Just catching up on my posting after a(nother) hectic week at work. After a very relaxed deload session on Thursday that comprised of some pull-ups, glute/ham raises, abs and some light shoulder work, and tested my max on Sunday…
22/07/12
Bench Max Test
Bench Presses (Paused):
20x2x10
60x5
80x5
100x3
120x1
130x1
140x1 (PR)
Kroc Rows:
40x10
40x20
55x22
Ab Pulldowns:
120lbx12
130lbx12
140lbx7
This didn’t post the first time I wrote it, and I’m not writing all of this out again. Delighted with the PR, which I’m calling a PR despite having done 140kg before, since I previously did that at another gym where I’m sure the weights weigh lighter than at the shed I train in. This was a 10kg PR on what I had previously managed at the shed, which I’m really very satisfied with.
The warm-ups all felt easy, and I was particularly pleased to see that 130kg went up quickly. My strength-speed has gotten better from doing Smolov, since a few weeks ago ~90% loads felt slow and heavy on the bench. This is probably because I was consciously focusing on pressing with speed to keep the sessions entertaining with sub-maximal loads! It did hurt my elbows though…
Important lesson for me is that my bench responded well to high frequency/volume, and I didn’t do any shoulder/triceps assistance. So quality work on the main lift, rarely pushing to a very hard effort (most days I had reps in the tank on all sets) spurred very good progress.
That’s all for now, enjoy my hilariously OTT reaction to nailing a 3 plate bench for realz in the vid.
23/07/12
Deadlifts
Deadlifts:
70x2x5
(Added quadded mini bands)
70x2x1
90x1
110x8x1
SSB Squats:
30x8
70x5
110x3x5
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
3 sets
Pikes:
2 sets
Back to a normal routine again, whilst I think of what to do next. I want to address my squat and deadlift now, as my back is slowly feeling stronger and stronger again. I did some basic stuff today - the thinking behind pulling against bands is that it will get me used to accelerating the bar off of the floor again, which I have been lacking the last few weeks.
Congrats on the PR.
Now that you have that 140 bench in the books you’ll probably start seeing hair show up in funny places and not thinking girls are icky. LOL.
[quote]novaeer wrote:
Congrats on the PR.
Now that you have that 140 bench in the books you’ll probably start seeing hair show up in funny places and not thinking girls are icky. LOL.
[/quote]
Funny you should say that - I saw a girl the other day and she made me feel all funny? What was that? Was it because of my modestly ma-hoosive bench?
25/07/12
Bench Presses
Dumbbell Bench Presses:
45lbx2x12
65lbx10
80lbx10
90lbx10
100lbx6
80lbx15
Ghetto Chest Supported Barbell Rows:
100x12
100x10
110x7
90x15
Straight Arm Pulldowns:
80lbx15
90lbx10
Triceps Extensions:
80lbx15
90lbx12
27/07/12
Squats
Box Squats:
20x2x5
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
20x5
60x5
80x5
100x3
120x3
130x2x2
140x2
100x3x3
Bulgarian Split Squats:
BWx10
45lbx10
55lbx10
65lbx10
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx10
BW 15x2x15
Ab Pulldowns:
140lbx2x6
Delighted with the squatting tonight. I’m pretty sure this matches a PR on this variant of the exercise, and I haven’t been training my squat hard in the last couple of months.
28/07/12
Presses
Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
60x2x8
55x3x8
Pull-ups:
BWx6
BWx8
BW 10x8
BW 15x8
BW 20x7
BWx8
Face Pulls:
110lbx3x12
EZ Bar Skullcrushers:
38x12
43x8
EZ Bar Curls:
43x2x10
30/07/12
Deadlifts
Deadlifts:
See below
Rack Pulls (4th pin):
See below
SSB Squats:
70x2x5
90x5
110x3x5
Pikes:
3 sets
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
3 sets
Lower back problems returned for this session, and I have absolutely no idea what could have caused them. I started with some pulls against bands (as last week), but it soon became clear that something was amiss. I felt some very acute lower back pain as I addressed the bar each set, and when I went to pull there was just nothing there. It’s hard to describe, but my lower back just felt obliterated and I could barely move some baby weights.
I thought that perhaps it was only a problem in the bottom position of the deadlift, so switched to some rack pulls from just below the knee. I could barely move 140kg off the pins for my first rep (although once I got it moving I managed an easy 5 reps). By this point, I figured that there was no point in pushing this and potentially hurting myself again, so jacked it in and moved onto some squats and assistance. Interestingly, the squats were no problem.
The fact that the squats didn’t affect you is weird, but definitely possible as I’ve had the opposite happen (i.e. squats = pain, deadlifts just fine). Maybe an assessment by a sports doc or PT that has experience with lifters would do some good.
My coach’s fiancee is a physio with experience of working with athletes; when I first injured my back she looked at it and thought that I had inflamed the facet joint. I’ll speak to her again when I get a chance and see if she can have another look. The back feels fine now though; the real test will be when I’m training lower body again tomorrow!
01/08/12
Bench Presses
Floor Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
60x5
80x3
90x3
100x3
110x2x3
105x3
Close Grip Incline Presses:
60x5x10
Kroc Rows:
45x10
45x15
55x24
Dumbbell Shrugs:
2 sets
Nice bench PR buddy.
Do you test your OH press on a regular basis? After reading Mark Rippetoe’s latest article here I have a new goal of hitting a BW press.
Thanks man, good to hear from you. How’s life and lifting?
I very rarely test my press, but like you I was motivated to get to a bodyweight press by Rip’s article. I’m going to be training it more regularly from now on.
03/08/12
Lower Body
Power Cleans:
50x5
60x3
70x3
80x3
90x3
100x1
Clean Pulls:
110x3
120x3
130x3
Overhead Squats:
20x5
40x5
60x3
Squats:
60x5
100x5
120x5
140x3
140x5
I had limited time in the gym (shift work due to Olympics) so decided to do a quick, Olympic-lifting inspired session. Cleans were fun (traps are sore now!) and overhead squats were a laugh.
Edit: forgot to mention that my back felt fine in this session, much better than it had done on Monday.
OH YAAA Olympic stuff is happening across the pond! That must make shit crazy 'round there.
I know it’s effin’ stuff up here with my tv programming. America’s got talent has’t been on in foreveeeeeeeeeeeeer. 
It’s insane Spock. I’m working in the Olympic Park at the moment, and the atmosphere is absolutely unbelievable.
BTW - gutted that you didn’t notice/comment on the massive post-Smolov bench PR. Give me attention and adulation dammit!
05/08/12
Presses
Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
50x5
60x5x5
Pull-ups:
BWx6
BW 10x5
BW 20x5
BW 30x2x4
BW 20x5
Face Pulls:
110lbx3x15
EZ Bar Skullcrushers:
43x2x10
EZ Bar Curls:
43x2x12
Life’s been a roller coaster for me the past year. Training switching up but going to be keeping my log here current so check in on me and tell me to stop being weak.
[quote]Most Major wrote:
Life’s been a roller coaster for me the past year. Training switching up but going to be keeping my log here current so check in on me and tell me to stop being weak.[/quote]
700lb + squat sure as hell ain’t weak man. But I’ll be following along and commenting regularly.