HF w3d4
Bench - paused
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
100kg x 3
105kg x 3
110kg x 3 - don’t think I’ve paused this - PR
Add reverse reds (I’d guess about 5kg off at the bottom)
110kg x 3
120kg x 2 and a fail
Bands off
105kg x 3
Add fat grips - extra half inch or so ROM
100kg x 5
Close grip bench - paused
100kg x 4 - tng PR matched
80kg x 8
80kg x 10
I’m going to do a bit more close grip work in the coming months, so long as it doesn’t make my shoulder feel too wonky. I tend to over tuck my funny shoulder then internally rotate at lockout, and close grip makes this issue a lot more apparent. I think it’d help my comp bench though, at least more than half ROM off pins and reverse bands will - they’re fun but don’t feel useful.
Chins
Bw x 3
Plus 2.5kg x 3
Add fat grips
Plus 2.5kg x 3,3,3,3,3
Bw x 4,3,3
Seated cable row
“91” x 3 x 20
Curls and oh extensions
18kg x 3 x a lot fewer reps than I should be able to do.
Yesterday
HF w4d1
Deadlift
70kg x 3
100kg x 2
120kg x 2
150kg x 2
170kg x 2
Add belt
200kg x 1
220kg x 1
240kg x F - my feet slipped back just as I started the pull, so I started from a bit of a disadvantageous position. Stalled just below the knee. Was too tired to give more attempts.
Floor press - paused
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 2
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
Chins
BW x 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
Don’t call it a comeBACK…
HF w4d2 - accidentally did a mock meet of sorts
Squats
70kg x 3
100kg x 3
120kg x 2
150kg x 1
170kg x 1
Belt on
200kg x 1
210kg x 2 - lost tightness on the second a little, then failed the 3rd
Bench - paused
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
80kg x 2
90kg x 2
100kg x 2
105kg x 2
110kg x 2
115kg x 2 - paused PR
120kg x 2 - 1 rep paused PR and flat footed too. Was very happy with this, bench is really coming together at the moment.
At this point I realized that I’d hit my mock meet PRs on squat and bench, but doubled them. Decided I may as well do the same for deads.
Deads
80kg x 4
120kg x 3
150kg x 2
170kg x 1
Belt on
200kg x 1
222.5kg x 2 - default PR double
Total 552.5kg/1215.5lbs - PR matched with doubles instead of singles
Went skiing for a week. It’s tiring as hell, so I’m going to go ahead and say that that constitutes cardio for the year done.
Yesterday
KB swings
24kg x 5
24kg x 5
40kg x 5
40kg x 6
40kg x 7
40kg x 8
40kg x 9
40kg x 10
KB cleans and press (clean each rep)
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 5/arm
24kg x 10/arm
I have a couple of days with just the 24kg kettlebell now, then I’m living in a new locality for 3 weeks so no idea about gyms there. Will be able to get to my old one on the weekends and apparently there’s one available nearby, but it depends on how much it costs to be honest.
Didn’t take the kettlebell with me over the few days away, no space in the car. Spent around 8 hours total moving logs around over the course of two days though, so stayed active kinda.
Found a gym in the new area, it’s alright, big bodybuilder/bro vibe but it has a squat rack and a bench so it’ll do.
Squats
Bar x some
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 1
120kg x 1
140kg x 1
160kg x 1
180kg x 1
180kg x 1
180kg x 1
Squats felt off. Not done them in 3 weeks, so duh. Legs started cramping at 100kg, and that changed the way I sat into the hole and just made me weak in general. They’re still sore as hell no from the little volume I got in.
Bench
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
75kg x 3
90kg x 3
102.5kg x 3
107.5kg x 2
Bench strength is down as much as I’d expect.
Then did various isolation exercises for pretty much every bodypart just to get every muscle used to the fact that it’s going to be doing work again. Sets of 10 kinda deal.
Going to squat and bench fairly frequently to get back into the groove again - I want to get back up to 200kg plus on squats within two weeks, and 115kg on bench. Deads I can only properly train at the weekend when I’m back at my main uni gym because this gym doesn’t have full diameter plates.
My legs are still stupid sore from the cramps, really weird how they both simultaneously and symmetrically cocked up. Squats still feel a little wonky, really trying to work on good positioning. No belt or sleeves with me at the moment, will hopefully get some benefit from that.
Squats
Bar x some
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 2
120kg x 1
140kg x 1
160kg x 1
180kg x 2
180kg x 2
180kg x 2
Pause squats
140kg x 2
140kg x 2
140kg x 2
Bench
Bar x some
40kg x 3
60kg x 3
75kg x 3
85kg x 2
95kg x 2
105kg x 2
105kg x 2
105kg x 2
105kg x 2
105kg x 2
105kg x 2
105kg x 2
105kg x 2
Bench felt really good so I kept going instead of sticking to 3-5 sets. Weight is still down on it, but the movement feels really smooth. Main concern is keeping my ass down, which is a case of pushing back instead of up with my feet.
Preacher curl machine
5-6 sets of 8-15
Rope pushdowns
3 x 10-20
Back at the main gym Saturday, will be able to get some pulls in
Squats and deads yesterday, followed by a hockey match. I feel beat up.
Yesterday
Squats
Up to 180kg x 1,2
Slick bar, made tightness difficult which isn’t great when I’m trying to keep the movement solid
Bench
Up to 110kg x 2 x 3
Chins
5 x 5
Laterals
17.5s x 5 x 10
Hammer curls
17.5s x 3 x 10
Deficit deads (plates are smaller diameter)
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 2
120kg x 2
140kg x 1
160kg x 1
180kg x 1
200kg x 1, grip slipped just before lockout on the second
200kg x 3 - borrowed some liquid chalk. Very slick and thick bar.
Bench
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
75kg x 2
85kg x 2
95kg x 2
100kg x 5,5,5,4 plus roll of shame
Lat pulldown
5 x 8-10
Rear delt machine
5 x 10
Laterals
10kg x 2 x 15
Yesterday
Squats
Up to 200kg x 2 - belted. I put the belt on just to do some work over 200kg again.
Power clean and push jerk
Up to 100kg
Failed the clean at 105kg twice. There were oly lifting coaches going through their coaching exams on the platforms next to me, so I joined the bandwagon. My clean is hilariously bad relative to my pulls.
Deadlift
Up to 210kg x 2 - belted and strapped.
Rugby training yesterday.
Big game is on Saturday, and I got my first and only contact training session in before it. With the pads on my shoulder manages fine, once I took them off for a lighter drill I immediately pissed it off, so I’ll definitely keep them on for the game. I’m by far the strongest guy on the field on Saturday, and among the heaviest. If I don’t trample over some puny humans or if I miss a tackle purely because my technique isn’t as good as the regular players I’ll be pissed off.
Front squats - beltless, 5 count pause
Bar x some
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 2
100kg x 1
120kg x 1
High bar - beltless, 5 count pause
120kg x 1
140kg x 1
Spoto press - pause 2 inches off chest
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 5
70kg x 5
80kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5 - full rom, big pauses, easy
Laterals and facepulls
Today I just wanted to drill the movements and not tire myself out too much. Working in hospital on my feet every day for the rest of the week, then the game on Saturday, I just want to be fresh. Limited weight on bench and didn’t do any low bar because my shoulder joint and neck are sore and tight from Monday.
No injuries in the game, but my body is trashed. Been busy with work and not been making the time to get to the gym, but will train tomorrow.
Played well, no issues with cardio/fitness which I had for the game last year. Physically dominant, cleared out a ruck of 3 people at one point whilst screaming “this is my ruck, mine!”, and literally lifted and threw a 110 kilo man off of the pitch. We happened to lose 5-7, purely based off bad luck for our kicker. Everyone on both teams kicked ass.
Squats
Up to 200kg x 2
Snatch grip deads
Up to 180kg
Rdls
180kg x 5 easy
GHR
Some
Stretching.
I need to sort out my programming, winged it today. Upper body especially shoulders still sore from rugby, so played it safe. Will bench tomorrow.
Bench
Bar x some
60kg x 5
75kg x 4
85kg x 3
95kg x 2
105kg x 2
110kg x 2
110kg x 2
110kg x 2
I wanted to hit my shoulders hard, so I jumped in with an oly lifter who couldn’t hit squats or the main lifts for some reason and was just training upper body. Had the goal of matching him on everything, and with the exception of me switching to doing all my jerks behind the neck because anything over 3 reps from the front just becomes really difficult for me I did ok (jerked more actually).
Muscle snatch
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
60kg x 3
65kg x 2
Power jerk
60kg x 5
70kg x 5
BTN
80kg x 5
90kg x 4
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
BTN push press
75kg x 5
75kg x 5
75kg x 5
75kg x 5
Strict press
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
CGBP - paused
50kg x 5
65kg x 5
75kg x 5
75kg x 8
75kg x 8
So my upper body is officially being trained again. Getting back to my full body high frequency stuff now, will alternate days where I start with bench and squat, with the first lift being trained a bit heavier. May use the Henriques programme as something fairly heavy which runs as a one off for 6 weeks, using his percentages twice weekly on each lift and a lighter variation as assistance on the other two days (so Henriques bench, front squat reps. Henriques squat, CGBP reps. Henriques bench (likely the same percentage), snatch grip deadlift something easy. Henriques squat, incline reps.) Sprinkle in heavy deadlifts where they work. Spitballing here. The important thing is the training with frequency and intensity. I want to squat 220kg before I go home in 2 months, and pack some upper body mass on. I’m hopefully training at Laurence Shahlaei’s gym over summer, so while I want to have a decent pull before I get there, I doubt I’ll leave at the end of summer with anything to be ashamed of.
I dig that press workout man. I followed your log for a while and you do a really good job. Keeps me motivated as my numbers are quite similar.
That feel when the 85kg oly guy lifts the same as my fat 105kg ass though…
Thanks for reading, just had a look through your log, I like the high frequency squats. You get over the soreness eh? Not feeling anything from yesterday at all despite the volume.
