MTW-5 pull day, which went fine. Did 1x20 cable flyes at 22kg (actually 24 on one side), 1x15 24, 2x5 26. 20 farmers’ with 2x25kg plates. Tried some of those one handed dumbbell OHPs from the weekly note…Hmmm…
MTW-5 press day done. Managed to pack all the main lifts into a bit under 20 mins! Did stretches and 3x8 280kg leg presses first waiting for the rack, then ripped into it. 70kg OHPS were fine, paired them. 75kg push felt heavy, but paired them. 130kg squats, also paired.
Then incline bench went 1x15 70kg, 1x10 75, 2x5 80kg.
MTW-5 pull day. In a hurry this fine morning so just did the prescribed lifts. Managed to fit the whole workout into 20 minutes, which was conditioning-ly awesome and felt good even though deadlifts were a chore as usual.
Also, took class on Thursday night and absolutely hammered my back with circular port de bras behind one of the scary pro students. Worth it for a killing turns correction though.
just to round up the week, took class on Sunday. not a vintage performance by any means but better than not doing it. also, rather better pleased with having done 3 LLPL workouts and two classes in the week.
Pressday, and a vintage one. 70kg OHPs 8x3, paired sets, just great. 75kg push presses, 8x3, paired, even better. I think test week is going to show a substantial boost there. 130kg back squats, 8x3, paired, good and deep. Chest fest: 2x10 70kg incline bench, 1x10 75kg, 2x5 80kg, 1x3 85kg, epic pump. 8x3 280kg leg presses. 20 2x25kg farmers.
Increasingly interested in something like the first workout here: Screw Cardio! Four Complexes for a Shredded Physique
Pullday done. A bit shit and weak, and ripped a horrible fart during a snatch. Sorry, folks. But better done than not.
Class also done the night before. Student teacher sat in, absolutely hammered us, and I bonked out and couldn’t remember the choreography. Oh well.
Also, some bastard’s BBQ was floating in through the studio windows all the while I was starving:-)
Just a quick update to the log. Sunday ballet class was a cracker (good concentration, scads of piqué turns) and I just did an MTW pressday. Bit of disruption this week but it all felt strong.
Crap workout. MTW pullday. Not getting enough frequency, struggled technically with the snatches. Sets that worked didn’t even feel heavy, others were a battle. SGHPs were OK. Deadlifts were a chore but happened. 20x farmers and out of there.
That was a crap workout. This was a huge classy workout. Pressday - 8x3 75kg OHPs, 80kg on the 7th, 8x3 77kg/82kg push presses, 8x3 135/140kg squats, 2x15 70kg incline bench, 2x10 75kg, 1x10 80kg. 2x20 18kg cable flyes down-to-up, 2x15 21kg, 2x10 23kg, 2x5 25kg, 1x5 28kg.
Everything felt strong. Good times. Tomorrow is election day; might try to squeeze in a pull day before getting out the vote (and the beers). Will probably take class on Friday,
I didn’t take class on Friday (I did on Sunday).
MTW pullday today, and it was shite, perhaps because I woke up at 4am? Had to lower the weight on snatches (did 70/75 not 75/80) which sucks. 80/85 SGHPs were better. 130/135kg deadlifts were heavy but OK. Did a load of cable flyes and only just noticed I did the 2x20 at 18kg last time. No wonder that was harder.
I think the snatch thing comes down to whether I get enough speed in the pull-up phase and possibly the path of the bar? The fail is always the same, not getting the wrists snapped under the bar in time to press it.
Weird thing of the week: my deadlift calluses are getting gnarly. So much so the girlf complains about them on her exquisite skin:-) Less excitingly, I’ve developed a blister underneath two of them, so deadlifts torture my hands until the blister drains - and then it heals up again. Repeat.
So that was a dirt poor week for various reasons. On the good side, two very decent classes (in blinding heat). On the bad side all the other stuff. Resumed today with an MTW pressday. Did stretching, 2x20 19kg cable flyes, 2x15 22kg flyes, 3x8 300kg leg presses. Then the prescribed lifts. OHPs 8x3, paired sets, 75kg with 7th set at 80kg. Push presses, 77/82. Squats 135/140. Incline bench went 1x20 (!!!) 75kg, 1x15 80kg.
PS: the outer layer of one of those calluses has flaked off.
Did an absolutely killing class last night - actually hit a double turn, my first ever, and did a job on a whole lot of other stuff. Today, then, was an MTW pullday. A bit better than the last one - the muscle snatches are still bad, but I managed 6x3 of 75kg. Then did the 8x3 80kg/85kg SGHPs, 130/135kg deadlifts, which were pretty damn strong. Plus 2x20 19kg flyes, 1x15 22kg, 2x10 23kg, 2x5 25kg.
Fellow regular gym user asks: what are you eating, because you’re strong? also, I don’t see you training legs that much but they’re strong. Answer 1: I cook. Answer 2: Ballet, motherfucker!
It’s been a crap week, but just did a really good MTW pressday plus 3x8 300kg leg presses and 4x10 30kg curls.
Since the last instalment; well, I took Nina Thilas Mohs’ class on Friday night and then went out dancing. Amazingly I got away with that without losing a leg, so I went on a demonstration on Saturday, did a ton of housework, and took class on Sunday. But I’ve not been back to the iron until now.
I was thinking of going right to test week, but as it happened the rack was tied up so I did a pullday. I think things are improving with the snatches - got 8x3 sets of 75kg, with good form. Everything about those is in the initial pull up from the hang - if you get enough momentum there, the bar just pops up at the right height to overhead press it.
SGHPs, 80/85kg, did those as sets of 6 reps because why not. 130/135kg deadlifts, worked. then 2x20 22kg, 2x15 24kg, 2x10 26kg, 1x10 28, 2x5 30kg down to up cable flyes. left it at that because I’ve got class later on
Let’s test pressing!
OHP: 2x6 75kg, 1x6 80kg, 2x3 85kg, 2x3 90kg, 1x3 95kg. I therefore declare a new MTW of 80kg, up 5kg.
Push press: 2x6 80kg, 2x6 85kg, 2x3 90kg, 1x3 95kg, 1x 100kg HELL YES. New MTW of 85kg, up 8kg.
Squat: 2x6 130kg, 2x5 135kg, 1x3 140kg, 1x3 145kg, 1x3 150kg, 1x3 155kg, 1x3 160kg. New MTW of 140kg up 5kg.
Incline bench press: 1x10 75kg. 2x6 80kg. 2x3 85kg. 1x3 90kg. 1x2 95kg. New MTW of 80kg (although I’ve been more in a BBing mode with that).
Feeling strong.
This reminded of the difference between 1-3RM, pure strength training and the LL/PL, lots of sets of just under 3RM profile. Feels awesome while you’re at it, but I was so much more tired and stiff this morning than on a normal LL/PL press day.
(Also the other side of this log had a brush with a genuine legend on Sunday, but that’s another story.)
Ok we’ll test pulling.
Muscle snatch: 2x6, 70kg. 2x3, 75kg, 1x3, 80kg. No progress. WTF. I think the problem here is not enough frequency > poor technique > poor training quality.
SGHP: 1x10 75k, 1x10 80kg, 2x5 85kg, 1x3 90kg, 1x3 95kg, 1x1 100kg > Win.
Dead lift: 2x3 130kg, 2x3 140kg, 1x3 150kg, 1x1 155kg. Marginal improvement.
New TMs: snatch 75kg, SGHP 85kg, DL 133kg.
It’s still test week so…
Incline bench press. 1x20 @ 70kg, 1x15 @ 80kg, 1x6 @90kg, 1x3 @ 95kg, 1x2 @ 100kg. Yes.
Conventional bench press. 2x10 @ 70kg, 1x10 @ 80kg, 1x5 @ 90kg, 1x3 95kg, FAIL @ 100kg. Oh well.
Leg press. 1x8 300kg, 320kg, 340kg. 1x6 360kg. 1x4 380kg. 1x3 400kg. Hell yes 
This last literally had people coming up to ask things like “did you just do those?” You saw me.
Thought I’d jump. Did 32 X-jumps. Then 32 1st/2nd/5th/changements because why not. Off for a 
Back from hols, where I didn’t lift a thing or dance a step but did walk 12-16km a day. Today is the first day of your next LL/PL cycle, so here we go for MTW-10 press day. OHPs at 70kgs felt good so did the first 6 sets of 3 as 3x6 reps before doing the +5 set and the last one. Did the push presses at 75kg the same damn way, then the kicker at 80 and the last. Squats at 130/135 were fine. Then did the incline bench presses - 1x20 at 70kg, 1x15 at 75kg, 1x10 at 80kg, 2x5 at 85kg - and a round of chest cable flyes.
Took RP’s class last night. Tonight, MTW-10 pull day plus 20 farmer’s with 2*25. Did the snatches as double sets of 6 and the SGHPs as two 9s and a 6.