Blonde will make you STRONG

[Marky147]

Still a step off and overslept ( very unlike me ) for PT on Saturday.. was actually devastated.. haven't had a session with him since 5th August and wont now until the 23rd..

Consoled myself with a PB in squat today 140KG..

warm up at 60KG

2 x 10 100KG

felt comfortable at 120KG for ten so decided to up it.. plus there was a cheeky young lady on a running machine to my direct left facing me.. such an egotistic tool ... the difference between 120 and 140 was marked.. squeezed 2 out and didn't feel that comfortable.. pretty sure she was impressed enough to consider having my babies 

Impressed that an your insides didn't fall out when you attempted the PB

Was quite a shock to how different 120 to 140 felt.. back quite stiff today.. sigh karma got me for showing off

Never delved into treble figures, but can relate to the stiffness

[iRaise]

Slightly tweaked my training for the next few weeks. Last few weeks everyday has started with legs, no we are having ham/quad/push/pull split to start us off. Hopefully see some mental results there but not sure yet.

Still going full body split and definitely still enjoying it. Lots of single leg work at the minute, so the weights aren't too impressive. But DLs are creeping back up which is nice.

[EvilPie]

Still a step off and overslept ( very unlike me ) for PT on Saturday.. was actually devastated.. haven't had a session with him since 5th August and wont now until the 23rd..

Consoled myself with a PB in squat today 140KG..

warm up at 60KG

2 x 10 100KG

felt comfortable at 120KG for ten so decided to up it.. plus there was a cheeky young lady on a running machine to my direct left facing me.. such an egotistic tool ... the difference between 120 and 140 was marked.. squeezed 2 out and didn't feel that comfortable.. pretty sure she was impressed enough to consider having my babies 

Impressed that an your insides didn't fall out when you attempted the PB

Was quite a shock to how different 120 to 140 felt.. back quite stiff today.. sigh karma got me for showing off

One thing I've learnt since moving from pure body building 4 x 10 type workouts to the lower rep max effort ranges is how much difference a tiny amount of weight makes when you're approaching a max.

The jump from 120 x 10 to 140 x 2 is huge. Have you tried any of the weight in between at any point? You know the ones where you'd have to stick the tiny discs that say 1.25kg on them either side of the bar?

If you fancy testing yourself you need to do a bit of a programme to get your central nervous system prepared for the shock of lifting something heavy. If you can go from 120 to 140 without any kind of ramping up then you must be good for 160kg or so I'd have thought if you programme it properly over say 6 to 8 weeks.

Something along the lines of....

Warm up at 60kg
5 @ 80kg
5 @ 100kg
3 @ 115kg
3 x 3 @ 125kg

After that move on to your 4 x 10 @ 120kg

Every week just step up you low volume heavy stuff but just by adding 2.5kg per week. You'll be doing 3 x 3 at 140kg in 6 weeks and you'll also be a bit more primed to push those low rep sets out. You'd most likely be ready to try 160 but it would be too much of a jump so just do 145kg and be happy with a 5kg PR then start your programme again but slightly heavier. Seems weak just adding 5kg but if you ran the programme for a year you'd be doing 180kg and there's nothing weak about that.

Took me ages to get out of the 4 x 10 mentality but now I'll happily do singles, doubles or triples. I'll also happily take a 2.5kg PR as I know it's a long game especially when you're in our age bracket.

You could have so much fun over the next year seeing what you can squat. They reckon that 80% of a 1RM roughly equates to whatever you can do for 8. If you're happy squatting 120kg for 10 you could squat something pretty monstrous if you fancied giving it a go.

[the sicilian]

Still a step off and overslept ( very unlike me ) for PT on Saturday.. was actually devastated.. haven't had a session with him since 5th August and wont now until the 23rd..

Consoled myself with a PB in squat today 140KG..

warm up at 60KG

2 x 10 100KG

felt comfortable at 120KG for ten so decided to up it.. plus there was a cheeky young lady on a running machine to my direct left facing me.. such an egotistic tool ... the difference between 120 and 140 was marked.. squeezed 2 out and didn't feel that comfortable.. pretty sure she was impressed enough to consider having my babies 

Impressed that an your insides didn't fall out when you attempted the PB

Was quite a shock to how different 120 to 140 felt.. back quite stiff today.. sigh karma got me for showing off

One thing I've learnt since moving from pure body building 4 x 10 type workouts to the lower rep max effort ranges is how much difference a tiny amount of weight makes when you're approaching a max.

The jump from 120 x 10 to 140 x 2 is huge. Have you tried any of the weight in between at any point? You know the ones where you'd have to stick the tiny discs that say 1.25kg on them either side of the bar?

If you fancy testing yourself you need to do a bit of a programme to get your central nervous system prepared for the shock of lifting something heavy. If you can go from 120 to 140 without any kind of ramping up then you must be good for 160kg or so I'd have thought if you programme it properly over say 6 to 8 weeks.

Something along the lines of....

Warm up at 60kg
5 @ 80kg
5 @ 100kg
3 @ 115kg
3 x 3 @ 125kg

After that move on to your 4 x 10 @ 120kg

Every week just step up you low volume heavy stuff but just by adding 2.5kg per week. You'll be doing 3 x 3 at 140kg in 6 weeks and you'll also be a bit more primed to push those low rep sets out. You'd most likely be ready to try 160 but it would be too much of a jump so just do 145kg and be happy with a 5kg PR then start your programme again but slightly heavier. Seems weak just adding 5kg but if you ran the programme for a year you'd be doing 180kg and there's nothing weak about that.

Took me ages to get out of the 4 x 10 mentality but now I'll happily do singles, doubles or triples. I'll also happily take a 2.5kg PR as I know it's a long game especially when you're in our age bracket.

You could have so much fun over the next year seeing what you can squat. They reckon that 80% of a 1RM roughly equates to whatever you can do for 8. If you're happy squatting 120kg for 10 you could squat something pretty monstrous if you fancied giving it a go.

Cheers Matt

[EvilPie]

28th June 2017 - Weight 16st 10lb, waist 37.5"

5th July 2017 - Weight 16st 5lb, waist 37.25"

12th July 2017 - Weight 16st 7lb, waist 37.25"

19th July 2017 - Weight 16st 4lb, waist 37.25"

26th July 2017 - Weight 16st 4lb, waist 37"

2nd August 2017 - Weight 16st 3lb, waist 36.5"

9th August 2017 - Weight 16st 2lb, waist 36.25"

23rd August 2017 - Weight 16st 1lb, waist 36"

31st August 2017 - Weight 15st 12lb, waist 36"

7th September 2017 - Weight 15st 10lb, waist 35.5"

Surprising final week sees a full stone lost over 9 weeks and also 2" off the waistline. Over the moon with this result particularly as I haven't really put too much effort in and haven't restricted myself on curry nights, Sunday dinner and a slice of cake or beers if I fancy one.

Off on holiday tomorrow for four nights but I'm sure I'll be back on it Wednesday as I'm fully enjoying training and my diet at the moment.

I imagine that upping my training to 6 days per week has been a contributory factor to this loss and that isn't likely to change any time soon so there could be more to come.

Might carry this on after my holiday for a few more weeks as I go away for another weekend at the end of the month. After that who knows? Might try a bit of a bulk/strength thing or may just carry on as I am. Time will tell but I haven't got any real plans so just have to see.

[PokerBroker]

Been a while since I posted on here about our gym, but 3 of our lifters are away at the Commonwealth Youth Games on Australias Gold Coast. 

2 have lifted so far and both have managed medals Bronze and Silver.  Jason who has left our club snatched 120kg and C&J 145k got Silver.  Emily got bronze and despite bing out for the best part of the year injured Danny lifts tonight.  Hoping for PB's a medal would be awesome. 

[iRaise]

28th June 2017 - Weight 16st 10lb, waist 37.5"

5th July 2017 - Weight 16st 5lb, waist 37.25"

12th July 2017 - Weight 16st 7lb, waist 37.25"

19th July 2017 - Weight 16st 4lb, waist 37.25"

26th July 2017 - Weight 16st 4lb, waist 37"

2nd August 2017 - Weight 16st 3lb, waist 36.5"

9th August 2017 - Weight 16st 2lb, waist 36.25"

23rd August 2017 - Weight 16st 1lb, waist 36"

31st August 2017 - Weight 15st 12lb, waist 36"

7th September 2017 - Weight 15st 10lb, waist 35.5"

Surprising final week sees a full stone lost over 9 weeks and also 2" off the waistline. Over the moon with this result particularly as I haven't really put too much effort in and haven't restricted myself on curry nights, Sunday dinner and a slice of cake or beers if I fancy one.

Off on holiday tomorrow for four nights but I'm sure I'll be back on it Wednesday as I'm fully enjoying training and my diet at the moment.

I imagine that upping my training to 6 days per week has been a contributory factor to this loss and that isn't likely to change any time soon so there could be more to come.

Might carry this on after my holiday for a few more weeks as I go away for another weekend at the end of the month. After that who knows? Might try a bit of a bulk/strength thing or may just carry on as I am. Time will tell but I haven't got any real plans so just have to see.

Some good numbers there too, how consistent has 6x a week been?

[iRaise]

Been a while since I posted on here about our gym, but 3 of our lifters are away at the Commonwealth Youth Games on Australias Gold Coast. 

2 have lifted so far and both have managed medals Bronze and Silver.  Jason who has left our club snatched 120kg and C&J 145k got Silver.  Emily got bronze and despite bing out for the best part of the year injured Danny lifts tonight.  Hoping for PB's a medal would be awesome. 

Some huge numbers there, they are all pretty light too aren't they?

Do they travel a lot for it?

[PokerBroker]

77kg class for Jason.

[iRaise]

Tweaked my training slightly. Still four structured days, full body. But previous I had gone a legs variation at the top each day. Now we have a ham/quad/push/pull dominant to start the day off to get a bit more specific. Single leg work every day still. Depending on time, I may even through in an extra variation per body part per week. But a nice week so far.

The main four are:

Front rack lunges- 4x8e 40kg (new to these, so not loading too much yet but wanting to push this quite high because I want to get more comfy/accustomed to the bar position)
Bench- 4x3-5 this week I got 4,4,3,3 at 90. Kinda annoying that, thought I would breeze 90 for 5 for the first set. Almost treated it like a warm up. Ego in check there. Really working on keeping my knuckles to the sky, which I suck at, so I think that takes away a lot of my stability strength. So maybe I do need to accept a slightly lower number for a bit.
Under hand dead stop rack row- 4x6-8 90kg. Tough. Really focusing on not coming up with it, to the extend I got someone to push my back down as I did it. Keeping the upper body still throughout isn't as easy as it looks, another ego check moment.
DLs tomorrow, the plan 4x3-5 140/150/155 (160 if 155 hit 4 or more reps), most likely 2 sets at 155.

Keep spending my life savings in M&S, but at least I am recovering well.

[iRaise]

77kg class for Jason.

Strong, strong chap.

[iRaise]

Some good sessions last week.

Stuck at 150 for DLs. Want to break the higher rep range before I go up, and just couldn't hit it. But nice reps so pleased.

Lunge galore at the minute, not a huge fan in terms of enjoyment, but really need to balance out a very right side biased squat.

RDLs up to a nice 4x12 at 75. Much more body builder in terms of tension and speed, so pleased with the grip there as its probably over the minute mark for holding it.

Enjoying training on the whole though. Being a little more relaxed food wise, so will see where I weigh in at in a few weeks.

[Marky147]

Up to my neck in Narcos atm, but love TGG, and seen this guy mentioned on here a few times.

Will definitely be listening to this over the weekend, whilst knocking it in on horses and golf.

[EvilPie]

Some good sessions last week.

Stuck at 150 for DLs. Want to break the higher rep range before I go up, and just couldn't hit it. But nice reps so pleased.

Lunge galore at the minute, not a huge fan in terms of enjoyment, but really need to balance out a very right side biased squat.

RDLs up to a nice 4x12 at 75. Much more body builder in terms of tension and speed, so pleased with the grip there as its probably over the minute mark for holding it.

Enjoying training on the whole though. Being a little more relaxed food wise, so will see where I weigh in at in a few weeks.

Nice work on the deadlifts mate. Definitely agree with taking it steady and not going up too soon. Strong RDL there too for 12s.

My deadlift is coming along nicely but slowly. I'm sticking to sumo on my deadlift day but have now thrown conventional back in on leg day, both are 5 x 5 and currently up to 100kg on both without any breakdown in form. There's loads in the tank on both but I'm determined to increase very slowly so as to avoid injury.

My little weekend break doesn't seem to have had any adverse effects so that's good. I'm seeing improvements everywhere and was really pleased tonight to get a 50kg single arm row out for 5. I've not been above 36kg on those since I got back in to training but just felt good so went 40, 44, 50, 50 all for 5 which seems to be the point that my elbow starts to hurt. Even on lighter weight I get the same pain so might as well keep to the same rep range but increase the weight. Form definitely slipped a touch at 50 with a slight swing but nothing major so planning on trying to push those a bit. Personally don't think there's a better exercise for lat size than the single arm row, chins win for overall development but one arm row for size.

Bench is keeping steady at 5 x 5 for 105. Just maintaining there ready for another shot at a 6 week programme leading to a PR attempt after I get back off my next little break. Probably going to start a six week programme on 21st October leading to a max attempt on 25th November. I'll combine that with ramping up my food intake as well which will hopefully give me a chance at hitting 150kg.

Just need my spotter to be available...... How you fixed?......

[iRaise]

Don't think a spotter is needed tbh!

When you thinking? Notts yeah? See how many people we can get involved?