12/05/15: Week 2, Day 2 (2nd cycle)
Bench
3x 52.5kg
3x 55kg
3x 57.5kg
3x 52.5kg
3x 55kg
3x 57.5kg
57.5kg felt pretty heavy, but I managed to complete all the reps. That’s all.
13/05/15: Week 2, Day 3 (2nd cycle)
BOR
3x 52.5kg
3x 55kg
3x 57.5kg
3x 52.5kg
3x 55kg
3x 57.5kg
Managed to do what was planned ok. Bent over rows are definitely my least favourite lift. Will stick with them for next week to finish this cycle then try replacing them with something else on cycle 3.
14/05/15: Week 2, Day 4 (2nd cycle)
OHP
3x 32.5kg
3x 35kg
3x 37.5kg
3x 32.5kg
3x 35kg
3x 37.5kg
Happy with last night. 37.5kg was the point I hurt my left shoulder on 5x5 and I’ve been reluctant to go there since. All good last night though. Maybe it was the volume/rep range that helped. Anyway, now to make progress with OHP.
Finally picked up an empty beer keg on my way to work this morning (been trying to get one for a while). I’m going to fill it and use it, along with my new farmers bars, for conditioning work, e.g. farmers walk, bear hug carry, shoulder carry, overhead carry etc. Can’t wait to get home and get playing around with it.
15/05/15: Week 2, Day 5 (2nd cycle)
DL
3x 80kg
3x 85kg
3x 90kg
3x 80kg
3x 85kg
3x 90kg
Deadlifted more than my own bodyweight last night (I weigh 89kg). I know that’s not exactly ground breaking, but hey you’ve got to celebrate each little milestone on the journey!
18/05/15: Week 3, Day 1 (2nd cycle)
Squat
5x 75kg
3x 77.5kg
2x 80kg
Turns out Dan John was right (who’d have guessed) and I should have taken a deload week after the first cycle. These squats were murder on my knees and hips! Still, I managed to do 5x 75kg which was actually my goal for the end of the third cycle.
So ignoring programmed rest weeks and adding weight faster than planned has resulted in sore legs. Hmmmmmmm, there may be a lesson to be learnt here.
19/05/15: Week 3, Day 2 (2nd cycle)
Bench
5x 55kg
3x 57.5kg
2x 60kg
All good.
20/05/15: Cycle 2, Week 3, Day 3
BOR
5x 55kg
3x 57.5kg
2x 60kg
All good.
21/05/15: Cycle 2, Week 3, Day 4
OHP
5x 35kg
3x 37.5kg
2x 40kg
Really beginning to like pressing overhead. Going to focus on getting this lift up. I’d love a big bad overhead press.
Hay man, sounds like you are making good progress. I had a read of the program via the link in your first post, it sounded pretty tough! How are you finding it?
Thanks for stopping by Dave. OLAD is deceptively effective. Doesn’t look much, and some workouts it doesn’t feel like much, but it’s definitely helping me get the numbers up. I love being able to focus on one lift at a time and getting it done quickly. My knees are also thanking me for not squatting 3x per week!
[quote]Norn Iron wrote:
Thanks for stopping by Dave. OLAD is deceptively effective. Doesn’t look much, and some workouts it doesn’t feel like much, but it’s definitely helping me get the numbers up. I love being able to focus on one lift at a time and getting it done quickly. My knees are also thanking me for not squatting 3x per week![/quote]
No worries man 
You sound like your enjoying it. I’m newish to the gym so enjoying being in there for an hour or 2 but may well come a time to try this. Just started doing dead lifts and can see the attraction of doing them once a week! lol Keep up the good work man!
22/05/15: Cycle 2, Week 3, Day 5
DL
5x 90kg
3x 95kg
2x 100kg
That’s effectively the end of my second cycle of OLAD (next week is a rest week), and I’m still really enjoying it. I’ve already reached my target increase in three of the five lifts after the second cycle, so happy with that.
Squat 5x 60kg > 5x 75kg (80kg 2RM)
OHP 5x 27.5kg > 5x 35kg (40kg 2RM)
DL 5x 70kg > 5x 90kg (100kg 2RM)
I’m going to practice some different lifts during my rest week and might switch a few around going into the third cycle. I’m going to play around with front squats, push presses, power curls (a Dan John recommendation), farmers walks and… tyre flipping!
25/05/15: Cycle 2, Week 4 (rest week)
Tried out a session of farmers walks and they were awesome! My quads, traps and forearms are really feeling it now. I thought my grip would be the first to go doing these, but it was my forearms. They felt like they had been pumped up and were about to burst. I’m definitely adding these into the program in cycle 3 next week.
[quote]NHLFTR wrote:
Norn Iron, I like the farmers handles you improvised. [/quote]
Here’s a short clip of the farmers handles in action last night. I did them in the back garden this time to avoid all the staring by my neighbours!
Ooops. Technical issue with uploading the video clip, i.e. I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’ll try something else.
26/05/15: Cycle 2, Week 4 (rest week)
Tried out push presses last night to see if they were something I could add into cycle 3. I can see how you could press more weight this way, but I just didn’t feel as in control of it as I would doing a straightforward OHP. Jury’s out on this one so far.
27/05/15: Cycle 2, Week 4 (rest week)
Messed around with front squats. I’ve only ever done back squats, so it took quite a while to get reasonably comfortable with the bar, stance etc. Not sure if I’ll be adding these or not.
28/05/15: Cycle 2, Week 4 (rest week)
Tried out barbell overhead carries. I really like this exercise. It gave my shoulders and core a good workout and it was fun moving around outside instead of just lifting in the garage. I’m pretty sure I’ll add these in next week at the beginning of my third cycle.
[quote]Norn Iron wrote:
[quote]NHLFTR wrote:
Norn Iron, I like the farmers handles you improvised. [/quote]
Here’s a short clip of the farmers handles in action last night. I did them in the back garden this time to avoid all the staring by my neighbours![/quote]
Those look like they work great, might try and pick up a couple as I want to start doing a bit on my off days!
[quote]Dave_70 wrote:
[quote]Norn Iron wrote:
[quote]NHLFTR wrote:
Norn Iron, I like the farmers handles you improvised. [/quote]
Here’s a short clip of the farmers handles in action last night. I did them in the back garden this time to avoid all the staring by my neighbours![/quote]
Those look like they work great, might try and pick up a couple as I want to start doing a bit on my off days![/quote]
Farmers walk is an awesome exercise Dave. Your forearms and traps in particular get hit hard, and if you keep the distance/time up your heart will literally try to hammer its way out of your chest. Best cardio you’ll ever do!