Return of the King

BossArky

Saturday April 4th:

Squat
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x5
70kg - 1x2
80kg - 1x2
90kg - 1x2
100kg - 1x1
110kg - 1x0 ... fail
60kg - 3x8

Front Squat
20kg - 1x8
30kg - 1x8
40kg - 1x8
50kg - 1x4 ... probably the most I've front squatted thus far
30kg - 1x8
---
Skipping
~7 mins
---

BossArky

Saturday April 4th (afternoon)

Walk 5.6km

BossArky

Sunday April 5th:

Walk 5.6km
---
Stop A:
Skipping ~15 mins
---
Stop B:
Skipping ~5 mins

Dips
BW - 2x8

Inverted Rows Type 1
BW - 2x10

Press Ups on Parallel Bars
1x20
1x15

Inverted Rows Type 2
BW - 2x10
---

Got a video of each of the above to check form. Don't know why I didn't think of doing the push ups on parallel bars before. Great ROM vs standard push ups.

The point of my walk today was to do a max set of pull ups on one of the many goalposts scattered around the marshes. However, they seemed pretty flimsy and the "Danger, do not swing on crossbar - serious injury may occur" signs put me off. I have done pull ups on these before and found the bar is pretty bouncy, so not the best for strict form. I'll save the pull ups for the gym.

BossArky

Tuesday April 7th:

Squat
20kg - 1x8 ... warm up

Good Morning
20kg - 1x8 ... warm up
---
Deadlift
60kg - 1x8
80kg - 1x3
100kg - 1x3
110kg - 5x5

Shoulder Press (standing, dumbbell)
22kg per arm - 5x5
---
Bent Over Row (barbell)
50kg - 3x10
---
External Rotation (pulley)
1.25kg per arm - 2x15

Hanging Leg Raise
1x10 ... feet to hands
1x10 ... knees to chest
---

Restarted my 5x5 today after about 5 weeks off. Hopefully I will following this progression on the 5x5 deadlift on Tuesday morning over the next 8 weeks:

110, 115, 120, 125 ..., 115, 120, 125, 130

Will squat heavy 5x5 on Thursdays too. Bench 5x5 and pull ups on Saturdays.

BossArky

Thursday April 9th:

Squat
20kg - 1x10 ... left hip felt a bit sore. Noticed this when warming up squats the last few times. Goes away after a few mins
60kg - 1x5
90kg - 5x5 ... felt heavy. First time doing heavy sets for a while so I suppose that is to be expected
---
Bench Press
20kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x3
70kg - 5x5 ... fine
---
Face Pulls
20kg - 3x8

Hanging Leg Raise (feet to hands)
1x5
1x4 ... lost grip mid way through 5th rep and kinda fell off. Palms away and slippy hands = no no
---

Good session as I managed to get both squat and bench in.

BossArky

Friday April 10th:

Walking lots: maybe 10km around West London taking in the Regents Park, the Zoo, Primrose Hill, the canal, Lords cricket ground, Maida Vale, Abbey Road....

BossArky

Satuday April 11th:

Skipping ~7 mins
---
Pull Ups (and some chins)
BW - 1x13 ... palms away, video to follow. Was aiming for 14
BW - 1x4 ... neutral grip, knackered from previous set. Didn't rest long enough
BW - 1x6 ... palms towards face so actually chins but easier to write it as part of the pull up list here
BW - 1x1 ... later on, palms away, on smith machine frame not bar
BW - 1x5 ... later on, palms towards face, on smith machine bar

Hanging Leg Raises
1x6 ... as a superset with the 2nd set of neutral grip pull ups above. I was mortified that my power had gone and had to do something instead of just hanging there
---
Ab Pulldown (high puley)
27.5kg - 3x15
---
Hang Clean
20kg - 1x10
---
Power Clean
40kg - 1x5
50kg - 1x5
55kg - 1x3 ... dodgy form, more of a muscle up
50kg - 3x5 ... better
---
Bent Over Row
50kg - 3x10
---
Face Pulls
20kg - 2x8
---

Good. Happy with the 1x13 pull up (palms away ) having not done then like this since last September. The handles you'll see in the video are a bit too wide in my opinion. If I had a "proper" bar I'd probably grip it a bit narrower. I guess the wider grip makes them harder and better though.

I sussed out the smith machine frame and bar later and could probably manage palms away pull ups on both bits. Bar is a bit thicker and slippier than ideal... but it'll do.

Pleased to get in the power clean too as it is something which I've neglected in the last while.

Trying to get more rowing in going forwards too.

BossArky

BossArky wrote: »

Sunday April 5th:

Stop B:
Skipping ~5 mins

Dips
BW - 2x8

Inverted Rows Type 1
BW - 2x10

Press Ups on Parallel Bars
1x20
1x15

Inverted Rows Type 2
BW - 2x10

Here is the video of some of the stuff above. Form can improve on a few:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUzU0OlvDQ

BossArky

BossArky wrote: »

Satuday April 11th:

Pull Ups (and some chins)
BW - 1x13 ... palms away, video to follow. Was aiming for 14


Good. Happy with the 1x13 pull up (palms away ) having not done then like this since last September. The handles you'll see in the video are a bit too wide in my opinion. If I had a "proper" bar I'd probably grip it a bit narrower. I guess the wider grip makes them harder and better though.

Today's pull ups 1x13:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE8q_fiKjRA

Satan Polaroid

How inspiring is this thread?

(Rhetorical question :pac:)

BossArky

Monday April 13th:

Run 5km (27:48 mins, ~430 cals) ... starting at 10kmph & increasing by 0.1kmph every 300ms. Up to 11.6kmph by the end
---

Gym way too packed to deadlift. Have been neglecting cardio in the past while so started running again today. Quads feeling like jelly now, was a gentle run to get back into it.

itsallaboutheL

man ithink you should seriously consider bottling your motivation and selling it on a supplement site!

cardio,shoot me

might have to start alog soon, seems like all the cool kids are doing it (apologies in advance if i rob your format! ) :P

BossArky

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

man ithink you should seriously consider bottling your motivation and selling it on a supplement site!

:pac:

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

might have to start alog soon, seems like all the cool kids are doing it (apologies in advance if i rob your format! ) :P

Lol. Go for it!

BossArky

Monday April 13th (afternoon):

Walk 5.6km

BossArky

Tuesday April 14th:

Squat
30kg - 1x5 ... warm up for deadlift

Good Morning
30kg - 1x5 ... warm up for deadlift
---
Deadlift
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
100kg - 1x3
115kg - 5x5 ... first set double overhand, the rest mixed grip
---
Bent Over Row
50kg - 3x10

BossArky

Thursday April 16th:

Squat
20kg – 1x8
60kg – 1x4
95kg – 5x5 … felt heavy
---
Bench Press
20kg – 1x10
60kg – 1x3
72.5kg – 5x5 … felt fine

BossArky

Saturday April 18th:

Close Grip Bench Press
20kg - 1x10
40kg - 1x10
60kg - 1x10
70kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x8
40kg - 1x10
20kg - 1x50
---
Hang Clean
20kg - 2x5
30kg - 2x5
40kg - 2x5
50kg - 2x5
60kg - 3x1 ... pb, yay. Each one tough
---
Stiff Leg Deadlift
60kg - 5x8

Floor Press (smith machine)
40kg - 1x10
70kg - 4x10 ... smith pin stuck on one side so could only get half ROM down to about 3 inches above chest
---
Squat
60kg - 1x20
---
Glute Machine :pac:
10kg per leg - 1x5
20kg per leg - 1x5
30kg per leg - 1x5
---
Pull Ups
BW + 11kg - 1x5
BW + 11kg - 1x4
BW + 11kg - 1x3 ... first 3 sets were neutral grip
BW - 1x5 ... wide, palms away
BW - 1x3 ... palms to face

Ab Pull Down
31.25kg - 2x10

Face Pulls
21.75kg - 3x8
---

Tried a few new things today: close grip bench and floor press. Hopefully these will move me further along the road to the 100kg bench.

Used the glute machine for the first time too.

Hang Clean was good. Pleased with 60kg. Traps were aching by the end.

Squats after stiff leg deads felt so easy. I'm including high rep low weight squats again. I think the heavy 5x5 on Thursday is not enough.

BossArky

Tuesday April 21st:

Pull Through
11kg - 1x10 ... warm up for deadlift
21kg - 1x10
13 or 16kg - 1x5 ... was aiming for 10 reps. These killed me
---
Deadlift
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
100kg - 1x1
120kg - 5x5 ... ok, later sets getting easier

Shoulder Press (dumbbell, standing)
18kg per arm - 5x5 ... easy, medium weight
---
Shrugs
20kg plate per arm - 3x10
---

Pleased that the 5x5 deadlift didn't feel too bad this morning. I'm hoping that has something to do with using the Pull Through as a new warm up. First time ever doing them. They are hard! Thought I wouldn't be able to deadlift after the Pull Though as my lower back was knackered even though the weight looks very light.

The press & shrug was just filler.

79kg last night. Forgot to weigh myself this morning.

BossArky

BossArky wrote: »

Tuesday April 14th:

Deadlift
115kg - 5x5 ... first set double overhand, the rest mixed grip

Here is the first set of the 115kg 5x5 deadlift from last week. 120kg this week actually felt easier, probably as I warmed up more. As the sets go on they seem to get easier.

I pull some faces in this :cool:.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO4RsZ81OGI

Any tips / comments on my form... let me know

brianthebard

Might just be me but I think your hips are coming up a bit too early, making it harder for yourself. The pull thrus that you've added in recently should help with that though. Otherwise looked solid.

kevpants

brianthebard wrote: »

Might just be me but I think your hips are coming up a bit too early, making it harder for yourself. The pull thrus that you've added in recently should help with that though. Otherwise looked solid.

I think he's not bad in that respect. If you check out the pic attached you can see the bar is off the ground and the knees are still pretty bent so he's using the hamstrings to get it up a bit which is good.

The only bit that troubles me is the little rocking, calf raise thing at the top and I think I know what it is. I think you are locking it out using your lower back and not by squeezing your glutes and driving your hips forward. In other words you're pulling up and not back. The good news is if you're not pulling with your glutes you've been keeping the body's biggest muscle in reserve up till now!

Before you deadlift do some glute activation work, there's loads of instructional stuff online and try and concentrate on squeezing them during the lift. What will happen is when the bar is halfway up your thighs your hips will just come through towards it rather than you having to pull it up any further. Your heels should stay well and truly planted when this happens.

Obviously it will help in getting up that far as well due to the muscle mass you'll be recruiting.

bigstar

hey bossarky i think your the man to ask about pullups.
im finding a huge drop off from one set to another. yesterday i started with 8 and after a fair rest could only manage 3 with 1 just about getting up.

did you find anything similar when you started doing them, did it get any better.

good log btw.

celestial

kevpants wrote: »

I think he's not bad in that respect. If you check out the pic attached you can see the bar is off the ground and the knees are still pretty bent so he's using the hamstrings to get it up a bit which is good.

The only bit that troubles me is the little rocking, calf raise thing at the top and I think I know what it is. I think you are locking it out using your lower back and not by squeezing your glutes and driving your hips forward. In other words you're pulling up and not back. The good news is if you're not pulling with your glutes you've been keeping the body's biggest muscle in reserve up till now!

Before you deadlift do some glute activation work, there's loads of instructional stuff online and try and concentrate on squeezing them during the lift. What will happen is when the bar is halfway up your thighs your hips will just come through towards it rather than you having to pull it up any further. Your heels should stay well and truly planted when this happens.

Obviously it will help in getting up that far as well due to the muscle mass you'll be recruiting.

Absolutely, I was a bit surprised by these as I don't think I've seen you dl'ing like this before. In the vid it looks like you're pulling with your back - def focus on driving with the heels of your feet - in other words think of your legs as the drivers of the movement, with your hips (and therefore your back) acting like a hinge in the movement.

Reckon you'll be lifting even heavier right now if you focus on that!!

BossArky

Thursday April 23rd:

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
100kg - 5x5 ... video of second set to follow. Lots of grunting but they were good
---
Bench Press
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x3
75kg - 3x5 ... spotter touch on 2nd and 3rd sets. Get away from the bar you muppet, I'm fine!
75kg - 1x4 ... muppet spotter, spot the muppet, ran out of steam physically and mentally
60kg - 1x5
---
Ab Pull Down (kneeling, high pulley)
27.25kg - 3x15

Hanging Leg Raise (feet to hands)
3x5
---
Barbell Curl :pac: (mini studio bar)
25 or 30kg - 2x8
---

Squat was great. I recorded the second set to check depth.

I probably wouldn't have managed the 75kg 5x5 on the bench. The first 3 sets were fine, but I wouldn't have counted it as a successful 5x5 as the spotter kept pulling the bar up with his fingers on the last inch or so. Don't know why, as this is mechanically the easiest part and I wasn't struggling. Annoyed about this and it may have been a factor for the 4th set failure.

He disappeared for my 5th set so I reduced the weight so I wouldn't get stapled alone. He was a nice guy, but should have kept his paws off the bar.

Thanks for the deadlift comments / input in the posts above. I'll reply to them later when I get more time.

Hanley

Deadlift look pretty good tbh... Seems like you were crowding the bar a bit on the first rep.

I'd also say on the way down, break at the hips first and not the knees.

And stop faffing about with double overhand You're seriously limiting what you can pull!

BossArky

BossArky wrote: »

Squat
100kg - 5x5 ... video of second set to follow. Lots of grunting but they were good

I recorded the second set to check depth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6woE8QJumQ

BossArky

brianthebard wrote: »

I think your hips are coming up a bit too early

I was thinking this myself, especially on the 1st rep. I don't feel tight or solid enough.

kevpants wrote: »

If you check out the pic attached you can see the bar is off the ground and the knees are still pretty bent so he's using the hamstrings to get it up a bit which is good.

You're like Andy Gray on Sky Sports with his freeze frame captures! :pac: Good catch.

kevpants wrote: »

I think you are locking it out using your lower back and not by squeezing your glutes and driving your hips forward.

Before you deadlift do some glute activation work, there's loads of instructional stuff online

Yesterday I googled "glute activation" after reading your tips above. My screen ended with some non work friendly stuff which I had to shut down asap. Went red as a beetroot.

I will definetly research this further. Great suggestion.

celestial wrote: »

I don't think I've seen you dl'ing like this before.

Yeah, I realised recently that the majority of my videos are squats. I need to sort this out.

Hanley wrote: »

I'd also say on the way down, break at the hips first and not the knees.

I'll have to practice this. I know what you mean, but my proprioception is a bit off.

Hanley wrote: »

And stop faffing about with double overhand You're seriously limiting what you can pull!

I just did the first set double overhand to help build up my grip. I know what you mean though.


Thanks for the advice all :pac:

BossArky

bigstar wrote: »

hey bossarky i think your the man to ask about pullups.
im finding a huge drop off from one set to another. yesterday i started with 8 and after a fair rest could only manage 3 with 1 just about getting up.

did you find anything similar when you started doing them, did it get any better.

Is 8 your 1 set max?

If I do a high rep first set my next sets suffer.

e.g
set 1 might be 13 (a max out)
set 2 might be 6
set 3 might be 3
set 4 would a struggle

Don't go anywhere near failure on the 1st set. If your 1 rep max is 8 try something like 6 sets of 3, instead of "8, 3, 1, death".

This is what I would do when aiming for 50: 5 sets of 8, and 2 sets of 5.

See if that helps. Keep adding sets, then reps later.

bigstar wrote: »

good log btw.

Thanks Good luck with yours & keep it up.

bigstar

thanks, that makes sense. hadnt thought of that.