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| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 16-05-2015 @ 23:04 | ||
Post Edited: 20.05.2015 @ 23:29 PM by Aquarian Sleep was ok last 2 days.DL Warmups 60x10,100x6,140x3,180x2,220x1 - felt a bit stiff on most of these. 220 was a struggle grip wise (no chalk). Experimented with a wider grip but as my grip was a bit weak I decided to stick with my regular grip. Changed the foot stance to slightly narrower and turned out more to help more with the lockout and with the belt tightness and position later on. 240x1 - ok. Working Sets 250x1x10 - Approx every min. No problems at all, only on the last rep did it seem slightly slower but still locked out easily. Felt like cardio! No wonder you're losing weight doing this Rob  270x1 - After 10 mins rest or so. Probably shouldn't have gone for this as it felt really heavy. Interesting and very enjoyable. Only 10 mins to do all my sets rather than almost an hour to do 5x3. Much easier on the grip too and all the reps were done with near perfect tech and speed was good. So next week I could either go for 10 reps again with 255 or 260 or maybe aim for 6 reps instead and then 4 the week after and then go for a max single? Either way I like it - may just be the novelty of doing something new but I think it has real potential. Thanks Rob! HBBS Nothing more evil than squatting after deads! I was a bit light headed too after all that cardio! Warmups 20x10,60x6,100x4,140x3,180x2 - ok, good speed and no knee or groin pain which I was a bit concerned about over the last few days. Working Sets 200x3 - pretty horrible, went rock bottom on each rep and came up hips first each time! 210x3(belt) - what a difference a belt makes. Much better! 220x3 - 2nd rep almost got stuck but 3rd was fine. Got really bad cramps in both forearms and biceps gripping the bar too hard! 230x1 - unrack was so heavy I went a bit wider. Rep was hard but not ball breaking and could've done another if my life depended on it. As it didn't I didn't! Really good session - sometimes after a good max week I feel pretty jaded restarting but not today. Hopefully I can keep this up. Next up BP and OHP triples. On the bench I will go for 3 with 180 - I'm sure I won't get the 3rd but it will be a good marker to see how close I get. On ohp I should just about get 120x3. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 15-05-2015 @ 14:48 | ||
rob0210 said:Be interesting to see what happens with the deadlift. I go for 6-10 singles in 3 week waves, keeping the rest pretty short Yeah that's my plan. I'll probably start light with around 250 or so for the first week and take it from there. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 15-05-2015 @ 14:46 | ||
ChrisMcCarthy said:Nice work. Cheers! Deadlift plan sounds good - just watch out for the hands!  I haven't ripped anything in almost a month - must be a record for me! | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 14-05-2015 @ 23:27 | ||
| Sleep quality wasn't great last night partly down to the humid weather I think. CGBP Used the new Eleiko bar with the cut throat knurling! Warmups 20x20,40x10,60x6,80x4,100x3,120x2 - all easy, no problems. Working Sets 140x3 - easy. 165x2 - easy. 190x1 - very comfortable and locked out perfectly! 4kg pb and done miles better than that attempt! Surprised it was that easy was expecting to get it but not that easily. Maybe the new bar with the sharp knurling helped a bit. OHP (Wide grip) Also with the new bar! Warmups 20x10,40x6,60x3,80x2 - all easy. Working Sets 90x3 - easy. 110x2 - easy. 130x1 - leaned back a lot at the start but easily straightened out and locked it out comfortably. Equalled the wide grip pb! 2 out of 2 couldn't have asked for more! Bent Over Rows (supinated) 20x10,40x10,60x6,80x6,100x6,120x4,120x5(straps) - all good except for the first set with 120 - should have strapped up here as grip was really marginal. External Rotation 40x10,60x10,80x10,100x10,120x10,140x10 - all fine. Awesome workout despite not sleeping great and a great end to the max week. Overall a great week other than the max strapless conv dl. Speaking of the conv dl I think it's time to make some changes because progress has stalled and is even regressing so both programming and technique need tweaking. I spoke with Rob about this a few days ago and I like his 10 singles approach. So I'm going to give that a shot. Also I'm thinking of trying a wider grip which I tried earlier in the year and I liked how it felt. I think keeping the hips lower at the start may work better for me as I struggle to lockout and straighten the back and I'm strong off the floor so it might be worth giving up a bit of strength off the floor to make the lockout easier. Anyway I'll try this out over the next few weeks and months and see how it goes. Next up deads as above and hbbs - on the latter triples between 200 and 220 and will try and do a double with 230 as well. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 12-05-2015 @ 22:43 | ||
| Slept quite well the last 2 days! LBBS Warmups 20x10,60x10,100x6,140x3,180x2 - bit of knee pain on the 60's but not beyond that. All sets were fast and technically good. Working Sets 210x3(belt) - all ok. 230x2 - first one went too much on the toes and 2nd over-corrected a bit too much. Speed was good though. 250x1 - Went down too slowly, stalled at the bottom and did a very nice gm out of the hole! Who needs quads to squat Sumo DL Warmups 60x6,100x4,140x3,180x2,220x1 - all ok. No knee pain for once! Working Sets 240x3 - easy. 260x2 - ok. 280x0 - got it moving off the floor but it went too far in front and I had to bail. 280x1(straps) - comfortable and probably could have done 290. Well a good session despite the ugly 250 squat and missing the last strapless pull. If I can get my speed right descending on the squat then I should get 260 in a few months. Sumo is still progressing albeit slower now I'm closer to my peak. I think 300 by the end of the year is possible. Next up last max session of this cycle. 190 cgbp would be great as well as a 130 wide grip ohp. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 10-05-2015 @ 21:20 | ||
| Sleep was a bit s**t last night but got a decent amount the night before so didn't feel too bad. BP Warmups 20x20,40x10,60x6,80x4,100x3,120x2 - all fine, no pain and good speed. Working Sets 145x3 - easy 170x2 - fast but didn't feel quite tight. 195x0.98 - missed full lockout by 1 in or so. Partly technical as I lost tightness on the right side and tilted slightly to that side rather than push myself back and look straight up. Old instinctive flaw that comes up every now and then! Otherwise very fast up to that point. OHP (Narrow) Warmups 20x10,40x6,60x3,80x2 - all ok. Working Sets 90x3 - easy. 110x2 - easy, despite the left wrist wrap coming off completely as soon as I started the first rep! 130x1 - piss easy - could have doubled it almost! 140 can't be too far but need to stay grounded and not get too carried away. Shrugs (wide) 20x10,60x10,100x10,140x5,140x5(straps),180x10,220x8 - all good, strapless 140 was pretty good and only minor pain in the left forearm. External Rotations 40x10,60x10,80x10,100x10,120x10,140x10 - all good. Very good session despite the near miss on the bench - for a Sunday workout I'm happy with the strength especially the ohp. Next up LBBS and Sumo maxes - 250 on the former and 280 strapless on the latter and maybe 285-290 with the straps. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 10-05-2015 @ 21:10 | ||
kirkynick said: Never heard of one of those before. I'd be on it all the time if I had access to one. If you're ever in Putney mate I'd be honoured to introduce the two of you Apparently a very rare machine less than a hundred ever made. Here's a pic of it:http://www.physicalculture.co.uk/#!Rotator%20Cuff/zoom/c1ekw/i... Absolutely priceless machine worth its weight in gold - definitely helped to keep my shoulders healthy and pain free. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 09-05-2015 @ 15:22 | ||
kirkynick said:Good stuff going on, mate! Cheers mate! What's the external rotation exercise you do? It's a hammer strength machine which can do both internal and external rotation, one arm at a time. Probably the best machine I've ever used and unlike the majority of machines out there actually do something better than what you can do with free weights alone. Definitely a shoulder saver - not had any shoulder issues in years since I started using it. Every gym should have one and everyone should use it regularly! | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 09-05-2015 @ 00:23 | ||
| Max week begins! DL Warmups 60x10,100x6,140x3,180x2,220x1 - all ok. Working Sets 230x3 - good. 260x2 - ok. 285x0 - went up smoothly up to mid thigh and then stalled completely. Pretty much identical to last month except slightly higher before stalling. 285x1(straps) - and again no problems with the straps on - could've done 290 or even 295. Definitely not a grip issue just something I'm doing different when strapped. I think I need to film myself from the side without and with straps to try and work out the issue. I think it maybe because I'm staying on the heels too long and pulling back too much after getting over the knees rather than pushing the hips forward more and straightening out and putting the weight mid foot. Why it happens only without the straps is probably because with the straps on I don't need to focus as much on the grip and hence can react sooner and faster to changing the foot balance? Would be a lot easier to just use straps all the time but I want to figure out what the issue is and if I can fix it before throwing in the towel. Might be worth starting with the shins right up to the bar rather than 1 inch away as I currently am since that is the one other thing I do when using straps. Something to consider. HBBS After a long rest! Warmups 20x10,60x6,100x4,140x3,180x2 - good, fast descent and rise and no knee pain despite a relatively close stance and upright stance! Working Sets 200x3 - first two were a bit wobbly but third was good. 220x2(belt) - both fine. 240x1 - easy and technically sound. Excellent squats which rescued the session after the sub par deadlifts. If I can keep this up then 250 high bar should be on soon. Next up BP / OHP max on Sun(!) - hoping for 195 and 130 if the hips and back and sleep all function well! | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 06-05-2015 @ 23:49 | ||
| Slept well last night, not so much the night before! CGBP Warmups 20x20,40x10,60x6,80x4,100x3,120x2 - other than hitting the bench uprights a few times - was a little bit too far back on the bench I think and the Eleiko bar with it's thin sleeves is less forgiving - everything felt fast and easy. Working Sets 140x2,150x2,160x2,170x2 - all easy. 180x1.95 - missed lockout on the 2nd by about 2in or less. 1st rep was really fast and easy. 177.5x2 would have been a gimmee but sod it I wanted a double with 4 plates!!! Next time... OHP (Wide grip) Warmups 20x10,40x6,60x3,80x2 - all easy. Working Sets 100x2,110x2,120x2 - All fast and easy. Think I could've done 130 with a wide grip today! Bent Over Rows (pronated) 20x10,40x10,60x6,80x6,100x6,120x5(straps) - all good, last set a bit niggly with the biceps. External Rotation 40x10,60x10,80x10,100x10,120x10,140x10 - all fine. Pretty exceptional pressing both horizontal and vertical! Good chance of hitting 190 on the cgbp next week and maybe 130 on the wide ohp. Next up max effort week starts with the bar on the floor! Aiming for 285 strapless and 295 straps and then 240 on the hbbs. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 05-05-2015 @ 00:26 | ||
| Luckily most of the pain in the left hip (not back as I first thought) had gone away. Slept pretty well too. LBBS Warmups 20x10,60x10,100x6,140x3,180x2 - other than having to do these in a rack I don't normally squat in (mainly due to the catches being too deep and not the right height) they all went well and no pain in the hip or anywhere! Working Sets - back in my favourite rack! 200x2,210x2(belt),220x2 - all ok 230x2 - first rep lost tightness in the upper back and rounded over. 2nd made the correction and was fine. 240x1 - easy unrack, walk out and descent and then it all went pear shaped! A real good morning out of the hole. Either the legs or hips didn't fire or something else went wrong. Maybe rested a bit too much after the last set. Anyway 2nd rep was out of the question. Sumo DL - after a longish break! Warmups 60x6,100x4,140x3,180x2,220x1 - all fine, again no hip pain. Working Sets 240x2,250x2,260x2 - ok, but all pretty slow. 270x1,270x1(straps) - both slow but an improvement over the last time I did this program. Ok session still struggling a bit with the squats but improving slowly. Sumo is getting better too both technically and weight wise. Next up CGBP and wide grip OHP doubles - may go for either 177.5x2 or 180x2 depending on how I'm feeling on the cgbp. OHP will probably aim for 120x2 and then maybe 125x1. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 02-05-2015 @ 22:55 | ||
| Left lower back and hips were extremely sore yesterday. Could not bend over much at all getting a sharp pain. Luckily didn't impact the walking at all. Much better today but still quite sore and stiff. BP Warmups 20x20,40x10,60x6,80x4,100x3,120x2 - not great, all were a bit stiff and lacked speed. 120 felt like 140! Luckily back was not painful. Working Sets 142.5x2,152.5x2,162.5x2 - ok. 172.5x2 - 2nd rep was quite slow. 182.5x1 - pretty slow. No point even attempting a 2nd. Probably should have gone 2.5kg less on each set but I don't think it would've enabled me to get 2 with 180. So saved myself a probable grind on the last set. OHP (narrow) Warmups 20x10,40x6,60x3,80x2 - all ok. No back problems. Working Sets 100x2,110x2,120x2 - all fine. 130x0 - felt light when I unracked it but bar went too far in front and only managed to get it above the head. 125x1 - had to lean back quite a bit but not too tough. Should have gone for 127.5 rather than 130 but otherwise quite good. Shrugs (narrow) 20x10,60x10,100x10,140x10(straps),180x10,220x6 - all ok despite rushing through them quite fast! External Rotation 40x10,60x10,80x10,100x10,120x10 - had to rush these too as was getting late. Unfortunately bench was probably affected by the back problem. I think it's just one of those transient pains that comes and goes pretty quickly and nothing serious. It's much better now so hopefully won't affect me on the next session. Next up LBBS / Sumo doubles - aiming for 240x2 and 270x2. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 01-05-2015 @ 12:37 | ||
Billytheold said:The ticket must be purchased by another who really likes you as a friend at the precise moment. You value perfection. The most unopportuned time is you best odds. eh? Sounds like a daily horoscope - very cryptic! | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 01-05-2015 @ 00:48 | ||
| Sleep was a bit disjointed after the last workout but fine last night. DL Warmups 60x10,100x6,140x3,180x2,220x1 - all ok. Working Sets 240x2,250x2,260x2,270x2 - all fine. 280x1,280x1(straps) - just about locked out first one without straps. 2nd was fairly easy. Slightly ripped the left ring finger and got a blood blister on the left middle but compared to the scrapes I've had recently these were nothing more than a prick on the fingers (no Blackadder jokes please!). HBBS Warmups 20x10,60x6,100x4,140x3,180x2 - got some sharp pain in the left knee on the 100 set but it went away after that - not that uncommon for this to happen. Working Sets 200x2 - ok 210x2(belt) - 2nd rep was leaning forward too much and the head dropped down. 220x2 - both reps came down too fast and came up too horizontally. 230x1 - finally got the speed right going down and was comfortable coming up. Could've done 2 but decided to cash in my chips! Good session especially on the deads. Switching the grip back is paying dividends and hopefully will be able to do 285 strapless next week. Still a bit tentative with the squats - calf is fine but unwilling to really come down too hard on it. But I should be good for 240 next week. Next up BP / OHP doubles. Aiming for 182.5x2 on the former and probably 130x1 on the latter. | |||
| » Aquarian's 531 odyssey (Go to post) | 28-04-2015 @ 23:52 | ||
| I almost don't remember the last time I slept badly! Just need to keep it up and not get complacent. CGBP Warmups 20x20,40x10,60x6,80x4,100x3,120x2 - all fine. Working Sets 140x3,150x3,160x3 - all ok. 170x2.8 - just missed lockout on the third. Bar slipped slightly in my hands but I don't think I had quite the strength to lockout. 175x2 - bit of a grind on the 2nd but a pb nonetheless! OHP (Wide) Warmups 20x10,40x6,60x3,80x2 - all fine. Working Sets 90x3,100x3,110x3 - last rep on 110 was a bit slow. 120x1 - a grind with a lot of leaning back but saved it in the end! Bent Over Rows (Supinated) 20x10,40x10,60x6,80x6,100x6,120x4,120x4(straps) - good grip but probably should've put straps on the first 120 set! External Rotation 40x10,60x10,80x10,100x10,120x10,140x10 - no problems! Pretty good session decent improvement from last time. Next up deadlift and hbbs doubles! 270x2 and 280x1 would be nice and maybe 230x2 on the hbbs as well. | |||