The 40 Plus Journal Part 2 - The Search For Strength

Sunday update
 
Deadlift PB on Wednesday of 210 kg but I've not trained since then due to working away.
A couple of slips on the diet and not been as active as the week before but generally ok.
Dropped another kg this week, weight is down to 91.0 kg from 93.0 kg 2 weeks ago.
 

Tonights training

Squats
10 x bar only
5 x 60 kg
5 x 100 kg
Belt on
1 x 140 kg (see below)
5 x 140 kg
3 x 160 kg
1 x 180 kg
5 x 140 kg
5 x 140 kg
Belt off
10 x 100 kg
 
Hyper Extensions
3 x 8 BW only
 
Rope Crunches
Stack x 100 (light machine)

Nothing like deep enough on the 180 so no PB but it's given me confidence to go for it next time.
Split my track suit bottoms when going down for the first rep at 140, had to borrow a pair from the gym owner.

Splitting pants good! lol

Your weight is spot on for a 90kg lifter. I would assume thats the class you'd be aiming for? I find 2kg about the class to be a fine place to sit. Although at the moment I am more like 89-90 myself.

At least you know what the 180 feels like now mate, she 'll go next time mate.

LOL at the split pants, been there mate. 

iaink


Splitting pants good! lol

Your weight is spot on for a 90kg lifter. I would assume thats the class you'd be aiming for? I find 2kg about the class to be a fine place to sit. Although at the moment I am more like 89-90 myself.

Cheers Iain
 
I think it might be shorts from now on.
 
Feels good to be called a 'lifter' from someone such as yourself
The 90 kg class is definitely for me, I could get down to 82.5 kg but It would be very hard and I would lose a lot of strength, also it would be difficult for me to stay down at that, I like to eat.
I'm aiming for about 87 - 88 kg that way I can eat plenty leading up to a comp and still be ok.
 
 

Formerly Known as Old Git


At least you know what the 180 feels like now mate, she 'll go next time mate.

LOL at the split pants, been there mate. 

Hopefully mate, I'll try again next Monday.
 

good stuff mate, 180 just about there. Splitting tracksuit bottoms squatting. Are you sure you are just above weight? lol.

Hi Bill
It's just about there mate, it will get my best shot next Monday.
They were brand new as well!

Tonights training
 
Flat BBBP
10 x bar only
5 x 60 kg
5 x 100 kg
2 x 120 kg
2 x 120 kg
1 x 125 kg
1 x 120 kg
6 x 100 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 100 kg
 
Dips
5 x BW + 20 kg
5 x BW + 40 kg
5 x BW + 40 kg
5 x BW + 40 kg
 
Incline BBBP
5 x 60 kg
5 x 80 kg
5 x 80 kg
5 x 80 kg
5 x 80 kg
5 x 80 kg
 
The plan was to do a triple at 120 but there was just nothing there, I'm not sure my tri's have fully recovered from last weeks hammering.
Just went through the motions after that, the dips were harder than normal too.

Solid session.

I would not be concerned about being much below 90kg. No point being 2-3kg under weight unless you have trouble holding the upper end of the weight class (and then you'd just move down anyway).

Better to train a kg or two heavier then drop a couple of kg for a comp. 2kg is nothing given a week. Loads drop more in a day, and a lot more over a week. Some 90's will be close to 96 mark a few weeks out! But personally I am a not good when dehydrated and low carbs, so I am happy with 2kg but not more.

Off course if you want to drop that extra kg as you want to look a certain way that's cool too. But it really is no reall effort to stay around 90-92kg and drop for a comp.

At 91kg I just don't eat or drink a meal from 3-6pm until after the weigh in (dependent on weigh in time). I monitor my weight all day and if I take a pee I'll have a coresponding amount of liquid (milk) to keep me just on 90kg. I know that if I go to bed at 90kg I'll be under on waking up (I loose 0.5-1kg over night and after morning piss). Knowing what you loose over night (on average) is good to know near a comp. Then if you add an appreciable travel time you can loose more water then.

I would never advice anything drastic for a first comp but the above is no problemo. You just need an accurate scales and give yourself 0.25-0.5kg leeway as scales may and do vary lol!

Off course all the above is void if you just fancy being that weight for vanity reason or any other!

Cheers Iain

Thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed response.

I am the same re the dehydration and low carbs, I can do it and have done in the past but I want to come in the day as strong as I possibly can be so for me that means a steady weight loss.
Obviously there's not really a need to be leaner but I am carrying more fat than I need to be purely from poor diet recently.
I also tend to lose 0.5 - 1 kg overnight.

Do you find that the time from the weigh in to the first lift is enough time to get carbs and fluid into your body?
 
 

Not really a progress post.
Picked up a flu type bug, feel like sh!t, not kept anything down all day, everything aches. Should have been deads tonight but no training at all.
Oh well, 3 weeks to comp!

Sunday update
 
Not trained since Tuesday due to illness, didn't eat a lot Thursday or Friday and what I did eat didn't stay down. Feeling better now and eating a lot today to try and get my strength back up.
Dropped another kg but mainly through being ill, weight down to 90.0 kg from 93.0 kg 3 weeks ago.

Tonights training

Squats
10 x bar only
5 x 60 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 140 kg
1 x 160 kg

Deads
5 x 60 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 140 kg
3 x 180 kg
1 x 200 kg

Flat BBBP
5 x 60 kg
5 x 100 kg
1 x 120 kg

Not too bad all things considered, still not feeling anything like 100%.

Tonights training

Leg Press
10 x frame only
5 x 40 kg, 80 kg, 120 kg, 160 kg, 200 kg, 240 kg, 280 kg
3 x 320 kg
3 x 320 kg

Rope crunches
4 x 25 x 14 plates

Hyperextensions
8 x BW only
3 x 8 BW + 10 kg

Squats
5 x 60 kg
5 x 5 100 kg

That's the best I've done on the leg press.
Squat weren't heavy but were slow and deep.

Tonights training
 
Flat BBBP
10 x bar only
5 x 60 kg
5 x 100 kg
1 x 110 kg (paused)
1 x 115 kg (paused)
3 x 110 kg
1 x 120 kg
2 x 110 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 100 kg
 
2 1/2 weeks to the comp, decided to practice my openers tonight.
The plan was to do a paused 110,115 and 120 then maybe repeat this at the comp.
It's the first time I've done any 'proper' paused lifts and they are a lot harder than I thought, the 115 was very hard and the 120 just wouldn't have been there. It's knocked my confidence a bit.

Tonights training

Deads
10 x bar only
5 x 60 kg
5 x 100 kg
5 x 140 kg
5 x 180 kg
1 x 215 kg (f)
1 x 200 kg

DB Rows
5 x 60 lb
5 x 70 lb
5 x 80 lb
5 x 90 lb
5 x 100 lb
 
Pull Downs
5 x 5 14 plates
 
DB Curls
5 x 5 50 lb
 
I don't expect a PB every week but I thought the 215 was there after the 210 2 weeks ago, hardly got it off the floor.

Tonights training

Push Press
10 x bar
5 x 40 kg
5 x 60 kg
1 x 70 kg
1 x 80 kg (f)
1 x 75 kg
1 x 80 kg
1 x 85 kg (f)

Seated Shoulder Press
5 x 5 plates
5 x 8 plates
5 x 9 plates
5 x 10 plates
5 x 11 plates
2 x 12 plates
1 x 13 plates

Power Cleans
5 x 60 kg
5 x 65 kg
5 x 70 kg
5 x 75 kg
3 x 80 kg

Trained every day this week, started to feel it tonight.

Hiya mate. I haven''t been in here for a while. How is it going? Training looks good.

Cardifflad


Hiya mate. I haven''t been in here for a while. How is it going? Training looks good.

Alright mate.
Training is constistant when I'm not ill, wouldn't mind a few more kg's on the PB's but it will come with time.
First comp is 2 weeks tomorrow.