Also BW is stabilising in the low 94s again at 2600kcal bottom range. Will leave it there for another few days and see what happens and if it’s slow movement I’ll drop closer to 2500.
Today and tomorrow are the first days I’m not tracking anything at all, mainly cos I wanted to have a proper cheat day or two whilst having big gym sessions and this rugby match tomorrow. Todaý was actually alright, barring the possibility of me getting cheesy chips on the walk home from the night out.
Doooo itttt!
Bloat I can handle, but if I’m hanging out my arse whilst front squatting tomorrow I’ll be pissed with myself.
BW this morning: 94.1kg 
Yesterday’s session
Front squat
60kg x 3
90kg x 3
110kg x 2
Belt on
125kg x 10 x 3 - first rep each set paused, all last set paused. Good.
Low bar
90kg x 1
110kg x 1
130kg x 1
Belt on
150kg x 1
170kg x 1
190kg x 1 - minimum I’ll set as a max for an upcoming cycle
High bar
180kg x 1 - to prove a point to the oly lifters
Deads
90kg x 3
110kg x 2
130kg x 2
160kg x 5
Belt on
175kg x 4
190kg x 3
GHR
5 x 5
Ss/ Deadlift lockout rows/filth rows
90kg x 10
110kg x 10
Straps and belt on
130kg x 3 x 8
Shins to bar
3 x 3 - easy but my core got enough training today I think
Then rugby. We lost. I scored. It was hot.
A post shared by Max Smith (@maazersmiit) on May 28, 2017 at 5:34am PDT
Morning BW 95.3kg - bit disappointed this has gone back up. Quite a lot of salt in the diet yesterday probably playing a part.
Bench
Bar x some
40kg x 2 x 5
60kg x 3
80kg x 2
92.5kg x 2
100kg x 2
107.5kg x 2
115kg x 2 - solid form but just a tad slow. Not as bad as the 120 from as few weeks ago.
Front squat
Bar x some
40kg x 3
60kg x 2 x 3
80kg x 3
Belt on
107.5kg x 6 x 6 - first rep each set paused, all last set paused
Cgbp
60kg x 5
80kg x 5
90kg x 3 x 5 - yeeesh
Laterals
10s x 4 x 15
All my strength went out of me by the end of the session. Tiring weekend and despite some alright weigh ins my diet has been far from perfect. I also went over on my ankle funny during the game and could barely move it Sunday and Monday. Lots of ice, heat, and gentle stretching has brought the swelling and pain down enough to squat today but I’ve been in a foul mood cos of it.
Can’t train this coming Sunday, Monday, Tuesday cos family are down, so squatting again tomorrow. Then will finish this cycle on Saturday, take those days off as a deload, and hit a heavy front squat (probably two singles, one with a pause and one without) and try for a rep PR on bench at 100kg on Wednesday. Or 95kg (probably closest i can get to BW). I dunno.
Have a slightly calmer cycle planned for the lead up to exams and for after them.
Morning BW: 93.6kg
Don’t worry too much @furo, I’ve got a stomach bug.
Front squat
Bar x some
30kg x 5
50kg x 3
70kg x 3
85kg x 3
Belt on
100kg x 2
115kg x 7 x 5 - first rep each set paused, all last set paused.
Hard. All the trouble is still coming from keeping the rack position solid. I feel like a lot of that would get better with a good bar, skin contact, and chalk, but I’m still pretty far from my legs being the weak link here. When it comes to maxing out next week I’ll hit up the power gym in the stringiest of stringers and cover myself in so much chalk I look like Tony Montana.
Deads
50kg x 5
70kg x 3
100kg x 2
120kg x 2
140kg x 2
160kg x 2 - hip flexor spasm rep no. 1
172.5kg x 2 - again
Straps on
185kg x 2
Belt on
200kg x 2
Deficit pause pulls - 1 plate deficit, pause at knee
Belt + straps
180kg x 2 x 2 - somehow these felt like the best lifts of the day
Today I was weak. No ankle pain though.
BW has been 93.6kg for 3 straight days. Trying to get loads of water in as well as keeping calories on the higher side but I’m starting to think not all of the weight that disappeared overnight on Tuesday was water. So that’s good I guess. Got 900 cals left before a seafood dinner out tonight so will probably wake up a bit heavier tomorrow.
Bench
Bar x some
40kg x 3
60kg x 2 x 3
80kg x 2 x 2
92.5kg x 1
100kg x 1
107.5kg x 4 - rushed the warm ups a little here, forgot my wrist wraps, and bench just felt a little off in general. 5 would’ve been there but a bit of a grind and I wanted to save myself before squats.
Front squat
80kg x 3 x 3
100kg x 2
Belt on
122.5kg x 8 x 4 - first rep each set paused, all last set paused. I don’t feel 100% over the bug yet but got all these comfortably.
Cgbp
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
80kg x 2
90kg x 2
102.5kg x 3 x 2
90kg x 6
Morning BW 94.3kg - it’s all shellfish
A few deadlifts of all varieties with 60kg whilst waiting for the rack.
Front squat
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 2
120kg x 1 - all warmups feeling very good
Belt on
130kg x 10 x 3 - first rep each set paused, all last set paused.
140kg x 1 - paused
150kg x 1 - paused - 7.5kg PR
Deads - was meant to do an amrap at 185kg but I know that I can hit 10-15 there and that does nothing for me. About to have a mini-deload so might as well grind with something heavyish.
60kg x 3
90kg x 3
110kg x 2
130kg x 2
160kg x 1
Belt on
172.5kg x 1
190kg x 1
Straps
200kg x 1 - eurgh why is this slow?
210kg x 1- solid grind
220kg x F - bah. Might’ve been there but the moment it went a bit wonky off the floor I bailed.
Need to work on ability to grind through tough deadlifts, but I think after the final two days of smolov jr front squats might not be the best time.
Shins to bar
3 x 3 - weaksauce
Chest supported row
Some x 2 x 15
Some more x 10
Morning BW 93.6kg. It’s been closer to 95 the past few days cos my sister has been down, I’ve not trained and we’ve been going out to eat a fair amount.
Front squat
40kg x 3
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 2
Belt on
120kg x 1
135kg x 1
150kg x 1 - really fricken fast
162.5kg x F - nearly - it felt freakin heavy on my throat so I misgrooved on the way down which slowed my descent until this was almost half paused. Should’ve ground it.
162.5kg x F - much less close.
Really annoying to really bring up my front squat technique and strength over the course of 3 weeks, then screw up the max by getting uncomfortable under heavy weight and misgrooving. 162.5kg was my best at 105 and I wanted to hit it as a 93.
Will still be hitting them twice a week over the next 6 weeks whilst I run the Henriques programme and I’ll have plenty of chances to get used to how heavy weight feels on that. Will be doing them after low bar so using 150kg for a max is sensible, but I’ll push weight and go off programme when it feels good.
Anyway, gotta relearn how to low bar now.
Low bar
60kg x 3
100kg x 3
120kg x 2
140kg x 2
Belt on
160kg x 2
170kg x 2
180kg x 2
190kg x 2
These all moved well.
Had to run.
A post shared by Max Smith (@maazersmiit) on Jun 7, 2017 at 11:30am PDT
Next 6 weeks - Henriques 6 week programme on a few big lifts.
Week starts on a Friday because lol at convention.
Friday: Henriques bench (max 117.5kg) then bench volume and some delt and tricep and upper back stuff.
Sunday: Henriques deadlift (max 210kg) at the power gym probably using the stupid stiff short bar. I feel like when I’m well rested my max is a fair bit higher but this is the best I’ve done recently. Following with paused “cycle squats” (warm up to a top weight with front squats, then hit a set there, add two reps and switch to high bar, add two reps and switch to low bar, then pyramid back down high bar and front again. No idea why I call them cycle squats but that’s what I mean when I say it.) Then RDLs and generic back and bicep stuff.
Monday: Henriques close grip bench (max 107.5kg) followed by delt and tricep stuff.
Wednesday: Henriques low bar (max 200kg) and Henriques front squat (max 150kg) then RDLs, back stuff, and I’ll glance towards the leg machines.
And then before I go for a placement in Tonga for 2 months and lose all the gains I’ll have a week to see what I can shove around as a 93-er. Probably will get a mock meet sorted.
Thursday 94.1kg
Friday 94.5kg
Today 93.9kg
Yesterday’s bench
Spent 6 hours at the beach today so came to the gym underfed and still warming up from British seaside weather. Everything just felt a little heavy but got stuff done. Joints felt cold if that makes sense?
Henriques bench w1
Bench
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
95kg x 2
100kg x 2
107.5kg x 2
95kg x 8.9 - not all massively paused. I’m thinking I should be able to hit 10 reps at BW at a minimum.
Cgbp
80kg x 8,8,6 - these died off pretty quickly
Db seated ohp
12.5s x 15
17.5s x 12
22.5s x 10
27.5s x 10
22.5s x 12
20s x 15
Rope pushdowns
Ascending weight (up to “130”) x 5 x 20
Ss/ Facepulls
Same
Oh triceps
20kg x 20
26kg x 15
30kg x 2 x 10
Ss/ Seated laterals
12.5s x 4 x 15
Not the best session in terms of weight moved but got the Henriques numbers and after the first few warmups bench technique was solid.
Haven’t dropped the kilogram I said I’d drop before the next update pics but I thought the colour I went after getting in the sea yesterday was worth sharing.
@furo central cap refill time >10 seconds
Haha looks it! Peri-arrest?
Henriques deads w1
I’m worn out and everything hurts. I’m still hitting the numbers though. 2 weeks until my brain is allowed to rest and I can continue abusing my body.
Pulls - again the group insist on pulling on the ridiculous stubby bar
80kg x 3
100kg x 3
120kg x 3
140kg x 3
160kg x 3
170kg x 2
Belt on
185kg x 2
200kg x 2 - first one was a bit slow
200kg x 2
Have decided that to mitigate the drop in volume and frequency from smolov to this programme I’ll hit my top set for the day multiple times until it’s an rpe 9. Will probably end up applying more to bench.
Cycle squats
Front squat - paused
Bar x some
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 3
120kg x 3
130kg x 3 - paused beltless PR
High bar - paused
130kg x 5
Low bar - paused
130kg x 7
High bar - paused
130kg x 5
Front squat - paused
130kg x 3 - did it twice, so that’s good
RDLs - hanging out in the zone around the kneecap
60kg x 10
100kg x 10
120kg x 10
Belt, straps on
120kg x 10 - misload, extra set, bah
140kg x 10
120kg x 15
100kg x 20
Ss/ Shins to bar
7 x 3
Chins
1,2,3,4,5,6,5,5 - emom, was running out of time and also knackered so just got a bit of volume in.
So apparently I’ve felt crap the past week or so because I was growing an abscess in a pretty sensitive area.
Huh.
Got it checked out on Sunday, drained Monday, spent Tuesday sleeping off the anaesthetics and the opiates and back in the gym today. Was off food for a solid 24 hours and then pretty dodgy nutrition after that whilst waiting for the bowels to start up again so fair to say I wasn’t 100% yet.
Henriques close grip w1
Cgbp
Bar x some
40kg x 5
60kg x 2 x 3
82.5kg x 2
95kg x 2
100kg x 2 - RPE 8
100kg x 2 - RPE 9
This is meant to to up to 107.5 for a double in 4 weeks. That’s probably doable if we take today as as an off day.
Speed bench
70kg x 8 x 2 - every 30 seconds
Incline DB
20s x 12
27.5s x 10
32.5s x 10,10,10,12
Laterals
10s x 20
14s x 4 x 15
Ss/ Incline diamond pushups
5 x 10
Cable laterals
Don’t care x some
Ss/ Pec dec
Same
Ss/ Triceps machine
Same
Morning BW 93.1kg - new low. It was all over the place the past few days but generally over 94.5. Wouldn’t be surprised if it jumped back up tomorrow.
Henriques squats w1
Low bar
Bar x some
60kg x 3
70kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 2
120kg x 2
140kg x 2
160kg x 2
172.5kg x 2
185kg x 2 - RPE 8
Belt on
185kg x 2 - RPE 8
185kg x 2 - RPE 8 - FFS get hard
185kg x 2 - RPE 8.5 - it’ll do
This RPE idea ended up kicking my ass cos I had to do a fair amount of sets before it started getting tricky. I did say I wanted to practice low bar.
Front squat
100kg x 2
120kg x 2
Belt on
130kg x 2
140kg x 2 - RPE 9 - slippy bar more than legs not having it
RDLs - hanging out in the zone around the knee.
100kg x 10
Straps
120kg x 3 x 15
Belt
120kg x 25 - christ
Ss/ Pullups
6,6,6,6,8
Alternating DB curls
16s x 3 x 10
Ss/ Pullovers
20kg x 3 x 15
Hammer curls
16s x 15
18s x 12
20s x 10
16s x 15
Ss/ Lat stretching
Seated top half barbell curls - lol
Bar x 3 x 20
