Back down to 220.9 today.
Rejigged my schedule for the week to lift Fri/Sun instead. Hoping for a good squat/bench session tomorrow morning having managed to get in an extra rest day.
Then on Sunday it’s one last big stupid events day before a week off.
Weighed in at 221.2 today.
Only had time for a quick session so just worked up to a squat max. Hit a PR but didn’t really feel like depth was there. Counting it, I guess, but going to do some deep paused squats in the next training block to try and better ingrain this.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Flexible Five
Glute drills
Squats
5x20kg
3x40kg
3x60kg
3x80kg
2x100kg
1x112.5kg
1x125kg (high-bar PR)
1x132.5kg (overall PR)
3x3x110kg
Down to a 2019 low of 219.5 today, largely owing to a late wakeup and being a tad dehydrated. It counts, OK?
I found out there’s a kickboxing class literally around the corner from my house on Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Posting this here so you guys can call me out if I don’t start going from the week after next.
Up to 221.0 again. Not a bad final weigh-in before a few days of eating and pints and merriment back home. Puts me down around 5-6lbs in as many weeks.
Did a little bit of everything today since it was a last session and I had nothing really planned.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Glute drills
3x10 KB swings @ 16kg
Deadlifts
Because I may as well do something exhausting ahead of three days of rest and eating.
3x60kg
3x100kg
2x120kg
1x140kg (beltless, strapless PR)
1x150kg (with belt and straps)
1x160kg
1x170kg
This was RPE9.5. Really ugly rep. Was determined to hit a PR of some kind today, though, so…
6x150kg (rep PR)
2x4x150kg
Chinups
Because I bought a dipping belt and it’s fun to play with new toys.
5xBW
3x5kg
3x7.5kg
3x10kg (PR - 2x10kg was a previous best and that was a few kilos lighter than this)
5xBW
Bench Press (with bands)
Because @littlesleeper and @losthog are having such fun with conjugate and I didn’t want to feel left out.
5xbar
5x30kg
5x40kg
5x50kg
5x55kg
All reps fast as possible w/around 20kg extra at the top.
How did it feel?
I was actually pretty sore after my first day of speed bench against bands, different stimulus than usual I suppose!
Alright. I just did it for the fuck of it more than anything. I’ll see how it feels tomorrow but given that I’m a lot weaker at the bottom than the top I don’t know how much use it would be for me.
When I inevitably run Dark Horse I think that spoto bench, paused bench and pin press would all be pretty good ME lifts for me.
Haha fair enough, always fun trying new things. Gotta keep training fresh!
Today’s deadlift first volume set at 150kg/330ish lbs.
Good Dead lift session, I love me some TnG!!!
No weigh-in today. Flew back from London this morning. While there I had a couple of days of drinking but the diet was mostly clean. I expect to see a bit of a bloat but likely not too much damage.
Got home around 10, had a quick nap and a bite to eat and then went in for a deload session.
Squats
5x20kg
3x40kg
3x60kg
3x80kg
3x3x100kg
SSB Squats
3x3x70kg
I liked the feel of these more and more as the set went on. I’m going to incorporate these more to combat my upper back weakness and just because they’re cool and trendy if I’m totally honest.
Bench Press
3x20kg
3x40kg
3x50kg
3x3x60kg
T-Bar Row
3x10x30kg
Weighed in at 222.2.
Real cunt of a day today. I was raring to go last night but woke up badly with a stiff/sore lower back and knew it wasn’t going to be a great day.
However, it was dreadful. Each time I set up for deadlifts I got this searing pain from the bottom of my glutes down my IT band. The 100kg warmup felt heavy, the 120kg first set was pretty painful, the second 130kg set was very painful and the third (ended up being final) 140kg set was fucking horrific.
Working through pain is not a skill that I’ve really developed yet, so my final set of deadlifts was very rest-paused given that every pull and eccentric hurt. I even did some foam rolling and lacrosse ball stuff out of sheer desperation, which actually may have helped.
I think it was a combination of three things:
I warmed up a little differently and probably didn’t limber up my lower body as much as I needed to.
I did (admittedly light) farmer’s walks before deadlifts which might have been a bit much for my hips.
I am just generally tightened up and fucked after a week of laziness.
So I guess that next week I’ll put farmer’s last and general conditioning first, plus do my usual Agile 8/Flexible Five warmup and glute drills.
It’s not an actual injury because it doesn’t hurt now at all but fuck me that was not fun. I’ll keep things limber-er and hopefully squats/next week’s deads go fine.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
50ft bear crawl
50ft gator walk
Strongman
EMOM (10 minutes):
50ft farmer’s walks as fast as possible w/45kg each hand
First round was tough, again I didn’t warm up fully, but rest were easy. Going to throw in some pre-walk burpees next time and do this at the end rather then start.
Main Giant Set
8x good mornings w/bands*
8x deadlifts
12x V sit-ups
30s Airdyne sprint
*Bands added ~25-30kg. Worked up to having 55kg on the bar. Last set of these was also killing my glutes.
Deadlifts:
8x120kg
8x130kg
8x140kg
Had to call it here. Annoyed at myself in retrospect. Will just hit 150x8 next week to make up for it.
Anyway, this all took so long that I didn’t have time for much else - first day back at work today so couldn’t really be late. Infuriating start to the new training block. Probably just need to nut up.
Down to 221.5 today and my workout wasn’t marred with crippling pain so overall, a decent session.
No big PRs or anything but it all got done well. If every workout was like this I’d be doing OK.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Limber 11
Empty bar complex
Strongman Conditioning
EMOM for 10m:
3x Axle continental cleans @ 45kg
Main Giant Set
8x lat pulldowns @ 100kg (full stack, baby)
8x strict press
30s side plank each side
10x overhead med ball throws w/6kg ball
Press:
8x40kg
8x45kg
7x47.5kg (sad)
8x42.5kg
Assistance Giant Set
Three rounds:
12x reverse-grip T-bar row
12x incline DB bench
8x oblique cable thingies each side
Triceps Finisher
Rope pushdowns:
26x25kg
22x20kg
25x15kg
21x10kg
So I tested a little with some light deadlifts and still have this weird pain in my legs, moreso the right today.
Glutes fine, I think they were just sore from actually having to work yesterday. When I setup for a deadlift I get a weird pain at the top of my thigh/groin. When I brace down it gets worse and shoots down the front of my thigh. It is weird and confusing.
Will see how squats go on Thursday, then deadlifts on Monday. If it’s still happening next week I’ll see a physio and replace deadlift day with a front squat/RDL day or something. Can still get my deadlift stronger without deadlifting, at least.
Nor should you develop it. You gotta listen to your body. Now muscle fatigue Paine is one thing, but when joints are screaming at you it’s tome to adjust your plan.
Yeah I guess that was poorly phrased. I meant more “learning what pain is worth pushing through” or similar. I have such an unathletic background and lack of awareness of my body/limits that it’s taken/taking me a while to overcome.
New toy arrived today!
Aww, man, you gotta seize those opportunities when they present themselves. I did that once when a Wal-Mart employee asked me if I needed help when I was getting a 50# bag of dog food off the shelf. I just grabbed a handful of the side of the bag, and one arm power cleaned it up to my shoulder, and said ‘nah, I’m good’. The look was priceless! A little arrogant and ego-driven? Perhaps, but when you build a certain strength level it’s fun to flaunt it a bit…
Haha!
In my defence I’ve never cleaned an actual circus dumbbell so I couldn’t be too confident. Now that I know I can I might have to spend another £200 to make up for the lost opportunity.
Is that a loadable dumbbell? What’s the base weight and what does it go up to? I’ve thought about getting one myself, but I want to get some stones and a log first. The dumbbells in the gyms I go to go up to 100# already, and that’s plenty for me right now. Also, how much of that 200 you spent was shipping?
Shipping was £35 but I live on an island so that inflates it.
It’s 25kg base weight because I’m weak. No idea what it will go up to. You could probably put another 40kg worth of 5kg plates in it maybe? Hopefully I’ll have an answer in a few months!
The DBs in my gym go up to 60kg but I need to practice Circus DB specifically so I shelled out for this.
I’m guessing you’re in the States from using lbs so you can probably get one way cheaper.
