The Return of the jedi-This is not Sparta. This. Is. Madness.(now incl. Race to 100kg OHP)

Cardio Wednesday completed again.

1 mile run plus pack
15min cycle
15min row
10min cycle
1 mile run plus pack


Felt really good last night and upped the pace a bit on everything. Did the rowing on level14 out of 15 and still set new PB of 4750m in 15min. This in itself did give me a frame of reference as, when I'd finished, I was invited to enter my name onto the 'leaderboard'. Chuffed with that considering it was only my 3rd ever attempt. Resisted the temptation to reference my 3-letter dirty word database but was a major flashback to poor 1980's arcade games

I can't agree mate, there were no poor arcade games in the 80's! LOL!!

ORIGINAL: RACK
I can't agree mate, there were no poor arcade games in the 80's! LOL!!

I rest my case.

*hangs head in shame

Shoulders tonight.

Isolations ( 3 sets of each)
Front raise.
Wide grip row.
Seated rear row. (now for 3 sets of 8 at 60lb so may move up next week)
High front row.
Cable lateral raises.
Rear cable crossovers.

Halfway through stopped to do some 1's and 2's on bench but had to rush it as the gym was packed. Managed 2 x 120 again and was going to try for 125 but decided against to free up the bench. Wasn't too disappointed as the shoulder pressing was good.

Seated Dumbbell Press: 60lb x 8/ 70lb x 7/ 70lb x 6/ 60lb x 8
Smith Machine: 40kg x 8/ 60kg x 6/ 60kg x 6/ 40kg x 8

Very pleased to get the 70lb-ers done for the first time. Swung 'em up fairly easy the first time and had a bit of a refusal the second but got a grip on myself and managed the 2nd set. I pressed them probably better than I'd expected and will look to increase the reps next week.

Your cardio looks fairly varied and intense, without going through your whole journal, are you training for something specific?

Also I noticed you commenting on a crappy knee, you got any kind of medically diagnosed problems or do you just have a weak knee?

and thanks for the comments on my journal

ORIGINAL: zlaty79
Your cardio looks fairly varied and intense, without going through your whole journal, are you training for something specific?
Also I noticed you commenting on a crappy knee, you got any kind of medically diagnosed problems or do you just have a weak knee?

I would say my goals are; to build a better, more summetrical physique and to increase my strength and CV fitness.
I find that I lose focus if I don't give myself some more immediate, short-term goals such as racing daKensta to 10 x 100kg on bench or climbing the leaderboard on the rowing machine.

As for the knee. I had to have my fibular collateral ligament re-attached after a rugby injury. Trouble was I don't think the guy who re-attached it was very good at playing pin the tail on the donkey and as a result the knee is weakened for stability and this in turn has created muscular imbalances which cause problems. Having said that, I've seen people with a lot worse do a lot more than I do, so a certain amount of "Gerronwivvit" is called for.

Friday leg fun time again.

Leg Press:
20 reps on 150/190/230kg as warm up.

Squats: 100 x 10/ 120 x 8/ 100 x 10

Hack Squats: 10 x 60kg for 3 sets (very light but protecting my back)

Leg Ext: pin5 x 10/ pin6 x 8/ pin7 x 7/

Ham Curls: 40kg x 10 for 3 sets

SLDL: oh b@llocks I thought I'd forgotten something.

Calves: various

Squats much better this week having stopped listening to 'bright ideas' and finding a very comfortable lower position for the bar. It no longer feels as though it is crushing my neck but is now resting rather nicely on my rear delts. Depth is getting better too, also confirming my policy of ignoring anyone who comments and letting the tendons and ligaments gradually stretch their way to parallel, probably still a tad* high at the moment.


*a dab more than a smidge

Hi mate hows things going?

Nice leg sess there!

i remember i struggled when i first done squats, bar was uncomfy and couldnt get parallel but once the tendons got used t it i was well away mate

Chris - things have been going okay (apart from the race to 10 x 100 with daKensta) but can't match your progress.

OJay - felt much more comfortable with the bar lower for squats. Not just less painful on the neck but also more manageable during the movement. Hopefully this will be a bit of a breakthrough as at present my legs are stronger than I can squat, if that makes sense. Parallel shouldn't be a problem either.
Famous last words

Chest and tri's.

Trained with 2 other guys with no rest longer than it took the rotation (about a minute and a half).
Flat Bench:
60kg x 12
80kg x 10
100kg x 8
120kg x 2 (+3 assisted)
100kg x 6

Steep Incline:
60kg x 10
80kg x 8
90kg x 6
100kg x 3

Shallow Incline Dumbbells:
80lb x 8
97lb x 5
85lb x 7

Skullcrusher/Close Grip superset
30kg x 7 each
40kg x 7 each
50kg x 4skulls/7 press
60kg x 0 skulls/8 press

Stood in front of some pulldowns and rope but arms were fried.

Can't say I am covering myself in glory with the quest for 10reps on 100kg but other than that really enjoyed the session. Was a good plateau buster type workout of the type I need. Very pleased with good reps on 100kg incline and also for pressing the 97lb dumbbells. Although I've pressed the moulded 100lb-ers before, the 97's are those made up from plates and it just looks better somehow. Big boys weights.

how steep is the "steep incline"?
just out of interest

ORIGINAL: daKensta
how steep is the "steep incline"?

It is a non-adjustable (freeweight) bench which is kind of half-way between a shoulder press and an incline press. Most people use it with a 6inch metal box jacking the front end up. Some of us don't. The shallow incline dumbbells are done on an adjustable bench at position2. The steep one feels as though you are "sitting up" the shallow one, more as though you are "lying back".

Kind of average back and bi's session.

Chins: 13/11/8 (new goal is to reach 15 on set 1)

Latpulldowns/Rows: as per usual

Oly Curls: 50kg 8/7/6

Seated dumbbells: 20kg 7/7/5

Close grip: 30kg 8/8/8

some pulley work to finish

A bit lacklustre and not as good as last week felt a bit tired after the chins and stayed that way all night. Think my arms are starting to lag a bit but other people seem to rate them. Maybe they are getting enough work in the compound movements not to need worrying too much about the curls.
I doubt it though

Yet again with the cardio.

1 mile run with pack
15min bike
15min row
10min bike
1 mile run with pack


Really didn't want to do it tonight after feeling crappy all day. Struggled to keep the pace up on the run, didn't enjoy the bike but then monstered the row. 34-36 strokes per min for the 15min giving me a new PB of 5250m Have now leapt up the leaderboard to 3rd place but progress from there will be hard. Was pretty pleased with the effort as it was hard work right from the start, leads me to believe I am not as unfit as I thought.
Must just be cr@p at distance running.

ORIGINAL: jedi
Really didn't want to do it tonight after feeling crappy all day.

but you did it anyway.
I didn't
well done you.

ORIGINAL: daKensta
but you did it anyway.
I didn't
well done you.

It is definitely easier to motivate myself for the split cardio rather than 'just a long run'. I would definitely not have ventured out for one of those last night. The rowing is much better.
You get a sit down for a start

Shoulders:

Pretty much as per last week except I used dumbbells for lateral raises and easily managed 15kg's despite not doing DB's for ages. Didn't like it much though, definitely prefer the cables for this movement and will go back to using them next week. Shoulders felt good after the isolations warm up so did some 1's and 2's on bench. This culminated in 2 smooth singles on 120 prior to an attempt on 125.
Which I didn't do.


Anyway, shoulder pressing.

Seated Dumbbells:
60lb x 9
70lb x 7
70lb x 7
70lb x 6

Smith Press:
40kg x 10
55kg x 8
55kg x 8
40kg x 10

So was up a little on the DB's in doing an extra set on the 70's which was good. Pleased at how I am managing to get them in position without feeling as though I am risking life and limb. Went a bit lighter on the smith press just because I wanted the reps.

Pushing in again.

Flat Bench:
12 x 60/ 10 x 80/ 8 x 100(sigh)/ 7 x 100/ 5 x 100

Steep Incline:
10 x 60/ 8 x 80/ 5 x 90

Shallow Incline:
8 x 80lb/ 7 x 85lb/ 7 x 85lb

+some cable work

Skullcrusher/Close Grip Superset:
7 x 40kg/ 7 x 45/ 7 x 40

+ lots of cable pull/pushdowns.


It all felt a bit rushed this week. The turn around with 3 of us training together was brutal enough last week but this week the no pause between two of us just felt a bit too hurried. I was gassing out before I felt I'd done the work I was capable of. Then again I also felt as though I hadn't fully recovered from last week either. It was okay as an easy week but I want to step it straight back up again next week. Even if it does mean taking a bit longer.