Return of the King

Friday Jan 22nd: Bench day 6 of 12

VT (two positions)
1.5kg - 1x10 both positions
4kg - 1x10 both positions

Bench (paused, comp grip, ring finger on ring)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x1
99kg - 3x5 ... worksets. Fine.

DB Lying Rev Fly
6kg - 3x10
---
Neck Training ... (+10kg on both 2nd & 3rd sets for first neck exercise)
Face Up Flexion - 3x10
Face Up Rotation - 3x10
Face Down Extension - 3x10
Face Down Rotation - 3x10

DB Curl
6kg per arm - 1x10
8kg per arm - 1x10
10kg per arm - 1x10

DB Standing Shoulder Press
6kg per arm - 1x10
8kg per arm - 1x10
10kg per arm - 1x10
---
Incline Push Ups (on bench)
3x10

Lateral Raise
6kg per arm - 3x10
---

Bench 99kg 3x5.

Got covid vaccine in the morning and was in the gym about 2 hours later. Could feel myself getting more ill as the sets progressed - as the vaccine got stuck into me. Ended up with a fever/headache/cough again which largely passed within 24 hours.

Monday Jan 25th: Squat day 7 of 12

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
**add belt**
100kg - 1x3
120kg - 1x1
140kg - 1x5 ... work set.
---
Ab Wheel
3x10

GHR
3x10
---

Squat 140kg - x5. Felt fine.

Sinuses still feeling a bit bunged up - can feel them as pressure builds in head on top set. Coughing almost gone.

Friday Jan 29th: Bench day 8 of 12

VT (two positions)
1.5kg - 1x10 both positions
4kg - 1x10 both positions

Bench (paused, comp grip, ring finger on ring)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
95kg - 1x1
109kg - 3x3 ... worksets. Fine.

DB Lying Rev Fly
6kg - 3x10
---
Neck Training ... (+10kg on both 2nd & 3rd sets for first neck exercise)
Face Up Flexion - 3x10
Face Up Rotation - 3x10
Face Down Extension - 3x10
Face Down Rotation - 3x10

DB Curl
6kg per arm - 1x10
8kg per arm - 1x10
10kg per arm - 1x10

DB Standing Shoulder Press
6kg per arm - 1x10
8kg per arm - 1x10
10kg per arm - 1x10
---
Vulcan DB Curl
1.5kg per arm - 1x10
4kg per arm - 1x10
6kg per arm - 1x10

Lateral Raise
6kg per arm - 3x10
---
JM Blakey Front Delt Isolation
3 ascending sets of 10 reps up to 4kg per arm
---
JM Blakey Tricep Isolation
3 light grey band sets of 10 reps
---

Bench 109kg 3x3.

Weighing around 82.5kg so lost a bit of weight in recent weeks due to illness. Debating whether I scrap this cycle and do a couple months of eating/bodybuilding. Will think about it in coming days.

Lower left back sore from something. It felt bad a few hours after Squats on Monday - but don't remember injuring it during them. It may also be from violent coughing. Hence did Bench today and skipped Squats yesterday. Will see if I can combine Squats and Deads tomorrow to keep on track.

Saw some good JM Blakey delt and tricep tips on the EliteFTS youtube channel so tried those out.

Monday Feb 1st: Squat deload / mess about

SSB
32kg - 1x5
42kg - 5x5 ... light stuff
---
Ab Wheel
3x10

GHR
3x10
---

Cut Squat cycle short after 8 of the planned 12 sessions. Went nice and light today on SSB to feel out lower left back. Got through the session fine and feeling good mentally that there is a Squat deload and back (left SI joint?) isn't sore.

Will probably keep Bench and Deadlift cycles going for the next two weeks and finish them off as planned with the final 4 & 2 sessions respectively.

Bought some protein online for the first time in about 5 years. Sipped on it as I trained.

Thursday Feb 4th: Squat deload / mess about

SSB
47kg - 5x5 ... light stuff
---
Ab Wheel
3x10

GHR
3x10
---

Early morning Squat deload. Felt good.

Saturday Feb 6th: Deadlift deload

Deadlift
60kg - 1x5
100kg - 3x5 ... deload.
---
Neck Extension (harness)
+5kg - 3x10 ... easing into this movement with harness
---

Quick deload Deadlift & harness neck extensions.

Writing this the next day and neck feels fine. Just easing into it. Just got that feeling where your body mildly realizes, and likes, that some dormant muscles got used. No serious DOMS, etc, which is good. Will gradually increase weights in coming weeks & months.

Tuesday Feb 9th: Bench day 11 of 12

Bench (paused, comp grip, ring finger on ring)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
95kg - 1x1
109kg - 2x4f ... worksets. Failed on 2nd set 4th rep so dropped down on neck set.
100kg - 1x4 ... back off

Pull Ups
3x6
---
Neck Training ... (+10kg on both 2nd & 3rd sets for first neck exercise)
Face Up Flexion - 3x10
Face Up Rotation - 3x10
Face Down Extension - 3x10
Face Down Rotation - 3x10
Neck Flex Curl: +7kg - 3x10
Neck Flex Extension: +7kg - 3x10
Neck Flex Rotation (light black band) per side: 3x10
Neck Flex Curl (light black band): 3x10
Neck Flex Extension (light black band): 3x10
Neck Flex Lateral (light black band) per side: 3x10
---
Barbell Curl
20kg - 3x10
---
Incline DB Bench
22kg per arm - 3x10

DB Lateral Raise
6kg per arm - 3x10
---

Bench is suffering from loads of walking, not eating enough and the drop in volume from 6 to 3 sets. Looking forward to getting back to higher volume at more moderate weights to build muscle on a surplus. I like my daily walks (typically morning and evening which usually add up to 10k+ steps) but they are definitely eating into my calories and I need to out eat them.

Plan was to Bench 109kg 3x4, but failed on final rep of 2nd set so dropped back to a final (i.e. third) set on 100kg x4.

Spent a good 40 mins or so at the end of the workout playing around with the neck training with chains, weights and bands. Enjoyable. Need to figure out where to put certain neck movements on certain days so it fits in seamlessly and doesn't prolong workouts.

Note to self: I don't like pull-ups (palms away). Feels slightly weird on shoulders. Not sure it is worth doing them going forwards. Should change to parallel or palms to face grip.

Friday Feb 12th: Bench day 12 of 12

VT (two positions)
1.5kg - 1x10 both positions
4kg - 1x10 both positions

Bench (paused, comp grip, ring finger on ring)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x1
100kg - 1x1
114kg - 1x3 ... workset. Final rep took about 5 secs. Got it :pac:
20kg - 1x45 ... was planning 100. Revised it down to 50 when the burn kicked in at rep 25. Then miscounted and racked at 45. Felt it all in the triceps at the end. A good finisher to include more often for tricep burnout
6kg per arm - 1x45 ... because the DBs were lying there

DB Lying Rev Fly
6kg - 3x10
---
Neck Training ... (+10kg on both 2nd & 3rd sets for first neck exercise)
Face Up Flexion - 3x10
Face Up Rotation - 3x10
Face Down Extension - 3x10
Face Down Rotation - 3x10
Neck Flex Curl: +9kg - 3x10
Neck Flex Extension: +9kg - 3x10
---

DB Curl
6kg per arm - 1x10
8kg per arm - 1x10
10kg per arm - 1x10

DB Standing Shoulder Press
6kg per arm - 1x10
8kg per arm - 1x10
10kg per arm - 1x10
---

Bench 114kg x3 which was exactly the correct weight to finish the cycle on. Last rep took about 5 secs.

Finished off with a few burn out high rep sets on the bar and light DBs.

Monday Feb 15th: Squat day 1 of ?

SSB
60kg - 5x5 ... light stuff

Deadlift (Fat Gripz)
60kg - 3x5

Ab Wheel
3x10

GHR
3x10

DB Shrug (alternating)
1kg per arm - 1x10
4kg per arm - 1x10
6kg per arm - 1x10
---
Neck Flex
Curl: +10kg - 3x10
Extension: +10kg - 3x10
---

SSBs and light assistance on first day of new cycle.

Going to take a different approach & feel this cycle out as I progress in a repeatable three day format (Squat & Deadlift, Bench & Shoulders, Off). Aim is to stay in a calorie surplus and build muscle. Start light and see how much I can build up the Big 3 before reset.

Thursday Feb 18th: Squat day 2 of ?

SSB
65kg - 5x5 ... light stuff

Deadlift (Fat Gripz)
65kg - 3x5

Ab Wheel
3x10

GHR
3x10

DB Shrug (alternating)
1kg per arm - 1x10
4kg per arm - 1x10
6kg per arm - 1x10
---
Neck Flex
Curl: +12kg - 3x10
Extension: +12kg - 3x10
---

Early days in this block. Just light stuff but getting it done to lay the deload foundations for weeks to come.

Monday Feb 22nd: Squat day 3 of ?

SSB
72kg - 5x5 ... light stuff

Deadlift (Fat Gripz)
66kg - 3x5

Ab Wheel
3x10

GHR
3x10

DB Shrug (alternating)
6kg per arm - 3x10
---
Neck Flex
Curl: +5kg x10, +10kg x5, +13kg x10
Extension: +5kg x10, +10kg x5, +13kg x10
---

Some Squats & stuff. Building, building.

Wednesday Feb 24th: Shoulders/Chins day 3 of ?

Military Press
22kg - 3x10

Chin Up (parallel grip)
9, 9, 8
---
Barbell Curl
22kg - 3x10
---
Neck Training
Neck Flex Rotation (light black band) per side: 3x10
---

Nice & refreshing to do this stuff on a dedicated day vs. combining with yesterdays Bench.

Friday Feb 26th: Bench day 4 of ?

Bench (paused, comp grip, ring finger on ring)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
75kg - 5x5 ... light stuff building up
85kg - 1x5 ... BenchBlokz from here down
95kg - 1x5
105kg - 1x5

Band Row (heavy red)
3x10 ... used Fat Gripz on last set

Neck Training ... (+5 and 10kg on both 2nd & 3rd sets respectively for first neck exercise)
Face Up Flexion - 3x10
Face Up Rotation - 3x10
Face Down Extension - 3x10
Face Down Rotation - 3x10

DB Lateral Raise
8kg per arm - 3x10
---

Realized on the final Benchblokz set on 105kg x5 that I should set the safeties higher than normal else I'll end up with the blokz implanted in my chest if I fail. Good session.

Monday March 1st: Squat day 5 of ?

SSB
82kg - 5x5

Paused Deadlift (Fat Gripz)
68kg - 3x5

Ab Wheel
3x10

GHR
3x10

DB Shrug (alternating)
10kg per arm - 3x10
---
Neck Flex
Curl: +2.5kg 1x10, +5kg 2x10
Extension: +5kg x10, +10kg x5, +15kg x10
---

Gradually increasing the weight.

Wednesday March 3rd: Shoulders/Chins day 5 of ?

Military Press
24kg - 3x10

Chin Up (parallel grip)
10, 9, 9
---
Barbell Curl
24kg - 3x10
---
Neck Training
Neck Flex Rotation (light black band) per side: 3x10
---

First time doing a set of 10 chins in a while. Adding 1 rep each session to 1 of the 3 sets.