Give me strength, or give me death!

[samuelNZ]

My god, you'll be regretting those high rep sets today? Nice work though Phed. Well done on the PBs :clap:

[Old Bull]

Nice Work on The "PBs" :clap: :clap:

[steak]

Good work Phed 8)

[Phedder]

Thanks for the support fellas, not deserved after the last week and a bit though :oops: Was supposed to be a deload week anyway, but still annoyed I missed the entire weeks training. Have only been getting roughly 4 hours sleep a night for the last 10 days or so due to just having so much going on. Finally think I've got things sorted and should be able to slip back into a manageable routine again :pray: Was going to head in yesterday for the start of my 1st week, but I actually fell asleep in my class preceding my usual gym time so flagged it. I'm not someone who accidentally falls asleep, ever, so knew I was toasted. Managed 6 hours sleep last night (not great, but I'll take it) and still felt pretty tired heading to the gym but knew I had to get back into it and I should be able to rest enough now.

Bodyweight: 91.5kg - Shocked here, last weigh in 2 weeks ago was 90kg and I swear I'm a little leaner now than I was then. Was expecting a drop to 88kg or something. Don't have a clue how that's happened but no complaints

Week 1 day 2

Deadlifts

10x60kg

Power cleans

5x60kg

Deadlifts

5x100kg

5x120kg

10x140kg PB Shocked by this. Was planning on just getting the prescribed 5 as I felt crap but the 5th rep was a breeze so kept going.

Power cleans

3x5x60kg

2x5x70kg

2x5x60kg

Chin ups

2x10

Was waiting for the squat racks to free up but never did. Surprised this session went okay considering how fatigued I am. Got home and downed a post workout shake, showered, then pounded 600g of crumbed hoki :grin: Off for a nap now. If I get sleeping and eating sorted again I should be able to hit at least 10 reps with the increased weight next week, something to aim for.

[Phedder]

Managed to sneak in some sprints today between the bouts of rain. 2 hill sprints on the jog up to the field, then only managed 5 sprints once at the field before my lungs couldn't take it anymore, the air was just so damn cold :evil: All sprints were 100% effort though so can't really ask for more there, hopefully next time the weather will be more palatable :pray:

[Ronin]

my lungs couldn't take it anymore, the air was just so damn cold :evil:

Welcome home Hahaha

hopefully next time the weather will be more palatable :pray:

Ummm, have you forgotten where you are? :doh:

[Phedder]

I can always dream

Week 1 day 3 - Bench

5 pull ups ss with 5 chin ups x 2

Bench

?xbar

10x40kg

5x60kg

5x70kg

5x80kg

12x82.5kg - PB

3x90kg - should have been singles, too lazy to rack and unrack though :pfft:

drop set

15x60kg

DB bench rows

15x20kg

10x30kg

10x40kg

2x10x35kg

Overhead press - felt weak as here :evil:

10x30kg

5x45kg

5x40kg

5x35kg

7x30kg

Chin ups

10

7

3

Seated Cable Rows - Don't quite remember weights

2x15 at roughly 1/2 stack

3x20 at roughly 1/3 stack

Started feeling quite weak after bench and rows, eating has been good but sleep could definitely improve. Still better than the 3-4 hours I had been living off though.

[Phedder]

Love the high after smashing legs :grin: Pleasantly surprised how well I managed considering my hammies are still sore and abs have been buggered all week. Gym was really busy by the time I got there, asked to work in with a guy in one of the racks and he only had 3 sets to do anyway. Held the rack for a solid hour once he'd finished

Week 1 day 4 - squats

2 sets of back hyper extensions and 2 sets of leg extensions, 15 reps each just warming up.

Squats

10x60kg

5x70kg

5x80kg

5x90kg

5x100kg

10x105kg - PB Core letting me down on the last few reps, been stuffed all week. Legs had a few more I think.

3x1x120kg - first single was harder than expected, then just got easier.

2x120kg

3x100kg - 3 second pause at the bottom

5x100kg - drop set

15x60kg

Good Mornings

2x10x50kg

Front squats

10x50kg

8x60kg

2x5x70kg

Squats

3x10x70kg

Leg press

3x15x3pps

Legs absolutely smashed and pumped to bits

[samuelNZ]

WOW :shock: Some awesome squatting there! KUTGW :clap:

[Phedder]

Cheers mate :grin: Judging by your skills eval I think you're still a hair ahead of me, should be set to smash your goals for the CD :nod: I Just stood up after sitting for an hour or so and both quads cramped up immediately Thinking a jog tomorrow morning might be necessary.

My 20th is coming up in a month and I'd love to hit a 1000lb total before hand. I feel I'm bouncing back quick now that eating and sleeping are improving. Will see how I'm feeling the first few days of May and decide then, I'll be coming off a deload week so should be all good :pray:

[Jigga]

Looks like things are going well Phed. With the 5/3/1 are you sticking to the program properly? Do you just go by feel what you will increase your rep-maxes to after each 4 week cycle? I'm looking at doing 5/3/1 but from what I read it seemed like a program for quite advanced trainees? Not sure if I'm making sense but interested in a summary of what you are doing with this program.

[Phedder]

Looks like things are going well Phed. With the 5/3/1 are you sticking to the program properly? Do you just go by feel what you will increase your rep-maxes to after each 4 week cycle? I'm looking at doing 5/3/1 but from what I read it seemed like a program for quite advanced trainees? Not sure if I'm making sense but interested in a summary of what you are doing with this program.

Going as well as they could given the circumstances I suppose, hoping for some big gains once my sleep and nutrition fall back in line.

I'm taking a lot of liberty with the program, really just using it to set out the numbers for the main lifts and then auto-regulating much of the rest. I do plan on following the 2.5kg increase for upper and 5kg for lower after each cycle though, unless I begin progressing faster then I'll make some bigger jumps. I like the idea of focusing on one main lift each session and then performing assistance exercises to suit as well, but aside from that the rep ranges, volume, and general intensity are pretty much decided session to session.

[bar-belle]

Legs absolutely smashed and pumped to bits

:shock: Shesh no wonder with all that lot. Good stuff Phedder :nod:

[Phedder]

Legs absolutely smashed and pumped to bits

:shock: Shesh no wonder with all that lot. Good stuff Phedder :nod:

Thanks Bar-belle, can still feel a little DOMS above the knees when walking down my hill, they made for a very interesting Saturday too

Had to skip yesterdays session, Mondays always seem to end up busier than expected, got some overheads in today though. The usual suspect won't be getting in the way for the next 3 weeks

Week 2 day 2 - Deadlifts

Deadlifts

10x60kg

5x60kg - Cleaned

5x80kg

5x100kg

3x120kg

3x140kg

7x150kg - PB last rep wasn't all that slow, just sloppy so stopped there. Hoping for at least 5 at 160 next week.

5x100kg

Back Hyper extensions

2x10x+10kg

Overhead Presses

10x30kg

5x40kg

6x45kg

5x45kg

Lateral raises - 8kg DB

12

15

15

Chin ups

12

8

7

[bar-belle]

Thanks Bar-belle, can still feel a little DOMS above the knees when walking down my hill, they made for a very interesting Saturday too

DOMS are nasty :?

Uhh bit of PB smashing going on in your journal :clap: KUTGW

[Phedder]

Uhh bit of PB smashing going on in your journal KUTGW

I suppose that's the nature of the AMRAP sets with 5/3/1, most of these PBs are with weights I've never tried to rep max on before. Sure is great for confidence though :grin:

Didn't have time for sprints yesterday, was cramming for a test I had last night. I did run the 2km or so from the test venue back to the flat because dinner was ready and I was damn hungry

Week 2 day 3 - Bench

Seated cable rows - 30 reps, then 20 reps. Just getting blood in the back.

Bench

10xbar

10x40kg

5x60kg

5x70kg

3x80kg

3x85kg

9x87.5kg - PB Had 10 in me but on the 8th rep I slid up the bench and then when pressing the bar knocked the pins, put me out of my groove :?

3x90kg - Paused

5x80kg - Paused

2x10x60kg - Close gripped.

DB bench rows

15x20kg

10x30kg

2x10x40kg

15x30kg

Chin ups - Very weak on these today

11

8

5

Seated cable rows

2x15 @ 1/2 stack

Fly machine super-setting chest with rear delts.

Chest: 3x12 @ 3/4 stack, Rear delts: 3x12 @ 1/2 stack

[Phedder]

Week 2 day 4 - Squats

Squats

15xbar

10x40kg

10x60kg

5x80kg

3x100kg

3x105kg

10x110kg -PB I lost count and thought I got 9, TP said it was 10 so I'll take his word for it

1x120kg - Felt great, reasonably snappy. Came forward a little still, gotta work on stabilising my core more.

10x100kg

Front Squats

12x50kg - Let some other guys in the rack then, was peak time and they'd been waiting a while.

Leg press

2x15x3pps

20x3pps

Would have liked to do more but was running out of time, and I'm going on a roadie next Thursday so going to compact next weeks training into 2 sessions on Mon and Wed, don't want DOMs still hanging around for deadlifts on Monday.

[Phedder]

Week 3 day 1&2 Overheads and Deadlifts

Overhead press - 4-5 sets of 5 rep chin ups between presses as well.

10xbar

5x30kg

5x40kg

3x45kg

7x50kg - PB

3x5x40kg

Supersetted with

Front squats

3x10x40kg

Chin ups

4-5 sets of 5 reps again. Waiting for deadlift area to be free.

Deadlifts

5x60kg

5x60kg - cleaned

5x100kg

5x120kg

3x140kg

5x160kg - PB Surprised I made it to 5, all warm ups just felt really off, felt it slightly in my lower back etc. First rep at 160 and somehow it had all come right :?

Gotta head back in and get through Squats and Bench too, a whole weeks lifting crammed into 2 days back to back

[samuelNZ]

Looking good bro. :nod: You seem to be just chuggin' away moving some good numbers. What are you weighting now? Still around low 90's?

Also, a question on a totally different note - What is the best method/s to search for studies/scientifically proven resources that we can use and reference for university? Regarding sports science, psychology and health science.

SNZ

[Ronin]

Also, a question on a totally different note - What is the best method/s to search for studies/scientifically proven resources that we can use and reference for university? Regarding sports science, psychology and health science.

SNZ

Check with your Uni library, they should have subscriptions to online databases and journals. I know down here at Otago Uni, we can access Google Scholar, ProQuest and a few others

[Phedder]

Looking good bro. You seem to be just chuggin' away moving some good numbers. What are you weighting now? Still around low 90's?

Cheers mate, just trying to keep moving forward aye. Weighed in at 92.5kg today, just been slowly but steadily gaining weight and strength. As far as I can tell fat gain has been minimal too which is great, haven't been strict at all with diet, just listening to my appetite mostly. Originally was hoping to hit 100kg by mid/late September but I'm not going to force it. Hell, I can't afford to force it

Also, a question on a totally different note - What is the best method/s to search for studies/scientifically proven resources that we can use and reference for university? Regarding sports science, psychology and health science.

Ronin pretty much nailed it. I think Google Scholar and Pub-Med are quite public databases, and going through your education provider should give you even more access than the general public. I'd expect you'd have access to a bunch of other databases through them as well such as Ebsco, Academic one file, OvidSP etc. Best bet would be to head into the library and talk to someone there, they should be happy to go through everything with you and show you how to use their systems to search successfully. Of course there's the books as well, but they can prove more difficult to find the specifics you may be searching for. In any case, good luck figuring it all out, can be a great for active procrastination too haha :shifty:

[Phedder]

Weighed in at 92.5kg

Week 3 day 3&4, Squats and Bench.

Squats

lots x bar

10x60kg

5x80kg

5x90kg

3x105kg

4x115kg

5x100kg

10x60kg

Did plenty of warm up and stretching stuff before and during sets, but my right hip just felt a bit off. Was hoping for a minimum of 5 on my top set but just wasn't feeling right so called it at 4. If all's well next time I tackle that weight I'd be hoping for 8 or so at least.

Bench

lotsxbar

10x50kg

5x60kg

5x75kg

3x85kg

8x92.5kg -PB Stoked with this, only dropped 1 rep from last week but added 5kg. Plus weighing in at 92.5kg I've now benched BW for 8 reps Childs play to some here but a good milestone for me, onwards to 10 reps now :nod:

3x2x90kg - Long pauses.

5x80kg - ditto

10x60kg - Close gripped

Pull ups

5x5

SS

Face Pulls

2x15 - P5

1x10 - P8

2x20 - P5

Kinda wish I'd done more for legs but hip wasn't great and I'm driving for a solid 10 hours tomorrow. Definitely don't want any leg cramps, especially with the insurance excess they charge on a rental car for under 21s :shock:

[samuelNZ]

Cheers for that mate. Will ask around.

I've now benched BW for 8 reps

Well done here too bro! Pretty jealous :wink: you've now over taken me!

KUTGW

[Phedder]

Wednesday workout - Deload week so just made it an easy upper session.

Plenty of light warm up and stretching stuff, still felt a bit stiff from all the driving.

Bench

lots x bar

10x50

8x60

5x70

5x80

5x70

Close grip

5x70

3x10x60

Neutral grip chin ups

10

4x5

Overhead press

10x25k

5x35k

3x45kg

Hammer strength high row machine

4x10 x 1/3 stack

Heading in later today for a lower body session, will avoid going heavy but I want some volume through the legs.

[rimma]

Hey Phed. You deloading every 3 weeks as per Jim's instructions?