18/10/10
ME Squats/Deadlifts
SSB Squats:
30x2x5
70x5
90x3
110x3
130x1
140x1
150x1
155x1 (PR)
160x1 (PR)
Stiff-legged Good Mornings:
60x8
80x5
100x5
120x3
130x3 (PR)
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx10
BW 10x3x10
Ab Pulldowns:
130lbx3x8
This turned into a fairly satisfying session. I lost weight in Amsterdam, and was feeling a little lethargic, so wasn’t expecting a huge amount. I ended up with 10kg PRs in both of the main exercises we did last night. Don’t get too excited about the safety squat bar PR - when I first hit a single with 150kg I wasn’t wearing knee wraps and I sank the squat much lower. Still, it’s 10kg more.
20/10/10
ME Bench Presses
Bench Presses:
20x2x8
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
20x5
40x5
60x3
80x3
90x1
100x1
105x1
110x1 (PR)
Pull-ups:
BW 11.25x8x5
4-Board Presses:
110x5
120x5
130x5
140x5
150x3 (PR)
Face Pulls:
120lbx2x10
EZ Bar Overhead Triceps Extensions:
28x12
38x12
38x12
21/10/10
DE Squats/Deadlifts
Speed Box Squats:
20x2x5
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
20x3
60x3
80x2
100x8x2
Speed Deadlifts:
70x3
(Added doubled mini bands)
70x1
90x1
110x1
130x3x1
140x3x1
Reverse Hypers:
105x3x12
Landmines:
20x8
25x8
30x6
35x5
Great squats, average deadlifts, good assistance.
23/10/10
DE Bench Presses
Speed Bench Presses:
20x2x8
60x3
80x3
100x3
(All subsequent sets performed to a 2-board)
120x3
(Added Metal Ace Pro shirt)
140x2x3
150x2x3
160x3
170x3
Presses:
50x6
55x6
60x6
67.5x5
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows:
50x10
55x10
60x10
65x11 (PR)
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
3x10
Overhead Triceps Extensions w/Rope attachment:
70lbx3x8
We decided to do something a little different today. Instead of chucking some accommodating resistance on the bar and blasting through some speed sets, we put on our bench shirts, got out the 2-board, and and worked up to some relatively heavy triples. 140 and 150 were fast, but I wasn’t quite comfortable with the groove of the shirt; 160 was perfect; 170 tested my lockout on the last couple of reps. I was happy with that, and was also satisfied with the assistance work I got through.
25/10/10
ME Squats/Deadlifts
Squats:
20x2x5
60x2x5
80x3
100x3
120x3
(Added weight releasers)
120+45x1
140+45x1
150+45xF
(Removed weight releasers)
160x1
170x1
Stiff-legged Sumo Deadlifts:
65x5
105x3
125x3
145x3
165x3 (PR)
175x2 (PR)
185x1 (PR)
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx3x12
Ab Pulldowns:
3 sets
We had an interesting session tonight. We decided to use weight releasers when squatting (it was only the second time I have ever used them - the previous time was exactly one year ago) and all the warm-ups went very well. As soon as we put on the weight releasers I felt something wasn’t right - 120kg wasn’t particularly smooth, and 140kg tipped me over to the right as soon as the releasers dropped, which left me struggling to muscle the weight up. When I failed 150kg (plus the 45kg on the weight releasers) - my max attempt one year ago - we realised that the weight releasers were not dropping off of the bar in synch! That sucked, so we pulled them off and worked up to a max single without accommodating resistant. 170kg equalled my PR without knee wraps, so I guess my knee is back at around 99% now!
We moved on to stiff-legged sumo deadlifts, where I was suddenly able to smash my previous best effort (160kg for a triple) repeatedly due to the competition with my training partner. We finished off with some easy assistance and called it a day.
27/10/10
ME Bench Presses
Bench Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
60x3
80x3
100x3
110x3
120x1
130x1
135xF
Chin-ups:
BW+11.25x8x5
Close Grip Bench Presses:
80x5
90x5
100x5
110x4
Chin-ups:
BW+11.25x8x5
Face Pulls:
3 sets
EZ Bar Overhead Triceps Extensions:
3 sets
Almost everything about tonight was shite. I just about managed to equal a comp PR in the bench press (even though this one wasn’t paused) that I set back in February. Poor. Then I proceeded to blow out early when we switched to close grip for the volume work. Not my night.
28/10/10
DE Squats/Deadlifts
Speed SSB Box Squats:
30x2x5
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
30x3
70x2
90x2
100x4x2
110x2x2
120x2x2
Speed Deadlifts:
60x3
100x3
120x1
140x4x1
160x2x1
180x2x1
Landmines:
20x10
25x8
30x8
35x6
Reverse Hypers:
105x2x12
This was MUCH better than last night’s session. The squats and deadlifts both felt fast, and the assistance was good.
30/10/10
Bench Accessory
Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
50x5
60x3
70x3 (PR)
75x2 (PR)
80xF
77.5x2 (PR)
60x8
60x8
60x7
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows:
50x10
55x10
60x10
65x12 (PR)
Rolling Dumbbell Triceps Extensions:
35lbx12
40lbx10
45lbx8
45lbx8
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
3x10
Fat Bar Curls:
45x3x8
This was a lot of fun. I’m planning on playing rugby again very soon, and may start using 5/3/1 to meet my training requirements. Since I’ve never maxed out on the press before, I figured this would be an interesting opportunity to see what I could do. I found out that I am embarrassingly weak when it comes to pressing stuff overhead, and one of my immediate goals is to sort that out ASAP. I need to work on getting stronger out of the bottom of the lift, as I managed to double 77.5kg after not being able to move 80kg for a single.
02/11/10
ME Squats
Cambered Bar Squats:
30x2x5
70x5
90x3
110x3
130x3
150x1
160x1
170x1
180x1
190x1 (PR)
Power Cleans:
60x2x3
70x3
80x3
90x3
100x3 (PR)
Clean Pulls:
120x3
130x3
140x3
Pikes:
BWx4x12
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx8
BW 10x3x10
I had my first training session with my new rugby team on the Monday night, and came into this session still aching from all of the speed drills we had been performing the previous day. Nevertheless, I managed a tough but extremely satisfying four-plate squat with the cambered bar (a 10kg PR). I think it was a little high, but I won’t lose too much sleep about it.
I decided not to deadlift afterwards and try some power cleans instead. I last did these seriously in June last year (17 months ago) and had a PR of 100kg for a single, so was shocked and delighted to triple that weight before moving on to clean pulls. I guess increasing my deadlift made my power clean better. Who would have thought it?!
05/11/10
ME Deadlifts
Deadlifts:
60x2x5
100x3
120x3
140x3
160x3
180x3
200x1
220x1 (PR)
230xF
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows:
50x10
55x10
60x10
65x12
Reverse Hypers:
110x4x10
Landmines:
25x10
30x8
35x6
Tonight’s goal was to work up to a max single on the deadlift to see where I’m at, and I was absolutely delighted to pull a very smooth 220kg. 230 was a few kilos too heavy; that single with 5 plates had taken a lot out of me. Video to follow.
07/11/10
ME Bench Presses
Bench Presses:
20x2x8
60x5
80x3
100x3
110x1
120x1
130x1
135xF
Presses:
50x6
55x6
60x6
65x6
70x3
60x8
Pull-ups:
BW+11.25x5x5
BWx5x5
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
2x10
Fat Bar Curls:
2 sets
EZ Bar Overhead Triceps Extensions:
2 sets
09/11/10
Deload - Squats/Deadlifts
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx15
BW 10x4x12
Reverse Hypers:
110x3x12
Ab Pulldowns:
130lbx4x10
Here’s a video of my 220kg pull from last Friday’s session:
12/11/10
Deload - Bench Presses
Dips:
BWx4x10
Pull-ups/Chin-ups:
BWx5x8
Scarecrows:
2 sets
EZ Bar Overhead Triceps Extensions:
2 sets
EZ Bar Curls:
2 sets
14/11/10
Deload
I finished off this deload week with a mish-mash of complexes, snatches and front squats (mainly because all of these things sound like stuff that fit people/crossfitters do). It was rather pointless, and I won’t be repeating the experience any time soon.
I’ll be starting 5/3/1 this week after training using the Westside template for over a year. All of my lifts have come on a long way in that time, but the vigours of rugby training mean that maxing out regularly is no longer a realistic option for me. I’m looking forward to having a real run at 5/3/1 though, having only got through about six weeks of it last time around.
My starting maxes:
Press: 70kg (based off of a best lift of 77.5x2)
Deadlift: 200kg (based off of a best lift of 220x1)
Bench: 117.5kg (based off of a best lift of 130x1)
Squat: 165kg (based off of a best lift of 182.5x1)
16/11/10
5/3/1 Mesocycle 1, Wave 1
Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
45x5
52.5x5
60x10
(Estimated max: 80kg)
Pull-ups/Chin-ups:
12x5
Dips:
BW 10x5x8
EZ Bar Overhead Triceps Extensions:
38x3x9
19/11/10
5/3/1 Mesocycle 1, Wave 1
Deadlifts:
60x5
100x5
120x3
130x5
150x5
170x8
(Estimated max: 215kg)
Good Mornings:
60x4x10
Ab Pulldowns:
130lbx4x10
Reverse Hypers:
110x4x10
High rep deadlifts? Not. Fun.
21/11/10
5/3/1 Mesocycle 1, Wave 1
Bench Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
60x5
77.5x5
87.5x5
100x10
(Estimated max: 133kg)
Barbell Rows:
80x5x10
Close Grip Incline Bench Presses:
60x5x10
Barbell Curls:
40x3x10
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
3x10
After a pretty brutal rugby game yesterday, I wasn’t feeling particularly optimistic about today’s session. Still, 100kg for 10 reps was a good return from the day, as I had struggled through some of the bench days the last time in tried 5/3/1.
23/11/10
5/3/1 Mesocycle 1, Wave 1
Squats:
20x2x5
60x2x5
80x5
100x3
107.5x5
125x5
140x10
(Estimated max: 187kg)
Stiff-legged Good Mornings:
65x4x10
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx3x15
Pikes:
BWx4x12
I turned up to train last night with what feels like some sort of strain of my quad and adductor. Probably a result of not dropping the frequency of my weight training sessions whilst starting rugby training in the last month or so. Anyway, I struggled through, tightened up my knee wraps and managed to struggle through a set of 10 with 140kg. Instead of doing a few more lighter sets of squats for assistance, I performed some good mornings instead. All in all, a decent session.
