A Scot in Clapham - Now in search of mass!

If anyone is reading this, what kind of sets/reps would you reccommend on my squats for adding power? Should I shift the 3x8 to 5x5 like the rest of my exercises or keep it as it is? Same question about my calf raises as well, stick it to 5x5 or leave it to high reps?

06/06/06....oh sign of the devil, I seemed to do pretty well at the gym tho!

Push

Shoulder press

5, 5, 5 @ 45kg, 5, 4 @ 47kg

Dumbell bench

5, 5, 5 @ 26kg per arm, 5, 5ish @ 28kg

Close grip bench

5, 5, 5 @ 52kg, 5, 5 @ 55kg

Pretty please with the way my progression is going at the mo, although it'll probably all slow down soon enough!

I will be heading back home in a week or so and the gym back home is erm, not very well equiped. Full of resistance machines and cardio, one set of free weights that go up to 14kg (ie not heavy enough), cables and one smith machine. I'm going to have to change my workout for when I go home, but will start planning that when I know when I'm heading back! There is no other gym I can go to, cannot stress that enough

Legs day!

Squats

5, 5, 5 @ 80kg, 5, 5 @ 85kg

SLDL

5, 5, 5 @ 80kg, 5, 5 @ 85kg

Weighted calf raises

5, 5, 5 @ 70kg, 5, 5 @ 75kg

ORIGINAL: ChilledDJ

If anyone is reading this, what kind of sets/reps would you reccommend on my squats for adding power? Should I shift the 3x8 to 5x5 like the rest of my exercises or keep it as it is? Same question about my calf raises as well, stick it to 5x5 or leave it to high reps?

Stay on the 5X5 scheme, then add 2.5kg every week if you feel alright with it. Start at 80% of your latest 1rm, in three weeks from here you may switch to 5X3 at 90% for three other weeks, then max up on the seventh.
Works well with me

Thanks bud, I switched to that today and it went well

Really chuffed with how today went. I decided to push myself really hard to get rid of some stress, I've had a pretty ****ty past few days with some bad news that has really screwed up my summer, but I'm going to pick myself up and move on!

Deadlift

5, 5, 5 @ 90kg, 5, 5 @ 95kg

Really pleased with this, makes me think that I could break that magical 100kg barrier soon enough, shame I'm going home to a gym where the best I'll be able to do is smith machine deads!!

Bent over barbell row

5, 5, 5, 5, 5 @ 42kg per arm

Again, really chuffed with this, wouldn't have done it if I could have found a 40kg dumbell which for some reason was absent from the rack...good thing really!!

Hammer curl

5, 5, 5, 5 @ 20kg, 4 @ 22kg and 1 at 24kg each arm

Yeah I know, a 1rm of hammer curls after doing that, but I was in such a good mood and pumped I decided to go for it!

I'm going to have to change my workout when I return home to the Isle Of Lewis on Tuesday as my gym, the only gym I can use, contains lots of resistance machines, a smith and cables amoung the usual plethora of cardio machines. I'll post up in the routines forum to ask for advice

Okidoki, first push session at the gym at home on Lewis. I know it aint perfect but I'm going to feel my way into this until I find a workout I'm comfortable with.

Close grip bench/smith

5, 5, 5 @ 50kg, 5, 5 @ 52kg

Will start with 52kg next time but I need to find some gloves as the bar was a bit slippery

Shoulder press machine

5 @ 40kg, 5, 5, 5, 5 @ 45kg

Felt a bit strange after this but seemed ok

Peck deck

5 @ 80kg, 5, 5, 5, 5 @ 85kg

Again, muscles felt a bit strange doing this but I hope it will go away after time

Weighted crunches

13, 13, 13 @ 14kg dumbell on chest

Strange that I couldn't do as much as I usually can, not sure why tbh, maybe it's because I was using a dumbell and not plates which I'll try next time. Plus the floor is hard and the mat is crap...

Good to see you haven't let a new environment mess with your training too much! I'm continuously moving and know how hard it can be to stay focused and motivated without a regular gym and routine.

Strange that I couldn't do as much as I usually can, not sure why tbh, maybe it's because I was using a dumbell and not plates which I'll try next time. Plus the floor is hard and the mat is crap...

Is the weight of the dumbbell bar and clips factored into the weight?

Maybe you are holding the DB higher up your body, increasing the leverage?

The hard floor may stop any rocking which can aid the movement?

I think it was that I was holding it higher up my body because it felt uncomfortable holding it any lower down my chest. Think I'll try a plate from the smith rack next time though. Thanks for looking in!

No prob's mate, glad to have over analysised it for you LOL

First pull routine at the gym back home, probably ended up doing a bit of overtraining, comments welcome!

Smith rows

5, 5, 5, 5 @ 90kg, 4 @ 92kg

Cable curls using rope attatchment

5, 5, 4 @ 35kg, 5, 5 @ 32.5kg

I lowered the weight just to make sure I could complete the full sets to see how it would feel. Felt comfotable with the movement so will keep these.

Wide grip lat pulldown

5, 5, 5 @ 60kg, 5, 5 @ 65kg

Not comfortable with this exercise at all, the motion felt a bit strange and I was shaking while doing it. Can anyone recommend an exercise to replace this? I probably overtrained my lats a bit by doing this but I couldn't think of what else to do? Maybe put shrugs in instead?

Did a sort of pull/push thing today as I felt my traps hadn't been worked enough so I added in some shrugs

Shoulder press machine

5, 5 @ 45kg, 5 @ 50kg, 5, 5 @ 52kg

Close grip bench

5, 5, 5, 5 @ 52kg, 5 @ 54kg

Peck deck

5, 5, 5 @ 85kg, 5, 5, @ 87kg

Shrugs

5, 5, 5 @ 90kg, 5, 5 @ 94kg

Did a hard leg day yesterday, got intense DOMS today as I made the mistake of going out last night....

Squats

5 @ 80kg, 5, 5, 5, 5 @ 82kg

Calf raises

20, 17, 18 @ 60kg

Weighted crunches

13, 13, 13 @ 20kg plates on my chest

Good to see you're training legs now. Keep doing those squats & deads. Your vertical will improve drastically, you'll be less injury prone, quicker & more explosive on the court.

I suggest that you introduce glute/ham raises and or stiff leg deadlift for your posterior chain strength.

I play basketball too & have just finished my off season bulk. I'm dieting down for 12 weeks now. When i'm really lean at the beginning oaf the season i'll be flying!

glute/ham raies, what are those? Can't do stiff legged deadlifts as only bar available is a smith machine. Thanks for the input mate, who do you play for and what position?

Check out Defrancos training on google. You'll find glute/ham raise there.

I play power forward for Filton Flyers in EBL div 2.

EBL eh, sounds good! Also, what kind of leg work do you do to train for basketball, reps, sets etc?

Today's pull went well, I got a bit bored at the gym so added in some shrugs today...meh!

Smith rows

5, 5 @ 90kg, 5, 5 @ 92kg, 4 @ 95kg

Cable curls w/rope attatchment

5, 5, 5, 5, 4 @ 32.5kg

Shrugs

5, 5 @ 80kg, 5, 5, 5 @90kg

I really need to re-jig my workout as it's starting to get a bit pointless just adding in exercises here and there to my 'pull' day. I'll post up today what I think I'll change that day to as the other days seem to be working fine for me.

I do squats & barbell lunges on 1 day. Deadlift & glute/ham raise on another day. Heavy weights low reps for base strength 3-6

I also do speed squats & speed box squats for explosion. 2 very fast reps for 8 sets.

Check out that Defrancos training website. Although it's mostly American football players he trains, it has more relevence to basketball than bodybuilding does. Anyway, if it's leg muscles you want nothing is better than heavy heavy squats.

oh, & do higher reps on your shrugs. It's an isolation exercise. Try 10-15 reps

Have a look at Ant's BB Journal, very good read! He managed to increase his vert jump by a good few inchs!!!!!!