Ryan's Journal

Wed 30/03/11

Front Squats
2x10xBW
2x3x20kg
3x27.5kg
2x35kg
1x42.5kg
3x3x50kg

I was very sore yesterday (ie when I did this session), especially in the lower body. You have to walk up and down a lot of stairs to get around in my gym, and I did not enjoy it at all due to all the soreness. I had to do a few sets of bodyweight squats just to get myself semicomfortable getting into the bottom position. But it was all worth it, this morning I'm barely sore at all.

Bench Press
10x20kg
5x30kg
3x40kg
1x47.5kg
3x3x55kg

Standing Calf Raise
7x40kg
3x7x80kg

Pull Ups
5x9 -- including 1 set performed before front squats, one before bench press, one after warming up bench press, one before calf raises and one after.

Finally, I finished off the session with 15min of shadow boxing drills facing a mirror in the group fitness room. The guy in the mirror didn't have the best timing or technique, so I must have beat him, right? :p
 
Fri 01/04/11

Squats
10x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
2x80kg
5x97.5kg -- I lost count in the middle after doing at least 2 reps, then after realising I'd lost count I did 3 more. It's accutely possible that I actually did 6 reps. The last rep almost didn't happen, but I eventually made it through my sticking point. Wobbled around joyfully afterwards.

Press
10x20kg
5x25kg
3x30kg
2x35kg
5x40kg

Deadlift
2x5x60kg
5x75kg
3x87.5kg
2x100kg
5x112.5kg -- fun fact: whenever I squat or deadlift heavy, I'm not sure if it's air pressure or my body coming close to a nosebleed or what, but my nostrils respond as though I'm working with paint. Strange phenomenon while lifting.

Standing Calf Raise
8x40kg
3x8x80kg

Pull Ups
5xBW
3x5x7.5kg
 
Mon 04/04/11

Squats
10x20kg
5x37.5kg
3x55kg
2x72.5kg
3x5x90kg
2x2x90kg

Bench Press
10x20kg
5x30kg
3x40kg
2x50kg
5x5x57.5kg

Power Clean
2x3x20kg
3x30kg
2x37.5kg
1x45kg
1x52.5kg -- seriously, that was it. Failtastic. All other attempted reps weren't even high pulls. Just fail. For whatever reason I wasn't producing any power. I don't know if it was mental at first, but it definitely became a mental issue by the time I gave up and moved on.

Standing Calf Raise
6x40kg
3x6x82.5kg

Pull Ups
10
8
5
5
4
TOTAL: 32
 
Wed 06/01/11

Front Squats
2x3x20kg
3x30kg
2x37.5kg
1x45kg
3x3x52.5kg

Press
10x20kg
5x25kg
3x30kg
2x32.5kg
3x3x35kg

Standing Calf Raise
7x40kg
3x7x82.5kg

Pull Ups
5x9 (total 45)

I realised just how bad the normal music in the gym is, when a Spice Girls song came on and I was actually happy to hear it by comparison to the music I'm used to hearing in the gym. Notably, on any other occasion if I hear a Spice Girls song, I will want to destroy whatever device is playing their music and hunt down whoever turned the music on in the first place, set them on fire and throw them off a cliff.
 
Fri 08/04/11

Squats
4x10xBW
5x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
2x80kg
5x100kg -- I know that by the standards of a lot of the members on this forum, 100kg for 5 reps isn't a big deal, but I've been working at this one for a long time (I wanted to get up to 5x100kg by the end of last year), and it feels really good to have finally achieved this. I've been on a high for the last couple hours since then.

Bench Press
10x20kg
5x32.5kg
3x45kg
2x57.5kg
5x67.5kg -- Now if I get all 5 reps at 70kg in 2 weeks, I'll be really happy.

Deadlift
10x60kg
5x75kg
3x90kg
2x102.5kg
4x115kg -- I think I could have gotten all 5 reps, but hands were sweaty, so I wasn't sure if my grip would last the full rep. My gym's an old wooden building, so I'd rather not take my chances when it comes to dropping heavy weights - don't wanna put a hole through the floor. Notably, this is the same weight that I previously scored a 1RM at, so I've improved my 1RM deadlift by 3 reps, possibly 4. Naturally, I'll be going for 5 reps next week.

Standing Calf Raise
8x40kg
3x8x82.5kg

Pull Ups
5xBW
3x5x8.75kg

A new PR, and only 1 missed rep throughout the entire session. Over all, pretty good.
 
Tue 12/04/11

Squats
2x10xBW
5x20kg
5x37.5kg
3x55kg
2x72.5kg
5x5x90kg

Press
2x5x20kg
5x25kg
3x30kg
2x35kg
3x5x37.5kg
2x4x37.5kg

Power Clean
2x37.5kg
1x45kg
2x52.5kg
4x1x52.5kg

Pull Ups
1x11
1x10
1x9

Standing Calf Raise
6x40kg
3x6x85kg

I didn't get to train on Monday, so I did volume on Tuesday. I was going to go ahead and do recovery today (Wednesday) but right as I finished warming up I got called upon to do some extra work in the gym, and ultimately the session never happened. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not, and I've been wondering all day whether I'd recover faster with or without the session today.
 
Fri 15/04/11

Squats
10xBW
5x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
2x80kg
1x92.5kg
5x102.5kg

Press
2x5x20kg
5x27.5kg
3x32.5kg
2x37.5kg
4x42.5kg
3x42.5kg

Deadlift
5x60kg
5x75kg
3x90kg
2x102.5kg
5x115kg

Standing Calf Raise
8x45kg
3x8x85kg

Pull Ups
5xBW
3x5x10kg
 
Mon 18/04/11

Squats
5x20kg
5x40kg
3x57.5kg
2x75kg
5x5x92.5kg

Bench Press
10x20kg
5x30kg
3x40kg
2x50kg
5x5x60kg

Power Cleans
2x3x20kg
3x30kg
2x37.5kg
1x45kg
5x2x52.5kg

Pull Ups
1x9

Standing Calf Raise
6x45kg
3x6x87.5kg
 
The gym's closed over Easter, so I opted to do my recovery session a day early. In hindsight, this may not have been the best idea I've ever had, but we won't know til Thursday.

Tue 19/04/11

Front Squats
5x20kg
3x25kg
3x30kg
2x35kg
3x3x40kg

Press
10x20kg
5x25kg
3x30kg
2x35kg
3x3x37.5kg -- this was actually quite the struggle, which I guess shouldn't be a surprise after doing 5x5x60kg bench press the day before.

Pull Ups
5x3
 
Thu 21/04/11

Squats
5x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
2x80kg
1x92.5kg
4x105kg

Bench Press
10x20kg
5x32.5kg
3x45kg
2x57.5kg
5x70kg -- new 5RM PR (finally!), and in theory my 1RM's now about 81kg. Happy

Deadlift
10x60kg
5x75kg
3x90kg
2x105kg
5x117.5kg

Pull Ups
5xBW
3x5x11.25kg
 
Mon 25/04/11

Squats
5x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
2x77.5kg
5x5x95kg -- The gym was very crowded today. It's a public holiday (ANZAC Day here in Australia), so I anticipated the gym being empty, but I haven't trained in a gym so full in years. It wasn't my standard gym where I regularly work and train, which is closed today and tomorrow; it was another gym of the same franchise, and I'm guessing quite a few people where there for the day due to inner city gyms being closed. I was literally there for an hour before either of the squat racks didn't have someone training in them (fortunately for me, I got in quick, slipping in right after another guy rack pulled 190kg, for which I congratulated him). The squat rack I got to was facing a window rather than a mirror, so I wasn't sure how I'd go (I'm used to squatting in front of a mirror). I'm not sure that I got full depth on every rep, but another trainer came and told me I was squatting too deep, so I'll take that as a good sign :)

Press
2x5x20kg
5x25kg
3x30kg
2x35kg
2x5x37.5kg
2x4x37.5kg
3x37.5kg -- Hmm, that's not so impressive. I think that was actually less reps than 2 weeks ago <_< This had better improve next time I press on Monday. Here's hoping I do better on Friday's session this week.

Power Clean
2x37.5kg
1x45kg
1x52.5kg
2x52.5kg
3x3x52.5kg -- Okay, so that's not normally the way reps go. The first set I wasn't using chalk. Second set I decided to go get chalk out of my locker (fancy pants commercial gyms don't like the chalk), but the second rep didn't rack smoothly and I had to put the weight down. Then the next three sets were relatively easy.

Standing Calf Raise
6x45kg
3x6x87.5kg

Pull Ups
1x10
1x9
1x6
1x4
1x3
TOTAL: 32
 
Wed 27/04/11

Normally I'd just do front squats first, but after watching a video on squat cleans the other night, I felt like getting back into the practice of it. I did a few drills first, then...

Clean
3x20kg (+3F.SQ)
3x25kg (+3F.SQ)
3x30kg
3x35kg
3x40kg
3x1x45kg (+3F.SQ on last set)

BB Bridge
8x20kg
5x30kg
3x8x40kg -- Decided to add these to get some better glute work. I need some work getting this one right.

Bench Press
10x2kg
5x30kg
3x40kg
2x50kg
3x3x60kg

Standing Calf Raise
7x45kg
3x7x87.5kg

Pull Ups
5x8
 
Fri 29/04/11

Didn't have time to train properly. Decided to do some pull ups during my shift at work.

Pull Ups
1x10, 1x9, 1x8
Total: 27

<><><>

Sat 30/04/11

Squats
5x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
2x80kg
1x92.5kg
3x105kg
2x105kg -- So, clearly, that's regression, not progression, from last week. I really felt my lats after racking the bar at the end of the first set, so I'm gonna take a wild guess and say the pull ups the night before weren't a brilliant idea.

Press
2x5x20kg
5x27.5kg
3x32.5kg
2x37.5kg
5x42.5kg -- This is about the only thing that went the way I wanted it on the day. Oh, that and calf raises.

Deadlifts
5x60kg
5x75kg
3x90kg
2x105kg
5x105kg -- Somehow I forgot to change the weights for the work set, and didn't even realise it until I was stripping the weight off the bar again afterwards. It's 15kg less than what I'd intended to do. Sad thing is, I really didn't feel like I could have done anything more.

Standing Calf Raise
8x45kg
3x8x87.5kg

Pull Ups
5xBW
5x10kg
2x4x10kg
2xBW
 
Tue 03/05/11

Squats
5x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
2x80kg
3x5x97.5kg

Bench Press
10x20kg
5x32.5kg
3x42.5kg
2x52.5kg
5x5x62.5kg

Clean
2x3x20kg
3x25kg
2x30kg
1x35kg
5x3x40kg

Standing Calf Raise
6x45kg
3x6x90kg

Pull Ups
4x8
 
Fri 06/05/11

Squats
5x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
2x80kg
1x92.5kg
3x105kg -- I'll be resetting next time, by the looks of things.

Bench Press
10x20kg
5x35kg
3x47.5kg
2x60kg
5x72.5kg -- Last time I lifted this weight, it was as a 1RM. Naturally, I'm quite happy with this.

Deadlifts
5x60kg
5x75kg
3x90kg
2x105kg
5x120kg -- After last week, I wasn't sure if I'd make it this week, or if I'd psyche myself out. But I did it, and I'm quite happy with it.

Standing Calf Raise
8x45kg
3x8x90kg

Pull Ups
5xBW
3x5x10kg
 
Mon 09/05/11

Squats
2x5x40kg
3x60kg
2x80kg
5x100kg -- I was going to do 3x5, but my right hip/top of thigh didn't feel right afterwards, and right in the middle of my back it felt like a muscle was being pulled too tight, so I decided to leave it. Oh well, for the next hour afterwards, every set still involved some form of squat.

Press
2x5x20kg
5x25kg
3x30kg
2x35kg
5x5x37.5kg

Clean
5x3x42.5kg

Standing Calf Raise
6x50kg
3x6x92.5kg

Pull Ups
1x9
2x8
2x6
Total: 37
 
Wed 11/05/11

Clean
2x3x20kg
3x27.5kg
2x35kg
1x40kg
3x3x45kg

Bench Press
10x20kg
5x32.5kg
3x42.5kg
2x52.5kg
3x3x62.5kg

Pull Ups
5xBW
5x11.25kg
4x11.25kg
3x11.25kg

Standing Calf Raise
7x50kg
3x7x92.5kg
 
Thur 12/05/11

On Satruday and Sunday I'm doing a Powerlifting Coaching Course, so no training Friday or Monday. As part of a weekly challenge going on in the gym for the next six weeks, I did some cardio today, in the form of:

Bike 1km @ level 15
20 push ups
20 thrusters w/ 9kg medicine ball
Row 1km
Bike 1km @ level 15
20 push ups
20 thrusters w/ 9kg medicine ball
Row 138m

I had 20min to do as many rounds as possible. I only got to 138m of rowing on the second round before my time was up. The frist round left me feeling pretty wiped out. I must've gotten through the push ups and thrusters in about 1min put together first time around. It took me more like 3min in the second round.
 
Powerlifting Coach Course - 14-15 May

So, Saturday was theory, discussions, and squats. Sunday was theory, discussions, written test and benhc press + deadlift. We spent about 2hrs+ on each exercise. I can't state exactly how many sets and reps I did at each weight, but I know this much:

Squats
Using the technique the instructor on the day was promoting, I felt absolutely crap even at 60kg. I did a couple sets of 60kg and a couple sets of 80kg. On all of those sets, my knees felt like they were going to split in half, and there was too much pressure through my wrists (he insisted on thumbs around rather than thumbs over). Also, my back didn't feel quite right at one point - I think I was too far out of control to actually stabilise my vertebrae properly. I think the instructor was too focused on making the most of the stretch-strength reflex - not that it's a bad thing to utilise if you can, but it wasn't working very well.

Bench Press
I set a new PR Sunday morning, doing 80kg for 2 reps, and it felt like I potentially could have gotten a 3rd rep out.

Deadlifts
After some warm up sets, I did:
1x120kg
1x130kg
and finally, 1x140kg. Again, That's a new PR, and it's higher than my estimated 1RM (and again, I felt like I could have pulled more, maybe 142.5-145kg).

Oh, and on Friday morning I took my bodyweight, and it was right on 72kg. So lifts aren't bad for bodyweight (also, happy to see my bodyweight is up 10kg since I started this journal).
 
Wed 18/05/11

Okay, this was such an abysmally crap training day that deep down in side I'm facepalming at myself and groaning for even bothering to write it up. Well, actually, on paper it didn't turn out so bad, but it felt absolutely ****house.

Bench Press -- I wanted to do cleans up front, but the area was taken, and it's a cramped gym, so I couldn't go elsewhere to do them. So I decided to do them after BP.
10x20kg
5x32.5kg -- then my boss asked to speak to me for a minute. Half an hour later...
3x42.5kg
2x52.5kg
3x3x62.5kg

Cleans
2x3x20kg
3x27.5kg
2x35kg
1x40kg
3x3x45kg

...2hour gym floor shift...

Standing Calf Raises -- It goes without saying, but this would have been done before work had the boss not called me over.
7x50kg
3x7x92.5kg

KING OF THE GYM WORKOUT OF THE WEEK
The goal was to do 21/15/9 Thrusters (40kg) superset with 21/15/9 Pull Ups, for time.
I got through the first round in 10 min, then gave up. Basically, the thrusters went well for the first 3 reps, and everything went downhill from there. I couldn't complete the full 21 reps of either exercise (to no surprise of my own) in a single set. The very best I got was 11 thrusters up front before having to put the weight down, resting briefly, and finishing the remaining 10 reps in (I think) a set of 6 and a set of 4. By this point, my whole body was shaking, and the thrusters had degenerated into push presses and eventually split jerks (granted, the slight dip at the start of the movement is probably what the other trainers calla squat, anyway). I think the most consecutive pull ups I got was 6...and I was cheating every damned rep, too! It wasn't pretty. When I came back to the thrusters, I completed about 6 reps, over multiple sets, before finally declaring "**** it!" I reckon I'd be quite sufficiently injured (or on my way to it) today, had I not quit when I did - I certainly wasn't going to be doing any neater reps throughout the rest of the night, that's for sure.

<><><>

After the first session (ie before work) I had my standard PWO shake: skim milk powder, milo and water. After the second session (the one that tried to murder me), I had what some here would consider a less conventional PWO snack: half a pizza (also known in New York as 1 slice) and a can of Solo. I didn't have any sense of appetite, and was afraid that I'd vomit trying to eat it because of the state my body was in, but one bite at a time, it made it's way into my stomach quite comfortably.
 
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