Geech,
Been to the City of Lights several times, love the metro…
mday
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Bench press:
70 x 12 reps, 100 x 6 reps, 2 x 107.5 x 5 reps
Press:
60 x 6 reps, 2 x 62.5 x 4 reps
Hanging leg raise:
BW x 8 reps
Seated crunch machine:
Superset 18 reps total
For the first time in weeks, I left the bench press with something still in the tank, wanting to do more. All reps were solid. I took my grip out wider, little fingers to the rings, and got my pecs involved again. This also helped with tightening up my upper back, and keeping the bar in position over my chest. I sense I am back on track.
[quote]1Geech wrote:
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Bench press:
70 x 12 reps, 100 x 6 reps, 2 x 107.5 x 5 reps
Press:
60 x 6 reps, 2 x 62.5 x 4 reps
Hanging leg raise:
BW x 8 reps
Seated crunch machine:
Superset 18 reps total
For the first time in weeks, I left the bench press with something still in the tank, wanting to do more. All reps were solid. I took my grip out wider, little fingers to the rings, and got my pecs involved again. This also helped with tightening up my upper back, and keeping the bar in position over my chest. I sense I am back on track.[/quote]
That’s good to hear Geech! Nice work!
[quote]1Geech wrote:
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Bench press:
70 x 12 reps, 100 x 6 reps, 2 x 107.5 x 5 reps
Press:
60 x 6 reps, 2 x 62.5 x 4 reps
Hanging leg raise:
BW x 8 reps
Seated crunch machine:
Superset 18 reps total
For the first time in weeks, I left the bench press with something still in the tank, wanting to do more. All reps were solid. I took my grip out wider, little fingers to the rings, and got my pecs involved again. This also helped with tightening up my upper back, and keeping the bar in position over my chest. I sense I am back on track.[/quote]
Awesome news, Geech! It’s good feeling knowing your next session is going to be bigger than the last.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
Deadlift:
70 x 12 reps, 100 x 7 reps, 2 x 165 x 4 reps
Barbell shrug:
2 x 190 x 9 reps
Barbell row:
2 x 100 x 5 reps
Wrist roller:
3 x 12.5
Hyperextension:
15 x 11 reps
To set up for my next max tests at the end of the month, I did another ‘heavy’ DL session today; went all right if not stellar. Lower back was a little tired, as I could tell on warming up and was evidenced later in the rows and hyperextensions bearing less reps than last week. Tried to get the shins bloody, but no go this time.
I wonder if anyone else does the wrist roller with both overhand and underhand grip. It seems usually only the former is recommended, but I like to combine the two in each set, and have found this effective; I also hold it down around knee level while standing on a bench, as I find the other oft-seen example held at shoulder height to be uncomfortably awkward for my shoulders, which are not the target anyway.
That’s exactly how I do them as well. The holding the arms out nobody does but male models hired for wrist roller shoots.
You can however put your forearms over a bar and do them that way, but I always lose circulation doing that.
[quote]mday wrote:
Geech,
Been to the City of Lights several times, love the metro…
mday[/quote]
So did Ezra Pound:
“The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.”
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Close-grip bench press:
70 x 12 reps, 100 x 6 reps, 2 x 102.5 x 4 reps
Weighted dip:
2 x BW + 35 x 6 reps
Hanging straight leg raise:
BW x 8 reps
Bicycle crunch:
60 L / R reps
Plate grip:
25 kgs, L 15 secs R 35 secs; L 24 secs R 34 secs
Felt some more zip today in the close-grips and the dips as well.
It became evident to me after the session that the way I have been doing the bumper plate grip is also a technique matter, as I substantially upped the time – too much to represent a credible strength gain – on both hands (although the max for the right hand was almost identical for both sets).
Up to now I have been gripping the outside rim with my fingers extending below the raised part, the plate side flush against my palms, the below of the inside rim remaining unreachable for the thumb due to the thickness of the plate (if not, it would be too easy).
I need to find a way to create reproducible conditions equal for both hands to monitor my progress better: maybe gripping not flush to the palm and therewith not taking advantage with my fingers of the rim raise, or using some thin wood blocks to hold against the plate to negate uneven surface advantages.
Friday, 6 June 2008
Power clean:
50, 60 x 5 reps, 70, 75, 77.5 x 3 reps
Squat:
10 sets x 72.5 x 2 reps (= speed, 1 minute pause)
Lying leg curl:
2 x 80 x 6 reps
Weighted chin:
BW + 17.5 x 6 reps, BW + 17.5 x 4 reps
Hyperextension:
BW + 15 x 13 reps
No complaints today. I had some extra time so I tossed in the chins and hyperextensions.
You are making some amazing gains my friend!
How is your diet?
I’m tryin’, Bunny, thanks.
Your question led to my writing down for the first time my nutrition and supplements. I think the calculations are correct and the estimations pretty much so;
The diet is very constant during the work week in any event (the daily eggs have only been part of it since mid-May, however; there may be some baguette at supper, or yoghurt in the evening); I also drink at work +3 liters of water a day:
8:00
Oats 50g (6g protein) plus 125ml milk (4g protein)
Dried Fruit
Fruit juice (300ml)
Whey Shake (22g protein) plus 250ml milk (8g protein) incl. some creatine
2 eggs (12g protein)
Glucosamine 500mg
Fish oil 1000mg
Multivitamin
11:30
Meat 100g (20g protein)
Cheese 50g (10g protein)
Banana
13:00
BCAAs 2.2g
Lunch-hour training
14:30
BCAAs 2.2g
Whey Shake (22g protein) plus 200ml milk (6g protein) incl. some creatine
Apple
Glucosamine 500mg
Fish oil 1000mg
16:00
Protein bar (20g protein)
18:30
Meat / Fish (250g) (50g protein)
Pasta / Potatoes / Rice (a heaping)
Vegetables or salad with olive oil
Glucosamine 500mg
Fish oil 1000mg
22:00
Casein-Whey Shake (22g protein) plus 250ml milk (8g protein) incl. some creatine
1 Egg (6g protein)
Edit: I believe / purport to know that the listed supplements are effective to their various ends, with the exception of the BCAAs, which I began using only in March after reading this site. I still really can’t say if they are making any difference.
I’d appreciate any remarks or suggestions about anything I might be missing out on. I don’t know anything about wheat germ , for example, and am going to look into it.
Second edit: This diet may be a little over the top for me, as I seem to be putting on some unwanted girth. It may also be the high-livin’ from last week, when we had guests with birthdays and other things to celebrate that were duly celebrated, but I may take the calories down a notch.
Monday, 9 June 2008
Squat:
70 x 12 reps, 110 x 7 reps, 130 x 5 reps, 130 x 4 reps
Walkout 150 once, hold 10 secs.
110 x 19 or 20 (?) reps
Weighted chin-ups:
BW + 17.5 x 6 reps, BW + 17.5 x 5 reps
Ab wheel (from knees):
3 x 16 reps
Weighted neck extension:
2 x 20 x 16 reps
Squats felt heavy again today, if solid, and, in fact, on the high-rep set I realized that I was not sure after racking the bar whether I had really done 20 or only 19 reps – too late then to do anything about it safely (not that I had the mind to anyway). On the other hand, I was repping today in the regular work sets the weight that had been my 1RM at the end of March. Next week, however, I will stay at this same weight just to make sure that I have it in the bag. Maybe I will remember the video camera, too, forgotten again.
Today I took off from work so I had some extra time and added the ab wheel and neck work.
Lookin’ strong Geech! Cool to be doing reps at a previous max lift level!
Thanks, Soldog. It makes for a good sense of progress. What was an end-point has turned into a way station.
[quote]1Geech wrote:
Thanks, Soldog. It makes for a good sense of progress. What was an end-point has turned into a way station.[/quote]
I like the way you think Geech. As well as the way you lift.
Diet looks ok to me… but I am no expert and am also learning this nutrition thing.
I think I counted approx. 225 grams of protein in your data. From what I have read thus far, “they” suggest 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. If I was to comment on anything… perhaps increase your protein?
Anyone else care to elaborate…?
Great job Geech!
[quote]bunny7568 wrote:
Diet looks ok to me… but I am no expert and am also learning this nutrition thing.
I think I counted approx. 225 grams of protein in your data. From what I have read thus far, “they” suggest 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. If I was to comment on anything… perhaps increase your protein?
Anyone else care to elaborate…?[/quote]
Thanks for pointing this out, Bunny. Maybe if it had been a snake, the protein issue would’ve bit me.
I have seen so many different recommendations for protein intake that I have settled on approaching 2.5g per kg. of bodyweight largely by method of trial (main questions: am I getting stronger? Is my waistline not expanding) and error (main questions: am I getting weaker? Is my waistline expanding?). Not very scientific or thought out, I admit.
It would be great to hear from others on this, especially those of you who are not already posting your diet in their logs.
[quote]daddyzombie wrote:
Great job Geech![/quote]
Thanks, DZ. Your log is a real inspiration!
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Bench press:
70 x 12 reps, 100 x 6 reps, 2 x 110 x 5 reps
Press:
60 x 6 reps, 2 x 62.5 x 4 reps (1st reps from floor)
Hanging straight leg raise:
BW x 9 reps
Seated crunch machine:
Giant set 22 reps total
Bench was very tight in a good way, focused from glutes to upper back; I knew on each second rep of the work sets that I would get all five: a great feeling to have again.
Couldn’t manage a 10th rep on the hanging straight leg raises, but am almost there.
Still looking good geech. All the weights are moving in the right direction. I like how you keep the number of exercises used each session low but the intensity high.