Witty log title

OHP
72 x1
56 4x5, 1x7
46 x12
36 x17

Pull-Ups
BW 3x8

Chin-Ups
BW 4x6

I think that's my second time ever doing chin-ups. Hate them.

One Arm DB Press
Pricked around a good bit. Worked up to a 46.5kg DB push press and managed singles with both arms. I know I'm good for more but the space I'm doing it in is... limited. Both arms/shoulders seem to be of similar strength but I don't have the same control of my left side which makes it a lot trickier.

21.5kg DB 3x15 e/s strict press
36.5kg DB x5 e/s push press

Band Pull-Aparts
(pronated x15 + supinated x15 + overhead x15) x5

EZ Bar Curls
35kg 3x10
25kg 3x15

Had planned on benching tomorrow but I think my shoulders will be fried. They feel great these days: I used to be plagued with niggles and impingement but now all is well. I've been doing a bit too much pressing the past week but that'll balance out next week.

Back Squat
115 5x5

Been reading through Supple Leopard and I stumbled across Starrett's (controversial?) toes-straight-to-generate-more-torque argument. My toes are normally fairly straight (5-10 degrees off, maybe), so I really focused today on trying to hold external rotation. Felt... okay.

Bench
90 5x5 ... paused

Pull Ups + BTN Press
BW 4x6 + 42.5kg 4x6

Sumo DL
110 5x5

Front Squat
85 5x5

OHP
55 5x5

Pendlay Row
90 5x5

Plank
+20kg 5x 45s

Bench
92.5 x5,4,4,4,4

Back Squat
117.5 5x5

Absolutely brutal.

RDL
90 3x8

Back Extension
3x12 w/ 6 foot (15kg?) Oly bar held with snatch grip

Seated Cable Row
Pin 80 3x12

I think I'm eating too few carbs. I've been averaging around 200g a day the past week (3500kcal daily, ~220g of protein, ~180g of fat). I felt completely flat today. I felt like I could have failed on the squats from the first set. My diet has naturally radiated to the point it's now at, but I'm not sure if it's working. Need to find a way to add more carbs (unusual problem to have). Need to figure out what figure would suit my size (6'3", ~95kg).

Bench
92.5 x5,5,5,5,4 ... paused
80 x6 ... paused drop-set

Failed last rep by very little. I must have been grinding it out for ~10 seconds before the bar slowly started moving downwards. Ah well, I'll get 5x5 on Friday.

Back Squat
120 5x5

Ugly as hell. There were a few squats in there; the rest were good mornings.

Pull-Ups
BW x9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 ... took very little rest between sets, only a few seconds towards the end.

Face-Pulls
Pin 70 4x12

Roll-Outs from Knee
4x12

Overhand+underhand pull-aparts done between sets.

An hour of rolling (while watching the finale of True Detective. Great series.)

Sumo DL
115 5x5

Kinda feel like I'm wasting my time with these. But slow and steady...

Front Squat
87.5 5x5

OHP
57.5 5x5

Pendlay Row
80 5x7

Plank
+25kg 3x45s ... couldn't bring myself to do the other two sets. And there's no graceful way to place a 25kg plate on your own back.

Decided to push off today's session until tomorrow. Just works out better for the long weekend (won't be in the gym again until Tuesday at the earliest, so this way I have no more than 2 days off... I find if I take 3 days off motivation slips, especially with diet).

Spent an hour on mobility this morning (rolling, band dislocates, etc.) and I'll do the same again later, as well as some pull-aparts.

Bench
92.5 5x5 ... paused. Well, the final set wasn't paused for as long as usual, but it wasn't touch'n'go either. Somewhere between.
80 x8

Squat
122.5 5x5
100 x10

I've no idea what's gone wrong with my squat. It just feels so awkward and particularly weak. Either a) I've forgotten how to squat, or b) I'm over analysing it all and as a result not getting into a groove. Didn't do the usual pull-ups or RDLs because I couldn't have been arsed.

Alf Veedersane

Is it an on-going thing with your squat? I'm no expert but if it isn't or it's only a week or two, I wouldn't worry too much about it when you're hitting your marks. It happens sometimes and then you make a breakthrough and all is well again.

Alf Veedersane

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Is it an on-going thing with your squat? I'm no expert but if it isn't or it's only a week or two, I wouldn't worry too much about it when you're hitting your marks. It happens sometimes and then you make a breakthrough and all is well again.

It's felt awkward for a couple of weeks now, since I took a break from squatting for 7/8 days. Mobility is better than ever and depth is well below parallel, but it still just feels "wrong." I think I'm over-thinking it all: trying to externally rotate my legs, keep a neutral pelvis, brace, keep chest up... These are all things I sort of did anyway, but now I'm consciously thinking of them all. Buying Supple Leopard was a bad idea!

Alf Veedersane

Haha, I've been there! When you're consciously trying to make sure you're hitting all these little marks, you get caught up in whether or not you hit one of those marks.

It's a great book though. Just don't take everything as gospel. We don't need superfriends, for example. They do bad things.

Alf Veedersane

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Haha, I've been there! When you're consciously trying to make sure you're hitting all these little marks, you get caught up in whether or not you hit one of those marks.

It's a great book though. Just don't take everything as gospel. We don't need superfriends, for example. They do bad things.

Haven't picked the book up in a week and my squats already feel (slightly!) better!

The weekend was a blow-out with bad food, little sleep and lots of drink. Back on the wagon since yesterday. Anyway, today...

Bench
92.5 4x5, 1x4 ... paused.
80 3x8

Failed the last rep. Not too disappointed, though. I got 5 last week, but not paused, so I'll get it next time. Have a bit of a mental block with 95kg anyway...

Back Squat
130 x1
135 x1
125 5x5
100 x10

Major mental hurdle conquered. For some reason I've been dreading 125kg. I did singles at 130 and 135 just to make the 125 "feel" lighter. I've no apprehension for 127.5 and beyond... whatever it was about 125, it just freaked me out. Squats were slightly less awful than last time, but still fairly bad. My knees are collapsing in a little bit.

Pull Ups
BW 3x8

Wanted to do RDLs too but my left hamstring feels a little "poppy," if that makes sense? Didn't want to push it.

BW today was a tad under 92kg. That's down from tad over 94kg on the same scales in Raw from 6 weeks ago. Diet seems to be working because I'm definitely less fat but just as "strong."

Sumo DL
120 5x5

Was 100% certain my back was rounding like hell doing these so I asked COH to have a gawk (thanks for that, by the way!) and I was fairly shocked when he said there was zero rounding. Setup needs a lot of work. No two reps feel the same. Gonna stay adding 5kg per week for the foreseeable and see where it gets me.

OHP
60 5x5 ... felt fairly easy, surprisingly.

Front Squat
90 5x5

Form began to fall apart on the last rep or two of the final two or three sets. Elbows came down and I start falling forward, meaning very, very ugly reps. That's either weak/tired core or weak/tired upper-back. We'll see...

Pendlay Row
85 5x5 ... too easy for 5x5.

Very happy today. I wasn't going to bother going in because I was still fairly stiff and sore from Thursday but now I'm delighted I bothered.

Was supposed to squat and more today but my hips are a bit achy so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Roll Outs
Messed around with lots of standing partials, short ones and then longer ones to a wall. Need to find a progression to follow.

From knee
4x12

Band Pull Aparts
5 rounds of:
20 overhand
20 underhand
20 overhead behind the neck
10 dislocates

Band Face Pull
4x12

Band External Rotation
4x12 e/s

Band Rear Delt Flye
4x12 e/s

Rolling.

One of those days, today.

Bench
all paused
92.5 2x5 ... wasn't going to get another 3 sets so I threw the entire day's plan out the window.
95 x3
97.5 x2
100 3x1
97.5 x2
95 5x2
80 x5
70 x5
60 x5

Pull Ups
BW x10,10,8

Back Squat
127.5 2x5
120 x3
100 x5

RDL
100 3x8

Tricep cable rope things.

Not sure what to say. Maybe it was yesterday's upperback/core stuff that tired me out, or maybe my diet isn't working. Every fibre of muscle and bone from my hips to my knees has been aching the past few days, just as if it's all completely fried. I just had no energy out of the hole in the squat because of it, hell my legs feel tired standing up from a chair! I haven't been squatting/deadlifting so much that I could be anywhere close to overtraining, and my diet is fairly good, so I've no idea what the cause might be. Throwing all calorie considerations away for today/tomorrow in the hope of being recovered by Thursday. Getting fed up.

Sumo DL
125 5x5

This took ages. Had to rest so much between sets because it felt like the DLs were tearing my hips apart. Probably should have just stopped...

OHP
62.5 5x5 ... first 4 reps of each set were strict, last rep of each was a push-press.

Front Squat
92.5 3x3
95 3x3
97.5 x1 ... paused
100 x1 ... paused
102.5 x1 ... paused
105 x1 ... paused
80 x5 ... paused

Was meant to be 5x5 at 92.5, but I convinced myself I wouldn't have gotten it because my hips were a bit achy. In hindsight I was wrong.

Pendlay Row
90 5x5

That's the longest I've spent in the gym. Was in there about 3.5 hours, I think. Deadlifting + stretching my hips for DLing took the guts of two hours.

Pull Ups
all from a dead hang with a pause of about one second at the bottom
BW x5
+10kg 10x3
+5kg 5x5
BW 5x5

Standing One-Arm DB OHP
31.5kg DB ... 5 with my right arm was easy (could probably have managed 7/8), 1 with my left was tough... huge imbalance there. Didn't want to do more sets because I'd only be furthering the imbalance.

26.5kg DB 6x6 e/s

Seated DB OHP
21.5kg DBs 3x10

Roll-outs from Knee
3x12

Bench
92.5 x5,5,5,4,4 ... paused. Bah.
80 x6
70 x7
60 x8

Back Squat
127.5 5x5

Pendlay Row
90 5x5

RDL
100 3x8

Squats finally feel good again. Those reps were probably still as ugly as hell, but there's an improvement there. Bench isn't worth commenting on. 92.5 has been ****ing me over for a few weeks now.

I've a 3 week block of time commitment free from next Monday onward. I'm going to run Smolov Jr. for bench and back squat concurrently (unless someone has a good reason to recommend otherwise?), and then do some rows/pull-ups and RDLs after some sessions to balance things out a bit. I want more volume for both movements so Smolov Jr. seems like a good solution, but I've never ran anything like it before.

Going to use a 1rm of 105 for the bench, with the programme bringing that up to 110 by the end, and a 1rm of 140 for the squat, with the programme bringing that up to 150. Both 1rm figures are slightly conservative so it should be okay and the figures for the sessions look fairly manageable. Any comments welcome.

Alf Veedersane

No issue with running both at the same time but I wouldn't be doing rows, RDLs or pull-ups on workout days. Something a bit lighter might be fine but I'd err on the side of caution with any additional work.

Alf Veedersane

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

No issue with running both at the same time but I wouldn't be doing rows, RDLs or pull-ups on workout days. Something a bit lighter might be fine but I'd err on the side of caution with any additional work.

Do you think? The workload doesn't seem extreme with just bench and squats, but that could just be me being slightly naive. I'd like to do pull-ups on Mondays and Fridays, say, and rows on Wednesdays, and then maybe RDLs on Saturdays. Not huge weight or volume, but just enough to balance out all that pressing.

Alf Veedersane

gvn wrote: »

Do you think? The workload doesn't seem extreme with just bench and squats, but that could just be me being slightly naive. I'd like to do pull-ups on Mondays and Fridays, say, and rows on Wednesdays, and then maybe RDLs on Saturdays. Not huge weight or volume, but just enough to balance out all that pressing.

If you want to do anything, I'd keep it to the Mondays and Wednesdays. The 8 x 4 days are long sessions and you don't need to be messing with your recovery. A lot of people find their deadlift improves on the back of the squatting.

Keep the assistance to early in the week and keep it light. Well, that's my two cents.

Alf Veedersane

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

If you want to do anything, I'd keep it to the Mondays and Wednesdays. The 8 x 4 days are long sessions and you don't need to be messing with your recovery. A lot of people find their deadlift improves on the back of the squatting.

Keep the assistance to early in the week and keep it light. Well, that's my two cents.

You're too wise, Alf! I think I'll do that, then. Some pull-ups on Mondays and rows on Wednesdays and forget about the RDLs altogether. I couldn't hack 3 weeks without doing pull-ups. I'd be afraid the numbers I've built up to over the past months would fizzle away.

For my own reference (and any one who's interested), here's the plan:

Bench and squat.

I'm going to be a little braver and use 107.5 and 145 as a bench and squat 1rm, respectively.

Alf Veedersane

gvn wrote: »

You're too wise, Alf! I think I'll do that, then. Some pull-ups on Mondays and rows on Wednesdays and forget about the RDLs altogether. I couldn't hack 3 weeks without doing pull-ups. I'd be afraid the numbers I've built up to over the past months would fizzle away.

For my own reference (and any one who's interested), here's the plan:

Bench and squat.

I'm going to be a little braver and use 107.5 and 145 as a bench and squat 1rm, respectively.

Definitely don't do anything else on the Friday.

Just don't tax the lats too much before the heavier sessions at the end of the week.

The last 7 or 8 days have been a disaster food-, sleep- and training-wise. Went on a bit of a bender and had far too much drink and too little sleep. Have to postpone the Smolov Jr. cycles until next Monday, so the next week or so will just be improvisation again (with no squat rack).

I forgot how utterly shíte and wobbly this York bench is...

Bench
26 2x20
46 x10
66 x7 ... paused
76 x5 ... paused
paused trebles at 86, 91, 93.5, 94.5, 96, 97, 98
paused doubles at 98.5, 99.5, 101
paused singles at 102, 103.5, 104.5, 106
86 x7
81 x8
76 x8
71 x9
66 x10

Lots and lots of volume. All felt surprisingly good. It turns out the odd drink bender is a good thing for training.

Power Clean + Paused Front Squat + Push Press
46 (1+5+3)x5
51 3+5+3
56 3+5+3
61 3+5+1
66 3+5+0 ... couldn't pushpress any more, shoulders were fried
71 2+5
73.5 1+3
76 1+3
78.5 1+3
81 1+3

OHP
26 x10
36 x7
46 x5
trebles at 56, 58.5, 61, 63.5, 64.5
66 x2
singles at 67, 68.5, 69.5, 71
61 3x3
56 x5
46 x10

Aim from the outset was to work up to 66x3, but my shoulders were still completely bollocksed from Tuesday's benching, and I was struggling through the warm ups at 36/46kg. Didn't think I'd be able to get much more than a treble at ~56kg, so I can't really complain with that.

BTN Power-Jerk (Is that even a thing?)
Lots of reps at 26, 36, and 46kg. Just messing about really. Threw in some front/back squats with 30-60s pauses and tried some overhead squats... not happening. An aim for the next few months is to be able to overhead squat comfortably.

Pull-Ups
BW x5
+12.5kg 5x3 ... easy enough. Will see how far I can take weighted 5x3 over the next few weeks/months.
+15kg x1
+17.5kg x1
+20kg x1
+22.5kg x1
+25kg x1 ... called it quits here. Fairly sure I'd get 30kg or more if I was fresh.
BW 4x7


Donny Shankle has started uploading training sessions on Youtube. His latest is like something out of a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. Have to love the guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPXPr7hSmpU

Fish Finger Pie

gvn wrote: »

You're too wise, Alf! I think I'll do that, then. Some pull-ups on Mondays and rows on Wednesdays and forget about the RDLs altogether. I couldn't hack 3 weeks without doing pull-ups. I'd be afraid the numbers I've built up to over the past months would fizzle away.

For my own reference (and any one who's interested), here's the plan:

Bench and squat.

I'm going to be a little braver and use 107.5 and 145 as a bench and squat 1rm, respectively.

You're training the bench and squat FOUR times a week? :eek:

Fish Finger Pie

Fish Finger Pie wrote: »

You're training the bench and squat FOUR times a week? :eek:

That's the plan! Only for three weeks. Should be okay.

Alf Veedersane

Mate's just after doing the same and he's still alive...

Fish Finger Pie

gvn wrote: »

That's the plan! Only for three weeks. Should be okay.

Even that might be long enough to cause permanent damage to your joints esp. knees. I don't see the point in taking the chances. I mean how much is 3 weeks of training going to change your body anyway? Why risk injury?

It's more sensible to train your big exercises just once a week and make sure you fully recover between workouts. Add weight at rate of a pound or two a week and it'll soon mount up.