Monster session overall.

Great Squat PB and well done on the Pull Ups

Excellent session mate. Well done on 2 very good PBs.

you have clearly been puting in some serious effort big yin. well done

you look to have promoted yourself from a powershirtlifter loverboy to the bodybuilding elite!

Rab wrote:you have clearly been puting in some serious effort big yin. well done

you look to have promoted yourself from a powershirtlifter loverboy to the bodybuilding elite!

Funnily enough, i plan to stay with this strength increasing program till i go to Majorca in the start of June then will be looking to you little pants and fake tan wearers for some advise on a recomposition program

Note i say recomp... not cutting... cutting can fuck off

I've got your diet sorted already, it starts with low and ends in carb.

Excellent effort with the pullups, i know what its like to be on the heavier side and felling like you're pulling the weight of the world up for BW chins. I suppose that's one exercise where as you lose lots of weight you get stronger

Thursday 20th March

Been a shitty week, stinking cold has kept me out of the gym for a few days and still feeling a little weak now. Decided that im going to give 5x5 a rest for now and do a bb type split. For the simple reason that im off to Mallorca in June and for the first time in many years im not going to be mega self conscieus about my weight, so i want to make the most of it and work on putting on a little more mass and losing a bit more fat. Bit vain i know, but having walked around in a jacket in summer for years im looking forward to walking about in just shorts and flip flops
so, 4 days split Legs/Chest+Delts/Back+traps/Arms with 2 days cardio/core a week and 1 day pure rest.

Legs

Squats
Bar x 10
70kg x 10
120kg x 6
Belt on
140kg x 5
Wraps on Loose.
160kg x 5
180kg x 3
Wraps fairly tight
200kg x 2 *Squat PB..again*
Note: Last weeks 190x2 was fairly easy so went for the 200 as i had my training partner with me. Was a bit unsettling has he dumped 120kg straight on the rack just before i went for it which started me thinking what it would be like if i lost it with 200 on my back.. but manned up and got 2 solid PL reps.. very happy.

Hack Squats
50kg x 10
50kg x 10
50kg x 10
Note: Im loving doing these after BB squats, as i squat as a PLer i tend not to go deeper than i need to and these give me the real arse to ground feeling and burn the hell out of my quads.

Seated Calf Raise
110kg x 15
110kg x 15
110kg x 15
110kg x 15
Note: Great form...paaaain!

Alternating Hamstring curls
15kg each leg x 10
15kg each leg x 10
15kg each leg x 6
15kg each leg x 6
Note: Not my favourite exercise but im determined to strengthen my hams to stop them pulling so much on heavy deads.

Leg Extensions
50kg x 12
50kg x 12
50kg x 12
Note: Final blast, 3 second negatives.. ouch!

Overall: Awesome legs workout, very happy to have broke 200kg on squats.

awesome squatting mate!

Ta mate... sitting on the bench doing my wraps and staring up to 180kg worth of bumper plates on an oly bar on the rack was a little scary

Marks1972 wrote:Ta mate... sitting on the bench doing my wraps and staring up to 180kg worth of bumper plates on an oly bar on the rack was a little scary

I get that same feeling when I go for a piss and look down...

Nice squats

Great squats, don't you plan to compete raw?

I do, what im doing tho is squatting with wraps at the top end and pulling up my raw squats below it, if that makes sense. I think a massive part of squatting is the mind games and the initial feel of the weight on your back. Wraps give me that little saftey edge i need when trying new weight so when i eventually go for it raw.. its not so suprising

I wouldnt actually mind squatting equipped in comps tho, i see belt, wraps and briefs to be as much about safety as they are about lift assist.. its benching i dont like, its too much about the shirt imo.

I love squatting in wraps myself, it adds 10-20kg and makes me feel powerful, but it's important to not neglect raw squats because you will be even weaker out of the hole without wraps.

I have to admit i like the way i look in wraps and a belt.. makes me feel like a proper lifter

Well done on the squat PB Marks.

I know what you mean about the mental element with squats. I panicked last week when I walked out with 135, I can't imagine what its going to be like if I ever get up to 200.

Saturday 22nd March

Chest/Delts

Dips
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 6

Bench Press
40kg x 15
60kg x 10 (2 second pause then press)
80kg x 10 (2 second pause then press)
90kg x 6
60kg x 10

Incline DB flyes
16kg each arm x 10
20kg each arm x 10
20kg each arm x 10
20kg each arm x 10

Incline Smith press
+30kg x 10
+40kg x 10
+50kg x 10
+60kg x 5

Smith Shoulder Press
+20kg x 10
+25kg x 10
+25kg x 6
Dropset +10kg x 15, +5kg x 10, bar x 5

Lean out side cable raises
3.75kg each arm x 10
6.25kg each arm x 10
8.75kg each arm x 8

Double cable front raise (linked bar)
7.5kg x 10
13.5kg x 10
7.5kg x 10

Reverse rear delt x-overs
3.75kg each arm x 15
3.75kg each arm x 12
6.25kg each arm x 10

Overall : Awful session, full of cold still and got my old pain in my upper arm/front delts when doing dips which hampered the rest of the workout. Less said about this one the better.

Monday 24th March

Back/Traps

BB Bent over rows
60kg x 10
80kg x 10
100kg x 6
100kg x 5
Note: Not as bent over as i usually am, experimenting a little, actually felt harder than when im almost parallel to floor.

T-Bar Rows
Bar+45kg x 10
Bar+65kg x 10
bar+75kg x 8
Bar+85kg x 5
Note: Oly bar, but im assuming with its tail on the floor im not pulling anywhere near the full 20kg it weighs.

Deadlifts
120kg x 5
160kg x 5
200kg x 1
220kg x 1
250kg x 0 (failed to lock out)
Note: Stupid time to go for a PB, but what the hell, ran out of juice as it cleared my knees and couldnt lock out.. but considering i did these after 2 row exercises and still have the cold.. i expect 250kg to fly up soon.

Wide Grip pulldowns
49kg x 10
56kg x 10
70kg x 10
77kg x 6
Note: sigh...still a looong way to go before i can pull my bodyweight, but ill get there.

Straight arm pulldowns
13.75kg x 10
18.75kg x 10
23.75kg x 10
28.75kg x 10
Note: Great mind/muscle connection, could actually feel the tension moving down my lats as i pulled.

EZ bar upright rows
25kg x 10
25kg x 10
25kg x 10
Note: Trying to find a 2nd trap exercise.. but dont think this is it, felt it in my delts rather than traps.

Lever Shrugs
90kg x 10
120kg x 10
130kg x 10
150kg x 7 (lost grip)
Note: solid as ever... annoying that my grip failed at 150kg, will use straps next time that high.

Overall : Good back workout. Shouldnt have gone mad on deads, but i cant help myself.. its my 'thing' and i love pulling 200kg+.

250 next time bud, good atemmpt

Good lifts,dont dwell on that failed 250,just remember your still not 100% well and when u are it will fly up!

Ta chaps.. im seriously thinking about looking into competeing just as a deadlifter as my bench is a total let down... there are competitions for that right?

I think Ash was saying all the powerlifting spin-offs involve bench (bench only or push/pull). You could try finding a Crossfit meet though, which replaces bench press with standing press.

I will tell you my answer...
....
......

Stop being a poof! You've only jsut start powerlifting i think you said, and you seem to be giving in already. This is only the beggining mate, progress comes in peaks and lows as i've found out. You gotta think what you could possibly do to improve it and also be patient with your lifts, particularly slower moving ones like bench press.
When you find something difficult, you don;t just go around and avoid it, you fucking take it on and work through it.

Now get competing in all 3 lifts like a real powerlifter you little bitch!!!!

raaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh






p.s i love you xxxx lol

Steady on Ash! But your right. Bench is a slow moving excercise,i remember being stuck trying to get 140kg for ever,then when i broke through that 150 then 160 came very fast.

hehe you tart

Fair point tho... I think what i really need is to find an experienced powerlifter that i can work with for a bit especially on bench, my training partner is a bodybuilder and he thinks 10 reps at 60kg from 10 inches off his chest to 12 inches is good work

I agree with ash, one day you might be a good bencher, you just never know. Like you i hate bench, but i will just keep hammering away at it, trying to perfect my technique along the way and i'm sure i'll have a pretty decent bench in a few years down the line. Just be thankful you're a good natural squatter and puller, some people are naturally weak squatters aren't they ash...poor souls

I also need an expert bencher to give me a few pointers with my technique.

None of you chaps are in the North London/South east area are you btw?