Blonde will make you STRONG

[arbboy]

No accessory work to speak of.  JUst the simple 3 workout plan i am sticking to.  170kg 2 reps for 2 sets was fine.  I haven't really gone all out for a proper 1 rep max.  I reckon if i went for it i could do 180/190kg at a push but i don't want to risk injury tbh and have a set back.

Now i know i have done 170kg for 2 reps i will simply build on that for the next few weeks until i can do 6 reps at 170 then try 180kg for 1 or 2 reps and just keep cracking on like that.  Overall i am feeling great and the body is slowly starting to change from a lump of lard to something like i was at 25.  Going to continue with this routine for 3 months and see how strong i can get then try to lose more weight and focus less on power/strength for a few months to get in shape for the summer.  Really enjoying the hard core strength work i am doing at the minute though to stop it and feel tired by cutting the calories too much.

barbell bicep curled 50kg yesterday which was a nice bench mark (remember peaking at 60kg in my mid 20s) and dumbbell benched 36kg for 6 slow deep reps with no spotter.  Trouble is my gains have been so rapid the gym only has 40kg dumbbells so might have to look for somewhere else to train!  First world problems!  Another goal this year is your 50kg dumbbell bench challenge.  Pretty sure i benched 50/55kg dumbbells in my mid 20s at my peak.  I love the dumbbells so much more than barbell chest work.  4 months ago when i started back i was struggling benching 20kg dumbbells!  Funny looking back.  Triceps are helping this improvement as i did 8 deep reps with 38kg dumbbell over head 2 arm tricep seated presses and 40kg barbell lying down tricep press to the forehead.  They were tough.  Loaded the bar  up to 40k and thought it would be a piece of piss after smashing the 38kg dumbbell and nearly choked myself pressing the bar as it nearly collapsed on my throat!  Banged out 5 reps once i got sorted!  Elbows get a bit sore doing this so i need to investment in some proper heavy duty elbow supports i think.  Anyone got any suggestions or links?

Will take your advice on shoulder work.  I think i will just stick to dumbbells mainly for shoulder pressing as i like the individual balance it forces you to use with each arm.  I don't have a station for barbell shoulder pressing at my gym so dumbbells will be fine for that.

Seems ages since I last used dumbbells for chest press. Since I started having problems with my wrists and elbows I've avoided them completely as the slightest wrong move can cause me some pretty bad pain. It's such a shame I'm struggling with these at the moment as my gym goes up to 75kg so would be great to see how heavy I could go. I reckon 65kg may have been on the cards in my prime. There's a couple of guys at my place now who use the 65s and I actually spotted a guy last week doing 65kg DB shoulder press. Crazy strong!!

Don't worry too much about the rapid progress, it has to slow down at some point. For me it was around the 40kg point that it started to get harder to improve so you may be okay for a while yet.

Great work in general. Will be good following your progress through this year.

All good numbers there, like Matt, looking forward to seeing how you get on over the year.

170kg deadlift didnt get more than 2 inches off the floor this week.  #xmasfoodandrestftw!  160 was easy enough.  Let's have xmas every other week and we would all be as strong as eddie.  Just watched all the WSM shows today.  How good were Eddie and Thor? Thor only a point behind him with a series of events which really suited Eddie.

Couldn't agree more with Thor, if you hand picked the events in Eddie's favour you would pretty much choose all of those, maybe a log press max too. Feel for Thor because I think he is the best all round athlete, and if he wins strongman could have a moneymaker effect with him being in Thrones. Really happy Eddie won tho, seems ridiculous you can be the best deadlifter to ever walked the earth and not officially be crowned WSM. Thor defo in for multiple WSM in the next few years injury/desire/TV work permitting.

Amazing 3 years on these 2 nutters are traing for a boxing bout with each other!

[Marky147]

Funny you post that, as Kugan got one with Thor up today.

[arbboy]

Funny you post that, as Kugan got one with Thor up today.

Still think eddie is going to smash him  Some of his boxing training videos are brutal and he will be like tyson size wise v thor.   

[Marky147]

PPV Doormen

[vegaslover]

Has their boxing improved the last couple of months?
I stopped watching their vids once WSM events started as wanted to watch it over xmas and not know results.
The weight loss and training has been superb from both, but the boxing skills looked fucking awful from both

[Marky147]

Elite athletes are always going to have that switch they can turn on once there is a target, so no shock to see them both crushing that aspect.

Can't expect them to look anything like boxers, even with a year to train, though.

Be like a couple big Nate Robinsons, when they do get in there

[BangBang]

Elite athletes are always going to have that switch they can turn on once there is a target, so no shock to see them both crushing that aspect.

Can't expect them to look anything like boxers, even with a year to train, though.

Be like a couple big Nate Robinsons, when they do get in there

Stop it

[EvilPie]

Great bench day today smashing a couple of PRs

I've been stuck on 3 reps at 128kg for ages but managed 4 reps on Tuesday. Carried that through to today and got a set of 4 then a set of 5 which I was really pleased with.

Finished off with a load of volume work 108kg x 11, 88kg x 14 then 68kg x 17. I was absolute toast after that little lot.

Squats were also really good again hitting some PRs and loads of volume.

Managed 3 singles at 108kg and it definitely feels like a double is there soon. Also did 88kg for 4 which is 2 more than I've attempted before and a couple of doubles at 88kg as well.

I'm saying these are PRs but really they'd be 'new form' PRs. I've done more weight in the past but never with such a slow descent and long pause. I'm really feeling the benefit of these at the moment and I'm confident if I can keep up this technique I'll end up with a stable enough foundation to be able to keep squatting without injury.

Day off tomorrow which will be needed then back on it Monday......
 

[Marky147]

Elite athletes are always going to have that switch they can turn on once there is a target, so no shock to see them both crushing that aspect.

Can't expect them to look anything like boxers, even with a year to train, though.

Be like a couple big Nate Robinsons, when they do get in there

Stop it

Sorry

[Marky147]

Great bench day today smashing a couple of PRs

I've been stuck on 3 reps at 128kg for ages but managed 4 reps on Tuesday. Carried that through to today and got a set of 4 then a set of 5 which I was really pleased with.

Finished off with a load of volume work 108kg x 11, 88kg x 14 then 68kg x 17. I was absolute toast after that little lot.

Squats were also really good again hitting some PRs and loads of volume.

Managed 3 singles at 108kg and it definitely feels like a double is there soon. Also did 88kg for 4 which is 2 more than I've attempted before and a couple of doubles at 88kg as well.

I'm saying these are PRs but really they'd be 'new form' PRs. I've done more weight in the past but never with such a slow descent and long pause. I'm really feeling the benefit of these at the moment and I'm confident if I can keep up this technique I'll end up with a stable enough foundation to be able to keep squatting without injury.

Day off tomorrow which will be needed then back on it Monday......
 

Great going, Matt!

Glad it's all going so well 

[Marky147]

Last night in Dubai.

[vegaslover]

Last night in Dubai.

Saw it today, looked like a load of haymakers and rabbit punches. Gassed to fuck too.
Should benefit him massively, shows him just how much work he still has to do

[Marky147]

Comparing him to a boxer, definitely.

Compare him to another lump with no experience, he didn't look all that bad.

Fair play to them for managing to get this set up, and get themselves paid.

Be funny when they do fight, for sure

[EvilPie]

Another great Saturday but I'm absolutely f**ked.....

4 and 5 at 128kg again on bench following on from hitting 133kg for 3 on Thursday. Going by how much harder this bench is I'm sure that a double will be on the cards for 3 plates when the gyms re-open.

Big PR on the squats hitting 117kg for a single and then 2 more singles at 121.5kg. They weren't perfect reps but felt strong and the bar felt reasonably light on my back. I've not squatted above 110kg for as long as I can remember so really pleased with progress on these.

I'm missing the different exercises that I get to do at the gym particularly my shoulder work but the heavily bench / squat focussed stuff is certainly paying dividends for those two lifts.

Looking forward to a recovery day tomorrow, I've a feeling I'm going to need it.

[BangBang]

Another great Saturday but I'm absolutely f**ked.....

4 and 5 at 128kg again on bench following on from hitting 133kg for 3 on Thursday. Going by how much harder this bench is I'm sure that a double will be on the cards for 3 plates when the gyms re-open.

Big PR on the squats hitting 117kg for a single and then 2 more singles at 121.5kg. They weren't perfect reps but felt strong and the bar felt reasonably light on my back. I've not squatted above 110kg for as long as I can remember so really pleased with progress on these.

I'm missing the different exercises that I get to do at the gym particularly my shoulder work but the heavily bench / squat focussed stuff is certainly paying dividends for those two lifts.

Looking forward to a recovery day tomorrow, I've a feeling I'm going to need it.

Epic....!! On both fronts..

What are you doing for recovery?

Haven’t done much apart from pull ups, push ups and 5km everyday (although I’ve missed yesterday and probably today)  not sure wether it’s body dysmorphia but I am noticing my shoulders looking narrower. I was supposed to start weight training again 2 weeks ago but thought I’d give my joints a rest and now feel guilty for losing muscle.

Anyway great to see you still pushing on...