I don't know what I'm doing but I know what I've done

Alf Veedersane

Wednesday 19/11/2014

Squats
40kg x 10
60kg x 10
80kg x 2 x 8


RDLs
60kg x 3 x 8
70kg x 2 x 8
80kg x 8


Split Squats
40kg x 10 e/s
60kg x 3 x 10 e/s


Leg Extensions
(45s rest)
70kg x 4 x 12


Leg Curls
(45s rest)
82.5kg x 4 x 12



Was good to do some RDLs - I'd avoided them since the day my back went doing them. Just went light and got back into it.

Still a bit wary of doing too much volume with exercises that work the lower back. No point in pushing it too far too fast. Just gonna use the run in to Christmas to slowly build volume and intensity.

COH gave me the heads up I was tucking too much at the bottom. At physio yesterday, just about parallel was where I started to tuck. It was way higher a month ago so the exercises are working but I need to make sure I'm bracing properly too.

Did not like split squats in the PP2s.

Alf Veedersane

Friday 21/11/2014

So...the test day after Smolov Jr benching. 85 is the minimum to hit. 87.5 would be good. 90 would be awesome - it was the end of year goal set in January.

Been smearing my left pec with Deep Heat and burying a cold pack into it when I can, so...here goes...

Bench
40kg x 8
50kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 2
80kg x 1
87.5kg x 1 - 5kg PR
90kg x 1 - missed 2nd rep.


Rack Pulls (at pin 1)
60kg x 8
80kg x 8
100kg x 5
110kg x 5
120kg x 5


Barbell OHP
20kg x 15
30kg x 8
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
57.5kg x 1 - PR
60kg x not today.
50kg x 4 - messed up bar path for 5th rep and missed.


BTN Wide Grip Pulldowns
Pin 6 x 4 x 15


Close-Grip Seated Rows
(120s rest)
120kg x 4 x 10



I had myself braced for disappointment given how test day went last year. After the drawn out shoulder problem, I'd written that off my chances of hitting 90kg in 2014. Bosh.

Long, long time since I did BB OHPs let alone managed 50x5. Had never put up more than 52.5kg either. Big surprise that one!

coffee_cake

yay!!!
That's great!

Alf Veedersane

bluewolf wrote: »

yay!!!
That's great!

A great surprise.

So I bought myself a great big steak to celebrate.

ninamc

And awesome it was

Frosty McSnowballs

Good fcking man Alf!

Beast!

Alf Veedersane

Monday 24/11/2014

Bench
60kg x 6 x 6 - all paused


Pull Ups
BW x 8, 8, 7, 6, 6


3 rounds of:
Glute Bridge w/ leg extension: 60s hold e/s
Plank: 60s
Hip Abductions: 40 e/s


Split Squats
25kg DBs each hand
5 x 10 e/s



Tweaked my back over the weekend so I'll go back to the physio's exercises and leave the rack pulls and RDLs for a while longer. Probably haven't been taking it as easy on it as I thought.

Decided to run Smolov Jr on bench to take it up to Christmas. Really helped my form these last few weeks so gonna start 5kg heavier than last time, which is based off a 1RM of 85kg. I found I really improved my form doing it so it's more for that than the number at the end.

Supersetted bench with pull up a and ~120s rest between bench sets. Not terribly easy. Don't think the fatter handles helped on cable crossover kit I did the pull ups at.

COH

All the physio exercises in the world won't do much if you don't work ALOT harder to get into and stay in better positions with RDLs/Rack Pulls/Squats etc.

Be mindful that its just as easy to jack up your back over extending while benching as it is when squatting/pulling etc too.

Alf Veedersane

COH wrote: »

All the physio exercises in the world won't do much if you don't work ALOT harder to get into and stay in better positions with RDLs/Rack Pulls/Squats etc.

Be mindful that its just as easy to jack up your back over extending while benching as it is when squatting/pulling etc too.

I do know that and I'm not assuming they will be the panacea. And I'm careful not to over-extend benching.

But I tweaked it moving a cot. I just think I need to do more remedial work strengthening and sorting my positions, which I'm trying to work on at home.

I accelerated up the learning curve too fast when I thought I was ok. But I realised I need to work more on the basics so I am.

Like focusing on how to breathe properly when doing planks and breathe into my lower back and actually try and feel how that feels. I do rhink about what I should ge doing but I don't take it slowly enough when I start to piece it together.

I know what to do on those exercises. I just need to drive home how they should feel.

Alf Veedersane

I do appreciate the input, mind.

I just know I'm most likely to do damage on those exercises so I'm benching them for now until I feel like I have everything properly sorted before I do them again because they will make matters worse quicker if I don't have all the basics fixed in place.

Alf Veedersane

Tuesday 25/11/2014


Bench
65kg x 7 x 5


DB OHPs
(90s rest)
17.5kg x 5 X 10


Close-Grip Seated Rows
(90s rest)
117.5kg x 5 x 10


Skullcrushers
25kg x 4 x 15



75s rests. All paused. All ok.
DB OHPs felt solid.

Frosty McSnowballs

I presume when you say "paused" (for bench), you mean in the down position and not the up position?

I'm doing 5x5's at the mo and keeping it light enough. I'm going to give the whole paused thing a go and see how I get on.

coffee_cake

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

I presume when you say "paused" (for bench), you mean in the down position and not the up position?

I'm doing 5x5's at the mo and keeping it light enough. I'm going to give the whole paused thing a go and see how I get on.

Yeah pause at chest

Alf Veedersane

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

I presume when you say "paused" (for bench), you mean in the down position and not the up position?

I'm doing 5x5's at the mo and keeping it light enough. I'm going to give the whole paused thing a go and see how I get on.

Yeah. I could probably stand to pause for a bit longer.

It cuts down on the help from the stretch reflex to lift it.

ninamc

I thought I was pausing for 2 seconds. Apparently I can't count. Was told it was more like 0.2 secs I'm now barred from timing it myself and have to wait for the cue to "bench".

*pregnancy plus - boobs getting bigger, less distance for the bar to travel.

Alf Veedersane

Saturday 29/11/2014


Bench
70kg x 8 x 4


Squats
Lots of sets with bar
Lots of sets with 50kg
A few sets with 60kg
A set with 80kg


Close-Grip Seated Rows
(90s rest)
120kg x 5 x 10


Split Squats
62.5kg x 4 X 8 e/s



Kept rests on bench to 90s. All paused. All fine.

The time spent on squats, checking form with video, addressing weaknesses, working on maintaining tightness ate into time for other stuff but if was time better spent working squats.

Alf Veedersane

Sunday 30/11/2014


Bench
72.5kg x 10 x 3


Front Squats
60kg x 4 x 8


DB OHPs
(90s rest)
17.5kg x 4 x 10
17.5kg x 11


Pull Ups
(105s rest)
BW x 8, 8, 8, 6, 6


Preacher Curls
30kg x 5 X 10



~90s rests. All paused. Felt heavier than they should but heavy head cold probably part of the reason for that. Last few sets were the best though.

Worked on keeping tight to the bottom of the squat. Too often I find myself making the mistake of getting tight at the set up and then relaxing the deeper I go. So worked on that a lot and if improved.

Alf Veedersane

Monday 1/12/2014


Deadlift
70kg x 5 x 8
80kg x 8
90kg x 8
100kg x 8


RDLs
(90-120s rest)
70kg x 5 x 10


GHRs
(120s rest)
BW x 17, 17, 16

supersetted with...

BB Reverse Curls
20kg x 4 x 12


BB Shrugs
(75s rest)
80kg x 4 x 12


Decided against not doing certain exercises and said I'd do them at a light weight and just drill doing them right and remember what they should feel like. Good decision.

Another thing to remember: the Smith machine can go f*ck itself. With a pool cue.

coffee_cake

were you using it for something?
i've never gone near ours

Alf Veedersane

Shrugs. It was jammed so said I'd do 'em there. It makes things feel as awkward as trying to tie shoelaces with your left hand (if you're not a ciotóg)

Alf Veedersane

Tuesday 2/12/2014


Bench
65kg x 6 x 6


Wide, Underhand-Grip Seated Rows
(90s rest)
105kg x 4 x 10
105kg x 11


Skullcrushers
(90s rest)
25kg x 5 x 15


Rear Delt Flyes
(60s rest)
6kg x 4 x 10
6kg x 12


Side Bends
(60s rest)
30kg x 4 x 20 e/s


Incline DB Press
22kg x 4 x 12


Interval Run
5 rounds of:
1 min @ 13.5 km/h, 2 mins @ 16 km/h
Distance: 3.77 km



Rests at lower end of 90-120s. All paused. Slightly longer pauses. Last 3 sets felt the best.

Everything else felt solid.

Only realised at the end that it was my first run since the DCT at the end of August! Wasn't helped by having a bad cough still but felt fine other than that.

coffee_cake

did you alternate between 13 and 16 the whole time or did you take walking/rest breaks in between the intervals?

Alf Veedersane

bluewolf wrote: »

did you alternate between 13 and 16 the whole time or did you take walking/rest breaks in between the intervals?

Just alternated. Though twice I had to put my feet to the side of the belt to cough up a little bit of lung but only on the slow parts and only for maybe 15s

coffee_cake

Jaysus I feel like a lazy sh!te now :pac::pac:

Nah that's awesome though keeping that up

Alf Veedersane

bluewolf wrote: »

Jaysus I feel like a lazy sh!te now :pac::pac:

Nah that's awesome though keeping that up

It's ok but I was happy the fitness hadn't deserted me

Alf Veedersane

The 'carrot' at the end of the running stick.

775g of turkey mince and beef mince mixed into burgers.

And 40g of cheese.

No veg need apply.

coffee_cake

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

The 'carrot' at the end of the running stick.

775g of turkey mince and beef mince mixed into burgers.

And 40g of cheese.

No veg need apply.

That looks so tasty.

I had all the veg on your behalf, courgette and aubergine and red bell pepper fried in onion and garlic and chopped up sausage...

Frosty McSnowballs

Duuuuuuuude! Turkey mince is fcuking deadly! I never thought of making burgers with it!!

Good man!

Alf Veedersane

Frosty McSnowballs wrote: »

Duuuuuuuude! Turkey mince is fcuking deadly! I never thought of making burgers with it!!

Good man!

I've always made burgers with turkey mince. But I bought it forgetting I had been mince and since the cat and kitten are away, I said I'd play

Which is why I didn't faff about with presentation.

Alf Veedersane

Wednesday 3/12/2014


Squats
40kg x 2 x 10
60kg x 2 x 10
80kg x 5
90kg x 5
100kg x 2


Back Extensions
(60s rest)
+15kg x 4 x 15


Planks
15s on / 15s off (x2)
30s on / 30s off (x2)
45s on / 45s off (x2)
60s on / 60s off (x2)
45s on / 45s off (x2)
30s on / 30s off (x2)
15s on / 15s off (x2)


Hamstring Curls
(60s rest)
80kg x 4 x 15


Leg Extensions
(60s rest)
70kg x 4 x 15



The 2 reps at 100 felt shìtty so I stopped rather than persevere with shìtty reps. Didn't feel confident with it though-been so long since I've had that kinda weight on my back. The good reps before that felt solid and the form felt better...tighter and stronger.

Planking totalled 8 mins. Tough but good. Enjoyed varying the times.