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

Northerngal


Morning, hope you don't mind me dropping in. Can't offer anything constructive on the training side as I don't know too much really but I read your interview yesterday and it didn't half give me a laugh....but also very interesting to read how you cope with stuff.......have a good day.....

Thanks for popping in;
 

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

Enjoying the deload then.......

I'll swap yah all I'm doing at the mo is downloading

Vision without action is a daydream.

Action with without vision is a nightmare

Dear Diary.....

crying freeman

Enjoying the deload then.......

Deload weeks should be banned.
The fun continued tonight with some leg work.

Front Squats -with the fat bar
90 x 12-10-7
would've been 8 on the last set but the blasted thing was rolling forward all  the way through the sets. The worst thing is I'm not entirely and completely sure I havent jiggered my back in attempts to keep the fkkin thing on board. It has mangled my beautiful delts that's for sure

I know, I thought, I'll keep it a bit lighter for the back squats
90 x 12-10-8
Made me sweat like a malaria victim and felt worse than the 140 for similar reps from a week or two ago.

I also did some sitting down machines stuff but I felt grim so I binned it and went home. I think there may be a certain amount of "You're doing it wrong." involved in my deload week

Mentions to Deadward for explaining 5/3/1 training in a way I have finally grasped the principle.

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

So you've actually done it then. Strike me down.

It is hard to get your head round. There's a few approaches I guess (an dnot being much of a strnegth trainer there might not be much science here) but...

a) just do whatever but take it easy and don't stress about it.
b) lighter weight, maybe a few more sets on the main compounds and do speed work (altho that would be better utilised built into your routine properly I guess)
c) same heavier weight but just half the reps

I generally find that when I have taken a step back on the 1st main compound all the following stuff I can either cake walk it with my usual weights as I'm not fatigued, or in fact go heavier but just for a few reps and still find it fairly easy.

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

dirtyvest

c) same heavier weight but just half the reps

I should've done this option I reckon.
It would've been better for the ego and also, I think it is the volume that is killing me rather than CNS overload. To be honest I am tempted to do a couple of weeks of strength work in the 5rep range for the main compounds. On the other hand I am seeing the fruits of the labour at the minute and am just about nudging towards being in the best shape I've ever been in so I don't really want to rock the boat too much.

Back has deffo suffered a slight jiggering from the front squats. Quite high up at about L1.
Not too bad though and it was almost worth doing as 90 x 12-10-8 fronts on the fat bar is probably worth about 100 on the normal one, maybe a bit more.
I do like a front squat, would love to get a 140 on that at some point.

Calves are now just a quarter of an inch off my target of 16" .

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

dirtyvest

c) same heavier weight but just half the reps

This. Or seeing as though your an aspiring PL, 8 sets of 2 at a near-max but not quite maximum percentage, or triples etc etc. Something that'll keep your confidence high shfiting decent weight, and you get to concentrate on explosive bar speed without going all out volume wise?

Journal

The thing I like about c) personally is that my body is still holding the weight so that the next week when I get back to full intensity I haven't lost the feel of the weight (this most notably help me with pressing more than pulling TBH).

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

More deloading.

Biceps
EZ curl
40kg x 8
50kg x 6/6/6/

Incline D'bell
20kg x 6
18kg x 6/6

Seated Curl
35kg x 8/8/8

Meh! No pump, felt very much as though I had done the best part of bugger all. Shows me that if I did go back to a 6-8 rep range then I'd have to start humping some chunky weights. I am tempted. Sanity might also predict joint problems though. It kind of reminds me why I switched to a higher rep range and more volume in the first place.

Gymnastic abs
I was going to get someone to film my efforts as a form check but there was no-one upstairs that I knew. So I ventured downstairs into the resistance machines room and did some paused flags. I got a bit shy - what with everyone stopping what they were doing to watch- so I didn't dare ask anyone to man the phonecam.
Maybe just as well. There are now no hex d'bells so I had to do my L-sits on the pressup D-ring things. These were quite high and I was pulling some very odd shapes trying to get my balance between the phases. When I eventually finished/fell off, a yummymummy came over to ask "Are you a gymnast?" LOL she had obviously thought all my floundering was some kind of routine. Anyway she engaged me in pleasant conversation about how she used to do some gymnastics and how she'd just been to see some French acrobatic troupe, the highlight of which had been their ability to do a 'flag' which they then jigged up and down a pole. Oh dear, I could see where this was heading...
YmmyMmmy: "Can you do the flag?"
jedi: "Errr no, haven't quite mastered that one."
YmmyMmmy: "Oh........"

Wimmin No doubt if I had been able to do the flag she would've said;
"Oh, can't you do the moving it up the pole part?"
No doubt if I could do that she would've said doing it with one hand would be better.

She was quite nice though
...looked a little bit like a darker Alison Goldfrapp

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

hey dude! long time no posting! glad to see your still going at it!!
when you talk about flags do you mean dragon flags? ive just youtubed them and they look evil! and then i tried them and they felt even more evil! in fact I couldnt do them at all! ah well something to work on!

anyway hopefully i might manage a bit longer before disapearing again this time! (but I doubt it)

my journal, come say hello - I need all the help I can get! 
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=3731999&mpage=1#3731999

jedi


More deloading.

Biceps
EZ curl
40kg x 8
50kg x 6/6/6/

Hmm bet there's a few that wish this was their norm in training.

Vision without action is a daydream.

Action with without vision is a nightmare

Dear Diary.....

LOL there was a lad at my place the other day doing some mad gymnast/acrobat stuff. Very impressive, more impressive was the fact that throughout his time doing it he never came close to twatting me either.

[mod hat off]However, I am disappointed that you didn't grab the opportunity to suggest, thru innuendo, the chance for the yummymummy to do some of her own pole work. She was clearly setting you up perfectly for such a remark[/mod hat off]

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

BTW, saw this and thought of you

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

dirtyvest

[mod hat off]However, I am disappointed that you didn't grab the opportunity to suggest, thru innuendo, the chance for the yummymummy to do some of her own pole work. She was clearly setting you up perfectly for such a remark[/mod hat off]

I was rendered dumb by the magical golden band; 3rd finger left hand.

Imsimon


hey dude! long time no posting! glad to see your still going at it!!
when you talk about flags do you mean dragon flags? ive just youtubed them and they look evil! and then i tried them and they felt even more evil! in fact I couldnt do them at all! ah well something to work on!

anyway hopefully i might manage a bit longer before disapearing again this time! (but I doubt it)

I can't do 'em either mate so you're no worse off there.
Not long until the summer mate so better to try and stick with it or suffer serious 'shorts-shame'

crying freeman

jedi


More deloading.

Biceps
EZ curl
40kg x 8
50kg x 6/6/6/

Hmm bet there's a few that wish this was their norm in training.

"NORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

Powerdeloadlifting

Squat
60-90-140
160 x 3 no wraps and sub basement level depth
wraps on
170 x 3
took a slight spot on the last rep and the general thought was that I would be disappointed having hit 170 x 5(with some spotting) before. Not so as I absolutely buried them for depth, well below parallel. I was more than happy.

Bench
60-90
110 paused
120 paused
125 paused
130 epic fail
not so pleased with that.
Thought I got the 125 very easily but was nowhere near the 130. i was pausing them for quite a while but to be honest I'm not convinced I'd have got the 130 touch n go. It just felt heavy and I am deffo out of practice for heavy bench.
Gutted.

Deadlift
70-110-140-150
170 x 8 full stop, pause n reset reps. Never done heavy reps before.
140 x 15 bonk n go -fairly comfortable started to blow a bit at the end.

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

To say you're de-loading mate your strength is still very impressive.

Current avi 246lb
Prep Journal http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/RACK-Leeds-UKBFF-2012-m4666355.aspx

RACK


To say you're de-loading mate your strength is still very impressive.

Not impressing anyone, least of all me, on the bench.

You might want to look away for the next bit mate


I had some company yesterday and suddenly realised that to someone not on a carb-conscious BB diet the menu was going to look a bit like bland on bland with a side order of bland. Quick panic and then thought, "What would Ramsay do?" So, after I'd finished saying "Fvck." and "Yes?" and "Done." and "Fvck." and "Oh for fvcksaaaakes." a lot, I knocked this up;

It was described on the menu as;
bitter cheesecake with raspberry coulis on a spicy ginger shortbread.

What it actually was;
quark piled as high as physically possible on a homemade cornflour ginger biscuit
..with jam on.

Was nice.

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

I had some company yesterday

A potential future Mrs. Jedi?

Journal

No.13

I had some company yesterday

A potential future Mrs. Jedi?

Friends: The One With The Proposal Pt.2

Joey: Chandler is a complex fellow, one who is unlikely to take a wife.

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

Journal

that looks like a burst abscess

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
 
2012 OFFSEASON JOURNAL - CLICK ME

I was going to type something about the cheesecake, but lost all train of thought as I face-planted the screen!!!!

Current avi 246lb
Prep Journal http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/RACK-Leeds-UKBFF-2012-m4666355.aspx

Deloading posts are so exciting to read haha

Calves are now just a quarter of an inch off my target of 16" .

A training partner of mine is trying to bring up his calves doing 1200 total reps (yes 1200) each week haha

You deloaded by taking heavy singles on the bench...heavy enough to miss one... errrr dose not compute?

Stonehenge
 
Where the banshees live and they do live well

Chest doesn't count tho iain.... no-one can ever go light on chest day, it's the law

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

iaink


You deloaded by taking heavy singles on the bench...heavy enough to miss one... errrr dose not compute?

I was doing option c) heavy but less reps
I've been doing 4's and 5's on 120 so a single shouldn't have been that heavy.
This does not explain the 125 n 130 I'll grant you......I am sh1t at deload weeks.

Shoulders on Friday
Standing press
I spent most of this trying not to look like I was struggling to match Deadward's weights.
Quite enjoyed it.

Isolations
very light not much to report other than the new position of the d'bell rack means as soon as anyone is using a bench no-one can get to the 'bells. Genius.
Also there is now only 1pr 'bells per weight. Which is cr@p

Arnold Press/V-press
More reports on new 'bells
1. they are not very grippy
2. they are very rubbery
this means that as you meet them together in the middle at the bottom of the arnold bit they BOINGGGG! apart in comical fashion making me giggle like a schoolgirl.
As above, there is now only 1pair per weight so ended up using the 8's on the v-press. it was quite good actually as it meant the technique had to be spot on to feel anything and showed that tech. on this part of the movement has been on the slide.

Deload week done.
Can't say I enjoyed it. At the very least I was expecting to feel full of beans and refreshed but having a battle with the health again at present and getting some shocking back/pelvis pain. On the plus side I have proved to my own satisfaction that this is not related to 'over-doing it' in the gym after last week so will just battle through.

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

thats not deloading mate

IMO deloading is reducing the weights to around 60% of your normal lifting and not going to failure.

It gives the joints and more importantly, CNS a good break.

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
 
2012 OFFSEASON JOURNAL - CLICK ME

I can't think I've been anywhere where you get multiple sets of the same DBs, you've been spoiled. We get a couple of duplictaes at 5-10kgs but that is it.

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

Chest n tri's

Bench
50-90
110 x 7 +3
110 x 5 + 2
110 x 3 + 2
 
My bench sucks at the minute. I've either got to get that up to 10/8/6 as a minimum or drop the weight as that is not enough reps to be honest. Maybe a post deload week aberration so will see what next week brings.

Incline 'Bells
40kg x not many
40kg x a few less
30kg x 12-ish
Common sense has prevailed and the 38's and 40's which were being kept locked in a darkened room in case they 'attracted the wrong sort of person' have been allowed out to play. I made a massive meal of them considering they are only 90lb-ers in old money. I was getting 5 or 6 reps on 120lb-ers at the old gym.

Cable X-over
2 sets pulling high to down
2 sets pulling low to up
I love those low pulley X-overs at the minute feels like it recruits all pec and no shoulder.

Dips
BW x 25-15-10

Skulls
35kg - 3 sets slow and controlled

Straight bar pushdown
? x 12 -3 sets

15min fat burn

Was out n about in my vest last night and received some comment. I think I look a bit "meh" neither here nor there at present and would like to see a bit more definition. Hence the bike, will try and get at least 3 sessions in per week for a bit. Also feel as though I need a bit more oooomph so am upping the protein intake and have some ZMA on order. I tried taking some separate zinc n magnesium last night and had the kind of weird dreams which are predicted. I was a 60's style racing driver involved in some kind of board game/real world crossover. So there would be a roll of the dice and then sucked Tron-like into the board for some zooming around. The end of the board was a loop, so matter what you threw you just kept zooming round in circles.
Don't think we need the big book of dream analysis to work that one out.

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

De-loading can take many forms. And your right jedi one way is to drop of the volume way off, but still do a little work at a solid % of max. You still did to much work. Next time just work up to 1 single at 85% and finish. If you do this way you need to also make sure assistance work is very low volume too.

I prefer the more conventional very 'light lazy week' when I used to de-load regulary

Stonehenge
 
Where the banshees live and they do live well

jedi


Chest n tri's

Bench
50-90
110 x 7 +3
110 x 5 + 2
110 x 3 + 2

My bench sucks at the minute. I've either got to get that up to 10/8/6 as a minimum or drop the weight as that is not enough reps to be honest. Maybe a post deload week aberration so will see what next week brings.

Incline 'Bells
40kg x not many
40kg x a few less
30kg x 12-ish
 
Common sense has prevailed and the 38's and 40's which were being kept locked in a darkened room in case they 'attracted the wrong sort of person' have been allowed out to play. I made a massive meal of them considering they are only 90lb-ers in old money. I was getting 5 or 6 reps on 120lb-ers at the old gym.

Its funny with the weights mate, I got some 10kg plates and I'd swear their a darn sight heavier than any others, more dense material I suspect, the world of mild steel and different grades is mental but I won't bore you with that.

Vision without action is a daydream.

Action with without vision is a nightmare

Dear Diary.....

My old gym, the weights were agood 10% lighter than they should have been due to degredation and chipping. It's fine if you only have 1 plate on but when you change gym and use anything over 100kg, the wake up call that you have 10kg+ extra loaded on is depressing

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

Legs

Pre-Exhaust
Hit a PB 10reps on the stack before dropping 3times for 5reps
Trouble is that kinda exhausted everything I had -which was a tad early having only been in the gym for about 5min.
7xstack +4reps on the drops
5xstack plus 3 reps on the drops

Front Squat
Was keen to see where last week's 12/10/8 on 90 with the fat bar left me re the thinner bar
60 x 12 80 x 6
100kg x 12PB


Back Squat
Oh dear...debacle
60 x 10
90 x 10
120 x 10 (including re-rack)
120 x 10 (woeful reps)
My legs were just so full of blood by this stage that I actually found it difficult to squat. It felt weird so made me think something was amiss. Kept re-racking the weight and wrapped a towel round the bar on the last set. I bet I don't do that again -ever. It would've been more use wrapped around my head.

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

good form on the fronties, nice an upright, just how I like it.

SQ:230 BP:160:) DL:250 OHP:120

pmsl when I first started watching the video I thought you had some little vest top thingy on! then I realised it was a belt! nice decent depth on the squats the only concerning thing was the music!

my journal, come say hello - I need all the help I can get! 
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=3731999&mpage=1#3731999

Nice front squats mate, I don't think I could make back squats look that easy...

Vision without action is a daydream.

Action with without vision is a nightmare

Dear Diary.....

As I said in your other thread, bravo

Journal

Nice work pal. Good fronties.

Off course why you would pre-exhast yourself before squatting?... :)

Stonehenge
 
Where the banshees live and they do live well

I'm on the wrong comp for vids ATM but 100x12 is solid stuff... as for pre-exhaust, eurgh

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

crying freeman

Nice front squats mate, I don't think I could make back squats look that easy...

You can't see the faces I was pulling

daKensta

good form on the fronties, nice an upright, just how I like it.

I was thinking of you being upright and this made me upright also.

Imsimon

pmsl when I first started watching the video I thought you had some little vest top thingy on! then I realised it was a belt!

Sadly my midriff is about 55shades paler than that. My buckle isn't very big either

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."

Cheers 13, iain and dv.
Pre-exhaust does the job as far as leg development goes. Plus it makes going straight to squats on powerlifting Thursday seem like light relief.


Calves/Biceps/abs

Calves dropsets on the sled.
Difficult as not really recovered from Monday. Also did some raises on the powerplate and that hurt.

Bi's
EZ bar (inc bar)
40kg x 12
50kg x 11-9-7

Incline Curls
18kg x 12-7-6 down on usual performance but harder with the new 'bells as they're wider

Seated Curl EZ bar for a change
40kg(inc bar) x 15/10/10

+some concentrations

Abs
Paused Dragon Flags

They are ....not easy.
Some of the pauses are a bit high and legs are not 100% straight so likely to get harder.

L-sit/tucks 3 x 5

Wipers 3 x 6

Hanging raise
feet to bar slow with back upright 3 x 6

Return of the vest as it is boiling in there at present. Prompted some comments, I don't think I look like much at the minute but the Polish guys elected a representative who came over to ask if I was taking any "sterolas".
I'd want my money back if I was.

Team "Show Pony"

"...those aren't the roids you're looking for..."
"...those aren't the roids I'm looking for..."