Ditching being weak

[Wookie]

I visit this site daily, and to be honest haven't been training that much. I came back from Highland Games Worlds (came 11th) in June and haven't trained consistently since.

With a goal set of doing a decent super total in 2016 - squat, bench, deadlift, snatch and clean and jerk; I figure it's time to train consistently. 

I've moved my weights into a tiny little shed, and I intend to do most of my lifting in there. The goal is to shoot for 3x a week, totalling at the most about 3 hours. Yes, I mean that... I have no interest in training 10+ hrs a week like I used to. 

Let's do this.

[Wookie]

Wed 9/12

 

Took a 30kg EZ curl bar and used it for a shoulder workout. Had a headache since Sunday...15mins in had vertigo and wanted to throw up. Awesomesauce.

 

Fri 11/12

Bench to 5x130, 5x140x2,

15x90 narrow grip feet up

Sun 13/12

Squats: 

8x60, 5x90, 3x90, 3x110, 3x140, 3x170, 3x220

 

[maccaz]

in on this one

[Wookie]

Tues 15/12

 

Went round to Carl Waitoa's new home gym, he's a former WSM competitor, came 2nd at Britain's SM, and 2nd at NZSM around 2005 or so.

 

Given that I haven't been training much, and the NZ Highland Games champs are on Jan 1st, I did his workout as it wasn't high rep stuff.

 

Hang Power cleans:

5x50, 3x60, 3x70, 3x110, 3x140

 

Bench:

singles- 80, 100, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 - add tornado 2x155

For a lack of bench this could have been worse. I drop strength like crazy when I don't bench. 

 

Push Press:

5x60, 5x80, 5x80, 5x120

 

Bench Pulls:

5x80, 5x85x2

 

Bout an hour or so.

[Skeletor]

This will be good to follow. 

[Wookie]

Sat 19/12

Med Grip Bench

6*90

5*100*2

4*120*2

3*130*5

CG Bench

4*120*4

8*90

 

Done quickly. Building work capacity which has always been  necessary to a big bench and something I've struggled with.

Doesn't look like much but 15 sets total.

[Pseudonym]

That shed looks like it could be an oven in summer!

[maccaz]

what did you fail last night?

good to see you are still a human ;)

[Wookie]

Argh.

 

21/12

Squats

5*60

5*80

5*100

3*150

3*200

3*230

2*260 - I added wraps and after 2 easy reps I slipped forward into the rack on the 3rd. I was a bit more high bar than usual due to the rack size and failed to sit back enough with the wraps. Meh. It happens. I think I could have got 5 reps.

 

Speed squats sans wraps:

3x170x3

 

Lots of work to do, but definitely feeling better than my last layoff from squatting which culiminated in a comfortable 350 about 6 months later.

 

[Wookie]

26/12

Horror run here... my family were really sick from Christmas eve through Boxing day, and on Boxing day I started getting sick. NZ Highland games champs are on Jan 1st, so I also can't do too much in the way of training. Looking forward to first week of January to get stuck in.

 

Power cleans:

3x50

2x90x2

1x120x2

1x140x2

 

Cleans

1x140

1x150x2

1x155

 

Probably good for around 170-175 right now, the pulls are easy. Hopefully I hit 200 again this year.

[Wookie]

After all that... NZ Highland games champs were cancelled... I travelled from Palmy to Auckland, knowing the weather was atrocious. I got in the car at 6am and drove north. 15 mins from registrations starting, I got a call that it was cancelled. Go home. So 4hours in the car for nothing. I was booked to go home on a bus the next day, I could have got on a bus that day if I'd been told earlier. So rather than be miserable, I just bought a flight home same day and got home in time to put my son to bed. Worth it. 

NZ HG champs seem to be getting moved to the other bigger games, Paeroa, in mid feb. I was 50/50 on doing that show as it's a 5hr drive and the money isn't that great. But heck, I just lost $350 and 2 days for a Nationals that never had a snowballs chance of happening. 

 

One positive was having dinner with Colm Woulfe and Matt Ragg, who have won the last 4 NZSM titles. Sushi was destroyed.

Time to start getting strong again.

[HarryB]

Is Karl back in NZ? Awesome guy. Was in Sydney years ago when he was bodybuilding. Tell him I said hi :) 

 

Is his gym shed bigger than yours? Lol 

[Realtalk]

Sucks man bout the cancellation!

[Wookie]

On 1/2/2016 at 9:53 AM, HarryB said:

Is Karl back in NZ? Awesome guy. Was in Sydney years ago when he was bodybuilding. Tell him I said hi :) 

 

Is his gym shed bigger than yours? Lol 

 

Yeah HB, he's in Palmy about half a km from me.

Lol, single garage.

 

On 1/3/2016 at 1:24 PM, Realtalk said:

Sucks man bout the cancellation!

 

Dude...massive suckage.

[Wookie]

Mon 4/1

 

Squats up to 230x8 in wraps and belt - prob a 7-8 RPE, but was gassing.

 

Thurs 8/1

 

I went on holiday, came back and put my back out sadly. Started to hurt at 180kg and I should have stopped.

 

Pull downs: 3x10

Seated rows: 3x10

 

Deads: 3x100. 3x180, 3x220, 2x240, 1x260x4, 1x240x2

 

Hamstring Curls: 3x15

[Wookie]

So the back was pretty bad, to the point that I couldn't sit for 2 days

9 Days later its not perfect, but time to start easing into things.

 

My next door neighbours asked me to help them move a piano about 30-40metres. What a way to test the back out. 

Passed with flying colours.

[maccaz]

1 minute ago, Wookie said:

So the back was pretty bad, to the point that I couldn't sit for 2 days

9 Days later its not perfect, but time to start easing into things.

 

My next door neighbours asked me to help them move a piano about 30-40metres. What a way to test the back out. 

Passed with flying colours.

must be convenient having a friendly neighbourhood wookie when you need to move pianos and things

[Realtalk]

Guys check this out. Video at bottom of page. The wookie in action in comp.

 

http://www.ruralgames.co.nz/events/highland-games/

[maccaz]

8 minutes ago, Realtalk said:

Guys check this out. Video at bottom of page. The wookie in action in comp.

 

http://www.ruralgames.co.nz/events/highland-games/

 

so cool!

reuben de jong is a machine too

[Wookie]

Was a fun comp.

I moved from Auckland to Wellington that week and got forgotten at the airport...grabbed a taxi and arrived 5 minutes before the caber. Not my best showing tbh. 

[Wookie]

21/1

 

And we are back. Minimal bench arch but back feels 99%.

 

MG Bench:

6*90

3*110

6*130*4

 

CG Paused

6*110*3

 

Military

15*50

 

My triceps are garbage. 

[Wookie]

26/1

 

MG Bench

 

5x50

5x90

3x120

5x140

5x140

5x130

5x120 paused

 

Narrow grip paused

5x110

5x100

5x90

 

Quick workout

[soundsgood]

What's holding your bench back?  Lack of training volume over last few years?  Injuries? 

[Wookie]

Lack of training volume, and lack of upper body mass. Weak tri's. Long arms. 
I had a 180kg clean and jerk with a 120kg bench. Hate the lift, and not much good at it. 
I have to bench 2-3x a week for months to make good gains.
It will come. That I could bench 160kg on almost zero training is huge for me, when I did 185 in late 2014 I started at about 130 around 5-6 months before. I'm confident I will eventually do 200.

 

If you look at a guy like Laurence Shahlaei, the guy squatted 360, deadlifted 430 strongman style and 380+ PL style, and yet couldn't bench 200 with a pause. So it's not unheard of. 

[Wookie]

28/1

 

Encouraging.

Got Highland games 6/2 and Nationals 13/2. I'm once again not killing myself because I cant be beat up for the Nats.

 

Squat:

8*50*2

3*120

3*180

3*220

add 2m wraps

3*260

 

Was about 7-8 RPE. Should have done more but felt good. Back came through fine.

260x5 and I'm good for 300 definitely.

 

CG Bench

10*70

10*110

10*110

 

French Press

12*52*2