Bench
Bar x 10
65 x 5
85 x 4
92.5 x 4 x 4 sets (204 lbs) RPE 8, 8, 8, 8
All paused, solid.
Squat
Bar x 10
65 x 5
85 x 5
90 x 8 x 3 sets (198 lbs) RPE 7, 7, 8
Tried lower bar position tonight. Felt ok, back was deff tighter. Going to need lots of practice!!
Bent row
80 x 6 x 4 sets
These felt good tonight, deff easier when you don’t do them after deadlifts !!
Pull ups
3 sets - 6, 6, 6
Hanging leg raise
15 x 3 sets
Good session tonight, it felt good to do bench at the start of the session when I’m fresh. Moved well just like it should in week 1.
Tried a lower bar position and it went ok. The lower position did make me lock my upper back more. I still need more practice at sitting back and not letting my knees go too far forward. Some reps felt really good, some meh!! It was only a light weight so I’ll see how it goes tomorrow with a little more weight.
Takes lot’s of time to alter a well grooved move. Be careful going to heavy on squats, the body tends to remember the old habits when pushed.
At least mine does.
That’s alright mate. They say to make diamonds you need pressure. Its time for me to start pushing myself a little harder. Because I am now squatting 3 times a week, Heavy, light then medium it has worked out well. Last night was a light session so great session to practice the lower bar position. Tonight is a medium session so that will give me another opportunity to try the lower bar at a slightly heavier weight. Then Monday will be back to heavy again.
I know with my training my consistency has been excellent and my effort to complete the program has also been good but there are times when i’ve questioned the intensity. This block is the first block back into heaver weights for some time so it is going to be tough and it needs to be tough.
Body feels pretty good today. No real impacts from the light squats which is great cause I need to squat again tonight. Having three sessions but with a little less volume on the main lifts per session seems to working OK. I’ll decide how good it really is after a couple of weeks of the training block but i’m liking how its going this week.
You’ve been on a good and solid program, you’ve been lifting hard in the right rep ranges, and you’ve improved.
The new trend is intensity is measured in how many sets it taken to failure and beyond.
But it seems to depend on the goal. If mass and hypertrophy is the goal then every set should be taken to failure in the 8 - 20 rep range. And you should do about 8 -10 sets every week for each bodypart. So if you’re squatting once a week then it’s 8 sets to failure, if it’s three times then 3 sets every session.
If pure strength is the goal I really haven’t found the real driver.
But it seems like it’s more sets, lower reps and not to failure.
Can’t wait to see were you new 3 day a week a gonna take you.
Deadlift.
Bar x 10
65 x 5
105 x 3
125 x 3
135 x 3 (307 lbs)
Should have been 6 reps. Did these beltless, got to rep 3 on first set and pulled something in my lower back!! Stopped the set and walked it out. Weight didn’t feel heavy but back didn’t like it !! Not sure what happened maybe bracing was off.
135 x 6 RPE 7 still beltless decided to do a rep and see how it went, back still a bit sore but braced hard and they were ok - odd
135 x 6 RPE 8 no pain when lifting
135 x 6 RPE 8 moved fine
No idea what happened to the back. Wasn’t sore when lifting but was after !! Hurt most sitting, my abs were very sore today after some leg raises yesterday, thinking maybe my bracing was off !!
Squat
Bar x 10
65 x 5
85 x 5
All warm ups moved well, back was sore but not worse when lifting !!
97.5 x 6 x 3 sets (215 lbs) RPE- 6, 6, 6
added belt for these mostly just to see how it fit. Belt felt good, bracing Into it deff helped stabilise my midsection. Even with a sore back these were the best squats I’ve done in weeks. Chin was down, nipples at the ground, drive with the hips. Quality
Bench
Bar x 10
65 x 8
75 x 8 x 3 sets (165 lbs)
Not paused, just moved them fast
Pull ups
3 sets, 5, 5, 5
Very odd session. No idea what happened to my back. It is very tight now, hoping it’s just a minor muscle strain and it will come good over the weekend. The rest of the session went really well.
I wore a belt for squatting first time ever this week, was blown away by how much stronger I felt. Also excited as there’s another training related purchase I can research and make!
Not sure on your logic here big fella, I used to squat 3 times a week along with dead’s for ages, my back was at its strongest. That’s with heavy sled drags, belting a tyre with a heavy sledge on days between with heaps of pull-ups etc which all uses the back.
I’ve known tons of people who have done the same with no issues, it’s about how you manage it.
Yer I’m not sure 4 sets on Monday and 3 light sets on Thursday were a major factor. The pull was very low in the back and wasn’t when I was under tension. Think everything was just tight from sitting a lot and a cold day and it tweaked as I bent down. Pretty sure it will sort itself out.
I think that’s right. Weird thing is I’ve never had an issue before. I guess it’s a good reminder that it can catch you out if you don’t take it seriously. The weight wasn’t really heavy and I am now thinking I just didn’t approach the lift properly. Stupid really.
Same shit that happened to me. You can get away with bracing maybe 80 per cent right for ages and then suddenly something changes (load for me, volume for you) and that missing 20 per cent becomes really important very fucking fast.
Try this:
Lie on the ground with your knees at 45 degrees. Pull your abs in, away from you waistline. Then hold your pee, take a big breath into your back, squeeze your glutes and push your hips up. Do three sets of 10.
Then set up in a 90/90, so feet flat on a wall and knees at 90 degrees with your back flat. Do the same process, abs in from waistline, hold your pee and breathe in then squeeze your glutes. this just just hold that squeeze for 10 seconds. Do this 10 times.
Then stretch your glutes, hips, hams, lower back and lats.
Better nights sleep last night and back less angry and less tight today. At a car show today celebrating 60 years of the mini. Lots of if walking around so hopefully that will help.