Leaving the nest

Have had a nightmare run of no training.

Wrist injury flared up after the bench session.

Followed by a neck/back muscle pull while putting on a pair of socks.

Followed by a new tattoo which meant another week off. Finally back yesterday.

Took it easy to get back in, was only starting to feel any way moderately strong before this break.

Squat

Bar 2 x 10
40kg x 8
60kg x 5
80kg x 4

100kg 5 x 3

Front squat

60kg 4 x 8

Strict military press

Bar x 8
30kg x 8

40kg 8,6,5

Superset of

Hammer curl 17.5kg 4 x 8
Seated tri raises behind head 17.5kg 4 x 8

Squat tonight

Bar 2 x 10
50kg x 8
60kg x 6
80kg x 5
100kg x 3

110kg 3 x 5

Front squat

70kg 4 x 6

Some sort of snatch variation. Bar at waist, to chest, then overhead

Bar 4 x 12

Squat this morning

Squat

Bar 2 x 10
60kg x 6
80kg x 4
100kg x 3

110kg 4 x 3, 1 x 5

Front squat

75kg 4 x 6

Standing OH DB press

12.5kg per hand, 4 x 8 per arm

Hammer curl

20kg 4 x 8 per arm

Tested my max last night in anticipation of getting a base for this upcoming squat cycle.

Figured off my recent figures that I'd be in the 130-135 bracket. Haven't had more than 120 on my back in a few months.

Bar 2 x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 3
110kg x 2
120kg x 1
130kg x 1 was debating whether to go straight up or take 115 but 120 felt fine so went with it. Was easy enough in the end.
135kg x 1 again felt surprisingly comfortable which I didn't expect

140kg x 1 pretty much expected to miss this, bit went up with not too much fight and gave my confidence a big boost.

145kg x 1 was surprisingly clean. Definitely parallel and no pause at any point on the way up.

Considered 150 but it would have been a risk of a failure tbh. If it has been a post-cycle test I wouldnt have hesitated, but no sense in going for it last night.

Hoping to get back into double body weight numbers after this cycle with my current bodyweight being 78kg with clothes on.

Bench on Saturday

Decided to change things a little and have decided paused bench is the way to go, just in case I ever decide to compete

Bar x 10
40kg x 8
50kg x 6
60kg x 4
70kg x 3

80kg 3,3,2 and dumped it into the first safety catch as opposed to the second.

70kg 3, 6

Disappointed with the 80 as I think I just had a bad starting position.

Was short on time so just

CGBP 60kg 4 x 8
Superset with
Standing BB row 30kg 4 x 8

Week 1 day 2 of the squat plan. Have a work night out tomorrow so ideally would have liked the extra days rest between but it is what it is.

Bar 2 x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 3

115kg 9,8,7,7,4,5,5,5

Blew up on the 5th set. Got into a forward position where my core wasn't properly braced and struggled to bring it back upright. Finished out a bit stronger despite being wrecked.

Started off stretching between sets, ended up lying on the ground trying to recover!

Week 2 day 1 squat

Bar 2 x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 3

115kg 10,9,8,8,7,6,6,6 for 60 reps and 6900kg of volume.

Was honestly the most disgusting workout I think I've done, at one stage I'd to go stand by a bin because I thought i was going to get sick. Some of the rest breaks were 6 mins rather than 5 through necessity.

Worst part is, I can't see it getting any easier

Hanley wrote:

it'll be 6 and 7 minutes next


YNDTP.

Its a slippery slope, will have it back on track next time out!

Had issues during the week with this cuts on my back/shoulders

Felt great - but had to stop on set 5 after rep 1, the scabs tore off after set 3, started to bleed in set 4 and was too bad to continue.

Had gone 10,10,10,9,1

Pity.

As I type I'm doing the 3rd weeks 2nd work out.

Decided to film sets 3 and 6 to show how the tekkers were holding up as the sets continued. After set 3 I realised instead of watching a replay I had hit photo instead /facepalm

Just finished a car crash of a work out.

Warmed up as usual.

120kg - new weight post midweek test.

9,9,9,5,5,5,4,4

Someone robbed the power from my legs after those first three sets.

First two were strong, third was a major grind and then after that I just never recovered properly.

Anyway, 7 down and 5 to go!

VW 1 wrote:

Didn't get to squat on Thursday as planned, just going to miss it and finish the last 4 workouts starting Monday.

So much for this plan.

Played a GAA match Sunday as a favour for a team that were very stuck, couldn't walk properly Monday due to a very tight hamstring. Was Friday by the time it was feeling normal again.

Squatted this evening, low impact, high volume to keep things ticking over. YNDTFP and all, but gonna test next week.

Bar 2 x 10
60kg x 8

80kg 4 x 8 with a 3 second pause at the bottom

Front squat 80kg 5 x 5

90 second break in between each, was a pretty quick session, about 35 mins from entering to leaving the gym I think.

Starting a new programme, 3 day split across squat, bench and deadlift, and will look to do one set of shoulder/overhead movements within each workout.

Progression is to look something like the below

80% 3x4
85% 3x3
90% 3x2

85% 3x4
90% 3x3
95% 3x2

Last night I started with my squat

Bar 2 x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 3

120kg 3 x 4

Front Squat

70kg 4 x 8

OHP

40kg 8,8,6

Then was messing around a little with some cleans

40kg 3 x 10

No real plan behind the cleans, just thought I'd try out the movement.

Regular week will see walking lunges with DB on the astro, but it was packed last night.

Also going to pick up a belt for squatting to see if it makes any difference.

Deadlift max test today to get an idea of where I'm at for working this programme.

Bar 2 x 10
60kg x 8
100kg x 5
120kg x 3

Mixed grip

140kg x 2
150kg x 1
160kg x 1
170kg x 1

Was a grind for the 170 but pretty pleased with it having not done any DLs or related work in a few months.

Onto squat

Bar 2 x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 3
120kg x 2

130kg 3 x 3

Front squat

75kg 4 x 8

Was pretty fried after that and called it a day at that point.

Very happy with the session overall though.

Deadlift session this morning

Bar x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 3
120kg x 2

135kg 3 x 4

Bent over row

Bar x 8
40kg x 8

50kg 4 x 8

Standing DB press

12.5kg 3 x 8

Superset with DB side lateral raises

5kg 3 x 8

Super burny, will up to 4 sets once the shoulders can cope

DB row 30kg 4 x 8 per arm

Forgot to warm up the DLs with the usual front squat doubles, will add these in next week

Another mixed, feeling the way kind of session today.

Squat

Bar x 10
60kg x 8
80kg 5 x 5

Bench

Bar x 10
40kg x 8
50kg 4 x 5, 10

Bent over row

50kg 3 x 8

Super set with standing DB press

15kg 3 x 8

Squats felt better, less cramping and pain, no issues with weight so hope I'll be moving along relatively quickly.

Bench was fine, could have gone for more volume or weight but taking it easy to begin.

Got a session in Sunday.

Front squat

Bar x 10
40kg x 8
50kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg 5 x 2

Deadlift

Bar x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 3
120kg 5 x 3

Incline bench db press

15kg x 8
17.5kg 4 x 8

Chin up

3,3,2,2

Front squat

Bar x 10
40kg x 8
50kg x 3
60kg x 2

75kg 5 x 2

Deadlift

Bar x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 3
120kg x 2

130kg 2 x 2

Felt good so

140kg 3 x 2

Was running out of time so

Incline bench db press
20kg 3 x 8

Supersetted with

Chin ups 3,3,2

Tested squat last night as planned - there was a 4 week base period with decreasing volume from 5 sets of 8, down to 5 singles increasing weight along the way.

Didn't have as much time as I wanted as the gym was closing, so just squatted and got out of there.

Squat

Bar x 10
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
100kg x 2
110kg x 1
120kg x 1

130kg x 1

135kg x 1

100kg x 5

60kg x 12

Almost lost it forwards on the 130kg one, had the bar placed a little high, and as I came out of the bottom it rolled slightly and dragged me forward, there was strength in the legs to get it back though.

The 135kg was good depth but had a fight to get it back up.

Delighted with that overall though, after 6 months of no lifting and only 4 weeks I thought I would be a lot further away from my previous max than 10% (although that max should have been 10kg higher if I had been able to finish out the programme and peaking phase properly).

Will do the same test for deadlift, but won't push too hard with weight as I haven't DL'd consistently thru the 4 weeks and I want form to be paramount on the next cycle rather than struggling to bash out reps at weights.

Going to work through Hanley's simple programme to get strong for 12 weeks, and at that point I may be looking to a return to RevFit depending on circumstances.

Week 1 Day 2

A - Front squat

Bar x 10
40g x 8
60kg x 5

80kg 5 x 2

B - Deadlift

Bar x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 8

105kg 5 x 8

C - Rack pull just below knee

60kg x 8

80kg 4 x 8

D - Seated overhead DB press

15kg 4 x 8

E - bent over row

25kg 4 x 12 per arm

Week 2 Day 2

Had a serious shortage of time this weekend, so just got in, got the minimum done to tick the box and got out.

Front Squat

Bar x 10
50kg x 8
70kg x 4

85kg 5 x 2

Deadlift

Bar x 15
60kg x 8
100kg x 5

112.5kg 4 x 6, 1 x 10

Deadlift felt good and strong, as did the squats.

Accessories were sacrificed as I only had 30 mins in gym but didn't want to miss a session

Week 3 Day 2

Front squat

Bar x 10
50kg x 8
70kg x 5

90kg 5 x 2

Deadlift

Bar x 10
60kg x 8
100kg x 5

120kg 4 x 5, 1 x 8

Rack pull

90kg 4 x 8

Seated DB OH press

17.5kg 3 x 8, 1 x 5

Week 4 Day 2

A - Front Squat

Bar x 10
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
95kg 5 x 2

B - Deadlift

Bar x 10
60kg x 10
100kg x 5
120kg x 3

130kg 5 x 4

Didn't go for max reps on the last, probably had a couple more in me but want to make sure of form.

C - Rack pull

95kg 4 x 8

D - seated DB press

17.5kg 4 x 8

E - bent over row

27.5kg DB 4 x 12 per arm

Week 5 Day 2

A - Front Squat

Bar 2 x 10
50kg x 8
70kg x 5
90kg x 2

100kg 5 x 2

Serious grind, over the moon to get 100kg though, new PB, never even attempted 100kg previously for front squats

B - Deadlift

Bar x 10
60kg x 10
100kg x 5
120kg x 3

135kg 4 x 2, 1 x 5

The 5 went up easy enough, felt pretty strong.

C - Rack pull

100kg 4 x 8

D - seated DB OH press

20kg 3 x 8, 1 x 6

E - DB row

32.5kg 4 x 8 per arm