LBx8/8/8.
Notes: 4 hours' sleep after revising for my first exam in about 15 years after a week of 5:30 starts meant I was screwed. I tried a closer grip on the bench and it made my left arm started playing up again. Dropped the weight a bit just to get my form back, but tiredness ruined my sets before I even unracked! A guy was on the squat rack, so I moved about. By the Standing OHPs my left arm was really hurting. A drowsy stumble and it was fucked. I decided to quit after that. I may have to spend the rest of my redundancy money on a physio now as my arm is truly busted.

rainman
05-31-13, 4:20 pm
When I was training today this guy came up to me and said "every time I see you, you are training legs." Kind of true, but I've been splitting quads and hams up, so I explained to him how I have been training. Then he asked me what programme it was, so I came up with the 'Back To Front' name. I suppose it's a bit self indulgent to post my own workout, but it seems to work for me. If nobody else follows this then I'm not too fussed- I'm not looking for disciples- but I figured I'd get it down somewhere or I'll forget it!
The basic idea is that you train the muscles on the back half of your body, then the front, over 4 days, with a break in the middle. I usually run:
Sun) Hams, Calves & Triceps.
Mon) Back, Traps & Rear Delts.
Weds) Chest, Front & Mid Delts.
Fri) Quads & Biceps.
Each main muscle group starts with a compound, (deads for Hams/ Calves, CGBP for triceps), followed by a decent enough isolation exercise, finished with an exercise that typically results in a pump in the targeted muscle group. I also split exercises between each group, mainly as it gives each muscle a bit more time to recover. I have been using a Y3T style rep range over 3-4 weeks, but there's no reason why a 5-3-1 style programme can't be used on the main compounds. I've kind of slacked off abs and oblique exercises, (plus chins and dips as my elbows are screwed), as I've not been using a belt for all but my top sets on deads/ squats, which seem to have maintained them well enough.
As I said, I'm not trying to convert anyone from their own cycles on to this, but it's a bit different and if you get bored then give it a shot.

rainman
06-01-13, 5:49 pm
Mostly anyway. A few tweaks here and there, a couple more PBs and a shit tonne of arm pain. I am even considering getting it sorted professionally.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun. 26/5/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads: 105KGx12, 125KGx12, 145KGx12, 165KG w/straps x6, 175KG w/straps x3, 185KGx1.
Close Grip Bench Press: 75KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx6, 95KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 37.5KGx12, 40KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 42.5KGx8>30KGx7.
Close Grip E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx9, 50KGx6, 50KGx6.
Smith Machine Calf Raises: 140KGx12, 160KGx12, 180lkgx10, 200KGx7.
E-Z Bar Tricep Pushdowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx11, 205LBx4.
Notes: Really happy about the deficit deads. I used straps for the 165 and 175s as my grip was failing. I didn't intend to hit 12x145s, but went for it as I had more left. Took the straps off for the 185KG, hit it, then went for 190KG. Mid way up everything went a bit fuzzy, so I let it go! The rest of the workout was solid enough.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon. 27/5/13).
Standing OHP: 52.5KGx5, 57.5KGx5, 62.5KGx4, 67.5KGx1.
Barbell Rows: 70KGx12, 80KGx10, 90KGx6, 90KGx6.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx11.
Bent Over DB Rows: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 50KGx8.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KG7, 65KGx7.
V-Grip Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12, 250LBx12.
A.V. Deadlift Shrugs: 90KGx6@4 reps, 100KGx6@4reps, 110KGx6@4reps.
Notes: Went for a PB, (and got it), on the overhead pressing, despite my arm giving me shit. The 4 at 62.5KG was bad enough, but I had to grind at least one out. Everything else was cool. I split up every set with behind the neck wide grip pull ups in an attempt to stretch my arm out a bit. Used a much wider grip on the A.V. Deads to liven things up.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds. 29/5/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 60KGx12, 85KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx6, 105KGx4.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 25KGx6.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx10, 37.5KGx7, 37.5KGx6, 37.5KG- with bench angle a bit lower x10.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 2KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KG6, 42.5KGx5.
Notes: Came to the conclusion that my bench is getting worse by the week. After a terrible first 105KG set, I decided to slow the reps down, pause at the top, not rush things etc., and had to roll of shame a fifth rep off. Think it may be time to get my left arm sorted. My right has been solid throughout the week. The standing OHP was a grinder. I am almost having to slow my right arm down on the lifts. I actually feel about 20-30% stronger on my right side over my left, which is sad.

Quads & Biceps, (Fri. 31/5/13).
Squats: 80KGx12, 120KGx12, 135KGx8, 150KGx3, 150KGx2, 170KGx0.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx6, 65KGx3.
Leg Press: 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx12, 300KGx4(+4- hand support on knees).
DB Hammer Curls: 27.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7, 30KGx5.
Leg Extension: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KG6, 100KGx6.
Bicep Curl Machine: 10KGx12, 20KGx12, 30KGx6, 30KGx9, 40KGx4.
Notes: Went again for a squat PB, but missed it again. Not so fussed, as I made sure I was deep enough in every rep beforehand. Bicep work was pretty hardcore, (for me). Messed about on the bicep curl machine and, after a couple of set up issues, got a nasty pump for my troubles. I may well keep up with these.

rainman
06-08-13, 8:02 am
Finally managed to get round to doing my drop set week on my Y3T hash up. 5:30 starts again this week, plus evening workouts, didn't work in my favour. On the plus side, I am edging ever closer to becoming a qualified 'spark', (I fucking hate that word), so I can get a more steady routine in my life again soon.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun. 2/6/13).
Conventional Deads: 105KGx5, 125KGx5, 145KGx5, 165KGx5, 185KGx1, 205KGx0.
Close Grip Bench Press: 75KGx16, 65KGx20, 55KGx19, 55KGx12.
Lying Leg Curl: 37.5KGx16, 32.5KGx16, 27.5KGx14, 27.5KGx14.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx16, 35KGx14, 30KGx15, 30KGx14.
Smith Machine Calf Raises: 140KGx18, 120KGx20, 100KGx20, 100KGx22.
E-Z Bar Tricep Pushdowns: 160LBx16, 130LBx14, 100LBx18, 100LBx15.
Notes: Drop set week began with conventional pulls, but going up in weight. I only hit conventionals once a month, if that, so try to make them count. Not fussed about the 205 blowout, (although it was off the floor), as this is my sumo PB. The fact I'm lifting this weight with no practice makes me wonder what I'd be pulling if I stuck with them instead! As I still had DOMS in my quads from Friday I was pleased with anything to be honest.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon. 3/6/13).
Standing OHP: 52.5KGx6, 47.5KGx10, 42.5KGx11, 42.5KGx8.
Barbell Rows: 70KGx15, 60KGx16, 50KGx16, 50KGx16.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx16, 12.5KGx16, 10KGx18, 10KGx17.
Upright Rows: 55KGx13, 50KGx15, 45KGx14, 45KGx13.
V-Grip Cable Rows: 190LBx23, 160LBx20, 130LBx21, 130LBx20.
A.V. Dead Shrugs: 90KGx6@4 reps, 80KGx9@4 reps, 70KGx10@4 reps, 70KGx8@4 reps.
Notes: Got called out on my form on the cable rows. Fair enough, as I was hunched over as I was so knackered. Standing OHPs were painful with reps too.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds. 5/6/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 60KGx12, 85KGx16, 75KGx15, 65KGx15, 65KGx14.
Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx16, 15KGx17, 12.5KGx21, 12.5KGx19.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx19, 22.5KGx20, 17.5KGx20, 17.5KGx20.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx16, 12.5KGx18, 10KGx20, 10KGx19.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx19, 27.5KGx21, 22.5KGx23, 22.5KGx19.
Hi/Mid/Low Cable Flies: 40LBx16/16/16, 55LBx12/12/12.
Notes: Controlled reps on the bench, rather than bang bang bang. Incline presses were the best. My left arm gave me shit again. Rocked Nirvana's Nevermind on the headphones today, which helped. When I finished training I bumped in to a powerlifter I know who was benching alone. I offered to spot him as we chatted between sets. He was running Sheiko and every rep was taken to the chest, paused for a couple of seconds, then pressed. Very impressive, especially as his paused 152.5KG singles were 80% on his sheet. I think paused benching from now on may be the way forward. I've always had issues about 2" of the chest on the press, so this, (and floor presses on the Smith), could be the answer. Plus a few hundred quid on physio bills of course.

Quads & Biceps, (Fri. 7/6/13).
Squats: 80KGx12, 120KGx20, 105KGx18, 90KG15, 90KGx17.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx13, 45KGx12, 40KGx13, 40KGx11.
Leg Press: 225KGx19, 200KGx18, 175KGx21, 175KGx16.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 20KGx13, 17.5KGx15, 17.5KGx13.
Leg Extension: 80KGx16, 70KGx14, 60KGx13, 60KGx14.
Bicep Curl Machine- Close Grip: 20KGx16, 15KGx16, 10KGx15, 10KGx13.
Notes: Absolutely screwed! I had an assessment in a stuffy upstairs room throughout the day before training on quite a humid day and that, (plus the TWENTY 120KG squats baby- all at depth), busted me. I was in the gym for over 2 hours. I spent the evening eating these awesome chicken breast strips in breadcrumbs & sweet chilli sauce from the local supermarket and watching Dredd. It's a hardcore film and the slo-mo scenes are beautifully shot.

Appollonian
06-13-13, 1:56 pm
I've been well out of the loop the last few weeks rainman, but you're putting in solid work.


When I was training today this guy came up to me and said "every time I see you, you are training legs." Kind of true, but I've been splitting quads and hams up, so I explained to him how I have been training. Then he asked me what programme it was, so I came up with the 'Back To Front' name. I suppose it's a bit self indulgent to post my own workout, but it seems to work for me. If nobody else follows this then I'm not too fussed- I'm not looking for disciples- but I figured I'd get it down somewhere or I'll forget it!
The basic idea is that you train the muscles on the back half of your body, then the front, over 4 days, with a break in the middle. I usually run:
Sun) Hams, Calves & Triceps.
Mon) Back, Traps & Rear Delts.
Weds) Chest, Front & Mid Delts.
Fri) Quads & Biceps.
Each main muscle group starts with a compound, (deads for Hams/ Calves, CGBP for triceps), followed by a decent enough isolation exercise, finished with an exercise that typically results in a pump in the targeted muscle group. I also split exercises between each group, mainly as it gives each muscle a bit more time to recover. I have been using a Y3T style rep range over 3-4 weeks, but there's no reason why a 5-3-1 style programme can't be used on the main compounds. I've kind of slacked off abs and oblique exercises, (plus chins and dips as my elbows are screwed), as I've not been using a belt for all but my top sets on deads/ squats, which seem to have maintained them well enough.
As I said, I'm not trying to convert anyone from their own cycles on to this, but it's a bit different and if you get bored then give it a shot.

It's not indulgent, share away. If people only come to this site with their heads full and not willing to take away from what others are doing and are convinced they already have all the answers/know better than everyone else, I think they're missing a great opportunity.

I've had a long time to plan what I want my routine to look like when I can finally get back into the swing of things fully, and I've been borrowing from a lot of different sources, and I'll do the same with you. I think your program has a very good basis behind it, and above all else, if you're getting what you want out of it, there's nothing wrong with it at all.

You should've asked the guy if it bothered him to see a guy whose arms DIDN'T overpower his legs... seriously though I would take what he said as a compliment.

rainman
06-15-13, 7:04 pm
Pulling Day, (Weds. 12/6/13).
Sumo Deads: 105KGx12, 145KGx12, 165KGx8, 185KGx3, 185KGx2, 205KGx0.
Smith Machine Barbell Rows: 60KGx12... moved to Barbell Rows: 80KGx7, 90KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 37.5KGx12, 40KGx6, 42.5KGx5.
7ft Barbell Curls w/Fat Gripz: 50KGx9, 55KGx5, 60KGx2.
Bent Over DB Rows: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx12, 47.5KGx12.
V-Grip Pulldowns: 140LBx12, 170LBx8, 200LBx5, 230LBx3.
A.V. Dead Shrugs: 90KGx8@4 reps, 100KGx8@4 reps, 110KGx6@4 reps.
Notes: Another 5:30am start week and only 2 workouts, as I had a fairly major exam going on Wednesday afternoon. Ripped up my calouses pulling again. They were starting to go at the 140s, so affected my later reps and screwed up my subsequent exercises.

Pushing Day, (Fri. 14/6/13).
Squats: 80KGx12, 120KGx12, 135KGx6, 150KGx3, 150KGx1.
(A short break ensued to see to track down the Physio).
Flat DB Presses, (paused at bottom of each rep): 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx10, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx6.
Close Grip Bench Press: 75KGx8, 85KGx5, 95KGx2.
Leg Press: 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx12, 300KGx9.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx6.
Notes: After bailing my second set of squats due to my left arm giving me a stabbing pain when it goes past 90 degrees towards my back, (such as holding the bar for squats), I went to see the Physio. A five minute inspection and a few free seconds of searing pain gave me my diagnosis. It's a rotator cuff injury, but quite an odd one. Basically I have limited movement due to, I think, when my left arm bent outwards when I was DB incline pressing a couple of months back and I lost control of the weight on the initial set up. This has shifted something around, which is why my arm is giving me shit, but I can still support weight on pressing movements. Fortunately it isn't a tear, and I can train with limited amounts of weight until then, but physio work starts Wednesday. Kind of explains why I can't DB shoulder press and my bench has been going down etc. I don't know how long it'll take to sort out, but I've given it a couple of months to sort itself and that strategy didn't work!

Appollonian
06-15-13, 8:04 pm
Solid work rainman.

Good old rotator cuffs. I injured my right one back when I was 18 and of course like a dumbass I wasn't able to train unrestrained again until I was 22; I made gains, but they were slow I dislocated my right shoulder on incline dumbbell bench presses. Any kind of bench or overhead press aggravated it, but rear raises, pullups, and pulling motion gave me no issue at all.

I say that to say this: don't rush it. Even though my legs had my sidelined for 18 months, my shoulder set me aside for 4 years because I would let it rest till it felt fine, push it, aggravate it, and do it over and over and over again. Finally just rested it for over a month with super light work, and slowly built up, and it was fine. Of course you're smarter than me I don't expect you'll have the same problems as me.

rainman
06-16-13, 12:58 pm
Of course you're smarter than me I don't expect you'll have the same problems as me.

I wouldn't go that far. Trying to arm wrestle a 45KG DB back over when getting it in to position for incline presses is a bit of a dipshit thing to do.

Appollonian
06-21-13, 8:54 am
I wouldn't go that far. Trying to arm wrestle a 45KG DB back over when getting it in to position for incline presses is a bit of a dipshit thing to do.

It happens, just gotta learn from it, right? Some of what we do would make a 'smart' person think no way! That doesn't make us stupid, but we do need to realize and listen to our body. I'm speaking to myself here.

rainman
06-21-13, 12:08 pm
Back in my comfort zone with regards to training times. I went to see a Physio on Wednesday, who proceeded to cover my left arm in slimy shit and beat the crap out my tricep. Yes... he said it was a rotator injury, but it's under the tricep. Apparently I'm pretty good symmetry wise, but as I did this a couple of months back, it may be quite a long road back. Strangely though, I was able to press pretty well, relatively speaking.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun. 16/6/13).
Sumo Deadlifts w/straps: 105KGx8, 145KGx12, 165KGx8, 185KGx6.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx6.
Lying Leg Curl: 37.5KGx12, 40KGx10, 42.5KGx6.
E-Z Bar Tricep Pushdowns: 160LBx12, 190LBx10, 220LBx4.
Notes: Kept it brief as the downhill world cup was being streamed on RedBull TV, so I wanted to get home for that, plus I'd covered a lot of the exercises I usually do on Wednesday and Friday. Straps for the 185 pulls gave me an extra 3 reps, where my grips are usually toast by then usually.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon. 17/6/13).
Barbell Rows: 70KGx12, 80KGx10, 90KGx8, 90KGx6.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8.
Upright Rows: 55KGx10, 60KGx8, 65KGx7.
V-Grip Cable Pulldowns w/straps: 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200LBx7, 230LBx4.
Notes: Got a bastard of a headache, most likely due to watching the 3D IMAX presentation of Man Of Steel the night before- It was pretty good. The guy was legitimately ripped, although too much was going on in the action scenes. Anyhow, all the bits I wanted to do, (Standing OHPs, Smith Machine Rows etc.), had people on the equipment, as I had to adapt. Upright rows caused me massive head pain.
Noteworthy here was that I did chins with my legs outstretched between sets, between 8-12 reps per set. Having no real elbow pain and 3 month of not even attempting one rep was pretty good. Schooled the 'pulling up my t-shirt to show my abs' crew that a 200lb 34 year old fat fuck can bring it when necessary!

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs. 20/6/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 65KGx5, 85KGx5, 95KGx5, 105KGx5, 105KGx5, 110KGx2.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Presses: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx10, 37.5KGx2, 37.5KG (dropped a notch on the bench)x 7.
Decline Cable Flies: 40LBx12, 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx10.
Notes: Not too disappointed with today, considering I was beaten to a pulp by the Physio yesterday. Benching felt OK, the 105s felt solid, but my tricep was naturally going to pack in as the bruising was starting to show! It packed up on inclines, so I dropped the bench a notch, (still at 30 degrees incline), and got more solid reps out. As the incline and subsequent set up actually caused my injury, I may keep it down at this level going forward.

Quads & Biceps, (Fri. 21/6/13).
Squats: 80KGx12, 120KGx12, 120KGx12, 135KGx8, 135KGx8, 135KGx8, 150KGx1.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx6, 60KGx5.
Leg Press: 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx10, 300KGx8, 300KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7, 27.5KGx4.
Leg Extension: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 100KGx8.
E-Z Bar Concentration Curl: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8, 45KGx8.
Notes: Decided to get more volume in on the squats and, having read Sam Byrd's latest article in JTS Strength, decided to run a 12, 12, 8, 8, 8 rep scheme, whilst I try and get my head around the training methods. Well, it screwed me up, hitting 60 reps, (plus a misjudged 150KG single), instead of my usual 30-35 reps. In a way, I was pretty annoyed I didn't carry this rep layout over on to the bicep exercises.

Appollonian
06-24-13, 8:18 am
Good looking week rainman.

Like I said the rotator is a tricky set of muscles/connective tissues. It can take some time to get 'right', keep doing what you can in the mean time.

And if you can find ways to beat yourself up. I didn’t use to believe in things like trigger points and self release, but I’m now a big believer. I’m not trying to be cynical, but while I do believe doctors and physiotherapists want to help you they also don’t know your pain, and will never be as motivated as you are to be pain free.

rainman
06-28-13, 1:44 pm
Abandoning the Y3T template for the time being, I've been doing what I feel like rep wise for the past couple of weeks, and it's proving to be quite a good plan. Another physio bout on Wednesday, plus having busted legs from last Friday's squats have meant I've shifted days around a bit. My left arm injury is certainly feeling a bit better as I've been avoiding anything that may aggravate it, (apart from the physio work of course!) Storm/ A7 pre & Torrent/ A7 post.

Hams, Calves & Tricpes, (Sun 23/6/13).
Sumo Deads w/straps: 107.5KGx6, 127.5KGx6, 147.5KGx12, 147.5KGx12, 167.5KGx8, 167.5KGx4.
Close Grip Bench Press: 75KGx12, 85KGx8, 95KGx4, 95KGx4.
Lying Leg Curl: 40KGx12, 42.5KGx9, 45KGx4, 45KGx4.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12,45KGx10, 50KGx7, 50KGx4.
Smith Machine Calf Raises: 120KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx12, 180KGx11.
Reverse Grip Cable Pulldowns: 130LBx12, 160LBx10, 190LBx3, 190LBx5.
Notes: Still screwed from squatting on Friday and my adductors packed up too. Volume on deads aren't as productive as squats I think and by the second bout of 167.5s I was loosing form to get the bar up, so knocked them on the head. A few tricep issues from the injury, but nothing too bad. Reverse grip pulldowns were OK, (great tricep pump), but probably won't remain a staple.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 24/6/13).
Smith Machine Barbell Rows: 70KGx12 80KGx10, 90KGx8, 90KGx7.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx7.
DB Rows: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 50KGx8.
Upright Rows: 55Kx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 70KGx5.
V-Grip Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12, 250LBx12.
A.V. Deadlift Shrugs: 90KGx6@4 reps, 100KGx6@4 reps, 110KGx6@4 reps, 120KGx6@4 reps.
Notes: Tried standing OHPs, but it hurt my left arm so I stopped it. I'm still not a convert to Smith Machine rows either. Hit PBs on DB flies, upright rows and the A.V. shrugs. I managed 30KG weighted chins between sets for 8-10 reps a time, so a pretty solid day overall.

Quads & Biceps, (Thrus 27/6/13).
Squats: 82.5KGx12, 122.5KGx12, 122.5KGx12, 137.5KGx5, 137.5KGx5.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 50KGx12, 55KGx8, 55KGx6.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 80KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx9.
E-Z Bar 7s: 32.5KGx8/8/8, 37.5KGx8/8/8, 42.5KGx8/8/8.
Notes: Got stuck in traffic, so only had an hour. Squats went badly. I upped the weight 2.5KG after last week, but accidently picked up the bar with the smaller diameter grip, so it rolled off my back a fair bit, tweaking my arm as it rolled down. Most definitely will be using it for deads on Sunday though! The 7s made a welcome return, so will become a regular in biceps day again.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 28/6/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 95KGx8, 105KGx6, 115KGx3, 105KGx5, 100KGx5.
Alternate DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx10, 37.5KGx7, 37.5KGx4.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6, 42.5KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx7.
Incline DB Flies: 10KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 15KGx6.
Decline Cable Flies: 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx10, 100LBx6.
Notes: Super happy with the bench. All slow and controlled reps. Felt strong with no real issues. My left arm played up on the incline DB exercises, so I got pretty irritated by that, especially as my right arm felt great. 1 3/4 hours total gym time, despite the added volume.

rainman
07-07-13, 3:35 pm
Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 1/7/13).
Sumo Deads: 107.5KGx12, 147.5KGx5, 167.5KGx3, 187.5KGx1, 207.5KGx1, 210KGx0.
Close Grip Bench Press: 75KGx5, 85KGx5, 95KGx5, 105KGx2, 105KGx1.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx6, 50KGx4.
Smith Machine Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx4, 100KGx6.
Smith machine Calf Raises: 140KGx12, 160KGx12, 180KGx12, 200KGx9.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extensions: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx8, 160LBx7.
Notes: Broke my deadlift PB by 5KG. Missed the 210 though as I felt both my adductors tweak. Guess I'll take what I got! I'm going to swap out CGBPs for Smith Floor Presses going forward as I've never been truly happy doing the former.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 2/7/13).
Barbell Rows: 72.5KGx12, 82.5KGx9, 92.5KGx6, 92.5KGx6.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx15.
DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx6.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 70KGx7.
V-Grip Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx18.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx7.
Notes: Got about an hour to train, so went a bit odd on reps. Carried on my final sets for maximum reps and went higher than usual on the rest.

Quads & Biceps, (Thurs 4/7/13).
Squats: 82.5KGx12, 122.5KGx12, 122.5KGx12, 137.5KGx8, 137.5KGx7, 152.5KGx2, 152.5KGx1.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx5, 60KGx5.
Front Squats: 50KGx6, 60KGx6, 70KGx6, 80KGx4, 90KGx0.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6.
Leg Extensions: 85KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx7.
Notes: More traffic gave me a shorter workout. Got the right sized bar for squats for a change. My first attempt at front squats went well enough... until the bar rolled back on to my throat!I was pissed off I didn't get to do my Cable 7s I was planning. This day will probably remain on Fridays from now on as I have a bit more time then, (so more calf raises now the sun has finally come out!)

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 5/7/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx12, 97.5KGx8, 107.5KGx5, 117.5KGx1(+1), 107.5KGx2.
Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx9.
Incline DB Presses: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx10, 37.5KGx8, 37.5KGx6.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6, 45KGx5.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8.
Decline Cable Flies: 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx10, 85LBx10, 70LBx10.
Notes: Went up 2.5KG per bench rep weight and went OK until the max weight. I guess the extra weight building up to it was a bit too much all in one go. I'm going back down next week, but will probably jump in 15KG increments instead of 10KG. ie) 85KG-100KG-115KG.

rainman
07-12-13, 1:14 pm
Not too bad a week. I'm still not following the Y3T template, but rather going on instinct. Went heavy on some exercises, repped out on others, most of which seemed to go OK. I'm still sitting around the 200LB mark BW wise and have decided to follow a PTs advice at my gym on nutrition, concentrating more on micro over macro nutrients. I'm much bigger muscle size wise than last year, (in spite of my shoulder injury), and intend to keep this up for a bit. His Youtube account seems to be getting a lot of subscriptions after a spate of shit on BB.com earlier this week too. Guess all the trolling has moved on to another fitness model.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Sun 7/7/13).
Barbell Rows: 75KGx12, 85KGx9, 95KGx6, 95KGx6.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx9.
DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx6, 55KG w/straps x8.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 65KGx8.
V-Grip Cable Pulldowns w/straps: 170LBx10, 200LBx6, 230LBx5.
A.V. Dead Shrugs: 95KGx6@4 reps, 105KGx6@4 reps, 115KGx6@4 reps, 125KGx4@4 reps.
Notes: Was hitting 30KG weighted chins between sets today, with no forearm pain. May drop down to 20KGs next week to get more reps in. Still hitting 5x per set on average though. Don't like cable pulldowns. Bit of a nonsense when I can do chins again! Went mental on the A.V Deads too.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 8/7/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx5, 180KGx1, 190KGx1, 200KGx0.
Smith Machine Floor Presses: 40KGx12, 60KGx12, 80KGx8, 90KGx5, 100KGx4.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx8, 50KGx4, 50KGx4.
DB Behind The Neck Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx5, 40KGx4.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx12.
E-Z Bar Tricep Pushdowns: 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx8, 220LBx4.
Notes: Really happy with the Deficit Sumos. The 200 attempt was a bit too much to ask for now, (although the 190 was pretty smooth), but I really wanted 6x 15KG/35LB plates per side! The Smith Floor Presses went well, but the BTN DB presses not so much.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds 10/7/13).
Barbell Bench Press: 60KGx12, 85KGx12, 85KGx12, 100KGx6, 100KGx5, 105KGx4, 85KGx6.
Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx9.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6, 45KGx6.
Flat DB Presses: 30KGx10, 35KGx8, 40KGx6, 40KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx6.
Notes: I've noticed my bench dropping significantly since not being able to shoulder press due to my arm injury. The Smith Floor Presses from 2 days back didn't help much either as I hadn't rested enough. Mixed up the weights a bit as the gym was quite busy. I also watched a guy, (yup... natural and all), boost up the 60KG DBs and do 2 shoulder presses with them! No spotter helping him up either. This dude has the genetics of Schwarzenegger, but is so modest about it all.

Quads & Biceps, (Fri 12/7/13).
Squats: 80KGx12, 122.5KGx5, 137.5KGx5, 152.5KGx2, 167.5KGx1, 170KGx0.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx5, 65KGx2.
Front Squats: 50KGx5, 60KGx5, 70KGx5, 80KGx3, 90KGx1, 90KGx2.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 30KGx3.
Leg Extensions: 85KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx9, 105KGx7>85KGx5>65KGx5>45KGx6.
Lying Cable 7s: 100LB8/8/8, 115LBx8/8/8, 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8, 160LBx8/8/8.
Notes: Felt like going heavy on squats, plus I couldn't be arsed to do 60+ reps. Hit a PB in 167.5KG, but bombed the 170. Front squats are still causing a problem, but I'm finding using a wider stance and pausing a bit at the bottom to help a bit, although the bar still rolled back on to my neck. I finished my Leg Extensions with a brutal drop set and also hit a PB on cable 7s, all the more impressive as I was lying on the floor and using a cable, so no cheating... for a change.

Appollonian
07-12-13, 1:37 pm
Looking good man. Damn how time flies... I like how you're going by feel, and as long as it's working, why not?

You can get really in depth about this whole 'game': reps/sets/schemes, kcals/carbs/grams and so on, and I'm not knocking anyone's attempt to get a leg up or better themselves. If it works for you great, but I can't stand the people who treat others with disdain because their method is somehow better than anyone else's. I'm not saying that's what you are doing at all, quite the opposite as you're actually open to what other people have to say.

Conversely if you are someone who has a plan that you've created and are selling to others than I fully expect you to stand by it and defend it, really just talking about the infighting I see here and there between people who should just be building each other up.

rainman
07-12-13, 2:13 pm
Totally agree. I have the luxury of not really being a bodybuilder, powerlifter etc., as I feel when you are 'something', you are obliged to train in a certain way. Therefore I don't feel restricted by chasing a particular goal. I love the concept of Y3T and am quite interested in Layne Norton's PHAT routine, but am currently just getting on with what I want to do. The funny thing is that, even though I have a rotator injury and am at about 15% BF, my delts are looking pretty good, despite missing out the big pressing movements.

The 2 guys I mentioned in my last post are typical examples of what's up with the game in myopinion. Jay is the 60KG Db shoulder press guy. He is a freak of nature and brings an almost refreshing naivety to his approach to lifting. I have no reason to doubt he isn't natural as this naivety continues towards gear. He just lifts heavy, makes the odd Ronnie Coleman "Whoo..." noise and gets on with lifting. He really is right up there with the elite but doesn't try and be the next big thing. Adam, the new Youtube sensation, has had such a hard time on the BB forum this past week. His physique is unbelievable, (and I mean pro level), has enough fitness qualifications to sink a battleship, has years of first hand knowledge behind him and is one of the nicest guys out there. He set up his account to help others and always dishes out free advice. Yet the BB.com rats called him out. Then, a couple of days ago, a big name fitness model gets a test failure and he's now getting a lot of negative attention, whereas Adam's channel is booming as he's been clean for years. Just too much fickle people out there.

I think, when you take away all the BS that seems to go with training nowadays, it's all pretty primitive really. Just moving weights about. Not necessarily for any purpose, but just because we can.

rainman
07-19-13, 1:07 pm
British Summertime has finally hit us here in the UK and my gym, Workshop in Guildford, is situated on the grounds of the local Lido. Cue loads of parking nightmares, screaming kids outside and the odd confused old man walking in to the gym wearing trunks more suitable for the Olympia stage than a swimming pool. Still, if I ever felt inadequate wearing a vest before this week, the local skinny scrote contingent have put my mind at rest.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 14/7/13).
Conventional Deads: 100KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx1, 200KGx0.
Smith Machine Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx4, 100KGx3.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx5, 50KGx4.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 50KGx6.
Smith Machine Calf Raises: 120KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx12, 180KGx8.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx6.
Seated Calf Raises: 90KGx12, 100KGx12, 10KGx8.
Notes: 30+ degree heat & 2 painful, but satisfying, hours work.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 15/7/13).
Standing OHP: 50KGx5, 55KG5, 60KGx2.
Barbell Rows: 75KGx10, 85KGx8, 95KGx5, 95KGx5.
Rear Delt DB Flies: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10.
DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx7, 55KGx6.
DB Shoulder Press: 15KGx8, 17.5KGx8, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx8, 25KGx6, 27.5KGx1.
Upright Rows: 57.5KGx12, 62.5KGx10, 67.5KGx6, 67.5KGx7.
V-Grip Cable Rows: 190LBx16, 220LBx16, 250LBx16.
Notes: OHPs fucked my injured arm. I was losing momentum on the decline, so stopped early. DB Shoulder Presses were a bit better. I worked up in sets of 8 until the pain was too much to continue. After grinding out a rep of my previous initial starting weight, I called it. All other sets had good volume & weight. Wide grip 20KG weighted chins between sets. My final attempt produced 10 reps, then I dropped the belt, did 3 more reps, then stretched my legs out whilst hanging and did 3 more. Possibly my most impressive gym lift to date!

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs 18/7/13).
Barbell Bench Press- all paused: 60KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx7, 105KGx3, 105KGx3, 115KGx1, 115KGx1.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KG10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx10, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx7.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Notes: Inspired by Dan Green's seminar that Firefist posted in Living earlier this week, I paused every single flat bench rep at the bottom- holding the bar on my chest for a second or so before pressing. I did pretty well, considering my 'touch & go' PB is 2x120KG. Tis gave a much better pump in the chest and maybe gave me more focus on what I had to isolate. A good result on incline DB presses too, which is about where I was before my injury.

Quads & Biceps, (Fri 19/7/13).
Squats: 85KGx12, 125KGx12, 125KGx10, 140KGx5, 140KGx4, 140KGx4, 125KGx8.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx4, 60KGx4.
Front Squats: 60KGx8, 70KGx8, 80KGx3, 90KGx3, 80KGx3, 70KGx3, 60KGx5.
Lying Cable 7s: 115LBx8/8/8, 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8, 160LBx8/8/8, 175LBx8/8/5.
Leg Extensions: 85KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx7.
Notes: Was chatting for 2 hours in the air con before I started training. I wasn't going to hit reps for squats, but decided to grind them out, going up 2.5KG too as I wanted 3 plates per side for sets. Failed my 5 rep on my second 140KG set, but re-racked and got another 4. Front squats kept rolling off my front, but the cable 7s got a lot of admiring glances.

Appollonian
07-19-13, 1:32 pm
Nice work rainman. The comment on the cable 7s almost caused to roll out of my chair haha

I heard on the radio you all are having a heatwave, 90+F... not too crazy, but I'm guessing a lot of places there don't have AC, and that would be zero fun.

rainman
07-19-13, 1:46 pm
Nah... we're just having a Summer. People here haven't had one of those in about 4 years.

The cable 7s were pretty cool actually. I've always had stronger arms than they look, so when I was lying on the floor, moving the first 8 reps about 90 degrees, I think people wrote me off for picking too heavy a weight for me as 7s are a pretty unfamiliar, old school exercise nowadays. Then I shifted the bar head height and did the next 8 and I could tell a couple of guys were looking over. Then dropped the bar to my waist and got 5 solid, unhitched curls out. Should've hit 6. When I get my 8/8/8 on these then 190LBs will be next.
Most of my workouts are structured; Compound> Free Weights/ DBs> Cables. I believe that by the end of your workout you're going to neglect the negatives first. Cables certainly have helped that aspect. My biceps currently feel really full and this was nearly 4 hours ago.

Appollonian
07-23-13, 1:36 pm
Nah... we're just having a Summer. People here haven't had one of those in about 4 years.

The cable 7s were pretty cool actually. I've always had stronger arms than they look, so when I was lying on the floor, moving the first 8 reps about 90 degrees, I think people wrote me off for picking too heavy a weight for me as 7s are a pretty unfamiliar, old school exercise nowadays. Then I shifted the bar head height and did the next 8 and I could tell a couple of guys were looking over. Then dropped the bar to my waist and got 5 solid, unhitched curls out. Should've hit 6. When I get my 8/8/8 on these then 190LBs will be next.
Most of my workouts are structured; Compound> Free Weights/ DBs> Cables. I believe that by the end of your workout you're going to neglect the negatives first. Cables certainly have helped that aspect. My biceps currently feel really full and this was nearly 4 hours ago.

Nice. I lived in Michigan as a kid (5 to 10 years old) and it was a really weird weather pattern. I don't think in our town it got over 90F more than a few days here and there. We visited a year after we moved away, and every day was 95F+, with one day being over 100F.

Sounds good to me!

I read an article in a magazine a few years back about "adding an inch to your arms in a day", basically a 12 hour workout for your biceps/triceps, actually workout time was probably 2 hours done in 15-20 minutes blocks every 20-30 minutes for a day. At the end of it they said on average the people at the magazine added an inch for a few days after (WTF you would want to do this I have no clue, if big biceps are a vanity, what does having artificially big biceps do for you?). I've found I probably add 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch in 45 minutes...

rainman
07-23-13, 7:07 pm
...if big biceps are a vanity, what does having artificially big biceps do for you?
Biceps get you girls! My mates get the hump when their new girlfriends squeeze my arms when drunk. I always get the arsehole too. Not about being treated like a piece of meat, (heaven forbid), but rather that my back is far more impressive. And that I'm married of course!

rainman
07-26-13, 12:04 pm
This week I went in to the gym with my tape measure. I measured the groove in the knurls on the bars. As my index fingers are on them when I bench, I was sure my span wasn't the maximum allowed width. It wasn't. The grooves are at least an inch plus in from the 810mm IPF width, meaning my grip is either ring or pinky on the groove of a competition bar. Guess I'm a narrow grip bencher after all! We have a Texas Power Bar in the gym, but that's usually been swiped by some of the other guys, leaving the bent old shitters behind. I'm going to bring in my vernier calipers next week to measure the diameter. Living up to the Rainman name, I have become obsessed by everything being right.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 21/7/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx5, 170KGx3, 190KGx1, 210KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx9, 100KGx4, 100KGx1.
Wide Stance Leg Press: 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx10, 300KGx7, 300KGx4(+4).
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 55KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx8, 50KGx4, 50KGx3.
DB Behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx12, 180KGx8.
Notes: Bombed my 210 dead attempt. Frankly, everything still felt screwed from Friday's Quads day, so should've been smart and had at least one more day between legs. A wide stance on the leg press is to open up my hip action a bit and I concentrated on the negatives a bit more to keep the hams under tension. The DB B.T.N. presses still hurt my injured arm though.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 23/7/13).
Wide Grip T-Bar Rows: 40KGx12, 60KGx12, 80KGx8, 80KGx7.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 20KGx9.
Bent Over DB Rows: 45KGx10, 50KGx10, 55KGx6, 55KGx5.
Seated DB Shoulder Press: 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx9, 27.5KGx5.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx12.
Notes: Really pleased with the DB Shoulder Presses. Both reps and weights were up on last week. I'm now repping my initial previous starting DB weight. Still not for 12 yet, but I'm still happy. With 80% humidity, my workout was drawn out, so cut it short after my success with the presses.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs 25/7/13).
Paused BB Bench Press: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx6, 105KGx4, 105KGx4, 115KGx2, 120KGx1, 105KGx3, 85KGx8.
Side Delt DB Raises: 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx9, 42.5KGx4, 42.5KGx4.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6, 45KGx5.
Incline DB Flyes: 10KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12.
Flat DB Flyes: 15KGx8, 17.5KGx8, 20KGx8.
Notes: Went a bit overboard on the bench presses. Again, with every rep paused. I would've taken the extra reps at 105 and 115 as they're new PBs being paused, but figured I'd get a sopt for 120KG as a couple of guys were around. It was funny having to explain that if it stops on my chest, then I should still be good to go and not to jump in. Got it with a legit pause! Good volume for the rest of the workout, but DB Flyes do bug the hell out of my injury when my elbows get past 90 degrees.

Quads & Biceps, (Fri 26/7/13).
Squats: 85KGx12, 125KGx12, 125KGx11, 140KGx5, 140KGx5, 155KGx1, 155KGx0.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx9, 60KGx5, 60KGx4.
Front Squats: 70KGx5, 80KGx4, 90KGx2, 100KGx0, 90KGx0.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7, 27.5KGx4.
Leg Extensions: 85KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx8, 105KGx8.
Lying Cable 7s: 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8, 160LBx8/8/8, 175LBx8/8/7.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx12.
Notes: Failed 3 separate squats, (1x back & 2x front), after I accidently loaded up 165 instead of 155 on the bar. Initially disappointed with my screw ups, a check of my numbers last week showed I was up a few reps before the disasters began, so I took something away from that. Front squats rolled off my shoulders again, so I'm going to start at 50KG for reps, perfecting my grip before I run. The cable 7s at 175LB were within touching distance to the 8 full curls at the end, but bombed on the 8th rep. Still, 2 more than last week.

rainman
08-02-13, 12:30 pm
Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Sun 28/7/13).
Smith Barbell Rows: 60KGx12, 70KGx12, 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 110KGx4.
Upright Rows: 57.5KGx12, 62.5KGx10, 67.5KGx8, 67.5KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 20KGx10.
DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx7, 55KGx5.
DB Shoulder Press: 20KGx10, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 30KGx5.
Notes: I was in a bit of a rush as the Downhill World Cup was being streamed on Redbull TV this afternoon, so mixed it up a bit. Upright Rows felt good. Smith Rows a bit odd. DB Shoulder Presses continue to improve and I was doing 20KG weighted close grip chins for reps of 6 between sets. Also busted out my trademark Human Flag at a bodyweight of 200LB as I got called out. Flags are "...a skinny guy's game..." apparently.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 29/7/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx12, 170KGx7, 190KGx1, 190KGw/straps x2.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx3, 100KGx4.
Wide Stance Leg Press: 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx11, 300KGx8, 300KGx5.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 50KGx7.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx9, 50KGx4, 50KGx4.
Tricep Pushdowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx12, 205LBx6, 205LBx8.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx11.
Notes: No straps on deads for reps week, until I screwed my callouses up. They felt busted on the 150s, but to get a solid 7 at 170KGs was good enough to take away for the day. Both my grip and adductors buggered, the 190s were a tall order. The rest of the workout was a slower 'recovery' day!

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs 1/8/13).
Paused BB Bench Press: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx10, 97.5KGx6, 107.5KGx4, 107.5KGx3, 117.5KGx2, 107.5KGx3.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx8, 20KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx4, 42.5KGx6.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx5.
Notes: Went back up 2.5KG on the bench. I felt set for a 122.5KG on the bench today, but decided against going for a single this week, taking away a double paused 117.5KG. I had another rep or so in some of my sets leading up to the 117.5s, but with no spotter decided to play it safe.

Quads, Calves & Biceps, (Fri 2/8/13).
Leg Extensions: 85KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx8, 115KGx8, 125KGx6, 125KGx5>105KGx5>85KGx5.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx9, 60KGx6, 65KGx2(+1).
Squats: 85KGx12, 125KGx8, 125KGx8, 125KGx8, 140KGx4, 140KGx4, 140KGx3>100KGx8>60KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 30KGx3.
Front Squats: 60KGx8, 70KGx5, 80KGx5, 90KGx3, 80KGx5, 70KGx3, 60KGx5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx20, 90KGx17, 100KGx14.
Notes: As the squat rack was in use, I opted to start 'the bodybuilder way', by doing Leg Extensions. I couldn't believe the weight I was capable of! Usually a finisher, doing these with fresh legs gave me a 20KG reps PB, then decided to do a drop set for a laugh. I didn't laugh. Squats suffered as I felt like I packed up mid way through the first set. I did extra sets to get my reps up and another drop set. Went heavy on biceps, but didn't do my cable 7s this week.

rainman
08-09-13, 11:55 am
My left arm is finally back at 100% again, although now my right arm is a bit damaged. Same shit... different limb. I managed quite a few rep PRs on the compound exercises, with higher volume on these taking away some time on the more isolation exercises. I got called 'blocky' by a couple of people this week at the gym, which I'm assuming means I have put on some muscle mass and it's not that my haircut makes me look like a Lego figure.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Sun 4/8/13).
Standing OHP: 50KGx5, 55KGx5, 60KGx5, 65KGx4, 70KGx1.
Smith Barbell Rows: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 90KGx8, 100KGx7, 100KGx7.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KG10, 20KGx10.
DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx7, 55KGx6.
Upright Rows: 60KGx12, 65KGx10, 70KGx5, 70KGx4.
Notes: After not doing Standing OHPs for a few months with much luck due to my injury, I decided to go all out, and set a PB on it! My left arm felt great finally. Upped the Upright Rows weight, but managed to tweak my left trap on my 20KG wide grip chins I was breaking exercises up with.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 5/8/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx3, 190KGx2.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 55KGx6.
Leg Press (Narrow Stance): 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx10, 275KGx8.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx8, 100KGx3, 100KGx3.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx7, 50KGx3, 50KGx4.
Notes: Decided to change up my deads sets after screwing up last week, keeping a bit in the tank and hitting sets of 5s for 170KG. I went for 2 triples on 190KG, got the first, but stopped for a double on the second. Callouses gave out as usual, but no straps were used. No belt until the top weights as usual too. Narrow stance leg pressing busted my legs up.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs 8/8/13).
Paused Barbell Bench Press: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx9, 97.5KGx6, 107.5KGx3, 107.5KGx3, 117.5KGx1, 107.5KGx2, 87.5KGx7.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx4, 42.5KGx3.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Flat DB Flyes: 10KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12.
Notes: After the physio worked on my right arm yesterday, (my left was 100% and I wasn't going to waste a session), I found it was weaker than the left for once. Possibly still bruised, so benching wasn't a good plan. A couple of reps down on last week, and the single 117.5 was a real grinder. Later I found out I was using the wrong bar and the grooves were out, so my hand position was about an inch out. Not good when you're learning paused benching.

Quad & Biceps, (Fri 9/8/13).
Squats: 85KGx12, 125KGx12, 125KGx12, 140KGx6, 140KGx6, 155KGx1, 155KGx1, 140KGx4.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx8, 60KGx4, 60KGx4.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx7, 110KGx7.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7, 27.5KGx6.
Notes: Good squat session today. Rep PRs. As nobody was in the gym I got a few more sets out, although I gave out on the fifth rep of my 140KG wind down set. My right arm was still lagging and my bicep work was down a bit. I may give 7ft Barbell Curls a miss for the next couple of weeks as these seem to really irritate it.

rainman
08-16-13, 2:31 pm
I hit the ripe old age of 35 this week. This is the first number that I've felt "Whoa shit..." from reaching. Strangely enough, most people think I'm about 10 years younger, although my joints are feeling about 10 years older at the moment. I have also bough these awesome Nike running shorts, which are the best shorts ever for squatting in, although my Wife keeps calling them my "old man" shorts. Luckily my balls don't fall out of them. Or at least they haven't so far...

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Sun. 11/8/13).
Smith Barbell Rows: 70KGx12, 80KGx10, 90KGx8, 100KGx5.
Standing OHPs: 52.5KGx5, 57.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 67.5KGx3, 72.5KGx0.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx7.
Bent Over DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx8, 55KGx6.
DB Shoulder Press: 20KGx10, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6, 30KGx4.
Upright Rows: 60KGx10, 65KGx7, 70KGx4.
A.V Dead Shrugs: 90KGx6@4 reps, 100KGx6@4 reps, 110KGx4@4 reps.
Notes: Shouldn't have tried for another PB in Standing OHPs, but concentrated on reps instead. The drop on DB Shoulder Presses relate to this, so I'm not too fussed about the drop in volume. The return of the A.V. Dead Shrugs hurt a bit.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon. 12/8/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads: 115KGx12, 145KGx12, 165KGx5, 165KGx5, 185KGx1, 185KGx1, 190KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx5, 100KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx9, 50KGx5, 50KGx4.
Tricep Cable Pushdowns: 115LBx12, 145LBx12, 175LBx12, 205LBx9, 235LBx3.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx20, 90KGx16, 100KGx12.
Notes: Deficit Sumo Deads didn' go as well as planned, possibly due to the A.V. Deads yesterday. Callouses got ripped off again- I think this is down to the Texas Powerbar. Awesome though it is, I don't think it's a reps day bar. Was anticipating a 195 as the 165s went up easy enough, but it wasn't to be. Everything else went OK I guess, so took something away from this disaster!

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Weds. 14/8/13).
Paused BB Bench Press: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx10, 97.5KGx6, 107.5KGx4, 107.5KGx4, 107.5KGx3, 87.5KGx6.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx10.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx5, 40KGx5.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
Flat DB Flyes: 17.5KGx10, 20KGx9.
Notes: Arrived to find a film crew in the gym. The workout was a mission to avoid the crew, which meant me pressing in direct sunlight and adapting around them. I was going to try for a double of 117.5KG, but seeing a video of me doing the roll of shame appear on Youtube meant I went for solid reps. I may go up 2.5KG again next week, as 2x 4 reps is a good benchmark and I usually work with triples nowadays.

Quads & Biceps, (Fri. 16/8/13).
Sqauts: 85KGx12, 125KGx12, 125KGx12, 140KGx6, 140KGx6, 155KGx1, 160KGx1.
Barbell Curls: 50KGx5, 55KGx5, 60KGx5, 65KGx3, 65KGx2.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx7, 110KGx7.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7, 30KGx3>20KGx5>10KGx8.
Front Squats: 50KGx10, 60KGx10, 70KGx8, 80KGx4, 90KGx3.
Lying Cable 7s: 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8, 160LBx8/8/8, 175LBx8/8/5.
Notes: Fearing my squats were going to mirror last weeks' numbers, I decided to hit a single for 160 for my last set, which went up well enough, especially after the volume beforehand. BB Curls was a stupid idea as my right arm hurt, but I went heavy and got a rep PB on 65KGs. I also tried a gruelling drop set on Hammer Curls, and by the time I got to the 10KG DBs, my arms had no feeling left in them, (worth a try folks). Happy on the Front Squats, until I hit the safety bar on an 80KG descent, which screwed up my rhythm a tad.

rainman
08-23-13, 1:55 pm
Pretty good week overall, especially as I have been installing central heating and mixing concrete when not in the gym, so I should be more beaten up than I feel. We have finally got those limited edition peanut butter Pop Tarts over here, so I'm assuming I'm getting a placebo effect from them and my body is actually smashed to pieces.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Sun 18/8/13).
Smith Barbell Rows: 70KGx12, 80KGx10, 90KGx8, 90KGx8.
Upright Rows: 60KGx12, 65KGx9, 70KGx6, 70KGx6.
DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx8, 55KGx7.
DB Shoulder Press: 22.5KGx10, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx10, 30KGx10, 32.5KGx6, 35KGx2.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 20KGx9.
Close Grip Lat Pulldowns: 140LBx12, 170LBx12, 200LBx8, 200LBx8.
Notes: Some lemon kept jumping on the bits I wanted to use as I was walking over to the equipment, so mixed it up again. No Standing OHPs due to said lemon, so I was fresh for the DB Shoulder Presses. The 10 30KGs was good news as this is what I was on before my injury. Sadly the 35KGs proved to be a grinder, as did the 32.5KGs, as I get back used to hoiking up the weights. Went more for reps than PBs, which worked well.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 19/8/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx3, 190KGx2.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx5, 100KGx4.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx8, 50KGx4, 50KGx6.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 42.5KGx12, 47.5KGx10, 52.5KGx8, 52.5KGx7.
Smith Calf Raises: 130KGx20, 150KGx20, 170KGx12.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension: 115LBx12, 145LBx9, 175LBx3.
Notes: Swapped my over/ under grip round for my deads as my callouses have really been giving me shit. It helped, although I did totter around a bit trying to get my balance right. Matched my 3x 190KG pulls from a couple of weeks back. rest of the workout was OK. Went up a washer on Skull Crushers and hardly noticed the increase. Well... my elbows did, but that's what Animal Flex is for!

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs 22/8/13).
Paused BB Bench Press: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx6, 100KGx6, 110KGx3, 110KGx3, 120KGx1.
Alternating DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8, 40KGx6.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7, 45KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Notes: Went up another 2.5KG on the bench after last week and hit all my desired reps! I won't go up another washer until I'm repping 4x110KGs with ease. Setting my reps to look like my deads, (12, 10, 5, 5, +/-3, +/-3), was a good plan, although I got carried away with the 100KG sets. Confident enough to do a 120KG with no spotter, although I didn't try for a double. Mild right shoulder pain, lots of volume and pump. Just the usual...

Quads, Calves & Biceps, (Fri 23/8/13).
Sqauts: 85KGx12, 125KGx10, 140KGx5, 140KGx5, 155KGx3, 155KGx1, 170KGx0.
Bicep Curl Machine, (Wide Grip): 20KGx12, 30KGx10, 40KGx6, 40KGx8>30KGx5, 20KGx4>10KGx6>Bar x13.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx8, 120KGx4.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx7, 27.5KGx4, 27.5KGx5>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx10>1KG(!)x20.
Front Squats: 50KGx10, 60KGx10, 70KGx8, 80KGx6, 90KGx4.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx20, 90KGx16, 100KGx12.
Notes: Did my deads rep set up for squats too, and had more in the tank for a 3x155KG PB. The bar rolled round on my back for the second 155 set, (I think most bars in my gym are bent), so only got 1. The 170 was too much after grinding the 155 out. I was using a slightly wider stance as I've found hip mobility a bit better of late, possibly down to the front squatting. Bicep drop set exercises were a f'ing pig. Nasty pump which made me feel more sick than squatting!

rainman
08-30-13, 5:11 pm
After running out of the Pop Tarts I mentioned last week, my lower back has felt a bit tweaky. Just over the glute on the right hand side. Picked up, I think, when my 4th rep of my top weight on front squats rolled away from me and I lent forward, although it may have highlighted a muscle imbalance from using an over/ under grip on my deads, with the left arm always being the 'under' one. Swapping over last week may have started this off. Not really a major problem. Just a bit tight.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 26/8/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx5, 170KGx3, 190KGx1, 200KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx6, 100KGx4.
*Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx3, 40KGx6.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 42.5KGx12, 47.5KGx10, 52.5KGx8, 52.5KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx7, 50KGx3, 50KGx3.
Tricep Pushdowns: 175LBx12, 205LBx8, 235LBx2, 235LBx3.
Smith Calf Raises: 110KGx20, 130KGx20, 150KGx16, 170KGx10.
Notes: Super fucked off about the deadlift. I think my niggling back made me wary about pulling, complicated more by me swapping my over/ under grip for the second week. The single 190 was a struggle in itself.
*- I asked for a stepper in a hardcore gym and I got one. How do you do the exercise? Lie on the stepper face down, knees just hanging over the edge, using your hands to hold on to the stepper base. Use your feet to hold a dumbbell, cross over your feet at the toes and raise the weight to your arse. Down & repeat. Don't go too heavy on the weight as you don't want a DB falling on your back, but you'll find the hams get a workout, but also the calves, as they contract when bringing the DB up and stretch out when you return the weight to the floor.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 27/8/13).
Standing OHP: 52.5KGx5, 57.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 67.5KGx0.
Upright Rows: 60KGx12, 65KGx9, 70KGx7, 70KGx6.
DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx8, 60KGx4.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 20KGx9.
T-Bar Rows: 40KGx12, 60KGx12, 80KGx10.
DB Shoulder Press: 25KGx12, 27.5KGx10, 30KGx5.
Notes: Both elbows unexpectedly packed up on OHPs. It was odd, but painful. Lat drive felt alright, but they felt stiff. Possibly bounced the bar when unloading from the rack? Tried to recoup something from the rest of the session and got it with 60KG DB rows.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Thurs 29/8/13).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 100KGx7, 110KGx4, 110KGx4.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6, 40KGx6.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx5, 45KGx5.
Decline Cable Flyes: 55LBx12, 70LBx10, 85LBx10.
Notes: Paused bench was a surprise. Sort of hit the groove and the motion felt great. No aggravated shoulder injury for once. The 8x100KG was inspiring, the second at the 7th rep was a grinder, (although I could've probably hit 8), but held some back for the 110s. The 4th rep of the 2nd 110 was an arse off the bench moment, but it went up. Another washer next week then.

Quads, Calves & Biceps, (Fri 30/8/13).
Sqauts: 90KGx12, 130KGx12, 150KGx7, 170KGx1, 150KGx3, 130KGx6, 90KGx12.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx8.
Leg Extension: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx5, 110KGx5.
E-Z Bar 7s: 35KGx8/8/8, 40KGx8/8/8, 45KGx8/8/5, 45KGx8/8/4.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx20, 90KGx17, 100KGx15.
Notes: Got invited to squat with a guy called Tomas(sp?) today, after we struck up a conversation a few weeks ago about his Animal shirt. I was going to stay light after having a sore back for the whole of the week, but the friendly rivalry worked wonders for my lifts. Every set was a PB, and the 170 flew up. I was considering going for a double, or even 4 P.P.S., but decided to drop set back down instead. Guess a training buddy helps. This, plus the dropset DB Hammers, made me feel sick though!

rainman
09-06-13, 2:27 pm
Came in to the week with a buggered back and aching joints. Just like the last time I stupidly ran out of Flex. Shopping list for this weekend includes Flex and a foam roller then.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Sun 1/9/13).
Standing OHPs: 52.5KGx8, 57.5KGx6, 62.5KGx5, 67.5KGx2, 62.5KGx3, 57.5KGx5, 52.5KGx7.
Upright Rows: 60KGx12, 65KGx9, 70KGx6, 70KGx6.
DB Rows: 45KGx12, 50KGx10, 55KGx8, 60KGx6.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 20KGx10.
T-Bar Rows: 45KGx12, 60KGx10, 75KGx8, 75KGx8.
DB Shoulder Presses: 20KGx12, 25KGx12, 30KGx9, 35KGx5.
Notes: Decided not to mess about on OHPs after my disaster last week, so put a bit more volume in. Will probably drop 2.5KGs off the Upright Rows as I have been losing form of late. Used the 15KG/35LB plates for T-Bars to get more movement out the exercise. The DB presses rocked, especially after the OHPs took al my strength away.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 2/9/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx0, 190KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx6, 100KGx4.
Stepper Lying DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx6, 40KGx6.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 42.5KGx12, 47.5KGx10, 52.5KGx8, 52.5KGx6.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx17, 180KGx14.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdowns: 130LBx20, 160LBx12, 190LBx9, 190LBx6.
Notes: Another Sumo disaster. My deads suffered as my back is still feeling very tight, so I wasn't able to get as low as I like for the initial pull. The lack of scrapes on my shins confirmed I was basically pushing through more with hips than using my adductors for the initial pull. I may lay off deads for a couple of weeks so as not to kill, a) My back, and b) My confidence. Used a foam roller for the first time after training and it really helped, although I had no idea what to do with the things!

Quads & Biceps, (Thurs 5/9/13).
Squats: 87.5KGx12, 127.5KGx10, 127.5KGx10, 142.5KGx6, 142.5KGx5, 157.5KGx2, 157.5KGx2.
7ft BB Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx8, 60KGx4, 60KGx5>50KGx4>40KGx5>30KGx7.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx6, 110KGx6.
E-Z Bar 7s: 35KGx8/8/8, 40KGx8/8/8, 45KGx8/8/5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx20, 90KGx16, 100KGx13.
Notes: Pretty good workout. Squats felt heavier without a training partner, but went up 2.5KGs on my base numbers & hit 2 doubles for 157.5KG. The drop set on BB Curls made me feel a bit ill. Not much bicep pump post workout though, so DB Hammers should remain a staple I guess.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 6/9/13).
Paused BB Bench: 72.5KGx12, 92.5KGx10, 102.5KGx6, 102.5KGx6, 112.5KGx2, 112.5KGx2, 112.5KGx3.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 25KGx6.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6, 40KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7, 45KGx6.
Side Delt 'Chicken Wings' Machine: 5KG p/s x12, 10KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x5, 12.5KG p/s x8, 10KG p/s x12.
Flat DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx11, 20KGx10.
Notes: Upped 2.5KG on the bench base numbers again and roll of shamed a 3rd rep attempt on my first set of 112.5KGs after doing pretty well beforehand. Just about managed a 3rd rep on the last set of 112.5s though. My right shoulder ached a bit towards the end. The 'Chicken Wings' delt machine killed it, plus my arms did a Mr. Burns type stance when resting between reps.

Appollonian
09-10-13, 1:13 pm
All things considered, lack of Flex included, looking good rainman.

I actually designed a spreadsheet for the essentials that spits warnings at me when I'm getting closed to running out of something, with a week lead time. Since I've started that I've only run out of something, EAA Stack, once. A little crazy sure, but I was having issues before so hey it worked ha.

Chase "BIG COUNTRY" Browning
09-10-13, 1:20 pm
All things considered, lack of Flex included, looking good rainman.

I actually designed a spreadsheet for the essentials that spits warnings at me when I'm getting closed to running out of something, with a week lead time. Since I've started that I've only run out of something, EAA Stack, once. A little crazy sure, but I was having issues before so hey it worked ha.

lol this is serious shit man. i like it.

Appollonian
09-10-13, 1:35 pm
lol this is serious shit man. i like it.

Haha thanks my friend. I usually buy 2-3 months of supps at a time. Long ago I figured I could save a lot of money on shipping 'bulk' ordering my supps. The one thing I needed was a spreadsheet so I knew at that moment what my stash looked like. 'Problem' solved! This is the engineer in me coming out ha.

rainman
09-10-13, 3:06 pm
My problem is that my Wife works odd shift patterns, so getting stuff delivered when she is in bed means I'll end up with a pain inflicted by her that even Flex can't fix! The other issue is that UK distributors seem to be lagging in Universal supplies. I've not found a 1KG tub of EAA Stack Watermelon in stock here for ages and I'm certainly not going to be holding my breath for either the LE pak/ shirt combo or that new peanut butter banana Casein arriving here anytime soon.

rainman
09-13-13, 4:47 pm
A really cool week began with a migraine on Sunday, so no gym time, but my Brother and his Wife had their first child on Monday night. This meant about 4 hours sleep due to updates, but working with Dad on Tuesday got cancelled, (AFTER I'd got to the gym at 8am typically), so I trained hard then got to meet my new Nephew in the afternoon. I've never been more tense holding a weight in my life or more proud. This is one Journey that will be quite special for me to follow.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 9/9/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx2, 190KGx1.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx4, 100KGx3.
Stepper Lying DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 40KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 42.5KGx12, 47.5KGx10, 52.5KGx7, 52.5KGx6.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx8, 50KGx4, 50KGx3.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 130LBx20, 160LBx15, 190LBx6, 190LBx5, 160LBx9.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx20, 90KGx18, 100KGx14, 100KGx12.
Notes: Slowly building the deads back up as my back gets movement back in the lower part- got blood on my shins and everything. Not much else to report, although I got more reps out of the stepper curls.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 10/9/13).
Standing OHP: 52.5KGx5, 57.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 67.5KGx2, 62.5KGx3, 57.5KGx4, 52.5KGx5.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
DB Rows: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx6, 60KGx5.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx8.
T-Bar Rows: 45KGx12, 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx5, 90KGx5.
DB Shoulder Presses: 20KGx12, 25KGx12, 30KGx7, 35KGx1.
A.V. Dead Shrugs: 90KGx5 @4 reps, 100KGx5 @4 reps, 110KGx5 @4 reps, 120KGx5 @4 reps.
Notes: Quite disappointed with the OHPs & DB presses today. Both felt heavy. My back exercises went much better, with the A.V. shrugs giving my body that extra kick in the arse, but made my back stiff for the whole afternoon again. Dropped the Upright Row weight to concentrate more on squeezing at the top of the rep.

Quads & Biceps, (Thurs 12/9/13).
Squats: 87.5KGx12, 127.5KGx10, 127.5KGx10, 142.5KGx6, 142.5KGx6, 157.5KGx0, 157.5KGx3, 157.5KGx2.
Bicep Curl Machine (Wide Grip): 20KGx12, 30KGx9, 40KGx5, 40KGx4>30KGx4>20KGx5>10KGx6.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx7, 110KGx6.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx7>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx8.
Notes: Felt good on squats until I went for my first 157.5KG set and screwed up due to bad set up. Re-racked and busted out a triple, followed by a double. I was set to go for a 172.5KG PB until screwing up too. Only having an hour to train meant making the most of my bicep stuff and did a 'Blood & Guts' inspired warmup+working set, but did a dropset on the working set. This may remain a staple for future bicep work as I had a decent arm pump for the rest of the day.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 13/9/13).
Paused BB Bench Press: 72.5KGx12, 92.5KGx10, 102.5KGx7, 102.5KGx6, 112.5KGx3, 112.5KGx3, 122.5KGx1, 112.5KGx1.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8, 40KGx8.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6, 45KGx5.
Chicken Wings Machine: 7.5KG p/s x12, 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x11.
Rotary Chest Press Machine: 20KG p/s x12, 40KG p/s x7, 50KG p/s x3.
Notes: Much better bench day. Felt good and hit a paused PB of 122.5KG with no spotter. Felt like I had more, but am more of a triples guy nowadays. Up another washer next week then. Good inclines too, up on the Chicken Wings and tried out the Rotary Plate Machine. It's alright I guess, but not a patch on freeweights. Will probably do a dropset on this as a finisher next week to see if I'll keep it in my workouts.

rainman
09-20-13, 1:47 pm
I took Sunday off from training to take out more internal walls in our 'requiring modernisation' house. I am working to plan by the way. The Wife came in from work at 3pm with a stinking cold, which hasn't subsided until today, which meant no more work on the house, but at least I had a lot more space to avoid her germs. Training wise, I've been down a bit on numbers, but a lot of that could be attributed to the lack of sleep I've had from Tracy's cold and her incessant nose blowing and me having to stay alert due to the dangers of the germs.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 16/9/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx4, 170KGx3, 180KGx1, 185KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx5, 100KGx4.
Stepper Lying DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx7, 40KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8>42.5KGx6>32.5KGx6.
Hip Thrusts: 60KGx10, 80KGx8, 100KGx8, 120KGx6, 140KGx5.
Tricep Pushdowns: 175LBx12, 235LBx5>205LBx3, 175LBx4.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx9, 50KGx5, 50KGx6.
Notes: Everything still felt tight on the deads, so doing deficits and misjudging my starting weight didn't help. My drop in numbers is starting to get on my tits. Tried hip thrusts to day for the first time and hit over 300LB for reps, which was alright, but I'm not convinced. I don't think triceps work the same as biceps by just doing a set and dropset, so will be going back to 4 sets next week.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 17/9/13).
Standing OHP: 52.5KGx5, 57.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 67.5KGx1, 62.5KGx4, 57.5KGx4 s/w 20KG Weighted Wide Grip Chins: 8, 8, 8, 6, 5, 5.
DB Rows: 50KGx12, 55KGx9, 60KGx5, 60KGx3.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
T-Bar Rows: 60KGx12, 75KGx8, 90KGx5.
Notes: Standing OHPs continue to give me trouble, Splitting chins with OHPs didn't help either and dropped subsequent row numbers. Callouses were also busted from yesterday. A bad day, but still better than staying in bed. Marginally.

Quads & Biceps, (Thurs 19/9/13).
Squats: 87.5KGx12, 127.5KGx6, 127.5KGx10, 127.5KGx10, 127.5KGx10, 127.5KGx7.
7ft. BB Curls: 50KGx12, 55KGx7, 60KGx4, 60KGx4.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 90KGx12, 90KGx9, 90KGx7.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx5, 7.5KGx10.
Notes; Decided on a deload type of rep work for squats, only going to my initial weight for 10s. Being late I just used the bar in the squat rack. As I came up on the 7th rep of my 1st working set the bar twisted round on my back before rolling off behind me and pushing my arms in. I selected my favourite bar, reset the weights and busted off more sets of 10, but my flow, (as well as my elbows and the squat rack), were damaged by this point. I've complained about bent bars before at our gym, but this was the first time it has caused me any real problems.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 20/9/13).
Paused BB Bench Press: 75KGx12, 95KGx8, 105KGx6, 105KGx5, 115KGx3, 115KGx2, 115KGx2.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8, 40KGx8.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15Kgx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx3!
Chicken Wings Machine: 7.5KG p/s x12, 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x7.
Rotary Chest Press: 20KG p/s x12, 30KG p/s x12, 40KG p/s x11, 40KG p/s x7>30KGx6>20KGx9>10KGx12.
Notes: My left elbow was pretty tweaky after yesterday, but I still upped the bench weight like a tit. After an initial worry about a 2 rep drop in my base set, (I rushed in to my first working set too early with hindsight), I was pleasantly surprised. Got a spot for the first set of 115KG, which I tripled, but in the following unspotted sets my elbow really packed up, with the bar dropping significantly on my left side. Still pulled out 2 more doubles, but the second was a real arse off the bench grinder. Only DB Pullovers subsequently hurt, but hit some good numbers with the rest of the exercises.

Appollonian
09-20-13, 1:53 pm
I took Sunday off from training to take out more internal walls in our 'requiring modernisation' house. I am working to plan by the way. The Wife came in from work at 3pm with a stinking cold, which hasn't subsided until today, which meant no more work on the house, but at least I had a lot more space to avoid her germs. Training wise, I've been down a bit on numbers, but a lot of that could be attributed to the lack of sleep I've had from Tracy's cold and her incessant nose blowing and me having to stay alert due to the dangers of the germs.



This still looks like a solid week to me. Honestly lack of sleep can definitely wear on you at first especially. Is the elbow a nagging concern for you that flairs up now and then?

rainman
09-20-13, 2:29 pm
Hi. I just popped by you Journey actually. My elbows aren't really too much of a problem. They occasionally ache after heavy skullcrushers, but it's nothing serious. When I set myself up for squats I kind of do a Sam Byrd set up, holding on to the bar with both hands, going under the bar, then stretching up with the bar behind me before setting the bar up on my back, so I've definitely got a lot of flexibility in my elbows. NB- I don't do the individual shoulder set up thing he does because Sam is a badass and I am a minnow.
When the bar rolled off my back, I drove up fairly quickly and at the top of the lift I felt the bar slowly tilting backwards. The bar was still set as I always position it, but I could feel my arms being pulled back. Leaning forward at full extension could've been quite messy lower back wise, so I tried to hold on, whereby my arms got pulled down and the elbows drawn together, before they got pulled outwards as the bar continued to drop. Had I not let go then I think I'd have done something really nasty. Instead it crashed down on the floor and I set the plates up on another bar before continuing with my sets.
Today I really shouldn't have benched to be honest, but figured I'd be alright. I was OK, but I was holding my arm up with my other one between sets. I still hit the numbers, but had it got any worse I'd have quit early. Instead I had a fairly good day.

rainman
09-27-13, 3:58 pm
A fair week of training, with my jippy elbows from last week carrying over, but some good numbers for me going up nonetheless. The Wife has been on nights, after being ill all last week, so it's another 7 days of me having to be quiet around the house and not taking up floors like I need to. I also got an interesting job offer today, which is quite a strange one. Store Manager for a health food/ supplement company. I got asked whilst rocking my red Animal Iconic too, which was odd. I'm quite flattered I was asked, and it'll certainly get me out the shit, but something tells me I won't be able to wear Universal gear there! I did ask if I had to drop to 10% BF, which got raised eyebrows, so I guess it's 'renovation work' time.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 22/9/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx2, 190KGx1.
Smith Floor Presses: 62.5KGx12, 82.5KGx10, 102.5KGx4, 102.5KGx3.
Stepper Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx8, 40KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx7, 42.5KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx8, 50KGx4, 50KGx3.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx20, 180KGx14.
Notes: Breaking the bar off the floor remains a problem on deads. I need to work on this somehow. Perhaps add straps for more 170KG reps? Elbow pain remained, especially on the Skull Crushers, so I concentrated more on hams and calves & laid off tricep work.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 23/9/13).
Standing OHP: 40KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KGx5, 60KGx5, 50KGx8, 40KGx10 s/w 20KG Weighted Neutral Grip Chins: 6x6 reps.
DB Rows: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx6, 60KGx4.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx8.
T-Bar Rows: 45KGx12, 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx7, 90KGx6.
Upright Rows: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8 s/w 20KG Weighted Wide Grip Chins: 3, 5, 5.
Notes: I went for a different approach on the Standing OHPs, (I won't give up on these), but still feel DB Shoulder Presses suit me better. Next week I'm going to add these to my Hams, Calves & Triceps day and go for a narrower, false grip instead. Chins also took away a few reps on my other back exercises and my elbow ligaments weren't happy with them, but fuck it. Chins have always been a staple for me and not to do them feels like I'm cheating myself.

Quads & Biceps, (Thurs 26/9/13).
Squats: 87.5KGx12, 127.5KGx10, 142.5KGx6, 142.5KGx5, 157.5KGx2, 157.5KGx1, 157.5KGx1.
7ft BB Curls: 50KGx10, 55KGx5, 55KGx5, 60KGx4, 60KGx3.
Front Squats: 50KGx10, 60KGx10, 70KGx8, 80KGx6, 90KGx4.
Bicep Curl Machine, (Narrow Grip): 20KGx12, 30KGx9, 40KGx5, 40KGx4>30KGx4, 20KGx5, 10KGx7.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx7.
Notes: I didn't fwwl great on squats today- felt I wasn't hitting depth and everything was pretty stiff. I set my legs up narrower than the past few weeks, so that was probably a factor. I did front squats again with no issues and leg extensions felt OK. Did a wider grip, 5 set on BB Curls and a close grip on the machine which I wish I'd held wider. Good sets though.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 27/9/13).
Paused BB Bench: 75KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx6, 105KGx5, 115KGx3, 115KGx3, 115KGx2.
Alt. Front DB Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 42.5KGx5.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx5.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx6, 45KGx4.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x7, 15KG p/s x6.
Rotary Chest Press: 20KG p/s x12, 30KG p/s x12, 40KG p/s x6, 40KG p/s x6>30KGx5>20KGx8.
Notes: Good, un-spotted benching. Felt happy handling 115KG, although it seemed heavier than last week! Ground out my 2nd triple 115KG set, with the third going up veeeery slowly. Went up DB Incline weigh too and hit 8 reps on the new higher DB set. The rest of the accessory work went well. I'm also noticing a definite growth on medial delts. Looking like a bellend on the Chicken Wings Machine has paid off it seems.

Cellardweller
10-03-13, 12:40 pm
I hear you on the elbow pain. I don't even do skullcrushers anymore. Wish I could, but I know just looking at the bar my elbow will be crying for a week if I did. Good work going on in here.

Appollonian
10-03-13, 1:26 pm
Nice looking week rainman. Cool job offer! Honestly if I could make close to the same amount of money as I do now and work as a gym manager or health food/supplement store, I'd do it quick.


I hear you on the elbow pain. I don't even do skullcrushers anymore. Wish I could, but I know just looking at the bar my elbow will be crying for a week if I did. Good work going on in here.

Gotta do what works for you. There are always other exercises and no reason to work through pain.

rainman
10-03-13, 2:55 pm
I hear you on the elbow pain. I don't even do skullcrushers anymore. Wish I could, but I know just looking at the bar my elbow will be crying for a week if I did. Good work going on in here. Cheers for stopping by. Got to put my numbers up... it leaves me accountable! Flex has really helped my elbows and I've been using some of that Cissus stuff too, which has helped. They only really got painful after the bent bar rolled off my back, pulling them apart, a few weeks ago. They've been much better this week. What's really tearing me apart though is my weighted chins. I developed ligament pain about 6 months ago at the elbow and it only flares up when I do them. I used to use 2 45lb plates+ on them for reps of 6-10, but since the problem started I've had to cut down to 1 45lb plate.
I've got a video somewhere of me doing 7 reps with 42.5KG of plates on my belt. I'll post it up if I can figure out how to use the internet.


Nice looking week rainman. Cool job offer! Honestly if I could make close to the same amount of money as I do now and work as a gym manager or health food/supplement store, I'd do it quick. Even if it wasn't Universal? The guy who mentioned it I've spoken about before. He's very involved in our gym, is passionate about what he does and a real nice guy too. Sickeningly, he is the real deal bodybuilding wise too. I'd post a video of him, but it's against Forum rules as he's technically a competitor. The main problem is that I was in retail, (stock auditing etc), before being made redundant last November and since then I've been happily out, had my first 'Christmas' in 17 years instead of a 'peak' and started training as an electrician. It'd be awesome to work with him, but can't help feeling I'd be going back to something I wasn't happy with situation wise.

Oh, and call me John.

Appollonian
10-03-13, 5:44 pm
Cheers for stopping by. Got to put my numbers up... it leaves me accountable! Flex has really helped my elbows and I've been using some of that Cissus stuff too, which has helped. They only really got painful after the bent bar rolled off my back, pulling them apart, a few weeks ago. They've been much better this week. What's really tearing me apart though is my weighted chins. I developed ligament pain about 6 months ago at the elbow and it only flares up when I do them. I used to use 2 45lb plates+ on them for reps of 6-10, but since the problem started I've had to cut down to 1 45lb plate.
I've got a video somewhere of me doing 7 reps with 42.5KG of plates on my belt. I'll post it up if I can figure out how to use the internet.

Even if it wasn't Universal? The guy who mentioned it I've spoken about before. He's very involved in our gym, is passionate about what he does and a real nice guy too. Sickeningly, he is the real deal bodybuilding wise too. I'd post a video of him, but it's against Forum rules as he's technically a competitor. The main problem is that I was in retail, (stock auditing etc), before being made redundant last November and since then I've been happily out, had my first 'Christmas' in 17 years instead of a 'peak' and started training as an electrician. It'd be awesome to work with him, but can't help feeling I'd be going back to something I wasn't happy with situation wise.

Oh, and call me John.

Well I would want the store to have a heavy Universal/Animal presence. And really being a gym manager would be more to my liking, but I like the idea of spreading health in general.

rainman
10-03-13, 6:50 pm
I agree on both points.

I don't think I'll get much of a say on getting Universal products in, as it'll be exclusively his own products. He does lots of whole foods too, so it's not all protein powders and the like. In fact, he's more likely to promote healthy eating over reliance on supplements. The only other supplement company I've seen do this has actually been Universal/ Animal reps.

As for the shop role. Well, times here for me have been a bit hard of late. No work found in the electrical avenue I wanted to pursue, and no chance of becoming a freelance writer with a regular income, so going back to retail or stock management may be my only option for now. Bit of a pisser, but I'm remortgaging in 6 months time and with a steady income I could get a much better deal. I feel aggrieved for wasting money on training, but that's how it goes. And if it means I can get people eating healthier and taking an interest in sport then I'm cool.

Appollonian
10-04-13, 9:01 am
I wasn't trying to pass judgement my friend, you have to do what you have to do to get you and your family by. Times are very hard and I wouldn't pass a good opportunity down. And money isn't wasted on training; having your body and your mind used to pushing itself in all dimensions make other hardships easier to bare.

rainman
10-04-13, 11:40 am
Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 30/9/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx5, 150KGx5, 170KGx3, 170KGx3, 170KGx3, 170KGx3, 170KG w/straps x7.
Smith Floor Presses: 62.5KGx12, 82.5KGx10, 102.5KGx3, 102.5KGx3.
Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 42.5KGx7.
DB Behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx8, 40KGx5, 40KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 45KGx7, 50KGx3, 50KGx3.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 130LBx12, 160LBx10, 190LBx7, 190LBx6.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx20, 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx11.
Notes: Couldn't seem to warm up for deads & used the shittiest bar, (bigger diameter/ no grip), so stuck at explosive triple at about 80%. Used straps for my final set to pull 7. The rest of the workout was OK, but I had a few things on my mind, so didn't focus too well today.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 1/10/13).
Standing OHP: 40KGx10, 50KGx8, 60KGx5, 60KGx5, 65KGx3 s/w 20KG Neutral Grip Chins: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6.
DB Rows: 50KGx10, 55KGx8, 60KGx3, 60KG w/straps x7.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx6, 22.5KGx5 s/w 20KG Wide Grip Chins: 4, 4, 4, 3.
T-Bar Rows: 60KGx12, 75KGx9, 90KGx6.
Face Pulls: 100LB12, 130LBx10, 160LBx6.
Notes: Used a false grip on OHPs & felt much better, especially in my elbows. Similar reps, but not so painful lifting. I'm hoping this will eventually improve my numbers. Chins took out reps on rows and my callouses were screwed from yesterday, so I was down on numbers.

Quads & Biceps, (Thurs 3/10/13).
Squats: 87.5KGx12, 127.5KGx10, 142.5KGx5, 142.5KGx5, 157.5KGx2, 157.5KGx2, 157.5KGx1.
7ft BB Curls: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx9, 57.5KGx4, 57.5KGx5, 62.5KGx2, 62.5KGx1.
Front Squats: 60KGx10, 70KGx8, 80KGx5, 90KGx3, 90KGx0.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx7>7.5KGx8.
Leg Extensions: 40KGx20, 80KGx14, 120KGx4.
Notes: Not a bad workout, but spent too long on the BB curling. I was cheating on the 62.5s really- curling but leaning back too far in my opinion. Used a thicker bar for front squats and it rolled off my chest. Leg Extensions, at those reps post double squatting, were brutal.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (4/10/13).
Paused BB Bench: 75KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx5, 105KGx6, 115KGx3, 115KGx2, 115KGx2, 75KGx10.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Presses: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6, 42.5KGx5>32.5KGx4>22.5KGx6>12.5KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10, 20KGx10.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx5, 45KGx5.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x7, 15KG p/s x6.
Cable Flyes: 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx10, 100LBx6, 55LBx10.
Notes: Used the Texas Powerbar for benching today and wasn't too happy with it, mainly at the flexing at the top of the press. Would've preferred 2x triple of 115s, but was 50/50, and with no spotter, decided to play it safe. The incline DB dropset was pure f'ing evil, (bumping the DBs up on my knees for the first rep hurt more than the actual lift), and most numbers remained pretty similar. Cable Flyes were OK, holding for a squeeze at each rep.

rainman
10-04-13, 11:49 am
I wasn't trying to pass judgement my friend, you have to do what you have to do to get you and your family by. Times are very hard and I wouldn't pass a good opportunity down. And money isn't wasted on training; having your body and your mind used to pushing itself in all dimensions make other hardships easier to bare.
I don't know if I come across a bit harsh in my replies, but it's not meant to be. You've always had good advice and are always welcome here. I suppose I'm a bit worried that I'll be no different to a car salesman pimping a Ford on the forecourt then driving home in a BMW. I can always wear an Iconic under my shirt anyhow!

rainman
10-11-13, 1:11 pm
I've had a bit of a sore throat this week, mainly as I've been doing work in the house which has created a lot of dust. Very happy with my gym time this week, as some PBs were made and good work was done. Outside the gym my Wife and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary with a long dog walk and honeycomb cheesecake for my tea.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 6/10/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx3, 190KGx1.
Smith Floor Presses: 62.5KGx12, 82.5KGx10, 102.5KGx4, 102.5KGx4.
Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx10, 42.5KGx9.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx9,160LBx8.
Leg Press (Close Stance): 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 250KGx13>200KGx8>150KGx10>100KGx14.
Notes: Bit of a lazy workout with lots of chatting. Pulled 3x190 again on Sumos, but left it too long for the second set, so ballsed up a bit. Stronger tricep day. The leg pressing hurt my back a bit, but still decided to drop set the final set anyhow.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 8/10/13).
Standing OHP: 40KGx12, 52.5KGx10, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx4, 67.5KGx3, 67.5KGx2 s/w 20KG Neutral Grip Chins: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6.
DB Rows: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx5, 60KGx5.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx7, 22.5KGx7 s/w 20KG Wide Grip Chins: 6, 5, 5, 5>3 unweighted.
T-Bar Rows: 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx6, 90KGx5.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx6, 160LBx8 s/w 20KG Close Grip Chins: 4, 4, 5.
Notes: Used weighted chins to superset between the more shoulder orientated exercises to good effect. Was very happy with the OHPs, (still using a false grip), with a 3 rep PB for 67.5KG and put up a relatively good set of numbers for the rest of the workout.

Quads & Biceps, (Thurs 10/10/13).
Squats: 87.5KGx12, 127.5KGx10, 127.5KGx8, 142.5KGx5, 142.5KGx5, 157.5KGx3, 157.5KGx2, 172.5KGx1.
7ft Barbell Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KGx4, 60KGx4.
Front Squats: 62.5KGx10, 72.5KGx8, 82.5KGx6, 92.5KGx2, 92.5KGx3.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx4>7.5KGx8.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 100KGx10, 120KGx4.
Notes: Despite hitting the bottom of the squat rack on my second set of 127.5s I ploughed on... and hit a 172.5KG PB! I am happy with that, especially after 7 sets. 4 P.P.S. are within my reach. Good numbers on the rest- DB Hammers busted me. My hands, (and quads), were shaking as I put the numbers in my journal.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 11/10/13).
Paused BB Bench Press: 75KGx12, 95KGx8, 105KGx3, 105KGx3, 105KGx4, 105KGx3, 105KGx3.
Alt. Front DB Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx7, 42.5KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx8, 45KGx4, 45KGx5.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x7, 15KG p/s x6.
Rotary Chest Press: 20KG p/s x12, 30KG p/s x12, 40KG p/s x6, 40KG p/s x6>30KGx5>20KGx7.
Notes: I had to use the incline/ decline bench today as the flat bench was being used. Not happy at all, as it was quite a bit higher, so leg drive was out the window and subsequently my numbers were a lot lower than I'd hoped for. I was set for a 125KG single after the previous successes this week, but not being happy on the equipment threw me out a bit unfortunately, so settled for 80-ish% triples instead. Feel the rest of my workout suffered a bit, mainly as I was pretty pissed off at not being able to go for a final PB, but my shoulders took an above average beating due to the shit bench.

Appollonian
10-11-13, 1:56 pm
Bad ass week John, congratulations on the PBs. As much as I miss things a commercial gym offers, I am so thankful I don't have to worry about equipment availability.

Congratulations on the anniversary, too. Honeycomb cheesecake??

rainman
10-11-13, 7:23 pm
Bad ass week John, congratulations on the PBs. As much as I miss things a commercial gym offers, I am so thankful I don't have to worry about equipment availability.

Congratulations on the anniversary, too. Honeycomb cheesecake??

Thanks. Sounds like you'll be back hitting PBs with the ART therapy soon enough too. Pretty miffed about the benching today, but that's how it goes sometimes. I took it as a deload week. Besides, Big Mike who was using the bench is a really sound guy, plus he was wearing a yellow Iconic shirt, so I let it go!
Got to say though that the gym I go to is pretty awesome. There is a 'reputation' that follows the place if you get what I mean, and it's the most un-commercial gym you could ever find and all the people that go there are really friendly. All the DBs, (the heaviest set goes up to 70KG/155LB), keep coming loose, the bars are bent and the cable station is really shoddy. I don't think I'll ever leave this gym.

Honeycomb cheesecake has little bits of honeycomb in the middle of it. Amazing stuff. I love cheesecake, but only ever eat it when I go out to restaurants.

rainman
10-18-13, 10:52 am
I only got 3 workouts in this week and, with a choice of dropping bench or squats day, opted for squats. Not because I'm a chest and arms mirror boy, but due to the fact that last week yielded a squat PR and a disrupted bench day, (plus a storming sumo session earlier in the week), I decided to drop what I needed least work on. It was a bit of a last minute decision, with 2 funerals attended instead. Both were not too close; our Maid Of Honour's Mother was one whilst an old gym buddy, (read 76), was the other. The only sure thing in life as they say. Never easy.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 14/10/13).
Deficit Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx5, 170KGx3, 170KGx3, 170KGx2, 180KGx2, 180KGx1.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx8, 85KGx8, 105KGx4, 105KGx3.
Stepper Leg Curls: 32/5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx8, 42.5KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 42.5KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx10, 45KGx6, 50KGx3, 50KGx2.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx20, 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx15.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx9.
Notes: Went for deficit sumos today so as not to fry my CNS completely, but ended spotting big Tristan on the bench, (6 reps for 3 PPS- fucker), who kept goading me to hit more sumos, watching my form from every angle, (he approved- good bloke!) The 180KG double was a nice bonus, but my legs were shot for the rest of the workout. I dropped 10KG on the skull crushers to keep my elbows happy, but they still felt a bit tweaky.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 15/10/13).
Standing OHP: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 67.5KGx4, 67.5KGx3 s/w 25KG weighted chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5.
Smith Barbell Rows: 80KGx8, 100KGx6, 100KGx5.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8 s/w 25KG Wide Grip Chins: 5, 5, 5, 4.
T-Bar Rows: 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx7.
Smith Barbell Shrugs: 100KGx8, 120KGx8.
Notes: Happy with the OHPs- I feel using the false grip has certainly helped with elbow fatigue, although I do seem to bend out of shape a bit on the lift. I went up 25KG on weighted chins too, so another success story! I got a bit rushed towards the end, as the superset chins messed with my timing a bit.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 18/10/13).
Paused BB Bench Press: 75KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx3, 115KGx2, 115KGx2.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8, 45KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6, 42.5KGx4.
Notes: Slowed up a bit on the bench. Lack of sleep and a bit of a headache haven't helped much. My shoulder felt a bit off too, so a triple 115KG press was welcomed. DB pullovers were a surprise, but this may have just been down to doing them before incline presses.

Appollonian
10-18-13, 11:59 am
Solid looking week John.

That's a tough call, but I think you made the right one. I’ve faced similar choices before and I went full stupid. I had a week when I knew I could only lift three days, so I literally combined shoulders with legs. I didn’t cut anything out, I did my leg work out, then I did my shoulder workout. Needless to say shoulders didn’t receive proper care and love, and I would’ve been better suited doing one or the other, or pairing back on both, but pairing back has never been my style ha

I love the kind of energy you can generate in the gym like that, totally bad ass.

rainman
10-25-13, 10:45 am
Pretty good week in the gym, although I've not had much time spare to get the work done. Pretty happy with everything, although a migraine on Thursday gave me a bit of a broken week and left me quite tired. After the Schwarzenegger poster a few pages back, we had another turn up this week. Sadly it was only telling us to not add plates to the stack on the cable machines. Everyone is a critic nowadays...
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff279/rokin_album/GymNotice_zpsaf7a67fc.jpg

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 20/10/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx10, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx1, 190KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx8, 95KGx6, 95KGx5, 105KGx3, 105KGx3.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx8, 42.5KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8, 45KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 45KGx9, 50KGx4, 50KGx4.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx20, 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx17.
Tricep Pushdowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx12, 205LBx8, 235LBx4.
Notes: Adductor tightness meant my deads were pretty hard getting initial depth. Frustrating numbers, especially the double 180KG pull from a 1" lower starting point last week. The 190KG was a real struggle too. My callouses went to shit on the second 170 set too. Upped the reps on floor presses and had a good workout after leaving the deads behind.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 22/10/13).
Standing OHP: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx9, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 67.5KGx3 s/w 25KG weighted chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5.
DB Rows: 50KGx12, 55KGx8, 60KGx5.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8 s/w wide grip 25KG chins: 5, 5, 5.
T-Bar Rows: 60KGx12, 75KGx9, 90KGx5.
Notes: A late start meant I had to mix things up a bit. Better reps up to my top set on OHPs, although my DB Rows are still knackering me out. I may use straps to get more reps in and giving me more quality chin ups. I would've preferred 4 sets and more exercises, but I can't control the traffic sadly.

Quads & Biceps, (Weds 23/10/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx10, 130KGx10, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx2, 160KGx2.
Bicep Curl Machine: 20KGx12, 30KGx9, 40KGx6>30KGx4>20KGx5>10KGx6.
Front Squats: 60KGx12, 75KGx8, 90KGx3, 90KGx3.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx9.
Notes: Concentrated on my squats after missing them last week and decided to go up a washer, making 130KG my base for 10 reps. Hit all my desired reps up to my triples, and got 2 doubles for 160KG. No triple attempted yet, but feel good at this weight so far. Beat the hell out of my biceps, using a dropset on both exercises, and only a day after chins too.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 25/10/13).
Paused BB Bench: 75KGx12, 95KGx10, 105KGx6, 105KGx5, 115KGx3, 115KGx3, 125KGx1, 105KGx4, 85KGx6, 65KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx4.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x8.
Notes: After suffering a migraine yesterday I didn't expect much. I ground out 10x95KGs, the 105s weren't much better, (although I got rep PRs), then 2 triples at 115KG. Decided to try a paused 125KG press and it went up fine. I felt like I had at least a 130-135KG bench in me, but didn't want to push it, so dropsetted the weight with only a couple of minutes rest in between. I was fatigued for the rest of my chest exercises, but 10 working sets will do that for you.

rainman
11-01-13, 2:20 pm
I went to see a deadlifting comp at our local powerlifting club on Sunday which made me feel a bit rubbish with my numbers, but inspired me to swap to conventional deads, and severely gave myself lower back DOMS for my efforts. As my Wife was on nights this week and getting in at 6am, I trained around her; keeping out the house when she was in bed and trying to make time for her when she was awake. No building prep, which is a shame, as I like breaking my house to bits.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Mon 28/10/13).
Conventional Deads: 110KGx5, 150KGx5, 170KGx5, 180KGx3, 190KGx1, 200KGx1, 210KG w/straps x0.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx8, 85KGx8, 105KGx5, 105KGx4.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx8, 42.5KGx9.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx10, 47.5KGx8, 47.5KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx8, 50KGx3.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx8, 190LBx2.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx15.
Notes: Checking back through my old logs I realized I hadn't done conventional deadlifts in over 3 months, (way back on 19/7/13), so decided to give it a go as my Sumos are going nowhere. Beltless up to my 180KG set, my callouses gave up around my Wedding ring again, earlier than usual as I guess I'm not holding the bar at a 90 degree angle like Sumos. Surprised by my 200KG pull considering the sabbatical. Smith Floor Presses were awesome today too.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 29/10/13).
Standing OHP: 45KGx12, 55KGx8, 55KGx7, 65KGx5, 65KGx3 s/w 25KG weighted chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8, 60KGx7.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8 s/w 25KG wide grip chins: 5, 5, 5, 5.
T-Bar Rows: 45KGx12, 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx9.
Upright Rows: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Notes: Went up 2.5KG on my base set of OHPs and felt pretty good with it. The 65KGs were a bit of a drive, but generally OK. T-Bars had surprising volume, (strated lighter for more focused back contractions), and I was happy to get the Upright Rows in too. May well step up to 30KG on weighted chins next week as I have zero elbow pain finally. Famous last words.

Quads & Biceps, (Weds. 30/10/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx10, 130KGx10, 130KGx10, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 145KGx5.
7ft. BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx6, 60KGx4.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx8, 120KGx5.
Rope Cable Curls: 70LBx12, 100LBx12, 130LBx7, 130LBx6.
Notes: My third consecutive day of training, (I hate doing this), and aching lower back from Monday meant I wasn't up for squats, especially as I don't use a belt until about 80% of my 1RM, so stuck with reps up to about 75%. Went well enough and my back felt much better after squatting. Guess it just needed loosening up! Really pleased about the 6 reps at 60KG on the BB Curls, but am not a convert on the Rope Curls, as I found the plastic bits at the top of it dug in to my thumb joints. Otherwise I think I'd have been good for at least 160-190LB range.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 1/11/13).
Paused BB Bench: 77.5KGx12, 97.5KGx9, 107.5KGx5, 107.5KGx5, 117.5KGx2, 117.5KGx2, 117.5KGx2, 100KGx7, 60KGx22!
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx9.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx9, 42.5KGx5, 42.5KGx4.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8, 45KGx6.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x7.
Flat DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx11, 22.5KGx5.
Notes: Went up a washer on the bench after last week and had my doubts when the warm ups felt heavy! Cracked on. The 2x 107.5KGx5s were a nice result and the following 3 doubles for 117.5KG, although slow, were paused and controlled. The 100 and 60KG sets were 'touch and go', just done for a pump, within a couple of minutes of my last heavy set. Apart from chatting for 30 minutes between sets- I had the supp guy call me out on the human flag, so I pulled it on the Smith machine and held my fat frame up for about 5 seconds- the rest of the workout went smoothly.

Appollonian
11-05-13, 9:02 am
Looking awesome man, I think using both stances for deadlift should at least be considered, if not used all the time you could still change it up once in awhile.

I know what you’re talking about on the cable curls and while I don’t have a fix, the way I get around it is by basically gripping the knobs themselves instead of letting it crash into my thumb. Of course no one said you have to do cable curls, I just like mixing them in.

rainman
11-05-13, 1:09 pm
Cheers, mainly for going through boring write ups week in week out! I've tried to shy away from conventional deads as, being a mountain biker, my riding position is with a slight bend in my lower back, as most cyclists have. When setting up for conventional deads I tend to drop down to this position, basically as I've been riding like this for over 30 years. Sumos have given me zero back issues in the 15 months or so I've been exclusively lifting this way, mainly as the set up is so different. However, I decided to go rep for rep with sumo this week as I did this past week with conventionals and matched numbers exactly, despite training solely with sumo deads of late. I'll probably lift conventional next week, just to see if I can improve on my numbers and decide from there where my calling lies.

The cable rope curls came from just wanting to experiment. I feel that using a 7ft bar for curls, then DBs for hammers are the way to go for me personally, but if I have time then I like to finish with cables, so that I don't cheat so much on the negatives. Lying E-Z cable curls are on the menu for tomorrow, time allowing.

rainman
11-08-13, 2:36 pm
Quite a good week I suppose. I've picked up an ache in my shoulder, possibly down to the reintroduction of Upright Rows. I'm also planning out my meal plan for the New Year, using the 'Big On A Budget' as an inspiration, I'll probably buy all the ingredients in one go and take a photo of the receipt and the prepared meals. For the past year or so I haven't cared much for my diet, but still eaten pretty clean. Gone up 2 notches on my weight belt, but 2013 was always meant to be a mass experiment.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 3/11/13).
Sumo Deads: 110KGx12, 150KGx5, 170KGx5, 180KGx3, 190KGx1, 200KGx0, 200KGx1, 210KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx8, 85KGx8, 105KGx4, 105KGx4.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx11, 45KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx12, 110KGx7.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdowns: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx10, 190LBx6.
Lying Leg Curl: 30KGx12, 40KGx10, 50KGx6.
Notes: Decided I'd do set for set on Sumos today as I had done with Conventional Deadlifts last week. OK up to 200KG, but hit it on my 2nd attempt. I feel that, had I stuck with conventional deads when joining the Lido I'd probably be up to 500lB by now. Still, my body likes sumo better I think. Went up a base weight for a couple of exercises and stuck Leg Curls at the end of the workout, primarily for a pump, but hit better numbers, so here is where they will stay!

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 4/11/13).
Standing OHPs: 45KGx10, 55KGx8, 55KGx7, 65KGx6, 65KGx4, 70KGx3 s/w 30KG weighted chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 +unweighted x17.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8, 60KGx6.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8 s/w 30KG neutral wide grip chins: 4, 3, 4, 4 +unweighted x12.
T-Bar Rows: 45KGx12, 60KGx12, 75KGx12, 90KGx8.
Upright Rows: 52.5KGx12, 57.5KGx10, 62.5KGx8.
Notes: Pretty much smashed my old PB on Standing OHPs, getting 3 reps at 70KG. I also upped the weight belt by 5KG and 30KG chins felt solid. Got called out, again by the supps guy from last week's flag challenge, for an unweighted chin up comp. bastard beat me by 2, but I had hit 5 sets at 30KG, so could hold my head up. I'm not too happy with the Upright Rows, but may give them another week. Had more of a laugh than a workout today as everyone I like seemed to be training, so spent 2 1/2 hours on this.

Quads & Biceps, (Weds 6/11/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx10, 130KGx10, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx3, 160KGx2, 160KGx2.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx7>50KGx4>40KGx5.
Front Squats: 60KGx10, 60KGx8, 75KGx5, 75KGx5, 90KGx3, 90KGx2.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx7.
Leg Extension: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx6.
Lying E-Z Bar 7s: 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8.
Notes: Squats felt hard today. I used my least favourite bar, (ironically not the most bent one), to try and adapt. Was tempted to go for a 175KG squat, but decided against singles. The BB Curls were a new record for 60KG curls, closely followed by a dropset to really fuck things up. For Front Squats the bar was too thick for my liking- rolling off at 75KG. Put in Cable 7s as I had a bit more time, albeit not much more.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 8/11/13).
Paused B Bench: 77.5KGx12, 97.5KGx8, 107.5KGx5, 107.5KGx5, 117.5KGx3, 117.5KGx2, 117.5KGx2, 100KGx6.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx5, 42.5KGx5.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7, 45KGx5.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x9.
Decline Cable Flyes: 40LBx12, 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx7.
Notes: Benching was tough. My right shoulder has been aching this past week, (possibly from Upright Rows), so I was quite timid when benching. The third 117.5KG rep was an 'all or nothing' type of moment and it almost was a 'nothing'. My arse was off the bench more than once today. I have been considering dropping my base weight back 2.5KG again, but will see how it goes next week. Cable Flyes hurt my elbows and shoulders. I guess flyes are off the menu for a while too.

rainman
11-15-13, 5:18 pm
One of those charity appeal programmes that go on all evening is on telly, so this seems like an ideal opportunity to fill in my Journey entry...

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 10/11/13).
Conventional Deads: 115KGx5, 155KGx5, 175KGx5, 185KGx3, 195KGx1, 205KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx8, 85KGx8, 105KGx5, 105KGx4.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx12, 45KGx4, 45KGx5.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 55KGx6.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx18, 160KGx15.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx7, 190LBx7.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx10, 50KGx6, 50KGx5.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension: 100LBx20, 130LBx16.
Notes: Decided to hit conventional deads again, but upped my base weight by 5KG. The 3x 185KG felt great, (felt I had a couple more), but decided on the sensible option. Unfortunately the 195 rolled away from me as I got hold of the bar on the uneven floor mats, so threw me off a bit. Broke the 205 off the floor, but my leg drive had gone after having to correct the previous set. I gave a guy a 15 minute deadlift tutorial as he was lifting with a rounded back, then put my headphones in and listened to Prodigy's 'Experience' album in full. Loudly.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 11/11/13).
Standing OHP: 45KGx10, 55KGx8, 55KGx7, 65KGx4, 65KGx3, 65KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8, 60KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx11.
T-Bar Rows: 45KGx12, 60KGx12, 75KGx12, 90KGx10, 90KGx8.
DB Shoulder Presses: 20KGx12, 25KGx12, 30KGx8, 30KGx8.
Close Grip Lat Pulldown: 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200LBx8, 230LBx5.
Notes: After spending Sunday afternoon taking up a concrete floor with a club hammer and bolster, doing back and shoulders wasn't too clever an idea. Subsequently, my delt numbers were down a bit. My back/ pulling movements, however, were up in numbers. No weighted chins today as the gym was too busy.

Quads & Biceps, (Weds 13/11/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx10, 130KGx10, 145KGx5, 145kGx4, 160KGx2, 160KGx2, 160KGx1.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx7>50KGx5>40KGx6>30KGx7.
Leg Press: 150KGx10, 200KGx10, 250KGx8.
Lying E-Z Bar Cable 7s: 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8.
Notes: I was a bit late as I had a stomach ache this morning, so squats were a daunting prospect. Went to depth on each rep, but things fell apart when I lost my balance on my 4th rep of the 2nd 145KG set, ballsing up my back a bit, but on the plus side I didn't have any other mishaps. Ploughed on, but lost my drive. Doing Leg Presses after squats busted up my quads, so I'll try and keep them in every week. The BB Curl drop set was even more brutal than last week.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 15/11/13).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 97.5KGx10, 107.5KGx6, 107.5KGx6, 117.5KGx3, 117.5KGx3, 127.5KGx1, 107.5KGx6, 87.5KGx10, 67.5KGx16.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8, 22.5KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx5, 42.5KGx4.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7, 45KGx6.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x4.
Chest Press Machine: 140LB(?)x12, 170LBx10, 200LBx8, 230LBx4.
Notes: Absolutely annihilated my benching today! After getting rep PBs on all sets leading up to my single, I decided to try, and hit, a 127.5KG PB, before dropsetting down for reps. No shoulder pain, no arse off the bench malarky and a feeling I could hit a fair bit more for a single, but am in no real rush for 1RMs, preferring decent triples, although a 3PPS bench is my goal. The chest press machine was shit. I don't like using machines and this was no different. Too awkward. If my elbows didn't ache last week I'd have done cable flyes again.

Appollonian
11-18-13, 9:08 am
Some awesome work going on, congrats on the PB’s all around!

I’m torn about machines myself for chest work. Normally I’d say they’re garbage, but my last gym had an incredible incline press machine. If I could have one machine in my home gym, it would be that one.

I had plenty of 2+ hr training sessions in college. I regularly worked out with one, if not two of my brothers, and 1-3 friends all at once. Some weeks that’s all we ever saw of each other, so we would talk and things could drag out. After so many sessions like that we tightened and sped up, but then we started playing racquetball and stayed 2 hours anyhow, but at least the training sessions were much shorter ha. Seriously though I much prefer 60 minutes or less.

Tiger
11-18-13, 10:21 am
Lots of solid work, brother! Keep killing it!

Dodgy stomachs and squats don't tend to mix too well - always that slight worry you push too hard! Haha.

Prodigy for lifting! Why have I not thought of that before?! You fucking saviour! That's getting downloaded right now!

rainman
11-18-13, 5:43 pm
Cheers for stopping by guys...


Some awesome work going on, congrats on the PB’s all around!

I’m torn about machines myself for chest work. Normally I’d say they’re garbage, but my last gym had an incredible incline press machine. If I could have one machine in my home gym, it would be that one.

I had plenty of 2+ hr training sessions in college. I regularly worked out with one, if not two of my brothers, and 1-3 friends all at once. Some weeks that’s all we ever saw of each other, so we would talk and things could drag out. After so many sessions like that we tightened and sped up, but then we started playing racquetball and stayed 2 hours anyhow, but at least the training sessions were much shorter ha. Seriously though I much prefer 60 minutes or less.
More PBs hit in the past couple of days too; lifted 205KG with relative ease yesterday and OHP'd a +5KG PB today too. Something in the Shock Therapy I think...
I'm not much of a machines fan really. I chuck a couple in here and there, mainly to experiment towards the end of my workouts, but freeweight/ bodyweight exercises are my thing.
I was talking about the length of time I spend in the gym with a regular today. I figure if you don't give a boxer breaks between rounds they'd succumb to fatigue very quickly. Longer rest periods mean I can go the distance and put more work in.


Lots of solid work, brother! Keep killing it!

Dodgy stomachs and squats don't tend to mix too well - always that slight worry you push too hard! Haha.

Prodigy for lifting! Why have I not thought of that before?! You fucking saviour! That's getting downloaded right now!
I kept thinking about Bruiser's 'Squats or Squirts' entry on his Journey a while back last Wednesday. It wasn't that bad to be honest, but I wasn't too focused on the squats, hence the back tweak.
Prodigy rock! We've got a local radio station called Kane FM. They were a pirate radio station when I was at school and got a public license a couple of years back to cover the area and played 'Out Of Space' last week, so I got all nostalgic as both were around when I was at school, (20 years back now). I've been listening to Nirvana's 'Live At Reading', Noisia's Fabric mix CD and a lot of Godsmack recently too. Fucking love Godsmack.

rainman
11-22-13, 5:37 pm
This week I seem to be getting asked for a lot of advice regarding training sets, how I incorporate machines around what I want and the structures of my workouts. It's pretty cool actually. I don't mind helping anyone out and it's quite nice to see 2 guys doing reverse grip tricep pulldowns after I've explained why I do them to someone else. Floor presses on the Smith seem to have taken off in a big way too. The owner of the supplement company who I train with sometimes has started calling my 'The Prophet', based on the fact that I preach to people with a journal in my hand like a bible and I have a beard.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 17/11/13).
Conventional Deads: 115KGx12, 155KGx5, 175KGx5, 175KGx5, 185KGx3, 205KGx1.
Smith Floor Presses: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx8, 87.5KGx8, 107.5KGx3, 107.5KGx4.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx10.
Seated Calf Raises: 90KGx12, 100KGx12, 110KGx8.
Seated DB Behind The Neck Extensions: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6, 40KGx5.
Lying Leg Curl: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx5.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx10, 205LBx3, 205LBx4.
Notes: Bloody conventional deads! I'm turning. Hit a PB of 205KG after only 3 sessions in as many months. Much as I love sumos, I believe conventional is my natural stance. Upped my Smith Floor Presses & tricep press weight and added BTN tricep extensions too. Only hit 3 sets for my accessory work, but still felt busted up. I deadlifted with that guy from last week too, who kind of invited himself to lift with me.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 18/1/13).
Standing OHPs: 45KGx10, 55KGx8, 55KGx8, 65KGx5, 65KGx5, 70KGx3, 75KGx1 s/w 30KG Weighted Chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx10.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12 s/w 30KG Wide Grip Chins: 4, 3, 3.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx6.
DB Shoulder Presses: 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx10, 32.5KGx6 s/w 30KG Weighted Neutral Wide Grip Chins: 4, 3, 3.
Notes: Another day, another PB. This time on OHPs. I put a lot of volume in the reps leading up to the 75KG press, and still managed it with no leg drive along with sore triceps from yesterday. My elbows were giving me shit at the end of the workout. Mind you, 12 sets of chins with 30KG strapped to you will do that to you.

Quads & Biceps, (Thurs 21/11/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx10, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx2, 160KGx1, 160KGx1.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx6>50KGx6>40KGx7>30KGx6.
Leg Press: 100KGx12, 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx10, 300KGx6.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx7.
Leg Extensions: 85KGx12, 95KGx10.
Notes: After spending Tuesday and Wednesday helping my Brother move out a house with really steep stairs I didn't expect the PB run to last. It didn't. Glad my legs held up like they did to be frank, especially considering it was an 8am start in the gym when I would've much rather be in bed. Actually, that is a lie.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 22/11/13).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx9, 110KGx5, 110KGx4, 120KGx2, 120KGx2, 120KGx2, 100KGx6, 80KGx15, 60KGx20.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx9.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x4.
Rotary Chest Press: 20KG p/s x12, 30KG p/s x10, 40KG p/s x7>30KG p/s x4> 20KG p/s x7.
Notes: Upped my base weight on the bench again after hitting a PB single last week. Pretty successful, especially as I try to structure my sets 10, 5, 5, 3, 3, 3/single attempt. As 120KG was my top paused single only a few months ago I am really pleased actually. I could probably have done another rep here and there with a spotter handy, but happily ground out my reps away from others. The deadlift tutorial guy was hovering close though. All accessory work was good enough I felt.

rainman
11-29-13, 1:10 pm
More people have been asking for my help on training this week, which gives me a nice feeling, mainly as I am a charlatan hack. I also got chatting with Adam today about getting myself to sub 10% BF. He sits at 8% year round, cutting for photo shoots and suchlike so it'll be good to have him on my side if I do go ahead with it. I'm probably sitting at 15% currently without doing worrying too much about my diet, although I do eat mainly good stuff.

Hams, Calves & Triceps, (Sun 24/11/13).
Sumo Deads: 115KGx10, 155KGx5, 175KGx5, 175KGx5, 185KGx3, 185KGx1, 195KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 67.5KGx12, 87.5KGx8, 87.5KGx8, 107.5KGx5, 107.5KGx4.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx7.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx17.
Seated BTN DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx7.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx5.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx10, 205LBx6.
Notes: Decided to hit sumos again and every rep was difficult. I wished I was lifting conventional instead. Decent sets of 175KG for 5s, but dropped off soon after. The floor presses were much better- I'll go up to 70KG for my base weight next week.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 25/11/13).
Standing OHP: 47.5KGx10, 57.5KGx8, 57.5KGx6, 67.5KGx3, 67.5KGx2, 67.5KGx2 s/w 35KG Weighted Chins: 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx9.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx13 s/w 30KG Wide Grip Weighted Chins: 5, 5, 4.
T-Bar Rows: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx7.
DB Shoulder Presses: 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx10, 32.5KGx9.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx8.
Close Grip Lat Pulldowns w/straps: 170LBx12, 200LBx7, 230LBx5.
Notes: I had a severe build up of stomach acid going in to training, which I had for a couple of days, so each rep hurt and was a struggle. Kept burping up grape flavoured Shock Therapy too, which was nice. Subsequently took an extra 30 minutes to complete my workout and to hold in purple sick. Lovely. 35KG chins were a bad idea on reflection, but I was really pleased with the 32.5KG DB presses after a difficult day of Standing OHPs.

Quads & Biceps, (Weds 27/11/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx10, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx2, 160KGx2, 160KGx2.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx6>50KGx4>40KGx5>30KGx7.
Leg Press: 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 300KGx7(+3).
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx7.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx7.
Notes: Another hard day squatting. Saying that though, the reps equalled my 'decent' benching last week I was so pleased with. I am thinking of running a Smolov type programme as I feel my squat is the weak link. Biceps were still busted from the chins on Monday, so a drop in reps was expected and I'm starting to get to grip with the Leg Press. I quite like the fact I can put my hands on my knees for an extra pump when they give out on the top set.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 29/11/13).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx5, 110KGx4, 120KGx2, 120KGx2, 120KGx1, 100KGx6, 80KGx13, 60KGx18.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx7.
Incline DB Presses: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx7, 42.5KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x5.
Flat DB Presses: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx5>32.5KGx3>22.5KGx5.
Notes: I'm going to gloss over the fact I didn't get my 3 doubles at 120KG like last week as I hit 10 paused with 2 plates a side. I'll take that. I hit the rack on the third rep at my first 110KG set and it went downhill from there. Still, only my second week of my 100KG base weight, so I'm not too bothered. Similar numbers on accessory work, although flat DB presses didn't go as well as expected. Lots of chatter today with the guys, which is always welcomed.

rainman
12-06-13, 4:53 pm
A good and bad week this week. The good was that I got chatting workouts again, this time with Big Mike about Smith Floor Presses. This is a guy who I really look up to; his knowledge is second to none and his approach to life is inspiring. So to have him ask about the presses, why I do them and my opinion on bench carryover was a high point. Cameron, the gym instructor from Wednesday, was also telling me to do PT courses. He mentioned WABBA, so I've got to look in to that a bit. Bad was that this week has been so busy for me that I couldn't get my benching in.
In relation to my workouts, (and dismissing the fact I inadvertently missed chest day this week), I have decided to squat twice a week; a reps day and a heavy day. I love squats and hate squats in equal measures. Can't stop thinking about them though. Going forward, I plan to squat twice a week and maybe deadlift only once a month. My theory? I'm basing this on Smolov programs etc., where people don't deadlift, up their squatting, yet their dead numbers stay pretty consistent. My recent numbers on conventionals after not doing them much also is a factor in this.

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 1/12/13).
Squats: 60KGx15, 75KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx13, 140KGx8, 140KGx5, 120KGx5, 100KGx5, 80KGx5, 60KGx5.
Conventional Deads: 120KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx2.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx5, 90KGx5, 110KGx4, 110KGx3.
Notes: Whilst walking the dog this morning, I had the urge to rep out squats, starting low and going for 15 reps. I hit the bottom of the rack on the 8th rep at 120KG, but still got 13. I was busted by the 140s, so dropsetted down with 5 reps a time. I caught my finger whilst re-racking the final 60KG set, which gave me a blood blister. Doing deads after this didn't go well and got chatting science with Big Mike, so accessory work went out the window.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 3/12/13).
Standing OHP: 47.5KGx10, 57.5KGx5, 57.5KGx5, 67.5KGx3, 67.5KGx3, 67.5KGx3 s/w 30KG Weighted Chins: 4, 4, 4, 4, 4.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx9.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10 s/w 30KG Neutral Wide Grip Chins: 3, 2.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx7.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx8.
Notes: I spilt my water all over the gym floor this morning, so spent the first 15 minutes mopping it up. OHPs were horrific. Every press hurt- mainly as I didn't warm up enough. 3 triples at 67.5KG was good enough though. My elbows have unfortunately been getting progressively worse since I stopped taking Cissus a couple of weeks back, so cut them short, even after dropping back down to 30KG on the weight front. Decent enough accessory work, although I'd have liked time to have done DB Shoulder Presses again.

Legs & Biceps, (Weds 4/12/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx10, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx2, 160KGx1, 175KGx0.
Bicep Curl Machine: 20KGx12, 30KGx8, 40KGx5>30KGx4>20KGx6>10KGx7.
Leg Press: 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx8, 300KGx5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx12.
Lying Cable 7s: 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8.
Notes: Heavier squats day, with the squats lasting about an hour, mainly as I was chatting to one of the gym instructors about PT courses. I was finding my legs were in quite a lot of pain initially, but it eased up as I went heavier(!), which was odd. I hadn't really intended to go for 175KG, especially on this 'experimental' week, but didn't totally fold, and didn't fail in the hole either. The rest of the workout was pretty pleasing, mainly as I had to squeeze it in to about 20 minutes after my gassing.

KettleBellFreak
12-10-13, 10:51 pm
Man I like you're training layout. Seems like a solid plan, hope its giving you all the gains you deserve.

Man try upsets. People do drop sets to failure. But lately I've been throwing in sets where ill do 45lb dbs for 6 reps on incline, then grab the 55s and rep 6 more, grab the 60s rep 6, grab seventies and rep to failure. It is CRAZY!

Appollonian
12-12-13, 5:10 pm
Training is looking solid. I'm interested to see how the new plan works out for you. I know the carryover isn't identical, but squats and deadlifts do use a lot of the same muscles.

I'm trying to slowly lean out myself, with a goal of staying around 10% most of the time. I've been close before and stayed there for awhile and managed to add strength, but when my leg got injured but kept eating like I was lifting full on, ha.

rainman
12-12-13, 6:32 pm
Man I like you're training layout. Seems like a solid plan, hope its giving you all the gains you deserve.

Man try upsets. People do drop sets to failure. But lately I've been throwing in sets where ill do 45lb dbs for 6 reps on incline, then grab the 55s and rep 6 more, grab the 60s rep 6, grab seventies and rep to failure. It is CRAZY!
Thanks for stopping by. My 'Back To Front' workout has been awesome so far. The only problem I've found with the split is you hit Biceps the workout after Back and Triceps the workout after Chest, so I may need to tweak it a bit, although arms are not really a priority for me. I've never really followed a programme, but gone with how I feel, adapting ideas like 5x5 with progressive overload, but going for 10, 8, 8, 3, 3, 3/1rm.
I've had enough upsets at the gym without adding any more! Seriously though, I may give them a try. I like accessory work where I can do 12, 10, then maximum reps in a pyramid style, but may mix it up a bit.


Training is looking solid. I'm interested to see how the new plan works out for you. I know the carryover isn't identical, but squats and deadlifts do use a lot of the same muscles.

I'm trying to slowly lean out myself, with a goal of staying around 10% most of the time. I've been close before and stayed there for awhile and managed to add strength, but when my leg got injured but kept eating like I was lifting full on, ha.
Squats are going well. Hit 10x 3PPS on Monday after 15 reps in 20KG jumps from the bar up to 120KG beforehand. 3 doubles on 'heavy' day today with about 90% 1rm. It's the first week I've not deadlifted in about a year and a half. I'm going to give this theory a chance, then may do squats Mon & Fri, with deads on Weds if I start going crazy.
Adam, the supp company owner at my gym, is ridiculous. I mean, a real strong guy, can easily get to 6% BF and knows his shit. A good guy to have in my corner should I want to lean out. I'd probably have to wear one of his shirts at the Bodypower Expo, but I'll still have Nitro in my training bag I guess!

rainman
12-13-13, 4:47 pm
I got 4 workouts in this week, although Sunday was taken up with a family gathering, (not a bad thing though), and a migraine mid week slowed me up somewhat. Squatting twice a week has been a lot easier, although I am missing my deadlifts.

Legs & Triceps, (Mon9/12/13).
Squats: 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx15, 140KGx10, 140KGx5>120KGx5>100KGx5>80KGx5>60KGx5>40KGx5.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx4, 110KGx4.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx10, 50KGx6.
Seated DB B.T.N. Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6.
Notes: Decided to rep on squats again. This time I managed to hit 15 reps all the way from the bar to 120KG inclusive. The 5 rep dropset was a minute rest between sets of 5- I nearly failed on the 4th rep of the unloaded bar! Screwed up my legs for the rest of the workout. Pleased with tricep work.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Tues 10/12/13).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx9, 60KGx5, 60KGx5, 70KGx2, 70KGx2 s/w 30KG Weighted Chins: 5, 5, 5, 4, 4.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx10.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12 s/w 30KG Neutral Wide Grip Chins: 3, 1.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx7.
E-Z Bar Upright Rows: 50KGx10, 60KGx8, 70KGx4.
Notes: Got to warm up on OHPs today, but still found them difficult. Went up 2.5KG on my base weight. Pressing went OK up to 70KG, (which I've hit a triple for in the past). Looking back through my old journals, I'm not sure why I'm dropping weight on these. Possibly stiff elbows, as my chins are getting worse since I stopped supplementing Cissus in my pill quota. E-Z bar uprights was an experiment, which I'm not too happy with. I may bring back Antoine Vaillant's awesome 'Dead Shrugs' to my workouts now deadlifts are on a sabbatical.

Legs & Biceps, (Thurs 12/12/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx5, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx2, 160KGx2, 160KGx2.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx6>50KGx4>40KGx5>30KGx6.
Leg Extension: 90KGx12, 100KGx8, 110KGx6.
Bicep Curl Machine: 20KGx12, 30KGx9, 40KGx3>30KGx3>20KGx4>10KGx5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12.
Notes: Another migraine on Wednesday meant I was late to the gym today and I was pretty drowsy from all the pills I swallowed, (yup... more than Animal Pak). Repping squats on Monday meant I opted for only 5 reps at 130KG where I usually do 10. The 3 doubles at 160KG were good. Last rep of the last set was really hard. I almost folded, and would have in the past, but think I'm certainly improving with 2x week squatting. Rushed to get subsequent exercises in to about 30 minutes I had left. Decent pump on biceps and my other leg exercises though.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 13/12/13).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx9, 110KGx4, 110KGx4, 120KGx2, 120KGx1, 120KGx1, 100KGx8, 80KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx7.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx5.
Notes: Only myself and Adam were in the gym this afternoon, so I spent about an hour chatting to him between sets. Saved me from doing a roll of shame as I failed a second rep attempt on the second 120KG set. As I didn't bench last week I knew I'd be crap, (I always do when I miss a week of benching). Chatting to another gym user between spotting him- iroically busting out 140KG benches for 10 reps- he suggested it's my balance that's off. This makes sense, as my arms shake at full extension when initially unracking. No issues with not squatting or curling for a few weeks. OHP/ DB Shoulder Presses suffer too, so this is food for thought.

Appollonian
12-16-13, 8:44 am
Good looking week. Working out with a headache is a pain in the ass for me. I rarely take anything for headaches, but if I have one that lasts for more than 24 hours, it generally just gets worse without at least an added hit of caffeine, and usually needs some ibuprofen to knock it out.

Balance on bench is important, for me it’s the difference between 5 shakey reps and 10 good ones. I can’t say what helps, except to get as tight as possible before even moving the bar at all.

rainman
12-20-13, 2:08 pm
My body is pretty broken up this week. The colder weather hasn't helped. Neither has running out of Cissus and flax oil. Training has been a mixture of highs and lows. On the plus side, the gym isn't closed half as much as it was last Christmas, so I can get most of my training in. Tracy is off from today for a week, which is a pretty big deal when you work for the public sector.

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 15/12/13).
Squats: 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx15, 140KGx12, 140KGx>120KGx5>100KGx5>80KGx5>60KGx5>40KGx5>Bar x5.
Smith Floor Presses: 50KGx12, 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx3, 110KGx3.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Seated B.T.N. DB Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx17.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 130LBx12, 160LBx10, 190LBx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx8, 50KGx4.
Notes: Repping squats day and I was determined to get over 10 on my 140KG set. hitting 12 was a result and, with Big Mike helping me take the weights off on my dropset, I took a few minutes off of the time. I was busted,but got a lot of respect from Big Mike. Accessory work was good too, although my right elbow was hurting a bit on the floor presses, so dropped skull crushers. Took longer than average as I was reciting some of my poetry to Mike and India.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 16/12/13).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx9, 60KGx5, 60KGx5, 70KGx3, 70KGx1 s/w 30KG Weighted Chins: 4, 3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx9.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx7.
A.V. Dead Shrugs: 80KGx 6@4 reps, 100KGx 6@4 reps, 120KGx 5@4 reps.
DB Shoulder Press: 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx10, 32.5KGx7.
Notes: I used a wider grip for my OHPs today and all was going well until my second 70KG set, where everything packed up. I felt it was a much better way to lift though, (I was using my bench grip width), as it favoured my shoulders over my triceps. Chin ups were really bad today. My elbows have completely given up the ghost. Until I get more Cissus I am going to have to keep these out my routine. The A.V. Dead Shrugs went really well- it was good to hit deads up again. Shoulder presses remained strong.

Legs & Biceps, (Thurs 19/12/13).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx5, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx3, 160KGx3, 160KGx2.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx7>50KGx6>40KGx6>30KGx8.
Leg Press: 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx12.
E-Z Bar Lying Cable 7s: 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8, 160LBx8/8/8.
Notes: My legs ached by the 130KG set, but I pressed on and was glad I did. 2 triples at 160KG were a bonus. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with squatting at the moment. The leg press is an indication my legs are getting stronger too. Brutal bicep exercises.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 20/12/13).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx8, 110KGx4, 110KGx4, 120KGx1, 120KGx1, 120KGx1, 100KGx5, 80KGx9, 60KGx12.
Alt DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x5.
Flat DB Flyes: 7.5KGx20, 12.5KGx16, 17.5KGx12.
Notes: A morning of shopping hell, not having time to pick up my new Gasp hoodie and no time to sit down for lunch, (ran about town with a sandwich), meant I walked in to the gym in a bad mood. Bench was subsequently shit. Possibly carrying doubts after failing last week, but definitely coming in with buggered elbows, every rep was a struggle. For the 120KG singles, I paused each rep for 3-4 seconds to compensate. I used a wider grip for my 100KG drop down set and, whilst more stable, I felt my shoulder was taking a bit more pressure. I may run this wider grip next week to test it out, but I'm a narrow gripper I think.

rainman
12-27-13, 11:11 am
Bah humbug. What was looking like a promising Christmas turned in to a bit of a nightmare. I've only got a couple of workouts in this week, mainly due to the shit weather we've had in the UK bringing everything to a stand still. I took the dog out on Christmas Eve at 8am with the intention of hitting the gym afterwards, but came home to find our street was flooded. Our house was fine, but it seemed a bit shitty to go out when my neighbours were trying to save what they could of Christmas, so I helped move furniture all day. Coupled with my Wife's tooth breaking on Christmas Day and the front spring on my car snapping, (pothole central round here), means I've had enough of this week. Still, good numbers were had in the gym...

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 22/12/13).
Squats: Bar x15, 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx15, 140KGx13, 140KGx5>120KGx5>100KGx5>80KGx5>60KGx5>40KGx5>Bar x5.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx4, 110KGx3.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx9.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx9.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx8, 120KGx5.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx10, 205LBx5.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx20, 180KGx13.
Notes: Squatted out an extra rep on my top set today- tentatively close to 15 reps with 3 PPS. I probably could've hit 15, but I keep getting numb hands when gripping the bar. Felt pretty ill afterwards. Good workout all round really, with good accessory work, some old favourites back in the mix and I had a good laugh with the guys in the gym too.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 27/12/13).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 130KGx1, 100KGx8, 80KGx13, 60KGx16.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx5.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx8, 45KGx5.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x3.
Flat DB Flyes: 7.5KGx20, 12.5KGx16, 17.5KGx6.
Notes: After 3 days of eating ham, brie, crackers and Toblerone I didn't expect too much on the bench. I used the Texas Powerbar. 70s were easy and the 100s went up well enough for 10. The 2x 5s on 110 and 2x 3s for 120 were PBs, (although the 3rd rep of both 120s were an arse off the bench rep), so tried for a 130KG paused single. I got it, although I knew I was in the shit when I brought the bar down. I stopped too high, so my left elbow flared out, but still paused for a couple of seconds before pressing. Took a good 10 seconds to lock out, but I did it. Got my 130KG before 2014. I'm going to stick on my 100KG base weight though, as I was so shit last week I think I need more practice at this weight. Accessory work was OK, but I hurt my elbows on the DB Flyes.

Appollonian
01-03-14, 8:47 am
My body is pretty broken up this week. The colder weather hasn't helped. Neither has running out of Cissus and flax oil. Training has been a mixture of highs and lows. On the plus side, the gym isn't closed half as much as it was last Christmas, so I can get most of my training in. Tracy is off from today for a week, which is a pretty big deal when you work for the public sector.

Notes: A morning of shopping hell, not having time to pick up my new Gasp hoodie and no time to sit down for lunch, (ran about town with a sandwich), meant I walked in to the gym in a bad mood. Bench was subsequently shit. Possibly carrying doubts after failing last week, but definitely coming in with buggered elbows, every rep was a struggle. For the 120KG singles, I paused each rep for 3-4 seconds to compensate. I used a wider grip for my 100KG drop down set and, whilst more stable, I felt my shoulder was taking a bit more pressure. I may run this wider grip next week to test it out, but I'm a narrow gripper I think.

It's funny you say that about the public sector and a break. The people I know that work for the public sector here in the USA get much better vacation/sick time packages than I do, and the pay for similar degree/job experience is about the same, too.

I like benching at multiple widths, but inevitably as I get heavier, I get narrower. I've also found myself benching higher on my chest than I've read about, maybe a few inches but it feels significant. I'm not sure if it's my height (6'4"), wingspan (6'6"+), or I just need to get over myself, but I feel stronger like that. I probably really need to put a lot more work into my triceps, I'd probably feel much stronger benching slightly lower if I did.


Bah humbug. What was looking like a promising Christmas turned in to a bit of a nightmare. I've only got a couple of workouts in this week, mainly due to the shit weather we've had in the UK bringing everything to a stand still. I took the dog out on Christmas Eve at 8am with the intention of hitting the gym afterwards, but came home to find our street was flooded. Our house was fine, but it seemed a bit shitty to go out when my neighbours were trying to save what they could of Christmas, so I helped move furniture all day. Coupled with my Wife's tooth breaking on Christmas Day and the front spring on my car snapping, (pothole central round here), means I've had enough of this week. Still, good numbers were had in the gym...


This is top notch, definitely the right thing to do. I've done some shit things to make sure I wouldn't miss a session, you made the right call helping out I think. The true spirit of Christmas. Hope the wife is feeling good, and the car is easy to fix. Happy New Years to you bud.

rainman
01-03-14, 4:09 pm
If last week was a disaster then this week has been a catastrophic failure. I only trained once this week, mainly tied in with the issues I was having last week. Which was a bit of a shame as I was hitting my training goals left, right and centre. Three training sessions in as many weeks won't get me shit, so I've had a bit of a self assessment.
I left 2013 at 95.5KG, (210LB), at around 15% BF. I don't really do new year resolutions, but I've promised myself to be stocked up on a multi, (Uni-Vite... too poor for Pak at the moment), fish oil and Cissus daily. I will also be doing my version of 'Big On A Budget', where I will list my weekly shopping list and hopefully get down to 10% BF by sticking with it. Cold Basmati rice isn't as bad as it sounds. Lastly, I will probably be getting back in to mountain biking again and also my human flag training, (mainly as this fucks with people's heads when I do them).

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 29/12/13).
Squats: Bar x15, 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx15, 140KGx15, 140KGx5>120KGx5>100KGx5>80KGx5>60KGx5>40KGx5>Bar x5.
Close Grip Bench Press: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx5, 100KGx5.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx12.
DB Behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx8.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx10, 205LBx5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx10.
Notes: Hit my 15 reps at 140KG/ 3 PPS on squats today. Mick The Brick was checking my form and, although hitting depth, by the 7th or 8th rep he said my hips were coming up a bit early. My back felt tired, but never in pain, so I'll stick on this for a top set for reps day and practice my form, (although I'm taking that 15 rep PR!) Close grip benching was down to someone using the Smith, so no floor presses. I was surprised at how it went, with everything going well. I felt I had a few more at 100KG, but decided to call it on 5 as I haven't done close grip benching for an eternity, so anything was good. Accessory work was good too. I also taught a guy how to sumo deadlift, which was my good deed for this week!


This is top notch, definitely the right thing to do. I've done some shit things to make sure I wouldn't miss a session, you made the right call helping out I think. The true spirit of Christmas. Hope the wife is feeling good, and the car is easy to fix. Happy New Years to you bud.
Thanks. I couldn't really head off for a back workout when I saw the flood waters coming up. There were power cuts all over Christmas, but others got flooded out, so we got off quite lightly. Tracy has had 2 lots of root canal surgery since Christmas and will be having a crown fitted next Friday, after she finished her 7th conscutive night shift. Not all good in the public sector after all!

Appollonian
01-06-14, 8:39 am
If last week was a disaster then this week has been a catastrophic failure. I only trained once this week, mainly tied in with the issues I was having last week. Which was a bit of a shame as I was hitting my training goals left, right and centre. Three training sessions in as many weeks won't get me shit, so I've had a bit of a self assessment.
I left 2013 at 95.5KG, (210LB), at around 15% BF. I don't really do new year resolutions, but I've promised myself to be stocked up on a multi, (Uni-Vite... too poor for Pak at the moment), fish oil and Cissus daily. I will also be doing my version of 'Big On A Budget', where I will list my weekly shopping list and hopefully get down to 10% BF by sticking with it. Cold Basmati rice isn't as bad as it sounds. Lastly, I will probably be getting back in to mountain biking again and also my human flag training, (mainly as this fucks with people's heads when I do them).

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 29/12/13).
Squats: Bar x15, 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx15, 140KGx15, 140KGx5>120KGx5>100KGx5>80KGx5>60KGx5>40KGx5>Bar x5.
Close Grip Bench Press: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx5, 100KGx5.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx12.
DB Behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8.
Leg Extensions: 90KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx8.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx10, 205LBx5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx10.
Notes: Hit my 15 reps at 140KG/ 3 PPS on squats today. Mick The Brick was checking my form and, although hitting depth, by the 7th or 8th rep he said my hips were coming up a bit early. My back felt tired, but never in pain, so I'll stick on this for a top set for reps day and practice my form, (although I'm taking that 15 rep PR!) Close grip benching was down to someone using the Smith, so no floor presses. I was surprised at how it went, with everything going well. I felt I had a few more at 100KG, but decided to call it on 5 as I haven't done close grip benching for an eternity, so anything was good. Accessory work was good too. I also taught a guy how to sumo deadlift, which was my good deed for this week!


Thanks. I couldn't really head off for a back workout when I saw the flood waters coming up. There were power cuts all over Christmas, but others got flooded out, so we got off quite lightly. Tracy has had 2 lots of root canal surgery since Christmas and will be having a crown fitted next Friday, after she finished her 7th conscutive night shift. Not all good in the public sector after all!

Sometimes the shit just hits the fan and you do what you can. Just refocus and hit it harder when you can. Congrats on the rep PR.

I know the public sector isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. A family member of mine hasn’t gotten a raise beyond cost of living increase since the recession, so some years it was zero totally, and promotions sound political at least on some levels.

rainman
01-10-14, 1:53 pm
Another long week, with my Wife on nights, toothache woes when I saw her and quite a lot of stuff going on with a rental property my Dad has. My training has been all over the place, but at least I got 4 workouts in this week. I am working on a plan for a small business, (as I have recently found that I am totally unemployable), which may even free up 5 days for training, which would be awesome. Having time off from regular work and the way I was put in this situation has made me realize that if I want anything in this world now I have to go for it on my own.

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Sun 5/1/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx9, 110KGx4, 110KGx4, 120KGx2, 110KGx3, 100KGx6, 80KGx10, 60KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx9, 42.5KGx5.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx9.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx7.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x3.
Decline Cable Flyes: 40LBx12, 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx7, 100LBx5.
Notes: As my bench suffers if I go without a week on them, I decided to get them in early on. Not great. Possibly down to the 9 day gap, the 5 hours sleep or the kitchen wiring I was doing in the morning, but it was bad. Hitting the rack twice on my first 110KG set wrote them off completely. Down on accessory work, but the cable flyes buggered up my elbows a bit, but not as much as usual.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 6/1/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx12, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx3, 190KGx1.
Conventional Deads: 100KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx1, 190KGx1, 200KGx0.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx5>50KGx5>40KGx6>30KGx7.
Leg Press: 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx10, 275KGx10.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx7>7.5KGx13.
Notes: First time deadlifting in about 6 weeks. I was adamant about going conventional, but set up for sumos as I got to the bar. Not too bad, (hadn't done sumos for even longer), but wished I'd done conventionals. So I did. It was a bad idea, but think I'd have hit the 200KG with fresh legs. A 6 week break didn't hit my numbers too hard, but feel I should go back to them more regularly. I did leg presses with Big Mike and Adam today, which is always a laugh. It's funny how each of us do the exercises with a different set up.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Thurs 9/1/14).
Standing OHP: Barx12, 50KGx5, 55KGx5, 60KGx5, 65KGx3, 65KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12.
T-Bar Rows: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx9.
E-Z Bar Shrugs: 50KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx8.
Notes: My standing OHPs, as with all my pressing movements it seems, have gone down through neglect. Going up in 5s and getting 2 triples at 65KG was OK though. No chin ups, mainly through time constraints, but also because my elbows are still on the mend. Other back work, in spite of training it last on 16/12/13, remained strong. E-Z bar shrugs were stolen from another gym user. Not really working for me though. I prefer Antoine Vaillant's Dead Shrugs.

Mirror Boy Pretty Poncey Workout, (Fri 10/1/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx3, 120KGx2, 100KGx6, 80KGx12, 60KGx12.
Bicep Curl Machine: 20KGx12, 30KGx10, 40KGx5>30KGx4>20KGx4>10KGx5.
Rotary Chest Press: 20KG p/s x12, 30KG p/s 12, 40KG p/s x9, 40KG p/s x7>30KGx6>20KGx6>10KGx8.
Lying Cable 7s: 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8, 160LBx8/8/8.
Flat DB Presses: 25KGx12, 30KGx10, 35KGx10, 40KGx6.
Notes: Went to the gym with no goals except to bench- mainly to keep my numbers up. Really surprised, especially as I got a paused triple of 120KG. Good sets. Long pauses. No real wobbles. Mixed my other exercises about for a bit of variety. Going in with no real set agenda was refreshing, but not something I am going to stick to. I like my routines.

Appollonian
01-14-14, 9:12 am
Solid looking week bud. I've never heard/read the word poncey before, learn something new all the time.


I am working on a plan for a small business, (as I have recently found that I am totally unemployable), which may even free up 5 days for training, which would be awesome. Having time off from regular work and the way I was put in this situation has made me realize that if I want anything in this world now I have to go for it on my own.


This is great, could lead to a whole new realm of possibilities.

rainman
01-17-14, 11:36 am
Back on track, with a few good workouts in the mix. Sat down last night to work out my diet and calories, which I never really do. Gearing up for my version of 'Big On A Budget' in the next couple of weeks. Basmati rice is getting old...

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 21/1/14).
Conventional Deads: 110KGx10, 150KGx5, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx3, 200KGx1, 210KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 85KGx10, 105KGx5, 105KGx5.
Squats: Bar x15, 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx10.
Notes: Went to the gym with the sole intention of doing conventional deadlifts today. Double sets of 5 at 170KG was alright. Donned the belt for the 190KG+ sets. Was hoping to double the 200KG, but it wasn't to be today. 210 was a no go. Being short on time I got my floor presses in, (slightly lighter than usual), before going for reps on squats, but bailed out early due to both running out of time and also running out of leg strength! I'll probably run this style of leg day going forward.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 13/1/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx5, 60KGx5, 70KGx1, 70KGx2, 70KGx1 s/w 20KG Weighted Chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8 s/w 20KG Wide Grip Weighted Chins: 3, 3, 3, 3.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx7.
DB Shoulder Press: 20KGx12, 25KGx12, 30KGx8, 35KGx0.
Cable V-Bar Upright Rows: 130LBx12, 160LBx10, 190LBx6.
Notes: Still hating OHPs and still struggling. Was hoping for more reps with 70KGs. Weighted chins made a return, as did a bit of elbow pain, although not as bad as before. It'll be a hard day to wave goodbye to them. Cable rows messed up my rotator cuffs and the DB shoulder presses blew my shoulder stability out by the 35s.

Legs & Biceps, (Weds 15/1/14).
Squats: 90KGx12, 130KGx5, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx1, 160KGx1, 160KGx1.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7>17.5KGx7>7.5KGx10.
Front Squats: 60KGx5, 70KGx5, 80KGx5, 90KGx3, 90KGx1.
E-Z Bar 7s w/ Arm Blaster: 30KGx8/8/8, 35KGx8/8/8, 40KGx8/8/5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx12.
Notes: A bad day squatting. My first heavy day in about a month and the 160KG sets were hard. Annoying- especially as I had hit triples on this weight coming in to December. Front squatting, again, was difficult, mainly as I had a thicker diameter bar. I was feeling a bit of a strain between my left hamstring and calf, which put me off a bit. I also found an Arm Blaster in the gym today, so did 7s using it. Screwed me up. Schooled by the old school!

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 17/1/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx6, 110KGx5, 120KGx3, 120KGx2, 120KGx1>100KGx4>80KGx4>60KGx6.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx4.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx11.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx6.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x6.
Flat DB Presses: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx8, 35KGx9.
Notes: Did OK on the bench today. Unsure of the 10th at 100s, 6th at 110, (or indeed the 3rd of 120s), but all went up... slowly. My final 120 hurt my shoulder a bit, which never really recovered during the dropset, but was fine post benching. Accessory work all went well enough, but lay back too high on the 35KG flat DB presses, so my head was off the bench. This affected me, which I couldn't really get back from unfortunately.

rainman
01-17-14, 11:47 am
Solid looking week bud. I've never heard/read the word poncey before, learn something new all the time.

Thanks. Getting back on track again. Ponce is a funny word. It is perfectly demonstrated in 'Withnail And I', (my favourite film ever), where one of the characters gets called a "Perfumed ponce" in a pub because he has put perfume on his shoes. I have been trying to find a clip of it on Youtube, but it's going a bit funny whenever I try and watch a video. Essentially, I used it in the context of those flouncy guys you see in the gym who only ever hit chest and biceps, take rest periods to have a pose or two and think men's physique is the shit.

rainman
01-24-14, 4:34 pm
This week a Phil Heath feature in Flex has been going round my head. He runs a Legs> Back> Chest> Legs> Shoulders> Arms week, and I have been thinking about adapting it round my workouts. I love my 'Back To Front' workout, but feel maybe a 5 day split with a sole back, chest and delt day would work, with maybe a bicep/ tricep exercise or two tagged on the end of each leg day.

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 19/1/14).
Conventional Deads: 110KGx10, 150KGx3, 150KGx3, 170KGx5, 170KGx5, 190KGx2, 190KGx1.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx4, 110KGx3.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx7.
Squats: Bar x15, 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx10.
DB Behind The Neck Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx9, 40KGx5.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx17.
Notes: Tried hook gripping my deadlifts today. With the Texas Powerbar in use, I could only use one of the fatter, non competition legit, bars. Of course it didn't go well, with me making my right thumb nail bleed by the 3rd rep of 150KGs. Still hit another triple. I used a mixed grip after that. I'd much rather hook grip from now on, mainly as it's a new challenge, plus it's the epitome of hardcore. Accessory work was all well and good, with rep squats being exactly the same as last week.

Back, Traps & Rear Delts, (Mon 20/1/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx9, 60KGx5, 60KGx5, 70KGx2, 70KGx1, 70KGx2 s/w 25KG Weighted Chins: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx7 s/w 25KG Weighted Neutral Grip Chins: 4, 4, 4.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx7.
DB Shoulder Press: 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx8.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx7.
Notes: OHPs didn't go too badly today considering I was using a really shitty bar and had to experiment with my grip. Chin ups went alright too, with no lasting elbow pain. Unfortunately my DB shoulder presses went badly, with my right arm giving out very quickly due to pain. Possibly a rotator injury? I wanted to use the lat pulldown machine, but someone was on it for over 30 minutes!

Legs & Biceps, (Weds 22/1/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 100KGx5, 130KGx5, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx2, 160KGx2, 160KGx1.
Bicep Curl Machine: 20KGx12, 30KGx10, 40KGx5, 40KGx6>30KGx4>20KGx5>10KGx5.
Leg Press: 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx8(+2).
Notes: Took nearly an hour to drive the 5 miles to the gym due to traffic, so I was on damage limitations. Got 8 sets of squats out, which went OK, slowly building back up to triples. Was pretty miffed not to use the Arm Blaster though. Fair leg pressing after squatting 10 minutes previously I suppose, (with 2 forced 'hands on the knees' reps to finish).

Chest, Front & Mid Delts, (Fri 24/1/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx6, 110KGx6, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 130KGx1, 100KGx5, 60KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx10, 25KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx8, 45KGx4.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x5.
Flat DB Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx5.
Notes: Everything felt pretty comfortable on benching from the off. The double 6s of 110KG put me in a good mood, with the 2 triples of 120KGs made me attempt a 130KG, which was easy. Decent pause and a decent press. Much cleaner than the attempt from 27/12/13. I will be going up a washer next week. Rest of the workout was alright, although my right shoulder was giving me shit on the inclines.

rainman
01-31-14, 10:48 am
Right. Tweaked up that Phil Heath split I saw in Flex to my own liking. I am not, nor ever will be, a Olympia hopeful. I just liked his arrangement. I did 5 consecutive days at the gym this week; up at 6am each morning to walk the dog for an hour before hitting the gym, and back home by 10. No real problems, plus I managed to get an extra meal in. Bonus. I attached a couple of arm exercises over my leg days. Phil's workout had him doing arms on Saturday, (day 6), but I'm not really fussed about arms to be honest. Back and chest days seem to hit them quite well. For training Sun-Thurs, I've done sweet F.A. this Friday, so may do arms to pass my time!

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 26/1/14).
Conventional Deads:75KGx10, 115KGx10, 155KGx5, 155KGx5, 175KGx5, 175KGx5, 195KGx2, 195KGx1.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 110KGx5.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx10.
Squats: Bar x15, 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx10, 120KGx5>100KGx5>80KGx5>60KGx5>40KGx5>Bar x5.
Seated DB BTN Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx7.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 100KGx11>80KGx5>60KGx6>40KGx6>20KGx8.
Notes: Tied hook gripping again and got 5 reps at 155KG, before bailing for the 175s. Found my balance was off when switching back to mixed grip. I am going to go back to sumo stance next week. The drop set of leg extensions really busted up my quads.

Back & Traps, (Mon 27/1/14).
Weighted Chin Ups: BW with legs outstretched (because I'm hardcore!) x10, 10KGx8, 20KGx6, 30KGx3, 30KGx4>20KGx2>10KGx2>BWx1.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
T-Bar Rows: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx7, 110KGx4.
A.V. Dead Shrugs: 80KGx6@4 reps, 100KGx6@4 reps, 120KGx6@4 reps, 140KGx3@4 reps.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns w/straps: 110LBx12, 140LBx10, 170LBx8, 200LBx5.
Seated V-Grip Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Neutral V-Grip BW Chins: 5, 5, 4.
Notes: Abandoning OHPs for a more back orientated workout, starting with a pyramid set on weighted chins, which was a good plan. All went OK really, even going up a weight on T-bar rows. The A.V. shrugs were using 15KG plates, so starting from a 1" deficit, (as well as doing conventional deads yesterday), gave good results. My back felt pretty beated up by the end of the workout, but not painful.

Chest, (Tues 28/1/14).
Paused BB Bench: 72.5KGx12, 102.5KGx8, 112.5KGx4, 112.5KGx5, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx1.
Incline DB Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx7, 45KGx5.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx7.
Flat DB Presses: 30KGx10, 35KGx9, 40KGx6.
Notes: Upped a washer on the bench today, the last increase was on 22/11/13 and I've hit my target 1RM twice since then. Initially disappointed with my 8 for 102.5s, I hit the rack on my second press of the first set of 112.5s, but still got 2 more out. Hit the second set for 5 reps. 2 doubles and a single was alright for my top set. May possibly have gone for a third with a spotter, but it's still early days at this weight. My forearms were giving out, probably down to the chin ups yesterday. I don't want to move delts and chest day around, but may have to if this persists. I am also going to do decline DB presses for a finisher next week.

Legs & Biceps, (Weds 29/1/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 100KGx10, 130KGx5, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx1, 160KGx2, 160KGx1.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx6>50KGx6>40KGx7>30KGx8.
Leg Press: 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx8(+2).
Lying Hamstring Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx10, 50KGx5.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx7.
Notes: I decided to adopt a wider stance when squatting today. I've been stooping forward on heavier sets may be the result of using quite a narrow stance. It seemed to work OK, but I dropped off on the top sets. Went wider on the leg presses too. Lying ham curls aggravated my left ham/ calf injury I picked up a few weeks back. Crammed in my bicep dropsets and they kicked my arse in return. Very happy with my BB curls volume.

Delts, (Thurs 30/1/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KGx5, 60KGx5, 70KGx3, 70KGx3, 75KGx1.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 20KGx12, 22.5KGx8, 25KGx6.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx8.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x4.
Rear Delt Fly Machine: 40LBx12, 55LBx12, 70LBx8, 85LBx4.
DB Shoulder Presses: 17.5KGx12, 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx9.
Notes: My first dedicated shoulder workout in an eternity, (I've always coupled them with back and chest days), and I really felt it. Massive pump in the delts by the third exercise. Started with OHPs, where I matched my PB 1RM, before getting in a lot of volume. Rear delt fly machine was effective and strangely I had no problems on my right arm as I did last week when shoulder pressing. Wish I'd gone higher, but I was just using this exercise for a pump/ cool down.

rainman
02-06-14, 4:40 pm
Another week of 5 days at the gym. Still messing around with the layout. I woke with a banging headache on Sunday, which carried on over to Monday, with twinges of pain over my left eye randomly coming back. This, plus a stomach ache mid week after necking so many migraine relief tablets gave me some agro.

Legs & Triceps, (Sun 2/2/14).
Sumo Deads: 115KGx10, 155KGx5, 155KGx5, 175KGx5, 175KGx5, 195KGx1, 195KGx2, 205KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx5, 120KGx3.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx12.
Squats: Bar x15, 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx11, 140KGx5>120KGx5>100KGx5>80KGx5>60KGx5>40KGx5>Bar x5.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8, 65KGx8.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 95KGx10, 110KGx8.
Notes: Pretty good sumo session. I've hit better numbers, but considering my lack of sumo lifts of late, it's not too bad. I broke the 205 off the floor, but it wasn't to be, with my adductors giving out as usual. The rest of the workout was pretty decent. Squatted wider stance again, which wasn't too bad. Went heavier on tricep work too.

Back & Traps, (Mon 3/2/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx12, 10KGx10, 20KGx5, 30KGx4, 40KGx2, 40KGx2>20KGx4>BWx5.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8, 65KGx6.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns w/straps: 110LBx12, 140LBx10, 170LBx8, 200LBx5.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 65KGx12, 80KGx10, 95KGx8, 110KGx4.
A.V. Dead Shrugs: 80KGx6@4 reps, 100KGx6@4 reps, 120KGx6@4 reps, 140KGx4@4 reps.
Seated V-Grip CAble Rows: 190LBx20 220LBx16, 250LBx12.
Notes: Initially thought I was down on weighted chins, until I checked my numbers last week. Went heavier on the DB rows with great success. Decent volume and got 6 different exercises in. More volume on the finishing rows for an extra pump/ stretch.

Chest, (Tues 4/2/14).
Paused BB Bench: 72.5KGx12, 102.5KGx8, 112.5KGx4, 112.5KGx4, 112.5KGx3, 112.5KGx3.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Incline DB Presses: 35KGx10, 40KGx6, 40KGx5.
Decline Cable Flyes: 40LBx20, 55LBx16, 70LBx12.
Notes: Really felt it today. I nearly turned the car round on the way to the gym as I had a really bad stomach ache but I was stuck in traffic, so just carried on. Everything was down number wise, so I stuck safe and didn't push too hard. My right hand was cramping up, (rather worryingly), and my forearms were still buggered from back day yesterday. Possibly the first day I've ever been to the gym and regretted not staying in bed.

Legs & Biceps, (Weds 5/2/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 100KGx10, 130KGx5, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx1, 160KGx1.
Bicep Curl Machine: 20KGx12, 30KGx10, 40KGx5>30KGx4>20KGx6>10KGx7.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx10, 80KGx10.
Notes: Late start after driving Mum to work. My legs were aching before I started. Not D.O.M.S., or at least I don't think so, but sore knees, probably down to sumo and squat rep work with a wide stance on Sunday. Squats subsequently were a disaster. My quads especially gave me shit, completely packing up on leg extensions. Glad I only had 45 minutes after all!

Delts, (Thurs 6/2/14).
Standing OHP: 32.5KGx10, 52.5KGx7, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx4, 72.5KGx2, 72.5KGx1.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx6.
Incline BB Raises: 7.5KGx12, 10KGx12, 15KGx12, 20KGx10.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x20, 12.5KG p/s x16, 15KG p/s x9.
Rear Delt Fly Machine: 40LBx20, 55LBx16, 70LBx12.
Notes: Another late start due to being Mum's taxi service, (payback for my early teenage years I guess). Starting with a washer increase on OHPs. Being in a rush may have affected my numbers a little, but I was pretty pleased. Accessory work went well; my freeweights, again centred around 12, 10, 8 rep ranges and the machines were used for more of a high rep pump/ stretch. Incline BB raises were alright- my grip gave out before my delts did and I bruised my quads for my efforts too.

rainman
02-13-14, 1:59 pm
More 5 day workout shenanigans. Inspired by Ed Coan's deadlift workout I used a few different exercises and may incorporate it in to my workouts in the future. Not much else to report really. Feeling strong. Looking like a 'ripped tramp' apparently.

Legs, (Sun 9/2/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx10, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx5, 200KGx2, 210KGx0.
Speed Pull Sumo Deads: 140KGx 8x3 reps (90 second rest).
Stiff Leg Conventional Deads w/straps: 60KGx8, 60KGx8, 80KGx8, 100KGx8, 120KGx2.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx5.
Squats: Bar x15, 40KGx15, 60KGx15, 80KGx15, 100KGx15, 120KGx8.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 95KGx10, 110KGx8.
Notes: Hammered my deadlifts this week. Went up to 5x180KG beltless, before donning the belt for a 200KG attempt. After hitting the 5, (a PB), I was silently hoping for a triple, but the bar rolled out in front of me on the second rep reset. Left the floor, but awkwardly, so I called it. I broke the 210 off the floor, but the 200s had taken their toll. Tried a couple of new exercises, (speed pulls & stiff legged deads), as I have been considering running Ed Coan's deadlift programme. Squats were a washout and I didn't bother with tricep work. I'll work these in next week I think.

Back & Traps, (Mon 10/2/14).
Weighted Chin Ups: BWx15, 10KGx11, 20KGx6, 30KGx5, 40KGx3, 40KGx3>20KGx4>BWx4.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx10, 65KGx5.
Neutral Grip Pulldowns w/straps: 110LBx12, 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200KGx8, 230LBx5.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KGx12, 85KGx9, 100KGx7.
A.V. Dead Shrugs: 80KGx5@4 reps, 100KGx5@4 reps, 120KGx4@4 reps.
V-Grip Weighted Chins w/straps: BWx9, 10KGx6, 20KGx5, 30KGx3.
Notes: Banged out more chin ups as the Cissus starts to take care of my buggered elbows. Everything else went pretty smoothly- until I came to the dead shrugs, as my hamstrings were toast from yesterday. Finished with V-Grip weighted chins instead of v-grip cable rows, which I think worked well. Missing the back pump from the latter, but 2 sets of weighted chins really are my idea of gym heaven. Well, apart from the woman in lycra doing squats a month back of course...

Delts & Triceps, (Tues 11/2/14).
Standing OHP: 32.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 72.5KGx2, 72.5KGx2, 72.5KGx2.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Incline BB Raises: 10KGx12, 15KGx12, 20KGx10, 25KG w/straps x4.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x20, 12.5KG p/s x16.
Rear Delt Machine Flyes: 55LBx18, 70LBx11.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 110KGx3.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 145LBx12, 175LBx10, 205LBx3.
Notes: Good numbers on the OHPs today. I stuck at 8 for my first working set to try and get more volume out. Got it. Could've possibly strained out a triple on my first top set, but decided to play it safe rather than screw my back up with off form. Used a very close grip throughout. Good delt workout overall and a good decision to swap delts and chest days around. Not so trying to tag triceps on the end. Rushed. Cluttered. Almost pointless. The sign of a full day for training arms in the future, or tagging them back in with leg days?

Legs, (Weds 12/2/14).
Squats: Bar x12, 60KGx12, 100KGx12, 130KGx8, 145KGx5, 145KGx5, 160KGx3, 160KGx3, 160KGx2.
Lying Hamstring Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx10, 50KGx8, 60KGx3.
Leg Press: 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx10, 275KGx(6).
Smith Calf Raises: 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx12, 180KGx9.
Notes: Brought my stance in a bit on squats from the wider stance I have been using of late and I hit all my old numbers again. Was seriously considering going for a fourth rep on my first 160 set too. Wore my belt a little higher, (Eric Lilliebridge tip- awesome video guys), and went a bit quicker than usual. My legs were still a bit sore from Sunday and properly cramped up mid leg pressing. This may, however, be due to a lower intake of salt from my diet though. Huge PR on hamstring curls, which previously have aggravated an old leg injury of mine. Not today, so I went for it.

Chest, (Thurs 13/2/14).
Paused BB Bench: 72.5KGx12, 102.5KGx9, 112.5KGx4, 112.5KGx4, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx2, 102.5KGx5.
Incline DB Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6, 45KGx3.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
Decline DB Press: 30KGx8, 35KGx5.
Notes: Benching felt a bit more solid today, upper body wise at least, after moving delts and chest around. Unfortunately, my craping quads from yesterday meant my leg drive was off, resulting for a few arse off the bench moments a I couldn't tuck them in as I like. The 9 of 102.5KGs was a mistake as I was originally going to stick with 8s for my first working set, but got it. Both the 112.5s and 122.5s felt OK, but a bit slow. Accessory work was shit. Should've done them like last week order wise. No time for biceps, the DBs were all over the gym as per fucking usual and my first foray in to decline DB presses didn't work out as the bench felt quite unstable.

Appollonian
02-13-14, 3:02 pm
Everything is looking great. 'Ripped tramp' love it man.

Standing overhead press is one exercise I don't mess with, if my form breaks down at all I'm done. Thanks to extremely flexible shoulder joints any odd strain could result in a week or two downtime.

rainman
02-13-14, 3:20 pm
'Ripped tramp' love it man.
Ha ha. I know. One of the better names I've had recently. I get called 'Prophet John' a lot in the gym as I always have my journal with me and my hair has grown out a bit.

rainman
02-21-14, 12:58 pm
I managed to screw my back up a bit this week, falling forwards during a squat. Nothing too heavy as I was dropsetting, but I still had 120KG on my back at the time. With hindsight, I think a combination of stiff legged deads and squats following a triple PB on sumos made my back just too fatigued to pull it off whilst staying tight. I feel 2 days of squats is a good move for me, so may go squats on Mon/Fri, with OHPs on Tues, deads on Weds and bench on Thurs, although I've not had much luck benching after back day.
As I type this, I have been out of the gym for 2 days, mainly as I've caught a shitter of a cough and cold, which may have been a blessing in disguise. I've been out walking the dog over local heathland for the past couple of hours, so I'm not crippled up in bed, and I know my injury could've been a whole lot worse. It hurts when I'm sitting down and I stretch my legs out or I stay in the same position for a while though, so I'm pretty pissed off about it all.

Legs & Triceps, (Mon 17/2/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx12, 140KGx8, 16KGx5, 180KGx5, 200KGx3.
Speed Pull Sumo Deads: 160KGx5 @3 reps.
Stiff Leg Deads: 60KGx8, 80KGx8, 100KGx8.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx4, 110KGx3.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx5.
Squats: Bar x10, 40KGx10, 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx10, 140KGx5>120KGx1.
Notes: Big news on the sumo deads. After a reality check, (hitting 5x180s should at least give me a triple adding 20KGs), I finally got my triple at 200KG. I've failed this week only recently when attempting a single, so a triple is a great result. Speed pulls went OK with 160KGs this week. Not happy with stiff legged deadlifts. I'll be dropping these from my routine. My back tweaked out when squatting too, so a shuffle may be in order.

Back & Traps, (Tues 18/2/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx15, 10KGx10, 20KGx7, 30KGx5, 40KGx3, 40KGx3>20KGx4>BWx4.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx10.
Neutral Grip Pulldowns w/straps: 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200LBx8, 230LBx5.
V-Grip Cable Rows w/straps: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
V-Grip Weighted Chins w/straps: BWx8, 10KGx7, 20KGx5, 30KGx3.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx6.
Notes: My tweaked back from yesterday felt pretty crappy on walking, so back probably wasn't a smart idea really? As it is over my right glute, I figured I'd be OK, omitting movements that may aggravate it, (T-Bar Rows/ A.V. Shrugs etc). Worked out alright, with similar numbers hit to last week. V-grip chins are getting better.

Delts, (Weds 19/2/14).
Standing OHP: 32.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx4, 62.5KGx4, 62.5KGx4, 62.5KGx4.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Incline BB Raises: 10KGx12, 15KGx12, 20KGx12.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x20, 12.5KG p/s x14.
Notes: More screwed back problems today. I was unsure of OHPs, but donned the belt and gave it a go. Stopped off of op sets in favour for mid weight rep work, which worked out well enough. No back pain, although I use zero leg drive and start the press from my lats, so at least my form was on. Stayed conservative on the rest of the workout and only spent 45 minutes training. Chatted to a new guy for a while today who has recently moved down from Wales, and is acquainted with Neil Hill and Flex Lewis. Better step up. Again.

Appollonian
02-21-14, 1:17 pm
Sorry to hear it, but I'm sure you'll be back to 100% soon.

rainman
02-21-14, 1:54 pm
Cheers. All part of the journey I guess. The dog is bloody loving it though. 2 extra hours chasing a ball around? Brilliant.

rainman
02-28-14, 1:07 pm
Well my back is still busted, although not as bad as last week. Still gets quite stiff when I stay seated for too long and loves to give me shit whenever I am slightly awkward with any movements, but slowly on the mend. I will go and see the resident gym physio if it's still bad in a few weeks, but hopefully it's just a pulled muscle or something. Still have a nasty cough too, but at least the cold seems to have cleared up.
I have rearranged my workout a bit this week. The idea is to hit squats twice a week and deadlifts once, so Mon/ Fri for squats and Weds for deads was the plan. 48hr recovery between days. Hopefully this will save my back in the future by trying not to cram loads of stuff in my leg days, but I am a bit vexed about putting deadlifts in to 'back' day, as it's more legs in my opinion.

Legs & Triceps, (Mon 24/2/14).
Squats: Bar x10, 40KGx10, 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx5, 140KGx5.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 100KGx4, 110KGx3.
Lying Hamstring Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx10, 50KGx8, 60KGx3.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 50KGx10.
Notes: Came to the gym with a knackered back, plus a nasty hacking cough. Squats probably wasn't a good idea. Only beltless up to 100KG, but all reps were slow and controlled. Mainly through fear though! I did contemplate going to 160KGs, but decided not to push my luck. My back is nowhere near ready for that yet. Sad, as I was hoping to up my base weight by 5KGs for squats before my back gave out. Other exercises went OK. Happy with the lying hamstring curls.

Delts, (Tues 25/2/14).
Standing OHP: 32.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx4, 72.5KGx0.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
Incline BB Raises: 10KGx12, 15KGx12, 20KGx12.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
DB Shoulder Presses: 15KGx12, 20KGx12, 25KGx12, 30KGx9, 35KGx1.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x7.
Notes: Tried to push it a bit on OHPs. All was going swimmingly until I tried 72.5KGs and I couldn't get the bar past my chin. Lat drive was gone. My back concerns may have played a part too though. Had the same problem with DB shoulder presses- just about got that 1 rep up for 35KGs and tweaked my lat too. Similar numbers on the rest of the exercises.

Back, (Weds 26/2/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KGx4.
Weighted Chins: BWx17, 10KGx11, 20KGx6, 30KGx4, 40KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Neutral Grip Pulldowns w/straps: 140LBx12, 170LBx12, 200LBx9, 230LBx5.
V-Grip Cable Rows w/straps: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
V-Grip Weighted Chins: BWx9, 10KGx6, 20KGx5.
Notes: A screwed up back and deadlifts are a recipe for disaster. Worse is the fact that I hit a PB, (both 5x180 & 3x200), last week, so a drop in numbers would be a blow. With a lack of confidence I gave up early. I had planned on shooting for 180 at least, but wasn't prepared to sacrifice my back for a number. Up and down on the rep ranges of the other exercises, but as I am running about 60-70% at best, I have told myself I'm actually getting stronger!

Chest, (Thurs 27/2/14).
Paused BB Bench: 72.5KGx12, 102.5KGx8, 112.5KGx4, 112.5KGx4, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx1, 122.5KGx1, 102.5KGx5, 82.5KGx10.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Incline DB Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx7, 45KGx3.
Decline Cable Flyes: 40LBx20, 55LBx16, 70LBx12, 85LBx6.
Notes: Considering my 'one week off benching' curse, I was happy with today. I had another rep or two in me on 102.5s, but my top sets gave me grief. I also felt a bit of tightness across my right pec. Considering my injuries of late, I have been thinking of just keeping at 5 reps max for everything. Back feels shit. Pec feels tweaky. Elbows are fucked. The list goes on...

Legs & Biceps, (Fri 28/2/14).
Leg Press: 100KGx12, 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 225KGx12, 250KGx8(+2).
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx5>50KGx5>40KGx6>30KGx8.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 95KGx10, 110KGx7.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx9, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx8.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8.
Notes: As Jay was squatting when I got in I went straight to the leg press. Probably a good thing as my back was pretty stiff this morning. Pressing aggravated my injury a bit, which was sad as my legs felt pretty strong today. Arm exercises felt alright, especially considering my bicep work has been neglected for weeks too.

rainman
03-07-14, 4:42 pm
I woke up on Monday and my back felt pretty good. Up to about 80% I guess, but I'm still taking it easy, especially after I felt like someone had punched me in the kidneys when my back gave up digging out fence posts for my Brother last Friday.

Legs & Triceps, (Mon 3/3/14).
Squats: Bar x10, 40KGx10, 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx5, 140KGx5, 140KGx4, 100KGx5, 60KGx5.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx4, 110KGx4.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx9.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx5.
Leg Extension: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx7.
DB Behind The Neck Presses: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx5.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 130LBx12, 160LBx8.
Notes: After a job interview that took 4 hours of my time, (and it was only for a part time evening thing so I can get my business up and running), I was expecting my back to be stiff. This wasn't to be and I actually felt pretty good for the whole workout. Squats were all slow and to depth. I donned the belt for 100+ sets. Stepper leg curls didn't cause me any pain, which was amazing considering how I perform them. Some fairly big tricep work going on too, with the skull crushers being pretty noteworthy.

Delts, (Tues 4/3/14).
Standing OHP: 32.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 72.5KGx1, 72.5KGx2, 72.5KGx1.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Incline BB Raises: 10KGx12, 15KGx12, 20KGx12.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x3.
Rear Delt Machine Flyes: 55LBx12, 70LBx9, 85LBx7.
Notes: Finally got my lat drive back on OHPs, although the second 72.5KG set was really shoddy. Back has been holding up well these past few days, but nowhere near 100% again. Went alright on most exercises this morning, going heavier on a couple of them.

Back & Traps, (Weds 5/3/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx17, 10KGx10, 20KGx6, 30KGx4, 40KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Wide Grip Pulldowns w/straps: 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200LBx5.
V-Grip Cable Rows w/straps: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx7.
Notes: Only 45 minutes to spare this morning after getting stuck in traffic and driving a friend to work. Busted out as much as possible in that time. Fairly happy actually. I got in a lot of volume too, but wish I'd had time to do sumo deads. However, with my back, maybe it was a blessing in disguise?

Chest, (Thurs 6/3/14).
Paused BB Bench; 72.5KGx12, 102.5KGx8, 112.5KGx5, 112.5KGx5, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx2.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx12, 40KGx7, 45KGx3.
Notes: Being held up round Mum & Dad's house pre-gym time, I only got 45 minutes again. Using the Texas Powerbar for benching, (the best bar in our gym), I felt solid throughout each rep. Lots of rep PBs. Could've possibly hit a third rep on the first 122.5KG set, but decided to play it safe. I need to find a spotter. Ballsed up my first 35KG incline DB rep and never really got it back.

Legs & Biceps, (Fri 7/3/14).
Squats: 30KGx10, 50KGx10, 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx5, 150KGx4, 170KGx1, 170KGx0.
7ft BB Cruls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60Kx6>50KGx4>40KGx7>30KGx8.
Lying Leg Curl: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx7, 60KGx2.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx9, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx7.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx20, 120KGx20, 140KGx18, 160KGx11.
Notes: Set my base weight on squats to 30KG to go up in 20KG increments as usual. Was going up in 10s and beltless until 130KG, where I donned the belt and went for sets of 5. The 4 of 150KG, (the heaviest I've gone in a few weeks), prompted me to try for 170KG, which I got. Tried again 3 minutes later, but bombed. Got out the hole OK, but felt the weight was a bit too far forward. Rather than grind it out I just went back down to the safety bars as I didn't want to bust my back up again. Will be hitting 170s again next week hopefully. Bicep work was fairly good too. Dropset curls really fucked me.

Cellardweller
03-08-14, 1:02 pm
Looking good. Glad to hear the back is on the mend. Back injuries suck. Make sure you're stretching. Stretches have made a world of difference for me for my back and hamstrings.

rainman
03-08-14, 3:55 pm
Looking good. Glad to hear the back is on the mend. Back injuries suck. Make sure you're stretching. Stretches have made a world of difference for me for my back and hamstrings.
Cheers. I think the back problem started as I have pretty shit mobility with regards to my hamstrings, so doing stiff legged deads put too much grief on my lower back. Squatting at the end of my deadlift party just killed it. There's only a couple of exercises that I feel it on now and unfortunately one of them are deadlifts. As I had 3x 200KGs in me pre injury, I was well on my way to a 5 P.P.S. dead, tentatively close to my 500lb goal.
Stretching is my weakness though. I do rotator exercises pre delt and chest day and massage my quads/ adductors pre squats/ deads, but I could do more. Limber 11 and foam rolling usually only happens when something tweaks. This is bad... I know!

Appollonian
03-10-14, 8:44 am
Looking good my friend.

It has to just become part of what you do daily, a 10-15 minute period of time in which you work on making sure things move and stretch as they should. Maybe you could do 5 minutes in the morning, 5 before working out, 5 before going to sleep, whatever works for you. After awhile it’ll no longer be a burden but rather just a daily part of your routine.

rainman
03-14-14, 3:21 pm
After all the flooding the UK has had to endure this Winter making the trails unridable, I decided to get out on my bike this weekend to hack around the woods as it was actually really sunny. Sadly the shelving of my bikes for about 6 months had caused the hydraulic disc brakes to seize up on the rear wheels of both bikes. After a few hours of fettling I managed to get one rolling and went off. Although I have lost a fair bit of stamina and finesse, (I nearly had a major off in a rooty section), I loved it. In fact, I almost skipped training this Monday to go out on my bike again. I have a horrible feeling my credit card is going to get bashed on new bike purchases this year.
Training wise, I have been a bit 'ho-hum'. Some good numbers, but quite a few disappointments in there too. I am going to reverse my days next week to try and stop my body from aching to much my Friday.

Legs & Triceps, (Mon 10/3/14).
Squats: 30KGx10, 50KGx10, 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx5, 150KGx5, 170KGx0.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx3.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx12.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KGx4.
Leg Press: 100KGx20, 150KGx20, 200KGx20, 250KGx12(+8), 300KGx(5).
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx8.
Notes: The decision to squat a day after riding my bike could've played either way. Luckily it went pretty well. As with Friday, belt on for 130+, I had more in the tank at 130, 5 reps at 150, but crapped out on the 170 attempt. Providing my back holds up I will continue to squat using this periodization scheme. Heavy accessory work. Hit 12 at 250KG on the leg press before putting my hands on my knees to squeeze out another 8. 300KG was a bad idea as I folded on my 6th rep attempt.

Delts, (Tues 11/3/14).
Standing OHP: 32.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 72.5KGx1, 72.5KGx1, 72.5KGx1.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
Incline BB Raises: 10KGx12, 15KGx12, 20KGx12.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10.
DB Shoulder Presses: 20KGx12, 25KGx12, 30KGx9.
Notes: Quads have been cramping up since yesterday, so pressing caused some painful movements. Using no leg drive on the presses, but keeping them locked, proved difficult. 72.5s were a struggle too. I did prefer my Legs>Back>Delts>Legs>Chest split, but trying to squeeze in 2 squat days and a separate deadlifting session gets complicated. Same sort of numbers on the accessory work. DB shoulder presses went well enough.

Legs & Back, (Weds 12/3/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx5, 120KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx3, 200KGx0.
Weighted Chins: BWx15, 10KGx11, 20KGx7, 30KGx5, 40KGx4.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Neutral Grip Pulldowns w/straps: 140LBx12, 170LBx12, 200LBx8, 230LBx6.
V-Grip Seated Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Notes: After a few tentative weeks of dodgy back niggles and a cough, I decided to hit deadlifts today as I felt 85%-ish(!). 5x160s beltless was pretty easy. Donning the belt for 180s was probably a mistake and my grip slipped after a 3rd rep, but the 200KG wouldn't budge. Really pissed off about this, especially with my triple on 17/2/14 still fresh in my mind, but seeing as I was practically crippled over after my injury I shouldn't whine too much.

Chest, (Thurs 13/3/14).
Paused BB Bench: 72.5KGx12, 102.5KGx7, 102.5KGx7, 112.5KGx3, 112.5KGx4, 112.5KGx3, 82.5KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Incline DB Presses: 35KGx9, 40KGx6, 45KGx2.
Decline Cable Flyes: 40LBx20, 55LBx16, 70LBx12, 85LBx8.
Notes: A very disappointing day. The cough was back to full strength after using white spirit yesterday and my forearms were still screwed from the weighted chins yesterday, but I was still hoping for better. he 7 at 102.5s was a shock, so I tried again and got the same result. Stuck at mid range weight to avoid more disappointment.

Legs & Biceps, (Fri 14/3/14).
Squats: 50KGx10, 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx8, 150KGx3, 150KGx3, 150KGx3, 170KGx0.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx6>50KGx6>40KGx7>30KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx10, 50KGx7, 60KGx3.
E-Z Bar 7s w/Arm Blaster: 30KGx8/8/8, 35KGx8/8/8, 40KGx8/8/5.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx20, 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx16.
Leg Extension: 80KGx12, 100KGx10, 120KGx7.
Notes: Fairly decent squatting session. Tried a beltless 130KG set and got 8. Would've gone for 10, but wanted to stay in one piece. Triples at 150KG belted were a bit harder- my left quad felt strained and my back was stiff by this point, but I still went for a 170. I have also been having pains in my arms since bringing them in, so they're going back out again next week. Rest of the workout was good. I got out the Arm Blaster again and hit some pretty decent numbers on leg I suppose.

rainman
03-21-14, 2:09 pm
Got out on my bike again this Sunday. I was out for a couple of hours in the sunshine and loved every minute. Absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder. However, the absence of the rear brake towards the end as the lever gave up on me wasn't as well received. I am still amazed my cardio fitness hasn't taken much of a hit through not bothering to do any in 2013, and feel that in a few months time I should be back to a decent enough level.
Gym wise, I have been feeling pretty good. My back is alright, at least 90% again, so my confidence is coming back. I swapped my training days round this week too, so basically did last weeks' workout in reverse. This made shit all difference for chest numbers to be frank, but I'll see how it goes and tweak on from here...

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 17/3/14).
Squats: 50KGx10, 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx10, 150KGx5, 170KGx0.
Bicep Curl Machine: 15KGx12, 25KGx12, 35KGx10, 45KGx5>35KGx3>25KGx4>15KGx5.
Lying Stepper Leg Curl: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx7>7.5KGx7.
Leg Press: 100KGx20, 150KGx20, 200KGx20, 250KGx14.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 95KGx12, 110KGx10.
Notes: Another blow out on a 170 attempt, although 5 at 150KG belted and 10x130 beltless was fine for me. Not bad a day after riding my bike.

Chest, (Tues 18/3/14).
Paused BB Bench: 72.5KGx12, 102.5KGx8, 112.5KGx4, 112.5KGx4, 122.5KGx1, 122.5KGx1, 122.5KGx0.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx12, 40KGx7, 45KGx4.
Decline Cable Flyes: 40LBx20, 55LBx16, 70LBx12.
Notes: Another hard day benching. A mole on my back was itching and it lies right on the edge of the bench in relation to the position, so it hurt when the bar was in my hands. My left elbow ached a bit too, (through compensating for the discomfort perhaps), and gave out on my third set of 122.5KGs. On the plus side, my abs must be pretty strong to support a 275LB-ish roll of shame!

Legs & Back, (Weds 19/3/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx10, 140KGx10, 160KGx5, 180KGx5, 200KGx1.
Weighted Chins: BWx14, 10KGx10, 20KGx6, 30KGx5, 40KGx4.
DB Rows w/straps: 50kGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns: 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200LBx6, 230LBx4.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx7.
Notes: Wasn't going to bother training today as I didn't expect to get to the gym in any reasonable time today, so the decision was very last minute. I deadlifted with a guy called Ollie which was pretty cool. My 180x5 was beltless, so I'm really pleased with that. The 200 single wasn't so good as I had my shoulders in front of the bar when I started the lift, so got all messed up. Chins felt solid and controlled and I was happy to get the T-bar rows done again.

Delts, (Thurs 20/3/14).
Standing OHP: 32.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx5, 62.5KGx5, 72.5KGx2, 72.5KGx2, 72.5KGx1.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx7.
Alt. Front DB Raises: 20KGx10, 22.5KGx9, 25KGx7.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx6.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx10, 55KGx8, 60KGx6.
Chicken Wings machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x8.
Notes: Slightly better on OHPs today. Slowly getting back towards a triple, although grip position can completely bin the set if I am even slightly off. Went a bit old school on my exercises today by including DB front raises and upright rows. The former I hope will help with benching, whilst the latter should get my traps up- providing my rotators don't give me shit again.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 21/3/14).
Squats: 52.5KGx10, 72.5KGx10, 92.5KGx10, 112.5KGx10, 132.5KGx10, 152.5KGx4, 152.5KGx3, 152.5KGx2.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 10KGx4, 110KGx3.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx9, 60KGx3.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KGx4.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx20, 120KGx20, 140KGx20, 160KGx15.
Close Grip Tricep Pushdowns: 175LBx12, 205LBx9, 235LBx3>175LBx6>115LBx8>55LBx20.
Notes: I was debating to add 2.5KG or 5KG to my sets for squats. Went for 2.5KG as my favourite bar was already being used. It went really well. I hit 10x132.5 beltless and decided to do 3 belted 'top sets' rather than chase singles which invariably don't go up! Ollie was in the gym again today and joked I must love doing legs. I corrected him. I also got commented that I go low on depth from a PT that trains there, so even better. The tops of my quads are completely screwed now though. Lots of other solid reps over my other exercises, but I had lots of rest as I was chatting to Big Mike post squats, so went way past the 2 hour mark by the end.

rainman
03-30-14, 4:20 pm
No bike ride this Sunday. I was sneaking out the house when my Wife got up so I had to spend the day with her instead! This isn't as bad as I make it out to be though. I think my workouts may need a rethink, as my numbers have been dropping for the past month on most pushing exercises.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 24/3/14).
Squats: 52.5KGx10, 72.5KGx10, 92.5KGx10, 112.5KGx10, 132.5KGx10, 152.5KGx5, 152.5KGx5.
7ft BB Curls: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx9, 62.5KGx4>52.5KGx4>42.5KGx7>32.5KGx8.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 30KGx4>20KGx6>10KGx7.
Leg Press: 100KGx20, 150KGx20, 200KGx20, 250KGx17, 200KGx10, 150KGx15, 100KGx20.
Notes: More squats. I used the same bar as Friday and hit all my target reps. 2 sets of 5 at 152.5KG was pretty legit, although I hit the 'bail out bar', or whatever it's called, at the bottom of the squat on my 5 rep of the second set, which was a pisser as I was going to try for 7-8. Upped both the BB curl weight and went up to the 30KG DBs on hammer curls for my drop set, before going a bit silly on the leg press. Good pyramid set down, with my knees at near head hitting depth on each rep.

Chest, (Tues 25/3/14).
Paused BB Bench: 72.5KGx12, 102.5KGx8, 112.5KGx4, 112.5KGx3, 122.5KGx1, 102.5KGx6, 82.5KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx8, 40KGx6.
Notes: Woke up shattered today and was stuck in traffic for an hour, so a short session. This certainly didn't help my benching, which went even worse than last week. I've decided to drop back 2.5KG next week as I should be doing more than singles on the top sets and I've previously been hitting doubles at 122.5KG. I wish I could figure out why chest day is fucking up so much. I've been having issues with pinching my shoulders back pre-benching, but it's never bothered me before.

Legs & Back, (Weds 26/3/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx10, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx3, 200KGx0.
Weighted Chins: BWx14, 10KGx10, 20KGx7, 30KGx5, 40KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns w/straps: 155LBx12, 185LBx10, 215LBx8.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 60KGx12, 75KGx12.
Notes: Shit deads day! I was knackered by the third 180KG rep. Adductors felt pretty tight going in to the session and I found I couldn't sit effectively far enough back to get my shoulders behind the bar. Back on my triple 200KG week I was only hitting legs twice a week- not squatting Monday and Friday and hitting deads on Wednesday too. Maybe my body is telling me to slow down, although this hasn't been reflected in my squat numbers.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 28/3/14).
Standing OHP: 32.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx3, 62.5KGx4, 62.5KGx3, 62.5KGx3, 62.5KGx3.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx7.
Notes: Experimented with a wider (false) grip on OHPs today and the reps dropped with far less tricep activation to blame I think. Felt more stable and hopefully it'll carry over to my benching, but we'll have to wait and see I guess. Subsequent exercises felt harder due to the added delt emphasis.

Legs & Stuff, (Fri 28/3/14).
Squats: 55KGx10, 75KGx10, 95KGx10, 115KGx10, 135KGx10, 155KG(B)x3, 155KG(B)x5, 155KG(B)x2.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8 110KGx4, 110KGx5, 110KGx4>90KGx6>70KGx6>50KGx7.
Lying Hamstring Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx4.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 95KGx12, 110KGx9.
DB BTN Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx9, 40KGx6.
Notes: Upping another 2.5KG on squats provided some pretty good numbers. 10 beltless 135KGs, (300LB-ish), was decent. The following belted 155KG attempts were fair. Although I was doing 160KGs for triples pre injury last month, I wasn't doing sets of 10s beforehand. Benching was an experiment- using a wider grip to see if I could keep my shoulders pinched. It worked pretty well. I'll run this grip on Tuesday and will hopefully hit better numbers, (mainly as I won't have been hammering delts the day beforehand!)

Appollonian
03-31-14, 8:39 am
No bike ride this Sunday. I was sneaking out the house when my Wife got up so I had to spend the day with her instead! This isn't as bad as I make it out to be though. I think my workouts may need a rethink, as my numbers have been dropping for the past month on most pushing exercises.


Nice! Days with the family are my favorite.

You’ve given it a month, and I think that’s a good amount of time before changing. If you can figure it out great. I don’t quite know why but when I take a drop in one, pushing or pulling, I usually feel a bit stronger in the other. I don’t get it, just though it interesting.

rainman
03-31-14, 12:08 pm
I know. Compounds are a funny beast. I have a love/ hate relationship with them, which alternates depending on which are going well. Currently squats are my favourite lift, but I've forced myself to like them. Benching is something I'm not liking at the moment! Using a wider grip for benching and OHPs will probably drop my numbers, but take emphasis off my triceps and probably give me more width for the Summer. This is good.
I don't like messing round with my workouts, but with 48 hours between heavy leg sessions I am thinking it is just too much. Monday and Thursday was a good leg split. I may give it a couple more weeks at this pace, but am thinking of giving either the Magnusson/Ortmeyer deadlift program a go, or making a proper go of Ed Coan's one again, which will merge in to my Wednesday back sessions quite nicely.

rainman
04-06-14, 5:00 pm
Pretty good week training wise. The added squat frequency is paying off, and I'm tempted to bench twice a week too for this reason. I managed to get out on my bike this past Sunday and got a couple of longer dog walks in this week, as well as my usual 45 minute daily morning walk with the little bugger.
I've also found out that I've got to get pretty serious with my numbers as Neil Hill will be staying with one of the guys at our gym and he'll be coming down to train. Now, we have some pretty hardcore guys lifting where I train, but I am pretty pumped about this, especially if I can get a few notes on his training principles. Also a bit scared...

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 31/3/14).
Squats: 55KGx10, 75KGx10, 95KGx10, 115KGx10, 135KGx10, 155KG(B)x5, 155KG(B)x4, 155KG(B)x3.
7ft. BB Curls: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx10, 62.5KGx5>52.5KGx5>42.5KGx7>32.5KGx8.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx9.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx8.
Leg Press (Wide Stance): 100KGx20, 150KGx20, 200KGx20, 250KGx11.
Notes: Hit my 5 at 155 today, although I missed the second set as my right hand was feeling numb again. Still got another triple afterwards though. Good bicep work too, but didn't go for the 30KG DBs on hammers. Used a wide stance on the leg press as a finisher, which really seemed to hit my quads- not too good as they're still aching at the top of each.

Chest, (Tues 1/4/14).
Paused BB Bench Press: 70KGx12, 100KGx8, 110KGx6, 110KGx5, 120KGx2, 120KGx2, 100KGx6, 80KGx10.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6.
Flat DB Flyes: 10KGx20, 15KGx16, 20KGx8.
Notes: Using a wider grip on the bench is starting to pay off, although I'm keeping at a lower base weight than usual still. Elbows stayed pinched back and the chest felt it more. I also didn't give myself my usual 5 minute rest between sets, as I only had 45 minutes. If I continue with DB flyes then I may not go up to the 20KGs just yet.

Legs & Back, (Weds 2/4/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx10, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx5, 200KG(B)x0.
Sumo Speed Pulls: 140KGx5 sets at 3 reps, (90 seconds rest).
Weighted Chins: BWx10, 10KGx10, 20KGx9, 30KGx6, 40KGx4.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns w/straps: 155LBx12, 185LBx10, 215LBx8.
Seated V-Grip Cable Rows: 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Notes: Using the Texas Powerbar, I had hoped deads were going to be alright today. The 5x180KGs were confidence inspiring, (I felt like I had more in me actually), but even though I broke the floor, my 200KG attempt didn't go up. Consoled myself with speed pulls. Squatting twice weekly is killing my dead numbers. I may do a couple of weeks where I only squat and dead once. Also, I feel I need more back work. I also felt my back tweak out on the seated rows. Not a disaster like last time, but still a worry.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 3/4/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KG(B)x5, 60KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x1, 70KG(B)x2.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
Alt. Front DB Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx7.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx11.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx9.
DB Shoulder Press: 15KGx12, 20KGx12, 25KGx12, 30KGx8.
Notes: Used my wider stance grip for OHPs and rested the bar on my chest and driving off with my lats with no leg drive for each rep. I dropped 2.5KG off my base weight and am happy with the results. Really felt it in the shoulders for a change and not in the triceps so much. Rest of the workout went OK. Right delt's a bit sore, but noting serious. I stopped for 5 minutes to listen to Roy Orbison's 'I Drove All Night' on the gym radio which randomly came on. Love the Big O.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 4/4/14).
Squats: 55KGx10, 75KGx10, 95KGx10, 115KGx10, 135KGx10, 155KG(B)x5, 155KG(B)x5, 115KG(B)x5, 75KG(B)x5.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx5, 110KGx5.
Lying Leg Curl: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx9, 60KGx4.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 55KGx8.
Leg Extensions: 40KGx12, 60KGx12, 80KGx12, 100KGx8>80KGx5>60KGx5>40KGx5.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx9>160LBx4>130LBx5>100LBx7.
Notes: Went in with my back niggle from Wednesday feeling a bit stiff, so decided to play it safe. As the pain seemed to subside as the squats went on I still went for the 155s belted and got my double 5. Another 2.5KG on my base set upwards next week then! I was tempted to bench, but did my Smith floor presses instead and got a rep PR for the 110s. I decided to finish with a FST7 inspired finisher for both groups, doing 3x12 reps with 90 second intervals, then a top set/ dropset over 4 sets. Both smashed the respective body parts to pieces, so that seemed to work!

Ed Eliason
04-06-14, 6:15 pm
Dude that looks like a solid week. Keep it up!

rainman
04-06-14, 6:37 pm
Cheers. Everything is solid apart from my legs. Just got to start hitting your numbers now and I'll be well on my way.

rainman
04-11-14, 11:31 am
Only 4 workouts this week as I had to go to the hospital to get that niggling mole looked over on Wednesday. It has to come off, which means no lifting for a couple of weeks. I can call it a deload I guess! Unfortunately, nobody at the hospital seems to be able to clarify exactly when this will happen. The lack of urgency probably means it's nothing serious, but it's got me another issue to deal with. As I was going to cycle off creatine for a while it'll be a good test I suppose. I hate taking time off from the gym and regular devotees, (both of you), will know I stay heavy every week, but needs must I suppose.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 7/4/14).
7ft BB Curls: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx10, 62.5KGx4.
Squats: 57.5KGx10, 77.5KGx10, 97.5KGx10, 117.5KGx10, 137.5KGx8, 157.5KG(B)x3, 157.5KG(B)x2, 157.5KG(B)x2.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8, 30KGx5.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx9.
Preacher Curl Machine: 15KGx12, 25KGx12, 35KGx8, 45KGx4>35KGx3>25KGx5>15KGx7.
Leg Press (Wide Stance): 100KGx20, 150KGx20, 200KGx20, 250KGx15>200KGx9>150KGx12>100KGx16.
Notes: After a 2 hour bike ride yesterday in the rain I wasn't really up for squatting today, but was miffed when I found the rack was being used by some joker doing shitty half rep squats. Starting with BB curls wasn't the plan, (I like compounds first), but upped the base weight by 2.5KG when I eventually got in the rack. I should've squeezed out 9 reps at 137.5KGs, but the 157.5KG sets felt hard. My FST7 experiments continued for both groups. Felt sick by the end of the leg pressing!

Chest, (Tues 8/4/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx11, 110KGx7, 110KGx6, 120KGx2, 120KGx2, 120KGx2.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx6, 42.5KGx5.
Flat DB Flyes: 10KGx20, 15KGx16, 20KGx9.
Notes: Went in the doors not really up for benching, so decided to rep out and see where I went. Hitting 11 paused for 2PPS, then a solid 7 reps at 110KG, (8 would've been better), really psyched me up. The second 110KG set was up too rep wise, but by the time I got to 120KGs I was a bit off. Still, I hit all sets within 25 minutes, where I usually give myself 5 minutes between sets, so it's all good. I may run 70>85>100>115 next week, as I feel more reps will translate to better singles as I continue to adjust to a wider grip.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 10/4/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KG(B)x7, 60KG(B)x6, 70KG(B)x2, 70KG(B)x3, 70KG(B)x1.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12.
Alt. Front DB Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
DB Shoulder Press: 15KGx20, 20KGx16, 25KGx9.
Notes: As the music left a lot to be desired this morning I put my headphones in and cranked out Slipknot's 'Live At Download' album. My OHPs subsequently went very well. Resting on my chest and resetting for each rep, plus my wider grip, I expected my numbers to be down- not up. 7 at 60KG was a result, although the second set went a bit shoddy on the 6th rep. Decent accessory work too, with the DB presses causing a nasty pump. I was going to go to 30s, then dropset back down to 15KGs over the previous DBs, but fortunately ran out of time!

Legs & Back, (Fri 11/4/14).
Sumo Deads: 100KGx12, 120KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx4, 200KG(B)x0.
Conventional Deads: 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx5, 200KG(B)x1.
Weighted Chins: BWx17, 15KGx11, 30KGx7, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns w/straps: 185LBx12, 205LBx9, 235LBx4.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx8, 105KGx5.
V-Grip Weighted Chins w/straps: BWx12, 15KGx9, 30KGx5, 45KGx3.
Notes: Really fucking pissed off with my sumo deadlifts. Even after not hitting legs for 4 days I just couldn't break the 200KG off the floor. So I switched to conventionals... and got it! In fairness I feel that going narrower on my squatting stance post injury may have played a part, but conventional seems more my natural stance for deadlifts, especially being fatigued from sumos and not having done them for a couple of months. I set up weighted chins slightly differently, going up in 15KG increments. 45KG sets was pretty legit. Rest of the workout was solid too.

rainman
04-18-14, 2:49 pm
This past Sunday I didn't go for my usual bike ride as I went to a local bodybuilding show with Adam and some of the gym gang. The day was alright I guess, but unexpectedly long, as we left the venue around 8pm. He was sponsoring the event, so we rocked up en mass. One of the guys, Will, is entering the under 75KG class at Bodypower so we're heading there next.
I also got to my gym earlier to find that they are closed for the entire Bank Holiday weekend, (from Friday to Monday inclusive all you US guys), so I was pretty annoyed. I don't think I'm going to lose all my muscle mass, but as my mole removal has been set for 2nd May I want to get in as many sessions as possible for the 2 weeks I'll have to take off post surgery. Cycling off creatine, it is also a good indication of how it affects my body with regards to strength and mass. As I usually start Easter Sunday morning with a breakfast of chocolate I am now on a downward spiral. Should be fun!

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 14/4/14).
Squats: 57.5KGx10, 72.5KGx10, 92.5KGx10, 117.5KGx10, 137.5KGx10, 157.5KG(B)x4, 157.5KG(B)x5, 172.5KG(B)x0.
7ft BB Curls: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx10, 62.5KGx4>52.5KGx4>42.5KGx7>32.5KGx7.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx12.
Leg Press: 100KGx20, 150KGx20, 200KGx20, 250KGx15.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 95KGx12, 110KGx12.
Notes: Squatted with a young guy called Mack today, (circa 18, nearly 1ft taller and about 60lb lighter than me), and was pleased- both with the numbers that I hit and the fact I could pass on some knowledge to someone half my age. He squatted half the weight I did, but that wasn't the point. He took away a solid 9 reps at 75KG and got 4 at 80KG before folding on a fifth attempt. It was like Yoda and Luke Skywalker in the squat rack today- both in height and age.

Chest, (Tues 15/4/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 85KGx12, 100KGx10, 100KGx7, 115KGx3, 115KGx2, 100KGx5, 80KGx6.
Incline DB Presses: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx8, 42.5KGx6, 42.5KGx4.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx6.
DB Flyes: 10KGx20, 12.5KGx16, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx8.
Notes: Bravely, (I hate change), decided to switch over my bench workout today, going up in 15KG increments per set. Although I hit decent volume, I feel the 85KG set was pretty much unnecessary and it subsequently robbed me of some heavier reps. I expected more at 115KGs and was pretty surprised the third rep was a real grinding, borderline failure, press. I feel that, with squats going up by hitting them twice a week, maybe I should continue this strategy with benching? Down on accessory work, but my forearms were busted from the benching.

Legs & Back, (Weds 16/4/14).
Conventional Deads: 100KGx10, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KGx5, 200KG)B)x1, 200KG(B)x0.
Weighted Chins: BWx12, 15KGx9, 30KGx6, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx12.
Neutral Wide Grip Weighted Chins w/straps: BWx14, 15KGx11, 30KGx5.
Notes: Busted up from legs on Monday may not have been a good recipe for deadlifts, but I went with it, and did conventional deads at that. Same numbers as my 4 day break from last week, although these weren't post sumo of course, which was cool. Wasted too much time psyching myself up for a second 200KG attempt. Decent weighted chins, in spite of my banged up callouses. Wide grip chins will replace my pulldowns as they're infinitely more hardcore!

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 17/4/14).
Standing OHPs: 30KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KG(B)x6, 60KG(B)x6, 70KG(B)x1, 70KG(B)x2, 70KG(B)x2.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx7.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx11.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
DB Shoulder Press: 15KGx12, 20KGx12, 25KGx12.
Notes: Good enough numbers on OHPs as I messed about with my grip width again. Went to maximum numbers for reps on the top sets and did fairly well. The shoulder press finisher was kept at 12 reps a set, but I ran out of time as I would've liked to have repped 30KG DBs too.

Chest & Triceps (Fri 18/4/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 100KGx10, 100KGx8, 100KGx8, 100KGx8.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx7.
Notes: Got to the gym to find it was closed. A bit of a shitter, as I wanted to squat. So I headed to Mum & Dad's house as Dad has the bench from my old gym. I basically just did 2 P.P.S. bench reps, with good enough numbers hit. My AC joint was aching a bit by the fifth set, so I narrowed my grip back to where I used to set it for a final 8. Mind you, I did delts yesterday and this is my second time benching this week, so I can't be too down. I had to do Skull Crushers on a stepper as that's all Dad had to lie on, but beggars can't be choosers I suppose!

rainman
04-25-14, 1:46 pm
Another half arsed week of workouts, after saying I was going all out before my mole op. Bank Holiday Monday meant the gym was shut and I was at an auction on Thursday, so not my fault folks. Mind you, I have been burning the midnight oil writing poetry until 4am etc., so the rest was probably needed.
Training wise, I've been thinking about benching twice a week, as it's done good stuff for my squatting. Deads on Wednesday, with maybe more specific accessory work thrown in perhaps? Another note regarding training is that I ran out of creatine based products after running out of Shock Therapy and Pump nearly 3 weeks ago now. No real noticeable difference in reps thus far, but I've seen creatine work in the past, so never say never again.

Chest, (Tues 22/4/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx2, 120KGx3, 120KGx3.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
High/ Mid/ Low Cable Flyes: 40LBx8/8/8, 55LBx8/8/8, 70LBx8/8/3.
Notes: Back on a narrower grip and the Texas Powerbar. Initially the reps felt heavy, (nearly failed my fifth rep at 10KGs), I built up a solid triple for my second 120 set, so much so that I went for a fourth rep on my third set. Failed it, but I was smooth all the way up to it, but moved my right arm out to the right when bringing the bar down. Accessory work went pretty well, although the High/Mid/Low cable flyes screwed me up.

Legs & Back, (Weds 23/4/14).
Conventional Deads: 102.5KGx5, 142.5KGx5, 162.5KGx5, 182.5KGx5, 182.5KGx4, 192.5KG(B)x2, 202.5KG(B)x1.
Weighted Chins: BWx12, 15KGx10, 30KGx6, 45KGx3>BWx7.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx5.
Neutral Wide Grip Chins w/straps: BWx13, 15KGx8, 30KGx4.
Notes: Another late start, but this time because I was chatting to one of the gym regulars. I decided to hit conventional deadlifts today , concentrating more on volume rather than blowing out early. Added 2.5KG to all my base sets upwards. and very happy with the numbers hit. Went up on DB Rows too and also managed to do OK on weighted chins, despite sore callouses.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 25/4/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 100KGx10, 140KGx10, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x2, 160KG(B)x2.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx8, 100KGx8, 100KGx8, 100KGx8, 100KGx8>80KGx6>60KGx7>40KGx8.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Close Grip Smith Incline Press: 30KGx12, 50KGx12, 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx2, 90KGx8.
Leg Press (My Squat Width Stance): 100KGx10, 150KGx10, 200KGx10, 250KGx10, 275KGx8.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx7.
Notes: My first squat session in 11 days wasn't the disaster I had expected. Worked up in 40KG increments beltless, before donning the belt for 160s. All went OK. Rep day for benching was good too. Almost failed my fourth set on the 8th rep as I was pausing for 2-3 seconds on the last press of each set. Good accessory work too. The 'Close Grip Smith Incline Press' was shown to me by a guy called Tristan a while back. An adjustable bench is set to the same as my DB Inclines on chest day, with the bar being held close and brought down to the neck- like a guillotine press, but with less chance of either, a) fucking up my shoulders or, b) dying from a crushed windpipe. It was a really effective exercise for tricep isolation but, as the numbers show, you can only get to a certain limit before everything goes to shit.

rainman
05-02-14, 3:33 pm
As I type this weeks' entry I have a bloody big, irritating bandage on my back, covering a bloody big hole in my back where my troublesome mole used to sit. Now removed, I am forced to effectively join the majority of the population and sit on my arse for a couple of weeks in front of the telly. (Hey... at least I am already obese on the BMI charts!) The mole sat roughly between delt and trap and, being a low bar squatter, was slap bang in the way of both the bar and also when I am lying on the bench. Having it removed was the smart move, but having a 2 week sabbatical does my head in.
I may try and get a few workouts in here and there, but have to be really careful what I do, especially as the location of the stitches means it'll be quite easy to tear open.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 28/4/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx10, 140KGx10, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x3.
7ft BB Curls: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx10, 62.5KGx5>52.5KGx4>42.5KGx5>32.5KGx7.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls: 25KGx12, 27.5KGx10, 30KGx5>20KGx5>10KGx7.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 100KGx10, 120KGx5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 95KGx12, 110KGx10.
Notes: Went with a wider stance for squatting again today, just to try and open up my hips a bit. I believe that this will also translate well to sumo deads. I got decent enough results, considering my lack of leg work of late. bit more accessory work for legs too, plus upping the DBs on hammer curls as someone was using my 22.5KG first set choices. Still got the same numbers one notch up!

Chest, (Tues. 29/4/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx1.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
Flat DB Flyes: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx7.
Notes: Benching was pretty good today. My 10x100s was alright, the 2x110s was a bit more of a struggle before the triples at 120 went quite well... until I went for a fourth set. Initially planning 4 reps, the first was very awkward, (my right arm is feeling a bit numb), before it crapped out on the second rep, despite feeling strong. I feel I was too complacent on setting up, just being interested in going for 4 reps. Lessons learned. Redeemed myself with accessory work. Used flat DB presses to stretch my chest out more and try and figure out what my right arm is doing.

Legs & Back, (Weds 30/4/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Gripping(!): 105KGx5, 125KGx1, 145KGx1, 165KGx1, 185KGx1, 195KG(B)x0, 185KGx0.
Weighted Chins: BWx13, 15KGx8, 30KGx5, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx6.
Stiff Leg Deads w/straps: 60KGx8, 80KGx8, 100KGx6.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx8.
Notes: I went and gave hook gripping another shot today. I could only do singles, being that I'm not used to it, and went up 2.5KG on my base weights due to my numbers last week. Pretty good. The 5 of 105 hurt, which didn't bode well, but I carried on. I held the 165 for about 5 seconds static. Amazingly I got the 185KG up, (so 400LB hook gripping), which I was pumped about, despite hitting 5x182.5KG alternating grip last week. The 195 was a no go as my thumbs looked like Tom's in a Tom & Jerry cartoon where he gets them smashed by a mallet by that pesky mouse.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 1/5/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KG(B)x6, 60KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x3, 70KG(B)x2, 70K(B)Gx2.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx10.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x10, 15KG p/s x8.
Notes: Not too bad for having a fortnight off. Fairly good rep ranges and a good pump at the end too. Hit up the chicken wings machine again as I feel my medial delts need more love. I may up my DB weights on the raises when I get back from my forced 'deload'.

Legs & Triceps- mainly, (Fri 2/5/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 100KGx8, 100KGx8, 100KGx8, 100KGx8>80KGx8>60KGx8>40KGx8>Bar x8.
Squats: 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx10, 140KGx5, 140KGx5.
Close Grip Smith Incline Presses: 30KGx12, 50KGx12, 70KGx9, 90KGx3, 90KGx1.
Lying Leg Curl: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KGx4.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 55KGx6.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx12, 120KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx12.
Notes: As everybody seems to be doing legs I had to start with my 'bench repping' sets. Good lifts, all paused, with a final dropset in for good measure. The problem went to my squatting. I was busted from getting benching out the way within 25 minutes. I flaked out early and called it before getting to my 160 sets. Did OK for the rest of the workout, although I think I recorded the Smith incline presses incorrectly last week, taking in to account the counterbalanced 20KG bar on the Smith.

rainman
05-16-14, 1:53 pm
After a 2 week sabbatical from my Journey I am back, with stitches out of my poxy mole removal incision. For such a small operation, the fact I have been taken out for a couple of weeks is really frustrating, especially with the ease at which I was hitting my numbers in the weeks leading up to the op. Last week was a relaxation week, although I kept waking up as my stitches pulled apart whenever I turned over in bed. This week was a 'trial and error' week. As the mole was between my left trap and rear delt, it's written off most of my exercises. I'm really missing squats, but have surprised myself with what I have been doing when I have bothered to haul my fat arse back in the gym. I now have blood on the back of my yellow iconic. I knew I shoud've worn my red Rage shirt!
Of note is that for the past 4 weeks I have not been taking any supps related to lifting, (no creatines, beta alanine, BCAAS etc.), and only Nitro when I finished my workouts. From my numbers this week, I am expecting to feel bulletproof when I go back on Storm. Both beta alanine and creatine have made a positive effect on my numbers in the past, so am expecting good things.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 12/5/14).
Leg Press: 100KGx12, 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 275KGx12, 300KGx10.
Machine Preacher Curls: 15KGx12, 25KGx12, 35KGx8>25KGx6>15KGx6.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curl: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx9.
DB Concentration Curls: 12.5KGx12p/s, 15KGx12p/s, 17.5KGx12p/s, 20KGx10p/s, 22.5KGx7p/s.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 95KGx12, 110KGx9.
Notes: First day back at the gym in 10 days and in recovery mode from my mole removal on the 2nd. The point of the incision meant I couldn't squat or do any row type of movements, so I worked around it. Happy with the numbers. Best I've done on the leg press in a while.

All manner of damage limitation shit, (Fri 16/5/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx8.
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 100KGx5, 120KGx1, 140KGx1, 160KGx1, 180KGx1, 190KGx1, 200KGx0.
Close Grip Smith Incline Press: 40KGx12, 60KGx12, 80KGx8, 80KGx6, 60KGx8, 40KGx10.
Leg Press: 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx10, 45KGx8, 50KGx7.
Lying Leg Curl: 40KGx12, 50KGx10.
E-Z Bar Cable 7s: 130LBx8/8/8, 145LBx8/8/8, 160LBx8/8/8.
Decline DB Flyes: 10KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12.
Notes: After getting my stitches removed about an hour before my workout, I went in like a kid in a sweet shop. Benching, (which is usually down after a week off, let alone two), was surprisingly good. Both the 70s and 100s felt heavy, but I banged out each rep slow, paused and controlled. My wound was hurting like mad though and started bleeding, so I stopped. Don't want another week off! I went to hook grip deads. I used kinesiology tape round my thumbs and hit singles. I was really happy with these. I'm taking the 200KG as I lifted it fine, but my thumb gave out as I locked out. With hindsight, I didn't tape round my thumbnail, so I will do this next week. Over/under or with straps and it'd have flown up. Hook gripping at 95% of my 1RM certainly put the shine back on my day. Messed about for the rest of my workout; chatting and experimenting what I can and can't do.

rainman
05-23-14, 2:49 pm
Being very hot at the start of the week I went out on my bike. Too nice a day to waste and I loathe indoor cardio, riding my bike up a great big hill seemed like a good idea. I got lost many times, submerged my foot in some mud, (this never disappears from the UK), forgot to pack any food and got bucked over the bars a few times as the fork springs are set for when I was 20lb lighter. Had a great time though. I haven't ridden Winterfold/ Pitch Hill for a couple of years now, so finding all the new trails was an experience. The fact I really need to buy a new bike is both a good and a bad thing. Bad in that money could be spent on better things, but good in that shiny new bikes makes you ride faster.
On the training front, I decided to skip chest day, (I know... who does that shit), as my back mole thing kept opening up when I lifted last Friday, so didn't want to go too fast, too soon.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 19/5/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx10, 140KGx7, 140KGx6, 140KGx6.
7ft. BB Curls: 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx8, 62.5KGx3>52.5KGx4>32.5KGx4>32.5KGx7>22.5KGx8.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx11.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx12, 120KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KG(B)x12, 180KG(B)x8.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 100KGx8.
Notes: Having not squatted for 2 and a half weeks, being off creatine/beta alanine for over a month now, the low bar set up resting on my incision and doing a 5 hour bike ride yesterday, I didn't hold up much hope for squats. Happy enough though. Beltless throughout, but no 160KG attempts yet. Pretty happy on the rest of the leg exercises, although my biceps seem to be suffering a bit.

Legs & Back, (Weds 21/5/14).
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 105KGx5, 125KGx5, 145KGx3, 165KGx1, 185KGx1, 195kgx1, 205KGx1, 210KG(B)x0.
Weighted Chins: BWx15, 15KGx8, 30KGx4, 45KGx2.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx6.
Stiff Leg Deads w/straps: 60KGx8, 80KGx8, 100KGx8.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 60KGx12, 75KG(B)x10, 90KG(B)x7.
Notes: Continuing with a hook grip, I had 210KG in my head for today. I used kinesiology tape again, wrapping the tape across my thumbnails and proceeding with lifting, also adding 5KG to all my weights. Working up in 5s and 3s until 165, then hitting singles, a beltless 205KG lift was a PB, which is pretty mental as I've only been hook gripping a few weeks now. I think donning the belt for my 210 may have done something to me psychologically, as, although I broke the floor, I feel I gave up too early. I could've locked it out, but possibly not held it. Should've tried. Accessory work was alright. I still don't like stiff legged deadlifts and ran out of time before I could do V-grip weighted chins. Still, hook gripping PB and the first back day in 3 weeks went well enough.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 22/5/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KG(B)x5, 60KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x1, 70KG(B)x1, 70KG(B)x1.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Incline DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 55KGx10, 60KGx8.
G Diesel's DB Shoulder Presses: 15KGx20>17.5KGx10>20KGx5>12.5KGx8>15KGx7>17.5KGx6>10KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Fly Machine: 55LBx12, 70LBx10, 85LBx8.
Notes: First delts day in 3 weeks and I started having to do cleans before my standing OHPs as the squat rack was in use. That was from a day after deadlifting too! Numbers were OK considering my time off, plus my grip was compromised, having to power clean the bar first. Accessory work was alright, being more a 'hit the reps' rather than going all out on the final set. The DB shoulder presses were something I'd seen on G Diesel's Journey- a sort of pyramid/ dropset. I wasn't expecting to keep up with the big man, but was pleased with my numbers hit.

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 23/5/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx8, 100KGx6, 100KGx6, 100KGx5, 100KGx7>80KGx5>60KGx6>40KGx9.
Squats: 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx10, 140KGx7, 160KG(B)x1.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx6, 90KGx6, 100KGx4.
Lying Hamstring Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KGx4.
Flat DB Presses: 20KGx15>22.5KGx10>25KGx5>17.5KGx15>20KGx10>22.5KGx5>15KGx8.
Notes: I was checking how my wound was healing this morning, scrathched at the scab, (sorry folks), a found a stitch still in there! Seeing as they got removed last Friday, this has put me at a loss. Benching was more difficult as the sets went on, although I did redeem myself with a final 7 on 100KG before I started my dropset. Squats also went downhill as I progressed. As I last did Smith floor presses on 4/4/14, I did them today, and need to get my practice in I think. The flat DB presses were laid out like the DB shoulder presses yesterday and they certainly were a finisher. It's a really effective way to keep the muscles guessing. Even though you know what you're picking up the body doesn't seem to register as the weights are going up and down all over the place.

rainman
05-30-14, 5:44 pm
I didn't get out on my bike this week, mainly through heavy rain showers and things I had to get done. I got my 5 gym days in though. Legs are feeling shit, so I think a deadlifting deload may be in order. I have been thinking about running the Magnusson/Ortmayer deadlift programme, mainly to stop me from going heavy every week. The workout is no walk in the park, but will slowly build up sets over time, going to 90% for a couple of reps and adding weight progressively, with a 4th week deload, which I'll probably do front squats for instead. I've never really followed a routine as such and have been looking at Sheiko also.

Legs & Biceps, (Sun 25/5/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx10, 140KGx6.
7ft BB Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx9, 60KGx5>50KGx4>40KGx6>30KGx8.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx8.
Leg Press: 100KGx12, 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12.
E-Z Bar Preacher Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx10, 50KGx4>40KGx4>30KGx6>20KGx10.
Smith Calf Raises: 120KG(B)x12, 140KG(B)x12, 160KG(B)x12, 180KG(B)x7.
Notes: It was a toss up whether to train today or go out on a bike ride. Think I picked the wrong option. my back felt smashed after squatting on Friday, so 2 days later I should've expected more aches from squatting. Got 7 different exercises in though, so it wasn't a total loss, including 3 bicep dropsets. Legs were busted, which was irritating and the sun was shining outside, so perfect for bikes!

Chest, (Tues 27/5/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx8, 110KGx4, 110KGx5, 110KGx4, 110KGx4, 120KGx2, 120KGx2>100KGx5>80KGx5>60KGx6.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx9, 42.5KGx6.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8.
Decline Cable Flyes: 10KGx12, 15KGx12, 20KGx10, 25KGx7.
Flat DB Presses: 20KGx15>22.5KGx10>25KGx5>17.5KGx15>20KGx7>22.5KGx5>15KGx8.
Notes: I had it in my mind to go up to 110KGs for reps today. 4s wasn't too bad, (I even hit a set of 5). I figured going up to 120KGs may work, despite my month off from heavier weights, so 2 doubles was nice. Incline DBs really hurt where my mole was removed and my right shoulder was hurting a bit, possibly from the bicep work yesterday. Decline flyes is turning in to a favourite. The DB press dropset/ pyramid exercise is properly busting me up.

Legs & Back, (Weds 28/5/14).
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 110KGx5, 130KGx5, 150KGx3, 170KGx1, 190KGx1, 210KGx0- was meant to put on 200KGs!
Weighted Chins: BWx12, 15KGx9, 30KGx4, 45KGx2.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx6.
Lat Pulldowns w/straps: 155LBx12, 185LBx10, 215LBx6.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 60KGx12, 75KGx10, 90KGx8.
Notes: Really fucked off with the deadlifts. Up to 190KGs was fine. I decided to go up to 200KGs in the build up to the 210KG I had planned, and it only just broke the floor! No chance of lifting it so I called it... only to see I'd put 15KG plates on instead of 10s and was up at 210KGs anyway! With my confidence shot I just quit. Pretty pissed off, but my hook grip is getting really strong, but going for PBs each week is slowly fucking up my CNS. Did OK for accessory work, although I am out of practice on my weighted chins.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 29/5/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KG(B)x4, 60KG(B)x4, 60KG(B)x4, 60KG(B)x4.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
Alt. Front DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx10.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 60KGx9.
Notes: Standing OHPs were a disaster. Even being able to lift off the rack instead of cleaning the weight up like last week, I was down on reps and it felt a struggle throughout. I decided to stick at 60KGs for reps rather than go for 70s. Made it up to 10 reps on the top set of each of my accessory lifts to compensate, although I ran out of time, having only 45 minutes to train.

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 30/5/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx12, 110KGx5, 110KGx5, 110KGx4, 110KGx5, 90KGx10, 70KGx12.
Squats: 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx10, 140KGx7, 100KGx10, 60KGx10.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 110KGx3, 110KGx3, 90KGx7, 70KGx10.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 45KGx12, 60KGx3.
Close Grip Smith Incline Presses: 40KGx12, 60KGx10, 80KGx4.
Leg Extensions: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx7.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extensions: 130LBx12, 160LBx5.
Notes: I figured sets of 8 of 100KGs for reps was good- once a milestone- but for reps day I decided to focus on hitting 110KGs for reps instead for building strength. 5s was good, (the 4 rep one was a bad set up), with the plan being to continue to go for 5s on rep days. Squats was an up and down fare, but lost my balance a bit after the 7th rep at 140KGs, so racked it again. Tricep accessory work went well enough after my 110 bench sets. Legs were alright, but they, (and my back), have been fairly beat up recently. Time off sucks cock.

Appollonian
06-04-14, 8:31 am
I've been cloaked here as of late, looking great as always. I dig how much detail you put into your sessions, a great resource for anyone including you if you ever need to see what you were doing in the past.

Not that you need to get into specifics, but was it a pretty big mole? I had an issue on my back about 9 years ago now, which just blew my mind it’s been that long since I was a junior in college, and it wasn’t too big. I had it removed and they said something like “you might want to take some time off from the gym so the scar will heal in a nice and small a manner as possible”. I took a few days off from the gym, then I’m pretty sure I popped one stich within the week. When I went back in for the the follow up and stitch removal, they were all gone, and I’ve got a nice, fairly small, oval scar on my back, haha. It wasn’t in the way of squatting and/or the bench so that’s why I didn’t take much time off.

rainman
06-04-14, 10:11 am
It wasn't the biggest mole on my back, but it was right where the bar sits when I'm squatting, (I've always been low bar), and where the bench padding stops, so was always getting aggravated. It had a couple of different colours in there and had bled a couple of times too. I wasn't necessarily worried about it, but figured I'd get it done now, just in case it was something more serious. Bit of a disgusting aside here, (stop reading if eating folks), but the scab hadn't really done much for the past couple of weeks and I knocked the top off last Saturday. I picked at the remainder... and found another bastard stitch in there! No wonder it was causing me discomfort still. Pulled it out and now it is healing up fine.

I'm glad you like the detail too. Sometimes I think 'why do I bother", but as I see it, there is always something to learn from how other people train. For example, I recently nicked G Diesel's 7 set DB pyramid/ dropset he used for shoulders as a finisher for delts and chest, and they're a killer.
I'm not the strongest lifter on here, but if someone looks at my log and picks up on something like the Smith machine floor presses helping with my lockouts on the bench or my recent beltless hook grip progress on deads then I am a happy, if also broken, man.

Appollonian
06-04-14, 11:17 am
Ah, sounds like a horrible painful area to have it then. Glad it all worked out now though! Mine was an ingrown hair gone rogue...

I “steal” or borrow so much from others on the FORVM, it’s a great resource in addition to being “around” like minded folks.

There is just so much information available. You can find entire routines, or a way of ordering certain exercises, or a new way of doing something you consider. Reading what I do also has me question why I do what I do. If I have a good answer, great. If not then I know I need to think about it and figure out why.

Cellardweller
06-04-14, 1:53 pm
I'm guilty of stealing too LOL. But isn't that what the FORVM is for? And not everyone is at the same level either. You can be looking at someone who's strength is where you are at and maybe be doing similar things but then you look at someone a rung up the ladder and their training is all kinds of different. Maybe its that difference that is holding you back from climbing up higher. There's always something to learn.

Ed Eliason
06-04-14, 3:13 pm
I'm guilty of stealing too LOL. But isn't that what the FORVM is for? And not everyone is at the same level either. You can be looking at someone who's strength is where you are at and maybe be doing similar things but then you look at someone a rung up the ladder and their training is all kinds of different. Maybe its that difference that is holding you back from climbing up higher. There's always something to learn.

I couldn't agree more, this is a great point.

rainman
06-06-14, 11:43 am
Cheers for chipping in folks. Stealing feels good! I love seeing people doing stuff they've seen me messing around with at the gym. Currently it's doing rear delt flyes over the roman chair. Sometimes I am amazed by the simplicity of how a minor tweak can really ramp up an exercise.

rainman
06-06-14, 12:28 pm
This week I didn't go out on my bike again as I had to finish a copywriting assignment that could've led to probably the best job I could ever imagine... a freelance writer with a regular income for a bike company. Not being a professional copywriter myself, I had to rely on sending some of my crazy poetry with the wireframe. Although I didn't get the job, I was in the final running and the head of marketing for the company said my examples were better than several of the established writers that had applied. Not bad. Something to go on I suppose. I have just offered to help write some paragraphs for Big Mike at the gym, who is doing a talk on ketosis and epilepsy in October to Professors and Doctors, so maybe this is the start of a new Journey in itself?
Training was only 4 days this week due to other projects and engine management lights popping up on the dash, but I got some stuff done...

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 2/6/14).
Squats: 60KGx5, 100KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KG(B)x5, 170KG(B)x1, 170KG(B)x1, 160KG(B)x1, 140KG(B)x3.
7ft BB Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx8, 40KGx10, 30KGx12.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx9.
Leg Press: 100KGx12, 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 300KGx10.
Notes: Rather than rep out on squats today, I went heavier, working up in sets of 5 to 160KGs, where I donned the belt and got out 5 reps for a PB. I probably should've played it safe for a triple and gone for more at 170KGs, but I was screwed from my 5 at only 10KG less. I went slow and controlled on my curls. No cheating towards the end. I was also very pleased with the leg press. I worked on a 3-4 second negative before exploding from the bottom, (ooh-er), with the goal being to have the platform bounce at the top of the lift. Worked better than expected obviously!

Chest, (Weds 4/6/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx10, 110KGx6, 110KGx4, 120KGx2, 120KGx2, 120KGx2, 100KGx5, 80KGx5.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx9, 47.5KGx4.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8.
Decline DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 20KGx9, 25KGx6.
Flat DB Presses: 20KGx15>22.5KGx10>25KGx5>17.5KGx15>20KGx10>22.5KGx5>15KGx15.
Notes: It was a bit unplanned to hit the gym today, but got there and on to the bench. The 100s felt hard, but I ground out 10 reps. 110s were OK for 6, but messed up my set up on the second set of these. 120s were lagging. I guess a build up of 3-5 rep sets would've been better. I had to use the shitty silver bar too, so my grip was never where I like it as the rings in the knurling is nowhere near the competition bar 810mm wide standards. I went a bit crazy on inclines to make up for it. The 47.5KG DBs was a spur of the moment decision and a weight I'd never tried for inclines before, so was really pleased with my 4 reps. My left elbow got tweaky on the decline flyes, (possibly from the second set of 110s), but was happy enough overall.

Legs & Back, (Thurs 5/6/14).
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 110KGx5, 130KGx5, 150KGx5, 170KGx3, 190KGx1, 200KGx0.
Weighted Chins: BWx11, 15KGx7, 30KGx4, 45KGx2.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGX10, 65KGx7.
Stiff Legged Deads w/straps: 60KGx12, 80KGx8, 100KGx4.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 60KGx12, 75KG(B)x10, 90KG(B)x8.
V-Grip Weighted Chins: BWx8, 15KGx6, 30KGx4.
Notes: Very warm in the gym this morning. No air con or ventilation meant I was sweating like a pig. I went for more reps on the hook gripping deads today. 3x170KG was alright, although I went up weight as usual. Broke the 200KG off the floor but failed again! I can't believe a few weeks ago I had 210KGs past my knees. I really need a break! Stiff legged deads are not for me. I really can't get down far enough without losing form. The rest of the workout was alright though. My back felt pretty strong at least.

Delts, Traps & Triceps, (Fri. 6/6/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 60KG(B)x5, 60KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x1, 70KG(B)x1, 70KG(B)x1.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx8, 90KGx8, 110KGx5, 110KGx5.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGX8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGX12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGX8.
Close Grip Smith Incline Presses: 40KGx12, 60KGx10, 80KGx7.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 60KGx10, 70KGx7.
Seated DB Behind The Neck Press: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6.
Notes: Catch up day today had me doing delts and triceps. OHPs are problematic as always. Solid floor presses. The alternating side raises were a concern I had about not hitting the medials effectively enough. It worked and I just about managed my full reps, but boy were they fucked! I was pleased with the BTN presses for tricep pump as a finisher. I feel I need more tricep activation work in my week.

rainman
06-13-14, 2:24 pm
Got out on my bike this Sunday again, which was a nice relief. I seriously need to get a new bike as I am smashing my trusty old steed to bits. I got home to watch the live streaming of the DH World Cup on Redbull TV too... bonus.
Workouts have gone well enough, but back issues have made me reassess my squatting. Psyching myself up to get some Adidas Power Perfect 2s in the near future as I feel Chucks haven't helped with my stance. They may even give me better leg drive on the bench too.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 9/6/14).
Squats: 62.5KGx5, 102.5KGx5, 142.5KGx5, 162.5KG(B)x4, 162.5KG(B)x2, 162.5KG(B)x1, 142.5KG(B)x3, 102.5KG(B)x3.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 32.5KGx12, 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx5.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx9.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx9.
Leg Press: 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 300KGx10, 350KGx4.
Cable Rope Curls: 100LBx12, 130LBx6.
Smith Calf Raises: 100KGx12, 120KGx12, 140KGx12, 160KGx12.
Notes: Heavy squatting day today, with me adding 2.5KG to all sets after my recent 5x160KGs. I was feeling fine before the 162.5s, but they really beat me up. My lower back was screwed for the rest of the workout, so subsequent sets dropped off. Using the arm blaster was a good idea, but my right shoulder began playing up on DB hammers too. Broken man. Leg pressing went alright, but 350KGs felt high and not as effective as multiple reps.

Chest, (Tues 10/6/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 100KGx5.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx7, 47.5KGx3.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx4.
Decline DB Flyes: 12.5KGx12, 17.5KGx10.
Rotary Chest Press Machine: 15KG p/s x12, 30KG p/s x10, 45KG p/s x5.
Notes: Went for the same sort of structure on benching as I did on squats. Not repping out before my 120s gave me a lot more in the tank, so I managed to squeeze out 5 paused triples of 120KGs, which is a PB of sorts. A coupe of arse off the bench moments by the third rep on a few, but it's a start I guess. The rest went alright. Hit 47.5KG DBs on both inclines and pullovers, but the DB Flyes fucked up my left elbow as per usual, so I stopped early and went on the rotary press for a bit of variety.

Legs & Back, (Weds 11/6/14).
Sumo Deads w/hook grip: 100KGx5, 120KGx5, 140KGx1.
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 140KGx3, 160KGx5, 180KGx3, 180KGx3, 180KG(B)x1.
Weighted Chins: BWx10, 15KGx7, 30KGx5, 45KGx2.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx6.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 65KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x10, 95KG(B)x8.
Neutral Grip Pulldowns w/straps: 155LBx12, 185LBx10, 215LBx6.
Notes: My back still felt annihilated from squats on Monday, so went for sumo deadlifts as a more back friendly option. This fucked up my thumbs royally. I think the narrower grip doesn't lend itself well to hook gripping, so switched back to conventionals. Went up to triples of 400LBs for triples, but by the third set my left thumb was killing me. Subsequent exercises suffered from the grip issues. With more time I'd probably done speed pulls using straps for sumos, but I'm just glad I got out the gym without my thumbs falling off!

Delts & Traps, (Thurs. 12/6/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx5, 60KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x2, 70KG(B)x1, 70KG(B)x1.
Alt. DB Side Delt Raises: 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Upright Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 65KGx8.
Notes: Despite setting off at the usual time this morning, it took 50 minutes to drive the 5 miles to the gym. My shoulder day cut short, I went for 5s on OHPs and failed miserably again. Funny, as the previous compounds went well this week. May need to drop 5KGs or so from each set. Cramming exercises in was alright, but I'd have liked more time. Kind of like shoulders day, so to get less time in the gym was shit. As it always is.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri. 13/6/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 80KGx10, 100KGx10, 120KGx10, 140KG(B)x5, 140KG(B)x5, 140KG(B)x5.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx4, 110KGx5, 110KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 45KGx10, 60KGx3.
Close Grip Smith Incline Press: 45KGx12, 65KGx10, 85KGx5.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 100KGx8, 80KGx12, 60KGx12.
Seated DB Behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6.
Notes: carrying a screwed up back in to Thursday required some attention to form, so I tried widening my squat stance by a foot or so. It seemed to work, although I put the belt on early in case of wobbles. I got Big William to check my depth and he confirmed I was below parallel on each rep of my final 140 set, so not bad for a first attempt. Benching was alright, but I had a bad set up for my first 110, which messed me up for the following sets. I think my main problem today was that I was wearing a vest today, (I'm usually a t-shirt guy), so it felt a bit weird as I couldn't get comfortable. Good accessory work though.

rainman
06-20-14, 5:12 pm
At my gym there are a lot of people who I feel privileged to train with, many of whom are mentioned in this Journey. Then there is 'Bo Selecta'. Anyone from the UK, or some of my overseas brothers who may have caught this shit UK show, will already have a picture of this 'Bo Selecta' chap in their heads. Bit of an odd looker, massive glasses, 140lb or so wet, but at least he is passionate. Anyhow, I saw him on Wednesday being spotted on the incline bench by Jay, who was effectively curling 70KGs whilst Bo Selecta was flapping around under the bar for 8-10 reps. Jay made his escape soon after and he asked me to spot him. I went over and there was 90KG on the bar. Asking if he was OK, he said he was fine. Gave him a three count, released the bar over him and watched the bar wobble down as he tried to hold it steady. I re-racked it and told him to at least take 10KG off, which, to his credit, he did. Gave him the three count, released the bar... crash. Smack in to his chest, before trying to press it on the rebound. In the end I curled five reps out with him grunting underneath.
Getting up and telling me he'd hit a good five, I had to correct him that he actually hadn't done one rep. Maybe it was me feeling like I'd shattered his aspirations, but I did a 10 minute run through of my chest workout, telling him to focus on the negatives, exploding off the chest like a spring. All the usual. Then I showed him DB Pullovers, the most underrated chest exercise, demonstrating with a 12.5KG DB. I did a proper guide with him, got him to use the 12.5KG DB, which he did with typically bad form, which I ironed out for him. I turn my back to carry on with my workout and the prick picks up a 30KG DB and almost smashes his head to bits with it!
I was relaying the story to Tristan today and he didn't know who Bo Selecta was. I described him and he said "Oh... you mean The Animal?" Turns out this chap is infamous at the gym, where his exploits are the stuff of legend and he never listens to good advice. The fact I had, as he put it, squashed The Animal, made me laugh all morning, although the fact that most of my iconics are emblazoned with "Animal' across them has made me look like his biggest fan!

Ed Eliason
06-20-14, 6:17 pm
Lol

Cellardweller
06-21-14, 2:50 pm
Good for you for trying to help him even though he wasn't going to follow your advice.

rainman
06-21-14, 6:10 pm
Lol


Good for you for trying to help him even though he wasn't going to follow your advice.

You can lead a horse to water as they say...
This is the funny thing about my gym. There is a wealth of knowledge in there. For example, between laughing about The Animal and throwing plates about, Tristan was getting tips off me about widening his squat stance due to his lower back cramping up and I was getting hints off him about seated OHPs using a BB due to my shitty standing efforts. He's a PT, a 100KG/8%BF bodybuilder and crazy strong. I am none of these, but we all learn from each other. Despite the weights being shitty and bent bars, I wouldn't change my gym for the world. I have progressed so much as a lifter there and if this crazy little chap stopped and thought "hang on... I may only be able to press one plate per side currently, but that's no different from anyone else in here at some point in their lives" then we may be on to something.
However, if he does feature on an Iconic T in the future then I will shit on my head and call it a hat.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 16/6/14).
Squats: 65KGx10, 105KGx5, 145KGx5, 165KG(B)x4, 165KG(B)x3, 165KG(B)x2, 105KG(B)x5.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 32.5KGx12, 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx4, 52.5KGx5, 42.5KGx9.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx12.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx5>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx9.
Leg Press: 160KGx12, 210KGx12, 260KGx12, 310KGx8.
Close Grip Preacher Curl Machine: 15KGx12, 25KGx10, 35KGx6>15KGx7.
Notes: I went in with the intention of squatting 165KG with my wider stance for reps today. Hitting 5x145 beltless with more in the tank was a confidence booster and got 4 on my top set... then 3... then 2. Out with the Arm Blaster again for my curls, holding the bar wider than usual- past shoulder width with elbows tucked in to my sides. The rest of the workout was good. Leg curls felt easy and the leg press was alright after my squatting. Decent enough bicep work. 3 different exercises gave me a bitch of a pump.

Chest & Triceps, (Tues 17/6/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx4, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx2.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx9, 47.5KGx3.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx5, 90KGx4.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx4.
Seated DB BTN Press: 30KGx5, 35KGx5.
Flat DB Presses: 32.5KGx10, 37.5KGx7, 42.5KGx5.
Notes: Well, hitting triceps between chest sets didn't go as well as planned! I went in to the 120s wanting 5, expecting 3, but hitting 4. Not bad. Subsequent sets went alright, but that 4 took a lot out of me. Still, a rep PB. Not much arse off the bench action today, but my left elbow has been giving me shit again. Chest accessory work was alright, but my elbow proved to be a limiting factor. maybe some pretty boy ab work if I get time post chest day perhaps? Flat DB presses aggravated where my mole was removed too.

Legs & Back, (Weds 18/6/14).
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 105KGx5, 125KGx5, 145KGx5, 165KGx3, 185KGx0, 185KG w/straps x5.
Weighted Chins: BWx13, 15KGx7, 30KGx4, 45KGx2>BW(+legs outstretched) x7.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
Sumo 2" Block Pulls: 145KGx5, 165KGx5, 185KGx3, 185KGx2.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 65KGx12, 80KG(B)x10, 95KG(B)x8, 110KG(B)x6.
V-Grip Weighted Chins: BW(+legs outstretched) x12, 15KGx6, 30KGx5, 45KGx2.
Notes: Conventional deads was a bit of an experiment today as I used one of the thicker bars over the thinner deadlift bar I've been using. It didn't help that my thumb tape was coming loose. The 185 slipped from my busted up hand, so I used straps. Got 5! Beltless too. Sumo deads was off some 2" Olympic plates we have at the gym. I used mixed grip on these, which seemed to feel more natural for sumo. Considering my lack of sumos and mixed grip of late, this was pretty decent.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 19/6/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 55KG(B)x6, 60KG(B)x4, 60KG(B)x3, 65KG(B)x2, 65KG(B)x1.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx11.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 60KGx10, 70KGx6.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KGp/s x12, 12.5KGp/s x12, 15KGp/s x8, 17.5KGp/s x3.
Wide Grip BB Shrugs w/straps: 70KGx12, 90KGx12, 110KGx12.
Notes: Standing OHPs can fuck off! I am really pissed off with how they're going. I have been holding them a bit wider and still pausing the bar on my chest, but I expected more. Maybe it's time to switch to seated- either using a BB or DBs? Accessory work went much better, with me getting the chance to hit up the chicken wings machine again and do wide grip BB shrugs, (a bit wider grip wise than benching- a bit like a Reeves deadlift set up). My neck is a bit stiff now. I guess that is what shrugs do to you.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 20/6/14).
Squats: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx12, 125KGx12, 145KGx9, 145KG(B)x5, 105KG(B)x5 (all paused for 2 secs in the hole).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx12, 110KGx5, 110KGx4, 110KGx4, 110KGx4>90KGx4>70KGx6>50KGx7.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx8.
Seated DB B.T.N. Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx8.
Seated Calf Raises: 75KGx12, 85KGx12, 95KGx12.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 115LBx12, 145LBx12, 175LBx12.
Notes: Legs & triceps is basically a reps day for me nowadays. Squats, (wider stance still), went well. Went up to 12 reps on each set just because I felt like hitting more volume. I paused the last rep for 2 seconds in the hole on all but my 145s. The 9 beltless 145s felt awesome. Actually, they felt horrible, but pretty damn good to re-rack. With the safety net of a belt, I am sure I had 10 or 11 in me. Paused each of the 105 reps too. This screwed me up for benching, but I did OK all things considered. Kept 12 reps for as much as I could. I'd have liked more time, but my 90 minutes was mainly spent squatting or moaning about squatting in between sets.

rainman
06-28-14, 6:08 pm
The title of my Journey, I think, makes me sound like I'm up my own arse. It sounds like I'm trying to do something to set me apart from the conventional 'Animals' on here. Well, apart from the weird strength things I do such as the human flag, I am pretty much no different to anyone else on here. I lift to get stronger. To get bigger. To be able to gather up enough knowledge that one day I may be able to pass something on to a new gym goer.
And then I get on my bike for 5-6 hours of thrashing around in the woods, compiling the biggest faux pas checklist for bodybuilders and powerlifters alike; hours of intense cardio, major risk of injury and looking like a dick. This Sunday just gone was no different. I managed to crash pretty hard on a dusty corner during a really steep downhill section, grazing up my arm and leg pretty badly and was dead to the world when I eventually got back home. When I am sat around, my training constantly revolves around my head. Sometimes I feel like I have to force myself to get out on my bike. When I do though, I remember exactly why I do it. I hit stretches of downhill that made me feel invincible. Nearly getting bucked over the bars on one particular stretch just made me want to hit it again. Faster. Which I did.
Hopefully everyone has seen that awesome video of Tom Platz training David Hoffman that has recently surfaced. A million quotes could be taken from this, but the one that stuck in my head was "If your life doesn't pass before your eyes at least once a week, then you should take up a different sport."

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 23/6/14).
Squats: 65KGx5, 105KGx5, 145KGx5, 165KG(B)x2, 165KG(B)x1, 165KG(B)x1>145KG(B)x1>105KG(B)x1>65KG(B)x1.
BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 32.5KGx12, 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx6>32.5KGx9.
Lying Stepper Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx12, 45KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx11.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 110KGx6.
Close Grip Preacher Curl Machine: 15KGx12, 25KGx11, 35KGx7>15KGx6.
Paused Front Squats: 60KGx5, 70KGx5, 80KG(B)x4, 90KG(B)x2.
Notes: With a 6 hour bike ride and pretty big crash behind me yesterday, heavy squats may not have been the best idea. This was confirmed by the 145s. I got 5, could maybe have got 6 or 7, but I felt my calves cramping up a bit, but was really feeling it by the 165s. Only hitting half the reps of last week was disappointing, but it's a trade off for riding I guess. Bicep work went very well, so maybe a delt or even chest shuffle around may be in order for Monday?

Chest & Abs, (Tues 24/6/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx4, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KG(touch n' go)x1!
Lying Weighted Ab Bench Thing: BWx12, 10KGx12, 20KGx12, 30KGx12, 40KGx9.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx3.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx5.
Ab Rope Crunches: 70LBx12, 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx12.
Decline DB Flyes: 7.5KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 17.5KGx12.
Notes: After yesterday's sub par efforts, I wanted to redeem myself today. Looking back on last week, I got an extra 120KG rep up, plus another 4 reps on my first set, (although I'd like 5). I decided to try a touch and go set for a final one. However, having only paused my reps for the past year or so, completely fucked up and blew my elbow out! Lessons learned. Went for more ab work between chest exercises. 20KGs on the crunch bench and 130LB on the rope crunches will probably be my base settings going forward.

Legs & Back, (Weds 25/6/14).
Sumo Deads w/hook grip: 105KGx5, 125KGx5, 145KGx5, 165KGx3, 185KGx1, 195KGx1, 205KGx0, 185KG w/straps x0- fucking ridiculous.
Weighted Chins: BWx10, 15KGx8, 30KGx5, 45KGx2.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx6.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x7.
V-Grip Weighted Chins: BWx9, 15KGx5, 30KGx3.
Seated Shoulder Width Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx10.
Notes: Why sumo? Why indeed! What started as an experiment with hook gripping and hand placement ended up with my adductors giving up on my top set attempt. I was OK with the 195, but they just gave out. Grip was fine. I wanted to hit reps by dropping down to 185, but they were busted. I may keep sumo speed pulls in, but stick with conventional from now on I think. The rest went well enough. Cable rows were done by using the shoulder width neutral grip shoulder width bar. It worked pretty well, so I'll probably be using these again.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 27/6/14).
Squats: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx12, 125KGx12, 145KGx8.
Paused Squats: 145KG(B)x4, 105KG(B)x5, 65KG(B)x5.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx5, 110KGx3.
Smith 'Hack Squats': 20KG(B)x12, 30KG(B)x12, 40KG(B)x12, 50K(B)Gx12, 60KG(B)x12, 70KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x10, 90KG(B)x6.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx8, 50KGx5.
Notes: My legs are the sorest they have been for a while. Rep squats was alright, although I feel I was leaning forward a bit too much, even with my wider stance. Inspired by the aforementioned Tom Platz/ David Hoffman video, I tried messing around with the Smith machine to try and get some sort of hack squat going. I used a step to get a better angle to lean back on, then messed about with the weights, building up to 90KGs for reps. The belt was used as it would've been easy to lose form, having no back support like a proper hack squat. The floor presses put a lot of stress on my rotators and the skull crushers busted my elbows up again.

Delts & Traps, (Sat 28/6/14).
Seated BB OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx6, 50KGx8, 55KGx5, 55KGx5, 60KGx5, 60KGx5, 65KGx4.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx12.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x8, 17.5KG p/s x3.
Notes: I went for seated OHPs today just to see if I could take some stress off my back. It worked, but I found I had trouble coming down to my chest. They were more straight reps rather than pausing on my chest and driving off with my lats. I didn't use false grip either, which I didn't even notice until the third set. I didn't do upright rows as my rotators still ached, but hit face pulls for sets of 12. 12s on most of my accessory work actually.

NB- I've had Metallica playing live at Glastonbury on the TV as I type this. Pretty amazing set and well worth checking out.

rainman
07-06-14, 7:55 am
This week began on Sunday, (I know... a life in retail has programmed me Sun-Sat), with another bike ride. I took out my faithful bike and took it up to the top of a few local hills. I got some great views from it. I think half the reason why I ride is that I have some of the best countryside on my doorstep and I am constantly overwhelmed by the scenery. Another big crash on the way down a rooty trail cut up my leg and busted up my shoulder a bit, but I carried on hacking my bike. Got home, cleaned it off and found a huge crack running around 70%-ish of the seat tube. A sad day indeed.
I have had to go to 2 separate car auctions this week, so had to cut my days down to 4 and jiggle them around a bit too. I have also started to run a proper lifting program template for deads, mainly as it's an easy enough template, although it really kicked my arse with the volume. 20 'working' reps, plus an additional 8+ set at the end was tough. I think I may have to get my diet properly in check if I keep running it.

Legs & Back, (Mon 30/6/14).
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 60KGx10, 100KGx10, (4x)140KGx4, 160KGx2, 160KGx2, 140KG w/straps x12.
Weighted Chins: BWx15, 15KGx8, 30KGx5, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx7.
Sumo Speed Pulls w/straps: (8x)140KG(B)x3 with 90 seconds rest between.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x6.
Shoulder Width Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
V-Grip Weighted Chins: BWx12, 15KGx8, 30KGx4, 45KGx3.
Notes: After my bike ride yesterday I moved my hams/gutes dominant Legs & Back day around with my Quads/Calves favoured Legs & Biceps day. I decided to start running the Travis Ortmayer/ Benedict Magnusson deadlift program. Week 1 called for 4x4@70% and 2x2@80% before a 8+ set @70%. I set my predicted max to a reserved 200KG, mainly for simplicity on base numbers but also as I am still learning the ropes with hook gripping and want to stay beltless for as long as I can. My back was sore from the bike crash, but I completed all reps with no real problems. I used straps for my final set as I feel grip would've failed long before my legs did. I made the decision to stop after 12 reps. Good enough for the rest. My lower back playing up, (volume on deads added to the stiffness), but ground on. The sumo pulls were a bad idea on reflection I think and I'd have been better off doing more back work.

Chest & Abs, (Weds 2/7/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx4, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 100KGx5, 60KGx10.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 20KGx12, 30KGx12, 40KGx12.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6, 47.5KGx3.
Cable Rope Crunch: 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx12, 220LBx9.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx5.
Notes: Went in wanting to bench 5x120KGs. Walked out with exactly the same reps as last week! The first 3 at 120 were easy. It was only the fourth rep that caused me trouble and I got out of shape. A fifth was possible, (50-50 or so), but without a spotter I have to try and get my head clear when pressing, as I seem to get screwed up when approaching PRs with the whole pomp and ceremony! The other sets were alright, although I hit the rack twice on the second set and never really recovered. Abs and accessory work went well enough.

Legs & Biceps, (Fri 4/7/14).
Squats: 65KGx12, 105KGx12, 145KGx5, 165KG(B)x2, 165KG(B)x1, 170KG(B)x1, 175KG(B)x0.
Paused Squats: 105KG(B)x5 x4 sets.
BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 32.5KGx12, 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx7, 32.5KGx16.
Leg Press: 160KGx12, 210KGx12, 260KGx8.
Preacher Curl Machine: 15KGx12, 30KGx10, 45KGx3>30KGx5>15KGx10.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 45KGx11, 60KGx5.
Notes: I didn't know what to do driving to the gym this morning. Even walking in I was unsure how to run my squatting. Built up in 12s to 145KGs, where I stopped at 5 and decided to hit 165KGs rather than rep it out. I felt strong on the first couple, but a minor stumble made me drop to the safety bars on the third rep. Hit a single at 165, then 170. The 175 attempt was a hit or miss effort- a miss in this case- although my problematic calves were cramping up again. Paused squats were for practice really, hitting 3-5 second paused in the hole. Bicep work was good, but my legs post squatting were shot to shit.
A highlight was seeing 'The Animal' shirtless in the gym doing tricep pushdowns. From the back it looked like he was rowing a boat. And sinking rapidly.

Delts & Traps, (Sat 5/7/14).
Seated OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx6, 65KGx4, 60KGx4, 50KGx7.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 60KGx12, 70KGx6.
Notes: Stuck with seated OHPs today and got more reps out as the movement feels more comfortable and I dial in my set up. False grip felt a bit odd with this position as opposed to standing OHPs and I am having real trouble getting it to my chest without hitting my windpipe! Feeling pretty beat up up for the rest of the workout, but got it done I guess, which is all that counts really.

Appollonian
07-08-14, 11:21 am
When you do big lifts, you need some good fuel. I'm able to eat so much more (clean) food when I can do solid squat and deadlift work and not put any unwanted size on compared to when I can't lift. It looks like a pretty straightforward and tough program, can’t wait to see how you like it.

I miss riding my bike. In high school I would ride it all around the back roads near my folks house. The road is too narrow, and more importantly way too busy now for me to even try it. Hope you find a new one/fix the current one without much fuss.

rainman
07-09-14, 6:46 pm
The routine is pretty tough, I have to admit. Even the 'warm up' week was pretty knackering as I have always seen deadlifts as more single lift orientated over rep work. This is where I have failed though. You'll see in my previous logs I'll have a few weeks building up to a PB then just stagnate. The idea of this is that I don't go for singles. I intend to stick with this year round, but time will tell. I have also decided to only squat once a week, doing this on my other leg day instead of back day. Squats, deads then squats again every week was taking its toll. The fourth deload week on the Magnusson/ Ortmayer routine will be heavy squats, whilst the squats day will now be more rep work based. Travis Ortmayer is active on quite a few forums and has done some really good Q&As regarding this routine if you hunt around.

The bike is beyond redemption I'm afraid, unless someone manufactures a 4ft long seatpost I can strengthen the cracked tube with! I have taken the bike apart now and it'll be mounted on my garage wall, keeping watch on the new frame I plan on buying in the future. I am lucky in that there are loads of woods and trails around here, so am rarely on any roads. I keep having speeder bike Return Of The Jedi moments on it still.

rainman
07-13-14, 9:14 am
This Sunday I stripped my broken bike down. I feel a bit like a mortician when doing this, as I know the bike will never be ridden again. Urm... not a great metaphor regarding prepping of dead bodies, but you get the picture. I also popped in to the shop I originally bought it from to look at new bikes. Looking a £3K+ for anything half decent nowadays, which is what I shelled out about 10 years ago on the old one.
On the workout front, I have watched a really good seminar by Dave Tate on Youtube about accessory movements and the difference between powerlifting and bodybuilding. I watched it midweek, hence triceps being trained twice a week as I eagerly tried close gripping my benching etc. As I have also discovered Oreo ice cream sandwiches I have realised that I can't be a bodybuilder anymore!

Legs & Triceps, (Mon 7/7/14).
Squats: 70KGx15, 85KGx15, 105KGx15, 125KGx10, 125KGx10, 125KGx10, 145KGx5, 145KGx3.
Smith Floor Presses: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx4, 110KGx4.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx6 (the guys made me laugh), 45KGx10.
Seated DB behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx10.
Notes: Quite a few working sets on squats today. I was going to stick with 15 reps going up, but my 125KG set fell short. As another guy wanted to use the squat rack I just did rep work. The 145s were a bit of a struggle. The first 5 was alright, but I felt myself leaning forward on the second set, so I called it. Tricep and leg work felt a bit flat after squatting, so mainly spent the rest of the workout having a laugh with the gym regulars.

Chest & Abs, (Tues 8/7/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx3, 120KGx2, 100KGx5, 100KGx5, 80KGx5, 80KGx5.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 20KGx12, 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx5.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx6, 47.5KGx3.
Cable Rope Crunches: 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx12, 220LBx12.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8.
Decline Cable Flyes: 40LBx12, 55LBx12, 70LBx12.
Notes: One of those days where I should've played it smart. I originally had stuff to do this morning with chest pencilled in for Thursday, but got to the gym so automatically went in to chest mode. Having done triceps yesterday, benching wasn't too smart. The lat drive and initial chest movements were fine, but I really struggled on the lockouts. Did alright overall, but dropping reps really pissed me off.

Back, (Weds 9/7/14).
Weighted Chins: BW + legs outstretched x12, 15KGx11, 30KGx6, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x8.
Neutral Wide Grip Pulldowns w/straps: 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200LBx8, 230LBx5.
V-Grip Weighted Chins: BWx11, 15KGx9, 30KGx3.
Neutral Grip Seated Cable Row: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Notes: I have been starting back day with deads for a while, but with the volume required for the Magnusson/ Ortmayer program, I have shifted them to Friday to replace one of my 2 squat sets. I will be squatting on my fourth deload week. This has also given me more focus to train back exclusively whilst I let my legs recover. Good enough back day, although I didn't get as much done as I'd have liked, mainly as I was having a laugh with the guys again. BB rows will be hopefully be making a future appearance.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 11/7/14).
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 100KGx12, (4x)140KGx4, 160KGx2, 180KGx2, 140KG w/straps x12.
Close Grip Incline Bench: 60KGx12, 80KGx5, 80KGx5.
Close Grip Decline Bench: 60KGx12, 80KGx12, 100KGx4, 100KGx5, 100KGx5, 100KGx5, 80KGx10, 60KGx10.
Leg Press: 160KGx12, 210KGx12, 260KGx12, 310KGx10, 210KGx12, 110KGx12.
DB Floor Presses: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx11, 40KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx9, 60KGx5.
Seated DB Behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx6.
Notes: My second week running the Magnusson/ Ortmayer program had me doing near enough exactly the same reps as last week, but instead of the (2x)2x80%, I had 1x2@80% and 1x2@90% instead. All hit fine, although the last rep set of 70% was more effort. Next week I have to go up 10LB on all lifts, but will be using 5KG instead, which is a bit higher, but I didn't use a projected 1RM, but rather a more conservative total instead. I started close grip inclines after the Dave Tate video I mentioned, but the bench at the gym is shit and rickety so set it for declines instead, which were far more effective. I didn't pause the reps, but did sets of 5 OK enough. DB floor pressing didn't go too well. I still get rotator pain when doing theses, as with Smith floor presses, and the DBs were a bitch to get in to place. Plus it busted my elbows up.

Delts & Traps, (Sat 12/7/14).
Seated OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 55KGx6, 60KGx6, 65KGx4.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x6.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 60KGx10, 70KGx7.
Rear Delt DB Fly Machine: 55LBx12, 70LBx10, 85LBx7.
Incline BB raises: 10KGx12, 15KGx10, 20KGx12.
Notes: Running a bit late, I rushed round the gym today. Seated OHPs still cause me issues. I feel running standing OHPs are more beneficial, despite the awkwardness, as I drive off the lats from a static position. Did a few different exercises today, just to mix things up a bit.

Ed Eliason
07-13-14, 10:16 am
Looks like a decent week, how are you liking the deadlift program?

rainman
07-13-14, 12:52 pm
Really good so far. It's such a simple, linear program, but quite deceptive. You get 3 weeks, then a deload week, which I am going to use for heavy squatting instead. I'm squatting for more rep work on Mondays and doing this on Fridays, so squatting heavy once a month and 3 weeks on this. The final set is the one that busts you. Using straps isn't something I really like doing, but I couldn't hook grip 8+ reps. Being relatively new to hook gripping I set my max quite low and am pretty glad I did. There is a 12 week version around, but I think running the 3 week cycle, then taking a week off, then doing it all over but with your week 3 numbers as the template is what I will be doing.
I am pretty new to this though, so it'll be trial and error for now, but will use 5KG jumps up to the point where my 80% comes out at 190KG the go up in 2.5KG increments. I may reset to a 220KG max when my 90% reaches 200KG, but I'd have to dick about buying 0.5KG and 1KG plates and the numbers will get more confusing. Travis Ortmayer has been very active on forums with explanations of this template, so it is easy to find out more information from one of the originators and, unlike the Ed Coan routine for example, it doesn't get too confusing with the accessory work.
I'd certainly give it a go for the future, especially if you are fairly new to templates, as I am. I would like the commitment of running 5/3/1, but tend to do my own thing quite a lot. Deadlifts, especially, is where I'd just go up in singles instead of structure, which is why I am running this. I'd imagine this would work quite well on the bench, but I'll see how this goes for now before running this with other lifts.

rainman
07-20-14, 8:22 am
The week started for me being awarded 'Member Of The Month' at my gym. I'm quite complimented considering the standard of lifting that goes on in there. I guess putting your weights away does make a difference. The culmination of this was getting all G4P and posing for a photo with a mass gainer supp from a local supplement company. They hooked a tub to each end of my deads bar and I lifted it, posing for a shot. I was pretty pissed with the shot as it was a sub-max weight, (mind you, who PBs with protein powder), and I had to lift off blocks to get the tubs on. I was also worried about putting the bar back down as I didn't want to split the tub, or I'd have to buy that shit! Ha ha.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 14/7/14).
Squats: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx12, 125KGx12, 145KGx8, 145KG(B)x5, 145KG(B)x5, 145KG(B)x5, 150KG(B)x4.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 32.5KGx12, 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx6>42.5KGx4>32.5KGx5>22.5KGx6.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx12, 45KGx10.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx9.
Smith 'Hack Squats': 40KG(B)x12, 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KGB)x5.
Notes: Coming in to the gym as Member Of The Month felt like a big weight on my shoulders. So did my squats. All felt like grinders until I put my belt on for sets of 5s. All felt solid at 145 and I would've probably got 5 at 150KG had I not stumbled after my 1st rep. The rest of my leg exercises went OK, but I'd prefer a proper hack squat machine. Bicep exercises gave me a good pump, but that's all that's needed really.

Chest & Abs, (Tues 15/7/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx5, 110KGx5, 120KGx3, 120KGx2, 120KGx3, 120KGx2, 120KGx2.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 20KGx12, 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx4.
Cable Rope Crunch: 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx12, 220LBx12.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx9.
Notes: Well it wasn't from hitting triceps then! After blaming my training day routine last week, it seems my bench is actually getting weaker for reps. I have put it down to substituting out standing OHPs from my routine. Nothing much else has changed, so these will be coming back. Benching was OK, relatively speaking if compared to last year. Paused BB benching down, but accessory work up gives more food for thought for working with exploding weight off a static pause too.

Back, (Weds 16/7/14).
Wide grip BW Chins: 12, 10.
Smith Rows: 30KG(B)x12, 60KG(B)x12, 90KG(B)x10, 120KG(B)x5, 120KG(B)x4.
Weighted Chins: BWx22(!), 15KGx11, 30KGx6, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx7.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns w/straps: 155LBx12, 185LBx7, 215LBx4.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x9.
Wide Neutral grip Weighted Chins w/straps: BWx10, 15KGx6, 30KGx4, 45KGx1 1/2.
Notes: After Dave Tate's supplementary work seminar video on Youtube and the importance of working the movement rather than the muscle when powerlifting, I went back to doing BB rows, but using the Smith machine. For some reason, my back gets super fucked up when prepping for BB rows, (hamstrings are tight I think), so used the Smith instead. I was really pleased with the results. I used a bench width grip to replicate the movement of my bench and the belt for saving my back from snapping. My chins absolutely rocked today. 22 BW reps is a PB for me, especially at 210LB-ish. The only thing I'd change from this workout is replacing the lat pulldowns for plate loaded machine rows as why bother with pulldowns when I use chin ups?

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 18/7/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 105KGx12, (4x)145KGx4, 165KGx2, 185KGx2, 185KG + 2 tubs of 4KG mass gainer x1, 145KG w/straps x12.
Paused Decline Bench: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx8, 100KGx7, 100KGx6, 100KGx6, 80KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx5.
Close Grip Smith Incline Press: 40KGx12, 60KGx10, 80KGx8, 80KGx7.
Notes: 3rd week of the Magnusson/ Orymayer deadlift routine called for the same sets as last week, but with an extra 10LB on all lifts. I used 5KG per set, which is over 10LB, but I never based my numbers on a projected max, but rather something I'd already hit. Every rep was fine, although the 12 rep 'cooldown' was the worst. The program only calls for 8+ reps, so I'll probably just go for 8-10 on the next cycle. The photo for my gym thing held me up a bit. Pausing my decline benching was a smart move, as I hit good reps. Almost what I'm hitting at flat benching actually. Dave Tate mentioned his close grip incline was 92% of his 1RM, which seems to reflect in my numbers too, which is reassuring. I tweaked out my left tricep unfortunately on the final set due to a minor wobble, mainly as I didn't want to go 8,7,6,5, so it was just me being a prick! I'd have liked to have got more done, but that photo took ages to get done.

Delts & Traps, (Sat 19/7/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 55KG(B)x6, 55KG(B)x5, 60KG(B)x3, 60KG(B)x3.
Chicken Wings Machine: 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x8, 17.5KG p/s x2.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 55LBx12, 70LBx10, 85LBx8.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx8.
DB Shoulder Press: 17.5KGx12, 22.5KGx12, 27.5KGx10, 32.5KGx3.
Notes: Went with standing OHPs today. Being that I didn't have much time and recovering from a stomach upset I had yesterday, I think I did alright. I felt pretty beat up from the week, so some of the lockouts were an issue. Accessory work was a bit different, but they suffered for my aches and pains. Shoulder pressing DBs made my neck stiff too, but I do like the exercise for definition and stability purposes. I may go back to G Diesel's 7 set DB annihilation as a finisher again as I can't lift shit all else after standing OHPs anyway.

Tiger
07-22-14, 5:24 am
Awesome work, and congrats on the Member of the Month! It's not a weight on your shoulders - it's recognition of you, so don't feel like you need to change anything.

rainman
07-22-14, 5:43 pm
Awesome work, and congrats on the Member of the Month! It's not a weight on your shoulders - it's recognition of you, so don't feel like you need to change anything.
The only thing I've changed is that I'm charging £50 per hour on training tips on how to be fucking amazing. I also seem to be taking on quite a narcissistic side to my usual happy go lucky nature.

Actually, that is a lie, and thanks for stopping by. Not much has changed with my lifting. The main difference has been from that Dave Tate seminar on supplementary work I have previously mentioned. Basically, the main point was that powerlifters work the movement whilst bodybuilders work the muscle. If you can track it down on Youtube then it's well worth watching as it goes in to far more detail and has given me more focus on workout structure.

rainman
07-25-14, 3:26 pm
I train at a Lido, which isn't as shit as it sounds most of the time. It is easily the most hardcore gym in the Guildford area and isn't populated by dickheads posting selfies and writing shit like 'chit' on forums. My lifts are decidedly average, but nobody looks down on me for it, as I don't where I outlift some of the other guys either. It's a good mix and I have progressed more from lifting here than in the many years before where I settled for complimentary membership at a leisure centre to train. Not many women, but that's the only complaint.
That is until it gets hot, when the Lido gets full of kids in the pool and the car park gets full of people who seem to get all bent out of shape as they can't park right outside.
"It's always the same," I heard from one chap, "you can never get a space here."
Well, you can... but when it's hot then maybe use some common sense and either arrive early or park in a nearby road? At least I get to feel like royalty when I can stroll past all the vest wearing scrotes. I feel we should get a patrons car parking scheme though, or at least a couple of spaces reserved for leg day.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 21/7/14).
Squats: 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx10, 150KGx4, 150KG(B)x5, 150KG(B)x3, 150KG(B)x4, 150KG(B)x2.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 32.5KGx12, 42.5KGx12, 52.5KGx5.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls w/Fat Gripz: 22.5KGx10, 25KGx8, 27.5KGx2>17.5KGx9>7.5KGx14.
Smith 'Hack Squats': 40KG(B)x12, 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x9, 100KG(B)x7.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 100KGx10, 120KGx7.
Notes: My right glute felt pretty tight coming in to the gym this morning. Squatting went alright. My beltless 150KG set was going well enough until I exhaled going down on the fifth rep. School boy error, so it went to the safety bars and I re-racked it. Belted felt much better, but the reps were all over the place! The rest of the leg exercises went pretty well. Bicep work had both the Arm Blaster and my newly discovered fat Gripz out. DB hammer drop set swapping over the Fat Gripz was impractical.

Chest & Abs, (Tues 23/7/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 100KGx8, 110KGx5, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx3, 120KGx3>100KGx4>80KGx6>60KGx6.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 20KGx12, 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx4.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8.
Decline DB Flyes: 7.5KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 17.5KGx8.
Notes: A better showing on my bench numbers today. Back to the start of the month really. Close grip tricep work and standing OHPs are paying off it seems! Currently undecided about whether to go for 5x120KGs again or hit doubles+ at 125KGs next week as I seem to lose my groove after 2 reps most sets anyway. Db accessory work was alright, but I feel the extra ab work isn't going very well. My back has been pretty stiff these past few weeks and, apart from the deads, these have been the only change of note.

Back, (Weds 23/7/14).
BB Rows: 60KG(B)x12, 90KG(B)x8, 120KG(B+straps)x4, 120KG(B+straps)x6.
Weighted Chins: BWx15, 15KGx12, 30KGx6, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx12, 10KGx10, 20KGx5, 30KGx3.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x8.
Plate Loaded Machine Rows: 20KG p/s x12, 40KG p/s x10, 60KG p/s x4.
Notes: With the Smith in use I had to use the barbell for rows. No real difference between the two really, but had to resort to straps as the bar started to slip on the 90s up. The rest went OK. Wide grip weighted chins were a good replacement for the lat pulldowns, although I prefer using a neutral grip. The plate loaded rows were a good finisher, although I may use a lighter weight next week whilst I mess about with set up etc.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 25/7/14).
Squats: 70KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx5, 150KGx3, 170KG(B)x1, 170KG(B)x1, 170KG(B)x1, 175KG(B)x1, 180KG(B)x0.
Decline Close Grip Paused Bench: 60KGx12, 80KGx12, 100KGx8, 100KGx7, 100KGx6, 100KGx5, 110KGx3, 120KGx0.
Leg Press: 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 300KGx10, 350KGx4.
Lying Leg Curl: 50KGx12, 75KGx0, 60KGx4, 60KGx4.
Notes: Got to the gym to find it both empty of people or music. So I put my headphones in, cranked up Metallica and started to squat. As today was a rest day from my deadlift program, on the suggestion of Travis Ortmayer, I squatted heavy. For me. Not for him. 3x150KGs felt pretty easy. Each of the 170KG sets were pretty good, (a security guard hired by the Lido that wandered in said I was going "...proper deep..."), so I went for 175 as I was getting on OK with the 170s. It took an eternity but it went up for a PB. The 180 didn't, but I had been catching up to a guy who had come in for 15 minutes beforehand and lost my focus and headphones. I was joined by Big Mike for the rest of my workout and pushed a bit harder because of it. Went heavier on the close grip benching, took the new leg press to 350KGs for reps and tried to keep up with him, but failed miserably on the leg curl, (he hit 75KGs for 6 reps them went to 100KGs for a single).
My right glute is still pinching a bit. It is annoying, but not stopping me going fairly heavy, so I'll have to keep an eye on it. No problems with squatting, but the leg press tweaked it a little, possibly as my leg press stance is fairly narrow over my wider squat stance.

rainman
08-03-14, 12:47 pm
A week where I actually felt strong for once. Strangely I am looking a bit leaner too, so I'm not sure how that happened, especially with no cardio due to no bikes that are working currently. This week has been pretty busy work wise too as I have finally started selling some bits. I have been dozing off in the evenings, so may need to up my food intake. Seeing abs unnerves me!

Delts & Traps, (Sun 27/7/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KG(B)x10, 55KG(B)x9, 60KG(B)x5, 65KG(B)x3, 70KG(B)x1, 75KG(B)x1, 77.5KG(B)x0.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx7.
Rear Delt DB flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8, 22.5KGx9.
Upright Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 65KGx9, 75KGx4.
Notes: As the squat rack was in use I had to clean my OHP bar for each set. This, for the best part of this exercise, worked really well. My 75KG attempt took an eternity to get up, but it eventually did. Cleaned the 77.5KG OK, but crapped out half way on the press. My right trap has been hurting since. I think I pulled it on the 175KG grind, but didn't want to let up being a bit of a dickhead. Went a bit heavier for the rest of the workout too. Didn't do too much as I was chatting to the guys most of the time I was at the gym, but what I did I felt I did well.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 28/7/14).
Squats: 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx10, 150KGx5, 150KG(B)x5, 150KG(B)x4, 150KG(B)x4, 150KG(B)x3.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 35KGx12, 45KGx11, 55KGx5.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx9.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx9>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx8.
Smith 'Hack Squats': 40KG(B)x12, 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x9, 10KG(B)x6.
Notes: Squatting for reps today meant going up to 150KG beltless. Leading up to the top weight was OK, but a minor fold on the 9th rep at 130KG almost got me. 5 beltless at 150KG was good enough. Good numbers belted too, but I held out too late for my final set and lost my groove. Both bicep exercises produced PBs and my leg accessory work felt strong. Over 2 hours at the gym due to a lot of chatting, but that's not a bad thing really.

Chest & Abs, (Tues 29/7/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 90KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx5, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2>105KGx4>85KGx5.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx6.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx7, 47.5KGx3.
Cable Rope Crunches: 175LBx12, 205LBx12, 235LBx5.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8.
Decline Cable Flyes: 40LBx12, 55LBx12, 70LBx10.
Notes: I came to the gym feeling strong today. Putting my OHP assault from 2 days back behind me I did 2 warm up sets, then upped my working weight by 5KGs. 105KG for 5 felt easy. The 115KGs was a bit more of a struggle, but I squeezed out 5, (even though I was going to go for 3 on a 5/3/1 style), before going to 125KGs. The first felt pretty easy, but I didn't really pause the second rep at the bottom, which threw me off a bit, so racked it at 2. Possibly had a triple in me, but 3 subsequent doubles were a good result. Accessory DB and ab work went well too. A pretty good day.

Back, (Weds 30/7/14).
BB Rows w/straps: 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x8, 120KG(B)x5, 120KG(B)x4.
Weighted Chins: BWx20, 15KGx9, 30KGx5, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10 65KGx9.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx11, 10KGx8, 20KGx5, 30KGx4.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x7.
Plate Loaded Machine Rows: 20KG p/s x12, 30KG p/s x12.
Notes: With the Smith in use again I did BB rows again, this time with straps from the outset. All my other exercises were a carbon copy from last week, except when I ran out of time on the machine rows. Good workout overall. Back felt decent enough by the end. I'd like to get neutral wide grip chins in there though. Possibly a reverse grip on chins too, but that's probably too many chin ups for anyone really!

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 1/8/14).
Conventional Deads w/hook grip: 105KGx10, (4x)145KGx4, 165KGx2, 165KGx2, 145KG w/straps x10.
Close Grip Decline Bench: 60KGx12, 80KGx12, 100KGx10, 100KGx7, 100KGx7, 100KGx6, 100KGx5.
Leg Press: 160KGx12, 210KGx12, 260KGx12, 310KGx10, 360KGx2.
Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx12, 100KGx6, 100KGx5, 100KGx5.
Lying Leg Curl: 40KGx12, 50KGx10, 60KGx5.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 130LBx12, 160LBx12, 190LBx9, 205LBx4.
Notes: Back on the Magnusson/Ortmayer program. Rather than resetting my maxes or go for the 12 week program that's floating around on forums, I used my old 'week 3' numbers and apply them to the 'week 1' template. No problems on any of the lifts, although my thumbs hurt from the week break and my right glute started getting tweaky again. I stuck to 10 reps on the 8+ @70% set, although I felt I had loads more left in me. Both leg pressing and leg curls were decent enough. My close grip benching, (unspotted this week), produced 10 paused 100KG reps, then 2 at 7 reps, which is great for my third week doing them again. I used my bench width grip for floor pressing. Next week I'll do 4 sets on both these at 100KG. Very happy with the totals shifted overall, despite the glute twinges.

Tiger
08-04-14, 7:17 am
Strong looking week!

FVR
08-04-14, 8:05 pm
And I thought I had comprehensive posts! Love the bo selector anecdote, I work out at my uni gym so 70% of the people there fall into that category.

rainman
08-10-14, 9:39 am
Quite a lot of numbers to write up this week as I did 6 workouts, catching up on delts I missed from a few weeks back. Sunday seems the perfect day to do shoulders, giving me a decent break from pressing 2 days in a row, but I like Sundays off to ride my bike, catch up with my Wife, (if shift patterns allow,) etc. To be fair, I would've trained today, but got soaked walking the dog this morning, Tracy is off, my bike is broken and Columbo is on telly.

Delts & Traps, (Sun3/8/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KG(B)x12, 55KG(B)x10, 60KG(B)x6, 65KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x2, 70KG(B)x1, 50KG(B)x10.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 60KGx10, 70KGx7.
Rear Delt Fly Machine: 40LBx12, 55LBx12, 70LBx10, 85LBx8.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx8.
Notes: Cleaned my Standing OHPs again today. Through choice, not because the squat rack was in use again. Some good rep numbers for me today. My grip was between my bench and close grip bench hand placement. 70KGs was a bit of a struggle, but I was going out on each rep, with no 'touch & go' reps either. Accessory work was good, despite having a bit of a headache and carrying a slightly tender right trap from last week.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 4/8/14).
Squats: 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx10, 150KGx6, 150KG(B)x4, 150KG(B)x4, 150KG(B)x4, 150KG(B)x2.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 35KGx12, 45KGx11, 55KGx4.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls w/straps: 25KGx12, 27.5KGx8, 30KGx5>20KGx5>10KGx7.
Smith 'Hack Squats': 40KG(B)x12, 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x10, 120KG(B)x4, 120KG(B)x3.
Standing Cable Curls: 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx10, 100LBx7.
Notes: Good squatting today. Up on my beltless top set. Belted I was on 4 reps until the final set, between which I had a 20 minute conversation about a career change to a gym goer. My right glute issue felt fine until the 45KG set on leg curls. Hack squats caused a bit of pain too, but was still up on some weight/ reps. Went heavy on the DB hammers too and did some standing cable curls to keep leg tension on the negative and to try something new.

Chest & Abs, (Tues 5/8/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 90KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx5, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2>105KGx5>85KGx6>65KGx9.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx12, 60KGx4.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx11, 42.5KGx7, 47.5KGx3.
Cable Rope Crunch: 175LBx12, 205LBx12, 235LBx4.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8.
Notes: Went for the same sets on my benching today weight wise and it was a carbon copy rep wise. The funny thing is that the first 125KG feels fine, but the second rep is always much harder, although better than last week. I think I am losing the tight shoulder pinch in my initial set up, so will have to work on this. I used my least favourite bar too and did pretty well. Accessory work was good. Hate ab work, although I'm pretty sure I am getting used to it now.

Back, (Weds 6/8/14).
BB Rows w/straps: 50KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 110KG(B)x8, 140KG(B)x2.
Weighted Chins: BWx18, 15KGx11, 30KGx5, 45KGx3, 60KGx1 1/2!
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x8, 115KG(B)x4.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx14, 20KGx5, 40KGx2.
Plate Loaded Machine Rows: 30KG p/s x12, 40KG p/s x12.
Notes: Went unintentionally heavy on the BB rows today, using the 15KG plates which I usually only use on the Smith, which has a counterbalanced bar. I am putting this down to my dog waking me at 4am and, after having to get a few things done, only having 40 minutes to train. So I decided to go heavy on everything after that. I almost got 2 reps with 60KGs on my weight belt on chins, but only got to eye level with the bar. Everything else went well, apart from my wide grip chins, where I went too heavy with a relatively new exercise in my weekly routine.

Legs & Tricpes, (Fri 8/8/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 105KGx10, (4x)145KGx4, 165KGx2, 185KGx2, 145KG w/straps x10.
Paused Close Grip Decline Bench: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 105KGx7, 105KGx8, 105KGx5, 105KGx5.
Leg Press: 160KGx12, 210KGx12, 260KGx12, 310KGx9, 310KGx6.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 105KGx6, 105KGx4, 105KGx5, 105KGx3.
Sumo Deads: 105KGx5, 125KGx5, 145KGx5, 165KGx2.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 40KGx12, 45KGx10, 50KGx8, 55KGx4.
Notes: A basic reproduction of the third week of my initial wave on the Magnusson/Orymater program for week 2 here. No real issues. Glute felt alright throughout. Reps weren't too bad. Stopped on my 10 rep of the 8+ set again. I've got to add 10LB to each set next week, (read 5KG), so we'll see if my grip holds up for 2 reps at 190KG. I've tripled this on mixed grip, (in fact I've tripled 200KGs), so it'll be all down to my thumbs. No pressure! Rest of the legs went OK. Sumos was a test really, but got thrown off as I had to resort to mixed grip. Triceps was good. Up 5KG on all sets for CGBP and floor presses. Hitting 8 reps on my second set of CGs was a result. Floor presses went pretty well too. E-Z bar skull crushers didn't go badly either Pretty good day, (apart from the sumos).

Delts, (Sat 9/8/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KG(B)x11, 55KG(B)x8, 60KG(B)x6, 65KG(B)x3, 65KG(B)x4, 65KG(B)x3.
Alt DB Side Raises: 12.5KGX12, 15KGX12, 17.5KGX12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Notes: A late start for Saturday morning and only 45 minutes to train. I didn't do as well as previous shoulder workouts of late, probably because I hit tripces pretty hard yesterday. still cleaned my OHPs. Used the Texas Powerbar and kept the same grip as last week. Felt good, but fatigued in the arms. Got as much DB work in as I could, but no upright rows or direct trap work due to time constraints. My right trap is still a bit stiff from that grinder a fortnight ago, so hopefully the rest will do me good.

CrimsonGhost
08-12-14, 6:54 pm
Strong work!

rainman
08-15-14, 2:54 pm
Strong work!
Cheers for stopping by. Just trying to keep up with the big boys...

Well this week has been quite a good one. Some good numbers for me going up. Still got my niggles here and there, but it's nothing I am really worried about. I've only managed to get 4 workouts in again, after managing to catch up again last week. Fortunately I have found having Thursdays off, hitting Legs/Tris on Friday then doing Delts on either weekend day produces better numbers and doesn't interfere with Legs/Biceps on Monday, so I'm not too bothered.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 11/8/14).
Squats: 50KGx10, 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx10, 150KGx6, 170KG(B)x1, 180KG(B)x0, 180KG(B)x0.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 35KGx12, 45KGx10, 55KGx6.
Squats: 70KGx5, 110KGx5, 150KGx3, 150KG(B)x4, 150KG(B)x4, 150KG(B)x4, 170KG(B)x1.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx9>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx7.
Smith 'Hack Squats": 40KG(B)x12, 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x7.
Notes: Did a shoe experiment today. Having always squatted in flat soled Chucks I decided to squat in high heeled trainers. Sadly, all I had were Air Maxes, which worked pretty well until the high sets, where the flexy soles screwed me up. I may have just been getting used to the heel, but I got pitched forward out of the hole. Luckily I bought my Chucks, so threw them on for another squat workout. Stupid... I know. Hack squats after that just plain sucked. Right glute was a bit crampy, but no real pain. Biceps felt strong. My old AC injury in my right shoulder started to niggle, so called it on biceps after that.

Chest & Abs, (Tues 12/8/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 90KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx5, 125KGx3, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2>105KGx3>85KGx8>65KGx7.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx12, 60KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx3.
Cable Rope Crunch: 145LBx12, 175LBx12, 205LBx12, 235LBx9.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12.
Notes: Unsure of how to press due to my AC niggle yesterday. I threw caution to the wind and press heavy again. I was determined to sort my shoulder stability issues I'd had these past few weeks, and managed to finally hit a paused triple at 125KG, (275LB). Really pleased with this as it's quite a milestone, especially as I got my first paused single of this weight on 25/10/13. Doubles for the rest, which were a bit uglier, but that's cool. Accessory work was cut short as I dropped my water bottle and spilt it everywhere.

Back, (Weds 13/8/14).
BB Rows w/straps: 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x10, 120KG(B)x5, 120KG(B)x5.
Weighted Chins: BWx19, 15KGx11, 30KGx5, 45KGx2, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx7.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx16, 10KGx9, 20KGx7, 30KGx4, 40KGx2.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x7.
Wide Neutral Grip Weighted Chins: BWx10, 15KGx5, 30KGx3.
Notes: I don't know why I do BB rows. I hate them. However, I did them, plus my other 2 main row exercises, split up with 3 chin up variations. It worked quite well actually, but would've tagged plate machine rows on the end of the workout if I had time.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 15/8/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 110KGx10, (4x)150KGx4, 170KGx2, 190KGx2, 210KGx1, 150KG w/straps x10.
Close Grip Paused Decline Bench: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 105KGx9, 105KGx6, 105KGx7, 105KGx6.
Front Squats: 60KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x5, 80KG(B)x5, 90KG(B)x5, 100KG(B)x3, 100KG(B)x4, 110KG(B)x1.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 105KGx6, 105KGx6, 105KGx4, 105KGx4.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx12.
DB B.T.N. Seated Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx8.
Notes: Deadlift party today. It was the +5KG 3rd week, so started at 150KGs for 4x4. All felt really light, as did the 170s. My thumbs didn't even fell that beat up. The 190s were fine, although my thumbs were a bit sore. I racked up 210KG just for the crack. This would be a PB, the first 200KG+ deadlift in close to 3 monthsand not on the program. It flew up! I took it, dropped to my 8+ rep set and ached by the third rep. Rep PB on my CGBP, solid floor pressing, decent front squats, (Despite the bar rolling off my delts), and a tweaked left delt after stumbling when trying to sit for my BTN presses. Can't win them all I guess.

rainman
08-24-14, 5:41 pm
After turing 36 last Friday and hitting a multitude of PBs in the gym, I have come down hard this week. Lots of agro due to small injuries rearing their heads and not a huge amount of time to train due to factors outside of the gym affecting my schedule. Got done what I could with my limited time and beaten up frame.

Delts & Traps, (Sun 17/8/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KG(B)x12, 55KG(B)x7, 60KG(B)x4, 65KG(B)x3, 65KG(B)x3, 65KG(B)x3, 65KG(B)x4, 70KG(B)x1.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12, 22.5KGx7.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx11, 22.5KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx9, 22.5KGx7.
Upright Rows w/straps: 50KGx12, 60KGx12, 70KGx6.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KG p/s x12, 12.5KG p/s x12, 15KG p/s x10, 17.5KG p/s x3.
Rear Delt Fly Machine: 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx7, 100LBx4.
Notes: A pretty late start for training after visiting Mum & Dad's house. As my OHPs were suffering, (my glute felt pretty tight when cleaning the weight up), I repped out again. Went heavy on all the DB work, going for 12s on each set and up to the 22.5KG DBs. Not bad numbers all round really, despite my front delts having been bruised up from my front squatting attempts on Friday.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 18/8/14).
Squats: 50KGx10, 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx10, 150KGx6, 150KG(B)x3, 150K(B)x1, 150KG(B)x1.
Bicep Curl Machine: 10KGx12, 20KGx12, 30KGx10, 40KGx6>30KGx5>20KGx5>10KGx7.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 110KGx5.
Seated Calf Raises: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8.
Lying Cable Rope Curls: 100LBx12, 115LBx12, 130LBx12, 145LBx12, 160LBx10.
Notes: Came in with a whole host of injuries today. My right glute is still tight, plus now I seem to have woken up with a sprained wrist too. To top it off, I had to squat with the bent bar too! Still hitting below parallel, I could feel my injury nagging me a bit, but not really causing an adverse effect. The drop in reps was due to the bent bar rolling off my back a bit, pitching me forward, and not really being able to shake that feeling on later sets. Did a couple of machines for accessory work for legs. The calf raises hurt. Bicep exercises were limited by my wrist, so I used machines.

Chest & Abs, (Tues 19/8/14).
Paused BB Bench Press: 70KGx10, 90KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx5, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 105KGx5, 105KGx5, 105KGx5.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx12, 60KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 27.5KGx18.
Cable Rope Crunches: 145LBx12, 175LBx12, 205LBx12, 235LBx12.
DB Pullovers: 27.5KGx12, 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12.
Notes: My wrist sprain was hurting when I benched, which was to be expected I suppose. I used my Animal wrist wraps I got free in a can of Flex a while back, which took some of the pressure off of the busted one, but on my top set a triple was never going to happen. The doubles almost didn't, so I dropped to 105KGs for 5s. For my DB accessory work I started lighter for reps, which was quite a good strategy I think. Ab work seems to be getting easier.

Back, (Weds 20/8/14).
BB Rows w/straps: 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x10, 120KG(B)x5, 120KG(B)x5.
Weighted Chins: BWx18, 15KGx10, 30KGx5, 45KGx3, 60KGx1.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx14, 10KGx8, 20KGx8, 30KGx3.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x12.
Notes: Pretty solid back day, considering I only had an hour to do my worst. Felt confident enough to go for another 60KG weighted chin up in my book. The rows>chins>rows... style of back workout is particularly effective I think. With an extra 15-30 minutes I'd have added neutral grip weighted chins and the plate loaded machine rows in there. Maybe next week.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 22/8/14).
Squats: 70KGx10, 110KGx5, 150KGx3, 170KG(B)x1, 172.5KG(B)x1, 175KG(B)x1, 177.5KG(B)x0, 177.5KG(B)x0, 180KG(B)x0.
Close Grip Decline Bench: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx9, 105KGx6, 105KGx6, 105KGx5.
Front Squats: 60KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x5, 80KG(B)x5, 90KG(B)x5, 100KG(B)x5, 110KG(B)x3.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx7, 105KGx6, 105KGx7, 105KGx5.
Notes: My body tweaks were still very tweaky, but as I had no deadlifts on the roster today it was heavy squatting day. I started on 170KG after warm ups, which was fine. Both 172.5 and 175s flew up. Unfortunately I dropped down too far on my fist 177.5 attempt, (squatting in front of a mirror is really off putting), and the second wasn't much better. With a bit of rest I figured why not go for a 4 PPS squat? Funnily enough, I came out the hole fine and was mid way up when I started to stall a bit. I'd have probably got it up by grinding it, but Big Mike stepped in and suddenly there were his arms under mine. I hate being spotted on squats as the bars on the side of the rack are perfectly set up for me height wise, so I've never had issues when dumping a squat. The rest of the workout was good. CGBP felt strong, (although I'll only go for 8 reps max next week on my top set), and I used wrist wraps for my floor pressing, which helped immensely. Front squats are starting to get there, although I did feel a little bit of pain in my left calf when my balance went off a little. Great way to top off my week of falling apart!

Ed Eliason
08-24-14, 6:02 pm
Happy Birthday!

rainman
08-25-14, 12:30 pm
Happy Birthday!

Thanks Ed. Countdown to the big 4-0 now. I'd better hit a 4 PPS squat by then!

Ed Eliason
08-25-14, 1:04 pm
Thanks Ed. Countdown to the big 4-0 now. I'd better hit a 4 PPS squat by then!

Lol. You'll hit it long before then.

Appollonian
08-25-14, 1:07 pm
Happy birthday bud.

Training with injuries, I know the feeling my friend. Looks like some solid sessions regardless.

Cellardweller
08-25-14, 9:06 pm
My body tweaks were still very tweaky

This had me laughing.

Happy birthday. I was 36 when I started back to the gym. I had pretty much taken off from 30-31 to 36 years old and pretty much just became fat. Now I'm stronger than ever. Your tweakiness will go away and be replaced by new tweakiness. That's just how it goes.

Nice job on the squating. I never ask anyone to spot me on squats. Safety bars are good enough for me. Don't know if that's smart, but I doubt anyone knows how to do it or is strong enough to really help me anyway. Sometimes pushing it on the big weights on squats is scary, but that makes it fun too in a sick way.

rainman
08-26-14, 5:13 pm
Lol. You'll hit it long before then.
I always had a 3PPS bench, 4PPS squat and 5PPS dead as a goal, which would be 1.5, 2 and 2.5 times my BW give or take a couple of pounds. On a good day I know I can hit each weight. Just have to be smarter with my warm up sets.


Happy birthday bud.

Training with injuries, I know the feeling my friend. Looks like some solid sessions regardless.
You know that feeling more than anyone. I feel like a bitch for whining now. It's a good birthday present seeing your weights go up.


This had me laughing.

Happy birthday. I was 36 when I started back to the gym. I had pretty much taken off from 30-31 to 36 years old and pretty much just became fat. Now I'm stronger than ever. Your tweakiness will go away and be replaced by new tweakiness. That's just how it goes.

Nice job on the squating. I never ask anyone to spot me on squats. Safety bars are good enough for me. Don't know if that's smart, but I doubt anyone knows how to do it or is strong enough to really help me anyway. Sometimes pushing it on the big weights on squats is scary, but that makes it fun too in a sick way.
The small issues I've had over the past couple of weeks have been a nightmare as I hate to slow down. I know they are minor, especially compared to Josh's Journey, but I just love lifting heavy. Coincidently, I have also got fat from 31-36. I train alongside a guy who is an amazing PT who has said he can get me to 8% BF whilst keeping my powerlifting training going, so I may take him up on that offer.
I think the problem with squatting for me is I always hit depth. That's not meant to sound big headed or anything, but I see all too often people half squatting at my gym, claiming the big numbers. 90% are high bar squatters too, so my low bar wide stance set up looks odd. I think low bar also helps with the rare bail outs and I have never just dumped the bar, but rather lowered back down. I also feel that without a person either side of the bar it is too dangerous for the spotter anyway and hate spotting a guy from behind. How am I supposed to spot someone when the bar is over my shoulders?

rainman
09-01-14, 10:49 am
Still pretty busted up from various injuries, I have been pretty pleased with my numbers this week. Not too happy with the lack of a shoulder day again, but work related shenanigans have kept me from doing them. I am not really fussed, as I just pick up delts and traps where I left off when I miss some time off. I was hoping to get them done this Sunday just gone, but woke up at 4am with a migraine, so couldn't even get them done then either. It also meant that I missed Columbo too, which was probably worse in the grand scheme of things.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 25/8/14).
Squats: 50KGx10, 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 110KGx10, 130KGx10, 150KGx5, 150KG(B)x5, 150KG(B)x5, 150KG(B)x5.
BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 35KGx12, 45KGx8.
Leg Press: 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 300KGx8.
Reverse Grip Weighted Chins: BWx21, 15KGx12, 30KGx5, 45KGx4, 60KGx2.
Notes: With all the setbacks last week I wanted to see where I could take squats. My right glute was still tight and my left calf was tender, but got 4 sets of 5 at 150KG- pretty easily at that. All at decent depth, as confirmed by Big Mike. Next week I'll be adding 5KG to all sets. My wrist is still sore, so BB curls were really painful, so I eased off. Reverse grip chins were an inspired idea. Having not done them for a couple of years I was very pleased with a double at 60KG. Not a massive amount of volume as I was chatting and then got called away for work related stuff.

Chest, (Tues 26/8/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 90KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx4, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx1, 125KGx0.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx10.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx12, 42.5KGx9.
Decline DB Flyes: 12.5KGx12, 17.5KGx12.
Notes: Things started to go wrong on the 115KG set, with me clouting the rack on the first press and nearly dropping the bar. I ground out 3 more reps before, unwisely, deciding to go up to 125KGs. My wrist didn't feel 100% and I could feel my left arm pressing fine for each rep, whilst my right felt tender and unsure. The third set I moved my grip in a little, but went back to my usual grip for the fourth set, where the bar just sat on my chest. Roll of shame time - the first in a long while. Disappointed, I decided to get good reps on the DBs and got a PB of 10 on the 42.5KG inclines. Sadly, this properly fucked my wrist up. PBs at all costs aren't a smart move folks!

Back, (Weds 27/8/14).
BB Rows w/straps: 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x12, 120KG(B)x6, 120KG(B)x5.
Weighted Chins: BWx10 15KGx10, 30KGx7, 45KGx2.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx10, 10KGx10, 20KGx7, 30KGx5.
Notes: My wrist was really busted up after yesterdays DB inclines, which really killed this morning. Any type of neutral grip hurt and rotation of the hand didn't feel too great either. I did what I could, but had some numb moments during this workout. I guess I may well need some time time off to iron out all my minor injuries.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 29/8/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 110KGx10, (4x)150KGx4, 170KGx2, 170KGx2, 150KG w/straps x10.
Close Grip Decline Bench: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx8, 105KGx6, 105KGx8, 105KGx7.
Bulgarian DB Split Squats: 15KG x12p/s, 20KG x12p/s, 25KG x12p/s, 30KG x12p/s, 35KG x12p/s, 40KG x8p/s.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx8, 105KGx7, 105KGx5, 105KGx5.
Notes: Back on the deads this week and the first week had the numbers taken from my successful 3rd week of the 2nd cycle, but only 2x doubles at 80%. My right glute was pretty stiff, but caused no issues. I sued wrist wraps for CGBP and floor presses. Decent on both, although a minor wobble on the second CGBP set gave me a drop in reps. The DB Bulgarian split squats were inspired by that John Meadows/ Evan Centopani leg workout video that's floating around. I used the dips bar, held the side and began. These really fucked me up! Unfortunately the DBs hit the sides of the dip bar when the weight got 4 discs wide, (30KG+), which broke the flow a bit. I may have attempted 45KG DBs had this not been the case.

Appollonian
09-05-14, 1:44 pm
Everyone has the right to explain/complain, it's all relative. Another good looking week my friend.

I hurt my wrist, and I'm having similar issues, too. I'm probably going to have to take it easy on pressing this week, and layoff DB curls and maybe even deads, too, for a week or two.

rainman
09-05-14, 4:27 pm
A pretty exciting week, as not only did my sister and her boyfriend get back from Australia after a 2 year sabbatical, but I also wore my new Reebok 'Crossfit Lite' powerlifting shoes in the gym. You can see where my priorities are... ha ha. It is worth noting that my legs were screwed after Monday, and I mean really screwed. It took me 5 minutes to get my legs crossed on Tuesday afternoon when we all sat as a family in Mum and Dad's garden.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 1/9/14).
Squats: 55KGx10, 75KGx10, 95KGx10, 115KGx10, 135KGx10, 155KGx5, 155KG(B)x4, 155KG(B)x3, 155KG(B)x2.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 25KGx12, 35KGx12, 45KGx7.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
Preacher Curl Machine: 10kGx12, 20KGx12, 30KGx12, 40KGx6.
Smith 'Hack Squats': 40KG(B)x10, 60KG(B)x10, 80KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x6.
Bulgarian DB Split Squats: 15KGx12, 20KGx12, 25KGx12.
Notes: Running my new shoes for the first day. Out of the rack, and especially during the descent, they felt solid. Out of the hole they were in a different league from Chucks. I will post a full review up soon. Upping the weight by 5KG each set after last week could've been a recipe for disaster. The 135s felt hard, as was the 155KG beltless, but still... 5 reps. Really pleased I got this on my first week doing 155s, but I think it'd be silly to assume it was my new shoes that did it! Unintentionally descending belted 155s followed. Fucked my wrist from curling, but my DB stepper leg curls got the nod of approval from a pro bodybuilder who trains at my gym, which was nice.

Chest & Abs, (Tues 2/9/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 105KGx10, 115KGx5, 125KGx2, 125KGx3, 125KGx2, 125KGx2>105KGx3>85KGx5>65KGx5.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx12, 60KGx7.
Incline DB Press: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx11, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx4.
Cable Rope Crunch: 175LBx20, 205LBx20, 235LBx15.
DB Pullovers: 32.5KGx12, 37.5KGx10, 42.5KGx8, 47.5KGx6.
Flat DB Presses: 30KGx6(!)
Plate Chest Press Machine: 20KGp/s x12, 30KGp/s x12, 40KGp/s x6, 40KGp/s x6>30KGp/s x5>20KGp/s x8.
Notes: Initially I decided on having a light reps day today and sticking at 105KG on the bench. Getting 10 reps gave me the idea to go to 115KG... then 125KGs. The second triple was pretty ugly. It was a solid double, but the third rep was a real pig. I used wrist wraps for these and all subsequent chest exercises. The DB inclines twisted my wrist a bit, but I matched my 47.5KG rep PB. As I had a bit more time I finished with the chest press machine, which I have never rally liked, and still don't. Better than the DB fat presses though. They hurt a lot.

Back, (Weds 3/9/14).
BB Rows w/straps: 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x10, 120KG(B)x5, 120KG(B)x5.
Weighted Chins: BWx15, 15KGx10, 30KGx6, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10.
Notes: Due to various family related things I got in to the gym really late today and, due to my stupidity, had to cut it short as I had got my times wrong for an afternoon appointment. I would've liked to have got more done, but was feeling pretty lethargic and my wrist was still sore, so it was probably for the best.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 4/9/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx8, 55KG(B)x6, 60KG(B)x5, 60KG(B)x5, 65KG(B)x3, 65KG(B)x4.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 10KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 10KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 10KGx12, 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12.
Face Pulls: 70LBx12, 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx9.
Rear Delt Fly Machine: 40LBx12, 55LBx12, 70LBx12.
Notes: My first delts day since 17/8/14 and also since my wrist injury, so I opted to wear my wrist wraps for the duration of the workout and also start off lighter than usual. I didn't risk upright rows, but did face pulls instead, which worked pretty well. Pretty happy with delts overall - it's a day I can sideline due to them getting involved in lots of indirect work, but I always miss them when I do.

Legs & Triceps, (Fri 5/9/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 110KGx10, (4x)150KGx4, 170KGx2, 190KGx2, 150KGw/straps x10.
Decline Close Grip Bench Press: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx7, 105KGx5, 105KGx6, 105KGx5.
Front Squats: 60KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x5, 80KG(B)x5, 90KG(B)x5, 100KG(B)x5, 110KG(B)x1, 110KG(B)x1.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx5, 105KGx5, 105KGx6, 105KGx5.
Bulgarian DB Split Squats: 15KGx12, 20KGx12, 25KGx12.
Notes: Deads felt heavy today. Week 2 of my third phase of Magnusson/Ortmayer program has the same numbers as week 3 of phase 2, (which I smoked), so it could be put down to yesterdays delt day and long day afterwards. This certainly affected my tricep numbers. My wrist injury felt OK, but I still wore wraps to be safe. Front squats were an issue past 100KGs. I couldn't get the bar to sit on my delts well, which robbed me of reps. More Bulgarian Db split squats, just for more pain!

rainman
09-05-14, 4:54 pm
Everyone has the right to explain/complain, it's all relative. Another good looking week my friend.

I hurt my wrist, and I'm having similar issues, too. I'm probably going to have to take it easy on pressing this week, and layoff DB curls and maybe even deads, too, for a week or two.

I shouldn't really complain, I know. I try and get some kind of PB each week, whether it's a rep or a weight. Most weeks I do. Some weeks I just lose sight of the fact I am bloody lucky to be able to lift at all. I guess I know that one day I will be so buggered that I won't be able to climb the stairs, so any setback I get I see as a week wasted.

So long as you are smart with your pressing then you should be OK with your wrist. I've done some silly things with mine, hence a fortnight of pains and no let up, but wrapping and direct pressing movements are generally fine. Don't give up deads though. You're killing them at the moment. Use straps, or even go hook grip.

Ed Eliason
09-06-14, 12:43 am
Looks like a decent week. Wow, a two year sabbatical, that must be amazing.

rainman
09-06-14, 1:35 pm
Looks like a decent week. Wow, a two year sabbatical, that must be amazing.

Amazing, yes, but it's playing merry havoc with my workout schedule!

rainman
09-13-14, 2:47 pm
Pretty crappy week. I think a combination of my wife being being ill, my sister's return from Australia and my nephew's first birthday have slowly beaten me down. I missed delts again this week, but will hopefully be able to get them done tomorrow, (Sunday).
We had a meeting at the gym yesterday to iron out all the issues the members have. As there are only 98 members in total we had a pretty good turnout. We got quite a bit sorted. We have a competition coming up too. 50% BW for reps with a time limit of 5 minutes. Sounds deceptively easy, but after a minute in I bet my arms will be trolleyed.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 8/9/14).
Squats: 75KGx10, 95KGx10, 115KGx10, 135KGx10, 155KGx4, 155KG(B)x2, 155KG(B)x1, 155KG(B)x1.
E-Z Bar Curls w/Arm Blaster: (4x)40KGx10.
Leg Press: 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 300KGx6.
Machine Preacher Curls: 10KGx20, 20KGx16, 30KGx11, 40KGx6.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx12.
Notes: Quite a let down on squats today. All sets up to my 155s were good. On the first one though, the bar got shifted on my back a bit as a plate hit the rack as I walked out. I could've possibly got 5, but was thrown off a bit. The first belted set didn't go much better as the bar hit the safety bars at the back, (at least I was hitting depth too though!) Kind of lost steam for the rest of the workout. My wrist limited my bicep stuff and my legs pretty much gave up on me after squats. Not even my new shoes could save them!

Chest & Abs, (Tues 9/9/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 105KGx8, 105KGx6, 105KGx5, 115KGx2, 115KGx2, 115KGx2.
Weighted Crunch Bench: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx12, 60KGx10.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx7, 45KGx6.
Cable Rope Crunch: 175LBx20, 205LBx20, 235LBx12.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
Decline Cable Flyes: 55LBx12, 70LBx12.
Notes: Shit day benching. I don't know why it felt so bad. Using wrist wraps isn't helping and my left arm feels solid, whilst the right is still insecure. My flat 105KG benching is now less rep wise than my CGBPs! Possible rethink for my Friday exercises I think. I went up DBs for my accessory work and produced some surprisingly good numbers for a first attempt at these weights. I am thinking of ditching abs for tricep work next week as beltless squats and deads seem to sort them out well enough.

Back, (Weds 10/9/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx22, 15KGx12, 30KGx5, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx16, 10KGx11, 20KGx6, 30KGx4.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x7.
Neutral Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx11, 15KGx6, 30KGx2.
Seated Neutral Grip Cable Rows: 160LBx12, 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Notes: Pretty much nailed back day today. After a couple of weeks of setbacks with my training I came to the gym determined to make a least one day count. Didn't bother with the BB rows as I haven't noticed any real change in my other lifts from incorporating these, but may bring them back. I like the chins>rows>chins... set up, so these will stay. The neutral grip cable rows were a pretty good finisher - almost like BB rows in movement really. I'd have liked to have done V-grip pulldowns or machine rows as a finisher, but both machines were in use.

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 12/9/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 115KGx10, (4x)155KGx4, 175KGx2, 195KGx2, 215KGx0, 155KG w/straps x10.
Incline BB Press: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 95KGx5, 95KGx5, 95KGx3.
Front Squats: 70KG(B)x5, 80KG(B)x5, 90KG(B)x5, 100KG(B)x3, 110KG(B)x1, 120KG(B)x0.
Decline Bench Press: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx11, 125KGx3, 125KGx4, 105KGx8, 105KGx8.
Notes: Week 3 of phase 3 of the Magnusson/Ortmayer and I had a choice of going up 2.5KG or 5KGs on all lifts. Went with 5KGs and I think I made the wrong choice. All my prescribed reps were hit, although my grip was very shoddy on my second rep at 195KGs. I tried 215KGs, but it was too much of a jump I think. I broke the floor, but only by a couple of inches. Possibly fatigue, but I was pissed off I didn't make the lift. The 8+ rep finisher was just that. when I come back I'll set my weights as if I had used 2.5KGs extra instead. Front squats went alright until they started to roll off my delts as usual. I did a couple of tricep/chest variations today. Inclines with my bench width grip were problematic, but the declines flew up. 4x125KGs was crazy for a first attempt. I can see why everyone at my gym does these now!

Appollonian
09-16-14, 8:31 am
It sounds like you’re part of a solid gym crew if they care enough to have open feedback like this. My current gym has multiple branches across middle Tennessee and they have a suggestion box, but I still feel the need to speak with a manager to get my point across (my suggestion slips go unanswered, ha). A group meeting would be great.

It’s hard to analyze what’s going on and why some lifting days are better than others, but at least you’re trying to figure it out and not just robotically plowing forward.

rainman
09-16-14, 7:04 pm
Yeah, it's a solid group. The gym has a reputation locally for being pretty hardcore, but I was talking to one of the stronger guys and he basically summed the place up well with "...someone might do a heavy bench or deadlift. One of us may nod, but then everyone just carries on..."
We're trying to get an after hours club going, where we each pay a few quid, get to crank up the music and hit PRs. Should be good.

This week has been much better so far by the way. I guess last week was just me feeling a bit run down. I am looking in to running Sheiko to lower the volume! If I can get more time free on Wednesday then I can probably get the workouts in. Benching 3x per week should be fun.

rainman
09-21-14, 7:45 am
Packed out week again, squeezing in workouts where I can. I can't seem to recall ever reading this in a Journey thread, so here goes... my ab workout will now consist exclusively of learning how to ride a unicycle! On a trip to our local car tyre garage, the owner had an old unicycle lying round and offered me £2 off per tyre if I could ride the width of the workshop. (He offered my Dad £5 per tyre!) Of course this never happened as I'd never ridden one before, but we gave him £10 for it and I have been trying it out whenever I get a few minutes to myself. I figured that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Delts & Traps, (Sun 14/9/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx9, 55KG(B)x6, 60KG(B)x5, 65KG(B)x3, 65KG(B)x2, 65KG(B)x2, 65KG(B)x3.
Side Delt DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Upright Rows w/Strap: 50KGx12, 60KGx10, 70KGx4.
DB Shoulder Press: 15KGx15>17.5KGx10>20KGx5>12.5KGx15>15KGx10>17.5KGx5>10KGx15>12.5KGx10>15KGx5.
Notes: Pretty decent shoulder day today, despite being limited on time. The last DB shoulder press medley was inspired by a G Diesel method of madness; jumping up and down in weight on DBs with no rest apart from selecting the weight from the rack. 90 reps properly busted up my delts. Couldn't lift my arms over my head at the end!

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 15/9/14).
Squats: 55KGx10, 75KGx10, 95KGx10, 115KGx10, 135KGx10, 55KGx5, 155KG(B)x3, 155KG(B)x2, 155KG(B)x1.
Machine Preacher Curls: 10KGx12, 20KGx12, 30KGx12, 40KGx8, 50KGx3.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx6.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx9.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 90KGx10, 100KGx8, 110KGx6.
Bulgarian DB Split Squats: 15KGx12p/s, 20KGx12p/s, 25KGx12p/s.
Notes: I had a dodgy stomach all morning so wasn't sure about squatting. I'm glad I bothered as I did well, although subsequent 155KG sets dropped off. I did more accessory work than usual, all of which I felt was effective. My wrist was feeling pretty stable today, but I still used wraps for my bicep exercises. Hit a PB on machine curls, which are becoming quite a favourite of mine.

Chest & Triceps, (Tues 16/9/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 105KGx10, 115KGx4, 125KGx2, 125KGx1, 125KGx1, 125KGx1.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7, 50KGx3.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8, 50KGx4.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx8, 105KGx3, 105KGx2.
Decline Cable Flyes: 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx10.
Notes: Back up to a semi-respectable weight on the bench. I really wanted to get 10 at 105KG today, which I just about did, but this took a lot out of my subsequent sets. By the time the 125s came about I was screwed. I fared better on the incline DBs, getting a triple with the 50KG DBs on my first attempt. Skipping abs for more chest, honestly, was a bit of a waste. I'd have done incline BB for reps, but someone jumped on the bench when I was dicking about with floor presses.

Back, (Weds 17/9/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx18, 15KGx11, 30KGx6, 40KGx3.
DB Rows w/Straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
Neutral Wide Grip Weighted Chins w/Straps: BWx14, 15KGx8, 30KGx4, 45KGx1.
T-Bar Rows w/Straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x8.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx11, 10KGx10, 20KGx8, 30KGx4.
Seated Neutral Grip Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Seated V-Grip Cable Rows: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Notes: Sticking with the chins>rows>chins.. structure, I think today went pretty well. Got my desired reps on rows, did some good numbers on chins and finished with a couple of cable exercises, which I supersetted. This is a farly decent set up for back in my opinion, so may keep running this for a while.

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 19/9/14).
Squats: 75KGx10, 115KGx5, 155KGx3, 175KG(B)x0, 175KG(B)x1, 177.5KG(B)x0, 180KG(B)x0.
Incline BB Press: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx5, 100KGx4, 100KGx4, 100KGx3.
Sumo Deads w/Straps: 100KGx5, 120KGx5, 140KGx5, 160KGx5, 180KG(B)x0!
Decline BB Bench: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx5, 105KGx10, 105KGx8, 105KGx8.
Lying Leg Curls: 40KGx12, 50KGx7, 60KGx2.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 105KGx5, 105KGx5.
Notes: Got to my first 175 squat attempt within 10 minutes of stepping through the door. My warm up sets flew up, but the top ones weren't so good. Failed my first 175, got the second, then failed everything else, although I held the weight on the 4PPS set in the hole for about 4-5 seconds as I kind of knew it wasn't a good day! My inclines and declines hit the rack pins during reps, sumo attempts completely went to shit and my leg curls hurt. Floor presses were OK I suppose, but not great either. Breaking out the hole has been a bit of a problem for a while, so pausing my squats will be added if I can get time.

Delts & Traps, (Sat 20/9/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx9, 55KG(B)x6, 60KG(B)x5, 65KG(B)x3, 70KG(B)x2, 75KG(B)x0.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Alt. Front DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx12, 20KGx12.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx12.
Notes: I only got about 4 hours sleep last night and had to spend 10 minutes crawling round in a bush at 6:30 this morning trying to free my dog, who had run in to the undergrowth on his walk and got himself tangled up. I wasn't sure about delts today after inclines yesterday, but did well considering. Rest pause on my front delts for each OHP rep worked well.I could've possibly ground out the 75KG attempt, but it was 50-50, so I backed off. Accessory work was good too, but I felt pretty miffed I had no time for upright rows because of that bloody dog!

Ed Eliason
09-21-14, 10:00 am
I love the idea of learning to ride a unicycle.

rainman
09-21-14, 11:53 am
My ab training used to consist exclusively of Wii Sports Boxing, so I figure I am heading in the right direction.

Ed Eliason
09-21-14, 12:14 pm
My ab training used to consist exclusively of Wii Sports Boxing, so I figure I am heading in the right direction.

Lol. I'd say so.

rainman
09-28-14, 7:47 am
Another week of family events and working to try and build up a business. I removed a turbo from a small diesel van this week, which was an absolute pig, but it's pretty good to know I can do stuff like that myself with a bit of patience.
Patience is running out however on the unicycle. I am getting there though, with me getting about 20ft without incident. I know that one day it will just fit in to place and become second nature, but it's so odd riding a fixed wheel as you can't coast on the pedals as you can with a standard bike.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 22/9/14).
Squats: 75KGx10, 95KGx10, 115KGx10, 135KGx10, 155KGx5, 155KG(B)x2, 155KG(B)x4, 155KG(B)x2, 155KG(B)x1.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx7.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx6>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx6.
Smith 'Hack Squats': 40KG(B)x12, 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x6.
Machine Preacher Curls: 15KGx12, 30KGx12, 45KGx4.
Leg Extensions: 80KGx12, 90KGx12, 100KGx9.
Notes: My back ached a bit today, (mainly from riding that bloody unicycle), so made squatting quite tentative. I had a couple of bad walk outs on the 155s and stumbled after the first rep on my final 155 set. Felt I had 2-3 more in me too which was odd. Fair performance for the other stuff, with average results throughout.

Chest, (Tues 23/9/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 90KGx10, 102.5KGx9, 112.5KGx5, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx3, 122.5KGx3.
Incline BB Press: 62.5KGx12, 82.5KGx8, 102.5KGx1, 102.5KGx2, 102.5KGx2, 102.5KGx1.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx10, 40KGx8, 45KGx5.
Notes: Went a bit lighter on BB presses as I wanted to get 3 reps on my higher sets whilst not slouching on my pauses. Initially I was quite disappointed, but then something clicked - in a good way for once - and I got 2 paused triples at the end. Going for incline BB presses afterwards was tough. I used my flat bench grip, but kept clipping the pins as I adjusted to the motion. Down on my DB inclines, understandably, but was upset not to have hit the 50s again.

Back, (Weds 24/9/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx17, 15KGx12, 30KGx6, 45KGx4.
DB Rows w/Straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 70KGx5.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx14, 10KGx11, 20KGx6, 30KGx4.
T-Bar Rows w/Straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x8.
Neutral Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx10, 10KGx6, 20KGx5.
Close Grip Lat Pulldowns: 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200LBx6.
Notes: A pretty standard back day today, following my usual set up of chins and rows. Decided to try out the 70KG DBs for rows and was very happy to get 5 reps. Everything else was fairly uneventful numbers wise, but I had to rush a bit towards the end and only had 15 minutes to cram in 3 exercises.

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 26/9/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 100KGx5, 130KGx5, (4x)155KGx4, 175KGx2, 175KGx2, 155KGw/Straps x10.
Decline BB Bench Press: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx10, 105KGx8, 105KGx10, 105KGx9.
Front Squats: 70KG(B)x5, 80KG(B)x5, 90KG(B)x5, 100KG(B)x3, 110KG(B)x2, 120KG(B)x1, 130KG(B)x0.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx12, 105KGx6, 105KGx6, 105KGx5, 105KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 45KGx12, 60KGx3.
Notes: My plan on 12/9/14 was to add 2.5KGs instead of 5KGs to my deads. I went with 5KGs then and stuck with +5KGs today. Even without the 195KGx2 set it felt tough, mainly as my grip was hammered. Straps for the final 8+ set was much easier, but was still pretty brutal, despite another 5 or so in the tank. Front squats went well, although my higher weight sets rolled forward as usual, which limited my numbers. Both declines and floor pressing felt solid. Smacked the rack on the 8 rep set of declines, but saved it. Would've been good to get 4x10 at 105KGs though.

Delts & Traps, (Sat 27/9/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 50KGx9, 55KG(B)x6, 60KG(B)x6, 65KG(B)x5, 70KG(B)x3, 75KG(B)x2, 80KG(B)x0.
Chicken Wings Machine: 10KGp/s x12, 12.5KGp/s x12, 15KGp/s x10, 17.5KGp/s x2, 15KGp/s x7.
Upright Rows w/Straps: 50KGx12, 60KGx10, 70KGx6.
DB Shoulder Press: 15KGx15>17.5KGx10>20KGx5>12.5KGx15>15KGx10>17.5KGx5>10KGx13>12.5KGx10>15KGx5.
Notes: Was very late in the gym after 5 hours sleep and spent the first 15 minutes gassing, so had 45 minutes left to do some damage. OHPs strangely got better as I got heavier, (this is a regular theme with my pressing), and matched my PB of 75KGs, but for a double! No pushing shit either and each rep rest paused on my front delts between reps too. 80KGs was a bit of a jump and I think I'd have got 77.5KGs with ease, but it felt heavy from the rack. The rest was a bit of a mish mash, but effective. The G Diesel DB pyramid dropset came in to play again, but failed on the final 10KG DB reps. I know... 10KG DBs. The man knows how to kill muscles.

rainman
10-04-14, 3:03 pm
I have had a bit of free time this week, so have spent it taking some internal walls down in our house. A bonus of buying a property 'requiring modernisation' is that you can make a killing on resale, providing you have good contacts and know what you're doing. Only time will tell whether I have either. My good wife has said if we don't have heating this winter then she'll be moving back with her parents. Swings and roundabouts...

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 29/9/14).
Squats: 75KGx10, 95KGx10, 115KGx10, 135KGx10, 155KGx5, 155KG(B)x5, 155KG(B)x5, 155KG(B)x5.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx6.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx4>7.5KGx7.
Smith 'Hack Squats': 40KG(B)x12, 60KG(B)x12, 80KG(B)x12.
Notes: After a nice steak dinner last night I came in to the gym feeling confident. I spent more time making sure my set up was good before I unracked. Despite hitting the plates on my 6th rep at 135KG on the bars, I saved it, then hit 4 sets of 5s at 155KGs. Possibly with more reps, but I'll be going up 5KG per set next week now. The rest of the workout was good too. Good bicep pump and the leg exercises went better than expected too, although I had to finish hack squats early due to time constraints.

Chest, (Tues 30/9/14).
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx10, 102.5KGx9, 112.5KGx4, 122.5KGx2, 122.5KGx1, 102.5KGx5.
Incline BB Press: 62.5KGx12, 82.5KGx8, 82.5KGx7, 82.5KGx7.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx8, 40KGx6.
Notes: Had little time to warm up today and used my least favourite bar for benching. A roll of shame on my 10th rep attempting 10x102.5KG set the precedence for a bad day benching. All reps were slow, controlled and paused, but I felt weak on the 122.5s. Incline BB didn't feel much better as I still try to get used to the movement. Next week I'll go back to incline DBs first and finish with incline BBs as I can see no benefit running them in this order and can press heavier without using a bar. This is strange as it should be the other way around.

Back, (Weds 1/10/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx20, 15KGx11, 30KGx5, 45KGx4.
DB Rows w/Straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 70KGx7.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx17, 10KGx9, 20KGx7, 30KGx4.
T-Bar Rows w/Straps: 70KG(B)x12, 85KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x8, 115KG(B)x4.
Neutral Wide Grip Weighted Chins w/Straps: BWx12, 10KGx8, 20KGx5, 30KGx4.
Seated Neutral Grip Rows w/Straps: 190LBx12, 220LBx12, 250LBx12.
Plate Machine Rows w/Straps: 20KGp/s x12, 30KGp/s x12, 40KGp/s x12, 50KGp/s x10, 60KGp/s x5.
Notes: The gym felt hot today - I think the air con was broken - so I sweated a lot more than usual. DB rows busted me today, although 7 at 70KG DBs was a good effort I guess. I went heavy on most of the row exercises and got some PBs on chin up reps. As I had a bit more time free I messed about with the plate machine row. Some good numbers as I didn't do them single armed as with the DB rows. I think going up in 15KG increments is the way to go from now on.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 2/10/14).
Standing OHPs: 30KGx12, 50KGx11, 55KGx7, 60KG(B)x5, 65KG(B)x4, 70KG(B)x2, 75KG(B)x1, 77.5KG(B)x1.
Upright Rows w/Straps: 52.5KGx12, 57.5KGx10, 62.5KGx8, 67.5KGx5.
DB Side Raises: 12.5KGx12, 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Face Pulls: 100LBx12, 130LBx10, 160LBx8.
Rear Delt Fly Machine: 55LBx12, 70LBx10, 85LBx8.
DB Shoulder Press: 15KGx15>17.5KGx10>20KGx5>12.5KGx15>15KGx10>17.5KGx5>10KGx15>12.5KGx10>15KGx5.
Notes: I had to clean my OHPs this morning before pressing. I didn't expect great results as this is the first time I've done this since busting my wrist, but they were alright. Good heavier reps, with me hitting a 77.5KG press, although this was a really shitty rep. No leg drive though. As I had more time free again this morning I did loads of accessory work. Probably a bit too much, but I got all this in in just over 90 minutes. The DB shoulder presses at the end busted me as usual. At least the 10s didn't fuck me this week!

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 3/10/14).
Conventional Deads w/hook Grip: 100KGx10, 130KGx5, (4x)155KGx4, 175KGx2, 195KGx2, 155KG w/Straps x10.
Decline Bench Press: 70KGx12, 90KGx12, 110KGx8, 100KGx7, 110KGx5, 110KGx7.
Paused Squats: 60KG(B)x10, 80KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x10, 120KG(B)x8, 140KG(B)x5, 160KG(B)x1.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 105KGx5, 105KGx5, 105KGx5.
Lying Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 45KGx10, 60KGx2.
Notes: Hook gripping beat the shit out of my thumbs again. I am tempted to use straps and resume hook gripping for heavy singles - where it counts. All prescribed reps on Magnusson/Ortmayer were hit, but my right hand was opening a bit towards the end. Next week is either +2.5 or 5KGs. I'll probably go for 5 as I am a dick. I went for 110KG on my top sets and did well enough, but it was the decision to do paused squats that really went well. Holding each rep in the hole for 1-2 seconds was tough, especially after deads, which is why I belted up from the off. These will be the weights I use on my next squat day, so I didn't expect to even get up to 120KG for reps, let alone 140KGs for 5. The 160KG paused was hit, (which is just over 85% of my 1RM), so I wasn't even going to attempt a double!

rainman
10-12-14, 3:02 pm
Legs & Biceps, (Mon 6/10/14).
Squats: 60KGx20, 100KGx15, 140KGx10, 160KGx2, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x2, 160KG(B)x1, 80KG(B)x10.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx5.
Front Squats: 70KG(B)x5, 80KG(B)x5, 90KG(B)x3, 100KG(B)x1.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx7>17.5KGx5>7.5KGx8.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Machine Preacher Curls: 15KGx12, 30KGx10, 45KGx3.
Notes: I did something a bit different in my warm up sets on squatting today, going for 20, 15 and 10 reps with each plate up, rater than 10s over 5-6 sets. The 160s felt like quite a step up from the 155s last week. For now I think 5s are a bit of a way off, but was happy with what I got. The rest of the exercises were pretty good too, although front squats may be better substituted for the leg press in the future?

Chest, (Tues 7/10/14).
Flat DB Press: 25KGx12,30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx12.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx5, 90KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx5, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx6, 50KGx3.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8.
Notes: After having to try and catch a dog, (which meant I got stuck in school traffic too), this morning, I got to the gym late. With only an hour to train and seeing someone on the bench - with a 2.5KG plate per side - I did flat DB presses as a warm up. I wasn't sure how these would go as a pre-bench exercises, but it worked well. Slow negatives, (4-ish seconds), before an explosive press. I'd have done 45KG DBs too, but the bench was free. Using a higher weight again over last week, each rep was paused and solid. Accessories were fine. Back up to good numbers on DB inclines. With an extra 30 minutes I'd have done incline BB pressing too. That bloody dog!

Back, (Weds 8/10/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx14, 15KGx9, 30KGx6, 45KGx3.
DB Rows w/straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8.
Wide Grip Weighted Chin: BWx15, 10KGx10, 20KGx8, 30KGx5.
T-Bar Rows w/straps: 75KG(B)x12, 90KG(B)x10, 105KG(B)x7.
Neutral Wide Grip Weighted Chins w/straps: BWx11, 10KGx7, 20KGx5.
Plate Machine Rows w/straps: 15KGp/s x12, 30KGp/s x12, 45KGp/s x12.
Notes: I got to the gym really late again today. No dogs... just traffic, but got some good sets and reps in. I went up weight on my T-bar row sets, but apart from that it was pretty much business as usual.

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 10/10/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 100KGx10, 130KGx5, (4x)160KGx4, 180KGx2, 200KGx2, 220KG(B)x0, 160KG w/straps x10.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx6, 110KGx5, 110KGx6, 110KGx6.
Paused Squats: 60KG(B)x10, 80KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x10, 120KG(B)x6, 140KG(B)x3, 140KG(B)x3.
Paused Smith Floor Presses: 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx6, 100KGx7.
Notes: Week 3 of phase 4 of Magnusson/Ortmayer had what I had been working up to since I started the program- hook gripping 200KG for a double beltless. I got it. In fact, all reps were pretty good. I moved my grip in a tad and my thumbs didn't get so beaten up as a result. I moved my grip in a bit on the flat bench too, with all reps feeling solid. Pausing my squats didn't go as well as last week, mainly as my back was feeling busted up from the deads. Floor pressing went well though.

Delts & Traps, (Sat 11/10/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 52.5KG(B)x8, 57.5KG(B)xX, 62.5KG(B)x5, 62.5KG(B)x6, 62.5KG(B)x5, 62.5KG(B)x4.
Upright Rows w/straps: 52.5KGx12, 57.5KGx10, 62.5KGx8, 67.5KGx6.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt Fly Machine: 55LBx12, 70LBx12, 85LBx12.
Incline BB Raises: 10KGx12, 15KGx12, 20KGx12.
Notes: A disaster of a shoulder day. Sleeping through my alarm meant I had to get tis done in 45 minutes. I also put too much weight on the bar during OHPs, s went up 10KGs instead of 5. Repping out, I felt my shoulders go to shit during a press, (like bubble wrapping popping), as I realized m mistake as I totalled the weight up in the mirror when pressing. They were quite stiff for the rest of the workout, but I carried on and got some good numbers up I guess. The incline BB raises were a spur of the moment decision, but went surprisingly well.

rainman
10-18-14, 5:38 pm
Legs & Biceps, (Mon 13/10/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 60KGx10, 100KGx10, 140KGx10, 160KG(B)x4, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x2.
7ft BB Curls w/Arm Blaster: 20KGx12, 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx6.
Leg Press: 100KGx12, 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12, 300KGx10, 300KGx8, 200KGx12, 100KGx12.
Machine Preacher Curls: 15KGx12, 30KGx10, 45KGx6.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
Notes: Went back to 10s for the warm ups and donned the belt on my first set of 160s onwards, mainly as it's quite a weight to be repping with no extra core support. This strategy worked really well as I hit 4 reps, then 3 triples, although I pitched forward on the third rep of the fourth set, affecting set 5. I used the leg press for the first time in ages again, (feet shoulder width apart), and my right glute started hurting again. Guess that's why I stopped!

Chest & Triceps, (Tues 14/10/14).
Flat DB Presses: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx12.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx5, 90KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx5, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 105KGx5.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx11, 40KGx8, 45KGx4.
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx3.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx8, 45KGx7.
Reverse Grip Tricep Pulldowns: 100LBx12, 130LBx12, 160LBx11.
Notes: With Mr. 2.5KG plate man on the bench when I walked in, I started with the DBs again. Starting to see the benefits of using these before the flat bench. I was going to only do 3 reps on the 115KG set in a 5/3/1 type of workout, but hit a fairly easy 5. The 125s felt harder and I think the final 105 set messed up my accessory work a bit as I was dropping reps left, right and centre.

Back, (Weds 15/10/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx21, 15KGx10, 30KGx5, 45KGx4.
DB Rows w/Straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 70KGx6.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx13, 10KGx11, 20KGx7, 30KGx3.
T-Bar Rows w/Straps: 75KG(B)x12, 90KG(B)x10, 105KG(B)x6.
Plate Machine Rows: 15KGp/s x12, 30KGp/s x12, 45KGp/s x12, 60KGp/s x8.
Notes: Fairly routine back day again. I may have to bring back deads in on Wednesday and squat Monday and pause squat on Friday. Still, work was done and the numbers weren't too shabby. I bumped in to a chap called Sam who I haven't seen for ages and is now back training at the Lido, which is why there is a lack of exercises. I was gassing.

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 17/10/14).
Squats: 60KGx10, 100KGx10, 140KGx5, 160KG(B)x1, 165KG(B)x1, 170KG(B)x1, 175KG(B)x0, 175KG(B)x1, 180KG(B)x1, 180KG(B)x1.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx12, 110KGx5, 110KGx5, 110KGx5, 110KGx5.
Incline E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 30KGx12, 50KGx12, 60KGx7, 70KGx5, 60KGx3, 50KGx5.
Smith Floor Presses: 40KGx12, 60KGx12, 80KGx10, 100KGx6, 120KGx2, 80KGx12, 40KGx12.
Notes: I came in to squat heavy and didn't disappoint myself. Big Mike and Matt decided to join me, so we went up individually. All was going smoothly until I screwed up a 175 attempt, which I hit on the second attempt. With 4 plates per side on the bar, I approached apprehensively. Hit it... and pretty well too. Matt said I easily had a 190 in me. Playing safe, I went for 180 again, (mainly to get video evidence), and got that too, although it was much slower. Mike and Matt also hit PBs, so this squat meet up may continue. Matt left as Adam walked in, insisting we do triceps. Skull crushers were good, as were the floor presses, and heavier than I usually go to. Adam is pretty mental. We finished with ab work, which I am sure he only did to take the piss out of me.

Delts & Traps, (Sat 18/10/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 52.5KG(B)x9, 57.5KG(B)x5, 62.5KGx3, 62.5KG(B)x4, 62.5KG(B)x2, 67.5KG(B)x1.
Upright Rows w/Straps: 52.5KGx12, 57.5KGx10, 62.5KGx8, 67.5KGx6.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Alt. Front DB Raises: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 15KGx12, 17.5KGx10, 20KGx8.
Notes: After getting to the gym at 8:30 this morning, I found out the weekend opening times are now 9-6, so I only got 45 minutes to train. On top of that, my triceps were pretty beaten up from training with Adam yesterday, which severely affected my OHPs, taking a good 10KG off my 1RM. Damage limitations for the rest, although every number was hit as usual. Probably time to start with 17.5KG DBs and go up from there.

Ed Eliason
10-18-14, 6:05 pm
Great week! Nice heavy squats on Friday!

rainman
10-19-14, 6:43 pm
Great week! Nice heavy squats on Friday!

Cheers. Nice to finally get those 4 pies on the bar. Roll on 5 plates...

rainman
10-25-14, 2:25 pm
An ideal week for workouts, with me getting in 6 training days. I think this may be a bit much but, as I type this on Saturday evening, I don't feel particularly beaten up over it. It's only my ongoing injuries that are making me feel uncomfortable. Well, that and the fact that the dog is looking at me in an expectant way, like he's getting another walk. He isn't.
I am looking at changing things up a bit training wise; 2 dedicated leg days on Monday and Friday and either delts(thurs) and arms(sat) or just delts(sat) if I am busy on Thursdays. Triceps get bashed on chest/ shoulder days and bis are screwed on back day. I am also looking in to getting some SBD knee sleeves as I squat with no knee support. What changed my mind was looking through the photos on the GBPF site of the squats at a recent meet and every lifter there was in knee sleeves. I didn't realize I was so behind with the times.

Legs & Biceps, (Mon 20/10/14).
Squas: 60KGx10, 100KGx10, 140KGx10, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x3, 160KG(B)x1.
7ft BB Curls: 30KGx12, 40KGx12, 50KGx9, 60KGx3.
Lying Stepper DB Leg Curls: 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx7.
DB Hammer Curls: 22.5KGx12, 25KGx10, 27.5KGx8>17.5KGx6>7.5KGx8.
Leg Press: 100KGx12, 150KGx12, 200KGx12, 250KGx12.
Notes: My legs felt broken up after Friday's squatting, so I knew today was going to be tough. Just achey joints rather than muscle pumps sadly. Annoyingly, my right knee has developed a slight clicking, so I cut short my 160s to play safe. I think the leg press may be to blame, (it has certainly aggravated my right glute tweak since starting them). Still had another bash at them, but ran out of time. No arm blaster for BB curls, but the DB hammers were good on numbers.

Chest, (Tues 21/10/14).
Flat DB Press: 25KGx12, 30KGx12, 35KGx12, 40KGx12, 45KGx10.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx5, 90KGx5, 105KGx5, 115KGx5, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2, 125KGx2.
Incline DB Press: 35KGx12, 40KGx9, 45KGx6, 50KGx3.
DB Pullovers: 35KGx12, 40KGx10, 45KGx8, 50KGx5.
Flat DB Press: 20KGx15>22.5KGx10>25KGx5>17.5KGx15>20KGx10>22.5KGx5>15KGx15>17.5KGx10>20KGx5.
Notes: I went a bit heavier on flat DB presses pre benching today and it didn't seem to affect my bench numbers at all. I may even go up to 50KG DBs next week. BB benching felt solid and controlled, up until the 125KG sets, where I always seem to lose tightness after the first rep. A few 'arse off the bench' presses in there by the end, but all went up I suppose. Inclines and pullovers were alright and I finished off with the G Diesel pyramid/dropset template, but on flat DBs again. Which killed me.

Back, (Weds 22/10/14).
Weighted Chins: BWx10, 15KGx10, 30KGx7, 45KGx4.
DB Rows w/Straps: 55KGx12, 60KGx10, 65KGx8, 70KGx6.
Wide Grip Weighted Chins: BWx10, 10KGx10, 20KGx8, 30KGx3.
T-Bar Rows w/Straps: 75KG(B)x12, 90KG(B)x10, 105KG(B)x6.
Plate Machine Rows w/Straps: 15KGp/s x12, 30KGp/s x12, 45KGp/s x12.
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns: 140LBx12, 170LBx10, 200LBx8.
Notes: As I started doing chin ups, I could feel my elbows giving me shit. I stopped at 10 reps from then on, with strength remaining good on them and the 30KG for 7 was a tied PB. The rest of the workout was alright, with a lat pulldown exercise thrown in at the end for something different from the norm.

Delts & Traps, (Thurs 23/10/14).
Standing OHP: 30KGx12, 52.5KG(B)x5, 57.5KG(B)x5, 62.5KG(B)x5, 67.5KG(B)x3, 67.5KG(B)x2, 67.5KG(B)x3.
Upright Rows w/Straps: 52.5KGx12, 57.5KGx10, 62.5KGx8, 67.5KGx6.
Alt. DB Side Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Alt. DB Front Raises: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Rear Delt DB Flyes: 17.5KGx12, 20KGx10, 22.5KGx8.
Notes: I figured that having moved my bench grip in a little, I may as well bring my OHP grip out a tad to match it. I liked it, and got good results, despite having to clean the bar up before pressing as the squat rack was in use, which was awkward. I also went up on DB accessory work, starting at 17.5KG DBs and aiming for 12s, 10s and 8s. Hit every rep. I can't start at 20KGs! A bit more time on my hands would've yielded face pulls and DB shoulder presses, but it wasn't to be.

Legs, Chest & Triceps, (Fri 24/10/14).
Conventional Deads w/Hook Grip: 100KGx10, 130KGx5, (4x)160KGx4, 180KGx2, 180KGx2, 160KGw/Straps x10.
Paused BB Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx12, 110KGx6, 110KGx4, 110KGx4.
Paused Squats: 40KG(B)x10, 60KG(B)x10, 80KG(B)x10, 100KG(B)x10, 120KG(B)x7, 140KG(B)x4, 140KG(B)x3.
Smith Floor Presses: 65KGx12, 85KGx10, 105KGx5, 105KGx6, 105KGx6.
Smith Calf Raises: 80KG(B)x12, 100KG(B)x12, 120KG(B)x12, 140KG(B)x12.
Notes: I usually wrap kinesiology tape around my thumbs for hook gripping, but not today. My thumbs got busted up! I used chalk for the first time since I started hook gripping too, which is making me think the tape aids my grip as well as protect my thumbs? All numbers were still hit though. My pressing was down though, although this is understandable after all the pressing yesterday. The rest of the leg workout stuff went well.

Arms... I know, (Sat 25/10/14).
Decline Close Grip Bench: 70KGx12, 90KGx10, 110KGx4, 110KGx3.
Machine Preacher Curls: 15KGx12, 30KGx10, 45KGx7.
E-Z Bar Skull Crushers: 30KGx12, 50KGx10, 70KGx4, 70KGx4.
Lying E-Z Bar Cable 7s: 100LBx8/8/8, 130LBx8/8/8, 160LBx8/8/8.
Seated DB Behind The Neck Press: 30KGx12, 35KGx10, 40KGx8.
Notes: A bit of an impulsive trip to the gym this morning as I had 45 minutes to spare. I haven't done a dedicated arms day for an eternity now, but I actually enjoyed it, coming in and ripping them to bits. Got some old favourites in there. Of course I'd have liked a whole hour to train, but our gym now opens at 9am on weekends. Obviously bodybuilders don't get up at weekends.