No.13's training.

Every set of your main compound is for 5 reps (or 3 or 2) and you just keep building up weight per set til you reach your limit. Very simple but I have found it pretty productive and for once giving me a rare goal based structure to follow.

After the main compound (FS, BP, PP, DL) I then continue my session with higher rep work

Hmm, sounds fair enough. TBH, I was aiming for 3x5 or 3x3 at the moment, but after the first set I feel as though I can't be arsed anymore! I know I can go heavier but feels like endurance work (or in the case of squats, hell-on-earth).

I might give it a bash after new years. I may as well stick with what I'm doing now for the next 2weeks, then plan for the following 3weeks will be high-rep DB work. I'm going to take my bench and smaller weights home with me, leaving my rack, BB, 20's and 15's.

The girlfriend is buying me 2x10kg plates so I should have 2x 52.5kg adjustable dumbbells to play with.

So lots of DB benching, DB Shoulder pressing, DB shrugs, DB Lunges, DB Split squats, DB Rows.... unfortunately I won't have a chinning bar but hey ho.

Will try and drag my arse away from the desk and train later.

Friends birthday yesterday but didn't go too crazy... still feeling a tad tender though. Was up until 3.45am as I wanted to finish watching Spartacus on my laptop in bed!

Train you jessie!

Why can't you do a heavy day and a reps day?
Squatting for reps makes going for the 1RM's seem like a blessed relief.

I've been doing lots of rep work lately too; my rep strength is getting better, but I'm kinda worried a max single will feel like a brick-**** house after having no heavy weights on my back for so long.

Strong OH work bro

Jedi. Your right. There's no reason why I couldnt do two days as you say, but what it boils down to is that I don't like THEM!! My core is pretty weak I think so anything over 4/5reps and my form goes to pot. I enjoy the feeling of having a "heavy" barbell on my back and going balls out... I used to loathe 1RM squats, now I thoroughly enjoy them, go figure. As I said above, I'm going home in less than two weeks so I'll stick with what Im doing atm, then rethink it in the new years. Possibly have 1-3rep squats one day, then 5-10 Front squats on another.

Hey keenan, yeah i know what you mean. When doing 5/3/1 squat-repping shot up loads, so much so I'd struggle to emulate it even now. But I'd much rather do 150kg x1 than 115kg x 7 or whatever I used to do Both of which I find equally difficult!
Very happy with OH work atm, so cheers bud.

I don't know what I drink caused to sweat so much tonight, but it absolutely stank, like pure chemicals.

04/12

Bench
20 x 5
50 x 5
70 x 5
90 x 5
110 x 3
115 x 3 ...equal PB
120 x 1 ...easier than normal
90 x 11

Chins (50 reps)
10 sets of 5

Supersetted With:

Single Leg Calf Raise
BW x 10x7
BW x 20x3 (both legs)

BB Curls
40 x 10
35 x 10
30 x 10


Took about 62mins, allbeit with a toilet break.
Original plan on bench was to go for 110x5, but I hit the bar on the catcher after the third rep and ****ed up. The third rep on 115 was an absolute grinder.

Some very good lifts there mate, especially the push press. How does a push press differ from a military press??

I take it that you are training mainly for strength with these routines?? Sorry if it has been mentioned already.

Stick with the chins, you'll improve in no time. The way you're doing them is how I got into them, set a target amount of reps and do them in how ever many sets it takes - I used to aim for 40 reps. I can comfortably do 3/4 sets of 8 now with added weight. Maybe also add some pulldowns in there to help build your strength with them???

Cheers Tuffy. Military Press is a strict overhead press, push press uses a "push" from the legs to help get the weight up.

MP:


Push Press:


Unfortunately my technique isn't as good as either of them!
Hope that answers your question.

I'd say I train mainly for strength in the big 3. However I can't deadlift where I am at the moment, but when I do it's purely for strength. So my main concern is that my bench+squat keeps increasing for the time being, and everything else I do is for assistance/vainity/bring up any weak points.
I'm not overly concerned with how I look but am beginning to become slightly more aware of my weight. I'll be picking up Rugby again next season so want to remain in reasonable shape for that.

I'm loving chins again now. That lot of 50 felt the easiest I've done in a long time, and quicker too. Rather than sets of 5 now, I'll aim for sets of 6 (for 60 in total perhaps?!). But when I can I generally alternate between bwx50, bwx25 (timed) or weightedx25. Keeps boredom at bay at the very least.

Unfortunately I don't have access to pulldowns as I train in my dining room/kitchen in my shoddy flat

Cheers for dropping by, hope that car of yours serving you well

Squat+MP in abit. And on the spur of the moment I ordered a bloody iphone this morning. I'm excited, but also feel unclean, as if I've sold my soul to the devil...

06/12

Squat
20 x 5
60 x 5
90 x 3
110 x 3
125 x 3
135 x 3 ...equals 3RM
145 x 1
120 x 3
110 x 5

Front Squat
60 x 12

Military Press
(...first rep always cleaned from floor)
20 x 8
40 x 3
50 x 3
65 x 3
75 x 3
75 x 3
75 x 3
60 x 8
30secs rest, then...
50 x 8

DB Row
40 x 8
40 x 8
40 x 8

Supersetted with...

Weighted Situps
10kg x 10
10kg x 10
10kg x 10


Sweat. Everywhere. Squats still difficult. I'm weighing in at 14st 10lbs consistantly now, which is about 9-10lbs lighter than the last time I got 135x3. My core feels pretty weak so over Xmas expect lots of weighted situps and sldls.
Session lasted about 70mins.

Have you not been reading my journal? The key to progress is hanging leg raises

Strong session bro. Should've added a little bit on that squat though... who wants to tie a pb??!!?!?

They're far too hardcore for me Keenan! My rack isn't tall enough to allow my legs to hang all the way down anyway.
The new "skinny" me is more than happy to tie my pb I've got 2 or 3 squat sessions before I go home for Xmas, this is simply gearing me up for a 155kg attempt

Good going on the 135kg squat mate

When you think you're going to hit BW overhead?

I have six weeks clear training, and I do intend to nail 90kg overhead very soon @90kg bodyweight.

My approach: simple build up of 5x5, then one week of circa max (3 singles @85kg maybe).

Aren't you a skinny minny now too though SC?

TBH, I think I'm going to struggle to hit BW overhead in the next 11days. My 1rm currently I think would be about 85kg, 90kg is doable at a push, but I'm not getting the calories in to warrant anything more. I'm 94kg at the moment, so if weight drops dramatically , then we'll see! I'll give it a bash though, but I'm not expecting miracles.

Actually... seeing as though I'll be training with dumbbells over xmas/new year, I think instead, I'll set myself the target of a 50kg DB push press

A solid few session there dude. 10lbs down in bodyweight and still hitting your PBs can only be a good sign of things to come.

Cheers mate. Yeah, I think I may actually look leaner too, bomb diggity.

08/12

Bench
20 x 10
50 x 5
70 x 5
90 x 3
110 x 1
117.5 x 1
125 x F
117.5 x 1
117.5 x 1
117.5 x 1
100 x 5
90 x 8
60 x 10

Chins (25reps, timed)
+2.5kg  > 4m 59s

Seated Rear laterals
7.5 x 12
7.5 x 12
7.5 x 12

BB curl
40 x 8
40 x 8
40 x 8
30 x 12

Supersetted With...

Single Leg Calf Raises
bw x 10
bw x 10
bw x 10
bw x 10


Took just under 65mins.
Happy with the chins, shaved 2mins off previous time and added 2.5kg too.
So very very close to the 125.

Rest tomorrow, MP & Squat on thurs, then potentially throw in a light bench session on friday, keeping below 100kg. Im away then sat/sun/mon so mp and squat next tueday, rest wednesday, bench thursday then home for Xmas for some DB action!

Good work, shame about the 125..... next time! Good work on the chins, how did the reps break down, was just singles by the end?