James' Journal *New pic page 7*

Nice progress man. Your lifts are almost identical to mine.

Haven't updated my J in a while though :O

I think I'm gonna add some DB benches into the routine.

Good lifts mate. That Iphone app looks canny. Makes me want an iphone now

Cheers lads

jedi


Good work on the squats.

For shoulders; I always find it a bit odd if someone can do more on the rear raise than front. The rear delt is the smallest head of the three and I reckon if you isolate it properly it is also easily the weakest. It usually looks as though those lifting heavier get a lot of back into the movement and make it more of a row. Specifically it tends to get lots of lower trap into the movement so that what happens is the shoulder blades are pulled together rather than the arm working through the quite limited range of motion of the rear delt.
I sound like a bit of an @rse there but it is just one of those things that I find interesting.

I'll see if I can find some vids to illustrate the point and post 'em in my journal to save cluttering your place up with my pernickity ramblings.

Towards the end I felt like I was lifting up a bit and form was going to sh1t so I think you're spot on mate.

No real progress this week

barbell bench press  62.5 kg    8
barbell bench press  62.5 kg    6
barbell bench press  60 kg    6

dumbbell incline bench press  23.5 kg    8
dumbbell incline bench press  21 kg    8
dumbbell incline bench press  21 kg    7

dumbbell flye  9.5 kg    8
dumbbell flye  9.5 kg    8
dumbbell flye  9.5 kg    8

barbell curl  30 kg    8
barbell curl  27.5 kg    8
barbell curl  27.5 kg    7

dumbbell biceps curl  11 kg    6
dumbbell biceps curl  11 kg    8
dumbbell biceps curl  11 kg    8

Session was going well until SLDL, will be posting a thread in training about my injury.

Squat 55kg x5
Squat 75kg x5
Squat 75kg x5
Squat 75kg x5

Calf raise 92.5kg x10
Calf raise 92.5kg x10
Calf raise 92.5kg x10

Still struggling with shoulder press and had to drop weight on lateral raise. Shrug's and close grip bench was up but my triceps were exhausted by the time I got to skulls.

barbell shoulder press  45 kg  x6
barbell shoulder press  42.5 kg  x8
barbell shoulder press  42.5 kg  x6

lateral raise  7.25 kg  x8
lateral raise  7.25 kg  x8
lateral raise  7.25 kg  x8

front raises  9.5 kg  x8
front raises  9.5 kg  x8
front raises  9.5 kg  x8

rear lateral raise  9.5 kg  x8
rear lateral raise  9.5 kg  x8
rear lateral raise  9.5 kg  x8

close grip bench press  50 kg  x8
close grip bench press  55 kg  x8
close grip bench press  55 kg  x4

skull  25 kg  x6
skull  25 kg  x4

shrug  70 kg  x15
shrug  77.5 kg  x15
shrug  77.5 kg  x15

I wouldn't exactly call that "struggling" with OHP to be honest! That's a very respectable weight. Do you use a full ROM?

Have you tried supersetting the skulls/close grip? So that you do your skulls then instead of putting the bar down you knock out some more reps as a close grip type bench. I think I am going to go back to doing this rather than upping the weight on the skulls.

CitizenKane


I wouldn't exactly call that "struggling" with OHP to be honest! That's a very respectable weight. Do you use a full ROM?

Thanks mate, I just can't increase it for some reason, bit like most of my lifts. To be honest I think I've under estimated the importance of getting your diet sorted. The bar comes down to to my chest maybe an inch above on some reps.

jedi


Have you tried supersetting the skulls/close grip? So that you do your skulls then instead of putting the bar down you knock out some more reps as a close grip type bench. I think I am going to go back to doing this rather than upping the weight on the skulls.

I have once and it seemed quite good.

Deadlifting in 30 mins, my glute has felt a lot better today so I might have another crack at the elusive 140kg lol

jedi


Have you tried supersetting the skulls/close grip? So that you do your skulls then instead of putting the bar down you knock out some more reps as a close grip type bench. I think I am going to go back to doing this rather than upping the weight on the skulls.

That sounds brutal. I guess you either need a spotter for them or after every set you have to roll the bar off your chest?
I might add that superset when i do my tris next

James M


Still struggling with shoulder press and had to drop weight on lateral raise. Shrug's and close grip bench was up but my triceps were exhausted by the time I got to skulls.

barbell shoulder press  45 kg  x6
barbell shoulder press  42.5 kg  x8
barbell shoulder press  42.5 kg  x6

lateral raise  7.25 kg  x8
lateral raise  7.25 kg  x8
lateral raise  7.25 kg  x8

front raises  9.5 kg  x8
front raises  9.5 kg  x8
front raises  9.5 kg  x8

rear lateral raise  9.5 kg  x8
rear lateral raise  9.5 kg  x8
rear lateral raise  9.5 kg  x8

close grip bench press  50 kg  x8
close grip bench press  55 kg  x8
close grip bench press  55 kg  x4

skull  25 kg  x6
skull  25 kg  x4

shrug  70 kg  x15
shrug  77.5 kg  x15
shrug  77.5 kg  x15

Looking good. How are you finding doing the side laterals, front raises and rear laterals. Do you manage ok with all those isolation movements, I would imagine you get some burn from them

Thanks mate, side laterals are difficult, my shoulders crunch when I do them. This week I kept rest down to a maximum of 1 minute between sets and my shoulders felt really exhausted after.

Good session, deadlift PB and added 5kg to my rows.

Didn't do my injury any favours though.

deadlift  25 kg  x8
deadlift  55 kg  x4
deadlift  75 kg  x1
deadlift  95 kg  x1
deadlift  120 kg  x1
deadlift  140 kg  x1 PB
deadlift  120 kg  x1
deadlift  120 kg  x3

chinup  x3
chinup  x2
chinup  x3

barbell bent-over row  50 kg  x8
barbell bent-over row  50 kg  x8
barbell bent-over row  55 kg  x8

Nice one mate. I bet you were chuffed to get the 3 plates aside up. Keep progressing as you are and you should be lifting 4 plates aside in no time

Thanks mate and yes I'm well chuffed, it actually went up easier than my previous PB which was 130kg although it did take 3 weeks of attempting it.

Nice work on the DL PB J - always a nice milestone to get once you stick another plate each side!

Well done on the PB!

Cheers lads, got 150 firmly in my sights now!

Nice work on the pb
...and repping the 120.

Thanks mate