Forged by Iron.

[OnlyHuman]

New year thus a new beginning and time for a new log.

I "stole" the log name from this guy http://531year.blogspot.co.nz/ who documented his year (mostly) 5/3/1 training. Pretty impressive stuff... read it if you like.

I figured I will not only pinch his blog name but his idea as well and I will document my year of RTS training. I am hoping that this will stop me from my silly habit of program hopping and gets me some much needed new PBs. I always seem to make to my current level of weakness relatively "easy" but than I feel like PBs become far and to few.

Since I am doing RTS, I got Mike to write my program leading up to the Auckland comp in april. I didn't want to keep wondering if I am doing the right thing or not. Actually I did not want to worry and get obsessed about minute details of my program. I completely trust him, his resume certainly speaks for its self.

I already done the first week's worth that was pretty much a de-load introductory week. (As far as I understand.) This was welcomed as I am currently getting over a recent back injury...

So here it goes:

Week # 2 day # 1

Squat with belt x 3 @ 9

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 5

100 x 3

110 x 3 @ 7

120 x 3 @ 7.5 belt

130 x 3 @ 8

137.5 x 3 @ 9

130 x 3 @ 8.5

130 x 3 @ 9

Squats were a bit "off" today. The reps did not feel consistent enough.

2 count pause bench x 4 @ 9

20 x 5

50 x 4

60 x 4

70 x 4 @ 7

80 x 4 @ 7.5

90 x 4 @ 8

95 x 4 @ 9

90 x 4 @ 9

Bench went better. I made sure the pause was a solid 2 count.

JM Presses x 12 @ 9 4-6% load drop

20 x 12

25 x 12

30 x 12 @ 8

35 x 12 @ 9

32.5 x 12 @ 8.5

32.5 x 12 @ 8.5

This is a new movement for me. Got a nice pump out of it.

In general my energy levels were so so today. Felt like I faded fast on my exercises, but enjoyed the session regardless.

[Phedder]

Good stuff mate, looking forward to following your journey here :nod:

[OnlyHuman]

Good stuff mate, looking forward to following your journey here :nod:

Thank you

Week # 2 Day # 2

Deadlift with belt

20 x 5

60 x 4

100 x 4

110 x 4

120 x 4

130 x 4 @ 7

140 x 4 @ 7 Belt

150 x 3 @ 7.5 Belt

160 x 3 @ 8 Belt

170 x 3 @ 9 Belt

160 x 3 @ 8.5 Belt

160 x 3 @ 9 Belt

Bench (Touch and go.)

20 x 8

50 x 5

60 x 3

70 x 3

80 x 3

90 x 3 @ 7.5

100 x 3 @ 8

105 x 3 @ 9

100 x 3 @ 8

100 x 3 @ 8.5

100 x 3 @ 9

Lunges

20 x 6

40 x 6

60 x 6 @ 8

70 x 6 @ 9

65 x 6 @ 8.5

65 x 6 @ 8.5

65 x 6 @ 9

General energy levels were reasonably good today.

I picked the "nastiest" thickest oly bar I could find for my deadlift and benches. I have relatively small hands and these slightly thicker bars have always been my nemesis in the past. Figured I get use to them so in competition the slightly thinner bars with a better knurling will feel better.

The deads and benches felt alright altho I felt I fatigued pretty fast on the deadlifts, not so much on the bench or lunges. I have some residual spinal erector DOMS from yesterday ... probably didn't help with the deadlift stamina. Still, it was fun....

[OnlyHuman]

Week # 2 GPP # 1

Side lying external rotations 3 x 10

Face pulls 3 x 10

ABB wheel roll outs 3 x 10

Straight leg raises 3 x 10

D handle lat pull downs 3 x 10

Cardio as prescribed ...

Stretching 15 min

[OnlyHuman]

Week # 2 Day # 3

Comp bench:

20 x 5

50 x 5

60 x 3

70 x 3

80 x 3 @ 7

90 x 3 @ 7.5

100 x 3 @ 8

105 x 3 @ 9

100 x 3 @ 8.5

100 x 3 @ 8.5

100 x 3 @ 9

Squat:

20 x 4

80 x 4

100 x 4

120 x 4 @ 7

130 x 4 @ 8

135 x 4 @ 9

127.5 x 4 @ 8.5

127.5 x 4 @ 9

DB bench:

25 x 12 @ 7

31.5 x 12 @ 7.5

34 x 12 @ 8

37.5 x 10 @ 9

35 x 12 @ 9

Great training session. Squats really surprised me today ... after monday's belted squat. Today's 135 for 4 @ 9 with no belt felt easier than monday's 137.5 for 3 @ 9 despite having DOMS everywhere in my legs and lowerback.

Once again for bench I looked for the nastiest "thick" oly bar I could find but I didn't even noticed the difference this time around and had a great session on the bench. I payed very close attention to set up and RPEs.

DB bench went reasonably good. I ended up running out of gas to fast on the top set thus stopped one rep shy of failure, this meant I only hit 10 reps on it. Perhaps I was a bit to eager

Great session. I really enjoyed it.

[OnlyHuman]

Week # 2 Day # 4 of RTS

Deadlift with single monster mini:

20 x 4

60 x 4

80 x 4

100 x 4

120 x 4

130 x 4 @ 7

140 x 4 @ 7.5

150 x 4 @ 8

160 x 4 @ 9

152.5 x 4 @ 9

1 Board

20 x 4

50 x 4

60 x 4

80 x 4 @ 7

90 x 4 @ 7.5

100 x 4 @ 8

110 x 4 @ 9

105 x 4 @ 8.5

105 x 4 @ 9

Pendlay rows:

50 x 12

60 x 12 @ 7

70 x 12 @ 8

75 x 12 @ 9

70 x 12 @ 9

Great session. Judging by tueday's deadlift performance I would have been "happy" with 150 + monster mini for 4 @ 9 but it felt to easy, had to bump it up a bit. Used my nemesis the "nasty" slightly thicker oly bar too, made no difference today. I was on fire...

1 Board = felt strong, had plenty energy. Happy with it.

Pendley rows = First time doing these. Great exercise, enjoyed it but faded fast

[OnlyHuman]

Week # 2 of RTS ... GPP # 2

Side lying external rotations 4 x 10

Face pulls 4 x 10

D handle lat pull downs 3 x 10

Abb wheel roll outs 3 x 10

Core 3 x 8-10

Cardio as prescribed...

Some light stretching .

Body feels good...

[OnlyHuman]

Week/3 Day/1 of RTS

2 ct paused squats

20 x 5

60 x 4

80 x 2

100 x 2

120 x 2 @ 7

130 x 2 @ 7.5

135 x 2 @ 8

137.5 x 2 @ 8.5 PB (VIDEO)

130 x 2 @ 8

130 x 2 @ 8.5

2 ct paused bench

20 x 4

50 x 4

60 x 4

80 x 4

90 x 4 @ 7.5

100 x 4 @ 8.5 (VIDEO)

102.5 x 4 @ 9 (VIDEO)

95 x 4 @ 8

95 x 4 @ 9

JM presses

20 x 7

30 x 7

40 x 7 @ 8

45 x 7 @ 9

42.5 x 7 @ 9

Great session.

Squats felt strong but I found that today I had a small problem with planting my feet/finding the right feet position. Something to work at. PB on the paused squats. Happy

I used a shitty bar for the bench. Not my usual crappy one (it was used by someone else) but a crapy one regardless. Bent and pretty much no knurling.

[Phedder]

Absolutely beautiful paused squats mate, exactly how it should be done :clap: Going heavier than me on those as well, guess I'll have to go for 140+ on Thursday :grin:

[OnlyHuman]

Absolutely beautiful paused squats mate, exactly how it should be done :clap: Going heavier than me on those as well, guess I'll have to go for 140+ on Thursday :grin:

Thanks Phed!

You will smash that 140+ !!!

[OnlyHuman]

Week/3 Day/2 of RTS

Deadlift

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 4

100 x 2

120 x 2

130 x 2

140 x 2 @ 7

150 x 2 @ 7.5

160 x 2 @ 8

170 x 2 @ 8

175 x 2 @ 8.5

167.5 x 2 @ 8.5

Bench (Touch and go.)

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 7 @ 7

90 x 7 @ 8

100 x 7 @ 10

95 x 7 @ 10

Lunges

50 x 5 @ 7

70 x 5 @ 8

80 x 5 @ 9

I was a little short on sleep last night, thus energy today. I had a decent workout regrdless but not quite as good as I wanted to have.

I haven't deadlifted this heavy without a belt in a long time. I didn't felt like I needed it either. I was pretty happy about that. Once again I used the worst oly bar the gym has to offer for both, the bench and the deadlift. Getting use to it.

I run out of energy pretty bad on the lunges so I stopped once I reached the desired rep/RPE combo. No drop.

[OnlyHuman]

Week/3 of RTS GPP/1

External rotations 3 x 10

Peterson step ups 2 x 15

SLRDL 2 x 10

Core 3 x 10

1 arm DB rows 2 x 10

Cardio intervals on bike...

Find it hard to get to the upper limit of prescribed cardio range today. I had to do an all out sprint on the bike for "quite a while" but than I ended up real short on breath :pfft:

[OnlyHuman]

Week / 3 Day / 3 of RTS

Competition bench:

20 x 5

60 x 5

70 x 4

80 x 3

90 x 2

100 x 2 @ 7.5

107.5 x 2 @ 8.5

102.5 x 2 @ 8

102.5 x 2 @ 8

102.5 x 2 @ 8.5

Squats

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 4

100 x 4

120 x 4 @ 7.5

130 x 4 @ 8

137.5 x 4 @ 9

132.5 x 4 @ 9

DB bench:

31.5 x 7

35 x 7 @ 7

40 x 7 @ 8.5

42.5 x 7 @ 8.5

45 x 5 @ 8.5

42.5 x 7 @ 9

I was average on energy but I had a decent training session regardless.

I used the "shitty" bar for the bench, no issues. I got what I had to aim for.

Squats went pretty good if I consider that I haven't done this weight without a belt for ages and last week I got 127.5 for 4 @ 9 ... 10kg less than today.

I was pretty happy with the DB bench as well. Got what I had to get and I thought I may even bag 45 x 7 @ 9 today but at rep 5 I realized if I take it to 7 reps it will be a 10, so I cut the set short.

[drizzt]

Nice training OH But more importantly...

...how are the AdiPowers? :grin:

[OnlyHuman]

Nice training OH But more importantly...

...how are the AdiPowers? :grin:

They are great. I got used to them. Very good quality shoes and even better than my last pair of adidas lifting shoes with the only "minor" thing missing from them is that they feel just like a real shoe in the toe box. As opposed to the feeling/tightness explained in my other post. Solid and pretty

My friend also bought a RomaneloVolt and I had a chance to check them out first person. Trully fantastic shoes IMO Might invest in some at some stage :wink:

Week/3 Day/4 or RTS

Deadlift with doubled single monster mini

20x 5

60 x 5

100 x 4

120 x 4

140 x 4 @ 7.5

150 x 4 @ 8

165 x 4 @ 9 (5kg PR)

157.5 x 4 @ 9

1 Board press

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 4

90 x 4 @ 7

100 x 4 @ 8

110 x 4 @ 8.5

115 x 4 @ 9 (5kg PR)

110 x 4 @ 9

Pendley rows

60 x 7

70 x 7

75 x 7 @ 8

80 x 7 @ 9 (5kg PR)

75 x 7 @ 9

Very good training session despite having done a lot of physical activity during the day prior to it.

Some nice PRs as well. The bench one really surprised me. Last week I had a hard time getting 110 x 4 @ 9. Today I got an extra 5kg for the same reps and protocol, and it felt easier.

[OnlyHuman]

Week/3 GPP/2 of RTS

External rotations 3 x 10

Peterson step ups 2 x 15

SLRDL x 2 x 10

Rows 3 x 10

Core (Body saw) 3 x 10

LB Traction 2 x 30 sec

Cardio on xtrainer

Light stretching

[OnlyHuman]

Week/4 Day/1 of RTS

2ct paused squats:

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 5

100 x 5

120 x 5 @ 8

125 x 5 @ 8.5

130 x 5 @ 9 (PR)

122.5 x 5 @ 9

2 ct paused bench

20 x 4

60 x 4

80 x 4 @ 7

90 x 4 @ 8

100 x 4 @ 8.5

100 x 4 @ 9

95 x 4 @ 9

JM presses

20 x 12

30 x 12 @ 7

40 x 12 @ 8.5 (PR)

40 x 12 @ 9

Very good training session regardless of the slightly reduced amount of sleep due to having to get up early in the morning.

The 2 ct paused squats went especially well. I aimed to beat 120 x 5 @ 9 and I managed to do it by a significant margin. Very pleased with that.

Bench was ok... was aiming for 102.5 for 4 @ 9 but I fall 2.5kg short of that today. Still, most of the sets felt good and overal it was a good bench session.

I also noticed some improvements in my general fitness levels. Not getting so puffed after sets etc...

[OnlyHuman]

Week/4 Day/2 of RTS

Deadlift:

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 5

100 x 5

120 x 5

140 x 5 @ 7

160 x 5 @ 8

170 x 5 @ 9 (Happy with this... felt good.)

162.5 x 5 @ 9

Bench (Touch and Go)

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 3

90 x 2 @ 7

100 x 2 @ 7.5

110 x 2 @ 8

115 x 2 @ 9.5 (Slightly over shoot the RPE. I thought I would get it at prescribed RPE but not today. next time .... I will make the barbell my gimp!)

110 x 2 @ 9

Lunges:

20 x 6

60 x 6 @ 7

70 x 6 @ 8

Run out of energy here. I fall short on sleep the last two nights due to school and work commitments. I will have the opportunity to sleep in tomorrow morning so I am looking forward to doing just that! (Body feeling good tho) I am happy with the progress I am making, looking forward to my test day in a few weeks.

[OnlyHuman]

Week/4 GPP/1

Done as prescribed...

Plus a few sets of core and rear shoulder work.

Cardio of choice was jogging...

[OnlyHuman]

Week/4 Day/3 of RTS

Comp bench:

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 5

90 x 5 @ 7

100 x 5 @ 8

105 x 5 @ 9 (Happy with this!)

100 x 5 @ 9

Squats:

20 x 5

60 x 5

80 x 4

100 x 4

120 x 4 @ 7

130 x 4 @ 8

140 x 4 @ 9 (Belt-less PR!)

132.5 x 4 @ 9

DB bench

29.5 x 12

35 x 12 @ 8

40 x 12 @ 9 (Happy with this!)

37.5 x 12 @ 9

Good session. I am very pleased with the way the numbers, and the session its self turned out.

[Phedder]

Very solid session there, some big improvements from past sessions :clap:

[OnlyHuman]

Very solid session there, some big improvements from past sessions :clap:

Thanks Phed!

I'm happy with the way things ticking along, a bit curious what will be the numbers on test day.

[Phedder]

Very solid session there, some big improvements from past sessions :clap:

Thanks Phed!

I'm happy with the way things ticking along, a bit curious what will be the numbers on test day.

We can only know one thing, they should be at a 10RPE :pfft:

[OnlyHuman]

Very solid session there, some big improvements from past sessions :clap:

Thanks Phed!

I'm happy with the way things ticking along, a bit curious what will be the numbers on test day.

We can only know one thing, they should be at a 10RPE :pfft:

True that :wink:

[OnlyHuman]

Week/4 Day/4 of RTS

Deadlift with doubled up single monster mini:

20 x 5

60 x 4

80 x 4

100 x 4

120 x 4

140 x 4

160 x 4 @ 7.5

180 x 3 @ 9 VIDEO (PR)

162.5 x 4 @ 9

Too eager with my jump from 160 to 180... still, 160 felt like speed weight. In retrospective ... 172.5 - 175 would have been the right choice. Pretty happy with it regardless!

1 Board press:

20 x 5

60 x 4

80 x 4

100 x 4

110 x 4 @ 7

115 x 4 @ 8

117.5 x 4 @ 9 (2.5 kg PR) VIDEO

112.5 x 4

Magical 1 board work

There is a slight pause between the 3rd and 4th rep.... I'm just "telling" my spotter to back off and don't touch the bar. I did not want any doubt. He was just a bit on the cautious side I guess.

Felt great nice 2.5 kg PR. Happy!!!

Pendlay rows:

60 x 12

70 x 12

80 x 12