My journal

[HarryB]

Hey Harry, how low do you go on your Hack Squats mate?

I usually do the full ROM right down to the bottom... One of my knees were playing up today during my workout and I should have listened to the signs earlier on before deciding to hop on the damn Hack Squat machine. I had to bail out on a work set today... the right knee just gave up. I think it's just a strain, so next week it'll be okay, but I'm sure something would have broken if I pushed for more reps tho.

I just as low as I can wiithout it hurting. If I am using the hammer strength I get to about 90 degrees if I am using a regular hack squat then I will sit down as low as possible without letting my hips rotate forward. I have some pretty severe pain issues with me left knee so I have to be pretty careful these days.

I reckon if something hurts you just have to be careful, I used to just keep on working through and it definitely isn't worth it.

Cheers Harry. Yep I hear you with it not being worth it!

Slow down your descent as well man just to avoid the issue of dropping and trying to bounce back up. Not saying you do but when it we start getting tired we start trying to muscle shit up anyway we can.

[HarryB]

In wgtn wed thru sat if anyone wants to train. I won't have a bunch of free time but I'm around.

[Shutupandsquat]

In wgtn wed thru sat if anyone wants to train. I won't have a bunch of free time but I'm around.

keen x 10

[drizzt]

Keen as! Should drop into the House bro, I can be there from 4 tomorrow through Sat!

[HarryB]

Right time to start posting again.

I know I have been lame, been giving my joints a break from the hard training and my mind a break from dieting AND my organs a break from the gas!

I was in NZ last week and stopped in at the house for a look, met Drizzt and Aprilia and Old Bull. Nice set up and I definitely have to train there next time. Mostly just want to see if I can press those 170 pound dbs.

Trained with Supry Sos and Suas as well.

My whirlwind tour of wgtn was a bit quiet but next time it will be more productive.

This week just breaking back into it. I have been training just not very hard.

BW is about 113 and average condition for me. Back to lower carbs this week to bring some condition back in and start on the supplements and everything else next week.

Here's hoping 2012 is an awesome one.

[drizzt]

All the best for 2012 bro, nice to meet ya and will probably catch you for a train later in the year over in Syd.

[Shutupandsquat]

^ What he said

[HarryB]

Chest and back today, nothing too exciting but good to train with some intent today.

Oh bw 111, down from 114 just from dropping carbs a bit. That's whole lot of water.

Inc db presses up to 2 sets with 50k, first set 15, second set 12 then dropped to 30k until they didn't move.

4 sets of parallel grip chin ups between 8 and 12 reps.

Incline bb press heavy set was a paltry 120k for 6. Then a set at 100k for 12, then 60 until failure. Not a drop set just straight sets.

Straight arm pulldowns 4 sets of 12-15

Flat flyes 3 sets up to 40k for 10

Crossovers 3 sets of 12-15

Tbar rows up to 6plates for 7

Deads just did triples... 60, 100, 140, 180, 200.

Nothing too heavy but I definitely felt it and it felt good! Looking forward to my numbers climbing.

[M.T]

+1 for watching your numbers grow big fella

[HarryB]

+1 for watching your numbers grow big fella

Here's hoping eh bro lol...

Legs this morning at 6am.

Calf raises on the hack machine up to 4pps, with calves I now just do straight sets until failure and then some partials but slow pace, just try and push it until I can't move it anymore. Seems to be working ok. I don't even think about reps just move the weight.

Leg extensions, 3 sets of 25-30 reps.

Squats.. have changed my squatting stance to a wider toes pointed out stance so that I can get better depth and stay more upright. I tried a slight pause before pushing back up every rep today. Just went from 1pps to 4pps for 8 reps each. That's my starting benchmark so I at leats know I can beat that next week... (I hope)

Straight leg deads 4 sets of 8-10 reps going up to 2.5pps. Not too hard so slowed the reps right down.

hack squats with feet close together up to 5pps for 8.

Done like a dogs dinner. Pretty fast pace and got a good tight pump in quads and hammies. They may just grow a little this year which would be nice!

[HarryB]

Yesterday did back and some bench.

Warmed up with some straight arm pulldown 4 sets of 20-30 reps.

Parallel grip chins for 3 sets of 10-12 (getting a really good pump doing these lately.)

Tbar rows.. did sets of 12 until I got to 4p, then jumped to 6p and did 7 reps, then another set of 6 reps with 6p followed by a set of 12 reps with 4p

I threw some benches in here. Nothing too heavy just did 5's.

60, 100, 120, 140, 150 for 5 reps each. 150 was a bit of work but all in all felt pretty good.

Front pulldowns 4 sets of 10-12 last set a drop set. Slow deliberate reps only went up to 100k on the heaviest set.

db rows 1 set with 30k for 12 then one set with 50k for as many as possible... only around 12 I think maybe 15.

Hammer strength row 4 sets up to 4pps for 8-10 each set

Straight arm pulldowns again for 4 sets this time working them hard for sets of 12-15.

Home and hosed..

Feeling good and strength coming up, more energy from eating clean and dropping a bit of water weight. Undecided as to when I will kick off my next cycle but so far things are going ok and I am not fussed.

[HarryB]

Shoulders last night.

4 sets of lateral raises on a nautilus machine.. last set a drop set, all in the 12-15 rep range.

Seated front presses in the slidy smith machine whatever it's called.

40, 60, 80/ 10-12

100/7 drop to 80/6 drop to 60/? Basically just pushed it until it wasn't moving.

Cable rear delts for 4 sets followed by 2 sets of seated machine rear delts. Trying to hit a 12-15 rep range each set with a couple os partials and static holds thrown in.

Hammer strength shoulder press

did sets of 6 up to 4.5pps and then dropped to 3 and did as many as I could.

Shoulders were fried.

3 sets of pushdowns for 15 reps each just to get some blood in my triceps.

Pretty good workout.

[Android]

Hwo do you do the cable rear delts mate?

Together bent over like seated bent-over flyes...or standing with the working arm behind the back one arm at a time?

[HarryB]

Hwo do you do the cable rear delts mate?

Together bent over like seated bent-over flyes...or standing with the working arm behind the back one arm at a time?

I grab the top handles from the cable crossover, stand back a little bit and do them standing, both arms at once. I saw Ronnie Coleman do them like that in a dvd so I tried it. I quite like it.

[HarryB]

Ok so I wound up doing some squats today. I was going to take today off but was thinking last night how crap my squatting has become so decided to do some work on them.

Didn't do anything too exciting but was pretty happy with how I finished up.

Warmed up on the bike and did a little bit of light stretching then did 1,2 and 3pps for 5 reps each. Focusing on controlled descent, good depth and explosive ascent. Then did 4pps for 3, 5pps (loose wraps) for 3 again focusing on death more than anything and having a tight body under the bar. 5pps was bloody heavy on my body. Then back to 4pps for another 3 but sitting in the bottom position and exploding out as fast as possible. All in all not much weight shifted and didn't smash myself but felt good and strong. Now I ow where I am at I can start climbing.

Then I just did a few sets of light leg extensions, mostly just top end of the reps to get some blood in the medialis, followed by some calf work and biceps. Wasn't going to do biceps but it's Friday night so I felt obligated to.

[Android]

Cheers will try it out soon. Reckon SG motivated u a bit to give Squats a good go, nice weight tho!

Biceps at da club :pfft:

[HarryB]

Partly that but mostly cos my life time natural bro just did 300 without wraps or a belt!

I can't grow quads like SG but he sure does motivate me with his work ethic.

[HarryB]

Chest and back today. Shoulder was playing up like a mofo so babies it a little bit.

Inc DBS up to 50k, first set I did 20reps and second set only 12 then dropped to 30k for as many as I could do. Chest was pumped.

Then I tried benching, no joy, 2pps side hurt like a mofo so I changed to Inc bb presses and did 3 sets of 10-12 with just 2pps. Slowed the reps down and got a decent pump out of it.

Then deadlifts, worked up to 5pps for 2 sets of 3 reps. Feeling better on these now, tried to snap the weight up. It moved ok.

Did some flat flyes 3 sets of 8-12 up to 40k.

Hammer strength incline 3 sets of 10-15 up to 3pps.

Chin ups 3 sets of 8-10

Done. I got a good pump and feeling today but gee when I look at the workout it seems pretty shithouse!

Oh well, another step on the way.

[I Declare War]

Damn shoulders! They're great when there's nothing wrong... but as soon as something's wrong with them.... grrrrr!

[HarryB]

Did a little bit of legs this morning.

3 sets of leg extensions for 30 reps each

Squats sets of 10 up to 4pps. Narrower foot stance and trying to make the buggers work.

SLDLs 4 sets up to 2pps, sets of 10 nice and slow.

Hacks sets of 10-12 up to 4pps.

Got a good pump and everything felt nice and tight. Ready to kick off I think, every workout feeling better and better.

[Creatine]

....5pps (loose wraps) for 3 again focusing on death more than anything and having a tight body under the bar.....

:shock:

[I Declare War]

....5pps (loose wraps) for 3 again focusing on death more than anything and having a tight body under the bar.....

:shock:

Obviously not enough plates loaded Harry... load a few more and you'll be nice and tight under the bar. :pfft:

[HarryB]

....5pps (loose wraps) for 3 again focusing on death more than anything and having a tight body under the bar.....

:shock:

Obviously not enough plates loaded Harry... load a few more and you'll be nice and tight under the bar. :pfft:

ha ha ha ha ha I am no SG on the squats but I think I may have a little more in me.

[HarryB]

Wed did back..

Hammer strength pullover machine 4 sets of 12-15

Barbell rows sets of 12-15 up to 120k.

Front pulldowns 5 sets of 10 last set a drop set.

Tbar rows 4 sets of 8-12 up to 6 plates.

1 set of chins for 7 lol.. fucking hard work.

Hammer strength pulldowns 3 sets of 10-12 with just 2pps holding the contraction for a 1 count.

Back was pumped, focussed on feeling the movements rather than just shifting weight but hopefully start to get some decent numbers again soon.

Thurs did biceps, calves and shoulders

Seated toe presses 5 sets to failure at about 15 with partials to finish off.

Standing calf raises 4 sets of 12-15 with partials.

As a side note I was reading someone asking about calf development and how best to train your calves.. just train them like every other body part. It's not about what you do it's so much more about how much intensity you put into it.

Then onto biceps...

Nautilus preacher curls one arm at a time 5 sets of 10-15 reps

Standing db curls 5 sets of 6-10, last set was a drop set and finished with hammer curls.

Standing bb curls 4 sets 6-10

Concentration curls 2 sets of 10-12

Then shoulders

Hammer Strength shoulder press 1pps, 2pps, 3pps for 20 reps each, 4pps for 12

Nautilus lateral raises 3 sets of 12-15

Standing db laterals 3 sets of 12-15

Real delt machine 3 sets 12

Face pulls 3 sets of 12-15

Standing military press 4 sets of 8 up to 80k.

Public holiday so just took it nice and slow and enjoyed training.

[soundsgood]

I bet you were pretty much the only one at the gym yesterday Harry. Aussie's take their right to get shitfaced on australia day very seriously don't they.

I think Calves are a bit of a tricky muscle group to smash. Personally I think the best exercise for them is heavy barbell walkouts from the squat rack. But aside from seated (or standing) calf raises and toe presses there's not a hell of a lot more exercises you can throw at them. I am currently hitting them twice a week with balls to the wall intensity and they seem to be responding well. As you say, it's the intensity you train with them rather than the frequency that matters most.