Another Journal...

[rose]

Speaking of no spotters, was doing good mornings without one yesterday and quietly wondered what would happen if I failed.

Do them in the squat rack with the safety bars set slightly lower than your lowest point. If you fail near the bottom the safety bars will stop barbell thereby saving you from back muntage. No I've not ever had to rely on this safety move because I'm way too awesome 8)

[rose]

Have you started kickboxing? 8)

[teamfatboy]

Speaking of no spotters, was doing good mornings without one yesterday and quietly wondered what would happen if I failed.

Do them in the squat rack with the safety bars set slightly lower than your lowest point. If you fail near the bottom the safety bars will stop barbell thereby saving you from back muntage. No I've not ever had to rely on this safety move because I'm way too awesome 8)

That's a great hint Rose.... might try it myself.

Of course, the only flaw in your superlative awesome-ness is your modesty :grin:

[Draft]

Have you started kickboxing? 8)

Yea, after 3 sessions I'm quite clear that I need to improve flexibility :oops: really enjoying it though so keen to keep it up.

Think I will hit GM's in the squat rack from here on out. Just a matter of making sure noone is streching in it. I swear noone uses them these days!

[rose]

Re flexibility... Squat stretches and prone hip raises help heaps. Oh and so does squatting 8)

[Draft]

Cheers for the Rose, will definitely start spending my spare time doing those stretches!

Full squats? Will just keep these up (not that I needed encouragement!)

[rose]

Good mornings, the other option is to set safety bars around navel height and perform the lift in a concentric manner. Read something by Dave Tate about chain suspended good mornings that suggested this.

[startinfromscratch]

weres the training at birthday boy?? :grin:

[rose]

Happy Covered in Placenta Day :grin:

[Draft]

Oh wow, I did get some bday wishes, cheers guys!

Um, now that I actually have some goals I figured I might start updating this. Since all I'm targeting atm is lifting bigger weights all I am gonna do is list my top sets.

Monday, 1 March

Squat: 105x5 (too easy)

Bench: 85x4 (just couldn't get the last one up)

Row: 70x5 (finally happy with form on this after back off a bit)

Wednesday, 3 March

Front squat: 90x5 (too easy but supposed to be light day)

Overhead press: 40x5 (no push-press)

Deadlift: 155x2 (not strictly doing a 5x5 on this)

I was a bit of a weirdo yesterday and a random dude asked me to spot him on bench, I was basically rowing it off his chest from the second rep but I still told him I didn't help that much...I'm just too eager to please I think.

Weighed in at 77kg but still don't feel that I'm eating enough so I figured the scales were broken. Not that I'm too concerned about how much I weigh these days anyway but I like to keep track of it.

[Draft]

Current 1RM targets (estimated 1RM at start in brackets):

Squat: 145 (110)

Front Squat: 115 (100)

Deadlift: 180 (155)

Bench press: 115 (90)

Overhead press: 60 (40)

Row: 90 (75)

In a couple of weeks I will assess how far away from these I think I am and whether or not they need to be revised. To be honest I don't think any of them are hard targets so I hope to hit them within a 12 weeks or so.

[Big john]

Current 1RM targets (estimated 1RM at start in brackets):

Squat: 145 (110)

Front Squat: 115 (100)

Deadlift: 180 (155)

Bench press: 115 (90)

Overhead press: 60 (40)

Row: 90 (75)

In a couple of weeks I will assess how far away from these I think I am and whether or not they need to be revised. To be honest I don't think any of them are hard targets so I hope to hit them within a 12 weeks or so.

attainable goals imo bro...will be watchin with interest :nod:

[Draft]

Cheers BigJohn, my flatmate told me yesterday that he didn't think I would make it but I think he sees the 5x5 as an 8-week programme for a bit of variation from a 3x8.

Friday, 5 March

Squat: 110x3 PB

Bench: 82.5x3 (fucked up my earlier sets, also did 82.5 for 5 at my 4th set...blow-out)

Row: 72.5x3 (actually 4 but shit form for one so did another)

Squat just keeps going up, I dropped it back a little to make sure form was tight but I've been adding 5kg a week with no problems at all. Loving this shit lol.

[Draft]

Monday, 8 March

Squat: 110x5

Bench: 85x5

Row: 72x5

Hit all my targets today. Squat getting harder but I think a weekend of heavy drinking (something I haven't done for a while) may have contributed to this.

Noticed a chick doing what looked like a rotator exercise (essentially rotating your arm horizontally) but standing and with a dumbell. Not the first time I've seen it but it just doesn't make sense to me. The direction of the resistance is all wrong to traing the rotator I thought but maybe I'm just missing something.

Did a quick look at the numbers today and think I should hit all my targets.

[Big john]

Nice work on the squats bro...good numbers :grin:

Noticed a chick doing what looked like a rotator exercise (essentially rotating your arm horizontally) but standing and with a dumbell. Not the first time I've seen it but it just doesn't make sense to me. The direction of the resistance is all wrong to traing the rotator I thought but maybe I'm just missing something.

she mightve been stetchin her rotator cuffs....i find them handy for stretching

[rose]

Noticed a chick doing what looked like a rotator exercise (essentially rotating your arm horizontally) but standing and with a dumbell. Not the first time I've seen it but it just doesn't make sense to me. The direction of the resistance is all wrong to traing the rotator I thought but maybe I'm just missing something.

Horizontal rotations? They're great for supraspinatus 'health'. I do them regularly.

[Draft]

This but with a dumbell.

[Draft]

Wednesday, 10 March

Front Squat: 90x3

Overhead Press:42.5x2

Deadlift: 160x2 PB

Felt like this was going to be a real shit session. Between cross-grip on the fronts squats finally fucking out on me and a serious dose of man flu I was gutted to only put up 3 on my top set of front squat and 2 on OHP.

I wasn't looking forward to deadlift, all the sets leading up to my last were hard, was aiming to put the 160 up once but managed to do it twice so stoked with that. At least I can take something away from it.

[Draft]

Monday, 15 March

Squat: 115x5

Bench Press: 87.5x4

Row: 72.5x5

Didn't get quite deep enough on the last squat rep so will attempt this again Friday rather than pushing to a new weight.

Really tried for that last rep on bench but it wasn't going to happen. So, will try this one on Friday also.

Wednesday, 17 March

Front Squat: 90x5

Overhead Press:42.5x5

Deadlift: 165x2 PB

Basically I lifted the weights I should have been lifting last week, but meh, one week behind isn't the end of the world. Plus deadlift went up another 5kg. I have discovered that my hands don't like holding that weight. I had imprints from the knurling on the bar all night.

No drinking for St Patty's day, however, since I live in student central I probably should have - they were up all night OTP so I didn't get alot of sleep - actually, I woke up at 5 and the had just got back from town and started partying again. The pubs must have closed to early for their liking.

[Big john]

. Plus deadlift went up another 5kg. I have discovered that my hands don't like holding that weight. I had imprints from the knurling on the bar all night.

time for chalk :grin: ...keep those PBs commin bro...good to see!

[Draft]

Cheers Big John! Yea I picked some chalk up t'other day!

Friday, 19 March

It was busy season at the squat rack today. Three people using them. Un heard of.

Squat 115x5

Bench 87.5x5

Row 75x4

Happy with all my lifts. Managed to hit all my targets so will move up next week (now this week).

Squat was pretty hard still though, really had to push for that last one.

[rose]

cross-grip on the fronts squats finally fucking out on me

Are you going to start using the proper grip now sir? :grin: Chalk is 8)

[Draft]

I am, but I'm going to need to work on tricep flexibility apparently. I stuggle to get the bar sitting on my shoulders properly.

Don't think wrist flexibility is the problem so will work on getting the grip right and phase it in.

Also starting to add in some powercleans for shits and giggles (and also to get use to the exercise) so will need to master the grip anyway.

[Draft]

Monday, 22 March

Ramping up to:

Squat:120x5 PB

Bench: 90x3

Row: 75x4

Some core work to finish.

Squat was good. Depth probably not the greatest on the last rep but definitely below parallel at least.

Also happy with bench and row. Think that I am moving towards my targets at least.

Wednesday, 24 March

Ramping up to:

Front Squat: 90x5 (still not flexible enough for clean grip)

Press: 47.5x4

Deadlift: 170x1 PB

Normally shrugs and core work after but had to get back to work.

Think I am going to deload for a week soon. Feeling a little sore all over so might give it a break. Been pushing the lifts up pretty much every week at the moment (for about 6 now). Maybe next week. Will see how I feel on Friday,

Working till 11 most nights at the mo (with a break at around 6 to train) so nutrition hasn't been as good as it could have been. Think it is also taking a toll on me mentally. Should be back to normally hours by end of next week so should sort everything then (by mentally I mean I'm tired, not that I'm cracking up).

[drizzt]

Nice deadlift mate :nod: