NZ's most Aesthetic Powerlifter

[soundsgood]

Yesterday was Chest. Feeling quite fatigued, weak and sore at the moment so it was a bit struggle street.

Started on Flat Bench. Warmed up with 3 sets then went

8 @ 140kg

8 @ 140kg

6 @ 140kg (DROPSET) 12 @ 120 (DS) 12 @ 100 (DS) 12 @ 80 (DS) 21 @ 60

Then moved to incline DB presses. Only short rest between the benchepress and the inclines so the first set was incredibly hard. The sets got easier as I progressed bizarrely enough.

12 @ 50kg

12 @ 50kg

12 @ 50kg (DS) 12 @ 24kg (DS) 16 @ 18kg

Incline DB Flies were next, I supersetted them with Pec Deck Flies.

Did 3 sets of 12 with 22kg DBs and sets of 12 @ 2/3 stack onnthe pec deck. Nice and stretched chest after this.

Picked up a 50kg dumbbell and did a couple of sets of dumbbell pullovers on a flat bench. 12 reps first set then 10 the next. Got a phone call which blocked out the music on my iPhone mid set. Throws me off every time and keep meaning to put it on airplane mode while I'm training but forget lol.

Last exercise was Low cable curls to chest then up. Did 3 sets of 16 with about a third of the stack. Jumped on the parallel bars and did parallel chest dips to failure, around 25reps.

Done and dusted in around 50minutes, quickest gym session I've had in ages. Need to start doing more cardio again, been a bit slack lately. Meh :?

[steak]

Nice squatting bro! :clap:

Will you stop moving the goal posts mate...we'll never catch ya

[Deano]

Soundsgood I think ive found my role model on this site. Your legs are insane all of it is really. And I dont usually talk highly of people on here. You my uso.

[Shutupandsquat]

Soundsgood I think ive found my role model on this site. Your legs are insane all of it is really. And I dont usually talk highly of people on here. You my uso.

Does your tongue taste like ass?

[soundsgood]

Nice squatting bro! :clap:

Will you stop moving the goal posts mate...we'll never catch ya

Haha, you can take my life, but you'll never take my squat rack :wink:

Soundsgood I think ive found my role model on this site. Your legs are insane all of it is really. And I dont usually talk highly of people on here. You my uso.

Glad to here I inspire you bro. Keep at it, you're coming along well. Been a while since your last progress pics though, must be all that rugby training making you lose weight aye! And SAS play nice :naughty:

[soundsgood]

Worked on Deadlifts yesterday. Went back to basics so we werent trying to break any PB's today, just get form right. I am following the form that the powerlifters Ive been training with use. Its good for over 320kg for them, so should help me.

- Started by putting my feet facing straight ahead, as opposed to 30' outwards like I have been doing.

- I have been deadlifting with the bar about an inch in front of my ankle, but I have moved it forward so theres a good 4 inches or so between me and the bar.

- Lift first with my legs, then back.

- In classic bodybuilder style I mostly use my back to lift the weight, hardly any quad or hammie. So to engage more of a sit down I am now rolling the bar forward and as I roll it back towards me, use the momentum to sit back with my arse then lift at the point where the weight is 4" in front of me.

- I always thought the bar should scrape your shins, but apparantly not, it first makes contact at about knee height.

- Not use so much of an exaggerated lockout. It puts undue stress on my lower back, and not required for the lift.

- No straps, just alternating grip and chalk :twisted:

- Removed my shoes, just deadlifted in socks. My trainers were making me lift from higher, and not grippy enough. So its socks, barefeet or Chucks from now on.

Warmed up with a few triples at 120, 150, 180, 200 then did a few singles at 220 and 230kg. Felt heaps better. Lockouts are not a problem at all, I rack pulled 7 plates easy enough after deads, the initial pull is the hard bit for me, need to do alot more deficit work to get that up to scratch.

Watched Big Dan pull 300 for a triple without even breaking a sweat. Something about watching a 300kg deadlift puts life in perspective lol.

I was hassling him about coming and training bodybuilder style with me one day instead of the low rep stuff he does. He replied - "Anything over 6 reps is cardio". Bloody Powerlifters! :pfft:

[Rookie]

Worked on Deadlifts yesterday. Went back to basics so we werent trying to break any PB's today, just get form right. I am following the form that the powerlifters Ive been training with use. Its good for over 320kg for them, so should help me.

- Started by putting my feet facing straight ahead, as opposed to 30' outwards like I have been doing.

- Lift first with my legs, then back- You'll find it heaps easier to use leg drive, crucial when trying to move as much as poss from a to b

- In classic bodybuilder style I mostly use my back to lift the weight, hardly any quad or hammie. So to engage more of a sit down I am now rolling the bar forward and as I roll it back towards me, use the momentum to sit back with my arse then lift at the point where the weight is 4" in front of me.

- I always thought the bar should scrape your shins, but apparantly not, it first makes contact at about knee height.

- Not use so much of an exaggerated lockout. It puts undue stress on my lower back, and not required for the lift.

- No straps, just alternating grip and chalk :twisted: :nod:

- Removed my shoes, just deadlifted in socks. My trainers were making me lift from higher, and not grippy enough. So its socks, barefeet or Chucks from now on.

I was hassling him about coming and training bodybuilder style with me one day instead of the low rep stuff he does. He replied - "Anything over 6 reps is cardio". Bloody Powerlifters! :pfft:

Good work on the DLing SG :nod: Really good to see you've got some quality advice on technique etc.. You'll find once your habits are fixed, your numbers will shoot up straight away! Also very good to see you just using chalk/ alternate grip!!!!

LOL at what your mate said, get him to do one of your quad sessions :twisted:

[HarryB]

And you were telling me to be careful or they'll move my journal!! Nice technical tips bro, well explained.

[soundsgood]

Am still alive and training.

Weight has blimped out again to 112ish. Strength and motivation levels have been up and down. Didn't squat big this week, felt too crook hopefully should be good to go next Monday. I did land a 4 plate bench raw unassisted for the first time this year on Tuesday. Touch and go, unpaused but Felt good to move it.

Did deadlifts today which are progressing well followed by trap bar deadlifts. I love pulling from the sides, feels heaps more like a squat which suits me better. Did 180 x 10, 200 x 10, last set at 220kg. Got to 10 and kept going. Got to 14, shut my eyes and pulled one more. After lockout I just ran out of energy and tumbled backwards still holding the bar into a stack of weights and oly bars but was miraculously unharmed . Thats what I call a failure set!

DB rowed the 80kg dumbbells just cos they were there (don't try and lie and tell me y'all don't do the same :pfft: )

I posted 8 pics in my journal last month and saw the pic of the month award go to chemos picture of raw fish (no offense chemo). Was insulted till I realized the rules say no pics in journals count. I guess I will have to start posting pics in the post your pic section so I can qualify for free sups. If I lose to a picture of a fish again I might as well give up bodybuilding hahaha

[Rookie]

4 plate bench :shock: 8) Good work bro!

220x15 on trap bar deadlifts :shock: leg drive eh, bloody quadzilla :pfft:

Were they rows or shrugs

[soundsgood]

Probably more like involuntary twitches lol

Nah seriously they were reasonably strict. 8 reps per side. Nuthin but a peanut baby

[Rookie]

TOOOO EEEEEAAAAASSSSSSYYYYYYY :nod:

[HarryB]

Good bench bro and I had to have a chuckle about the db row comment.. I'm pretty sure most of us would have had a crack lol and I would have failed miserably I might add. Sure as hell would have tried to flat db press them though!!

[soundsgood]

Have moved over East to the GC. Training hasn't been as consistent due to finding my feet in new city and all the freaking public holidays lol.

Still I'm sure my body has enjoyed the rest. Diet has been average too, well for me anyway. Have sort of blimped out to 114kg.

Squatted 260 for a triple no belt or wraps, deadlifted 240 for a triple and 260 for a single and benched 160 for 6 no spotter in the last week, so strength is still holding.

Got a powerlifting meet where there is prize money up for grabs in a few weeks, hoping to take out the 110 division in squat and maybe the total as well. Then it's cutting time.

Will start posting more workout updates and maybe a few vids from the PL comp and some pre cut photo's.

[HarryB]

Nice strength maintenance!!!!!!! Moved to the GC? Change in jobs?

[steak]

aye aye...strong lifts bro 8) Prize money at a PL comp...too meke! :grin:

[soundsgood]

Nice strength maintenance!!!!!!! Moved to the GC? Change in jobs?

Yeah bro, why do people do anything? $$$. Plus I'll be closer to you haha

aye aye...strong lifts bro 8) Prize money at a PL comp...too meke! :grin:

New ProRaw organization. $1000 per lift in each division, plus $1000 for top total as well. Sounds good to me!

[steak]

Reckon mate! :nod: Smash yourself 3Gs

[thatwaslight]

Awesome bro, what will you be aiming for in the 3 lifts?

[soundsgood]

Cheers TWL. At the moment Id love to hit a 300 sq, 200 Bench and 260 dead in just belt and wraps on the day which I can do in the gym but comp is a different kettle of fish and we'll see how I feel closer to the time.

Trained shoulders today

DB shoulder pressed the 50s for 10/9/8

Front raised 2 x 20kgs plates for 3 sets of 12

3 sets of Side raises (not strict) 25kg for 12 reps superset strict side raises with the 15kgs for 12 reps

Shoulder bombs - 3 sets of 12 with the 15kg dbs

Standing Military Press - 2 sets of 8 @ 100kg

Then I thought I'd shrug. Decided to use the rack pull machine thing. Basically it is a like a U shape contraption with bars that come out of each side to load the weights and with handles that come to your sides and you pick up the weight like a trap bar pull. The handles sit about an inch higher than if you were pulling off the ground. Haven't really explained it well, take a vid next week to demonstrate.

Any way I started my shrugs at 10 reps at 200kg, felt good so I went up to 240, again at 280, still good to go so I thought I'd try 360kg. Pulled it up and did 8 good reps. Felt insane to be lifting so much weight. Wish I could transfer it to my standard deadlifts lol.

Finished off with a few sets on the Bicep machine and a few sets of dumbell curls and hammer curls.

[soundsgood]

Yesterday was Quads and Hams

Warmed up with some leg extensions then moved to the squat rack. Warmed up adding plates.

First working set was 220 - did 8 good deep reps

Loaded up to 240kg and did 6 good reps

No belt, no wraps and back was feeling tight. Unracked 240 for another set but after 3 reps my back was screaming so I had to rack the bar.

No widowmaker set this week

Moved onto the Hack Squat and loaded up 180kg. Did 10 good reps so I banged another plate per side to try 220. Only managed 5 reps so I went halfway and did 2 more sets of 12 @ 200kg

Moved to seated leg curl machine and did 3 sets of 12 @ nearly full stack followed by lying leg curl - 3 sets of 12 at full stack. Was going to do some stiff leg deadlifts but got called away.

Was walking through the mall up the road from my place yesterday and saw a group of well built guys. One of then spun around and looked at me then they all did. It was the bloody kiwis league team. Said what's up to them then figured out why they were here. Hopefully get along to Skilled park tonigt to catch the Anzac test tonight, didn't even realize it had been moved here. Was just planning on watching titans vs warriors on Sunday but would be cool to watch both!

[Shutupandsquat]

the Kiwis? Hahahah, that's intense. Those hack squats are a bitch after squats, eh?

[HarryB]

You strong mofo, good to see you're back posting! I need some motivation...

[soundsgood]

Yesterday was Chest and Biceps

Bench Press

Warmed up with 30 reps at 60kg

10 @ 100kg

Working sets were with 140kg

Went 10/8/8 then dropset to 100 for 10 then 60 for 20.

Must have some kind of front delt and Bicep strain cos it was feeling a bit sore before and after bench, has been for the past 6 weeks or so. Might need to do some rehab on it.

Next was Incline DB press. Decided to use the 60kg DBs. Not the greatest choice, after the benching I wasn't feeling good, only managed 6 reps. Dropped back to 55kg and went 12/10 dropset to 25kg and repped out 18 more reps.

Incline DB fly now. Did 3 sets of 12 w the 22.5kg DBs. Really wide and big squeeze in the middle.

Finished chest with bodyweight dips. Did 3 sets - 21/18/18

Started Bicep curls with seated DB curls. 3 sets of 12 w the 20kg DBs.

Moved into the cables and did front double Bicep curls. 3 sets of 12 w 70lb each side.

Finished arms on the Bicep preacher curl machine. Blasted 4 sets of increasing weight for 12-15 reps with last set being around 70kg. Arms and chest felt pretty pumped after that.

Jumped on the scales and I was 114kg. Going start cutting and cardio end of next week so I can make the 110s at PL comp.

[Gym rat]

Seeing the Kiwis cool bro