Return of the King

Sunday December 14th (afternoon):

Walk 5.6 km

Went along the usual loop. Bizarrely enough half of it was spent being followed by a helicopter. It must have been on some kind of training exercises. Still, it was a bit freaky, hoovering over the same area and moving at walking-ish pace.

Gym later.

BossArky wrote: »

Deadlift
130kg x1 ... personal best by 5kg. About time. Vid to follow
135kg x fail. ... Next time when rested
120kg x1 ... vid to follow
100kg x5 ... vid to follow

Agggghh! I deleted the 130kg pb before transferring it from camera to pc. Stupid me. I thought I had two vids of myself standing around aimlessly in front of the bar.. when it fact there was only one. The other was the pb. I'll get 135kg next week when rested so will vid that one.

Anyway, the 130kg pb looked similar to the 120kg vid below, except I went up on ym toes more.

I think my form is kinda dodgy... so constructive critism appreciated. I'm hoping to hit 150kg ~ bodyweight 75kg (i.e. double bodyweight) by end of march 09. Originally I was planning 150kg by the end of this year, however that is not going to happen in the next few weeks.


Here is 100kg x2 on the way up to 130kg:




.. and this is 120kg x1 on the way down from 130kg:




.. and 100kg x5 on the way down from 120kg:

Saturday December 20th:

Cuban Press (standing, dumbbell)
3kg per arm - 3x10 ... bench rotator cuff warm up

External Rotation (standing, cable pulley)
3.25kg per arm x10
1.75kg per arm 2x10 ... bench rotator cuff warm up
---
Bench Press
20kg x10
60kg x5
75kg x3
90kg xfail :mad:
80kg x1
70kg x2
60kg - 3x5
---
Pull Ups (narrow, parallel grip)
bodyweight + 11kg x5 x3
bodyweight + 6kg x1 ... ouch so stopped. May be related to a strain from shoulder dislocates the other day
bodyweight x5 x3
---
Fly (slight incline, dumbbell)
6kg - 3x10 ... too light as usual, but a bit of a stretch after the bench

Halbert Raise (dumbbell)
6kg - 3x10 ... just the correct weight
---
One Arm Row (dumbbell)
26kg per arm - 3x8

Pull Over (dumbbell)
6kg per arm - 3x5 ... mickey mouse stuff, may drop these altogether

French Press (dumbbell)
6kg per arm - 3x5 ... mickey mouse stuff, may drop these too
---
Ab Pull Down (kneeling, cable, high pulley)
48.75kg x10 x10 x10 x7 x5 ... max stack
---
Lat Pull Down
75kg x5 ... sloppy, not the best full reps
65kg x5 ... better
60kg x5
55kg x5
50kg x5
45kg x5
40kg x5
35kg x5
30kg x5
---
Run
1km (4:43 mins, ~90 cals) ... started at 11kmph, increased gradually to end at 18.5kmph
---
Bodyweight seems to be stabilising at 76kg. So, as planned, I've lost a bit of weight. Strength down a bit too. Looking forward to busting back into 5x5s in the new year. I miss them! Damn these 1 rep max attempts over the past while.

That was more than likely my last bench 1 rep max test of the year. I failed to hit 100kg (by 12.5kg) this year. My strength seems fine when doing 5x5s and eating loads ... but I seem to be going backwards in the past month since becoming concerned about getting back to 75kg bodyweight i.e. eating less and not as much milk / carbs.

Hmmm... what to do, what to do.

Thanks for the input Kev. I'll probably have one more attempt at a 1 rep max deadlift in the next few days. Might try it barefoot and see what happens whilst concentrating on leaning back / keeping bar closer to shins.

That Spud belt rocks by the way. I haven't tried it out yet for dips... but feels great on the pull ups.

Tuesday December 23rd:

Deadlift ... barefoot for the first time
60kg x8
80kg x6
100kg x4
120kg x1
135kg x fail three times
100kg - 3x5
---
Shrugs
20kg plate per arm - 3x10
---
Pull Ups
bodyweight x8 ... narrow, parallel grip
bodyweight x6 ... wide, palms away grip

Shoulder Press (standing, dumbbells)
20kg per arm - 2x8
---

I managed to get the 135kg off the ground each time, but it wouldn't go up any further. Got a vid of one of them but no time to put it up as it is now holiday time!

Not sure if I'll get to a proper gym when back in Ireland. I definetly won't be doing anymore 1 rep max attempts this year.

In summary for 2008 my targets were:

Bench 100kg
Squat 100kg
Deadlift 150kg

...and I managed:

Bench 87.5kg (-12.5kg)
Squat 105kg (+5kg)
Deadlift 130kg (-20kg)

Over the next week or so I'm going to have a think about what I'll aim for in 2009.

Happy hols :pac:

Friday January 2nd:

Swim 550m

• 150m mixture bs & fc
• 200m bs
• 200m fc

I have come up with a number of fitness new years resolutions. I'll post them up soon once they are finalised.

Thanks Hanley, I'll bear that in mind. I need to focus on my deadlifting this year... more so than in the last year where I kinda let squatting take over.

Here are my fitness goals for 2009. They are in no particular order. I think they are all manageable enough. The first 5 may be the easier ones.

1. Bodyweight: Stay close to 75kg. Currently 76kg. I want to be lean, strong & fast, as opposed to just strong. In 2008 I put on a bit of fat whilst getting stronger. I want to avoid that this year.
   
   
2. Bench Press: Target = 100kg. Same as last years goal. Add 12.5kg to current 1 rep max. I made some decent progress initially from August to Oct in 2008, then totally stalled. More dumbbell work required I think.
   
   
3. Squat: Target = 125kg. Add 20kg to current 1 rep max.
   
   
4. Deadlift: Target = 150kg. Add 20kg to current 1 rep max.
   
   
5. Pull Ups: Target = 20 bodyweight reps. Best I've managed thus far is about 13 or 14 back in Septembers Gladiator contendor trials.
   
   
6. Threadmill 800m: Target = 2 mins 30 seconds
   
   
7. Power Clean & Press: Target = 60kg. Need to work on wrist flexibility a lot first.
   
   
8. Snatch: Target = learn how to do it! Probably with 30kg.

Monday January 5th:

Squat
40kg x8
50kg x5
60kg x5
70kg x5
80kg x5

Bench Press (dumbbell)
26kg per arm - 5x5
---
Lunges (oly bar)
40kg - x8, x9
---
Deadlift (stiff leg)
40kg - x8, x9
---
Face Pulls
10kg - 2x10
---

Woke up at 6am, got to the gym for 6:30am. The above took 30 mins. The 1km-ish jog there and back was great fun in the snow :pac:

Hey guys,

Alexandria Deafening Bimbo wrote: »

I've never DL'ed in just socks, always Cons, but I'm really considering it if it makes things seem a bit more natural

I suppose the jury is still out for me. It is only the second time I've tried deadlifting in socks. Being closer to the ground seems to make sense though.

Alexandria Deafening Bimbo wrote: »

Do you find being "just awake" affects your workout much? What time to you hit the sack at to be up for 0600?

I'm not sure what it is but the weight feels like 20% more than usual in a morning workout! It is probably a combination of lack of food, sleepy head & freezing cold weather for run to the gym.

I am aiming to be in bed by 10pm if I want to get up for early morning gym, or 10:30pm if not going to the gym. This is to keep the sleep pattern slightly similar.

the drifter wrote: »

ass a matter of interest bossaryk how long are you awake and mobile before you hit the gym?

Get up at 6am. Have porridge & tea finished by 6:20am. Jog ~1km to gym for 6:30am.

Saturday January 10th:

Squat
20kg - 2x5
50kg x5
70kg x5
90kg x5
100kg x5 ... pb for reps at 100kg
80kg x5
---
Deadlift (stiff leg)
60kg - 4x8
---
Calf Raise
bw - 9x10 ... supersets with each Squat and SLDL sets above
---
Lat Pull Down
35kg - 2x5 ... warm up for pull ups
---
Pull Ups (narrow, parallel grip)
bw - 5x5
---
Bench Press (dumbbells)
28kg per arm - 5x5

Bicep Curl (seated, dumbbells)
12kg per arm - x8, x6, 3x5
---
Ab Pull Down (high pulley, kneeling)
45.5kg - 3x10 ... max stack available
---
Face Pulls
10kg x8, x10, x12
---
Run
1km (4:58, ~90 cals)
---

I keep forgetting to do the Ab Pull Down standing as opposed to kneeling.

All leg exercises today done in just socks. Squat felt more solid. I'm not sure if that is down to just doing it in socks or having the xmas break to recuperate.

Best session for a few months.

Thursday January 15: Morning 6:35am - 7:10am

Squat
20kg - 2x8
70kg - 1x5
90kg - 5x5 ... equals 5x5 pb

Bench Press (dumbbell)
2.5kg per arm - 2x8
28kg per arm - 5x5
---
Face Pulls
10kg - 2x8

Pull Ups (narrow, parallel grip)
BW - 2x5
---

The 90kg 5x5 squat was fine. I should have worn a t-shirt with sleaves though. My wife beater had my shoulders all sweaty and the bar was slipping down a lot during the last 3 sets. As I went to rack the last set the bar slipped off my upper back on the right hand side and I had to hold it at an awkward angle as I staggered it into the rack. It ended up one peg lower on that side.

Supersetting the dumbbell bench with the squats probably wasn't a good idea either. The bench caused my chest to be tighter, which meant I held the bar wider for the squat... which caused it to slip a bit I guess.

All this concentration on the slippy bar took my mind off the squatting itself. Looking back, it was actually pretty easy and I didn't feel wrecked after it at all. I'll definetly be looking at a new 5x5 pb next time.

I just had a quick look on youtube but couldn't find a decent video of the way I do them. There are a few different variations it seems.

My version is kneeling facing the weight stack about 2 feet back (so head dosen't hit the stack). I hold the two handled rope so that a handle is roughly behind each ear... and then pull down contracting abs. Try to touch your elbows off the floor, or mat (protects knees).

If I get a chance on Saturday I'll try to get a vid of them.

You can also do them standing, facing away from the stack, with back supported around waist height.

Yes, they are supposed to help build a strong squat and deadlift. They also feel cool :cool:

Saturday January 17th:

Pull Ups
25 as follows:

• 1x13 ... equals pb
• 2x6

Shoulder Press (standing, dbs) ... supersets with pull ups
14kg per arm - 1x13
14kg per arm - 2x6
---
External Rotation (pulley)
1.25kg per arm - 5x8
---
Bent Over Row (oly bar)
50kg - 3x8

Power Clean & Press
50kg - 2x1 ... singles
50kg - 2x5
---
Ab Pull Down
kneeling: 45.5kg - 3x10
standing: 31.25kg - 2x10
standing: 36.25kg - 1x10
---
Run 1km (5:15mins, ~90 cals)
---

Woke up this morning with a pain in my neck / left shoulder which must have been to do with the way I was sleeping. It made the workout a bit painful. I was in two minds as to whether or not to go.

The plan was to do 50 pull ups. I stopped after 25 due to fatigue and neck pain.

I found the standing ab pull down harder than the kneeling one as you can see from the weight used. I could probably go a bit heavier on the standing ones though once warmed up.

edit - I don't know where that smiley in the title came from! It wasn't a smiley workout!

Tuesday January 20th: Morning 6:33am - 7:15am

Deadlift
20kg x5
60kg x4
100kg x2
112.5kg - 5x5
---
Shoulder Press (seated, dumbbell)
22kg per arm - 5x5
---

I was trying to decide whether of not to go for 110kg again, or up 115kg on the 5x5 deadlift. The gym decided for me by magicing the 1.25kg plates out of their hiding place. 112.5kg was a nice compromise.

Saturday January 24th:

Squat
65kg - 3x10 ... easy stuff today. Did a set before each of the other supersets below. Good warm up
---
Military Press (oly bar)
45kg - 5x5 ... super strict

Bent Over Row (oly bar)
45kg - 5x10
---
Bicep Curl (oly bar)
35kg - 5x5 ... super slow & strict. Zero swinging

Calf Raise (oly bar)
BW + 35kg - 2x15, 2x20, 1x25
---
Deadlift
65kg - 3x10 ... going easy today. First lower back pump this year! They heavy 5x5s over 100kg don't give this
---
Bench Press (dumbbell)
32kg per arm - 2x5 ... maybe I would have made the 5x5 if I'd done these earlier. This was heavy
16kg per arm - 3x5 ... arms in bits after the 32kg dbs, couldn't make 10 reps on the 3 sets. Felt funny.

One Arm Row (dumbbell)
16kg - 3x10
---
Ab Pull Down (high pulley)
kneeling - 48.75kg - 3x10
standing - 21.25kg - 3x15 ... feels odd with the bar stuck into backside. Don't like these as much as the kneeling version
---
External Rotation (pulley)
1.25kg - 3x15
---
Face Pulls
21.25kg - 3x8 ... too heavy
---
Seated Row (machine)
50kg x8
40kg x8
30kg x8
---

Good full body workout. Nice to do squat and deadlift for higher reps at lower weights. Heavy 5x5s are cool.... but the heart thumping high rep pump on days like today is good for a change. I can concentrate on form when not struggling under a maximum load.

I also included squat and deadlift to ensure that my lower body is hit more than once a week. Saturday is usually just upperbody...

Whenever I do heavy push and pull stuff during the same session I get really sore arms.

e.g. bench press & pull ups, military press & rows, pressing & curling

It is not muscular, or a strain... more like a dull ache deep inside somewhere between shoulder and elbow. Are my veins trying to bust out or something? I'm not sure what is going on.. but it gets pretty painful and makes me take it easier.

Sunday January 25th: At home:

Stretching

• side bends
• fowards bends
• hamstring stretches
• lunges
• feet apart seated fowards bends
• inner thigh stretches
• quadriceps stretches
• hurdler stretches
• spinal twists

Bicep Curl (dumbbell)
4kg - 2x10
10kg - 3x10 ... easy (just in case you think that was tough)
---

Today was my first step in getting more flexible. The curls were thrown in to make some use of my home equipment.

Monday January 26th:

Bike 3.3km (10:00 mins, ~65 cals) ... warm up & waiting for space
---
Deadlift
60kg x5
100kg x3
115kg - 5x5 ... equals 5x5 pb
---
External Rotation (standing, pulley)
1.25kg - 3x15
---

I totally contradicted what I was saying a few posts ago, bringing my deadlift from Tuesday morning to Monday night, due to early meeting tomorrow. Man it was packed tonight. First weekday evening workout of the year - they were hanging from the rafters in there.

That 5x5 was heavy. Really need to eat more on days like this.

edit - my deadlift warm up really sucks. Too much and I'm knackered, too little and I feel like I'm going to snap in half. e.g. tonight.

Sunday February 1st: Morning

Good Mornings
20kg - 1x10
30kg - 3x10
---
Power Clean & Press
40kg - 1x5
50kg - 1x5 ... video to follow
52.5kg - 1x5 ... pb
55kg -1x5 ... fresher pb
---
Lunges (oly bar)
40kg - 1x8
50kg - 3x8 ... pb
---
Deadlift (stiff leg)
60kg - 1x8
75kg - 3x8
---
Bicep Curl (oly bar)
20kg - 1x10
35kg - 1x5
37.5kg - 1x5
40kg - 1x5 ... pb
---
Credit Crunch
1x50 ... standard
1x20 ... alternating twists left to right
1x20 ... standard
---
Face Pulls
15kg - 3x8
---
Dips
bw - 3x3
---

Today was great. I had a list of stuff I wanted to do following yesterdays crappy session.

Pbs on lunges, curls and power clean and press. Forgot to do dips up front so just managed a few at the end when pretty tired.