Return of the King

Sunday Aug 3rd:

Bike 16.9km
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Cycled to the zoo and back. Sun was shining and it looks like summer is back for the next 9 months.

Sunday Aug 10th:

Bike 12.7km
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Exploring a new route.

Tuesday August 12th: Smolov Jr. Cycle 6 - Bench Day 5 of 12

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x6
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
86.5kg - 6x6 ... ok, given that I haven't benched in 10 days
*slingshot*
100kg - 1x3
105kg - 1x3
110kg - 1x1 ... fine

Barbell Curl
20kg - 3x10 ... supersets with first three bench work sets

Lat Pulldown
plate 11 - 3x10

One Arm DB Row
27.5kg - 3x10 ... slightly higher bench than usual so weight didn't touch ground between rep
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Face Pulls
plate 3 - 3x10

DB Bench
25kg per arm - 3x10
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DB Bench Shoulder Press
15kg per arm - 2x10
12.5kg per arm - 1x10 ... dropped down 2.5kg on last set to ensure I got all the reps
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Lat Raise
1kg per arm - 1x10 ... yup, 1kg!
2kg per arm - 1x10
3kg per arm - 1x10
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Bench was fine. Legs in bits from Squatting yesterday & my new shoes. Used the shoes for benching too. Don't plan on using them going forwards for bench, just wanted to see what they felt like and break them in with a couple more hours of wear so I'll be more comfy next time I squat in them.

Did some crazy light lat raises at the end. Will increase these as the weeks go by. Just wanted to get a feel for this exercise as I never do it.

BossArky wrote: »

Thursday August 14th: Squat - Smolov Cycle 1 Day 6 of 12

Squat
100kg - 1x1 ... easy & heaviest ever beltless rep. Everything high bar up to here. Video'd this.

BossArky wrote: »

*belt*
112.5kg - 5x7 ... went back to low bar here as the scab on the back of my shoulder from Mondays high bar was being opened up. Video'd all of these

4th of these 5 sets was video'd from the side so as to assess depth better. Hard to tell from the front

BossArky wrote: »

T
Front Squat
60kg - 1x5
70kg - 3x5 ... video'd all of these

2nd of 3 sets on 70kg was video'd from the side so as to assess depth better. Hard to tell from the front

BossArky wrote: »

Friday August 15th: Smolov Jr. Cycle 6 - Bench Day 6 of 12

Bench (all paused)
91.5kg - 7x5 ... fine. Video'd last set which was easy. 5th of 7 sets was the most dodgy. Right arm lagged slightly at lock out. Made up for it on sets 6 & 7 by smashing them
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Wow - triceps were in bits coming into the above bench session. The week away on hols combined with absolutely pummeling them on first day back on Tuesday had me feeling like ebola level DOMS was eating me from the inside out. Got through it fine and pretty happy with how strong I ended the benching.

BossArky wrote: »

Saturday August 16th: Deadlift

Sumo Deadlift (no belt)
*off small block*
120kg - 1x3 ... video to follow
140kg - 1x3 ... video to follow
160kg - 1x3 ... easy enough. Video to follow
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Messed about with some heavier sumo deadlifts off a small block. Pretty easy given that sumo is hardest just off the floor. Don't really see the point of doing sumo off blocks at all to be honest... just succumbed to peer pressure and wanted to see what it felt like to have a bit of heavier weight in hands.

Happy enough to have done all my deadlifting in the past weeks beltless.

Still riddled with DOMs so cannot complain.

Monday August 18th: Squat - Smolov Cycle 1 Day 7 of 12

Squat
20kg - 1x5
40kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
90kg - 1x3
110kg - 1x2 ... all beltless up to here. This set was a bit messy. Bar rolled forward at bottom of second rep
*belt*
120kg - 7x5 ... felt heavy. Different stance and hand position each set. First two sets terrible. Got better from third onwards.
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Prowler (280m, frames weighs ~57kg)
frame + 60kg - up & back (i.e. 2x20m)
frame + 50kg - up & back (i.e. 2x20m)
frame + 40kg - up & back (i.e. 2x20m)
frame + 30kg - up & back (i.e. 2x20m)
frame + 20kg - up & back (i.e. 2x20m)
frame + 10kg - up & back (i.e. 2x20m)
frame + 00kg - up & back (i.e. 2x20m)
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Writing this the day after and I've got more ebola level DOMS. Belt felt loose on Squats due to loosing a bit of fat. Will bring it in a touch soon.

Still trying to find the optimal stance and hand positioning to make the most of the new shoes. Upper back was really loose on first two sets and feet probably too wide. Brought hands in (little ringer on rings) and feet to about shoulder wide. That was my best position. Will replicate going forwards.

Prowler feeling easier. Fitness must be improving slightly. Still sweating and wheezing like a pig after.

Took my home weighing scales to the gym, but left them in car. Will compare them to calibrated gym scales tonight.

Tuesday August 19th: Smolov Jr. Cycle 6 - Bench Day 7 of 12

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x1
96.5kg - 8x4 ... heavy - failed the last rep of the 7th and 8th sets

Barbell Curl
20kg - 3x10 ... supersets with first three bench work sets

Lat Pulldown
plate 11 - 3x10

One Arm DB Row
22.5kg - 3x10
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DB Bench (incline, 30 degrees)
20kg per arm - 3x10

Face Pulls
plate 2 - 3x10 ... down a plate from 3. Easier. Just want something light here
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Sailing too close to the wind in terms of accumulated fatigue and calorie deficit. Too hard benching heavy the day after heavy Squats.

Will finish off this week with:

Mon (SQ)
Tues (BP)
Wed (off)
Thurs (SQ)
Fri(BP)
Sat(DL)
Sun (off)

... before going back to the following next week:

Mon (SQ)
Tues (off)
Wed (BP)
Thurs (off)
Fri(SQ)
Sat(BP & DL)
Sun (off)

Saturday August 23rd: Smolov Jr. Cycle 6 - Bench Day 8 of 12

Bench
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
92.5kg - 1x1 ... sore elbows/shoulders
101.5kg - 10x3 ... incredibley painful in elbows/shoulders. Got the first 6x3, then a further 3x2 before finishing last set with just 1 rep. Feeling terribly beat up and flat

Barbell Curl
20kg - 3x10

Lat Pulldown
plate 10 - 3x10
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Deadlift (beltless)
70kg - 1x5
100kg - 1x3
120kg - 1x3
140kg - 4x3 ... supposed to be 7x3 but didn't have the will to live after being in the gym over three hours by this stage
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Military Press (BB)
20kg - 1x10
30kg - 3x10

Glute Ham Raise
3x8
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DB Bench
20kg per arm - 2x15
17.5kg per arm - 1x15 ... dropped weight slightly to make sure I got 15 reps. Chest on fire after these

Ham Curl
40kg - 3x15
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Worst session in a long time. Weights feeling too heavy and I'm completly battered in the elbows and shoulders from Squatx2 and Benchx2 each week. Impossible to get all the volume in, and then try to squeeze Deadlifts in too.

Probably gonna write off this program, deload and plan for a new 8 week cycle ahead of Oct 25th comp. May keep bench similar, just knock a couple of kg off and replicate what I did ahead of last comp but at slightly lighter body weight, whilst go back to linear periodization on Deadlift and Squat.

Need to get some time in with the oly shoes. Jumping into heavier weights with Smolov reps in the new shoes is too difficult without figuring out my stance and depth.

Excuses I know. I'm really pissed off. Don't wanna just quit mid cycle, but cannot see myself surviving if I stick with the original plan.

Was also thinking about perhaps doing one of the Squat days with the safety squat bar, which would at least give me elbows/shoulders a break and allow then to recover for the next bench session. Will think further on this for a day or two.

Other option is to go 5x5 on Squat one day (mon) and Deadlift (Thurs). That would give me more volume, perhaps without killing me. Let's see.

I suppose the postives to take away from this session were:
- it was the elbow/shoulder pain that made the benching terrible. Couldn't get tight
- deadlifts were all beltless

edit - had to have 3 cans of soft drink during bench sets alone for the sugar... which is just stoopid.

Wednesday August 27th: Smolov Jr. Cycle 6 - Bench Day 9 of 12

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 6x6
*slingshot*
105kg - 1x3
115kg - 1x3
122.5kg - 1x1 ... PR

Barbell Curl
22.5kg - 3x10

Lat Pulldown
plate 12 - 3x10
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Military Press (BB)
32.5kg - 3x10

One Arm DB Row
20kg per arm - 3x10
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DB Rev Fly
4kg per arm - 3x10

DB Fly
4kg per arm - 3x10
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DB Bench (30 degree incline)
20kg per arm - 3x10
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Nice to do some light benching for a change. First deload since Nov or Dec 2013? Made up for the light worksets by getting a slingshot PR. Would like to get 130kg before next comp.

Saturday August 30th: Smolov Jr. Cycle 6 - Bench Day 10 of 12

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
85kg - 7x5 ... alright. Maybe should have put another warm up set in before 85kg

Barbell Curl
20kg - 3x10

Lat Pulldown
plate 10 - 3x10
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Sumo Deadlift (beltless)
*off 2 inch block*
70kg - 1x5
100kg - 1x3
125kg - 1x3
145kg - 1x3
162.5kg - 1x3
*back to ground*
140kg - 3x3
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One Arm DB Row (lunge stance)
20kg per arm - 3x10

Military Press (BB)
20kg - 1x10
35kg - 3x10

Glute Ham Raise
3x8

DB Bench
20kg per arm - 3x10
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Forgot to eat last night when I got home after Squats. Couldn't sleep as body was eating itself & was too tired to get out of bed for a feed. Wrecked going into todays Bench session.

Bench was light enough, but eblows a bit achey after Squats last night. Started supersetting in Deadlifts about half way through bench to save time. I think this Deadlift approach may work... 3 workset triples & one triple heavier off blocks. Will probably do the work off the ground first in future, as it feels weird pulling heavy off blocks, then going back to ground. Did everything beltless which was fine.

Training this week went well vs. the complaining I did last Saturday.

Yeah, usually around 2 hours. The sets of 10 assistance are pretty light though.

Wednesday September 3rd: Smolov Jr. Cycle 6 - Bench Day 11 of 12

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 8x4
*slingshot*
107.5kg - 1x3
117.5kg - 1x3 ... PR
125kg - 1x1 ... PR

Barbell Curl
20kg - 3x10

Lat Pulldown
plate 10 - 3x10
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One Arm DB Row (lunge stance)
22.5kg per arm - 3x10

DB Bench
20kg per arm - 3x10

Military Press (BB)
37.5kg - 3x10
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Bench worksets on 90kg were easy. Feeling good.

Slingshot bench PR with 125kg. Didn't die. Nice.

BossArky wrote: »

Friday September 5th: Squat - Smolov Cycle 1 Day 12 of 12

Squat
130kg - 10x3 ... alrighty. Video'd last two sets
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Last day of this Squat cycle. Got through it ok. Kept the rest to maybe 7 or 8 minutes per set.

Was happy enough getting through them until video-ing the 9th set. Watched it and was pissed off with my form. Was assuming I was going deeper. Looked really borderline on playback.

With this in my I recorded 10th set and it looks better depthwise, but still not as good as I was expecting. Would pass it a competition, but I had thought I was sinking these really deep. On the plus side, this high-bar position is still being more pleasant on my elbows.... only 50% the usual pain.

Monday September 8th: Squat - Smolov Cycle 2 Day 1 of 12

Squat
60kg - 3x5 ... extra warm up sets practising wide stance
*belt*
80kg - 1x3
100kg - 4x9 ... wide stance, practising hitting depth. Video'd everything except the first 60kg.

Barbell Curl (fat bar)
25kg - ~4x10
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Wide stance felt pretty strong to be honest. Just feels like I'm ripping my hips off. Video'd them all to ensure I'm hitting depth. Last set on 100kg was pretty good speed and depth-wise. Not super deep, but deep enough for comp purposes i.e. precise. I'll post videos in the next day or so when I get around to editing.

Fat bar curlz for extra gainz.