half human/half machine - downloading training data...

[Android]

Today was Squats.

Had a cold since Tuesday and it's still lingering so just went in to keep the muscle working...been 9 days since last Leg/ Squat day.

Just did Squats and left. Warmed up with 1pps and leg extension then hammy curls before starting the climb of weight.

Added 1pps each set and put the belt on at 4pps, stopping the set at 5 reps well before failure.

5pps I did 2 sets, first set 2 reps, 2nd set 3 reps. Stopping well short of failure with no spotter. I nearly did 240kg I had the 10kg plate in my hand and about to add it on the 2nd set but decided not to keep adding weight and finding my 1RM each workout. Current best is 260kg and I wasn't going to do that today with a sore throat and cough still happening.

Done.

Feel like I am the laziest Power Lifter ever after watching the guys at CBC train and reading Viking Power's journal.

Will try and step it up next week, get through some extra exercises and do at least an hour long workout. My lower Back is still annoying the hell out of me. I could shift better weights if it wasn't like this, not sure what to do except rest it and do more core work.

Tonight or tomorrow is Pilates and Yoga.

[soundsgood]

Not sure if I'm gym'ng today so will save the big eating for tomorrow before and after a Benching workout.

I always believe that eating big without training is more likely to go on as fat, whereas eating big either side of a big training session gets absorbed into the muscle, equates to more size...hmmmm =P~

My theory has always been that I will grow when I'm resting so my rest days are the ones I crank up the eating not drop it back a notch (obviously I still eat big before and after leg and back days too). it has resulted in solid muscle gains for me :shrug:

[Android]

Not sure if I'm gym'ng today so will save the big eating for tomorrow before and after a Benching workout.

I always believe that eating big without training is more likely to go on as fat, whereas eating big either side of a big training session gets absorbed into the muscle, equates to more size...hmmmm =P~

My theory has always been that I will grow when I'm resting so my rest days are the ones I crank up the eating not drop it back a notch (obviously I still eat big before and after leg and back days too). it has resulted in solid muscle gains for me :shrug:

Definitely working for you mate.

Guessing the Pros would say eat big for every meal :-)

Am just worried with PL of getting fat because at 120kg can feel blood pressure creeping up on me. Talked to Nelly and he was saying he'd also be worried of blowing out if he ate like he does as a BB'er and switched to PL.

[Android]

Yesterday was Pilates/

Little easier than my first session last week. Managed to do some half decent core work this time.

First exercise I couldn't do at all, duer to hip flexibility. Surprised me as it didn't look all that difficult. Other flexibility issues are any exercise bringing my Legs up close to my chest or side of body...doing a bridge and at same time bringing Leg out to side of body is still not as good as I'd like.

All lower ab work is made harder with the size of my Legs. Some muscle at top of Quad I don't know name of it hurts and gets tired before my lower abs get to tire out.

Still sweated a little and ran out of breathe on some exercises but not as much as last time so happy with improvement, will definitely continue.

Finished with some stetching from the trainer, pushing hard on Hammy stretches etc more than was comfortable found it hard to breathe LOL. But totally worthwhile

[Android]

Yesterday was Bench Press.

Avoided standard Benching last night and opted for 2 different exercises instead.

Smith machine press with an ever so slight incline. Set the safety locks and the bar was an inch or two above my Chest which was lower than what I would have liked. I wanted to practise lockouts but had to change that plan as safety locks weren't set at ideal positions. Either too low or too high.

Started with 2pps and added 1pps for each set working up to 4 and 1/2 plates a side, resting the bar on the locks each rep so starting from the bottom with no momentum. Got a single out with my best weight ever.

Smith machine is way different to Benching with a free weight in so many ways but good to be able to lock in the bar travel and just use raw Chest and Arm strength. I really just wanted to feel a heavy-as weight in a safe environment LOL

Backed off to 3pps and did 2 sets, one of 7 reps and one of 10 reps. Trying to push up the bar as fast as possible off the bottom.

Last exercise was vertical cable tricep kickback. So set the cable high and kickback downwards. I went for heavy today. Worked down to half stack which is way more than I ever used to be able to do. Half stack with one arm for a kickback...blew me away. Did 3 sets at this weight in the 6-8 rep range. Squeezed every rep out at lockout which was the intention of the exercise....heavy lockouts.

[Optimass]

Going well mate - wouldn't concerned about weight just yet unless you're coming in at the bottom of the band. similar to bbing - if you can hit the top of the band by .5 of a kg your in a good spot. Is a pain in arse if you have to hit the spin bike to bring your weight down 1 hour before the weigh in cuttoff.

[steak]

24hr weigh in bro...come up the day before (just txt me) then you van load up on carbs or whatever that night ..or... if you wanted to drop a few kgs you have time to dry out a bit over the night

[Android]

Ok sweet guys. I'll be carbing up from here on in

All my weigh-ins are in the evening, so morning must be well under 120 plus I'm in my gym clothes so I have a few KG to spare.

Worse case I have to strip everything off ... hmm can do that to music if it'll help :pfft:

LMAO

[HarryB]

Ok sweet guys. I'll be carbing up from here on in

All my weigh-ins are in the evening, so morning must be well under 120 plus I'm in my gym clothes so I have a few KG to spare.

Worse case I have to strip everything off ... hmm can do that to music if it'll help :pfft:

LMAO

I'm there!!!!!! Strictly no homo of course......

[Android]

Scary thing is, you will be lol!

Tonight was Deadlifts.

Worked up to 5pps. First set bar was racked below knee height so picked up, walked out, did a single cos grip was slipping from walkout. Left it on the floor and 2nd set did 2 pretty standard reps.

Not happy with this weight I should be doing this with 240kg.

But core feels good, and cold is clearing up so might b ok in next 3 weeks.

Finished with bent-over rows 100kg. Total time was an hour! Wtf, time flies when u r resting lots between sets :-)

And then 15mins Ab work. Really taking core work seriously to see what it can offer.

[Android]

Yesterday was supporting work. Just wanted to do something other than Legs since Back was the day before.

Did Shoulders and a short Arm workout with my girlfriend. We alternated exercises where I picked one, she picked one and just did 3 sets of each. Light weight, med-high reps for me.

Started on a side raise machine. Felt ripped off just doing 3 sets I usually do way more sets of this one.

Next we did something with dumbbells that I never do. Kinda looks like a rotator cuff exercise then moves into a press. It's slow, painful, and only used 6kg~! Can't believe it sucks so much muscle energy must be time under tension that does it.

Front raises next using plates. Worked up from 20kg, 30kg, then 40kg. Last set backed off to 20kg halfway through and smashed the front delts.

Next was rear delts using crossover cables. Light weight, good feeling. My rear delts have shrunk haven't used them in ages.

Did Tricep skullcrushers next with light weight while she did dumbbell kickbacks. Then seated incline dumbbell curls worked up to 25kg dumbbells and kept the reps lower this time.

That was it.

Bit distracted training with gf won't do it often but today wasn't a major lift day and Shoulders enjoyed some higher rep work to get the blood circulating. Good break from presses, presses, and more presses!

Plan on doing CXWorks classes at Les Mills this Sunday, Ab workout in a class environment.

[Phedder]

Scary thing is, you will be lol!

Tonight was Deadlifts.

Worked up to 5pps. First set bar was racked below knee height so picked up, walked out, did a single cos grip was slipping from walkout. Left it on the floor and 2nd set did 2 pretty standard reps.

Not happy with this weight I should be doing this with 240kg.

But core feels good, and cold is clearing up so might b ok in next 3 weeks.

Finished with bent-over rows 100kg. Total time was an hour! Wtf, time flies when u r resting lots between sets :-)

And then 15mins Ab work. Really taking core work seriously to see what it can offer.

You don't have to rest lots between sets mate, rest as long as you need to to ensure you make the next set with good form. Not saying you are, but no point waiting 3-5 mins between warm up sets I'll usually be at my working weights within 10 minutes or so, then have bigger rests between the work sets.

[steak]

take as long as it takes

[Android]

cheers Phedder, cheers Steak.

Am sure if I was 10-20kg lighter or I was fitter would be able to rest less, but to get heart rate back to normal and breathing normal again just takes longer these days. A fit PL'er would be able to rest less and get more work done am guessing.

I don't know PL training that well but unlike BB'ng where you don't want to rest too much to keep stress on the muscle I thought...you want each set to be as fresh as the last one as you are not relying upon previous sets to make gains, you are training muscle fibres to fire together, and doing that over and over again. I want each set to be same as the first set, same effort, same muscle response.

Might be wrong... :shock:

Yesterday was Squats and I only did Squats with a few Good Mornings at the end.

I did what Viking Power was talking about...speed sets. Each rest period was large so that each time I walked up to the bar I was fresh like it was my first set. At no time did I feel tired so felt good to me.

Worked up 1pps, 2pps, 3pps, 4pps for 5 reps. Then completed 8 sets of 3 at 180kg.

I couldn't get 3 reps out ion 3 seconds though as I wanted to reset my breath instead of holding it for the 3 reps which I might do for Benching. Anyway I probably took 4-5 seconds to complete 3 reps. Wasn't to failure, could have done 5 reps each set no problem but was after...speed. Speed down and speed up.

I only used belt after 3rd set and no need for knee wraps.

Still felt weird even after all 8 sets I wanted to go up to 5pps. I even thought about at least doing 200kg but then kept thinking it would slow me down a bit and would ruin the point of speed reps. Hard not to go heavier when 180kg is 80kg less than my max LOL. Will squeeze in another speed workout and then its 2 weeks before comp so mentally I need to go heavy and feel 260kg on my back again before the comp.

Call it inexperience :-)

Deadlifts still on my mind big time. Will do speed reps next two weeks for all 3 exercises. I think Deadlifts would be 200kg 8x3 and Bench 160kg 8x3. Will be determined on the day by the speed I get out of the weight I guess.

Day off today, then Core workout and Benching tomorrow.

[Optimass]

Good plan so far mate - it must be a bodybuilder thing - I constantly have to pull myself back from goig max's. Rem a comment Dr Squat made re- not going heavy on deads at all until comp day - training up to 85% but nailing the technique so you have a flawless set up. Definitely works - I didn't do any deadlifts 3 weeks out from the push pull last year and got a pb at 292.5kg.

[steak]

less can be best :nod:

[Viking Power]

Good work Big Fella 8)

[Android]

Yeah I gotta learn PL better, training techniques and lifting techniques having probably reached my limit of muscling the weight up.

Today was Bench but first a comment about my Legs!

They are damn sore and feel strong and tight after those 8 sets of 3 at what is a weight I could do 3 sets of 8 with. Anyone thinks 8x3 is the same as 3x8 is mad! It must be the max effort that can be applied with 8 sets of 3, whereas with 3 sets of 8 your reps 4-8 aren't as fresh as the first 3. But totally different concept and I want to follow this line of training further tbh.

Ok, Flat Bench first and worked up to 3pps and did 8 sets of 3 reps. I think I was taking about 3-4 seconds per set. Each set I setup properly and tightenened the body up so much that as my Legs touched the ground the bar lifted off the rack. It was like a see-saw action. I can do this if I keep a tight grip and push upwards as I put my feet down. Feels good to have the bar lift without pressing yet :-)

8 sets and Arms starting to feel sore in the Biceps but not painful like sets of 180kg.

Next I did a couple of sets of 12 with 40kg and 50kg dumbbells.

Lastly I did 3 rep sets of Hammer curls standing. Worked up from 25, 30 then 35kg dumbbells. I felt strong and tight doing strict curls.

I almost tried 40kg curls but stuck with 35s....4 sets.

[Android]

Deadlift day today, spent almost hour just doing this one exercise.

Will go back tomorrow to work Hammies to support my deadlifts.

Worked up 1pps did 15 reps each set until 4pps and just did 5 of these. Every rep was a reset off the floor.

Loaded up 5pps and did 2 sets of 3 reps each, then 2 sets of 2. Only issue was grip on last rep of last 3 sets. Was happy with the output and felt strong but the numbers aren't that high or impressive.

Rested 5 mins between sets solely to recover forearm strength and grip.

Have promised myself not to go near my max weight before the comp. problem is I won't know what it is on the day which is a worrry. In the back of my mind I want to or need to feel what a heavy weight feels like for each lift, but have decided not to for this comp.

Am trying to scoff loads of food so I am close to 120kg on the day but suspect I will b the same weight as last time....118kg. Same weight with better lifts would make me happy.

[Viking Power]

Deadlift day today, spent almost hour just doing this one exercise.

Will go back tomorrow to work Hammies to support my deadlifts.

Worked up 1pps did 15 reps each set until 4pps and just did 5 of these. Every rep was a reset off the floor.

Loaded up 5pps and did 2 sets of 3 reps each, then 2 sets of 2. Only issue was grip on last rep of last 3 sets. Was happy with the output and felt strong but the numbers aren't that high or impressive.

Rested 5 mins between sets solely to recover forearm strength and grip.

Have promised myself not to go near my max weight before the comp. problem is I won't know what it is on the day which is a worrry. In the back of my mind I want to or need to feel what a heavy weight feels like for each lift, but have decided not to for this comp.

Am trying to scoff loads of food so I am close to 120kg on the day but suspect I will b the same weight as last time....118kg. Same weight with better lifts would make me happy.

Good point I would count back 10 days from comp and do no deadlifts from that day leading in you'll be fresh its not a worry brother knowing where your max is you can almost always add 10% to what ever you can triple and that would be your max lets say 230 for triple add 23kg to that there is your max as I say its always fairly close when training "raw" if I was you and looking at your numbers here would be my attempts

(1st) 230 (2nd) 245 (3rd) all out 255-260

maybe not the numbers you are hoping for ? but maybe realistic ones that you can nailed this round ?

look forward to catching up big fella

[Android]

damn not the numbers was aiming for but have to be realistic.

Been poor preparation on my part for this, distracted by a new girlfriend, changing gyms, and some fun times in-between.

Will aim for pulling 240 for 3 and get the 1RM closer to 265kg. I pulled 250kg last time and failed on 260kg...so to get 260kg would be bearable.

cheers VP, thanks for the realist view of things :pfft:

[Android]

Hammies and Biceps today, supporting muscle groups that need hardening up.

Biceps play a part in heavy benching, hammies in Deadlifts and prolly Squats too, maybe some Bench...?

Stiff-legged deadlifts first up and just used 60kg the whole time. Using the stretch rather than the weight and getting 4 good 12 rep sets out. Still got shit flexibility.

Seated leg curls next and worked down the stack to the bottom plus wound the dial for extra pounds to max for a few sets of 5.

Standing Calf raises next and worked down to the stack and did a few 6 rep sets, raising up as fast as I could manage.

Lying Leg Curls next and worked down the stack to the bottom plus would the dial for extra pounds to max for a few sets of 5...de ja vu with the seated curls LOL.

Standing bicep curls and worked up to 35kg for 4 reps each arm then would back to 25kg for a couple of sets.

Jumped on preached curl and worked down the stack for a few sets of 6.

Lastly, standing bicep curls with 25kg and as fast as I could curl with good form I was doing 5 reps each set....3-4 sets I forget.

Good workout. Covered lots of supporting exercises and left feeling good and not that tired

[Android]

Bench Press tonight and in keeping with 3 rep speed sets I gave it a go.

Worked up 1pps and by 3pps I pumped out a fairly easy 8 reps and stopped.

Added 10kg each side for 160kg and did 3 rep sets with plenty of rest between sets. I knocked out 5 sets and by the last one my forearms and biceps were hurting. 3 rep sets were easy enough and none were to failure so was happy with the result.

Jumped in Smith machine and did 1/2 rep benching for lockout. So bar only came down about 4" above the Chest which is pretty high. I just kept adding plates each side and after 4pps I got out 4 reps so was feeling good.

But forearms were shot from 15 reps total at 160kg.

I added 10kg each side anyway and got it off the pins. Felt too heavy so lowered it slowly and once it hit the blocks I gave up. I took a couple of breaths and tried pushing it up off the blocks but no movement at all.

Defeated.

I un-racked everything and Shoulders were aching. Came close to injury I suspect as form and stuff just goes out the window when you're struggling...probably tried using them to push it up when all else failed.

Shoulders are fine now wasn't anything to worry about was just muscle ache.

Have no idea what my Bench lifts will be and what weight I should aim for since I am not working to max weight. Being able to rep 3 at 160kg isn't really a guide since I could do 5 or 6 before failure on the first set.

Last comp I started on 160kg and jumped to 180kg on 2nd lift nailing that.

This time I think I will definitely warm-up prior to 1st lift on 160kg and then pick 180kg as my 1st lift, then 190kg for 2nd, and then pick 195kg or 200kg as my 3rd.

That's how I feel anyhoo...

[Android]

Pilates tonight yippee!

Hammies and Calves feel really sore and tight today so am stoked they hardened up after a heavy workout just for them on Wednesday.

Tomorrow will be Squats. Will try and do 8 x 3-rep sets at 220kg.

In keeping with my Bench tactic this should set my warm-up lift as 220kg and my first lift at 240kg. I've done a single 260kg Squat about a month ago so likely to try that for my 2nd lift, and then 270kg as my 3rd.

[Android]

Squats today. Been eating up large from few days ago. After dinner last night was bowl of icecream then before bed mashed potatoes.

Warmed up 1pps twice it was cold in the gym. Then 2pps, 3pps, 4pps for 5 reps.

Did 2 3-rep sets of 5pps before my lower back muscles felt uncomfortable so cut it there and went to Hack Squat so could keep squatting and brace my lower back against something.

Did 3pps, 5pps, then 6pps for 3 reps down to the bottom and up again. Went up to 7pps to see how it feels and didn't .. or couldn't go down too far or I would have been stuck lol. Got out 3 reps each time trying to go a buy further down, then dropped to 6pps and ground out another 3 reps to the bottom again.

Thinking about my last Squat day and what I want to achieve. Mentally I need to go back to a 260kg single but physically I think backing off to 200kg and doing 8 sets of 3 reps is more beneficial.

Tomorrow...dunno yet possibly Shoulders or Back