Return of the Rat

[hrat]

Feel like crap today. Thankfully, it's light day.

Tuesday 4th
Front Squat 20 x 2 x 3, 30 x 3, 40 x 1, 50 x 3 x 3. Bit hard, look solid on vid.
Press 20 x 5, 25 x 3, 30 x 3 x 5. Belt, wraps, rests etc. Last rep was quite hard and grindy, but I've had worse.
Chins (green band) 4 x 3, 1 x 2
DB bench 3.75 ea 8, 8, 10.

DB bench is using loadable handles, so noting the weight on one end. Handles plus collars are about 4.25kg each. So that's roughly 12kg dbs.

[hrat]

Aaaaand still feel like crap. Might have got somebody's 3-week cold, feel exhausted.

Thursday 6th
Squat 20 x 2 x 5, 40 x 5, 50 x 3, 60 x 1, 70 x 1, 77.5 x 5, 4. Grinders, think I'm going too deep again and getting some knee slide. Backed off to 65 x 10, which felt like death. Time for a form re-evaluation.
Incline Bench. Never tried this before, went with about 45 degrees, and a wide grip (pinky on rings). 20 x 2 x 5, 25 x 5, 30 x 3 x 5.
RDL 40 x 5, 50 x 3 x 8.
Thick bar hold at 40 kg 20 sec, 18 sec.

Nice to have a bit of variety. Incline bench feels promising. I prefer pressing to benching, but it's so finicky it's hard to get guaranteed work in, so useful to have something middling.

[hrat]

Less exhausted now. Although bloody hell, some places are now _ending_ their Xmas decoration displays. WTF?

Sunday 9th
Squat 20 x 2 x 5, 40 x 5, 50 x 3, 60 x 1, 70 x 1, 77.5 x 3 x 5. Took long rests (7+mins) and tried a 3-count descent. These were hard (alright, damn hard), but passable.
Bench 20 x 2 x 5, 30 x 3, 35 x 1, 40 x 1, 43.5 x 3 x 5. Hard, but did get them all.
Deadlift 60 x 5, 80 x 5 (first 3 reps DOH), 100 x 5. Hard.

Bringing in the next bit of extra upper body volume so
DB seated press (palms facing) 1.25kg ea end (~7kg DBs) 10, 10, 13.

[hrat]

Stiff back over Monday - pretty sure I torqued it a bit on the bench press. I really struggle to get any kind of arch and tend to end up crunching my lumbar spine instead. Hurts a bit lying down, fine walking, etc etc.

Tuesday 11th
New 3" Pioneer belt came yesterday, well ahead of schedule. Bright Purple, with 1/2 inch adjustments. Tried it out today.

Front squat 20 x 2 x 3, 30 x 3, 40 x 1, 52.5 x 3 x 5 (new belt). Solid. Very minor achyness in back at lockout, but no worsening etc.
Press 20 x 2 x 5, 25 x 3, 31 x 5, 5, 4. Last rep to chin, but couldn't quite get it through. However, 30 is (tragically) my best ever 3x5, and 32.5 is my best ever 5, so yeah.
Chins (green band) 5 x 3.
DB bench 3.75ea end 3 x 12.

Apart from deadlift, which is still increasing steadily, I think I've pretty much regained my old strength, although I'm 5kg heavier now. I'm 5-10 kg down on my best, except press which is within a kilo or two. Not bad for 3 months work (with 10 days off in there too). Squat and deadlift have roughly doubled from what was initially challenging, bench has gone up almost 20kg and press almost 10kg. It'll do.

[Ken_L]

Stiff back over Monday - pretty sure I torqued it a bit on the bench press. I really struggle to get any kind of arch and tend to end up crunching my lumbar spine instead. Hurts a bit lying down, fine walking, etc etc.

Tuesday 11th
New 3" Pioneer belt came yesterday, well ahead of schedule. Bright Purple, with 1/2 inch adjustments. Tried it out today.

Front squat 20 x 2 x 3, 30 x 3, 40 x 1, 52.5 x 3 x 5 (new belt). Solid. Very minor achyness in back at lockout, but no worsening etc.
Press 20 x 2 x 5, 25 x 3, 31 x 5, 5, 4. Last rep to chin, but couldn't quite get it through. However, 30 is (tragically) my best ever 3x5, and 32.5 is my best ever 5, so yeah.
Chins (green band) 5 x 3.
DB bench 3.75ea end 3 x 12.

Apart from deadlift, which is still increasing steadily, I think I've pretty much regained my old strength, although I'm 5kg heavier now. I'm 5-10 kg down on my best, except press which is within a kilo or two. Not bad for 3 months work (with 10 days off in there too). Squat and deadlift have roughly doubled from what was initially challenging, bench has gone up almost 20kg and press almost 10kg. It'll do.

That's great progress for only being back at it for 3 months!

I noticed that you tweaked your back on bench. Try using your new belt while benching. It has helped me to keep everything tight so that things like that don't happen. I also use the belt for pressing as the extra tightness reduces power leakage. As a result I can usually get an extra rep or two with the belt on. BTW I have had a 4" Pioneer belt for about 6 months, it will serve you well.

[hrat]

I'm pretty happy about the progress, I was worried I was going to have to start all over.

I'll have to try the belt. I'm working on getting an actual arch, reckon that'd be really helpful in getting that right. I just feel a bit of a prat putting it on for bugger-all weight. I've got past that for the press, because yeah I can get another rep or two that way.

Am really liking the Pioneer so far. The 1/2 inch adjustments are great, and I got a nice bright colour. 3-inch widths seem to be way more available than 4 years ago, and I am pretty short.

[hrat]

Yesterday was not a fun day. A lot of wandering in unusual shoes and mentally exhausting. Today, and for the next 3 working days, I am running all-day training workshops. However, made it home in time to get a session in, even if it was near freezing and I didn't have time to warm the garage.

Thursday 13th
Was too tired to go heavy. Picked a different kind of hard.
Squat 20 x 2 x 5, 40 x 5, 50 x 3, 60 x 1, 65 x 3 x 8
Not bad. Using the new 3" belt, and focusing on the slow down.
Incline bench 20 x 2 x 5, 25 x 3, 32.5 x 4, 31 x 2 x 5.
Got the setup a lot better this time, but the first try was just too heavy.
RDL 40 x 5, 52.5 x 3 x 8. Mostly having trouble with the grip unrolling.

[hrat]

Put up the Christmas tree today, also have a pop-up one in the gym.

Sunday 16th
Plan now is to do 3x3 and 3x8 squats, rather than all 3x5. Am pretty weak for intermediate programming perhaps, but hey. Slow progress is progress.

Squat 20 x 2 x 5, 40 x 5, 50 x 3, 60 x 1(no belt), 70 x 1, 80 x 3 x 3. second rep of second set was accidentally a pause-squat. Felt that.
Bench 20 x 2 x 5, 30 x 5, 35 x 3, 40 x 1, 45 x 5, 5, 3. Stuck my belt on, and focussed on keeping things really tight. Repeat this
Deadlift 60 x 5, 80 x 5 (4 reps DOH), 102.5 x 5. 3" belt, a notch looser than for squats. Felt solid, although last rep had slight rounding. But my plates are a bit over so this was closer to 105. Just need to watch for rounding getting worse.

Seated DB OH press 1.75 ea, 8, 8, 10.

[hrat]

Have been running a workshop in computer programming, so am pretty exhausted, but squeezed in a gym session
Tuesday 18th
Front squat 20 x 2 x 3, 30 x 3, 40 x 1, 55 x 3 x 3. Solid again, although hard.
Press 20 x 2 x 5, 25 x 3, 31 x 3 x 5. Belt, wrist wraps etc. Last rep felt pretty solid, might have had another. This is a new best 3x5 for me, as sad as that is, so followed up with 32.5 x 1 and 35 x 1 to celebrate. 35 was hard, but felt solid. My best press evah was either 1 or 2.5 kg higher than this, so am happy.
Chins (green band) 3x4, 1x3
DB bench 4.25ea 3x8

[hrat]

Thursday 20th
Squat 20 x 2 x 5, 40 x 5, 50 x 3, 60 x 1, 67.5 x 3 x 8. Working on breaking knees and hips together rather than hips first
Incline Bench 20 x 2 x 5, 25 x 3, 32.5 x 3 x 5. Felt way more solid than last week
RDL 40 x 5, 55 x 3 x 8
Couple of fat-bar holds.