View Full Version : Babu's log
Hey all, thought I'd start my log after much advising/pestering from forum member Sami to do so.
I'm Hari, I'm 18 and I'm a med student living in South London. I'm 5' 10 and weigh 67.5 kg/149 lb right now, although I constantly weighed in at around 61 - 63 before so I'm a pretty skinny little runt. I heard about SS from Sami a while back, maybe around March or so. At the time, I wasn't interesting in getting stronger; a friend and I were planning on a little mountain trek next year and it meant a lot of endurance training but for various reasons it got called off so I thought I may as well give SS a shot. I started it properly about 3 weeks ago. I had started a few weeks prior to that but I was fucking around a little, and then I left halls so I couldn't use my university gym and had to look for one at home, so resumed it about 2 weeks later with a bit of deloading and I've just been going from there. Can't really remember what I started at but here's where I'm at as of Friday:
Squat: 82.5 kg 3 x 5 (fairly difficult)
Bench: 55 kg 3 x 5 (not too hard)
Deadlift: 80 kg 1 x 5 (I was supposed to do 95 kg on Friday, but I did one rep and my back started hurting loads so gave myself a bit of time and went down to 80kg; back was hurting afterwards but it's fine now; not really sure what happened, possibly bad form; when I did 90 the time before, it wasn't too hard)
Press: 40 kg 5 x 3 (pretty hard)
Power Clean: 47.5 3 x 5 (also pretty hard)
In terms of eating, I don't really keep a tab on calories but I think I eat about 6000 on days I work out and perhaps 4 - 5k otherwise? I'm not quite doing GOMAD but I drink between 4 - 6 pints of whole milk every day (6.7 pints in a US gallon so not too bad surely?).
I'll have to take a break soon though; I have retakes coming up soon and then I'm off to India straight after for almost 2 weeks. I won't have anything available to me so while I'm out there, so I'll just have to make do with press-ups, one-legged squats and whatever else I can think of, and I'll drop the weights down a little and start again.
I'll add to this as I go along. Thanks for reading. Any advice and comments would be greatly appreciated!
I think once the deadlift starts going up (and believe me, it will go up fast), your squat will go up to.
Did you sort out a belt yet? What about chalk?
EDIT: Oh, and I think power cleans are supposed to be 5 sets of 3.
Haven't ordered chalk yet, really need to get on that. As for a belt, I haven't seen the guy in the gym who sells them for a while. Hopefully I will soon but haven't been looking into belts too much. Looks like I might need to start doing so. As you know, not too much time for much of anything right now...stupid retakes.
Crap, yeah I do 5 sets of 3, I got things a little mixed up there, thanks for pointing that out.
I wouldn't worry too much about a belt right now. Get your form solid first and get everything up a little more. I probably don't need a belt either, but my past injury still worries me.
Today...
Squat: 85.0 kg
Press: 42.5 kg
Clean: 50.0 kg
Everything felt hard and heavy. Not sure if I was getting the depth I needed with the squat. I'll look over SS, but I'll probably stay on the same weight and try and video myself (if my phone camera decides to work) to see if I'm getting the depth. If I'm not...then not too sure what to do. Deload I guess?
Bad day.
Squat: 85.0 kg
Bench: 57.5 kg
Deadlift: 90.0 kg
Bench is still feeling about the same as before. It's heavy but it's not really difficult yet. I was worried about the deadlift this time but it went fine and my back didn't feel bad either. I was really conscious the whole way through about maintaining the shape of my back, I might have arched it a bit before but I'm not really sure. As for the squat...fucking camera wasn't working! Instead I asked somebody for a form check. This is difficult, because most of the guys I see in the free weights area of my gym (I go to a bog-standard Fitness First) generally do bicep curls. lateral raises or whatever, and probably don't know what a squat is. I usually go in the late morning and there are a few old people there who are ridiculously strong for their age, but nobody really squats; the few that I have seen squat use the fucking Smith machine. I asked a personal trainer milling round if he could check my depth for me, so only got his word to go by. He said the second and third sets weren't to parallel. Looks like I'll have to drop the weights a little, just not sure how much by. I think this happened because I started jumping by 2.5 kg (as opposed to jumping by 5 kg) too late; had I stopped my 5 kg jumps earlier, I probably wouldn't be in a position where I'd be compromising form so much right now. But I guess I can learn from this for when I can't maintain 2.5 kg increases anymore and have to go down to 1.25 kg.
Have you got plates smaller than 1.25kg? If you do, steal some from that place.
Don't drop the weight yet. Rip usually recommends to repeat at least 2-3 times at a given weight. Could've been an off day. And you're probably still learning the technique.
There are none smaller unfortunately. While I've been there this summer, one of the four 1.25 plates they had have gone missing... it'll require improvisation for when it comes to it I think, because like you, I haven't seen anything smaller online or anywhere that'll go onto a 20 kg barbell; chains or something perhaps?
I'll give SS another read then and give it one more shot. Hopefully I can sort out the camera to see for myself. If it doesn't go up on Friday, I'll drop it 10 kg or so.
banthafodder
07-29-2009, 02:42 PM
There are none smaller unfortunately. While I've been there this summer, one of the four 1.25 plates they had have gone missing... it'll require improvisation for when it comes to it I think, because like you, I haven't seen anything smaller online or anywhere that'll go onto a 20 kg barbell; chains or something perhaps?
I built some micro-weights out of some chain from the local hardware store ("#10 decorator's chain", IIRC--stuff to hang planters with). I have a small food scale I could use to measure things, and it turned out that 11 links of the chain weighed exactly 0.25 lbs, so I built a bunch of loops (8 x 0.25 lbs, 2 x 0.5 lbs, 2 x 1lb), and now I can load any weight I want, to a granularity of 0.5 lbs. It's been a giant help with the pressing movements.
So, not been to the gym in a while. Had to revise for fucking resits, then go off abroad to attend loads of bloody weddings. Passed resits, found a house to rent and I've been fixing that up. It's nowhere near done but I decided that I could make time for the gym. I thought it'd be interesting to see how much my lifts would drop by. It's been a little strange...everything 3 x 5 as standard:
Squat: 60.0 kg (I tried 70 kg but it was too heavy wtf! I was having problems with form before though, I guess I have an opportunity to rectify that now. Bit pissed off but that's what you get for not doing any fucking exercise for a long time)
Bench: 50.0 kg (could probably have done more I think, but I thought it best to play safe and go down a bit)
Deadlift: 90.0 kg (this was an accident; I meant to put 70 on and clearly I messed up my maths quite substantially. It was alright though so I reckon I'll go from here)
Can't wait to see how fucked up my press and cleans are! Don't know how long I'll be continuing SS either, found some big mountains that I wouldn't mind climbing over the summer and if I go for that, I'm sure there's better ways to prepare for that than by doing Starting Strength. And banthafodder, thanks for that, it'll probably come in handy soon with the press I think.
http://coupdetodd.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/squat.jpg
Thanks for the motivation Sami. Cock.
Should've gone 2 days ago, but legs were killing me right up till yesterday. Looks like it's the eating I need to get back into, as well as the lifting. I'll get the gallons going again starting next week, spent this week building up. 7000 kcal is a bitch, huh? Well, here's todays lift with standard SS sets and reps...
Squat: 65.0 kg
Press: 37.5 kg
Clean: 40.0 kg
Thought I could handle a 5 kilo jump for the squats and it was alright. I have a really weird sensation in my right quads which hasn't gone away since I was in the gym though...I'm gonna go for 2.5 kg jumps now, don't want to get stuck later on. The press wasn't actually too difficult though, I could've definitely done 40 but I wasn't really sure what to go for (having not done it for a while) and I didn't really have time to test and see where I was at. The power clean was very easy and that'll definitely require a 5 kg jump for next time. Time for a midnight 1200 kcal pizza...
Nice.
I'm thinking for my first session I might just go for all 1RMs to see where I'm after the lay off. Then seeing how long it takes to get past those numbers.
So the Reynolds Gym is supposed to be shit (no squat rack) and the idea of going to Ethos with all the freshers is not exactly my idea of fun; do you want to check out St Mary's? I can't remember now if they had a cage or not?
That's probably the best way to go about it. I kinda wish I did. And I thought we were going for St. Mary's? There's nowhere else that's decent really. They did have a cage. It'll be nice to not use a shitty slanted squat rack.
Today's lifts:
Squat: 67.5 kg
Bench: 52.5 kg
Deadlift: 95.0 kg
Everything felt heavy but good. Need to keep on the eating but doing well. Need to start thinking about mountain climbing prep though, strength training isn't the best thing to do for it...anyone reading this right now have much experience of climbing mountains? (I'll be walking up it, as opposed to actually scaling it.) If so, what would you recommend in prep?
Who has a slanted rack; your current gym? Yeah, Mary's will probably be better but I think Ethos is more convenient to get to. I'll see though. It's only that my train passes HSK station on the way to Hammersmith. It might pass Paddington though; I have to check, can't remember. It'd be nice to train with the Rugby guys, and watch them all do partial squats. :/
I know a pretty decent Boulderer (look it up). Proper climbing and shit requires a lot of upper body strength, hellacious grip, and a relatively light bodyweight. Doing loads of heavy squats isn't such a great idea because all the extra leg mass is almost dead weight with climbing. Not good.
BUT, you're not actually climbing so just carry on and get big and strong. It won't slow you down. Then a month or so out, throw in some conditioning.
Yeah the current gym, similar to your basement gym shit. Ethos is far more convenient to get to, Paddington is just a bitch from anywhere. If you're going by HSK it should be OK for you. And yeah, it'll be fun watching them do weird shit on that stupid ball. Can't wait!
Yeah, as you said, this isn't proper climbing so I don't need to worry about that shit (how the fuck do they get so strong while staying light? I want the strength but not the mass), but just doing Starting Strength won't help. Both these mountains are above 6,000 m and will need serious prep. Need to look into what I do.
On the topic of Starting Strength, I woke up this morning and I wasn't aching whatsoever, despite being certain that I didn't have anywhere near as many calories as I needed during the day. Weird.
Actually, I just looked and I have to go by Mary's on my train; no matter if I go to HSK or CX. In fact, if I'm going to CX, I don't go by HSK at all. WIN! (for me)
What's your post code now?
Prick. My location's good for lectures though; after all, uni's for learning or some shit like that, right?
Today's lifts:
Squat: 70.0 kg
Press: 40.0 kg
Clean: 45.0 kg
Squats felt good. A guy at the gym told me my back was rounding a little at the bottom though; he insisted that if I looked in the mirror rather than at the floor in front of me, it wouldn't happen. I'm tempted not to listen to him, having seen him "squat", but I'll be mindful. Sami, help me out with that please! Press felt really fucking heavy, which was weird as 37.5 felt pretty easy. Let's hope it's alright next time. Clean felt just as easy as before. Tempted to make another 5 kg jump but I know I'll find myself fucked later on if I do.
Are you actually going to make the trek to Mary's from CX?
Eat moar.
Prick. My location's good for lectures though; after all, uni's for learning or some shit like that, right?
Only when bribed. ;)
Been busy as fuck so not been for a week. Sami was finally free for gymming so after convincing him to skip some bullshit lectures, I thought I'd see where I was as well with some 1 RMs:
Squat: 70 kg (that was my work set last week, yes, but apparently my form was shit, so no point if you can't keep going without maintaining technique)
Bench: 65 kg (terrible)
Deadlift: 100 kg (pulled 110 but with bad form)
Press: 45 kg
Then I went rock climbing. Fucking ouch. Everything started killing, it was insane. I'm going to have to go to the gym less, because not only have I joined up with rock climbing, I've also joined tae kwon-do and boxing, and I'm looking to play badminton (it is a real sport, it's not for just fags) competitively. There is no space for Starting Strength with all that. As well as this, going to the gym won't be easy at all; there isn't really one nearby (where, there is, but it's shit), and it'd be more time than I can afford to go to the gym 3 times a week (as well as money for travel). I'm considering 2 days a week, with squats and benching on one day and deadlifts and presses on another. I like seeing my lifts go up and it's the best compromise I can think of.
But how are you going to get 70's Big???
a friend and I were planning on a little mountain trek next year
found some big mountains that I wouldn't mind climbing over the summer
Need to start thinking about mountain climbing prep though, strength training isn't the best thing to do for it...anyone reading this right now have much experience of climbing mountains? (I'll be walking up it, as opposed to actually scaling it.) If so, what would you recommend in prep?
Then I went rock climbing.
I've also joined tae kwon-do
and boxing,
and I'm looking to play badminton (it is a real sport, it's not for just fags) competitively.
Hey Babu, pick a fuckin' hobby.
OK, I'm going to start posting in here again so that I can keep track of everything that's going on. Training's been uneventful since I last posted, been stalling on things a few times (esp. squats) for various reasons, but everything's gone up. The reason for restarting is because I've now moved from SS to 5/3/1. I don't have a lot of time for SS with exams coming up now (and I really can't afford to fail). 5/3/1 seems to take up a lot less time and leaves me with a bit more time for playing sports a little bit (boxing and badminton). I can't remember what the 1 rep maxes I'm using are right now, I'll post them later. I found a 5/3/1 logbook calculator online and basically entered my information on there. These are what I did last on SS as my work sets (the logbook calculated both my 1 rep max and the underestimated Wendler max):
Squats: 95kg x 5
Bench: 75kg x 5
Deadlift: 130kg x 4
Press: 52.5kg x 5
Apart from the squat, which I got up to 102.5 x 5 before I stopped for a while due to a lack of squat rack, these are all in PR territory. This is all at a bodyweight of about 75 kg/165 lbs and roughly 15% body fat (pretty 90's small, I know).
I'm planning on going 4 times a week. I go 3 times a week right now but each session last about 90 minutes. If I go 4 times a week it'll be about half an hour each time (I hope), and then I can just fuck off to the library and do work and pass exams and get back into uni and continue to use the gym for free and get really fucking strong. That's the plan anyway...
OK, so I started today. I was going to continue with SS just for this week but for some reason my right knee's been fucked up since the weekend. I figured I might as well start 5/3/1 right now and give my knee time to recover before I bother trying to squat again. So today...
Bench
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 3
65% 50 kg x 5
75% 57.5kg x 5
85% 65kg x 12
Deadlift
60kg x 5
70kg x 3
65% 85kg x 5 (it was supposed to be 82.5 but some twat took the small plates and loaded up his fucking ab cruncher with all of them. Tosser.)
75% 95kg x 5
85% 107.5kg x 9
Dips
Bodyweight + 15kg 3 x 5
It all feels very different to SS. The last sets are intense, but in a different sort of way to how you have to grind through and get all the reps on SS. Not having an idea of how much to go for was kind of weird. I aimed for 20 for both the bench and deadlift, which was maybe a little overestimated. I was basically a rep away from failure on the bench; on the deadlift, while it wasn't too heavy, I got seriously exhausted from all the reps. For a set of 5 I'm usually OK, taking pauses between reps to get a breath or two, but after 5 reps with this I was feeling really deprived of oxygen.
I added in some assistance for no apparent reason. I won't make as much progress on this as I would with Starting Strength so it could be helpful. Also, I sort of deadlifted by accident (SS mindframe, just doing 1 exercise is kind of weird), but since it's out of the way I only need to press and squat later on in the week as well as some added assistance (I'm thinking just chins and pull-ups). I'll probably start eating less too as it's not so intensive. Is anyone else doing 5/3/1 after changing from SS? Also, my deadlift has been completely stuck for a while (I haven't managed to do 5 reps of 130 yet) so I hope this'll help me break through the plateau.
Press
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
30kg x 5
65% 35kg x 5
75% 40kg x 5
85% 45kg x 9
Chins
3 sets to failure (10, 6, 5)
Weighted Sit-Ups
8 x 30kg
8 x 30kg
8 x 30kg
Didn't have much to eat this morning besides a banana about 2 hours before my session. I felt like I could've squeezed out at least 3 or 4 more reps on the press but I just didn't have the energy. Similar story with chins; I don't think I would've been able to do more than 10 or 11 for the first set but I should probably have been able to do more for the 2nd and 3rd set.
By the time I'd done these two, I'd only been in the gym for 20 minutes. Having sessions so short feels strange and so I just felt compelled to do something else. I thought I'd give weighted sit-ups a try, having never done them. Problem is, I've never seen anybody do them either; you get tonnes of ab warriors doing countless crunches on Bosu balls but nobody bothers to weight train their abs. As such, I wasn't really sure what the best way to go about doing them was. I grabbed the only bar there was (a 10 kilo neutral grip bar) and loaded it up with 10s on either side. I did these on a decline bench. If I do decide to use them as an assistance or just feel like doing them again for shits and giggles, I'll need to find a new way to do them, it was really awkward trying to keep the bar against my chest.
OK so yesterday, went into the gym to do my squats. It was fucked up. I was just warming up with the bar but my right knee was really painful as I went down. It only seems to hurt with significant flexion, it's been like this for more than a week now and I have no idea why. I don't think it's to do with squats; I used to have problems with my knees due to poor form but I addressed it and then they were fine. If it was a squat problem then surely both knees would hurt? Gotta go see a doctor about this. Anyway, needed to be out quickly and the dip station was the only thing that was free so did 3 x 5 of 17.5 kg and went off on my way. Really hoping my knee will be fine by next week. Going to continue with everything else as per normal.
This is why you should still be training with me. A 2nd pair of eyes can come in handy. I need some eyes too; my right hip is hurting and I want to know if my knees are sliding forward.
Knee's still fucked. Haven't had time to go to a doctor. I'll try and do that tomorrow. Today was the second bench day of the cycle.
Bench
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
70% 52.5kg x 3
80% 60kg x 3
90% 67.5kg x 11
Didn't do anything else today. It was all pretty easy as expected besides the last set. I was trying to push for 12 like last time but I barely got the 11th rep up (and it was an ugly 11th rep) so I left it at that. Again, strength didn't feel so much like the limiting factor as exhaustion, like if you were doing loads of push-ups. I like trying to challenge myself on that last set though.
"BACK AND BIS"
Deadlift
70kg x 5
70% 90kg x 3
80% 102.5kg x 3
90% 115kg x 8
Chins
Bodyweight + 5kg 3 x 5
Deadlifts felt HEAVY today. Maybe I didn't warm-up enough. I was working in with some mates who were already well into their deadlifts and they'd put 25kg plates on rather than the normal 20 so I really couldn't be bothered to take it down to 60. I was really fucking exhausted on the last set. I tried to go for 9 reps but I was way too tired to do the last rep. I think they might have aggravated the knees a little bit but whatever they did feels negligible.
I hate doing chins to failure so I decided to just do some weighted chins today. They felt pretty easy so I reckon I'll make a few 2.5 kg jumps every time I do them. GUNS
What did Mozi and Chee pull today?
Moiz managed a good fast set of 130 for 5, all with mixed grip, whereas Samuel was trying 120 but it was horrifically messy, he had a really bad back throughout. Dave was watching and concluded that he had T-Rex arms and wasn't very flexible, and so isn't cut out to deadlift.
Yeah, good for pressing, bad for deadlifts. Maybe he could do rack pulls instead.
Press
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
70% 37.5kg x 3
80% 42.5kg x 3
90% 47.5kg x 8
Pull-ups
Bodyweight x 5
Bodyweight x 5
Bodyweight x 5
For the last set of presses, my shoulders felt like they were burning, probably a lactic acid build-up. It's the same sort of sensation you get in your legs after sprinting to exhaustion. Still, not doing too badly, only 1 less rep than with 45kg. Thought I'd try doing some pull-ups today since I haven't really done them in a while and I've always been fairly shit at them. It's the first time ever that I've managed to get 3 sets of 5 in so I might start weighting them.
Bench
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 3
75% 57.5kg x 5
85% 65kg x 3
95% 72.5kg x 8
Chins
(Bodyweight + 7.5kg) x 5
(Bodyweight + 7.5kg) x 5
(Bodyweight + 7.5kg) x 5
Bodyweight: 75.3kg
Just thought I'd start putting my weight down to keep track of how it fluctuates. For the past few weeks it's been between this and 77kg. Body fat's around 15 - 20% I reckon. I don't really care too much about whatever my weight is, as long as I don't get lighter than I am.
Didn't have a good feeling about the bench today. All the sets coming up to the work set felt really HARD. I only expected to get out about 1 or 2 reps, despite knowing that I'd done that weight as a work set for 3 x 5 previously. I was surprised I managed to get 8 out (on the last few reps I pushed the bar forward a lot as I pressed up, and I barely made that last rep). Can't tell how much stronger I've gotten though. Chins were decent.
My right knee's definitely started getting better. I was trying some bodyweight squats and it didn't hurt whatsoever. I tried a few reps at 50kg to see how it'd feel and I think I might have aggravated it slightly but it felt OK. Can't wait to work squats back in. I'm going to give my knees another week and then during deload week, I'll work my squat up a bit. I'm thinking from 85kg and do some 5 kg jumps over the week.
Deadlift
60kg x 5
75% 95kg x 5
85% 107.5kg x 3
95% 122.5kg x 6
Dips
Bodyweight + 22.5kg x 5
Bodyweight + 22.5kg x 5
Bodyweight + 22.5kg x 5
Bodyweight: 76.0kg
I wasn't feeling 100% and as such deadlifting felt really shit today. I think I could've warmed up a bit more too, another set of 60kg wouldn't have gone amiss. I did the first 5 reps with pronated grip and the last rep with mixed grip, since my grip was giving way by that point. I've always had problems with mixed grip, I've never been able to pull it off the floor with it for some reason. Even so, I still feel like I should've been able to do at least 1 more rep but I just couldn't. Sami was watching and told me that I wasn't locking out my hips; I never realised that I wasn't doing this all this time but it's not something that'll be difficult for me to rectify I don't think. Hopefully I'll do better in the next cycle with my 95% weight.
Dips were a bit of a grind but went alright. Interestingly, the last set felt a significant amount easier than the other two. I think I'm going to have to start thinking properly about my "assistance" exercises a bit more; there's no proper routine to them as such and I don't really have any proper justification for doing dips, chins, pull-ups and such beyond the fact that I enjoy doing them. I don't think they hinder my main exercises (dips definitely help with the presses) but I'm beginning to think that it might be more worthwhile to do exercises which will definitely help each lift.
Press
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
30kg x 5
75% 40kg x 5
85% 45kg x 3
95% 50kg x 7
Pull-ups
Bodyweight + 2.5kg x 3, Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight + 2.5kg x 5
Bodyweight + 2.5kg x 5
Bodyweight: 77.2 kg (weight can be attributed to a pound of bacon, a half-dozen eggs and other bits and bobs slushing around in my gut)
I was kind of disappointed with the press but after looking through numbers from the log, this looks like about what I should have done. My right shoulder and traps were killing after a few hours spent carrying a heavy-ass bag about London, and then during the session, after about the 3rd rep, my left wrist managed to get into a really awkward position where my forearm wasn't supporting the weight. It fucking killed. The 7th rep was painful and I tried for an 8th by my left wrist just let it go and the bar fell onto the pins. I just left it at that. I felt I could've gone for an 8th had it not been for the awkward position of my wrist.
Pull-ups were stupid. I was only weighting them with 2.5kg so I thought I wouldn't bother with the belt. I tried putting the weight-plate in my pocket but it was slightly too big. Then I tried a set with the plate just pinched between my foot but it was fucking annoying and I kept dropping it, so after the 3rd rep I just dropped it and did 2 reps without it. I got the belt afterwards and continued.
So now it's deload week coming up. I wanted to do a bit of squatting on linear progression this coming week but my knee's no better. In fact, I think after deadlift day it got a bit worse? Would deadlifts fuck it up? It's pissing me off enough to want to see a doctor about it so I'm going to try and sort that out Monday.
Bench
Bar x 10
40kg x 5
65% 52.5kg x 5
75% 60kg x 5
85% 70kg x 11
Dips
Bodyweight x 15
Bodyweight x 15
Bodyweight x 13
Bodyweight: 75.5kg
Normally, you're supposed to increase everything by 2.5kg, but I simply punched in the figures I got for my max sets on the 3rd week of the cycle for each exercise to give me new percentages. This was mostly for the benefit of my deadlift, which I appeared to be struggling with before (perhaps because I'm not squatting?)
I was interested to see how I'd do with the bench. I didn't really think the deload would benefit me in any way at all but it was actually quite beneficial and the proof's in the numbers. I did 72.5 for 8 about 2 weeks ago and 70 for 11 today, so there's a definite increase in strength. If I did 72.5 today it would've been good for 10 reps I reckon.
I tried doing some proper assistance work like Mr. Wendler outlines, so I planned on doing some bodyweight dips so 3 x 15. I didn't manage the last set. Man, I hate doing anything for more than 10 reps... I would've done more but I had to piss off and get some work done. Fucking exams...
Bench
Bar x 10
40kg x 5
65% 52.5kg x 5
75% 60kg x 5
85% 70kg x 11
Dips
Bodyweight x 15
Bodyweight x 15
Bodyweight x 13
Bodyweight: 75.5kg
Normally, you're supposed to increase everything by 2.5kg, but I simply punched in the figures I got for my max sets on the 3rd week of the cycle for each exercise to give me new percentages. This was mostly for the benefit of my deadlift, which I appeared to be struggling with before (perhaps because I'm not squatting?)
I was interested to see how I'd do with the bench. I didn't really think the deload would benefit me in any way at all but it was actually quite beneficial and the proof's in the numbers. I did 72.5 for 8 about 2 weeks ago and 70 for 11 today, so there's a definite increase in strength. If I did 72.5 today it would've been good for 10 reps I reckon.
I tried doing some proper assistance work like Mr. Wendler outlines, so I planned on doing some bodyweight dips so 3 x 15. I didn't manage the last set. Man, I hate doing anything for more than 10 reps... I would've done more but I had to piss off and get some work done. Fucking exams...
Correction. *ahem*
FUCKING EXAMS!!!!!!
By Sami's advice...
FUCKING EXAMS!!!!!!
Press
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
30kg x 5
65% 35kg x 5
75% 40kg x 5
85% 45kg x 10
Deadlift
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
65% 82.5kg x 5
75% 95kg x 5
85% 110kg x 6
Chins
Bodyweight + 10kg x 5
Bodyweight + 8kg x 5
Bodyweight + 8kg x 5
Bodyweight: 75.3kg
Wow. Terrible session. I was feeling weak when I went in and it really shows with the deadlifts. I tried using mixed grips too, something I pretty much never ever do, because the weight seems to feel heavier for me that way. I should probably have not done that for just my last set. As well as this, my knee started feeling a bit strange during the set and I started getting a little worried. Really need to get this looked at... Press felt pretty heavy too. 10kg with the chins was HARD so I did it with 8kg instead, felt a lot easier.
Bench
Bar x 10
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
70% 57.5kg x 3
80% 65kg x 3
90% 72.5kg x 10
Incline DB Press
22kg x 8
16kg x 12
16kg x 12
16kg x 12
Bodyweight: 75.3kg
Everything leading up till the work set felt really heavy but I remember it feeling like that before and so I was pretty confident that I'd manage at least 9 reps. Last one was a grind but I got it. Thought I'd do some proper assistance as Wendler advocates. I was going for 4 sets of something I could do for about 12 - 15 reps. 20 was too heavy (I had no idea what would be heavy and what wouldn't) so I went down to 16 for it. Wanted to do some pull-ups too but I didn't really have time for it. Time for some BK!
Have you trained since? What's your weight now?
My plan of training through exams fell through. I decided to go home in order to save money on food at the cost of having a gym nearby. All I had was a chinning bar so at least I got my pull-ups up, but exams are finished so now I'm back to the gym. Back to plain ol' Starting Strength till I've rinsed linear progression for what it's worth, then I'll probably go back to 5/3/1.
Wednesday's session was just to see where I was at following the lay-off.
Squat
5 x Bar
5 x Bar
5 x 40kg
5 x 60kg
3 x 80kg
Not too bad overall, wasn't really expecting to be able to do 80kg at all given that I haven't really squatted since Jan/Feb and that I never got that far anyway. I haven't seen a doctor about my knee so I was worried but I had no problems.
Bench
5 x Bar
5 x Bar
5 x 40kg
5 x 60kg
3 x 70kg
70kg didn't feel as hard as I thought it would. I'll probably start again from 65kg.
Deadlift
5 x 60kg
5 x 60kg
5 x 80kg
3 x 100kg
3 x 110kg
Felt OK I guess. I'll probably start from a 100kg so that I don't get stuck.
Bodyweight: 72.8kg
Yesterday's session:
Squat
5 x Bar
5 x Bar
5 x 40kg
5 x 60kg
5 x 60kg
5 x 60kg
Thought I'd start out low since it's been a very long time since I've squatted and I don't want my knee to be screwed up. Fast and easy. I'll take 5kg jumps for now.
Press
5 x 25kg (I had two 2.5kg pseudo-bumpers on either side, I was cleaning and then pressing)
5 x 25kg
5 x 35kg
5 x 40kg
5 x 40kg
5 x 40kg
First rep of each set was a slight grind but easy otherwise.
Cleans
3 x 45kg
3 x 45kg
3 x 45kg
3 x 45kg
3 x 45kg
Been a while since I've done cleans too. Really feeling it in my traps this morning. These were very easy. My form is somehow a lot better too; the bar never really popped off my thighs and I always caught it on my wrists before but not anymore. I haven't done anything which would help improve it, but it's not a bad thing. Tempted to make a 5kg jump but I'll take it slowly so that I don't get stuck later.
Oh, a kilo of weight gained between sessions, fuck yeah.
Yesterday's session:
Squat
Bar x 5 x 2
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
65kg x 5 x 3
Easy. Finally got to use the new Eleiko bar. Best used for other things that aren't squatting.
Bench
Bar x 5 x 2
40kg x 5
50kg x 3
60kg x 5 x 3
Again, nice and easy. I think starting out low will stop me getting stuff later on. Gonna jump to 65kg for next time.
Deadlift
60kg x 5 x 2
80kg x 3
100 kg x 5
Easy. I'll make a 10kg jump for next time. Tried out the hook grip, bit painful on the thumbs but wasn't too bad.
Yesterday's session:
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 5 x 3
Felt alright. Little bit of a grind on the last rep each time but felt OK.
Press
Bar x 5
30kg x 5
42.5kg x 5 x 3
Bar did not feel too stable but it was easy regardless. Might have been because I was cleaning off the floor at the beginning of each set. I didn't really manage to catch the bar with a grip that I could press with so I had to sort of adjust my hands each time.
Power Clean
47.5kg x 3 x 5
Couldn't be bothered to warm up. Felt really easy, I could probably have just done all the reps without a rest and with perfect form. Don't know why it felt as easy as it did, this is near PR territory for me. May it was all the pull-ups I did while I stopped going to the gym? I went from about 3 or 4 max pull-ups in this time to 12.
Bodyweight: 74.0 kg
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
75kg x 5 x 3
I couldn't actually remember how much I was supposed to squat today. It was easy, I'll make a 5kg jump to 80kg for next time and then do 2.5kg jumps.
Bench
65kg x 5 x 3
Some other guys were on the bench using that weight so I didn't bother warming up. I'll go 2.5kg from now; I reckon 70kg would be fine for next time, as this was pretty easy, but I don't want to be greedy.
Deadlift
70kg x 5
90kg x 3
100kg x 1
110kg x 5
Should have just done 105kg rather than 110kg, it felt heavier than I'd have liked. I used the hook grip for the first 2 reps and it DESTROYED my thumbs. I just used a standard double overhand grip for the last 3. I'll do 110kg again next time, and try and do the whole set using the hook grip. After that I'll continue with 5kg jumps.
Chins
Bodyweight x 4
Bodyweight x 3
10kg x 5 x 2
10kg x 3
No reason for doing chins really. Thought I'd give 3 sets of 5 at 10kg a go.
Bodyweight: 74.3kg
Went in yesterday feeling pretty ill. Wasn't a good idea.
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
80kg x 5 x 3
Had to really grind out the reps. It would've probably felt a lot easier if I wasn't feeling so ill. The form wasn't great throughout but at least I hit depth. 2.5kg jumps from now on.
Press
25kg x 5
25kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 5
45kg x 1, F
Fucked up completely. I was cleaning off the floor for all of these. First set was painful, I didn't manage to catch the bar into a comfortable position for my wrist. For the second set, once I got the bar in lockout, some scrawny little prick walked under the fucking bar. He wasn't even just a few inches away from the bar, he was UNDER the fucking thing! I was very tempted to drop it on his head while he stood round doing fucking all underneath the plates on the bar but I couldn't really. A few seconds later he left and it had completely fucked me up for my set, I couldn't do any more. I had to leave anyway so I just cut the session short. The pressing felt a lot harder than it should've, everything was slow as hell. Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow.
Note to self: stop being a pussy. I was a bit ill over last week so went back in this week, but the short lay-off felt a lot longer than it was. The 2 sessions over this week, Day A Tuesday, Day B today:
Squat
Warm-ups
75kg x 5 x 3
Felt alright, bit heavy but not a problem.
Bench
Warm-ups
65kg x 5 x 3
Felt fairly heavy; didn't really expect it to. Hopefully it'll be fine as I go along; I'm hoping not to stall before I get to at least 80kg.
Deadlift
Warm-ups
115kg x 5
Few seconds between reps but it felt OK. I think it'd be easier if I set my hips lower, I'll try that for next time.
Press
42.5kg x 5
No particular reason for this. My mate was pressing this and I wanted to get an idea of what I should be pressing for my next session. Tried a set with 42.5kg and it was very easy.
Today:
Squats
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 1
80kg x 5 x 3
80kg felt the same as 75kg did. No more 5kg jumps from now on.
Press
Bar x 5
30kg x 5
42.5kg x 5 x 3
Easy. Decided not to go any higher to avoid screwing myself later on. It's weird how difficult 45kg felt a few weeks back; I haven't pressed since then but 42.5kg was incredibly easy. I've also decided to press from the rack instead of cleaning the barbell first because 1) it's fucking annoying and 2) it's really awkward trying to catch the bar in a good pressing position. I find it much easier to just do it in the rack so in future I'll probably just do this unless both racks are in use.
Cleans
25kg x 5
45kg x 3 x 5
Had no idea where I'd be at for cleans. These were very easy. As much as I'm tempted to, I probably won't jump up 5kg for next time. Technique wasn't brilliant though, I caught it on my wrists a lot, and there was a slight pause before the explosive phase each time.
Bodyweight: 76.3kg - I usually go in the mornings after a moderate breakfast; went today after eating lots of kebab pizza (yep, a pizza with kebab meat, London is incredible), chicken, ice cream, beef and some other delicious crap. Weight's probably more like a kilo below that.
Saw Rage Against the Machine last night, pretty crazy gig. I was right up at the front getting crushed into the barriers and spending the whole time pushing people away from me. It was awesome, but it meant today was going to be ugly. I was NOT feeling strong.
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 1
82.5kg x 5 x 3
Felt really heavy, but at least I got everything. I think it was just due to last night. I couldn't get into the belt too well either for some reason. It felt slightly too loose but it was on the highest notch...do I need to get fatter??
Bench
Bar x 5
50kg x 4
60kg x 3
67.5kg x 5 x 3
Didn't warm up as much as I'd have liked to as I was working in with some other guy. Felt heavy throughout, probably because I really messed up my shoulder last night. Got all the reps though.
Deadlift
60kg x 5
80kg x 4
100kg x 3
120kg x 5
3 second rests in between reps but it felt OK. Hopefully I won't get stuck too soon.
Felt really heavy, but at least I got everything. I think it was just due to last night. I couldn't get into the belt too well either for some reason. It felt slightly too loose but it was on the highest notch...do I need to get fatter??
You skinny little fuck.
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 4
70kg x 2
85kg x 5 x 3
Didn't feel as heavy as 82.5kg did but still harder than I'd have liked. Just need to keep eating.
Press
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
30kg x 5
40kg x 2
45kg x 5 x 3
Not as piss easy as 42.5kg was but felt alright. A definite jump in difficulty though, even if there is only a 2.5kg difference.
Cleans
25kg x 5
35kg x 5
47.5kg x 3 x 5
Kept messing up the technique. It was on the wrists almost every time, not sure why. Didn't feel difficult though. Need to try and be more aware of my technique with it.
2 days' ago...
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 4
70kg x 2
80kg x 1
87.5kg x 5 x 3
Felt easier than 85kg did, pretty encouraging.
Bench Press
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 5 x 3
Pretty damn heavy. I can see a possible stall soon but I'll eat as much as I can to avoid it.
Deadlift
70kg x 5
90kg x 4
125kg x 5
Was sharing the bar with some other guy so warming up was a little awkward but the set felt pretty good. On one rep I set my hips lower than usual, not for any particular reason, and it was almost like the bar sprang up from the floor, it felt like such an easy rep compared to the others. I'll have to look more closely at my technique.
On one rep I set my hips lower than usual, not for any particular reason, and it was almost like the bar sprang up from the floor, it felt like such an easy rep compared to the others. I'll have to look more closely at my technique.
Same. I now dip my his down under tension just before pulling. It pre-loads my legs and really helps get it off the floor. I pulled for ages from a completely stationary position, and it is MUCH harder that way.
BTW, I'm taking all my stuff home from the locker on exam day, so no belt for you after that. Time to bite the bullet.
Yeah, I'll get the same thing. How long did delivery take on it? Hopefully I'll get it before the exam's up.
Bought some porridge from McDonald's this morning for 99p. Had about half the amount of porridge that I expected in the cup, but I guess you can't ask for too much at that price. That's all I managed to eat before I went in.
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
90kg x 5 x 3
Squats felt strange today. Usually on the first warm up set, I have no problem getting the bar in the right place and hitting depth. Felt really stiff today though, needed a few sets to loosen up. 90kg felt really heavy and I compromised form a few times, doing slight good mornings here and there. I really needed some more mass round the waist, I think I've actually been getting slimmer somehow over the past few weeks, despite gaining weight. I can't push into the belt and it's fucking annoying. 90kg felt much easier when I was lifting beltless prior to injuring my knee.
Press
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
30kg x 5
40kg x 3
47.5kg x 5 x 3
Started out alright, then at 30kg my left shoulder felt like it was burning. The bar was REALLY heavy at 40kg but when I got to my work sets, all the reps went up fast with no problems, easy. Bit weird but at least there were no problems I guess.
Cleans
25kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 1
50kg x 3 x 5
Don't think I warmed up enough here. The first 3 sets were quite hard but the last two were very easy. I'll do a bit more in terms of warming up in future.
Bodyweight: 75.8kg
As of next time I'm going to find some bodybuilder crap to do for rectus abdominis and/or oblique hypertrophy to put a bit more muscle on round there. I'm eating around 5000-6000kcal daily but I'm not going to eat deliberately to get fat; I really need to get tight into that belt though.
Took less than a week. Ask them to drill 2 more tighter holes, they'll do it and send it.
If you want a lever belt, this one's cheap and Ian from the gym (that big ass white guy with the 'Deadlift Friday' t-shirt) has one: http://www.strengthshop.co.uk/index.php/powerlifting/powerlifting-belts/strengthshop-10mm-lever-belt.html
It's only like £5 more than the Zulu.
Oh yeah, I've seen that guy. Looks pretty decent, might go for that. Shouldn't you be revising?
Yesterday's sesh was pretty shit because I haven't been doing great on the eating front.
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
92.5kg x 5 x 3
All felt heavy, but got it done. Need to eat more.
Bench
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
60kg x 3
60kg x 3
60kg x 2
72.5kg x 5
72.5kg x 4
72.5kg x 3
Warming up was awkward as I was working in with someone else. Don't know what happened with the work sets. The first one felt really easy but the last ones were horrible. I think my wrist was a little awkwardly positioned with the last two sets. I'll do it again next time.
Deadlift
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
120kg x 1
130kg x 5
I was taking huge rests between reps, almost 10 seconds. The reps didn't feel too bad though, and I managed them all double overhand. Best get back to eating now.
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
95kg x 5 x 3
Felt easier than 92.5kg did, but still hard. Ground right through the first two sets, but the third set was really easy. I have no idea why this would be.
Press
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
30kg x 5
40kg x 3
45kg x 1
50kg x 5 x 2
50kg x 3
Press felt heavy. I think I might have something wrong with my right shoulder, had some sort of pain in it after 45kg and it got really bad during the last set so I stopped. I could probably have managed the last two reps but I basically just pussed out. I'll give it another go another time.
Cleans
25kg x 5
25kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 2
52.5kg x 3 x 5
Basically same as last time, first few sets harder, last few easier. Need to warm up more. I'll think about that after this week, I still have an exam coming up.
Bodyweight: 76.1kg
Yesterday's sesh:
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
90kg x 1
97.5kg x 5 x 3
Hard. Had a few dirty reps in there too.
Bench
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x F
67.5kg x 5 x 3
Was supposed to do 72.5kg again but didn't even manage to bench 70kg. I probably hadn't eaten adequately beforehand. This felt OK though, and a reset might prove to be a good thing.
Deadlift
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 4
100kg x 3
120kg x 2
135kg x 4
Every rep was slow as hell. Only made it halfway with the last rep, so I'll take another shot at it next time. Still doing double overhand, grip isn't a problem yet.
Back to it. After the last post, I lost the belt so had to drop everything down and work back up beltless. Then I got ill for a few weeks, lost a few kg and had exams. First session yesterday in a while. Work sets just before I got ill...
Squats - 107.5kg
Bench - 77.5kg
Deadlift - 130.0kg
Press - 52.5kg
PC - 65.0kg
Yesterday...
Squat
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
60kg x 4
70kg x 3
80kg x 5 x 3
Was planning on doing 90 but 80 felt heavy enough on my back and I didn't think I'd manage much more so I just stuck with that and did a work set. What a ridiculous loss of strength. Gonna make a 5kg jump for next time. I hope today was just a slow start or something, an almost 30kg drop is ridiculous.
Bench
Bar x 5
Bar x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 4
60kg x 3
70kg x 5 x 3
Pretty easy. Tempted to make a 5kg jump for next time but I'll get stuck sooner so I'll leave it.
Deadlift
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 4
90kg x 3
100kg x 2
110kg x 1
120kg x 5
Wasn't too difficult. No rounded backs or anything. Since I stopped using the belt, I couldn't get my deadlift up above 130kg for some reason. Hopefully I won't have that problem again.
Kroc Rows
40kg x 3 x 10
Decided to do these to get some work in for the lats, and it'll probably help with everything else too. Took 20 - 30 second rests between sets. Gonna increase the reps and lower the sets for next time.
Pissed off about the squats, but at least nothing else has suffered too badly. Time to go eat a pound of bacon.
So between the last post and about a month ago, I basically hadn't trained. Decided it's important to start keeping shit in my log again. I'm not really following SS anymore, I'm just doing my own shit to sort of see what works for me and what doesn't. I'm training between two gyms right now. The one I train at more has a rack which is only about 7 foot tall though, so I tend to bench more than I press. Last two sessions:
Wednesday
Squat
102.5kg x 5
102.5kg x 5
102.5kg x 5
Press
50kg x 5
50kg x 5
50kg x 5
50kg x 5
50kg x 5
55kg x 3
60kg x F
High volume to try and get to 60kg without too much drama. The 55kg triple and the attempt at a 60kg were both pretty much for shits and giggles. I'm going to try 55kg next time and see how that goes. I should easily be able to manage it for at least 3 x 5.
Deadlift
140kg x 5
The deadlift never used to be that high because I never seemed to be able to lift mixed grip before, but for some reason I can now. I did get it up to 150kg about 2 weeks ago but I was compromising form so I took the weight down. I don't see this stalling for a long time.
Dips
17.5kg x 5
17.5kg x 5
17.5kg x 5
Curls
16kg x 8
16kg x 6
16kg x 6
16kg x 6
Made my bicep curl debut. I do nothing for the biceps so thought why not. I haven't done chins in months, I really ought to get back to them.
Yesterday
Squat
105kg x 5
105kg x 5
105kg x 5
Sami watched for the second and third sets. Apparently the bar kept leaning towards the right which is something I'm going to have to be conscious of in future.
Bench
82.5kg x 1
82.5kg x 3
82.5kg x 2
82.5kg x 3
82.5kg x 2
82.5kg x 2
82.5kg x 2
A mess. I found myself having to focus very hard on where the bar was going in order to get the reps. Getting 2 wasn't too bad, it was just getting that 3rd one each time which was a problem. The time before that I benched, I got 80kg for 4 x 4. The squats beforehand definitely took it out of me for the bench. Not sure what to do from here.
DB Rows
40kg x 15
40kg x 8
Dips
10kg x 5
10kg x 5
10kg x 7
Less weight due to benching on the same day. 20kg would never have happened.
Fuck snow.
Squats
107.5kg x 5
I only did one set. Apparently I was folding over a lot and it wasn't looking good so I'm gonna go down to 100kg for next time and work my way back up.
Press
60kg x 2
60kg x 3
60kg x 3
50kg x 7 (paused)
Did not expect to even get a single of 60kg tbh, I was just fucking around really. Was quite pleased to get the double and triples. I fucked my wrist at the end of the last triple though so I couldn't get any more with 60kg. Did paused reps with 50kg for no particular reason, all the reps bar the last one were easy.
Deadlift
145kg x 3
145kg x 3
Fuck, felt heavy. 140kg didn't feel anywhere near that bad. I thought I'd easily manage 145kg for a set of 5, but maybe not. I'll just keep going on with 2 x 3 I guess.
Chins
81kg (BW) x 5
86kg x 5
86kg x 5
Not done chins in ages, thought I'd get some work in. Would ideally like to do chins with a lot of weight added.
Shrugs
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
140kg x 5
170kg x 5
Just for shits and giggles really. Movement was a bit limited at 170kg. Not sure if I'll be doing these much or not. I think I'll probably want to work cleans back into the routine at some point.
http://i36.tinypic.com/2yzkl0l.jpg
Haven't trained since last time due to being stuck at home because of snow. Trained just earlier:
Squats
100kg x 5
100kg x 5
100kg x 5
Reset due to folding over at the higher weights. Was watching some videos, I twitch my right elbow at the bottom just before I start going up, weird. The bar's also really low on my back, which might be why I fold over, so need to work on adjusting that. Felt fine otherwise.
Bench
75kg x 5
70kg x 5
75kg x 5
75kg x 5
75kg x 5
80kg x 3
Did a set of 70kg because I forgot to change the weight after somebody else did it (I was going for 5 x 5, another deload). Just thought I'd do the triple of 80kg for shits and giggles, and it was all alright really. Could definitely have managed a few more reps with 80kg.
Neck Harness Shit
15kg x 24
Fuck knows.
Back Extensions
15kg x 5
15kg x 5
25kg x 5
Chins
80kg (BW) x 5
87.5kg x 5
Couldn't be arsed to do any more so I just left it at that.
Squats
102.5kg x 5
102.5kg x 5
102.5kg x 5
Clean and Press
60kg x 2
55kg x 5
I cleaned the weight up because I was in a gym without a decent cage, I'm sure I could've got 60kg for at least 4 x 4. Felt very awkward though, just couldn't get the bar into a decent position. I'm going to have to practice this because I'll be at this gym all of second term due to hospital placements. Also had some weird bicep pain during this. I called it quits after the first set of 55kg.
Deadlift
150kg x 3
150kg x 3
Dips
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
I was planning to do 3 x 5 since I couldn't get 5 reps, can't remember why now though.
Incline Press
50kg x 7
50kg x 10
50kg x 10
50kg x 8
50kg x 5
Thought I'd just try this, since I didn't really press. The incline was slightly too steep initially, so 7 reps was difficult, but then I put it down a little bit and it was pretty easy. Just did as much as I could for the last 2 reps.
Felt weak today.
Squat
105kg x 5
105kg x 5
105kg x 5
Quite a lot of ugly reps here and there. I'm just going to keep going up rather than take another reset. Moiz reckoned the problem was hamstring flexibility and I think he might be right, so going to try and work on that and see what happens.
Bench
80kg x 5
77.5kg x 5
77.5kg x 5
77.5kg x 5
77.5kg x 5
Was planning 3 x 5 with 80kg because I thought I could manage it but the reps weren't great so I did 77.5kg, which wasn't too difficult. Hopefully I'll destroy 80kg next time. Want to get to sets of 5 with 90kg now without too much hassle. I think assistance will be necessary.
Deadlift
155kg x 3
155kg x 3
Last rep of each set was fucked up. Not sure what happened with the first one, I don't think I was tight enough, but with the second set, I just lost focus and found it really hard to get back into it.
Curls
15kg x 8
15kg x 8
15kg x 8
After the last two squat sessions, I had some bicep tendon pain in my left arm. I have no idea why this is, it wasn't a problem on Wednesday but it felt bad today. Thought I should do some curls, as my triceps are a lot stronger than my biceps. Will probably be doing these more often.
Calf Raises
45kg x 10
45kg x 10
45kg x 10
45kg x 10
45kg x 10
I have stupidly skinny calves and they stay the same while my thighs just grow. These are definitely overdue.
Babu, it's time to stopping dicking around. You are in great need of some shoes. Strength Shop have marked down their shoes to £53 now: http://www.strengthshop.co.uk/index.php/special-offers/strength-shop-lions-weightlifting-shoes.html
Maybe if I have the money left over after Christmas...
Squats
107.5kg
107.5kg
107.5kg
Felt much better than last time, I'm going to put that down to a weak day. Apparently a few reps were slightly high but I'll keep going up anyway. If it becomes a consistent problem, I'll just reset. I want to get to at least 120kg for sets before that.
Bench
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 4
For the most part, it wasn't too difficult. Sort of lost my grip on the first rep of the last set though, and the bar was about to slip out of my hands for the last rep so that wasn't going to happen. 82.5kg next time should be fine.
Chins
5kg x 5
5kg x 5
5kg x 5
Not going to bother putting total weight anymore, the analogue scale at the gym today isn't great. This felt more difficult than I expected for some reason.
DB Press
20kg x 8
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
20kg didn't feel anywhere near as easy as I expected it to be. I decided to do this as an assistance exercise, it's very different to pressing with a barbell though. I'm not actually sure how much these dumbbells weigh, each plate on the dumbbell has a weight on it you can tot up but I have no idea how much the handles are; these weights are simply whatever the plates come to. I have a feeling that the handles add about 2kg.
Medicine Ball Slams
10kg x 10
10kg x 15
10kg x 15
10kg x 15
Much-needed conditioning work. These were pretty tiring.
Yesterday.
Squat
110kg x 5
110kg x 5
110kg x 5
Press
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
Deadlift
160kg x 1
160kg x F
Fuck, this was so annoying. I knew I could've gotten it for 2 x 3 but I completely lost focus after the first rep and I just couldn't lift it again after that, very frustrating. I reckon I'll get my squat up and do accessory work for a few weeks and see how much that improves my deadlift. I suppose, at least I've now hit a double bodyweight deadlift.
Dips
10kg x 7
10kg x 7
10kg x 7
Felt a lot harder than they should've for some reason. Going for higher reps now, since this is an assistance exercise.
Back Extensions
25kg x 7
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
Form felt compromised at 25kg, went down to 15kg afterwards.
EZ Bar Bicep Curls
30kg x 7
30kg x 7
30kg x 7
Limited on time today. Didn't really have time to squat so I started with some "core" shit.
Back Extensions
20kg x 8
20kg x 8
20kg x 8
Not too bad. I hold the weight plate against my chest right now, gonna start holding it behind my head though. It'll be harder so it means I won't have to use heavier plates so soon.
Decline Sit-Ups
10, 10, 10
Bench
82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 3
82.5kg x 1
75kg x 4 (close-grip)
70kg x 10
So frustrating. I really have no idea what went wrong, 80kg was good so I thought at the least I'd get 3 x 5. There wasn't time to do much else so I did close-grip as somebody else was doing that with 75kg, then I just thought I'd do whatever with 70kg. Might start doing Mad Cow or something for the bench.
Didn't really get a chance to eat much, but went in anyway.
Squats
110kg x 5
110kg x 5
110kg x 5
I just did it again to clean up the form. I didn't lose my back angle too much but there were definitely a few dirty reps. Didn't feel great, but I think it would've gone a lot more smoothly if I'd had something to eat beforehand.
Press
57.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5
First two sets were piss, third set was moderately difficult and the last set was hard. Don't think I could've done a 5th set. I'll probably start doing Madcow for both bench and the press now.
Chins
7.5kg x 5
7.5kg x 5
7.5kg x 5
Hard. I'll go up to 10kg next time, but after that I think I'm going to have to take 1.25kg jumps.
Dips
BW x 12
BW x 12
I was going for 3 sets but then my arms just gave up. I left the gym and then...
Snow Shovelling
1 x 2 hours
Precisely what I had planned upon getting back home.
Qureshi
12-20-2010, 02:40 PM
alright for some... i didn't even get to gym and according to the weather forecast prob wont for a while. Happy fucking christmas to me!
Well, at least you got to train today. Even better, the snow didn't stop you getting to Tesco!
Wasn't feeling very well today, so didn't do a huge amount.
Squat
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
My lower back felt a bit knackered the other day, and since I wasn't feeling well, I thought I'd have a light day to try and re-inforce good form. Went ATG on all of these.
Bench
42.5kg x 5
52.5kg x 5
62.5kg x 5
72.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 5
I was surprised, but this was piss easy for some reason. All the reps were solid and there were no slow grinds, not even on the last rep. I thought I'd be doing 3 reps because I wasn't feeling so well, but 5 was fine. A triple of 85kg for next time.
Cleans
50kg x 5
50kg x 5
50kg x 5
Almost felt like doing cardio, been a long time since I've done cleans. I would've gone heavier but I wanted to try and work on form; when I clean and press, I catch the bar on my wrists in the position I'd press in, otherwise I can't press it. It means that somehow I've forgotten how to get it on the tips of my fingers, resting on the shoulders. Kept catching it a little on the left wrist, really need to work on this before I progress.
Incline DB Press
24kg x 8
24kg x 8
24kg x 8
EZ Bar Bicep Curls
32.5kg x 8
32.5kg x 8
32.5kg x 8
Used my hips a little to get the bar up, so I'll do this again but for more reps before I ramp up the weight.
Ab Rollouts (Knees)
5, 5, 5
I forgot how hard these were, my abs haven't taken punishment like that in recent times from anything else. I'll work up the reps till I can do them from standing.
3 different gyms in 1 week, nice. Went in today poorly-rested and without much food.
Squats
112.5kg x 5
112.5kg x 5
112.5kg x 5
Pretty good if I do say so myself, felt a tonne easier than the two times I tried 110kg. I'd barely eaten anything beforehand so I don't know what the difference is. I didn't fold over at all (although I did begin to lose my back angle a few times here and there) and I was very conscious of making depth. If I get the money this Christmas, I'll probably get some weightlifting shoes - making that last inch or so to depth really makes for a big difference in difficulty.
It didn't feel stupidly difficult or anything, but after the last set I felt really faint and sick, almost as if I was going to vomit? Probably to do with the eating.
Press
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
60kg x 5
The squats beforehand had taken a lot out of me so there was a good chance of this not happening tbh. 50kg felt like a work set so I think I'm lucky that I managed to get 60kg done. It wasn't really a grind, but I was leaning back a LOT to get the bar up on the last rep. I think I could've got this for 3 x 5 normally. Going to continue with Madcow. I want the press to go up as well as the bench, so instead of having this as my light bench day, I think I'll alternate bench and press days as with SS.
Chins
10kg x 3
10kg x 3
10kg x 3
10kg x 3
10kg x 3
I had to leave the gym due to time constraints and I did these at home with a dumbbell in a rucksack. I was expecting to get a bit more, maybe I didn't because of the way it was loaded? Or maybe it was too just too big a jump. Anyway, I'll probably repeat this weight however many times till I can do 3 x 5.
DB Shoulder Press
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
I was doing this at home, couldn't get the dumbbell any heavier.
Squats
115kg x 5
Only did one set. First 3 reps weren't bad but 4th and 5th were ugly as fuck. My back wasn't feeling great so I thought I'd leave it. I'm going to go to Madcow now, mainly because I won't really have the time from next week onwards for 3 x 5 of squats once term starts. Got some shoes on the way, should be interesting to see what happens. Might try and steal Sami's belt too.
Bench
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
65kg x 5
75kg x 5
85kg x 3
65kg x 8
Wasn't hard at all. Thought it might have gone wrong since I had no spotter with me but 85kg felt quite comfortable. I'm going to do 85kg x 5 on Wed and 87.5kg x 3 on Friday. I want to try and get into the normal routine for Madcow, so a set of 5 on Monday and a triple on Friday.
Chins
10kg x 4
10kg x 4
10kg x 4
10kg x 4
Quite hard. I'll do it again to get 3 x 5 and then do 1.25kg jumps.
DB Shoulder Press
17.5kg x 10
17.5kg x 10
17.5kg x 10
Back Extensions
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
Qureshi
12-27-2010, 04:16 PM
Might try and steal Sami's belt too.
Not if I get there first!
Decent job on the chins btw - you're catching up fast. Are these dead hang chins?
JStrong
12-27-2010, 04:31 PM
You don't have time for squats?
Step up your game, either hit the reps or fail and reset. You probably don't have time to bench press--you have time to squat!
Back under the bar you go, good progress Babu!
None of you fuckers are getting mah belt.
Yeah Moiz, dead hang, but I try and spend as little time at the bottom as possible. Oh yeah also, weird but I lost weight over Christmas somehow despite crazy eating? I'm 78kg now wtf. Means I'm very close to 1.5x bodyweight squat (finally) and not hugely far off a bodyweight press!
Hey JStrong. Haha, I'll definitely still be squatting, but Madcow takes no time compared to doing 3 work sets. If I did my 3 work sets, I'd have easily taken half an hour. Bench was only 10 minutes! I also did a reset not too long ago but it didn't seem to do much good; it's pretty frustrating, so really I just want to keep making progress now. I'm confident that once I get the shoes, the squats will go up nicely with Madcow. Just flicked through your log, your lifts look strong! What bodyweight are you at now?
Have you managed to get any sort of training in?
JStrong
12-28-2010, 01:22 PM
Just flicked through your log, your lifts look strong! What bodyweight are you at now?
Me? Thanks! I'm about 216 (98kg).
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
So I get to the gym at about half 2. They decided to close it at 3 today though. Cunts. Didn't get much done.
Squats
92.5kg x 5
92.5kg x 5
92.5kg x 5
Light, all ATG. Almost felt like cardio for some reason.
Bench
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
65kg x 5
75kg x 5
85kg x 3
I'd just started when they made an announcement that they were closing in 5. The only rest I really had between sets was the time it took to change the weights so I was knackered by the time I got to 85kg. Might go to the other gym and get some work in if I have time.
So, been a while since training till today. Shit that's happened:
- got some weightlifting shoes and a CoC no. 2 gripper (latter for no real reason, can get it about an inch from closure)
- rotator cuff tear (right) after getting heinously drunk on New Year's Eve and being goaded into a girl-pressing competition with a friend
Had to be careful with the shoulder injury, there are things I can't do. Found today that I can't shoulder press (obviously), chin, curl or do pull-ups. Can't remember if there's anything else but I guess I'll find out. I went to A&E about it, they said if I'm careful with it I should be OK in about 2 weeks. So I'm thinking more like 3. Oddly, I can still bench.
Front Squats
70kg x 5
Thought I'd just try these out since I got the shoes. This was fairly tough, but mostly straining on my wrists really. I should probably work on these in the future I think. I'll be back to back squatting soon.
Bench
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
I wasn't originally trying it because of my shoulder but a mate got me to see how 60kg felt so I did, and I had no pain so I thought I might as well get some work in. This felt very easy. Back to Madcow on Friday.
DB Rows
45kg x 5
45kg x 5
45kg x 5
Fairly tough.
Can you get your arms up and back for back squats?
I didn't try it too much; it was OK for 60kg, but not great for 80kg. I'll see what I feel like doing on Friday I guess. When are you training next?
Friday.
Front Squats
30kg x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
60kg x 5
70kg x 3
Pretty easy, my wrists didn't feel bad at all this time and it really made a difference. Doing front squats Madcow style and I'm going to try and work them up. I want to make 5kg jumps rather than 2.5kg jumps for the time being till they get more difficult, then do 2.5kg jumps.
Bench
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
65kg x 5
75kg x 5
85kg x 3
Felt decent. Some of the reps were a little all over the place but it didn't feel difficult, I could definitely have done 5 if I wanted.
Power Cleans
60kg x 3
60kg x 3
60kg x 3
60kg x 3
60kg x 3
I did this almost like cardio, taking half minute rests in between the sets (cheers Moiz). It felt fairly easy, but of course it was quite tiring. I wasn't really focusing on the hip extension too much though, which is something that I'm aware I don't really do. On the very last rep of the last set, I was aware of it and the bar really flew up into the air, I almost felt backwards because I was so taken aback. I'll need to focus on this in future.
Deadlifts
100kg x 3
140kg x 2
160kg x 1
170kg x F
Just decided to go for a 1RM for the hell of it since the bar was already on the floor. I wasn't expecting a huge amount since I'd done the cleaning right before and I was wearing weightlifting shoes. 160kg felt tough but still decent. 170kg was close to completion but I struggled with the lockout which was annoying, I almost had it. Not sure what I'll be doing in terms of deadlifting in the near future, I want to try and get my clean up right now though.
http://zomgscience.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ribosome.png
Excellent find Sami.
Today:
Front Squats
30kg x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
60kg x 5
70kg x 2
70kg x 3
I was supposed to do 70kg x 5 but I got in an uncomfortable rack position and the bar didn't feel secure so I put it back. In hindsight, it was probably actually fine, I only had one finger out of place, so I'm just going to progress as I planned anyway to 75kg x 3 because otherwise it wasn't too bad.
Bench
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
60kg x 5
72.5kg x 5
85kg x 5
I wasn't really paying attention to how I was ramping up, I was basically doing exactly the same as Sami. I would've done 45, 55 etc. otherwise. This wasn't great. The first 2 reps were fairly easy but on the 3rd rep (I think), my lower back really started cramping badly and it fucked me up a little, but I continued regardless ae a. I lost my arch and for the last 3 reps I was basically benching with my back flat and the last rep was a grind but I got it. Hopefully it won't happen again.
Cleans
62.5kg x 3
62.5kg x 3
62.5kg x 3
Didn't do more than this because it fucked up my wrist. Didn't feel great whatsoever, it was so much easier last time. I think it's because of the bar I was using, it's stupidly thick.
Close-Grip Bench
70kg x 8
70kg x 8
70kg x 8
Assistance. First set was very dirty, the bar was all over the place, but the second set was pretty solid. Third set was somewhere in between. I think this was quite decent overall.
Squats
100kg x 10
First time I've properly tried back-squatting in the WL shoes, and I was just interested to see whether I could get this. It wasn't a fantastic set by any means, but I'm glad I got them all. It was tiring as fuck though, it's the first time I've ever done more than 5 reps on the squat. I'll probably continue doing this kind of stuff as my "light" day while my front squat goes up.
Press
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
60kg x 5
65kg x 1
70kg x F
My injury still hasn't gone but I knew I'd be alright to press. I wasn't sure that I'd get 60kg for 5 reps but it was actually easier than last time, despite not doing any shoulder stuff. I felt like doing a bit more on top so I went ahead and tried some PRs. While I was squatting, I was fucking around in the rack and I managed to press 65kg pretty easily to as far as I could within the rack before it hit the roof. When I cleaned and pressed 65kg, it was a little shakey and halfway through the rep I lost balance and went a few steps forwards but I still got it. 70kg, however, didn't go anywhere at all. Hopefully I'll manage to work up to it within the next few weeks. Once I'm at 70kg, bodyweight won't be far off.
Rack Pulls
100kg x 5
140kg x 3
160kg x 1
180kg x F
First time doing these, I was doing them with Sami. They were slightly below the knee than normal, so not quite normal rack pulls. Very weird to do, you have to be really tight and psyched up to get the rep. It definitely didn't happen with 180kg unfortunately. Back to deadlifting from the floor I guess.
Yesterday:
Front Squat
30kg x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
62.5kg x 5
75kg x 3
...
65kg x 8
This felt a lot harder than I expected it to. I'll see how it goes, but I may not be able to make a huge amount of progress with 5kg jumps on Madcow, so maybe this requires linear progression. I've found that I've actually got a bit more time on my hands than I thought, so this could be an option. I forgot about my back-off so I ended up doing that a long time afterwards; I went heavier on it than I was supposed to to make up for it. It felt a tonne easier than the set of 5 I did earlier on with 62.5kg for some reason.
Bench
47.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5
67.5kg x 5
77.5kg x 5
87.5kg x 3
67.5kg x 8
Wasn't feeling so good initially, 67.5kg and 77.5kg felt heavy, but I'd say I got the heavy triple done fairly comfortably.
Power Cleans
62.5kg x 3
62.5kg x 3
62.5kg x 3
62.5kg x 3
62.5kg x 3
These all felt good, and I think I did them with decent form, without really catching them on my wrist. I worked on racking them faster than before which really helped.
EZ Bar Bicep Curls
35kg x 8
35kg x 8
35kg x 5
Failed the last set, I'll probably try this weight again.
Weighted Sit-Ups
5kg x 10
5kg x 10
5kg x 10
5kg x 10
5kg x 10
Felt like cardio, not especially hard though. I'll probably use more weight if I do these again.
Front Squat
30kg x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
62.5kg x 5
75kg x 5
These were quite tough, but mostly on the wrist really. I don't think I'll be able to make more than about 2 more 5kg jumps at the most.
Bench
47.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5
67.5kg x 5
77.5kg x 5
87.5kg x 4
87.5kg x 5
Fuck, this was bad. The warm-ups were pretty easy, but when I tried 87.5kg the first time, I got some bad pain in my lower back after the first rep and I lost my form completely, I was flat against the bench and I only just managed 4 reps. I took a rest and tried it again, and I kept my form for the first 4 reps which made a marked difference. I lost it by the 5th rep but I managed to grind it out so it was OK. If I managed to keep my form throughout, I think it wouldn't have been too bad.
Cleans
65kg x 3
65kg x 3
65kg x 3
Shit shit form. I was pulling with my arms tonnes. I definitely wasn't doing that when I did 60kg a while back, and I think the difference was practising the form on an empty bar, doing hang cleans. I'll do that next time and see if it makes a difference. I didn't do more than 3 sets because for some reason, after that point, I couldn't help but catch the bar in a press position. Very weird, no idea why.
Woodchoppers
60kg x 8 (each side)
60kg x 8
60kg x 8
Did these on the cable machine, almost like cardio. Pretty tough, might do them Tabata style. They can be made harder and harder which is useful.
Hammer Curls
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
Absolute hell. My biceps felt dead from the explosive woodchoppers and this on top was murder.
Squats
105kg x 5
Was planning on back squatting but I had some back pain. I did a few reps with 80kg and it wasn't feeling great so I only did a little bit. I did 105kg with a belt, I forgot how different it felt to squatting without one.
Press
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
42.5kg x 5
52.5kg x 5
62.5kg x 3
50kg x 10
Ouch, 62.5kg was hard. First rep was a grind. The other two weren't as bad, but I wasn't stable in between reps; after the second rep, I was on the tipping point of my toes for about 4 seconds before I managed to get into a good position to get the last rep. I wasn't feeling strong today though, hopefully next time it'll be easier.
Deadlifts
140kg x 5
140kg x 5
140kg x 5
Since I didn't really squat, I thought I'd do 3 x 5 with the deadlift. It was the first time in a while that I've done deadlifts properly so I thought I'd start with a weight I knew I could do. As such, it was pretty easy, I could've done 8 - 10 reps probably. I'll jump up 10kg next week and see how 150kg feels.
Woodchoppers
65kg x 8
65kg x 8
65kg x 8
I enjoyed these last time so I thought I'd do them again. It really hits hard in a lot of places.
Fuck, today was a fail. Left chest pain from some injury (muscular) and an ability to grip with my right hand due to a nail through it on Sunday didn't help matters.
Bench
50kg x 5
60kg x 5
70kg x 5
80kg x 5
90kg x 3
90kg x 3
Fuck. Was meant to get 90kg for 5. I guess it was a bit too ambitious given the setbacks, but hopefully it'll all resolve soon. Didn't have time for anything else unfortunately.
Bit waste today, but not a bad session.
Press
20kg x 5
32.5kg x 5
42.5kg x 5
52.5kg x 5
62.5kg x 5
This was not easy, 62.5kg was definitely a 5RM for me. It didn't feel as bad as doing it for 3 reps though, so I'm feeling a little optimistic about 65kg next week, which is my current 1RM.
Deadlift
150kg x 1
150kg x 5
Started off pretty bad. I got one rep, which I was quivering through for some reason, and then I just got it in my head that I couldn't do any more, so I couldn't get the bar up. Gave it a few minutes though and tried again, and managed to get 5 reps out. It wasn't too bad, I probably could've done 155kg. I'll do that next week and hopefully get 160kg for 5 reps the week after.
DB Rows
45kg x 10
45kg x 10
Squats
67.5kg x 5
77.5kg x 5
87.5kg x 5
97.5kg x 5
107.5kg x 3
Back to back squats, I think I'd prefer this to go up tbh, because at my current level it's pretty piss poor. I will front squat again but I'm thinking that it was probably just an experimental phase just then. Anyway, this was pretty easy, but I've just realised that I did forget my back-off set.
Bench
50kg x 5
60kg x 5
70kg x 5
80kg x 5
90kg x 3
90kg x 2
70kg x 10
Wasn't happening AGAIN. Fucking annoying now. If it doesn't happen on Monday then I'll just have to reset.
Bicep Curls
17.5kg x 7
17.5kg x 7
17.5kg x 7
Haven't trained all this week besides today for no particular reason. Messed around with handstand presses on Monday and Wednesday. Today's session:
Squats
67.5kg x 5
77.5kg x 5
87.5kg x 5
87.5kg x 5
A light squat day, since I wanted to deadlift. Not really sure how to proceed with the squat, I'm finding I might have time to get back to linear progression so I'm tempted to do that...I feel like trying something different, though. I wonder if there's anything to do where I can make decent gains both back and front squatting?
Press
20kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
65kg x 3
50kg x 12
65kg x 3 was hard as fuck. First and last rep were both close to not happening, but the second rep felt pretty strong. PR I suppose, which is decent. Want to try and get 70kg x 5 before I leave the attachment, which'll be in 5 weeks' time.
Deadlift
155kg x 5
Didn't feel too bad at all. My friend who was watching said that besides the last rep, where my back was slightly rounded, my form was good throughout. Looking forward to finally getting double bodyweight for reps next time.
Dips
15kg x 5
15kg x 5
15kg x 5
Been a while since I've done these, and these were pretty tough. Hopefully it'll have provided good assistance for the bench, which by Monday, I won't have done for more than a week.
Dragon Flags (Negatives)
BW x 3
BW x 3
BW x 3
Just messing around really, but these were definitely tough. I basically slowly lowered my body, keeping it in a straight line (I had a mirror to look in, in order to check that it was in a straight line), and at the point where I couldn't lower it any further, I held it for 5 seconds. By the last set, however, I could barely do it for 2. Wouldn't mind working on these, but it's hard to tell whether you're going lower than before or not. I'm using a Ronnie Coleman poster that I can see in the mirror as a sort of reference point for this.
Bicep Curls
17.5kg x 8
17.5kg x 8
17.5kg x 8
Woodchoppers
65kg x 10
65kg x 10
65kg x 10
Shrugs
120kg x 5
150kg x 5
Used the shitty bar for these, and the knurling was painful. I couldn't be bothered to whip out the chalk for this either. Surprised that I managed to grip it at all for 150kg, since I didn't have straps, but I could barely hold it really. They were "power shrugs" at 150kg, hitting the pins each time between reps.
Powered by vBulletin™ Version 4.1.0 Copyright © 2013 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.