AK's Journal

It's one more than last week?

Chest/Biceps

Flat BB Bench

107.5kgx4+1
100kgx5+1
90kgx6

Decline DB

37.5kgx8
35kgx7
32.5kgx8

Cable Crossovers

15kgx12
15kgx10
12.5kgx10 > 7.5kgx10


Smith Floor Press

70kgx8
60kgx8
50kgx8
45kgx10

Incline DB Curl

15kgx10
15kgx10
12.5kgx10

DB Preacher

15kgx8
12.5kgx8
10kgx10

Stretching to finish.

Good session today despite feeling quite rough, scratchy throat, dry mouth and generaly feeling of bunged-up-ness make for a duff weekends worth of sleep so my backs a bit delicate too.

Happy enough with the first set of benching - first 4 were laboured but very smooth. Last one i hit the sticky point and couldn't get through it quick enough so had to get a little assistance. Good spotter though.

Everything else was alright, intensity dropped off a tad towards but no biggy

Yeah, those supported DB rows are good, bit of ego denter but a good exercise.

My cold's cleared up quite quickly, but when your head's full, the second you lie down you can feel it sinking into your sinuses, lovely Still, pulled out a respectable session anyway.

Yup - i'm pretty much back to normal now bar being a bit stuffy, nothing i can't handle

Glutes/Hamstrings/Calves

Sumo Deadlift

140kgx5 - Lovely, smooth
140kgx5 - As above
140kgx5 - First 2 pretty good, last 3 a bit ugly. Should've dropped the weight.

Deadlifts

130kgx5
130kgx5
130kgx5

Glute-Ham Raises

BWx15
BWx12
BWx12

Cable Pullthroughs

24.5kgx12
21kgx12

Seated Calf Raise/Donkey Calf Raise Superset

Back was niggling a touch so did nowt of note here.

Stretching & core work to finish.

Session started off top notch today, well pleased with the sumo's for the first two sets, although drifting form in the third left me niggling a tad in my back, so played it safe on the conventional deads. Conventionals felt light but rather that than risk blowing my back out again. Should be OK to crack on next week.

Feel like i've finally found my groove for the sumo's now though, can be a bugger to get it off the ground but once it's airborne theres no other way but up and locked out

I never given sumos a proper try, always feels awkward the second I try to do it. Suprised that the 1st 2 sets were really smooth yet you seemed to loose the groove midway on the 3rd.

Only 2 sets on the pull-thrus... you wuss Solid work tho

LOL, my hips and hams were fried by that point so i copped out! I reckon i should've just dropped the last set by 5kg but given how smooth the 2nd set was i'm unsure. Either way no major issues with it.

They felt quite weird to start with too as it's a bit like doing an upside down squat having to drive your knees outwards and pushing your hips much further through the movement.

It's also great because it's about half a foot less for the bar to travel compared to conventionals LOL

Nice deadlifting session

Shoulders/Tri's

Barbell Push-Press

65kgx5 - Bit of a wobbly set and couldn't find my groove so left it there as the 6th came off the chest too badly to lock it.
60kgx6
60kgx6

Seated DB Press

22.5kgx10
22.5kgx10

DB Laterals/Cable Laterals Superset

10kgx10/7.5kgx8
10kgx10/7.5kgx8
10kgx10/5kgx8

Smith Helmet Press

60kgx8
50kgx10
45kgx10

Pushdown/Overhead Extension Superset

Different machine to last week so weights irrelevant here, 2 sets done.

Face Pull/Rear Fly

24.5kgx15/10kgx12
24.5kgx15/10kgx12

Stretching to finish.

Reasonable session today. During the first set of the PP's something clicked or crunched in my back, put it down to 'cracking' the vertebrae which i tend to get when i'm warming up but it was a bit worse than normal. Nowt much to worry about as it's happened before - kinda helpful as it makes me sit with proper shoulder posture

Other stuff was all pretty good, should be on the up next week.

So long as you haven't lost limb mobility

Good stuff tho.

Quads/Calves

Back Squat

105kgx15
100kgx15
95kgx15

FST-7 Leg Extensions

50kgx10x7

DB Lunges

22.5kgx16
22.5kgx16

Seated Calf Raise

60kgx10
70kgx10
70kgx10

Leg Press Calf Raise

160kgx10
160kgx10

Stretching & core work to finish.

Broken, i'm absolutely broken :D Squats were pretty good today, first set was solid, second a few too many backy reps, the third OK. But in the space of 10 days i somehow forgot how soul destroying these are

Also got some 'advice' from a PT telling me my stance was too wide and it'll give me joint problems in later life

Walking in from the car was fun too, quad cramps + ice = slooooow steps

Volume-icious workouts as always AK.

Im suprised he didnt tell you to stop squatting altogether.

LOL. I'm honestly quite receptive to people's critique and comments about form, hell i take loads from here. But when you're a 12 stone PT who's only squats ive seen are barely half way at best, and overhead him saying going too wide doesn't work your quads, well you learn to nod and carry on

Just wish my upper body could be punished as hard as my legs!

Makes my 1 max effort set of FS look a bit pathetic.... but I'd still choose my Leg day over yours

good stuff

Was the PT 20 and by later life did he meant the grand old age of 25?

iaink


Was the PT 20 and by later life did he meant the grand old age of 25?

PMSL you aren't far off Iain! He's probably 18-20 and looked like he was getting wet being able to unload some spiel to me, i was tempted to rip his powerclean form to death but figured best not

dirtyvest


Makes my 1 max effort set of FS look a bit pathetic.... but I'd still choose my Leg day over yours

good stuff

It's ok, i'll let you off because 15 rep FS's would have me telling you where to go

You did the right thing and being the non-twat in that discussion.

I assume he didn't even bother to ask why you were using a somewhat wider than gym goer average in the squat? Or would that be expecting a modicum of proffessionalism.

Lol - from memory it went something like this;

PT - "Any reason you use a stance like that (> shoulder width, toes pointed out)

Me - "If i go any narrower than this my chest caves in, i lose the arch in my back and struggle to hit depth with good form"

PT - "Hmm you might need to work on your flexibility a bit then, you could give yourself some joint problems in later life squatting like that"

Me - "I've been working on it for a few months and whilst my forms improved, i still feel more comfortable in this stance. I put it down to being long limbed amongst other things"

PT - "In that case you might have some muscle imbalances then (proceeds to point to his soleus/gastrocs/glutes"

Me - "Ah ok, i'll think about playing around with it later"

Must've come straight out of his Premier (or whatever other bunk qualifications there are) training book, i'm surprised i wasn't told the bar was too low on my back too!

Well not the worst approach. At least it wasn't the 'rip into someone to impress people aroun him' technique.

Back

Chins

BWx12 - UP
BWx6.5 - Down
BWx5 - Down

Barbell Row

95kgx6
95kgx6
90kgx6
90kgx6

Cable Row

70kgx10
63kgx10
56kgx10

Underhand Pulldowns

80kgx10
75kgx9
70kgx8

Chest Supported DB Row

25kgx10
20kgx12

DB Shrug

40kgx12+3
35kgx12+3

Face pulls & stretching to finish.

Not bad, not great one today. Managed to squeeze one extra chin out on the first set but seemed to bomb out on the other two sets as a result . Laboured through the session after the BB rows, need to rethink this stuff though as it hasn't gone anywhere for a while now. May cut out all the fluff in the new year and just go Deads, Chins and a rowing exercise or 2 if my lower back will allow it.

Sooo Mr AK. Now that the year is drawing to a close, time to think about aims, goals, achievements...

What are yours for 2010?