Not sure if I should count this as a week or not in my 52 week plan (or if it even matters to anyone ).
I still feel like absolute sh!te but I’ve tested negative for two days so can go out and train.
So let’s have at it!!!
Just doing chest and back really just for some movement.
Bench 531 3 rep week (will repeat next week) 3 m rest super set with chins
72kg x 3
85kg x 3
95kg x 8 ( a PR even though I feel like this was a good feeling)
Chins
X 6
X 7
X 6 not great really on these
Chest press ss with machine row (1.3m rest)
Chest press
35kg each side
X 10
X 10
X 10
Machine row
35kg each side
X 10
X 10
X 10
Cable fly ss with reverse cable fly (1.3m rest)
Fly
4 (on the weight machine)
X 10
X 10
X 10
Reverse fly (haven’t done these in years)
1 on weight rack
X 10
X 10
X 10
Oh tricep rope extensions ss with core work
Triceps
6 on weight machine
X 20
X 19
X 12
Toe taps
3 sets, didn’t get many reps as felt really sick, pushed a little too hard today I think.
Nothing too hard today but probably pushed more than I should have. Feel absolutely drained now so need to go home and eat eat eat!
Your work capacity is expected to be down with the illness and time off. 90kg x 10 is still a wicked number given you last squatted 85kg x 12 before you got ill. If it was double-progression you’d consider that progress despite the time inbetween!
Bench 531 3 rep week (2m rest)
Warm up sets
72kg x 3
85kg x 3
95kg x 9 I wanted 10 but can’t grumble, probably had 10 in me but didn’t have a spotter and the 9th rep was not grindy but borderline.
DB bench incline (1.3m rest)
28kg DBs
X 10
X 10
X 8
X 8
Cable fly (1.15m rest)
X 7
X 10
X 9
X 12 (lowered weight)
Push-ups
X 15
X 10 - was completely shattered
X 10
OH rope tricep extensions
X 14
X 12
X 10
Single arm cross body tricep extension, no rest just alternating arms
Did 3 sets on each arm
Very much got all my pre workout food wrong today and really noticed it.
I literally got up, grabbed a protein shake and drove to the gym then had an intra workout drink while exercising and just felt exhausted. Think I needed a little something to eat and some caffeine before hand.
Feel so exhausted and still struggling to catch my breath after exercises and high is frustrating.
Your appetite back now then? Doesn’t seem like you lost any/much strength despite the week off and little eating. Somehow i’ve managed to still get around 180g protein in so hopefully that bodes well for me!
Appetite not back but I’ve been forcing down the food (feeling sick when I do but that’s life). Only had the one day when I didn’t really eat, just not 100% across the board so covid can just screw off!
I’m glad I’ve still got my numbers on the main lifts though, accessory work feeing really draining though right now.
Feeling stronger and enjoying the progress on the main lifts. I think I’ll start to feel happy when I’m repping these random numbers (plucked from my ego).
Seated BB press 60kg x 10
Bench 100kg x 10
Squat 140kg x 10
Chins 3 sets of 10 good reps
I think if I hit those I’ll feel proud and strong and hopefully it will improve my physique. I’m hoping to get all of those within my 52 week plan apart from squats which might take a year or 2 really.
Just a note that my last few sore after my chest session yesterday. Not sure if that’s a good technique thing or a bad technique thing.
Chins palms facing
Kneeling lat pull warm up
Chins
X 6
X 7
X 5 (this is really piss poor! Just had nothing left)
Had a 20 second rest and then did 5 lowers.
Cable seated row (1.3m rest)
70kg
X 9
X 9
X 9
X 9
Reverse cable fly (1.15m rest)
3 X 10
2 X 12
X 12
X 11
Face pulls (1.15m rest) ss with toe taps
8 X 20
X 20
X 20
Toe taps
X 8
X 7
X 7
Laying back extensions 5 second hold ss with
X 10
X 10
X 10
More lat pull down as I feel pathetic about my chins!
Close grip lat pull down
57kg x 12
X 12
X 12
Think I need some assistance with my back workout. Need to rethink or maybe just feeling worn down. Thought my chins would have improved better than they have and having them get worse today was disappointing.
So thinking, of adding chin lowers so I get a total of 3 sets of 10 or do I add another set of chins in? Or another exercise like lat pull down (close grip) to give the lats some more volume.
I know people say frequency with chins but I when I do that it seems to mess up my back workout in general.
It seems to be my back endurance as on the last set it’s just hard work.
In the past i’ve had success with the rep count method rather than straight sets. Variance in body weight always makes chin-ups a weird one.
With the rep count method you always know you’ve done “more” no matter what.
Week 1 aim for 20 reps
Could be 5, 5, 5, 5
Could be 8, 7, 5
Could be 5, 5, 5, 4, 1
Doesn’t matter how you get there. Just get there.
Week 2 aim for 22-25 reps
Get there anyway you can
Etc. You get the picture.
Point is to at least a few reps more every week. Amount of sets don’t matter, but if it gets too high, do them weighted and start at 15-20 reps again. Unweighted you’ll be able to go back to your original rep goal and do it in fewer sets though.
I think you are still recovering from the 'Rona, and that likely has an impact on your chin progress (along with everything else).
BUT I think that chins, in terms of increasing reps, are best performed Rest-Pause style (1 big set, comprised of 3 mini AMRAP ‘sets’ with 20-30 seconds between them). The goal is to do more reps in total than you did last time, and when you eclipse 30 total reps - it’s time to add weight and reset reps.
^best climbed from 20 total reps to 30 total reps, then add 2.2kg and continue with reps until 30 total. Rinse and repeat.
^^if your goal is absolute numbers, rather than strength, I would disregard the additional weight and change the top-end reps to like 50 or something - dealer’s choice.
EDIT:
I used to be able to do 22 chin ups in a single go, then I put on like 40-50lbs and that number went down to barely 10… have been struggling to get my numbers back up there.
Well I’ve had a great week off. Diet had been ok but I’ve drank at least 10 pints nearly every day which isn’t good. Just been very relaxed for a change.
First holiday in a long time that I didn’t take my work phone and didn’t check my work email.
Weighed myself this morning at a larger then I wanted 102kg. That’s 2kg up from September but everyone is saying I look bigger which is good although need to do a mini cut to lose the holiday weight.
So cutting for 3 weeks but not changing anything on my programme as my goals remain the same.
Seated BB press 531 1 rep week (2m rest)
WU sets
30kg x 5
32kg x 3
37kg x 12 - Not really impressed with this after my other numbers, but still good progress each week (think i’m getting greedy).
lat raises SS with Shrugs (1.3m rest)
Lat riases
10kg DBs 4 sets of 10
Shrugs - 3 second hold at top
25kg DBs 3 sets of 12
Rear delt fly
40kg
x 20
x 20
x 16
Ez curl (1.15m rest)
20kg x 3 sets of 12 reps
Hammer and rope curl SS (1.15m rest)
Hammer curl
14kg DBS x 12
x 10
x 8
12kg DBs x 10
Rope curls
3 x 20
x 20
2 x 20
x 20
Toe taps physio 3 sets
Biceps felt massively pumped which was nice but overall felt a bit sluggish after my week off. Onwards and upwards!
).