15/08/11
Deadlifts
4" Block Sumo Deadlifts:
65x2x5
105x5
145x3
165x3
185x3
205x3
220x2
Cambered Bar Good Mornings:
90x8
110x8
130x4
150x6 (PR)
Reverse Hypers:
105x2x10
Pikes:
BWx2x10
Good fun.
17/08/11
Bench Presses
Bench Presses:
20x2x8
60x5
80x3
100x3
120x3
(Added Metal Ace shirt)
140x3 (3-board)
160x3 (2-board)
180x1 (1-board)
190xF
(Removed shirt)
100x3
110x3
120x2
Pull-ups:
BWx50 (6 sets)
Well this was utterly wank. In fairness, it was actually going extremely well until I attempted 190; the 180kg to a 1-board was picture-perfect and fast. Anyway, I just about reached the touch (twice) with the heavier load, but got out of the groove to do so. By that point I was mentally shot so called it a day soon after.
19/08/11
Squats
Box Squats:
20x2x5
60x5
100x3
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
100x2
120x2
140x2
(Added Metal Pro Squatter)
160x2
180x2
(Added knee wraps)
200x1
SSB Box Squats:
(All sets performed with 2 sets of chains per side)
90x6
95x2x6
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx15
BW 15x12
BW 20x10
BW 25x8
Ab Pulldowns:
130lbx10
140lbx2x6
This started out as a dynamic session, but soon became max effort work. Good session, but I am conscious of the fact that, 5 weeks out from a meet, I should have more of a plan! Oh well, nose to the grindstone, get comfortable in the gear, and see what happens on the day I guess.
20/08/11
Presses
Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
50x5
62.5x5x5
Pull-ups:
BWx6
BW 5x5
BW 10x5
BW 15x5
BW 20x5
BW 10x5
Dips:
BWx8
BW 10x5
BW 15x5
BW 20x5
BW 25x5
BW 32.5x4
BWx15
Kroc Rows:
55x22
22/08/11
Deadlifts
4" Block Deadlifts:
65x2x5
105x5
145x3
165x3
185x3
205x2
225x2
245x1
255x1 (PR)
Speed Deadlifts:
150x3x2
SSB Suspended Chain Good Mornings:
70x5
80x5
90x5
Reverse Hypers:
105x2x12
Pikes:
BWx3x10
Nice pull. Conventional pull is looking strong, so maybe it’s time to ditch that sumo cheater shit. 
[quote]novaeer wrote:
Nice pull. Conventional pull is looking strong, so maybe it’s time to ditch that sumo cheater shit. ;-)[/quote]
Pulling sumo is basically the same as 2-board benching or half-squatting. I read it on this forum one time.
But you’re right - the conventional pull seems to be going well at the moment. It’s probably roughly on par with my geared sumo pull, maybe only very slightly lagging. I’ll have to decide which one to use in the competition!
[quote]Element_26 wrote:
[quote]novaeer wrote:
Nice pull. Conventional pull is looking strong, so maybe it’s time to ditch that sumo cheater shit. ;-)[/quote]
Pulling sumo is basically the same as 2-board benching or half-squatting. I read it on this forum one time.
But you’re right - the conventional pull seems to be going well at the moment. It’s probably roughly on par with my geared sumo pull, maybe only very slightly lagging. I’ll have to decide which one to use in the competition![/quote]That’s a good analogy, haha. I can’t believe what passes for rational thought with some of these donkeys. In their view, Ed Coan’s 901 sumo pull shouldn’t count because the ROM was shorter.
[quote]novaeer wrote:
[quote]Element_26 wrote:
[quote]novaeer wrote:
Nice pull. Conventional pull is looking strong, so maybe it’s time to ditch that sumo cheater shit. ;-)[/quote]
Pulling sumo is basically the same as 2-board benching or half-squatting. I read it on this forum one time.
But you’re right - the conventional pull seems to be going well at the moment. It’s probably roughly on par with my geared sumo pull, maybe only very slightly lagging. I’ll have to decide which one to use in the competition![/quote]That’s a good analogy, haha. I can’t believe what passes for rational thought with some of these donkeys. In their view, Ed Coan’s 901 sumo pull shouldn’t count because the ROM was shorter.[/quote]
Exactly. Funny that no one says Lamar Gant’s frankly incredible 5xBW deadlift is cheating because his freakish long arms make his ROM so short…
24/08/11
Bench Presses
Bench Presses:
20x2x8
60x5
80x3
100x3
120x3
(Added Metal Ace shirt)
140x3 (3-board)
160x2 (2-board, 1-board)
170x2 (1-board, touch)
180xF
190xF
(Raw) Bench Presses:
(All sets performed to a 2-board with 2 sets of chains per sides)
90x5
100x3
105x3
Pull-ups:
BWx50 (6 reps)
Face Pulls:
120lbx3x10
Barbell Front Raises:
3 sets
After last week’s benching clusterfuck, I sat down and looked at what I have to do in order to be able to get through my meet wearing all of this gear. I’ve been having real problems touching any weight to my chest recently when in the shirt, so figured I’d spend a session going a little lighter, trying some different things technique-wise, and seeing what would happen. For this session, I widened my grip ever so slightly (ring finger on the rings instead of pinkie) and focused on letting the bar drift low towards the belly in order to touch. It only went and worked! I got 170kg to touch and, although I threw it back into the rack on the way up, I had no trouble locking out. That was actually a PR, but I was less fussed about that than I was about being able to touch such a relatively light weight. Unfortunately, touching so low doesn’t work for me with slightly heavier weights, as I’m not strong enough to throw the weight back into the groove of the shirt at the moment. 4 weeks out now, so 3 weeks to absolutely hammer my triceps, lats and shoulders before a deload and then meet day.
Here’s a video of the effort with 170kg. First rep to a 1-board, second rep touched…
25/08/11
Squats
Squats:
20x2x5
60x5
100x3
140x3
160x1
(Added Metal Ace briefs)
180x3
200x2
220x2
(Added Metal Pro Squatter)
(Added knee wraps)
240x1
(Straps up)
260x1
280x1
Roman Chair Sit-ups:
BWx3x8
4 weeks out now, so decided to work up to a heavy single in full gear. It went well, as 280kg was the most weight I have ever squatted. It was only when I saw the above video that I realised how high it was. Still, the straps were very tight, and I wiggled around a bit at the bottom. I think 300kg is possible for the meet…
27/08/11
Presses
Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
50x5
65x5x5
Pull-ups:
BWx6
BW+10x5
BW+15x5
BW+20x3
BW+25x3
BW+32.5x3
Dips:
BWx8
BW+20x5
BW+25x5
BW+30x5
BW+35x5
BW+42.5x3
Kroc Rows:
55x23
Good fun. PRs on everything.
From my experience with the Ace suit, you have to focus on pushing those knees out once you feel like you can’t go down any more. You’ll just sort of slide into the hole and pop right back up. Also, as a suggestion for your ghetto monolift setup, I always put the j-hooks in the pin setting where I would rack the weight - that way once the pins are pulled, the hooks slide into place and you don’t have to rely on someone fumbling with the safety pin.
[quote]novaeer wrote:
From my experience with the Ace suit, you have to focus on pushing those knees out once you feel like you can’t go down any more. You’ll just sort of slide into the hole and pop right back up. Also, as a suggestion for your ghetto monolift setup, I always put the j-hooks in the pin setting where I would rack the weight - that way once the pins are pulled, the hooks slide into place and you don’t have to rely on someone fumbling with the safety pin.[/quote]
Thanks for both tips! Much appreciated mate.
nice vids mate
strong pull ups and dips there too!
i am starting to study in london soon, on a part time basis - whereabouts you based mate?
Thanks Adam. They call me ‘Jeeves’ at the gym I train at, because I’m bloody strong on most assistance exercises! If only the same were true of the competition lifts eh?!
I live in Sutton, but train in Streatham, SW London. You’re more than welcome to join us… Where will you be studying?
Squat and bench are looking good!!
[quote]Killerb521 wrote:
Squat and bench are looking good!! [/quote]
Thanks man, fingers crossed I will get at least one of each in on meet day!
29/08/11
Deadlifts
Sumo Deadlifts:
70x2x5
(Added quadded mini bands)
70x3
90x3
110x1
130x1
(Added Metal Pro Squatter)
150x1
160x3xF
(Removed suit)
130x3x1
Good Mornings:
70x10
80x10
90x10
Reverse Hypers:
105x3x12
Pikes:
3 sets
Due to the sub-standard organisation of the meet I’m doing, I didn’t know the comp date until a couple of weeks ago. That has meant that I’m a little out-of-synch in terms of cycling my training. This would normally be a deload week, but I’m just easing off a little rather than deloading fully, hitting it hard for two more weeks, then resting up for a week before the comp.
With that as a preface - last night was meant to be about some speed work on deadlifts and doing some light assistance. For some batshit stupid reason I threw on the suit and failed (just) at lockout 3 times with 160kg. So I took the suit off and pulled fast raw for a few, as I should have done from the start. Not sure whether I’ll pull raw and conventional at the comp or geared (and therefore sumo). Seems like strength on each is pretty even, but raw would just be less hassle.