I'M A SHOWPONY, BABY!

Well, not quite, not yet.
 
I joined MT when I moved t'up North, away from MT members Jedi and Deadward. Had a funny old year with a few PBs but didn't have much of a plan. I got lazy, got obsessed by numbers I was lifting a year ago, didn't stretch enough, didn't work all my body parts effectively, and not surprisingly picked up a few injuries, (hip/groin and shoulder).
 
I've decided to "Go Showpony," which was Jedi's mantra before he turned into a shire horse. I'm going to build up slowly, working on higher reps and better tech, and dropping body fat.
 
Stats - End of 2010
Age: 31
Height: 6'2''
Weight (clothes): 16.5 stone.
BF: I wouldn't be surprised at 17-18% :( DAMN YOU XMAS! (still better than last year)
All raw:
Squat (low bar): 190Kg (Pb: 197.5 kg)
Squat (high bar): 175kg (Pb: 180 kg)
Front squat: 130kg (Pb: 140 Kg)
Bench: 142kg (Pb: 150 Kg)
Strict Military: 90 kg (Pb)
Deadlift: 245Kg (Pb 250kg)
 
Going to train four times a week: Legs/Chest, tris/back/shoulders and biceps
 
Will work out a diet in a couple of weeks, but until then I'm going to follow the metabolic diet, one day a week of rubbish and low carb the rest of the week.
 
Diet and supplementation is my weakest part. I think I train fairly consistently.
 
I still want to lift decent weights, and will work up to weight on the compounds, no more than three reps for a couple of months, and get some decent reps out after that.
 
This is going to be a good year. I can feel it in my water (and I'm carrying a lot right now: DAMN YOU XMAS!)

2nd January 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Legs

• Low bar squat: 50 x 5; 90 x 5; 120 x 3; 140 x 2; 160 x 4; 140 x 10; 120 x 12

Wow. That was hard work. Was aiming for 160x 5 (thought it would be easy); 140 x 10 (\o/) and 120 x 20... not even close. the last rep of the 12 was a grinder. All put down to the Xmas break as my training's been terrible for three weeks!

• 45 degree leg press: 140 x 20; 180 x 20; 220 x 20
• Hammy lying curls: 40kg x 20, 15, 12

That looks pathetic written down. Was really hard and I looked like Alex Ferguson for an hour after the workout. Doesn't matter. I'm back in the gym!
 
Abs
Sitting on some wobbly thing, throwing a wobbly ball around
 
Good to be back!

Ah, a new one, even tho your old was wasn't broken like everyone else's!!!
 
First week back will always destroy a small part of your soul. Weights will fly up the next few weeks tho. Still a good full session and the hard effort will pay off

Cheers mate. The training won't be the hardest thing this year, as my head's already there. I'm desperate for it.
 
This year is all about diet and supplementation. And I need to educate myself.

Glad to hear you are back enjoying your training mate. You were sounding a bit despondent towards the end of last year. Good luck for the year and if you make it down my neck of the woods again, hopefully I won't be away.

Deadward


Glad to hear you are back enjoying your training mate. You were sounding a bit despondent towards the end of last year. Good luck for the year and if you make it down my neck of the woods again, hopefully I won't be away.

December is tough for me, as I'm away so much and don't really want to be and always lose about three weeks.
 
I'm going down to Charwood's Strongest Man, hopefully bringing my bro-in-law too. Would like to do boys night out after too!

3rd January 2012
Chest

• Flat bench: 60 x 5,5; 90 x 5; 120 x 2; 130 x 3(+2); 110 x 9 (+1); 90 x 12

Aiming for 5, 10, 20 reps, and then moving up 2.5 Kg. 130 x 5 is a couple of weeks away, but my triceps fried fast

• Incline dbell flye/press: 25 x 15; 27.5 x 12; 25 x 12
• Cable flyes: three sets of 20 reps

Good training day. Hopefully add incline press to the end of the workout, the odd week do it first.
 
Biceps

• Preacher curl, paused seated: 17.5 x 12;22.5 x 12; 27.5 x12; 32.5 x 12; 27.5 x 12; 22.5 x 12

 
Cooldown
 
Good fast session which will be added to in the next couple of weeks.

Almost a carbon copy of my chest/bi day. Good work dude.
 
BTW, if you are going to be a true showpony we expect plenty of vids and pics!!!

dirtyvest


Almost a carbon copy of my chest/bi day. Good work dude.

BTW, if you are going to be a true showpony we expect plenty of vids and pics!!!

Well, funny you should say that, it may not be coincidence that my workout is looking a bit more like yours... 
I made the mistake last year of trying to chase numbers. I think i overtrained too. Now, I'm working on 5rep, 10rep max's, and then getting the rest of the workout done with very little rest and maximum pumpage. I'll probably do a one repper once a month.
 
Vids and pics will only appear if I lose the gut and my form improves!

Brock Steel

• Low bar squat: 50 x 5; 90 x 5; 120 x 3; 140 x 2; 160 x 4; 140 x 10; 120 x 12

Wow. That was hard work.
That looks pathetic written down.
Was really hard and I looked like Alex Ferguson for an hour after the workout.

titter.jpg
 
The sheer volume of curls was much more like it

It's a style I definately rate, brock. Still allows a little heavy stuff which is always of good practical use as well as ego fodder, then teh intensity goes up, reps go up - good for some hypertrophy and further endocrine stimulation

I'm going to stick with it for sure. Going down to train with the Shire Horse in about 7-8 weeks time, so will drop the weights a week before, go heavy for the week, then take a ....a....scheduled ...a a.....scheduled rest week....(I feel so dirty).
 
Bit worried what I'm going to find when I go down to Loughborough in February..

Thursday 5th Jan 2012
All the stretchin not going as planned as I'm so stiff and sore. Next week. I promise...next week
Shoulders

• Military standing paused: 50 x 8; 65 x 5; 75 x 5; 77.5 x 4; 60 x 11; 50 x 10

Cool. Will aim at 77.5 x 5 straight off and 62.5 x 10 next week

• Wide upright row: 40 x 12, 50 x 12, 60 x 10; 50 x 12, 40 x 12
• Cable rear delts: four sets of 10-20 reps

Will add the superset in a week or two.
 
Triceps

• Straight bar push down: three sets of 15-20reps
• Overhead cables: three sets of 12 reps

 
So pumped. Will hopefully get over this useless phase (strength not too bad though). 

Was going to say, you basic strength seems to be hanging in there

(I got about one session in a week during my break - it helped!)

Is that me holding Deadward's lead in the pic?
 

Triceps

• Straight bar push down: three sets of 15-20reps
• Overhead cables: three sets of 12 reps

 

jedi
 

Triceps

• Straight bar push down: three sets of 15-20reps
• Overhead cables: three sets of 12 reps

 

LOL great block, brock

Friday 6th Jan 2012
Back
 
Ok, for deads I'm going to ditch the bonk 'n' gos for the high rep stuff, see if it has a positive effect on my lifting. Will still bounce for the light stuff.

• Deadlifts: 70 x 10; 110 x 5; 160 x 2; 190 x 1; 210 x 1; 220 x 3; 180 x 8; 150 (bounce) x 15

Wow. That's different. About 10kg lighter doing it this way. 
 
 
Ar5e popping up at the start of the lift. Working on flexibility so hope to improve that by getting a little lower down to start. Third rep didn't look too bad. I reckon I could have bounced another up without much trouble. It's psychologically destructive starting again from a dead stop! ....and all the sh1t I gave DV!
 
 I'm aiming at fives for this. Target: 500lbs x 5. Will stick at 220 until i get them, move up 2.5. Aiming at 180 x 10 and 150 x20. Hope to get them all in one session in a few weeks.

• One armed row: 50 kg x 12,12,12

Kept them light. Amazing how tiring this is....only done six working sets.

• Lat pulldown: four sets of 10-20 reps

Abs and stretching: COMPLETED! \o/
 
Great week. I feel better both mentally and physically already.

That's how to DEADlift mate. I know how deceiving vids can be but that 3rd looked fine, you could have done more with that 4th surely. And a triple on 220 means you should be able to bang out 8 on 200!! Man up FFS
 

 
Loooking again you thought too much about that 4th. A little 'backy' at the end but solid pulling