Push It: Jacket's Diary

[Jacket]

9FEB19

General

Today was ok. I used my new 0.5kg plates and they seemed to help.

Squat

Warm-ups then

1. 123kg x 5
2. 123kg x 4
3. 123kg x 5

5 or so minutes' rest between sets.

Set 2's missed rep was due to a loss of focus. After Set 1 I put the safeties up, but they were a little too high and it really screwed with my spatial awareness. R3 saw a rock forwards. For Set 3 I dropped them down a peg and it was fine. For Set 3 it felt fine, but I need to remember to cue 'knees out' as they were causing me to lose a little bit of tension in the back at the bottom.

Press

Warm-ups then

1. 46kg x 5
2. 46kg x 5
3. 46kg x 4

5 minutes' rest between sets.

I need to focus on getting my elbows in front of the bar, every rep. Set 2 was a struggle and R5 was a bit of a mess because I didn't get under the bar quick enough. However, the 0.5kg plates were instrumental in getting this weight up.

Deadlift

Warm-ups then

1. 130kg x 5

Bit of a mess. It felt hard, and after R3 I had to reset my stance and grip. R4 and R5, on review, were not pulled with a properly set back. Am I doing too many warm ups? Today I did:

90kg x 5
100kg x 5
110kg x 5
120kg x 2 (hooked, belted)

and then the work set. Am I fatiguing myself too much before the actual work weight? Taken together with the squats I felt pretty ruined going into the work set. Are the squats impeding deadlift progress?

Chin-ups

1. 12 reps
2. 3 reps
3. 2 reps

I made a big effort to lock out entirely at the top, all the way to the chest. The Force was not with me today.

Training takeaways

1. Knees out for squats, every time.
2. Elbows forward for press, every time.
3. Maybe do fewer warm-ups for deadlifts?

Post gym

Went to the restaurant with some of the team and ate a big burger and some sweet potato fries.

Today's lifting music

Master - GosT

YouTube

Horrorwave synth metal EDM? Go on then...

Robeast - DANCE WITH THE DEAD

YouTube

Possibly one of the best songs of the genre. Video is a special treat for anyone who loves '80's cinema.

Jacket

[Jacket]

11FEB19

General

Rough day. Tried to get in the gym at 6pm, but it was so busy I had to leave and come back at 8pm. I also felt dreadful at 6pm, and a lot better at 8pm. Made a new friend in the gym, I think, and encouraged him to take a look at Starting Strength ahead of 'Shortcut to Shred'...

Squat

Warm-ups then

1. 95kg x 5
2. 95kg x 5
3. 95kg x 5

3 or so minutes' rest between sets.

Just moved it up and down!

Bench Press

Warm-ups then

1. 70kg x 4
2. 70kg x 5
3. 70kg x 5

5 minutes' rest between sets.

When it came to bench there was another guy who also wanted the same bench as me. We agreed to work in -he was doing wide grip bench press and then narrow grip bench press, and I mean narrow. Turns out he's fairly new to the gym, so I tried to coach his form a little bit (with some small success) and help him with the weight. His version of 'spotting' was a lot more active than I anticipated, with a lot of assisted reps at low weights. This meant that Set 1 and Set 3 had a bit of unwanted assistance on the grinder 5th reps, but it's no trouble and he was genuinely trying to be helpful.

Power Clean

Didn't happen due to time constraints.

Chin-ups

1. 10 reps
2. 10 reps
3. 10 reps

3-5 mins' rest between sets, as I was talking to my new acquaintance.

Training takeaways

1. I need to fix the bench form and remember to press back over the shoulder and not just straight 'up'.

Post gym

I ate a delicious cookie.

Jacket

[Geoff Bischoff]

On deadlift, you asked if the warmup is excessive. I think it may be. Your loading and jumps look like you're fatiguing yourself before the set.

If you're aiming at a PR 5 rep, a tapered warmup is in order. My scheme goes like this (in lbs):

135*5
225*3
315*1
405*1 (10 total reps in warmup)
Working set.

By the time you deadlift, your body is warm, so you really only need the warmup to get your neuromuscular factors in order.

[Jacket]

On deadlift, you asked if the warmup is excessive. I think it may be. Your loading and jumps look like you're fatiguing yourself before the set.

If you're aiming at a PR 5 rep, a tapered warmup is in order. My scheme goes like this (in lbs):

135*5
225*3
315*1
405*1 (10 total reps in warmup)
Working set.

By the time you deadlift, your body is warm, so you really only need the warmup to get your neuromuscular factors in order.

Thanks Geoff! Tried it today and it was a big success.

[Jacket]

13FEB19

General

I had some unit boxing training last night, so I've been sore in a few places I didn't know existed... (rhomboids I'm looking at you). The coach seemed impressed and wants me to take up the boxing.

Squat

Warm-ups then

1. 125kg x 5
2. 125kg x 5
3. 125kg x 5

5 or so minutes' rest between sets.

I tried Geoff's suggestion of a slightly more tapered warm-up, and Set 1 consequently felt much less awful than I'd expected it to. There was some minor forward bar movement on some reps and R5 was generally a grinder, but I moved the weight and I didn't feel that it was beyond my ability.

Press

Warm-ups then

1. 47kg x 5
2. 47kg x 5
3. 47kg x 5

5 minutes' rest between sets.

Fixed the elbow position, now I just need to focus on getting forward under the bar as quickly as possible. Form was a little variable and sometimes the lack of speed in going forward meant I was doing more of a layback press. Still, moved the weight.

Deadlift

Warm-ups then

1. 130kg x 5

Reps 1-3 were solid. There was a gap between R3 and R4, and R4 was hard, and then R5 was beginning to break down in form. Geoff's warm-up advice was extremely helpful! I got to use a Texas Power Bar today, which was really good and so much better than the normal Oly bars.

Chin-ups

1. 12 reps
2. 4 reps
3. 3 reps

I made a big effort to lock out entirely at the top, all the way to the chest.

Training takeaways

1. Get under the bar in the press quicker.

Post gym

I am so tired. I had 2 creme eggs as a treat to myself.

Jacket

[Jacket]

16FEB19

General

Interesting day today. I had to do two fitness tests for the Army but also wanted to get my SS session in, so I thought, "Why not do both?"

I was also interested to see how the fitness tests would affect performance in the gym -one of our new PT tests will feature a deadlift after about 6 miles of loaded march, so it was in the interests of science to find out what would happen.

In the morning

PFA

Press-ups: 44
Sit-ups: 50
1.5 mile run: 9:56

I did the absolute minimum for press-ups and sit-ups, and I did not particularly push myself on the run -I set a nippy but consistent pace for the entirety and was probably running at about 80% of my maximum effort. I finished second overall and was never overtaken. Not bad since I am now 5kg heavier than when I previously ran this test...

AFT

8 miles carrying 26kg in 2 hours.

What a dull walk this was. It was on very flat terrain and not really comparable to the horrible hills I'll encounter next month, but I felt it was well within my abilities.

The biggest challenge for both was just the calf muscles adapting to running/marching again. I might be sore tomorrow...

Squat

Warm-ups then

1. 127.5kg x 3
2. 127.5kg x 2
3. 127.5kg x 1

6 or so minutes' rest between sets.

Ouch... I'm pleased with getting the triple to open with. These were hard and I avoided attempting reps I didn't feel I could make. However, I'm confident that fresh me will collect the full 3x5 in the next heavy session based on this performance. The opening set was definitely maximum effort, every rep...

Bench Press

Warm-ups then

1. 70kg x 5
2. 70kg x 5
3. 70kg x 3

5 minutes' rest between sets.

Bar path felt good and these felt very doable. This is a lifetime PB for me, so a little pleased with that. The dropped reps on Set 3 were because my spotter just diddled off to do his own stuff, and given my physical exertion over the day I did not feel safe pushing out two grinders with no help under a 'significant' weight. Discretion is the better part of valour etc etc.

Power Clean

Didn't happen because I was very tired and had already done a lot today.

Chin-ups

1. 10 reps
2. 5 reps
3. 4 reps

Training takeaways

1. Yes, an 8 mile march will impede your ability to do 'big squats'TM.
2. I have a decent base of fitness to build on for my career course soon.

Post gym

I am one tired man, so I ended up having a 3-scoop protein shake (thick, so thick!) and then ordering a pizza to replace the calories successfully burned today.

Spotted in the gym

A man using lifting straps for 50kg dumbbell shrugs.

A woman who clearly 'squats' doing ATG squats with 40kg whilst on a call on her iPhone. From what I sort of saw (didn't want to be seen to overtly watch the skintight lycra-clad bum) her high-bar squat form was pretty good.

Jacket

[Jacket]

18FEB19

General

I think I'm still feeling the effects of Saturday's 'big day', as my deadlift was a rep short of 5, and they were tough reps to a man. I thought I might get to coach a new acquaintance, but he's sticking with 'Shortcut to Shred' it seems.

Squat

Warm-ups then

1. 95kg x 5
2. 95kg x 5
3. 95kg x 5

5 or so minutes' rest between sets.

These were pretty easy, and I focused on consistent form. There was an awkward interlude at one point: a slightly overweight guy came over to the deadlift platform between the two in-use squat racks, and picked up the 15kg bar. He wiggled it behind him into a low low bar position, halfway down his back, and started doing some... quarter squats. After he put the bar down I offered to let him work in on my rack, thinking I might be able to at the least point out the proper 'shelf' position for the bar. or allow him to at least assume the start position safely. He was very sheepish, thought that I was suggesting squatting 95kg, and politely declined. He then went over to the other rack, whose user had disappeared. Fair enough, the guy's stuff was still there, but he was off doing a circuit of the weight room chatting to people. The new guy cautiously unloaded one side, before the user came big-manning back over and told him to put the weight back up. The new guy was pretty flustered, so I tried again to explain that since I was taking big 5 minute rests between sets, he was more than welcome to share the rack and I'd strip the weights/load the weights. Poor guy was in a real flap and again very sheepishly declined and then disappeared. I tried, I suppose.

Press

Warm-ups then

1. 48.5kg x 5
2. 48.5kg x 4
3. 48.5kg x 5

5 minutes' rest between sets.

Making a big effort to get under the bar and properly use the hip bounce. No idea how I missed R5 on Set 2; it was almost up over the head, and then it wasn't. The limited weights in the main gym meant I couldn't go for 48 dead, which is the weight I had wanted to use. Ah well.

Deadlift

Warm-ups then

1. 131kg x 4
2. 131kg x 1

I noticed a bit of fatigue in my hamstrings whilst I was doing the warm-ups for this (the tapered ones), and when it came to the work set I got 4 reps and then I was absolutely spent. I think I could have dragged it up again, but it would have likely been form-questionable and I am playing safety first. After a rest I decided to do a rep just to... win?

Chin-ups

1. 13 reps
2. 3 reps
3. 3 reps

I think I'm going to invest in a dip belt and start taking longer rests to drive progress -I'm usually in a bit of a rush at this stage because my workouts are taking a while. I was also delayed by the presence of the infernal gym class.

Heavy bag

I had my wraps with me, so I did:

3 mins bag
2 mins rest
3 mins bag

I haven't used the bag in a while and it was nice to just hit something for a bit.

Training takeaways

1. Get under the bar in the press quicker.
2. Avoid doing things for your other career and then trying to PB deadlift!

Post gym

I'm stuck doing laundry now. Deep joy. Got to have clean socks for the gym!

Spotted in the gym

Steroids. There's a big group of foreign guys in my gym and I think most of them are using. One of them has taken his squat from like a 140kg half-squat (with wraps) to a 220kg half-squat (with wraps). I know they do a lot of half-squatting, but 80kg of gain in like 2 months seems a little out there.

Jacket

[Jacket]

20FEB19

General

The fatigue has accumulated since Saturday and I felt it hard today. Bench went ok and I have more LP to burn out, but Squat is very close to the limit of a novice recovery cycle.

Squat

Warm-ups then

1. 127kg x 2
2. 127kg x 1

7 or so minutes' rest between sets.

I gave up; discretion being the better part of valour and all.

The first two reps of Set 1 were brutal and I just felt like jelly in the legs. I think the deadlifts on Monday interrupted the recovery from Saturday's efforts. I tried again after 7 minutes' rest and only felt safe to squat 1 rep. I think I'm nearing the end of LP with Squat and I'm walking an ever finer line on what I can recover from -Saturday's mandatory PT tests overloaded me beyond my capacity to recover, when I was already close to the limit of what I could recover from. I think I can get Squat to 140kg with another 2-3 weeks of careful LP, and proper recovery, but if my career course booking is confirmed that'll really spanner that until afterwards.

Bench Press

Warm-ups then

1. 73kg x 3
2. 73kg x 4
3. 73kg x 5

5 minutes' rest between sets.

I think Set 1 was too close to the last warm-up, and I was slightly distracted by some group deadlifts at the club. Must ensure proper timing of all rests! Set 2 was impeded by some shifting in the position because the unrack was somewhat difficult solo. This lingering in the position sapped me and I didn't want to push for R5. Set 3 was actually pretty good until Rep 5. I was 50/50 as to whether I could get it, so I just flung myself into the attempt and pushed -I wanted to get 5 across on at least one of the sets. There bar moved slow and there was a long period where it was almost static. Ironically, the song on my MP3 was petering out to its end whilst this was happening. It was so slow that one of the other guys ran over to try and help, but just before he touched the bar on the left, which was struggling a little more, I had ground it out of the hole and managed to grunt, "It's alright I've got it!". I will repeat this weight and I am confident that I will get 3x5 on Monday when I am next due to bench press.

Chin-ups

1. 12 reps
2. 5 reps
3. 3 reps

Training takeaways

1. Rest. On Saturday there will be only the upper-body movements. Monday will then be a light day for Squat and Power Clean, and then Wednesday will kick back into the rhythm with normal weights.
2. Buy some 0.25kg plates because the special good weight room doesn't have them. Infuriating having to either go for 2 or 3 and not 2.5 as an increment.

Post gym

I headed out to eat.

Jacket

[Jacket]

25FEB19

General

Took Saturday off to rest and then came back in fresh Monday.

Squat

Warm-ups then

1. 95kg x 5
2. 95kg x 5
3. 95kg x 5

5 or so minutes' rest between sets.

These were fairly good and I was grateful for the lighter weight!

Bench Press

Warm-ups then

1. 72.5kg x 5
2. 72.5kg x 4
3. 72.5kg x 5

5 minutes' rest between sets.

Set 2's missed R5 was down to not having a spotter. I rested an extra minute for Set 3 and got them all. R4 and R5 were difficult, but doable.

Power Clean

Didn't happen. The gym was so busy that I couldn't get any of the equipment needed. I went on the rower instead, and lo and behold once I finished thrashing myself for 1km, the Olympic platform was free. I was too tired to use it!

Chin-ups

1. 11 reps
2. 8 reps
3. 5 reps

3 minutes' rest between sets.

Rowing machine

1km at Drag 142 in 3:39

I had to replace power cleans due to equipment inavailability. Rowing was also useful because my promotional course looms large.

Training takeaways

1. Get ready to get back in the saddle on Wednesday.

Post gym

I had to head home and feed the dog.

Jacket

[Jacket]

26FEB19

Had to do unit PT tonight - a 'strength focus' session, so 'not doing cardio'... but featuring a rowing machine for 200m/300m bursts and two treadmill stations. The other stations were basically all machines and pull-ups. I did my level best to minimise the work done on my recovery day -dropped the weights on all the machines, and dropped the drag factor on the rower from 10 to 5.

Very frustrating. A CV circuit done with resistance machines is not a strength session! My arms are tired now and I am a little ambivalent about whether the press will go up tomorrow.