Blonde will make you STRONG

[iRaise]

You need mass to get the truck moving in the first place.  It is a huge part of the truck pull getting the thing moving to start with.  The heavier you are the quicker you get it moving to abuse your strength.

I want his diet because i look like a mini version of him in his before pictures!  he is one of the 'fattest' WSM's in history.  His hump on a good day makes me look slim!   obviously his core strength is/was bonkers.

Deadlifted 160kg for 3 reps yesterday.  Would love to meet up for the strength test but apart from DL my other elements are so weak.  We are all midlands based right?  Evil notts?  I raise is close to me in staffs?  I need help making my chest as strong as my back.  Sure you can both help!

Thats a really good DL!! Hell yeah, will let you know when we do it, I am thinking 3rd weekend in Nov if we can all make it. I am in LDN on the last weekend.

I am north end of Stafford, basically junction 14, if you are close come in for an hour and we can chat things through!

[EvilPie]

I'm in Vegas 3rd weekend in November. Also won't be in good shape the following weekend and probably not quite ready the weekend prior.

Perhaps have to look to early December?

[iRaise]

I'm in Vegas 3rd weekend in November. Also won't be in good shape the following weekend and probably not quite ready the weekend prior.

Perhaps have to look to early December?

Should work fine for me! Good six weeks of training I hope!

[EvilPie]

Really tough morning yesterday. I think I overdid it on the caffeine tabs/coffee/pre-workout and had a bit of a caffeine rush which made me feel hot, sweaty, shaky etc. Felt pretty sick right through the session and didn't lift much at all although managed to get up to 50kg on OHP which was reasonable for my first attempt.

Anyway I've toned it back a bit now and this morning I was back on form for lower day. Managed to squat up to 100kg, RDL to 100kg and DL to 120kg. Also did the suitcase DL up to 60kg which felt brilliant. There was a bit of a twinge at one stage which made me stop as I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad twinge but I can still walk 5 hours later so I guess it was a good one

Week 1 figures:

Squat - 100kg (2)
DL - 120kg (3)
Bench - 120kg (4)
OHP - 50kg (5)

Total - 390kg

I've just taken my max as being the most I did at any point regardless of the number of reps on that particular set. Reps are in brackets for reference. I guess this is a suitable way of ascertaining our max?

Not sure it'll work out if we manage to get together for a session. Those four exercises to my max in one session seems like one hell of a challenge. Any particular order you'd want to do them in? Mine would be bench, OHP, squat and then DL.

[iRaise]

Really tough morning yesterday. I think I overdid it on the caffeine tabs/coffee/pre-workout and had a bit of a caffeine rush which made me feel hot, sweaty, shaky etc. Felt pretty sick right through the session and didn't lift much at all although managed to get up to 50kg on OHP which was reasonable for my first attempt.

Anyway I've toned it back a bit now and this morning I was back on form for lower day. Managed to squat up to 100kg, RDL to 100kg and DL to 120kg. Also did the suitcase DL up to 60kg which felt brilliant. There was a bit of a twinge at one stage which made me stop as I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad twinge but I can still walk 5 hours later so I guess it was a good one

Week 1 figures:

Squat - 100kg (2)
DL - 120kg (3)
Bench - 120kg (4)
OHP - 50kg (5)

Total - 390kg

I've just taken my max as being the most I did at any point regardless of the number of reps on that particular set. Reps are in brackets for reference. I guess this is a suitable way of ascertaining our max?

Not sure it'll work out if we manage to get together for a session. Those four exercises to my max in one session seems like one hell of a challenge. Any particular order you'd want to do them in? Mine would be bench, OHP, squat and then DL.

Your bench is gonna hammer mine so hard.

I think any order, athletes choice. We can warm up on respected movements and then spot for the 1's.

I would go Squat, bench, DL then OHP maybe?

I think powerlifters go, squat, DL then bench but not 100%. I do agree it will be tough, it may not be a 'true' 1rm, but PL tend to do their three in an afternoon window. not too sure how long they last.

Front squats today, but have some OHP tomorrow. I did a tentative 2x5 at 40 I think last week. Hurts as at the start of the year 5x5 at 65 didn't feel to tough

[iRaise]

4x4 Front squats today at 90. Was really stiff so was naaat feeling it.

Bringing in Bulgarian split squats again. Heard Chris Brunt on his rehab was doing 1.5x BW. Which seems incredible. So want to try and push to BW with those.

Good training day though all things considered.

[EvilPie]

Really tough morning yesterday. I think I overdid it on the caffeine tabs/coffee/pre-workout and had a bit of a caffeine rush which made me feel hot, sweaty, shaky etc. Felt pretty sick right through the session and didn't lift much at all although managed to get up to 50kg on OHP which was reasonable for my first attempt.

Anyway I've toned it back a bit now and this morning I was back on form for lower day. Managed to squat up to 100kg, RDL to 100kg and DL to 120kg. Also did the suitcase DL up to 60kg which felt brilliant. There was a bit of a twinge at one stage which made me stop as I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad twinge but I can still walk 5 hours later so I guess it was a good one

Week 1 figures:

Squat - 100kg (2)
DL - 120kg (3)
Bench - 120kg (4)
OHP - 50kg (5)

Total - 390kg

I've just taken my max as being the most I did at any point regardless of the number of reps on that particular set. Reps are in brackets for reference. I guess this is a suitable way of ascertaining our max?

Not sure it'll work out if we manage to get together for a session. Those four exercises to my max in one session seems like one hell of a challenge. Any particular order you'd want to do them in? Mine would be bench, OHP, squat and then DL.

Your bench is gonna hammer mine so hard.

I think any order, athletes choice. We can warm up on respected movements and then spot for the 1's.

I would go Squat, bench, DL then OHP maybe?

I think powerlifters go, squat, DL then bench but not 100%. I do agree it will be tough, it may not be a 'true' 1rm, but PL tend to do their three in an afternoon window. not too sure how long they last.

Front squats today, but have some OHP tomorrow. I did a tentative 2x5 at 40 I think last week. Hurts as at the start of the year 5x5 at 65 didn't feel to tough

I think deadlift is the one which could swing it but only because it's a huge unknown for me and I could have wildly underestimated what I can do. I've never tested it before so it's possible that if I get confident I could hit some decent numbers and get somewhere close to you.

It's always confidence that's been my limiting factor in the past although I didn't know it at the time. Now that I'm happier with my form and realise that they're actually good for you when done properly I may just be able to get somewhere nearer to the sort of weight someone of my size should be able to do. Even today which was just my second session I felt loads more confident and my form for my heaviest set was definitely loads better.

If I get confident that these aren't going to make my back explode I can see me having a go at 160kg by December so already after just a couple of decent sessions I'm increasing my estimate by 20kg.

The mind is such a wonderful thing.

[EvilPie]

4x4 Front squats today at 90. Was really stiff so was naaat feeling it.

Bringing in Bulgarian split squats again. Heard Chris Brunt on his rehab was doing 1.5x BW. Which seems incredible. So want to try and push to BW with those.

Good training day though all things considered.

I've never tried these before but saw them on a youtube vid and they looked tough. Do you do them with a barbell over the shoulders? The guy I watched was using dumbbells if I remember right.

[iRaise]

4x4 Front squats today at 90. Was really stiff so was naaat feeling it.

Bringing in Bulgarian split squats again. Heard Chris Brunt on his rehab was doing 1.5x BW. Which seems incredible. So want to try and push to BW with those.

Good training day though all things considered.

I've never tried these before but saw them on a youtube vid and they looked tough. Do you do them with a barbell over the shoulders? The guy I watched was using dumbbells if I remember right.

Split Squats? I used a DB at the minute and hold it like a goblet squat. So up by the chin. Until I get to the 50kg I am gonna stick with DB. But long term I want to move to BB. They are really under rated, and I need to start doing more single limb work again.

[iRaise]

Matt I think your DL will be huge. Depending on confidence and technique you will race up. After our 1RM testing session, I wouldn't be surprise one bit if I said you should be good for 200. Speshly knowing your other numbers/mindset/general attitude to training.

[Marky147]

Haven't done any lifting this week, as was still feeling the niggle on the inside of my arm whenever I picked anything up.

Have been to physio a few times, and been doing some of the trunk exercises that he gave me a couple times a day.

Good to see the beasts are all still hard at it, and even Ant the squirrel crushing

[the sicilian]

Been toddling along nicely.. still doing lots of power/strength/cardio circuits trying to lean up.. thrown in a couple of spin classes as well which I quite enjoy..

Dont even understand half the exercises you guys talk about never done deadlift...but at the behest of my PT been doing some leg work..

I only know one type of squat lol.. like Esso done in his video..

so
10 x 60
10 x 80
10 x 100
5 x 110

then leg press 250 with squat jump as a super set 3 x10

done drop set leg press with PT last week which felt like a beast 250..200 150..sadist made me do  12 each X 3.. really felt that in the backs of my legs for two days after

Done some bent over rows today..never that keen before but got showed proper technique and

10 x 60 x 3 sets felt reasonably comfortable followed by 34kg DB press superset with rows 3 X 10.. then pull downs 57 kg x 10 x3 superset with slow count of 4 down press up with explosion up 10 x 3 before killer spin with a relief instructor who was obviously a descendant of the Spanish inquisition

Bloody tweaked my calf again Tuesday so no running at the moment.. but found this awesome thing.. like an ice pack Velcros round your leg and has akin to a blood pressure pump that you pump up to create a compression as well.. its pretty good and the calf feeling less tight etc already

Remember Matt and his pressups thing.. done 44 in one hit..prob had 2 more in me.. not sure if that's any good ?.. but seems a good thing to do at home

[Marky147]

Is it something you could wear around the elbow, to mainly cover the joint on the inside of your arm?

If so, could you send me the link for that please, mate.

I've not been training long, but I feel like a massive fish hearing all these new excercises, lol.

It makes me feel a little better that someone who's been training 1/2 a century like you have, doesn't know them, Dean

[iRaise]

Been toddling along nicely.. still doing lots of power/strength/cardio circuits trying to lean up.. thrown in a couple of spin classes as well which I quite enjoy..

Dont even understand half the exercises you guys talk about never done deadlift...but at the behest of my PT been doing some leg work..

I only know one type of squat lol.. like Esso done in his video..

so
10 x 60
10 x 80
10 x 100
5 x 110

then leg press 250 with squat jump as a super set 3 x10

done drop set leg press with PT last week which felt like a beast 250..200 150..sadist made me do  12 each X 3.. really felt that in the backs of my legs for two days after

Done some bent over rows today..never that keen before but got showed proper technique and

10 x 60 x 3 sets felt reasonably comfortable followed by 34kg DB press superset with rows 3 X 10.. then pull downs 57 kg x 10 x3 superset with slow count of 4 down press up with explosion up 10 x 3 before killer spin with a relief instructor who was obviously a descendant of the Spanish inquisition

Bloody tweaked my calf again Tuesday so no running at the moment.. but found this awesome thing.. like an ice pack Velcros round your leg and has akin to a blood pressure pump that you pump up to create a compression as well.. its pretty good and the calf feeling less tight etc already

Remember Matt and his pressups thing.. done 44 in one hit..prob had 2 more in me.. not sure if that's any good ?.. but seems a good thing to do at home

That seems some pretty solid training. How often do you get to the gym in a week?

[the sicilian]

Is it something you could wear around the elbow, to mainly cover the joint on the inside of your arm?

If so, could you send me the link for that please, mate.

I've not been training long, but I feel like a massive fish hearing all these new excercises, lol.

It makes me feel a little better that someone who's been training 1/2 a century like you have, doesn't know them, Dean

cheeky whipper snapper