Michaelk growing to Aus

[steak]

3/4 Deadlifts, I only go to 3/4

that like a rack pull then?

nice intensity on legs :clap:

[Gym rat]

nice leg train Mike

[bigmd]

Legs today, I was meant to train them last night but my scheduled partner was a no show, so we rescheduled to this afternoon. I had money on him not fronting and was pleasantly surprised to see him make it.

This is why I wasn't expecting an appearance.

Leg Extensions,

5 x 20reps, increasing weight on every set, finished on the stack.

Front Squats on the Smith Machine.

This smith is a little different in that it design allows the bar to move forward and backward also, so just providing just lateral support.

4 x 15 reps (40;60;80;100k)

Back Squats -Freeweight not Smith.

5x 20 reps (60;80;90;100;80k)

The 4th set took EVERYTHING to finish, at rep 13 I nearly called for a spotter, then though of Tom Platz who used to do sets that would take minutes just doing a rep resting a bit then the next and so on, so I eeked out each rep with a bit of generous vocalizing, waited a few secs and dropped again- INSANE). I had lactic acid in my feet by the end!

Leg Press

1 x 12; 1 x 15; 1x 18 and 1x20.

Putting the weight UP on each set along with the reps, Last set was a drop set- Steve just kept on ripping them off, while it felt lighter, it didn't feel like it made a difference, the pain and weakness were still there.

With the postponement of the Ironman, my motivation was high, I feel like I've been given a reprieve of a few weeks, I have to be honest and say I have very unhappy with my post injury quads, but am using every opportunity given to give my everything to make them change- FAST!

So every leg workout from now til Melbourne will be a knock em down drag em out affair.

I hope you'll see them onstage and see the effort I put in.

:roll: SOFT!!! xxx

[michaelk]

SOFT!!! xxx

xxx - ???

Does Gretchen know how you feel?

[michaelk]

could you post up a days diet mate? leg session sounds insane!

There is a fine line between insanity and intensity.....i like to use it as a skipping rope.

Breakfast:

1/2 cup (dry weight) oats

200ml milk

50g Protein

Sometimes I have a slice of Rice and Rye bread with a poached egg and 300 mls of milk with 45g Pro

Meal2: 200g Chicken

1 large cup brown rice

Meal3: 150mls of milk, 150mls water

45g Protein

Training

Post Training.

60g Pro in 300mls Juice

Meal 5: 200gms chicken

1 large cup brown rice

OR

200g Chicken

In 2slices of Rice and Rye bread (33gms carbs)

Meal 6: 200gms Chicken or Steak

1 large cup of brown rice

Meal 7: 1/2 to 1 cup brown rice OR George Foreman chips

1/2cup veges

Meal8: 200gms Chicken

1 cup of veges

OR

45gms Pro in water- often as I am running late I will have this during the night when I wake.

[michaelk]

After some solid leg workouts the past few weeks, my knees were beginning to let me know they needed a squat break, so this week and went back to the tried and true 10 sets of 20 on the Leg Press, followed by 3x 15 on the Leg Extension.

Following this vein for the week, I didn't want to do a standard formula high rep week so into my head when I was thinking of what to do for the rest of the week was my old friend GIANT SETS.

Something I haven't done for many years except for abs, I thought I'd revamp them into a more intense version of the past. I used to use them only on Shoulders, so it was going to be interesting to see how they go for everything else.

On Friday for Chest and bis,

CHEST:

Smith Incline Bench: 10 reps (got up to 120k)

Flat DB Flyes: 8 reps (up to 22.5k)

Flat DB Bench: 10 reps (22.5k)

Dips: 8 reps (bodyweight)

Smith Incline Bench......again (100k)

5 of these giant sets with 2 mins rest between sets.

BIS:

Seated Incline Curls: 12reps (17.5k)

BB curls: 10reps (40k)

Preacher curls: 12reps (30k)

Hanging DB Concentraion Curls: 10 reps (15k)

4 Giant sets

Today,

HAMS:

Seated Leg Curl: 15reps

Stiff Legged Deadlifts: 12 reps

Walking Lunges (no stop in the middle): 15reps per leg

Swiss Ball Leg Curls: 12 reps - was great to be lying down after lunges

Standing Leg Curls: 15reps

5 Giant sets.

[Steve Urban]

Nice training mike 8)

Will be comming over to melbourne with MD to support you hopefully.

Keep training hard man.

[Gym rat]

Very nice training Mike 8)

[Optimass]

Well done mate - have been indulging in giant sets for the last 2 weeks also. Have you had to go for the bucket yet?

[Gym rat]

That just give me a good idea I will have to do giant sets for chest

[michaelk]

Well done mate - have been indulging in giant sets for the last 2 weeks also. Have you had to go for the bucket yet?

No, they give me MONSTER pumps, and are hard hard work, especially on back day:

Wide Chins (bodyweight)

Bent Rows

DB Pull overs

Close Grip Chins

Reverse Grip Bent Rows

But no nausea- just my thing I guess.

Could imagine it would nail legs, but I did high rep leg presses this week.

[Optimass]

Savage back routine > mite have a crack at it next week as I have been avoiding back lately. A good way to blow out biceps at the same time.

have been reading that a lot of training trends in US switching to GIANT sets lately > great for recovery and developing mobility in smaller muscle groups. (obvious fat burn etc)

About time you posted some progress pics isn't it?

[Gym rat]

mean back work out Mike I will have to give that a crack sometime

[michaelk]

About time you posted some progress pics isn't it?

In time....

Hammies today, 140k Stiff Legged Deads getting the plates to touch the floor, a follow up set of Partial (ala Dorian) with the bar getting to the knee - 180k for 4 reps.

was blowing hard after that.

Saw on Dohertiesgym.com.au that Kai has signed for the show.....yay :shifty:

[michaelk]

I know I keep on writing about Quad training, but as they are the area that need the most work on me -(even when they are good enough, I still won't be satisfied) I keep smashing them.

Tonight I trained with Steve Papps, top NZ athletic competitor and Julio his son.

Leg Extensions

4 sets of 20

Squats

40k x 8

70k x 8

100k x 8

140k x 8

180k x 10 (=PB have done this once before)

200k x 7 (PB & No Spotter)

210 x 2 (PB spotter for safety)

160k x 12 no spotter (PB)

I may not have made 12 on the 160 if both Steve and Julio hadn't pushed their last sets of squats to the point of failure in the rack having to collapse under the weight.

Leg Presses

120k x 10

200k x 10

240k x 10

280k x 10

Next week, time for a light leg session.

[steak]

Great squats :clap: Well done on the PBs

[nzmusclemonster]

Been taking it easy over the break?

[michaelk]

Sorry NZMM, no chance of taking it easy, the names of Kai Green and Dexter Jackson put the shits up me enough that I don't have the right to back off anything. I did eat a few more carbs on the day I moved house, but that was because I did most of the heavy lifting!!!!!!!

And I tweaked my hammie in doing so:( so did skip one ham workout a week later,

on that subject my hammie session two days ago was brutal enough that I thought I'd get back on the boards and write it up.

Stiff Legged DB Deadlifts

1x 12;

1x 15;

1x 18;

1x 20 reps, increasing weight on each set with 25k dbs on the last.

Walking lunges - my extra extra long knee to the ground style -

2x 12

2x 15

Seated Leg Curls - performed as one and a half reps

2x 15 reps

Severly pumped after that- getting leaner by the day -vascular chest now, had a few veins in my quads after legs on sunday too!

Speaking of which,

new PB

Squatted 150k for 15, all by myself, no spotter as I had to do legs alone- but suffered on through.

I'll be getting video'd on sat for GoFigure doing my heavy quad workout, so you'll be able to see my squatting depth and critique it.

7 weeks to go on saturday:)

[greyghost]

:clap: Will be cheering you on.

[Gym rat]

Cool Mike looking forward to watching your squating vid on Go figure.Will you be posting up and progress photos as you get closer to the show?

[IronHyde]

Some awesome leg work, nice! I might have to give the stiff leg deads a go!

[michaelk]

Video is up on GoFigure......wear earmuffs.

[Gym rat]

Cool I will have to check it out Mike and thanks for the warining about wearing earmuffs for your video on Go figure that sounds like a good idea to wear earmuffs :wink:

[Optimass]

nicely done MK. The equipment still looks nice and shinny .... may need to come over a scuff a few things so it all looks a bit more masculine

[nzmusclemonster]

Video is up on GoFigure......wear earmuffs.

Outstanding training :clap:

Inspiring intensity

Favourite part..... Falling off the leg machine, "That's how I always do it" :pfft: