AK's Journal

Legs

Back Squat

Fancied some heavier stuff today rather than 15's, so went for some 5's

112.5kgx5
120kgx5
125kgx5
125kgx5
120kgx5
100kgx10

Glute-Ham Raises

BWx15
BWx15
BWx15

Gone back to just using the broom for all reps here, much better form as i can stretch out properly rather than just pivot the movement.

Leg Press/Leg Extensions Superset

150kgx15/ 35kgx10
160kgx15/ 30kgx10

Seated Leg Curl

FST - 65kgx10x3, 55kgx10x3

Leg Press Calf Raise

140kgx15, 130kgx15, 90kgx15, 50kgx15 - Rest pauses as required

Seated Calf Raise

40kgx50, 30kgx15, 20kgx20

Ankle mobility stuff to finish.


Really good session, enjoyed the heavy squat work instead of 15's; probably could've got to 127.5 or 130 for 5 for the second set but wasn't sure how to play it out without a belt or decent spotter.

Leg press work was good too, nice and deep, felt good on the inner thighs, leg extensions were pretty much a case of rep, 2 breath pause, rep, etc, brutal

Think i'm much closer to the weight i should be using for AJ's calf routine, i got to about 15-17 reps for the 50's then had to rest for 5-10 counts thereafter, got 4-7 reps following each rest thereafter.

Going to change up the squat work for a while, been on 15's for a good 6 months now with back/hack variations. Will drop down to 10's for a while so next week i'll start out at 115 i think.

is it hot as where you are mate?

ive got chest in 25 mintues and think im going to die.

AK- u strugglin t get a job too??
me too fella... was on the news th eother day that this summer is apparently goin to be extremely difficult for a high %age of students t get jobs..
newcastle has nothin goin at the moment, no one wants to hire students just for a summer.. all the temp jobs are for 4-6 month contracts with a view to go perm!!
its so annoyin..
like u- im gettin pretty bored at the moment and would love t have a job right now!!

does your Gym not have a rack then for squats AK?

Neb


does your Gym not have a rack then for squats AK?

Yeah they both have, but i had to can free weight squats for about 5 months because my back was ****ed and couldn't take it!

swift


is it hot as where you are mate?

ive got chest in 25 mintues and think im going to die.

Absolutely roasting mate, i was hot driving to the gym and sweat running down my face warming up, lovely stuff!

Mr.M


AK- u strugglin t get a job too??
me too fella... was on the news th eother day that this summer is apparently goin to be extremely difficult for a high %age of students t get jobs..
newcastle has nothin goin at the moment, no one wants to hire students just for a summer.. all the temp jobs are for 4-6 month contracts with a view to go perm!!
its so annoyin..
like u- im gettin pretty bored at the moment and would love t have a job right now!!

Absolute nightmare mate, job centre has nothing on offer. The temp stuff available is seems to be between 2 and 6 months, which if i can land something before the end of July will suit me quite nicely; if i can get onto one of my MSc courses they start in Feb of next year, so a sixth month contract would set me up nicely.

Quite honestly though i'll take what i can get at the moment, i feel a bit bad just sponging off the parents at home TBH.

Why do you need a spotter then? or am I missing something?

Dodgy back or not, if I get stuck, I dump the weight

Oh i'm with you now, this heat is making my brain a **** to engage.

I just prefer having someone there in some cases, IB would just crack the whip when i was at City Gym and that helped me.

Its not as much a safety issue because it's a rack i can bail in safely, but i prefer not to if i can get a good spotter.

Chest/Triceps

Flat DB Bench

35kgx10
35kgx10
35kgx10

Decline DB

32.5kgx8
32.5kgx8
32.5kgx8 (rest pause at 6)

Cable Crossovers

21kgx12
17.5kgx12
17.5kgx12

CGBP

60kgx9
60kgx8
55kgx6

Standing French Press

Excluding the bar
15kgx10
12.5kgx10
10kgx10

Last set was done seated, much better, will do this again next week

Pushdowns

FST-7 this week - different machine to last weeks;

28kgx10x4 > 21kgx10x3 - 30 seconds rest between sets.

Changed up the flat benching as per Micks advice, chest felt a lot more worked this way, will be up to the 37.5's next week too.

Everything else all good today, enjoyable session

Back/Calves

Pronated Chins

BWx10
BWx8
BWx7

Barbell Row

85kgx10
80kgx10
80kgx10

Seated Cable Row

70kgx10
63kgx10
63kgx10

Neutral Grip Chins

BWx8
BWx6 and a bit
BWx6

Hammer Strength High-Row

FST set - 27.5kgx10x3, 25kgx10x2, 22.5kgx10x3

Leg Press Calf Raise

140kgx50, 120kgx20, 100kgx20, 60kgx20

Seated Calf Raise

40kgx50, 30kgx20, 20kgx25

Good session, took a bit longer than usual because of the heat.

Chins were a lot better form this week, much less forward/backward jerkiness when i got stuck on both grip variations.

Seated/BB rows for the first set were a tad heavy to keep form perfectly tight, but will stick with these weights next week.

Seated calf work was first today, felt a lot more of a stretch and contraction in the calves, but less so on the leg press work as a result. Nice slow controlled reps throughout, the last set of leg press raises were a nightmare because the weight wasn't really enough to let my feet stretch out

is there a reason your dropping down weight on cable and barbell row?

not trying to piss you 0ff mate i used to do things like that and found it to be less productive than what im doing now.

my suggestion would be:

Barbell Row

80kgx10
90kgx10
90kgx10

Seated Cable Row

75/80kgx10
75/80kgx10

basically cut down on the amount sets your doing after the first back exericse as your warmed up anyway and ramp the intensity right up.

yesterday for example i did.

underhand lat pulldown
4 sets (2 warm up, 2 working one of which was a pb weight so usually just 1 working set)

tbar corner row
2 sets

seated cable row
1 sets

rear delt fly
2 sets

then biceps straight after whoch was preacher curl 2 sets, and hammer curls 2 sets

back was looking pumped and feeling battered after that

swift


is there a reason your dropping down weight on cable and barbell row?

not trying to piss you 0ff mate i used to do things like that and found it to be less productive than what im doing now.

No offence taken man dont worry.

It's just the way i've done things the last few months really. With all of my exercises i try and do the heaviest set first - most energy i'll have for whatever exercise it is so i try and shift as much as i productively can.

I used to work upwards, and still do in some instances, but IB suggested i tried this way when i started training with him and i've not really hit any plateaus TBH.

How you coping with weights in this heat?

Hope summer is keepinh you well pal.. despite lack of work. I know the feeling!

regarding the rows mate-
i kinda agree with what ur doin-
what i would say tho, if 10 is ur rep target, only drop the weight down when u fail to reach it..
so say u go
90x10, 90x8, then drop it to say 80 or 85 and try get the 10 at that weight..

but yeh when im workin towards a rep target i do the same! especially when all sets are t hit the same rep target, i.e. 3x10 etc..

Mr.M


regarding the rows mate-
i kinda agree with what ur doin-
what i would say tho, if 10 is ur rep target, only drop the weight down when u fail to reach it..
so say u go
90x10, 90x8, then drop it to say 80 or 85 and try get the 10 at that weight..

but yeh when im workin towards a rep target i do the same! especially when all sets are t hit the same rep target, i.e. 3x10 etc..

Not a bad shout actually, i tend to do that with other work but generally if i can get 10 reps i'll maintain the weight as long as i can keep the form tight! Cheers MRM

iaink


Hope summer is keepinh you well pal.. despite lack of work. I know the feeling!

It's a nightmare mate. I've been rejected for a handful of temp jobs for the council, despite meeting all their criteria . On the bright side - had my First confirmed the other day so that'll leave me with a big grin on graduatin day

Delts/Biceps

Standing OHP

55kgx5+3
50kgx6+2
50kgx5+3

Seated Laterals

10kgx10
10kgx10
7.5kgx12
7.5kgx12

Seated Smith Press

37.5kgx12
35kgx8
30kgx12

Rest pauses where necessary

Narrow-Grip Dips

BW+12.5kgx8
BW+8.75kgx8
BW+8.75kgx8


Facepull/Rear Lateral Superset

38kg x12/7.5kg x12
35kg x12/7kg x12

EZ Bar Curls

Excluding bar

32.5kgx8
25kgx10
20kgx10

Hammer Curl

15kgx10
15kgx10

Another productive session. OHP work was good but will stick with 55 for the first set next week to get 6 strict reps out.

No real progression with the bicep stuff this week, for some reason they just felt cained, probably after yesterdays back antics. Nothing to worry about regardless.

Legs

Back Squat

Up with the reps again today, way up...

100kgx20
100kgx20
95kgx20

Standing Hamstring Curls

42.5kgx10
40kgx10
35kgx10


Leg Press/Leg Extensions Superset

No rest between exercises, maximum of 30 seconds rest between sets. Extensions were done unilaterally.

170kgx12/30kgx10
160kgx10/25kgx10
120kgx10/25kgx10

Nordics

BWx12
BWx12
BWx12

Leg Press Calf Raise/Seated Calf Raise Superset

Rest pauses of 10-15 count for leg press, 20 seconds for seated raise. 30 seconds maximum between exercises to adjust plates etc.

140kgx53/40kgx54
120kgx20/30kgx20
20kgx30/90kgx30

And ankle mobility work to finish.

Definately one of the most mentally demanding sessions i've had in a long time. First set of squats...hard work, second set, harder still.

Third set, wanted to stop at 10, but i thought of IB's legs and carried on Ended up doing 1-2 reps, 4-6 breaths, next 1-2, etc. They weren't pretty reps, but they were reps nonetheless. Lower back was horrendously pumped.

Leg press/extension work was good as well, lower back pump was still smarting a bit, but by the end of it my quads were absolutely full of blood to the point they didn't really want to bend without collapsing

Hamstring work wasn't as intense, but next week i'll go back to FST seated curls. Wanted to do the leg press stuff after squatting but the extension machine was in use.

Needless to say i am now well and truly ruined

Ak_88

but i thought of IB's legs and carried on

Ooo-er

Yeah, cheers mate

Seriously though, at about 6 or 7 i wanted to bottle at 10, then at 12, then 15, then 20, quads are suitably sore today

Chest/Triceps

Flat DB Bench

37.5kgx10 - PB
37.5kgx10
37.5kgx8

Decline DB

35kgx10
35kgx10
35kgx8

Cable Crossovers

17.5kgx15
17.5kgx12
17.5kgx10 - dropset to 12.5kgx10

CGBP

60kgx10
55kgx10
55kgx10

Seated French Press

Excluding the bar

17.5kgx10
15kgx10
15kgx10

Pushdowns

FST-7 - 31kgx10x2 - 28kgx10 - 24kgx10x5

Triceps pumped to fck after that, dead to the world.

Another top chest session. DB pressing will be up to 40's next week - the only thing of note is that my shoulder problem seems to be lurking in the background a bit. Since i can't really anchor my shoulders in place as is possible with BB benching i'll have to keep an eye on this.

High rep squats are a resound no-no for me. They just don't happen, so fair play for sticking them out!