The Lone Wolf - Strength and Feasting!

Hope the eye heals quickly and you are able to dead lift without any issues in future.

150 x 3 on front squats is good

Cheers Wayne, eye is on the men now thankfully.

Front squat goal this year is 200. I hot a 172.5 fronty in December for a new PB but need to do some work to get up to 200. Hopefully I'll nail it like Jesus.

A review of Monday mornings Front squat and Axle session...

I had a good nights sleep last night, and woke up before my alarm at 5:05 feeling excited about max effort week in the gym... Yeah, I'm such a loser these days.

Downstairs, to get my 56 different layers on, take some caffine tabs, some pre work out (Prime), drink some coffee and coconut oil, release some nuclear waste, head to the gym, dispatch nuclear war head too, and get into my jive.

As I've touched on previously though, I was in 2 minds about this week and what my goals were... I decided to play it safe and just try to keep some fuel in the tank. I started this current training cycle with starting numbers below my true 1RM's, so I was unsure how I would get on this week, especially with a disrupted training routine recently.

Anyway, I did some warm up drills and my usual fluff, and decided it was enough guff, time to get down to business.


Front Squats

Bar x 10

60kg x 5

100kg x 4

130kg x 3

Belt on

150kg x 2

162.5kg x 1

175kg x 1


Job done and a 2.5kg PB in the bag... Surprisingly it felt a lot better than I expected, and compared to my previous 172.5 PB at xmas, this moved so much better! Looking at the video though, it was high even for me... I didn't feel at the time like I sank it, but the video makes it look worse than it felt. Ah well, art least I know that I can move it without too much trouble. The video also highlights my giant power belly. Jesus wept I've got fat!





Axle Clean and Press


Bar x 5

40kg x 4

60kg x 3

80kg x 2

95kg x 1

107.5kg x 1

117.5kg x fail



Time was tight here, so had to get a move on. Warm ups felt good and no real issues. Annoyingly, I thought my previous best axle clean and press was 110kg... However since then the axle has been weighed and it is 10kg, not 15kg like expected. So my gains and lifts have been bummed into oblivion.


The video shows that the press was relatively routine, yet the clean had to be cleaned in European fashion... My power belly seems to have one use. Still, another 2.5kg increase and more in the tank!


The 117.5kg attempt was greedy, and I was confident of making the press, but I just ran out of steam on the clean and didn't attack it with enough gusto.... Plus I picked axle that was smoother than my ball bag post shave, which made grip an issue. Next time I'll use the axle with knurling and try to attack it more. I may work on my cleans too, as some weeks I pressed from the rack or off blocks, which didn't really give me any good run up for heavy cleans. Hey ho.




Tonight I cooked and ate a whole leg of lamb too... Diets going really well!

My little pea brain has gone back and forth this week about deadlifts, and what the best plan of attack is going forward. Since the eye popping issue and the slow horrendous 2nd rep on 230kg when the eye issue happened, I took a bit of a confidence hit.


With this week scheduled to be max testing week, I was borderline thinking of just skipping normal deads and doing something else. The idea of hitting a PB from a deficit, a trap bar deadlift, just something to get an easy win and try to get some love and confidence back... Well yesterday afternoon I decided in the end that would be a big fat cop out, and to just stop being a fishy minge, get my sack out and man up. Bad sessions happen, injuries happen, and that is just part of training. I've trained normal deads for a reason this training cycle, and that was to improve my 1RM. Granted the training was disrupted in stages and my deads have been erratic, but I know that I'm crap at reps and prefer singles, so I might as well just roll like a marble and see what I can do.


I felt decent going in, hips were a little tight and shoulders sore from Monday, but nothing of concern really. I decided to do my warm up drills as always, try and get the hips loose and pull some deads. I was also looking forward to using the new kit... See pic below

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ca8od6wWEAAQiTj.jpg


Does gym kit come much sexier than that? A full Eleiko power lifting set... Beautiful.


I've never used one of these bars before, let alone the plates, but jesus wept... It may look sexy but it feels like a complete whore to use. The bar is so stiff, the plates so thin yet feel like 100kg plates. It was very odd and a strange experience.


I'd already decided to do less reps in my warm ups, and change my style of pulling going in, and once I'd started using this bar I was glad. With a 1RM in mind, it was pointless in my mind doing anything other than singles beyond the 2nd set of my warm ups. The first 2 sets were pulled slowly with control to try and get 'warm', with the emphasis on trying to pull faster singles as the weight increased.


Deads - DOH and hook grip for top sets.


70kg x 1 x 5

120kg x 1 x 3

150kg x 1

180kg x 1

210kg x 1

240kg x 1

255kg x 1 (2.5kg PB)


Job done!


A 2.5kg PB in the bag and a callous tear on the final rep to end the session. I used a belt for some reason and I'm not sure if it helped or not... Looking at the crap video that was taken, my starting posting looks awful, and I think that's the best's fault. The main positive though was that I pulled it with hook grip and no hitch. Speed wasn't rapid, but I think that might be a hook grip issue.


Anyway, here is the vid... Any feedback welcome, good or bad.

Write from Saturday mornings squat session...

I had a crap nights sleep last night, and have no real no idea why... Well the giant Mexican rice bowl I had may have played a part, and also my little boy was up a few times, but I couldn't really settle very well and just kept fidgeting. I got out of bed before my alarm and went downstairs to inhale some caffeine tabs and pre workout, which seemingly angered the Mexican within me and within minutes a jalapeño landslide was on the cards.

Into the gym and I wasn't really feeling it, so just did an extended warm up and tried to fight off the stim demons. The plan was simple and that was squat a PB. The amount I pushed for was going to be based on feel, so I just started to squat and play it by beard.

Squats

60kg x 5
90kg x 4
120kg x 3
150kg x 1
180kg x 1

Belt on

200kg x 1
220kg x 1
240kg x 1

Back off set

180kg x 10

The warm ups felt good and the bar was moving nicely. I could feel that the more I warmed up, the better the bar moved and felt. Depth wise I never sink them, and that is something I need to work on, but generally I felt ok depth wise during the session. When it was time for the 220, I unracked it and squatted... It felt like I cut it a little high and my coach confirmed. When it was time for the 240, I got a spotter and asked my buddy to film it. I felt decent and the bar felt nice as I unracked it, big breath, brace and time to squat. As I lowered into the hole, I felt like I hit my depth and even got the call from the crowd. I went slightly off line coming out the hole and stalled slightly but thankfully pushed on and came out without any help from the spotter. Rack it and done.

I felt like I was in my usual depth zone, but my coach who was spotting me said it was high. Sadly the video angle is terrible so it makes it look crap. All in all, it took the wind out my sails because I hate having doubt about it.

I did the 180kg x 10 out of anger.

Next week I'll take it easy and just get some work in before starting a new wave with increased percentages and plans.

Here is the vid... Terrible.

Morning all.

I hope all of you are well and had good weekends!

I started a new strength wave this week... I just changed the starting maxes from the previous program and kept the same template. The plan is for to be the same as last time just heavier, although I still think I may bridge it with another wave and extend the deadlift side of things. I can just about go heavy every week for my other lifts and get away with it, but deads destroy me. My idea is that I run the other lifts as intended, but instead of heavy deads every week, I'll go heavy, light and then repeat. The light deads may be speed work, or it could be banded. Either way I'm not sure just yet.

This morning was a tough session, but 5x5 is never easy especially at 6am in the cold, and then combining 2 main lifts together. I smashed the snooze button a few times and as a result, got out of bed late! Pre workout in and defrost the car before heading to the gym like a zombie off his tits on caffeine.

I did a bit of an extended warm up this morning, plenty of band work and dynamic movements, plus I had a poop half way through my workout so had to factor that in.

Front squats

Bar x 5
60kg x 5
90kg x 4
120kg x 3
135kg x 2

Main sets - Belt on

145kg x 5
130kg x 5
130kg x 5
130kg x 5
130kg x 5

Axle push press

Bar x 5
30kg x 5
50kg x 4
70kg x 3
85kg x 2

Main sets - Belt on

95kg x 5
85kg x 5
85kg x 5
85kg x 5
85kg x 5

Done.

Very hard session, and I'm feeling it now. Volume as always is hard for me, let alone 5x5. I'm so fat!

Weights felt ok, and bar speed was good, just my conditioning took it's toll on the later sets and last few reps.

Afternoon all.

Deads last night and the start of a new strength wave. As before, the program uses a percentage and rep based model, where as the reps decrease, the percentage goes up. Due to me being so fat like Jabba the hutt, and as fit as squashed slug, my least favorite part of the training cycle is the first 2 weeks. Week 1 being 5 x 5 and week 2 being 5 x 4... We all know volume is key and all that jazz, but it plain and simple leaves me blowing my out my ring.

Training at 9pm also causes a few issues, but it's no excuse. I can either train at 6am or 9pm, so I just have to do what I can.

Deads - Belt less

Bar x 10
70kg x 5
120kg x 4
150kg x 3
170kg x 1
190kg x 1

Main sets - Beltless with straps

215kg x 5

190kg x 5
190kg x 5
190kg x 5
190kg x 5

Done.

My callous tear from the previous 1RM a few weeks ago still hasn't fully healed, and it started to open up again on my last few warm up sets, so I used straps for my working sets. Bar speed was good and none of the reps were grinders, but I just felt knackered really and recovery between sets was hard. My back started to seize up half way through the 190 sets and it was very painful... I need to keep stretching out my hip flexors too as I was getting pain in my SI joint again, same ole story when I get too fat and spend too long sat on arse in the office.

Hey ho, at least it's done now. Strict log press tomorrow and I hope that goes to plan too

Strict Log press this morning, oh the joys.

This on paper is my least taxing training day, sweet mother of vagine am I in pain now. My lower back is throbbing like a porn stars meat cleaver and I feel like I'm going to snap like a well used banjo string. That being said, I hit the numbers required and completed the session.

My shoulder health feels better recently, which I put down to a change of sleeping style, and more pre-hab and rebab with bands. Still not 100% mind, but it's better. Hold me.

A decent nights sleeps was had, but I still managed to get out of bed later. Wednesday night deads have left me aching all over so going in this morning I wasn't really filled with joy.

Strict Log press - No Belt.

Band work, mobility stuff, dancing

Log (40kg) x 5
50kg x 4
60kg x 3
70kg x 1

Main sets

80kg x 5

72.5kg x 5
72.5kg x 5
72.5kg x 5
72.5kg x 5

60kg x 10

Done.

All smooth enough with a few grinders towards the later reps of the last sets, but that's no great surprise. 80kg x 5 felt decent enough.

Going to train again shortly in the work gym, wish me luck.

AWOOGA!

Squats at 6am on a Saturday, squataday, squat o'clock and all that jazz.

The weeks training had left me feeling battered like a chip shop cod but that's no big deal, the lack of sleep however is a real ball bag buster. I took the missus out on Friday night and it didn't go to plan... I didn't have dinner and we ended up getting in late. So going to bed late and hungry was not my idea of fun, let alone optimal for getting up at 5 to try and be a big man.

Up a few times in the night due to the kids being turnips and when the alarm went off at 5 the last thing I wanted to do was squat. Somehow though I got out of bed for a wee and decided to be brave.

600mg of Caffeine, a hot coffee, and some BBW performance Prime down the hatch and then a giant Poop had me feeling a little bit more human.

I drove to the gym like a autobit in some amazing horror movie style fog, and then went through an extended warm up to get the blood flowing and try and enable myself to hit depth better.

Squats

Bar X 10
70kg X 5
110kg X 3
150kg X 2
175kg X 1

Working sets - Belt on

195kg X 3
195kg X 5

175kg X 5
175kg X 5
175kg X 5
175kg X 5

150kg X 5

Done.

Not the greatest squat session I've ever done, but not the worst. I took a while to get going but once I was lubed up I felt OK. Bar speed wasn't rapid, but I'll put that down to poor sleep. The worst part of the session was taking 195 for 3 and having to re-rack the bar. I hasn't set my belt right and on the 3rd rep I started seeing stars and felt dizzy. I decided to redo the whole set instead of just doing 2 more as I felt that's what baby Jesus would have wanted. 175 was fine, no issues there. The coach said my depth was good on most but debatable on the later reps, which I'll put down to fatigue of the later sets. The last 5 with 150 I forcefully drove down as deep as I felt I possibly could take it, and sweet child of mine it felt horrible. Trying to ground myself on purpose felt very uncomfortable and there was a loud click on one rep which wasn't nice. Still, I was told the depth was better in those.

All in all the 5x5 week is done and I hope the rest of the cycle goes smoothly. I've just eaten a kilo of pork sausages for brunch and I now feel queasy.

Front squats and axle tomorrow, I'm so excited I could poop myself. Peace and love to all and may all your weekends be blessed with PB's, good food and delicious vadge.

Monday morning sessions are generally my favourite of the week... Maybe it is because I usually go into the session massively bloated after feasting on a huge Sunday roast the night before? I even managed to get a good solid unbroken night's sleep in too, because when my alarm went off at 5:05 I sprung out of bed fresh and alert like a dog getting a sniff of a fresh can of pedigree chum.

Downstairs like a fully charged unit of power and the pre workout and poop ritual was underway.

Off I go to pick up the keys from my coach, and then off to unlock the gym and start my warm up ritual. It is just me in this morning and I crank the ACDC up full whack! Plenty of mobility work, band work and air guitar playing sees me ready to get underway.

Front Squats

Bar x 10
60kg x 5
90kg x 4
120kg x 3
140kg x 1

Working sets - Belt on

152.5kg x 4

137.5kg x 4
137.5kg x 4
137.5kg x 4

100kg x 20

Axle Push Press

Bar (10kg) x 10
30kg x 5
50kg x 4
70kg x 3
85kg x 2

Working sets - Belt on

100kg x 4

90kg x 4
90kg x 4
90kg x 4

60kg x 10

Band work and tricep fluff to finish

Done!

I enjoyed that and think the great sleep the night before followed by some good pre workout and ACDC was the main factor.

Bar speed was good throughout and no grinders. I lost my line a few times on the reps on the axle, but no real issue. Some of the reps were so fast it hurt, but that is down to timing the press and push right.

I'm hoping that this work pays off down the line for some big 1RMs. That is all I care about at present really, that is the end game.

DEADLIFTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night was the usual Wednesday night 9pm deadlift session, and I'm proud to say I'm still alive with my eyeballs intact, and for added good measure, I didn't poop my pants. Everything's coming up Millhouse!

Yesterday I ate a lot, I also drank a lot, all with the thought process of trying to get myself with enough food, and also water in the system to go into the session and hit the numbers needed.

I got into the gym just before 9 and felt ok, tired from a long day but no real issues or niggles. The usual warm up routine proceeded and a few little dance moves thrown in for good measure.

Deads - no straps or belt

Bar x 5
70kg x 4
120kg x 3
150kg x 2
175kg x 1
200kg x 1

Working Sets

225kg x 4 with belt and straps (Rubbish)

202.5kg x 5 - raw
202.5kg x 5 - raw
202.5kg x 5 - raw

Done.

All standard enough, and no real problems. I've decided again though that I don't like lifting with straps... I just can't get them to a point where I feel like I'm pulling efficiently with them. If anything I can't get as tight on my setup, and as a result just mong it up.

I got the top set filmed, and also the last set... I've seen some ugly deadlifts in my time but my god my lifting was sloppy last night... Everything from setup to execution was horrendous. The only good thing for me was that it felt fine and wasn't a struggle. Other than running out of gas on the last few reps, everything was ticked off.

I felt like I had a few more in the tank too on the 225, which is nice.

The take home from this for me is that I need to work on dialing in my setup, technique and execution. With singles it is a lot easier, but with reps it tends to go to crap fairly quickly. The plus side is that I feel a new PB on the horizon will be there come max week, just depends how greedy I get.

Vids in bound. Please rip me a new one where you see fit.

Friday morning fat log strict press...

Top set 85kg x 4

Volume sets 75kg x 5 for 3 sets

All routine and easy.

Not really giving it my all at present, lost a bit of my mojo but pleased that despite coasting I'm hitting the numbers needed.

Happy Easter all, I hope you all had a good one.

I've been out of sorts recently, but got back into the gym this morning for some 6am front squats and axle pressing.

Fronts - Belt and neoprene sleeves

Bar x 5
60kg x 5
90kg x 4
120kg x 3
140kg x 2

Working Sets - Belt on

157.5kg x 3

142.5kg x 4
142.5kg x 4
142.5kg x 4

Axle clean and press

30kg x 5
50kg x 5
70kg x 3
80kg x 2
90kg x 1

Working sets

102.5kg x 5
92.5kg x 4
92.5kg x 4
92.5kg x 4

Fluff

DB Lat raises

4 sets of 8 (DB increase each set)
1 drop set of 32 reps

Standing DB press

4 sets of 8 (DB increase each set)
1 drop set of 32 reps

Done!

All fairly smooth for once... I had a couple left in the tank on the front squat top set, but the axle was a bit iffy as my power clean was a bit fishy at times.

Clip of 157.5kg x 3 front squat

Deadlifts from last Thursday, 31st March...

I've been very busy lately, so my time on here has been limited.

I deadlifted this morning at 6am, instead of last night at 9. No training tomorrow as it's my little girls 4th birthday. Saturday I have a wedding all day, and Sunday is my little girls party, so it's all go.

Deads - No belt, no straps

Bar x 5
70kg x 5
120kg x 3
150kg x 1
172.5kg x 1
202.5kg x 1

Working sets

232.5kg x 3

210kg x 4
210kg x 4
210kg x 4

Fluff

Hammer curls 5 sets of 20 mixed with 5 sets of kettle bell swings

Vid of top set...

I currently feel like I've been here there and everywhere at present... A wedding, my daughters birthday party, working, a break to Wales and minimal training.

I trained yesterday morning for the first time in over a week, and despite a lengthy break it went pretty well.

Strict Log Press

20kg x 5
40kg x 5
50kg x 4
62.5kg x 3
75kg x 2

Working sets

87.5kg x 3

77.5kg x 4
77.5kg x 4
77.5kg x 4

Drop Set
60kg x 10
50kg x 10
40kg x 10

Standing DB Press = 5 sets of 10, DB increase each time
Tricep push downs = 5 Sets of 10

Done.

Nice to blow the cobwebs out and get some work in. Most of the reps were smooth enough with decent pace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


After yesterdays decent session, this morning 6am squat session was a bit of a poop nugget.

A bit of a hit and miss on all fronts really... I picked the wrong bar to squat with and used an Eleiko whippy weightlifting bar that had no centre knurling, I also set the hooks too high on the rack and that threw me off, and I was suffering with some back discomfort too. I might as well throw in some other excuses too and say the sun was in my eyes, I needed the toilet, it was my time of the month etc.

Back Squats

Bar x 5
60kg x 5
90kg x 4
120kg x 3
150kg x 2
175kg x 1
195kg x 1

Working Sets Belt on

212.5kg x 1
212.5kg x 1
212.5kg x 1

192.5kg x 4
192.5kg x 4
192.5kg x 4

Done.

I took an age to warm up as I just felt like crap in general. My back was giving me grief and I just wasn't feeling it. Bar speed wasn't terrible, but I wasn't feeling 100% confident either and that is why I changed the top set from a treble to 3 singles instead. Everything moved ok in the end though and I got the session done... A big lack of accessory work today though as I just couldn't be bothered.

Here is a clip of my first single of 212.5kg.