Return of the King

Saturday June 1st: Messing about

YT (face down on Bench)
1kg per arm - 3x10 ... both positions, non stop for three sets
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Seal Row (incline bench)
30kg - 1x10
40kg - 1x10
50kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x10
70kg - 1x10
---
Bench (close grip, feet up, against double light bands each side)
20kg - 1x10
30kg - 1x10
40kg - 3x10
---
Face Pull
light band & two handles- 3x20
medium band & two handles - 3x10
---
Tricep Pushdown
medium band & rope double handle - 3x20
light band, unilateral & single handle - 3x10

DB Curl (alternating)
12kg per arm - 3x10
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Band Rev Fly/Lateral Raise (standing)
3x10

Band Fly/Press (standing)
3x10
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Did a load of varied upper body assistance - making use of new hands and handles. Typing this 12 hours later... body not sure what happened. Will be sore later. Speed Bench against Bands felt good. Watched a couple of Matt Wenning videos after getting the bands.

Tuesday June 4th: Upper

YT (face down on Bench)
4kg per arm - 3x10 ... both positions
---
Seal Row (flat bench)
30kg - 3x10
---
Face Pull
light band & two handles- 3x10

Bench
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 2x5 & 1x10
20kg - 1x20 ... bodybuilder style from here down (i.e. feet up, flat back, elbows out, touch almost at neck, pecs on fire)
25kg - 1x20
30kg - 1x20

Chin Ups (parallel grip)
bodyweight - 2x5 & 1x10
---
DB Curl (alternating)
12kg per arm - 3x10

DB Shoulder Press (standing)
12kg per arm - 3x10

Tricep Pushdown (light band)
both handles - 3x20
unilateral & single handle - 3x25
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Getting back into some Benching and having fun with random assistance.

Did some "bodybuilder style" Bench after initial normal sets on 60kg. Pecs were on fire with just 3 sets of 20 ascending on 20kg, 25kg and 30kg.

Friday June 7th: Upper

Face Pull
light band & two handles- 3x10

Rev Fly (face down on bench)
6kg per arm - 3x10
---
Bench
20kg - 1x10
70kg - 2x5 & 1x10
30kg - 1x20 ... bodybuilder style from here down (i.e. feet up, flat back, elbows out, touch almost at neck, pecs on fire)
35kg - 1x15
40kg - 1x10

Chin Ups (parallel grip)
bodyweight - 2x5 & 1x10

DB Lateral Raise
6kg per arm - 3x10
---
DB Curl (alternating)
14kg per arm - 3x10

DB Shoulder Press (standing)
14kg per arm - 3x10
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Enjoyed that.

Tuesday June 11th: Squat

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
90kg - 2x5 & 1x10

Ab Wheel
x5, x10, x15

GHR
3x12
---
SSB
51kg - 2x5 & 1x10

45 Degree Back Raise
3x12
---
Bulgarian Split Squat (rear foot on bench, front foot on two blue bumper)
bodyweight - x8, x10, x12 per leg

Calf Raise (standing)
bodyweight - 3x20 per leg
---

Some quick lower body. Building up.

Saturday June 15th: Squat

Squat (beltless)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
100kg - 2x5 & 1x10

Ab Wheel
2x5 & 1x10

GHR
3x12
---
SSB
31kg - 2x5 & 1x10

45 Degree Back Raise
3x12
---
Bulgarian Split Squat (rear foot on bench, front foot on two blue bumper)
bodyweight - 3x8 per leg

Calf Raise (standing)
bodyweight - 3x20 per leg
---

Bit tired as trained late at night. Squats fine. Still beltless and up to 100kgx10.

On GHR I purposelly loosened upper back to reach all the way down and touch floor. Reversing to come back up put a lot of stress on hams vs. usual form. Will be interesting to see how the DOMS kicks in differently in a day or so.

The rest was just light bodybuilding to get blood flowing.

Friday June 21st: Deadlift

Deadlift
70kg - 1x5
120kg - 3x6 ... double overhand first two sets, then mixed third set
---
Band Row (lying flat on ground, band attached overhead on rack)
3x10
---
45 Degree Back Raise
bodyweight - 3x10
+5kg plate - 2x10
+10kg plate - 1x10
light grey band - 2x10
---
Ab Wheel
3x10
---

There ends the holiday ^^. Back to it next session.

Monday June 24th: Bench Day 1 of 12

VT
4kg per arm - 2 positions (YT) - 2x10 each

Bench Press (paused)
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 6x6

Barbell Row
60kg - 6x8
---
Chin Ups
25 total reps broken up as: x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x4, x3, x2, x1

DB Press (standing)
24kg per arm - 15 total reps broken up as: x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x4, x3, x2, x1
---

Back to my one true love - the ultimate Bench program which has never failed me in 5 years. Felt a bit rusty in first set or two but was soon firing on all cylinders.

Gonna kept assistance limited to predominantly compounds going forwards.

Mixed it up with a Chins/DB Press pyramid up/down to end off with no rest between sets to send heart pumping.

Was about 82kg when I weighted myself this morning. Gonna aim to gain a couple of kgs over the next 6 week cycle.

Thursday June 27th: Bench Day 2 of 12

VT
4kg per arm - 2 positions (YT) - 2x12 each

Bench Press (paused)
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 6x5

Barbell Row
60kg - 6x8
---

Focused on the compounds with no assistance.

Sunday June 30th: Squat Day 3 of 12

Squat
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x5
**add belt**
100kg - 1x3
130kg - 2x5 ... workset

Ab Wheel
4x10

SSB (with belt)
81kg - 2x10

GHR
bodweight - 2x10 ... sets 1 & 4
bodyweight +5kg plate - 2x10 ... sets 2 & 3
---

Felt quite fresh coming into this which was good.

Squats were fine.

SSB was good too. Abs getting a hammering in the second half of each set. Enjoying doing these heavier with belt.

GHR and Ab Wheel for 4x10 each, up from 3x10 in previous cycles. Building the core and posterior chain.

Monday July 1st: Bench Day 3 of 12

VT
4kg per arm - 2 positions (YT) - 2x10 each

Bench Press (paused)
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
95kg - 6x4

Barbell Row
60kg - 6x8
---
Chin Ups
25 total reps broken up as: x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x4, x3, x2, x1

DB Press (standing)
14kg per arm - 25 total reps broken up as: x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x4, x3, x2, x1
---

Bench this morning ^^.

Wednesday July 3rd: Squat Day 4 of 12

Squat
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x5
**add belt**
100kg - 1x3
120kg - 1x1
140kg - 2x3 ... workset

Ab Wheel
4x10

SSB (with belt)
86kg - 2x10

GHR
bodweight - 2x10 ... sets 1 & 2
bodyweight +5kg plate - 2x10 ... sets 3 & 4
---

Squats were alright: 140kg 2x3.

SSB felt like I was rev'ing hard and barely getting out of the sand. Strange sensation to be going heavier on SSB and how it isolates a sub component of the leg musculature... and thus makes light weights heavy. Debating internally if I feel it more in the hamstrings vs quads. Abs fried from it - as per before. Adding 5kg each time.

Four sets of Abs and GHR as supersets to the above.

Friday July 5th: Deadlift day 2 of 6

Deadlift
70kg - 1x5
**add belt**
120kg +16kg chains - 3x8 ... mixed grip
---
45 Degree Back Raise
bodyweight - 1x10
+5kg plate - 1x10
+10kg plate - 1x10
+15kg plate - 1x10
---

Signed up for next Powerlifting Meet in Sept. That came around a bit quick and I feel slightly caught unawares in terms to time left to train with the abrupt announcement. Currently I'm at the end of the second of a planned six week cycle. May have to short circuit this cycle somewhere around end of week four... to restart a fresh cycle for comp lead in. Will stick tongue out, assault calendar with pencil, & figure it out shortly.

Went and bought myself some Nike Freeks - wrestling shoes with thin sole to replace my 5+ year old soleless converse which served me well through many comps. Will keep them in storage just in case. Deadlift today in the Freeks and it went well.

Also purchased myself a new SBD singlet, SBD Deadlift socks... and SBD Knee Sleeves in size XL... which is two sizes up from my existing Ms which I cannot get on at all.

So - an expensive day of Powerlifting - but should see my stocked up for the next 5 years or so.

Deadlifting and Back Raise were fine. Putting in the work.

Need to start eating again. Quite lean at the moment from all the Swimming and not eating too much. I like this look... but it is not conductive to PR weights in just over 2 months. Two litres of full fat milk on the table beside me half drank as I type this.

Let's go!

Sunday July 7th: Squat Day 5 of 12

Squat
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x5
**add belt**
100kg - 1x3
120kg - 2x9 ... workset

Ab Wheel
4x10

SSB (with belt)
71kg - 2x10

GHR
bodweight - 4x10 ... on setting 3
---

Man, my new Nike Freeks feel so0o0o0o0o0o gooood. All I could think about whilst Squatting was how comfy they were. The weight occupied just a fraction of my thoughts.

Reduced the weight on SSB because I want to use it to build muscle rather than smash myself with too much straining. Felt it more in my quads by backing off a bit.

Similarly on GHR - went to setting 3 which is slightly more aggressive than the usual setting 4 - for the sake of mixing things up, but didn't bother with any additional weight. Need to remember that I should vary the assistance more often instead of doing exactly the same stance, grip, width, settings, etc as I typically do.

Wednesday July 10th: Squat Day 6 of 12

Squat
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x5
**add belt**
100kg - 1x3
130kg - 2x7 ... worksets

Ab Wheel
4x10

SSB (with belt)
71kg - 2x10

GHR
bodweight - 2x10 ... on setting 3
bodweight - 2x10 ... on setting 4
---

First time wearing SBD knee sleeves. They make a difference vs my torn and worn Rehbands. Knees felt so tight and snug, even though they are relatively loose in size XL. Felt like I could drop into the hole and trampoline out. Never did 130kg 2x7 so easily. Reckon I can Squat a fair bit heavier in competition wearing these. Awesome.

The rest was assistance: SSB, GHR and Abs.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

You'd never worn SBDs before? Yeah the difference is very noticeable...I think i felt it more because they're longer so more purchase on them.

Yeah, first time ever Squatting in SBDs today! Looking forward to n00b gainz.

A couple of years ago I bought 2 sets of SBDs:
- "Medium" which I expected would be fine for general training
- "Small" which I expected to wear in competition.

Couldn't get either of them on over my big toe! Total waste of money as they are waaayyyy too tight. Couldn't even get the Mediums on after trying many times with plastic bags etc. I even hooked them up onto Squat rack and tried stretching them out with 2x20kg bars hanging out of them. No give in them.

Decided to just stick with the Rehbands which I also have in "Medium" (general training) and "Small' (competition mode).

That is how I've trained and competed for the past 5 years or so. Rehbands are so easy to get on and off and you don't need to enlist a crowbar and the help of the neighbours to get them on. I'm all about training efficiency and wanting to get in/out of gym in the shortest time... so I turned my back on SBDs and walked in the shadowy valley...

Until... I thought why not just go two sizes up to XL... and if the XLs fit for general training.. then I can consider getting Ls for comp mode.

Long story short: I'm surprised that the XLs give so much support given that they feel quite loose to put on. Definetly they give about 50% more coverage than the Rehbands. Local distributor was out of Ls... so will have to wait a while before seeing if they will fit me for comps.

What size do you wear?