And so it begins, again

[Big-Green-Mud-Machine]

Friday 26th Feb

4 night shifts away from home with no gyms open so just food and rest. Slept til noon, ate well and started workout at 9pm. Four days off was a good rest, longest rest since the begining of Nov 2020.

Squat - 182.5kg 8x1, (first rep flew up, thinking I may have done a double, opted for a run of heavy singles for as many as I could. Started with 3 to 4 minute rest between reps, upto 6 to 7 minutes. Still going to add 2.5kg next week and see how it feels),

Bench - 82.5kg 3x10, (standard, curious to see if this type of volume helps my heavy day).

[Big-Green-Mud-Machine]

Sunday 28th Feb

Squat - 146kg 3x3
Press - 75kg 5x1, (matched May 2020),
Dead - 205kg 1x2, (was aiming for a triple but the last rep wouldn't move more then 3 inches off the floor, not enough food today? doing last warm up with belt. Don't use straps).


Thursday 4th March

Both PR's for the reps achieved.

Press - 67.5kg 3x5, (belted),
Bench - 103.75 5x3, (going up using my non expensive 1.25kg micro plates now).



Saturday 6th March

Midday, LOTS of coffee half hour before hand....

Squat - 185kg 4x3, (WTF??!! last week I repeated 182.5kg and did 8 singles all out RPE 11 (LOL), week before I felt like dying with 182.5kg for just 3 singles failing the 1st attempt, this week I did the first rep of the first set and thought "Crap! I've misloaded the bloody bar and not loaded it to working weight! Oh well I'll pop out a triple as I'm here". Finished, racked it, stepped back and had to add up the plates 3 or 4 times in disbelieve. No misloading there! All I can think is with the more rest days, better eating and maybe having a midday instead of my usual evening workout have worked wonders).

I'm thinking I'm right on the cusp of being classed as a proper Intermediate very soon and will be moving my log to that thread.

Still waiting to hear about my SS inspired squat rack which a local metal fabricator is making for me.



In other news, I bought two pairs of Olympvs jeans which are tailored for athletic (read "fatter then non squatters") sized man thighs. Nearly 3 months in and they are my new favourite brand. Over the last 3 or so years I've given away nearly all my jeans and shorts as they soon stopped fitting when my squat numbers went up. In the summer I end up having to wear surfers board shorts. But these jeans have a gusseted crotch area like Khul trousers, and have a stretchy weave in the Demin like women's jean. I can say I recommend them! They came in at around the same price as a fancy pair, more then I've spent on jeans before but they're worth it to me to be able to fit in them!

[Big-Green-Mud-Machine]

Monday 8th March,

Squat - 148 kg 3x3,
Press - 76.25kg 5x1, (PR for reps @ weight, June 2020 only managed 2x1),
Dead - 205kg 1x3, ("feeling" very heavy now, will see how long 2.5kg jumps will last. Re did last weeks 205kg to aim for a triple, will go to 207.5kg next week).

Thursday 11th March,

Press - 68.75kg 3x5, (PR at reps @ weight, belted),
Bench - 105kg 5x3, (after Press was "feeling" sore and fatigued, didn't know how bench was going to go, last warmup was a grind, but still managed working sets).

Saturday 13th March,

Squats - 187.5kg 4x3, (PR reps @ weight, June 2019 187.5kg for a single. same as last weeks heavy squats - midday timing and LOTS of coffee and pancakes beforehand. And same as last week I'm working a Saturday night shift tonight),
Bench - 85kg 3x10.


Eager to see how far I can push all of these lifts as I seem to be doing great each week, even though my sleep pattern is all over the place due to random night shifts mid week and at the weekends. All I can say is I'm eating more, and focusing on the heavy lifts by zoning myself in better. The music gets turned off a few minutes before so I can pace and phsyc myself up for it. If it works, keep doing it!

[Big-Green-Mud-Machine]

GOD DAMN IT!! every time I try to edit a post via my phone it just deletes the bloody thing!

Here we go again

Tuesday 16th March

Squat - 150kg 3x3,
Press 77.5kg 5x1, (PR at weight and reps),
Dead - 207.5kg 1x4, (matched March 2019, was only aiming for a triple but got an extra rep out).

Thursday 18th March

Press - 70kg 3x5, (PR weight at those reps, belted for last warmup and working sets).
Bench - 106.25kg 3x2, (was aiming for triples, or at least 5x2 but failed, adding weight next week and seeing what happens, may be resetting at last first triple weight and aiming for fives).

Saturday 20th March
Squat - 190kg 4x3, (PR at weight and reps, balance crap on first rep set one, ended up on midfoot and ass to grass, don't know hoe I saved it, knew it was a near miss due to form and another two reps at correct form were doable),
Bench - 87.5kg 10/9+1/9+1, (by reps eight I knew that rep nine would be all out, so cheated and waited 30 seconds to hit reps 10. Will see how next week goes, may increase this volume weight and get back to hitting 3x5 and pushing heavy singles on other bench day).

And my rack is now here.Resized_20210318_144930.jpg

SS inspired, boltable to help with moving, I've turned the two upright legs which sit closest to my garage wall 180 degrees, this makes the barbell holding bolts actually work. It also reduces the inner depth by a few inches but I've just PR squats in it and didn't bang the frame. I've laid a thick piece of plyboard inside for a platform, no flex due to the inner box section running in the middle on the floor.

Also - I keep PR'ing squats in the middle of the day, but always on days that I'm working a night shift afterwards with no sleep before the shift starts so I'm not getting the perfect rest afterwards. Obviously rest and recovery is crucial for adapting from a stress, but I'm awake and working hard walking sometimes a few miles and carrying bags of gear and not getting to bed for up to 20 hours after setting squat PR's.

Go figure !

[Sib]

GOD DAMN IT!! every time I try to edit a post via my phone it just deletes the bloody thing!

Here we go again

Tuesday 16th March

Squat - 150kg 3x3,
Press 77.5kg 5x1, (PR at weight and reps),
Dead - 207.5kg 1x4, (matched March 2019, was only aiming for a triple but got an extra rep out).

Thursday 18th March

Press - 70kg 3x5, (PR weight at those reps, belted for last warmup and working sets).
Bench - 106.25kg 3x2, (was aiming for triples, or at least 5x2 but failed, adding weight next week and seeing what happens, may be resetting at last first triple weight and aiming for fives).

Saturday 20th March
Squat - 190kg 4x3, (PR at weight and reps, balance crap on first rep set one, ended up on midfoot and ass to grass, don't know hoe I saved it, knew it was a near miss due to form and another two reps at correct form were doable),
Bench - 87.5kg 10/9+1/9+1, (by reps eight I knew that rep nine would be all out, so cheated and waited 30 seconds to hit reps 10. Will see how next week goes, may increase this volume weight and get back to hitting 3x5 and pushing heavy singles on other bench day).

And my rack is now here.Resized_20210318_144930.jpg

SS inspired, boltable to help with moving, I've turned the two upright legs which sit closest to my garage wall 180 degrees, this makes the barbell holding bolts actually work. It also reduces the inner depth by a few inches but I've just PR squats in it and didn't bang the frame. I've laid a thick piece of plyboard inside for a platform, no flex due to the inner box section running in the middle on the floor.

Also - I keep PR'ing squats in the middle of the day, but always on days that I'm working a night shift afterwards with no sleep before the shift starts so I'm not getting the perfect rest afterwards. Obviously rest and recovery is crucial for adapting from a stress, but I'm awake and working hard walking sometimes a few miles and carrying bags of gear and not getting to bed for up to 20 hours after setting squat PR's.

Go figure !

awesome!

[Big-Green-Mud-Machine]

Well I'm glad that week is over. Random short night shifts with early short day shifts mixed in screwed up my sleep pattern, and our gyms are still closed so I spent the week just eating and slobbing in my hotel room.

Thursday 25th March -

(late afternoon after a long night shift)

Squat - 152kg 3x3, (still going strong on the speed sets).
Press - 78.75kg 1/Fail, (just too knackered to continue).

Friday 26th March -

Press - 78.75kg 4x1, (oh dear, rep one went well, rep two was a grind, rep three was a hard grind and rep four, well, rep four I completed but passed out for a couple of seconds after I re-racked it! LOL! With my new squat cage sitting in a different position in my garage my bench now doesn't sit directly behind it like it did with my old squat stands. So I went to sit back on a bench that wasn't there and crumpled in a heap on top of my push bike, straight on top of my chalk bag.
So there I am, doing the weird shaking/fitting dance thing on the floor, banging my head repeatedly against my work bench while in a big cloud of dust that gets bigger every time I convulse on top of the bag.
But the best bit is, it had to happen just when my tasty blonde next door neighbour had popped round to say hi. You know, the only person I know who has ever shown an interest in my hobby and whom I'm trying to get under the bar and start a NLP. She now thinks it's too dangerous a sport for ladies.........anyway....)
Dead - 210kg 2/Fail, (I still went on to get a double half an hour after my little episode, may have got a triple or four if I hadn't, not sure about moving to singles across, will see what I'm feeling like next week).

Sunday 28th March -

Squat - 182.5kg 1x1, (Didn't know what to expect, just not feeling it this week, I loaded the bar to 192.5kg and got as far as unracking it but it nearly crushed me into the floor),
Press - 71.25kg 5x3, (PR for reps at weight, moved to triples now, all moved well),
Bench - 107.5kg 1/1/Fail, (Not feeling it today at all, knocked down to 100kg and failed that as well. RIGHT, deload back to where I had my first triples and re-do for fives).





And because this seems to be a thing on here - music was Jeff Beck - Who Else!, and Broken Witt Rebels - self titled first album