29/04/15: Cycle 4, Week 4 (rest week)
Had a stab at power curls. I was certainly able to get more weight up then concentrate on a slow lowering phase. Maybe I’m not athletic enough to be able to do these yet though. The ‘power’ bit of the movement seemed too loose and potentially dangerous for my back. Hmmmmmm.
30/04/15: Cycle 4, Week 4 (rest week)
Brought home a telescopic handler tyre from work (I work in heavy equipment rental) and flipped it up and down my garden. Brilliant workout, so I plan on adding these in somewhere.
So rest week is over and it’s time to get stuck back in tonight. I’m a little torn at the minute as I’ve been enjoying One Lift A Day but often feel like it’s not enough doing each lift only once a week. I’m not exactly an advanced trainee who can blast something hard enough to warrant a whole weeks recovery. I suppose I’m stuck between continuing on with OLAD or going back onto a beginners LP program of some sort.
01/06/15:
Ok, so I cheated a little tonight and added more into the program. I’m justifying it by saying I technically only did one lift and calling the rest conditioning.
OHP
5x 30kg
5x 32.5kg
5x 35kg
5x 37.5kg
5x 40kg
5x 37.5kg
5x 35kg
Farmers Walk
5x 100 steps @ 25kg each hand
O/H Carry
5x 100 steps @ 20kg barbell
Tyre Flip
5x 5 flips (no idea of tyre weight)
[quote]Norn Iron wrote:
[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![/quote]
Cool, I want to do some conditioning work on off days and that sounds like a good all round workout 
02/06/15:
DL
5x 62.5kg
5x 70kg
5x 80kg
BB Curl
3x10 @20kg
Farmers Walk
3x 100 steps @25kg each hand
Ok, so I’m officially moving on from One Lift A Day (guess I’ll have to change the log title now). OLAD was good and I definitely saw some strength increases, but I’d like to do a bit more in each workout and take my training in the direction that appeals most. I’m going to take a couple of weeks to try a few things out and decide what direction that is.
03/06/15:
C&P
5x 32.5kg
5x 35kg
5x 40kg
Tricep ext
3x10 @15kg
OH Carry
3x100 steps @20kg
04/06/15:
DB squat (with farmers handles)
5x 55kg
5x 65kg
6x 75kg
BB curl
3x10 @20kg
Farmers walk
3x100 steps @25kg each hand
Squatting with farmers handles is pretty much how I imagine doing it with a trap bar would feel. It hit all the usual spots and gave my forearms a good thrashing too. Grip did seem to suffer a bit by the third farmers walk, and I barely held on to finish. Felt like Popeye by the time I was done!
08/06/15:
OHP
10x 20kg
8x 25kg
6x 30kg
4x 35kg
2x 40kg
O/H carry
3x100 steps @20kg barbell
Tricep press
3x10 @15kg
09/06/15:
Dead/squat (with farmers handles)
10x 40kg
8x 50kg
6x 60kg
4x 70kg
2x 80kg
Farmers walk
3x100 steps @25kg each hand
Hammer curls
3x10 @12.5kg each hand
10/06/15:
Overhead carry
100x steps @20kg
80x steps @22.5kg
60x steps @25kg
40x steps @27.5kg
20x steps @30kg
OHP
3x10 @22.5kg
Should’ve done some tricep work but ran out of time tonight. Otherwise, all good!
15/06/15:
OHP 8x 22.5kg, 30kg, 30kg, 30kg
Squat 8x 52.5kg, 70kg, 70kg, 70kg
BB curl 8x 20kg, 20kg, 20kg, 20kg
16/06/15:
Bench 8x 32.5kg, 45kg, 45kg, 45kg
DL 1x 70kg, 80kg, 90kg, 90kg, 90kg
BB curl 8x 20kg, 20kg, 20kg, 20kg
17/06/15:
Ran/jogged a 3km fun run with my kids last night. Lovely evening for it and we raised a bit of money for charity. That’s cardio taken care of for this month!
Ok, enough messing around trying to figure out stuff that’s already been figured out by smarter and more experienced people than me. Time to get back onto a proper program. I like Dan John’s simple fundamental approach to training, but found doing one lift a day left me wanting to do more. So, today I started the 40-Workout Strength Challenge which is an updated version of one of his earlier routines. In a nutshell, you do five exercises a day (push, pull, hinge, squat & loaded carry) and do them five days a week over the next eight weeks.
18/06/15 (Day 1)
OHP 2x5 @35kg
BBC 2x5 @22.5kg*
DL 2x5 @80kg
SQ 2x5 @70kg
FW 60yds @75kg**
*Barbell curl (These were included as a pull option in the original program but dropped in the revised version. Deadlifts actually cover the pull and hinge movements, but I left the curls in for no other reason than I’d like bigger arms).
**Farmers walk (Doing these with a 75kg earthmover tyre. I can add weight by simply putting plates inside).
Oops. Forgot to include a link to the program (for anyone who’s interested).
Here’s a pic of my tyre c/w DIY handles for farmers walks. Handles work well and weight can be added by setting 2.5kg or 5kg plates inside.
[quote]Norn Iron wrote:
Here’s a pic of my tyre c/w DIY handles for farmers walks. Handles work well and weight can be added by setting 2.5kg or 5kg plates inside.
[/quote]
I like those handles you made for the tire, I have been planning to do this as well to the tire I just picked up the other day. I had stumbled on these handles http://jva.ontariostrongman.ca/TITEFW.htm but I think yours would be more comfortable with them not being rigid. What materials did you use for them?
[quote]littlesleeper wrote:
[quote]Norn Iron wrote:
Here’s a pic of my tyre c/w DIY handles for farmers walks. Handles work well and weight can be added by setting 2.5kg or 5kg plates inside.
[/quote]
I like those handles you made for the tire, I have been planning to do this as well to the tire I just picked up the other day. I had stumbled on these handles http://jva.ontariostrongman.ca/TITEFW.htm but I think yours would be more comfortable with them not being rigid. What materials did you use for them?[/quote]
Thanks. I simply used two lengths of strap cut from an old ratchet strap I had lying around and two hollow handles from an old set of dumbbells. Just drill holes in the tyre, thread the handle onto the straps, push the ends through with a screwdriver and tie them off inside. I did also make two plywood spacers to prevent the straps pulling/cutting through the tyre when they’re used. I’ll post a pic. Cost me nothing and only took about 30 mins.
Here’s a pic from the inside showing the plywood spacers.
19/06/15 (Day 2)
OHP 2x5 @35kg
BBC 2x5 @22.5kg
DL 2x5 @80kg
SQ 2x5 @60kg
FW 60yds @75kg
Knocked a bit off squats tonight to practice form. Felt my form slipping slightly during the last few reps yesterday. Felt better tonight. 5/3/2 rep scheme tomorrow.
