Sunday 17 January

Fairly heavy deadlifts

Deadlift
60 x 5 x 2
120 x 3 x 2
170 x 2 x 1
220 x 1 x 1 - A quick build up to 220 - 220 was a bit slow TBH but never any danger of not getting it - Probably need to do more speed work
250 - Just to see what it felt like - Powered it off the floor & got it to my knees but bombed out there - With a bit more commitment this is doable I reckon - I'd really just aimed to see if I could get it off the floor but it started so well I started to try - BUT too late then If I'd got it past my knees I reckon I'd be in with a chance of finishing - A nice little experimet anyway


Rack Pulls -Off blocks
250 x 2 x 1 - A bit heavy really
250 x 2 x 1 - Tried again but still too heavy for a triple
240 x 1 x 1 - Me stood on a block so effectivly a lower block- 2nd rep was a no go
For some reason doing these off blocks is harder than doing them out the racks- Weird - So these just didn't go well this week.

Bench Press
60 x 3 x 2
100 x 2 x 1
125 x 1 x 1 - Very fast build up but an equal PB and really strong - WooHoo


Board presses
140 x 3 x 1 - Low block x 1 & high x 2 - Easy
150 x 0 x 0 - Tried low block & failed
150 x 3 x 1 - Reracked and did a triple off the high block
150 x 5 x 1 - First rep off medium block and thre rest of extra high block

Total tonnage / reps 5,425 / 44
Intensity 123.30

Nice session - Found the pulls off blocks realy hard today - Bench went well too - I sort of wish now I'd gone a 230 deadlift off the deck instead of mucking about and trying to move 250 - Hey Ho

I find the same between using Rack and Blocks. Can only think that there's a bit more bounce with a Rack which may help momentum plus body positioning seems less of an issue after each rep.

Alex wrote:I find the same between using Rack and Blocks. Can only think that there's a bit more bounce with a Rack which may help momentum plus body positioning seems less of an issue after each rep.

Body position makes sesne to me as in the rack you can move the bar once your feet are set - You can't do that with the weights on a block. Still surprised it makes so much difference though.

Some heavy pulling there mate. What's your PB at the moment - about 235?

Richard wrote:Some heavy pulling there mate. What's your PB at the moment - about 235?

Gym PB is 235 but it was ugly - Competition PB is 230.

Monday 18 January

Lisght squat day - But racks were being used when I arrived so warmed up with some power cleans first...

Power cleans
60 x 3 x 2
80 x 3 x 2
100 x 2 x 1 - These went realy well - technique not quite there but pull was good just a bit slow getting under teh bar & catching - Still the pull was so good I hardly had to duck under much anyway

Squats
80 x 3 x 2
110 x 3 x 1
140 x 3 x 2
All very depp and paused at the bottom

Power Shrugs
140 x 3 x 3
180 x 3 x 3

Total tonnage / reps 5,570 / 47
Intensity 118.51

OK so quite a short session and not too heavy- -But felt good - Next squats on Thursday will probably go heavyish

Wednesday 20 January

Bench, bench and more benching today - Got some PBs too, which considering I wasn't really gunning for it today and just did it on a whim ain't bad:

Bench
60 x 5 x 2
80 x 4 x 1
100 x 2 x 1
120 x 1 x 1 - Really easy
130 x 1 x 1 - PB and it was really strong, I wasn't even really psyched up I just went for it - woohoo
135 x Fail - Ok trying this without being psyched up didn't work lol

Time for some board presses

Board presses
140 x 3 x 1 - 1st low block, 2nd and 3rd high block - went for a 3rd high block but failed
150 x 3 x 1 - All high block
160 x 2 x 1 - Ultra high block - But a PB I think as last time I collapsed under 160
170 x 2 x 1 - Ultra high block and definately a PB

Ok some lighter bench to finish


Bench
110 x 3 x 3

Total tonnage / reps 3,890 / 37
Intensity 105.14

Not many reps but that was hard - Wish I'd been more psyched up when I went for the 135 as I really feel I should get that - Needed by Pler buddies there to spur me on but didn't have them there

Very nice PBs, great work!

some real nice lifts there mate

Thanks Cheef & Coop

Big PB's there mate, very nice!

Well done on the bench PBs mate. Even better if you weren't that psyched.

Hillman wrote:Big PB's there mate, very nice!

Thanks mate

Richard wrote:Well done on the bench PBs mate. Even better if you weren't that psyched.

Cheers - Yes it was weird I just decided I'd have a go at 130 and although not psyched I just knew I was going to get it - Funny how getting it in your head it's not going to be even a slight problem makes a difference. WIth teh 135 I wasn't 'sure' and so needed a bit of psyching up, but it just wasn't eth right atmosphere inteh gym to do that - Hey ho - Will have a go Sunday if I'm feeling good - Can see a 140 in the not too distant future too.

Thursday 21 January

A quicvk last heavy squat day..

Squat
70 x 3 x 2
125 x 3 x 2
165 x 2 x 1
185 x 1 x 1
200 x 1 x 1 - Pretty easy but not sure it was depth - video below
210 x Fail - Rubbish attempt lol - let my hips come up ahead and no way could I do a GM with 210Kg
120 x 3 x 2 - A few light ones and making myself look up so my hips didn't come up & out to reinforce proper technique after the crap 210

Total tonnage / reps 1,885 / 16
Intensity 117.81


200Kg squat:

Looks paralell to me

Do you not find squating in shoes affects your balance?

Nice Ader. I think on the squat vid you still engage the hips a tad early - is exactly the same thing that I do when going heavy. Is definitely a squat though and not a GM like I've seen many PB attempts turn into (including my own at times to be fair)... and 200kg is very sweet.

Nice PB's yesterday too!

Looks like you are doing a bit of a 2 partish squat, only very small but noticeable. Did it feel like that?

Thanks guys

@ Benny - It's only just about // and maybe just below so may not be IPF/BDFPA depth which requires you to break //. Shoes do affect your balance - I find the heels on the Adidas shoes help as if I use flat shoes I'm too off balance backwards - the downside of the heels is it throws your knees forward and hence down so it makes it slightly more difficult to break // - But from experimentation the extra depth I have to go by having the heels is far outweighed by how comfortable/in balance I feel.

@ Det - At the bottom I let the bar descend by leaning foward rather than letting my hips go down, hence a slight GM at the bottom and the result is then my hips go up faster than my shoulders - With 200 I can control it but with 210 I was in no man's land lol

@ Coop - As above yes the hips do come up a bit early As I come up I then have to push my hips & knees forward to get back under the bar hence what I think you're seeing as a 2 part - If I hadn't gone wrong at the bottom I wouldn't have had to correct half way up

Bascially in front of me is a mirror and what you should do is spot on a highish point on the opposite wall (via the mirror) so you head & shoulder stay up - I think what I was doing was looking at myself (well hell I am a good looking guy) so at the bottom my shoulders collapsed slightly - Always look up(ish) when squatting never look down - I should know better - Hey ho bad habits die hard unfortunately and not looking up is something I keep going back to - Doh

I won't do that next week!!! Better to do it wrong now than in a comp' though.

I rate the Ironworks - feel so much more stable in them than anything else (including barefoot).

Ader wrote:@ Det - At the bottom I let the bar descend by leaning foward rather than letting my hips go down, hence a slight GM at the bottom and the result is then my hips go up faster than my shoulders - With 200 I can control it but with 210 I was in no man's land lol

I know what you mean and I do similar (unless with a very wide stance). isn't it amazing when you go heavy how just a few kgs can make such a difference? Form can go from perfect to bollocks with just a small disc on the barbell to seperate it!

its only tiny and I do the same myself on big lifts but in reference to another post I also rate ironworks especially for squatting, the stability and power transfer they give is great.

Ader wrote:@ Coop - As above yes the hips do come up a bit early As I come up I then have to push my hips & knees forward to get back under the bar hence what I think you're seeing as a 2 part - If I hadn't gone wrong at the bottom I wouldn't have had to correct half way up

Bascially in front of me is a mirror and what you should do is spot on a highish point on the opposite wall (via the mirror) so you head & shoulder stay up - I think what I was doing was looking at myself (well hell I am a good looking guy) so at the bottom my shoulders collapsed slightly - Always look up(ish) when squatting never look down - I should know better - Hey ho bad habits die hard unfortunately and not looking up is something I keep going back to - Doh

I think the two things are linked. When you dont look up & your shoulders collapse like that then the hips tend to rise faster than the shoulders & you get that slight GM. Looking strong though, you didn't look in any danger of not getting it

What are you going for at the comp?

Richard wrote:

Ader wrote:@ Coop - As above yes the hips do come up a bit early As I come up I then have to push my hips & knees forward to get back under the bar hence what I think you're seeing as a 2 part - If I hadn't gone wrong at the bottom I wouldn't have had to correct half way up

Bascially in front of me is a mirror and what you should do is spot on a highish point on the opposite wall (via the mirror) so you head & shoulder stay up - I think what I was doing was looking at myself (well hell I am a good looking guy) so at the bottom my shoulders collapsed slightly - Always look up(ish) when squatting never look down - I should know better - Hey ho bad habits die hard unfortunately and not looking up is something I keep going back to - Doh

I think the two things are linked. When you dont look up & your shoulders collapse like that then the hips tend to rise faster than the shoulders & you get that slight GM. Looking strong though, you didn't look in any danger of not getting it

What are you going for at the comp?

Not sure in the comp' may go somehting like 190, 205 and then 210 - Just have to see how it goes on the day.

Sunday 24 January

Deadlift - sort of heavy and last heavy session before comp - Next week some light squats & bench & that's it ...

Deadlift
60 x 3 x 3
100 x 3 x 2
140 x 2 x 1
180 x 2 x 1
210 x 1 x 1
Nice warm up to 210 then some rack pulls...

Rack Pulls
220 x 3 x 1 - High rack - mid knee
250 x 3 x 1 - High rack - mid knee
250 x 3 x 1 - Mid rack - Slightly below knee - Very hard
250 x 1 x 1 - Low rack (mid shins) - Ugly so had to go again
250 x 1 x 1 - Much better form still slow at the top but getting better

Deadlift - speed work
180 x 2 x 2

Bench Press
60 x 3 x 2
80 x 2 x 1
100 x 2 x 1
120 x 1 x 1
132.5 x 1 x 2 - PB
Was going to gor for 130 but someone loaded 132.5 on the bar for me - swine - so a PB attempt was on the cards - Got it but 1st one was ugly and slow - Yuk, 2nd one was much better but still not perfect.

Board presses
140 x 3 x 1 - 1st rep Low block, 2nd & 3r reps high block

Total tonnage / reps 6,895 / 51
Intensity 135.20

So nice little session and a bench PB, even if it was not pretty - Am thinking 120, 130,135 on the bench next week- With a bit more fire in the belly (which I tend to have on copetition day) I should get 135.

Looking strong on all your lifts. Good PB on the bench.