A Hebridean Diary
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| Martin1956 |  | ... | 26-09-2021 @ 00:11 |
 Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Billwest said:That is a hell of a lot of reps! Great lifting, even if you didn't quite get the reps you wanted Thanks Bill. Yes, Saturday is lots of reps day.  I was recommended to try an additional volume session to aid recovery, as I was training bench twice a week and struggling to recover. It's totally counter-intuitive, but my recovery is much better and my strength endurance has come on in leaps and bounds, so it's here to stay I guess.  | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 27-09-2021 @ 19:12 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Band Bench I've had a cold today. First in ages thanks to all the people avoidance. If my training partner hadn't showed, I might have given it a miss. But he did, so I resolved to do something. Thick blue band today, adds about 40 at the top. Bar for 10 x 3 sets Band on 40 for 6 60 for 4 70 for 3 80 for 2 90 for 1 100 for 1 115 for 1 125 - fail 120 for 1 - just 100 for 3 90 for 5 80 for 8 Finish The triumph today was in the completion of the workout. I was breathing OK standing up, but my nose go bunged up as soon as I lay down, so the last three sets were all a bit of a battle, but they got done. Onwards and upwards... The green band is near identical to this one, so I'm going to retire today's band for the time being and use the green one every fourth week. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 30-09-2021 @ 19:22 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | For completeness, just recording that I didn't train today. First missed Thursday in a long time, but this cold has done for me. Third sofa day in a row, and I think the walk to the garage would just about finish me off. With any luck, the plan is a few singles on Saturday, just to reignite things. I know for sure I won't be in any shape for a volume session. First bad cold in over 18 months, so can't complain. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 02-10-2021 @ 15:36 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Not the usual Saturday volume session. After a week of sneezing, shivering, coughing, and generally feeling awful, I just needed to get the bar in my hands again and see how much I'd lost, even although I'm by no means over it yet, still feeling weak and listless. But over the worst, passed the 'excuse point'... Bench Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 6 80 for 4 100 for 2 120 for 1 130 for 1 140 for 1 100 for 10 Finish. Never been more delighted to do 140, and the 100 x 10 showed I'd kept some strength endurance as well. What a relief! Back to normal on Monday with any luck. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 04-10-2021 @ 19:00 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Band Bench Thicker red band today, adds about 30 at lockout Still far from 100%, but back to it - remembering my own adage, "you're never tired when the bar's in your hands". Bar for 10 x 3 sets Band on 40 for 6 60 for 5 80 for 4 100 for 2 110 for 1 120 for 1 130 for 1 110 for 3 100 for 5 90 for 8 Finish. The 100 x 5 and 90 x 8 nearly did for me, strength endurance was a real struggle and I had to have long rests. But every rep got done, and if every rep can be done on an under the weather day, it augurs well for when the feeling better days return. For context, 130 is my equipped qualifier. To hit it raw, with a 30 Kg band added, when feeling rough, is strangely comforting. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 07-10-2021 @ 18:54 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Raw Bench Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 6 x 2 sets 80 for 4 100 for 3 120 for 2 140 for 1 - long pause, easy 130 for 3 130 for 3 130 for 4 Finish. Still feeling a bit under the weather, so really pleased that 140 still feels easy and there was an extra rep on the final set. Hoping I'll have recovered enough to do a volume session on Saturday - that's a whole different kettle of fish, especially if even slightly below par. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 09-10-2021 @ 16:47 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Volume Bench I missed my volume session last week through illness. Sometimes you walk to the garage looking forward to the session, other times dreading it. Today was a dreading it one, as I know I'm not fully over the bug yet, and this is the session you most need to be in good shape for. So we just do what we can do, in the sure and certain knowledge that a 95% workout is better than a 0% one. Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 10 70 for 10 80 for 10 90 for 16 80 for 17 70 for 18 60 for 20 Finish So completely exhausted that I had to wait five minutes before I had the energy to put the 20s away. Shows I'm far from 100%, so in the circumstances really pleased to manage what I did. I wanted at least 15 with 90, but would have settled for less, so 16 was pleasing. I think I need to sit down for an hour before taking the dogs out... | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 11-10-2021 @ 19:03 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Band Bench Using the thinnest red band today, it only adds 10 - 15 at the top, but the choice of weights reflects that, of course. A grey, overcast late afternoon, with strong winds and rain crashing off the garage roof. A portent of the months to come. Stay strong, Martin, stay strong... Bar for 10 x 3 sets Band on 60 for 6 80 for 4 100 for 3 120 for 2 140 for 1 - just 120 for 3 110 for 5 100 for 8 Finish. Some days, training is really hard, and you need to remind yourself that it's not supposed to be easy. If it was, you wouldn't maintain and gain, and everyone else would be doing it too. Felt distinctly better today though. I'm not sure if I'm nearly over the bug, or if it was the pre workout kicking in. Whatever, got it all done! I don't often take pre workout, don't like to depend on it, but sometimes you just need it. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 14-10-2021 @ 16:40 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Raw Bench The intention for the next few sessions is to do my planned first two lifts (130 and 145) at the upcoming competition as my final warm ups. Gets my body used to doing them, and succeeding. Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 6 x 2 sets 80 for 4 100 for 3 120 for 2 130 paused 145 paused 120 for 5 120 for 5 - just 120 for 6 - somehow! Finish The 145 was harder than I would have liked, but it got done with no out breath. That'll do, as they say in adverts promoting Yorkshire stereotypes... | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 16-10-2021 @ 16:33 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Volume Bench Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 10 70 for 10 80 for 10 90 for 18 - pb 80 for 20 - equals pb Long rest 70 for 22 Long rest 60 for 25 Finish If you do a regular volume bench session, you'll appreciate how hard that was. If you don't, maybe you should...? Certainly, feeling lactic build up on four successive sets is way different from normal powerlifting training. Can't complain at a pb. Looking forward to turning the 18 into 20 sooner rather than later, but in the meantime, very happy with 18. My best ever volume set, in my pomp, was 100 x 18, somewhere around 2008/9. So to look at today's session the other way round, I'm only 10 kilos off my 18 rep lifetime pb. (For the pedants, and I know there are plenty lurking out there, my pbs refer to M3 lifts rather than lifetime bests. If that disturbs anyone, so much the better.) | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 18-10-2021 @ 19:16 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a cough. I suspect it's the last phase of this damn bug. Anyway, it left me feeling weak and sorry for myself. I'd have left it until tomorrow if I'd been training alone, but decided just to do what I could. Band Bench Thin red band again. Not the same one as last week, which is slightly thinner. I thought they would offer the same resistance. Maybe they do, maybe it was just a bad day... Bar for 10 x 3 sets Band on 40 for 8 60 for 6 80 for 4 100 for 3 120 for 2 - just 140 - fail near the top 120 for 2 110 for 4 100 for 6 The last three sets should have been 3,5,8, but that's all that was there tonight. Less strength, less vigour, less fight, but you can only ever do what you can do. I forgot to take anti inflammatories as well, that wouldn't have helped. The rain, wind and darkness probably didn't either, truth be told. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 23-10-2021 @ 18:02 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Not a proper session. The cold that hit me on Monday has progressively got worse all week, culminating last night in my throat being very sore and raw every time that I coughed, and when I tried to swallow, and my ribs hurting from all the coughing. A third pretty sleepless night last night, as the coughing kept waking me up. I still felt weak and listless, but these are not normal times. I have a competition scheduled for Sunday 31st, so it was essential that I did something today. Not a lot, certainly no strength endurance, but something. Bench Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 6 x 2 sets 80 for 4 100 for 3 120 for 2 130 for 1 140 for 1 - just Finish. The 120s felt so heavy that I planned on 130 being my top weight, but then the 130 felt so easy that I had to do one more. But the 140 took everything I had today. But given how little I had to give, I have to be pleased with 140, even if I was right on my limit with it. I'll train again on Monday and Wednesday, and then take a decision on whether to travel to the competition or pull out. It's a long, and expensive, journey to undertake only to underperform. In other news, had I travelled to Lithuania for the World Championships, I would now be the IPF World Champion in the M3 105 class. There were no other entries. Probably my best chance of winning. Some would say my only chance... | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 25-10-2021 @ 18:43 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Post Edited: 25.10.2021 @ 18:44 PM by Martin1956 Still unwell, still lethargic, but less so than Saturday, and needs must.Bench Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 6 80 for 4 100 for 3 120 for 2 140 for 1 - much better than Saturday 100 for 10 Finish Sometimes the hardest part is the journey to the gym, even when, in my case, that journey consists of a few steps from my back door to my garage. Once you get under the bar and start the familiar warm up routine, the body seems to know what to do. Every set, except the 100 x 10, done without an out breath, which is also encouraging. One more session, on Wednesday. I have specific targets in mind. If I hit them, I travel to the competition at the weekend. If I don't, I reluctantly withdraw. Watch this space. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 27-10-2021 @ 16:15 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Decision Day Bench Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 6 x 2 sets 80 for 4 100 for 3 120 for 2 130 for 1 145 for 1 100 for 12 Finish. It seems I WILL go to the competition. The targets were a 145 paused single and 100 x 12. Both were achieved. I thought there was a long pause on the 145, but looking back at the video, there wasn't. But still, I pressed it while emerging from the grip of the lurgy. There was at least one more rep there with 100, but I didn't fancy finishing on 13, superstitious fool that I am. I will train again tomorrow, against all the advice I would normally give to others - unless the others had lost ten kilos strength in a week and needed to do as much as possible to get it back as quickly as possible. It will be just a volume session, that's my last heavy one done, and I'll still have 72 hours recovery time. | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 28-10-2021 @ 18:00 |
Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | Volume Bench One final attempt to get an extra 1% of strength back before Sunday's competition. Bar for 10 x 3 sets 60 for 10 70 for 10 80 for 10 90 for 16 80 for 17 70 for 18 60 for 20 Finish. That's it. I can do no more. Well, I can, but it's more likely to hinder than to help. The 90 x 16 was only two short of my pb, and I reckon there was one more there if my life depended on it, so, in truth, not that far away. I had hoped a few weeks ago to be heading off with 90 x 20 under my belt, but the lurgy put paid to that. | ||
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