Blonde will make you STRONG

[iRaise]

Going to have to be a Sunday for me if we meet up. Got a really good thing going with my training partner on a Saturday so don't want to miss one of those.

Did a few deadlifts last night and pushed it a bit for a few singles.

60kg x 8
80kg x 5
100kg x 2
120kg
140kg
150kg
160kg

Finished off with 3 x 3 at 130kg

Surprised myself getting a 160kg in. Pretty sure that's a PB so got to be good.

No adverse affects from it today so quite positive for the future.

Genuinely could be at 200 by the end of next month if you stay injury free. I am adamant you could have had it last year.

[iRaise]

Any Sunday day time is perfect for me tbh.  I am probably the most flexible person time wise/schedule wise so happy to fit around everyone else for a meet up.

Same as that, maybe leave it until after Chelts, rather than squeezing it in right at beginning of March.

I might be back under 15 stone then, too


Matt weighs about the same as I do, but about a foot taller.

He is a tall chap.

[iRaise]

Got in later than normal this week (about two hours later) and it was raaaammmed. Really, really annoying, I am blessed going in the afternoon as I wait for absolutely nothing. So had to do DLs from the floor not the platform, no real difference whatsoever other than psychological/habit.

DL

140x8
150x5
160x4
170x3

Reaaaally pleased with the three there, as last week was 1 and the second just got off the floor. Not thrilled about technique probably a 7.5/10 but really want to be a bit tighter than that.

OHP 62.5 for 3x5.

Lunges 4x8e with the 24s and SL RDL the same.

Working on my jumps too. Failed my first one at the red, blue and green which is something over a meter. Legs definitely felt it but just got the second.

Did some speed squats this week and some volume on the bench. Bench is staying the same 6-8 reps looking to add 2.5 once we get more than .

DLs are now going to alternate speed one week strength the next, then squats the same going the opposite of DLs. May break this if I feel exceptionally strong on a day but looking to work on both speed/power/strength as well as technique.

Weighed in on my mates scales last weekend at just over 87kg which is mad considering Xmas, absolute brag here but really pleasing the habits I am setting/creating.

[Marky147]

Yeah, used to be like that when I first started going again with my brother. Bad enough bouncing around when nobody there, but a nightmare when it's rammed.

Shall we go for Sunday the 18th March?

[EvilPie]

EvilPie - hope you don't mind me asking but I was looking at your deadlift stats and I am wondering what weight and height you are I presume that both height and weight can have limitations on how much you can lift - or is it more technique that helps.

I am still raring to get down the gym just waiting for a consultation with the health team.

Hi Mikey. Not a problem at all. I'm 6' 4" and currently weighing in at 102kg which is pretty much bang on 16st

I'm not a deadlift expert at all but I'll tell you what I know from my limited knowledge and experience of the lift. Most of what I say is from YouTube videos of people who really do know what they're talking about so it's fairly solid I'm sure.

Weight is definitely a factor. The heavier you are the more you can lift but there are caveats. You can't just get fat and suddenly expect to lift more, you need muscle weight not just fat weight. They say that mass moves mass but at this years WSM the lightest man in the contest won the plane pull so it isn't an exact science just a general accepted guideline.

Regarding height that's not a factor at all in my opinion. I certainly don't use it as an excuse like some people do although I'll freely admit that before I knew better it was always convenient to blame my height for my crappy deadlift and squat.

What is vitally important is how your height is made up meaning your torso length, femur length and tibia length. They are what determine the levers that are involved in you shifting a lump off weight off the floor Also a huge factor is your arm length. You could be really tall but if you have a long torso, stumpy legs and orang-utan arms you don't have to lift the bar as far as the guy who has a short torso, giraffe legs and t-rex arms.

Everybody is different so you just have to work with what you've got and do the best you can.

Another factor is how your muscles work together when you pull. If everything fires in the correct order and your hamstrings and glutes are fully engaged you'll do nicely. If your glutes or hamstrings don't switch on at all during the lift which I believe is one of my problems you've got some huge muscle groups not helping out and leaving the work to everything else.

Technique is huge with deadlift and it can't be explained in text form. You need to watch a few YouTube videos to see how it should be done. There are good and bad ones out there, I'll see if I can find some of my favourites and post a few links later.

Hope it goes well with the consultants.

[mikeymike]

Great reply - its always interests me when watching WSM that some do well in some things and poorly in others your explanation helps -

Will watch a few vids on youtube.

Cheers

[EvilPie]

Great reply - its always interests me when watching WSM that some do well in some things and poorly in others your explanation helps -

Will watch a few vids on youtube.

Cheers

This guy is pretty much my favourite for explanations of all the main lifts:



The link takes you to part one of his deadlift series, easy enough to find the others from here as well as his bench, squat and OHP videos.

He's a strongman competitor so given your comments he might be someone you'll enjoy watching.

[EvilPie]

Been a good week for me. 3 nights of 5 x 5 squats and 5 x 5 OHP went well. Had bit of a blip tonight when for some reason OHP set 4 went a bit weird. I could hardly move the first one and bailed after 3 because it all felt wrong. Still got 5 out on the last set so it must've been a set up problem somehow.

Bench yesterday went nicely, got up to 135kg for a single with a very slight spot, 140kg easy with the slingshot and 145kg slingshot again with a very slight spot.

We're planning on running the bench programme that I've used before starting next week. We've been doing mostly low rep stuff since I started with my new partner so it'll be good to see how the programme affects both our maxes. I'll work on an assumed max of 135kg as that's my recent best, 145kg was back in August and I know I couldn't shift that at all now so got to drop down. Target will probably be to get a 140kg single but be happy with anything more.

Might eat loads in the build up then as soon as it's done diet down ready for Vegas in April. If I bump up my calories for the next 5 weeks I might be around the same weight as when I last hit a PR. That would then give 7 weeks to slim back down a bit for Vegas. See how that pans out but I'm not going to push for anything in particular.

[muckthenuts]

I'm back on the grid. After a 2017 where i made basically 0 progress due to being really inconsistent i decided to get hold of PT earlier this month (not even a NY resolution, just pure coincidence)

This PT seems great, i actually approached him after i watched him train someone else and was quite impressed. He's young, good physique, focuses relentlessly on technique and seems to be devoting his entire life to this art. I genuinely believe i may have caught someone early who's going to go on to do great things. We do 30 min sessions for £17 which i reckon is a steal for him, hence i've decided i'm going to see him 3x a week for A) chest, B) back C) and shoulders/biceps. 

There's two massive benefits for me here, first is way more efficient training as it's borderline cringeworthy now to think how wrong i was doing some things before and secondly it forces me to actually go. I reckon i would have skipped so many sessions this year due to being tired after work, but having a PT there helps get me in plus means i kinda get to just switch off my brain and just lift what he tells me if that makes sense. Also helps as he obv knows a ton of exercises, very helpful for the packed January gyms where you often have to get creative with what's available.

Legs i'm doing myself. Set myself a very achievable goal of 100kg 5x5 squats by the end of the year. I managed 5 reps of 95kg earlier today so i really should get there i'll feel happy having hit 3 figures even though i should really have got to it a while ago. Squats have always been my strongest movement.

Diet is waaaaayward, dunno what i'm gonna do there. So hard to eat clean even close to consistently when i've literally lived on junk my whole life. My body is so skinny fat right now its ridic. My PT has asked for a food diary, so far i've actually been too embarassed to share it with him lol.

So yeah. 3 weeks in so far. I have no issue paying the PT for 3 sessions a week even if all it does is help me be genuinely consistent this year. Looking forward to seeing what i may achieve in 2018. 

[iRaise]

I'm back on the grid. After a 2017 where i made basically 0 progress due to being really inconsistent i decided to get hold of PT earlier this month (not even a NY resolution, just pure coincidence)

This PT seems great, i actually approached him after i watched him train someone else and was quite impressed. He's young, good physique, focuses relentlessly on technique and seems to be devoting his entire life to this art. I genuinely believe i may have caught someone early who's going to go on to do great things. We do 30 min sessions for £17 which i reckon is a steal for him, hence i've decided i'm going to see him 3x a week for A) chest, B) back C) and shoulders/biceps. 

There's two massive benefits for me here, first is way more efficient training as it's borderline cringeworthy now to think how wrong i was doing some things before and secondly it forces me to actually go. I reckon i would have skipped so many sessions this year due to being tired after work, but having a PT there helps get me in plus means i kinda get to just switch off my brain and just lift what he tells me if that makes sense. Also helps as he obv knows a ton of exercises, very helpful for the packed January gyms where you often have to get creative with what's available.

Legs i'm doing myself. Set myself a very achievable goal of 100kg 5x5 squats by the end of the year. I managed 5 reps of 95kg earlier today so i really should get there i'll feel happy having hit 3 figures even though i should really have got to it a while ago. Squats have always been my strongest movement.

Diet is waaaaayward, dunno what i'm gonna do there. So hard to eat clean even close to consistently when i've literally lived on junk my whole life. My body is so skinny fat right now its ridic. My PT has asked for a food diary, so far i've actually been too embarassed to share it with him lol.

So yeah. 3 weeks in so far. I have no issue paying the PT for 3 sessions a week even if all it does is help me be genuinely consistent this year. Looking forward to seeing what i may achieve in 2018. 

I get this all the time, I am almost 100% if he is as good as you think he wouldn't want you to eat clean. Just eat well. The biggest barrier i face everyday with people is their food and they literally focus on completely the wrong things most of the time. Just send it, let him back some tweaks month to month. It really will hold you back more than you understand. I'm four years in, lived and breathed it, have no life stresses, a clinical nutritionist, have a professional network of 100s and I still fuck up with my food. We live in an environment where its really tough, but if you are in that environment and not changing things that can be changed easily you set yourself back so far.

Share it with him, choose one thing he gives as feedback, work on it.

[Marky147]

I got an app to track everything I eat/drink, and it's the best thing I've ever done.

Myfitness pal is superb, and I'd say definitely worth the £40 a year. I'm pretty sure you can even have it free, if you don't mind being spammed by ads etc.

Great fun when you bang out a 6k cal cheat day

[iRaise]

I got an app to track everything I eat/drink, and it's the best thing I've ever done.

Myfitness pal is superb, and I'd say definitely worth the £40 a year. I'm pretty sure you can even have it free, if you don't mind being spammed by ads etc.

Great fun when you bang out a 6k cal cheat day

Huge MFP fan, think even without advice its pretty eye opening.

[mikeymike]

Quick shout to EvilPie - thanks for vid link watched a few - the guys pretty good with his explanations.

[iRaise]

Quick shout to EvilPie - thanks for vid link watched a few - the guys pretty good with his explanations.

Matt's YouTube game is strong, rarely sends me a video that isn't worth watching.

[Woodsey]

I got an app to track everything I eat/drink, and it's the best thing I've ever done.

Myfitness pal is superb, and I'd say definitely worth the £40 a year. I'm pretty sure you can even have it free, if you don't mind being spammed by ads etc.

Great fun when you bang out a 6k cal cheat day

Yeah I thought that app was awesome....







Back in the day when I actually used it