That’s a lot of reps, no wonder! Especially in 30 min.
I think it’s the three back to back days of full body workouts and a bit of a lack of sleep haha.
Definitely been quite tough workouts though - I’m enjoying things a bit more recently again and just making things up as I go along.
3 Likes
That’s a win.
Sometimes on my way into the gym I’ll think of one thing that will be tough that I want to accomplish that day. Might be a good way for you to feel productive and progress. I think we often chase too many goals at once.
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@IronOne sorry, I only just saw your comment but thank you, that is some good advice.
29/05/19
Hill sprints (2 mins rest): 5x, ~70m at 20 degree gradient
Did this in the woods near my house. I think I posted a picture years ago but there’s a big grass and mud hill, probably around 200m long. The first sort of third is like 10 degree incline, second third is around 20 degree and then the last third is probably at least 40 degree (it’s difficult to walk up without putting your hands down when it is wet).
After the last run I walked up the remainder of the hill and down a trail leading to the car park for around 10 minutes and I’m still out of breath now in the car.
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Update on my weight:
Just got weighed and was 85.2kg which is the lightest I have been in at least a year. Last Saturday I was 86.0kg so I’m probably somewhere between the two most days.
For comparison, at the start of the year I was somewhere between 92kg and 94kg. I did not get weighed often but the heaviest I remember seeing was somewhere around 93.5kg.
I am going to stop trying to lose weight at end of June and just aim to eat well around maintenance. However, my training is going to become very conditioning focussed for a few months so I may drop some more from that.
2 Likes
Happy Cake day Caesium
Well done on the weight loss man, Quality stuff.
@mortdk Wow didn’t notice the cake until you said, that’s three years today. Thank you!
31/05/19
Back squat: 2x10x20, 3x8x40
Superset:
Overhead press: 2x10x20, 4x5x30, 10x30
Band pull apart: 6x10
Lat pull-down: 15x32, 12x37, 3x10x42
Superset (1 min rest)
Kettlebell swing: 5x10x10
Sled push and drag: 5x two lengths x 20kg
Sled push/drag (no stopping): 10 lengths x20kg
Assault bike: 5 mins, 1.3 miles
Superset
Decline dumbbell bench: 3x25x5s
Lateral raises: 3x20x2.5s
Time: 1hr
Using a different gym near my parents’ house and just decided what to do as I went along. I had hoped to do some big giant sets as they have a lot of equipment and it’s usually very quiet but today was too busy.
The sled stuff was tough- to explain it more: the bit supersetted with the kettlebells was to push it one way and drag it back the other way whereas the bit on its own was just 10 lengths of the track in whatever way I felt like, the only rule was I couldn’t stop.
2 Likes
Also, today is the end of the t-ransformation so below are my before and after pics.
Before:
After:
I can’t really see that much different to be honest which is a bit disappointing but as I mentioned before my weight has gone down 6kg-7kg. I have also had a few comments that I look better and learnt more about losing weight so at least that’s something.
Reflecting on this year of training it’s been a bit disappointing in general and I have gone off the gym a lot but I’m starting to enjoy it more again recently.
2 Likes
03/06/19
RDL:
10x20
2x8x40
6x60
4x80
13x90 (PR)
Assisted chins: 3x10x47
Cable row: 10x80, 15x80
Rear delt flyes: Rest pause to 50 reps w/ 2.5s
Obvious taken inspiration from the Paul Carter topic and went hard on just a few sets. Nicely, it is kind of what I was going for before however, I rarely pushed the sets hard because it is hard and I did it so I had to do less because I was/am lazy.
Anyway, this was a good workout and I think it’s a style which suits me. Right now I’d like to continue with these sort of workouts going forwards I just need to figure out exercise selection and stuff.
I’m also moving back home (parent’s house and my permanent home when I’m not working away or at uni) in three weeks and will be using a different gym. It is the one I use with a sled and stuff and I want to use that opportunity to massively improve my conditioning before returning to uni in October and doing some sort of sports (haven’t decided what yet, maybe kickboxing, athletics or both) so this may go on the back burner soon until then.
3 Likes
06/06/19
Overhead press:
2x10x20
5x25
5x30
6x40
8x35
Assisted dips: 18, 14, 14.5x40
Incline dumbbell press: 10x12.5s
Lateral raises: dropset: 15x5s-35x2.5s
Pec deck: 30x21
Tricep push downs: 30xlvl 4
Time: 30 mins
Another decent workout but wow I was weak when it came to overhead pressing - I think PRs for 40kg and 35kg are 13 and 18 reps respectively.
Dips surprised me, I didn’t expect to get 18 n one set. Triceps were going after the second set so I didn’t lock out on the third but they still failed about halfway up.
I need to find a way to hit my shoulders better - my chest feels well worked but my shoulders, especially the sides, don’t feel too bad at all.
07/06/19
Giant set (1 min rest, 3 rounds)
Box jump: 5x56cm
Walking lunges: 18xBW
Med ball goblet squat: 10x6
Front squat: 2x5x20, 3x40, 3x50
Lying hamstring curl: 26x60, 21x80
45 degree back extension: 3x10xBW
Time: 30 mins
For some unknown reason my lower back, particularly around my right SI joint has been really hurting so I didn’t want to do anything too heavy.
Got a big pump in my legs and the giant set got me breathing hard. The second set of leg curls was rough - the last few reps had virtually no RoM and it felt like something was going to tear.
1 Like
Si joint due to the RDLs ?
I know I can’t push the reps too much on that movement and stay at 8 tops when I use the barbell
I think you did great with your weight loss, 6-7kg is amazing! Are you still trying to cut weight from now ?
I don’t think it’s the RDLs, I only noticed it midway through today. I think it was from sitting funny for a while.
Not necessarily trying to lose weight but kind of watching what I eat. More aiming for maintenance but if I lose more weight I won’t mind.
1 Like
10/06/19
Cable rows: 15x60, 12x70, 25x70, 13x90
Assisted chins: 12, 11, 14x47
Dumbbell rows (straps): 10x25, 15x15
Machine rear delt flyes:
All below in one drop set
27x25
3xRP: 15-17-15x18
14x11
Concentration curls:
No rest between sets/arms
20x5, 8x5
No rest between exercises
Hammer curls: 10x5s, 7x2.5s
Crunches: 3x8
Time: 35 mins
Another good session with a lot of effort. My forearms/whatever is around the bend in my arms are really the limiting factor on most of the rowing stuff and even with straps they were the first to go with the dumbbell rows. At first I was getting frustrated because I could hardly open my hands and my back didn’t feel too bad however it feels just as beaten, if not more than my forearms now so seems ok.
Also best MMC and pump I’ve ever had with my biceps. I can hardly straighten my arms and genuinely couldn’t curl 2.5s even with some swinging by the end. They also looked massive (for me haha).
1 Like
11/06/19
Overhead press:
2x10x20
2x5x30
5x40
8x35
High incline dumbbell bench: 13, 11x12.5s, 20x7.5s
Assisted dips: 16, 15, 13x40
Pec deck: 2xRP: 12-8x28
Lateral raises: 20x5s, 21x2.5s
Dumbbell tricep extensions: 20x10
Time: 30 mins
Good session but feel very weak. Definitely could not have gotten another rep on either of the last two sets of overhead press and as mentioned last week they’re pretty much half my rep PRs or worse.
Chest feels destroyed. The high incline was good, i feel like it hit both my chest and shoulders equally but it made the dips a lot harder. On the dips, learning from last time, I didn’t lock out fully to keep it on my chest instead of tris and i felt it. The reason pec deck was done as a RP set is because the first set was too painful and I wimped out but was annoyed at myself.
Forearms and the bend of my arms in particular are really sore and I feel took a bit away from this workout.
1 Like
I was struggling with SI joint pain for awhile too. A lot of banded hamstring, adductor and abductor work seems to have cured it for the time being. I had been doing all kinds of stretching, foam/lacrosse ball rolling without much relief. I think mine was just due to some muscle imbalances in the hip.
Just food for thought!
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Thank you, I’m always up for some advice!
I think sleeping on my stomach has been making it worse recently and sitting all the time at work. I’ve also noticed often when my back is tight and achy the front of my hip usually aches too.
I’ve been doing lunges recently and my adductors are always really sore after so maybe that’s a sign of weakness. Abductors I’ll start doing leg raises for, I can do those in bed and hamstrings will hopefully be covered by all the leg stuff I am doing, especially the RDLs.
13/06/19
RDL:
10x20
8x40
6x60
4x80
11x100
12x60
Hack squat: 10x0, 10x20, 2x20x40
Walking lunges: 50xBW
Abs and stretches: 10 mins
Time: 40 mins
I think I could have gotten one more on the top set of RDLs and I’m annoyed I didn’t at least try - either way though, it was a good set.
Hack squat the first set of 20 was hard-ish but not too bad. For the second set I moved my legs closer and pointed my feet more forwards so the tension was all on my quads which made it much harder and near failure.
Lunges are done as basically a big rest pause set. This time I had to stop for around 30s at 28 and 35 reps. Next week I can hopefully do it in one and then I’ll add weight.
Lower body feels really, really good after those stretches. I need to do them more.
1 Like
17/06/19
Barbell rows: 2x12x20, 10x30, 8x40, 5x50, 15x50
Cable rows: 15x80, 18x90 (+5), 26x70 (+1)
Assisted chins: 12, 12, 14x47 (+1)
Rear delts: mechanical drop set with lots of reps until I couldn’t do much more
Concentration curls: 16, 8, 4+2 negatives x5
No rest between arms or sets. On last set when couldn’t get past halfway up I used my other arm to get to the top then lowered it as slowly as I could
Time: 35 mins
Still not sure my back is getting the work it deserves and once again my arms feel like they’re taking the brunt of it. Right now after the workout my back feels pretty well worked but during I can’t feel much below my rear delts other than my arms.
2 Likes
18/06/19
Overhead press:
2x10x20
5x25
5x30
8x40 (+2)
8x35
8x30
Assisted dips: 20, 14, 15x47.5 (+5)
High incline dumbbell bench: 15x10s, 21x7.5s (+1)
Pec deck: drop set: 15x28-8x21
Lateral raises: drop set with 5s & 2.5s
Dumbbell tricep extensions: 20x10
Treadmill: 10 mins brisk walk
Time: 45 mins
Not bad but still feel like my chest is getting worked a lot more than my shoulders. The pec deck first set was one of the most painful training experiences I’ve had.
The numbers in brackets are how I compare to my last or best recent workout. I’m not using best ever because I’m definitely weaker than I was. The PRs are in the back of my mind though and I’m making my way back to them.