WHIP IT!'s Built Like A Badass...

WEEK 10 - Deload Week

Upper Body Workout

Warm-up: Stretching and scap mobility work

1) Chin-ups: One set of 50%MR (16)

2) SUPERSET
Front Lat Pulldowns 2 x 10
with
Standing Lat Raises 2 x 10

3) Blackburns: Four positions x 15 secs each, one set

4) Cable Curls: 2 x 15

5) Core Circuit: x 2
V-Ups x 15
Hip-Ups x 15
Alternating Toe Touches x 15 each side

*****
Deload Week over and out - thanks jebus... now lets go for a 115kg single on the Bench Friday! Giddy Up!

Food by burgomeister08, on Flickr

By the way, in the tinfoil is one of Transform's homemade Energy Bars... I'm strung-out on them! Massive... Other than that, we have some grilled (actually, George Foreman'd!) chicken, small portion of Brown Rice, a butt-load of broccoli and a bunch of chopped up side-dish thingys like courgette, red pepper, scallions, baby tomatoes, sweet corn and jalepeno...

Smoothie has Blueberries, natural yogurt, porridge flakes, selected nuts, some dried fruit, celery, water and a scoop of protein powder.

The banana is 100% banana

* Not gonna call this 'Week 11, Day 2' cos I was pushed for time and only got time to do the BB Squat work... will do the complete Day 2 next week *

Lower Body Workout

Barbell Squat
Warm-up Sets
BW x 10
Empty Bar x 10
60kg x 4
80kg x 4
100kg x 4

Work Sets
120kg (80%) x 4
135kg (90%) x 2
142.5kg (~95%) x 1
150kg (100%) x 1
155kg x 1
160kg x 1 *PB*

Very happy with this - wrastled the bar back up there but got it back up, that was the main thing!

(*Nervously awaits the tearing apart of my Form! )

WEEK 11

Day 3

Warm-up: Decent 35-mins Spinning class and some quick circuit work involving Dumbbells and Ab work...

Upper Body Workout

1) Chin-ups: One set of MR (28)

2) SUPERSET
Lat Pulldowns 2 x 10
with
DB Side Presses 2 x 10

3) Incline DB Rear-Delt Flyes, pinkies up: 3 x 15

4) Eccentric BB Curls: 3 x 5 (neg reps)

5) 20kg Plate Core Circuit: x 2
Standing Side Twists x 20
Side Bends x 20 each side
Feet on Floor Crunches x 20
Feet 90* crunches x 20
Toe Touches x 20

6) Push-up challenge: 53 (PB, I think?!)

"Well look at this - a god-damn Mexican stand-off... in f*ckin' Mexico..."

WEEK 12

Day 1

Warm-up: 35-minute spinning class and all the stretches...

Upper Body Workout

1) Bench Press:
Empty Bar x 10
45kg x 5
60kg x 3
75kg x 2
87.5kg x 1
82.5kg x MR - 12 Disappointing - Bench didn't feel strong today at all.

2) BW Inverted Row (feet raised): 2 x MR (20)

3) Trapbar Shrugs: 3 x 15

4) Rest-pause Incline DB Curls: 20; 20 secs rest; 15; 20 secs rest; 7

5) Bezerchers Barbell Complex: 5 descending sets, first set x 10, second set x 9 etc - 60 secs rest in between sets.
(Zercher Squats; Zercher Reverse Lunges; Curl to Press; RDLs; Bent Rows)

*****
Body's looking a little softer last couple of weeks. Been neglecting the few extras I usually do (Spinning classes, football training) and taking too many liberties with the diet... and I think it's showing. Back at it this week!

Just went for a five-mile run. Longest I've gone since March last year, I think. Was tough but quite happy to do it in 39:38... Doing the Samsung Night Run 10k at end of the month so just want to get some miles under the belt here and there between now and then.

MikeC101 wrote: »

For what it's worth, I wouldn't claim to be an expert but that looks very solid to me - depth looks fine, and you come up snappier than other vids I've seen of people testing their maxes.

I like the look of the program, especially the complexes at the end, although I don't imagine they feel all that good when you're doing them

Think it's between BLAB and 5/3/1 for my next program.

Thanks for that Mike, much appreciated... It's funny, when testing my Rep Max in the last two weeks, both times the 'Rep' itself felt kinda iffy, but when I looked at the vid each time, I was pleasantly surprised. Suffice to say, they both looked alot better than they felt... the last vid, particularly, I felt like I chickened out of it a bit and didn't squat very deep at all. But when I watched the vid I was sorta like "Huh... not bad!"

I do feel like the bar is pressing me forward at those heavy (for me) weights. I think I need to get my elbows under the bar more to help prevent this but it's easier said than done!

I would certainly recommend the programme. For a 12-week programme, there's a good bit of variation and, like you said, the 'finishers' are very good. For me, they're exercises I will kinda 'keep for life' and use in other programmes etc...

Took today off and just foamrolled and stretched the bejebus outta meself... yesterday took its toll - a*se muscles are killing me! Pesky Squats and Lunges...

Feeling pretty beat-up today, two tough days in the gym... had a soak in the jacuzzi, couple of laps of the pool and a nice sauna, feeling a bit better after all that!

Also, stopped in at Argos on the way to work (cheers, Hanley) and picked me up a set of these bad boys...


Straps by burgomeister08, on Flickr

Grip was failing during the Deadlift yesterday and the next workout I'm doing involves Front Squats, which I've never done before. I want to do em like this... (I mean the grip, not the 'half-squat' part)



Have never done the Front Squat before, any Do's and Don'ts I need to know about??

DylanJM wrote: »

I'd say try doing the front squats with hands under the bar before resorting to using the strap method. It can be uncomfortable at first and can take a while to develop sufficient mobility but it's definitely worth it.

Lots of stuff on mobilitywod that will help with developing mobility in the front rack position. I find rolling my triceps and lats (I get the roller right in under my armpit and feel around for trigger points) helps a lot. You could do some thoracic extension on the roller as well.

Some cues for the actual squat would be keeping your upper back very tight and sitting straight down (rather that sitting back like in a back squat). Oh and keep your elbows up.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Dylan... but I honestly don't think I would be able to use the conventional grip. I feel in pain just looking at people do it on YouTube! I will give it a bash, certainly, but I've a feeling I'll be resorting to straps sooner rather than later...

COH wrote: »

I've found using straps is even less comfortable than using a rack grip.. try loosening out your lats and pecs and practicing the rack grip using a heavy static hold and see if it makes a difference

Jeez, you guys really aren't gonna let me take the easy way out here at all, are ya??

Ok, I'll give it a try... but if I die, I'm haunting every one of you b*stards!

Saturday April 20

Warm-up: One-hour pilates class, get the blood flowing... some stretches and hip work when I got to the gym...

1) SUPERSET (this should've been the second Set but Squat Rack was taken when I got there so did it first)
Pullovers 5 x 5 (30kg DB)
with
RDLs 5 x 5 (~75kg)

2) SUPERSET
Front Squat 5 x 5 (70kg; 60kg; 60kg; 70kg; 60kg)
with
DB Shoulder Press 5 x 5 (30kg; 27.5kg; 24kg; 22kg; 20kg)

3) SUPERSET
One-arm Rows (44kg DB) 5 x 5
with
DB Flyes 5 x 5 (10kg first set, 12.5kg second and 15 kg after that)

4) SUPERSET
DB Curls (22kg DB) 5 x 5
with
Standing Tricep Extensions (22kg DB) 5 x 6

******
M'eh, I didn't really enjoy this and I was so looking forward to it. I couldn't grip the bar conventionally for the Front Squat at all, sweet moses how do people do that?? Even with the straps it wasn't entirely comfortable but from looking again at the TNation video above it looks like I didn't have the bar far enough back near my throat if you like... the result was every set was harder on my arms than it should've been and it impacted my Shoulder Press to the extent that I had to drop down the weights on every single set, massively disappointing.

The rest of it wasn't so bad though, I'll be better next week...