Return of the King

BossArky

Friday January 11th: Perth, evening

Squat (beltless)
60kg - 1x5
70kg - 1x3
80kg - 1x2
90kg - 1x5
70kg - 2x10

Face Pulls
setting 7 - 3x10
---
Deadlift ... brought grip in a finger width on both side and stance a bit closer too. Experimenting
60kg - 1x5
70kg - 3x5
---
Bench (all paused reps)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
70kg - 1x3
80kg - 1x2
85kg - 1x1
90kg - 1x1
70kg - 2x8

Seated Machine Row
35kg - 3x10
---
BB Curl
20kg - 1x5
30kg - 1x5
40kg - 1x8 ... left side 10kg plate seems to be more than the right side.... so not balanced..
40kg - 1x6
40kg - 1x4
---
Tricep Pushdown
Setting 10 - 1x10
Setting 12 - 1x10
Setting 14 - 1x10
---
DB Incline Press (seated)
25kg per arm - 1x10
25kg per arm - 1x8 ... couldn't get 10 again
---

Bodyweight around 80-81kg which is down about 4kg on couple of months ago before hols. Big 3 are light as early days of cycle. Assistance stuff failed here and there but not too bothered as carb depleted, cardio up and trying to loose some fat for the next couple of weeks before carbing up.

BossArky

Saturday January 12th: Perth

Cycle ~19.4km with BabyArky in the bike trailer. To the zoo and around. Got a puncture on the way back so walked a few km and put bike in for a service. Lovely weather!

BossArky

Sunday January 13th:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
75kg - 1x3
85kg - 1x2
95kg - 1x5
75kg - 2x10
---
Deadlift
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
95kg - 1x2
105kg - 1x5 ... planned to do 3 sets but lower left back a bit sore.

Chin Ups (parallel grip)
bodyweight - 3x6
---
Hamstring Curl
25kg - 1x10
30kg - 2x10

Seated Cable Row
30kg? - 3x10
---

Squats fine.

Deadlifts hurt a bit after first set on 105kg. Training deadlift too often. Need to only train it heavy once a week and not risk injury. Hence I stopped and subbed in Ham curls and Seated Rows.

Got so sunburnt yesterday. Sore!

BossArky

Tuesday January 15th: Perth, evening

YTWL warm up
3kg DB per arm at various reps and sets

Bench (all paused reps)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
70kg - 1x3
80kg - 1x2
87.5kg - 1x1
92.5kg - 1x1
72.5kg - 2x8

Chin Up (parallel grip)
bodyweight - 3x6 ... easy. Need to start doing more reps and adding more weight
---
BB Curl
20kg - 1x8
30kg - 1x5
40kg - 1x5

Dips
Bodyweight - 3x5
---
DB Incline Press (seated)
15kg per arm - 1x8
20kg per arm - 1x8
25kg per arm - 1x8
---

Was wondering if the paused 92.5kg on bench would be a bridge too far on the low cal/low carb 2 weeks I've been on. Managed it ok but probably more touch and go than paused. No one else around apart from two trainers stretching at the opposite end of gym so was half wondering if I'd staple myself.

Did lots of leg swings, my usual physio warm ups and stretching before benching. The leg swings seem to help my flexibility and bench arch. Usually feel quite tight in lower back and hip flexors when setting up on bench. Must incorporate leg swings more often going forwards.

No lowerbody today. Will do it tomorrow as just giving back a bit more time to right itself.

Had a great sleep after the above. Nice to be able to focus just on upper body for a change.

Things going well.

BossArky

Wednesday January 17th:

Glute Ham Raise (on Lat Pull Down seat)
~5x5 ... pretty happy to discover I can GHR on the Lat Pull Down. Always meant to try it. Need to tweak position a bit to by slightly more comfy

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x2
100kg - 1x5
80kg - 2x10 ... harder than they should have been as back sore
---
BB Shrug
60kg - 1x10
80kg - 1x10
100kg - 1x10

Rack Pull (i.e. Deadlift with a ROM of about 1 inch)
100kg - 1x10
140kg - 1x10 ... got to 7 before left grip went and had to reset
160kg - 1x4 ... left hand grip slipping badly. No chalk. Had to reset grip a couple of times
---
Hamstring Curl
40kg - 3x5
---

Good to try out GHR on Lat Pull Down, BB Shrug and Rack Pulls. Back still a bit sore so Squats achieved but felt twice as heavy as they should have.

BossArky

Thursday January 17th: Perth

Cycle ~9.2km with BabyArky in the bike trailer.

BossArky

Saturday January 19th: Perth, mid morning

Bench off pins (fist width off chest)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x2
100kg - 4x1 ... i.e 4 singles

Inverted Row
bodyweight - 3x6

Front Squat Shrug
20kg - 1x10 ... in Smith machine
30kg - 1x10
50kg - 1x10
60kg - 3x~12 ... in Squat rack
---

Chin Up (parallel grip)
bodyweight +5kg DB - 3x6 ... easy
---
BB Curl
20kg - 2x8

DB Incline Press (seated)
25kg per arm - 2x8
---

Was looking for a good yoke developer. Read about the Front Squat Shrug.... which basically is a shrug when holding the bar in the elbows up front squat position. Apparently this uses more trap than the normal barbell shrug, which just concentrates on upper trap. Felt it in my abs and upper back. Could be an interesting exercise to build up heavy.

Left the bench off pins at 4 singles on 100kg. Was gonna go 5 but there was a possibility of failure as 4 was very slow, so left it.

Some guy complemented me on my chin ups. Lol.

BossArky

Saturday January 19th: Perth

Cycle ~11.6km with BabyArky in the bike trailer.

BossArky

Was 79.9kg on the scales yesterday morning. Haven't been that light for a while. Carb cutting and lots of exercise doing the job. Too quickly though...

Will be back to putting on muscle after the next week is over.

BossArky

Sunday January 20th:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
80kg - 1x3
92.5kg - 1x2
102.5kg - 1x5
82.5kg - 2x10

Face Pulls
setting 7 - 3x10
---
45 Deg Leg Press
0kg - 1x10
20kg - 1x10
45kg - 1x10
---
Unilateral Machine Bench
0kg per arm - 1x10
10kg per arm - 1x10
20kg per arm - 1x10
10kg per arm - 1x10

BB Curl
20kg - 2x8

Standing Calf Raise
+60kg - 3x10
---

Good. Back still tender so Squats feeling terrible but just getting through them until back ok.

Not much energy due to cardio and training frequency.

First time using the leg press and unilateral bench machine thingy in this gym.

BossArky

Sunday January 27th: Perth

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
80kg - 1x3
95kg - 1x2
105kg - 1x5 ... ok but need more food, rest and recovery to continue getting these up to 137.5kg 1x5 reps in coming months
85kg - 2x10

Chin Ups
bodyweight + 6kg - 3x6
---
Front Squat Shrug
60kg - 1x12
70kg - 1x12
80kg - 1x12

One Arm DB Row
30kg per arm - 3x6
---
Barbell Shrugs
60kg - 1x12
80kg - 1x12
100kg - 1x12
---
Rack Deadlifts (just a tiny bit above knee level)
60kg - 1x8
80kg - 1x8
100kg - 1x8
120kg - 1x8
140kg - 1x8
---
BB Curl
20kg - 1x8

Glute Ham Raise (on Lat Pull Down, onto big bouncy ball so knees don't snap forwards at bottom)
bodyweight - 2x8
---

First training session in a week due to work trip to Singapore. Everyone I've met in the past couple of weeks has asked me if/why I've lost so much weight. It's time to revert this. Stopped off in petrol station on way home and got 2 x2litres of full fat milk. I'm not going to get drink a gallon a day like last time when peaking for Nov 12 comp... but will have more milk now and put the weight on slowly. Somewhere around 80/81kg at the moment. Need to get back up to around 86/87kg whilst keeping waist the same. Many of my work/casual clothes are so loose on the waist now. Even my work belt is too loose in the tightest hole.

I took my powerlifting belt in a hole last week and it fits fine. Amazing how a bit of an increase in calorie expenditure and a reduction in calorie intake can knock an inch or two so off your waist in a couple of months. Well, not amazing... but good to know. I'm currently sitting 5kg lighter than 2 months ago.

Rack Deadlifts are interestingly awkward. Had them at knee level. Felt like I was quadding the bar up for the first half of the movement, then it turned into the top of a deadlift. Weird feeling. Hoping I'll use these heavy and for high reps to build back up grip and the feel of having a heavy barbell my my hands.

BossArky

Monday January 28th:

Bench (paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
75kg - 1x3
82.5kg - 1x1
90kg - 1x1
95kg - 1x1 ... easy
100kg - 1xfail .... should have got it. Never mind. Maybe not set up properly on right side which faltered.
---
Incline DB Bench (slight incline)
30kg per arm - 3x6
---
Bench off pins (fist width off chest)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x3
100kg - 1xfail ... too much normal bench before
---
Tricep Pushdown
Setting 11 - 1x10
Setting 13 - 1x10
Setting 15 - 1x10
---
DB Curl
10kg per arm - 1x8
12.5kg per arm - 1x8
15kg per arm - 1x8

Barbell Curl
30kg - 3x8
---
Glute Ham Raise (on Lat Pull Down, onto big bouncy ball so knees don't snap forwards at bottom)
bodyweight - 3x8
---
Pull Down Abs
Setting 10 - 1x10
Setting 15 - 1x10
Setting 20 - 1x10
---

That was good. Just showing wifey some stuff (bench off pins and GHR off lat pulldown). Hence I went heavier than I would have on bench (for the 100kg attempt) as she was around to spot.

BossArky

Thursday January 31st:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
80kg - 1x3
100kg - 1x2
107.5kg - 1x5
87.5kg - 2x10

Chin Ups
bodyweight + 7.5kg - 3x6 ... handy
---
Front Squat Shrug
60kg - 1x12
80kg - 1x12
90kg - 1x12
---
Barbell Shrugs
60kg - 1x12
90kg - 1x12
105kg - 1x12 ... broken into 5, 5, 2 as bar kept slipping out of grip. No chalk and no knurling. Double overhand.
---
Rack Deadlifts (above shin & below knee level)
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x5
100kg - 1x5
---
DB Shrug
30kg - 3x12

Glute Ham Raise (on Lat Pull Down, onto various bouncy ball so knees don't snap forwards at bottom)
bodyweight - 3x8 ... settled on the best setup being feet on second lowest setting and ball being greeny/grey one.
---

Back a bit niggly after those rack deadlifts. They seem to start at such an awkward spot which is probably not the best position to be putting my back in i.e. just above mid shin/ just below knee. This puts the bar out in front of me in such a mechanically awkward place... as is the aim of the exercise I guess.

Figured out how to setup the lat pulldown to make the GHR not hurt knees at bottom. Got a video. Need to use a smaller ball so I can go lower.

Need to take on more calories during the days. Eating too little.

Planned out my Squat cycles to take me to comp at the end of April. I'll get up to a pb Squat of 137.5kg x5 in first week of March, then reset and get up to 140kg x5 just before comp at end of April. Let's go!

BossArky

Sunday Feb 3rd:

Surfing ~30 mins messing about with my new board from 7:30pm until dark. Nice feeling of freedom to be there alone in the evening watching the sun go down.

BossArky

Monday Feb 4th:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
85kg - 1x3
100kg - 1x2
110kg - 1x5
90kg - 2x10

Chin Ups
bodyweight + 8kg - 3x6 ... supersets with Squat. Easy. Half the gym watching. Lol
---
Glute Ham Raise (on Lat Pull Down, onto various bouncy ball so knees don't snap forwards at bottom)
bodyweight - 3x8

Barbell Curl
20kg - 1x5
40kg - 1x5
---

Training 4 days a week allows me to keep the sessions quicker and more focused. Squats were good, although back was aching on lower left afterwards. Hmmm.

Weighted Chins are easy. Looking forward to building these up.

Glute Ham Raise is cool to have back in the repertoire again.

Curls were fine to finish off.

BossArky

Tuesday Feb 5th:

YTWL warm up
3kg - lots x ~9 reps per set ... one set before each of the bench sets

Bench (paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
75kg - 1x3
82.5kg - 1x1
87.5kg - 1x1
92.5kg - 1x1 ... simple
97.5kg - 1x1 ... easy
100kg - 1x1 .... pretty easy.... probably would have been a bit too quick for a comp paused call... but it was so easy that I'm happy
80kg - 3x3
---
Incline DB Bench (steep incline)
25kg per arm - 3x8

Hanging Leg Raise
bodyweight - 3x8

Seated Row (machine)
40kg - 3x8
---
Tricep Pushdown
Setting 11 - 1x10
Setting 13 - 1x10
Setting 15 - 1x10

Calf Raise (standing, machine frame thingy)
+60kg - 1x10
+80kg - 1x10
+90kg - 1x10
---

Feeling really good.

Stretched out my piriformis before benching and they were so tight!! Back feeling way better now, and the pain from last night seems to have eased off.

It's always a good night when you bench 100kg.

BossArky

Friday Feb 15th:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
80kg - 1x3
100kg - 1x2
112.5kg - 1x5
92.5g - 2x10

Chin Ups
bodyweight + 10kg - 3x6 ... supersets with Squat. Felt strong
---
Glute Ham Raise (on Lat Pull Down, onto various bouncy ball so knees don't snap forwards at bottom)
bodyweight - 3x8

Barbell Curl
30kg - 3x8
---

Think that was it. Writing this 4 days later...

BossArky

Saturday Feb 16th:

Surfing in the morning

BossArky

Sunday Feb 17th:

Surfing in the morning and again in the evening

BossArky

Monday Feb 11th:

YTWL warm up
3kg per arm - lots x one set before each of the bench sets

Bench off pins (one fist width of chest)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x1
100kg - 1x1
105kg - 1x FAIL ... got it a couple of inches off the pins then it came down
100kg - 2x1 i.e. two singles. Was gonna do a third but second was slow on right so didn't want to push it and fail. Leave it in the tank, etc

Chin Ups
bodyweight + 10kg - 3x6 ... supersets with Squat. Felt strong
---
Dips
bodyweight - 3x10 ... pretty easy. Did them quickly

BB Curls
30kg - 3x10
---

Was fine. Back still niggly so did Bench today vs Squat.

Went to physio who said my unpronounceable left lower back muscle (QL - qaudrus lomborio??) is super tight. She elbowed it and thumbed it and did other painful stuff to loosen it up via trigger points. So sore. Think it helped a bit... but still slightly niggly writing this a day later. Hopefully will Squat later...

BossArky

Tuesday Feb 12th:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
85kg - 1x3
105kg - 1x2
115kg - 1x5
95kg - 2x10

Face Pulls
Setting 6 - 1x10
Setting 8 - 1x10
Setting 10 - 1x10
---
Leg Ext (one leg at a time)
10kg per leg - 1x10
15kg per leg - 1x10
---
Bulgarian Split Squat (with BB on back, rear foot on bench)
bodyweight - 1x5 per leg
bodyweight +20kg BB - 3x5 per leg
---
Hanging Leg Raise
3x8
---

Writing this 3 days later. Glutes were in bits following the Bulgarian Split Squat. So much DOMS agony which is odd cos they were light enough compared to the Squats beforehand. Squats seem to give me more DOMS on the outside of each glute cheek... where as the Bulgarians are more in the middle of each glute. Doing them to stretch out the hip flexors too.

BossArky

Friday Feb 15th:

YTWL warm up
3kg per arm - lots x one set before each of the bench sets

Bench
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
75kg - 1x3
82.5kg - 1x1
90kg - 1x1
95kg - 1x1
100kg - 1x1
102.5kg - 1x1 ... yay! Been a while. Spotter touched it but I was
82.5kg - 3x3

Chin Ups
bodyweight + 12kg - 3x6
---

Benched 102.5kg which was cool. Spotter touched it a bit on the way up, but I was over sticking point and had it so claiming that one. Feeling pretty strong on bench these days. Have been training it heavy twice a week recently.

I'm a lot leaner than before and the slow but steady gradual weight gain is going well. About 80/81kg now.

BossArky

Saturday Feb 16th:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
90kg - 1x3
107.5kg - 1x2
117.5kg - 1x5
97.5kg - 2x10

Face Pulls
Setting 6 - 3x10
---

Squats were harder than they should have been as didn't eat or sleep enough in the days prior to training, plus heavy benching the night before.

BossArky

Wednesday Feb 20th:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
90kg - 1x3
110kg - 1x2
120kg - 1x5 ... easy
100kg - 2x10 ... easy

Face Pulls
Setting 7 - 3x10
---
YTWL warm up
3kg per arm - 3 or 4x3 between bench sets

Bench off pins (one fist width of chest)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x1
100kg - 1x1
102.5kg - 1x1 ... alright but right side lagging behind left
82.5kg - 2x3
---
BB Curls
20kg - 2x10
30kg - 2x10

Bulgarian Split Squat (with BB on back, rear foot on bench)
bodyweight - 1x5 per leg
bodyweight +20kg BB - 1x5 per leg
bodyweight +30kg BB - 2x5 per leg
---

120kg x5 Squat was easy. Same with the 2x10 after on 100kg. Took 3 days off between last gym session and didn't bench the day before (which I seem to have been doing lately). Squat going well and looking forward to hitting some gym pbs in around 3 or 4 weeks.

I then decided to include some more Bulgarians to busy up my glutes. Sore today (the day after as I write).

I have been doing lots of trigger point release with a spikey ball for my QL (in lower back), glutes, and digging my fingers into belly towards hips/level with belly button to get deep into hip flexors. It feels weird initially but then once you get onto the muscle (feels like a taut guitar string) it seems to loosen out a bit whilst you raise you leg (when lying on back). Noticeably decrease in achy back in the past week since I've been hitting these three areas of trigger points. I've impressed.

BossArky

Saturday Feb 23rd: Perth

Cycle ~8km with BabyArky in the bike trailer

BossArky

Saturday Feb 24th: Perth

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
90kg - 1x3
112.5kg - 1x2
122.5kg - 1x5 ... fine
102.5kg - 2x10 ... fine

Face Pulls
Setting 6 - 3x10
---
YTWL warm up
3kg per arm - 3 or 4x3 between bench sets

Bench
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
75kg - 1x3
82.5kg - 1x1
90kg - 1x1
95kg - 1x1
100kg - 1x1 ... easy
85kg - 3x3 ... fine

Chin Ups (parallel grip)
bodyweight + 15kg - 3x5
---
DB Bench (incline)
22.5kg - 3x8

BB Curls
40kg - 3x5
---
Calf Raise (standing, machine frame thingy)
+40kg - 1x10
+60kg - 1x10
+80kg - 1x12

Tricep Pushdown
Setting 11 - 1x10
Setting 13 - 1x10
Setting 15 - 1x10
---

Squat, Chins Ups and Bench were good :pac:

BossArky

Sunday Feb 24rd: Perth

Cycle ~13km with BabyArky in the bike trailer

BossArky

Wednesday Feb 27th:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
90kg - 1x3
110kg - 1x2
125kg - 1x5 ... fine
105kg - 2x10 ... fine

Face Pulls
Setting 6 - 3x10
---
YTWL warm up
5kg per arm - 3sets of 3 reps (1 rep being a combined T, W and Y)
---
Chin Ups (parallel grip)
bodyweight + 15kg - 3x5
---
Bench off pins (one fist width of chest)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
92.5kg - 1x1
102.5kg - 1x1
82.5kg - 2x3

DB Curls
12kg per arm - 2x10 ... just something light
---

Squats were fine. Felt good. Some guy came over to be on my last warm up and asked how long I'd be using the rack. I told him 4 more sets and maybe 15 or 20 mins. He was fine with that. I was assuming he was gonna use the rack for Squats, so I got on with my stuff. When I finished he proceeded to Deadlift 80kg in front of the Squat rack... when he could have used anywhere else in a fairly spacious area. This meant I had to wait around for a while before going back into the rack to do my Bench off pins. Lesson learnt - ask why they want the rack first.

Chins are easy enough.

Bench off pins was easy too. Probably should put some kind of mat on the reebok step as I'm starting to get deep marks on my rear delts where they dig into the grips on the step. Kinda bloody.

BossArky

Saturday March 2nd:

Squat
60kg - 1x5
*belt*
90kg - 1x3
115kg - 1x2
127.5kg - 1x5 ... ughhhh
107.5kg - 2x10 ... death

Hamstring Curl
light - 1x10
not so light - 1x10
moderate - 1x10
---

Tip of the day: never ever ever ever ever attempt training at 9am when you were drinking the night before from 6pm-1am. Squats felt horrendously hard and tweaked back in the process. Writing this 4 days later and back seems to have recovered... but lesson learnt... don't train when not 100% (sober).

BossArky

Sunday March 3rd:

Swimming 12 lengths