My training diary

[stronglikewood]

Bench press
60kg x 6
100kg x 6 My pecs felt this so I decided to drop the reps
105kg x paused PB
110kg x paused PB
115kg x paused PB
120kg x 1
125kg x fail. I missed my line, the bar was too far up my chest
95kg x 11

Incline DB press 45 degrees
34kg x 3 x 8

Laterals
16kg x 6
20kg x 6
26kg x 4
28kg x 4 all assisted
18kg x 16+3a PB

Oly bar curls
20kg x 10
40kg x 8
50kg x 6
60kg x 5 PB slightly looser form
45kg x 12

Rope push downs
41kg x 6
45kg x 4
50kg x 2 mad
36kg x 13 PB
I understand why the low rep stuff isn't getting stronger, I've not trained in that rep range for a while

Preacher curls machine
50kg x 17
45kg x 15

Triceps extension machine
70kg x 15
65kg x 17

Bodyweight 15st 0.6lbs. No idea on the time this took. Some decent PBs. If I'd had more time Tuesday, and my usual spotter I would've got better PBs on that day. So I tried to make up for it today. I'd rather of had one awesome session, than 2 good/very good ones.

[stavrog1]

Great all-round lifting there SLW! Ridiculous laterals! How high up do you raise the weight out of interest, shoulder or head?

[stronglikewood]

Quote

Great all-round lifting there SLW! Ridiculous laterals! How high up do you raise the weight out of interest, shoulder or head?

Thanks. I lift the laterals to my shoulders. The 24kg+ sets are ugly but help make the light sets feel really light.

[stronglikewood]

A dude at my gym told me he deadlifted 190kg x 8 the other day. I can't let this guy overtake me.
Deadlift goals:
205kg x 8 short-term goal (should be able to get this in 3 months tops)
210kg x 8 within a year.

Touch and go style. I'm going to start off 'light' tomorrow and do 2-3 working sets and build from there. In theory something like this

week 1 170-180 2-3 sets
week 2 170-180 2-3 sets
week 3 180ish 2-3 sets
week 4 180ish 2 sets
week 5 190ish 2 sets
week 6 200ish 2 sets of 6-8 reps
week 7 205 bang

Of course this is on paper. Some weeks I'll feel stronger so I will be able to push it, others I feel weaker so will have to back off. Atleast I have a rough template to work with in my head now. I'm gonna have to gain a couple of kilos. I backed off gaining more weight after shooting up to 15st. I was looking a little puffy a few weeks back at 15st-15st 2lbs. But now I'm sitting just under 15st again, and looking reasonable with room to push the weight towards 15st 7lbs. BRING IT

[stronglikewood]

Deadlifts
70kg x 8
120kg x 8
170kg x 2 x 8 This was really hard and I think I know why. The new bars are very stiff, without much bend. A similar thing happens to my deadlift when I use my bar at my parents as it too, is very stiff. So I can either continue to deadlift like this, with much reduced weights; or only deadlift with a dead stop, with reduced weights; or quit deads for a while, do rack pulls instead and reintroduce front squats. There is a 4th option which would be to fish out the bar upstairs but that's not really practicle.

Racks from knee height
160kg x 5
165kg x 4
170kg x 3

Machine row overhand grip
100kg x 4 rp 3
79kg x 10
59kg x 15

Wide grip pull ups
BW x 6
Wide grip lat pull downs
73kg x 9
52kg x 13

BB shrugs
70kg x 8
100kg x 8
120kg x 6
125kg x 4
100kg x 6
70kg x 6

Lateral raises
14kg x 3 x 10

Lean away laterals
16kg x 5
supersetted with
Seated laterals
8kg x 6

60 minutes. Bodyweight 15st 0.6lbs. Maybe for pure muscle I should rethink my deadlifting strategy. TBC...

[James]

Perhaps shin-height-start deads, will set the weight pastthe dead pulling 'hole' and allow you to shift greater weight with better lower back form than when pulling from the floor.

[stronglikewood]

5th option... cheers for the suggestion.

[James]

Hahaha, just an idea... you don't need to lift from the floor for optimal hypertrophy in the area, but why lift from the knees and miss out on a little extra ROM/posterior chain action. Take it from the top of the hole - this will also help if/when you go back to floor deads, to power through the hole.

[stronglikewood]

Yeah, sounds like a plan. The racks at the gym start at knee height, but if I stand on a box I should be able to pull slightly higher than from the floor but still from below the knee.

[stronglikewood]

I have great doms all over my back today. Including in between the shoulder blades which I don't really get. I suspect this is from the rack pulls. Next weeks plan (scrapping the deadlift touch n' go idea).

Monday AM: Legs and the return of front squats. PM: Back with rack deads
Tuesday: Shoulders or chest
Thursday: More back if I can fit it in plus calves and abs
Friday: Shoulders or chest
Arms on Tuesday or Friday

I'd rather go to the gym 4 days so if I can get in Thursday the only muscles that could probably be trained again that day is back, abs and calves. If I can't then it's an extra rest day. My routine has felt a little stagnant of late, so this should freshen things up.