I wish there was a way 
It would require some big changes to our lot if we wanted any kind of vehicle down there. Fortunately I don’t have to do it often, and it’s good exercise.
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Picked up a trap bar today and had a great first session with it. Had to check the bar’s weight as things were feeling easier than expected. But it is 32.5 kg like it’s supposed to be.
The knurling is super aggressive, think I need to file it down because it was chewing up my hands. Not an issue with the heavy sets though as I used grips for those.
Short workout, my knee said no to squats and I was fatigued so it was basically just this:
Trap bar deadlift (low handles)
10 @ 32 kg
5 @ 62
5 @ 82
5 @ 102
1 @ 122
1 @ 132 (middle age PR! 
)
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Feeling quite mashed after yesterday, so kept things simple today. The trap bar deadlifts smoked my quads and arse. Think I woke up four times last night from aching thighs.
Barbell row
3x10 @ 56 kg
Bench press
3x5 @ 56 kg
Wide grip inverted row
2x10
Deficit press ups
12/7/10 - longer break before the last set
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Was feeling a bit dizzy so decided to go for an easy run instead of lifting. Haven’t run as often as I’d like because the other training tends to leave me too depleted. But today was nice, did my usual route of walking and interval runs but this time made the intervals a fair bit longer. Seemed to be ok with my achilles tendons.
Then when I got back I reckoned a short, moderate lifting workout would be doable. Used the high handles on the trap bar this time and was hoping to do an easy single at 112 kg. Then this happened:
Trap bar deadlift, high handles
10 @ 72 kg
5 @ 92
3 @ 112 - hmm, that was easier than anticipated
3 @ 122 - woah, is trap bar that much easier than regular deadlift?
1 @ 137 - how is this not extremely hard?
1 @ 147 - still easier than the 132 with low handles that I did on Sunday! And this time I wasn’t using grips either. My recent grip training must have paid off.
I wasn’t expecting there to be such a massive difference between conventional DL to trap bar. Looks like it’s around 20 kg using low handles and 35-40 with the high ones. The leverages are so much better. My goal is still 140 conventional though. But this was a nice ego boost
the knurling is super aggressive compared to my regular bar. Think it helped, no grip slippage at all. But it may turn my hand into one big callus…
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Introducing some light RDLs to see if they can help fix my hamstrings. Felt good. I’m taking a deload week but wanted to lift something heavy so tried high wide grip rack pulls for fun as well.
30 min walk with short interval runs
Banded leg curls
25 @ red band
Poliquin step-ups
50
Reverse step-ups (not sure if this is the correct term, with this one I hinge and squat as opposed to the above where the knee goes further over the toes)
25/30
RDLs (slow and with long pauses)
3x10 @ 41 kg
High, wide grip rack pulls (very high - only about 2" of ROM. Hold for time)
81 / 101 / 121 / 141 / 151 kg
Just wanted to see how these felt on the traps and upper back. Half a day later I am pretty sore…
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Haven’t trained for over a week as I was preparing for a colonoscopy and wanted to keep my appetite low. Went through it yesterday (or rather, it went through me 
) and I’ve been eating again…but tried a very light session just now and was super weak.
My regular training schedule starts tomorrow, hope I’ll have more energy then.
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Still not feeling 100% but definitely better than yesterday.
Romanian deadlift
3x10 @ 56 kg (very slow and controlled, trying to figure out a decent form that doesn’t bug my left hamstring)
trap bar deadlift, high handles
10 @ 72
5 @ 92
5 @ 112
5 @ 132
leg extension with dumbbell
20 @ 12 kg - ugh, starting to feel quite drained
sandbag over bar (shoulder height)
10 @ 40 kg
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Had to skip training yesterday and was busy all day today, but managed to squeeze in a late evening session. Not in top shape, but much better than nothing!
Kettlebell row
3x7 @ 32 kg
Bench press
3x3 @ 56 kg
Wide grip inverted row
2x10
Close grip bench with fat grips
8/7 @ 41 kg
Not overly confident with suicide grip and the fat grips made it harder. Ignoring the hazard these felt great though, a bit more ROM due to the thickness of the grips as well. But maybe I ought to ditch suicide grip until I have spotter arms…
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seated leg curl with bands
Poliquin step ups
narrow stance squat 3x10 @ 21 kg
regular deadlift 5 @ 101 / 3 @ 111 / failed 121
calf raise with weight vest 26/26/22 @ 30 kg
farmer’s walk 25 steps @ 90 kg
failed the bleeding 121 kg deadlift again, but last time it barely broke the floor and this time I almost got it to the knees.
reckon I’ll get it next time. Could have pushed harder but the back was fatigued from manual labour earlier in the day and I didn’t feel safe enough.
the squats were interesting. I have found that the reason for my left knee pain is that the lower leg is rotated outwards relative to the upper leg. Am trying narrow stance squats with feet pointing straight ahead and forcing my knee to track over my toes. Felt weak, but good. Hopefully onto something here…
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Deadlift session today, back felt a bit off so decided against doing conventional DL and went for trap bar instead. In hindsight, this probably wasn’t necessary.
banded leg curls
3 sets of various reverse step ups
trap bar deadlift
3 @ 132 kg
2 @ 142
1 @ 152
10 @ 122
Romanian bent back deficit deadlift (best description I could think of!), to knees only (weak link work - these were great for hammering the low back)
8 @ 41 kg
2x8 @ 51 kg
narrow stance squat
3x12 @ 21 kg - scared to increase loading too fast on these and wreck my knee again
tib bar raises
12/10/7 @ 30 kg
standing calf raises
3x20 @ 30 kg (weight vest)
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Realised I forgot to post Friday’s workout. So this was before the session posted above.
Pullups
3/1/1 unassisted
5/5 slowww negatives
Bench press
3 drop sets:
1 @ 61 kg then 5 @ 51 kg
(repeat)
1 @ 61 then 1 @ 58.5 then 3 @ 56 kg
OHP low hold for time (stability exercise for my left shoulder, experimenting with how high I can push without pain. Had to take a narrow grip or it would hurt right away)
5 sets @ 16 kg
Ez bar curls
4/3/3 @ 35 kg (rep count was higher but those were the strict reps)
Dumbbell flys
10/10/7 @ 12 kg db’s with fat grips
French press (tried not to assist too much with the shoulders as I’m mainly trying to hit triceps and lower traps with these)
20/15/12 @ 15 kg
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What does squat day look like when you can’t properly squat?
banded leg curl
30 @ 1 red band
10 @ 2 red bands
Poliquin step up
2x30 @ 2 inches’ elevation
30 @ 4 in
25 @ 6 in
Reverse lunge (alternating sides), 2 inches front foot elevation
20 @ bodyweight
20 @ 16 kg
20 @ 24 kg
Squat, narrow stance
2x12 @ 23.5 kg (bad knee started feeling «full» so skipped last set)
Romanian deadlift
10 reps each at 41/51/61/71/81/91 kg
Leg extension (dumbbell strapped under foot)
16/17/26 @ 12 kg
Think I must have used my right side more during the squats because I was much more fatigued on that side during the leg extensions. On the left side I got 20/20/27. The all out set on the right side was lactate torture…
I enjoyed the alternating reverse lunges, they felt good. Maybe I’ll up the volume on those next time.
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Didn’t train yesterday so went today instead. Cut down on the volume as I have one less day to recover now. Did some kettlebell swings for cardio as well, been a while since I’ve done them.
1-handed kb swing, one set every minute on the minute
2x20 @ 16 kg / 1x20 @ 24 kg / 6x10 @ 24 kg
kb clean & press
8x5 @ 12 kg
barbell row
10 each at 51/61/66 kg
bench press
3 @ 61 kg
1 @ 63.5 kg
failed 66 kg
slomo barbell overhead press practice with just the 16 kg bar
I am figuring out that my shoulder doesn’t hurt if I shrug sufficiently while pressing overhead. It feels weird to change my technique but seems promising. Have some sticking points where the rotator cuff easily gets aggy and I notice a lack of stability in those spots as well. If I can get back to pain free overhead barbell presses, I’ll be chuffed
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Ugh, was warming up for deadlifts yesterday and my back started acting up a bit. Just cut the whole thing short. I’ve been doing some hip stretching and it messes up my back so quickly, why don’t I ever learn! Maybe it’s better to stay inflexible until I can figure out why it happens.
Short workout today as well, did some manual labour right before it and was getting tired.
Bench press
3x2 @ 61 kg
Drop set: 11 @ 51 / 5 @ 41 / 10 @ 31 - jelly arms!
Kettlebell row
10 each at 28/32/32 kg
Inverted row
2x12
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Squat day, challenging the knee a bit while hopefully not making it worse
Poliquin step up
3 sets
narrow stance squat
10/5/5 @ 56 kg, stayed within pain free range (so half squats essentially)
reverse lunge with elevated front foot
3x20 @ 16 kg
trap bar deadlift, high handles
singles at 132/142/152 kg
failed 162 kg
side bends
12/8/8 @ 32 kg (trap bar in one hand)
also did 3 sets each of reverse curls and behind the back barbell wrist curls to get some forearm work in
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First proper workout in the cage (did pullups and bench press on Fri after assembling it, but didn’t take notes). Loving it!
banded leg curls
Poliquin step ups
30/30/25
Romanian deadlift
3x5 @ 91 kg
rack pulls (safety bars at lowest setting, so essentially a deadlift that starts 2” off the floor. Makes it so easy to change plates too)
2x5 @ 91 kg
trap bar deadlift, high handles
5 @ 102
5 @ 122
8 @ 134.5
narrow stance squat (rehab tings)
3x10 @ 23.5
low back is my weak point in the conventional deadlift, so planning on focussing more on it. Hence the RDLs and low rack pulls. The trap bar doesn’t tax the back much due to the upright position, but is just so satisfying!
Want to do zercher deadlifts too. I’m not flexible enough to do them from the floor, but now I have the rack I can start at any height I like…muhahahaa
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Forgot to post my last workouts. Been having fun with the power rack and also just picked up a landmine attachment for it. Killer for presses and core work, looking forwards to doing calf raises with it too. Can’t recall my shoulders ever being so sore in the middle of a workout before, it was quite intense (but not in a bad way).
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Sunday sesh, deadlifts coming along slowly but surely. Landmine calf raises are pretty great as when you lean towards the bar you get a good calf stretch. Only downside is that it is a little tricky to get the end of the bar from floor to throat when it’s getting heavy. Need to figure out a way to do it that doesn’t risk squashing my wrist.
Bulgarian split squat, unweighted
5x12
Rack pull (deadlift starting 5 cm higher off the floor)
5 @ 101 kg
5 @ 111
1 @ 121
Partial deadlift (floor to knee)
2x5 @ 81 kg
Front squat, slomo reps
12/12/7 @ 26 kg
Landmine calf raise
3x20 @ +40 kg
Standing tibialis raise
45/30/30
Back extension on hyper bench, hands behind head
12/10/10
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I think I’m going to need to try these—thanks for the idea!
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