Alex_uk: 40 years in the making

[alex_uk]

T&T w4 d3

Ohp- 40, 50, 60kg X some 65kg X 5 X 4 sets
2 mins rest (3 on the last set, wanted to get all the reps and knew the 1 min would ensure that).

Lat raises: 12.5kg X 10 X 4 set
90 secs rest

Upped the weight here, still keeping it muscle focused, which is good.

Arnold press: 20g X 10, 10, 9
45 secs rest

Pig! Next session this better be 10 X 3! Still improvements on LR and Arnie press, ohp is equal this week, but it’s been 17 days in between this session and the last shoulder session and I’m a little bit lighter so I’ll call that wins all round.

Dips: 10kg X 12 X 4 sets
90 secs rest

Upped the reps, the checked the program this was only supposed to be 3 sets, been wrong every week, and up to 10 reps, so I’ll do that next week and up the weight.

Cable rope overhead ext: 40kg X 12 X 3 sets
90 sec rest
S/s
Dec crunches: 10 X 3 sets

Cable pushdown: 40kg X 12 X 3 sets
45 secs rest
+1 s/s Dec crunches X 10

These groups moved well, smooth and muscle focused again, weight can increase here.

Another session ticked off!

[alex_uk]

T&T w4 d4 (longest training week in history! 20 days since the last legs session!)

Belt squat:

70kg X 15 X 4 sets

90 secs rest

SSB: 60, 80, 100kg X some, 120kg X 8 x 5 sets

3 mins rest

Upped the weight, kept the reps but allowed more recovery to ensure everything was hit. Knee seems significantly better, maybe not training it for 20 days? Weird new thing though, pain in my calf at the bottom of the squat only the right calf, running down the outter edge, unless there’s some wisdom here I’m inclined to fix it the same way I did my knee, move around it if possible until it’s better (ignore it!). Love discovering how much my brain is attempting to stop me do this stuff, got a real sensation that if I did set 5 I’d injure myself, badly, very convincing, not the thought you want in your head going in to a set, but it was fine, just my brain trying to get me to opt out of doing the hard stuff (which shouldn’t be as hard as it is at this point in my lifting life), also I really do hate doing multiple top sets, surely 1 is enough, nobody needs 5 top sets!

Pretty brutal, will be feeling that tomorrow!

Lying cable hammy curl: 40kg X 15 X 4 sets

90 sec rest

Started here to give my lower back some rest and stretch. This starts off feeling so light, by the second set it’s torture!

RDL: 60, 80kg X some, 100kg X 6 X 4 sets
S/s
Calf raises: 120kg X 8 x 6 sets
90 secs rest

Absolutely ruined after that.

[alex_uk]

Week 5, finally! D1

Poundstones: 20kg axle X 100

Bench: 60, 70, 80, 90, 100kg x some, 110kg X 5 X 5 sets
S/s
Ez curls: 28, 38, 48kg X some, 50.5kg X 5 X 4 sets

Rest 2 mins for first 3 sets, 3 mins for last two, that’s a sizeable jump on the bench, which was fine, but more PL style, definitely felt it in the chest though, so it’s all good, I’d guess that’s a volume PR, will hold weight here until it I own it a bit more.

Inc DB: 25kg X some, 35kg X 8 x 3 sets
S/s
Straight bar narrow grip cable curls: 40kg X some, 50kg x 10 X 4 sets

90 secs rest

Cable flyes: 20kg x 12 X 2 high to low (setting 2), 2 X 8 low to high
S/s
Ez Preachers: 18kg X 15, 15, 15

45 sec rest.

That cable fly was way more difficult than it should have been. Over all good session, DOMs is significant from yesterday, imagine this will give DOMs as well and by tomorrow 90% of my body will be moaning at me!

Random question, @QuadQueen hope you don’t mind me tagging you here, I love garlic, and it’s got a lot of purported health benefits, but it gives me gas big time, presumably that means my body doesn’t like it, but does that mean I don’t get health benefits from it or I do but I just have to put up with gas? Which I’m ok with, my wife less so. Or as with all things body related is the answer more complex?

[QuadQueen]

@alex_uk

@QuadQueen hope you don’t mind me tagging you here,

Tag away! I love being helpful if I can!

@alex_uk

I love garlic, and it’s got a lot of purported health benefits, but it gives me gas big time, presumably that means my body doesn’t like it, but does that mean I don’t get health benefits from it or I do but I just have to put up with gas?

My guess is that it’s probably a FODMAP issue - so, you will still get the nutrition benefits but will need to put up with the digestive consequences. A way around this would be to take a garlic capsule supplement. There’s a possibility that the effects won’t be the same or as pronounced due to the form. Some folks can tolerate the supplement, just not the garlic in its garlic form. But, if you love garlic, sometimes the devil is in the dose. Maybe try smaller amounts, less frequently. If that doesn’t work or doesn’t sound like something you want to do, then I’d suggest marriage counseling. lol

[alex_uk]

@QuadQueen

If that doesn’t work or doesn’t sound like something you want to do, then I’d suggest marriage counseling. lol

Haha, to be fair she’s no saint in that department.

@QuadQueen

sometimes the devil is in the dose.

Probably, I tend to go with “if a small amount is good, a large amount must be better” kind of philosophy in that regard.

@QuadQueen

still get the nutrition benefits

That’s good to hear, now I can argue with the Mrs and tell her if she doesn’t like me eating garlic it’s because she doesn’t want me to be healthy and is clear just after the life insurance!

Either that or just adjust frequency and and quantity of garlic until I stink less!

Thanks for the reply appreciate it!

[alex_uk]

In other news, this arrived as I stepped foot inside my garage:

Vaguely annoying, only 7 out of 8 arrived, but since it’s not deadlift day it doesn’t really matter, still I used the clown sized plates for benching, made me feel like a big man, which as we all know is a legit reason: https://youtu.be/jgIkF99xOTc?si=lNDawUppYomNqnHS

[alex_uk]

T&T w5 d2

Sweeping deadlifts with red and black band: 60, 100, 120kg X some, 140kg X 6 X 3 sets, last set X 12, might have been sandbagging this, particularly given the fact I’m still carrying a lot of fatigue from leg day, weight up next week - 3 mins rest

Set up looks like this:

I actually do the first lift then take a step back to increase tension. Deadlifts are now bought to you by clown sized plates! (Which have almost no bounce, which was surprising but positive, either that or I need to start dropping it at the top )

Wgpu/ngpu/chin up/ngpu X 8 each exercise - 2 mins rest.

This made me realise how much bicep fatigue I’m carrying, which is awesome, maybe it’ll translate into my arms growing at some point!

Lat pulldown 80kg X 12 X 3 - 90 secs rest
S/s
Lying leg raises: 8 x 3 sets

Weight lowered got the mmc working (used some meadows hints, legend - RIP).

Seated cable row: 90kg X 15 X 3 sets, 80kg X 1 set - 45 secs rest
S/s
Cable crunches: purple X 80kg X 3 sets

Didn’t switch weight after last cable crunch and actually reckon 80kg is a better weight, more MMC and less bicep involvement, lesson learned for next week.

Another session done, hating the BBing style slightly less these days, and pleased to see strength in the key lifts isn’t stalling, might not be able to immediately hit previous PRs but confident if I ever wanted to I could peak and be close, plus my best ever squat progress came from working up to a top set of 10, starting way back from max and just progressing 5kg a week, got to 160kg then only 165kg X 8 the following week, but then went on DH and got to 190kg for a single in the end. Yes linear progression doesn’t work forever but, a good reminder that I can still get stronger with higher rep ranges and hitting big numbers for reps is actually far more important than the 1rm.

Weight 209 this morning, was 210 yesterday, eating going well, two weeks no sugar, very, very little processed food - Need to work harder on sleep next.

[alex_uk]

The one exception to my processed food purge is…

Baked beans, I am British, there are limits. I use them generally as my PWO carbs, 60g of carbs per tin, 20g of protein and some fibre, rest of the meal - 4 pieces of bacon and 5 large eggs (fried in EVOO).

[Cyrrex]

For a second I forgot you were British, and was going to be all like “lol wtf kind of British bullshit is that” but then I remembered and held my tongue.

[alex_uk]

Just remember baked beans are only to be bought from the UK, none of these “British style” things that are sold outside the UK, they’re all an abomination. Got a friend who emigrated to Canada, when he visits he brings a spare suitcase with him and takes beans and chocolate back.

[Cyrrex]

Whoever would have guessed that baked bean snobbery was a thing?

[alex_uk]

Oh it’s a massive thing in the UK, there’s fierce debate amongst the pro hienz and the not a fan of hienz camp (hienz suck), but we can all agree foreign beans are an anathema.

[Cyrrex]

I hate to break it to you, then, but it is quite possible to get the tasty beans outside of the UK (and yes, I know the difference because some of them are definitely no good).

But alas, this is like arguing where you can get the best toast.

[alex_uk]

You are not a Brit, your opinion on the matter is invalid.

[Cyrrex]

Son, I was shitting out high quality beans since before yer dad popped his first boner.

[alex_uk]

Come to the UK and I’ll show you real beans then, if you’re still in disagreement you’ll be in the same country and I can bludgeon you to death more easily. Insulting beans is still a valid legal defence against murder in the UK.

[Cyrrex]

My man, I have been in the UK a number of times, which means I have had the very best beans on offer. The tasted exactly like the stuff I grew up on in the US! And yes, I like them, for the record.

[alex_uk]

You lack the refined palate of the born and bred Englishman, therefore I revert to my former comment:

@alex_uk

your opinion on the matter is invalid.

You sir are a baked bean heretic and a peasant, goodday!

[Cyrrex]

Refined…born and bred…I mean, how do I even respond.

[alex_uk]

By bowing to superior bake beans genetics and heritage.