Fidgety Friday

The day after a rest day.  I've been itching to get to the gym all day.  I woke up having had 2 decent sleep cycles - you grow in bed, not in the gym.  I took delivery of my new protein - the plan is to take it in the morning as a breakfast replacement shake.  I had an average day at work and I had planned the evening session with the training partner.

So, gym o'clock arrives and away we go...

• Bench press: 1 x 10 @ 35lb DB, 1 x 8 @ 45lb DB, 3 x 5 @ 85kg barbell
• Wide grip lat pulldown: 1 x 10 @ 40kg, 1 x 8 @ 55kg, 3 x 5 @ 75kg
• Incline bench (barbell): 1 x 10 @ 60kg, 4 x 5 @ 70kg
• Spider curl: 1 x 10 @ 20kg, 1 x 8 @ 30kg, 3 x 5 @ 36.5kg
• Dip: 1 x 10 @ 80lb, 1 x 8 @ 70lb, 3 x 5 @ 55lb
• Ez-curl bar: 2 x 6 @ 30kg, 2 x 6 @ 35kg

Quite a lot of movements worked through tonight and worth it as I'm almost spent.

Bench press was the first full barbell working set with my dicky shoulder.  Really pleased to be at 1.5+ plates for my 5 reps.  Next week is 1.75 plates for the 5 reps, then I'll be knocking on the door of 2 plates, which is a major aim of mine.

Pulldown is coming along nicely and the shoulder mobility & control is getting there.

The spider curl is getting heavy, which is pleasing - I'll have a gun-show in no time!

The dips aren't too far away from bodyweight - I could eat less and be at bodyweight, but I have a commitment to resistance...

Overall, a very pleasing training week.  I'm regularly getting weight PBs and I'm knocking on the door of the other weight PBs.

The weekend's training plans are:

Saturday - walking
Sunday - boxing class (which I may well end up taking)

I will be an athlete soon!

Widger waving Wednesday

Wednesday 29th August.  The day of the monster exercise session.  The day that made the gym owner ask if I'd "shit the bed".  The day that began as any other.  No horizontal defecation, but a glimmer of hope that the night before's bravado about a 7am leg session was just that; a pair of stupid front row rugby players attempting to out-do one another.

Until 0640hrs when I had a text off my training partner.  "Still on for a 7am leg session?".  Being the type that would cut my own nose off to spite my face, I replied positively.  I then horizontally defecated and got into my gym kit.

As it turns out, training at that time in the morning is monumentally stupid and excruciatingly difficult.  A deadlift session and a squat session saw me firmly out of time and having to seize up on my 26 mile commute.

I ate almost like a train today.  Should Ivor The Engine be a little peckish, I'm sure he'd have enjoyed my lunch.

Then home-time happened.  I got back into my gym kit and finished my leg session and went about my business doing shoulder works and some other bits while I waited for my training partner to finish work and spot me on the shoulder press.

Then it was time to do a steady 10 miles on the bike.  So... 3 sets of exercise in one day.  If I'm not as fit as a fiddle by Christmas, then I'll give up and go back to almost nightly drinking.  At least I slept better then...

Anyway - today's sessions...

• Deadlift: 10 @ 60kg, 8 @ 80kg, 3 x 5 @ 110kg
• Squat: 10 @ 60kg, 8 @ 80kg, 3 x 5 @ 100kg

• Leg press: 10 @ 160kg, 8 @ 200kg, 3 x 5 @ 290kg
• Calf raise: 10 @ half stack, 8 @ 3/4 stack, 3 x 5 @ full stack
• Lat pulldown: 10 @ 45kg, 8 @ 55kg, 3 x 5 @ 70kg
• Spider curl: 10 @ 20kg, 8 @ 25kg, 3 x 5 @ 35kg
• Shrug: 10 @ 40kg, 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 70kg
• DB Shoulder press: 10 @ 70lb, 8 @ 90lb, 3 x 5 @ 110lb

• 10 miles on the bike, including 4 miles with a 4 stone child refusing to pedal on a tag along!

Overall, I'm quite pleased with today's efforts.  The early morning session did not suit me in the slightest and I cannot see why people enjoy training early.

Leg press was another 10kg improvement and I think there was possibly another plate's worth of effort in there.

Spider curl was pleasing and I surprised myself a little with the weights.  I'm getting towards being strong again!

The shoulder press didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped, but, there's always time and I'm determined to get the 60lb DBs moving above my head.  Maybe doing the next shoulder press set at the beginning of the day would help.

Also - I had a twitter conversation with Terry Hollands - WSM competitior.  Overall a good training day and one that I'd do again tomorrow.

Trifling Tuesday

Unsure about the title of the blog as I don't really like trifle, but I did like today's session.

First session of the week and first session since last Wednesday as life, in general took over.

So, the short walk to the gym having had a good few rest cycles, a bout of the squits, insomnia, junk food and a wedding reception.

• Dumbell Bench Press - 10 @ 35lb DB, 8 @ 45lb, 2 x 5 @ 30kg, 1 x 5 80kg barbell
• Hammer Curl - 10 @ 35lb, 8 @ 45lb, 3 x 5 @ 55lb
• Dips - 10 @ 80lb, 8 @ 70lb, 3 x 5 @ 55lb
• Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - 10 @ 30kg, 8 @ 40kg, 3 x 5 @ 65kg
• Pec Flye Machine - 10 @ 50lb, 8 @ 60lb, 3 x 5 @ 70lb

Quite pleased with that.  A couple of key points that came out of tonight's session...

The bench press ended with a set of 1.5 plate barbell.  When I was training previously, I was knocking on the door of 2 plates.  Now, I'm getting back there and I'm still considering myself in rehab - 1.5 plates pleases me muchly.  I'm going to continue to do my last set as a slightly heavier barbell press as the dumbell is being used to increase and improve proprioception in my shoulder joint.

The dips were the heaviest that I've done all year and the only thing holding me back is the pinching in my shoulder as I tense at the bottom of the movement.  But, I'm at ~ 30lb less on the assistance, which is over 2 stone.

Everything else in the session seemed to flow nicely.  I'm pleased with my progress so far.

Now for sleep as I'm hoping for a double training day tomorrow - a leg session at 7am and a shoulder session as soon as I've finished work.

I'm really enjoying being back in the gym.  Got to love that feeling of uselessness when I can't lift my protein shake up to my mouth and that my phone feels heavy for the first hour post-training!

Power.  Strength.  Effort.

Wonderful Wednesday!

Wednesday.  Shoulders.  Also the first anniversary of the training plan.  So this week was all about getting that 5lb/5kg improvement.  Whatever it was, tonight was about pushing/pulling more weight for the first time.

I should point out that I'm a civil engineer.  I can do maths and stuff.  Yesterday, I worked out (using trigonometry) how much force the 45 degree leg press was actually putting through my legs.  So I can do maths and stuff.

• DB shoulder press - 10 @ 90lbs, 8 @ 60lbs, 3 x 5 @ 110lbs
• Barbell shrug - 10 @ 60kg, 8 @ 80kg, 3 x 5 @ 120kg
• Dip (assisted) - 10 @ 85lb, 8 @ 80lb, 3 x 5 @ 65lb
• Lat pulldown (wide grip) - 10 @ 45kg, 8 @ 55kg, 3 x 5 @ 65kg
• Tricep rope extension - 10 @ 15kg, 8 @ 20kg, 3 x 5 @ 25kg

As I said.  I can do maths.  So quite why, when I thought I'd go for 50lbs total for my warm-up set of 10, then get confused and pick up 2 of the 45lb DBs and wonder why they felt so effing heavy on my warmup set.  I are a donut.

Anyway...

Shoulder press: +20lbs on last week and there was another bit in the tank.  Very pleasing.

Shrug: grip is the major issue here, but I'll add more weight next week.  Part of the issue is picking it up like a deadlift as my training partner needs it racking a fair bit lower.

Dip: a 5lb improvement on last week and 15lb on the other day when my shoulder was painful.  Very pleasing.

Pulldown: a 5kg improvement, but I'm nowhere near failure/breaking form.  I still want to be wary of my shoulderblade moving correctly - striking a balance between power/strength and function/rehab.

Rope extension:  I was generally pleased with this as a session finisher - the weights went up 5kg from last week.


Overall, a very pleasing session and signs of progress are evident having seen an improvement in weight.  I'm a happy weightlifter tonight!

Holy testicle Tuesday!

Tonight's training session was always going to be a tough one.  Legs.  Two major compound exercises in one session.

My forearm hadn't quite recovered from my heaviest deadlift in a good while last Friday, so I wasn't looking forward to having to hoik up more weight this week.  But; it's now done and dominated for another week.

Tonight's session:

• Deadlift - 1 x 10 @ 60kg, 1 x 8 @ 80kg, 3 x 5 @ 115kg
• Squat - 1 x 10 @ 50kg, 1 x 8 @ 50kg, 3 x 5 @ 90kg
• Wide grip lat pulldown - 3 x 15 @ 40kg
• Leg press - 1 x 10 @ 160kg, 1 x 8 @ 200kg, 3 x 5 @ 280kg
• Calf raise - 1 x 10 @ 1/2 stack, 1 x 8 @ 3/4 stack, 3 x 5 @ full stack

Without wanting to sound all Brokeback Mountain; I struggle to want to do the real heavy stuff without a training partner there to push me along and my motivation waned a little.  But, I still managed to do the weights as above.

Deadlift - I managed that, but it was heavy.  Very heavy.  Eyes bulging and red-faced heavy.  I know that it's all about small improvements - especially on a dodgy knee.  So I'm happy - but I'm not looking forward to 2.5 plate deadlift next week!

Squat - due to my knee being almost buggered, I'm a little wary about these.  Focusing on maintaining good form, with my knees tracking straight is what I'm after.  I think that I easily have a 2 plate (100kg) squat in me for the 3 x 5 reps.  Knee felt good, too.

Pulldown - this is all about getting my shoulder-blade moving as it should.  It also gave my quads a little rest after the deadlift and squat back to back.

Leg press - we're having a competition at the rugby lclub and I want the leg press title (it's for 3 reps).  Now I have a feel for the leg press after last week, I've got a challenging working weight.  So challenging that I let out an air biscuit mid way through a set - I really didn't want 280kgs coming crashing down due to a trouser cough.

Calf raise - this was just to kill the legs completely.  I'm really not sure what the weight is, but I calf raised the entire lot.

Overall, a pleasing session.  One that left me feeling well and truly spent for a good couple of hours afterwards.  Quite how people do the gym before a day's work is totally beyond me!

Looking forward to a big shoulder session tonight.  Powerful shoulders are the future!

No Monday blues here!

The start of a new training week.

I had a good rest at the weekend.  Cycled a couple of miles on Saturday and went to the boxing circuits session on Sunday.

My shoulder felt a little achy this morning; I think I overdid the punching at boxing.  But, I'm a man and there was a bag in front of me.  I'm not going to tickle it, am I?

Following the program and adding a little in, tonight's session looked like:

• DB Bench Press
• Bicep work (curls, hammer, pass-bar, whatever, just mix it up a bit)
• Dips
• Flyes
• Cable wide grip lat pulldown

So, my training partner and I made the short trip to the gym.  Tonight's weights were as follows:

• DB bench press - 10 @ 70lbs, 8 @ 90lbs, 3 x 5 @ 110lbs.
• Hammer curl - 10 @ 35lbs, 8 @ 40lbs, 3 x 5 @ 55lbs
• Cable pulldown - 10 @ 40kg, 8 @ 50kg, 3 x 5 @ 65kg
• Dips - 10 @ 80lb, 8 @ 80lb, 3 x 5 @ 80lb
• Cable crossover flye - 10 @ 20kg, 8 @ 25kg, 3 x 5 @ 40kg

I was feeling pretty good about the bench press, so I asked my training partner to spot me as I pushed out 3 reps @  132lbs (1 plate + bar).  I managed these with relative ease and little to no pain in my shoulder.  This weight used to be a warm up weight and I'd have been depressed at moving this previously.  But, as I'm coming back from injury, it pleased me immensely to push a plate with no pain.  I'm going to stick with the DB bench and I'll keep upping the weight as I need to keep doing movements that improve my shoulder's proprioception.

The curls were a weight PB for me - I've never curled 55lbs before, so I'm really pleased with that!

The pulldown was a fairly standard session.  I finished with 10 very slow and controlled pulls, concentrating on shoulderblade movement.

Due to today's shoulder pain, I found it difficult to dip tonight, so I stuck with the same assistance.  I won't let that get to me - my shoulder is in rehab, so I'll forgive a little pain and not pushing too much.

The cable crossover was hard, but worth it.

I am now quite tired.  But, aches are good - it reminds me that I worked and worked hard!  Pleasing training session!

Pre-weekend pump!

What a way to start the weekend!

I managed to get home from work in time to give the gym a good going over, as per my plan.  However, I decided to alter the plan a little as I'm still a little unsure about the steadyness of my knee.

Tonight's session was:

Deadlift - 1 x 10 @ 60kg, 1 x 8 @ 80kg, 3 x 5 @ 110kg
Squat - 1 x 10 @ 40kg, 1 x 10 @ 50kg, 3 x 5 @ 80kg
Leg Press - 1 x 10 @ 80kg, 1 x 8 @ 120kg, 1 x 5 @ 200kg, 1 x 5 @ 230kg, 1 x 5 @ 250kg
Dumbell bicep curl - 1 x 10 @ 30lb (per DB), 1 x 8 @ 35lb, 3 x 5 @ 40lb
EZ Curl 'pass the bar' - 3 x 10 @ 20kg


As for the general feel of the session.

Deadlift - I was let down by my right hand grip, but I'm not wanting to deadlift with wraps until I'm at a 3 plate + DL.  The grip will come with training.  Still, this is my most confident of the big 4 compounds and I think it will show as I move my weights up (next week's working weight will be another 5kg so more than bodyweight).

Squat - my breathing wasn't right on this and I felt light-headed on the first 2 of the working sets.  Breathe out as I go up, breathe in as I go down; but my breath in was too sharp and I was holding my breath as I went down.  Sorted it out on the last set and I felt better.  I was also watching to make sure that my knee was tracking over my toes and to make sure that my knee was stable - I need stability before strength on my wobbly MCL.

Leg Press - the weights went up drastically as I was doing some range-finding.  12.5 plates is a lot and I'm going to look to be on 14 plates for my working weights next week.

DB bicep curl - tonight, the gym was a little bit of a mess and I couldn't find the 45lb DBs, so had to make do with the 40s - tried a 50lb and my form was all out.  Other than that, a pleasing exercise.

Pass The Bar - this is just a quick session finisher that my training partner and I do.  Basically, we rattle through a light-ish 3 x 10 @ 20kg then pass the bar over, the only rest is the amount of time that my partner is doing the exercise for.

Felt good and strong all the way through the session.  I know that I was working hard and I'm beginning to see and feel the benefits of training regularly.

I'm looking forward to having the weekend off the weights.  Tomorrow, I'm cycling to & from Derby (around 11 miles each way) and Sunday I've got boxing training; but there will be no heavy weights lifted, other than my wobbly backside!

Have a great weekend!

Pre weekend workout

So far this week, I've had the one decent, structured workout.  I've not managed to do any leg work at all, so tonight's session is mainly aimed at the legs.

This is the plan...

• Deadlift - 10 x 60, 8-10 x 70, 5 x 110 (x3)
• Lunges (barbell) - 10 x 40, 8-10 x 50, 5 x 60 (x3)
• Back squat - 10 x 60, 8-10 x 70, 5 x 80 (x3)
• Biceps curls - 10 x 30(lbs), 8-10 x 35, 5 x 45 (x3)

Then we'll see how I feel after this session as far as another exercise set is concerned.

Still unsure about the working sets, as far as the weight goes - I'll make dynamic assesments as I workout.

Another post to follow, once the workout is complete.

Training session #1

So then, first training session following the routine.

As per original post, the weights were the working weights for 3 x 5 sets.  Weights are total weights (so dumbells are

Wednesday - shoulders...

• Dumbell shoulder press - 90lb
• Shrugs - 176lb
• Dips - 70lb assistance
• Wide grip lat pulldown - 132lb
• Tricep push (rope attachment) - 4th weight (unsure of actual weight)

My thoughts on the session...

Shoulder press could have been 10lbs heavier, but I wasn't sure as it's week #1.  Next week, I might skip a weight as I still had some in the tank (form was good on the last rep).

Shrugs were let down by the physical grip on my left (non-hurty) side.  But, when I changed grip to the wider grip, I was fine, so it wasn't an issue of power.

Dips were controlled more by the pain in my shoulder.  But I could feel it working the front deltoid, so it was ok-ish.

Pulldown was light-ish and I might skip a weight next week - form was still very good on my last rep.

Tricep push down was good and just about right as I put the wrong weight on the last set and couldn't do more than 3.

Overall, the session rated an 8/10 and I'm looking forward to seeing if I can increase by 5kg per exercise next week.

Tomorrow night is rugby coaching, so a rest night from the gym.  I'll be back on Friday though!

The Beginning...

So then, first night of the proper structured training regime.

I really should have taken weights and measurements, but, I couldn't give a rat's bollock about all that.  I'm more interested in pushing/pulling more in the gym and getting my body stronger for the rugby season.

I should mention that I'm currently being treated in physio for a weird shoulder injury (supraspinitus injury caused when I sprung my collar bone yonks ago).  And I'm coming back from a semi-serious knee injury (MCL sprain - 3 times because I'm stupid).

My plan for the routine will be... Stick to the routine for 8 weeks; enough to see a very good increase in power, strength and size.  I'll do 1 set of 10 at a light weight, another set between 8-10 at a slightly heavier weight, then 3 sets of 5 at my working weight.

My basic workouts will be:

Monday

• Bench Press (including incline bench) – so almost a double set there
• Bicep work (curls, hammer, pass-bar, whatever, just mix it up a bit)
• Dips
• Flys

Tuesday - Legs

• Squat
• Lunges
• Calves
• Hamstring curls

Wednesday - Shoulder/tri

• Dumbell shoulder press
• Shrugs
• Dips
• Wide grip lat pulldown
• Tricep extension (using rope attachment)

Friday

• Deadlifts
• Bicep curls (gun-show work for the weekend)
• Dips
• Triceps pull-downs