# GP's quest for size and condition...



## Greyphantom

Hi all,

Well I think its about time to start keeping a log of some kind... not sure of the format or even if it will be that regular but as I am getting back into serious training (albeit with an interruption due to an op I am having in a couple of weeks)... I have been a bit of a slob for the last few months, training has been sporadic and half ar$ed at best I am ashamed to admit... but new slate and all that...

Training will involve a higher rep with moderate weights (dropping to very light weights during post op recovery) as I found that training this way naturally while I was in China gave me good results... I found that 2 on 1 off was the best in terms of timing but due to family constraints I will be doing 2 on 1 off 2 on 2 off... Program is roughly as follows... (a quick note that when I make a note of weight it will drop dramatically after the op as will all my weights and there will be no training at all for at least 4 weeks after the op on the surgeons advice). Reps ranges when I start noting them down are generally for the first set and will drop for the 2nd and 3rd sets.

Chest/Biceps

Flat Bench

Incline (high) Bench

Incline Flyes

twist press (Db)

Bicep Curls

Db Curls

Legs

Squats

Lunges Db in each hand

Extensions

Hamstring Curls

*SLDL to be added later

Shoulders/Triceps

Shoulder press (seated bb)

lat raises

Rear delts

Close grip bench

Pushdowns

Skull crushers

Back

Pulldowns/chins (wide-ish grip palms forward)

Bent over rows

Pulldowns reverse grip (narrowish)

Yates Bent over rows

Deadlifts

Thats my basic workout subject to change as and when its needed...

Diet is pretty ok at the moment, but need to up my protein intake and probably make it cleaner if I am being honest...

The big fly in the ointment at the moment is an op that I need to repair an epigastric/ventral hernia that will take place in 2 weeks... this will put a huge dent in my training plans, but what can you do...


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## Greyphantom

Ok did legs today, but left out lunges due to time constraints and pushed through squats, ext and curls in less than 40 mins... wiped me out and felt shattered at the end of it, but after 5 mins gasping for breath on the couch (I train at home) I felt much better and took the kids up to the library and then did some shopping at sainsburys... library was ok, got to sit while the kids picked their books, but walking back to the car I could feel my legs starting to wobble... sainsburys was a right freaking laugh... had one kid either side and wobbled a couple of times but caught myself but then my legs just went out from under me and I went down like a sack of sh!t and the kids were looking at me asking if I was ok and laughing... staggered to my feet looked sheepishly around to make sure no one else was pointing and laughing and then did the shopping on very very wobbly legs indeed... home now and sitting in a nice soft chair... legs are on fire though... I feel awesome back training properly again but it sucks that I have to stop for 4-6 weeks after the op...


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## Greyphantom

Well I did say that I would probably not be too regular... trained Shoulders/ triceps and Back last week and Chest/Biceps yesterday getting the old mind muscle link going again which makes for a great workout... shoulders feeling a little fried after the session but in a good way, back was pumped and felt like a pin pr**k would send me off like a balloon... Chest and biceps went well, Chest still feels well worked today and even though I am working on lighter weights I still feel pretty good... Diet is pretty ok at the moment, not as clean as it could be but not as dirty either... Given that I have only got a week and a half to go before my op I think I am doing ok...

Kids are on holidays at the moment and there is soooo much diy that I have to take care of before the op its keeping me very busy...


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## Greyphantom

Freaking HATE DIY... spent the last few days painting our new bedroom and its been a pain, so much freaking wall space... and today, the day I trained legs, I had to move our bed (why did we get such a big bed) and all the bedroom furniture... ouch...

Legs had a good training day today,

Squats 90kg 12, 12, 10

Ext 65 kg 12, 12, 11

Hamstring curls 45kg 13, 12, 9

really felt the muscle work nicely and afterwards had to sit for a few minutes till I knew I wasnt going to throw up... I am trying to push out more reps in less time keeping pretty good form to compensate for the fact I shouldnt lift too much due to this stupid hernia... I think my fitness level is going up and I definitely feel it working in the target muscle group... makes me walk like a ruptured spinster for a day after but god I love that...


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## Greyphantom

Back trained today and again it was a fairly decent session... I am really getting into training and getting the mind/muscle link going... couldnt finish the last set of rev grip bb rows as it just wasnt happening... got a rep up and then nothing left in the tank... good and bad there I suppose as it means I caned my back (already feeling doms will be hitting me in the next day or two) and bad cos I really wanted to finish the last set... I did manage to cut training time down to about 40 mins for 4 exercises... its knackering as I am used to taking my time but I have to say the more intense training is proving a great blessing, and instead of doing rest/pause style I just keep pushing through... back to intensity...

More diy to do today, on the outside of the house this time, painting (again... sigh) and installing some gate latches/locks... and a bit of fencing woo fricking hoo...


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## Greyphantom

Weight - 109kg

Workout - Excellent

Body condition - getting better, less chubby more shape (still a ways to go though to get to my peak...)

Waist - dropped to 36 from 38 (over about 2 months, pleased about this)

Just trained Chest and Biceps... great workout and the last Chest/Bi workout for a while... weights are up and reps too... still going lighter with more reps and its working out quite well. The pump today was great and the muscle connection is getting stronger and stronger... I tried this new energy drink today too, called Monster (green one) and its pretty awesome, feel pretty wired and heaps of energy... tasty too...

Was reminiscing about when I started and how far I have come since... so to bore the crap out of you I thought a little history would go here...

Started training when I was 14 but not properly, didnt know jack, loads of big and good guys in the gym (YMCA) I started at but I just wasnt dedicated enough or brave enough to ask and follow advice... did it for a year or so then stopped for a while till I was 19 and started again with a more serious approach, at this point I weighed around 59kg... found a great gym that had a great instructor who showed me how to do it all properly, drop the ego and just lift with good form etc... I remember seeing a woman bber who was lifting about 70kg while I was lifting the bar (and struggling  ) but after a couple of years progress was made... then stopped weights while going for fitness (due to applying for Police and Air Force)... got out of the Air Force and met a couple of lads I used to go to school with who were HUGE... asked how the hell they did it and of course good diet and great training was the reason they gave... till one of them asked if I wanted to cross to the dark side... after some study (pretty much a read of Duchaines Underground Steroid Handbook) decided to take the leap... progress leaped forward of course... in the intervening years I have left the iron temple for up to 3 or 4 years at a time but always return and feel much better for it (after the initial pains of restarting of course)... my training and diet is under constant evolution though as I learn more and listen to those that know...

Go in for my op this friday and looking forward to getting it sorted but not to the down time that follows...


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## Greyphantom

no training today as spent the day laying grass seed on our front lawn... 200 square metres or near enough... fecking knackered... two more sleeps till I go in for my op, tomorrow the kids are off doing things so have a day to myself, work and training are top of the list me thinks...


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## Greyphantom

Ok had the op on friday and it went as well as can be expected... walking round like a fecking old man and abs feel tight as fvck too... there has been a bit of a difference in appearance due to the bulge not being there now so I am pleased with this... worried I will lose the ground I made up the last couple of months with this enforced lay off, but what can you do... the surgeon sewed up the hole, put the mesh in place and fixed it, then sew up the skin and stuff... told me to do nothing for 2 weeks not even lift the kettle to boil water and then after this light duties, then after 4 weeks I can start to lift very light again... rehab is going to be fun but challenging and great too...


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## Greyphantom

Been a few days since the op and getting really fed up with sitting or lying around doing nothing so I dont tear the site... tv in the day is dire and I feel like weight/muscle is just dropping off me... I can feel the mesh inside me or at least I think I can feel it, could be placebo, and the area aches a bit but its looking better than it did and hasnt bled/leaked as much the last day or two... dont use as many painkillers now which is good, and last night slept the whole night through albeit on the couch as everytime I move in bed the mrs keeps waking and asking whats wrong lol... I am not sure how much to do vis a vis walking about and stuff too, so I just do what feels comfortable and when it starts aching etc sit back down... got up to 3 reps round the living room  started taking some extra amino tabs as I havent been having the shakes I used to (mrs doesnt agree with them and refuses to do them for me, shaking the mix up is a bit of a pain at the moment) but thank god for protein bars while not ideal have helped keep the diet a bit cleaner as otherwise I think I would be munching on chocolate like nobodys business... so far so good, hope to be walking about outside by the end of the week and feeling the healing process more... itches like a mother sometimes... must remember not to scratch...


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## Greyphantom

Man I am soooo sick of sitting on my ar$e its not funny... there is no pain at all now, no general ache or even much pain when I move... only if I try to stretch it too much or move through to great a range of motion does it let me know... but still cant really bend down or twist too much... changed the dressing myself last night and the cut is bigger than I first thought... goes a long way down thats for sure... was clean and all that but blooming itchy at the moment... maddeningly so most of the time, apparently that means I am healing and I should leave it the fvck alone (in the dulcet tones of my lovely wife  )... I can walk pretty normally now but still not too fast or taking too long strides... I can lift very light loads (meal plates and things similar) and it doesnt pull too much at all, not sure how long I should wait till I start getting rehab really moving... I was told wait at least 2 weeks before attempting anything much at all and that includes driving... but it looks like its healing nicely and cleanly so as long as it doesnt pull or hurt when I move then I figure its not doing any harm... belly is looking flatter by far, sure still a bit chubby (and enforced non activity is not helping) but its now lump free... a bit worried that cos I cant tense the abs so well or use them in any meaningful way they will be soft and loose so distending my waist... well even more I should say... still not too long and I can start training again, slowly but surely...


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## Greyphantom

Its been just over a week and its actually feeling pretty good, still lets me know if I stretch too much or move in a way it doesnt like... can finally sleep on my side and it feels great, getting a full nights sleep without being on the couch, although the cat feels put out by this as he had taken over my side of the bed...!! Sat out in the sun with shirts off on saturday and I think it helped a lot... went for a 3 mile walk on sunday and it felt fine, up and down hills and I have been lifting things (household stuff mainly) and its not pulled or felt bad in any way... I can now also tense up my abs without it hurting, sure not at the stage where I can do crunches and deads but its getting there a bit quicker than I thought it would... I think the extra aminos are helping too but this could be just placebo/wishful thinking... this week going to do a bit more and start to work it a little more too, its not bleeding or weeping which is good...


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## Greyphantom

Had to change the dressing last night and found that the top of the incision is open slightly... think that happened when I tried jumping out of bed the other day to a freaking pigeon on the roof of our room... its not too serious but will have to phone the docs to speak with a nurse or doc to see if it needs to be either re-stitched or just use those sticky strips to keep it closed... its not too bad about the same as a reasonable cut... the rest of it looks like its healing nicely and I think I am not too far off doing some light rehab... have been taking in extra amino acid tabs, started to take some L-Glutamine as well to help out, and as I can now mix them, started the shakes too, just the one in the morning to get the burst of proteins in... so far recovery has been pretty good...

Probably should add that I have been cruising all the while (was just going to start a blast right before I found out I would need the op) and looking forward to getting to some good training again...


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## Greyphantom

Yeah ok it was a bit torn and I had to get this special pad put underneath a new dressing to help it to heal better and more properly (it has some seaweed stuff in it that helps the wound granulate which will help it heal from the bottom up to make a more smooth surface with the skin) and the dressing is about a third the size of the last one as most of the incision is left bare now... tbh I feel great, tense the abs ok now (although not max contraction yet but I havent and wont try that for a bit) and there is no pulling or pain from the muscle or mesh just some around the stitching... soooo itching to getting back to some sort of training its not funny... I hate not knowing how far to push it, tbh I feel that if its still going this well by the end of next week I will start to do some very light stuff staying away from squats and deads... and crunches... any advice would be greatly appreciated...


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## Greyphantom

Weight - 108.2kg

Workout - non existent

Body condition - staying roughly the same, a bit more chubby but also staying in shape a bit (still a ways to go though to get to my peak...)

Waist - dropped to 36 from 38 (over about 2 months, pleased about this) still ok here too

Had to get the dressing changed again the other day and have to go in again today to get it repacked and swabbed etc... its quite a sizeable hole at the top of the incision and the nurse just loves to poke around in it to make sure its clean and packed just so... its about the only thing now causing any discomfort... muscle and so forth feels fine... the stitching area is tight and hard and pulls if I stretch too far the wrong way but all in all its good... went to work first day back properly yesterday and part of the job involves lifting a bucket of water and it was ok... legs got a hell of a work out though as can bend at the waist too much in case of tearing so did about 1000 squats... lol... hope to restart very light weights next week, also going to look into ghrp 6 and cjc to speed up the process... but going on a cruise in 3 weeks so might not be worth it...


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## Greyphantom

Weight - 108kg

Workout - Chest/Biceps

Body condition - staying roughly the same, a bit more chubby but also staying in shape a bit (still a ways to go though to get to my peak...)

Waist - smaller than when started training this time round still but getting pudgy from sitting on me ar$e for the last 3 weeks...

Ok today tried to do some very very light training... 30kg bench and incline, 5 kg flyes and 20kg bicep curls... abdominals felt fine, no pulling or aching at all the only negative was where the top of the incision has opened pulled slightly, not enough to be a worry but enough to keep me careful... did 5x20 on bench, 3x20 on inclines and then 3x15 on flyes followed by 4x15 on biceps... slow and steady and really worked on feeling the muscle work while keeping my midsection from doing too much... felt great to be back under the iron... cant wait to really get going again... but slowly slowly so I can heal fully and then cane it again... diet is cleaning up again and I will be starting a full diet plan from next monday (although it will have to be improvised for a week in a couple of weeks as going on a holiday wooo hoooo)...


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## Greyphantom

Cardio today and boy am I paying... just did walking but tried keeping my heart rate up (using my new shiney heart rate monitor) and to do that I had to move at a fairly decent clip... no probs from my abdomen and the only thing complaining were my legs... also DOMS are setting in from yesterdays training so thats great... I really missed those suckers... nothing like the feeling of DOMS first thing in the morning... and at lunch... and still there when you go to bed again... have upped my protein intake too and so getting around 200grams a day... I tend to worry about the protein and let carbs and fats take care of themselves but will be adjusting this so getting a better mix (and much more standard/recorded) from next monday...

Dont usually like cardio but have a goal in keeping my heart rate over 115-120 helped pass the time quickly and keep it interesting... quite enjoyed the walk too but know I will pay for it tomorrow... woo hoo...


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## DB

nice shout on the cardio!

Protein i'd shoot for 1.25g per lb minimum dude


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## Greyphantom

DB said:


> nice shout on the cardio!
> 
> Protein i'd shoot for 1.25g per lb minimum dude


Thanks mate... yeah I know and will be back up to about that by Monday (around 300grams)... dropped a few meals a day right after the op as was sitting on me ar$e and doing nothing, not even lifting the washing basket (docs orders :thumb: ) but now getting back into it and getting hungry again...

Will also be trying skipping for cardio when I can jump up and down without anything opening on me... :bounce:


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## Kate1976

Hey GP...just seen this 

How's the body healing now?


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## Greyphantom

Actually pretty good thanks Kate... much better than I expected (could be the extra help from certain supps :whistling: ) can tense my abs (what they are) fully now and no pain... still have the little hole at the top of the incision to contend with but thats mending well too... just really glad to be training again no matter how light weight I am doing it... :thumb:


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## Greyphantom

Did back today and was a bit cautious as it impacts on the midsection quite a bit but it all went fine... just did light pulldowns 4x20, bent over rows 4x20, narrow rev grip pulldowns 4x20 (was only going to do 3 sets but felt it so well in the back that I thought one more what the hell) and then rev grip bent overs (Yates style) 3x20... really felt the back work well and concentrated on form and keeping the weight moving by muscle rather than momentum... couldnt believe that such light weights could make my back feel sooo sore... you know that burning feeling in the muscle that comes from working it hard...

I feel that the enforced lighter weights with strict form are benefitting my training greatly as it makes me ensure that form is good and helps me really concentrate on the muscle and get that mind/muscle link... I did not do deads today for obvious reasons but will in a few weeks once its much more healed... same with squats/legs in general as I feel it might be pushing it a bit ab wise...

On a positive note the hole that opened at the top of the incision has become smaller and its still clean and healthy... and less than two weeks before we are off on holiday... yay...


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## Greyphantom

Weight - 111.5kg

Workout - Really good

Body condition - getting better, less chubby more shape (still a ways to go though to get to my peak...)

Waist - a bit flabby from all the sitting but changing daily...

Cardio day today and it felt pretty good actually, tiring but in a good way... kept my average heart rate at 120bpm this time for 45 mins... just walking again as not too sure about cycling and definitely not skipping atm... but will do that from the end of next week as things are pretty much healed (could even sneeze today!) TBH I was never that much into cardio but reading the many inspiring journals here (Hilly, Jem, Kate, MissBC and DB to name a few) I have been motivated to get off my ar$e and just do it... and tbh it does feel good...

DOMS a plenty over the weekend, couldnt believe how much I felt them in my back, could actually feel every muscle in the upper back... who knew that light weights could hit so hard... its certainly made me re think my training strategy and re-evaluate my form and training methodology... all good though...

Diet is starting to dial in pretty well... not as extreme as those prepping for comp but good enough to help me lean up while bulking... clean(er) foods and 6 meals a day to help get the macros in... start the day with oatmeal and yoghurt and 10g glutamine, then a shake if training or lunch (usually chicken of some description or beef (mince or other) and then either a couple of protein bars cos I am on the move or another shake or meal... finally the evening meal with few carbs and then a shake before bed, aiming for 3-4 meals a day with 2-3 shakes... depending on the day and how busy it is... still working on all the timings for meals/shakes as each day is pretty different at the moment... but will get a good routine going and this will make it easier... I have been increasing my food intake day by day this week and following DBs advice on protein amount have managed to get this near the 300g a day I should be taking, I think this has also had the benefit of adding on the 3kg or more in the last week... its the only thing I have done different...


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## DB

cardio is fantatic, I'd pick duration over intensity anyday with cardio,

i find 1hour fast walk so much more efficient at fat burning than 30 mins fast cardio, plus its 1x better on my mind and energy levels when dieting


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## Greyphantom

Thanks for the tips DB... with cardio I think I prefer the longer period vs high intensity too...

btw is that a new pic in the avi? your abs are popping out there...


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## Kate1976

Hey GP.....just checking in  I too found that I prefered high duration/low intensity cardio......my fave cardio essions were the 45mins brisk walks around my neighbourhood.

Sounds sappy but you kinda of 'notice' things more....trees, houses, people etc. Rather than just pounding away on a xtrainer!

Glad the war wound is healing well


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## Greyphantom

Chest and Biceps today... added 10kg to bench and incline and 5kg to flyes (each db) and 5 to bicep curls... Bench was 5x20, incl 4x18, flyes 4x15 and bicep curls using oly bar +5kg 3x20kg (also did a warm down set of db curls 1x15)... really felt the muscle work today, form is shaping up and really getting a good connection with the muscle... felt really good... going to add more weight next week, probably 20kg to the bench and see how the others go... but will start to ramp up the training as the incision and abs are healing really well... nurse said that it was looking good at yesterdays dressing changed and the red colour meant it was healing well, tbh it looked like raw steak to me... 

Diet still going ok, had my oats and yoghurts this morning with Glutamine and had a shake after training...


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## Greyphantom

Kate1976 said:


> Hey GP.....just checking in  I too found that I prefered high duration/low intensity cardio......my fave cardio essions were the 45mins brisk walks around my neighbourhood.
> 
> Sounds sappy but you kinda of 'notice' things more....trees, houses, people etc. Rather than just pounding away on a xtrainer!
> 
> Glad the war wound is healing well


I am starting to appreciate them more, luckily we have a really nice area with loads of fields and even horses and stuff... makes for a pleasant walk... I know what you mean and not sappy at all, we should all take more time to "smell the roses"... Thanks I am really pleased muscular wise that I can start training again, no matter how light... just cant wait till the tear heals... sigh...


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## Greyphantom

Ok today was a bit sh!t training wise... diet was ok but missed a meal which means I am down slightly in the protein stakes but life just intruded a bit as it is want to do from time to time... had work this morning, then visit to the nurse to get dressing changed (all healing really well still, this one sees me once a week while I visit the other twice and she was really happy with its progress) and then lunch... all ok up to that point... then it all went a bit pear, plan wise that is... my Mum came to visit which was nice but I was supposed to train then, thought never mind can traing after picking the kids up from school... not so, completely forgot that my daughter was in a tag rugby tournament this afternoon so had to take her to that, thought no problem, it finishes early enough that I can get the kids home, fed and showered so I can train at 730... no problems... DOH, should just keep my big mouth shut, turns out the tournament over ran due to really bad organisation (even the sports teachers where getting p'd off) and so I didnt get them sorted till 830 and then finally got them to bed not long after which meant that I had to postpone training legs till tomorrow... not too much of a problem but would have like to have done them today... fun fun fun... food wise its been ok... about 25g protein down from the last couple of days but not unrecoverable... looking forward to legs tomorrow in a perverse way...


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## Greyphantom

Trained Legs and shoulders today...

Legs consisted of squats 5x20 very light weight, was very nervous truth be told as this is the first time I have squatted since the op and I was a bit worried the strain would give my abs a bit of a boo boo... but not a problem, in fact felt stronger through the mid section than I expected and really good, followed by extensions 4x20 and hamstring curls 3x20... the hamstring curls actually pulled the most on my ab region curiously... felt great while working them but when it came to standing and walking not so good... very wobbly...

Shoulders were just press (seated bb) 4x20 and lat raise 3x20... tbh I was feeling so knackered after legs I was going to leave shoulders but thought fvck it (and tbh was spurred on by the thought of quite a few people on here who have been working their ar$es off) and pushed through... so glad I did, feel caned but happy...

Diet wise, same old same old... in fact I think the success of weight training/bbing is the ability to be able to eat the same stuff day in day out and not get bored... Oats and yoghurts for brekkie, had 10g of glutamine and a glucosamine tab and an msm tab (joint care, getting old)... after training had a shake and about to make up a big portion of chicken chow mein of sorts... then a few more meals after that and job done for another day... ended up getting in about 285g protein yesterday so not too bad after all...


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## jw007

OK, just seen this

A journal is NOTHING without progress pics

SOOOO??????


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## Greyphantom

jw007 said:


> OK, just seen this
> 
> A journal is NOTHING without progress pics
> 
> SOOOO??????


Well you are right there mate, will get some first ones done when the scar and wound heals over... not sure everyone wants to see inside my belly...  probably in say 3-4 weeks...


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## jw007

Greyphantom said:


> Well you are right there mate, will get some first ones done when the scar and wound heals over... not sure everyone wants to see inside my belly...  probably in say 3-4 weeks...


Well I do, Journals should be warts an all

Get some nice pics posted


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## defdaz

Hey GP, sounds like you are recovering brilliantly from your op, great that the weights and diet are going so well - it's inspiring to read someone overcoming whatever is thrown at them! You'll be back training like your old self in no-time. Big thumbs up here! :thumb:


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## Greyphantom

Thanks mate... yeah its going pretty well so far, if I didnt have the tear at the top of the incision I think I would be progressing quicker... just started dieting again and its making noticeable changes even after a week, before this it was absolute sh!te and I ate too much [email protected] while sitting on my rear recovering... but onward and upward...!!!


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## Greyphantom

Friday means back day... well at the moment it does anyway... trained back and had to visit nurse yet again.. just a dressing change but she had a doc who did it today and she was no-where near as good... but she was quite nervous and a bit scared I think bless her... she kept asking if I was worried or uncomfortable, I just jumped up on the table popped a front double bicep and screamed "DOES THIS LOOK WORRIED TO YOU!!!"... well not really... one thing was that I have another small tear of the incision just below the big one... but nothing bad at all... just wear and tear and it will heal fine.. .will have a lovely scar though...

Training was pretty good but so very hot... did lat pulldowns 4x20 really felt the lats working well and upped the weight a bit... starting to feel the exercise better too... then bent over rows 2x20 1x18 1x16... I upped the weight on this one too and I think I went a bit higher than I thought I was going to... but still felt pretty good and kept the negative slow with the positive faster... rev grip pull downs 3x20, this I really felt in the lats, they were hurting by the time I finished and the last couple on the last set were just about not done... last was the Yates style bent over row... 1x18 1x17 1x16... this felt a little awkward on the first set as I think my grip was too wide, narrowed it a bit and the next two were much better... really felt this in the lower part of the upper middle back... was nice but glad when finsihed 

Diet today has been standard, oats, yoghurts and glutamine for brekkie, shake around 11 as I was at the docs and then after training I had chicken and rice (about 250g of each) which went down a treat, but still feel peckish at the moment and will bring forward my next meal...

Going away next week with the family so training opportunities might be scarce, although there is a gym on the boat I am not sure how often I will get to visit it or what sort of equipment they have sigh... oh well training is training... tomorrow I am going to cycle into work and home again (10 miles each way) for cardio so that will take care of that, and then will start weights cycle again Sun as I can then fit the full monty in before we head off...


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## Greyphantom

Weight - 112.6kg

Workout - very good

Body condition - getting better, shaping up ok but still more chub than I would like

Waist - a bit flabby from all the sitting but changing daily...

Didnt end up cycling to work yesterday as planned, couple of reasons really, friday night was a very late one (didnt get to bed till after 1am) and so was knackered but also my wound bled a little (not sure why, dont think I stressed it too much with training or by doing anything really) so I let the Mrs talk me out of adding more stress by cycling... ce la vie...

Diet went a bit pear due to work too, had to rely on 2 shakes and a couple of protein bars to get the protein in, had some fruit too. Dinner was better with about 300g steak and a load of potatoes and some peas... shake before bed... I really missed my morning oats tbh, have got used to having them and I feel they set me up for the day...

Today has been better... oats, yoghurt and glutamine for brekkie, training then shake and oats for pwo... will be having a meatball casserole thing for dinner and probably another shake before bed... there will also be a snack in there somewhere but not sure where or when yet... weight is up again and thats pleasing as from looking in the mirror I think my bf is down... will need to get that measured soon to keep a track of it... will have to get a hold of some calipres I think...

Training today was pretty good, I have changed the order of exercise to address a big deficiency in my physique (well ok ONE of the big deficiencies)... did Chest and Biceps... today I started with Incline Bench and lowered the angle of the bench to see what effect it would have, I also tried not locking out on each rep as per Con's journal to see how that would fair... I did 5 sets in the end 2x20, 1x14, 1x16 and the last was just 10reps... felt it much more in the upper chest region and far less in my delts, the angle was much better and not locking out forced the chest to work harder I think... Bench was 2x16, 1x15 and 1x14 and again not locking had a big impact... also felt much harder due to it being second and the non lock out... incl flyes also on the lower angle 2x20, 1x18, 1x17 again felt really good and much more in the chest than when on the higher angle... by this stage I was pretty caned but thought what the hell and did another exercise, incl db twisting press... only did 3 sets 1x18, 1x16 and 1x15... felt hard but worth it...

Biceps just the two exercises... bb curl and seated db curl... bb curl 3 sets 1x 20 and 2x15... this hurt a bit as really concentrated on the contraction and squeeze... db curls 3 sets 2x15 and 1x12... again by the end of this I was gone... arms really sore and just not mine to use... well at least for a while...

All in all a great workout and the changes made to order and method have made a big difference... chest felt really "alive" and now feeling DOMS setting in already... arms are just fried but good... its indescribable as to how good training again feels...

off to the nurse again for a redress and will see about training abs directly now as they have given me no complaints at all the last few sessions and today I tensed them during the exercise to work them a little... not a jot of pull or pain... (well except the plaster holding the dressing on)... all going as well as can be hoped for really...


----------



## Greyphantom

Legs day today... holy fvck it was hard... 4 sets squats 20 reps then 3 sets extensions 20, 16, 16 then finished with ham curls 3 sets 20, 16, 15... at the end of the squats I could feel my skin stretching... legs were hurting like a mother, going into extensions I just wanted to call it a day but carried on anyway and regretted it... heat was just amazing (luckily my garage was a fair bit cooler than outside) and sweat my nads off... ham curls werent too bad but for some reason I feel it pulling on the wound much more than with squats or ext... by the end couldnt walk but felt good knowing I had beat them into submission... took me 10 mins to get to my front door (grand total of 20 yards) and then cooked up some lunch (500g lean mince and 250g rice)... wasnt going to eat all of it, save some for later was the plan but I am soooo damn hungry all the time at the moment I just scoffed the lot... sigh, more cardio later I think...

Getting organised for our family holiday on thursday too... looking forward to it but a bit sh!tted that I am going to possibly lose training momentum if the gym on board the boat doesnt fit the bill... they say its fully fitted but...

Diet still pretty good, oats and same as normal for brekkie... mince and rice for lunch... prob chicken for dinner and then we shall see...


----------



## Greyphantom

Shoulders and triceps today. Had to work again this morning as will be away at the end of the week so got to make up the days...

Shoulders went well, hurt like a mother during and after training, doing seated shoulder press really made my ab pull but not to the point where anything happened...

Seated press 1x20 2x17 1x16

seated side raises 2x20 1x18

standing rear delt raise 1x20 1x18 1x17

Flat close grip bench 3x20

lying extensions bb 3x20

Couldnt believe how much I felt the delts working today... last couple of reps were really really painful but in a good way... first time really training them properly in a long time... took every exercise that far and really felt good for it... they still feel pumped now and its been 3 or so hours since I trained them... they still feel fatigued to use too which is good...

Triceps went much the same, but didnt feel worked as hard, will have to up the weight... still felt the muscles work and move well but just didnt tax them enough...

Diet is still going well... oats etc for brekkie, beef patties (like burgers but no buns made with flour) for lunch and mince with rice for dinner, will have another meal and a shake before bed...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day... and OUCH...

Today is just so full on with getting sh!t ready and having to run errands and work of course... didnt think I was going to get my work out done... but managed to blast through my list of things to do so threw in a quick work out but truncated it slightly by taking a set off the last two exercises...

Pulldowns 1x20 1x18 1x17

Bentover bb rows 1x20 1x19 1x17

rev grip pulldowns 1x18 1x17

yates style rows 1x18 1x16

Again low weights and really concentrated on the form and making the muscle work, with that in mind I used Cons tips from his journal re contraction and keeping the head up (something which I found I really dont do)... its always good to get tips that make a big impact on the training and man can I feel that impact... I have been pushing through the pain barrier lately with each work out but today really killed... in fact 4 hours later it still feels I have only just finished the workout!!

Also had a nurses appointment to change the dressing and it looks like the wound is healing really well, packing it 3 times a week with this seaweed based stuff works well...

Diet is going really well, standard fare, oats etc brekkie, had a couple of protein bars while going from work to nurses, 300g chicken and 250g rice (with sweet and sour sauce) and then much the same for dinner and will prob finish off with a shake before bed or leave it till I get up at 1am to head to the airport... most days I get 300g of protein or more a day, even on a low day its never less than about 280g...

This will be the last entry till I get back in a week... looking forward to the break but looking forward to keeping my training going and as it has 24 hour restaurants (food inlcuded in the price) I think my diet will be ok... if not as clean... lol...


----------



## Beklet

Oops just found this....enjoy your break!!! :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

no probs Beks... it was a great break many thanks...


----------



## Greyphantom

Weight - 112.6kg

Workout - very good

Body condition - A little setback from all the food on the cruise... but not too terrible...

Waist - oh no a change for the worse... sigh, too much food...

Right while I was away I have had a think and now have a definite set of goals in place... I have also taken measurements to see if any changes are being made and will make changes in diet accordingly...

Goals - since we are returning home for a hello to the folks at xmas I have worked out that I want to gain weight to as near to 118kg as I can, lower the bodyfat at the same time to become leaner (hopefully getting down to 12ish% as in the past) and I would also like to increase my general fitness...

Measurements - Chest 125cm

- Waist 103cm (sigh)

- Arms 43cm

- Legs 66cm

Tape measure did not have inches but even though its easy enough to work out cant be ar$ed at the moment... waist is quite a bit higher than it was a couple of weeks ago... about 5 cm or more... still my diet last week was a "seefood" diet and I did drink a lot more beer than I normally do... I havent measured body fat yet, will get some calipers so I can do that asap, if anyone knows of a good set of calipers then please let me know...

Training today was actually very good, have been unwell the last few days (typical, all week on a boat and a couple of very rough days at sea and nothing, get home and straight away the tummy is not happy) and I thought that it would affect me a lot, but tbh I really felt connected with the workout and I upped all my weights to nearer pre op levels and still felt comfortable... definitely going to start training harder and at pre op levels from next week I think... will still take it easy on those exercises that affect the region too much but after coming down with hayfever (curses) and sneezing all weekend I think its pretty ok...

Achieving my goals will of course be fully "assisted" and I will start a blast using test e at 2g a week till gains stop then will drop it down to cruise (500-750mg a week to be determined)... will also be running clen at 80mcg a day for 3 weeks (upping it if sides are not too bad, although I forgot about clen shakes... lol)... will also be runing 1mg arim/week, and 75mg/day proviron... might also look at throwing some anavar in later on as I really like it and it does me ok...

Oh and the cruise was awesome, just what we all needed and the food was great, but I ate far too much and much to my shame even had double desserts every night... paying for that now dammit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Forgot to mention my workout yesterday... did Chest and Biceps...

Chest all 3 sets upped the weight quite a bit from the last session as my abdominal wall is pretty much recovered and I want to push it a bit... reps were from 10 to 16 did write it all down but cant move to get the journal... I changed the order a bit to focus more on the upper chest area with inclines... already feeling it which is good...

Incline press

flat bench

incline flyes

twist press Db to finish

Biceps

Bb curl 2 sets 14 and 12 reps

preacher curls bb 2 sets cant remember reps...


----------



## Greyphantom

Training today was legs... oh fvcking jesus I think I did a boo-boo... abs fine, hole in stomach ok... but my legs are still not talking to me... in fact they tingle and its been 2 hours since my workout... good feeling though, tired and tingly... during training I had the shakes though, couldnt keep my legs still, not lifting too heavy but as it felt so good will up the weights over the next few weeks to pre op levels, I also changed my foot position in squats (closer together) and extensions (toes pointing in)... felt this made quite the difference in how the muscle was worked...

Squats 3 sets 14 11 11

ext 3 sets 14 14 14

hamstring curls 3 sets 12 12 11

was going to include lunges but wimped out... could barely stand anyway and definitely felt like throwing up... couldnt eat for 40mins after training and then it took me 30 mins to finish... had to really take it slow but managed to get it down without it coming back to haunt me...

diet is still on track (well now anyway) but tummy still a bit dodgy, feeling full and bloated at the moment which wasnt happening pre trip... getting better though... rest day tomorrow from weights but will throw in some cardio, not sure if cycle or walk yet...


----------



## Greyphantom

Trained shoulders/triceps today... was awesome, really felt the muscle connection today and used this board for inspiration... it kept me motivated to push out more reps and really cane the muscles... also had my first full nights sleep last night which helped a bit...

Shoulders

OH Press seated 3 sets 11/10/8 and 1 partial

seated side raise 3 sets 16/12/12

standing bent over raise 3 sets 14/13/12

Shrugs 3 sets 15

Triceps

Close grip bench 2 sets 15

push downs 2 sets 14

lying extensions 2 sets 12

weights are getting up there now, and no pulling at all from the belly which is good (the hole as pretty much gone now, just the skin needs to grow back yay)... worked on concentrating on the muscle and its force to make the movement, was mindful of keeping full control and making sure that the muscle did the work and not momentum... went well I thought, but I will be pushing all the weights up and up as things are going well...

Didnt do cardio yesterday as was completely knackered after work and had a wee nap instead (I know very bad)...

Diet is going ok, keeping it cleaner than I have ever done before, which I really need to as with the bump from the hernia gone I need to tone and tight it all up... start with oats and whey and 2 yoghurts, then something like chicken/beef and rice, then fish/chicken and vege and usually again in the evening then shake before bed... protein is around the 270-320 mark usually, carbs not far behind and fats, well I let them take care of themselves but am thinking of adding some EFAs in...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day and I thought that I would try deadlifts for the first time in months... workout went pretty well, back felt really pumped and could really feel the squeeze...

Pulldowns 3 sets 15, 12, 11

rows 3 sets 12, 12, 12

rev grip pull downs 3 sets 14, 13, 13

yates rows 3 sets 9 (had to stop due to twinge in my abdomen, nothing serious but enough to make me pause), 11, 11

Dead lifts 1 set 1 rep, again felt the twinge so decided to stop as didnt want to do an damage, now though I am feeling I might have wimped out... weight was fairly light but still the twinge... erred on side of caution... I will start some light ab work to strengthen them up and try again next week...

Diet is still good, oats whey and yoghurts for brekkie, had a couple of protein bars, then chicken and rice for post workout... will have fish for dinner then shake before bed... total protein today is about 300g... carbs just under that...

Got a nurses appt later to get the dressing seen to I think this will be my last one as the hole is pretty much gone, just the skin to close over and presto...


----------



## Greyphantom

Weight - 111.6kg

Workout - Ok

Did Chest and Biceps today... workout felt weird to say the least, Biceps were good, felt them working hard and it was great, but chest didnt really feel it as much... while I was training... I felt the first set I was focusing on the weight too much instead of feeling the muscle work (upped the weights again, getting close to my pre op levels now) so really concentrated on the muscle and work being done rather than the weight on the rest and then started feeling it better, but for the amount of work I did I still felt "short changed" I guess... that is till after I finished and was driving to pick the kids up from school... turnin the steering wheel I could feel my chest and it was good, biceps are still sore but in a good way and I find that I still have quite a reasonable pump in chest and bi's... Chest certainly gets fatigued easy at the moment too...

Had a bit of a sh!t diet on the weekend but not that terrible, used saturday as a cheat day and while I had my usual brekkie and shake before bed the rest was a bit of this and bit of that, including McDees... Sunday was a bit better... back on track today though... I have lost 1kg this week and I am puting that down to the clen and better diet so that should = fat loss...

I am having a bit of trouble with the loss in weight (even though its only 1kg and I am pretty sure its bf) as I have ingrained it into my head that I must gain all the time, forget about the bf and just make sure I put on... I have changed that mind set and am actively going for lean gains now, but I have quite a bit of bf to lose so must be prepared for some weight reduction... sigh... just hope its not too much, but these are the joys... also have issues with the mirror... I can see some areas which are improving, arms, shoulders (to a small degree) and even my back, but chest is just soooo slow... especially my upper chest so I have changed my workout a little to prioritise the upper chest (more incline work than flat for eg)... I get a bit disheartened tbh but also use that as fuel to motivate the workout and thus make me want to work harder and not wuss out early...


----------



## hilly

hello mate totally missed this.

Right something im going to say i think you need to make a decision wether you are gaining or loosing and then go with it.

I wasted so much bloody time trying to loose fat and gain muscle or deciding im going to bulk lasting 2 weeks then thinking im fat and dieting then repeating its unreal.

if you feel you are unhappy with bf then do a mini diet for 6 weeks. strip some good fat a stone would easily fall off in this time then hit a good clean bulk with reduced cardio in there for 6-10 weeks then re evaluate.

just trying to stop u making my mistakes. the abb pain sounds wierd have you tried wearing abelt?

whats a daily diet look like get it whacked up for me to take a look


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## Greyphantom

LOL... yeah I know its a real oxymoron to say lose but gain... tbh I want to gain, but make them lean gains...

Good idea re the mini diet... I might try this if I remain unhappy with results...

Ab pain was around the area of the hernia op... just a little twinge, probably nothing but the abs actually working again but I dont want to push it too much at this stage... will try it again this week...

Diet is pretty much this...

oats with scoop whey, 2x activia yoghurts, msm and gluc/chond tabs, 10g glutamine

chicken (usually around 250g) or fish (300g ish) with rice (about the same in cooked rice)

chicken or beef (beef is around 300g) with rice or vege, might have a couple of protein bars instead if on the move (ie picking up kids etc)

again with some form of meat (chicken, beef, fish) and vege

then shake before bed and 10g glutamine, msm, gluc/chond, vitamin and sissus tabs...

It varies from day to day as to what sort of meat I will have plus I use sauces on my food too (try to use light stuff but not too bothered if its not)... thats a fairly standard day...


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## hilly

looks fine to me pal to be fair however at breaky would like to see some oats or wholemeal bread. something to stabilise blood sugars and provide some slower release carbs. stick with 1 yogurt but mix in 50g oats and some raisens. will taste lovely.


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## Greyphantom

Greyphantom said:


> *oats *with scoop whey, 2x activia yoghurts, msm and gluc/chond tabs, 10g glutamine





hilly said:


> looks fine to me pal to be fair however at breaky would like to see some *oats *or wholemeal bread. something to stabilise blood sugars and provide some slower release carbs. stick with 1 yogurt but mix in 50g oats and some raisens. will taste lovely.


 :thumb:

yeah will add some raisens in... yum... also forgot that I have bcaa's and will be taking 5g pre and post workout....


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## hilly

missed that lol,

bcaa make a good addition IMO


----------



## Kate1976

Hey G....just a quick swing by...hope all is well


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## Greyphantom

Hey Kate... yeah its ok, feeling under the weather myself today, the mrs has had a virus or something the last couple of days so looks like my turn... yay... not sure about training today yet...


----------



## jw007

Come on GP, stil waiting for pics

Gore and all Ha ha


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## Greyphantom

Yeah mate I know... not so much gore now, but deadline for pics is the end of this month... if I dont post them you can track me down and give me reach around


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## Greyphantom

Ok Leg day yesterday, was a little weird tbh... upped the weights again, felt ok but didnt really feel like I had worked them, yet at the same time was sha99ed after the second set of squats... didnt feel too well either but what the hell thought I would do it anyway...

squats 3 sets 11 8 9 (gave up too early in the second, kicking myself...)

extensions 3 sets 15

ham curls 3 sets 15 12 9

it wasnt till the end of the workout I felt the legs tightening, then by the time I went to pick the kids up from school was walking like a ruptured spinster... so much so that one of the mothers was asking if I was ok... lol...

Diet was ok... same as most days... but I did find this really nice satay souce (amoy I think) thats really tasty...


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## Ak_88

Only just realised you had one of these dude :thumb:

Whats the craic then, just getting back to normal after the hernia op?


----------



## Greyphantom

Hey mate... yeah building the weights back up and now back into full training mode... still havent done deads yet, tried last week but felt a twinge in my abs and thought uh-oh... wimped out and will try again this week... pretty much healed I think, just have to get the mind believing that now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Shoulders and Triceps day today...

bb sh press 3 sets 9 9 6 (feel I gave up too easy on the last set)

seated side raises 3 sets

standing rear delt raises 3 sets

bb shrugs 3 sets 15

close grip bench 2 sets

tricep pushdowns 2 sets

lying extensions 2 sets

shoulders feel fried but good, had a couple of twinges in my left shoulder but nothing to worry about... training going well overall, but slow... sigh

Got my first pep comment today... a guy who visits our neighbours to work on their places told me that I was starting to get built... its always nice to get noticed like that...

Diet same old same old... taking the bcaa's pre and post workout now (that I remembered them) and just finished a bowl of chicken and rice (with satay and madras sauce, really getting into the fusion thing


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## Greyphantom

back day today.... but first I would just like to say I fvcking hate you allllll.... mwahahahahaha... cant believe you made me train... was feeling very lethargic and totally knackered as sleep has been very little last few nights... was going to bail on training and take a long afternoon nap, but no, you all got in my head and told me to get my ar$e out there and hit the weights... curse you 

Pulldowns 3 sets 15 14 12

rows 3 sets 15 14 12

rev grip pulldowns 3 sets 15 13 12

yates rows 3 sets 14 13 12

deadlifts 2 sets 10

managed to do deadlifts today, albeit light but managed to get two sets done and not a twinge in sight... very happy with that... workout ended up going very well, so all in all I am glad you lot talked me into it 

really felt the back working today... but even more knackered now lol...

Food is still going in the mouth and coming out.... well never mind... had a bit of a craving for crisps last night, the first packets (had 3) I have had for a few months... tbh didnt like them so much and didnt sit so well in the tum, maybe I am going off junk food...


----------



## Greyphantom

Nooooo weekend has been a nightmare... went to bed sat night and all felt fine, woke up sun morning and couldnt freaking walk... lower right back is just a mass of pain and puting any pressure on my right leg just wasnt working... stretching it out and so forth meant I can walk ok, but its still freaking sore... this morning was a bit better, had a boiling hot bath last night and more stretching... have no idea what I did, think the cat biatch slapped me in my sleep... training is in serious doubt today and legs tomorrow is prob a no-no, but tbh if I squat it feels sooo much better... sigh...


----------



## Kate1976

Then I suggest that you squat all day GP.......it might be a hinderance to your daily chores..... but hey you'll be pain free 

Seriously tho....hope it sorts itself out!


----------



## Greyphantom

Kate1976 said:


> Then I suggest that you squat all day GP.......it might be a hinderance to your daily chores..... but hey you'll be pain free
> 
> Seriously tho....hope it sorts itself out!


Thats one way to build some serious quads... lol... thanks Kate... its seriously p!ssing me off...


----------



## Greyphantom

Weight - 111kg

Did Chest and biceps today... back feels much better as have been stretching it out and having hot baths... however that shoulder twinge I felt last thursday came back to haunt me in the second set of bench... but seems ok at the moment, will keep an eye on it...

Chest

Incl Bench 3 sets 13 10 7 (feel I gave up on the last set, could have pushed one more at least)

Flat Bench 3 sets 11 7 9 (second set lost concentration for a second and form went to pot, shoulder complained and I dropped a couple of reps sigh)

Incl Flyes 3 sets 15 15 13

Incl Twist Press 3 sets 11 9 8

Biceps

Standing curls bb 2 sets 13 10

Preacher curls bb 2 sets 14 14

Really felt it in the upper chest today, flyes especially... Biceps got a good pump going and are still sore! Got a nice comment from my neighbour who was passing by... he said "crikey youre getting big" lol... no hes not an aussie... I told him it was probably due to me losing weight round my middle which makes it look like my top is growing lol... over all the workout went ok, but losing the focus and concentration on the 2nd set of bench was slack... but third set was cracking... weights still going up or getting extra reps out of the exercise... should be back to normal weights within a month or so... then add a bit more to pre op levels...

Diet is still good, fairly clean although I dont go over board to make it so I do take the healthy option 9 times out of 10 where as before it would be the other way around (non healthy 9 out of 10  )


----------



## Greyphantom

Leg day... woo fricking hoo... was a great workout but I think my legs are not speaking to me...

Me: Legs how was the workout?

Legs: fvck off...

Me: what, whats wrong...?

Legs: We said FVCK off...

Me: :whistling:

As said was a great workout, didnt really feel like it was going to be tbh... my back is still giving me a bit of a niggle and I though this would impede my training considerably but it didnt, in fact I didnt feel a thing in my back at all but loads in the quads, hams and even my glutes... I even put the weight up and it felt easier than last week by a considerable fraction...

Squats 3 sets 12 10 9

Extensions 3 sets 14 12 11

Curls 3 sets 13 11 8 and a partial...

Diet is going pretty well too... last night went to have some crisps (doritos) and after 5 or 6 just threw the bag and got a couple of apples instead as really didnt feel like crisps after all... weird considering I could sink a whole bag of those bad boys without blinking a couple of months ago...

Cardio has been a bit wayward of late, mainly due to me doing a bit of work on the outside of our house... still I hope to get back to that next week, especially as I should be much more highly motivated after the show this sunday...


----------



## Greyphantom

Having a very very SH!TTY day today, body dys-fvcking-morphia setting in and the heat just killed me in the gym... shoulders triceps day and as they are severely lacking on me I really needed to cane it but due to a shoulder twinge becoming a full blown nag I failed miserably on this work out...

sh press bb 3sets 10 7 8

side and rear raises couldnt lift the weight I wanted without a lot of pain/discomfort so went to very very light weights 3 sets 20 reps

rehab/rotator cuff ex's 3 sets 15

shrugs 3 sets 15

Tris were an epic fail today... halfway through my first set of close grip bench my shoulder began to complain so rather than risk any further injury called it a day and will try again tomorrow (or possibly tack it on to sundays session..) p!ssing, b!tching, mother fvcker... not a happy camper today

Weigth has gone up to 113.2kg as well... and I thought I was losing weight and getting smaller... ???? I dont feel its gone round my middle but at the same time I dont think I have lost much there either... sigh... very disheartening day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Well the weekend was a good one so thats something... went to the bedford MT show and trained at golds beforehand. Was really good to train in a gym and did Back with a few sets of tri pushdowns at the end... trained with Jem and Beks and having people to spot and goad you on was also really good... I did write down weights and reps but cant be ar$ed getting my training diary out...

Pulldowns

machine rows

assisted chins

bent over rows

pullovers hammer machine...

It was a good workout, with good training partners... even if one of them did keep making me lift more cos she did and the other kept calling me a pussy...


----------



## Jem

Greyphantom said:


> Well the weekend was a good one so thats something... went to the bedford MT show and trained at golds beforehand. Was really good to train in a gym and did Back with a few sets of tri pushdowns at the end... trained with Jem and Beks and having people to spot and goad you on was also really good... I did write down weights and reps but cant be ar$ed getting my training diary out...
> 
> Pulldowns
> 
> machine rows
> 
> assisted chins
> 
> bent over rows
> 
> pullovers hammer machine...
> 
> It was a good workout, with good training partners... *even if one of them did keep making me lift more cos she did and the other kept calling me a pussy...*


ah but which was which :innocent:


----------



## hilly

im jelous sounds like u guys had fun


----------



## Greyphantom

Ah now that would be telling 

*edit* this in respone to Jem...


----------



## Greyphantom

hilly said:


> im jelous sounds like u guys had fun


Yeah it was a good day... nice to have someone pushing me along too...


----------



## Jem

LMAO - you posting that in response to hilly's post sounded just downright filthy hahaha !

the only filthy thing in that session was my grunting and abusive language LOL - kept you going didn't it ?

Hilly - you should have made the bloody trip then shouldn't you ? next time you can meet me halfway for these southern things and then there is no excuse ...although I cannot promise that I wont get lost along the way pmsl


----------



## hilly

haha ok jem its a deal


----------



## Greyphantom

Jem said:


> LMAO - you posting that in response to hilly's post sounded just downright filthy hahaha !
> 
> *the only filthy thing in that session was my grunting and abusive language LOL - kept you going didn't it ? *
> 
> Hilly - you should have made the bloody trip then shouldn't you ? next time you can meet me halfway for these southern things and then there is no excuse ...although I cannot promise that I wont get lost along the way pmsl


LOL... yeah I know, thats why the edit... 

yep, youre not wrong, being between your legs while those loud grunts and moans were being made... kept me going no end... :thumb: :lol: :lol:

and I agree... get yer ar$e down here Hilly...!!!


----------



## Jem

Greyphantom said:


> LOL... yeah I know, thats why the edit...
> 
> yep, youre not wrong, being between your legs while those loud grunts and moans were being made... kept me going no end... :thumb: :lol: :lol:
> 
> and I agree... get yer ar$e down here Hilly...!!!


LMAO - I just hope claire doesnt visit your journal and see that or you will start her off again 

will hold you to it hilly - no poor student excuses are acceptable :thumbup1:


----------



## hilly

nah im game for sure, i live at home so am never that skint anyway lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Chest and Bicep day today... energy flagging a bit but at least its not that hot and we had a downpour for about 30mins which cooled everything down... tris are still sore from sunday but didnt effect the workout too much...

Incl Bench 3 sets

Bench 3 sets

incl flyes 2 sets

incl twist press 2 sets

Bb curl 2 sets

preacher bb curls 2 sets

Starting to feel very tired most days now, think it could be due to the high set/rep thing I have going at the moment and even though I feel recovered its possible that I am not... so will look at either moving on to a rippetoe type training program or dropping the sets to 2 per ex with heavier weights and fewer reps... cardio is going to be pushed too as after taking some pics (see below) I realise I dont look as good as I think I do in the mirror... (not that I think I look all that good and tbh I would prefer size and strength over cuts, at least at this stage)...

Diet is still going quite well, mostly clean and plenty of protein, carbs and fats... I have come to believe that the best and most successful (not necessarily prize winning but those with decent physiques) in this game are those who can keep plowing away at the same diet day in day out, week in week out, month in month out etc...

As promised to JW have some pics, excuse the quality of them and me  will be good to see the changes in the coming months... please be gentle...


----------



## Beklet

Ah yess piccies, don't think you got away with it lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Beks you are the best... lol...

I had you and Jem in my head at training today and everytime I felt like giving up all I could hear was one or the other of you calling me a pussy or beasting me out... lol...


----------



## Jem

Greyphantom said:


> Thanks Beks you are the best... lol...
> 
> I had you and Jem in my head at training today and everytime I felt like giving up all I could hear was one or the other of you calling me a pussy or beasting me out... lol...


so glad to hear that you think of pussy when you think of me :whistling: :lol: :lol: ...I have pics too - and Bex thinks she has got away with it ...but she hasnt ....just trying to locate the feckin lead !


----------



## jw007

Nice base to start from GP 

looking forward to some impressive changes.

See, wasn't so bad after all


----------



## Jem

I'd reserve judgement ....you havent seen the gurning pics I have of him yet ....


----------



## Greyphantom

Jem said:


> so glad to hear that you think of pussy when you think of me :whistling: :lol: :lol: ...I have pics too - and Bex thinks she has got away with it ...but she hasnt ....just trying to locate the feckin lead !


Well after our episode on the pullover machine and those noises you were making how can I not... :whistling: :innocent: :innocent: And cant wait for the pay back...



jw007 said:


> Nice base to start from GP
> 
> looking forward to some impressive changes.
> 
> See, wasn't so bad after all


Thanks JW... looking forward to getting more beastly thats for sure... :thumbup1:



Jem said:


> I'd reserve judgement ....you havent seen the gurning pics I have of him yet ....


Oh good grief you wouldnt... wait, you would!!! :tongue:


----------



## Greyphantom

Legs today, was really flagging as only had a few hours sleep last night... but a can of monster (energy drink) and a handful of clen perked my right up lol... even though its not too hot so far today I sweat my nads off... upped the weight and did a couple more reps on squats though so it was good... definitely looking at dropping sets to 2 working as after the second set I was fvcked with a capital U... but onward and upward and cranked out a third set anyway, which felt pleasing...

Squats 3 sets 12 11 9

ext 3 sets 12 10 9

curls 3 sets 10 9 7

I have added creatine in at 10g a day 5 morning and night with my 10g glutamine... still take the bcaas (when I remember)... diets going ok... cardio is still non existant except for working in the garden at the moment... moving a few hundred paving stones sure works up a sweat...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day... awesome awesome workout... upped the weights in all ex's and reps in most... by the 2nd to last ex my forearms were killing and soooo pumped and back was on fire... managed to do deads today with no problems, back is fine and abs not a twinge in sight which is great... will start to up the weights on that now and get my grip strength back...

Pulldowns 3 sets 15 (added more weight for 2 and 3 set) 9 9

bent overs 3 sets 12

rev pulldowns 3 sets 11 10 9

yates rows 3 sets 13 12 11

Deads 2 sets 9

brekkie this morning was normal oats and whey, but didnt go down too well... not sure why... will do eggs the next couple of mornings with a quick whey shake to see how it works out then switch back...

really starting to feel the training again and loving it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Trained Chest and Biceps yesterday... was a full on day and very busy...

Training went ok, Chest felt very pumped and while I kept the weights the same as last week I upped the reps on nearly every exercise... did feel my right shoulder twinge rather sharply in the second set of flat bench but it felt ok during the workout till later... now its a bit sore but not as bad as I had feared, taking extra cissus and MSM and Glucosamine/chondroitin to help out and looking to get some peptides in... I think its cos I upped the weights quite quickly every week and my warm ups have not been comprehensive to say the least... so more warm up and more prehab exercises for my shoulders in particular...

Chest

Incl press 3 sets

flat bench 3 sets

incl flyes 2 sets

incl twist press 2 sets

Biceps

Hammer curls (seated) 2 sets

preacher curls 2 sets

Diet is still ok, did have a couple of cheat meals over the weekend though but nothing too serious...


----------



## Greyphantom

Leg day today and I think they are filing for divorce... was a toss up as to wether or not I was going to do them as was feeling very knackered... but got off my ar$e and did them anyway...

Squats 3 sets 9 8 8

Extensions 3 sets 14 10 9

Ham curls 3 sets 11 8 5

upped the weight by 10kg on the squats though, and did more reps than pre op on the same weight... not far to go before I reach pre op weights but with more reps... so fairly chuffed with that... upped ext by 5kg and that really felt hard after squats... kept curls the same but they felt like I had doubled the weight...

After hurting my shoulder monday I have been taking double the dose of msm and glucosamine/chondroitin I normally do and 3 caps morning and night of the mega cissus from My Protein and today its not sore at all... along with that I have also been doing the shoulder rehab/prehab exercises that are in the video by Tall (I think)... cant believe the difference in how they both feel, strong and rearing to go...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day today, didnt do shoulders again this week to give them a bit of a rest, but back into them next week...

Its so freaking hot today that I sweat litres just sitting there, add training to the mix and it was like sitting in a sauna... was over 30 degrees in my garage gym easy...

Pulldowns 3 sets 10 11 10 (had a long break between 1st and 2nd sets hence the extra rep)...

rows 3 sets 12

rev pulldowns 3 sets 11 10 8

yates rows 3 sets 13 12 11

deadlifts 2 sets 12

used straps on deads today as my forearms were just so pumped and fvcked I couldnt grip the bar for reps... rows were pretty good, following Cons advice I feel the blood flowing through my back from the second set... utilising both rows and yates rows I feel the whole of the middle back has been worked...

diet wise I am going to add another meal in to up my daily intake a bit... looking at something as simple as a protein shake to up the protein perhaps...

getting an extra hours sleep a night at the moment as well which is making all the difference in how I feel during the day, which is great as not so lethargic and knackered... will be starting an eca stack either next week or the week after to help burn off some more body fat... then a couple of weeks after that another cycle of clen... also looking at starting some ghrp/cjc in the coming weeks too, I was looking at this a while back but started reading and reading and reading and... well you get the picture, there is a shed load of info to go through and now I feel confident enough to start a nice cycle of this to add to my current... looking forward to seeing what it does for me... breaking my cherry lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Measurements 07 Jun 10 - Chest 125cm

- Waist 103cm (sigh)

- Arms 43cm

- Legs 66cm

Measurements 10 Jul 10 - Chest 127cm/50.8in

- Waist 100cm/40in

- Arms 45.5cm/18.2

- Quads 67.5cm/27in

Weight - 113.7kg, 250.14lbs, 17.87 stone...

So today was a weigh in and measure day, just over a month and fairly pleased with the results... got to get my waist down some more though so will actually get off my ar$e and get right into the cardio this week... prob cycling, walking and skipping... looking to see similar results month by month although they will plateau... dammit...


----------



## Jem

Are you on FB D? I put some pics of you on there of our session at golds ;-)


----------



## Greyphantom

Yeah Jem, pm sent with details...

Had a fairly busy weekend out in the garden frying my ar$e off... was moving 8 foot sleepers from my parents place to ours on saturday... got help loading them into the car (although they didnt fit really tbh as they hung out over the end of the boot even with the seats down  ) but at the other end I had to unload them myself and they were not light, especially after back day on friday... could feel my back working all the time... ah well at least its another job done... but I fecking HATE gardening...

Struggled to eat today... even left some of my veg at dinner tonight... managed to choke down all the fish though.... feel full and bloated... and interestingly enough I didnt have my activia yoghurts this morning so maybe this has contributed to the bloated feeling today...


----------



## Jem

- done it chicken chops ! mwahahaha ;-)


----------



## Greyphantom

Saw that... at least no gurning shots hey... lol


----------



## Jem

I have lots more .....I spared you the burden of death by facebook ....will email them mwahahaha


----------



## Greyphantom

Ahhh youre too kind lass...


----------



## Greyphantom

Chest and Biceps today...

Was a brilliant workout actually, felt the pump huge in my chest and arms... put up the weights and got more reps in the incline press which was a bonus... shoulders felt fantastic and not a twinge in sight...

Incl press 3 sets 12 7 7 (went too quick on the second set as was very excited to get into it)

Flat Bench 3 sets 9 6 6

Incl flyes 15 11

Incl twist press 10 8

Hammer curls 12 10

Preacher curls 11 10

Pleased over all with the results of todays workout, starting to feel the test kick in now which is cool too, will be adding some ghrp6 and cjc as soon as I get bac water in... and will also look at adding eq in the mix as well... five months to go before I head off to the antipodes and hopefully will be looking the best I have to impress all the family 

Diet is still ok... been keeping junk food to a minimum and getting in about 250-300 grams of protein a day, will look at adding another meal in my day to get extra protein in...

Last but not least trying out an eca stack for energy/fat burning too, not liking it as much as clen but it still does the job... training is going well at the moment and I have to say that its in no small part to a lot of people from here and their motivational journals and remarks...


----------



## Ak_88

Nice work on the weightloss back a page dude.

I quite enjoyed my mini shape up earlier this year, mainly because i managed to shift a load of chub without doing any cardio :lol: :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

Ak_88 said:


> Nice work on the weightloss back a page dude.
> 
> I quite enjoyed my mini shape up earlier this year, mainly because i managed to shift a load of chub without doing any cardio :lol: :lol:


Thanks mate... yeah its nice to get results especially the ones you want


----------



## Greyphantom

Not much done today as life got in the way a bit... work this morning and then the kids were in a play at school this afternoon so went to see them... ECA is still going and I have modified it after reading a thread re the effects of the stack on the body... started Mon 60mg E, 200mg C and 300mg A (cos thats what the tabs came in and I couldnt be ar$ed splitting them and think I paid for that)... tue all fine then this morning after brekkie and my eca dose I felt pretty off and had a dodgy tummy... this went away by mid morning and by the time we got home after the kids play it was all good... read the thread that asks about dodgy tummy/loss of appetite on eca and thus lowered my asp dose to 150mg... made a huge difference, feels very good and energy levels higher than on the 300mg... will see how this goes and stick with it if it works out... Will be doing a double training day tomorrow... sigh, not so looking forward to it as in the AM will be doing legs and then PM shoulders/triceps... if I have any energy left after legs I will attempt to do shoulders but tbh I dont think thats too feasible so will eat then take my second eca dose and train in the mid PM... got some eq in now too so will add that to my stack next week... just have to find some bac water now and will start ghrp6 and cjc too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Legs with Shoulders/triceps today....

Well I ended up doing legs shoulders and triceps all at the same time... fvck me I dont think I will do that again...

Legs

Squats 3 sets 10 9 3

Ext 3 sets 14 10 6

curls 3 sets 10 8 6

Had to stop squats in the third set as I felt my calf pop when I over balanced slightly on the 2nd rep, tried one more and it just didnt work... so rather than fvcking it up properly I went on to ext... calf felt ok through the rest of the workout and now can walk on it with little problem...

Shoulders/triceps

Seated Press 2 sets 9 7

Side raise 2 sets 15 14

Rear raise 2 sets 14 13

Tris

Close grip bench 2 sets 14 11

Lying ext 2 sets 14 14

Shoulders/tris felt awesome today, first one since I twinged my shoulders and all was good...

One thing I have been noticing is that the pumps I am getting are insane, intensity is rising too and the muscles really get hit which is good... pumps today were so bad that I am really glad I didnt pin my quads after the workout as I am sure blood would have just p!ssed out everywhere... lol...

Have upped the e to 90mg c stays the same but a drops to 75 and its much much better... feel heaps of energy and not a stomach problem is sight...

Diet is still pretty much the same, chicken, meat, rice, potatoes shakes and oats... hmmm...


----------



## Ak_88

Nice work man, don't think i fancy doing legs with anything else! :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

I swear AK it was a moment of lunacy and hell will freeze before I do it again very soon...


----------



## Ak_88

I have enough trouble training quads and hams together, let alone throwing another 2 muscle groups!


----------



## Greyphantom

What a weekend... went to a wedding on Fri so missed my back day, was going to do it sat but due to not drinking for a while then going to said wedding and drinking copious amounts of the brown stuff that was a no go too... diet was shot to hell on fri and sat but recouped on sunday somewhat and back to it today...

Chest/Bi day...

Incl BP 3 sets 7 6 5

Flat BP 3 sets 7 4 5 (not sure what happened on the 2nd set)

Incl Flyes 2 sets 15 10

Incl TP 2 sets 10 8

Upped weights on all ex's the bench ex'x only by 5kg but it felt like 50 today... was really wiped out for some reason... flyes and twist press felt great...

Bi's

HC 2 sets 12 10

Preachers 2 sets 10 8

Bi's felt great... first set of hammers was sort of "meh" but then the second set really felt my bis work... preachers were awesome... loads of good pain on the second set...

Diet back to normal, loads chicken and beef, rice and oats...

ECA is still going at 90/200/75... one thing I have noticed (although it could be coincidental) is that I pee like a race horse at the moment and am wondering if it has something to do with ECA... frequency is normal, colour and clarity is fine and no weird smells but loads each time... will be adding in eq this week and hopefully starting ghrp/cjc too, but need to get some bac water which is still out in the places I am looking... sigh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Oh and weight is now 113.7kg so a slight increase on last week...


----------



## Beklet

Ah glad to see your injury has sorted itself - mine's getting better, back at the gym but won't be doing heavy deads for a while lol! :laugh:


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Beks... pretty much all sorted now, back, shoulders and all... lol... keep it moving I say... found that if I trained it was better than if I stopped... :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

Oh sweet sweet baby jebus... why on earth did I do it...!!!!!

Leg day today... really really unmotivated today, before the workout anywho... was really not into doing it but got my ar$e moving thanks to the UKM voices in my head kicking it repeatedly...

Squats 3 sets 11 10 9 cannot believe I did this, after first set my legs were tingling and after second they went numb... third set was fine but after this I could see definite veinage in my quads, very clear and first time ever... happy although crying...

Ext 3 sets 15 11 8 oh my god much pain... couldnt walk properly at all after and must have looked like I had been severely rogered by both Mr AND Mrs Wee as I walked from the garage to the front door to put my chicken on to cook...

Ham Curls 3 sets 11 7 7 killed me, thats it this is my ghost writing...

Holy sweet baby jebus... my legs are still on fire and I really feel quite ill... my kids are laughing and poking me then running away cos I cant catch them... have to get up to finish off dinner but cant get off the chair... over all was an awesome workout... coming from zero motivation it felt really good and pleased to say that there was zero injury or twinges... very happy with that...

Diet was sloppy yesterday as it was a day of school activities to do with my daughters last few days in primary before making the big move to secondary... gulp... this makes me sooooo old...


----------



## Ak_88

So you managed a proper leg session then.

Good work mary :lol: :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

Ak_88 said:


> So you managed a proper leg session then.
> 
> Good work mary :lol: :thumb:


Thanks Francine... :lol: :lol:

Yeah it was a good un... freaking hot though...


----------



## Kate1976

Legs, shoulders and tris!!! Mad man!

How are you finding the eca...am contemplating this as i need to get back into AM cardio...somehow!

Hope all is well?


----------



## Greyphantom

Agreed Kate, very mad and not something I will be too quick to do again... 

Now that I have the doses figured out I am liking it... its good for energy levels pre training (and just when I feel like my ar$e is dragging on the ground) but I had to lower the aspirin to 75mg before I felt good on it, and up the eph to 90mg (caff is 150-200mg)...

All is indeed well at the moment, almost scarily well, loads of garden work getting done (hate it) and loads happening socially at the moment (like it)... your avi is looking hot too... great delts and back...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day today...

Pulldowns 3 sets 12 11 10

Rows 3 sets 12 11 10

Rev PD 3 sets 12 10 9

Yates Rows 3 sets 12 11 9

Deads 2 sets 11 11

Kept the weights the same for the pulldown ex's but upped it for rows and DLs... over all felt really good, great pump and feel in the back and really felt it working... forearms gave way today in the last set of yates rows and straps were used again for Deads... upped the weights on deads and it felt easy enough but still a bit nervous about the abs... they feel ok but cant seem to get past the thinking they may still give in a bad way... will work that out eventually...

Diet is dropping a bit, but getting it back on track today and from now on... need to add another meal in there somewhere too to get the extra protein etc in...


----------



## Greyphantom

Weekend was spent digging holes for concrete for new bbq area and making the back yard pretty... yeah loadsa fun after back day...

Diet wise things are still ok but struggling with brekkie at the moment... oats getting hard to eat but this morning I mixed in some coco pops with them and voila, very nice and very edible... I have no problem eating later in the day and feel hungry but first thing in the morning (at least the first couple of hours) its difficult...

Weigh in at 113.3 at the moment... definitely see some progress and weights are steadily going up... and most exciting have found a place with some bac water and will be getting that tomorrow (or should be anyway) so will start ghrp and cjc as soon as it arrives... looking forward to that...


----------



## Jem

LMAO coco pops with yer oats ! how can you be sick of oatally delicious oats man ...[dont comment bex - we all know precisely what your views on oats are tar lady lol] ...woop ghrp and cjc crazy round here at the minute ...what made you do that as opposed to gh - was it merely cost ?

Anyway hope you are well otherwise D x


----------



## Greyphantom

Yeah Em, was sitting there thinking... hmmm what can I add to this to make it more chuggable... and the kids were just having brekkie too sooo... lol... it seems that its anything I have for breakfast at the moment, eggs, oats, other cereal...

Yeah cost was the main decider... although I might look at gh come end of the month but will see... all else seems to be going good thanks...


----------



## Greyphantom

Chest Biceps day today...

Chest

IP 3 sets 6 6 5

BP 3 sets 7 5 5

Incl Flyes 2 sets 17 12

Incl TP 2 sets 9 9

Bi

HC 2 sets 13 10

Felt rubbish today, very tired and lethargic, weights were the same as last week but felt ok when lifting, just not much energy even on eca... chest felt good though after workout and arms similar... was going to do preachers but it started P'ing down and as the bench needs to go partially outside to do them thought bugger it and stopped after hammers... still felt ok though...

Start ghrp6 and cjc today too... very interested to see if it does anything... might start looking at changing up my routine somewhat to see if it helps out with progress...


----------



## hilly

How long have u been using the eph mate? maybe need a break from it and look into a pre workout supp if you like a kick pre training.

What about weetabix for a change for breaky. other option grind ure oats into a flour and make pancakes 

you will like the ghrp/cjc


----------



## Greyphantom

Just started week 3 Hilly... pretty much at the end of the eca run really... dont mind a kick before training but can also train without it...

Weetabix could be the go mate... and good idea re oat pancakes...

You can really feel it working hey, about 25-30 mins after the sc shot I felt tingly numbness in my hands and then my feet... weird... but didnt get the expected hunger although I did feel peckish about 40 mins or so after... looking forward to running them mate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok so its day two of the ghrp6/cjc and I have to say really liking it... about 25 mins or so after injecting I get the tingly numb type feeling in my hands and a little in my feet... I also thought I was feeling a bit sick about 30 or so mins later... but this turns out is hunger... today I have been very hungry after each shot, to the point that while chewing I am thinking how much more can I stuff in my gob... its a funny hunger though, not ravenous per se but like I am not filling up and want to keep eating... slept awesomely last night too and woke up feeling very refreshed this morning... felt way better than yesterday and with more energy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Legs today and get in... not only at pre op levels re weights but blitzed the reps getting more than double the reps yay...

Squats 3 sets 9 9 7

Ext 3 sets 14 10 7

Ham curls 3 sets 7 6 5

same weights last time only got 5 4 3 on squats... so very pleased and now will push on and up... felt a great workout today, veins starting to show a lot during the workout even raised now which I think is kinda cool but the mrs is not liking lol... Legs feeling so pumped they feel like they are splitting after the first couple of sets and hurt by the end of exts something rotten... but in a good way... and today I think the noises coming from the garage rival the porn noises made by Jem during training 

Diet is still going well... ghrp/cjc is making me hungry again and find that I am shovelling in food with glee now instead of it being a chore... test e and eq going ok, although I dont expect to feel the eq for a couple more weeks the test is kicking in nicely and my guess is thats why the jump in reps on squats... (well that and some great advice from Martin Brown many thanks)...

happpy chappy at the moment...


----------



## Greyphantom

Shoulders and Triceps today...

Sh Press 3 sets 7 6 5

side raise 3 sets 16 15 14

rear raise 3 sets 15 15 13

shrugs 3 sets 16 16 15

Triceps

Close grip bench 3 sets 10 9 5

lying extensions 3 sets 15 12 10

Felt flipping awesome... pumped like anything and freaking hurt... still does...!!! for some reason the workouts this week are pretty insane well at least legs and sh/tris have been anyway... not sure if its the ghrp/cjc helping out or the test finally kicking in... all the same loving the workouts...

will be taking a break from ghrp/cjc this weekend and just running it through the week... everything else is as per usual...

school holidays at the moment and it sucks, throws off my schedule something rotten... but at least they are short this year...


----------



## Greyphantom

Weight 113.3kg no change but I can now go down to the next hole on my belt (that makes two now in just over two months) :thumb:

Chest and Biceps today...

Incl Bench 3 sets 9 4 5

Flat Bench 3 sets 7&1p 6 6

incl flyes 2 sets 13 9

incl TP 2 sets 6&1p 5&1p

Biceps

Hammer Curls 2 sets 9 9

Preacher Curls 2 sets 10 9

Overall I have upped weights and reps on some exercises and while it felt a good workout I cant help feeling a bit disappointed I didnt get more on the two main bench ex's... but keeping things in perspective I am getting more reps on the same weight than pre op... going to see if I can get the weights up or reps up next week... if I can will keep pushing with heavy weights and reps but if not then will look at a deloading phase then re do my program a bit... maybe its just a case of wanting more than I can chew (or lift lol)...

Had a bit of a scare on the weekend with my belly... was in a funny position when I sneezed and tried to hold it in, felt a twinge in my belly and got me a bit paranoid re ripping it or what have you... but happy to say that its all fine and feels good...

Finished my eca run and once I found the right ratios of eph/caff/asp I must say it went well... think I prefer clen tbh but will throw a eca course in there to mix things up when I fancy dropping some bf... test e and eq doing nicely and ghrp/cjc loving it so far...

cardio is pretty non existent but as I spend about 2 hours a day clearing the garden incl digging, preparing area for concreting and preparing a rather large space for relaying paving stones I figure this is good... abs are rather sporadic at best and I need to get more regular... esp considering I need to strengthen that are due to my op...

Diet is still ok, had a bit of crap (cheesecake (hmmm cheeeese caaaake), cupcakes and the like) as we had friends over but chicken and rice and oats and shakes still make the main part of my eats... will be upping the ante this week though re protein, at least one more protein shake and will try for another solid meal too...


----------



## Beklet

Glad to hear you're back on track - my progress is too slow for my liking too - I want to be back at my strongest, but I know it won't happen for weeks - same with the running! Dread running every time, it just doesn't get easier!!!

My back was fine training last night now it aches after vacuuming.....think I need to lay off the housework :laugh:


----------



## Greyphantom

yeah I hear you Beks... which is why we must train the bits that we either hate the most or progress the slowest...

LOL re the housework... I keep trying that excuse on my wife but so far no luck...


----------



## bigbob33

Nice journal mate  subbed!


----------



## Greyphantom

bigbob33 said:


> Nice journal mate  subbed!


Cheers mate...

Not much in the way of anything done today, work this morning, garden this afternoon, nearly done (for this part anyway, more to come later sigh)...

Ghrp/cjc is giving me the hungers something chronic now... that or the eq is really kicking in... cos even when I am full I still feel like eating, a lot... with the ghrp/cjc I am getting aching wrists/hands now... still get the tingly feeling along with my hands (and sometimes feet profoundly) feeling "full"... going to continue with all this for the foreseeable future thats for sure...

right dinner had (cheese and these herby bacon bits on toast) and now back to the gardening... sigh...


----------



## bigbob33

It's a hard life!

Never tried any peps but it does sound interesting.......


----------



## Greyphantom

bigbob33 said:


> It's a hard life!
> 
> Never tried any peps but it does sound interesting.......


Liking them so far mate... noticed I am tighter on them and love the hunger that comes with them too...

Shoulders triceps today...

Shoulders

Seated mil press 3 sets 8 7 6

seated side raise 3 sets 12 11 10

standing rear delts 3 sets 11 10 10

triceps

Close grip bench 3 sets 11 9 8

lying extensions 2 sets 9 9

Shoulders felt great but tris fairly average... got wicked pumps/tightness in my delts but not so much in the tris... lifting feels easier though but for some reason still feeling I should be doing better and more and heavier, but then aint that the curse of us all...

Diet is ok, although will look at changing some of the meals I eat as getting bored with some of the flavours and sauces...

cardio is still pretty much gardening as digging 2-3 hours a day which I hate even more than cardio... woo hoo...

Definitely starting a deload phase next week for a couple of weeks then will go on to a 5x5 style program, just have to pick one from rippetoe, reg park etc... looking forward to it as I am starting to stall/lose motivation on the current system...


----------



## Greyphantom

holy [email protected] am I sore today.... a culmination of the last few days digging so much sh!te out of the ground its not funny... forearms, elbows and knees are killing, lower back is very sore too... and to make matters worse I sneezed the other day in a weird position and I think I have pulled my abs round the hernia and I am really sh!tting myself that I have pulled the gauze out or something similar... fvvvvvvvvvck... still will visit the docs next week and see... sigh...


----------



## bigbob33

Hope it goes well buddy!


----------



## Jem

Greyphantom said:


> Legs today and get in... not only at pre op levels re weights but blitzed the reps getting more than double the reps yay...
> 
> Squats 3 sets 9 9 7
> 
> Ext 3 sets 14 10 7
> 
> Ham curls 3 sets 7 6 5
> 
> same weights last time only got 5 4 3 on squats... so very pleased and now will push on and up... felt a great workout today, veins starting to show a lot during the workout even raised now which I think is kinda cool but the mrs is not liking lol... Legs feeling so pumped they feel like they are splitting after the first couple of sets and hurt by the end of exts something rotten... but in a good way... *and today I think the noises coming from the garage rival the porn noises made by Jem during training *
> 
> happpy chappy at the moment...


 :thumb: :lol: :lol: glad to see I have inspired you


----------



## hilly

Greyphantom said:


> holy [email protected] am I sore today.... a culmination of the last few days digging so much sh!te out of the ground its not funny... forearms, elbows and knees are killing, lower back is very sore too... and to make matters worse I sneezed the other day in a weird position and I think I have pulled my abs round the hernia and I am really sh!tting myself that I have pulled the gauze out or something similar... fvvvvvvvvvck... still will visit the docs next week and see... sigh...


be very careful with this mate


----------



## Greyphantom

bigbob33 said:


> Hope it goes well buddy!


Thanks mate...



Jem said:


> :thumb: :lol: :lol: glad to see I have inspired you


Oh hell yeah... those noises just dont leave my head... 

that and the comments of "pussy" keep me going... lol



hilly said:


> be very careful with this mate


thanks Hilly will do mate... going to the docs today to get it checked... spent the weekend laying patio bricks and it felt fine and I cant feel anything too amiss... but as I am paranoid about it and really dont want to go through a fix up op I am getting it checked... but my hand is a mess from all the hammering though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok no training today, had work, then to the docs to get poked at for a while... he said that its probably nothing to worry about as it felt ok although there was a little bit that felt a bit odd, but he said that it is probably some of the fascia that has scarred that has moved or was stretched and thus caused the ache after my sneeze... he has set up an ultra sound so they can find for definite if it has been opened/torn or if its just this tissue that is moving about due to what ever... and something that is just awesome news for my training is that I have to take it easy till they know for sure... sigh... so the deloading phase will go for a couple of weeks longer (unless I can get in on my private cover but wont find out till tomorrow as to whether or not they do ultrasound) till I can go on the 5x5... but I soooooo want to progress, just hoping that the ultrasound comes up all ok and full blast ahead... not too happy at the moment tbh...


----------



## Ak_88

Bummer man - hope it comes back clear for you!


----------



## Greyphantom

Ak_88 said:


> Bummer man - hope it comes back clear for you!


Thanks mate... just p!ssed that I have to put things on hold as they were going very very well... still gives me a good excuse to get out of diy :laugh:


----------



## Greyphantom

Drowning my sorrows with a nice big key lime pie... hmmmm and this right after a big plate of fish, scampi and potatoes... hmmm hmmmmm


----------



## Jem

sorry to hear about that - I was even more sorry to hear about the key lime pie though because now I want to hit you ......


----------



## Greyphantom

Jem said:


> sorry to hear about that - I was even more sorry to hear about the key lime pie though because now I want to hit you ......


  :thumb: :thumb: nom nom nom... still I will feel a bit guilty tomorrow... lol


----------



## Greyphantom

been thinking that I am going to go ahead with some training anyway... as long as it doesnt twinge/pull I should be gtg... thats the theory anyway...


----------



## bigbob33

Good man, just go steady


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Bob... worked out my training last night and going to start that up on the madcows intermediate 5x5 type of thing... looking forward to it...


----------



## bigbob33

Sounds like a plan mate! What are your long term goals?


----------



## Greyphantom

mainly increase strength and size for now... will see how far this program takes me and then re-evaluate once I hit the wall...


----------



## Beklet

Mmmm pie.....


----------



## Greyphantom

Started 5x5 madcow...

Ok today was the first day of my new program and tbh not sure what to make of it... felt good but very quick and although I sweated like a mother I didnt felt really caned like normal... but I did feel like I had worked... my hand is still giving me huge problems with gripping anything (even squeezing a sponge is painful) but it wasnt too bad in the bench and rows today so hopefully that will go quickly...

Stomach did however give me a problem in the squat today so I had to stop at 4 sets for that ex... oddly enough it was not in the area of the op but lower down on the left side almost the mirror of where the appendix is... never flaming rains but it pours sod it...

Squats 3x5 1x3 (felt a twinge in my lower abs and just being very careful... still I feel NOW like I should have just pushed the rest out but hopefully be all ok by wed)

Incl Bench 5x5

Rows 5x5

all in all I can tell that its going to produce, no failure but definitely feel the work... good concentration on form and correct technique too... cant wait till next workout...

Diet wise I am eating everything I can when hungry... so about 2-3 hours between meals but if I feel full or hungry I go with it...


----------



## hilly

fancy laying a rough idea of how your eating mate. might be able to throw some pointers in their(or pinch some for myself


----------



## Greyphantom

Sure Hilly mate,

75g (dry weight) oats with sultanas (and sometimes half a cup of other cereal in the mix), dessert spoon golden syrup, scoop protein and two activia yoghurts (if I am still hungry then could be toast (that 50/50 kingsmill bread usually) or fruit)

shake and fruit

chicken 250g or beef 300-350g with rice 125g (cooked weight) or potatoes 200-250g

lamb 330g/chicken/beef with potatoes/rice, veg (mixed usually, could be a mix of broccoli, peas, corn, beans, carrots etc)

shake and if still peckish then fruit...

thats the average day... but some days I feel hungrier (esp after ghrp6) and so might add some bits in... cant remember the macros but around 275-300g protien...

Also from this week I am going to try to up the calories a bit in line with the 5x5 program I am doing... this will mean eating a bit more in the way of high calorie food... not sure what yet, but ideas are always welcome...


----------



## Jem

Ooooh foooood ! glad yer back to training n stuff huni


----------



## bigbob33

Training looks good mate, don't know enough about nutrition to coment but it doesn't look too bad to me


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks guys... things feeling good training wise... just wish the last little injuries would p!ss off... my hand is really killing when I try to grip or even make a fist... seems to get better then comes back... sigh... still what can you do but keep hitting the iron hey...


----------



## hilly

Greyphantom said:


> Sure Hilly mate,
> 
> 75g (dry weight) oats with sultanas (and sometimes half a cup of other cereal in the mix), dessert spoon golden syrup, scoop protein and two activia yoghurts (if I am still hungry then could be toast (that 50/50 kingsmill bread usually) or fruit) scoop protein doesnt sound like enough protein here wants to be min 50g in this meal
> 
> shake and fruit same as above
> 
> chicken 250g or beef 300-350g with rice 125g (cooked weight) or potatoes 200-250g
> 
> lamb 330g/chicken/beef with potatoes/rice, veg (mixed usually, could be a mix of broccoli, peas, corn, beans, carrots etc)
> 
> shake and if still peckish then fruit... ditch the fruit add nuts here or olive oil in shake/peanut butter etc
> 
> thats the average day... but some days I feel hungrier (esp after ghrp6) and so might add some bits in... cant remember the macros but around 275-300g protien...
> 
> Also from this week I am going to try to up the calories a bit in line with the 5x5 program I am doing... this will mean eating a bit more in the way of high calorie food... not sure what yet, but ideas are always welcome...


----------



## Greyphantom

cheers for the pointers Hilly... will go out and get some nuts asap... re the first shake its got about 50g or more protein in it as I put two heaped scoops in... cool re adding more on the oats though will do... thanks again mate, always glad to receive advice...


----------



## Greyphantom

2nd day of the madcow routine and loving it even more... also forgot to add weight is at 113.5kg and waist is shrinking as shorts are falling off me (woo hoo)...

Squats 4x5

Mil Press 4x5

Deads 4x5

was thinking that this seemed easy, you know, dropped the weights as suggested and after the first workout didnt feel it much but today my legs are really sore... first time in a dogs age that I have done squats so soon after doing them previously and then deads on the same day as squats as well... legs very sore... feels good though and today not much twinging from the ab area at all, even in deads... loving madcow at the moment...

On the ab front I have an appointment with the surgeon who did the op on tuesday next week, then hopefully the same day will see me in for an ultrasound or at least we will have a plan of attack... tbh I am sh!tting bricks but dont taste it till youre sure its not sh!t I say so will wait till tuesday before filling me knickers... really cant be doing another op right now... fricking body...

on a good note the hand is soooooo much better with barely a twinge there now... I have been using MyProtein's mega cissus (started monday night) and already it seems to have kicked it in the bud...the whole wrist area is fully mobile and I have no problem with any squeezing either... great news...

Diets same old same old... although I do feel a bit bloated after brekkie...


----------



## Greyphantom

My third 5x5 workout and its still feeling pretty sweet...

Squats

4x5

1x3 (PB this year and felt ok even in the abs)

1x8 (supposed to do this but forgot and switched straight to Incl Bench!! DOH)

Incl Bench

4x5

1x3

1x8

Rows

4x5

1x3

1x8

Feels pretty good, I find I am working the form much more and getting through my workout very quickly but sweating like a mother and still feeling the body has worked. I didnt expect that to be honest as it seems like such a quick workout... but legs are sore, I feel a pump and get doms... expect this to rise as I lift more which is good... completed my top lift in the squat today and its a pb this year anyway, I didnt think I was going to be able to do it as I am still very worried about my midsection but went for it and just really focused on getting the form right and keeping things tight...

I have been eating less clean this week, had mcdonalds and nachos (large packet of doritos with 350g lean mince and guacamole and sour cream... mmmm) for dinner etc (diff days) brekkie has been fairly consistant though and I still have just a shake pre bed... looking to add another shake into my day to get the extra protein in but will see what I can finagle... even with the crappy food I have found that I can pull my belt another notch tighter and I think I look better round the waist... oh and my appetite seems to be on the rise... which is good I guess...

Abs seemed ok today, a little twinge on the last of the set of 3 in the squats, nothing to worry about though and felt nothing at all in the row... got my ultra sound date today for NHS hospital up the road, but as I am seeing the surgeon on Tuesday (a week and a bit before ultra sound) and he will probably do that anyway I am hoping that all my fears can either a) be laid to rest and I can focus more on training and just getting on with it or B) we have a plan of attack to fix any little problem there may be...


----------



## bigbob33

Sounds like the workouts are going well bro 

Hope the doc tells you what you want to hear!

What's the weight on the pb mate?


----------



## Greyphantom

Not that much mate... 145 only but considering the year its been I am happy I am on track to reaching my best... which is 185kg for sets and reps but this new workout program should see that surpassed... as long as the holes in my body all heal up... lol


----------



## bigbob33

Still respectable weight even without the injuries mate :thumb:

I'm sure when you're 100% the pb's will be everywhere


----------



## Greyphantom

Hoping so Bob... and I feel that the madcow will produce for me... course it might be interrupted slightly by tomorrows visit to the surgeon...


----------



## Jem

Good luck with surgeony type matters Darren


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Em, bit nervous if I am totally honest... really cant be doing any resting up due to stitches and sh!t again... but what can you do... havent sneezed in 4 weeks... hayfever, who said you cant beat it lol...

Back to the day 1 of the 5x5 and it felt easier... hmmm not easier but like I had more in the tank to give but I didnt, just following the program...

Squats 5x5 (last was adding 2 reps to last fridays biggest weight)...

Incl Bench 5x5

Rows 5x5

Loving it so far... almost feel guilty at how quick the workout takes now compared to my old program, and that was under an hour... todays workout took just over 30 mins...


----------



## bigbob33

I suppose, so long as you hit it hard enough times irrelevant!


----------



## Greyphantom

My thought too Bob...

Well my fears were realised today, went to the surgeon and within 30mins I had seen him and had an ultrasound done... he wasnt too worried but wanted a scan to be on the safe side... so went to the radiology dept and they said sorry but will have to be another day... sigh, but one of the radiology staff was standing there and said boll0cks to that we will do you right now!!! bonus!!!... so the scan went ok but the ultra sound lady found a wee gap where the mesh and muscle meet... said that it looks like the stitches were busted or something had burst through but its only small... so now I have to wait till the surgeon has looked at those results and then sent me an appointment for either another consult or the time and day for repair... so happy fvcking joy looks like I will be having another enforced lay off... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...


----------



## bigbob33

Sad times mate


----------



## Greyphantom

What can you do though hey Bob... will just keep plodding along till I get to the other side...


----------



## bigbob33

Now that's the attitude


----------



## Greyphantom

Always Bob, thats what keeps the weights going up... 

Did day 2 workout of madcow and its still feeling great.

Squats

4x5

Mil Press

4x5

Deadlifts

4x5

put up the weights by 2.5 kg except on deads which is going to be 5kg for a while till it starts stalling as deads are far below my pre op levels as this exercise I am more cautious on (which is funny as I would have thought squats would be to)... still all felt great, Deads went up easy and really felt the groove... short and sweet workout again but sweaty too... still feels easy with more in the tank to come...


----------



## Ak_88

Bummer man, just another obstacle to overcome though, keep your head in it :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks AK... was a bit of a downer but what can you do, life goes on and the iron just begs to be lifted... if anything things feel stronger and there is no pain or twinge at all when lifting, even in the squats or dead lifts... plus the surgeon didnt seem too bothered...


----------



## Greyphantom

Another day of uppage and pb and got all kung fu on a wasps a$$... lol

More madcow and still loving it... in fact thinking of eloping and marrying it right now... :lol:

Squats 4x5 1x3 (pb this year) 1x8

Incl Press 4x5 1x3 1x8

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8

So far so good... squats was a bit nervy on but sucked it up and just made sure I did the best damn form I could and maintained my midsection tightness and breathed properly... not a single twinge from the ab region and legs were appropriately satisfied... after my set of 3 I was well happy... caned it... next week will see 150 which I havent lifted in years and considering my condition through the midsection I am well happy... Press and rows went very well, still feel like there is a lot more in the tank but following the program without getting ahead of myself and burning myself out...

While taking a break between sets had a wasp fly in and sniff around, as we have had a problem with wasps I thought blow this and kicked out... knocked the little sucker out of the sky :lol:

Also trying out the Lixus t400 from today... mixed it with eq and so far no pip at all... in fact it feels better than usual, probably cause I dont have to use so much oil... 

So looking forward to my next training session... cannot wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Well the sh!t is just hitting the fan all over and its been a very fvcked up day... missed training yesterday out of some bullsh!t misguided sense of respect/consideration for the mrs as I like to spend weekends relaxing with the family and as it was a bank holiday yesterday I carried it over... never fvcking again I tell you that for free... was going to train today and instead spent 3hours trying to fix the fvcking garage door as it failed and fell on my freaking head while I was walking under it, but its well and truly fvcked and I am not sure how long it will take to fix or get fixed so as my weights are all in there not sure how long till I can train again... really freaking steamed now... so missed today and doesnt look like will train in the next few days... FVVVVVVVCCCCCKKKK... :cursing: :cursing: :cursing: :cursing:

to make things worse my mrs' work has cocked up her pay and it looks like we will lose our tickets to Aus and as she really wanted to go this year for some reason its my fault for "not doing enough" as I just "dont want to as much as she does"... enough of what I have no fvcking idea... anywho... life is just a big steaming pile of elephant seal poo right now... what the hell next... :confused1: :confused1:


----------



## hilly

sounds like ure weekend was worse than mine pal. chin up tho 2moro will be a better day i hope


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Hilly, yeah things will prob be better on the morrow... already got plans to train even if I have to crawl on my belly under the door... lol... hope you are feeling better too mate, stomach probs and biceps too I read...


----------



## hilly

yeh biceps been dicky for couple of weeks now its at the insertion point on radial tuberosity. pulled it trying a tripple 210 deadlift lol.

doc has given me tabs for stomach so fingers crossed that will shape up and i can start pounding food


----------



## Greyphantom

Nice one re the tabs mate, hope they work out well, will keep my fingers and toes crossed for ya... shame about the bicep... but we will push ourselves hey...


----------



## bigbob33

Good luck with the garage bro


----------



## Jem

Wasp attacks ....Garage doors collapsing on your head & pay cock ups ...OMG ! ....Least it cant possibly get any worse D ...I know you'll keep smiling and showing those dimples


----------



## Greyphantom

bigbob33 said:


> Good luck with the garage bro


Thanks mate... going to rip it off and put on hinged doors... much easier to deal with... 



Jem said:


> Wasp attacks ....Garage doors collapsing on your head & pay cock ups ...OMG ! ....Least it cant possibly get any worse D ...I know you'll keep smiling and showing those dimples


Yeah its been a time of it Em, but memories of that training session and all those noises you made will keep that smile firmly in place... :thumb: even if I have to raise the door with a jack and belly crawl under it I will get in a session today I have decided...


----------



## Greyphantom

Well as the song says, what a difference a day makes... garage door is still sh!te and marriage could well be on the rocks but the training is awesome...

Could get the door up about 3 or 4 feet and then crawl under it, and as I am on the 5x5 madcow there is not any need for the lat tower etc so could do the full workout and it rocked...

Squats 5x5 (pb for the year on the last set)

Incl Bench 5x5

Rows 5x5

All felt very good, squats went without a hitch and felt great, torso felt tight and in control, no belt and just made sure breathed out on the way up... Incl Bench is good but room for improvement, should be a pb for the year in the next couple of weeks... rows were awesome and felt like I have so much more to go before running out of gas...

Weight is down to 112kg but looking trimmer round the middle and with strength going up not too bothered, will try to fit more food in to see if we cant get it up a bit... diet is not bad but not watching it as close as I was... feel full a lot but like I am still hungry but just not sure what to eat/I feel like...


----------



## snakebulge

Glad you got focused and managed to get your training done mate. Well done and keep at it! :thumb:


----------



## Jem

Greyphantom said:


> Yeah its been a time of it Em, but memories of that training session and all those noises you made will keep that smile firmly in place... :thumb: even if I have to raise the door with a jack and belly crawl under it I will get in a session today I have decided...


LOL sure there will be another one next year 



Greyphantom said:


> Well as the song says, what a difference a day makes... garage door is still sh!te and *marriage could well be on the rocks but the training is awesome... *
> 
> Could get the door up about 3 or 4 feet and then crawl under it, and as I am on the 5x5 madcow there is not any need for the lat tower etc so could do the full workout and it rocked...
> 
> Squats 5x5 (pb for the year on the last set)
> 
> Incl Bench 5x5
> 
> Rows 5x5
> 
> All felt very good, squats went without a hitch and felt great, torso felt tight and in control, no belt and just made sure breathed out on the way up... Incl Bench is good but room for improvement, should be a pb for the year in the next couple of weeks... rows were awesome and felt like I have so much more to go before running out of gas...
> 
> Weight is down to 112kg but looking trimmer round the middle and with strength going up not too bothered, will try to fit more food in to see if we cant get it up a bit... diet is not bad but not watching it as close as I was... feel full a lot but like I am still hungry but just not sure what to eat/I feel like...


Love this ......... :whistling:

marriage = about 4 words

training = mahoosive paragraph

sort of says it all in a nutshell :lol: :lol: :lol:

Seriously though....I know you're a good man and you do know what your priorities are ...despite the above  ...hope you can square it off and sort something Darren x


----------



## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Glad you got focused and managed to get your training done mate. Well done and keep at it! :thumb:


Cheers mate... felt great to get in and get it done...



Jem said:


> LOL sure there will be another one next year


Well up for that dear lady... :thumb:



Jem said:


> Love this ......... :whistling:
> 
> marriage = about 4 words
> 
> training = mahoosive paragraph
> 
> sort of says it all in a nutshell :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> Seriously though....I know you're a good man and you do know what your priorities are ...despite the above  ...hope you can square it off and sort something Darren x


LOL... yeah I know, the training helps me get my head out of my ar$e and back in the game... tbh not sure how to sort the marriage bit at this time as there is nothing I can do but I seem to be the one getting the blame... sigh... what can you do hey... to paraphrase Rollins, life may throw you curve balls and become murky but 200lbs is always 200lbs... :thumb:

Just waiting till things come around Em... :thumbup1:


----------



## bigbob33

Sorry to hear about the whole marriage thing, but hey, you got a good workout in :thumb:


----------



## Jem

Greyphantom said:


> Cheers mate... felt great to get in and get it done...
> 
> Well up for that dear lady... :thumb:
> 
> LOL... yeah I know, the training helps me get my head out of my ar$e and back in the game... tbh not sure how to sort the marriage bit at this time as there is nothing I can do but I seem to be the one getting the blame... sigh... what can you do hey... to paraphrase Rollins, life may throw you curve balls and become murky but 200lbs is always 200lbs... :thumb:
> 
> Just waiting till things come around Em... :thumbup1:


....then it shall be done  ...and I'll show no mercy whatsoever this time .... :lol: :lol:

Hey sometimes you just gotta go with the flow huni ...and if the training gets it out your system so much the better. Thing with women is - we're all nutters - no word of a lie - without exception really. I have a lot of sympathy for men  [some of them, some are a dead loss]. Push throw it - this too shall pass.


----------



## Greyphantom

bigbob33 said:


> Sorry to hear about the whole marriage thing, but hey, you got a good workout in :thumb:


You know it big guy... :thumb:



Jem said:


> ....then it shall be done  ...and I'll show no mercy whatsoever this time .... :lol: :lol:
> 
> Hey sometimes you just gotta go with the flow huni ...and if the training gets it out your system so much the better. Thing with women is - we're all nutters - no word of a lie - without exception really. I have a lot of sympathy for men  [some of them, some are a dead loss]. Push throw it - this too shall pass.


Yeah thanks Em... I know its probably just a quick shower rather than a full on storm cos it looks like we arent going to Aus at xmas now and she was dead set on going... just plodding along getting the kids ready for school... cant believe my daughter starts high school tomorrow... freaking heck time flies...


----------



## Greyphantom

Well the garage door is well and truly fvcked now, lifted it enough to get under to train today and then went to close it but one of the things on the side popped out of the rail and then when I managed to get it back in the other had not only come out but had also completely come outside the frame so now cant close it fully at all not sure about opening yet but will find out sunday as its my next training day...

So training is going so freaking well at the moment, each week sees an increase in weight and I am so enjoying it... today was day 2 of the madcow as I am a couple of days out of whack at the moment...

Squats 4x5

Mil Press 4x5

deadlifts 4x5

Squats were just a warm down type of thing and felt very good... mil press was good and still got loads in the tank there, but not going to rush it as per the program... Deads felt awesome, all weights went up smooth and easily, keeping my abs tight helped with the problems there too, not a twinge or pull to worry about...

Weight is still 112kg but I have noticed some changes in my physique... when they become a bit more noticeable I will take some update pics and measurements... diet is still much the same...

Lixus t400 is no problem at all, feeling the prop kicking in at the moment but no pip or soreness at all from the second shot in the same quad... (might rotate to glutes though to give the quads a break)... also taking it with eq so this might be helping too...

Oh and marriage stakes seem to be thawing somewhat... I think the mrs is now beginning to realise not everything in life is my fault... there you go Jem more than 4 words...  :lol:


----------



## bigbob33

So the training good and the marriage is better, sounds like things are on the up mate :thumb:

Just a quicky, are you from new Zealand mate, because we're thinking of emmigrating there and a little local info would be great!


----------



## Greyphantom

yeah things starting to look up mate...

Re NZ... yep I am from there and tbh I would seriously think about living there... things are not cheap and when I talk with my family I am always amazed at how things are going... its a great place to grow up and probably retire but as for living there I prefer the UK... each to their own though mate, if you have a great job that pays well and theres just the two of you (kids will add to the expense) you can do well... loads of great scenery, loads of great people (but some real sh!te sorts as well) and loads of earthquakes... (thoughts with my freinds and family in Christchurch at the moment)... just dont forget when you are looking at prices remember you will be making NZ $ and not £...


----------



## bigbob33

Fair points mate! I've only just seen the news 

We're thinking of moving it's just a question of finding the right place!

Canadas another option....


----------



## Greyphantom

Got your pm mate and replied... be good to chat to you about it... had some friends who lived in the french part of canada and they loved the country but said the frenchies could be right ignorant at times... that is one place I would love to visit though...


----------



## Jem

Aaaaw good news of sorts then D - pleased for you hun x


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Em... even got a smile tonight... almost a laugh... lol...


----------



## Beklet

Bloody hell this journal's almost as injury ridden as mine! My second back injury almost better now

Shame about Aus, and all the crap going with it, suspect I'll be dealing with a drunk Bob in an hour or two prob best to go to bed now lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Beklet said:


> Bloody hell this journal's almost as injury ridden as mine! My second back injury almost better now
> 
> Shame about Aus, and all the crap going with it, suspect I'll be dealing with a drunk Bob in an hour or two prob best to go to bed now lol


Ahh you jinxed me Beks... lol...

Did workout 3 yesterday and had to stop squats due to a flaming pull in the right outer quad... ARRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... :cursing:

Squats 2x5 1x1

Incl Press 4x5 1x3 1x8

rows 4x5 1x3 1x8

was really keyed up to have a great workout and did the first set of squats, felt my quad feel a bit sore but thought could just be pip pain maybe, then did the second and it felt a bit worse, finally (after thinking got to give it a go at least as I dont want to give up or wuss out) did one rep on the third set and felt something give (but not break) on the outer part of my right quad... quite sore but not too bad, no bruising at least... could walk on it no problems just squatting down caused loads of bother... went for a walk down to my parents (bbq) to loosen it up and then back again (loaded with bbq food, hmmm) and then had a scorching SCORCHING hot bath and it felt much better after... still hurts this morning but not as bad, feels fine when I walk and also now when I sit down or get into the car it doesnt give me a problem... probably means I wont be squatting this week or at least just doing lights so will have to reset a little but at least its not a tear or anything (still bummed though that I didnt get my target weight as was sooo psyched for it)... deads should be interesting but will see how they go...

marriage pretty much back to normal... turned out it was my fault as I didnt ask what was wrong (even though asking in itself is apparently a no-no for strong independent capable women  ) and assumed it was the whole possibly missing out on the aussie trip thing but it was really a list of things (which I am sure I covered and talked about but apparently its not the same  ) so there you go (more than 4 words again Jem :tongue: )

Still loving the training and enjoying the bejesus out of it... just royally fvcked that I have an ouchie... strength still going up so thats a good thing...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok after my baking hot bath, a night of rest and some stretching BW squat in the morning my quad is feeling pretty good... not good enough to jump under the bar just yet but well enough to stair climb with no ill effect and BW squat with no ache or too much pain... soooo hopefully by the end of the week it will be as good as new... yay me...


----------



## Kate1976

Hey GP....sorry to hear you have another injury...sucks 

Us women folks are complicated...I will make no apologies


----------



## Greyphantom

Kate1976 said:


> Hey GP....sorry to hear you have another injury...sucks
> 
> Us women folks are complicated...I will make no apologies


Yeah it does but think I got lucky and its more of a niggle than an injury this time... a bit funny tbh as there was no hint of it before... but what can you do...

yeah you are... I think all women should personally apologise for all and any incomprehensible behaviour...  :thumb:


----------



## bigbob33

Good news about your quad mate, I think letting it rest is definately the way to go. It's never worth the risk making things worse!


----------



## Greyphantom

Yeah that is my thought too mate, could have tried to push through but think that would have fvcked it well and truly and now its actually feeling very good, can even do bw squats with no pain today... :thumb:


----------



## hilly

some good deep tissue massage will do ure quad wounders mate.

another option is buy a foam roller and check youtube for how to use it. i do sports therapy at uni and we were shown how to use em last year and they are bloody good mate. allows you to deep tissue massage ureself to a point. not as good as a person but their 30 quid to buy and use over and over instead of 30 quid for 45 mins with a physio


----------



## mick_the_brick

Alreet mate?

So a few things..

Garage door - RIP?

What gear you currently running?

What's a typical day's eating look like?

Have you been onto:

www.thaibrides.com and sorted a new missus yet?



Hope you are well buddy


----------



## Greyphantom

hilly said:


> some good deep tissue massage will do ure quad wounders mate.
> 
> another option is buy a foam roller and check youtube for how to use it. i do sports therapy at uni and we were shown how to use em last year and they are bloody good mate. allows you to deep tissue massage ureself to a point. not as good as a person but their 30 quid to buy and use over and over instead of 30 quid for 45 mins with a physio


Sounds like a good plan mate, will look one of those up (the roller not so much the therapist lol)... like the sound of this trigger point therapy that stuart mcrobert blathers on about in beyond yawn... um I mean brawn too...



mick_the_brick said:


> Alreet mate?
> 
> So a few things..
> 
> Garage door - RIP?
> 
> What gear you currently running?
> 
> What's a typical day's eating look like?
> 
> Have you been onto:
> 
> www.thaibrides.com and sorted a new missus yet?
> 
> 
> 
> Hope you are well buddy


yep door is well and truly RIP mate, will be making some hinge doors soon I feel... cost too much to get it replaced by a professional... and whats the worst that could happen if I make my own... :laugh:

Currently 2g test, 500mg eq... thats it... but feeling great with it... will also start ghrp/cjc in the next couple of days...

Typical day... 50-75g (dry weight) oats with sultanas (and sometimes half a cup of other cereal in the mix) or a large bowl of multigrain type cereal, dessert spoon golden syrup (only with oats), scoop protein (or shake if having cereal) and two activia yoghurts (if I am still hungry then could be toast (that 50/50 kingsmill bread usually) or fruit)

shake and fruit

chicken 250g or beef 300-350g with rice 125g (cooked weight) or potatoes 200-250g or pasta

lamb 330g/chicken/beef with potatoes/rice, veg (mixed usually, could be a mix of broccoli, peas, corn, beans, carrots etc)

shake and if still peckish then fruit...

thats the average day... but some days I feel hungrier (esp after ghrp6) and so might add some bits in... cant remember the macros but around 275-300g protein...

I do have cheat meals and tbh a few more of those these days as I am pretty much dirty bulking... even though eating a bit more junky type food (burgers for eg) seem to still be leaning up nicely...

LMAO... yeah mate will keep that site in my favourites in case... things have sorted now and the make up shag was great... :beer:


----------



## mick_the_brick

> yep door is well and truly RIP mate, will be making some hinge doors soon I feel... cost too much to get it replaced by a professional... and whats the worst that could happen if I make my own... :laugh:


hhmmm indeed :lol: :lol:



> Currently 2g test, 500mg eq... thats it... but feeling great with it... will also start ghrp/cjc in the next couple of days...


Cool what dosing you running on the GHRP and CJC if you don't mind sharing?



> Typical day... 50-75g (dry weight) oats with sultanas (and sometimes half a cup of other cereal in the mix) or a large bowl of multigrain type cereal, dessert spoon golden syrup (only with oats), scoop protein (or shake if having cereal) and two activia yoghurts (if I am still hungry then could be toast (that 50/50 kingsmill bread usually) or fruit)
> 
> shake and fruit
> 
> chicken 250g or beef 300-350g with rice 125g (cooked weight) or potatoes 200-250g or pasta
> 
> lamb 330g/chicken/beef with potatoes/rice, veg (mixed usually, could be a mix of broccoli, peas, corn, beans, carrots etc)
> 
> shake and if still peckish then fruit...
> 
> thats the average day... but some days I feel hungrier (esp after ghrp6) and so might add some bits in... cant remember the macros but around 275-300g protein...
> 
> I do have cheat meals and tbh a few more of those these days as I am pretty much dirty bulking... even though eating a bit more junky type food (burgers for eg) seem to still be leaning up nicely...


Honestly don't think there's any right and wrong approach with diet as long as you are getting in enough protein.



> LMAO... yeah mate will keep that site in my favourites in case... things have sorted now and the make up shag was great... :beer:


Just made that site up mate ^^^.. www.swedishtwinsforsale.com

that one is better :thumbup1:

Pics or it didn't happen :whistling:


----------



## Greyphantom

This period of ghrp/cjc will be about 200mcg... was running 100 previously and it was good but want to see if the higher dose effects me differently...

I am much the same in thoughts re the diet mate...

Pics I wish... she is fairly... ummmm... conservative in some matters...


----------



## mick_the_brick

I reckon you will like the higher dosing and for the relative expense (or not as it were) it's worth it mate TBH.

Same with my missus lmao...


----------



## Greyphantom

Yeah I think so, ime the higher doses work better for aas too... I seem to respond quite well with high doses but really rubbish at the low dose cycle... not that I dont make gains but another person on the same dose will seem to blow up while I plod along... lol...

Mate... women, cant live with them.... uh pass the beer nuts...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok some good news... we are going to Aus for xmas... woo hoo... wifes work is still p!ssing us around but my Mum (bless her) has lent us the money to pay for the tickets till wifes work pays her... :thumb: yeah baby... the wife is much happier and this mean that I am much happier 

Will be training today and see how the quad goes with just the bar... feeling tired but good...


----------



## YetiMan1436114545

mick_the_brick said:


> www.thaibrides.com and sorted a new missus yet?
> 
> 
> 
> Hope you are well buddy


LOL!

Glad your quad is better mate.

How long are you going to run GHRP/CJC? Doing is 7 days a week or 5 on 2 off?

Great news about Aus mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

It will be 5 on 2 off and will run it as long as I have some taking the odd week out here or there... yeah mate we are rapped...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok training today went very well... much better than expected tbh...

Squats 5x5

Incl Press 5x5

Rows 5x5

Squats I started with BW only then the bar and as it felt very good (could feel leg twinge but nothing serious) added weight to each set, only got up to 50kg but quad felt good and didnt want to push it too hard... next time will try more weight from the start and see how far I can go without crippling myself 

Incl press is good, felt it but also felt I have more to go there, same with rows...

Food has been a little up and down in the last couple of days... but nothing too serious out of line...

also started to use my glutes as my primary injection site... which has proven interesting as I did get some pip of the last shot, but as its a pretty fresh site and its t400 I guess its not that bad...


----------



## Ak_88

mick_the_brick said:


> www.swedishtwinsforsale.com
> 
> that one is better :thumbup1:
> 
> Pics or it didn't happen :whistling:


Page not found mick, is it down??



Greyphantom said:


> Yeah I think so, ime the higher doses work better for aas too... I seem to respond quite well with high doses but really rubbish at the low dose cycle... not that I dont make gains but another person on the same dose will seem to blow up while I plod along... lol...
> 
> Mate... women, cant live with them.... uh pass the beer nuts...


Dosage uppage being better? Who'd have thought it :lol:

Looking good in here dude :thumb:


----------



## jw007

Pics PUNK


----------



## Greyphantom

Ak_88 said:


> Page not found mick, is it down??
> 
> Dosage uppage being better? Who'd have thought it :lol:
> 
> Looking good in here dude :thumb:


Cant believe you looked 

thanks mate, loving the 5x5, not sure getting much growth from it (bit soon to tell perhaps) but certainly getting more strength or perhaps more confidence to lift more... re uppage yeah mate, who'd a thunk it... lol...



jw007 said:


> Pics PUNK


Yes Obi Wan I will put some more up at the end of the month... (hmmm perhaps I should up the dose some more lol)...

Oh and this is my 5000th post... milestone...


----------



## Dsahna

Howdy G,what cycle you running at the minute mate?


----------



## Greyphantom

Hey there mate... just upped it to 2g test and 600 eq... using ai for est control and thats about it... will see how this goes for next little bit and modify as needed... also will be starting ghrp/cjc tomorrow when the slin pins come in...


----------



## Greyphantom

Quad completely twinge free today... funny thing is when it went it felt like something had moved or released rather than broke or snapped... almost like there was a pocket of oil or something in there that opened... hmm anywho its all good and today will be training day two so I can catch up on my schedule as its a bit out of whack...

Finished reading beyond brawn by stuart mcrobert and started reading starting strength by Rippetoe... what a difference between the two books... maybe I should have read brawn first as it may be better written and more informative... I found beyond brawn terrible... so repetative that it became an incredible chore to read... who ever edited that needed to cut about 90% of it out and just stick with the few good bits... it was more like a motivational speakers lecture notes than a book on how to lift effectively and with good progress...

Starting Strength on the other hand is brilliant. concise, to the point, full of very very useful information... really enjoying reading this one... I have one or two other books which are just as good and will dig them out to re read...

On another note, got a new tub of the nutrisport 90+ protein yesterday (big shout to the crew at Bodybuilding Warehouse as they came through with brilliant service yet again) and it HAS changed its flavour... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... its not too bad, but no where near as good as it was... will have to stop getting this now and find another inexpensive blend that tastes nice... mix it with My proteins blend (the egg white, casein and whey one) and before it was lush with the new flavour its ok... might try to find some milkshake flavouring stuff to flavour to taste...


----------



## Ak_88

Which flavour have you gone for? I've got about a week or 2's left of the chocolate one and it's taken me a bloody age to find a decent powder like nutrisport!


----------



## Greyphantom

Its the choc one mate... I loved the old flavour as it was slightly bitter and tasted very nice... this one has lost the bitterness and is a bit hmmm not sweet but not very chocolate-y either... malt is about as near as I can figure... I was much the same mate, very disappointed as took me a long time to find a good one that tasted nice... MPs blend is great dont get me wrong and will be getting more when current tub runs out but flavour is just not there...


----------



## hilly

nutrisport have been like this for years. their flavour always changes it seems.


----------



## Greyphantom

yeah mate it sucks big time...


----------



## Greyphantom

Trained today and it was gooood...!!

did day 2 of madcow

Squats 4x5 went up to 80kg and only the slightest of twinges in my quad so well happy

Mil Press 4x5

Deadlifts 4x5

All felt good and after reading starting strength changed my hand position, and kept my chest up and lifted my hips straight up rather than bring them forward and it felt very good... mil press is going ok, progressing well there... deads are still on the light side but was very pleased that I could go up to the full weight I had planned rather than stopping short due to my quad... :thumb:

Appetite has been huge in the afternoons the last week or so, done nothing different but really hungry from lunch time onwards...

Also think I have figured out whats wrong with the nutrisport, they dont put enough cocoa in... I added some nesquick and taste was much better and more like the old stuff (still not as bitter though)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Forgot to add that I have added in another shake to bring my protein total up to around 350 a day... and if the hunger keeps going might add another meal as well...


----------



## Greyphantom

just a quick note to say have started ghrp/cjc today... eating is going well and cannot wait till next training day (tomorrow)...


----------



## bigbob33

Hope it goes well mate! My source has some strange moral objection to peptides and slin! WTF is that about????


----------



## Greyphantom

Mate that is outrageous... hunger is through the roof right now, just had two lamb steaks (330ish gms) piece of fish (125ish gms) and a plated of potatoes and already looking for my next meal... wish it was now dammit lol.... I like ghrp/cjc as it really helps in terms of appetite (which sometimes can be damn scarce) and I generally feel better for it, sleep better and find that I get some fat loss too... also and weirdly and not even sure I can attribute this to the peptides, but my forearms get vascular and I guess other parts will to as bf decreases and muscle increases...


----------



## Greyphantom

Saturday training...

Weight 113.4kg which is up from last week but 1.4kg... so happy there...

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 up to 120kg and it was easy and felt good, no problems with the quad at all so wooo hooooooooooooo... :thumb:

Incl Press 4x5 1x5 1x8

Rows 4x5 1x5 1x8

All the exercises felt great and like I have more in the tank still... was very surprised by the squats as didnt expect to recover this quick but also changed my form slightly as per Rippetoes explanation in his book and my adductors and glutes really felt it... (they still do tbf)... the form felt much better and the squat also felt really good... Press felt almost easy and better than it has previously and rows while not light were going up easily...

Opening new sites has proved to give me some pip, but not as bad as I thought... ghrp/cjc is going great...

On a funny note... had a friend over at the weekend and her kids were fascinated by my biceps... yay me, first time ever that any attention has been paid to my piddly guns... lol... they got me to pose and kept saying, squeeze your arms!! lmao... que the big head...


----------



## Greyphantom

Training today...

Another good day... quad held up brilliantly!!!

Squats 5x5

Incl Press 5x5

Rows 5x5

Quad felt totally fine with the barest hint of a niggle... so up to full weight on friday... which will put me a week behind on those but at least I can still squat...

Press was good... starting to feel it a bit more but still have some gas there...

Rows I really felt in my lower back today, put this down to squatting and then rows so close together... really gave it a squeeze in the contraction and felt it a lot, back even tingled after my last set...

Things going well so far... 5x5 madcow is a very good system for me at this stage... also reading through Rippetoes book starting strength and its one of the best I have read in a long time... very very good and easy to follow, brilliant instructions on the squat (just up to bench) and well worth reading for all I think...


----------



## mick_the_brick

GHRP is epic for eating...

I have shot 900mcg before in one go before visiting the wife's restaurant for a feeding..

It's not big or clever Upping the Dose tm

BUT IT WORKS


----------



## bigbob33

Looks like everythings going well mate! And on top of that it sounds like you're enjoying it too


----------



## Greyphantom

mick_the_brick said:


> GHRP is epic for eating...
> 
> I have shot 900mcg before in one go before visiting the wife's restaurant for a feeding..
> 
> It's not big or clever Upping the Dose tm
> 
> BUT IT WORKS


mate that is insane... must give it a go lol.... yeah funny thing is I stay hungry through the day at the moment... course could be the eq helping out as well... 



bigbob33 said:


> Looks like everythings going well mate! And on top of that it sounds like you're enjoying it too


Thanks Bob, yeah its ok mate, and loving it... really look forward to my next training day...


----------



## YetiMan1436114545

900MCG? **** me I bet you ate everything in the restaurant pmsl.

Glad your quad is doing ok mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2 of madcows today, still loving it and felt pretty damn good...

Squats 4x5

Mil Press 4x5

Deadlifts 4x5

Squats went ok, weight is only light at 110 but still felt a twinge in my quad more than when it was 140 the other day... right pain in the rear... still rammed in some ghrp/cjc after training and now feeling famished... bit wary of the quad now, looking forward to friday still and going for another pb for this year... shall see how it goes...

Mil press went up well and still got loads to go in the tank, soooo tempting to jump ahead weight wise but will stick with the plan as dictated by madcow...

Deads were brilliant... grip is stronger than its been and weight going up easily... very pleased again...

overall still well happy but slightly concerned over this quad malarky...


----------



## snakebulge

Greyphantom said:


> Day 2 of madcows today, still loving it and felt pretty damn good...
> 
> Squats 4x5
> 
> Mil Press 4x5
> 
> Deadlifts 4x5
> 
> Squats went ok, weight is only light at 110 but still felt a twinge in my quad more than when it was 140 the other day... right pain in the rear... still rammed in some ghrp/cjc after training and now feeling famished... bit wary of the quad now, looking forward to friday still and going for another pb for this year... shall see how it goes...
> 
> Mil press went up well and still got loads to go in the tank, soooo tempting to jump ahead weight wise but will stick with the plan as dictated by madcow...
> 
> Deads were brilliant... grip is stronger than its been and weight going up easily... very pleased again...
> 
> overall still well happy but slightly concerned over this quad malarky...


Good lifting there bud.

You're bound to be concerned about the quad thing but just take it steady and increase regularly in small doses and you'll be back to your squatting strength in no time. :thumb:


----------



## TH0R

Hi gp, never knew you had a journal bud, will peruse from now on and check out your ghrp

usage

Been considering, whats your take on the stuff?

I was more thinking of using in a long PCT, try and get cholesterol down a bit and maybe get

new bloods done, although probably do bloods in next month anyway, if I can find a decent

site or Dr.

How did you get a hernia, I've apparently got one but there's no way they'd operate as its

only a hiatal one, says its too dangerous at my age, cheeky bastard.

Doesn't seem to stop me lifting weights much, should I be a bit more careful??


----------



## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Good lifting there bud.
> 
> You're bound to be concerned about the quad thing but just take it steady and increase regularly in small doses and you'll be back to your squatting strength in no time. :thumb:


Thanks mate, quad is ok, just niggly and so makes me feel cautious when lifting... just a bit peeved that it felt more on a light day than a moderately heavy day... still onward and upward... :thumb:



tel3563 said:


> Hi gp, never knew you had a journal bud, will peruse from now on and check out your ghrp
> 
> usage
> 
> Been considering, whats your take on the stuff?
> 
> I was more thinking of using in a long PCT, try and get cholesterol down a bit and maybe get
> 
> new bloods done, although probably do bloods in next month anyway, if I can find a decent
> 
> site or Dr.
> 
> How did you get a hernia, I've apparently got one but there's no way they'd operate as its
> 
> only a hiatal one, says its too dangerous at my age, cheeky bastard.
> 
> Doesn't seem to stop me lifting weights much, should I be a bit more careful??


Yeah mate thought I should, that way others will know what not to do lol...

Tbh I really like ghrp/cjc, I am not too sure it gives noticeable size or strength gains (esp since I am running test) but it sure helps me eat, sleep and with fat loss... I believe that it helps maintain gains in pct (from what I have read only not from any experience there... yet)

Hernia was always there, even when young apparently (told this by my Mum so must be true  ) and never gave me a problem... not in squats, deadlifting or anything... till I went to put a glass on the bench and it popped out further... so doc got me to surgeon sharpish... course now its going to need a couple more stitches to close a gap opened by sneezing... 

I was told if it didnt cause me any probs then just leave it and carry on (couple of docs who trained in the gym I worked at gave me a free consult)... so if yours gives you no gyp then keep on mate... Old, lmao, bit of a joke at times...


----------



## Greyphantom

Took some ghrp/cjc 30mins before dinner and freaking hell just soooooo hungry... ate dinner (vege, fruit and ribs) plus 4 yoghurts, extra carrot and apple and now looking to eat the cat... lol... right off to raid the cupboards...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3 of madcows program...

Squats 4x5 1x1 (PB this year) 1x8

Incl Press 4x5 1x3 1x8

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8

Quad still a bit tender but went ahead with squats anyway, weights flew up and it only gave me a problem when I got to my final heavy set where on the first one I felt it, not pull or anything but twinge enough that I decided not to push it further, but still got the 150kg and it went up much more easily than I expected... (quad pull not withstanding)... very happy with that...

Incl still progressing and felt good, no big surprises there really but will get a PB for this year next week so happy there too... rows were a bit strange as my lower back was really feeling it but after some manipulation of my form it was much better, just had to keep my abs tight instead of leaving them relaxed...

took ghrp/cjc after workout and tbh the hunger thing is just ridiculous... still hungrey now and cant wait for dinner (1 hour away... ONE WHOLE HOUR)...

As I have opened up a new site with the lixus t400 I now am getting some pip... quads were fine but the glutes are maximus pain in the ar$e-ius...

Also have gained slightly in weight up to 113.7 now which is a good thing as I was worried I was losing on this program but it seems to have stabilised and going up again... nice...


----------



## Dsahna

Good work Grey,how comfortable are you squatting at home mate?


----------



## Greyphantom

Dsahna said:


> Good work Grey,how comfortable are you squatting at home mate?


Cheers mate... getting back there slowly but surely... tbh mate way more comfortable than I thought I would be... todays weight went up sooo easily... even with quad pain... still waiting on a power rack though, was supposed to get it a couple of months ago but life intruded... bl00dy life lol... rack would make it more safe but just really loving squats at the moment...


----------



## Dsahna

Life:lol:I know mate,never goes to plan,and racks are rather cheap eh:eek:

You're braver than me doing them without a rack though,hence my journal with no leg pics


----------



## Greyphantom

Dsahna said:


> Life:lol:I know mate,never goes to plan,and racks are rather cheap eh:eek:
> 
> You're braver than me doing them without a rack though,hence my journal with no leg pics


Braver or stupider... I know which one my wife would say... lol...


----------



## Ak_88

Glad things are still on track pal :thumb:

Hows strength comparing to previous levels at the moment?


----------



## Greyphantom

Things mostly on track mate... strength is comparatively up, quite a bit up tbh, having had some advice from Martin Brown and reading Rippetoes book for further form refinements my squats are going strong, bench is getting better and in general the madcows routine is brill... so far...


----------



## TH0R

Didn't realise you were such a big boy



Greyphantom said:


> Things mostly on track mate... strength is comparatively up, quite a bit up tbh, having had some *advice from Martin Brown and reading Rippetoes book for further form refinements* my squats are going strong, bench is getting better and in general the madcows routine is brill... so far...


Care to share??

150 is a good squat in anyones book, specially recovering from a hernia op

well done bud:thumbup1:


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Didn't realise you were such a big boy
> 
> Care to share??
> 
> 150 is a good squat in anyones book, specially recovering from a hernia op
> 
> well done bud:thumbup1:


LOL... well now I know you HAVENT been talking with my wife... 

yeah mate, Martin told me about the importance of getting the hips and their movement right ie move them first and then combining that with foot stance, keeping the knees out and bringing in the adductors and hamstrings at the bottom of the squat has helped my form immensely...

Thanks mate, well pleased with it so far, will be looking to add more in the coming weeks... till I have to go back under the flaming knife though... will use IB's journal re his (similar) problem to maybe prompt my surgeon...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok had a fairly quiet weekend and have managed to catch the lurgy from my son (who was up all night friday throwing up and generally feeling unwell)... so will not be training today, probably be ok by tomorrow... many hot baths abound and loads of sleep... tbh I really want to go and give it a shot but know its probably not worth it...


----------



## TH0R

Greyphantom said:


> LOL... well now I know you HAVENT been talking with my wife...
> 
> yeah mate, Martin told me about the importance of getting the hips and their movement right ie move them first and then combining that with foot stance, keeping the knees out and bringing in the adductors and hamstrings at the bottom of the squat has helped my form immensely...
> 
> Thanks mate, well pleased with it so far, will be looking to add more in the coming weeks... till I have to go back under the flaming knife though... will use IB's journal re his (similar) problem to maybe prompt my surgeon...


As in hip drive, also got this little tip as well, does help a lot


----------



## Greyphantom

Yeah mate hip drive and also how to involve the hamstrings and adductors properly from the bottom...

Still feeling a bit sh1te today so didnt train... diet all over the place as I want to eat but dont feel hungry, or feel hungry but dont want to eat...??? had another scorching hot bath to burn it out and relax the muscles somewhat so feel better, another nights sleep and voila, will train tomorrow for sure...

pip in right butt cheek is still there but much less, did the left today so will see how that goes...

feel fat, saggy and weak atm... dammit... still dont know about when I go in for surgery (I had better be getting it fixed) and this is a pain as I have until mid dec to get the training up and working as will be visiting family overseas... already told my sister inlaw a few years ago the next time she sees me I will be looking like arnie :lol: so far I have not lived up to that, and know I wont by xmas but still would be nice to be in some sort of shape... :thumb:


----------



## TH0R

Sure you'll be just like Arnold


----------



## jw007

Im still here GP, Just checking make sire you get some bad boy pics up as promised


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Sure you'll be just like Arnold


LMAO... thats more like it... :lol:



jw007 said:


> Im still here GP, Just checking make sire you get some bad boy pics up as promised


Dont worry big man will still post some at the end of the month (or maybe a week later than that now due to postponed training) but they will be done, not let you down in the past mate... (scar looks better too except for the bump next to it signifying the gap is getting worse... sigh...)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Holy jebus on a harley... great session today but feel ab-so-lutely fvcked now... lol

Day 1 of madcows

Squats 5x5 got the 150kg for 5 and it was very easy, not even a twinge from my quad this time so thats great... PB for this year again... own it!!!

Incl Press 5x5 near a pb on this, next weight uppage will be a pb so woo hoo...

Rows 5x5 felt very good and form is better...

Very pleased over all with this workout, was feeling ver full in the head with this man flu this morning but at work it seemed to ease and I started feeling well up for it... got home had some lunch and some clen and decided to hit the weights 30 mins earlier than planned cos for some reason the clen hit me sooner than anticipated... but no problems as it was a brilliant workout... still feeling the man flu but told that mother whos who...

Diet is better now and can eat without feeling all throw uppy... quad didnt even whisper, even at the highest weight so thats a bonus... back felt great in the rows too as made sure watched the form in that ex...


----------



## Ak_88

Awesome squattage dude :thumb:

Off for my upper reps session back in the sweatbox shortly, pump ahoooooooooy


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks AK... felt really good, hernia is tight in the squat, now that I have learned to keep the midsection tight (both abs and spinal erectors) better anyway... have a good gym sesh mate...


----------



## bigbob33

Nice squatting buddy! Pb's rock!!!!

Sounds like it's all going according to plan mate


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Bob, yeah mate its going well at the moment... a week till I see the surgeon however so that could but a halt to things for a few weeks... love the pbs... its been a while since I lifted heavy so happy its getting there...


----------



## bigbob33

Good man! Hope the surgeon sorts things out... A little lay off won't hurt I'm sure!


----------



## Greyphantom

Hopefully not mate, got a goal to get big and strong as I can before heading off to Aus mid december...

Public service anouncement for the day... DONT sneeze when doing a sub q pep shot... not the best thing one could do...

Feeling absolutely rotten today, started feeling really really [email protected] last night but this morning is a nightmare... only had two meals so far today... about 100g protein and just not hungry at the moment... dammit... nose is playing up hugely and forces sneezes out every so often so got to hold my abs close and make sure nothing else pops... what a cluster fvck... still rest day today in all senses of the word... only got to pick up the kids and take my son to his football practice, no work and have napped on and off... training tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok took loads of drugs last night before bed and slept on the couch so would disturb the mrs with my snoring, but apparently it echoed up the hall anyway... lol

Did madcow day 2 today...

squats 4x5 lights today and a breeze, not a peep or squeak from quad and felt really great...

Mil press 4x5 best ever sets today, felt so smooth and easy... loads more in the tank, dont want to up the weights too much too quickly but might try an extra 5kg next week...

Deadlifts 4x5 again very good, lost concentration on the first rep of the last set but pulled it back in and completed a good last set... using Rippetoes cues and form advice has meant that I made little but important changes in the form (just remembering and concentrating on letting the knee angles open before the hips and keeping the chest up and lower back tight etc)...

Very good workout but hard... feeling fvcked today but better by far than yesterday... head and sinuses better but still a bit groggy... probably shouldnt have trained today but thought wtf and did anyway, so glad I did now... diet is a little liquid at the moment cos I had trouble eating yesterday but still managed to get in 280g protein... today has been a little better with 150 down and about 200 to go... looking forward to sleep thats for sure...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3 up the weights...

Still feeling not 100% at the moment but feeling better than the other day thats for sure...

Squats 4x5 1x3 (this year pb) 1x8

Incl Press 4x5 1x3 (this year pb) 1x8

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8

Squats were fine form did slacken a little as forgot to keep my chest up till the last two sets but did get a pb at 152.5kg and it was still easy, got lots left in the tank, just need to watch my form... after the last set I felt incredibly sick and just narrowly avoided puking my little guts out... but still caned it and managed to pull it together to carry on my workout...

Incline bench went really really well, didnt think I was going to be able to pull it out of the hat as felt so sick at end of squats but did them and got a pb for this year out of it... not quite up to my all time max but not far off either... back into the triple figures though so woo hoo... also went up very easily, more easily than I expected tbh and more in the tank there...

Rows are rows and for once I felt my form was spot on... kept it all tight and really felt it working...

over all really happy with training, really enjoying it and so into it as well... diets a bit up and down at the moment as the little cold I have, ahem, I mean virulent and debilitating man flu I have is knocking the appetite a bit... but still managing to stuff some food in and getting about 280-330ish grams of protein in...


----------



## snakebulge

Hope your feeling a little better today buddy but still cracking workouts, especially feeling like ****e!


----------



## Greyphantom

Feeling much better today thanks mate... pleased with the workouts myself...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok did madcow day 1 today...

Squats 4x5 1x2 (was supposed to do 5 on the last set and would have got them easily but the quad gave a twinge on the first and after shaking it off and going for the 2nd rep I thought about it for a min (loooong min) and took the side of caution, was totally my fault I might add as I rushed the set, didnt get into position properly and just started the set without setting myself up properly... idiot)

Incl Bench 5x5 (pb for this year on the last set, felt easy but difficult at the same time... lol)

Rows 5x5 (good set and no trouble at all from lower back, felt it a lot in the upper back and lats)

Still feeling very tired and even after taking the clen pre workout I had a wee nap... getting old or something... glute hurts like a mother as I botched the shot a little... nothing serious just didnt hold the pin that still while it was in... legs feel very worked today... but ok in general... cant wait till next workout session even though I am fvcked lol... still I get a sleep in tomorrow till about 7am (after taking the wife to train station at 6...) so woohoo lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Oh forgot to add that I am off to see the surgeon tomorrow at noon to find out when this gap is going to be fixed or at least what he wants to do... will be pushing for the fix and possibly a bigger mesh ala IB...


----------



## TH0R

How long does that take GP??

I assume you trained "normally" in the past, how does this stack up, do you think it helps

as we get older to shorten workouts and do stuff like this madcow??

Legs yesterday has left me totally fvcked, mentally and in the last few hours, physically.

Not sure I can put myself through this anymore:lol: PMSL, only kidding, but still interested

in what you have to say, although I'll totally ignore it and probably diss you if you ridicule

me, kinda like a mod:rolleye:


----------



## jw007

Im lurking mate, nearly end of month


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> How long does that take GP??
> 
> I assume you trained "normally" in the past, how does this stack up, do you think it helps
> 
> as we get older to shorten workouts and do stuff like this madcow??
> 
> Legs yesterday has left me totally fvcked, mentally and in the last few hours, physically.
> 
> Not sure I can put myself through this anymore:lol: PMSL, only kidding, but still interested
> 
> in what you have to say, although I'll totally ignore it and probably diss you if you ridicule
> 
> me, kinda like a mod:rolleye:


Not sure which part you mean re how long it takes... op or training so will answer both...

op is the easy bit... hopefully get it done in the next couple of weeks then about 4 weeks before lifting anything (and I mean anything, even laundry etc) then light stuff and see how it goes...

Training well between 30-45 mins... the good thing about 5x5 is that you dont push to extremes but strength does go up... size wise I dont think I have gained much mass... lost a bit of BF and maintained weight but over all its more for strength imho... which I am ok with as I really need to work on that aspect of me...

I usually trainined 4 day split to failure or near failure and did that for quite some time, should have made changes much sooner than I did but loving madcows at the moment, really look forward to training and those weights going up... tbh I dont think it matters long or short, depends on the program and what works... I dont really subscribe to the "as we get older we need to ease up" thought, imho we just need to listen to our bodies more and train more intelligently... I have to say that while it can be tough madcows has not caned me physically like my previous program... but it has produced gains...



jw007 said:


> Im lurking mate, nearly end of month


LOL... I see you Joe... yeah mate will take them middle or end of next week and post... not much changed though but just for you.. :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok went to see the surgeon today and tbh not very impressed... came away with the feeling that he was covering his ar$e tbh and its going to take some time for them to sort it out... not sure how much time yet as got to speak with a secretary tomorrow who will be in the know re dates/times... he said there is a problem but its not to do with the original repair, rather its moved to the side (not what the ultrasound lady told me) and is poking on on the side of the original one... tbh when I poke around I can feel the original repair and 90% of it feels find and strong but where the little squidgy bit is it totally feels like a bit of the mesh has given way as the ultrasound lady said... now he referred me to another surgeon and it will be done via keyhole surgery but it prob wont be done till feb or mar next year... considering its a private hospital I think thats taking the p, but it could just be me, and the fact that I want this all to be sorted asap... will be pushing for quicker results tomorrow and seeing what I can do to get in earlier...

as an aside after he told me the time it would take I said it does cause me some discomfort when I bend and flex/turn while working and so forth and he simply said avoid doing that... wtf... turn off life till they can sort it... dont think so... anywho, thats the long and short of it, rather more of the long I'm afraid, but what can you do...


----------



## snakebulge

I'm gonna be blunt here mate of which i apologise for now!

If it's private and you're paying for it, demand a quicker result for the surgery and also ask for a second opinion and tell them he contradicts everything that was said in your ultra-sound. As for 'don't do the twisting, turning etc' that's b0ll0cks. How can you do anything if you have to avoid movements like that!?!

I wouldn't be happy with that and would demand they get me a second opionion and do something sooner. :cursing:


----------



## Greyphantom

Blunt away mate, I have a strong back...

thats what I will be doing tomorrow when I speak with the secretary who can sort appointments etc... I will also ask for the number of someone in charge whom I can talk with to get it sorted... agreed re the twisting and turning bull...


----------



## snakebulge

Greyphantom said:


> Blunt away mate, I have a strong back...
> 
> thats what I will be doing tomorrow when I speak with the secretary who can sort appointments etc... I will also ask for the number of someone in charge whom I can talk with to get it sorted... agreed re the twisting and turning bull...


Make sure you do mate cos that is just ridiculous - keep us updated with your progress! Hope you can get it sorted pronto!


----------



## Dsahna

You know when you've been Tangoed:thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

LMFAO D... cant rep you for that baby... fvcking funny...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

squat 2x5 1x4... didnt go well, quad screamed at me on the 4th rep second to last set... was going to do the fifth anyway but quad was shouting at me "NO YOU DOPY [email protected]" so I thought "hmmm I might not do that"... looks like I am going to have to leave leg work out for a while, or maybe try extensions to rehab it, it was getting better but has pulled again... ce la vie or as they say in China 怎么半... fvck it was going quite well, give it a week and see how it goes...

Mil Press 4x5 felt great and went up easy... still a bit light on this I think but will go up nicely in the coming weeks...

Deadlifts 4x5 went great, not up to speed with my pb yet, actually quite a way off that but the weight I did today with no straps I had to use straps to lift so happy with that...

over all happy with progress but p!ssed royally at the leg giving out on me... fvcking old age or somewhat... could be sloppy technique too but tbh I thought I have it down and today did focus well and make sure it wasnt bad... sh!t happens I guess and my options are to a) stop legs for a week or so till it fully heals and then deload and carry on or B) completely stop all training for a week to do a full recovery type of thing... really dont want to stop training atm tbh as loving it and was really loving squats... funnily enough the quad does not impede my deads... go figure... loads of heat treatment (deep heat and scalding hot baths) and some deep massage in the next few days methinks...

Diets ok... but could be cleaner... feeling tired but not as much as got a good nights sleep last night (first in a while) but sweated like a mother...


----------



## Kate1976

Greyphantom said:


> madcow day 2
> 
> "NO YOU DOPY [email protected]"


Hey Grey - now why when I read that bit....did i read it in an Aussie accent ...lol!

Sorry to hear you are getting injury grief...sucks!

Man flu still got you in its clutches ??


----------



## TH0R

Its dopey you dopy tw4t

Bad sleep sucks mate, night sweats last night were worst yet, woke up in a pool, Mrs thought

I'd p1ssed myself:lol:

Got back tomorrow, already sick of high reps, will see when tomorrow comes


----------



## Greyphantom

Kate1976 said:


> Hey Grey - now why when I read that bit....did i read it in an Aussie accent ...lol!
> 
> Sorry to hear you are getting injury grief...sucks!
> 
> Man flu still got you in its clutches ??


LOL dont know Kate... :whistling:

Man flu well and truly beaten with a wet fish... and quad is the only thing letting me down at the moment, will let it heal some then start caning it again... real p!sser though as was just starting to see real results in terms of weight lifted and muscles developed... :cursing:

hoping to get to the brits too dear lady... just waiting to see if some money comes through to make the dream a reality...



tel3563 said:


> Its dopey you dopy tw4t
> 
> Bad sleep sucks mate, night sweats last night were worst yet, woke up in a pool, Mrs thought
> 
> I'd p1ssed myself:lol:
> 
> Got back tomorrow, already sick of high reps, will see when tomorrow comes


Get Tel the english teacher... lol... yeah I know mate, was tired and angry at my leg... sloppy (or is that sloppey lol) I know...

What the heck is this mate, are we twinning out or something, same thing happened to me last night, sweat dripping of me and soaked the bed, mrs not best pleased... did sleep well though which was nice for a change...

good luck with the work out mate... think I have made the d to stick with upper body on the madcow and completely rest my legs for a week or so... then will start slowly to see how the quad is and ramp it up after... us old fogies got to watch our bodies falling apart on us hey...


----------



## Jem

nowt to say but felt I should make my presence felt - HIIIIIII


----------



## TH0R

Getting old is sh1t ain't it GP, must admit my shoulder is showing signs of recovering though:thumb:

Do you know if Var is bad for the joints?? Coincides with coming off this:confused1:

but also with my Chinese super potion:rolleye:

Good idea to rest the quad, what exactly is the problem with it?? Just generally tight??


----------



## Greyphantom

Jem said:


> nowt to say but felt I should make my presence felt - HIIIIIII


hey there pretty lady... glad you can still remember us lowly types from your lofty post... well soon to be lofty I should say jet-setting off to pastures sunny and all the good news you are getting and all... about time I say too... well done and good luck...



tel3563 said:


> Getting old is sh1t ain't it GP, must admit my shoulder is showing signs of recovering though:thumb:
> 
> Do you know if Var is bad for the joints?? Coincides with coming off this:confused1:
> 
> but also with my Chinese super potion:rolleye:
> 
> Good idea to rest the quad, what exactly is the problem with it?? Just generally tight??


it is mate... not much we can do but ignore it...

not that I am aware of mate, I used var a few times and never felt any joint issues... I know deca is good for keeping joints lubricated but it does hang around the system...

on the outside of the upper quad it pulls or twinges causing a bit of pain when straightening up from the bottom of the squat... it was healing but went again yesterday... so will rest it fully and just stick with upper body workout...


----------



## Greyphantom

Right did day 3 of madcows today but without the squats and to tell the truth I missed the hell out of them... really love squatting now...

Incl Press 4x5 1x3 1x8 (pb this year (I think ever but not too sure) on the heavy set... first time over 100kg)

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 back into triple figures on the rows so happy with that... its all getting back in the groove...

happy with training except for missing the squats... quad feels much better but forcing myself to lay off for at least a week to let it fully recover...

spoke to the surgeons secretary today to see if I could get transferred to another doc or speak with someone to get it moving quicker as its slower than the nhs and it was a problem with the pre-existing op... she is getting it moving and will get me in quicker... will give her a couple of days to get back to me (she needs to speak to the surgeon then who ever to get it going) and if she hasnt will call and hassle some more and then speak to the overlord or who ever is in charge... happy enough she is on my side though... we will see how it goes...

diet is not too bad but as always could be better... still managing 280-350 grams of protein a day but looking to increase it a tad more to see how it affects training/growth...

pip has at last subsided in my glute right in time for next shot in that side... lol... funnily enough the other glute had no pip at all and todays shot went much better...


----------



## snakebulge

Sounding good mate. At least she's on your side and should get some progress on getting it sorted. Good workout even without the squats though fella, and you do right by giving it a week or so then you can thrash the hell out of it when you get back to it. :thumb:


----------



## mick_the_brick

Just catching up mate - really well done especially on the PB's..

Been working away a fair bit so taking some catching up on you cu**s

You sorted that garage door yet BTW


----------



## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Sounding good mate. At least she's on your side and should get some progress on getting it sorted. Good workout even without the squats though fella, and you do right by giving it a week or so then you can thrash the hell out of it when you get back to it. :thumb:


Yeah my thought too... thanks re the workout, didnt think I would miss squats this much lol...



mick_the_brick said:


> Just catching up mate - really well done especially on the PB's..
> 
> Been working away a fair bit so taking some catching up on you cu**s
> 
> You sorted that garage door yet BTW


Thanks Mick... working away, sure sure any excuse hey... 

Nah not really, the old door is still there and is lockable and even though I have to use the high tech solution of propping it up with a wheelie bin... it still works but it doesnt stay up on its own lol... have found some new doors though and its on my list (which seems to grow every time the mrs finds the damn thing  )


----------



## mick_the_brick

Ha ha cool beans mate

Aye sadly so.. Redditch 2 weeks ago (Near Bromsgrove)

then the hell hole that is Ipswich last week.

Will be popping by more often


----------



## Greyphantom

Be good to see you around mate...

Update on the hernia op... well after I called the other day the surgeons secretary got in touch with me today and they are referring me to another surgeon who will get me in asap... have to see him first (sigh) but I guess thats a good thing cos he will discuss whats happening etc and then I could be in as little as two days after that... they said that they will get it sorted by mid nov at latest as I am going away in mid dec... lets hope its much sooner than later... course this means that training will be interrupted but a rest is as good as a change hey...


----------



## Ak_88

Good news mate, how long you expecting to be out of training this time round?


----------



## Greyphantom

Dont know for sure mate, not even sure if its keyhole or they are just going to replace the mesh with a bigger one and resew the hole up... yay... if like last time then 4 weeks before even looking at a weight, then just very very light stuff and after a couple of months I think I can start madcow again.. but will continue to train till the op...

also quad is feeling great, no hint of a twinge at all even when doing bw squats... looking forward to friday... (thats about a week off... or I might even sneak some lightish squats in tomorrow  )


----------



## TH0R

Greyphantom said:


> Dont know for sure mate, not even sure if its keyhole or they are just going to replace the mesh with a bigger one and resew the hole up... yay... if like last time then 4 weeks before even looking at a weight, then just very very light stuff and after a couple of months I think I can start madcow again.. *but will continue to train till the op...*
> 
> also quad is feeling great, no hint of a twinge at all even when doing bw squats... looking forward to friday... (thats about a week off... or I might even sneak some lightish squats in tomorrow  )


Tell you what, shows more about your character than any book could write

Nice one GP:thumbup1:


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks mate... what can you do though hey... cant sit around moping, just get on with it... my Grandfather used to say "rub it and run" when we got injured, didnt matter what, leg could fall off and he would still say it... lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Now THAT is how a workout is supposed to be... fvck yeah...

Did madcow day 1...

Squats 5x5 (yes you read right SQUATS baby) and a pb for me... started on the warm up and felt very good, and as I upped the weight it just felt better and better so thought fvck it will up the weight to what it should have been this week if I had been able to squat last week and BAM baby got 155 for 5 very good reps... was very very happy...

Incl Press 5x5 another pb here (at least this year anyway much like the squats) the 5th set did feel both easy and hard... the weight felt ok and went up ok but I am not sure how much more gas there is there...

Rows 5x5 went great and no lower back soreness at all... form is better and really felt it work...

Was over the moon with workout today, squats in particular and not even a hint of a whisper of a twinge from the quad...

diet still ok but has not been all that clean tbh of late... (as evidenced by [email protected] pics below)... but I am gaining strength and while my weight is staying the same my love handles have dwindled radically... happy about that...

Ok just for you Joe here are some pics... light was bad so fiddled with the fill light in picassa and I took them about 5 mins before I had to run out the door to pick up the kids... will take some more tomorrow but just in case I dont get the chance thought I would embarress myself a bit...


----------



## crazycacti

Just had a read of this thread GP,

nice to see the ins and outs of someone training around a pretty bad injury when you consider what we put our bodies though when training - the compounds esp...

After coming back seriously only recently after a 4 year break due to illness, i can understand all too well what its like trying to train around things and the frustration of having to take time off

Well done on the year's PBs! Shows some character for sure!

Also on a side note... god bless muscle memory after a lay off lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks mate... yeah I agree, muscle memory is a wonderful thing...


----------



## snakebulge

Excellent work there mate with the squats and the workout as a whole. Looks like you're having quite a good time of it apart from the obvious hernia problem but hopefully that'll be sorted in a few weeks. Got my fingers crossed for you that you don't have to lay off too long but like has been said, muscle memory must be a wonderful thing although never experienced it myself, many have. :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks mate... yeah its going well, except for the hernia thing hanging over my head...

Madcows day 2 today... was in two minds about training as legs and upper body are a bit frazzled from yesterday but thought wtf and just did it...

Squats 4x5 just a light day and the weights were feeling really light... quad absolutely fine...

Mil Press 4x5 again the weights flew up and feel like I could do more... had a few creaks in the right elbow but nothing serious just old age 

Deadlifts 4x5 felt great... caned my back and could really feel legs after this but again got a weight up with NO straps that I would have used straps on before... very pleased with this and its going well...

Over all its again a good workout... glad I got off my ar$e and hit the iron... v tired now though lol...


----------



## Nathrakh

Greyphantom said:


> Thanks mate... yeah its going well, except for the hernia thing hanging over my head...
> 
> Madcows day 2 today... was in two minds about training as legs and upper body are a bit frazzled from yesterday but thought wtf and just did it...
> 
> Squats 4x5 just a light day and the weights were feeling really light... quad absolutely fine...
> 
> Mil Press 4x5 again the weights flew up and feel like I could do more... had a few creaks in the right elbow but nothing serious just old age
> 
> Deadlifts 4x5 felt great... caned my back and could really feel legs after this but again got a weight up with NO straps that I would have used straps on before... very pleased with this and its going well...
> 
> Over all its again a good workout... glad I got off my ar$e and hit the iron... v tired now though lol...


Sounds good mate - (type of workout I love to do every now and then...just solid basics)


----------



## snakebulge

Greyphantom said:


> Thanks mate... yeah its going well, except for the hernia thing hanging over my head...
> 
> Madcows day 2 today... was in two minds about training as legs and upper body are a bit frazzled from yesterday but thought wtf and just did it...
> 
> Squats 4x5 just a light day and the weights were feeling really light... quad absolutely fine...
> 
> Mil Press 4x5 again the weights flew up and feel like I could do more... had a few creaks in the right elbow but nothing serious just old age
> 
> Deadlifts 4x5 felt great... caned my back and could really feel legs after this but again got a weight up with NO straps that I would have used straps on before... very pleased with this and its going well...
> 
> Over all its again a good workout... glad I got off my ar$e and hit the iron... v tired now though lol...


Sounds like a decent workout mate! :rockon:


----------



## Greyphantom

Nathrakh said:


> Sounds good mate - (type of workout I love to do every now and then...just solid basics)


Thanks mate, yeah since I have been doing madcow I have really reignited my love for training again... seems like a lot squatting three times a week but its manageable...



snakebulge said:


> Sounds like a decent workout mate! :rockon:


Certainly was mate, paying for the two in a row now though...lol...


----------



## TH0R

Couldn't squat 3x pwk bud, is the intensity varied??

Nice pics bud, bet your gonna hate the lay off, fingers crossed it won't be for long


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Couldn't squat 3x pwk bud, is the intensity varied??
> 
> Nice pics bud, bet your gonna hate the lay off, fingers crossed it won't be for long


Intensity is varied in that day one is 5x5 with the last set being the heavy working set, day two is a "light" day when you only go up to set 3 weights, then day 3 you up the weights... its very workable and as long as you take the day rest between its not so bad...

Thanks mate, yeah pretty p1ssed that I have to take the lay off as it should have been sorted first time... but it looks like they are going to do keyhole surgery so should be a quicker recovery...


----------



## jw007

Greyphantom said:


> Now THAT is how a workout is supposed to be... fvck yeah...
> 
> Did madcow day 1...
> 
> Squats 5x5 (yes you read right SQUATS baby) and a pb for me... started on the warm up and felt very good, and as I upped the weight it just felt better and better so thought fvck it will up the weight to what it should have been this week if I had been able to squat last week and BAM baby got 155 for 5 very good reps... was very very happy...
> 
> Incl Press 5x5 another pb here (at least this year anyway much like the squats) the 5th set did feel both easy and hard... the weight felt ok and went up ok but I am not sure how much more gas there is there...
> 
> Rows 5x5 went great and no lower back soreness at all... form is better and really felt it work...
> 
> Was over the moon with workout today, squats in particular and not even a hint of a whisper of a twinge from the quad...
> 
> diet still ok but has not been all that clean tbh of late... (as evidenced by [email protected] pics below)... but I am gaining strength and while my weight is staying the same my love handles have dwindled radically... happy about that...
> 
> Ok just for you Joe here are some pics... light was bad so fiddled with the fill light in picassa and I took them about 5 mins before I had to run out the door to pick up the kids... will take some more tomorrow but just in case I dont get the chance thought I would embarress myself a bit...


Not bad progress since op mate:thumbup1:

Doing well..

Pleased you got some pics up, not as bad as you expected eh??

Awesome fckin scar, I would make up some right bullsh1t to impress people if i had that LMFAO

Welll done


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok madcow day 3...

sleeping is getting very bad lately so always feeling tired and starting to feel a bit zombified... still throw some clen down the throat, energy drink and off we go...

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 awesome awesome stuff... really didnt think I was going to be up for this but got the heavy set and felt like there was more I could have done... quad was beautiful and narry a whisper of a twinge... and its a pb so well pleased...

Incl press 4x5 1x3 1x8 good set and felt the chest work today, starting to hit the limit I think for weight, having said that I still managed to get the weight up better than I expected to on the heavy set and its a pb so happy...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 these are also going really well at the moment... feeling the upper back work and the lower back is not giving me any problems since I have made sure form was good... following Cons advice of making sure I can pause at the top so the weight is not being lifted with momentum... makes a hell of a difference...

Overall still going great guns which is incredibly pleasing but also a real sh1t sandwich as I see the surgeon next tuesday so could be under the knife as early as next thursday... sigh... means taking time off and then starting again, but looking on the bright side will give me a rest period and then a deload phase before lifting seriously again...

Diet is going ok, still not the cleanest but getting good protein in and even decent carbs and fats... will have to weight myself in the next few days and take some measurements to see how things match up...


----------



## Greyphantom

jw007 said:


> Not bad progress since op mate:thumbup1:
> 
> Doing well..
> 
> Pleased you got some pics up, not as bad as you expected eh??
> 
> Awesome fckin scar, I would make up some right bullsh1t to impress people if i had that LMFAO
> 
> Welll done


Thanks Joe, yeah pleased mate but its easier with the support from many on this board...

LMAO... actually its from when I was a lion tamer... fvcking lion got my right up the middle with his claw as I wasnt fast enough ducking away, and you should see the one just above my hip where the shark tried to eat me but I managed to fight that fvcker off with a cotton bud (appendix)...


----------



## snakebulge

Greyphantom said:


> LMAO... actually its from when I was a lion tamer... fvcking lion got my right up the middle with his claw as I wasnt fast enough ducking away, and you should see the one just above my hip where the shark tried to eat me but I managed to fight that fvcker off with a cotton bud (appendix)...


 :lol: :laugh: :lol: LMFAO :lol: :laugh: :lol:

Good work with the PBs mate. :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks SB... quite happy with the way things are going for now...


----------



## mick_the_brick

Very good going mate - keep it up


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Mick...

Madcow day 1, yes I know my days are all screwed up but this is due to some kerfuffling around a few weeks ago, tried to get them back on track but so far no luck...

Squats 5x5 kerPOW... pb on this... actually felt very good but heavy, think if I was to continue that in a few weeks I would be starting to think of deloading... light session on fri then poss my last heavy on mon... will have to see when I am going in... really enjoying squats at the moment...

Incl press 5x5 kerBLAM another pb funnily enough the lighter sets 2 and 3 felt harder than the heavier 4 and 5... but still got them up and felt great... better than mon workout for sure... but not sure how many 2.5kg increases I have left here as well, would look at going to 1kg increases if they were to continue past the next couple of weeks...

Rows 5x5 no ker-anything but felt very good, right across the back.... think I am at pb level next week...

also did some of those shoulder dislocation exercises that Martin Brown led me to... they are very good for the shoulder stretching and I had way more flexibility in my shoulders than I thought... will keep doing these along with my other shoulder movements as they will help a lot I feel...

been eating well, back on the oats in the morning (the packs with golden syrup mmmm) and its feeling great, no bloat issues lately but have been getting a bit of tummy problems if I eat or have a shake too close to beddy byes...

Fvcking loving training right now... less than a week till I find out how much longer I can do this before the op... then its all about rehab... will be hitting the ghrp/cjc for that for sure... and dropping the test dose down to trt type levels... well ok higher than trt but still low cruise anyway...


----------



## TH0R

well done on the pb's, love the oatsosimple golden syrup, every morning, 2 packs, then

6 eggs

Could miss the eggs out but would eat the oats if I'd never seen a Dbell


----------



## hilly

awesome pb's in here mate sounds like u must be growing well


----------



## snakebulge

Fantastic work on the PBs mate. Hope you don't have to have too long off for recovery after the op. :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> well done on the pb's, love the oatsosimple golden syrup, every morning, 2 packs, then
> 
> 6 eggs
> 
> Could miss the eggs out but would eat the oats if I'd never seen a Dbell


Thanks mate... yep thats them Tel, oatsosimple... loverly... that and a shake...



hilly said:


> awesome pb's in here mate sounds like u must be growing well


Thanks Hilly... not sure about the growth tbh, my bw is the same at around 112-113 kg but I have lost loads of bf especially round the waist which is nice and I am starting to see lines/cuts on my legs... so must be doing something hey... 



snakebulge said:


> Fantastic work on the PBs mate. Hope you don't have to have too long off for recovery after the op. :thumb:


Cheers mate... yeah me too... after reading about IBs op I am not looking forward to it tbh, they should have done it right the first time... arrrgghh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 2

squats 4x5 felt great, just a light workout for this today so no problems...

Mil press 4x5 thought I would have a tough one with this today as its really not my strong point... but weight went up very easily and I cant wait to lift again next week... well maybe anyway, depending on op date...

Deadlifts 4x5 feeling great on these at the moment... forearms certainly got caned today as I did the lifts without straps and again lifting more than I have without straps before... got loads left here too... upping the weight 5kg a week as its going very well...

Still loving madcow and its loving me right back... wish I was not having to stop it soon as I think I would be hitting pb's right up till xmas... and would have reached some good goals... bw hasnt really changed in a few weeks hovering around 113kg but composition certainly is... def lost a bit of bf and starting to actually look like I train which I like... :thumb:


----------



## snakebulge

Sounds excellent buddy and seeing the results you're after. Hope the op doesn't put you out of action for too long.


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Snake, and nope it looks like it wont be puting me out of action for a long while, fvckers still cant fit me in after making some allusions to getting me in asap...

Sh1t day today, found out op still wont go ahead till next year (due in part to my travelling at xmas to Aus) and training was ok and not awesome...

madcow day 3

squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 felt great, got pb at 160 which went up very easily... happy with form and only wobbled a bit on the second rep of the heavy set but all others were good... felt great satisfaction at lifting my previous pb for a warm up set... 

Incl Press 4x5 1x2 (and partial) 1x8 this felt ok but on the heavy set I lost concentration on the last rep so when starting to push up and getting to the sticking point I lost the drive, which meant I lost the rep... even more annoying as I was under the bar I went to get it off and bl00dy well strained my inner thigh... not happy but did make the rest of my workout pretty good as I was very p1ssed... but on the bright side got a pb on the heavy set... will push it up for 5 next workout thats for sure...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 this went pretty well actually and really felt the back working... reps clean and good...

still eating, drinking water and breathing so thats all good...

op will not be happening this year, at least with my current chaps, looking at another option but not sure if they will be able to help... pretty p1ssed off with these surgeons/this hospital actually, they have fvcked it up and I have to wait... will be writing a letter off to who ever to get it sorted asap, but prob not with them as they suck... was being fairly calm and nice about it all as didnt want to p1ss off the guy who would have his hands in my abs but now really just sh1tted off... even want to speak with someone who can censure them re the cockup of not enough mesh (as told to me by their ultrasound specialist)... anywho still training and still growing so thats something... yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Feeling it today and yesterday, bit of DOMS never did anyone any harm... quite comforting actually... inner thigh is very sore and have some pip in the glute... but all is ok with training... didnt get as much food in as wanted as worked extra hours today and just didnt get the time in the evening due to kids stuff (why do they have a MUCH more active social life than me... sigh)...


----------



## TH0R

Shame about the op, look on bright side, you will go to aus looking like a monster 

Good work on the pb's bud:thumbup1:


----------



## snakebulge

Greyphantom said:


> Feeling it today and yesterday, bit of DOMS never did anyone any harm... didnt get as much food in as wanted as worked extra hours today and just didnt get the time in the evening due to kids stuff (why do they have a MUCH more active social life than me... sigh)...


I know the feeling mate. My 2 year old has a better social life than i do so dunno how i'll feel when he's in his teens and partying every night. Hmmm....wonder if he'll let his old dad tag along? :laugh:



tel3563 said:


> Shame about the op, look on bright side, you will go to aus looking like a monster


Agree with Tel here - mahoosive for aus! :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Shame about the op, look on bright side, you will go to aus looking like a monster
> 
> Good work on the pb's bud:thumbup1:


Thanks mate... diet has been non too clean but have been leaning up nicely... quads are starting to show separation and even the obliques are starting to make an appearance (first time ever) but still have wobbly bits on the front, although love handles are the smallest they have even been... so weight has not changed in a few weeks but body composition has so thats ok...



snakebulge said:


> I know the feeling mate. My 2 year old has a better social life than i do so dunno how i'll feel when he's in his teens and partying every night. Hmmm....wonder if he'll let his old dad tag along? :laugh:
> 
> Agree with Tel here - mahoosive for aus! :thumb:


So true mate, my daughter is 11 now and going to high school so she has started getting an even MORE active social calendar... just a taxi driver most of the time...

Yeah hoping to break the 115 with less bodyfat barrier before I go... just got to shake this bl00dy cold...


----------



## jw007

Ha ha, 11? and high school??

Good luck mate, your going to need it lolololol

Has she started moody teenager period yet??


----------



## Greyphantom

jw007 said:


> Ha ha, 11? and high school??
> 
> Good luck mate, your going to need it lolololol
> 
> Has she started moody teenager period yet??


Mate she started that 2 years ago 

and youre not wrong big man, going to need lots of that luck as we already bash heads about a lot of stuff... girls mate... cant live with them... pass the beer nuts...


----------



## jw007

Greyphantom said:


> Mate she started that 2 years ago
> 
> and youre not wrong big man, going to need lots of that luck as we already bash heads about a lot of stuff... girls mate... cant live with them... pass the beer nuts...


Let the mother deal with it:thumb:

Trouble is I bet she says "i will tell your dad and lket him deal with you?":lol: :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

jw007 said:


> Let the mother deal with it:thumb:
> 
> Trouble is I bet she says "i will tell your dad and lket him deal with you?":lol: :lol:


LOL so true mate, I am the stick she waves about, but when I do something about it she is the one telling me to not be so hard... cant freaking win... :confused1:


----------



## snakebulge

Ha! Thats women for you mate. Mine's started that one already!


----------



## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Ha! Thats women for you mate. Mine's started that one already!


And it never ends... 

Feeling so fvcking sh1te today... was going to wash the car but the hose connector is broken, and the hose came of the tap in the laundry (we have yet to put an outside tap in) and soaked the whole flaming place... just so over today... taken some ibuprofen and going to soak in a scalding hot bath.. peel a few layers of skin off... yeah baby...


----------



## snakebulge

Greyphantom said:


> And it never ends...
> 
> Feeling so fvcking sh1te today... was going to wash the car but the hose connector is broken, and the hose came of the tap in the laundry (we have yet to put an outside tap in) and soaked the whole flaming place... just so over today... taken some ibuprofen and going to soak in a scalding hot bath.. peel a few layers of skin off... yeah baby...


Mate it sounds like you've had a bad few hours! Long soak to chill then attack the world full on!


----------



## Greyphantom

what a difference a few days makes... feeling much better yesterday and back to eating again and feeling hungry which is good... lost a few kilos (down to 110 now) but they will pile back on now I am eating again... the week off training also feels pretty good... all aches and pains have gone and feel excited about lifting...

madcow day one...

Squats 4x5 1x3 felt fantastic up to the last heavy set (which still felt much easier than I expected tbh) when on rep 3 I felt my inner thigh grumble and so taking caution from the wind I stopped there and was happy enough equalling the weight and reps... form is feeling good and much lower than when I first started training when it was weight over form by any means... atg is feeling good...

Incl Bench 4x5 1x2 my achilles heel if you will is any pushing movement... and I seem to be sticking on the heavy weight here, well at the moment, same weight and reps as before the break so thats good and it did seem much easier but wimped out... with a spotter I know I would have got the last 3 and prob the last 2 on squats... form felt better too...

Rows 5x5 no problem with these at all... felt great and form seems to be going well... still make sure I can pause at the top briefly to make sure momentum is not taking over... love the tingle in the back I get from these...

Feeling good about training but will aim to up incl bench in particular and push past my mental barrier... really going all out for strength and power now as opposed to bodybuilding as I am really enjoying the type of training and the fact that with good form I am gaining in nearly all my lifts...

Diet is not too bad at the moment, mainly chicken and rice with some beef days thrown in but I have stopped trying to get 6 meals a day as I started to feel it just wasnt happening in terms of staying hungry, I find that trying for the same macros but spread over 4 meals is better for me in terms of being able to eat that much and staying hungry... although I have been known to sneak in a snack or two in between when I am particularly hungry 

Over all apart from losing a few reps this week and thinking I could have got them anyway (sigh) I feel pretty good for it...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok did madcow day 2 yesterday for various reasons...

Squats 4x5 light day and went no problem, certainly sorted out a lot of the pip problem I was having in the glutes... depth is nice and just concentrated on getting the form spot on...

Mil Press 3x5 1x2+1p... bit bummed about this... pressing movements my big weakness and even though its been nearly two weeks was hoping it wouldnt have made such an impact... still not too unhappy as next week will cane it... get some extra agression cos it p1ssed me off this week...

Deadlifts 4x5 and bam went very very well... again lifted without straps and not a problem and a weight I have not gone strapless on before... by the time I am off I will be well over my pb for this... so looking forward to it...

Should have expected the difficulty in the press as its been left for a couple of weeks... but getting some semblance of normality back now so training full steam ahead...


----------



## snakebulge

Good lad! Keep up the good work matey! :thumb:


----------



## hilly

looks like progress is being made at a good rate pal.

how come not using straps??


----------



## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Good lad! Keep up the good work matey! :thumb:


Thanks mate...



hilly said:


> looks like progress is being made at a good rate pal.
> 
> how come not using straps??


Its getting there mate... not using straps at the moment as I dont think they are needed... plus I want to build up my grip strength a bit too... can see me using straps in about 2 or 3 weeks though...


----------



## hilly

ive gone to using straps for all my heavy sets purely as i have changed my grip to double overhand and its ****e like that. over and under was better but i kept tweaking my bicep so sakced hat off lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Havent used over under for years... I use the double over hand myself... but still under 200kg at the moment, once I hit that I reckon it will be straps ahoy... not long now... woo hooo...


----------



## bigbob33

Morning boss! I'm still about and training. Looks like it's going well, keep at it!!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Hey there mate, have been thinking of you loads over the days and glad you are back... going as well as can be expected I guess but trying out somethings that should kick it up and will hopefully force through some sticking points...


----------



## bigbob33

Good man! Doesn't do any harm to try new things


----------



## TH0R

Greyphantom said:


> Thanks mate...
> 
> Its getting there mate... not using straps at the moment as I dont think they are needed... plus I want to build up my grip strength a bit too... *can see me using straps in about 2 or 3 weeks though...*


 :rolleye: :rolleye:


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> :rolleye: :rolleye:


cvnt... lmao... :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok madcow day 3

feeling like sh1t with a bit of test flu and pip plus some sleepless nights but what can ya do...

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 felt good actually, was one rep on the heavy set that I thought uh oh but got it up ok... started feeling very sick during the last set but just swallowed and got on with it (if only the mrs was so inclined  ) reached another pb for this year so happy enough...

Incl Press 4x5 1x1 1p 1x8 not so happy with these... seem to have hit a wall, while the last set of 5 went up easily and felt better than the third the heavy set I stumbled on... not even sure why... peeing me off a bit but will crack it and own the mother... form felt good though...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 a pb for this ex now I believe so happy enough although feeling the heavy set quite a bit...

over all considering I felt awful I am ok with the workout but really want to crack the incl press... feeling a bit let down by that one... might deload just that ex and see if that helps out... weight is back up to 112kg now after dipping to 108 through feeling terrible and not eating so well... feeling bigger and more full which is nice but I know I will be back to feeling small tomorrow lol...


----------



## TH0R

Greyphantom said:


> Ok madcow day 3
> 
> feeling like sh1t with a bit of test flu and pip plus some sleepless nights but what can ya do...
> 
> Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 felt good actually, was one rep on the heavy set that I thought uh oh but got it up ok... started feeling very sick during the last set but just swallowed and got on with it *(if only the mrs was so inclined *  ) reached another pb for this year so happy enough...
> 
> Incl Press 4x5 1x1 1p 1x8 not so happy with these... seem to have hit a wall, while the last set of 5 went up easily and felt better than the third the heavy set I stumbled on... not even sure why... peeing me off a bit but will crack it and own the mother... form felt good though...
> 
> Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 a pb for this ex now I believe so happy enough although feeling the heavy set quite a bit...
> 
> over all considering I felt awful I am ok with the workout but really want to crack the incl press... feeling a bit let down by that one... might deload just that ex and see if that helps out... weight is back up to 112kg now after dipping to 108 through feeling terrible and not eating so well... feeling bigger and more full which is nice but I know I will be back to feeling small tomorrow lol...


2 hands to the back of the head normally does the trick:thumbup1: :lol:

Test flu bud, never had it, know what you mean about the sleepless nights though,

just can't seem to get a decent nights sleep, probably psyshosomatic now.


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> 2 hands to the back of the head normally does the trick:thumbup1: :lol:
> 
> Test flu bud, never had it, know what you mean about the sleepless nights though,
> 
> just can't seem to get a decent nights sleep, probably psyshosomatic now.


LOL... about 30 secs after the hands behind the head I will be knocking on your door for a room mate... 

test flu can suck but it only happens for a day or so then I am ok... yeah the sleeplessness is killing me... prob get 1 in 5 full sleep at the moment...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1

Squats 4x5 1x3 felt very good and sort of easy but hard if that makes sense... only did 3 on the last set as wimped out to be honest. Didnt feel hard (heavy yes but not hard) but didnt want to push my luck... course kicking myself right after finishing the set... but I know there is more in the tank now so will push it harder next time... still I equalled my pb so thats a good thing... at least not going backwards...

Incl Press 4x5 1x2 still struggling a bit on the last set here but today equalled my pb and it felt much easier, again right after finishing the set was thinking should have kicked my own rear and got the extra rep or two out...

Rows 5x5 felt good as always, weights starting to get harder now but still do-able... really feeling it in my upper back but right across rather than just the middle... lower back was fine and narry an ache...

Training is going well... worried a bit re the stalling on some exercises but will see if I cant push them up and just lift the fvcking thing... still loving 5x5 and its producing results which I love too but just have to get over a weak mind and psyche myself into the weight rather than out of it...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Hey man,
> 
> Just found this again...wondered where you'd got to....
> 
> How are you feeling now? Any better?


Hi mate... yeah trainings been a bit up and down re regularity but hoping to get it back into line from now on... feeling good now lurgy well and truly over and excited about training again...


----------



## TH0R

Greyphantom said:


> Hi mate... yeah trainings been a *bit up and down re regularity* but hoping to get it back into line from now on... feeling good now lurgy well and truly over and excited about training again...





KJW said:


> Know what you mean about the regularity - *still managed at least 2 out the 3 workouts a week* which is cool. I'm hanging for the cold but doing everything I can to keep it away.
> 
> New PB in the squat rack for me today


Go hang your heads in shame and lash yourselves with nettles:bounce:


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Go hang your heads in shame and lash yourselves with nettles:bounce:


Well I lashed myself with var and prop does that count


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 2

Squats 4x5 just a light day and it fairly flew up... no surprises on this ex today...

Mil Press... 4x5 yyyyyeeeerrrrsss get in... couldnt complete the last set last week but this week it went up with ease and felt like I could have gone slightly higher on the weight... very happy...

Deadlifts... 4x5 up again this week and nearing my pb... and NO STRAPS... ( :tongue: Tel)... feeling really really good with this ex, no problems with the hernia or abs at all...

Training going well and loving it still... in fact dreading missing any days when I am in Aus... weight is staying around 112kg but body def changing as get occasional glimpses of abs and obliques coming through... plus waist is def down as jeans now falling off... (honest officer they just fell down... had nothing to do with the hotty in the window  )... feeling better mentally physically and even spiritually than I have in a long time... touch wood it continues...

PS sleep still up and down though but learning to deal with that...


----------



## TH0R

Good stuff mate, its a real shame they don't have gyms in Aus though........... :rolleye:

:tongue: :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Good stuff mate, its a real shame they don't have gyms in Aus though........... :rolleye:
> 
> :tongue: :lol:


full of bl00dy convicts so must be a few prison gyms somewhere... lol...

Yeah I know there are gyms old man ( :tongue: ) but will have to get round the mrs to hit them as its supposed to be a family holiday thing... definitely going to try and will be taking kit and log with me as well as a rope for some c... c.... c..ardio there I said it...


----------



## snakebulge

Sounds like your back in the zone and on to it mate. When's the holiday to Oz? Not long now to go i wouldn't have thought. Keep it up buddy. Still following as per usual.


----------



## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Sounds like your back in the zone and on to it mate. When's the holiday to Oz? Not long now to go i wouldn't have thought. Keep it up buddy. Still following as per usual.


Yeah really feeling the zone right now... 4 weeks today mate and we are off... cant wait as its been a while since we have seen the family (well hers anyway, will prob have to miss the side trip to NZ as funds are lacking at the moment due to life.. ahhhh life, its always there to kick you in the testicles lol)... thanks mate...



KJW said:


> Keep at it buddy!


Cheers Jon will do...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day three...

supposed to do this yesterday but as had to work extra hours (much needed at the moment) I didnt get the time to... but glad as kick its ass all over the shop... woot...

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 yeah baby... PB on the heavy and feeling like I could go further still which is good... still only around 165 but hoping to get more kg on the bar before we head off... even toying with the idea of adding 5 kg increments but will see how it goes... all warm up sets felt fine today and the heavy just flew up...

Incl Press 4x5 1x3 (yeah baby) 1x8 last couple of weeks couldnt get the heavy set done, only 1 or 2 reps and today caned it for a PB and felt like I could do 1 more easy, 2 with a spotter... very fvcking happy with this today... bring on next week...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 again another PB on the heavy set and still got a bit more in the tank... really felt the back working today and not a grumble from my lower back so keeping it all tight...

Today was a good day, really felt great and form felt tight with the exception of a rep in the heavy set of squats that was corrected for the last two reps... muscles feel very worked and cannot wait to get back to the next workout... starting to show some shape as caught a glimpse in the mirror the other night and could actually see the faint outline of abs and obliques, plus v shape is showing more as waist is narrowing after such a looong time... would love to be 115 by the time we head to Aus but not sure if that will happen, just loving being in the gym with all that lovely iron to lift... ARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH bring it... 

Diet is still ok, going off junk food at the moment for some reason... had a choccie biccie the other day and felt ill all day after that... even my cheat cheesecake wasnt as nice as usual... I did like my junk food but no longer it seems... cloud and silver comes to mind... still eating not as clean (hamburgers and (homemade) curries/chinese abound) but just not eating the high sugar/simple carb stuff...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1...

felt awful today... Mrs was out at a work reunion do last night and didnt get to bed till 1am then shyte sleep till 5 when got up... managed to get a nap in after work but felt so ill just wasnt sure I could train at all plus still had slight doms from the other day soooo was thinking beta thoughts for a bit, but luckily fvcked them off and just had lunch, picked up my boy and then hit the iron...

Squats 5x5 get in... PB on the heavy set and it felt very easy... in fact was thinking I had put the wrong weights on... but NOT... yeah baby... did not think it would be such a good squat session... will def look at puting the weight up 5kg day 3 instead of 2.5... hmmm decisions decisions...

Incl Press... 4x5 1x4... although missed the last rep on the heavy set it still double last week and tbh its more me bottling it due to no spotter or bars to take the weight if I fail... so PB again here... will look at upping it but by 1kg or so a week now... felt very very good... form just felt right...

Rows 5x5 and to complete the trifecta BOOM baby... another PB and felt great... starting to get heavy or at least giving me pause for thought re upping the weights as much but still think I have some gas in me...

what a work out... was going to just cave in and throw it today but so glad I didnt and just manned the fvck up and lifted... still feeling tired now but a good tired that comes from training hard... still feeling a little ill but thats just from over tiredness and actually feel better physically, mentally and spiritually than I have in ages... fvcking love the iron game...


----------



## TH0R

Amazing how many times we think "oh sh1t" and then have a stonking workout, nice pb's

mate, what type of weights are you squatting??


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## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Amazing how many times we think "oh sh1t" and then have a stonking workout, nice pb's
> 
> mate, what type of weights are you squatting??


True words Tel...

Not that heavy at the moment mate 165kg atg... want to get it to at least 200 by the end of the year or at least before my op... not sure how do-able that is...


----------



## TH0R

Greyphantom said:


> True words Tel...
> 
> Not that heavy at the moment mate 165kg atg... want to get it to at least 200 by the end of the year or at least before my op... not sure how do-able that is...


Thats plenty heavy enough mate, another 35 before end of year:cool2:, will take some

doing buddy, just aim for the 4 plater IMO, less disappointment come Jan

My pb is only 190, not atg but parallel, not interested in doing huge lifts anymore

tbh, convinced its why I'm a physical wreck now:lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Thats plenty heavy enough mate, another 35 before end of year:cool2:, will take some
> 
> doing buddy, just aim for the 4 plater IMO, less disappointment come Jan
> 
> My pb is only 190, not atg but parallel, not interested in doing huge lifts anymore
> 
> tbh, convinced its why I'm a physical wreck now:lol:


You are probably right mate... only way I will reach it is if I bump the weight 5kg a week instead of 2.5kg... not sure that will happen as readily but still a dream is a nice thing to have...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 2

Horrible day today... hernia really achey and was not sure of training to be honest... thought would just see how it goes and managed to get through the whole workout with not much of a problem...

Squats 4x5 felt heavy till the last set today, last set flew up and felt light stupidly enough... on the 2nd set hernia did complain, but that was because I didnt keep my torso tight enough... corrected this and nothing for the last two sets...

Seated mil press 3x5 1x4 + 1partial felt good on this one, last set was a bit disappointing as I bottled it a bit on the last rep, could have pushed it more I think... still weights up and felt easy so happy enough...

Deadlifts 4x5 this is the ex that I felt most nervous about for obvious reasons... but keeping torso tight and taking the breath for stability it felt fine and I made it through all the sets with no problem... also got another heavy set without straps and grip felt fine... will need to get some chalk in the next week though as this will make it more stable... next weeks weight is going to be my pb weight wise but not for reps, and the week after woo hoo...

Feeling a bit sh1tted off about the hernia today but overall the workout went well enough... pleased with deads and press... onward and upward...


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## TH0R

No idea how you do deads with hernia, must be like playing Russian Roulette :lol:

Sounds like it was a good workout, but you won't remember it come tea time

Very sad


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## Greyphantom

Tbh mate its a bit nerve racking some days, but keeping it tight and controlled and at first sign of twinge stopping and so far all is good... so far...

smart ar$e... :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

Tbh mate its a bit nerve racking some days, but keeping it tight and controlled and at first sign of twinge stopping and so far all is good... so far...

smart ar$e... :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

Tbh mate its a bit nerve racking some days, but keeping it tight and controlled and at first sign of twinge stopping and so far all is good... so far...

smart ar$e... :lol:

waiiit a min... doesnt this seem familiar... have I said this before :lol:


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## TH0R

Oh dear, the double post, a sure sign the end is nigh:sad:


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## snakebulge

Some decent lifting there matey and doing well even though you're struggling with the hernia. Respect on that front. Keep it up but don't over do it and you'll be fine till your op.


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## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Oh dear, the double post, a sure sign the end is nigh:sad:


 :tongue:



snakebulge said:


> Some decent lifting there matey and doing well even though you're struggling with the hernia. Respect on that front. Keep it up but don't over do it and you'll be fine till your op.


Cheers mate... getthing there slowly but surely...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3...

squats 4x5 1x2 0x8... felt fine and dandy till 2nd heavy rep... then inner thigh went twang... not too bad but enough that I thought would leave off the third, wisely as it turns out as its def not 100%... but got the 170kg for 2 good reps and a pb... they went up very very easily and was feeling great till stupid inner thigh went twang...

Bench press 4x5 1x3 1x8 changed to flat bench today after reading about incline and mil press being close so switched back to flat... weights damn well flew up and I had to make sure the heavy set was 110kg and not 80... so looking forward to a pb in the next couple of weeks...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 changed the form on rows, bent 90 degrees back parallel with the floor... this after reading up some on rows on here and in Rippetoes book... pb was good and back well and truly fragged...

Today was a good workout over all even with my stupid leg giving out a bit... weights actually felt good and very surprised by bench... hernia has been sore off and on the last few days but strangely feels great after a workout though... sleeping is still a bit over the place... one night might be good the next freaking awful... diet is a bit up and down at the moment as one day will be hungry but another will be bloated and feel full...


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## snakebulge

But you're still on with it mate, sticking to it and things are looking pretty good. Keep up the good work mate. :thumb:


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## Greyphantom

True that Snake... always got to move forward, one can either lie down and complain or just man the fvck up and get on with it... :thumb:


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## Beklet

Lol i feel your fear - i expect the first time i attempt deadlifts once i'm clear, i'll probably need a nappy


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## Greyphantom

Nappies all round for us decrepit oldies hey Beks... 

Well really pulled something in my leg, did the "toilet test" (whereby I try to sit on the toilet and if its painful then yep somethings happened) and its very sore... all along my inner thigh... deep heat and hot baths abound... prob wont be able to squat tomorrow but will see how it goes and maybe get a few light ones in...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1...

Wow what a difference a day makes (or two if you count the days between workouts)...

Squats 4x5 1x4 started light on this just 60kg and felt fine, went up to 85 still felt fine, so thought fvck it went to 110 thinking my thigh would complain but it didnt so up to 140 and that flew up... sooo feeling stupid I wacked on 170 and went for it... 4 good clean reps and only felt a twinge (just the slightest) on the fourth rep... woo hoo baby.. considering I was going to throw away today as a training day I am over the moon... 175 min next... felt very very good and not as heavy as I thought, plus the thigh felt fine, huge bonus there...

Bench 5x5 fantastic bench for me today... got 110 for 5 with no problem or hesitation at all... nice clean reps and felt like I had loads more which is great as pre op was struggling with 105... really really pleased with this ex at the moment considering its one of my weakest and worst... looking to smash my pb before we head to Aus...

Rows 5x5 again a great workout on this today... nice full reps and felt the back hugely... in fact its still giving me gyp (along with legs and chest  ) and loving it...

So freaking pleased I worked out today, was going to flag it as thought not worth it as the thigh would give out and maybe I should wait another day to let it heal a bit more... but got rid of those beta thoughts and cracked on with it... hernia was no problem, didnt feel a thing from it and in general happy that its just staying as it is, but cant wait to get it fixed and on with the healing... IB has given loads of hope that all will be good and healing will be quick...

Diet is not too bad, loads of chicken and rice with some potatoes and diff sauces... water intake is a bit down at the moment so making an effort to get more in...


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## Greyphantom

Forgot to mention that today we had the extremely warm temperature of 1 degree, yay, and training was a tad cold... the bar was like ice and I was sure it was going to stick to my hand lol... still what a way to train, no uncomfortable sweating and no over-heating... but will def need to get the heater out and put that on for an hour or so before training... although with the broken door might be a bit of a moot point as it will be mostly open so out all the hot air goes...


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## Greyphantom

if its not doing the job you beat your rear I will be beating the heater, with a big fvck off stick


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## TH0R

Hope its not a gas heater:rolleye:

Oxygen starved workouts are not the in thing


----------



## TH0R

Sorry, should of put IMO, you crack on with it:thumbup1:

Look at the stickies for workouts, work it out for yourself, no spoon feeding the animals

mate


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## Greyphantom

Madcow day 2

fvck me its getting cold...

Squats 4x5 just a light one today and legs felt great... weights flew up and thankfully the sets warmed me up...

Seated mil press 3x5 1x4 weight up on the last set and would have been 5 but on the last rep I hit the garage door as it doesnt open properly (still havent fixed it yet)... please though as the weight went up easily enough...

Deadlifts 4x5 hit my pb weight today and no straps which is awesome, grip felt strong and no slippage, was actually thinking of pushing the weight up another 10kg but wimped out... will break pb next week...

Another awesome workout and really loving it... felt great in all the lifts and cannot wait to really cane the pbs even more...


----------



## snakebulge

Some good workouts there buddy! It is getting bl00dy cold.....i'm with you on that one! Keep it up! :thumb:


----------



## Cam93

wheres the weight mate? can't see what your lifting 

keep on at it though buddy!


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## Greyphantom

Cam93 said:


> wheres the weight mate? can't see what your lifting
> 
> keep on at it though buddy!


I have some weights up mate but havent been too consistent with noting them on this journal, probably should do that in future...


----------



## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Some good workouts there buddy! It is getting bl00dy cold.....i'm with you on that one! Keep it up! :thumb:


Cheers mate... loving it right now and in negotiation with the mrs about me training when we are in Aus... imho its always best to ride the wave when its high... plus as I will be going into an op a few weeks after returning its best I cane it now as I will be resting enough later


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## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3...

had to train later today as with schools closing and mrs home from work as trains are sh1te was busy a bit... temp hovered around -1 so was a cold one but wore track pants and a long sleeve shirt under my training t... not sure it made much diff but after first few sets of squats was plenty warm...

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 pb city... first few sets felt a bit hard, but by the 3rd/4th set warmed up enough and it started getting easier, had some trouble/twinges with my abs around the hernia and scar but not enough to stop me, ok I should probably have stopped but I thought fvck it and kept going... got 175 but the last rep was not quite atg but got it up and no leg problems at all... well till after the workout anyway 

Bench 4x5 1x3 1x8 equalled my highest ever pb in weight... wasnt going to lift as much on the heavy set today but after some thought just had to try and blitzed it... so freaking happy with this... weight went up easily and I felt much more in the tank could have done more reps easy...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 pb again, but feeling that I am close to reaching the limit on this ex...

Really felt it today, post training my body felt absolutely caned but I was walking around with a big sh1t eating grin all over my face... 6 or 7 inches of snow and freezing cold but great workout...

Ran out of protein so had to make an emergency purchase at a local supp shop, great find there, and will be using gaspari myofusion for the next week or so, already loving it, tast wise, but find its very thick as I use two scoops in 400mls water... been having some stomach troubles lately but after a day of using this it seems to be settling quite nicely...


----------



## Greyphantom

Last night had the worst cramp ever in my left tear drop, fvcking leg damn near bent forward at the knee it was just soooo tensed... huge pain and woke up fast clutching my leg trying to rub it to loosen it up but in the end had to let gravity pull my lower leg down to release it... couldnt believe it, had to walk it off a bit till it was relaxed enough to lie down again without it cramping... all the while the wife is saying "its the training, its the training, you shouldnt be doing it"... after a short sharp "fvck off" from yours truly she went quiet (you know the huffy quiet) and let me sort it, but to her credit she was all ok about it this morning and I explained she has to let up about me training and just get over it as I aint stopping... but all better this morning... not sure what or why it happened just hope it was a oncer...


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## Greyphantom

Madcow day one

tbh it didnt start well, had some hassle getting to train and started late by about 2 hours which meant that all the pre workout supps I took were pretty much running their course... so was a bit miffed before starting and I also felt that the workout did not go well but looking back after it and after a nice bath to warm up (  ) I realise it wasnt a bust at all...

Squats 5x5 1x4 pb for this year and for a while actually... added another light set at the start to give me an extra warm up as it was -4 in the garage today... tbh I think I should have added another  ... sets went up very easily till the second to last, that was a bit harder but still way easier than last week... heavy set though was a bit tough... got 4 reps out but the last rep almost stalled half way up and thought it would be prudent to stop there and not have it land on me...  all reps were good and clean though better than wednesday and not grumbles from my abs or quads at all... quads sore afterwards though as feeling thoroughly worked... was disappointed that only got 4 reps and started to feel a bit down about the workout till I realised it wasnt that bad at all as I still got 4 reps out atg and a pb... lol...

Bench 4x5 1x4 first 4 sets felt great and the last set felt tough, last rep went up harder than I thought it would but still got it up... again was a bit disappointed I didnt get the last rep but in retrospect it was still a good set... and felt it in my chest well...

Rows 5x5 these were good but def nearing the limit on the weight... really felt it in my back but good...

Seriously got to get the heater out and working in the garage, -4 is just taking the p to train in... plus I started late which p'd me off quite a bit as was trying to sort something out that should have been sorted months ago blah blah fvcking blah... still life throws these things at you and what can you do... as I said during training I felt like it was not going well, but really it just wasnt going as well as I wanted it too or thought it might, I still got pb's across the board and managed a pretty good workout despite the distractions and so forth... still everything feels well worked and I feel great...


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## Ak_88

All going well be the sounds of it, except the cramp 

When I was training with IB cramps later on in the evening after doing legs were a common occurrence, had a few instances where they seized up going downstairs, not fun!


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## bigbob33

Get on the taurine mate! Helps my cramps loads


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## snakebulge

All's looking good GP. Keep up the good work mate. When you off to Oz? You managed to get around the training issue with the mrs? Sh!tter about the cramp but it gets us all now and again, however, not to be beaten, workouts looking awesome!


----------



## Greyphantom

ruaidhri said:


> :lol:
> 
> that cramp sounds awful, the only muscular pain i get is lower back and i get it real bad. as in back pumps. it's worst after a leg workout, squats>sldls>leg curls = need to lie down for a few mins before i can walk home :lol:
> 
> sounds like workouts are going really well mate, what sort of weights you shifting?


was NOT pleasant mate... but sorted it pretty quick, have not had another since... *touch wood*... squats only 175 atm, bench 115 and deads 180 (190 today hopefully)...



Ak_88 said:


> All going well be the sounds of it, except the cramp
> 
> When I was training with IB cramps later on in the evening after doing legs were a common occurrence, had a few instances where they seized up going downstairs, not fun!


  know what you mean there mate... had my legs go from under me on a few occasions in sainsburys carpark or walking down the gentle decline to my kids school gate... red face anyone... 



KJW said:


> That sounds horrific man!
> 
> Worst cramp trouble I have is in my calves usually. 5-10 minutes of stretching usually does the trick though.


yeah mate, just lifted my leg let gravity bend it and then rub a bit and walked around for a few mins and all was ok...



bigbob33 said:


> Get on the taurine mate! Helps my cramps loads


will look at getting some of this Rob, esp if it keeps up... good to see you about matey...


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## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> All's looking good GP. Keep up the good work mate. When you off to Oz? You managed to get around the training issue with the mrs? Sh!tter about the cramp but it gets us all now and again, however, not to be beaten, workouts looking awesome!


Cheers mate... will do, off next tuesday... have told her will be ordering some protein to have while we are there (she is often not too happy with me having to eat or take protein so often) and have mentioned that if I get the chance will be off to the gym either early morn or late eve... so far not too bad... have had to get a bit manly and lay the down the law a few times in the last week or so as she was getting too shrill and naggy about it all... so far it seems to be working ok... having said that I might still just take the time to relax and take a break from working out let the body fully recover and cane it when I get back till the op...


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## TH0R

You on Clen GP

If so deffo get some taurine, clen robs your body

of its natural production.

I'd get some anyway, even if your not, and eat loads of

banana's (Potasium).


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## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

was a weird day, up and down training wise, busy at work and with kids so had to move training nearly 3 hours later but what can you do...

Squats 4x5 light day and was easy... in fact felt very very comfortable and strong...

Seated Mil Press 3x5 1x2 disappointing last set, felt strong up till then but just lost it... very miffed but will push it out next day 2 workout... did feel my back working a bit to hold me steady so not sure if that had anything to do with it or the fact that got sod all sleep last night... stuff it, going to cane it next time...

Deads 4x5 pb city baby, all time I think, first three sets went up easily and felt strong, last set got 3 reps without straps but then had to quickly wrap some around the bar to get the last two as grip failed (ok Tel now you can smile smugly, but dont care cos happy got the weight and room to do more  )... 190kg though and happy with it considering its a 10kg increase on last week well pleased, will also be attempting 200 next week I think, straps for sure...

so an up and down workout, downer on the press but great on the deads... felt sooo damn tired and sick after the deads though, really awful but it passed quite quickly and got to eat dinner mixed vege and quiche hmmm with a shake to follow... not long till we head off now and am ordering some protein for when I get there instead of taking some with me and risking getting it seized (Aussie customs are viscious)... also told the mrs if I can will try to train a few times when there... but thats tba as thinking a break would do me good even though I really really want to train...

Go to see my surgeon tomorrow and will be asking some hard questions but hopefully wont p1ss him off too much before he has his hands in my gut...  aiming for a 17 Feb op date as it coincides with kids hols... we shall see... (que dramatic music)...


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> You on Clen GP
> 
> If so deffo get some taurine, clen robs your body
> 
> of its natural production.
> 
> I'd get some anyway, even if your not, and eat loads of
> 
> banana's (Potasium).


use it pre workout mate... usually... started eating bananas too bud, so maybe they are helping as its been fine... felt the love for you tonight mate, straps on the deads for first time in ages...


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## Greyphantom

LMAO... tbh Jon, not used the heater yet as everytime I train I forget and its too late by then so add another squat set in to warm up, admittedly last friday it was a bit chilly at -4 or whatever but got it done...


----------



## hilly

had the same feeling after deads the other week. was hanging out of the gym window trying to get oxygen into me cos was guna puke.

pb's is what its all about mate, going to aus i am immensly jelous. to of my mates currently working/living out their and i am tempted to block them off my facebook as their status updates nock me sick.

how long u their for


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## Greyphantom

hilly said:


> had the same feeling after deads the other week. was hanging out of the gym window trying to get oxygen into me cos was guna puke.
> 
> pb's is what its all about mate, going to aus i am immensly jelous. to of my mates currently working/living out their and i am tempted to block them off my facebook as their status updates nock me sick.
> 
> how long u their for


Thats the feeling P... my wife called just after I came back indoors and had to put the phone down as too ill to talk... lol...

Aus is ok, gets too hot though and full of Australians  we will be there for about 3.5 weeks, visiting my wifes family, her dad was ill this year quite seriously so its a last xmas sort of thing... will be good but will miss the training and UK's awesome weather... ok just the training 



KJW said:


> Training without the heater?!
> 
> Man you're off your nut! I tried that last week and all that happened was 1) I pulled a muscle and 2) I nearly ended up with an 7 foot olympic bar appendage frozen to my hands.


yeah the bar does try to stick itself to the hands a bit... lol... our garage (loose term that as its pretty small) backs directly onto our bedroom so its not too cold... well till I open the door lol...


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## TH0R

Ripped this from another forum bud, knowledgeable guy who posts it as well

Taurine MUST be used with Clen at 3-5g daily. Clenbuterol depletes taurine

levels in the liver which stops the conversion of T4 to T3 in the liver.

Taurine allows the user to avoid the dreaded rebound effect and painful muscle

cramps. It's a must with Clen.

Clenbuterol should not be taken too close to a workout. It can interfere with

your breathing and complete ruin your workout. When doing cardio, it's

advisable to stay at a consistent pace and avoid HIIT style routines.

Do not take Clen Past 4pm and drink plenty of water; 1.5-2 gallons a day.


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks for the info Tel... will take it under advisement... x


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok went to see my surgeon today... feel much more comfortable with this chap, took an a4 page of questions to ask him and he was really good about it and explained everything clearly and reassured me that this time more mesh will indeed be used and it will be solidly fixed in place with bits to make sure it takes... op date is 17 Feb. Did the pre-assessment too which is basically a physical and blood test... blood pressure is great in fact suprisingly fine considering I was worried it might be high, peak flow was off the charts (blow into a tube thing) and weight is up 3 kg since last time (but quite a bit of bf loss)... bloods not sure about till they get the results back... all in all passed with flying colours but one thing was they got a pharmacist to speak with me and ask if I was on any meds  which they didnt do before... just told her about the otc supps I use and she was good...  sooo feeling better, got my op date and a recovery map so train my ar$e off till I go in then cruise till 6 weeks after and then start light... bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

during training there is usually no pain at all... only really sore if its been sore that day... then at the start of training I might feel it a bit but after the first few sets are out the way the soreness diminishes... I believe that training has helped it a lot...


----------



## snakebulge

Hopefully then GP you'll be sorted and back up and running by the end of March which isn't that far away. Glad the visit to the surgeon went well (even if you did lie about the meds) :lol: . Now you can see light at the end of the tunnel mate and hopefully they'll do a much better job this time!


----------



## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Hopefully then GP you'll be sorted and back up and running by the end of March which isn't that far away. Glad the visit to the surgeon went well (even if you did lie about the meds) :lol: . Now you can see light at the end of the tunnel mate and hopefully they'll do a much better job this time!


Yeah mate thats my thought too, end of march is just a short walk really... I didnt lie per say, I just didnt divulge all information...  looking forward to the recovery in a weird way... and the bounce back...


----------



## Ak_88

Surgeon encounter sounds like it went well, I've got mine in just under 2 weeks, need to draw up my questions too, any chance you'd mind forwarding them onto me via PM or email? Unfortunately my surgery could be well in the distance though, with all my hospital placements next year the only time I've got more than 2 weeks off is in September! So fingers crossed little harry the hernia doesn't blow a gasket between now and then


----------



## Greyphantom

Ak_88 said:


> Surgeon encounter sounds like it went well, I've got mine in just under 2 weeks, need to draw up my questions too, any chance you'd mind forwarding them onto me via PM or email? Unfortunately my surgery could be well in the distance though, with all my hospital placements next year the only time I've got more than 2 weeks off is in September! So fingers crossed little harry the hernia doesn't blow a gasket between now and then


It went better than expected and he was very good with explaining exactly what was going on and more detailed re recovery (with reference to weight training as well I might add) than the first guy... will send them to you mate, might have to be a bit later tonight or poss tomorrow evening... thats the one thing I really hate about all this, the waiting to get it fixed... sigh... good luck with the placements and as long as you keep your core tight it should be ok... well at least thats what I have found...


----------



## Ak_88

Nice one mate much appreciated, no rush 

I figured the only things that really stress it these days are DL's and DB rows, if it gets too bad they can easily be binned and replaced, but plenty of core work should see that negated hopefully.


----------



## Greyphantom

Ak_88 said:


> Nice one mate much appreciated, no rush
> 
> I figured the only things that really stress it these days are* DL's and DB rows*, if it gets too bad they can easily be binned and replaced, but plenty of core work should see that negated hopefully.


funny you should say that... I find that neither one of these affects it at all unless its stressed from days activities or just sore in general from lord knows what... deads I dont feel a thing, squats nada, rows nothing there either... if I dont train it gets more sore than if I do... go figure... give me 5 and I will find the list and pm you now...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok bit of a lame update... been sick the last couple of days, looks like I caught what my daughter had, some sort of virus... not pleasant to say the least... havent eaten hardly anything just managing to get in 150-200g protein a day and feeling soooo freaking tired, slept awesomely the last two nights, on the couch as didnt want to pass it on to the mrs just before we head off to Aus... fuming that training is stalled for now but hopefully looking at getting day 3 in tomorrow and then pushing a few more before tuesday... big ask but sooo want to lift the iron, in fact want to sleep with it at the moment...  but another night of good sleep ahead of me and lets see what tomorrow brings...


----------



## Greyphantom

Cheers J...

feeling much better tonight so tomorrow could be on... had more food so far today as well... not up to usual but actually feeling hungry again, such a nice feeling...


----------



## Ak_88

Bummer man, I know your pain. My appetite's only just coming back after my lurgy 2 weeks ago!


----------



## Greyphantom

BAM baby I am back, well at least better... 

Madcow day 3 (finally)

after the last 3 days of feeling like death (tue wed thu) fri was a relatively decent day, got more food in and felt more chirpy... this morning felt tired but better and ate a proper brekkie (oats and shake) so got full compliment of protein and carbs in which was nice... had my pre workout supps and got on with it...

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 PB baby... was very doubtful that I would be able to hit the heavy set but thought would go as far as I could and after the 4 set felt easy thought why not re the heavy set and got them... however the first rep was only just below para, 2nd I started to lean forward on the up but the 3rd I nailed so was happy enough... squats feel much more comfortable than they ever have and not a mention of twinge from legs or back... finally getting the form nailled (except for little fixes)... very happy here...

Bench 4x5 1x3 1x8 BOOM baby all time PB and with no spotter which makes it better and leads me to believe I could lift more if someone was there to make sure it didnt fall on my head  was wondering if I should stick on 117.5 or just jump to 120... stayed on 117.5 and now wish I had tried 120 as 117.5 went up much more easily than I thought it would... this (along with shoulder press and chins) is my worst ex in terms of gains but lately its been going well... really wanted to get the 120 before we head off and it would have happened if wasnt ill, but gotta roll with it I guess... the last set felt so light I loved it...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 PB again... loving it... was thinking I had reached my limits on this ex but today the 120 (heavy set) went up very nicely and felt like I had room for more... felt huge in my back and after last set knackered...

today went way better than I expected... and tbh I feel so much better after working out than I did before... this could be cos I nailled a few PBs and one in particular put a huge grin on my dial... bench of course, thats been a bug bear of mine for ages now but at last have broken through that ceiling and looking to keep making it higher... food wise its going much better, appetite is coming back albeit slowly... I can stuff it in but really feels hard, although today it is much easier to eat as well as feeling like I want to eat... thank god...


----------



## TH0R

Happy for you bud, had the manflu myself, still feeling sh1t tbh.

Can you explain in short what your training is about?? Do you do

6 sets of squats, 6 bench then 6 rows??

Then same with squats, mil press and??


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Happy for you bud, had the manflu myself, still feeling sh1t tbh.
> 
> Can you explain in short what your training is about?? Do you do
> 
> 6 sets of squats, 6 bench then 6 rows??
> 
> Then same with squats, mil press and??





KJW said:


> Ditto the above"!


Cheers Tel, bit more than manflu, picked up some shoddy virus my daughter had, hate it when they start a new school as they bring all sorts of new bugs home with them...

program is pretty basic, following the madcow program which is as follows.

Day 1 Squats 5 sets 5 reps, Bench 5 sets 5 reps, rows 5 sets 5 reps

Day 2 Squats 4 sets 5 reps, Mil Press 4 sets 5 reps, Deads 4 sets 5 reps

Day 3 Squats 4 sets 5 reps then 1 set 3 reps then 1 set 8 reps, Bench same, rows same

Day 2 squats you go up to set 3 weight of day 1 then do it for two sets... for all exercises you start at a lighter weight then ramp up to the heavy last set of 5 (or 3 on day 3)... the set of 8 is the same weight as set 3

This is designed as I understand it to develop strength over mass... and tbh it works brilliantly... not only have I gained quite a bit of strength but while my weight as stayed relatively the same (well going by hospital records I have gained 3 kg  ) I have leaned out some (lost a few inches off the waist) and have noticed an increase in muscularity... my main aim atm though is to gain strength esp in ex's like bench and shoulder press, two of my weakest movements by far...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 1

Squats 4x5 1x4... last set went far better than before, reps lower and more controlled and felt hugely in the quads and a bit through my glutes and hams... even though I didnt make the 5th rep still pleased by the improvement in form... legs felt caned after and I had to sit a minute or two before moving on to Bench, not feeling too sick or anything just very tired...

Bench 4x5 1x4 again just couldnt quite make the last rep, but the first 4 went up well, 4th was hard though and at one stage I thought I would just let it fail and try to lift it off my chest (the old roll down manouvre  ) but pushed it out and felt good... not quite the 120 I wanted before I go away either, toyed with the idea of trying it but went wise at the last minute, or wussed out you could say 

Rows 5x5 oh my god by the time I got to this exercise I was knackered but got the 5 sets out comfortably, although my back was fvcked by the end of it...

after had to lie down for 10 mins before starting dinner... so freaking tired, but this could be due to not having much sleep last night (worst night for a while, 4 hours if I am lucky more likely 3)... chest, back and legs completely worked and feeling fragged, in a good way...

off tomorrow and looking forward to it... but wondering if I cant get in my last day 2 workout before I go  looking for that 200kg dead to break my record :thumb:

but not sure how well the mrs will take to that... thought might slip off while she is cleaning the house in case we are burgled... lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

at airport so using the phone for quick workout update flyby.

madcow day 2

squats 4x5 good deep and comfortable not long breaks between sets smooth constant reps

seated mil press 3x5 1x2 shoulders totally shagged fail on last set will look at prioritising these later

deads 4x5 woo hoo got the 200 kg no probs get in! very happy indeed

great day bar the press off to check in tootles


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## TH0R

Sh1t, p1ssed off I missed your departure bud

Have a really great time or if you see it when you get back

Hope you had a really great time


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## Greyphantom

Cheers lads... things going great but no time to hit the gym as yet, will be doing bodyweight ex's tomorrow if not gone by then... bl00dy hot here but not as bad as we thought it would be... diet all over the place which is to be expected but that coupled with no training makes me feel like I am losing all the gains made (even though my in laws have made great comments, just feels like its all going)... still enjoying it heaps and looking forward to xmas... not so much the trip home though


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## Beklet

Assuming you can get back, what with the snow lol!

Definitely off the imaginary pink weights, sorry about that..


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## TH0R

Don't worry too much, sure you won't be losing as much as you think,

what about doing some cardio, a jog or similar??

Just eat loads


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## bigbob33

Happy Christmas mate


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## Greyphantom

Beklet said:


> Assuming you can get back, what with the snow lol!
> 
> Definitely off the imaginary pink weights, sorry about that..


Dammit Beks that means I will have to start training for real...  got back ok, no snow just rain, welcome to sunny UK hey...



tel3563 said:


> Don't worry too much, sure you won't be losing as much as you think,
> 
> what about doing some cardio, a jog or similar??
> 
> Just eat loads


Will find out when I weigh in later and then do a training session mate... didnt do much cardio like running or cycling etc but got loads of beach/swimming time and loads of bushwalking/climbing...

eating loads was fairly easy and drank way, way, waaaaaaay too much mate, more than in the previous two years I reckon... those aussies like a beer or two... 



bigbob33 said:


> Happy Christmas mate


Cheers Rob, hope yours was ok mate and things are panning out in your life, text me or call me if you need buddy...



KJW said:


> Merry Christmas to ya and many happy lifts for the New Year


Cheers mate and you too... will be working hard up to the op then nothing till the GP then rehab and starting all over again...


----------



## Kate1976

Welcome back GP...hope you had a good break?


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## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> I know it's frustrating when you want to but physically can't
> 
> Anyways...I still need a routine


hundreds to choose from and thats the problem half the time, choosing which one you should try this time...



Kate1976 said:


> Welcome back GP...hope you had a good break?


Hi Kate and many thanks, yeah it was pretty damn awesome and long over due, my wifes dad is all ok now and it was great to catch up with the family... hope you had a great xmas and new year...


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## Greyphantom

you need to stop listening to everyone and find what works for you... training once a week per body part is not such a bad thing... can work really well but you need to train hard... try a system for a few months, if it works keep at it till it stops, if after a few months its not working out for you change and try a new one... trial and error mate, only way to know for sure...


----------



## Kate1976

Greyphantom said:


> Hi Kate and many thanks, yeah it was pretty damn awesome and long over due, my wifes dad is all ok now and it was great to catch up with the family... hope you had a great xmas and new year...


Hmmmm the start to the new year could have gone better...but what doesn't kill you and all that!

So you are going to the GP right? Do you think its worth trying to get a UKM group together....its a big enough event!


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## Greyphantom

Kate1976 said:


> Hmmmm the start to the new year could have gone better...but what doesn't kill you and all that!
> 
> So you are going to the GP right? Do you think its worth trying to get a UKM group together....its a big enough event!


Sorry to hear you had some troubles, anything I can help you with (even just an ear to bend) dont hesitate to pm or call (cant remember if you have my number though, sigh old age strikes again lol)...

Yep def going, got me vip ticket and sooo looking forward to it... I think we should def get the UKM crowd together, will post a meet and greet thread tomorrow... you going then? be great to catch up...



KJW said:


> GP - the new journal is in the link in my sig for your perusal and frequent...


cool mate will look in...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1 (also known as "you dumb fvck why did you push it on the first day back after a month (give or take) off"...  )

Squats 4x5 1x1 weeeel this could have gone better... got up to 170 and then just tightened up and hams, adductors and quads were on fire... now walking like a nun who just got rodgered 40 ways from sunday... but feels good and have a smile on my face... lol

Bench 5x5 went up easily but I did drop it 12.5kg as this is usually my weakest link... felt nice...

Rows 5x5 dropped weight again but went up easily except for a forearm twinge that was a bit of a pain but onward and upward...

overall feels great to be training again and very pleased that strength is not too affected by long lay off... I also weighed myself and I havent lost any weight even though diet and training was pretty non existant over the xmas/new year period... very pleased at that still the svelt 110kg figure of a man... ok that figure might be more like homer simpson but its still a figure 

just going to keep training now and get weights up again (hopefully hitting some PRs along the way) till the op... I have about 5 weeks (give or take) of training... then a month with no lifting at all and then the GP...


----------



## Kate1976

Greyphantom said:


> Sorry to hear you had some troubles, anything I can help you with (even just an ear to bend) dont hesitate to pm or call (cant remember if you have my number though, sigh old age strikes again lol)...
> 
> Yep def going, got me vip ticket and sooo looking forward to it... I think we should def get the UKM crowd together, will post a meet and greet thread tomorrow... you going then? be great to catch up...
> 
> Cheers D appreciate that  Would be great to catch up at the Grand Prix.....perhaps have a few cheeky beers eh!


----------



## hilly

good news on no weight loss mate and the fact strength has held. happy days.

im going GP also should be even fater by then on way to 230ish. altho dont know who im going with yet lol


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## Greyphantom

No probs pretty lady... will be that, not sure how the seating is arranged but we might end up having quite a large contigent sitting together... you bet your rear a few cheeky beers are on the cards... might have to look at a hotel room now... lol


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## Cam93

going well mate!  how you finding the 5x5?


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## Greyphantom

Loving it bud... got loads of room for growth and attainment of goals... when madcow starts to lose its flavour will prob change to strong lifts or similar...


----------



## Cam93

you do many isolation's then? or just stick to compounds and worry about isolating particular muscles later on in development?


----------



## Greyphantom

No isolations for me at the moment, will probably be doing some of those during rehab after my op... but funnily enough I find that doing the main compound movements work all the muscles fairly well... arms are looking ok (thought they would suffer tbh, well worse than they were lol) and even my calves are doing ok...


----------



## Greyphantom

Oh my god... body is telling me off using all sorts of language that it probably shouldnt... in a perverse way it feels good though... forgot to mention that even though still 110kg my belt can now go to the last hole... woo hoo... thats four notches in 4 months... very happy... rest day today, very hungry though... so will eat and sleep... oh and do some housely duties (fvcking diy)...


----------



## Greyphantom

fvcking wish it was just house work... got to build a door frame and then door... hang some garage doors and then find out how to patch some brick work and then kit out our study/office with shelving (theres a fair bit of shelving to go in)... all before feb 17... oh well such is life...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 2

legs and back pretty sore and tired and legs had beaucoup DOMS but went against convention and trained anway...

Squats 4x5 went up easily and felt very very good... legs felt better after then worse as they cooled lol...

Mil Press 3x5 1x4 still the devil on my back... first 3 sets went up easy then the last set was pretty good till the last rep and it all fell apart... might switch to db for a while to see if I cant do something there...

Dead lifts 4x5 expected this to be more difficult than it was... had to lose straps on the last set (can see Tel smirking and nodding knowingly now) but still weight flew up... back really felt it and was caned after but good caned not call me an ambulance caned...

so glad to be getting back into it and looking forward to my new rack and gym really... got some .5kg plates in today (as featured in a thread on UKM) so this should help edge the weights up on the exercises I am having difficulty with...


----------



## Greyphantom

just a paltry 70kg at the moment... have done higher and know I can lift more but mental block is kicking my ar$e at the moment...

*edit* thats seated too...


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## TH0R

Good stuff GP, 4 notches on your belt is bloody good going bud


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## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Good stuff GP, 4 notches on your belt is bloody good going bud


cheers mate... pretty happy about that meself... not as good as four notches on the bed post but a hell of a lot less grief from the wife


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## Greyphantom

Wooo Hooooo... just ordered the rubber matting for the garage and my new power rack and Bench... it all arrives tuesday which is perfect as thats my day off, both work and training so hopefully will have it all set up for wednesday... cannot wait... once its set up will have to get rid of my old bench/half rack combo... sniff shes been a good girl but its time to part... lol... so fricking excited and cant wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ugh wouldnt you know it the transaction was flagged as a security risk by my bank and spent 30mins sorting it out tell them it wasnt then had to ring power house back to reconfirm and hopefully that is the case that it will still go through this evening...


----------



## Greyphantom

YES!!! it went through and is on its way... fingers crossed no hitches...


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## Beklet

Pics? Yay pics!!! Bring it on!!


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## Greyphantom

Will take some of my set up now and then after done the rack... that way if anyone wants the old one they know what it looks like...


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## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3

Yeah baby, back into it, caned my body but loved it... every minute.

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 was awesome today... blasted 170 easily and could have done more reps but just stuck with the 3... good depth and no wobble at all, back was fine and legs cursing my name... cant believe I didnt like these a while back... lol

Bench 4x5 1x3 1x8 again had to check the weight to make sure it was 110... thought I missed puting a plate on but they were all there... felt very very comfortable and great... as good as it felt I am hoping to break the 120 before my op...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 great sets, not much bother from my forearm today and felt it in my back which is good...

Overall well pleased by todays workout... back into the swing of it and loving it... one more workout before my rack comes... woo hooooo...


----------



## weeman

good going mate


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## Greyphantom

Cheers Bri...


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## Greyphantom

Heres what my gym space looks like now... will look diff in a few days...


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## TH0R

You must struggle with a little variety mate, you not sociable enough for a commercial gym

Wouldn't be so bad if you got a db rack, and feck me, how do you manage with no mirrors :lol:

Do you have a training partner??

I used to train in my garage many many moons ago, don't think I could go back to it tbh.

Used to drag ppl in off the street to spot me :lol:

Good workout above mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> You must struggle with a little variety mate, you not sociable enough for a commercial gym
> 
> Wouldn't be so bad if you got a db rack, and feck me, how do you manage with no mirrors :lol:
> 
> Do you have a training partner??
> 
> I used to train in my garage many many moons ago, don't think I could go back to it tbh.
> 
> Used to drag ppl in off the street to spot me :lol:
> 
> Good workout above mate.


Madcow 5x5 program makes it very easy re program and variety mate... not sociable at all me  keep getting called all sorts of names like c*nt 

I dont have a training partner but not missing one too much... YET... once the rack goes in I think it will give me more scope in terms of weights lifted and not be such a bother re lack of training partner... I cant put mirrors in as they keep breaking  tbh I rather enjoy it, flexibility and never have to wait for any machine or aparatus...

Thanks bud...



KJW said:


> I would love to have that space. Gutted.


its pretty cool... not huge but big enough for the purpose...


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## Greyphantom

well the rack and bench came today and have to say I am very very impressed... got the bench put together but the rack is not there yet as the rubber mats I have ordered have not been delivered even though they were supposed to be here today... grrrrr not happy at all... the driver told the depot he "attempted" to deliver at 1245 but I was home and nobody called or came knocking... then he said that there was an access problem which is news to the lorry driver who delivered the rack and bench... fvcking ar$eholes is what they are...

Rack on the other hand is a dream order, came early, is way better than I had hoped and the bench looks like it can take the hulk without breaking... will get it all together and then post pics of it all... apparently the rubber mats are priority delivery tomorrow morning so I should have them by 0930 (might take the day off work to be here for that cos I really want to get it done so I can train)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok so no training today, had to go to the docs as stomach is playing up something chronic of a night, he thinks its helicobacter pylori and as such I have a course of antibiotics to take... hopefully that will take care of it...

Also had some more proofreading work drop into my lap... good cos its fairly well paid and easy enough, bad cos I have a deadline and it means will be ferociously busy, good because its work, bad cos it means training might suffer...

plus loads of house work I have to catch up on as the last few nights have been a nightmare in terms of sleep and I just have not felt like doing anything much through the day... ach its probably just a case of up the dose and on with it 

Got my rubber mats in today, delivery was sh1t but the item is quality, or items I should say as there are 4 of them (each mat comes in two parts that fit together snuggly so four parts = 2 mats)... and also got my power rack built and finished so cannot wait to start training on it... will do a write up of the rack, bench and mats end of this week once I have done all the exercises I do on them all... so far though loving them, sturdy as hell, very solid and great build quality... pics are attached... (will be changing the garage door which can be seen in a couple of photos as its kaput, going from an up and over door to side opening which will give me more room)...


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## Greyphantom

couple more to see if they work (they would not upload last time)...


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## big_jim_87

looks nice


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## TH0R

Looks a quality bit of kit bud, shame you live so far away from me bud, I could of

soiled the new mats with spit and snot:lol:


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## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> looks nice


Cheers mate, its great kit, first workout on it and sturdy as fvck... (the cage that is not so much me  )



tel3563 said:


> Looks a quality bit of kit bud, shame you live so far away from me bud, I could of
> 
> soiled the new mats with spit and snot:lol:


Yep its a good piece mate... youre always welcome to stop by to hoik a few loogies  if youre ever in the area...


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## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1

Long time since day 3 (last fri) but finally all is good in the little room I call my gym and got to use my new toys...

Squats 5x5 all good on the squat front, last week did 170 and only managed one, this week got all 5 and had room for a bit more weight I reckon, only downside is that the last two reps on the last set were not as deep as they should have been... still happy with it and very happy with the rack, having the safety bars there took a load off my mind re dropping or getting stuck (see IB's awesome video lol) but it is going to take some getting used to I think...

Bench 5x5 again weights were all good. Got 110 for 5 and felt very comfortable... in fact it wasnt much harder than doing 100 so very pleased with that... as above will also take some getting used to using the rack as it is different from my old equipment, but better, although when I rack the bar on the heavier weights it does tend to slide back a bit, but thats prob due to the rubber matting having a coating on it that makes them a tad slippery...

Rows 5x5 felt much better today, forearm still giving me a bit of a twinge but much less than last week...

Loving the rack, its solid and stable and adds an element of safety so will try to push the weights up some more... course this will be interrupted in 4 weeks when I go in for my op... weights feel great and comfortable, just have to watch the depth on squats and its all good... diet is a bit all over the place and the new tablets seem to be working as belly has been fine today, havent used an anti acid tab once... feel less bloated too...


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## Kate1976

Niiiiiiice toys GP....jealous...me...much 

No excuse not to add vids now eh


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## Greyphantom

Thanks Kate, yeah loving them, its my xmas pressie... mrs wanted to get me a years membership to a gym (so I can get back to my cave time (we used to call the gym my cave) but I just dont get the time to hit a gym so convinced her that this is the best option... been waiting over a year for one of these...

Vids... not so sure anyone wants to see my ugly mug... plus no one to hold the phone/camera...  oh and my forms sh1t...


----------



## TH0R

Greyphantom said:


> Thanks Kate, yeah loving them, its my xmas pressie... mrs wanted to get me a years membership to a gym (so I can get back to my cave time (we used to call the gym my cave) but I just dont get the time to hit a gym so convinced her that this is the best option... been waiting over a year for one of these...
> 
> Vids... not so sure anyone wants to see my ugly mug... plus no one to hold the phone/camera...  oh and my forms sh1t...


Lame excuse for no vids, rest vid on a box and pointing towards cage, turn video on, lift with poor form,

we can then criticise and bemoan your sh1tty form saying your pathetic and God will never love you as

long as you squat like that blah blah, job done, simple


----------



## Greyphantom

Oh Tel you know how to make one feel the love... 

Maybe one day... x


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

squats 4x5 felt very comfortable and being the day after my heavy squats was very pleased... concentrated on form and made damn sure I nailed it... took too much time though (had to go pick up daughter) so rushed the next two exercises a bit and form suffered slightly...

Mil Press 3x5 1x3 was pitiful, upped the weight (I know prob should have left it the same but progress and all that) last set I hit the doodackey on the upright of the rack (the thing that holds the bar when its racked) and it just [email protected] all over me... but they were pretty clean reps and not too hard till then...

Deads 4x5 back up to 190 and looking for 200 next week with more in the couple of weeks before the op, first 3 sets were spot on... 170 flew up and I felt comfy with 190 but feel that my form on the way down was a bit sloppy...

overall fairly happy with today, still need to work my mil press harder and make it work better for me but progressing so thats not too bad... legs def fried now and back is divorcing me a bit but feel happy with it all... was just glad to get the session in as work is manic at the moment, this new lark I have is taking more time than I thought, but with more experience it will get easier... diet is going ok tbh, getting hungrier by the day and the tabs I am taking for my dodgy tummy seem to be doing the trick... no indigestion for the last two days, bloat is pretty much under control if not gone and slept last night for 5 hours straight with no wake ups or anti acid tabs... good news so far... speaking of eating I fancy a quick shake or bite now... still working on this bl00dy document... sigh...


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## Kate1976

Nice deads mr....sounds like tum is under control now and hunger is up, great news!

Have a good weekend


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## TH0R

Good stuff bud, I get horrendous acid, I get Lansaprazole (sp?) on repeat from docs, just starting to NOT work so might have to take a dreaded trip to the nhs doc again.


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## Greyphantom

Kate1976 said:


> Nice deads mr....sounds like tum is under control now and hunger is up, great news!
> 
> Have a good weekend


Yeah its getting there, hoping its going to settle now for good, been speaking with a nurse friend of mine and she said once its all in balance I should find it better without the tabs... yeah love hunger, love food really lol... thanks Kate, hope yours is going well... not like mine, sitting up working (supposedly  )



tel3563 said:


> Good stuff bud, I get horrendous acid, I get Lansaprazole (sp?) on repeat from docs, just starting to NOT work so might have to take a dreaded trip to the nhs doc again.


Yeah mate I have the same, call it lanzarote cos I can pronounce it let alone spell it  its working a treat but I really hope it doesnt stop or that the balance is restored and things workout ok... last few days of taking it has shown me how bad it was before... hope you get yours sorted again mate... its horrible innit...?



 KJW said:


> Nice bit of kit there GP. How you finding it?


Its great mate... should have got one much sooner...


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## Cam93

strenths shot up mate!!

might have to switch back to a 5x5 myself! do it your way though - max weight 5x5 rather then ramping up each set


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## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Pleased to hear it man. I was back in amongst it today...feels great


yeah mate know what you mean, always feels so great getting back into it, like coming home...



Cam93 said:


> strenths shot up mate!!
> 
> might have to switch back to a 5x5 myself! do it your way though - max weight 5x5 rather then ramping up each set


I follow madcows mate so start with a "light" weight and then work up to the heavy last set... (well except for madcow day 3 which has a lighter last set)... but yeah it has given some decent strength gains...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3

bit tired today from a long weekend working and entertaining... hate prepping for people coming over but love having mates around...

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 felt very good today and put the heavy set up to 175kg (jump of 5kg) and it still felt very good, will look at adding another 5 next week... last rep on the heavy set the form wobbled slightly but not as bad as last week... legs felt absolutely fvcked even when I started bench let alone after my workout... now they are on fire... but its a great feeling... I was hoping to hit 200 by the op but tbh thinking it will be more like 185 or even 190 now...

Bench 4x5 1x3 1x8 awesome lift on this today, way better than I expected by far... went up to 115kg (again a jump of 5kg) and the heavy set still felt like I had loads left... will def break the 120 by the time I hit the op...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 forearm felt loads better today, not a problem in the lifts at all and only twinged when I stupidly did a couple of chins (playing with the chin bars to see if they worked... they do)... form felt good and back hurting all across the upper and middle...

today was probably one of the best workouts I have ever had, even though I felt tired it just didnt seem to matter... body feeling seriously fragged and I will need loads of muscle therapy but am so happy about it... damn I am sick lol...

on a theoretical note... whats really weird is when a person injects into the left glute but the right glute gets pip... wtf is that all about...??? 

diet is going well but going to up it a bit re cals and protein for the next few weeks... want to look good for the nurses 

*edit* forgot to say that I will be having a blood test done this wed... just liver and kidney function, cholestarol and the like not test or anything as that might be slightly skewed...


----------



## Kate1976

Greyphantom said:


> Madcow day 3
> 
> *bit tired today from a long weekend working and entertaining... hate prepping for people coming over but love having mates around...*
> 
> Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 felt very good today and put the heavy set up to 175kg (jump of 5kg) and it still felt very good, will look at adding another 5 next week... last rep on the heavy set the form wobbled slightly but not as bad as last week... legs felt absolutely fvcked even when I started bench let alone after my workout... now they are on fire... but its a great feeling... I was hoping to hit 200 by the op but tbh thinking it will be more like 185 or even 190 now...
> 
> Bench 4x5 1x3 1x8 awesome lift on this today, way better than I expected by far... went up to 115kg (again a jump of 5kg) and the heavy set still felt like I had loads left... will def break the 120 by the time I hit the op...
> 
> Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 forearm felt loads better today, not a problem in the lifts at all and only twinged when I stupidly did a couple of chins (playing with the chin bars to see if they worked... they do)... form felt good and back hurting all across the upper and middle...
> 
> today was probably one of the best workouts I have ever had, even though I felt tired it just didnt seem to matter... body feeling seriously fragged and I will need loads of muscle therapy but am so happy about it... damn I am sick lol...
> 
> on a theoretical note... whats really weird is when a person injects into the left glute but the right glute gets pip... wtf is that all about...???
> 
> diet is going well but going to up it a bit re cals and protein for the next few weeks... want to look good for the nurses
> 
> *edit* forgot to say that I will be having a blood test done this wed... just liver and kidney function, cholestarol and the like not test or anything as that might be slightly skewed...


Don't complain....you could always live the life of a singleton....where noone comes to visit you...ever....sobs 

Good luck with the test GP....guess we should try and sort this GP thang out as well?


----------



## Greyphantom

Kate1976 said:


> Don't complain....you could always live the life of a singleton....where noone comes to visit you...ever....sobs
> 
> Good luck with the test GP....guess we should try and sort this GP thang out as well?


tbh sometimes I dont mind that at all dear girl... I like me a bit of solitude sometimes... if you lived closer you would always be welcome to visit... loads of crap food at the shindigs but I manage to slip in chicken and past/rice/potatoes most of the time... 

Thanks K, it should be pretty standard as I had a similar one right before xmas and it was fine (benefits of getting another op I guess they test for loads of things) but will be interested in my cholestorol level...

we do indeed need to sort it, will post in the thread and put down a few thoughts...


----------



## Guest

Ignore me, replying to all post


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## Greyphantom

LOL Mike... must be the weight loss playing with your mind...


----------



## Guest

175 squat for 8?? thats some decent going GP.

Take your on cycle? mind me asking what?

Re above, yeah, turned out i was replying to a post back on page 20 or something, lol, ****ing blackberry tricking me.


----------



## Greyphantom

mikex101 said:


> 175 squat for 8?? thats some decent going GP.
> 
> Take your on cycle? mind me asking what?
> 
> Re above, yeah, turned out i was replying to a post back on page 20 or something, lol, ****ing blackberry tricking me.


thats 175 for 3 yesterday, tomorrow it will be 5 then 180 next week... hoping to get 190 before the op but we shall see... lol mate, no probs, my mobile does the same thing time to time... you got a pm bud...


----------



## Greyphantom

Well was going to train today but ended up not doing it for a couple of reasons... first I had to get a fasted blood test done and as such didnt eat a thing from 9pm last night till after 11 am this morning (man that felt like a looooooong time  ) and secondly and most importantly I have major pains in my glute and leg from a "gardening" incident on monday... a needle like implement happened to hit a nerve and the glute bounced around all over the place... so I knew that I was going to have fun and I have woo hoo me... had a boiling hot bath and thats helped a lot, will have another before bed and see how it goes... still got a few meals under me belt now and will have at least 2 if not 3 more before bed (although very very tired so might be an early night)... will train tomorrow and friday instead of today and tomorrow (I know training that close is not ideal but I am behind a bit on my schedule and I am damn sure going to try for the weight goals I have in mind pre op)... feeling on the whole pretty damn good about training and results though... just get this ouchie taken care of and lift a couple of pbs in the next 3 weeks and we are gold...


----------



## Dsahna

Hello my bald brethren,about time I caught up here mate!

There's nowt worse than fasting for the doc is there:lol:a few hours without bait and you feel like a rake!

What was it like hitting the nerve in your glute mate?..I have'nt hit a nerve yet but when pinning my left bicep last week the needle seemed to pop through something(probably the main vein because it's covered in fat:whistling: ) and it left a muckle dark bruise,no pain though!

Good luck with the PB's


----------



## Greyphantom

Hey there baldie... 

tbh at the time it was just like my glute was being electrified and was contracting and squeezing but it only lasted a few seconds... didnt feel much pain at all (after the initial sharp bit) then next day it was very sore and today even worse but since the hot bath (one thats so hot if you move it burns) its much better... no redness and not much swelling... its happened before, usually its cos I am out of position just a bit... all fun and games hey


----------



## Dsahna

It does add some variety to a boring pasttime

I couldn't get in a hot bath if I was paid mate,I normally get in a warm bath and then add loads of hot so I dont notice the change,not a one for the heat:lol:


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## Greyphantom

aahhh best thing for this sort of ache and pain, hot as you can stand it... managed to make it to 18 mins today... going for a pb tomorrow


----------



## TH0R

Hot bath talk, wtf?????? Excuse me, I have some knitting to finish


----------



## Greyphantom

tel3563 said:


> Hot bath talk, wtf?????? Excuse me, I have some knitting to finish


hang on I'll get me needlepoint out... 

Glute/leg much better today... will train and cane later...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 1

well that was a fvcking waste of time, well not really a waste but it didnt go well... which is a pi$$er cos I went in really hyped up and ready for a good session...

Squats 4x5 1x4 cannot believe it... first 3 sets flew up but on the last rep or two of the 3rd felt my hernia give a little, debated about doing the 4th set, did it anyway, felt okish as long as I kept it really tight then on the last set managed to get 4 reps out before throwing the towel in, just wasnt feeling right... reps felt slightly off but this could be cos of me watching out for my hernia rather than concentrating on form... legs truly feel blasted though... depth was ok, below parallel but not as deep as I could have gone I feel, maybe an inch or two off...

Bench 4x5 1x3 if anything was worse than squats... first 4 sets easy, and lost it completely on the last... no reason why either, just completely bottled... not happy jan...

Rows 5x5 this ex was fine, forearm still giving a little twinge on the last 2 sets but nothing too serious... got to make sure I keep the form right and back working though...

overall its been a craptastic workout today... while my legs feel worked, my chest doesnt that much and back is ok but meh... tbh it could be due to my eating the last two days being not great and by not great I mean sh1t... have lost a couple of meals and had some crappy food too, which I didnt even enjoy that much... going to up my eating game and get my head back into it... supposed to be day 2 workout tomorrow and going for heavy deads again... bring it...


----------



## Guest

Shit happens.

Put it out your head and move on,


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## Greyphantom

mikex101 said:


> Shit happens.
> 
> Put it out your head and move on,


Yeah it does mate...

and yeah baby, you know it, already looking to cane the next workout... funny thing is hernia feels good now, nice and tight and not bulgy at all...


----------



## Guest

Greyphantom said:


> funny thing is hernia feels good now, nice and tight and not bulgy at all...


Good to hear.

Im still keeping an eye on my little twinge, however i think worrying about things like that while training shifts my concentration away from lifting. So try not to. lol


----------



## Greyphantom

LOL thats what I try to do too mate... doesnt always work but what can you do...

Right had a blood test on wed to check for this helibacter pylori thing that might have been giving me stomach problems... got a call last night to say that my potassium levels were high so had to go in and get another one done as it might be an aberration... doc said that everything else was fine and it might indicate kidneys werent working properly but the values indicating kidney function were fine and showed no sign of that... so went in today for new test and while there got the results printed...

Potassium is 6.7 (should be 5.1 highest) so a little high.. but while there the nurse tole me my ast values were high as well 123 (should be no more than 40 apparently so very high) also my cholestorol is a little high 5.2 but not to worry... what concerns me is that the doc didnt seem bothered by my liver values and the bloods I had done beginning of dec didnt show this, no changes I can think of since then either... will see how this second lot goes and then figure out what to do...


----------



## Guest

Greyphantom said:


> also my cholestorol is a little high 5.2 but not to worry..


Thats about spot on as far as i can see. Some of the stuff ive read about low C recently is scary.

So whats the plan with getting other levels down?

Cheers for that PM too by the way


----------



## Greyphantom

not sure yet to be honest mate, will do some reading and research and then make a plan of action... ast will come down in about 2 weeks as the week before the op I am going to stop all oral supplements and go into cruise mode... this will help out some I think...

No probs buddy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok so after a load of reading it turns out theres not much I can do immediately to take the levels down, calcium and some other things can help but it turns out that causes of high potassium can include fasting (like I did for the first test), drinking too much soft drink (which I have been doing of late and thus am rectifying that by drinking more water instead) and also heavy training (well duh thats not going to stop) but there are other causes some of which are very serious... still nowt to do but wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 2

Squats 4x5 really good today, very deep and comfortable... much better than the other day...

Mil press 4x5 yeah baby, got the last set and all the reps unlike last week, very happy with it today and not only that it felt pretty good lifting it... this is my hardest ex by far so to complete all sets is great... upping the weight next week...

Deadlifts 4x5 another yeah baby cos equalled my pb 200kg for 5 and this time they went up much easier... felt very good and strong... will look at upping the weight next week again and look for 220 before the op (this might be optimistic but hey gotta try)...

Much better workout today, weights felt very good and while not easy per say they went up well... diet is more in line as well, and water intake has increased a lot, using the rubber band method (using rubber bands round a bottle to indicate how many I have drunken that day)... very psyched from todays workout...


----------



## Beklet

Ooh blood tests don't sound fun! Wouldn't be too bothered about the cholesterol to be honest, having it slightly 'high' has to be better than it being really low...

Good workouts always put me in a good mood


----------



## Dsahna

Aye mate,always good to hear about hard sessions

Fcuk all the worrying and keep that shìt intense because no matter what shìt you go through,you gotta be looking good in the fcuking process!


----------



## Greyphantom

Beklet said:


> Ooh blood tests don't sound fun! Wouldn't be too bothered about the cholesterol to be honest, having it slightly 'high' has to be better than it being really low...
> 
> Good workouts always put me in a good mood


Yeah not too worried re the cholesterol but slightly concerned over the high K readings... will see how the second test goes though... yeah mate nothing like a good workout to elevate the mood...



Dsahna said:


> Aye mate,always good to hear about hard sessions
> 
> Fcuk all the worrying and keep that shìt intense because no matter what shìt you go through,you gotta be looking good in the fcuking process!


you speak the truth mate... got two more weeks of full training left and aiming to use them to the full...


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## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3

heavy day today and what a fvcking awesome workout, which was great and unusual as I had to stop the workout after my squats to pick up my darling daughter from school (reasons disclosed later)...

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 yeah baby PB was going to go for 177.5 but thought sod it and went to 180 and got 3 reps fairly easily, the last rep was a bit wobbly, too much lean forward really, not quite enough depth and lost my "chest out" position but the first two were spot on, and depth pretty decent... was well chuffed especially as on the 4 set my daughter texted me to ask me to pick her up at school and wouldnt answer me when I asked what was wrong... as it turns out nothing but it meant stopping my training there and restarting when getting back... sigh...

Bench 4x5 1x3 1x8 another great ex today... got 117.5 for 3 easy reps and kicking myself as I know I could have got 120... very psyched about bench at the moment...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 3 for 3 in the great ex dept... forearm felt very good today, only twinged a little on the last set and worked the back well, better sets as didnt have to worry about hurting the forearm...

even with the break it was a great workout day... felt strong and comfortable and loved it... I have been taking in more protein in the last few days (only up to 300g a day from 250ish but its made a difference) and feel good for it... both happy and a bit gutted with bench, 117.5 went up easily and knowing I could have done 120 is why... still next week... 190 before my op for squats is also looking good...


----------



## Dsahna

Welldone Grey:thumb:keep the momentum and fcuking annihalate more PB's mate!!!


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## Greyphantom

cheers mate, got a full two weeks left of training so going to cane it proper like...


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## Greyphantom

well todays training is 95% likely to be a bust... woke up feeling very gassy and burping like a good un, normally this means that I have a dodgy tum and it soon proved to be the case... been on the loo most of the morning so not too sure about performing heavy lifts (esp squats  ) while stomach is like it is... could be dodgy chicken from last night (sigh) still deciding really but its looking increasingly like I will just do it tomorrow... freaking hate it when sh1t like this happens... feel good enough in myself but just not trusting the tum... managed to get the food in so far though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1

Woo hooo... awesome day, felt very good today but also very tired (mainly cos the mrs was out at a farewell do last night so had to pick her up at 0030 from the station and get up at 0530 this morning)... didnt think it was going to be a good day in the gym but it rocked...

Squats 5x5 yeah baby 5 on the last set at 180 and apart from 2nd rep they were feeling great... first 4 sets felt awesome, depth was very good, form felt tight which was I think the reason for the sets feeling so good and frankly easy... even at 160 I had no problems and felt much better than in the past with less weight... got to the main set and first rep was nice and tight and good depth, 2nd I lost it a bit and had way to much forward lean and it showed and I felt it a lot... almost canned the set but thought nope got to push through and just keep the form tight and did, made the whole 5 with no problems and the only thing wrong was from the second rep as my lower back was feeling it, no pain but certainly strained... very happy...

Bench 4x5 1x4 sigh, wimped out on the 5th rep of the 5th set... I should have and could have got it but just gave in like a wussy pussy... still got more reps than last week and on a higher weight, weight also felt very good and smooth so 120 next week for a PB and a PR... equalled my PB this week and may have passed it in terms of reps... over all very happy with this as well, but just need to keep pushing the weight instead of wimping out...

Rows 5x5 lower back was a bit frazzled from the mishap in the squats but forearm was fine and gave me very little in the way of problems... felt comfortable and while not easy certainly better than before... next week up on this as well... back very worked and can feel it nicely...

Felt very good about todays workout over all... need to watch my form stays tight for ALL reps and got to stop losing concentration at the critical time ie in the middle of a rep...

Diet wise I have been keeping to 300g protein min a day and its proving to be a good thing in terms of the weights, seems that since I upped it I lift better and it feels better while lifting... could be psychosomatic but wtf will run with it while it lasts (or for the next two weeks which is all I have before the op)... dodgy tum is well and truly over from yesterday which is good and food is being shovelled in again, which is also good cos at the moment I am loving eating...


----------



## Dsahna

Good read Grey,it's always frustrating backing out of a rep,realising you could've maybe scraped it,it's a minor hazard of being a home lifter,fcuk it mate,you're

Going to hammer another pb home next time anyway!

Good lifting:thumbup1:


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## Greyphantom

Thanks mate... will break the pb next week for sure...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 2

Was a bit tired as went to the supercross sat night at the O2 and it was awesome, guys racing round a dirt track breaking bodyparts... and dancing girls... what more do you need... 

Squats 4x5 just a light day and it went well enough, again with the lean forward on the second rep of the first "heavy" set... figured out what it was in terms of form though, was not driving the chest up enough in line with the hips coming up as well, was forgetting about monitoring the whole body and keeping it tight... so armed with this I expect more improvements in my last few workouts...

Mil Press 3x5 1x3 and a partial... still struggling with these but working on the form seems to be helping as the weights felt better on the first 3 sets, easy and went up fine... last set things collapsed a bit and at first couldnt figure out why but after a bit of evaluation and thought I think I have cracked it... I noticed that I go much slower on the last set with each rep than the previous sets and I think this is why I find that last set much harder than it should be... at least according to how the previous sets went...

Deadlifts 4x5 yeah baby... this went very well... got a PR of 210 for 5reps but felt like I could have done 220 as easily... reps flew up and felt comfortable. I now realise that lifting 220 would be 484lbs which means that I am just shy of the magic 500lb mark which I might try for next week before my op... that would be a huge boost for me... oh and who ever said that lifting wasnt a contact sport... check the pic below which shows my shin after deads... 

apart from the niggly reps to do with form felt great about todays workout... cant wait to the next one and get some more PRs up...


----------



## Greyphantom

Just before I forget had another call from the doc on friday (didnt get the message till sunday though) as he is a bit concerned re my liver (ast) values from the blood test (not sure if first test or second or both yet but will call today to find out) as they are rather high, 123 was the first test, and he has booked me in for a scan... not sure when will have to find out today... could be due to orals but as my prexmas test was ok and I was on the same orals then the only thing I can figure is the shed load of alcohol I had over xmas up to about 2 weeks before the tests... normally I dont drink much but in Aus I had more in 3.5 weeks than 2 years or more... forgot they drink a bit there lol


----------



## Dsahna

Plonky


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3

really feeling it today, body dying, joints saying loads of mean things to me and very knackered as not much sleep the last few days due to life....

Squats 4x5 1x3 1x8 holy cow... 185 is pretty much a PR for me at the very least a PB... got all 3 reps and only the last one was slightly high being parallel... really felt my legs today, after training them they were pumped and sore already... was very pleased with how comfortably 185 went up but need to watch depth as parallel is not good enough at the moment... (training atg or as damn as near)... getting the last 8 was painful, lower back felt weak but this could be due to deads two days ago...

Bench 4x5 1x3 1x8 yeah baby got the 120kg for a PR and it was comfortable... all 3 went up nicely and thought I could do more as well... last set of 8 got a bit tight on the last rep but over all very very happy with this... this time last year did not think I would be benching 120... yay...

Rows 4x5 1x3 1x8 nice workout here, back felt all tingly and blood flowing through it... equalled a PB here I believe... next week PR...

workout felt awesome today, was very tired as been up late last few nights working on stuff before op so when lazing about nothing builds up...

spoke with the doc yesterday re the blood test and high liver enzyme (ast) levels, he is not concerned and said they arent that high really, the excess alcohol over xmas could explain it, so getting the ultrasound to make sure gall bladder isnt blocked etc and another blood test at the end of the month to make sure numbers are coming down nicely, hopefully... good thing is that potassium levels have come down into the normal range so nothing to worry about there...

Started a proper supplement regime with 10g fish oils a day, multi vit, gluc/chondroitin and msm every day... add in the cissus and shakes and its humming nicely... still getting a bit of solid food in too... speaking of shakes got in some reflex instant mass and holy sheet its lush... most milkshake tasting shake I have had so far I think... bit thick with milk so will try water... think found my weight gainer for the next little while though, what a shake... between that and the matrix whey think got shakes covered...


----------



## Dsahna

Unstoppable stuff at the minute bud,edging closer to the big 300lb bench mate:thumb:

Hope everything goes well for you regarding your health,fingers crossed!


----------



## Greyphantom

yeah mate its going so well, but the sh1tter is next week it all halts for a couple of months for recovery... freaking op... 

Cheers mate...


----------



## Dsahna

Just make sure to eat well during that time and the damage to strength will be minimal mate

Good luck x


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks mate, setting it all up now so everything is in hand for when I am recovering... mmmm foood...


----------



## Greyphantom

Holy sheet... lower back is very tight and sore... tripped at work yesterday which didnt help it at all... appetite is way up the last couple of days too... which is nice as I love to eat... 

Shed loads of work to do on the house before next week, garage doors supposed to be coming today so will get them stained and up which will make it easier in terms of getting in to the garage to train and training space... also installing some oak beams for a doorway (then building the door, a stable one cos thats what the mrs wants  ) and as they are 6x6 they aint light... the top one is providing me with a nice shoulder workout lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Alright buddy how's the new gym set-up working out?


its brilliant mate, just got better as I installed the new doors to the garage on the weekend (even though my back was screaming in pain, prob not a wise move but had to be done) and there is more room now... got loads of room for chins and low rows and all... will get some more pics up in the next couple of days...

no training since last tuesday and not too happy about that, will try to get some in tomorrow but its another busy day as I have to go back to the hospital to give more blood to get it typed and so they have it on file in case theres a boo boo and I need a transfusion... apparently there is more chance of a transfusion with keyhole than with being cut open... go figure... after that got to fix an oak frame to our front entrance and then make a stable door for it and then move a bunch of crap to storage and then... freaking list keeps growing, but going to just hit it and train hard in the afternoon I think... not expecting too much in the way of pbs or anything but just need to get a couple of sessions in before I cant... back is feeling much better today and should be full power tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1

Holy sheeeeet... Owowowowowowowowowowowowow... muscles sore, body on strike... got my training in today and feeling awesome for it... if very painful... 

Squats 5x5 yeah baby a PB... got 185 for 5 and depth was good, posture much better than last week and no back pain... legs were shafted when finished though and had to race to pick up my daughter from the bus stop with legs cramping all the way lol... felt good about this as thought the workout was going to suck so just went in seeing how much I could get to...

Bench 4x5 1x4 PR baby yeah... got the 120 for 4 today, should have gone for the 5th in retrospect but happy enough with this as again just didnt think it was in me... felt comfortable and in control... cursing that I have to take time off now but what can you do...

Rows 5x5 equal PR... went up very easily and felt great, back is a mass of sore now and muscles complaining loudly... well all my body complaining loudly tbh... good though...

gearing up for the op on thursdays and was debating wether or not to train at all tbh, feeling tired and lethargic but got to it and so glad I did now... really pleased with the weights and form today... stopped all PEDs for a few months to have a bit of a clear out and its pretty pointless as wont be able to train... will start to use peptides to keep appetite up and help with the recovery process... going to train tomorrow and really want to hit 227.5-230 in the deadlift... hmmm we shall see...


----------



## Kate1976

Hey D....sorry for lack of contact! Hope all goes well on Thursday...how long will you off training?


----------



## Greyphantom

No probs K you have prep etc so must be pretty busy... according to the surgeon its 2 weeks no lifting anything at all (even doing things like laundry or dishes) then 2 weeks light duties and then I can start lifting again but only very light and sensible stuff... then build from there... looking at IBs journal he started light machine weight type stuff and then ramped up to oly stuff after a couple of months... either way not looking forward to it at all... (lay off, op doesnt really bother me)... just when things are going well... sigh...

still chance to do a rest period then come back better than ever...!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

Ok feeling a trifle crap today, which is NOT good news as the op is supposed to be tomorrow and if I have a cold they could cancel it... DOH...!!! but positive thinking I will beat this over night and be much better tomorrow...

Squats 4x5 just a light one today very comfortable and form felt very good, nice and tight core and very low...

Mil Press NONE... have a shoulder injury due to accident with a long slender object in the weekend just gone... think I might have found a nerve or poss gone through a vein... what ever it is its certainly very painful (but not as bad as the last couple of days)... so skipped this after attempting the first set and not doing it...

Deads 3x5 1x3+1partial... yeah baby... got 230 for 3 great reps but they felt hard... tried for the 4th and just couldnt quite lock it out, almost... almost... nope had to drop it... but damn pleased got the 230 anyway (which puts me at 506lbs so broke the 500lb cherry) core felt good, the drive with the legs felt ok and for the first 3 anyway the form felt tight eventhough the weight felt hard... last one I got the drive off the ground fine but just couldnt quite lock it out past the knees... both thrilled and gutted at the same time 

workout went well despite missing out on mil press... squats felt very comfortable and the weight is actually past my prev pb on a light day so great feeling that... deads were awesome... I have been psyching myself up all day for them and just knew I would break it... damn happy with that before my enforced lay off...

really hoping this cold feeling goes over night as I might have to call in and see what they say... really hoping its all ok as I just want to get this over and done with... not sure if I will be posting much before next monday from tonight as will be a bit zonked I guess... smell ya later...


----------



## Greyphantom

Hi all, no training to report but a bit of an update...

Last training day was wed 16 Feb 11, then went into hospital for my op on thu 17 Feb 11... this meant no eating from midnight till the op and they put me in later so effectively had nothing to eat all thu (and that was just not fair  ) went in to the theatre around 1645 and came too around 1835 so the op went a lot longer than expected as apprently there were complications... it turns out there were 3 holes in total and they had to put in more mesh than originally though (but happy with that) so I have a bit of mesh in me thats 20x30 cm now... and instead of 3 incisions I have 8... 4 of those were becuase of anchor points apparently... still all done now and recovering, there is a bit of swelling across the abs but this is going down slowly, will get some pics in the next day or so when I can... didnt move much on friday, slept alot but today movement is much better tough to straighten up as it feels like I have been 5 rounds with muhamad ali and all he did was give body blows... feels different to the first one as there is no pulling on the stitches (or at least not much) prob because the incisions are quite small... looking forward to a fast recovery.


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## Greyphantom

Nice one mate... cant wait till I can hit the iron again, already want to bad but just have to wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

so want to get back to training now, feeling small fat and weak... took off the dressings last night to find that one of the "incisions" was actually a needle hole but the others werent much bigger really... lol... most have pretty much closed up with one or two needing redressing... bit worried about the swelling at the original hernia site, looks like its still there with a slight swelling but tbf its gone down quite a bit in the last few days... just really hoping it goes completely in the next few days else I will have to ring the surgeon to find out whats what... still a bit wary that it will all go t1ts up but trying to stay optimistic...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok feeling much better today except for the god damn itching round the incisions... its driving me nuts... soreness is decreasing unless I do something really daft like wrestle a bear or something... swelling down more today too... I notice that as the day wears on it does ache more so I have been taking paracetamol and ibuprofen of an evening... sleeping like a baby and it no longer hurts that much to turn on my side...

can tense my abs now with no pain so have been doing that for reps lmao... well contract them as much as possible... feeling pretty good tbh...

diet is shyte... big time shyte... getting protein of around 200-250 grams in but eating more junk... will sort this out next week or so... so itching to hit the gym its not funny...

kids have been awesome through the last few days, helping me out... my daughter gets my meals ready and my boy helps me make up my shakes... its great...

oh and just ordered the strongman dvds to watch and a great tshirt... so got some goodies coming too... yay...


----------



## Guest

Sounds like youll be back in the gym in no time mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

hoping so mate... just walking about and tensing the abs at the moment, not exactly breaking any pb's lol... but have a goal and a plan so onward and upward big man...


----------



## Greyphantom

thanks Jon...

Ok... recovery moves apace... soreness only there when I stretch or move in a way thats probably not best atm... all dressings are off and holes are pretty much healed... swelling is way down and I saw a hint of top ab last night and a little bit of line down the obliques... but only in a certain light lol... original hernia site is now flat, but tbh I still see a bump but that is prob in my head... not lifting much at all but moving more and more freely... the hardest part of recovery is my wife tbh... she is overbearing in not letting me do anything... I lifted some plates on saturday (clearing up after dinner) and she was on at me about not ripping it again... cant seem to explain that it was the surgeon not puting enough mesh in that did it last time... everytime I move she is on at me about no moving too much and resting and blah blah blah... it is nice to have someone care about me but sometimes she does my head in with too much caring/paranoia... still shes great and I love her for doing it...

looking at getting a new bar for my gym, and a weight tree to hold the plates... plus one or two handles for the lat/low row attachment so I can make more use of that part of my rack in rehab... have decided that I would like to have a go at powerlifting for a bit and see if I cant compete next year when everything is healed and strong again... nerve racking for me but with a lot of motivation from the people on this board and others I know its going to happen...

diet is ok at the moment... getting 220-270 grams of protein in most days (missed it on sunday as my mums birthday and I was slack in getting shakes prepped) and in general its fairly clean food... keeping on keeping on...!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Healing is going well... hardly feel it at all now but still taking care... day to day stuff is not a problem... havent tried lifting anything weights wise though as its still pulling a little I doubt I will for a week or so... still getting a pretty good dose of protein every day and taking usual supps multi vit/mineral, fish oils, msm and glucosamine/chondroitin and L Glutamine... hopefully speeding things up... so itching to get back to training and doing stuff... daytime tv is the worst thing ever...

And more good news is that I will be going to the 08 May show in pompy... wooo hooo... speaking with the mrs this morning and brought up that that show was on and I would love to go to support some of the people from the board and she said thats cool... awesome, she is a good lass really... till the next time we fight lol...


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## bigbob33

glad to hear things are going well buddy!


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## Greyphantom

cheers Rob, hope all is well with you mate...


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## Greyphantom

Well another day another... well not dollar cos I am off at the moment, still my boss is giving me hol pay for being off so thats some good news... healing is still going well, today was walking about and felt no pain at all... first time since the op... after a good lunch (ate everything not nailed down, even the cat did a runner so I couldnt munch on it) it did start to ache a little but thats cos I was so full, still hungry but full... (love peps)... swelling is pretty much right down now, just a little bit remaining but that could be cos I am puting on fat again after not training for a couple of weeks but still eating like a mofo.... back at work on light duties monday so that should keep me more sane for a bit...

On a good note I got my tshirt and a couple of dvds from the WSM site today (still waiting on the WSM 90s dvd but the other two will keep me occupied for a bit)... shirts awesome and fits nicely for now cannot wait to watch the dvds (first one tomorrow) but these would have been handy last week.... after talking to a few people re equipment that I was looking at getting I am puting the bar on hold for a while... at least till the end of the month (with the GP coming up as well I want to hold on to some dosh to get a few bits there if they are extra expo priced... course carrying them home might be a buggar if I am not supposed to lift much )... but still that could change... thinking about getting a belt too as it will prob help a bit with my lifts but that can wait for a while as I was doing ok without one and like to use equipment for support as little as possible...

generally feeling pretty good about recovery at the moment...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok all good on the western front here... pretty much ready to start faffing about with some little isolation type exercises just to get the blood flowing and what not... will be extremely careful though as do not I repeat NOT want to pull anything I shouldnt... feeling way better than even a few days ago, since I started the peps and glutamine its just got better and better very quickly... my wife, bless her heart, being very protective and doesnt want me doing anything even walking too much... but I have been doing stuff as moving about I feel is a good way to heal...

Speaking of my wife, we were at an evening discussing gcse stuff for my daughter (shes only year 7 ffs) and just before it kicked off I told her I will be competing next year (early part, before my 40th) in powerlifting (not that I lift big weights but just to experience it will be awesome) and she was very good natured about it all... said "so we have to come and shout at you when you do it"... told her no but it would be nice and I would love her to but as she isnt into it its not that necessary... she seemed much more supportive than previously when we have talked about stuff like this... so with that in mind I will definitely be competing WITHIN the next 12 months, by next april at the very latest depending on competition timetables and so forth... with that in mind I am going to be reading like a mother about powerlifting and competing and will start to adjust my program after I have fully recovered and got back to my pre op weight levels... have been reading a bunch of articles from the westside site and the powerliftinguk site too... also a bunch from elitefts as well... soooo much to learn and do... but I am sooo looking forward to it...

of course this means I might be pestering some of you for a helping load of advice... feel free to tell me to fvck off if I get too gas-baggy... once I can lift again will start with madcows for a little bit then switch it if I need to to a more conventional powerlifting training style... still learning about ME days and DE days and supporting exercises for bench, deads and squats... its going to be a trip but the first step is taken...

I might look at starting a new journal in the competitve section (heheh - girlish giggle thinking of me competing) with all the bits leading to my first...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok still healing although as I am moving more and doing more (no heavy lifting or anything silly) its still a bit achey at times... but going ok... started work again this morning, but as my job involves a lot of heavy lifting I was on light duties...

diet has been pretty naff in terms of what I am eating (much more junkie type food) but still getting in the protein and most meals are healthy enough...

I was looking at getting in a bunch of kit, bar, footwear, belt, chains and bands but have put this off till after the GP as I might want to buy a bit there if they have things I need for sale... lookint at getting some metal squat shoes... they seem to be pretty decent and would suit me from the reading I have been doing... also want an inzer belt, prob just the single prong 10mm version, chains and bands have no idea as yet but reading and asking so will find out... chains will prob just get from a local scrap merchant if they have them, I know a few skip company blokes who might be able to get me some of their old ones too so that would be good, bands though I have no clue on yet, have not read about them too much but will do and then will pester some likely people about which ones and where to get... so want to be training right now... its like this damn itch that just wont be got rid of...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok actually got some training to write down... here goes...

Arms... 5kg, 20 reps, bicep curls 3 sets, tricep overhead extensions 3 sets, forearm prehab work... that is all... lol

Just wanted to do something and kept it very light to see if there was going to be any detriment but no pulling at all which was good... and even though the weight was light I felt something in my arms at the end which was awesome... its like a drug that feeling of being worked... lol... this was all seated too so was just nice and easy... may try some other bits later (just worked out how I can do chest supported rows on my bench and rack woo hooo) but will stick with arms for now and I might add some planks as it seems that its not too bad on the midsection...

diet is not too bad but eating a bit more crap than I probably should be... but what they hey...

slowly slowly I recover... weighed myself today too and I am 109kg first thing in the morning before brekkie and after emptying so higher than I expected tbh which is good... but still got a bit of flab coming in that I will have to watch, however this will go once I start training again for proper like...


----------



## Greyphantom

Update on my bloods... had another blood test 28 Feb to check to see if my liver scores were going down as they were a tad high on the last one (actually one before last as I have had sooo many in the last 4 months)... AST values went from 123 to 40 woo hooooo so back to normal (must have been the drinking I did over xmas in Aus... bl00dy Aussies lol)... all other values well within range too, potassium is way down from something like 8.5 to 5.3 so thats good... yeah baby licence to cane that liver some more with some var and so forth...


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## Greyphantom

ok planks not going so well in this little mix, shake like a mother and got a bit of ache in the midsection... but arms ok and will keep plugging away at planks till shaking and aching stop and its all good...


----------



## Greyphantom

it can be mate but there are a few good threads on here explaining what to do and look for and how to go about it too... I didnt actually ask for my bloods but over the last few months or so I have had a heap of testing done to check a load of different things...

did some light training sort of over the weekend... arms bi's and tri's with just 5kg but slowed the reps right down and felt it a lot... 2 sets 15 reps each... felt pretty good though... followed by planks... 3 sets 15 seconds for the first 2 and 20 secs for the last, all felt much better, shakes were still there but not as bad and didnt feel it pulling as much in the ab region... was pretty happy with that... lastly I tried out body weight squats... the big one, my main goal was to just get the body shape and form right and do them... 2 sets 15 reps and they felt gooooood... no pulling at all and really felt it in my legs... went nice and deep and still felt good... mending baby!!!!!


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## Tassotti

Good luck with the recovery GP. Seems like you are being sensible with it. Just don't get over-excited and over do it. All the best


----------



## Greyphantom

Well loads happened in the last few days...

daughter in trouble at school and have had to sort that out, got a meeting on tuesday that will hopefully see the end of that...

back at work on light duties and its been busy... good to be back though...

training has been light very light arms body weight squats and thats about it, next week going to add good mornings with either just body weight or 10kg (yep really throwing it all in there )...

had to go for an ulltrasound scan to see if anything is bothering my liver which is a continuation of my ast values being high just after xmas that have since returned to normal and it turns out that nothing in the scan indicates any problems with liver but I do have gallstones (sigh) but nothing to worry about according to my doc... however I will have to go to see a sleep clinic about possible sleep apnea (sp) as my wife has been pestering me for a few weeks now that my breathing has become bad of a night, snore loud and snort then stop breathing for a couple of seconds or so then start again... sooo will be doing that when the paperwork comes through... sigh again...

but on a good note the GP is THIS weekend... yeah baby... packed and ready to go, just need to organise my shakes and bobs your mothers brother...

think thats it for now... I will be taking notes at the GP and loads of pics and will file a report on monday or tuesday...


----------



## Greyphantom

Well not too much going on in the training dept... havent done any since the GP till today...

Superset Bicep curls small bar on low pulley row cable/rope tricep pulldowns 3 sets 15 reps slow on the neg explosive on the positive... 10kg weight

bodyweight squats slow down explosive up 3 sets 15 reps 1st, 12 reps last 2...

good mornings with 10kg 3 sets 12 reps...

felt really good tbh, arms felt pump even on 10kg... legs feel worked and good... really felt my lower back squeeze on the good mornings and my hams working hard too... all felt ok with only the slightest twinges from the abs on the squats...

diets not too bad at the moment, getting around 300g protein a day and letting the carbs and fats take care of themselves really... feeling good generally and healing is going well...


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## snakebulge

Hey GP,

Not been here for a while but catching up with your log.

Things looking good mate but take it easy with the recovery. Don't over do it but keep at it!


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## Suprakill4

Glad you have got back training mate. Hows eating going lately?

Any updated pics?


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## Greyphantom

25 Mar 11

Ok had a busy day at work with loads of physical activity... certainly felt it thats for sure... but also got some training in... just accessory stuff for now as said...

Upright Rows 3 sets 15 reps... felt these quite a bit in the traps but also the delts... havent done them since Jesus passed me a fish and said get that in ya lad... felt good with some movement in the midsection...

Facepulls 3 sets 15 reps... first time done these... my upper back is not my best friend right now... midsection pulled a little through this but not so I should worry...

Pullthroughs 3 sets 10 reps... first time done these as well... I limited it to 10 reps as felt my midsection a lot on this one and I dont want to antagonise it too much... felt it in my lower back and as I kept my legs straight not so much in my hams (which are rather doms-ie from yesterday thank you very much)... I think thats how it works, bent is more ham involvement and straight is less... will have to do some more reading on that one...

feels soooo good to be doing something... training is defo my crack without a doubt... life seems to run all ok with the world when I train...

bring on full training... 20 sleeps to go... wooo hoooo...


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## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Hey GP,
> 
> Not been here for a while but catching up with your log.
> 
> Things looking good mate but take it easy with the recovery. Don't over do it but keep at it!


Hi mate, I havent updated for a little bit actually so going to catch up now... I have been taking it very easy, now its getting close to start up time for the real training, but will still take it slow and easy to build it up again... dont worry mate, not stopping for nuts... 



kieren1234 said:


> Glad you have got back training mate. Hows eating going lately?
> 
> Any updated pics?


Eating going through the roof at the moment mate, and since switching training plan from bbing style I have just thought boll0cks and eat pretty much what I want (within reason) and its just going up and up... pics will follow when I write up my new training plan and goals... should be within the next few weeks...


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## Greyphantom

28 Mar 11

Well no training today as work was pretty busy and I had to get the kids from school and once theyre home its off for now as they will report back to gestapo headquarters that I have been training, just got to love kids

I have been itching to order the texas power bar, absolutely dying to but the mrs is 40 on Friday so I have held off till then so I can make sure I get her all the bits I want too... shes very good at drawing so looking at getting her a charcoal art set and classes as she doesnt spend enough time on herself and she really wants to work with charcoal... thought this would be the go even though I asked her and all she said was a new jacket for work... oh and will be throwing a surprise party for her this weekend, even though she said not to on pain of death, so if no one hears from me by monday you know my ar$e was severely kicked and I am indeed dead...

feeling pretty good though and hunger is pretty insane lately, even when I am not taking peps... I wonder if they have a knock on effect that lasts several meal times rather than just the one... starting to use other supps now as well in the run up to training... will be looking to start nice and slow (both supps and training) but want it to all happen as quick but as safely in regards to healing as possible (man thats a mouthful)... starting to make a new plan of attack re training, based on madcow but with a lot more accessory work in each workout, keeping the big three the same but rotating the accessory stuff every 3 to 4 weeks (prob 4 as its a nice round number)... will post it up closer to the time and when I have finished it which helps...


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## Greyphantom

29 Mar 11

Ok so more accessory work and bodyweight squats...

short bar cable curls 3x15 15kg

rope tricep press downs 3x15 15kg

rope cable curls 3x15 15kg

rope lying tricep extensions 3x15 15kg

Bodyweight squats 3x15

as you can see still light stuff, put using explosive on the concentric and slllloooowww on the eccentric (think thats the right way around positive and negative) I really feel it working... got a good pump in the guns that for sure oh no I just realised that I am a bicep boy

Generally felt very good, keeping the form/technique strict on the squats though results in a bit of pulling on the midsection but nothing that feels too bad or like its doing something wrong so thats good... also felt a bit of pull on the lying tricep extensions but keeping my feet up in the air instead of on the ground or even flat on the bench stopped it a lot... all in all a nice little workout... part 2 to take place this afternoon...


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## Greyphantom

29 Mar 11

Okie... did another workout this afternoon as missed yesterday...

Face pulls with long straight bar low pulley cable 3x15 15kg

Good mornings 3x15 10kg

Upright rows cable 3x15 15kg

Pullthroughs 3x15 15kg

Nice little work out and really felt it through my entire back, not so much in the hams this week... but will look to up the weights next week on all these, got another two workouts this week the same as done today (thu and fri) although I might look at changing the exercises a bit... felt sooooo good after, a little tired and out of breath as my GPP is sh1te but its a start...


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## Greyphantom

31 Mar 11

Had another training session today... concentrated on what my midsection was telling me but it was silent today in fact it felt tight and solid... IB, the scar tissue from the original incision is much softer too I noticed, plus it seems more flexible/mobile...

Short bar cable curls 3x15 20kg

Rope pressdowns 3x15 20kg

BW Squats 3x15

Rope cable curls 3x15 20kg

Lying extensions 3x15 20kg

felt good, huge pump in my arms and even after BW Squats my legs felt a little light... was concentrating on the feeling I was getting if any from my midsection as after IB advice I wanted to make sure it was ok... better than ok today, really feeling good and tight, no tweak or twinge today and even the squats went really well... tired after last nights rocking out but good session...


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## Greyphantom

01 Apr 11

Another light training day...

Facepulls 3x15 20kg

Upright rows 3x15 20kg

Pull throughs 3x15 20kg

Good mornings 3x15 20kg Oly bar!!

had a great session today, felt all the exercises and muscles working most excellently... so enjoying doing even this little amount and body is loving it... still going pretty light and using mainly cables at the moment although I did use the oly bar for the good mornings and it felt fine, not one bit of complaint from my midsection... next week going to add some light db "Bear" shoulder press I think... I call them "Bear" press cos he told me how to do them in such a way as to activate my shoulders more so going to give them a whirl... will start v light to see how my midsection holds up, next week is week 7 after the op so should be ok but nothing to lose by being cautious and everything to gain, so if it complains at all then will hold off doing them for another week...

Weight is bang on 110kg at the moment, looking to gain some though and of course get back on track with strength once I start training proper like...


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## Greyphantom

Ok so here is a more detailed plan of attack for my foray into powerlifting and competition.

So I am going to enter a comp by April 2012 at the latest. I will compete raw and my targets for each of the lift are as follows;

Squat 230kg

Bench 150kg

Deadlift 280kg

These will be 1RM of course and at the moment I feel they will be attainable and realistic goals to achieve. If training goes a lot better than expected I will look at entering my first comp a bit earlier around September as Dig has mentioned there will be one around then. As for training I will follow a similar training program to what I was doing pre op but with a few modifications, mainly adding accessory exercises. Training will be Monday/Wednesday/Friday and will go as follows;

Madcow

Day 1 -Squats 5x5

Bench 5x5

Rows 5x5

Accessory Exercises

Day 2 -Squats 4x5

Shoulder Press 4x5

Deadlifts 4x5

Accessory Exercises

Day 3 -Squats 3x5 1x3 1x8

Bench 3x5 1x3 1x8

Rows 3x5 1x3 1x8

Accessory Exercises

As for training periodisation, I have always just run with the program as long as I make good gains. I will do the same to start with then when/if the gains stop happening I will introduce a deloading period and I will look at using different exercises to shore up weak points etc. At this point I will also look at running an 8 week heavy cycle with a 1 or 2 week deload... I will also be working speed or dynamic effort in the lower weight sets.


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## Tassotti

Best of luck with this GP. Looks like your itching to get back to full training.


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## Greyphantom

yeah man, really really really itching... thanks for the kind wishes...


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## Greyphantom

Ok I have some bad news... and some good news... the bad news is that my wife will be sleeping in the shed for the foreseeable future as the good news is I got my texas power bar today... yeah baby, yeah!!!!! looks stunningly awesome... feels great to hold and really balanced... the knurling is as Mike suggested going to give my hands one hell of a hold after I get used to it, but tis a thing of sheer beauty... soo cool, and its fate thats conspiring to make me train earlier than next week as not only did my bar come today but also some powerlifting vids that Dig sent me to look at arrived too... now if that isnt god, shiba, allah or eiwya telling me to get under the bar then what is...


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## Greyphantom

more light training today...

Short bar cable curls 3x15 25kg

supersetted with

Rope pressdowns 3x15 25kg

BW Squats 3x15

Rope cable curls 2x15 1x11 25kg

supersetted with

Lying extensions 2x15 1x11 25kg

man got a good pump today and arms feel toasted... very good feeling... I pushed it a bit harder today and not a whisper from my midsection, even in the squats I pushed my technique hard, kept my upper back tight, chest up, arms in position and lower back as it should be, pushed my knees out and atg for each rep, slowish on the way down and exploded from the bottom... felt very good, abs nice and tight too... very very nice...

just really really excited now to get going...


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## Greyphantom

Training today...

Facepulls 3x15 25kg

Upright Rows 3x15 25kg

Pullthroughs 3x15 25kg

Good mornings 1x15 bar 2x15 bar+10=30kg

Sneaky squats with bar 5

Training today was awesome, felt great... so much motivation to get going at the moment... now the weights are going up its getting tougher and I have noticed today that I am tensing my midsection quite hard, and nada, it doesnt hurt or pull at all, bar the normal muscle soreness that comes from working disused muscles... in fact I noticed today that my midsection felt much tighter and stable... by the time I got to good mornings my lower back was a bit fried but still able... using the new bar today and it feels great to use, more solid and stable and the centre knurling really helps keep it steady on the back... actually felt so good on the good mornings I slipped in a few sneaky squats to see how it felt for those too and wow, very nice, I also noticed that my technique and form is much better, I could keep all my body in position and tight better than pre op I think, could be placebo as I havent done them for so long but I think the bw stuff has helped a lot... cannot wait to get some weight on the bar for real, but slowly slowly catchy monkey as Tan says ... and you should hear the plates slide onto the bar, they hiss along and sound soo cool...


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## Greyphantom

Ok Dig has managed to talk me into competing in the september UK open champs... and so taking on the challenge I will do it...!!! so got 5 months to get my a into g (and I dont just mean in the squat) and get my lifts back and beyond what they were... very nervous, very excited and very wetting my pants... lol... going to seek out some coaching/powerlifters down my way by the end of may once I have got a couple of months proper training under my belt... so here we go... GP the powerlifter... go figure...


----------



## NICK_1

Good luck mate! Will be dropping by from time to time to keep up with your progress!


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## Greyphantom

Cheers Nick... nervous but excited mate... really looking forward to it...


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## Tassotti

You make that new bar sound sexxxxy! :lol:

Mate, don't do things by halves do you...out of hospital, coupla months, powerlifting comp.

If anyone can do it, I'm sure you can bud. :thumb:

Be lucky


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## Greyphantom

mate it IS sexxxxy lol

we only live once and its gotta be done... should be no prob as long as I take it sensibly... at least for the first month or so


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## snakebulge

Greyphantom said:


> mate it IS sexxxxy lol
> 
> we only live once and its gotta be done... should be no prob as long as I take it sensibly... at least for the first month or so


Go for it GP. Got every faith in you mate and your motivation and push for success should be a credit to yourself! Hope all goes well and following daily! 

Good luck with it all buddy!


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## Suprakill4

All sounding good mate, no pics yet though ya lazy cnut.... lol.


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## defdaz

Er... why is your wife sleeping in the shed?! :lol:

Good luck with the PL GP, seems like the abs are all sorted now so as murray walker would say, GO GO GO!!!


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## Greyphantom

snakebulge said:


> Go for it GP. Got every faith in you mate and your motivation and push for success should be a credit to yourself! Hope all goes well and following daily!
> 
> Good luck with it all buddy!


thanks mate... certainly going to be giving it my best...



kieren1234 said:


> All sounding good mate, no pics yet though ya lazy cnut.... lol.


lmao... nah no pics yet, will take some next week when I start proper training, having said that I think I am going to sneak in some bar work, just the bar mind to see how the movements go and if the actual execution of the lift affects my midsection...



defdaz said:


> Er... why is your wife sleeping in the shed?! :lol:
> 
> Good luck with the PL GP, seems like the abs are all sorted now so as murray walker would say, GO GO GO!!!


well the bar has to stay warm at night mate, and my bed is pretty warm...  thanks mate will be giving it hell...


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## Suprakill4

Just remind me why you cant lift heavy again mate.


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## Greyphantom

recovering from hernia op, technically not supposed to lift again till next thursday and then only very light building up slowly and sensibly... so the last two weeks of light cables and good mornings aint happened, you hear me...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok few things to report... 1st and foremost... started training again with the bar so while the load is light (ridiculously so) at least its working out with the bar...

Squats bar 3x5 bar+10kg 2x5

Bench bar 3x5 bar+10kg 2x5

Rows bar 3x5 bar+10kg 2x5

Pulldowns 25kg 3x10

Felt AWESOME... thought I missed the sex when it was being with-held due to my recovery but this was missed far more lol... Squats felt tight and clean, could really concentrate on the technique/form as the weight was so light... Bench I had no problems with through my midsection and this was the one I was expecting to feel it tbh as IB wrote in his journal that doing bench gave him quite a bit of gyp... Rows went no problem great squeeze in my back... all very light though as its early days and I wanted to settle in in terms of form and making sure things are tight and good to go... will increase the weights gently for the next month and then see where that leads... Pulldowns were done as an assitance exercise and felt good... so totally awesome to be training again even if its right girly weights...

Had a word with the wife last night... covered me training, getting sick of her telling me that I shouldnt/cant due to my hernia op and blah blah blah... just told her that its who I am, was me when she met me, is me now and will be me when I am 100... if she doesnt like it the doors that way... hopefully thats the end of that... but not playing those games anymore...

finally had this stupid [email protected] in a puke greeny gold audi a3 or vw golf type car not move over when she was coming down the lane and she took my fvking wing mirror off, only cracked the actual mirror part but still the stupid sod should have moved over, plenty of room but then it would have meant her tires would get dirty (both sides of that part of the road have a little dirt on them, but was the widest part of the road and wide enough for two small cars easy, hell I have passes a van and truck down there before, its just the stupid upstart townie yuppie mother fkers who dont want to get their precious piece of sh1t cars dirty)... sooo now I have to find a new mirror bit for that wing mirror... cow...

still at least its begun...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok got a session in last night at Tiny Toms gym here in Bristol... awesome gym btw, loads of everything a proper lifter could want...

Squats

40kg 5 reps

50kg 5 reps

60kg 5 reps 2 sets

Shoulder Press

30kg 5 reps

40kg 5 reps 3 sets

Deadlifts (yep did them and woo hoo felt tight and strong, not one bit of discomfort)

60kg 5 reps 2 sets

70kg 5 reps 2 sets

Upright rows (assist ex)

25kg 10 reps

30kg 10 reps 2 sets

Bear Press (assist ex)

12.5kg 10 reps

15 kg 10 reps 2 sets

Awesome workout over all, kept waiting for things to twinge or pull or feel but all good, in fact midsection strongest its been for a long time, all exercises went sooo well and felt soooo good it was great... going to train again on friday and up the weights slightly...

Was great to meet Tom and train at his gym, he has set that place up very well and its def a great place to train...

Bought some converse allstars on the advice of Martin Brown and used them last night (forgot my other trainers at home along with my normal training shirt (or did I but thats another story) and they are pure awesome... felt very stable in the lift and strong like I was lifting on a platform... very welcomed addition to my tool kit... bring on friday now, cannot wait...

did some unusual cardio today, went caving in the cheddar gorge and man did I sweat, had to push myself through some incredibly small holes and at one stage felt like I was going through some weird rebirthing process lol... still midsection held up well there and again not one bit of complaint... bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3

Official start day today, weight is 110kg dead on... (format is weight x reps)

Squats

40x5

60x5

80x5

80x5

100x3

60x8

Bench Press

40x5

50x5

60x5

70x5

80x3

60x8

Rows

40x5

50x5

60x5

70x5

80x3

60x8

Assistant exercises (3 sets unless otherwise stated)

Bb Curls 30x10

Close grip Bench 50x10

forearm rotations (db) 8.5x10

Today felt very very good, squats went up like a rocket and even at 100kg felt like nothing, got loads and loads left and midsection felt fine... form was tight and very comfortable, bar was lower down on my traps so maybe this helped too... Bench I have started to work a paused in when I touch my chest (thanks to MikeX for the tips there) and I have also begun to make sure my form is good here and that I drive up with my legs at the start... so far its feeling good, only up to 80kg today but it didnt feel it thats for sure... rows are always good for me and today was no different... also added some assistant exercises to aid my lifts... just some BB curls, close grip bench and some needed forearm work... will be doing 3 assistant exercises per workout now, changing them every so often...

Felt soooo good to be puting some weight on the bar, looking forward to more and more going on... but as always will listen to what my body says... new shoes and bar are awesome... bring on Monday now, and Wednesday come to think of it, oh hell and friday too... just cant wait till the next session...


----------



## snakebulge

Yeah, glad you feel like your all sorted now matey!

Bring on the workouts and the results!


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks mate, going to take it up easy for the next little bit but then by end of may latest BAM back to hard and heavy


----------



## Suprakill4

Any pics yet GP?


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> Any pics yet GP?


Got only one at the moment, will get some done asap although very busy this week (flaming school holidays... did you know they only have 9 days of school this month)


----------



## Suprakill4

Well i can see almost 10% of your physique in that picture with being fully clothed hahaha. Look good though mate, and s0d that for a laugh, im so glad i dont have kids.


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 1

squats

40x5

60x5

80x5

100x5

120x5

Bench

40x5

55x5

70x5

80x5

90x5

Rows

40x5

55x5

70x5

80x5

90x5

Assistance exs

Pulldowns 40x3x10

Dislocations towelx3x12

Standing abs NC

Righty-ho... wanted to push it a little further today and pleased I did... 120 squats went up like nothing, and felt strong, great feeling in form and technique... Bench was also pretty darn good, got loads left there... Rows are always ok, today no different... decided against the standing ab work today as was feeling it in my abs anyway and didnt want to push it... after all I am still recoving and supposed to be going light... felt so awesome working out though... got much more to come...

Diet I am pushing up 350g protein a day, sometimes more occasionally less by couple of decades but getting it in... had a few beers at the weekend as the kids were away at a friends, woo hoo... but only a few bottles of some weak foreign stuff lol...

really looking forward to the next session but also cautious over this midsection... feels strong and tight but its niggling in the back of my mind that it could just pop, even though it might be unlikely...


----------



## defdaz

Back in the game mate! Just take it steady and progressive :thumb: Warm-up thoroughly you old fart


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> Well i can see almost 10% of your physique in that picture with being fully clothed hahaha. Look good though mate, and s0d that for a laugh, im so glad i dont have kids.


lol more like 5%... getting there K, got to shed some of these recovery lbs while maintaining weight and upping strength again... yeah tell me about it, teachers get it so damn easy...


----------



## defdaz

PS You've overdone it on the face tan a bit Daz!


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> Back in the game mate! Just take it steady and progressive :thumb: Warm-up thoroughly you old fart


hey I wear a sweatshirt before hand  and who you calling old grandad    feeling younger by the session... yeah mate back in and feeling much stronger than before... just have to rein it in for a few weeks to get everything strong and used to it (mainly the mesh part)...


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> PS You've overdone it on the face tan a bit Daz!


note to self... NEVER borrow the mrs tan... she may have switched it for black paint


----------



## Greyphantom

no training today but some observations about training to be made I should have previously...

1. I have changed my bench technique... I found I was benching with elbows much wider in a bbing type lift rather than keeping them in more... tbh I think this is why I have found them to be a bit easier this time round... also been incorporating a pause on the heavy set as suggested by Mike...

2. diet has been upped to include a lot more protein, trying to stuff in at least 350 to 400g a day and usually hitting that target, I let carbs and fats mostly take care of themselves I say mostly cos I do watch them a bit...

thats about it for now... soooo hot today though...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

squats

60x5

80x5

100x5

100x5

Shoulder Press (hence forth known as press if I remember)

30x5

40x5

50x5

55x5

Deads

60x5

80x5

100x5

120x5

Assistance ex's

Upright Rows

35x3x10

Bear Press

17.5x10

17.5x7

man is it warm today, shirts like a waterfall... went out feeling pretty decent, came back feeling pretty knackered... squats were ok but I found myself focusing on how my midsection was feeling which in turn made my form a bit sloppy so the last two sets were all about form/technique, nay bother from the midsection there... Sh press was good but I forgot how much the midsection comes into play with no back support so on the last set I was going to hit 60 but played it safe with 55, feels ok and midsection while complained a little didnt collapse or anything which is good... Deads were just too easy really, but as this involves a heap of midsection and can be quite hard thought I would take it easy... one thing to say though, Mike is right that my hands are going to be well hardened by the knurling on the tp bar, wow it gives loads of grip... Assistants today were upright rows and bear presses... rows were fine, bear presses totally fvcked my shoulders and as I type I can feel them yelling at me, but also gave my midsection a bit of work too... only did two sets as again a bit nervy about pushing it too much... although I can feeling it coming tight and strong most quickly...

weight is up today at 112.7kg, this is a bit of a suprise as I didnt want to put any on really as I want to compete under 110kg... still I feel my bf is going down so its probably a good thing and a bit of rebound from starting training again...

diet is pretty standard... but one thing to add on the above, I have stopped eating or having a shake in the two hours before I hit the pillow, this has helped enormously in settling some stomach issues I have been having and I now get a pretty good nights sleep...


----------



## Suprakill4

I notice that when i ditch the carbs for fats in my pre bed shake, it helps me sleep better so try this and dont miss out on them cals you would usuall have. I jsut have 60g whey, 40g olive oil in water.


----------



## jimmy liverpool

Lookin fkn good mate.....keep it going!


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 1....

Squats

60x5

80x5

100x5

120x5

140x5

Bench

60x5

70x5

80x5

90x5

100x5

Rows

60x5

70x5

80x5

90x5

100x5

Assistant

Pulldowns 60x3x10

Towel dislocations 3x15

Yeah baby... back to training and broke back into two plates for bench... squats, 140 felt easy, much easier than pre op... not one twinge from my abs... Bench, getting the handle of lifting powerlifting style instead of bbing... weights going up pretty good right now... Rows, easy and felt great... assistant exercises were good, going to have to use my "hold me down bars" on the bench for pulldowns soon... and the dislocations are working wonders on my shoulders, they are feeling stronger and no niggles...

I figure that my totals will be back to pb territory by the end of may... maybe sooner depending on how things progress... I also managed to localise where the sore points were on my abs.. its the top ab and is no where near the anchor point for the mesh so much relieved there...

diet is still going well, getting in about 350-400g a day and its feeling good so far... now bring on the deads...


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> I notice that when i ditch the carbs for fats in my pre bed shake, it helps me sleep better so try this and dont miss out on them cals you would usuall have. I jsut have 60g whey, 40g olive oil in water.


yeah mate, have ditched carbs before bed totally, if I have anything its just a shake 2 hours before... seems to be working well (touches wood)...



KJW said:


> Hey buddy, good to see you're lifting again. Been a wee while since I was on so hope it's going well!


good to see you about mate, have been thinking of ya... hows the injuries?



jimmy liverpool said:


> Lookin fkn good mate.....keep it going!


thanks mate... yeah am keeping on keeping on... got a comp to aim for now so its given me a new purpose in training...


----------



## Suprakill4

Lifts are certainly flying up now mate, get in!


----------



## Greyphantom

yeah mate gotta love muscle memory


----------



## jimmy liverpool

thanks mate... yeah am keeping on keeping on... got a comp to aim for now so its given me a new purpose in training...


----------



## Greyphantom

its the British open powerlifting in september... looking forward to it if a little nervous...


----------



## jimmy liverpool

Greyphantom said:


> its the British open powerlifting in september... looking forward to it if a little nervous...


Best of luck to you mate, tho I doubt you need it!

J


----------



## NickBirch

subbed  keep up the good work dude


----------



## Suprakill4

Might compete it in aswel mate although i think my 100 bench for 8, 170 dead for 5, and 170 squat for 8 will be pretty poor at 15 stone LOL.


----------



## Greyphantom

jimmy liverpool said:


> Best of luck to you mate, tho I doubt you need it!
> 
> J


thanks mate... all luck great appreciated and probably needed 



NickBirch said:


> subbed  keep up the good work dude


thanks mate...



kieren1234 said:


> Might compete it in aswel mate although i think my 100 bench for 8, 170 dead for 5, and 170 squat for 8 will be pretty poor at 15 stone LOL.


give it a bash mate, we can be PL meet virgins together lol... I was worried my numbers would not be up to par too, but Dig and Crouch convinced me to just get in and do it... so thought why not... as long as my midsection holds out I am in...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

Squats

60x5

90x5

120x5

120x5

Press

30x5

40x5

55x5

60x5

Deads

100x5

130x5

160x5

180x5

Assistance

Upright rows (cables)

40x2x10

Bear Press

17.5x2x10

SLDL

60x2x10

Yeah baby 180 for deads get in... was hoping to go for this today and a bit worried about the midsection but after going up to 160 and it feeling v easy I thought bog it and loaded it up to 180 and blam got 5 easy reps, I say easy but the first was no straps then had to wrap the straps on the bar as grip gave out... really need to work on my grip as its a trifle weak at the moment... so freaking happy about this, and it means that my pb territory is a tad closer than I thought and means I will push my squats up a bit too...

squats went up easy as anything but its a light day for them, I was happy with shoulder press as last week this caused a bit of trouble for my midsection but this week not a thing and they felt good, I do need to work on my strength for these but feel that the assistance work done today is going to help... assistance was down to 2 sets each today as I was running out of time and had to pick up my boy from school... all felt very very good, really feeling my shoulders and traps now, I need to go a lot heavier on the sldl though, they were just too light and even though I felt it working ok for them to benefit my other lifts they need to be heavy... just smiling ear to ear at the moment as it was just such a good workout...

diet is going well, well I say diet but its just eating really, getting in protein which is good, its about a 50/50 split between food and shakes at the moment...

now I cannot wait till friday and madcow day 3... 

oh forgot to mention got a dipping belt some chalk and more L Glutamine coming...


----------



## Suprakill4

Greyphantom said:


> thanks mate... all luck great appreciated and probably needed
> 
> thanks mate...
> 
> give it a bash mate, we can be PL meet virgins together lol... I was worried my numbers would not be up to par too, but Dig and Crouch convinced me to just get in and do it... so thought why not... as long as my midsection holds out I am in...


HAHA, balls to that, my lifts are terriblefor PL.


----------



## Tassotti

where's the comp being held GP?


----------



## Greyphantom

AFAIK its in London... not sure exactly where but could be in wembly as thats where the promoters gym is..


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3

Squats

80x5

100x5

120x5

140x5

160x3

120x8

Bench

60x5

75x5

90x5

100x5

110x3

90x8

Rows

60x5

75x5

90x5

100x5

110x3

90x8

Assistance

Curls 40x3x10

Close grip bench 60x3x10

Forearm rotations 11x3x10

Yeah baby what a workout... woke up feeling thick headed and lethargic, went to work feeling stuffy headed, then got home to fix the toilet door... such is my life lol... but by the time training came around I was really thinking it wont be that great as I was feeling tired and lethargic... but as one is supposed to do thought I would give it a bash... and what a bash it was... legs felt awesome, got to 140 and it flew up, went to 160 and was thinking it felt much lighter than I expected, great depth and easy up... bring it on baby... Bench I expect problems on... always have trouble with this one tbh, but on the 90 and 100 sets I did the touch/pause/drive between each rep ala advice of Mike and that worked well, then 110 I though would be hard but nope it flew up again, whats going on, this is great... rows are always good and felt in the back a lot today... over all it was one of the best workouts I have ever had, so fvcking yeah baby... hopefully this will keep going and my goals will be well acheivable...

One really weird thing is that I weighed myself again and if you may remember gentle reader my weight started at 110 on the button about 3 weeks ago, 9 days ago it was up to 112.7 and now its 115.2... wtf!! I am not even trying to gain weight and its rocketing... I actually want it to go below 110 for a change and instead its flying up... I think its probably a bit of water some bf but tbh I feel tighter round the abs and most body parts look bigger so think its a bit of rebouncd effect... plus I am on more protein and food than I have been in a looooong time... will keep monitoring this though as I want to enter the comp under 110 so my lifts will look at least respectable.. lol...

Food is going down ok at the moment... keep waiting to hit the wall a bit as in the past I get to a point where I have to force down every bite, so far with a 50/50 food/shake mix its going well... touch wood...

is it monday yet???


----------



## Suprakill4

Great lifting mate!!! I just don't seem to get in with rows so my numbers are pathetic. Glad to see your doing well mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Excellent numbers there well done! Part of me misses the madcow/5x5 training! Glad to see you're going strong


Getting there mate, looking forward to seeing where it will take me with no worries or ops lol...



kieren1234 said:


> Great lifting mate!!! I just don't seem to get in with rows so my numbers are pathetic. Glad to see your doing well mate.


Cheers K... rows I love bench not so much lol... its going better than I expected and I am now hoping for some good pbs in the near future...


----------



## Suprakill4

The way your progression you will smash them in no time.


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1

Squats

80x5

100x5

120x5

140x5

160x5

Bench

60x5

75x5

90x5

100x5

110x5

Rows

60x5

75x5

90x5

100x5

110x5

Assitance

Pulldowns 70x3x10

Dislocations towelx3x20

What a day this was... after having a great session on Friday I was hoping for more the same but it was pretty hard, puting this down to working on the garden/yard of the house all weekend... squats went ok but on 100kg they felt kind of heavy, but after this 120-160 felt fine, in fact 160 went up really well... bench started well but on the final set 110 I got the first 4 ok then got a bit of cramp in my hip flexor on the right side, this I think is because I am really trying for the leg drive and I thought I wouldnt be able to get the 5th due to distraction of the cramp, held it for a second and thought bugger it and got it, so pleased there... Rows as always went well and really felt my upper back... pulldowns were beastly, last few reps of last two sets hurt like hell... dislocations felt great but shoulders were getting stuffed by the end... over all pretty pleased with the workout, even if it felt hard and I felt knackered... about 30 mins after training I was tucking in to a 450 gram steak and some sweet potatoe chips... mmmmm

diet is still going ok, getting about 400g protein in a day which is good going for me...

so far still going well... no complaints at all from my midsection and so happy about that...


----------



## Suprakill4

450g steak! Awesome lol!


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> 450g steak! Awesome lol!


lol... yeah mate was a bit hungry from the training and the yard work... went down like nothing...


----------



## Suprakill4

Nice one, must have been massive lol. That reminds me though, need to start having sweet potato chips again, lovely. With skin on?


----------



## Greyphantom

no skin mate... but yummy...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

Squats

80x5

100x5

140x5

140x5

Press

40x5

50x5

60x5

65x5

Deads

100x5

140x5

180x5 (chalk with 4 double over hand and 1 mixed grip)

200x2 (chalk and mixed grip)

Assistance

Upright Rows 45x3x10

Bear Press 18.5x3x10

SLDL not completed

was knackered today and tbh didnt really feel like training but really wanted too... glad I did in the end although it was both an awesome workout and a cautious one... squats were fine, 140 flew up and was totally atg, hams touching calves all the way... loads of room there to improve the weight... Press was also quite good but felt my midsection take a lot of strain or what have you... weights not heavy but still happy enough with it... Deads is where it was at though, well happy with them even though I could only do 2 on my last set for reasons to be explained... first set flew up, second not a problem... now on 180 I had a grip problem and since my chalk arrived I thought I would give it a go... got 4 double overhand easy and then changed to a mixed grip and BAM it flew up... went up to 200kg and still using chalk and a mixed grip lifted it twice with no problems at all on grip, the only reason I stopped was becuase I felt my midsection strain a bit and I am being really cautious... but sooooo happy that the grip thing is not a problem, first time lifting 200 with no straps at all... and again loads and loads of room to increase there... assistance exercises went well, upright rows were good, bear press was awesome, will up the weight on that but didnt do sldl as when I did the first rep I just felt my midsection pulling slightly at the bottom of the ribs... didnt want to push too much as I am now getting back into it and LOVING it...

Many thanks to all the people who gave me advice re grip... you guys are awesome... now lets see how far I can take this... bring it ON...

Diet is still pretty good... starting to feel full at times but still managing 400g of protein a day...

I measured my bicep for the first time in a while today and its just under 18 inches... not too bad but loads of room for growth... will have to do a full workup on measurements with weight and chest/waist/leg/arm type thing to see how it progresses...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 3

Squats

80x5

110x5

140x5

160x5

180x3

140x8

Bench

60x5

75x5

90x5

105x5

115x3

90x8

Rows

60x5

75x5

90x5

105x5

115x3

90x8

Assistance

Close Grip BP 70x3x10

Barbell curl 45x3x10

Forearm rotation 13.5x3x10

Oh yeah baby, great workout today, totally wrecked me but feel all the better for it lol... Squats were nice, was a bit apprehensive about lifting 180 so soon after the start of training post op but I thought what the hell and it felt great, easy and good depth... not quite atg but well below parallel... left my legs feeling it and cussing my good name... Benching was a bit weird as I took a slightly wider grip today (index finger on the outer ring of the bar, its usually little finger, but for some reason I did it this way today) but it all went up well and on the 90 and 105 sets I did the "touch, pause, drive" from the chest but tbh the last rep of the 105 went up a bit quicker as my grip was off slightly and the palm of my hand was hurting... really trying to tie in the leg drive with the lift off the chest, its getting there but will need more work and coordination... was pleased with the control even at 115... Rows as always were fine... I will have to watch I dont get lazy with them though as for me they are a quick exercise...

Assistance today really killed... huge pump in my tris and bis and forearms were killing... infact felt inflated all over after training and well fvcked... assistance was CGBP which was fine and I will up the weight again, BC which felt quite hard but got them all in and the forearm work which is paying dividends as its feeling stronger...

I was thinking I would be back to pb territory by the end of may, now thinking I might hit some PRs by the end of may... thinking if I get the 180 for 5 on monday (should do that fine *touches wood* as had that in me today no problem) I will up it to 190 next fri which is a PR... chest will follow a bit slower but deads I think will go well now I have the grip issues sorted... hopefully didnt jinx myself but soooo damn excited to be doing this again and now getting somewhere...

should also mention that I have started to use some holland and barrat digestive enzymes... its a complete package sort of thing, after one day I already feel less bloated and like I could eat more...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1

Squats

80x5

110x5

140x5

160x5

180x5

Bench

60x5

75x5

90x5

105x5

115x3

Rows

60x5

75x5

90x5

105x5

115x5

Assitance

Pulldowns 75x2x10

Standing abs 20x2x15

Dislocations Not done

Holy cow this was a hard one today... think combination of being fragged from the long day yesterday and the heat when I trained just knocked me about... got the squats out no problems (well on the 4th rep of the 180 set I did lean forward too far and had to pull it back in but the 5th was awesome  ) and I will be going for a PR of 190 on Friday (thats for you Merat)... bench though felt like I was lifting twice as much as the actual weight... got to 105 with not too much bother, only trying to get this leg drive thing troubling me really, just not timing it right still, it will come but I think I will need to hit the gym in Aylesford to speak with a chap that Dig put me on to and will get him to help me out... Rows went well but again felt heavy... only got to do two sets of two assistance exercises today as had to pick up my daughter and was running late due to work... did do some standing abs though and that felt pretty good...

Still getting in 400g of protein a day which is good, the digestive enzymes I got from H&B are working well and I feel very good...

Went to the Portsmouth show yesterday with Kate and met Haimer and a friend (sorry mate didnt get your name) plus got to talk to DB, MissBC and a bunch of others... The 4 blokes I know who were competing all looked really good... Jacko looked great, had very good shape, good size but just needed to dial in the condition, LittleChris is not little at all... he is very big and has loads of potential, cannot wait to see him in the future... IB was the show stealer in the o90's and looked wide with huge quads... DB was the biggest I have seen him and in the best shape too, his delts, arms and upper body is just impressive, and imho should have won it but the guy who did was a worthy competitor and it was a very very close thing... fantastic show and a great day out... loooong though and I think my lesson is learned taking a loong day like that before a big training day like today...

Training wise I am thinking that when things start stagnating on the madcow program I will just keep a similar format but will make monday my max effort squats day and my dynamic effort bench, wed my max dead day and friday my max bench with dynamic squats... or something like that... its just a thought at the moment due to todays training feeling soooo hard due to heavy squats then heavy bench in this flaming heat... and its prob not even the hottest it will be yet... off to get a fan from argos I think, the manager of my gym will not get air con I know that for sure


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

squats

80x5

110x5

140x5

140x5

Press

40x5

50x5

60x5

70x3

Deadlifts

120x5

160x5

190x5

220x3

Assistance

Upright rows 50x1x10, 40x1x14, 40x1x11

Bear press 18.5 1x14, 1x11, 1x10

SLDL 80 1x14, 1x12 DONE...

today I killed my body... or at least thats what it feels like... squats felt great and I loved being under the bar... Press was a bit hit and miss, up to 60kg no problem, but when I did the 70kg set I was wobbling more than vanessa felts thighs as she runs after an ice cream truck... just couldnt keep my midsection still... only got 3 reps there today but next week 5 at least on that weight or more... Dead lifts were my real surprise... used a double over hand grip till 3rd rep of the 190kg set then changed to a mix and NO STRAPS still... yeah baby, grip was strong as anything, only problem on the 220 set was I had two calluses tear and the skin tore on my hands... not seriously but enough to make a 4th rep hesitant which I wimped out on... next week for sure and I might even look at puting the weight up there...

Assitance exercises were ok but I found that I was pushing the weight up when I should just be pushing out the reps more than pushing up the weight... they are assitance exercises after all and not the main event... Upright rows were hard, who the hell thought that doing them after deads was a good idea... lol... Bear press killed me dead, my shoulders were screaming by this stage and I still had SLDL to go... hams got fried and I got fvcked lol... was seriously aching after todays work out... but had a huge smile...

Still getting in 400g of protein a day and its still going ok...

looking forward to Friday and my 190 attempt... yeah baby bring it on...


----------



## Suprakill4

Great deadlifting mate. Your progress is amazing. Diet still ok?


----------



## Greyphantom

thanks mate, getting some weight on the bar finally... diet is going ok, not eating terribly clean or anything but just getting in 400g protein a day...


----------



## Suprakill4

Sounds good. No current pics still though and the kids are back to school


----------



## Greyphantom

will get some in due course but now I am pling and not bbing its no longer about the body for me, well not much anyway  now its about getting the weight on the bar... will get some pics of me at the comp for sure and even some vids training and comp if I can... maybe some progress pics body wise...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3

Squats

90x5

120x5

150x5

170x5

190x3 PR

150x8

Bench

65x5

80x5

95x5

105x5

117.5x3

95x8

Rows

65x5

80x5

95x5

105x5

117.5x3

95x8

Assistance

Not done today... will hopefully get to them tomorrow...

Yeah baby, got a PR on my squats today, didnt think I was going to as started the day feeling very ill, but after working a couple of hours I started feeling better, work was pretty full on this morning and I didnt get home till mid afternoon so couldnt train then as not enough time between lunch and picking up the kids... so trained after that and it felt great... the light squats went up easily and well and the 190 felt awesome, I felt like I could have got an easyish 5 but stopped at 3 reps as per the program... I feel 200 is well within my grasp and this is quite a milestone for me... Bench was good, felt absolutely shattered though and was thinking I might not even get last weeks 115 but thought WTF and put it up to 117.5 and got a good 3 reps out... nice controlled reps which felt great... Rows as always were good, although the last set of 8 was a bit rushed... by the time I got to the assistance exercises I just couldnt pick up the bar to get them done, am shattered, and still have a load to do round the house... ce le vie...

Got my belt today as well, thing of beauty and fits (just) very nicely, feels strong and supportive and not loose in any place... although I am thinking that either a) I should have got the xxl as the xl is not really up to 40-43 inches as stated, more like 38-42 or B) I am going to have to get some GPP work in to get my waist line down further so that means card... card... dammit still cant say it... lovely piece of kit though... going to have to do a load of breaking in I think


----------



## Greyphantom

forgot to add I am now 118kg... not too happy with that as for nearly a year I tried to gain weight and now I am not trying its ramming on... going to have to start cardio I reckon as I want to lift in a lower weight class... woo freaking hoo...


----------



## Tassotti

Is everything still feeling okay in your mid-section now you are ramping up the weights?


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> Is everything still feeling okay in your mid-section now you are ramping up the weights?


Yep indeedy... in fact my midsection feels very strong and tight, way better than pre op...


----------



## Suprakill4

118 fcuking hell lol!!! Get on a diet ya fat knacker


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> 118 fcuking hell lol!!! Get on a diet ya fat knacker


lmao mate youre not half wrong, first time in my life I have tried to drop weight and its going on easier than its ever done... hopefully a lot of water but as my protein intake has increased 25% or more I guess this has something to do with it...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 1

Squats

90x5

120x5

150x5

170x5

190x5 PR

Bench

65x5

80x5

95x5

105x5

117.5x3

Rows

65x5

80x5

95x5

105x5

117.5x5

Assistance

Pulldowns

75 11,10,10

Standing abs

25x3x17

Dislocations

towelx3x20

Yeah baby, got the 190 for 5 reps today, was well pleased with that, 170 felt pretty good and I thought 190 would feel much the same (ie not that knackered after the set) but man was I wrong, felt that set like you wouldnt believe... knocked me for 6 that did, but cracked on with the workout and bench went quite well till the final set when I rolled the bar after the first rep and it rolled onto my plam and a nerve in my palm... it was like holding fire so I got the 3 reps (was going for a 4th but that didnt work) and the only reason I think I got the 3rd was because I got the leg drive timed well... so thats a good thing, but the press still proves to be my nemesis... Rows as always were good, really felt them today, killed my back and then I had the assistance stuff starting with freaking pulldowns lol... was seriously thinking of stopping at this stage but in some masochistic way I just got on and did them, they were great, killed me but what to do... Standing abs were better this week, felt them working well and nicely... dislocations killed me and I wont be skipping them again like I did last week...

All in all I had a great workout but this week I felt the connective tissue in my elbows groaning... not a surprise really as I have jumped the weights quite quickly and have been very consistant this time with training... massively pleased that I got the 190 for 5 reps and even thinking I might try to crack the 200 on friday... hmmm will keep that in the back of my mind... didnt use my belt today as for some reason I feel I would like my midsection to get as strong as it can on its own and not get compromised by the use of a belt... not sure how valid this is but I think I will have to use it to a) break it in and B) help support the midsection with the weights I am getting to...

diet is getting harder now, I am feeling bloated and sort of full all the time but still hungry if that makes sense...

looking forward to wednesday and dead lifts... thinking of trying out 240... hmmmm *hearing Merat yelling at me to just do it*...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2...

squats

90x5

120x5

150x5

150x5

Press

40x5

50x5

60x5

70x5

Deadlifts

120x5

160x5

200x5

240x5 PR

Assistance

Not done today as below...

Yeah baby get in... got a big PR on deads today, 240 for 5 and NO STRAPS... massively pleased but heres the best part, theres more in the tank!!! Squats were good, felt very good and tight, hams to calves reps... Press I changed my technique a bit to bring my elbows more forward rahter than to the side as I normally do and the result was I brought the bar lower and weights went up easier, but elbows are giving me loads of grief and I know why (more in a bit)... Deads were awesome, tbh I was a bit nervous coming into the last 2 sets but 200 flew up (using mixed grip here) and when I went to do the 240 I just followed all the info I have read over the last months and each rep was deliberate and full, the only dodgy bit was on the fourth rep when I didnt get the hip drive at lock properly and thought that was it but when the weight was there on the floor taunting me "ha ha you didnt get fiiive, you didnt make it" I though frog it and pushed (pulled) out one more rep with good hip drive at the top to get the 5... bring on 250 and up... no grief at all from my midsection which I am wrapped with...

Only downer at the moment is that my elbows are complaining at the fast progress I am making... I am pushing rather quick and the weights are flying up so I might have to take a week to deload and just do assistance work to help them recover and strengthen... I decided to miss out the assistance stuff today and do them tomorrow as the elbows were very achey... not happy but its to be expected when I am being so impatient and not letting them catch up, I forget that the connective tissue is not as resilient or as fast to strengthen as muscles etc... oh well...

Diet is starting to get a bit harder... in the last couple of days some meals I just dont want to eat but I have managed to get in 370-420g of protein a day... god bless shakes I say... still about 50-50... but hopefully this is just a phase...

Well happy about today, but if anyone knows of specific elbow strengthening exercises please suggest away lol... high rep low weight stuff for me I think...


----------



## NICK_1

Good lifting mate!! 240kgs is a massive weight!


----------



## Suprakill4

Awesome lifting mate, over the moon midsection is spot on aswell. Food is my nemesis right now and like you I don't always get them in and take an extra shake. It's all ok though and gets the macros doesn't it!!


----------



## Greyphantom

NICK_1 said:


> Good lifting mate!! 240kgs is a massive weight!


Thanks mate, its not too bad but far from where I want to be... lol... but then is it ever... 



kieren1234 said:


> Awesome lifting mate, over the moon midsection is spot on aswell. Food is my nemesis right now and like you I don't always get them in and take an extra shake. It's all ok though and gets the macros doesn't it!!


Cheers mate, yeah I am really happy with how the op has gone this time... slowly getting over the food thing at the moment which is good... it does indeed mate...



KJW said:


> Awesome numbers again man, really cool to see. How's the injury? All healed?


thanks to you too mate... injury is all good, midsection is tight and strong... havent used a belt yet in any lift so thats good, midsection is getting very strong as a result...


----------



## Suprakill4

Still no pics chubby chops


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> Still no pics chubby chops


what you havent seen my spread in Moobs Annual...??


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1 DE/Speed week day 1

Squats

100kg x 8 sets x 3 1min rest between sets

Bench

100kg x 8 sets x 3 1min rest between sets

Rows

100kg x 8 sets x 3 1min rest between sets

Assistance

Pulldowns

1 min work/1 min rest 3 sets 26/19/14

Standing abs

1 min work/1 min rest 3 sets 22/27/27

Dislocations towel 3x20

Vacuums 3x30secs

Wow a bit different to what I am used to... after the first set of squats I thought it would be a bit too easy, by set 5 I was blowing through my ar$e and thinking that my watch was counting down waaaaay too fast as 1min seemed like 10 secs... sweat pouring over me and legs started to curse my good name... Bench went easier and rows were easier again... still felt it all over and it was very good to train for the explosive part of the lift...

Assistance work was brutal, decided to do 1 min on and 1 min off... this killed on pulldowns, had to take a breather at 22 reps on the first set and struggled on the last two sets something rotten... my back is suing for divorce and questions my parenthood now... standing abs was ok... felt it working quite well but wasnt that difficult... dislocations were great but felt hard... I also added in vacuums to hit the abs from a different angle and they felt good...

all in all I am pleased with the first day of speed week... I think it has helped with form and technique and getting the explosive part of the lift... looking forward to wednesday but may do some extra assistance stuff tomorrow more prehab stuff like rotator work... feeling knackered now...


----------



## Suprakill4

HAHA get some pics up, ya cant be THAT fat.


----------



## Greyphantom

Nah probably not... will have to get some new ones...


----------



## Suprakill4

Im taking some in a couple of weeks for my journal although not much change at all....... well, a little fatter lol.


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 3

Squats

100x5

130x5

160x5

180x5

205x3 PR

160x8

Bench

70x5

85x5

100x5

110x5

120x1 equal pb weight

100 nil

Rows

70x5

85x5

100x5

110x5

120x3 equal pb

100x8

Assitance

Not done due to time constraints

Well it was an interesting little day today... feeling better physically, bit washed out but thought sod it going to train and when I went into the gym just felt like hitting heavy again... glad I did now as feel much better, probably psychological more than anything but better is better... Squats are the big surprise, I wasnt sure I would be able to hit the same weight as before let alone get another PR but at 180 they were flying up and deep enough that on my last rep at 180 the bar hit the safeties I had in case of off-load lol... 205 went up well and while not atg depth was nice... felt great but could hardly walk after, and then I had to do 160 for 8 to wrap up, vomits ville was calling but I managed to pass on the charges there... Bench was good and bad, good cos the weight went up easy and I felt that on the heavy sets my leg drive was coming into play, 110 went up well and I knew I had more in the tank, 120 the first rep flew up and felt really good but lowering for the second I started to get cramp in my hip flexors/top of quads, but used that to get a bit of aggression going to push the weight up, unfortunately it got worse as the rep was near the top so I lost it just before lock out... curses and I had to stretch out the muscle as it was hurty... rows felt really good today, nice pump in my back and sore...

Assistance stuff I didnt get to in time as I had to pick up my boy from school... took a bit of time over squats today as was blowing out my rear at the end and had to fight off a visit from the vomit fairy... felt a great workout though and no problems at all from my arms re the joints in any lift...

A bit of explanation at the gap, was ill for a couple of days and had a bad tummy bug, so thought lifting was best left till it cleared, now pleased to say all is good...


----------



## Mingster

Hi GP. Have been following in the shadows for a while. Really impressed with your progress, especially after the hernia - my worst nightmare. Good to see a powerlifting journal instead of this bodybuilding malarky  and a lifter with a bit of meat on his bones instead of people worrying about eating a biscuit  . With the progress you're making I'm sure you'll sweep all before you - once you get your breathing sorted lol only joking. Keep your confidence high, mate, cos if you believe you will lift it, you WILL lift it. All the best, fella. Onward to the prize.


----------



## Greyphantom

Mingster said:


> Hi GP. Have been following in the shadows for a while. Really impressed with your progress, especially after the hernia - my worst nightmare. Good to see a powerlifting journal instead of this bodybuilding malarky  and a lifter with a bit of meat on his bones instead of people worrying about eating a biscuit  . With the progress you're making I'm sure you'll sweep all before you - once you get your breathing sorted lol only joking. Keep your confidence high, mate, cos if you believe you will lift it, you WILL lift it. All the best, fella. Onward to the prize.


Thanks mate, hernia was a bit of a hurdle but the second surgeon has done a great job... never worry about the meet on my bones mate, well till it comes time for the meet then I want to be under 110... thanks for your kind words mate, always motivational...


----------



## Suprakill4

Amazong workout mate. Thats some squatting!!!! Keep it up big lad.


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> Amazong workout mate. Thats some squatting!!!! Keep it up big lad.


Thanks K... felt great and sooo happy I got it...


----------



## Suprakill4

Good mate. Always good when you hit a pb isn't it. Your making me want to smash it on Monday when I get bak training


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> Good mate. Always good when you hit a pb isn't it. Your making me want to smash it on Monday when I get bak training


Always mate, gives you a feeling like you dont believe... Good stuff mate, smash away and get that iron up...!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Jon, just got to keep on keeping on... lift heavy, lift properly, eat and rest... job done...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 1 half of any way...

squats

100x5

130x5

160x5

180x5

205x4 PR!

That is all... at least today... feeling a bit dodgy on the tummy front again, stupid tummy... only got the 4 reps on 205kg as on the third rep I thought I was going to have an accident but wanted to beat my last PR so pushed one more out before something else was pushed out lol... however on the bench my elbows just gave way again... really not happy... will be doing bench tomorrow instead along with rows and the assistance stuff... have ordered a bunch of joint supps and when they are in will be super dosing for a couple of weeks to get a good start then drop down to maintanance level type doses... it may be that the only thing I can do is rest them for a week or two, but I sincerely hope it doesnt come to that...

legs feeling really frazzled now... well worked out... on the heavy set first rep was a bit high at parallel but then after talking with my legs rather sternly got some good depth on the remaining reps... happy with those today...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> My legs are frazzled and I was only doing half that!


  feels good when theyre like that hey...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1 part 2...

Bench

70x5

85x5

100x5

110x5

120x3 =PB

Rows

70x5

85x5

100x5

110x5

120x5 =PB

Well got to the second part of training in the evening after picking up the wife and kids from thier various things as was having a convo re tummy problems with the wife and she started down an oft travelled path thats best left alone (but she does love to poke that sleeping bear with a big stick) so rather than get into a bit of a barney I went out and hit the weights... turned out to be a pretty good session and quite happy with it but want to get that bench up some more... job was jobbed even though it was in two bits...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Feels good just now, will be crippled in the morning...


yeah but thats good too  course I could be just a sadist


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2...

Dislocations

towel x3 x20

Squats

100x5

130x5

160x5

160x5

Press

bar x2x9 or 10

45x5

55x5

65x5

deadlifts

140x5

180x5

220x5

260x1 PR

Yeah baby, got that 260 deadlift in but just the one, the second just didnt want to go past my knees and I rounded my back too much... tbh was a bit sloppy in form on the deads today, if I was tighter might have got 2 up on the last... changed to mixed grip at 220 as double over hand was failing at 180... very pleased to get that up but will now work on getting more reps... squats were easy and felt very good, very deep and the last set felt especially nice... press was ok, arms were complaining but not as much as last week, left the last set (would have been 72,5kg) off as didnt want to push them too hard and wanted some in the tank for deads, esp the grip...

def need to watch my form or at least not be so lazy/sloppy with it on deads... grip was fine, but I was trying to lift too quickly (as it not setting up right properly and just reaching down and grabbing the bar then lifting) and I think not keeping my chest out and using better hip drive affected it a lot... still a lesson to take forward and crack 260 for 5 next time... well at least 3

Diet is going well today, hungriest I have been in a few weeks and it feels good... left out the assistance work again which is becoming a dangerous habit but I may just do them on a tue and thu as by the time I have finished the main lifts I am k-nackered... I did dislocations today ala Martin Browns advice and they seemed to help a lot with getting my shoulders/arms/elbows prepped for the squat and then the press... they felt better today if a little battered still, and I dont mean battered like the fish...

happy enough with the workout today but just have to watch my deads technique...


----------



## Mingster

Good stuff GP:thumbup1: Go steady with the deads as you mentioned. I had a nasty injury rushing through my last warm-up set once as my mind was on the next max set. Does the mention of battered fish suggest a visit to the chip shop later  . All the best mate. Keep it going.


----------



## Greyphantom

Mingster said:


> Good stuff GP:thumbup1: Go steady with the deads as you mentioned. I had a nasty injury rushing through my last warm-up set once as my mind was on the next max set. Does the mention of battered fish suggest a visit to the chip shop later  . All the best mate. Keep it going.


cheers mate, yeah will be taking her steady, but will be taking her all the same  I wish, not sure what the meal is just yet, chicken or fish but yet to be decided... could just be a shake though... 

thanks again mate...


----------



## Suprakill4

GP!!!! 260 dead mate WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.. Get in there thats amazing! I must try hard, made my 200 for 3 look pathetic havnt you. lol.


----------



## Greyphantom

200 for 3 is a great lift K... I was happy with 240 for 5 but youve got to keep adding those numbers on the bar... next week going for multiple reps same weight... but this time the form will be spot on...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 3

Squats

110x5

140x5

170x5

190x5

Belt on...

210x3 PR!

170x8

Bench

70x5

85x5

100x5

110x5

122.5x2 PR!

100x8 PB weight x reps

Rows

70x5

85x5

100x5

110x5

122.5x3 PR!

100x8

yeah baby PR city... squats killed me though, slayed me totally... after the 210 set I was seeing stars and after the 8 reps at 170 was all I could do to breath... tried out my belt today and it rocked, made a big difference to intra ab pressure and made the lift seem easier... loving that belt now but still dont want to make it a habit except at the heavy sets...

Bench felt very good, arms didnt hurt much at all but back was killing from wed and squats... got 122.5 for 2 but wimped out on the third as for some reason my hip flexors were cramping up and feeling tight... 100 for 8 was easy and felt really good... very happy with it today and think I have more in the tank for more weight, so hopefully this means my bench will now starting going up in line with squats and deads... I did feel pretty knackered from squats but did it so thats good...

Rows were easy as always, felt better with form today and really felt it in the upper back... it actually made my upper back feel better from the squats and even deads on wednesday...

Awesome workout even though I had to fight for it every rep... just didnt feel right training so early in the day (11am as opposed to 1 or 2pm) and I felt knackered the whole way through, but its just not in me to not do it... plus I am time deprived today and even as I type I am 45mins late for going to london for a surprise bday thing from the wife... but hey training first right


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 1

Squats

110x5

140x5

170x5

190x5

belt on

210 not done, stood with weight x 2

Bench

70x5

85x5

100x5

112.5x5

125x2 PR

Rows

70x5

85x5

100x5

112.5x5

125x5 PR

Assistance

Standing ab work 30kgx3x25

Dislocations towelx3x25

Today was odd... both good and rubbish training day... good cos I got a couple of PRs and started to sort my bench out and rubbish cos it just felt off for at least half of it...

squats felt very good up till 210, I lifted the weight and walked it back from the rack and felt my abs twinge a bit on the right... this is the same place that was a bit tender when I had a sneezing fit at the weekend (in london and forgot to take my hayfever tabs, stupid fvcking me) so I re racked it, thought for a min and it felt fine so lifted it again and walked it back... felt ok, began to lower but felt the abs again so just gave it up as prefer to be on the safe side when it comes to my midsection... I did try to think of why it might do this as there was no pulling or twinging where the anchor points for the mesh are but near my scar... so it could be the scar tissue pulling maybe... at one stage while resting between sets of standing abs I looked at my belt and noticed that the bit of leather sewed over at the buckle was about where the pain was lol... but when I put the belt on, and much to my relief I might add, I noticed that it was not the cause...

Bench was a bit naf for the first 2 sets, felt hinky and I think it was because I was really trying to make sure the form was spot on and paying far too much attention to everything but getting the weight up... so from set 3 I just made sure I set up right then lifted the damn weight and it went up nice and easy, same with set 4... thought what the hell and added 2.5kg to last weeks total (not supposed to do that till madcow day 3) and made it easily for 2 but let my head get in the way and talked myself out of more reps, I gotta stay out of my head...

Rows were fine and really felt it in my back... by this stage I was feeling that the workout wasnt a total loss... assistance exercises went well and felt good... now sitting here typing all this I wish I had given the squats at 210 a go but know that caution is probably the better deal there and I know that I can do better on the bench, just got to shut up and press...

I am also starting to think about how I should be training or at least about manipulating my training so I do the three main lifts as max effort lifts on say mon/wed/fri and then follow the max effort with a dynamic effort on one of the other lifts... so mon would be squats max day with bench lights day, wed bench max with squats light and then deads with assistance or something, still a thought in progress at the moment... but seeing as madcow is still working I will be sticking with it as long as it does...


----------



## Tassotti

It's not that long since the op, so I'd say you did the right thing in re-racking the bar on the 210 squat.

Good work on bench and rows mate


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> It's not that long since the op, so I'd say you did the right thing in re-racking the bar on the 210 squat.
> 
> Good work on bench and rows mate


yeah my thoughts too... next time though its going down, then up again, then down, then up... 

Thanks mate...


----------



## Suprakill4

Incredible liftin mate!!!!! I'm enjoying reading these updates. A disappointing 2 reps on 200kg dead today. Must get 4 next week to progress.


----------



## Jem

Hellllloooooo D ! just thought should check in after a long long time away ...hope you're ok - training looks good ye beast :-D oh and yeah have changed mobile no. pmsl :-D


----------



## Greyphantom

kieren1234 said:


> Incredible liftin mate!!!!! I'm enjoying reading these updates. A disappointing 2 reps on 200kg dead today. Must get 4 next week to progress.


thanks mate, getting there... few more kg and I will be ready for sept... 200kg is a great lift mate... just keeping visualising you have already got the 4 reps mate...



Jem said:


> Hellllloooooo D ! just thought should check in after a long long time away ...hope you're ok - training looks good ye beast :-D oh and yeah have changed mobile no. pmsl :-D


Jem how the hell are ya???!!! great to see you about... training is going good at the moment, working towards a competition in sept... Powerlifting though... do you still have my mobile number? that hasnt changed in about 1000 years  if not pm me or facebook me your new one... you going to the bedford show?


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

squats

110x5

140x5

170x5

170x5

Press

45x5

55x5

65x5

Deads

140x5

180x5

220x5

260x2 PR!!!

Thats all she wrote, was a short and sweet session tonight, squats were all atg and felt awesome, no complaints from my abs at all and no belt... press was very good tonight, just the 3 sets was going to do a 4th at 75 but had to cut it due to time running out (had a shortened training session tonight) and I really wanted to get the deads in... dead were just awesome... up to 180 double overhand and it felt much easier than in previous workouts... changed to mixed grip and 220 flew up, 260 on and again no belt or straps and the first one was great, really concentrated on pushing my feet through the floor rather than lifting the weight... did the first and felt there was another again concentrated on pushing the feet through the floor and locking it out solidly at the top... only problem was that I thought I needed to keep lifting it for the lock out when I realised it was at the top already and I should take it back to the floor... lol... didnt have a third in me tonight... felt very good though and I know with some work I have more in the tank there...

all in all a good workout even though I had to make it quick and cheerful... no assistance today but will get some in over the weekend I hope... got an old friend/training partner coming down on monday to train with me which I am looking forward to but also a bit nervous it will interfere with my training as been training on my own so long I have a pretty solid routine and motivation thing going... will keep chatting to outside the gym only... and push him hard...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 1

Squats

110x5

140x5

170x5

190x5

belt on...

210x3

bench

70x5

85x5

100x5

112.5x5

125x2 + 1 fail

rows

70x5

85x5

100x5

112.5x5

125x5

Good workout today, didnt improve much on my lifts (although got the 210 for 3 on squats)... all lifts felt great, and at the end of the work out I felt wrecked... squats went well... form felt good and a mate who came to train with me today said the lifts were all good... Bench felt pretty good today, I went for the third on the heavy set but it just werent going up... rows as always felt great and now feeling my upper back a lot... assistance work was not done today but hopefully will catch up on that tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

lol yeah KJW its becoming a habit... mostly due to time constraints ie I run out of time at the moment... just too much going on...


----------



## Greyphantom

madcow day 2

Squats

110x5

140x5

170x5

170x5

Press

45x5

55x5

65x5

75x3

Deadlifts

140x5

180x5

mixed grip

220x5

265x1 + 1f PR

Yeah baby... great workout today... wasnt up for it really but needed to get through it as I have delayed it a couple of days already... Squats went great, felt good and deep, hams touching calves very nice... press went really well, felt great no complaints from arms or shoulders at all so did a few reps on 75 to see how it went, still no complaints so will start pushing much harder... Deadlifts were really good, 220 felt so good that the first rep I pulled too hard and damn near over balanced backwards went to 265 just to see if I could do it and the first rep flew up very nicely, much better than the 260 last week but the second rep got past my knees and then stalled... well I think I thought myself out of the lock out tbf... just got to get my hips engaging better I think... but felt very good and even though calluses were ripped and skin peeled from hands I was loving it... next week going for the tripple... maybe

Diet is good, still getting 350-400g protein in most days... some days I struggle with eating others I cant eat enough...

feeling knackered now but happy... and this brings my total to 600kg so thats ok


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Know the feeling. My workouts are stretching to an hour just now due to the volume and I cannot be bothered with it afterwards. Luckily my bf rarely deviates from 10% so I don't have to worry about my abs so much.


pfffft whats bf, who cares about this bf??? and abs... what are those...


----------



## Greyphantom

Madcow day 1

Dislocations 1x15

squats

110x5

140x5

170x5

195x5

belt on

215x3 PR

Bench

72.5x5

87.5x5

102.5x5

115x5

127.5x1 + 1F PR

Rows

72.5x5

87.5x5

102.5x5

115x5

127.5x5

Assitance

Standing abs 35kgx3x25

Dislocations towelx3x20

Was feeling knackered today but thought got to get on and it turned out not too bad... squats felt pretty heavy till I got to 170 then seemed to go up ok... but 215 on the third rep I thought my eyes were going to explode lol... I made sure I went to depth though and damn my legs felt it... the belt made a huge difference and I felt more comfortable using it, it is really making a diff with intra ab pressure... bench felt really good till the 4th set when my hip flexors started cramping up something fierce... held on for the 5th rep on the 4th set then on the last set the first went up easily enough, seemed to have got a handle on my form and it felt good, leg drive was working and I was damn sure I would get at least 2 if not 3 reps... however on the 2nd rep hip flexors (right side only) tightened and cramped and I couldnt quite get lock out, was a bit miffed to say the least as it felt good till then... I am amazed how much leg drive adds and when it goes how much it can mean to either getting the rep or not... rows were good but even here it felt sore but got all reps on this, the last two on the last set were a bit scrappy but got them up ok... also did a couple of assistance exercises... arms and shoulders felt great tonight, no pain or ache at all so was really keyed up for bench... dammit

Diet has been up and down, havent dropped below 300g of protien but on 2 or 3 days in the last week I didnt make the 400 either... appetite was down but has come back this week with a vengence and have eaten some sh1te too (6 of those chunky kit kat caramel bars in the last 3 days which is more choc than in the last month)...

one thing to mention is that my belt started at three holes on now I can get the prongs in the 5th hole no problem and it still got the same space as when it was 3 holes, either my waist is narrowing or the belt is lengthening (prob the latter  )

so for a naff day workout went pretty well... I am thinking to do a few weeks of nothing but assistance work (stiff leg deads, good mornings, dips etc) after this week as I have been pushing it hard and all my weights are going up still... but everytime I think of doing that I think of my weights going up and the workout going well even when I am knackered and just want to keep plowing on, but after jul 03 I should know when the date of the UK open is and thus will start a run up training program to the meet... will speak to a few more knowledgeable bods in the next week or so and make a plan or something...


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## Greyphantom

Madcow day 2

squats

115x5

145x5

175x5

175x5

Press

45x5

55x5

65x5

75x2 + 1 F

Deads

145x5

185x5

mixed grip

225x5

put on belt (first time deadlifting with a belt epic fail)

270x0

(took off belt)

270x0

Well today is a complete cluster fvck of epic proportions... has had good and bad points... work was a breeze right when I needed it to be a quick job today it was... till I found out that there had been a bit of sh1t before I arrived and I had to go to get a new padlock for one of out tank caps to replace a busted one... so that took longer than thought and I needed to get to a shop to pick up our new tv... we are finally replacing our old tube tv with a nice shiny lcd... well excited but cant put it up till monday as have a full on weekend starting 2 hours ago ... got home then went to do some shopping but found I had taken the wrong list with me (list of jobs to do round house rather than what I need from shops) so head back home and got some lunch and then thought would get training out the way... all the travelling though was made much harder as there was a cycle event on down the main A road and some cars didnt want to over take the cycles so they just went along behind them I sh1t you not... anywho got to training eventually and it felt pretty good to start with but as I am pressed for time I compressed the workout (something I said I wouldnt do DOH)... so rest periods were shorter and as a result I am freaking knackered now... squats went awesomely tbh... great depth hams to calves and smooth reps (except for the 3 rep on first 175 set in which I leaned forward too far)... press was ok but I pretty much didnt rest between the first 3 sets and then the 4th set tanked... deads went well to start... double over hand up to 185 and it felt awesome, smooth and easy... changed to mixed grip on 225 and again the reps never felt so good so thought bugger it will try 270... and being a doofus I thought would also try out wearing a belt for deads as have read from a few people that it makes a diff and will help... not this time... put the belt on and it felt ok, bent down ok but then it was weird, felt a bit stiff through my midsection and not quite right... sooo I missed the lift, only got it like an inch or two off the ground... took off the belt and tried again but by this time I knew it was a done deal... gave it up as a bad job and that was that... still I feel ok with the workout and now must be off to pick up the kids, get them ready to go to london and then do some shopping on the way with the right list this time lol...

Will be changing my workouts next week to assistance exercises like stiff leg deads, good mornings, power cleans and the like for a couple of weeks at least to give the cns time to recover and I will then start my run up to the UK open... woo hoo here we go baby...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok so have taken a week off to rest up and relax, I felt like I was getting to stagnation point so thought would give the cns some special time... however I did start a new 3 week imterim program today... just doing diff exercises that still will help with the main lifts... will do this for about 3 weeks then switch back to my standard program (albeit I might make a few adjustments in reps in the lead up to the meet)...

Power Cleans

1xbar loads

60x4x5

Dips

BWx5x5

Stiff leg deads

60x5

80x5

100x3x5

Standing oblique

30x3x20

Ok was just a light one really to set the form and see how it works out... Power cleans I couldnt seem to get to grips with when it was just the bar, add some weight and voila it clicked... first weighted set was awkward but after that I finally got the elbows up and forward and the bar resting nicely on the shoulders at the top... also got the explosive pull component fairly well and found that it knackers you nicely... will put the weight up next time... dips I have not done since Ron was Jebus disciple... these felt awkward at first as well... but from the second set I started to get into the form nicely... really felt it in my chest and will hopefully add weight in the next couple of sessions... SLDL were fine and 60 way too light, 100 is still light so upping that next time as well... oblique work felt pretty good... will add some other exercises next time too...

felt pretty damn awesome to get back into training again, even though I needed the rest I so wanted to get on the iron... off to the BPC British finals on sunday and will be yelling at Merat and Tans...


----------



## Greyphantom

Well another day of alternative training and it went well enough...

Clean and Press

60x5x5

Pulldowns

40x5

80x5x5

80x5x5 *

Close grip bench

60x5

80x3x5

100x5

Bicep curl (olympic bb)

40x5

50x3x5

60x5

Clean and press felt really really good, a bit easy but its been a dogs age since I even played with these so kept it at that and will up the weight next time... felt very comfortable and much nicer than seated press... may keep them in as a part of my normal training... although by set 3 (much like Power cleans) I was really blowing out my rear... prob doesnt help that I am trying to keep the break between sets to about a minute... (tbh this gets longer by set 4 ) Pulldowns were ok, tried some different ways or techniques here, first couple of 80kg sets I did slow positive and negative, last two I was explosive on the positive and slow on the negative, tbh I prefer explosive positive... felt good and tight, will up these next time too... arms stuff was good, close grip surprised me as it felt pretty easy and I think that the 100 is a pb for me... will look at increasing the weights as well on this... curls were good and felt better than I have in the past doing them... but again, will look at upping the weight here... this was another feeler for form too... but good feelings all over...


----------



## Greyphantom

alternative training day 1.

Power cleans

60x5

80x3x5

100x5

Dips

BWx5

BW+5kgx5

BW+10kgx5

BW+10kgx3

BWx10

SLDL

100x5

140x4x5

Standing Oblique ex weighted

35kgx3x20

Was a weird day today... felt ok about training but it did feel hard... 100kg on the power cleans felt pretty heavy and some of the reps just felt plain awkward... some felt great though and seemed to follow thier own groove... Dips felt very good this week till the second set of BW+10kg and then all the wind just went from my sails... last set felt really good though and I prob could have done a few more reps but that will come... SLDL were pretty good though, send 140 set managed to rip a couple of calluses on my hand so switched up to straps for the last couple of sets... Standing obliques were good too... by the third set of cleans I was blowing out my rear something rotten, by the time I finished the last set of SLDL I was literally dripping sweat... one thing this phase seems to be much more GPP intensive than my usual training program... feel knackered now but good and mostly happy with how its going, I really have to concentrate on how to move the weights and making sure form is good more than just lifting them though...

Diet is pretty ok... still getting 400g of protein most days now and appetite is mostly pretty good...

Wife has started at a gym near her work so that should be good... might even make her more receptive to me skiving off to train 3 nights a week with the guys in maidstone... woo hooo oh and she will also get fitter and start to feel better which is good too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Also a quick note... went to the BPC Brit finals on sunday and watched Merat and Tans (Elfintan) lift and they were awesome, but the awesomest thing was that I got to meet Dave Mannering (world class powerlifter with many world records) and he has said he will help me out for the sept show and in general with my lifting... really looking forward to it and so damn excited... will start in just over a week as he is away for a couple of weeks at the mo... good news!!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

alternate training 1

power cleans

60x5

80x5

100x3x5

dips

bw+5kg x 6

bw+10kg x 4 x 5

SLDL

100 x 5

140 x 2 x 5

150 x 2 x 5

Wasnt too sure about tonights training as my knee has been twinged or something, when I extend it fully it hurts like blazes in the back... but one must crack on and thus I actually had a pretty good workout... cleans went well but I lost the first rep on the first set of 100, this was because I did not get under the bar fast enough, so made sure that the next five I got my ar$e down and under the bar... after that it was really good but I still have problems getting my elbows up fully and I was breathing like an asthmatic walrus... by the last set I was freaking knackered... dips went better and I have found a better groove which made it easier, so will up the weight on this again, but still got 4 sets with 10kg and 5 reps on each compared to last time it was much better... sldl I was concerned my knee would just not join the party but it was ok, tried to use a hook grip from set 3 but damn that was just not happening... cant believe how much pressure it puts on the thumb so out came the straps... all in all it was a good workout...

From this friday I will be working on an alternate program to prep for the meet in sept (still no set date atm)... moving to a more powerlifting style with the 3 big lifts having their own heavy day and a light day with assistance work to bring up each lift... still working out the details but will post it when I finalise, but this could change due to me meeting with Dave Mannering next week to start training with him, then what he tells me I do...

diet wise I am cramming it in. some days I just cant eat enough others not so much... down to 113 or there abouts now and want to get below 110 by the meet so I can lift in a lighter class and not disgrace myself too much


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> How do you feel about SLDL's? I feel a bit of a plum when I'm doing them. Feel the contraction but they're not my favourite by any stretch...


I like them tbh... personally I put all feeling aside when working out and as long as its doing what it should its all good... lately I have been working on the lifts/exercises that are not my favourite if they are good exercises and work... I think its paying off but will know next week when I restart my lifting program for the meet in sept...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> How do you feel about SLDL's? I feel a bit of a plum when I'm doing them. Feel the contraction but they're not my favourite by any stretch...


I like them tbh... personally I put all feeling aside when working out and as long as its doing what it should its all good... lately I have been working on the lifts/exercises that are not my favourite if they are good exercises and work... I think its paying off but will know next week when I restart my lifting program for the meet in sept...


----------



## bigbob33

Morning gp! Hope all's well


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## Greyphantom

bigbob33 said:


> Morning gp! Hope all's well


Holy cow mate, I am good and pleased to see you posting still... hows things? training still going? hows life in general mate, sorting itself or still a ball of sh1te?


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## Greyphantom

Kickstart prep training day (Fri 15 Jul 11)

warm ups for each done before main working sets...

Squats

160x5x4

Bench

90x5x4

Deads

190x5x4

Ok wasnt quite up to a training session today but had to get one done as have only trained once this week as life is just so busy at the moment, and its not even my life but the kids and their school and social lives... got on with it anyway and did a "get back to technique day" with 70% of 1RM 5 work sets with 4 reps a set using Prilepins chart as a guide... this gave me a rep total of 20 for each exercise...

Holy crappoly even though I started not feeling into it by the end of the second set though so up for it... squats felt good and I focused on the explosion from the hole... felt comfortable and good... started feeling my legs kill me by the middle of bench though... bench was really really good... my mantra while lifting involves "Simon says sqeeze the bar", "Mike says pause the bar" which I find helps me keep the squeeze going for the whole rep and it helps in the lift a lot more than one would expect... Deads were brilliant, exploded from the floor and 190 just went up easy as pie as I would expect but I really felt the posterior chain working well and much better than before...

looking forward to monday and the beginning of my work up to the meet...


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## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 100x8, 130x6, 160x4, 190x2

200x3x2

DE Deads

WU 140x5

170x6x3

Pulldowns

80x3x8

Bb Curl

40x3x8

Felt like crap today... onset of a cold I think, very busy at work and life in general... had to miss meeting with Dave Mannering as babysitting fell through due to some sh1te going on but I did get babysitting for wednesday which was good, but now the council want to give permission to start a sand quarry not far from us and didnt tell anyone about it till one of our neighbours found out by accident... so now wednesday looks unlikely as I need to attend a meeting about it all, but the meeting is not till 1930 so might be able to fit an hour or two in before if I am lucky...

Was going to miss out on training today but thought if I did thats one less to get me a good total on the day so got on with it... squats were a bit dodgy tonight as I still felt sore from friday, but after warming up it felt pretty good... I was going to go with 210 but when I picked up the weight and did the first rep with that it just didnt feel right so dropped it to 210... first set went ok, felt good, second was better and third was great, good depth and really felt "on" re form... belt went on at the first heavy set... Deads I was not sure about as was wrecked from sqauts, but if youre not lifting you must be dead hey and tbh they went up super easy, did the first two sets full stop then the last 4 was touch and go... had to change to mixed grip at the 4th set... pulldowns felt awesome but by this stage I was pretty much gone... bicep curls were good and felt nice but I knew it was over by the time I started them...

Diet is a little off today, only about 330g protein in, and about to have a couple of home made cookies my wife made... all in all felt pretty good and very happy I got on with it... next week for ME Squats going to up that weight...


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## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME bench

WU bar x loads, 60x10, 80x8, 100x6

120x3x2

DE Squats

WU 100x6, 130x6

150x6x3

BOR

100x3x10

Dislocations

Towel x 3 x20

Felt pretty good today, tired but thats from a couple of sleepless nights... bench felt good and I concentrated on form a lot... got the feet set, butt down and close to shoulders as possible... found that getting the arch is easier if I pull the feet back further... nice solid reps and squeezed the life out of the bar which helps no end... Squats were great, felt nice and tight and killed me at the same time, not so much sore legs but GPP needs work, sweat like a mother and breathing through every orifice I have ... rows were good and felt right through my upper back (yes IB I did do them high too ) and I was going to do power cleans but ran out of time (thank god, I am not sure puting them in with all the other heavy lifting is wise) so on to dislocations instead... I do need to work on my GPP a bit but all in all its going well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deadlifts

WU 100x10, 140x6, 180x6, 220x4

250x2x1

250x1xF

DE Bench

WU 60x8, 75x6

90x6x3

Clean and press

70x1x5

thats it...

absolute rubbish workout today and the only reason I got through it is prob because of pre workout supps... had a grand total of about an hours sleep last night... red bull this morning before work (the big can), tasted awful but needed to wake up... day dragged its ar$e and I felt like the bottom of someones month old jockey shorts... came time to train and I was vey close to calling it off, but like a doofus I went ahead anyway...

Deads went up and down (no pun intended)... warmups felt good and comfortable, 220 felt a bit heavy but not too bad... 250 felt very heavy though (was going to attempt 270 but no way was that going to fly) and on the third set of 1 I got it to my knees and felt my upper back pull... so called that a day there... not injured or anything really but its sore... hands too, calluses are being pulled off and hands are scraped raw from the knurling... still not too unhappy... more p1ssed that I didnt get the reps and weight I wanted...

Bench went pretty well... really concentrated on the technique and the pause and drive off the chest, felt good and even better when I heard Little Simon yelling at me to squeeze the bar in the last set (forgot about that as was focussing on the pause so much )... back felt ok and no strains or pains really...

Clean and press sucked dead mans testies... did the first one and felt my right upper back pulling... thought just make sure the form is good and did four more but by the fifth I knew to keep going would probably not do me any good... so in disgust with myself gave it up as a bad job and left dips alone... feeling right knackered now... soooo tired... hands feel raw, back is not complaining too much but its more me being p1ssed that the session didnt go as well as it should have... oh well 怎么办 as they say...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> I know the feeling, I caught that sickness and dihorrea bug so for two days I've been out the game. Feeling good today though, spent most of last 12 hours getting hydrated and vitamins back into me, food staying down now too so happy with that. Looking at training tomorrow or Sunday. Thinking of changing my routine a bit too...any ideas?


if you have done something in the past that worked then maybe change to that and keep consistant in both training and diet... and I fully recommend sleep as thats something that I can categorically say helps... today has been hell tbh...


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## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 100x8, 140x5, 180x5

210x3x2

DE Deads

WU 100x5, 140x5

180x6x3

Pulldowns

90x1x8, 90x1x7 2p, 90x1x7

Curls

50x3x8

All thats good and holy... squats were awesome... 180 did feel a bit heavy but ok, 210 I thought give it a shot, unracked the bar and it felt much better than last week (had to re rack it as it felt "off") and did 2 good below parallel (not atg though, but a long shot) reps... felt very comfortable and used the belt to good effect... next set was even better and I had to stop at 2, was going to go for more but sticking to the program... last set again felt really good, was caned by this stage but so happy with it... Deads went well... I took a min rest between each set and while it shattered me even the 6th set felt good and tight, I did notice that when I had left hand under and right hand over I could feel where my back had pulled on friday... the other way was good though and very tight... @MikeX you are right mate, that bar leaves its mark on your hands a sh1t load, had the knurling marks imprinted into my hands for a while lol... pulldowns were good and curls felt really good... over all it was a fantastic workout, completely different from friday and it felt very very comfortable in the squat... however pukesville was knocking on my door something chronic but I managed to stave that sucker off...

one thing I felt today that lifting becomes much more about will power by the time you get towards the end of a session... the last few sets were just me making myself pick up the bar and doing the damn curl...


----------



## Greyphantom

From Wed 27 Jul 11

Interesting day training, went to Dave Mannerings gym and trained with him and a couple of other guys... awesome session but not a heavy one... got there a bit late (oops) and straight away he had me doing squats with chains... then on to deads with chains and finishe with thick bar holds...

First time I have used chains in any exercise and it was pretty cool... def got to get used to the motion of the chains as you lift... Squats topped out at about 135kg not sure what it was weight wise at the bottom, deads a bit lighter but good... the thick bar holds were interesting and really felt in the hands and forearms...

Really enjoyed the workout and found it to be a hugely welcoming experience too, was great training with a group of lads who were in there to lift and enjoy it... will def be going back and getting in as many sessions as I can with them, Dave is prepping for the worlds from next week so I will have to jig my program around to work in with his but thats no problem as the benefits will far far far out weigh a change of program order...

Bench session will commence tomorrow with deads on friday...


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## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2 (interrupted)

Bench

WU Barx20, 60x12, 80x8, 100x2, 110x2

130x4x1 PR

BOR

110x3x10

Yeah baby got the 130 up today... was feeling pretty crappy tbh, not sure if I was going to get anywhere but with all the voices in my head telling me to pull finger and not be a pussy I thought wtf lets see what I can do... followed the @JW007 style of training today, ie reps on the light weight then just a couple on the heavier stuff for cns prep then into the heavy sets... seems to have worked a treat, perhaps the higher rep work on the heavier sets was tiring the muscles more but today 130 went up easier than 120 last week... the first one I forgot the leg drive and bar squeeze but second set put it all together and it fairly flew up, was going to go for a 2nd but stuck to my plan and went for 4 sets of 1... all sets were controlled and while the pause at the bottom was in all honesty as brief as I could make it while thinking "pause" it was better than it has been in the past, keeping it tight at the bottom and squeezing the bejebus out of the bar is all good... Rows fairly flew up and felt much easier than last week and back is now fragged... pumped front and back now and off to shower and shave before heading to the hospital to get my sleep machine thing for my OSA whatsit... freaking loved the workout today...

Diet is ok but dropped the protein in the last few days... not for any reason but just not been able to get as much in... not sure if its due to having a lot more soy (something new for me) in the shakes or just because I have been eating a lot and my body needs a break... weight is still 114.5kg and seems to be set there for the foreseeable future... not too bad but would prefer to be under 110 for the meet... maybe I should do some car.... nah will do some more GPP which isnt the same... Its not!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Cheers Jon...


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## Greyphantom

Prilepin day 1

ME Squats

WU 100x8, 140x5, 180x3, 200x2 belt on

220x2x2 220x1x1 PR

DE Deads

WU 120x5, 160x3

190x6x3

Pulldowns

95x2x8

95x1x7

Curls

60x2x6

Woo hoo PR baby, 220 squat thats 5 plates a side... happy as a clam on bake day... was damn hot though and I felt a bit knackered but wanted it bad... first set was ok but I think the depth on the first rep was a bit off... second set was very good and felt tight, last set just managed the one rep and that was an effort... legs felt so fried after, contracting the muscle was freaking painful and couldnt walk... but loved it all... Deads went really well, felt very easy and not as bad as I expected... however getting through 6 sets in 15 mins killed and by the time I had finished sweat was just pouring off me and lungs were fighting... pulldowns were a force of will tbh and curls I only managed a token effort... was game over by then...

Diet wise only getting in about 320-350g of protein a day at the moment... weights down to 111kg now but thats mainly due to eating less and not drinking as much water... but still a bonus and maybe the weight will stay off in the next few weeks... this means I will have to lose only 1.5kg to get under 110... not that it will matter much I think as my lifts will still be low compared to most...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU barx20, 60x13, 80x6, 100x2, 120x2

140x3xf

130x1

DE Squats

WU 120x4

160x6x3

BOR

120x2x10

Dislocations

Towelx3x20

What a day, first felt just so knackered and hot... garage was baking but got on with it... warm ups on bench felt very easy, even 120 so thought would give 140 a go this week... unracked the weight and it felt good, down felt good and tight, drive up and just couldnt get it all the way up... so fail 1... leg drive was off though and I didnt squeeze the bar, in fact head was a bit all over the place as its the first time I have even thought about attempting such a weight on bench, its there in me I know so set up again and went for two... this time same thing, felt good unracking and lowering started the drive up and it seemed better but freaking leg slipped for some stupid reason and I managed to lower it under control... not to be beaten I figured that if I got it all working together it would go up... nope, so set up with 130 and pushed that up easy enough... however was pecularly knackered so just gave it up as a shoddy job and moved to DE Squats... these felt really good and tight... great depth and felt awesome... but by set 5 I was caned, breathing out my rear, sweat pouring off me literally and wanted to give up... kept going though and finally got to BOR... doing these was a force of will only... so wanted to give up... had so many voices in my head telling me just to man the fvck up and lift it so got 2 sets out... that was it though... dislocations to finish... notice that my shoulder mobility is feeling much better and healthier...

So training wise its been a bit of a crud day but tbh I have never unracked 140 or done a negative with it so thats a bonus lol... got to look at the brightside and next week I will get it, just got to get that leg drive and squeeze working together right from the touch...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deads

WU 120x5, 160x5, 200x2, 240x2

270x2x1, 1xf PR!

DE Bench

WU 60x12, 80x6

100x6x3

Clean and Press

70x1x6, 2x5 + 1p

Dips

not done

Wooo hooo got the 270 Dead tonight... and it was easier than 250 last week or my previous PR of 265, didnt think it was going to happen but have been visualising the hell out of it and when it came time things just felt right, got into a great position for the initial start and then BAM baby... second one was a bit harder but still smooth... didnt get the 3rd though, damn close, up to the knees but then just couldnt lock it out... damn happy about the lift though... 280 next week!!! @JW007 coming to get you baby...

Bench was nice and easy, very happy with it, focussed on form and technique... all sets very good feel... clean and press freaking killed me... first set was ok but sucking in more air than a bugati veyron... sets 2 and 3 were pretty much the same... by then end of these sets that was me, fighting of hurling and just trying to breath... feeling it now and soooo achey...

Got my form for the UK Open and will be sending that in Monday... so its all official and stuff... training is going well and I cant wait to hit that platform...


----------



## Tassotti

Excellent DL GP.

Where is the comp mate?


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> Excellent DL GP.
> 
> Where is the comp mate?


Thanks mate, well chuffed I am... well till I get the next lift 

Its in Ruislip... some sports centre in victoria road I think... Queensmead Sports Centre, Victoria Road, South Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 0JE found the addy


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## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 100x10, 140x6, 180x3, 205x2

230 1x2, 2x1 PR!!

DE Deads

120x6, 160x4

200x6x3

Chins

1x6 + 1p, 1x6, 1x5 + 1p

Woot... 230 on the squats tonight... but man was feeling it... first rep was just above parallel tbh so went lower on the second rep and felt that a lot... 2nd set went very low and it took like 5 mins to get the damn bar up lol... last set of 1 felt really good but again seemed like forever to get the bar up... Deads were good and comfortable, form is improving and just fine tuning really... tried chins tonight for the first time since a guy called john baptised a fella called jebus... felt those a lot and tbh it was just a force of will that got me through the three sets... took 15 mins to get to deads after squats... was fighting the urge to throw up something awful and finally won out... so freaking tired right now but have some work to do on the back yard before dark so got to get to it.. sigh... back feels it from the chins too... looking to up the reps on those as they are a bit low but it felt great doing them and easier than I remember...

Diet wise things are ok, managing to get around 350g of protein in but having some tummy problems which seems to be caused by the powder I use that has soy in the mix... when I use a blend that doesnt have soy it feels good but soon as I drink one with soy tummy trouble... so looks like will be ordering non soy blends from now on... sleep has been pretty good the last little bit surprisingly so am happy about that...


----------



## Suprakill4

Wow your still progressing. Get in. Some seriously impressive lifts there gp. Keep it up.


----------



## Greyphantom

Suprakill4 said:


> Wow your still progressing. Get in. Some seriously impressive lifts there gp. Keep it up.


thanks mate... yeah things still going in the right direction... got a set of goals weights wise and striving to achieve them...


----------



## Suprakill4

Good stuff me too mate and started to video my lifts too.


----------



## ginnus21

Nice goin GP. 5 plates a side is what I someday want to achieve. Got to get back to 4 a side first! Keep up the hard work.


----------



## Greyphantom

ginnus21 said:


> Nice goin GP. 5 plates a side is what I someday want to achieve. Got to get back to 4 a side first! Keep up the hard work.


thanks mate, getting their slowly but surely...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU barx20, 60x12, 80x7, 100x3, 120x2

140 1x1, 1xf PR!!!

100 1x8

DE Squats

WU 100x6, 140x4

170x6x3

BOR

WU 100x6

130 1x8, 1x7, 1x6 PR!

Dislocations

Towelx3x20

Wooot got the 3 plates aside today, first single went up really well and was even borderline regulation with the pause (not sure if that was intentional tbh lol) and everything... second just hung in the air... could quite lock it out or rack it so down it came... sigh, but still got 140 and well happy with that... squats were lovely but man they killed my legs something awful... BOR a PR for me but damn if they didnt cane my back and can still feel it something rotten... dislocations felt good and worked the shoulders well... sooo happy with training at the moment... all going to plan and searching for a decent total come meet day...

Diet is getting better, since using the 24/7 more my tummy issues have settled more so thats been a bonus... still not quite getting 400g of protein a day in but most days are close...

@JW007 would just like to publicly thank you mate for your support and advice over the last few months really... always there with a text to drive me on to higher numbers or a good word to get me out of my head so I just MTFU and lift the weight... thanks big man...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Very impressive!


Thanks Jon...

realised I didnt put up my last training session... ooops...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3 (Sat 13 Aug)

ME Deads

WU 130x6, 170x5, 210x2, 250x1

280x2xf

150x8

DE Bench

WU 60x12, 85x6

105x6x3

Thats it... felt like crap today, achey, tired, sick... thought I could shake it off and just get on with it... it was not to be really... 280 on the first rep I got it to my knees but just couldnt do the rest... second single got it off the floor but that was it... knocked out a light set of 150 just to work on form... Bench was ok but at this stage my body was just an achey mess... the last couple of sets were ok as I think things were settling in... but felt knackered so stopped there... managed to get some food down me in the afternoon but then just couldnt eat at all and havent really since... got some sort of lurgy... will shake it off in the next day or two and use this as a rest period I think... spoke with JW re training and in doing so realised that I have not been utilising the dynamic part of the training as I should... that and I have been thrashing my cns over the last few weeks... will make a few adjustments to exercise timing as well, doing the BOR a couple of days before deads and that didnt help... so will move them to deads day and shoulders to bench day etc...

diets been shot to hell... throat hurts to swallow and stomach just doesnt want to accept any food right now... ce le vie...


----------



## Greyphantom

also just a heads up had a bit of a car accident on tuesday, might have written off our car and possibly the other chaps as well... no injuries though which is good but meant I didnt train that day and with the belly problems I have been having I have pretty much just written off this week... might do a training session on friday with some heavy triples but will see how it goes... I think I have tracked down the source of my belly troubles though, the soy protein in a couple of new protein shakes I have been using... ever since starting them its been a steady up hill battle in regards to dodgy bloaty feeling... when I use another blend with no soy or stop shakes for a day or two its all good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepin day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x10, 80x7, 100x4, 120x2

140x2xf

DE Squats

WU 100x10

150x6x3

Clean and Press

75x3x5

Dips

BWx3x12,9,7

Dislocations

Towelx3x25,20,20

Was feeling pretty good today... made a few changes to training and diet and hopefully they will start to give results... training wise I am grouping the exercises into body parts eg leg stuff on the ME squat day, Chest/tri stuff on ME bench and back stuff on ME deads day... one other thing I have done is lower the weights for the DE portion of my training as they were getting too high, I need to focus more on technique and form rather than weight, after all thats what dynamic sets are about really that and getting the explosive part of the rep in... diet I have added in more carbs and come pay day will be getting a bcaa supp (tabs and drink most probably) too...

Bench - felt really good up to the max weight set... 120 felt so comfortable and fairly easy I thought 140 would be in the bag, but it wasnt to be, got 140 off my chest and then just stopped... I think its my moby dick in terms of mind fvcks, just got to get my head around this and BAM it will go up... I also think I focus too much on the weight and not the technique when it starts getting heavy... got to stop doing that...

Squats - easy and felt good, today concentrated on spreading my feet and legs coming out of the hole... this makes the weight seem to go up much easier and all felt good...

Clean and press - oh man, first set was going to go for about 8 but gassed out at 5, 2nd set I wanted to puke so bad and the third was me thinking of getting stronger and just getting the damn weight up... felt great when finished (well 5 mins after finishing) but blowing air out my rear for sure... just couldnt seem to suck enough O2 in the pie hole... felt good though...

Dips - for the first time felt really good with these... didnt get as many as I wished again but by now it was pretty much just a force of will keeping me going, very ill... but some water and a few more reps cured that... will add weight next time...

all in all I feel ok about todays effort, just got to get my head around the weights now, its more a mind game with me than the physical lift atm... I WILL do it... really pleased with the 120, did a full pause and all... thats a huge piece of progress in and of itself...


----------



## Tassotti

Excellent positive mental attitude GP


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> Excellent positive mental attitude GP


thanks mate, lately I have realised more and more that its a lot more mental than physical with me, at least at the moment...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deads

WU 120x7, 160x6, 200x2, 240x2

280x1, xf PR

ME Bench

WU 60x8

80x6x3

Chins

BWx3x5

BOR

140x7,6,6

BAM baby got the 280 for 1... first went up pretty well but I talked myself out of the second as it went past my knees, I all but had it and then just stopped... was so wrapped about getting it for the one that I just lost the focus for the second... I had it too... DOH... but still BOOM baby, @JW007 coming to get you...

Bench went well, focussed on the change over from lowering to driving up, just want to nail that transition point... went well and felt good...

Chins didnt go as well as I hoped... my hands were killing as I have lost some skin and I was fairly tired...

BOR was a PB for me... form could have been better but tbh I felt it so much in my upper back and the pump was like hot water running through my muscles...

Diet is going well, carbs upped and tummy issues have settled... only using 24/7 now and its proving very good... sleep has been a little short lately as its been a long week but feeling ok...


----------



## Mingster

Cracking deadlift, fella. You've every right to be proud of that. Keep it going :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

Mingster said:


> Cracking deadlift, fella. You've every right to be proud of that. Keep it going :thumb:


thanks mate, thats 100kg on my previous PR in less than a year and with no straps or belt etc... just chalk...


----------



## Mingster

Greyphantom said:


> thanks mate, thats 100kg on my previous PR in less than a year and with no straps or belt etc... just chalk...


Quality progress mate, makes me feel quite envious 

You're right when you say that the lifting is a mind game. If you believe you will make the lift, it's as good as achieved.


----------



## Greyphantom

Mingster said:


> Quality progress mate, makes me feel quite envious
> 
> You're right when you say that the lifting is a mind game. If you believe you will make the lift, it's as good as achieved.


you're absolutely right mate... JW has been metaphorically kicking my rear to get my head in the right place and all my lifts have rocketted...

Thanks again mate, I am very pleased...


----------



## Greyphantom

Hey Jon, yeah mate all good here, still training balls to wall as meet is in 4 weeks... a little thing like a car accident wont stop me


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squat

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 210x1

Belt on

240x1xNP (near parallel), 2x1 PR!

DE Deads

150x3x3

SLDL

150x2x10,1x9

Oh all thats good an holy why did I do it... had an eventful weekend with possibly fracturing my little toe (although tbf I think its just mightly sore) and having some belly issues due to eating too late... felt a little tired but not too bad...

Squats - warm ups were ok and felt pretty tight... was very concious of my little toe as it hurts to walk on but it did ok during the warm ups so I just kept going up to my working weight... put the 240 on and tbh didnt even think of my little toe at all... first rep I didnt quite get parallel, was a shade too high... the next two I made sure I got depth and dammit I think I killed me lol... took 20 mins to do 3 reps lol... felt it all over tbh and was blowing out my rear on the last one... but I did it and was freaking happy, let out a yell after the second and thought my kids would come running to see if their dad was trapped under the bar, but no, they were too busy watching tv lol

Deads - nice and easy, dropped sets to just get the feel as will be reducing the work being done over the next few weeks and focussing on getting my three ME exercises working well... form and technique are going well

SLDL - by this stage I was pretty much dying... first set was ok but I couldnt sit properly as hams and glutes were killing me and it felt hard... got to the second set and by this stage I knew I was in someway mentally retarded cos thats the only reason I could see for me to keep going, and to do the third set I was just numb... felt massively in my glutes and hams but this might also have something to do with my heaviest squat weight ever as I was feeling them even then...

didnt do bicep curls as nothing left really... could barely keep from throwing up tbh and its taken me nearly an hour to relax to the point I can feel my body again lol

things going well, 3 more weeks of full training and then in the week run up to the meet I will set my openers and just train say mon or mon/tue just to keep things ticking over as I find if I take time off my lifts suffer, so might as well keep on trucking and rest after the meet... which I will...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepin day 1

ME Squat

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 210x1

at this point I will digress from my usual format and just say that 180 for 3 were great, very deep and felt tidy, but 210 felt hard, and heavy and go home sort of thing, so at this point I did the only sane thing and added 40kg "just to see" what the weight felt like...

250x2x2p

DE Deads

150x3x3

SLDL

160x3x10,8,6

oh all thats good and holy why, why... whhhyyyyyy.... feeling mentally and spiritually strong right now but lack of sleep and just life piling in with one thing or another is leaving me physically drained... but got to do what you got to do... just going up as high as I could today... got to 210 and did 1 very reasonable rep but it felt hard... so of course I thought sod it lets see what 250 feels like on the back... it feels heavy people, very fvcking heavy... first one was a stand up and put down pdq as it was uneven, then stood up in the rack stood there for a while and got used to the weight, then walked it out just to see and ended up doing 2 partials, just to see... 1st partial was pretty high but second was lower... racked the weight... second set of partials I almost lost it walking it out, bit scary but recovered, both partials on this one were much lower and tbh with a few more weeks I think I will crack it... but one thing was made very clear, all the keep your back tight, suck in the breath to create good intra ab pressure and keep the legs out and feet spreading on the way up, all the advice and technique stuff you learn pays dividends... even doing partials...

Deads - discovered that one of my flaws here is not coming off the floor fast enough, or at least consistently fast for each rep... this is one reason why I fail I think... so worked on this and the weight felt much lighter... good sets...

SLDL - again why... whyyy... whhhhyyyyy... glutes and hams fvcked, feel so sore I couldnt sit down but I couldnt stand up either... very achey now... just wanted to give up but all those little voices egging me on are going to get whats coming to them...

over all I am pleased even though I only did partials on the squats... tbh I was not going to go heavy at all today, just hit the 210 and leave it there but with the meet coming up I thought I would just get the feel of the weight... fyi its fcking heavy as I said... the rest went really well and I cant believe how much sweat I lost today... looking forward to the meet even more now...


----------



## Tassotti

Top stuff GP.

When you put ME and DE, what does that mean mate?


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> Top stuff GP.
> 
> When you put ME and DE, what does that mean mate?


thanks mate, feeling it now, body refuses to talk to me and I think my legs just fell off... is that bad 

ME=Max Effort and DE=Dynamic Effort... basically ME is lifting the most you can eg a 1RM or 2RM while DE is when you lift light weights to get technique right and reinforce the basics to make the lifts stronger...


----------



## Tassotti

I see...makes sense...

So, you're legless then


----------



## Greyphantom

yeah but not in the good way lol...


----------



## Mingster

Greyphantom said:


> Prilepin day 1
> 
> ME Squat
> 
> WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 210x1
> 
> at this point I will digress from my usual format and just say that 180 for 3 were great, very deep and felt tidy, but 210 felt hard, and heavy and go home sort of thing, so at this point I did the only sane thing and added 40kg "just to see" what the weight felt like...
> 
> 250x2x2p
> 
> DE Deads
> 
> 150x3x3
> 
> SLDL
> 
> 160x3x10,8,6
> 
> oh all thats good and holy why, why... whhhyyyyyy.... feeling mentally and spiritually strong right now but lack of sleep and just life piling in with one thing or another is leaving me physically drained... but got to do what you got to do... just going up as high as I could today... got to 210 and did 1 very reasonable rep but it felt hard... so of course I thought sod it lets see what 250 feels like on the back... it feels heavy people, very fvcking heavy... first one was a stand up and put down pdq as it was uneven, then stood up in the rack stood there for a while and got used to the weight, then walked it out just to see and ended up doing 2 partials, just to see... 1st partial was pretty high but second was lower... racked the weight... second set of partials I almost lost it walking it out, bit scary but recovered, both partials on this one were much lower and tbh with a few more weeks I think I will crack it... but one thing was made very clear, all the keep your back tight, suck in the breath to create good intra ab pressure and keep the legs out and feet spreading on the way up, all the advice and technique stuff you learn pays dividends... even doing partials...
> 
> Deads - discovered that one of my flaws here is not coming off the floor fast enough, or at least consistently fast for each rep... this is one reason why I fail I think... so worked on this and the weight felt much lighter... good sets...
> 
> SLDL - again why... whyyy... whhhhyyyyy... glutes and hams fvcked, feel so sore I couldnt sit down but I couldnt stand up either... very achey now... just wanted to give up but all those little voices egging me on are going to get whats coming to them...
> 
> over all I am pleased even though I only did partials on the squats... tbh I was not going to go heavy at all today, just hit the 210 and leave it there but with the meet coming up I thought I would just get the feel of the weight... fyi its fcking heavy as I said... the rest went really well and I cant believe how much sweat I lost today... looking forward to the meet even more now...


You're doing fine, mate. Of course it's fcking heavy but the more often you feel the weight the lighter it will feel. It's like climbing that tree when you're a kid - it takes forever to get the bugger climbed but when you've done it once the hold is broken and you wonder why it took you so long in the first place. Remember that lifting is mostly in the mind, forget the weight, and focus on the lift and your form. Cheers mate, as I'm finding your progress very motivational - I think I'm looking forward to your meet as much as you lol.


----------



## Greyphantom

Mingster said:


> You're doing fine, mate. Of course it's fcking heavy but the more often you feel the weight the lighter it will feel. It's like climbing that tree when you're a kid - it takes forever to get the bugger climbed but when you've done it once the hold is broken and you wonder why it took you so long in the first place. Remember that lifting is mostly in the mind, forget the weight, and focus on the lift and your form. Cheers mate, as I'm finding your progress very motivational - I think I'm looking forward to your meet as much as you lol.


thanks for your kind words mate... I cant wait, my first and def not my last... yeah that is so true re the weight getting or at least feeling lighter and how its in the mind more... this is something I have discovered so much in the last few months...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x11, 80x7, 100x5, 120x2

140x1xf

130x2x1

110x1x3

DE Squats

WU 100x10

150x3x3

Clean and Press

80x1x1

Meh session tonight... started really late as life just keeps on intruding in fact all the ifes keep intruding, life, wife, strife wasnt feeling much but at the same time better than previous weeks... got up to the 140 and it felt ok taking off the rack, lowering good, pressing sh1te... I have a mental block there somewhere, feel tight as its coming down and even starting the press goes ok but after this its just all stop for some reason, it shouldnt be theres no reason for it but for some reason it just hits a wall... @Little Simon I think your bench is safe mate so after fvcking about with 140 I dropped to 130 and did two singles, first was ok but prob not 3 whites, second though was awesome, touch big pause and press... dropped to 110 for a triple more to see if I could do it and see about it becoming my opener (was going to start on 100) and they went up very easily... lower, pause (count 1) press and up... too easy... so ffs whats the block with 140... did it before but since then nada... been thinking it could be cos I am trying to press like a shirted powerlifter and maybe the line I am trying to follow (down and up in a straight line to my lower ribcage) is not optimal for a raw lifter...

Squats - concentrated on the explosion from the bottom and felt really good... legs very sore now but good...

Clean and press - just as I started my kids needed me... had to administer some medication type stuff for my lad (nothing serious he suffers from corns on his feet which can cause pain so we have to kill them off with some bazuka every now and then, now is one of those thens...) and get them to bed... still tbh was glad of the excuse to finish as feeling knackered... got to get some more solid sleep...

generally feeling ok with training but bench is a bit of a pain for me... used to be squats but now its bench... oh well, just need to kick this mental block in the proverbial...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deads

WU 120x8, 160x5, 200x2, 240x2

280x1xf

DE Bench

WU 60x8

80x3x3

Chins

BWx3

deads went pretty well up till the final set... felt forearm a lot for some reason... so bailed on the last weight... did work on moving the weight off the floor more quickly in the lower weight sets... my thoughts are that in previous successful lifts at max weight or new PRs its been a case of 1) everything being right with me in mind body and spirit and 2) moving the weight as fast as possible off the floor...

Bench went well, worked on getting the weight up as fast as I could... I def lack explosive part mainly I think because its so ingrained in me to go slow... so really working on this in all exercises...

Chins went horribly... forearm just didnt want to play ball and could only manage three reps before couldnt grip the chin bar... not happy but what can you do...

food wise its been ok but sunday night feeling very ill, could only manage my shake and some potatoes was going to treat myself with some ice cream but couldnt eat it... feeling very sick... this morning was better but still feeling under the weather, mrs has a cold so could be just that... tomorrow is squat day... bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prileins day 1

ME Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x2

Belt on

250x1x2near parallel

250x1x1 PR

250x1xfail, epic 

DE Deads

150x3x3

SLDL

160x1x9

BC

60x3x7

Squats - wow felt much better today after my bout with lurgy, was good yesterday tbh but thought would give it one more day and so glad I did... warm ups were easy and felt really good, working on getting out of the hole with explosive speed... first set on 250 was ok, almost down low enough but not quite, not quite dammit... second set focussed and got all the way down, damn slow going back up though lol... went for another single and just lost concentration at the bottom and couldnt explode out from the hole, just hit the wall... thank god for safety bars is all I can say... saw stars and all after first set though, bright flashing things in my vision... was pretty 

Deads were excellent... reallly exploded out of the hole thanks to something @MUTANT posted re treating the start like a jump... worked on this and really felt a difference...

SLDL - wow felt sooo good, easy in fact and this may have led to my down fall... on the 9th rep first set felt my right hamstring go... not a big pull but a twinge and enough for me to stop there as I do NOT want to risk an injury this close to the meet... but damn they felt great...

BC were good but just a few to get the feeling back in the biceps...

All in all it was a good workout but hating the hamstring thing... felt so on today and really hoping that the feeling is there on 24 Sep... bring it OOOOOONNNNNNN


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2.

ME Bench

WU 60x11, 80x8, 100x5, 120x2

135x1xf

Squats

60x3, 100x3, 150x3

Bear press

17.5x12

31x2x4,3

Lat raise

10kg plate x 2 x 10

Dips

BWx2x11,8

Dislocations

Towelx3x20

jebus h save me from myself... ache all over but still felt up for a session as I need to get them in this week... sort of wish I had waited till tomorrow tbh... bench was great up till the 135 then it just left me... squats I did just to get the blood flowing and to see how the legs would fare... they hated me... the rest went ok, did bear press instead of clean and press today as legs still in bits and just not sure I could have done them justice nor was I sure that I would injure myself... first set was too light so just jumped the weight up... stupid idea, but felt good doing them, will up the reps next time as hopefull will feel better then... dips went well, enjoyed them tbh and dislocations were good... mixed bag today...

def need to get shoulder and tri strength well up as I think this is part of my problem with benching... so once the meet is over might look at prioritising them or something, will speak to a few bods about it...


----------



## Greyphantom

right that workout was yesterday, today whole body is achey... but shouldnt be too bad as next week is just setting the openers... not sure which day that will be yet but prob monday or tuesday at latest...


----------



## Mingster

Still looking good, mate. Bench was always my problem lift too so I feel your pain. No worries, though, as a big squat and dead will conquer all:thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME deads

WU 120x8, 160x5, 190x3

220x3

DE Bench

WU 60x8

90x1x4,2x3

done

Just a quick one today, pretty much setting the opener for deads and just getting some more practice on bench... hamstring is still a bit tender, could feel it on the heavy deads but wasnt too bad... generally feel very sore and achey at the moment... also appetite is taking a hit but sleep is great, full night and not a wake up in the last week... that is now the end of my training till the comp... going to implement a cns recovery supplement scheme this week to make sure I am fully rested and recovered... just going to work out what I need and get them in... going to make sure get in all the appropriate recovery supps this week too and keep the protein up to 400g a day plus will up the carbs too or at least keep them at the higher level I have been using this last week... not long now... 6 more sleeps...


----------



## Greyphantom

Mingster said:


> Still looking good, mate. Bench was always my problem lift too so I feel your pain. No worries, though, as a big squat and dead will conquer all:thumb:


thanks mate... I will crack the bench... just got to work on some other areas to increase their strength and BAM baby...


----------



## Greyphantom

OK First Meet Report!!! Wooooo hoooo...

Boring bit starts now with in depth sh1te so if you just want the results scroll down now...

Started off yesterday from home, picked up the kids and was feeling alright and excited, massive traffic jam on m25 and as was waiting in that started to feel really [email protected] finally got to the gym to weigh in and was 112kg, so Dave told me if I just did a bit of a crash diet over night (sweating, not eating or drinking and even some cardio) I could come in under 110 so lift in that class... so I said I would went to the hotel we were staying in and pretty much collapsed on the bed, my lovely wife arrived a bit later and had bought some drugs from boots or somewhere so had some of those while the mrs was telling me I looked like sh1t... at this stage I was not so sure I would be ok the next day... however still went out for a walk and got the kids some dinner and went back to room to nap... but ended up watching tv and a few hours later was feeling better... didnt eat, vacuated as much as I could over night and just sipped water...

Next morning woke feeling pretty good... god bless drugs... found out I had sweat so much during the night my wifes pillow was soaked as for some reason she had leaned it up against my back... went to gym to weigh in (again) and was 106.8... set my openers at this stage at 180, 100, 210 as was not 100% and Dave recommended coming a bit lighter due to big weight loss and so lifted in the 110 class... there were only 4 of us tbf... after weigh in just plowed in the shakes, jaffa cakes and some jelly babies... also about 3 bottles of lucozade sport and a can of monster... all this had me back on line and quite keyed up...

First flight started their squats and my flight went back to warm up... the atmosphere in the warm up area is truly amazing... the comararderie and friendship and willingness to help out and share knowledge is pure awesome, I thought I would be more nervous than I was but all the lads and ladettes put that to rest... warming up went really well... so well I changed my opener on squats to 190 as I trippled 180 easily... changing it wasnt much of an issue so I opened with a nice deep squat (thanks for the advice there Dig ) and got told to put some weight on the bar lol... second attempt I did 220kg and this went very well, much better than in training tbh... this is where I got one red light but that apparantly was changed as the chap said my foot placement made it look like my feet moved or some such but it was a good lift... third lift was at 235 and was easy again... at this stage I wish I had gone to 250 as it was a much easier lift than I anticipated... squats done and felt good... saw a few bomb out here and one in spectacular fashion when is quad tore rather horribly...

Bench, my old nemesis... again had set the opener low due to circumstances but after warm up and lifting 100 for 2 sets of easy long pause in the middle tripples put it up again to 110... felt good and strong lifting that, up to 125 and again went up with no trouble... was going to wimp out a bit and just go 135 but at last second thought sod it got to try and did 140... this I have done once in training and have failed at many times since and that one successful lift was a touch and go with a quick rack at the top... but hey if you cant try it out on the day when can you... so lay on the bench, took the weight and BAM baby down pause up pause rack and damn if it werent a good lift too... felt easy and could have done more...

Deads... by this stage I was starting to feel the days lifts... legs had started to cramp just before my last bench but some stretching out and rubbing sorted them and I went into deads with no set goal but some hopes... warm ups went well again and I lifted my opener for an easy tripple so back to the table to change it again to 225... she was loving me at this stage 225 flew up... went up to 255 again this just flew up... so thought wtf and set 280 as my next lift... very focussed at this stage and went up to the bar, down and BAM again baby... up easily for a good lift... oh it felt good, no great... had more in the tank again...

So over all my total is 655kg... not too shabby I think but I do know it could have been more, but 9 good lifts I will take to the bank baby... I also found out that the 110kg Raw records for squat and deads are 220 and 252.5 respectively... now I wee'd all over those today but as I was not in a singlet I couldnt take them... next time though baby they are mine... cant remember the total record for that class now... but I will take a crack at that too bench is 190 so gives me a goal...

So many things to remember and I am sure I have forgotten to comment on so much... made some new friends, learned so much new stuff, still buzzing about it all so much I just cant sleep... oh and I got third in my class (out of 4, but they were lifting equipped)... so got my first trophy too

Results for those who are too bored to read through

Squat 190, 220, 235

Bench 110, 125, 140

Deads 225, 255, 280

Total 655kg


----------



## Mingster

Chuffed to bits for you mate. Know just how you're feeling. You should be very, very proud of yourself. Reps.


----------



## Greyphantom

Mingster said:


> Chuffed to bits for you mate. Know just how you're feeling. You should be very, very proud of yourself. Reps.


thanks mate, yeah def happy with how it went and so want to keep doing more...


----------



## Tassotti

That's awesome GP! !!!!

Good write up as well mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> That's awesome GP! !!!!
> 
> Good write up as well mate.


thanks mate... totally loved it and totally bitten by the bug... cant wait till the next one...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok some pics from the day...

me squatting 235, should have been 250 but live and learn...



me getting advice from Dave Beattie, this man knows his stuff and when he speaks I listen...



bench 140



deadlift shots the last two are before and after my 280, just making sure that I got a good lift, I did 



and finally me getting my trophy... yeah baby...


----------



## Tassotti

Nice T-shirt !! :whistling: :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> Nice T-shirt !! :whistling: :lol:


oh yeah... lol... :whistling: :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat and bench day

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x10, 140x8, 180x5

200x2x3

Bench

WU 60x8, 80x8, 100x6

120x2x2

just a light one to get me back into training really, nothing special but oh it felt good, no great, training again... I finally really understand what Arnie was meaning when he said in Pumping Iron "its like cumming all the time"... squatting felt so good and right its almost naughty

Squats - went well but have a tightness and ache in my hip flexor of my left thigh... was thinking this would limit me somewhat but it didnt give me too many problems... it was more the heat and buckets of sweat that caned me, breathing was hard and my shirt looked like someone had just poured a bucket of water over me... actually I wish they had as it would have been nice... 200 was nice and comfortable, good depth, atg, was pleasantly surprised... no belt worn this time... couple of easy tripples...

Bench - up to 100 not a problem, easy and comfortable... 120 got a cramp in my leg so did 2 sets of 2, but even 120 felt easy going up, much easier than before the comp... not sure if thats due to confidence being boosted or just cos I am still on a high but it was nice... full pause at the bottom and great drive up... drive was hampered a little by leg cramp but not that seriously...

food is being shovelled in again but this time I am going to stay down around 112-115kg so I can compete in the 110 class for a while... get my lifts decent and then maybe go up to the 125 class... but thats a year or more away I think... just going to cocentrate on getting good heavy lifts in the 110 for a while and get those records...

did I say it felt sooo good lifting again, only been a few days but boy I missed it... now got some more gardening to do which makes me sweat even thinking about it, sigh...

also I ordered two 50kg plates from fitness superstores today, dispatched already and cannot wait to get them as this means will be able to put more on the bar for deadlifts...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Excellent to read how you got on mate. Very impressed as always. Must be an awesome feeling.


thanks mate, yeah it was freaking fantastic... cannot wait till the next one...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squat

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3 belt on 220x1

240x1 NP (near parallel)

240x2x1

DE Deads

WU 60x8, 100x6

150x6x3

SLDL

150x2x8, 1x7

BC

60x2x6

Well was going to take some time off after the meet and just do some relaxed training and dieting but as there is now a raw comp end of november will train for that and take some time off in december over xmas...

Squats - felt a twinge in the uppe left quad round the hip flexors before starting but stretching it out felt good... got to 220 and it felt heavy... think it was just that I didnt keep tight enough in the lift... 240 the first rep felt not low enough, next two were good and felt good... kept it tight and went low, saw massive white spots after each rep lol...

Deads - felt great, just worked on form and technique... took about a minutes rest between sets... blowing out my rear...

SLDL - oh man felt these... first set 8 pretty easy, second not so easy, third only 7... couldnt sit down without feeling it majorly...

BC - only the two sets as running out of time... good sets though and felt biceps work well...

Just had to get up to tend the kids dinner and legs cramped up... man my lower body is just numb and in pain all at the same time lol... yeah baby...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x6, 120x3

140x1x1, 1xf

DE Squats

WU 100x5

150x6x3

Clean and press

Not done due to weather

Dips

BWx3x10,9,5

Dislocations

Towelx3x20

Felt pretty good today, tired as not much sleep over the last few nights but ok... loads going on in life but thats life...

Bench - warm up sets felt fantastic, even 120 for 3 could have gone 5 or 6 fairly easily... got the first 140 as body was in perfect position and got great drive... second 140 I lost my legs and it got to half way but no more... next time 3 singles for sure or even an extra 5kg...

Squats - felt good lost form on 1 rep but rest were great and felt easy... just made sure I got the drive from the hole... legs felt great...

Clean and press - couldnt get this done today as I have to do them outside as thats where the room is... it was p1ssing down...

Dips - felt really good havent done them in ages... felt them working really well and very happy with them...

Dislocations - its amazing how these work you so hard... just a towel and voila...

happy with training over all today, should have got that second single on bench though, just need to get my body position the same way all the time... makes a big diff imho... deads day on sunday, really looking forward to that... going to break in the new 50kg plates woot...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME deads

WU 120x8, 170x6, 210x3, 250x1

290x1xf

DE Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8

100x6x3

Chins

BWx3x5,5,5+1p

BOR

140x1x6, 1x7, 1x6

Deads - felt great up to the 290... 250 flew up and was pretty confident about the 290 but before I attempted the rep I "felt the weight" and this I think set me up for the fail... got it to my knees but just couldnt lock it out... thought about it for a bit and realised that in the comp I just walked up to the bar and lifted it without thinking, too much thinking not good for GP

Bench - easy and felt very very good, form great and very happy...

Chins - first set I felt my forearm starting to really hurt... changed my grip slightly to in a tad more and this made the forearm more upright and voila no pain... so thats a good discovery and made the chins easier...

BOR - first set technique was shakey... last 2 much better and felt it so much more in the back...

over all I really enjoyed the training today and will get that 290 next time... still on track for 300 by the end of the year for sure...

weight at the moment is 113 but keeping it down around this so its easier to get under 110 for competitions... over all really happy with the way things are going...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, belt on 220x1

250x1x1

255x1xf

DE Deads

WU 60x8, 100x6

150x6x3

SLDL

150x3x10,9,8

BC

not done

Squats - oh wow... felt really good doing these... got 250 easy enough (well as easy as you can call it for me lol) and so thought would add 5kg, got to the bottom and managed to get about 2 inches up then nope, all the way down again, thank god for safeties... legs caned, back pumped... body ouchie...

Deads - felt good and fast... just worked on getting the weight up as quick as possible with as much power as possible... felt good but by end was knackered...

SLDL - almost not done, but dragged my sorry ar$e off the bench and did them... well pleased I did now but seriously sore by the last set... hell by the end of the first set I was damn near dead... managed to get more reps with the same weight so that was good.. glutes and hams feel wrecked though...

After SLDL I was pretty much wasted did a warm up for bicep curls but was just not happening... left it at that and now feel pretty much done... body sore from top to toe... happy with things as they are going...


----------



## Greyphantom

training went to sh1t yesterday so gave it up during warm up... just wasnt in a good place mentally...

much better today as found out I got an invite to the worlds in Latvia...!!!!! Yeah baby...!!! just working out whether I can go now, its 50/50... but really freaking cool I got the invite though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU 65x10, 85x8, 105x6, 125x2

145x2xf

DE Squats

WU 100x5

150x6x3

Dips

BWx1x5

Dislocations

Towelx3x20

Bench - way better today, 125 were easy for both reps, could have done 3 or 4 but wanted to save some for max weight, turns out should have just gone for it lol... 145 felt ok coming off the rack, lowered great on the first set got it up a few inches but then nope, no further... second single was worse tbh... but still never attempted that weight before so small, very tiny progress...

Squats - oh yeah these felt great, really worked on getting technique right and speed from the hole better... felt very comfortable...

Dips - nope not working at all tonight, left shoulder is very tight atm and feels a little weak...

Dislocations - left shoulder was feeling tight but after the first set it loosened up and now feels better but worked...

mood is better this afternoon, no prizes for guessing why, and didnt feel as tired or out of it... still got to work on that bench, its really just starting to give me the willies... squats feel great though... now that I have an invite to the worlds and its possible I will go so I have accelerated my training but will see how it goes...


----------



## Greyphantom

Yesterdays Training

Prilepins day 3...

ME deads

WU 120x8, 170x6, 220x3, 260xf

DE Bench

WU 65x10, 85x8

105x3x3

Done...

Deads - easy up to the 260 and even that flew off the floor but as it passed my knees my right pec started to pull rather hard so I released the weight... went to attmept it again but nada, just didnt want to risk an injury...

Bench - after the pec was being really careful and it felt a bit tight on the first warmup but after that seemed ok... all went well and happy with the form and technique here...

wasnt really into it today, feeling a bit off but went ahead anyway, def something going on as come dinner time couldnt eat, only managed to get in about 2/3 of my chicken and none of the pasta... just lost appetite seriously... better today but feel bloaty...

Worlds - well we have crunched some numbers and my wife has looked at getting extra time off work (hard as she has taken two weeks this month for our holiday and stuff) but it would seem that I could go out on the wednesday (day before my lifting) and I would come back the sat or sun... still finding flights/hotels and due to circumstances (eg paying for this holiday, was looking forward to it but now its proving the damn obstacle) will have to book all that beginning of next month which wouldnt be a problem... soooo just waiting till all the numbers are crunched and it looks like it might be on... woooot...


----------



## Greyphantom

Truncated Prilepins day 1

ME squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 220x1

255x2 partials

255x1 PR

255x1 (bit ropey but dammit I got it in!!)

thats it... time is so short at the moment just did a max squat day... warm ups went well and felt easy... 255 ouch, felt heavy and I didnt set up for the first set right so shakey and just did a couple of partials to feel it... second set was tight, body in good position, weight perfect on back and it went up nicely... stars aplenty though... second single was not bad, but a bit ropey, depth ok but damn near didnt get it up... still a great PR first one in a while, very sore now, quads, hams, glutes in ouchland, population me...

Oh and def going to the worlds now, latvia here I come


----------



## Tassotti

Good squatting fella. Now that has to feel heavy!!!

What is this World's invite mate?


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> Good squatting fella. Now that has to feel heavy!!!
> 
> What is this World's invite mate?


yep it did feel heavy mate... 

Worlds is the WPC World Powerlifting Competition in Latvia... mid november...


----------



## Greyphantom

Truncated/combined Prilepins day 2/3

ME Bench

WU 65x10, 85x8, 105x6, 125x1

145xf

ME Deads

WU 120x10, 170x6, 220x3

260x1

So rushed today, just seems to be no time...

Bench went well till 125... bar seemed to be pressing on a nerve in the palm of my hand and it felt like it was on fire... but one good thing was I got a long pause on the bottom and pressed it up easily... woop... then 145... DOH... was concentrating on the rep and have found that at the bottom I "unlock"... I just lost all the tension and then couldnt press it...

Deads were good, 220 for 3 flew up... 260 was a bit tougher but again flew up and was pleased, left it at that this week, was 4 days since the last deads day (oops)...

Sent of my registration form and fee today for the worlds... so its official I am so doing it...

off to prague tomorrow so training next week is probably not happening, when I say probably I really mean definitely... diet will be shot to sh1t too... I am looking at it as a weeks break for some rest and recovery...


----------



## Tassotti

I'm a bit confused (not difficult)

Haven't you just done your first comp?

I don't get this World's invite?


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> I'm a bit confused (not difficult)
> 
> Haven't you just done your first comp?
> 
> I don't get this World's invite?


Hi Mate... lol... yep just did my first powerlifting comp in sep, but a couple of us got an invite to the world WPC powerlifting comp on the back of our performance that day... just hope I dont let the team down... the invite is cos you can only do the comp through being invited by the fed...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prep day 1

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 210x2

230x2x1

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x9, 100x6

120x1x2

Good start back, changed my program to a much more abbreviated one that concentrates on the main lifts...

Squats - went very well, 210 felt not too bad but 230 actually felt easier... good depth and moved well out of the hole...

Bench - good feel with this too, kept it tight all the way through the movement and could really feel the lats and back engage... big plus for me...

Life keeps trying to intrude with some bothersome details but just concentrating on the training and getting some numbers up and competing then will work out the personal sh1t... happy with training so its working out...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prep day 2

Deads

WU 120x8, 170x6, 210x3, 250x1

270x2x1

Dislocations

towelx3x20

Deads felt awesome today... before workout I felt ok, nothing special but ok... started training and 120 felt awkward... 170 felt better and after that the weights just flew up... 250 was pretty easy and I was going to stop at 260 but thought wtf and hit 270... first went up easy enough but 2nd literally flew up and felt easier than the 250... very happy with this and sets me up for the worlds nicely...

starting to figure out my openers and a strategy for my lifts... but its very open to change due to the nature of the beast...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prep day 1

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, belt on 210x3

250x1x2p

250x1

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x6, 120x3

130x2x1

Feeling a bit tired today as the early mornings are back plus doing some diy building work round the house (flaming diy, hate it)...

Squats - warm ups were good 210 felt comfortable and deep, split my shorts on the first rep though but kept going through my workout, hope that doesnt happen in the worlds lol... thought I put 240 on the rack but then when did the first set it felt heavy so did a partial then another which was near parallel... re-racked the bar and counted the weight up... it was 250... doh!! so did another single which was much smoother and deeper which was nice... legs felt great after that...

Bench - warm ups were great, concentrated on keeping my back tight through the whole movement and getting a nice drive off the chest... 130 and I got the first rep with a bit of a stall in the middle, not so much a stall as a slow down but didnt give up just drove through it... second single was much much easier for some reason but certainly felt a tweak in my left arm as it went a little of line... pulled it back in and felt good...

very happy with todays workout, hit all my numbers I wanted and even went heavier even if by accident on squats lol...


----------



## nogger

Hi GP just catching up,great news for the world WPC and even better that you can make it..

training looks like it's working well...good luck mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Hi GP just catching up,great news for the world WPC and even better that you can make it..
> 
> training looks like it's working well...good luck mate.


thanks mate, yeah I am damn excited, bit nervous too but so looking forward to it... off in a week got one more heavy dead session and then friday or saturday I will work on my openers... then thats it till the big day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prep day 2

Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5, 250x2

290x3xf

Warm ups went awesomely well... flew up and just didnt feel heavy at all... in fact had to stop at 2 on 250 as wanted to try for 3 or 4 but thought it might take too much out for 290 which I really really want to get... but alas it just wasnt to be, got the bar to the knees and on the first rep I thought it was going to continue up and lock out but it wasnt to be... really not sure why as I have the power to get it off the floor and all I need to do is continue pulling and push the hips through but for some reason I think myself out of it... nothing specific but think fear of injury is up there even though there is no hint or sign of discomfort at all... oh well saving it for the worlds is what I am claiming lol... I did manage to rip a couple of calluses though... not too bad just a bit stingy...

only two workouts to go now before the big day... just going to work up to my openers and make sure I can nail them for at least three with good form and technique... making sure I get good lifts... I have a fair idea of my openers now but just want to consolidate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Set Openers

Squats

WU 60x5, 100x5, 140x3, 180x3

200x4

Bench

WU 60x5, 80x5, 100x3

120x3

Deads

WU 120x5, 170x5, 210x3

250x3

Yeah baby all numbers hit and all lifts felt easy...

Squats - felt so on here, lifts went up like a rocket... in fact went up so quick on rep 3 of the 200kg set I even rocked back at the top... so did a 4th to make sure I locked the form in and it was fine... so opener set there...

Bench - oh so on here... kept it tight all the way down and back up again, 120 for 3 with a very long pause to make sure I had it locked in and thats all she wrote on that one...

Deads - bit tired when got to this but nothing serious... 210 felt a bit hard tbh but then 250 flew up... weird... but felt good and thats it till next thursday now...

Setting my openers is a day late due to loads of sh1t going on yesterday, today was a pile of [email protected] too but there was no way I was going to miss this workout... now its rest mode till my lifting day on thursday... so looking forward to it I cannot say... so ready for it now that I just want to do it!!! got some work to do round the house on the weekend then last day of work on monday (well half day) pack and get sh1t sorted for my mother (who will be looking after the kids while the mrs is at work Wed-Fri) and then off on Tue... cannot wait...


----------



## nogger

Great luck for your comp mate.....am sure you will have a great time....Hope you get some vids.


----------



## Rick89

solid lifting there buddy, wish Id seen this sooner great journal


----------



## Greyphantom

Rick89 said:


> solid lifting there buddy, wish Id seen this sooner great journal


thanks mate... didnt work out as well as hoped in some respects but better in others...


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Great luck for your comp mate.....am sure you will have a great time....Hope you get some vids.


was awesome time and did get vids... thanks mate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Right so home now and able to type a bit more about my experience at the worlds...

The whole thing was one huge experience and learning curve... fantastic experience I might add and learned a lot about how to lift more effectively in a meet and how to strengthen my week points...

I had been dieting for about a week to get down from 114-115kg to under 110kg which is the class I lift in... two days before I was 108.6 or there-a-bouts and on track to make weight... tuesday I had only one meal and sipped water throughout the day and into the night... the flight to Riga was good and quick... met with Dave Beattie and Dave Mannering on the flight which was cool. Hotel was really nice and quiet which was good for a good nights sleep (however didnt really get one of those as it was also warm and I dont tend to sleep well away from the mrs anyway)... down to the venue for weigh ins on the wednesday morning and made my weight easy with 107.5kg... off to watch a bit of the lifting before heading back to the hotel for some rest and relaxation and food and shakes...

rehydrated and ate well wednesday up early as the info said we would start at 10am... well it was mostly right... some lifting started at 10am but I was told I would probably lift at 12... then 2 and finally it was 4pm... it wasnt too much of a problem but it did mean that taking my pre workout supps and drinks and warming up was off...

warming up area was huge, three mono lifts, three dead lift areas and three benches plus a couple of big tvs for us to see the action out the front and see out next lifts etc... warm up on squats went well... Mullan Budgie from the GB team helped me out and did 190 with no problems... while I was warming up this really huge guy came over with a bit of an entourage (couple of photographers, couple of ladies and some helpers) started to warm up in the mono lift I and another chap were using... turns out it was Konstantin Konstantinovs... lol... yep well up on the play me...

anyway out to do my first squat and should have been fine but I didnt get depth (vids to follow when I figure out how to upload them to where and it will take a looooong time)... Budgie came over to tell me I had rushed the set up and for me to take more time... so followed that advice in the second lift and nailled 200... went up to 245 for the next lift as just wanted to get a good number up... was going all good till my knee gave as I went to lock it out and as a result I took a step... doh... no lift... sigh...

Bench was good but average (very average when compared to the rest of my class) weights really... first two were fine... last just didnt get past the sticking point... I have since had some help and pointers with how to strengthen my bench and will implement these to see how it goes come the raw meet at the end of jan...

Deads could not have gone better, well ok maybe a bit better if I had lifted more but I was very happy with them... warmed up with some of the Russian chaps out the back and was keeping up with them for the most part which was nice for a change... got 240 for 2 easy reps and my first lift of 250 went up well... second lift at 270 just felt great and still no trouble... so went for 290, a lift I have not got in the gym but was feeling so on by this stage just gave it a go... and UP it went, looking back at the vid it looks harder than it felt tbh... got a few good comments off that lift and redeemed myself somewhat...

So overall did ok, should have had a bigger total but happy enough for a 2nd meet and first worlds... will def get more next year and looking to improve that total even in jan for sure...

Will upload the vids as soon as I can but may take some time as our interweb connection is sh1te...

Thanks to all who have supported me and given me good wishes... the texts meant so much too...


----------



## Tassotti

Awesome!!

Looking forward to vids


----------



## Rick89

well done mate thats awesome stuff


----------



## nogger

Sounds like you had a great time......How did the Mrs like it..


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> Awesome!!
> 
> Looking forward to vids


thanks mate... will get them up asap... got them uploaded now and just need to figure out how to put them up...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rick89 said:


> well done mate thats awesome stuff


thanks mate, was such a massively cool experience... bring on the next one...


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Sounds like you had a great time......How did the Mrs like it..


had such an awesome time... learned so much too... mrs couldnt make it unfortunately... had to stay home to work and look after the kids (school)... however its in Vegas next year so she has already told the kids they are in the kennels then


----------



## Greyphantom

first squat


----------



## Greyphantom

second squat a success thank goodness...


----------



## Greyphantom

third squat and glad the spotters were there...


----------



## Greyphantom

first bench felt good


----------



## Greyphantom

second bench still good and felt tight all the way through the lift


----------



## Greyphantom

third bench... not so good here just lost tightness half way up...


----------



## Greyphantom

first deadlift went well...


----------



## Greyphantom

second dead felt comfortable...


----------



## Greyphantom

Last lift and a PR baby... yeah...!!!


----------



## Tassotti

Again...Awesome..Nice PB on the deadlift.

What was the reason for the fail on the first squat? Depth?


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti said:


> Again...Awesome..Nice PB on the deadlift.
> 
> What was the reason for the fail on the first squat? Depth?


thanks mate, felt wrapped with that...

ultimately it was depth... however it was my fault for rushing in and not setting up right... near the bottom my right knee also gave slightly and clicked which concerned me but was fine for the second, on the third though it decided to give again and thus the step... was sore for a couple of days but now solid as a rock... *touches wood*


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins (sort of) day 1

Squats

WU 60x11, 100x8, 140x7, 180x5

200x2x3

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x6

120x2x2

ooohh I hurt... already feel my legs falling off... chest isnt too bad right now but got a nice pump in the pecs...

squats - went well... lost count on a couple of sets (first and 3rd warm up sets) but felt comfortable... concentrated on keeping the chest up and back tight with my knees out and tight for the whole movement... lost it a little on the 2nd set of 200 on the last rep, chest came down but still got the weight up easily... felt really really good squatting again... took a bit out of me though for some reason...

bench - worked on keeping my back tight but also taking a breath in and holding it keeping chest up through the whole rep... seemed to make a big difference... also fiddled with some other little bits like head up or down or head going from the up position to the down position... not sure that made a difference tbh... got huge cramps in my hip flexors on the 120kg sets though, getting the leg drive was hard so I didnt bother too much with that but had to stretch out after each set to loosen them up...

oh god it feels good to be training again... knackering but good... combined mon and wed and only did the squat and bench portion today as last few days have been manic and today was no different but was not going to miss out training for anything... silly season is upon us but going to make time for training as I will be entering the raw comp at the end of Jan that Dave Beattie is running...

Diet is back to eating better foods and taking in around 300g of protein... not too sure of fats and carbs atm but they are there...


----------



## nogger

Will be feeling that in the morning...but a nice feeling to be back training....January won't take long to come around.

Great training as always.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Will be feeling that in the morning...but a nice feeling to be back training....January won't take long to come around.
> 
> Great training as always.


you better believe it mate, feeling it now tbh  but yeah man really nice feeling to be back under the iron... It already seems like its just round the corner mate, thought it was like 9 weeks but feels more like 9 days... lol...

thanks for that, short and sweet and very abbreviated tonight as just pressed for time so far, but will be implementing a full training program from friday with deadlift day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME squats

WU 60x12, 100x10, 140x6, 180x4, belt on 200x2

220x1x2, 2x1

DE Deads

WU 100x5

150x4x4

SLDL

100x3x10

Oh all thats good an holy... almost didnt make training today... first got caught in a traffic jam when a truck broke down, then a car chase down the a20 and then thought would have to pick up my daughter from the bus stop... luckily mum to the rescue and she got my daughter so it meant I could get the session in...

Squats - warm ups went well, working on keeping my chest up and keeping it tight all the way through the movement. funnily enough the 200kg set felt easier than the 180kg set... 220 felt good all except the 2 rep on the first set... as I got near the top my chest just caved... not good so I just man handled the fvcker up and got it in ok... next two singles went really well though and chest stayed up fine...

Deads - felt great... very light though and worked on power and speed... by the end of the 4 sets I was shaking like a leaf and had difficulty writing the more complex numbers in my log... numbers like 1 for eg

SLDL - weight felt very light but still felt it in my hams and glutes... was all done by this stage... shaking didnt stop for about 10 mins after workout and now it hurts to sit and type... lol...

great workout over all, first time for a full (sort of next week adding in pull throughs) workout since the week before the worlds... was awesome...


----------



## Wardy211436114751

Good stuff mate only just seen your vids from the worlds great job!

Shame about last squat mate you basically had it grrrr! Very nice 290 pull made that look a piece of p1ss 300in a few months for sure man!


----------



## Greyphantom

Wardy21 said:


> Good stuff mate only just seen your vids from the worlds great job!
> 
> Shame about last squat mate you basically had it grrrr! Very nice 290 pull made that look a piece of p1ss 300in a few months for sure man!


thanks mate... was an awesome experience... 300 by end of jan for sure!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x12, 80x10, 100x8, 120x4

130x2x1, 1xf

DE Squat

WU 100x5, 130x5

160x4x4

Seated Mil Press

40x3x10

CGBP

60x2x10, 1x7

Dislocations

towelx3x20

Oh goodness... great workout in that I felt it working well but not so good as outlined below...

Bench - warm ups were awesome, felt strong and tight... got to 130 and it still felt great on the first two singles... on the third was going up nicely when my wrist gave way but I managed to catch the bar ok and hold it... hold it... hold it... but could lock out the last 3 inches dammit... so fail... and to top it off my left collar bone is very sore and painful when I lift my arm up or try pressing movements... but onward...

Squats - excellent... very deep and form was maintained through whole rep for every rep... sets got easier as I progressed which was nice and felt strong throughout... however had trouble getting under the bar as left shoulder/clavicle was not playing nice...

Seated Press - was going to do 60 but it wasnt happening, 40 felt ok but left arm started going numb... is still tingly now tbh... almost like I was having a heart attack or pinched a nerve or something... I am opting for pinching the nerve

CGBP - felt great and concentrated on getting the drive from the bottom... however collar bone again hurt every time I took the weight off the rack... but fvck it worked through although I had to stop on the third after 7th rep as left side was giving way... stupid aches and pains...

Dislocations - tbh didnt feel great as my left was tight and it wasnt going full range... but it did loosen it up and my arm is less numb...

going to add some more weight on a couple of exercises next time and add in another exercise for triceps... feeling good though...


----------



## nogger

Hope it's nothing too much mate.....remember pinching a nerve in my neck years ago while leg pressing....popping noise and then the most serious long lasting headache,doctor had me rap a scarf round my neck for support,helped big time but it was in summer.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Hope it's nothing too much mate.....remember pinching a nerve in my neck years ago while leg pressing....popping noise and then the most serious long lasting headache,doctor had me rap a scarf round my neck for support,helped big time but it was in summer.


its already a lot better thanks mate... still sore if I move too fast but generally good to go... hot bath is the key... that and a few supps 

weighed myself tonight as well... 114.1kg which is about 7 kg more than my comp weight... so might have to watch the old diet over the next month so I dont have that much work to do come Jan...


----------



## nogger

Greyphantom said:


> its already a lot better thanks mate... still sore if I move too fast but generally good to go... hot bath is the key... that and a few supps
> 
> weighed myself tonight as well... 114.1kg which is about 7 kg more than my comp weight... so might have to watch the old diet over the next month so I dont have that much work to do come Jan...


Go easy on the christmas pud :whistling: .....glad it feeling better.


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME deadlift

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x4, 240x2

270x3x1

DE Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x6

110x1x3, 1x2

Truncated workout...

Was quick and simple today... didnt plan it to be like that but it turned out that way as just ran out of time as daughter was early coming home (isnt it funny how one little thing throws out a large part of your day)...

Deads - warm ups were great, felt strong and conctrated on a nice smooth powerful pull from the floor... the 3 singles were really good, better than I expected tbh as I have had little sleep and it seems my son loves to share his little bugs... either that or it was something we ate yesterday as we have similar symptoms and even though I did the obligatory "evacuation" before my heavy dead session I was still very concerned that I might have an accident lol... but all is good...

Bench - warm ups were great, felt good with my shoulder too... till I started going heavier... first set of 110 was good... second not so much... but was moot as had to leave then to pick up daughter... I have found that my shoulder and tricep strength needs a load of work though... yay...

over all it felt good but a bit disappointed in the bench still... oh well work to be done...


----------



## big_jim_87

You use straps on deads bud?


----------



## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> You use straps on deads bud?


nope, never do mate... used to and got to 180kg... now I can do much more with no straps... grip is not a problem so far...


----------



## Greyphantom

Weekend training Prilepins day 2 and 3

Sat Day 2

ME bench

WU 60x12, 80x10, 100x6

120x1

DE squats

WU 100x5, 130x5

160x2x4

inside to either puke or crap myself or both at same time...

Sun Day 3

ME deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x4

250x2x1

DE bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x4

110x3x3

Rows

110x3x8

Oh what a sh1t weekend... literally... friday night was my boys birthday night and he had a couple of friends over who didnt get to sleep till 2am, then broken sleep till about 7 then up and at them... flaming kids... felt rough and had no energy but didnt think too much of it... bench sucked hugely, felt tight up till the 120 and after that just nothing in the tank at all... started the squats and had to stop after the second set as I felt I was going to throw up or not be able to control my rear... was not pleasant... felt awful... called it a day... however I did feel my legs quite a bit that day... weird... oh and to top it all off I had massive issues with the mrs which took a few hours to sort out and tbh was totally bs but what can you do... women

sunday - feeling better so trained deads and de bench... energy was still low... only went up to 250 for deads and they felt hard but 110 for bench felt great, kept it tight all the way through each rep for each set... experimented with position on the bench and how I take the bar off the rack... think I may have found a better position as I got all 3 sets done with full rep numbers I was aiming for... did some rows as well but only 110 as wanted to get the movement in and feel it properly...

a bit of a crap weekend but onward and upward... think the experimenting with bench will have a knock on effect (hopefully) so looking forward to next bench session for once... feeling much better today but going to rest up a bit and eat as much as I can...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 60x12, 100x10, 140x7, 180x4, 210x1

245x3x1

Stand ups 275x3x10secs

DE Deads

WU 100x5

160x4x4

SLDL

130x2x10, 1x2

Well have felt like crap the last couple of days... didnt want to train today but to stay on track I had too so mtfu and got on with it... appetite is still there but not sure what I feel like eating... sigh...

Squats - warm ups felt awesome, very easy and tight and even the 210 felt ON... as they felt good thought bugger it and went to 245 for the singles... first was ok but not sure about depth if totally honest, it felt good but was a bit scrappy... second was lower and tighter, managed to keep the chest up well and back very tight, well pleased, but the third was the best... tight all the way down, well under control and went that little bit lower to make sure, which for sure made it harder coming up but I got it in... very happy about that... since it all felt so good I thought I would try to get some real weight on my back and loaded another 30kg on the bar to make it 275kg and just lifted it off the rack and held it for 10secs... no problems kept tight and thats it... next week will try to walk it out... well pleased with todays efforts...

Deads - oh today was so ON... did the 4 sets in like 5 mins... not sure why but even though head full of cold I just felt like caning it... 160 just flew up and felt like nothing... very comfortable and felt great breaking it from the floor... my iron plates are smaller than regulation too so they were like deficits really... again very pleased...

SLDL - put some weight on and upped the reps this week... first two sets felt easy and hams and glutes got thrashed... last set 2nd rep felt my back pull... owie... but nothing too serious but enough to make me stop there...

So loved todays workout... could do workouts like today all year long... really on track for the end of Jan...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x12, 80x10, 100x7, 120x2

130x3x1

DE squats

WU 100x5, 130x5

160x2x4, 1x1

Well the workout started really well... bench felt great, tight and the new position on the bench is working a treat, feels much more in control and the drive was working brilliantly... I could have gone higher re the weight but kept my numbers as per the plan... very happy with this today...

squats well... started great, felt tight and the power from the hole was fine... very deep (couldnt go any lower actually) and felt the movement all the way through... first set was excellent, back didnt complain much at all... second was still pretty good with the back feeling it but not in a bad way... till the third set, first rep went down and then the back was a screaming mess of pain... stupid back... if the weight hadnt been so light I would have had to dump it as it was I made the rep and racked it before collapsing in a heap... after a minute it was fine again but I decided to leave it there... later on it was fine again... no twinges or anything, bit tight this morning but still ok... as its deads day it should proove interesting... tbh I dont feel anything when in the dead position (yes been trying it out all night and this morning lol)... have started some new supps which hopefully will deal with this little niggle in double quick time... certainly dont want it to hinder anything for the 30th...!!!


----------



## Tassotti

Merry Christmas to you and yours GP


----------



## Greyphantom

> Merry Christmas to you and yours GP


thanks mate, hope yours was a good one and the family got all they wanted from santa...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x12, 80x10, 100x7, 120x2

135x1xf

100x9

DE Squats

WU 100x5, 130x5

160x4x4

Seated Sh Press

50x10, 55x1x8 1x7

CGBP

70x2x10, 1x8

Dislocations

Towelx3x25

Woo hoo, yeah baby, full workout and felt awesome... pure awesome... not one whisper of a twinge from the back and it felt great...

Bench - sigh, still my achilles heal in a big way... warm up felt fantastic... 120 felt so tight and strong I was very happy... 135 came down too slow I think and only got it to about 2 inches off the chest before I just lost it... real problem now and need to work on this for the new year, might incorporate some rack starts (not sure if thats what its called but where you have the bar just above the chest resting on the safeties or the rack and start from the bottom of the movement)... hopefully the shoulder and tricep work I am building into the workouts will help as well...

Squats - how awesome were these today... so tight, couldnt get them any lower and the drive up was just great... felt very light and strong... cannot wait till next ME squat day... and best thing was no problem at all from the back, no hint of the injury... yes...

Sh press - another weak area for me but felt very comfortable today, shaky on the last reps of the last set but still felt it well in the shoulders, will up the weight next week and keep pushing...

CGBP - again this felt really good compared to last week... really strong and felt it much more in the tris... loved it...

Dislocations - all thats good and holy, these hurt tonight... up to 25 reps and really felt them deep... very hurty... but good hurty...

really happy with today, bench not withstanding of course, as first workout that I could do fully without having to stop or abandoning all together... back felt good and strong and soooo psyched about fridays workout now as its Dead day... bring it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x4, 250x2, 275x1

290x1x1

300x1x1

310x2xf

DE bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x5

110x3x3

Rows

110x3x8

Yeah baby got the 300 on the last training day of the year, reached my target for deads (and think squats too but will have to check back to confirm)...

Met with some friends and then headed off to Monster gym... oh my GOD what a gym... it has everything... totally awesome place to train and very motivational... went over some squat pointers with some of them while others trained... then went on to get my dead session done.

Deads - just felt so on today... warm ups went well and 275 flew up so I went for 300... loaded the bar and did my first single... coming off the floor it felt fantastic, and just so good, till it got to mid thigh and the 5kg weights on either side fell off and made it a 290 pull... lol... not deterred I changed the plates to some 25kg ones to get the collars on too so no more plates fell off... 300 went up nice and easy... felt very good and strong through the whole lift... talking with Merat I decided to try 310... first rep got to my knees and just couldnt fire my hips through... 2nd went pretty much the same... but I got 300kg for a good rep and am very happy with that...

Bench - went well and was comfortable... had some soreness from wednesdays training but nothing too bad...

Rows - felt good and reps were solid... back certainly feeling it today...

really good and productive workout today... stoked I got the 300 and really good to meet up with some good people for a great day...


----------



## Tassotti

300K dead boom


----------



## big_jim_87

Well done buddy

You need to change you journal name tho lol

You still train at home?

Pl is ok to do at home as so basic.

Gonna start working on deads again


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti... thanks mate well made up with that...

Jim - thanks mate, yeah I do need to change it... maybe GPs Powerlifting Journey or some other crap  ... yep I still train at home for the most part but will start to go to a mates gym as I need to get some bench training in... not that simple mate lol, whole bunch of assistance stuff and bits but I have enough of a set up that it covers all the bases...


----------



## big_jim_87

Goof stuff.

Just about to get back into deads aftercare 6 month lay off...


----------



## Rick89

very nice deadlifting fella

great work


----------



## Greyphantom

Jim - get them in ya mate... I believe they do a lot for ones physique and training in general...

KJW - suck up a big breath and just keep it tight all through the movement... I have had two hernia ops and can pull 300 no straps or belt... no excuses buddy boy 

Rick - thanks mate... well made up and the fact I did it in front of people I respect and admire made it even better...


----------



## big_jim_87

Havnt done em since hamstring ripped...


----------



## defdaz

300kg GP!!! Very impressive mate!


----------



## Greyphantom

Jim - come on mate, get them in, but slowly to start, get the form right and tight then bam baby...

Daz - thanks mate, was a goal for 2011... now for 350 and a world record for my class


----------



## Wardy211436114751

Joined the 300k club must feel awesome  Welldone mate


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME squat

WU 70x10, 110x8, 150x5, 190x3, 220x1

250x1np

250x1xf

DE deads

WU 110x6

180x4x3

SLDL

140x3x8

OOOOooouuuuccchhhh....

Squats - went really well up to 250... 220 felt tight and very comfortable... but 250, while feeling great taking the weight, getting it to parallel proved to be a bit difficult, spots in front of eyes and stuff... the second rep again felt great taking it out of the rack and got it to parallel but couldnt get it back up, on the plus side I went atg with 250kg lmao...

Deads - felt great but legs werent in it at all, worked on firing the hips through quicker... all good here...

SLDL - this is what I injured myself with and was a bit tentative... upped the weight a bit but lowered the reps... felt really good but man the legs were hurting by this stage... all 3 sets done and felt good...

wanted to get more on the squats this week but happy enough with how they went given its been a couple of weeks and I couldnt squat due to back being injured last week... legs in bits atm, but in a good way...


----------



## Greyphantom

Wardy - feels awesome mate... now to capitalise on that...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x5, 125x2

135x2xf

Rack Press

70x8, 80x2x8

Sh Press

60x2x6

Lying tricep ext

30x10

40x2x6+1partial

Dislocations

towelx3x25

oh jebus my chest hurts... it feels like someone is inside it spreading it apart side to side and up and down and I think even front to back...

Bench - all the lower weights felt fantastic, really good pressing and very comfortable... got to 135 and nope just wasnt in it at all... its really starting to p1ss me off something rotten but I am working on it... by 125kg my chest was feeling really good...

Rack press - this is new, started at the bottom of the bench press movement with the bar resting on the safeties... I suck from the bottom of the press so think this will help... it certainly felt different and by the 3rd set my chest felt in bits...

press - not as good as I had hoped... another weakness to work on...

lying tricep ext - wow this felt great, really got into my tris and worked them well...

Dislocations - always feel great and feels like they loosen up the shoulders after benching... am going to invest in a broomstick to make them harder and then add weight to that to see how that works...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x4, 250x2

275x1x1, 1xf

Chins

BWx1x5, 2x6

BOR

120x3x8

Nice little workout today (well Saturday) and felt pretty good... didnt get as much on the deads as I had wanted... legs feeling tight and back a little tender...

Deads - warm up sets felt great and very quick off the ground... got to 275 and it felt hard on the first rep but couldnt lock the second single out... over all happy enough but still need to work on them to get my next magic number...

Chins - felt quite easy but wussed out on the last 2 or 3 reps I should have done... on all sets...

BOR - very nice and tight, felt the movement through the whole range and back was in bits by the end of these...

Over all as I said great little workout even if I didnt get the top numbers this time round but then this close to the comp I am not going to push it too hard (well this week anyway)... I left DE bench out this week as chest was still tight and a bit sore from the other day... chins felt the easiest they have ever... a lot of my problem is the drive/power from the bottom of the hang... I just wasnt developing enough of it... rectified and will build on that now... only 3 weeks till the comp now and that means 2 lots of workout for each lift and then setting the openers...


----------



## nogger

Nice workout again ...3 weeks to comp,not long now mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks Nogger, I see by your journal youre getting into the new year nicely too mate...

This is a vid of my first attempt at 300kg at Monster gym... I say first attempt as the 5kg plates fell off either side as it went past my knees... yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

300kg baby, pulled this up and BOOM...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x2, 230x1

250x2x1

DE deads

WU 100x5, 140x5

180x4x3

SLDL

150x1x6, 2x7

oooooouuuuucccchhhhhhh

Squats - wow felt these all the way through, really worked on maintaining form keeping it all the way through the movement and it proved to be just as much a mental exercise as physical... warm ups felt great and tight and depth at 180 was great... 230 felt really good and very comfortable, most comfortable its felt for a while... 250 was awesome, first rep felt really good and deep, hams and glutes activated nicely at the bottom and just felt it all the way up... 2nd single was ok if I am to be completely honest it was only just parallel but still felt the hams and glutes which I dont if its too high... first time in a long time I have had to take a breather to stop from throwing up here too... many breaths taken... lol

Deads - worked on getting the hips through and its coming together nicely... 180 felt awesomely easy... was really feeling it by the end though...

SLDL - oh all thats good and holy by this time I just wanted to curl up... I know not much volume but today the form was spot on and I was feeling each and every rep... in so much after even the first set I couldnt sit but I couldnt really stand either...lol...

Wow this has been one of the best squat days ever... legs are cramping as I sit (well were been rubbing them furiously lol) and feeling them really well...


----------



## nogger

Well done on the deadlift mate....What was you thinking of to psych yourself up before the lift.

Squats great too,i can feel your pain......Legs tomorrow for me but baby weights.


----------



## Greyphantom

thanks Nogger... tbh mate I dont think anything, I know the bar will move so it does, well most of the time  but when getting to the max lifts I just tend to go blank and its just the bar and me... when I am like that its always a good lift... I got asked if I took depressants before lifting at the worlds lol... the guy said hes never seen anyone so calm and quiet before lifting 

legs still very tired today, was going to do bench day but might take a day and do it tomorrow... or might not


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME bench

70x10, 90x8, 110x5, 125x2

135x1xf

Rack press

90x7+1p

DE squats

WU 100x5, 140x5

180x3x3

dislocations

Towel x 3 x 25

thats all folks... hard one today... was feeling ok before hand, didnt get much sleep but still felt ok... I did have a niggle in my left side collar bone but didnt think too much of it... which is always silly...

Bench - first couple of warm up sets felt ok... 110 I started to feel a pain in my collar bone but could still lift fine, 125 went up easy for two feeling very good except for that flaming collar bone... was starting to really hurt and I though what the hell didnt want to wuss out so tried 135kg... nope, wasnt too bad under load but on the drive up (and it started going so I was feeling good) collar bone really hurt so I dropped the weight...

Rack press - sooo tried rack pressing... got 7 full presses out on the first set then just couldnt quite get the last rep and again the collar bone really hurt... upper pec felt tight but not really sore just along my collar bone... I think I have been sleeping on it funny or something... just hope its a simple fix...

Squats - was a bit hard getting under the bar at first but by the time I got to the main sets it felt ok and good deep reps... last set though my left freaking quad twinged... just not my fricking day...

dislocations - oh yeah, felt things relax and release out on these...

going to see how this collar bone thing goes but hoping its just a case of sleeping on it funny and then exacerbating it through training... legs feeling it but feel good so thats a plus... weight is just over 110kg at 111 or thereabouts so wont have a problem dropping under my weight for the comp... looking forward to taking some time off the heavy stuff if I am to be totally honest to recover and rest up...


----------



## big_jim_87

Greyphantom said:


> Jim - come on mate, get them in, but slowly to start, get the form right and tight then bam baby...
> 
> Daz - thanks mate, was a goal for 2011... now for 350 and a world record for my class


Yea hit them 2 wks on trot now and crippled!

This week was 200kx13, 180kx12 180kx9 so not heavy at all but felt good! Grip is shyt ATM I'm using straps and grip is going on 200k before rest of back etc.

Need to add weight each week but keep reps high for a bit.


----------



## Greyphantom

ok niggles arent so bad today so thats encouraging... going to see a sports therapist on tuesday to get some massage work done, they are supposed to make you cry so we shall see... need to get some kinks unkinked so either way it should be good...

Jim - nice to see youre getting back into it mate... I miss them so much when they are not in my program... not that that ever happens you understand... well except for this one time in band camp


----------



## strongmanmatt

You f***ing monster man welcome to the 300kg club one day I'd like to be there, great stuff fella. Absolute quality technique doesn't look like you use your legs that much.

You should be called the crane.


----------



## Greyphantom

lol not that monsterish mate... thanks its taken a while but its good to be there, now to consolidate it... I get the initial drive from the legs but not too much... lol @ crane


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x4, 250x2

280x1

DE bench

Not done

Chins

BWx7, 6+1p, 5+1p

BOR

130x3x8

was not sure I was going to make today... but took a double dose of MTFU and just got into it...

Deads - was worried about shoulder and quad hampering my lifting on this but it turned out to be pretty ok... didnt feel either till about 250 and they went up with ease... went to 280 and again lifted it fine but felt both my quad and shoulder start to have a moan so I left it at that... however very encouraged by the way they went today, just so good off the floor and smooth up to lock out... was going to try 300 again but didnt want to tempt fate so this is my last heavy session before the comp, next sat I will set my opener for deads and that will be that till I compete... very happy though

Bench - sacked it off as I just didnt want to risk stuffing my shoulder any more as its recovering nicely at the moment, I have upped my cissus intake and that seems to be helping no end...

Chins - felt good and I am now starting to get used to the form/technique... only downside today was I felt my shoulder/collar bone hurting at the bottom of the movement... not as in becoming more injured just letting me know its having a time of it... still these are getting better...

BOR - just felt on... very good and felt it in my back amazingly... liking these a lot right now...

Over all a good work out... really happy with the way deads are going and hoping to hit some good numbers for the comp... pleased with how well the niggles are recovering and should be all good in a few days... spent the morning fixing our fence (had to replace one of the posts) so thats cardio done then lol...


----------



## Tassotti

Where's the comp GP? Got a link?


----------



## strongmanmatt

This guy is the strongest on squat and deadlift here isn't he?


----------



## nogger

Can't beat a bit of cardio fencing.


----------



## Greyphantom

Tassotti - its at the Genesis gym 333 Atlon rd in wembly London mate... will see if I can get a linky up in the next day or so...

Strongmanmatt - if youre talking about me I think there are quite a few on here a lot stronger... but give me another year 

Nogger - LMAO hell no you cant


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 60x12, 100x9, 140x6, 180x4, 210x2, 230x1

250x1x1, 1xnp

thats it... short and sweet today, was not even sure I was going to train as last night was horrible... went to bed feeling like I was going to throw up all over the place, started to feel better after lying there for a bit but woke up again at about midnight and just felt awful, weak, trembly and increadibly nauseus... managed to hold it in and then sat up in bed to see if I couldnt shake it off... thought I had been sitting up for about 5 mins when I looked at the clock an hour had passed lol... feeling much better then so lay down and slept like a baby till up at 5...

still not great tummy wise but managed to get some food in and thought bugger it with the sports massage tomorrow and the comp just round the corner have to train... didnt expect too much and it was a pleasant surprise for the most part... warm ups felt fantastic and tight... one thing I am learning is to take my time in the set up... if I do that I can generally sink it to depth and get a nice tight base to squat from... I rush it and its just all over the place... 230 felt really good, so was very happy... first single at 250 felt good but wasnt that happy with the rise from the hole... felt a bit shakey... had to sit a while after this as felt ill... took a shot of MTFU juice and went for another single... not good as I rushed it.... was going to film it, set the camera (phone) up and thought brill can see how I go but as I started the damn thing fell off the bench lol... so all the footage I got is spinning walls and me shouting "noooooo depth dammit"... lmao...

thats my last heavy squat session till the comp... next week (prob monday) is when I set my openers... still feeling a bit squeemish now...


----------



## big_jim_87

What is wu?


----------



## Greyphantom

its the chinese for the number 5... first character in the chinese for turtle 

or it could mean Warm Up...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok no training today but I did partake in some sports massage... turned up and I knew the person doing the massage was a lady but I didnt know she was going to be such a small lady... at first I thought hmmm hope she can get into the muscle and if I am too tense actually do some good... (yes she was rather good looking and as one who lifts weights and aspires to be a strength and conditioning coach must I did check her out and she is very fit, good arms and legs great chest)... after asking some good questions (all the usual plus discussed training, frequency of training, how I train etc) she got me to strip naked and oil up... noooo just kidding, she got me to strip to my boxers (good thing I had clean ones on) and I hopped up on the table and she went to work...

Started with my back (she said I have a strong back *que girlish giggle*) and it started a bit light, started to think "hmm not as hard or tough as I have heard" then she really went to work and it was like her hands changed from flesh into the most unholy metal thing known to man... how the hell can some one so little do that...!!!! she started really getting right into the muscle and working all the kinks (that I didnt know I had) out... then I swear she started getting her elbows in there too... at this stage I had to stop talking (she was asking questions throughout) and just try to stay relaxed enough for her to do the work well and not make it harder on her (or hurtier on me)... after a while (time sort of stopped somewhere in there) she finished on my back and I though "phew thats hopefully the worst of it"... then she moved to my glutes... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO... what the hell was I thinking... her hands became trained instruments of death that manipulated my poor butt in ways no hetero sexual mans should... she bent my leg at the knee and manipulated my leg making me feel new levels of pain just by placing her hands of death at one point and pushing... just pushing ffs... finishing with the right glute she moved to the hamstring, now if you thought I had felt pain before it was nothing, lambs frolicking in the sunshine bleating merrily, compared to the hams... all thats good and holy I have no idea what instruments of torture she kept hidden under her shirt but she surely pulled them out now and began to use them... again with the bend the knee and manipulate the leg thing but this time running like a million volts up the muscle at the same time and getting a steam roller out of the cupboard to run up and down my hams... ooooooooohhhh my god... and she finished with the right... sigh... wait whats she doing with my caaaaAALLLLLLLFFFFFFFFFfff fvcking hell... this made me actually jump... couldnt believe how tight they were... either that or she is just one hell of a good s&m lady... and thats the right side finished, I start breathing again until I realise that, like all red blooded humans on gods green earth, I have a LEFT side too... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.. .. rinse and repeat... cue me crying by now...

once she did that I wiped my eyes and thought right that was an experience then heard the voice of the devil say... "turn over"... turn over... turn fvcking over... holy mary mother of all thats good.... starts at the chest this time... bit sore but not tooo bad... certainly worked out the kinks I had and the left side that was giving me a lot of gyp felt great... nice I thought... then she moved to my quads... this may hurt she tells me... at this stage I am thinking wtf do you mean THIS may hurt, what about all the other stuff... oh how right she was... my quads were on fire... again with the steam roller and hands of pain, I mean how the hell do they get their hands to do that... now its all I can do to stop myself tensing up... I dont really succeed at this btw... when she switches sides I also have forgotten that breathing is necessary to us humans... she reminds me nicely of course by saying that deep breathes help relax... I am sure there are a few choice words I could have replied with but by this time the ability of speech has completely escaped me... she finishes looking all sweetness and light and politely tells me to get dressed, a gibbering wreck I slide off the table fearful she will grab me for one more thing and dress as fast as I can... pay the lady and then book another appointment to do it all over again...

WOW is all I can say... should have done this years ago... already I feel things working... different... uuummm looser and lighter... bit hard to say really... feels really good though... as I said my collar bone/should upper chest area feels way better... legs feel good and relaxed... in fact all over is awesome... cost was £35 for an hour so good deal I thought...


----------



## Tassotti

PMSL!!

That's a good deal..I pay £40 for what my therapist calls 'Good Pain'


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins Day 2 (really just bench day)

ME bench

WU 70x12, 90x9, 110x5, 125x2

135x1

140xf

Dislocations

standard bar (7kg thereabouts) x 3 x 15

woot... went really well, way better than previous sessions... missed the 140 but that was mainly due to my shoulder/collar bone tightening up and I didnt want to push too hard and re do anything fixed by the rest and rehab of the sports massage the other day...

bench - oh now this is how its supposed to feel... was a bit worried re the injury but it didnt give me any problems till 140kg... 125 pretty much flew up, had to check the bar was loaded right actually lol... 135 which is where I have been stalling the last couple of weeks or so went up really easily and I was so happy at this stage, thought 140 would be a good next step to equal my pb... unracked, held at top and then lowered, as it got to the chest I could feel my collar bone getting tight and the drive just didnt happen... but good news is that it feels fine after...

Dislocations - upgraded to a bar from a towel this week, was a standard bar so weighed about 7kg or so... huge difference in the movement, towel has so much give in it where the bar doesnt... felt it much more in the shoulders and it is good...

felt really good today and really happy with the bench, one thing I did do was bring my hands in on the bar, so instead of my forefinger being on the ring I had my little finger on the ring... felt it more in my chest... and it could be coincidence but the bar felt easier to get up... once the shoulder is fully functional I will blast past my previous pb... bring it on...!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Openers for deads

WU

120x10, 170x6, 210x3, 240x3

260x3

Yeah baby, felt great, and tbh better than when I set the openers for the worlds... comfortable and nice pull all the way through to lock out... damn near floated off the floor... well not quite floated but went up well... thats now it for deads and will do the heavy stuff next week at the comp. shoulder/collar bone is still niggley but much better... only downside at the moment is that friday night I was sick as a dog... felt a bit dodgy before my last shake of the day and then after that it was all I could do to stop throwing up and when I finally settled I was up and down all night with stomach issues and wind... boy did I get told sat morning lol... but feeling good now and weight is still ok, strength hasnt suffered and just really want to get in and do the comp now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Openers Squat and bench

Squat

WU 70x10, 110x8, 150x5, 190x3

210x3

Bench

WU 70x9, 90x5, 110x3

125x3

Oooouch... well the collar bone thing is back... sigh... feels ok in squatting but as the weight goes up in the squat so does the pressure on the clavicle... woo freaking hoo... however went on to bench and if I give it some time then I noticed its not so bad, but if I also get the right position (ie shoulders back tight, lats engaged and grip just so) then its not so bad either... sigh... and add to this the fact that I had a crappy nights sleep and have had huge dodgy tummy issues this morning I was hesitant when squatting to say the least... still onward and upward...

Squat - all went well as was expected... 190 down to the bottom and for some reason was a bit apprehensive about 210 but it went well... only fly was on the first rep when I shot up too fast from the hole and nearly overbalanced at the top... mental note, exert better control, but think I also pushed my chest too far out lol...

Bench - clavicle hurting on this in all the warm ups... but still managed to get 3 really good fully paused reps on the 125 which is awesome...

actually really productive and I have made some good progress when comparing my openers from my first comp and even the worlds to this... now all to do is rest and recover and bring on the big day...


----------



## nogger

Have a good rest mate...Good luck for the comp. :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

thanks Nogger... feeling itchy to lift atm lol.. its only been a day


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## Greyphantom

Right probably the last update before I do the comp... down to 107.7 now which is a little more than I wanted to be but still within limits and means I get a lucosade with some ECAA's in it feeling good about tomorrow, few niggles but nothing serious and feeling fine... bags are packed and I'm ready to go... bring it OOOONNNNN


----------



## Tassotti

Best of luck GP


----------



## Wardy211436114751

Good luck mate I shall be lifting day after ya


----------



## Greyphantom

Cheers lads...

Good luck Wardy... just enjoy mate and move that metal...


----------



## Greyphantom

BPC "Lee 'Lumpy' Price" Raw qualifier report.

Got there in time for weigh in on the friday evening (made fantastic time round the m25 actually) and jumped on the scales to weigh in at 107.5kg sigh, thought it would be lower this time as started actual dieting round monday by dropping more carbs and lower fats... kept protein high though... friday I didnt eat at all as I even though I was under I knew I would probably put too much on with a meal or two... sipped lucasade through the day only really... sooo damn hungry by dinner time that after weigh in and check in (hotel) went to mcdees with kids and ate 2500 cals worth of food... then an hour after getting back to the hotel I had a shake and some other bits to make it an even 3000cal man that felt good, sooooo much respect for those who diet for so long to cut for bbing... not for me I know this...

Saturday woke well, down for brekkie (bacon, eggs and mushrooms and juice) and then off to the comp... got in nice and early, got changed into my sexy singlet and bits and then just waited to warm up for squats...

Squats - warm ups went really well, felt nice and strong and very comfortable, shoulder/pec felt good with not even a twinge... just warmed up to about 190 then rested before being called for my first lift... 210 was my opener and was fine, nice and comfy with no problem... 2nd attempt was 230 and felt even better... so far so good... then for the third attempt I thought would try 245 which is still below my gym record... set up went ok and started the lift got down to a good depth and drove up... on the way up my pec/shoulder (narrowed it down to my trap really) went and my chest gave in, at this stage I was still pushing up and thinking I would get it... but I was caught by the spotters and racked the bar... good call but a tough one... (the spotters were pure awesome by the way)... that was all she wrote for squats and after the last one I was not sure about benching...

Bench - took a couple of nurofen and started warm ups... 60 felt horrible... painful and just didnt feel it at all... sigh... got loads of advice about how to bench though and a mate gave me a squirt with this spray pain away stuff which seemed to work nicely... (plus I took another 2 nurofen )... 80 felt better and then 100 felt ok too... 110 was a bit shakey to be honest and by this stage I was a bit worried... 125 was my opener... under the bar, got my shoulders and back tight and just got on with it... good lift... very happy, everything else would be gravy now... 135 second attempt... set up nicely and took the bar, felt painful on the way down and touched my chest... waited for the press command.... waited.... waited... then it came and bam up it went... felt ok (still painful but not hindering) and thought wtf will try for 145... came out to do 145 which would be a pb for me... again took the bar, felt heavy but not as bad as I thought... down the bar went (very sore now) and touch chest... waited... waited... waited... waited.... and press (thank god lol)... maaaaan this was a grind, just did not give up at all as I wanted this... got it to lock out and bam baby good lift!!! so freaking pleased and have to say that the longer wait for the press command probably helped keep me locked so god bless Dave Mannering for that lol...

Deadlifts - this is my best lift... warm ups were good and felt comfortable, no problems for my chest or shoulder at all... only went up to about 250 for warm up and then out to start opener at 260... this would be a british record for my class... as I sat there waiting for my name to be called my quads started cramping... could not fvcking believe it dammit... stood up and rubbed them down, didnt help much... name called walked out (a bit gingerly tbh) I addressed the bar and began the lift, as I got it to the top my left quad sort of cramped/spasmed but I made lock out ok (2 whites only though first time on a dead for me not to have 3)... second attempt 280, not happy with the first lift tbh so I drank half a bottle of lucosade and this helped a lot... cramps stopped and out I went for 280... this flew up and went much better than the first by far... another brit record woot... then third attmept was 300... only pulled this once before in training... legs were fine and felt right on the money... addressed the bar set up and BAM baby just went up nicely... felt better than the second even... at this stage as I had a brit record I could try a 4th attempt... so though bugger it will go silly and try 320kg... never even tried to lift this before so wasnt sure if it would even move but hey you got to try to push the envelope hey... I got to have a few mins to prepare and after a couple of mins I gave the judge the nod and went out to the bar... big breaths and set up... started to lift but only managed to get it to my knees... no lift for me... but I have identified a few problems with the set up for that one and I know I just sort of gave up... one of my problems I think in lifting and need to kick that out of me...

so overall I came 7th out of 39, 2nd in my class with a total of 675, squat 230, bench 145, dead 300... good but will do better next time... this also means I qualify for the brit finals in May (26/27 May 12 at the five lakes crown plaza in Colchester, Essex). This means I dont have to compete in april which is nice and will just go to help out and watch...

Man I just loved this comp even more than any of the others... my main rival was Jamie Chivers and we were pretty evenly matched on squats and while my dead is a bit better than his, his bench is just freaking amazing, I mean he bench 200kg raw and made it look easy, superb stuff and so damn inspirational... but one day lol... Dave Beattie ran another fantastic comp and is such a nice guy... a pure icon of powerlifting and such a virtue to the sport...

as good as I was going into the event I was absolutely knackered coming out of it... quads were sore, ripped my hand a little on the last dead attempt and pec/trap was just so sore... but man none of that mattered as I made some good lifts and had such a good time...


----------



## Tassotti

Nice write up again GP

Awesome stuff mate. Impressive bench especially with that shoulder/pec.

Any vids?


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## Wardy211436114751

Yep great work GP sounds like you had a better day than me!

Nice 300 pull in competition too


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## Greyphantom

Tassoti... got some vids which will post soon as I can get them up... also got some pics which will be posted too... again as soon as I can... bench is pretty average tbh mate, hoping to bring that up to at least 160 if not more for the brits... got some stuff to work into my program for that...

Wardy... thanks mate, was pleased enough but would have liked that 320 pull, that would have been icing on the cake for sure  mate well done on your comp too, its all a learning experience and the main thing is to have fun while lifting the weights... plus learn from all the experienced lifters... so much info...


----------



## jstarcarr

Get smashing that bench , and get a spotter .


----------



## Greyphantom

various pics from the day...


----------



## nogger

What a great result...British record as well,must be on top of the world.....Big well done mate,and nice little break till may(still training hard) :beer:


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## Greyphantom

thanks Nogger... yeah mate wrapped with that dead record but now after the squat and total ones too lol... not too much pressure then 

taking this week off completely... then next week ease into it again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

Squats

WU 70x12, 110x10, 150x7

190x1x2, 1x3

DE Deadlift

WU 110x8, 150x6

190x4x3

SLDL

110x3x10

First day back in training and man have I missed it... was going to start back last week but thought I would give my shoulder/chest an extra week to recover/heal. Was like coming home after a long time working away lol...

Squats - warm ups went well and felt good, nice and tight and really easy, great depth and not a thing from the shoulder/chest. Top set just left it light this week to see how it would feel... was ok, first set setup was wrong and it just didnt feel right... second set was much better and felt good and tight... must keep the focus on keeping body tight through the whole movement... just got to get my squatting groove back lol

Deads - nice and easy, again nice and light and just worked on the form which was fine tbh... felt great to lift from the floor again...

SLDL - wow these I felt the most my hams and glutes were killing after each set and by set 3 didnt know whether to stand or sit or just walk around lol...

will add pull throughs next week I think...

yeah baby glad to be back with the iron...


----------



## Greyphantom

Coan/Prilepin day

Bench

WU barx10, 60x10, 80x10

102.5x1x10, 1x8 1sp

Squats

WU 100x5

150x3x3

160x1x3

Tricep pushdowns

20x1x12

40x1x10, 1x9, 1x9 1p

@JB came over and just had a training session tonight...

Bench - was the first night of the new Coans benching program I am starting... felt odd, didnt seem to be much in it tbh but one really good thing is that my chest/shoulder thing did not give me much pain at all... only on the second set in the last few reps did it give a little problem but after no pain and still full ROM wooot... will be sticking with this as I have high hopes, much more pumped in the chest for sure...

Squats - DOMS in the legs from monday and I was a bit hesitant but they worked out well... legs really hurt now though lol...

Triceps pushdowns - felt these really well in the tris... first time done these in a while... felt good and tris got a good work out...

Good start to the new training phase, will add some more assistance stuff in from next week esp as the chest held up well and feels really good... long may that continue... was good having JB there to train with... onward and upward for sure...


----------



## big_jim_87

What is Wu squat de deadlift?


----------



## Tassotti

I think WU is cryptic code for Warm Up


----------



## big_jim_87

Tassotti said:


> I think WU is cryptic code for Warm Up


Lol thought I maybe a type of squat


----------



## Greyphantom

LOL Jim WU = Warm up on the ex... then DE = Dynamic effort where I lift with speed and technique in mind... ME = Max effort where I lift with um max effort lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squat

WU 70x12, 110x10, 150x7, 180x4

200x1x2, 1x3

DE Deads

WU 110x8, 150x6

190x4x3

SLDL

120x3x10

Wooo hoooo wow this was a good session, made better I think cos I expected it to be a crap one... should/chest thing was giving me grief all day as if I had slept on it funny... pretty tired as not much sleep last night then remembered I had some extra MTFU tablets so took them...

Squats- warm ups felt good... even 180 felt really smooth, stable and solid... 200 I did for the first time with no belt on and it felt awesome... lower back a little more pumped but stomach is tight and strong which is great considering the hernia ops in the past... first set of 200 I talked myself out of the third rep as no belt, but 3nd set I just sucked it in, kept it tight and bam baby... really pleased but now really sore quads... lol... also I placed the bar slightly lower down and it felt a bit more stable and up right at the bottom of the hole...

Deads - no problem as always, concentrated this week on getting the weight off the floor as fast as I could... seemed to do the trick and the weight flew up... nice and tidy...

SLDL - upped the weight a bit and it felt easier than last week... felt it working a treat but it didnt leave me incapacitated as last week did... although now I am feeling my glutes and hams and lower back a bit more, my whole posterior chain has taken a kicking for sure... but damn it feels pure fantabulous...

Reallly happy this week, back into the swing of things and its feeling great, squats are coming along technique wise but would like to get someone to give me the once over, might have to visit @Merat and Dave Beattie at the genesis gym in London or Dave Mannering in Maidstone... purely for pointers and to make sure I am moving the weights right... we can always improve hey... feeling good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepin/Coan day 2

ME Bench

WU bar x 12, 70x10, 90x10

103.5x1x9, 1x6

DE squats

WU 100x5

150x4x3

CGBP

81x2x10

Lying cable extension

30x2x10

The good - tried some technique stuff that I saw in bench videos by Dave Tate... these really really helped and I could feel them working well, getting the pressure on the traps, keeping tight, squeezing the bar and setting up properly... did not feel my chest/should at all in the press today... really happy with this and will certainly help moving forward...

The bad - well I know now why Dave Tate said that proper position for benching is only useful in lower rep sets as after about 4 or 5 it starts to get really hard... would have been better to just lifting with normal bench position I think for the higher rep sets...

The ugly - noticed that on the exercises where I lay down my left ear became blocked... like it was closing... not sure why but concerning... this also happened on the exertion phase of squats... not sure why but I have noticed that when sleeping on my left side it also blocks so might make a trip to the docs to get it seen to...

Bench - tried some new techniques as said, wow, @Merat I now know what you mean mate when you told me about getting the traps set and feeling the pressure in them... cant remember when you told me but finally its clicked in lol... however I did notice that on higher rep sets it became harder to hold that position and lost power in the higher range...

Squats - sweet, I have come to a revelation that I really need to work on the drive and power esp in the speed weight range... so made sure I really pushed hard and it felt good... also held the bar lower down on my traps/upper back as per monday and again if felt better... really pleased with these...

CGBP - felt ok but noticed some pain in the elbows but nothing too serious... didnt think I had done enough on these but now my tris are pumped and feeling it...

Lying Tricep ext - felt good but again I didnt feel it as much as I expected, but then afterwards my tris were nicely toasted so I guess its working lol...

still got some work to do but its getting there, felt so on today but then with all the things I tried maybe its to be expected that instead of concentrating on lifting the weight I was concentrating on the technique...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins/Coan day 3

ME deadlifts

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5

250x1x2, 1x3

Coans DE Bench

WU 60x10

81x2x10

Chins

BWx2

BOR

130x1x8, 2x7

Was a pretty good work out considering I am absolutely farked and soooo tired... slept so poorly last night and on the back of a week of late nights and early mornings... slept in a weird position too so shoulder (other one) was giving some niggles but this cleared up a lot by the time it came to lifting... before training took a nice big hot cup of mtfu... worked wonders (that and the can of monster )

Deads - planned to go to 250 only this week, seems I work better doing a week lighter and then a week full out effort... all warm ups went well and felt good... first set of 250 was not as good, forgot to chalk my hands as I got set up I realised and so quickly chalked then lifted only got two and they felt a bit difficult, think it was the breaking of my setting up that did that... 2nd set was pure awesome... set up was great, lifting felt strong and loads of power from the floor... course it wouldnt be dead day without the ripped calluses and skin being ripped off my shins...

Bench - good position again and its still hard to hold it for 10 reps, even on a light weight... weight felt good and I worked on the drive from the chest... feeling good about this and again not a niggle from the chest/shoulder... nice...

Chins - well this didnt go to plan for sure... felt like I wouldnt be able to do 1 but was easy to get up there, only thing was it pulled my chest shoulder injury and after the second I stopped as its healing so well right now I do NOT want to keep it going... need to be fully healed for next wednesday...

BOR - went up much easier than expected... upper back now as fragged as my lower lol... will keep the weight the same for next week to work on the form...

over all it felt good even though I am knackered...


----------



## nogger

Looks like it's all going well......Luv the "slept in a weird position" saying.....Funny how you can go to bed feeling nice and fine...then in the morning,what the hell happened there.


----------



## Greyphantom

Genesis Training...

Box squats with chains (approx 60kg)

bar + chains x5

110 x5

130 + chains x2

150 + chains x2

170 + chains x2 (with knee wraps first time trying)

170 + chains x1

190 + chains x1

150 + chains x3 (form)

ATG squats, speed

110x5, 140x5

Leg press

200 x 8

240 x 8

280 x 8

GHR machine

BW 1x 3/4, 1x 1/2

BW 1x2 spotted

Ext

55x 2x 12

Wow what a day... went to Genesis to train with Dave Beattie, @Merat and a couple of others... learned so much from Dave and Curtis Arnold (another very good powerlifter) and just had a blast... tried a few new things and actually managed to do ok... at least I didnt let the girl beat me

Box squats - not really done these before, a new experience for sure, and add the chains on it adds a whole new dimension to the squat... I think there may have been a few extra sets for warming up and finding out how the box works but I forgot to write everything down... first of all the box was a bit odd, getting down there pausing then driving off the bottom, showed a few weak spots in my squat for sure... then add the chains on top of that and its even cooler but weird... got a load of pointers from Dave and Curtis, helped a lot in getting that last single think I could have gone for more weight tbh but left well enough alone and worked on the form more using all they had told me... wraps felt odd... was very aware of them and as a result I just missed touching the box on the first rep I had them on... It has been recommended that I use them but tbh I will hold on for a bit... really enjoyed the workout... the speed squats were an eye opener for sure, powering up from the hole as fast as you possibly can with Dave yelling at me to go faster from the bottom really good and I learned what it means to perform a speed squat properly... none of this slow ascent stuff but POWER up from the bottom FAST...

LP - havent done these for a while, years actually and after squats felt good... some quick sets and on to the next...

GHR - oh my good god this is a machine of pure evil... I had heard/read that it was hard but really!!!!??? how about fvcking impossible lol... but without a doubt one of THE best ham glute exercises I have ever attempted, my ass and hams are feeling it today even though I did sod all... pure awesome...

Ext - just finished with these only light and top off a good day...

During and immediately after working out legs felt ok, worked but ok... later legs felt completely farked... today walking like a nun of 40 years losing her virginity to an american football team lol... but sooo great a feeling... I really enjoyed working in a gym again, being in a team also meant for more motivation and everyone was supportive and pushed me... using the equipment like the mono lift, box (got to build me one of those) and chains (got to get me some of those) was fantastice but the best part of it was having so many great powerlifters watch my technique/form and offering advice as to how to fix it or where I was going wrong so I becam aware and could fix it on the next set... makes for more pain today but a better squat come the brit finals...

I am DEFINITELY going to go back for some more beasting...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x10, 95x8

107.5 x 1x7, 1x3

Dislocations

Barx3x15

oh what a sh1tty day... loads of non training sh1t hitting the fan (not relationship but other stuff thats just turning in to a huge cluster) and to top it all my elbow is really sore from last week still (lying extensions oh when will I learn that twinge = stop ffs)... also v tired as more late nights and early mornings and work has been busy... not that its hugely taxing tbh but still...

Bench - started ok... felt my elbow from the first but it wasnt too bad... 80 was fine felt more twinges but not too bad, 95 good... first set of 107.5 felt pretty good squeezed the bar and kept tight all through the lifts... second set unfortunately blew chunks... didnt set up right felt awkward from the start and freaking elbow was really achey and couldnt grip the bar tightly with my right hand... not happy...

Tried tricep work but no way, elbow just not having it, so in a fit of disgust I left it at that...

Dislocations - I liked these, felt tight on the first few reps but loosened up and then felt really good... right hand still not gripping too tightly but shoulders and upper chest feel much better...

Sucketh training today... not happy but you get days like these... news on the life front could be better, but you got to roll with the punches... its supposed to get better by beginning of next week which I hope fervently that it does else it will screw up my plans for the near future... that will royally p me off and I might have to kick some ass and take some names at that stage...

legs still shaky from training at Genesis btw... love that


----------



## nogger

looks like you had a good day at Genesis and a great write up.


----------



## Greyphantom

mate it was a fantastic day, thanks mate, good to know I dont bore everyone


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deadlift

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5, 250x3

290x1xf

Rack Pulls

210x2

250x2x1

170x1x8

Chins

bwx2

BOR

130x4

mixed bag today... deads felt ok, warm ups felt easy and good... 290 flew off the floor and got to just past my knees but then couldnt quite lock it out, really weird energy just zapped...

Rack pulls - first time doing these, very different to what I expected... first set was just getting used to it then did 2 singles and they felt good but really hit my upper back more and could feel it more in the hips and glutes than off the floor... will keep going on these I think...

Chins and BORs - chins still pulling the shoulder/chest which is getting better but slowly, too slowly dammit... only did as many as I could before the twinge told me to stop...

today loved the deads and felt ok about rack pulls which I will keep in and keep working on them... still a bit miffed at the injury but its not too much of a problem yet, another couple of weeks though and if its not better will see someone... energy levels seem to be a bit up and down lately, didnt have all my meals before training today and it seems it might have had a bit of an effect... sleep is a bit all over the place at the moment too but hopefully will get that sorted this week...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Hi Phantom,

Great to see you pushing yourself some more. Your deadlifts are looking good mate, you should try get some video's up, So your bench is still weak then in comparision.

What pin are you using on the Racks?

Great write up and great workout pal.


----------



## Greyphantom

Thanks mate... deads are going ok, there are pics and vids here a few pages back from comps and training... bench is still weak but working on it now... was using the second from bottom on my rack which is just a touch below the knee... when the bar is in the rack...

Thanks mate, felt alright but loads of work to do... but isnt that always the case


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day...

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x6, 140x4, 180x3, 200x2

220x3x2

Deads

WU 100x5, 140x5

180x4x5

SLDL

130x1x10, 2x8

Bench GHR

BWx 3partials

OOOOoooooohhhhhh my legs and posterior chain are in bits... so damn sore even now...

Squats - wow, after last week at Genesis and all the advice I added everything I was told to and noticed a huge difference in the squat, felt more stable and more power coming up... felt my legs way more and in different places... but loved every damn rep... just kept it to 220 today to make sure I locked it in and got the form right... felt great...

Deads - well after last week doing speed squats (and learning what the true meaning of speed is) I pretty much did the same with these... in the past I have been too slow and think this has been hindering the power from the floor so fast as I can did 4 sets of 5... had about a minutes break between sets and it freaking hurt... was blowing out my rear hugely but it was brilliant... really got it working and my back was hugely pumped...

SLDL - tbh was not sure how these were going to go, sucked in some air and did the first set expecting 8 but got 10... bonus! but then couldnt sit... lol... next two were hard but felt good, good stretch in the hams and glutes were well achey...

Bench GHR - tried this out as liked the GHR machine last week... as hard as the machine really hams just not as good as I thought and really felt hard... got 4 partials out where got almost the whole way down before going up again... my hams are now humming lol...

One of the better squat days I have had... things really coming together and its feels so awesome... cannot believe how much I am feeling it in my legs and posterior chain already... freaking hurty... yeah baby!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Combined Bench and deads day

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x10, 100x8

112.5x1x5, 1x4

Deads

110x5

180x5

210x5

240x3

260x2

Chins

BWx4

BWx6 partials

Been a bit off a couple of days this week, just sort of meh... tired, head achey, bit of a loss of appetite... also felt like I have a wisdom tooth coming through... today felt much better though... not so hungry but after training thats now changed lol... due to all this put off bench day till today and then just added in the deads and tried to do some chins...

Bench - felt ok today... up till 112.5 then I found that holding the proper bench position up on the traps feet back a bit and back arched becomes quite difficult after a few reps, on the second set I felt my back cracking and popping lol... not pain or anything so thats ok... wasnt really concentrating on lifting the weight so much as getting the technique right... pleased over all but looking forward to when the reps lower to 3 or less so wont have to hold it for so long... chest shoulder thing didnt even twinge during the bench even though I still feel it when not lifting...

Deads - focussed on getting the speed off the floor today, something a bit different and tried doing sets of 5 up till 240 then when got to 260 just didnt set right on the last rep so only the 2... hands in bits, but grip still strong... felt comfortable and was happy with the speed...

Chins - just tried these out really as the pain in my chest/shoulder has hindered them... felt ok on the full reps only my hands (in bits from the deads) were a pain, partials were really good and felt comfortable, no pain at all... well except for the hands...

that was pretty much it... happy enough and felt ok... next week though I have to up my game... going to make sure I complete the main lifts but with more assistance stuff now...

Also found out that the Brits Raw finals is on the sunday 27 May now not the Saturday... means I cant go out to have a few beers with all who might be coming but I get to eat the whole of saturday lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day (Prilepins revised)...

Squats

WU 60x5, 100x5, 140x5, 180x2, 205x2 (PB with no belt)

230x3x2

Speed Deads

WU 100x5, 140x5

180x4x5

SLDL

140x1x8, 1x7, 1x6

GHR (lat bench)

BWx5p (lower down this time)

basically just fighting the urge to vomit right now...

Squats - still applying the learnings from the Genesis day and they are making quite a difference... much more stability, feel a lot more power out of the hole and much tighter throughout the lift... well happy at the moment, a couple of reps in the heavy sets could have gone better but legs are in bits right now let alone the next couple of days and for the first time in a while I am fighting the urge to throw up... can see some nice little gains coming in the near future for sure... but man all this technique stuff makes my legs hurty... but man all this technique stuff makes my legs happy lol...

Deads - wow these felt awesome... flew up off the floor and felt super comfortable... even the top sets felt no heavier than the 100kg set... really happy with how these are going...

SLDL - oh jebus, by the time I got to these my hams and glutes were aching from the squats and deads anyway... but clanged a few more kg on the bar and just on with the job... felt good but by the 3rd set I was thinking I am a [email protected] lol... felt it right in the hams and glutes though so good job there...

GHR - these are still hard, not sure I have the technique exactly right so will look at some vids and see where/if I am going wrong, but I can say that my hams just gave up on me and glutes now kicking me in the tonsils... more work needed here...

Over all really happy, got 205 for 2 with no belt and it felt great, solid, stable and strong... well happy... training is going in the right direction...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x10, 100x8

118.5x2x3

Speed squats

WU 100x8, 130x5

160x4x5

Dips

BWx1 rep... thats it...

Tricep pushdowns

30x3x12

oh what a day... very much up and down... dodgy tummy today has had an impact... still managed to get some food and shakes in but it has also had an effect on stamina and motivation... just couldnt get much into getting into the gym... but took a shot of mtfu and did it... of two minds now though...

Bench - started ok... but just couldnt get set right... weights up to 100 were fine and felt strong and stable... but when I did 118.5 I twinged that same chest/shoulder thing and its now quite painful... doesnt hurt to touch, can press the area and nothing but when I move or stretch in a certain way I feel a fair aching pain... @Ak_88 wondering if you have any input there? feel it on the left side/slightly to the left (ever so slightly to the left) of the sternum about the mid point but also in the collar bone and funnily enough around the same point in my ribs on the back but not as bad... still got 118.5 for 2 sets of 3 which isnt that bad...

Speed Squats - oh good god this killed me... man... first set didnt get into the right frame of mind or set it up right but then the next 3 sets were great, concentrated on technique but also speed from the hole like at Genesis and it felt awesome...

Dips - did 1 rep and that was it as chest/shoulder thing killed me... couldnt do it properly and didnt want to risk any further hurty so just gave it up as a bad job...

Pushdowns - felt good but easy... prob should have used more weight... next time for sure...

over all it was a mixed bag of training... bench just didnt set right and I paid that price, the last set was ok in terms of position and technique but the first one was the one that did the damage... squats good and legs feeling it... bit miffed that I tweaked the injury again but hopefully it will not be that bad and will recover well and quickly... may have to take a week off or just do a deload... feeling crap isnt helping, didnt sleep last night too well and made the stupid mistake of going to bed too early after having my last shake... doofus that I am... still moving forward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Monster gym Dead day...

Deads

WU 120x5, 160x5, 200x5, 250x2

275x1

300xf

300xf

200x5 (speed)

200x10 (speed)

BOR

60x10

100x10

110x10

120x5

Awesome meet up today... got to lift with @Little Simon and that was great, good motivation...

Deads - warmups all good, 275 went up really easy and felt really good... 300 got the first one to the knees but the second just barely budged... set up was off so just didnt move like it should... 200 speed deads for 5 felt easy, so thought would do 10 reps for the last set... man that was a great set and really felt it work hard... back was so pumped and felt like I could have done 15 easy maybe more... going to do more of this as I really feel it adds to the workout...

BOR - these were good today, could feel them working fine and no ache or pain from the slight niggle/injury I have still...

Great workout over all, disappointed I didnt get 300 or more but these things happen, did manage to take some skin off the shins again but badge of honour and all that... going to assess some things and add/change some bits of training and diet... got to get some more cissus in too as starting to feel my age


----------



## Greyphantom

well been to docs today to get my chest/shoulder thing checked out and he said its soft tissue damage (lump (small though) now visible in area of hurty) most likely a small rupture in pec... so thats good news then... going to get an ultrasound thingy done and that will hopefully confirm or deny it... not sure how to go about training atm, think will just carry on as have been making sure it doesnt hurt, if it does I wont do that exercise... will look up some rehab stuff too so if anyone can help or point me in the right direction if it is that most appreciated...

squat day tomorrow... bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day...

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 210x2

240x2

140x3

thats it... warm ups felt awesome, kept the technique good as Curtis Arnold and Dave Beattie told me to and every single squat felt strong, stable and much more comfortable... 210kg is now my PB without a belt... everything just felt bang on... put the belt on and did the 240kg set and even though the first rep was a little ropey it still felt much better than previous attempts... form felt tighter and I was much more stable during the lift, kept the chest out when taking the weight and all through the lift... second rep I felt my chest a little and just stopped there on the heavy sets... did 3 more reps at 140 just to feel the weight but just wasnt right... back pumps are amazing and just really sore, legs actually feel like they have had a great workout but in myself I feel a bit MEH about it all... feel like I should have kept going now... oh well, next week will be better for sure...

chest has been feeling better today, sort of achey tight like a pulled muscle thats healing... or thereabouts...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x10, 100x5, 110x4

123.5x1x1 + 1 dumped/fail

Tricep pushdowns

40x3x10

Dislocations

barx3x20

Well chest has been feeling better so thought would just keep following the coan thing and see how it goes... was supposed to do 2 sets of 123.5 for about 5 reps each and felt good to go... warm up sets felt really good 60 was light and even 80 felt great... 100 was fine and even 110 felt smooth... on the heavy set I got the first rep and it felt awesome, fired up from the chest easily and felt much easier than this sort of weight has in the past... second rep though on the push from the chest I felt my pec give a bit of a niggle and so dropped the bar (had safeties)... was going to do some sets at 100 for 5 reps a piece but tbh I was feeling kind of nervous about it and bailed... did some tricep push downs which felt good and strong and got quite a good feeling in them and finished with some dislocations which felt great...

so mixed bag, miffed didnt get the 2 sets I wanted but happy the weight felt good and that my pec felt good on that first rep and it doesnt feel any worse after bailing on the second... so onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME squat

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 215x2

240x1x1+1np, 1x1

DE Deads

WU 100x5, 140x5

180x4x5

SLDL

140x8

140x7

short and sweet tonight, just getting over a cold, so didnt train yesterday glad I did today though but feeling it a lot... stamina/energy just not really there and I tanked on the second set of heavy squats... nose running like a bugger but over all was a decent session...

Squats - the light sets (up to 215kg) all no belt and felt really really good, tight and stable, technique was feeling really good... heavy sets were ok but didnt make parallel on the second rep first set and even though the single felt good I chickened out of the second rep (which I should have done in hind sight)... legs really feeling it now and glutes hams all sore...

Deads - awesome, felt really good... nice power off the floor and great in the lock out, smooth and fast... got a bit nauseus through this though...

sldl - oooh hard... nice stretch but man by the time I got to these felt knackered and just didnt want to do them, but did two sets and then left it at that... now my glutes and hams really hurt...

good workout today, pec felt good and not a twinge to be felt... not ecstatic about missing some reps but better than last week... also quite happy about 215 with no belt, the most I have done without a belt so far...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2/coan bench

ME Bench

WU 60x10, 80x9, 100x6, 110x4

120x4, 120x3

DE squats

WU 100x5, 130x5

160x4x5

CGBP

60x1

TPD

40x3x12

Dislocations

barx3x20

Wow great workout today... felt really strong and it really gave me a boost... love days like this...

Bench - warm ups felt smooth and easy... in fact I ended up doing a few extra reps over all as they felt so light... got to 120 and the first set was the best I have ever felt lifting that weight... all reps very strong and smooth and form felt great... second set the first rep was awesome, 2nd I went off the line slightly and felt my pec twinge a bit, shrugged it off and did one more rep but could still feel the pec so stopped there even though I thought I could do another easily enough... didnt want to push it as pec has been feeling great lately and think its pretty much mended...

Squats - oh good god... had Dave Beattie in my head during these and just really did them as fast as I could... felt great, very sick though and loved them all... hate(love) Dave though 

CGBP - couldnt do these as felt my chest/shoulder too much so just let them go...

TPD - nice feel on these and upped the reps so will up the weight next time...

Dislocations - felt the stretch on these and really unlockd the shoulders... so glad I added these in...

Very heartening workout today... bench is finally kicking in and it looks like the program is working well... speed squatting is proving to be a great tool and I am increasing the speed on these as per the day in Genesis which I feel has a knock on effect in a positive way on squats in general... helping to develop power from the hole for sure... with 8 weeks to go (thanks @kate1976 for reminding me btw  ) things are on track... enjoying lifting and cannot wait till the brits...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 200x2, 220x2 (PB with no belt)

240x2x2, 1x1

DE Deads

WU 120x5, 160x5

200x4x5

SLDL

140x10, 9, 8

Done... very done, cant walk, need something... Nanna is that you

Awesome, awesome session today... chest/shoulder thing just wasnt there till last 2 sets... didnt feel it at all till the last set for sure and even then just reminded me its still a weakness rather than an injury, so thats good... its that much healed that I forgot all about it till I was puting the 25s on each side and realised there was no pull like past weeks... yeah baby...

Squats - wow, all the pointers learned at the Genesis gym are locking in and coming together and really making a difference in how not hard it is to do each rep... I say not hard cos its sure not easy on the heavy sets yet... each rep was to depth and felt comfortable... enough power coming out of the hole so happy there... got to 220 without a belt which is a first for me and felt comfortable and easy... setup today was just so on, everything made the squat session really good... good place to be 7 weeks out...

Deads - well have missed the heavy stuff the last couple of weeks due to life so thought would up the weight to 200 for the speed stuff (works out to around 66% of my max anyway) and it went well, felt comfortable and strong... pretty much touch and go...

SLDL - was starting to gass by this stage, got through the first set fine, second took a lot out of me and I felt like losing my lunch but that would have meant all that protein lost lol... 3rd killed and at this stage had to lie on my side as couldnt sit due to hams and glutes just being sore... did use straps today and it was easier so will up the weight next week and use straps again...

Very pleased with today, considering I was thinking that I would give training a miss as sleep has been light lately and life has thrown a couple of curves but today was feeling better than have in a while so had me can of monster and mtfu and got on... pleased I did...


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## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3 (sunday 08 Apr 12)

ME deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5, 250x2

270x1

290x1

DE bench

WU 60x10, 80x6

95x4x5

Chins

BWx3x5

BOR

120x2x7, 1x6

Wooot good, no GREAT training day today... esp considering sleep has been sh1te the last few nights and my appetite has tanked majorly...

Deads - felt so smooth and loads of power... even the 290 went up comfortably if not easily... was even toying with trying 310 but left it there as it was just feeling too good and didnt want to break the spell... set up was great on each rep and I felt loads of power from the bottom so have really locked these in...

Bench - yeah baby, vast difference today... 3mm movement in left arm made for a huge difference in the feel and movement and no pain at all... damn that felt awesome... first rep at 95 I could feel a twinge, took stock of where things were re body and found that left arm was not straight compared to right so moved it and reps were much more comfortable and easy and felt great... not an ounce of pain... smooth easy reps... looking forward to the next max effort day and applying that little adjustment...

Chins - did these palms facing each other and again big diff in the collar bone... no pain at all and felt good... using more power at the start to get the movement well and truly started... felt good and will be adding more reps as the weeks go by...

BOR - nice reps, felt them in my upper back really well and great finish to a great workout...

very pleased with the workout and its moving forward... deads felt very good and easy, bench I have found an adjustment that makes them work well and assitance work was done and felt it work great... bring it...


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## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 60x12, 100x9, 140x7, 180x4, 205x2, 225xfail (half squat), belt on 225x2

245x2x2

DE Deads

WU 120x5, 160x5

200x4x5

SLDL

150x8, 7

well coming off a couple of days feeling like poo (literally) and was not sure if I should train... but after oats and shake at lunch felt good... soooo squat day was ON...

Squats - ok while squats were on I still felt that things were off slightly at 225... had to put the belt on as just couldnt complete the rep without... bit disappointed there but onward I went... 245 felt ok... the first rep was of dubious depth but second was nice and deep... second set went much better... felt good and strong coming out of the hole... happy enough but could do better

Deads - really good, fast smooth reps and felt nice... by the end of these though def felt a trifle queasy

SLDL - just the two sets of these as was wrecked... in a good way but legs very very wobbly... now really sore...

Good workout but felt off... happy enough but could wish for more, but then dont we all lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5

250x2x3, 1x4

DE Bench

WU 60x10, 80x6

96x4x5

Chin

BWx3x6

BOR

125x2x8, 1x7

Woo hoooo great freaking workout... had to put it off a day as was knackered from saturday (BPC powerlifting comp that I helped load and spot) and had to do some chores round the house... but really glad I did now as it turned out for the best...

Deads - wasnt going max max today, just a light max day... thought 3 sets of tripples on 250 would be fine but I felt I had plenty in the tank and wanted to do more so on the last set I thought why not try for 4... could have done 5 though... well pleased with that and feel like I have so much more in the tank... smooth and comfortable...

Bench - get in with this, no niggle at all and felt so comfortable and plenty of power... almost flew off the chest... set up was nice and it felt strong...

Chins - felt good and going higher on the bar which is nice, but as the roof is so low on the gym I thought too high and I would be knocking myself out lol... but these are feeling better and easier which is nice...

BOR - Oh a nice finisher... weight up and reps up... felt it so much in the back right where its supposed to...

all over one of the best workouts to date... god I wish they were all like this...


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## defdaz

Sounds like it's all going great GP! What does ME, DE and BOR mean (sorry to be thick!)?


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 205x2, 225x2

240x3x2 *belt on*

DE deads

WU 120x5, 160x5

200x2x5

SLDL

150x2x8

Owwwwww man awesome session... has been two weeks since last squat session so wasnt sure how it would go...

Squats - oh yeah baby... warm ups all good, 225 is a PB with no belt, very comfortable and stable, good depth well pleased... 240 the first set felt shakey, just didnt maintain form through the whole lift, so had a stern talking to myself went over the technique in my mind and then BAM oh yeah thats the stuff, much better and felt great, quads truly felt and fried...

Deads - as always went well, nice easy lifting and good speed off the floor, I have now dropped the DE lifts to 2 sets and any assistance work will also be 2 sets only up to 8 max as its now quite close to the comp and I want to recover well and not tax the cns too much...

SLDL - oh my god, hams and glutes were caned... loved the 2 sets I did and felt it deep in the muscle and still do... after last set damn near ready to pass out and was sucking air through my rear... legs and lower back really feeling it now...

Great workout today and better than where I have been in the past... starting to focus more on the main lifts and less on the DE and assistance stuff... not going to do singles just yet but things going better than planned atm...

Going to get a couple of 4inch sleepers for each side so will be able to do 8 and 4 inch block pulls and going to make up a box beginning of may... hopefully will get some more 20kg plates in then as well so I can then go heavier on deads etc...


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> Sounds like it's all going great GP! What does ME, DE and BOR mean (sorry to be thick!)?


yeah mate just back after a week and going better than ever... ME = Max Effort, DE = Dynamic Effort and BOR is Bent Over Rows... not thick at all mate, if you dont know ask and ye shall receive


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## Greyphantom

Prilepins/Coan day 2

ME bench

WU 60x12, 80x10, 100x6, 115x3

130x2x1

DE squats

WU 100x5, 130x5

160x2x5

TPD

WU 30x11

50x1x8, 1x7+1p

Dislocations

barx3x20

day was a bit messed up, well very messed up tbh... bit late back from work so lunch a bit late then found out that the bottom tray of the car has come loose from fridays accident and was dragging on the road/ground, so after getting boy from school had to fix that then get girl from school then could train... my training timing was thrown right out as instead of 330 didnt get to it till 515... sigh... meant pre training supps were mistimed something rotten... still had to be done...

Bench - my old nemesis... but feeling pretty good actually... 115 flew up and starting getting a bit nervous about 130 as feeling pants but first rep went up easy as pie, second was even better... most pleased... but want more weight now... chest didnt have a niggle to its name and felt really good... keeping the left arm down a few mm def is the sweet spot for me... not that happy with arch or position today but it was ok...

Squats - oh all thats good and holy... legs still feeling it from monday... was really hard but felt good... technique felt tight and weight easy... legs didnt feel so good however lol... all ok though...

TPD - these felt good today... triceps worked well and feeling it now...

Dislocations - wow I like these for stretching out the shoulders and they really open them up... feels hard but sooo good...

over all pretty pleased, better lifting than same time in previous comps so thats a good thing, technique is moving forward and improving the lift too so happy with that... starting to formulate a game plan now and finding myself setting up for lifts at all points in the day lol...


----------



## defdaz

Accident? You had a car crash? Hope you're all ok...

What the heck are dislocations?!


----------



## Greyphantom

Hey Daz, well its not much of an accident tbh, hit a dog last friday night as was going out to pick up my boy... I was fine, car has a bit of damage which I am fixing up slowly but the poor dog was not fine at all... I stopped and looked for anyone who might be with the dog but no one about, waited for about 10 mins but still no one showed up so I got my boy and headed home then called the police... really p1sses me off tbh as the people who were supposed to be looking after the dog should have kept it secure... still lucky it was a smaller dog as it could have been worse if it was a big one...

Dislocations are an exercise for the shoulders/rotator cuff I started with a towel then graduated to a bar... basically hold the bar at waist height in front of you then keeping arms straight move the bar up and over the head to bring it down as low as you can down your back stretching out the shoulder... works really well at keeping that area healthy and strong... so far  vid below, I think Martin Brown has some links in his journal too... start with a towel is my advice till you get more flexible in your shoulders then bar, I will be adding weight to the bar soon to add a bit more resistance... def notice a diff esp in the squat when I need to get my shoulders right back under the bar... in bench it helps no end in keeping the shoulders pain and injury free too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5, 250x2

270x1

290xf

DE bench

WU 60x5, 80x5

100x2x5

Chins

BWx1x8, 1x7+1p

BOR

130x1x7, 1x6

mixed session, I felt great going into it, bit tired as been an unbelieveably looooong week but nothing too serious... but then missed the 290 on deads which I should have got...

Deads - wow, felt great up to 270... smooth and had plenty of legs for each set and it all just felt so right... 290 proved a bit of a problem though as I got the bar to the lockout stage but then my upper outer right pec pulled and felt a pain so lowered the bar rather quickly... sat for 5 mins looking at the bar thinking right another go then but decided against it as I didnt want to do anything silly this close to comp time... feels alright now, just rubbed it out and while its a bit sore it didnt hinder other exercises...

Bench - great benching today, felt smooth and in control and easy... only up to 100 for 2 sets all with a pause... might need to work on the power from the chest a little more but better than in the past for sure... didnt feel chest at all on these sets, either the old injury or the new strain from deads... so all good...

Chins - initially difficult but once got to rep 3 seemed to get in my stride and it became easier and more comfortable... felt it down my lats today a lot more so thats a good thing...

BOR - kept a better arch in my lower back, keeping chest out and not round the upper back... really feeling it now and its good lol... well happy with this today...

Over all it an ok session... miffed I could quite lock out the 290 as that should have been an easy one and I was hoping to break the 300 barrier with a 310 attempt today... but that will have to be next week now... got two more max dead sessions and one opener session then its comp day... looking forward to it and will be looking to get some PRs on the day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1

ME Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 210x2, 230x1 (PB without belt)

250x1x1+1f

DE deads

WU 120x5, 160x5

200x2x5

SLDL

160x1x7+1p, 1x6

actually felt pretty good going into it today...

Squats - warm up sets went well and felt very good and really tight and 230 is the heaviest I have gone without a belt so happy with that... had stars in front of the eyes after the max sets too lol... got to the max set and first rep went well kept back tight, chest out and went down drive out of the hole was good, maintained chest out/back tight... felt good, second rep went well on the way down but on the way up didnt go so well... about half way up drifted about an inch forward and then just couldnt bring it back... managed to maintain a nice tight back and my chest didnt collapse so that was good and I even managed to lower the weight to the safeties fully under control... but alas still only the single and was looking for 2 sets tonight too... next week for sure...

Deads - good as always... speed was good and reps tight... no hassle there...

SLDL - heaviest I have gone I think and felt good... glutes and hams got a great workout and I was concentrating on using the hips ala @Tatty s journal (I think she posted it there)... made a bit of a difference and felt good...

overall its a good workout but I would have been happier with the 2 sets at 250... next week for sure as it didnt feel heavy just lost it on the second rep... got some huge back pumps though and my legs are humming, actually humming...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x5, 115x3

130x1x2, 2x1

DE squats

WU 100x5, 130x5

160x2x5

Dislocations

Barx3x20

Was just not into it today, very tired as last night didnt have the best nights sleep... can of monster and some mtfu pills later and just cracked on with it...

Bench - all warm ups felt really easy and tight... first set of 130 did 2 and it felt great, easiest its been... second set the first rep went up really nicely, then back just tightened up and hips started cramping so left it at that... similar on the third set but pretty happy all the same as this is the best its felt and easiest too... all reps had a pause and things seemed to work well...

Squats - worked the technique more on these today along with getting better power from the bottom of the hole... felt better than expected... mtfu pills working nicely...

Dislocations - oh yeah, soooo good doing these... really stretches out the shoulders...

really happy today, training went far better than expected and its moving along better than before but I need to get my arch sorted so I dont cramp up or get too painful... small things that make big differences that will be worth it in the end...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME Deadlift

WU 120x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

270x1

290x1

310x2xf (doh! just)...

DE Bench

WU 60x5, 80x6

100x2x5

Chins

BWx1x8, 1x6

BOR

130x1x9, 1x8

oooooh yeah... great workout sorely needed... disappointed I missed 310 but it wasnt by much...

Deads - not ever put 300 or over on my bar so new experience with 310 on it... warm ups were too easy... 270 felt a little harder but 290 just flew up... almost too easy... really happy with it... 310 on and the first attempt got to just above my knees, couldnt quite get the lock out as my right outer chest tingled so instead of mtfu I bottled... sigh... think if I had just pushed the hips through and kept pulling it would have gone... second attempt when to just below the knees... by this stage my back was on fire... huge pump... disappointed I missed the top weight but know its there and a bit more besides... so over all I am a happy bunny...

Bench - really comfortable, all paused with a long pause and felt good... not a slightest bit of a niggle from the chest or shoulder area at all, very happy...

Chins - felt great but hard as rushed to these as time was v short (picking up kids from school)... upper back felt great... forearms pumped to hell...

BOR - oh these felt good... upper back very pumped but sore and felt so good... very easy comfortable reps... well happy...

really needed a good solid training session today... loved the deads and moved the bar really well... bodes well for the comp... bench felt comfortable which is nice... very happy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 1...

ME squats

WU 60x5, 100x5, 140x5, 180x3, 210x2, 230x1

250x2x2

SLDL

160x1x9, 1x8

oh good god, why oh why... great training session... pretty damn awesome with only a couple of slight low points...

Squats - warm ups went really well, 210 felt light and the form felt so bang on... 230 the walk out felt great and I was focussing on starting the rep when my phone went off and distracted me (had to have it on so my daughter could let me know when she was on her way home) and right at the top sigh, so it didnt go as smoothly as expected but still got it out ok... no belt so happy enough... 250 went really well, first rep on first set might have been high or just to parallel (I like to go just below) but the second went really well... second set the first rep was awesome, low and felt tight... was so happy with it that I forgot to keep as tight on the second rep lol, but still got it again it was a tad high as least it felt like it... very happy with it over all... next week is my last heavy squat training and its looking good...

SLDL - yeah baby, felt awesome... glutes and hams fried, blowing out my ar$e and seeing spots... could barely walk and felt like throwing up... yep all done

Thats all she wrote, really simplifying it all now, dropping all speed work and only keeping in a few assistance exercises from now... feeling good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins/Coan (sort of) day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x5, 80x5, 100x5, 115x3

130x3 (pb)

140x1

150 meh...

Dislocations

Bar x 3x20

wow, wasnt thinking much of today and thought training would suffer as a bit tired and feeling it from yesterday...

Bench - all warm ups felt good 100 I was supposed to do 3 but forgot so 5, 115 flew up but the big surprise was 130... 3 very easy reps this week, form was spot on and kept tight all the way through each rep and leg drive, squeezing the bar and arch all right there when needed... felt so comfortable and could have done 4 or even 5 but I wanted to go up a bit this week... 140 BAM, flew up and felt not light or easy per say but just went up really well... no hesitation or anything... so I thought you know what lets put 150 on and see how that goes... um well this is when my head interfered and caused a mental block, I am damn sure my body could have done it but unracking it I just hit a mental brick wall that wouldnt let me do the rep... sigh... but it didnt feel particularly heavy and unracking it was easy which I was surprised at as normally unracking is a bit awkward... really really happy even though I bolloxed the 150... but I KNOW its right there...

Dislocations - oh yeah, stretched out the shoulders and traps and chest, felt great and thats all she wrote...

an easy tripple on 130, I will take that all day long... one more heavy bench day to go and this time will do the 150 for sure... felt very good in training today... certainly making progress and thats great... last heavy dead day friday... bring it on...!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 3

ME deadlifts

WU 120x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

270x1

290x1

310xf (dammit)

thats it... no assistance today... trained a bit earlier than planned as have stuff to do when I was going to train but it wouldnt have mattered, feeling tired and just a bit meh... but cracked on...

Deads - warm ups no problems and woke me up a bit, so was pretty hopeful that would crack the 310 today... as I got to the heavier weights though I was feeling like I was lifting through molasses, felt slow... 270 went up fine, 290 was a bit harder than last week but still good so thought right 310 then... loaded the bar took some time before attempt and then went for the lift... set up seemed good but again felt a bit slow and only managed to get the bar off the floor to just under my knees... really felt it in my back not in a painful or sprainful way but like my ribs were strained (if that makes sense, they have been a bit iffy since squats the other day)... bit miffed as was really looking for this but thats the way the cookie crumbles... last time I missed a goal weight I got 30kg more in the comp so maybe this is a good thing lol... mixed day really, good last heavy dead day but keep thinking could have done better...

next week is my openers setting for deadlifts so no more max effort till the comp... also will be dropping all assitance work from now as feeling really tired and the body is feeling a little beat up...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins Day 1 (last heavy squat session)

ME squats

WU 60x5, 100x5, 140x5, 180x4, 200x3, belt on 220x3

240x1

260x1 + 1f (PR)

thats it... all she wrote and done and dusted... went in to todays session feeling really good... way better than last friday or yesterday for that matter so glad I put it off a day... warm ups went well 220 felt very easy... 240 funnily felt heavy... thought wtf will try 260 and bam got the single I was going for and stupidly instead of stopping there as planned and adding 10kg I tried for another but that didnt work out so well lol... really happy with the session and stoked I got a PR... really felt good on all reps and now my legs are well and truly buzzing, funnily enough my glutes and hams are really sore... saw spots on the last set, had to take a seat rather quickly as was a bit woozy too but dammit what a great way to finish my heavy squat cycle... I think I am good for another 10 or so kg at least... only got the openers to set next monday (although I am pretty sure I have them in mind already) and thats all she wrote folks... bring on the Brits!!!


----------



## tonyc74

get some rest in mate and make sure you keep the vits up dont want to get ill before your comp!

TC

(nursey)


----------



## Greyphantom

thanks Tony, yeah all supps fully up and running atm... rest from tomorrow really as last heavy session today then deads openers on fri and then squats and bench openers monday and thats all she wrote... well till the sunday...


----------



## Greyphantom

Prilepins day 2

ME Bench

WU 60x5, 80x5, 100x5, 115x3, 130x3

140x1

150xf

Dislocations

bar x 3 x 20

thats it... last of the heavy bench... went as well as last week, better really for various reasons...

Bench - warm ups went well 130 set of 3 fine, 140 came off line a little so made it a bit more difficult than it should have been but I kept it in and it went well... this week I took 150 of the rack and held it, put it back, tried it again... put it back... looked like it was going to go as last week and I realised my head was talking me out of even trying to bench the weight... so with @JW007 words in mind I thought lets lower it under control, set the safeties up and just did it... nice slow decent thought drive up, drive up... but nope... however this is not a failure but a win I broke through my mental barrier of even trying... it didnt feel that heavy but there you go...

dislocations - nice and steady... good stretch...

chest feels well worked today... more worked than before and I am again ahead of the lift compared to previous comps... happy with that to be sure...

all my heavy lifting is done now... just the openers to be set and tbh they are pretty much set in my mind now certainly based on the last few weeks training they will be well within my scope and a spring board to better numbers... onward and upward... oh and my elbows are quite sore too


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift opener

WU

120x5, 170x5, 210x3

250x2

270x1

just a quick one today, doesnt even feel like I have trained really... warm ups nice and easy... 210 was just simple as can get really, 250 could have repped it out and 270 just BAM baby... was going to do another rep or two but it just felt so good and right that I thought I would take @Dig and @jdog advice and do less is more... feeling good about deads but then they always are... generally feeling pretty poo though... not a lot of sleep the last couple of nights, between fighting the mrs and cat for some duvet and just up and down its been a mare... body weight went down to 109.7 so that was good but now up to 110.3 again... not too bothered as I should lose a bit of water in the next few days... will monitor it daily from next week but it means that I will be watching my diet for the next little bit...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Get some rest mate, I am doing my first pl COMP Greyphantom in the GBPF 93kg class looking forward to it!


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Get some rest mate, I am doing my first pl COMP Greyphantom in the GBPF 93kg class looking forward to it!


nice one mate, once youve done one you wont look back... its addictive lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Openers Squats and Bench

Squats

WU 60x5, 100x5, 140x3, 180x3, 200x1

belt on 220x1

Bench

WU 60x5, 80x5, 100x3, 115x1 (full pause)

130x1 (full pause, prob longer as wanted to make sure lol)

Squats - just kept it simple and reps lower than planned originally in the vein of less is more as prev discussed... 200 flew up and was great depth, well below parallel... 220 I put my belt on as thats how I will lift on the day and tbh it was the easiest 220 I have ever lifted... damn near like no weight at all... man I hope it goes like that on the day... very very pleased and a huge ego boost... squats sorted and put to bed... technique felt ON and drive was right there... considering a bit tired from the weekend its all good...

Bench - my old nemesis... but not today warm ups went well 115 stopped at my chest for a count of 2 and then drive up... 130 stopped for a count of 3 just in case lol and drive up again, went up well and felt like a lot more there... really happy with this, progress is def there from the last training cycle...

now its pure rest, sleep most days and just fanny about choosing weight class as the list has now been posted... I am in both 105 and 130 as just not sure where I will be yet but certainly in the 110 (normal cat) so I can get some more decent numbers...

Had a blast at the BP expo this weekend gone... met some great people from here and got some huge motivation from the lifting... also got some great comments from people re my physique and how its changed (for the better I might add lol) so something must be going right... feeling so on right now and I wanted to lift all weekend lol... now its even worse, just finished my last session and want to lift already

Also would like to make it all official like I now have a sponsor!! Protein 247 will be sponsoring me from now on and many thanks to Paul at Protein 247 and @Hilly for all his help in getting me this. Very very happy as I have used 247 for a while and its very good stuff... a great team behind this product and some great things in the pipeline. very good weekend overall for me... now bring on the brits!!!


----------



## nogger

Great news on the sponsor mate,well deserved....seen photo on TM of you,some size going on there..


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Great news on the sponsor mate,well deserved....seen photo on TM of you,some size going on there..


thanks mate, really happy with it tbh, especially as its a company I have used extensively and I love their stuff... well they do say photos add 10lbs but in my case maybe 100  had a lot of comments on the weekend about my physique, not so much that its lean by any means but that I have made big changes


----------



## Greyphantom

Brit BPC Raw finals update

Squats

220 good lift

240 good lift (and biggest squat in comp so far for me)

255 No lift (depth)

Bench

130 good lift

140 good lift

150 No lift (didnt get it all the way up)

Deads

270 Good lift (new masters brit record)

290 Good lift (new masters brit record)

310 No lift (to knees)

What a day. After spending a week and a half dieting with low or no carbs and spending 4ish days of manipulating my water I actually came in at 102.8kg which is the lightest I have been for a long while... dieting was crap, didnt like it and have a lot more respect for those that go through it for so long. Water manipulation was even worse and I have even more respect for those that do it... friday I was 108.9kg and thinking just to flag it and go over 105... sat morning I weight in at 104.6 and thought alright might do this after all... I felt ok but fuzzy... things seemed slower or maybe it was just me lol... woke up sun morn and my scales said 103.2 so really happy... went and weighed in and 102.8kg BAM baby... made weight... straight after had a lucosade with a diarlyte, a Protein 247 Hydrorecover shake (4 scoops in 600ml of water and its @Hillys design (great shake mate), a load of choc brownies and jelly babies and snakes then off to a big plate of bacon and eggs... oh and two bannas lol... then slowed down on the food front and just grazed as per normal... by the time I got to lift I was back up to 106.9kg and feeling pretty good... no bloat or stomach problems with all the eating or rehydrating... just before warming up for the squat I had another diarlyte as really needed to replace all the electrolytes... warm ups went well but a bit rushed at the end as there were a few lifters and we started a bit slowly...

Squats - feeling good with these, warmed up to 200 and felt comfortable... out to my opener of 220 and feeling a bit nervous as always with the first lift of the day... belt felt a bit loose at the normal hole but still tight enough to get a good push against... 220 easy lift... second lift came around fairly quickly and 240 was nice and easy as well, bit nervous on this one as it is normally where I choke but got good lift and well happy... 255 I set as I wanted to get a good lift in and set a new brit record but went out and set up which felt ok but just missed depth, tbh I felt like I had missed depth as I was coming up as I just didnt feel my hams and glutes fire as they noramlly do when I hit depth... speaking with @Emma James later she suggested it could be nerves over depth as the squat itself looked easy... it felt fine so kicking myself a bit there (and this prob cost me best lifter in the masters cat more later)

Bench - feeling both good and nervous about this... the what ifs started hitting me about now, feeling it from squats and I was tempted to bring my opener down, but thought just need a cup of mtfu and get on with it... warm ups went well but didnt calm me much tbh... out for the opener and it was easy... 140 next again set up felt good and the arch felt tight... having Emma behind me talking was awesome as she was a calming influence and really got me on point lift wise... 140 up nicely and felt good... 150 next... as you may know this has been a mental lift for me... but if you dont try you dont know right... out to lift and set up well... arch nice and tight and felt pretty good... took the bar (awesome hand off by the spotter btw) and took it down to chest easy, press comman and started to lift it got it a couple inches off the chest and was thinking Fvck yeah when got cramp in right side of my back... pulled the bar slightly off line and even though I fought to hold it I lost the drive, it was there though... even though missed that it is a huge boost in the mental side of it for me (but I am still peeved I missed it lol)...

Deads - by this stage I was flagging which is a first as normally by this stage I am loving it and right into it... thank fvck Adam Pickles was there to drive and support me along... warm ups went well and easy up to 250... so sat and composed myself (first mistake) then after just getting in the zone I stood up and started cramping in my legs... great more darlyte shed down the throat and walking it off, just getting myself in the zone... thankfully worked well and legs clamed down... first lift easy... went up and new brit masters record... second lift at 290 went up a little harder but still felt great and a new masters record again... happy enough and thought lets get that 310 (which would also set the open record which even though I got last comp was not given to me for some reason sigh) went out, set up and managed to get it to my knees then couldnt see kept trying but it didnt want to go... let the bar down and walked back to the chalk, damn near fainted at that stage lol but held on to the chalk bowl till I could be confident again and went out back to watch Adam pull it... awesome pull but peeved I missed it... sigh... back to the training board for that lift for sure...

Day over and at the presentations I found I was about 5 points off getting the overall masters award... again always the bridesmaid never the bride lol... was feeling tried but ok... had a big meal at mcdees on way home lol and by the time we got home I was feeling it, big time, could barely move and went to bed early... today I am feeling it even more, very sore and tired but ok...

Some observations from the day... My wife tells me that I didnt seem to have the same spark and that the dieting and water work seem to have taken it out of me... I didnt approach it with the same sort of zest I normally do... Emma tells me that on the last deadlift I held my breath but not on the first two (I have no memory of holding my breath lol) so thats something to watch for future lifts... dieting and water work are not for me and unless I do it the week before or at least get weigh in the day before I wont be doing that again... would like to thank all those who helped and supported me through it all, my wife (who god bless her put up with my sh1t) 247 whos protein kept me going through the diet and great new product got me up and running on the day, @JW007 for all the advice and support, @Kate1976 who was there every day through the "diet" and water work listening to me whinge lol and was there on the day as ever yelling at me to get my sorry ass lifting, @gemc1981 @Little Ron and @welshguy84 who all came to see me do ok... @Tatty who is always in my head when I squat with her initial advice about lifting in a mono and @Emma James who helped calm me on the day with her words of wisdom... and many others who have offered advice and words of encouragement to get my lifts up... will do better next time for sure guys... finally a good day and a fantastic bunch of guys and girls to lift with... now off to eat lol...


----------



## nogger

Well done on the new record mate and comp....Great write up as always...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Hello Mate,

Big Congradulations on the British Masters Record mate, quiet amazing, why didn't you try 295kg dead or 300kg?

But nonetheless, a fantastic day for you and a immense total, Must be tough when your having to diet down to the weight with carbs and that and fat. Not surprised your' feeling it, you went for some of the biggest lifts in your lifetime, and your training, it's going to have a big impact on you. The time has come then, what masters record is it mate if you don't mind me asking. You must be one of the strongest in your association I guess.

Good write up mate well done!


----------



## Wardy211436114751

Looks like a good day mate - any videos on the way?

I love all your shout outs this one goes out to Tatty etc etc :lol: seems you've had help from a lot of people


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Well done on the new record mate and comp....Great write up as always...


Thanks mate, pretty happy with that beat the old one by 30 kg but it should have been 50 lol...



strongmanmatt said:


> Hello Mate,
> 
> Big Congradulations on the British Masters Record mate, quiet amazing, why didn't you try 295kg dead or 300kg?
> 
> But nonetheless, a fantastic day for you and a immense total, Must be tough when your having to diet down to the weight with carbs and that and fat. Not surprised your' feeling it, you went for some of the biggest lifts in your lifetime, and your training, it's going to have a big impact on you. The time has come then, what masters record is it mate if you don't mind me asking. You must be one of the strongest in your association I guess.
> 
> Good write up mate well done!


reason why I didnt try a smaller jump is twofold, one I usually jump 20 on the deads at the top end untill it gets really heavy... 310 has been right there before so I though it would be that day too... and 2 290 went up a lot easier than I expected so I thought bugger it go all the way however the dieting/water manip took a lot more out of me than I thought so it just wasnt to be... next time though... 

this was the first time I have tried this style of dieting and water manipulation so I wasnt really sure what to expect... I did it as they changed the weight break down in hind sight I should have stayed up around 107 and kept the stamina/strength... thats really the long and short of it... usually its all there and I have plenty in the tank... too much mental on the diet and not enough on the lifting... will be diff for the sept open mate... masters is the old fellas lol... masters 1 is 40-44 which is me now... I can enter both masters and open so set records in both...

I wish but not the strongest by a long shot... need to get my total up to 800 for that to happen for my class... then you have the likes of Del McQueen who is an immense lifter... thankfully in the 125 class lol



Wardy21 said:


> Looks like a good day mate - any videos on the way?
> 
> I love all your shout outs this one goes out to Tatty etc etc :lol: seems you've had help from a lot of people


not sure if anyone got any vids tbh, forgot to show the mrs how to work it on the camera lol and I think one of my friends got the 140 bench on vid but will have to check... a lot of people have helped so far buddy, support from people of their calibre is beyond value...


----------



## Greyphantom

Some pics from the day...

Squats

220



240



deadlifts

270



290



thanks to Spynee McQueen for the pics...


----------



## Greyphantom

Quick training day Squats and Bench

Well since I go in on friday for the snip and they tell me I should lift heavy stuff for a month (pffft yeah right) so will be taking my week off next week properly before starting a run up to the comp I thought throw in a couple of light sessions this week... so one today and one tomorrow...

Squats and Bench

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x5

200x2x3

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x5

120x2x3

job done and thank god, soooo hot in the gym today, about 1 million degrees lol...

Squats - oh yeah so nice to get under the bar but I know I should be resting... great depth and I really felt the glutes firing today concentrating on driving up from the bottom... felt good and strong and speed was going well too... unfortunately I did forget to keep really tight at the top but it wasnt much of an issue at this weight... just a nice light one today...

Bench - warm ups felt a bit achey in the arms but nice enough, at the top end of weight felt a bit heavy on the first set and was odd but then remembered the dulcet words of Emma from sunday... "Keep your back tight and drive with your feet" or to that effect and the second set of 120 was great... much easier and better reps...

job done way too hot for training but did anyway... happy I did and even though it breaks that week rest the week after comp I will be doing that for at least a week next week... going to work on my next training period and waves for the next comp... have some numbers in mind I want to achieve before then so got some work to do...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Good Stuff Greyphatom,

Good to see your getting back into it now!


----------



## MRSTRONG

well done GP .


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Good Stuff Greyphatom,
> 
> Good to see your getting back into it now!


cheers mate... well about to have an enforced layoff for about 2 weeks or more depending on how fast I can heal... but it fits in with my comp schedule and I need a rest after competition anyway so its all good...



ewen said:


> well done GP .


Thanks Ewen, should have done better really but as I have said the dieting and water manipulation took a lot more out than realised... still know better for next time now and will adjust accordingly so def do better next comp (sept uk open)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlifts...

stupid day today... lol...

WU 120x8, 170x6, 200x5

220x5

220x8

Deads - yeah that was real bright lol... wanted to concentrate on the speed from the floor... warm ups all went well... althought oddly 170 felt a bit heavy... 200 felt great and 220 flew up... first set I stopped at 5 just to save some for the last set... but had a few more there... last set I thought well lets see how many I can do... pushed out 8 and then it started feeling like cardio great little workout last one for a while now for resting, recovering and growing...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

Squats

WU 60x8, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, 210x1

230x2x1

Speed squats

130x3x5

Good mornings

60x5

100x2x5

SLDL

100x3x5

Pullthroughs

30x3x5

Wooo freaking hoooo back under the iron and it felt soooo good it was sexual... actually tbh I was thinking lifting or sex which is better lol...

Squats - bit of a ginger start but the first set at 60 was easy and no hurty, so did 100 and that felt better and more easy than expected... on to 140 then 180 and the 180 felt great, 210 went much easier than expected so then to my first goal weight for the session and 230 just flew up... however the second single I went a bit lower than expected and I felt my hamstring give a little twinge... managed to get that weight up nicely but stopped there... very happy with the squats though and oh god they felt so good and right... kept tight through the whole thing... was awesome...

GM - first time doing these in about a million years... 60 was just too light 100 felt good and could feel it working but more in my glutes and hams than lower back... be keeping this one in for sure...

SLDL - was cautious with this as hamstring had gone twinge in the squats but it felt ok... if anything stretched it all out... easy with 100 though and far too light...

Pullthroughs - bit tougher than expected and forgot that the cable actually hits the groin on the way up so had to be careful not to hit anything too delicate lol... but felt this well and more in lower back and glutes so guess the posterior chain is getting a hammering...

was really really happy with the workout today... just cannot say how great it feels hitting the iron again and how awesome it feels doing a workout and the bonus is nothing broke or bled so thats great... I have a set of targets for each workout to hit numbers wise and I managed to get them today... so if this works out well then my numbers for the open should be hit too and thats a big plus imho... something new to try and I will be incorporating the lift speed work on the same day as the main lift eg heay squat day will also be speed squat day... (same for bench and deads)... bring it on, only 10 weeks of training till the open...


----------



## MRSTRONG

gm`s are a weird one for me , i go light and the feel horrible i go heavy and they feel spot on best way round but still lol

good session there :thumbup1:


----------



## strongmanmatt

Good to see your back mate, good session by looks off.


----------



## Rob68

ewen said:


> gm`s are a weird one for me , i go light and the feel horrible i go heavy and they feel spot on best way round but still lol
> 
> good session there :thumbup1:


Would weighted hypers suit you better ?


----------



## MRSTRONG

Rob68 said:


> Would weighted hypers suit you better ?


not when good mornings are the better option mate no , i like the hard way haha


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> gm`s are a weird one for me , i go light and the feel horrible i go heavy and they feel spot on best way round but still lol
> 
> good session there :thumbup1:


yeah mate felt the same... thanks mate just pleased it worked out well first one back... that and my nuts stayed in one place... the right one too 



strongmanmatt said:


> Good to see your back mate, good session by looks off.


thanks mate, healed nearly and it is so good being under the bar again... was worried I had lost it but nope its on baby 



Rob68 said:


> Would weighted hypers suit you better ?


not really the same tbh... there is a diff feel and emphasis on the posterior chain ime...


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> not when good mornings are the better option mate no , i like the hard way haha


so I have read lol... yeah I like them better too... feels diff and more along the whole chain... at least for me... actually my butt hurts... and no not like that naughty man


----------



## nogger

Nice little rest....good to see you back under the bar.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Nice little rest....good to see you back under the bar.


lol not sure I would like to take another such rest  yeah mate its great to be back under it... felt sooo right...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

ME Bench

WU 60x8, 80x8, 100x4, 115x2, 127.5x1

137.5x1x1, 1xf

Bench DE

80x5x3

Seated Mil Press (Bb)

40x5

50x5

60x5

Dips

BWx3x6

CGBP

70x2x5

Yeah what a great workout... felt pretty good overall with a few niggles outlined below...

Bench - working up to my target weight was odd 60 felt heavier than 80 which felt heavier than 100 and after that it all seemed a little too easy... even the first 137.5 fairly flew up and felt really good... unfortunately the second didnt make it all the way up as coming off the chest my hip/quad started cramping up and I managed to ignore it for a second but it got the better of me... found a better position for my legs on the DE bench though as could still feel it cramping a bit when I spread them too wide... so in they come... but happy that I still got 137.5 after all this time off...

Sh Press - was just feeling this one out as have not done it for a very long time, right shoulder has a niggle I found but nothing too serious... 60 was easy so will start at that next time... then on from there...

Dips - way easier than previous times a lot and instead of 5 did 6 reps (prob should have done more in hindsight) as I will be adding weight to get the 5 working for me more just didnt want to add the weight this week... the thought of weights dangling between my legs right now is a little close to the mark

CGBP - was ok, but my right forearm was really sore doing these so stopped at 2 sets... might try a wider grip or get in a EZ bar and use that as have heard that it can help....

all in all a good workout, will be keeping this format for this wave of training and see where it gets me... targets reached (well actually exceded as when I looked at my notes again it was supposed to be 135... oh well room for movement there ) and workout set... great feel in the chest shoulders and tri's and I felt that the form and technique on bench were really good...

diet is going swimmingly... getting in 400g protein a day and carbs and fats take care of themselves as per usual... been incorporating some Protein 247 Hydro recover and Whey after the workout and its doing ok... early days yet but my leg doms did not last as long as I thought they would, could be Hilly's magic formula adding the choc whey and vanilla hydro recover together is really nice and much more to my taste... best bit is its not over filling and does not make me feel bloated... onward and upward...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Good Stuff mate, not too bad. that's alot of protein your getting, I've really got my protein levels up.


----------



## Greyphantom

Friday 22 Jun 12

Deadlift day

Deads

WU 120x8, 170x6, 210x3, 250x1

270x3x1

DE deads

170x5x3

Chins

BWx3x5

BOR

100x3x5

Good day of training, targets were reached again and felt great...

Deads - oh how good is it to get back to these... worked on getting as much speed off the floor as possible on all sets... got to 210 and damn near had an irongasm... felt so right and came off the floor really fast and light... 250 was even better... 270 has never felt so good either... so wanted to go off plan and see what I could get to but reigned it in and stuck with the plan...

DE deads - easy... first set was a bit slow but fixed it for the rest and really worked on the speed off the floor to lock out... nearly over balanced on one rep lol... felt good though...

Chins - went really really well... strong and felt good... wanted to do more reps but plan calls for 5 so will add some weight in the coming weeks... which will be a first for chins for me as I usually suck at these...

BOR - worked on the power component of these rather than a slow "feel the rep" sort of thing... something I will be doing for most exercises from now on... felt really good...

another workout another target reached and the whole workout felt great... really enjoying training and cannot wait till the next session...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x1 (thats it stopped there)

DE squats

130x1x1 (again stopped there)

GM

WU 60x1x8

100x3x5

SLDL

120x3x5

Pullthroughs

35x3x5

Bit of a tough session today...

Squats - the lower sets felt ok and very good, particularly the speed from the bottom of the hole... but when I got to 180 I felt my hamstring go a little and stopped after the first rep... started to talk myself into trying it again as I didnt want to give up but once under the bar as I began to lower hamstring told me nope...

DE squats - so I thought light should be good and started the first set... nope hamstring just didnt want to play, its not too bad but dont want to push it too much and thus ruin the rest of my run up...

GM - yeah these felt great, first warm up felt light but was needed to get form right, then the 3 working sets really felt great, felt my lower back working nicely and no hassle from my hamstring which I was dreading tbh... good solid work here...

SLDL - was not sure about these today... first set was done nice and slowly to make sure the hamstring was not going to be made worse... but joy it wasnt... in fact the exercise worked a lower part and missed the sore area yay me... 2nd two sets were done with more speed and really worked well...

Pullthroughs - first set felt rough, but subsequent sets were good and man by this stage my posterior chain was in bits...

bit p1ssed that the hamstring twinge from last week has come back to haunt me... was feeling well up for it today but as a result I missed my target this week... sigh... hopefully will have this sorted by next week else it could be a right hinderance... was happy enough with the assistance stuff...


----------



## MRSTRONG

you got a foam roller ?


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> you got a foam roller ?


nah but got some tennis balls I may try, also going to book another session or 5 with the sports therapist... she hurts me back but makes it all good again... lol...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> nah but got some tennis balls I may try, also going to book another session or 5 with the sports therapist... she hurts me back but makes it all good again... lol...


i go to the ESO clinic in maidstone £17:50 a session tis good .

i have a foam roller which is very good i find tennis balls are too small and squidgy as we are both not small  you`ll find the same , a large hockey ball or something hard and bigger than a tennis ball would be ideal .


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> i go to the ESO clinic in maidstone £17:50 a session tis good .
> 
> i have a foam roller which is very good i find tennis balls are too small and squidgy as we are both not small  you`ll find the same , a large hockey ball or something hard and bigger than a tennis ball would be ideal .


oooh didnt know about that one I went to the one in the running place at junction seven where not cuts is...

yeah tried a vodka bottle but its up near my groin on the side not quite hamstrings so it was hard to get too... will look out for a cricket ball or hockey ball...


----------



## MRSTRONG

is it mike you see ?

http://www.facebook.com/mikejones.osteopath

ive not seen him but heard good things .


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> is it mike you see ?
> 
> http://www.facebook.com/mikejones.osteopath
> 
> ive not seen him but heard good things .


no mate her name is Alison cannot remember the blokes name off hand and there is a physio at the place too... its a bit better today, tight but healing tight if you get my drift


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x4, 115x2, 130x1

thats it... oh and

Wrist rotations 11kgx3x12

Dislocations

barx3x20

what a sh1t day... first the leg is pinged now its my fvcking forearm right side... from cgbp last week... pushing the 130 was an act of sheer will and I had Doug Youngs words echoing in my head... tried 140 but arm gave way half way down which was a bit scarey, tried to finish the workout but it just wasnt happening so did some forearm work and then shoulder prehab... leg is starting to show signs of healing but forearm is not great... fml 9 weeks out and its all going pear, take time off and youre supposed to freaking heal... dammit... oh well onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

for ref Doug Youngs words

Your body is capable of so much more than your mind is capable of... In my opinion the mind is nothing but a breaker fuse for, just like electricity, When your body gets more than it can take your mind shuts it off and will not let you extend yourself any further ... and a weight lifter in my opinion To lift the type of weights I lift, you must learn to discipline your mind in conjunction with your body


----------



## strongmanmatt

Hope it goes better GP for you.

Have a rest!


----------



## Greyphantom

Cheers Matt... just looking to recover fast so as not to impede my training for the comp...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads Day baby!!!

Deads ME

WU 120x9, 170x7, 210x4 250x2

280x3x1

Deads DE

175x5x3

Chins

BWx3x5

BOR

120x3x5

Done baby... today was how every workout should be... fvck the niggles and sore bits just get it ON...!!!

Deads - oh now how good is it to do these... warm ups felt good, today just really concentrated on correct technique (adjusting here and there) and speed off the floor... made a big difference, 250 for 2 just flew up and I reckon I could have crackd out a few more... but waited till the target numbers before stretching anything... 280 felt the best it ever has, the biggest difference being I didnt focus on the weight but moving the weight as fast as I could, because I was concentrating on speed I forgot how much the weight was and so the mind switched of the "holy fvck thats heavy" mechanism... allowed for a much smoother and faster pull... got the three out no problems... this is what heaven feels like...

Deads ME - was working on speed but for some reason even though they were quick off the floor it just didnt feel as powerful as it should till the last set... then it was OH... MY... GOD...!!! felt it fully and locked that away to do it the same way next week and the week after etc... sod sex this is what its about 

Chins - went well... enjoyed the lifting tbh as could feel the back work much better, got a smoother and stronger pull from the bottom and it felt easier again... think next week will add some weight on for sure... even if its only 2.5kg... every little counts hey...

BOR - at first they fel meh... then a min or so after finishing the set I could feel the middle part of my upper back trying to crawl away... really pushing for power from the bottom of the pull as I find this is something I need to work on... felt wonderful and this combined with the chins gave me great ILS... um I mean pump 

Oh yeah finally a great workout but then it is deadlift day and its my favourite... the lifts all felt much better, smoother and faster... will have to keep working on that to make sure its progressing but so far so oh yeah baby... niggles gave me no problems and the forearm (which I thought would give me a problem for sure) was fine... in fact its feeling much better... groin thing is good and apart from a slight tightness when I squat (bw only atm) it feels on the mend and ready to try light squats at least monday... biggest difference in the last few days has been the reintroduction of cissus and joint and recovery supps, also upped the Hydro-recover/whey protein drink to two a day... the extra protein should help and the extra creatine will be a boon too... touch wood that they keep going like this now..


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads Day baby!!!

Deads ME

WU 120x9, 170x7, 210x4 250x2

280x3x1

Deads DE

175x5x3

Chins

BWx3x5

BOR

120x3x5

Done baby... today was how every workout should be... fvck the niggles and sore bits just get it ON...!!!

Deads - oh now how good is it to do these... warm ups felt good, today just really concentrated on correct technique (adjusting here and there) and speed off the floor... made a big difference, 250 for 2 just flew up and I reckon I could have crackd out a few more... but waited till the target numbers before stretching anything... 280 felt the best it ever has, the biggest difference being I didnt focus on the weight but moving the weight as fast as I could, because I was concentrating on speed I forgot how much the weight was and so the mind switched of the "holy fvck thats heavy" mechanism... allowed for a much smoother and faster pull... got the three out no problems... this is what heaven feels like...

Deads ME - was working on speed but for some reason even though they were quick off the floor it just didnt feel as powerful as it should till the last set... then it was OH... MY... GOD...!!! felt it fully and locked that away to do it the same way next week and the week after etc... sod sex this is what its about 

Chins - went well... enjoyed the lifting tbh as could feel the back work much better, got a smoother and stronger pull from the bottom and it felt easier again... think next week will add some weight on for sure... even if its only 2.5kg... every little counts hey...

BOR - at first they fel meh... then a min or so after finishing the set I could feel the middle part of my upper back trying to crawl away... really pushing for power from the bottom of the pull as I find this is something I need to work on... felt wonderful and this combined with the chins gave me great ILS... um I mean pump 

Oh yeah finally a great workout but then it is deadlift day and its my favourite... the lifts all felt much better, smoother and faster... will have to keep working on that to make sure its progressing but so far so oh yeah baby... niggles gave me no problems and the forearm (which I thought would give me a problem for sure) was fine... in fact its feeling much better... groin thing is good and apart from a slight tightness when I squat (bw only atm) it feels on the mend and ready to try light squats at least monday... biggest difference in the last few days has been the reintroduction of cissus and joint and recovery supps, also upped the Hydro-recover/whey protein drink to two a day... the extra protein should help and the extra creatine will be a boon too... touch wood that they keep going like this now..


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

ME Squats

WU barx8, 60x8, 100x6, 140x4, 180x2, 210x1

belt on

240x1xf (not parallel)

mtfu talk

240x2x1

DE squats

130x5x3

GM

110x3x5

SLDL

130x3x5

Pullthroughs

40x3x5

oh yeah...!!!

Was a weird feeling in the build up, wasnt sure the leg would hold even though bw squats yesterday felt strong and no pain at all, not even any pulling...

Squats - warm ups all felt great... even the 210 (no belt) felt nice and tight and really good... just below parallel for that and it didnt pull the injury from last week... first single at 240 was just too high... basicall chickened out but after a stern talking to myself about mtfu I did 2 singles to good depth and it felt fine... little hard coming out of the hole but over all pretty good...

Speed squats were really good, first set was a bit slow as I was hesitant but after feeling good just really concetrated on the speed out of the hole and it felt really great...

GM - felt harder this week and much more through my posterior chain... still pretty comfortable but worked for sure... loving these at the moment...

SLDL - wow these were excellent... glutes and hams fried by the end and just couldnt find a comfy position to sit in...

Pullthroughs - harder this week, the weight seems to have jumped 10kg not 5... second set better than the first and third better again as I found the right movement...

very happy that the groin thing has pretty much healed and feels fine... even happier that I had to sit there at the end and take a few deep breaths to not throw up lol... the whole workout felt really good and just like it should, best thing is I am on target with numbers and its feeling strong and good...

weight is 112.5kg and usually thats a little lower after a weekend as I dont have the same pattern for eating as during the week... but I managed to get approx 300g protein in on both days and all the fats and carbs that go with it... so far so good... will keep an eye on the weight as I dont want it going too much over 115 or so...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Good Session there buddy, really good, I have a serious probablem atm with my fecking knee, my go to doc's soon. I am not doing many squats a week. Although want to try doing 3-4 session wtf am I a mad man, doing loads of fronts now.


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Good Session there buddy, really good, I have a serious probablem atm with my fecking knee, my go to doc's soon. I am not doing many squats a week. Although want to try doing 3-4 session wtf am I a mad man, doing loads of fronts now.


hate it when theres an injury mate... make sure you go to a good doc that understands lifting if you can... theres one at my surgery and hes brilliant... tbh when I had my hernia I still lifted even though told not to... just made sure I did it really carefully


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench Day

ME Bench

WU 60x8, 80x8, 100x5, 115x2, 130x1

140x1xf

DE Bench

80x5x3

Seated press

60x1x5

65x2x5

Dips

BWx5

BW+5kg x 2x5

Dislocations

Bar x 3x20

oh well went well but not as good as expected or hoped for...

Bench - started well, arm felt fine, 130 actually went up easily and well... 140 unracked and it felt fine, down touch and up, things I forgot = keeping back tight, leg drive and squeezing the bar (stupidly instead of concentrating on the lift I was worried about the arm so focussed on that)... so down and press started fine but then half way up I realised my back had unlocked and I hadnt used the legs so focus slipped and then I noticed what was happening in my arm, my hand was bending back as I press up and this caused my forearm to hurt and on the 140 I actually felt it like a sprain (but its not) and so mental note of just one more thing to add to the list of what to do in the bench is keep the freaking hand in line with the forearm... doing this helps immeasureably... anyway not a total lose but missed my numbers this week as well...

Seated Press - actually felt pretty good... the last set being the best... found the groove for the lift and managed some nice power from the bottom...

Dips - wow felt these... triceps took a hit and after the first set I added some weight which is cool, only 5kg to start with but its a start... felt nice and strong too...

Dislocations - oooh yeah nice stretch, loosened up the shoulders and had them feeling good...

bench always my bugbear... need to work on it and get it locked in... it is getting there slowly but I would like it to get there quicker lol... arm def improving and should be fine by next week...

still managing to get in circa 400g protein a day which is good... weight fairly steady about 112-113kg so thats also good...


----------



## NICK_1

Just a few little tweaks to bench form can make a world of difference hey GP! Hope the arms sorts itself out!


----------



## strongmanmatt

Good session GP,,

Your going well and strong mate!


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift day (woo hooo)...

ME Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5, 250x3, 270x1

290x2x1

DE deads

180x5x3

Chins

BW+5kg x3x5

BOR

130x3x5

Yeah baby, after being hassled by the knob brigade all day I went into the gym to work it all off... great session... loved the deads as have added some new technique changes ala Andy Bolton and it made a big difference I think...

Deads - watched a video or two (one of which posted by @JB) re deadlifting with Andy Bolton and in it he talked about speed off the floor (already working on that) and popping the hips as the bar passes the knees (something I have not been doing)... so thought I would try it out in todays workout and man it made a huge difference... the light weights just flew up and felt like, well not nothing exactly but easy, once I got to 250 it was a bit harder to pop the hips hard (like youre humping the bar basically) but activating the glutes much better helped the drive through and made lockout easier... 290 never went up so easy, only thing is I got 2 singles and would have liked 3 but I managed to rip the skin on my hands and they were weeping this clear liquid stuff (not bleeding but you know that clear liquid you get when you graze yourself, that stuff) which made holding the bar hard... speed deads were good (well after the first set) and I got them going fast and loads of hip pop... not to be confused with hip hop of which I have none...

Chins - yeah baby first time ever I have added weight to my chins I think... all went up easily except for the last 2 reps on the last set which slowed and I had to struggle... felt great and def moving up from here... biggest prob was grip though as hands were stinging and a bit slippery, but muddled through...

BOR - grip was not helping here either... first set didnt go as well as it should have but the second was much better and third even better still... form prob off slightly as I was worried about hands and grip... but was ok still...

Excellent workout and really feeling my back now... tired, hands very sore but happy...


----------



## Greyphantom

NICK_1 said:


> Just a few little tweaks to bench form can make a world of difference hey GP! Hope the arms sorts itself out!


absolutely mate... got a few ideas to help out with my weakest lift... hopefully it will all come together by the open...



strongmanmatt said:


> Good session GP,,
> 
> Your going well and strong mate!


thanks mate, getting there but need the bench to come up some...


----------



## big_jim_87

Greyphantom said:


> Deadlift day (woo hooo)...
> 
> ME Deads
> 
> WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5, 250x3, 270x1
> 
> 290x2x1
> 
> DE deads
> 
> 180x5x3
> 
> Chins
> 
> BW+5kg x3x5
> 
> BOR
> 
> 130x3x5
> 
> Yeah baby, after being hassled by the knob brigade all day I went into the gym to work it all off... great session... loved the deads as have added some new technique changes ala Andy Bolton and it made a big difference I think...
> 
> Deads - watched a video or two (one of which posted by @JB) re deadlifting with Andy Bolton and in it he talked about speed off the floor (already working on that) and popping the hips as the bar passes the knees (something I have not been doing)... so thought I would try it out in todays workout and man it made a huge difference... the light weights just flew up and felt like, well not nothing exactly but easy, once I got to 250 it was a bit harder to pop the hips hard (like youre humping the bar basically) but activating the glutes much better helped the drive through and made lockout easier... 290 never went up so easy, only thing is I got 2 singles and would have liked 3 but I managed to rip the skin on my hands and they were weeping this clear liquid stuff (not bleeding but you know that clear liquid you get when you graze yourself, that stuff) which made holding the bar hard... speed deads were good (well after the first set) and I got them going fast and loads of hip pop... not to be confused with hip hop of which I have none...
> 
> Chins - yeah baby first time ever I have added weight to my chins I think... all went up easily except for the last 2 reps on the last set which slowed and I had to struggle... felt great and def moving up from here... biggest prob was grip though as hands were stinging and a bit slippery, but muddled through...
> 
> BOR - grip was not helping here either... first set didnt go as well as it should have but the second was much better and third even better still... form prob off slightly as I was worried about hands and grip... but was ok still...
> 
> Excellent workout and really feeling my back now... tired, hands very sore but happy...


lol was smiling through this post lol you make a good funny read.

I love deads but am to scared to go over 260k as old ham string tear is still fresh in my mind... but im a gay and use straps and a belt on any dead once over the 220k mark... grip at best was able to hold a 240k dead but not any more...


----------



## big_jim_87

would like to see this hip popping tho... can't quite picture it with out it no longer looking like a deadlift...

how much rest you have between sets bud?


----------



## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> lol was smiling through this post lol you make a good funny read.
> 
> I love deads but am to scared to go over 260k as old ham string tear is still fresh in my mind... but im a gay and use straps and a belt on any dead once over the 220k mark... grip at best was able to hold a 240k dead but not any more...


yes yes you are gay  x

thanks mate, try to make it entertaining as it can be a dry boring subject... gotta let the fear go Jim... I used to have that all the time, feel a pull in the pec so drop the bar, feel legs go or hams stretch to the point etc but once I found my line or groove it turned out to be the mind... grip has funnily enough never been a problem for me... well yet anyway...



big_jim_87 said:


> would like to see this hip popping tho... can't quite picture it with out it no longer looking like a deadlift...
> 
> how much rest you have between sets bud?


lol... its sort of a sharp hard drive with the hips/glutes so the bar locks out better and gives that last little oomph to the lift... but only looks odd in the light lifts, when you get over 200 or so there is no pop as such even though you try, but it sure helps to lock that bar in place...

rest... well in the lighter sets only a couple of mins really in the heavy sets I try to time it like a meet at this point... so 5-10 mins (but I usually want to lift sooner) as this sets me up for the comp nicely I have found...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

ME squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x2 230x0

245x0x0

DE squats

140x0x0

GM

110x3x5

SLDL

140x3x5

Pullthroughs

40x3x5

Well started the day feeling a bit tired but ok in general... go to training and felt well up for it...

Squats - warm ups were awesome, felt nice and strong and easy... up till 210... first rep when I got to the bottom I felt something in my right quad pull a little... did the second rep and felt it even more so called it quits there, pulling sensation in the lower part of the outer quad right near the bottom of the muscle... kinda went numb and then sore now its pretty ok but still slightly achey... bit of massage and it should be right as rain quick enough, but I def didnt want to risk anything this close to the comp... so I am looking at today as a bit of a deload on squats day lol... would have had my target numbers for sure as 210 felt fine and easy with no belt at all... just that pesky pull... I also sacked the speed stuff for the same reason... I did do some bodyweight bench squats after GMs though just to see how it felt and it was starting to feel fine by then so maybe I just wussed out... time will tell...

GM - kept the weight the same this week as form was a bit ropey last week and it paid off as it was super good this week... felt nice and tight and really good...

SLDL - this felt easy today, weight was almost nothing and I had the "do I sit or stay standing?" feel when finishing the sets... really hit the glutes and hams well and hard...

Pullthroughs - kept the weight the same again as form felt off last week... still not great in the first set but the last two were really good... not as tight as GM but still good enough... prob keep the weight the same next week but we shall see...

Overall I am pleased with today but same time miffed I missed the target weight for today... still did not want to risk the quad with a serious injury and the squatting felt way better than it has before, great drive from the bottom and weights just didnt feel as heavy... going to take that positive forward and next week slay the damn thing... posterior chain is taking a hammering and feels great from all the assistance stuff... def keeping the bar much more stable on my shoulders during squats and midsection doesnt feel any weakness at all even at 210 with no belt... next week going to push that squat hard and not pick up a freaking niggle... sigh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench Day

ME Bench

WU - 60x10, 80x8, 100x5, 115x4, 130x2

140x1xf (DAMMIT!!!!)

large cup of mtfu

140x1x1

140x1xf sigh

Wide grip Bench

100x1x1

Seated press

WU 40x5

65x3x5

Dips

BW+10kg x1x6, 2x5

Dislocations

Bar x3x20

Oooooh yeah much better in the forearm today, kept the bar in a great line straight down the forearm... massive difference in feel...

Bench - well after all the shenannigens I have been having I wanted today to go well... it had mixed results but good outcomes... warm ups felt better than ever and no problem from forearm at all... 115 felt so easy I went to 4 instead of 2 and 130 felt so nice I push out 2 nice and tight... I know I could have added a rep on 3 onto each lift... 140 loaded unracked and stuck on chest... WTF... seriously WTF... was going to give up then as a bad apple but went over it in my head as to what I could be doing wrong... first thing was too much focus on the bar lowering and not enough on it going up... sounds silly but I was thinking of lowering it safely and under control, and making sure my arm didnt hurt (it didnt) so I simply didnt think about pushing it up... second thing was I was not setting it up well enough and mentally focussing on the lift itself rather than a bodypart... got under the bar again set it up exactly and made sure the lats were locked in as explained/shown to me by a mate on saturday and man it went well, flew up and felt much easier than previously... very surprised at how it went up tbh... third attempt I got it off the chest really easy and it was going up but for some reason it went off line and slid to the left... checked my bench for lean and it was fine, bar was evenly loaded but it still went left... oh well happy enough and now know what it was and how to do it to make sure I nail the heavier weights each time... mentally locking that in...

Press - 65 felt a little heavy at first but then by the second set it was getting easier and felt comfortable... still a hard lift for me... but progressing...

Dips - oh yeah feeling these now, got the groove and feeling good... added 10kg to my bodyweight which I think is a best for me at least over three sets it is... and looking to go up next week... actually loving these when I used to hate them...

Dislocations - such a sweet finisher for the workout... helps stretch out the shoulders and chest and loosen it all up...

so got the 140 and it felt good, next week to consolidate that and maybe move up in weight... will see how it feels... got to work on that wide grip too as it feels unnatural and today it put more pressure on my forearm which is why I stopped at 1 as will not risk hurting that when its just healing...

Quad is feeling great... just tight and a bit achey now... bw squats are good to go and dont make it hurt at all... bring on monday


----------



## big_jim_87

140k? you bench more then that I thought?


----------



## strongmanmatt

Good training as always GP, you never let me down, fantastic stuff mate. and great write up as noraml. Keep at it dude!


----------



## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> 140k? you bench more then that I thought?


lol yeah mate its p1ss poor but getting there... its more a mental thing with me now I have the technique locked in more...



strongmanmatt said:


> Good training as always GP, you never let me down, fantastic stuff mate. and great write up as noraml. Keep at it dude!


thanks bud... was a good day... starting to move on the bench now which is good as its a lift thats let me down a bit total wise... looking to break into 750 territory one day soon...


----------



## littlesimon

[sTALK]Nice lifting GP[/sTALK]


----------



## big_jim_87

Greyphantom said:


> lol yeah mate its p1ss poor but getting there... its more a mental thing with me now I have the technique locked in more...
> 
> thanks bud... was a good day... starting to move on the bench now which is good as its a lift thats let me down a bit total wise... looking to break into 750 territory one day soon...


aha! you can mock my deads now your good at em but not my bench!


----------



## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> aha! you can mock my deads now your good at em but not my bench!


yeah you wait till I get my bench up then we shall see 

working on getting past the 150 barrier too... loads of mental imho...


----------



## big_jim_87

Greyphantom said:


> yeah you wait till I get my bench up then we shall see
> 
> working on getting past the 150 barrier too... loads of mental imho...


i dnt bench since my rip but 150x11 or 12 was my best... lol looks like ill be able to mock you for a while yet...


----------



## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> i dnt bench since my rip but 150x11 or 12 was my best... lol looks like ill be able to mock you for a while yet...


you mean spur me on matey


----------



## big_jim_87

Greyphantom said:


> you mean spur me on matey


no i mean mock you lol

no motivation intended just pure abuse and mockery lol


----------



## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> no i mean mock you lol
> 
> no motivation intended just pure abuse and mockery lol


spur mock same same... then when I pass it becomes mock only


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift day...

Deadlift (back off week)

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5

250x3x3

DE deads

180x5x3

Chins

BW+10kg 5, 4, 3+1p

BOR

130x3x5

Not sure I was going to make it today, sod all sleep last night feeling pretty rough to boot (nauseus and headachey) so was touch and go... but then remembered I had testicles and not even the man flu would stop me so got on with it... luckily it was a back off week anyway so wasnt going heavy...

Deads - warm ups were good but didnt get the same hip drive as last week... so something to continue working on there... 210 was very easy though as the speed from the floor is improving... 250 was great, comfortable reps and while the hips need more work everything is pretty much falling into place... just did a quick 3 sets of 3 and left it there which was good as was feeling might sick at the end, speed sets I am not used to... lol... the speed work went well and hips started clicking into place... nooo not cos I am old dammit, but the movement became more coordinated and smooth...

Chins - loving these right now, still a hard exercise for me but adding weight is a good thing... first time 10kg been strapped on and although I didnt get the full reps in each set I felt the bugger work... going to leave the weight the same next week and work on reps...

BOR - wow these were so good this week, form was spot on and man my back was on fire after each set...

so glad I decided to just crack on with it as it turned out to be a good work out... got a few areas to work on still but then thats always going to be the case I imagine... next week should be a full on week again as quad is pretty much healed and going to push squats and deads hard... lets get those numbers up...


----------



## Beklet

I still have no fvcking idea what you're talking about  x


----------



## Greyphantom

Beklet said:


> I still have no fvcking idea what you're talking about  x


lol... lifting heavy sh1t ftw Beks


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

ME squat

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x2, belt on 230x1

250x2x NTD (not to depth)

ME Squats

140x5x3

GM

115x3x5

SLDL

150x3x5

after a pretty crappy weekend (bug floored me sat and only two meals sun plus slept funny last night so neck is all funny cricking type thing) I was wondering if it was going to be a good session... then work went longer than expected didnt get my normal meal time before training in and that always throws me... but cracked on and pleased I did...

Squats - the actual squat felt ok, but as the bar got heavier my neck/trap point was hurting unless I kept my back very tight... that was not too bad till I got to 250 and started concentrating on the legs and hips so the quads were good... course as I am pretty simple I forgot to keep the upper back as tight as it should have been this meant as I went down my neck/back started hurting and I started to lose it thus not reaching depth, first single was a ways off but the second was closer but still no cigar... it wasnt till the 4th set of the speed squats I realised what I had done wrong... 230 was easy and felt so good... made some notes for next week to remind me to keep my damn back tight and chest out... this will stop me collapsing in and make me get the lift... the DE squatting started slow but then after a self pep talk got way better and nice power/speed from the bottom...

GM - was not sure about doing these as neck thing was sore... but gave the first set a go to see how it would work out and no problem at all... very happy with them and the second and third sets were progressively harder...

SLDL - great sets here... felt them nicely in the hams and glutes and form was really good... far better than expected tbh...

was a quick one today as couldnt fit in the pullthroughs as had to pick up my boy from school... from next week wont have that problem as they are off on holiday... all in all even though I didnt get depth on the ME squats I know what the problem is and its easily rectified and I know I will nail them next week for sure... with 6 weeks of training to go I am happy enough...


----------



## big_jim_87

after a few dead sessions I realise i natty do this hip pop thing... was only last week I did it n realised oh that could be it... its a bit like pushing the hips forward automatically pulls the bar up?

hard to explain but I think I do it too... not sure if I have always done it or since reading your comments subconsciously started doing and noticed last dead session.

how are you any way?


----------



## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> after a few dead sessions I realise i natty do this hip pop thing... was only last week I did it n realised oh that could be it... its a bit like pushing the hips forward automatically pulls the bar up?
> 
> hard to explain but I think I do it too... not sure if I have always done it or since reading your comments subconsciously started doing and noticed last dead session.
> 
> how are you any way?


thats exactly it mate... same thing...

I am good thanks buddy... had a bit of a b1tch on wed with bench as apparantly had a muscle spasm so the doc tells me, no rips or tears so thats good and deads today was a pretty good session... on track for the comp thats for sure mate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

ME deads

WU 60x2x6, 120x10, 170x8, 210x5, 250x3, 280x1

300x1

300xf

300x1 (easier than first)

DE deads

190x5x3

Chins

BWx5

BW+10x2x5

BOR

135x3x5

Wooo hooo... great days training... Welshguy84 came over for a training session and it was good having the company... spurred me on a bit too which was nice...

Deads - wasnt sure how these would go given the state of my back, but the first couple of light sets were a try out to see if I would feel anything and it went well so right into it... warm up sets went well and bar pretty much flew up... 250 was a bit harder but 280 seemed great so went for 300... first rep was a bit of a grind tbh but went up so very happy... second rep got it to my knees and I chickened out... total mind fvck but one thing it did do was release my back as I felt no pain at all after that... after getting a stern "youre a pussy" talking to (under his breath I might add lol) from Welshy I tried 300 again, this time it went up much easier and felt very comfortable... very very pleased with todays numbers as its the first time in a while pulling 300 and first time I have pulled it more than once in the same session... so more weight to follow for sure... time to step up!!! speed deads went well, started slow tbh but picked up by the following sets...

Chins - first one was a bw set to see how the back would react... was fine... till let go lol... but nothing serious, and will be adding more weight next week as it felt really good, plus Welshy showed me up by adding more weight that me!!

BOR - really nice, felt tidy and nicely in the back, no ache really and will be upping the weight on these too...

As said really happy with todays session, was great to have Welshy there and he has some great skills... got loads in him for the future thats for sure and if we get the weight numbers right for his attempts he would have had some good lifts today... oops, I must learn to add better back held up fine and targets reached this week... onward and upward...


----------



## big_jim_87

Greyphantom said:


> thats exactly it mate... same thing...
> 
> I am good thanks buddy... had a bit of a b1tch on wed with bench as apparantly had a muscle spasm so the doc tells me, no rips or tears so thats good and deads today was a pretty good session... on track for the comp thats for sure mate...


pop to a sports therapist and set some deep tissue work done! if you dnt already its awesome! will really help!


----------



## Greyphantom

big_jim_87 said:


> pop to a sports therapist and set some deep tissue work done! if you dnt already its awesome! will really help!


yeah mate I did for a few months but then life and other bits took priority... will have to get along end of this month for sure... in the mean time the wifes elbow will have to do lol... will prob be in touch in the next day or so too mate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats day

ME Squat

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x2, 230x1

250x2x1

250x1xNP

DE Squats

140x5x3

thats it... back held up really well just had to really really concentrate on keeping it tight and solid...

Squats - surprisingly went really well... warm ups felt tight and good, not a hint of ache... kept it really tight though and made sure it was solid for the whole set... 230 felt really good and went on to 250... took the first rep and it felt heavy, went nice and low but by accident more than anything lol, went down a bit quicker than I expected and it was a bit loose, but I managed to get it up nicely... second single went really well felt much better and much more controlled... loved it... last one just didnt set it up right and thus it didnt work... but over all really happy with it... the speed squats were good and felt strong... first set a bit slow but managed to pick up the pace on the remaining sets...

just kept it to squats today, tried some good mornings but the back was just not ready... just glad I got the squats in tbh and can move forward, back feeling very good compared to last week and getting stronger day by day... sort of looking forward to bench day now lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME bench

WU 60x11, 80x8, 100x6, 115x3, 130x1

142.5xf

WGBP

100x3x3

thats it... short and sweet... was very worried about my back and it showed... pre workout I took 3 ibuprofen to dull any pain and that helped but as the weights went up so did my caution and this affected my lifting a bit... no weight was hard per se but on 115 the 3 reps went up really nicely and easily and slowly as in a controlled manner rather than hard... had a few more in me but stopped at 3 cos the 4th is when my back went last week... sooo 130 the single was simple... smooth and easy but again too slow from the bottom... 142.5 was a hale mary pass really... wanted it and by rights should have had it but all I could think of on the way down was "watch the back, watch the back" and totally forgot leg drive, speed off chest and everything... funny thing is although I can still feel an ache in my back it didnt twinge, hurt or ache at all in the bench... FML... hopefully by next week will have shaken this off and will just get it all working together again...

did some wide grip bench as suggested by @Dig... much different to the closer in grip I have started using also changed at something Dig said (which is feeling much better btw mate thanks for that)... feels weird doing a wider grip but also could feel it more through the chest so hopefully get a good cross over there...

didnt do dips or shoulder press as both movements seem to aggravate that little spastic musle in my back lol... next week for sure...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads Day

ME deads

WU 120x10, 170x 6, 210x4, 250x2, 280x1

305x2xf

ME deads

200x3x3

thats it... last few days been feeling really pants, meh or whatever... today was a bit better but started to fall asleep about 45mins before training which is never a good thing... sleepless nights due to the heat and sweating my rear off... the flaming heat which is draining as hell... all just leads to meh... anywho I went into the workout thinking it was all ok... pretty much just did deads really... the heavy ones started well but I started gassing and feeling tired at 250 ffs then 280 went up ok but didnt feel "on" but went up ok still then 305 felt heavy but the first one I wimped out as my back felt tight and tbh just didnt have the energy... or will or what ever... tried it again but still could only get it to my knees and while it felt better just still couldnt put anything into it... by this stage my shirt was soaked and I felt physically fragged... started the speed deads which felt tough and my upper glutes/lower back felt strained by them (huh??) but got 3 sets out with the last one being the best feeling as I made damn sure to get a good start and form going... absolutely gone now... feeling peeved and wasted... going to eat some bits and have a shake before bed... sleep a long sleep for the next couple of nights and get the damn fan out so I can sleep...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Greyphantom said:


> Deads Day
> 
> ME deads
> 
> WU 120x10, 170x 6, 210x4, 250x2, 280x1
> 
> 305x2xf
> 
> ME deads
> 
> 200x3x3
> 
> thats it... last few days been feeling really pants, meh or whatever... today was a bit better but started to fall asleep about 45mins before training which is never a good thing... sleepless nights due to the heat and sweating my rear off... the flaming heat which is draining as hell... all just leads to meh... anywho I went into the workout thinking it was all ok... pretty much just did deads really... the heavy ones started well but I started gassing and feeling tired at 250 ffs then 280 went up ok but didnt feel "on" but went up ok still then 305 felt heavy but the first one I wimped out as my back felt tight and tbh just didnt have the energy... or will or what ever... tried it again but still could only get it to my knees and while it felt better just still couldnt put anything into it... by this stage my shirt was soaked and I felt physically fragged... started the speed deads which felt tough and my upper glutes/lower back felt strained by them (huh??) but got 3 sets out with the last one being the best feeling as I made damn sure to get a good start and form going... absolutely gone now... feeling peeved and wasted... going to eat some bits and have a shake before bed... sleep a long sleep for the next couple of nights and get the damn fan out so I can sleep...


Hope you feel better soon mate, when your lifting as heavy as that it's going to be hard to rep on your top weight all the time. Chin up get some sleep and food, and you'll be fine next time you train.


----------



## strongmanmatt

Greyphantom said:


> Deads Day
> 
> ME deads
> 
> WU 120x10, 170x 6, 210x4, 250x2, 280x1
> 
> 305x2xf
> 
> ME deads
> 
> 200x3x3
> 
> thats it... last few days been feeling really pants, meh or whatever... today was a bit better but started to fall asleep about 45mins before training which is never a good thing... sleepless nights due to the heat and sweating my rear off... the flaming heat which is draining as hell... all just leads to meh... anywho I went into the workout thinking it was all ok... pretty much just did deads really... the heavy ones started well but I started gassing and feeling tired at 250 ffs then 280 went up ok but didnt feel "on" but went up ok still then 305 felt heavy but the first one I wimped out as my back felt tight and tbh just didnt have the energy... or will or what ever... tried it again but still could only get it to my knees and while it felt better just still couldnt put anything into it... by this stage my shirt was soaked and I felt physically fragged... started the speed deads which felt tough and my upper glutes/lower back felt strained by them (huh??) but got 3 sets out with the last one being the best feeling as I made damn sure to get a good start and form going... absolutely gone now... feeling peeved and wasted... going to eat some bits and have a shake before bed... sleep a long sleep for the next couple of nights and get the damn fan out so I can sleep...


Hope you feel better soon mate, when your lifting as heavy as that it's going to be hard to rep on your top weight all the time. Chin up get some sleep and food, and you'll be fine next time you train.


----------



## nogger

Right mate...asked about a good gym in camiers on a french forum..49 Views and 1 reply off the guy who runs it with "sorry i have no idea"....

Hopefully he will just come across one when he's there.


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats day

Squats

60x8

100x6

140x2

140x3

160x2

180x2

200x3+1p

thats it... well July has been a right sh1t fight for me in terms of niggles and cr4p going on in life... but thank god damn near through it now... today was a day late with squats as yesterday just couldnt bend down due to issues in glute... its been there since last week and instead of working on it, stretching it out and ice/heat and deep tissue stimulation etc I let it go and have paid the price... still better late than never and today its finally started to work out and feel better so gave squats a go... tbh was pleased with 200 but numbers should be higher this close to comp day... found that as weight went up it was easier to hit depth but the last one told me it was time to stop...


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Hope you feel better soon mate, when your lifting as heavy as that it's going to be hard to rep on your top weight all the time. Chin up get some sleep and food, and you'll be fine next time you train.


cheers mate... slowly getting rid of all the niggles and hopefully from now till comp will have a clean run... yeah true, but tbh friday I was just not into it, a few body issues and no sleep for a week plus the heat just took it all out of me... should have lowered the weights and done a light day at around 240 or so but just really felt like pushing it...



nogger said:


> Right mate...asked about a good gym in camiers on a french forum..49 Views and 1 reply off the guy who runs it with "sorry i have no idea"....
> 
> Hopefully he will just come across one when he's there.


thanks mate will pass on the info...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x5, 120x2

142.5x1xf

WGBP

100x2

100x4

100x7

Dips

BW+10kg x 2

thats it, another can of shyte... just was a hodge podge... the warm ups felt great and could have done a few more reps on each set but held back a little for the working set... but even though the weight felt good when I unracked it and I lowered it far better than I have before just couldnt get the drive from the bottom... huge mental block right now which is peeing me off a lot... back was fine but when I went to do dips felt it starting to give so had to stop them... only bug bear I have to get rid of in terms of niggles now is this freaking glute/lower back thing... its going but taking its time and if I sit on it the wrong way it feels like I have a pins and needles feeling but hot down my leg... I can put more pressure on it than the last couple of days but still not as much as I need, I can almost bend down now too which is nice... thinking it might have something to do with my sciatic nerve or something nerve wise... really sore and really really getting on my wick... when its healed though will be back to fighting fit... really need to work on this mental issue with bench, will have to find a gym I can work with people as I think someone handing it off to me may help... maybe drop the weight and just concentrate on getting reps with a lighter weight (120 certainly felt fine and I could have got a few more reps and a couple more sets out of that maybe)...

well off to massage my ar$e again... seems to be working out the kinks...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Greyphantom, I am sorry to hear that mate, I guess years of lifting give you that problems but I don't suppose that's life, and is the same with any sports, I will be knackered by the time I am 30 years old I predict, because I started at 19 years old.


----------



## MRSTRONG

I get a similar pain , pins and needles around my tail bone into my glute due to sacrem tilt literally pain in the ass but massage fixes it .

Pop down mom ill spot you on bench mate .


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Greyphantom, I am sorry to hear that mate, I guess years of lifting give you that problems but I don't suppose that's life, and is the same with any sports, I will be knackered by the time I am 30 years old I predict, because I started at 19 years old.


tbh its more the extra activities I do... eg cleaning out the conservatory for the mrs we had a big glass lizard tank and I had to move that from there to the car, its not that heavy really but very unweildy and thus put me at an awkward angle when lifting and walking with it... then was doing something round the pond (puddle really lol) and while spread legged over it was twisting to put a new pipe on the filter when slipped... so its really no the lifting and today after a great squat session it helped no end... glutes feeling pretty good now...



ewen said:


> I get a similar pain , pins and needles around my tail bone into my glute due to sacrem tilt literally pain in the ass but massage fixes it .
> 
> Pop down mom ill spot you on bench mate .


yeah mate some good massage from the mrs (damn she took FAR too much pleasure in my pain lol) it started to loosen up and after todays heavy squats its just so much better again... nice one re bench matey... bench day for me is wed... yours mon?? can make some changes... would be good to get some pointers and mental blocks removed 

*edit* re read the post Ewen, read it properly now as MOM ministry of muscle lol... yeah mate would be good in the run up to comp now so 3 weeks full training left with openers to be set... then its 8 weeks to the worlds (yes I got an invite to the WPC worlds in Las Vegas baby  )


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day (basic)

Squats

WU 60x8, 100x6, 140x5, 180x3, 210x1, belt on 230x2

250x2x1

Thats it... just a basic squat day and will prob drop most assistance work now till after the comp... maybe throw in a few exercises here and there but will scale it down as have done prior and its paid off...

Squats - glutes area still playing up, wasnt sure what to expect from today tbh but just cant stop training, not now, just really really want to train soooo thought will just see how it goes... 60 was a bit sore but then things started to loosen up, 100 was easier and 140 better still 210 felt great but I had already decided to do just the single and 230 I did 2 cos the first was ok but not tight enough, saw those cool sparkly things in front of my eyes lol... put 250 up and just wanted to see if I could sink it... damn yeah I could really happy with the first so did a second to make sure and it was even better, legs and glutes feeling awesome now... till later I suppose lol... very good session and really happy, bench day tomorrow so bring it on...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> yeah mate some good massage from the mrs (damn she took FAR too much pleasure in my pain lol) it started to loosen up and after todays heavy squats its just so much better again... nice one re bench matey... bench day for me is wed... yours mon?? can make some changes... would be good to get some pointers and mental blocks removed
> 
> *edit* re read the post Ewen, read it properly now as MOM ministry of muscle lol... yeah mate would be good in the run up to comp now so 3 weeks full training left with openers to be set... then its 8 weeks to the worlds (yes I got an invite to the WPC worlds in Las Vegas baby  )


lol yeah i should of said ministry but im lazy haha

i dont do bench and havent for months now id glady meet you there and help you out though , im 3 weeks out from uk`s so its all heavy as fcuk and all go i train mon thurs and sat but like i say id help you out on a weds evening if you want .

well done on the invite mate thats great news and great lifting gets you to these places congrats .


----------



## Greyphantom

Cheers Ewen, I will take you up on that, will prob be after the open tbh as got so much on the next few weeks with life let alone training etc...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> Cheers Ewen, I will take you up on that, will prob be after the open tbh as got so much on the next few weeks with life let alone training etc...


yeah thats good for me mate ive got a comp a wedding and moving house this month :lol:

anytime your up for it though mate .


----------



## Greyphantom

Jinx mate, got a stag do wedding and comp all in the next 3 or 4 weeks... all planned at the same time what are the odds...


----------



## MRSTRONG

haha hate it when life gets in the way i moved 300 miles away to get away from the cnuts :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> haha hate it when life gets in the way i moved 300 miles away to get away from the cnuts :lol:


12000 for me and then I met my wife lol...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> 12000 for me and then I met my wife lol...


haha same although i met a lass from the midlands living in the south :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> haha same although i met a lass from the midlands living in the south :lol:


lol even worse for me, got here from NZ to meet and Aussie girl who came into the gym I worked in... two kids and a house later lol


----------



## MRSTRONG

Haha mad how things go at times .


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x6, 120x3

142.5x3x1 yeah baby

WGBP

100x8,7,6

Dislocations

bar x 3x20

oh yeah thats what she wrote baby... been a sticking point for weeks and now its just up so damn easy... @Dig @Chrisj22 followed your advice with the bigger jumps less sets and WGBP and it seems to have come together with some other advice from another chap re keeping back tight and lats engaged... throw that in with getting the leg drive right and timing spot on and bam up it went... low sets felt ridiculously easy... 100 felt so nice and 120 even felt really good so was pleased, could feel the mental bug setting in when I loaded 142.5 on and just stopped it by focussing on the technique pointers and form issues... made them all come together and that first single flew up, very surprised... started to talk myself out of the second but again stopped focussing on that and instead what went right... second went up easier so was damn near flying at this stage... was thinking dont want to jinx it by trying a 3rd and failing so thought fvck it, lets not fail and BAM went up, more of a struggle but still went up well... all with a nice pause at the bottom (which to be fair I am not sure was planned lol)... really happy with this...

the WGBP went well, cannot believe I got so many reps with a wide grip... felt really good and chest was well fried after... dislocations went well and now I am fvcked lol... feel pretty dman awesome lol...

Dig and Chris, really appreciate your words of wisdom, helped no end and now lets see what I can do with it...


----------



## defdaz

I knew you'd be mentioning dislocations if I came in here! :lol: Are they were you hold the bar wide and lying on a bench lower it behind your head with your arms locked?

Was the 142.5 x 3 a pb mate?


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> I knew you'd be mentioning dislocations if I came in here! :lol: Are they were you hold the bar wide and lying on a bench lower it behind your head with your arms locked?
> 
> Was the 142.5 x 3 a pb mate?


lol they are good mate... I do them standing, start bar in front at around pelvic level, grip wide then keeping arms straight lift bar over head and down to touch back keeping arms straight all the way...

not a pb weight wise mate as have got 145 in comp before but certainly a pb where getting more than one single is concerned and in my gym... cant wait to train bench next week now... or deads tomorrow for that matter lol...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Fantastic work GP, so so so happppppppppppppppppy for you. You finally nailed the 140kg plus mark on bench great feat, it clearly was just a psychological thing that held you back. Once again really well done on that GP. :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Fantastic work GP, so so so happppppppppppppppppy for you. You finally nailed the 140kg plus mark on bench great feat, it clearly was just a psychological thing that held you back. Once again really well done on that GP. :thumb:


cheers mate lol... yeah totally a psychological thing mate... lets hope that genie is out of the bottle well and truly...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift day

Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 200x5, 230x3

260x5

DE deads

200x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x 4+1p, x5

BOR

135x2x5

Ooooooooh now that wasnt nice... after talking with Dig he came up with a game plan for my deadlift day in the run up to the comp... this was the first day... 260 for 5 was the target, target sighted, target destroyed... along with GP lol... I knew I would get it but was not sure how much I would have to grind them out... as it turns out the first 4 were actually not very hard, the 5th was harder but didnt have to grind it like I thought I would... very pleased, very nauseus and believe I might have called Dig a few names back pump at the end was huge... not only from deads but then chins and bor felt really hard, didnt help the garage was about 2 million degrees today either, came out and my boy asked if I had a pool in there and if so why couldnt they use it

Really pleased with todays workout... bit tired as sleep is not great lately (mainly due to it being far too short lol) but got it... felt strong and I have started to use a sequence of words to help me get into the zone thinking of what I need to do to get that bar up... oh and incidentally I know what is inside an old blood blister now as mine opened doing deads... nothing that purply stuff beneath the skin is just like a stain... go figure... next weeks target well in sight and will be destroyed...


----------



## MRSTRONG

haha sounds like a song .... purple stain :lol:


----------



## defdaz

260 for 5! Feck me that's impressive. My best ever was only 230kg for 1. *blushes* Well done mate.


----------



## strongmanmatt

gp good deadlifting.


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> 260 for 5! Feck me that's impressive. My best ever was only 230kg for 1. *blushes* Well done mate.


thanks mate, tbh never really tried reps at those weights before... but it was set for me so had to do it... this week might be more of a challenge though 



strongmanmatt said:


> gp good deadlifting.


Cheers Matt... felt good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

ME squat

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x1 belt on 235x1

260xNP (nearly parallel)

260xf

DE Squat

140x3x3

ooooh it was warm, started sweating my pants off even before the first warm up set... today squats felt really good, the problem with my glute/sciatic nerve (at a guess) is pretty much gone and squats were nice and deep up to the 260... 235 felt very comfortable so was really happy... whacked on 260 and the first one I kind of wimped out as felt my glute tighten/get sore just above parallel and started up before hitting it... so thought bugger it will go for a second... the second at 260 was really deep and well below parallel, got half way up when things stopped, really tried for the extra couple of ounces of push to get it past that point but then it just started sliding down... at this point I am praising the damn safeties and can catagorically state they are awesome and even though I should be a bit disappointed I missed the second and didnt quite get depth on the first I am pretty happy that I got that low and managed to come up out of the hole... the first was me talking myself out of pushing it too hard due to the fear of further injury when I should have just mtfu and done it... lesson learned Doug Young...

The speed squats were good although the first set I didnt push hard or fast enough... second two sets were much better... man today was hot... think I lost a few lbs just in sweat lol... over all happy that things are starting to come together vis a vis injury/niggles and weight... will nail that next week for sure and then see from there...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Nice stuff, GP, you don't let us down great workout, mate.


----------



## MRSTRONG

so is 250 your max squat ?

good sesh btw .


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Nice stuff, GP, you don't let us down great workout, mate.


cheers mate... will look at your journal again and let you know my thoughts re your questions... please pm me if I forget... will try to do that tonight...



ewen said:


> so is 250 your max squat ?
> 
> good sesh btw .


have done 255, and 260 by memory before but that was some time and not injured/niggled... should have had the first 260 tbh but wimped out due to feeling in glute... damn pussy that I am


----------



## MRSTRONG

good squatting nonetheless .

i might try a 250 in couple weeks but will see .


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> good squatting nonetheless .
> 
> i might try a 250 in couple weeks but will see .


thanks mate... trying for more by the comp but only if I can sink the 260 convincingly... always got to strive for more and progress mate... fvck the fear suck it up and BAM get that iron moving...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> thanks mate... trying for more by the comp but only if I can sink the 260 convincingly... always got to strive for more and progress mate... fvck the fear suck it up and BAM get that iron moving...


guess it really is mind over matter .


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> guess it really is mind over matter .


it kind of is... its mind over matter but also realising that your mind can stop your body from performing optimally... Doug Youngs quote (above in my journal) is one I have on my wall in my gym... I read it often to get me going and to remind me not to wimp out in a lift, its just my mind trying to protect me from hurting my body... but bring on the hurt I say...


----------



## Beklet

Greyphantom said:


> it kind of is... its mind over matter but also realising that your mind can stop your body from performing optimally... Doug Youngs quote (above in my journal) is one I have on my wall in my gym... I read it often to get me going and to remind me not to wimp out in a lift, its just my mind trying to protect me from hurting my body... but bring on the hurt I say...


You need to sort out my squats lol..... :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

Beklet said:


> You need to sort out my squats lol..... :lol:


I will have to get my ar$e up to dedford then


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME bench

WU 60x11, 85x8, 105x5, 125x2

145x1

145xf

WGBP

105x5, x4, x5

Dislocations

bar x 3x20

oooh yeah thats the cookie right there... legs are fvcked today, glutes hams and quads sore from yesterday... felt tired but not overly so... thought today or tomorrow for bench... mmm sod it today... glad I did, warm ups I added 5kg to after the first set as I was targetting 145 today... never done it before in the gym only on the platform... warm ups felt good and strong... 125 went up nice and easy up to 145... oh yeah thats the stuff... was much better and faster than the one I got in the comp and felt nice and strong... the second I cocked up a bit as just lost focus and didnt get the leg drive timed right doh... but happy with the 145 @Dig and @Chrisj22 the bigger jumps def working guys many thanks for that suggestion and Dig the widegrip bench and narrower grip is working too mate...

WGBP - went up 5kg on this and they felt a bit harder than last week... arms were sore and legs werent much better... got out a few good sets and really felt it in my chest... liking these a lot...

Dislocations - oh yeah love these at the end of the workout... nice stretch through the chest and shoulders and feels so good...

all in all pretty pleased today... more progress made and more to be made... onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift day

Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x4, 250x2

280x2+1p

DE deads

200x3x3

thats it... @Dig set me a target of 280 for 3 this week and damn if I didnt try... got the first two ok the third I got to just above my knees and just didnt drive the hips through, looking back I should have got it, just didnt try hard enough and when I felt my chest starting to strain a bit just stopped... on one hand I am disappointed I missed the target on the other I am happy I got the 2 quite comfortably and that the third should have been lol... hands are in bits though, back is telling me all sorts of things and calling me all sorts of names lol... the fact that the last couple of days have been feeling meh and a bit fluey (if thats a word) makes it all the more better I got that two and a bit... so will take that forward to the open and next week he has set me speed work only so a light 2 or 3 singles at 200 just concentrating on the speed and technique... no more heavy deads till the comp now... just squats and bench mon and wed then the speed work thu (wedding friday) and thats all she wrote... looking forward to the comp... game face firmly on...


----------



## MRSTRONG

good pulling shame about the 3rd although you can do 4 next time


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> good pulling shame about the 3rd although you can do 4 next time


yeah mate should have had it... next time is a light session bud then the comp which hopefully will see some decent numbers


----------



## MRSTRONG

what you gonna do ? easy then match pb then go for new pb ?


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> what you gonna do ? easy then match pb then go for new pb ?


something like that mate... open with 280 and see how it goes from there


----------



## MRSTRONG

like it


----------



## strongmanmatt

Good Luck in Comp GP, good going on the lifts too, Wish I could ****ing deadlift that mate, my lifts are pathetic.

Just don't seem to have improved as much as I would like to.


----------



## defdaz

Amazing lifting GP, bloody jealous as!! :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Good Luck in Comp GP, good going on the lifts too, Wish I could ****ing deadlift that mate, my lifts are pathetic.
> 
> Just don't seem to have improved as much as I would like to.


Thanks mate just over a week to go and now on light lifts till monday then off completely till the comp... it will come mate you just need to keep working at it... took me a little while to realise that it was a mental thing as much as physical...



defdaz said:


> Amazing lifting GP, bloody jealous as!! :lol:


lol they arent too bad mate, still have a way to go yet before anything groundshaking


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats day

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x1 belt on 235x1, 235x1

260xnp

man today was hard, really hard, the whole day not just the training... no sleep really last night, so hot and so muggy, sweating like a mother all night and when I managed to go to sleep woke up boiling even more and that was cos the mrs had put the duvet on me... WTF... still after work was feeling semi awake and needed to put in a solid squat session... got to the 210 and it felt heavy tbh... went deep though and felt good form wise... 235 felt ok but I didnt keep it as tight as I like so to make sure I did another and bam it went down nice and deep and felt tight and good all the way through... 260 was a hail mary pass really... prob shouldnt have tried it but "I would rather try and fail, than fail to try" so did one, got to a couple of inches above parallel again... just couldnt get lower as thought it wasnt going to come back up... probably right today tbh... but felt not as heavy as I thought esp after that 235... last heavy squats day before the comp, will set openers next week with my bench... thats monday as I have found getting them in that day helps keep me good in those two lifts... deads is another matter though... bench tomorrow... last heavy session for that too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 60x10, 85x8, 110x5, 130x2

147.5xf

ok today I am really feeling the training hitting my body hard... its starting to tell me time to back off which is lucky that I have a week and a half of light or no training before the comp... going to sleep, rest and take **** loads of bcaa's, vits and supps to help with cns recovery and get this old body into fighting shape... sets up to 130 were good, feeling great in fact, 110 felt light and 130 flew up... felt a slight twinge in my elbow on 130 and thought keep the form good and try for 147.5 for a PR... didnt feel too heavy unracking it which was a good start brought it down to my chest and started the drive up and it came off the chest ok but then elbow gave way and it came crashing down again... sigh... its there though and maybe more... so resting it up now and just going to give it all come the comp...

training till comp is just light deads, then set openers for squats and bench on monday...


----------



## MRSTRONG

shame about the elbow , have a look into acupuncture when you can i think it`ll help your aching bits no end .


----------



## defdaz

Bad luck GP, but think you are a good position for next week!


----------



## Greyphantom

Havent been on in a while just keeping my head down during prep but had the mrs home so was spending a lot of time with her and the kids doing family stuff...

lead up to the comp was really good, come the last week I felt very good and very strong and had huge hopes for the numbers I had targeted... on the friday before however woke up with a really stiff and sore back... erectors were rock hard and had to spend a bit of time on them trying to get them to release but it took a while... thought had done the trick but that afternoon I had a damn painful hip that I thought was the result of sitting in the car for a long journey... no such luck, it got steadily worse and it was hard to walk properly... brilliant I thought... come saturday went to weigh in and got a few laughs about needing a zimmer etc lol... just stretched it out and exercised it all day and got some wonderful pain killers and tiger balm to help out... by the afternoon I could do body weight squats and it felt comfortable...

the morning of the comp I was up bright and early, got my bits together took a handful of painkillers and made my way to the event. By the time I got there things were feeling ok, tiger balm on the area and tried a few light squats at 60kg not a problem, felt ok... bit of pain but nothing to untoward... warm up went pretty ok and after another handfull of pain killers got to 215 for an easy two... that was it till the main event the 110 class was up first as it was the biggest... opeing squat was 230kg and that went well but right on parallel so I really needed more depth to sink it properly... 245 next attempt but didnt get low enough and I knew it, was thinking too much of the hip... next attempt 245 again and it was nice and low but on the way up the hip gave and I should probably get the best gurning face of the comp for the pic my wife took bless her lol... so that was squats and on to bench...

Bench was ok as didnt really need to use the hip at all... warm ups went well enough and my opener of 135kg went well, felt light tbh... the second attempt I made a boo boo... when I lift certain people are in my head to help with pointers or markers for the lift eg @Tatty is there on squats telling me to concentrate on the head judge and ignore the mono lift arms when they move... Dave Beattie is there telling me to spread my knees and drive with chest and head... on the bench of late its been @Dig and another friend who have helped me get some numbers up there... however on the second attempt at bench I just didnt have them switched on and so didnt set up right and forgot so many things... didnt make the lift... for the third attempt I switched them on and bam it went up nice and easy... if only I had done that on the second lol...

Deadlifts were a bit of a worry tbh as I had trouble getting down to the bar to make the lift... but a few more painkillers (should have taken earlier as they didnt really kick in till after the event dammit lol) and it was ok... warm ups went well and felt really good and so on... then we found out that there was to be a rather long gap between the last lot of bench and our class deadlifts... sooo we had to hold the warm up for a bit but still felt ok... first lift 280 went well, and easier than the last warm up, second lift of 300 flew up and felt great, best yet tbh and set a new brit masters record... happy with that I set the next lift at 312.5 to attempt a brit masters and open record and better yet a world masters record... alas it was not to be... dammit... came off the floor ok but just couldnt get the hips to engage and lift it all the way up... miffed for sure... sigh....

on the whole I loved the day, not just the lifting but also the company, so many good people all there helping each other out and just enjoying the day... but was disappointed that all the preparation and work was not realised due to a stupid niggle... the mrs didnt want me to lift at all but I had to try, course today I cant walk at all and am thinking she might have had a point, but you have to try right

Squat 230

Bench 145

Deadlift 300

Total 675

so equalled a couple of pb's from prev comps and my total record too... if only though... if only


----------



## chinup

Nice work GP


----------



## Greyphantom

chinup said:


> Nice work GP


thanks mate... wasnt what I was after but ok nonetheless... having trouble walking today... mrs is ****ing her self... shes getting a slap when I can move quick enough


----------



## strongmanmatt

Good work there buddy, Sorry to hear wasn't your best day. Congratulations though dude. Great work, rest and recop know!


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats and bench

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6

180x3

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x5

120x2x3

wow lifting is the best thing ever... EVER... first day back since the open and as soon as I opened the doors to the gym the smell of metal, rubber and chalk and leather wafted out and it was AWESOME... leg is feeling pretty good, still have to stretch it out atm as its a bit tight in places and sore in others but squatting bw was no problem and even felt good...

Squats - oh mother of god I love these... really really concentrated on form today to make sure nothing was going to go wrong and it felt fantastic... stopped at 180 due to wimp out moment as the second rep the leg twinged a bit and I did one more just to make sure and yep it twinged again so erred on the side of caution and stopped it there but it felt great... no belt no safeties and I had loads more there... was thinking of doing 200 but just want to make sure its all healed before pushing too much... cannot wait till next squat day...

Bench - my biggest worry tbh as usually my strength bombs something rotten very quickly on this ex... however today it felt really good, so good that I managed 2 sets of 3 at 120 something I have not done before I believe... again kept it light and glad I did as by the time I got to 120 I was feeling a trifle queasy... after second set of 120 I def had to concentrate on keeping my head in the game and not lose my lunch and I was NOT pushing that hard today... prob something I ate no doubt...

so great getting back into it albeit nice and slowly... felt strong and stable and cannot wait to push it some more... using what Dig has taught me I am going to keep a similar program going and see where it takes me... oh yeah this is how life should feel...


----------



## nogger

Great write up on the comp as usually....shame about the hip..Wow some pain killers you put down.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Great write up on the comp as usually....shame about the hip..Wow some pain killers you put down.


thanks mate... yeah really peeved me off tbh but what can you do... lol yeah mate prob too many but I could lift better


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlifts

Deadlifts

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x4

240x2x3

Chins

BWx7, x6

you know youre doing deadlifts when you ripp alll the skin of your shins... oh yeah, the sting of freedom... the tears of a big nancy jumping around cos he ripped the skin off his shins

Deadlifts - bit tired today and legs/back a bit weary from yesterday so I kept it light... just worked up to 2 sets of 3 at 240... first set felt a little off... second much better and more on form... second set was faster off the floor and just felt tighter... going to up the weight next week and work on the speed off the floor, not going max out on this ex as often as the past, prob try a max lift every 3rd week or so... the other two weeks will work on speed and form... but oh so glad to do these again, leg/hip felt totally fine...

Chins - went way better than expected tbh and I am pretty sure I could have done an extra rep or two on both sets but didnt push so hard... very happy though... looking to add weight again next week...

overall felt really good and so happy to be in the iron room again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3

200x2x2

SLDL

100x8

120x2x8

oooooooohhhh... why did I do it... cos it has to be done is the reply... leg felt awesome on the squats... not a twinge or problem at all, now its just getting my head round the fact that it works fine now and no problems are there anymore... found out 2 things for sure 1) squatting is not fun with a sleep deprivation headache and 2) dropping too fast with 200kg across your back is not cool... but catching it and getting it back up to make the rep is pretty neat lol...

Squats - felt great, nice and tight and really balanced... easy up to 200 and felt good with my leg... will up this next week some more and see how it goes... no belt being used yet so got a bit more in there easy... felt a bit sick after squats as did not leave a lot of rest time between sets...

SLDL - was touch and go as to whether I would do these and pleased I did but glutes and hams are not so much... just kept it light mainly to see how it felt on the hip/leg and its all good... so will up this next week too and add in a couple of other exercises...

all in all a good session but def felt knackered during and after... not much sleep lately and its starting to make an impact... loads going on in life that needs to reach a conclusion asap so hopefully that will sort out by next week and can then concentrate on having fun and sleeping... eating has been up and down and full of sh1te too... so will have to get that back on an even keel... legs truly feel fvcked now... going to hobble off and cry... actually fvck it staying here and just doing it here


----------



## MRSTRONG

Good going , just throw some chalk in your face that'll dry the tears lol


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> Good going , just throw some chalk in your face that'll dry the tears lol


lol... still falling now mate... but legs feeling great (well DOMS great you know) and tomorrow is bench day...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Their a certain nice pain feeling after squats its the most satisfying body part to train I think .

I'm off to mom now to squat .


----------



## defdaz

Bloomin' eck GP, 300k deadlift. 

Well done on those lifts at the comp despite the back and hip issues, bloody impressive. :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> Bloomin' eck GP, 300k deadlift.
> 
> Well done on those lifts at the comp despite the back and hip issues, bloody impressive. :thumb:


thanks mate... it was ok, should have got that 312.5 though... even with dodgy hip/leg 

- - - Updated - - -

Bench

ME bench

WU 60x10, 80x10, 100x5

125x2x3

WGBP

100x2x6, 1x4+1p

Dips

BWx11, 8+1p, 7

Dislocations

Barx3x20

oh god I needed this today, a great workout and it just all clicked and felt fantastic...

Bench - every set every rep felt tight and good... best numbers yet at 125 for 2 sets of 3, not done that before... 2nd set felt better than the first and just had everything in place... really pleased and looking for more progress here...

WGBP - oh this is such a great addition @Dig awesome suggestion mate many thanks... just feels so weird but so good at the same time... really feel the chest working...

Dips - just bw but was really surprised that it felt so easy... nice and low and strong on the up... going to up the weight next week...

Dislocations - oh god these hurt... well not hurt but really feel them working me hard...

great session and something to work from... going to work on some higher rep stuff rather than singles for now... will give me some time to work out a program for my next max effort wave... and also some time for all my joints and soft bits to strengthen lol...


----------



## nogger

Great sounding workout mate. :thumbup1:


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4

*belt on

220x2x3

GM

100x8, 110x2x6

SLDL

140x2x7, 1x5

oooooouuuucccchhhh... oh all thats good and holy my posterior chain is about to strangle me, its well and truly fragged... oh but in such a gooood way lol...

squats - felt really good today, nice and tidy and strong from the bottom... only hiccup was the last rep of the second set of 220 was very ropey... on the 2nd rep of the last set I was seeing stars... (note to self dont forget to breath dammit lol)... but felt really good... legs felt strong and no problems at all...

GM - felt really good surprisingly... but last set was a bit of a struggle and then the back got stiff and pumped... ouch... but still not too bad and felt happy with these

SLDL - not sure how these would go but jumped in and it felt really good... smooth and quick and then very painful... couldnt sit or stand or stay still or move... wow felt great...

very pleased with todays training... felt tired and getting the dreaded manflu... even though the kids have it and they call it a "cold" its really the dreaded manflu... onward and upward...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Good squatting matey , I to have the lurgy partially deaf and feel like throwing up..

Speedy recovery mate .


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> Good squatting matey , I to have the lurgy partially deaf and feel like throwing up..
> 
> Speedy recovery mate .


cheers mate... yeah hate getting the lurgy... only one without it so far is the mrs and she will get it too... kids just have to share the good stuff lol...


----------



## ItsaSecret

lol ohhh **** its you, from powerliftinguk. still alive and kickin then old fruit?


----------



## Greyphantom

ItsaSecret said:


> lol ohhh **** its you, from powerliftinguk. still alive and kickin then old fruit?


yeah mate and still on PLUK too... keep a journal across a few boards... alive and today not kicking so much... damn lurgy and got some nice little doms setting in...


----------



## ItsaSecret

Greyphantom said:


> yeah mate and still on PLUK too... keep a journal across a few boards... alive and today not kicking so much... damn lurgy and got some nice little doms setting in...


i stopped my log on there a while ago, its so dead :/ i too have journals on other places, are you on sugden aswell?


----------



## Greyphantom

ItsaSecret said:


> i stopped my log on there a while ago, its so dead :/ i too have journals on other places, are you on sugden aswell?


yeah its a bit quiet but still some good lifters about there... yep on sugden as well mate but tbh dont visit a hell of a lot... mainly here and another place...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench (or ah fvck it session)

Bench

WU 60x10, 85x8, 105x5

125x1x2, 1x1

WGBP

105x2x5, 1x4

Dips

BW+5kg 1x8, 1x7+1p, 1x6

thats it... almost pulled out altogether but thought I must get it done and I did but was fairly pants...

Bench - damn it felt heavy from 105, just heavy, 125 was just all over the place, couldnt get anything working right... it was all disconnected and just didnt gel... not that happy with the result but happy I got on and did it...

WGBP - went down on this as was going to try 105 but just didnt feel it so went back to 100 and it was pretty much the right choice... still felt good but not as good as more weight and more reps would have done...

Dips - these actually felt really good but just tired so fast... def going on and up with these...

thats it... was a weird session, head was a bit light and had to blow the honker between each set... glad I got on with it but wanted more from the session, afterwards had a real craving for sausage rolls weirdly... been drinking hot sweet tea like it lifes blood too... fvck it dead lifts tomorrow and that will kill this damn lurgy off... or me... either way will feel better


----------



## MRSTRONG

Not bad sesh considering your ill .


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> Not bad sesh considering your ill .


cheers mate... today was a different story though...

Deadlift day

Deadlifts

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x6

250 1x4, 1x4+1p

Chins

BW+5kg x2x6, 1x4

BOR

120x3x6

oh yeah now thats how its supposed to feel... from the start it just felt great... no injuries, no stiffness and no problems...

Deadlift - felt fantastic... didnt push it too hard (probably should have pushed it harder though as let the 5th rep on the 250 sets just slide really) and it felt great, weights went up really well but I still need to work on my technique esp speed off the floor... form is good... feeling great now and @Little Ron just to let you know deadlift socks dont do fvck all to stop chunks being taken out... did both shins today... nice...

Chins - felt ok... added a bit of weight and seemed to go well... felt my lats working really well and they acutally got sore and now feel well worked... got to work on exploding from the bottom...

BOR - first time in a while done these... felt good but first set technique was pants grip too wide... corrected and felt much better... now mid back is fried and feeling awesome...

good session today and hope they all go like that from now on... happy enough with repping out the deadlift atm and will work up to 280 for 5 soon enough... on to the leamington spa tomorrow... cannot wait... will be shouting myself ho**** for all and sundry... all the while eating cake of course


----------



## defdaz

Great to meet you tonight mate, you big bugger you. Dwarfed me


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> Great to meet you tonight mate, you big bugger you. Dwarfed me


lol you have bigger arms and chest and delts though mate 

- - - Updated - - -

Squats day

ME squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x2

230x2x2

DE squats

140x3x3

GM

110x3x6

SLDL

150x1x7, 1x6, 1x5

killed... deaded... fvcked...

Squats - felt great, really really great, tight and strong... no niggles or twinges... first set of 230 I saw stars and sparkles on the second rep... second set I got the first nicely second went a little deeper (not on purpose lol) and driving it up was hard... after that one head was pounding... but I got it up and it felt great... ME work went really well and felt fast...

GM - nice and tight felt it really well through my lower back and think I can go up in weight here... need to push a bit harder as I am sure I could have done more reps... head still aching from squats though...

SLDL - started gassing here... hams and glutes were pretty much complaining and shaking which is a first... just focussed on the body is much more capable than the mind poster I have on my wall and worked through the 3 sets...

God today was a good workout... still 4 hours later and my legs and posterior chain are in bits... legs sore as hell esp the hams and glutes... hard to stand up from anything... lol... might hold the weights at 230 for now and work on getting reps up... but then knowing me I might just put the weight up too


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME bench

WU 60x10, 85x8, 105x5

125x3x2

WGBP

100x7, 2x5

Dips

BW+10kg x8+1p, 1x6+1p, 1x6

Dislocations

barx3x20

oh so much better this week...

Bench - felt much stronger and tighter on all sets... should have pushed harder on the top sets tbh as I am sure I could have got an extra rep on the first two... happy enough though...

WGBP - this just feels better and better... the last rep on the first and second set were a bit of a grind but felt great... chest very pumped...

Dips - felt much stronger than previously... nice and clean, going to up the weight on this to see if its stilll as good...

feeling good about training right now... getting some fantastic support from my sponsor 247 (Whey Protein, Protein Powder and Supplements: Protein 247) and working with reps at a heavier weight is feeling good...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Good to hear all is going your way matey


----------



## defdaz

Ah thanks mate, thats kind of you to say 

I'm trying hard! Currently pondering how I put some mass on so I can do the u100's rather than u90s!


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day... not really...

ME Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x4, 210x2 (NP)

thats it... what a freaking sh1tfight this was... right up for a good session the warm ups till 180 were going really really well, felt great and tight and really flew out of the hole then fricking life started intruding, normally ignore texts during training but a load of really really crappy things have been going on lately and so made the freaking fatal error of looking at them... had to try to get some stuff done asap but it wasnt working so thought fvck it and got on with training but left it too long and 210 just felt wrong... tried again but head was fvcked and all over the place could not get the technique working and form just kept collapsing... gave it up as a bad job... severly p1ssed off now and just want to take some time out of life... ah fvck it will cane bench tomorrow then deads on friday and next week will make damn sure my program takes priority and get back on the fvcking horse... everything else can get fvcked... :cursing:


----------



## nogger

Nothing worst then being put off...especially with the weights you move.....Hope the crappy things get sorted mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Nothing worst then being put off...especially with the weights you move.....Hope the crappy things get sorted mate.


cheers mate, yeah hoping too, was hoping it was going to be sorted a few days ago... but life likes kicking one in the balls


----------



## defdaz

Sh*t mate, hope everything's ok? Anything I can do to help??


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> Sh*t mate, hope everything's ok? Anything I can do to help??


getting there thanks mate... just had a really crappy few months but its a culmination of about 3 years of sh1te tbh... thanks for the kind offer buddy but nothing to be done atm... things will be sorted one way or tother by end of the month... seems you take 2 steps one day lose 3 the next gain 4 the day after sometimes...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3, belt on 210x2

230x1

230xf

oh god yes... only had time for the main event today but damn thats how its supposed to be... nice and strong feeling and just ar$e smackingly good... just felt so right... huge contrast from last week... now legs feel really good but sooo tired... oooooh yeah


----------



## defdaz

He's back.


----------



## Greyphantom

Yeah baby... bug is biting me bad right now... thank fvck for small mercys


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day... weeeeeee

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x5

120x3x2

WGBP

100x1x7, 1x5, 1x3

Dips

BW+10kg x1x9, 1x7, 1x6

Bench - oh good gravy, down on weight in ME bench, but reps sets are good, the last 2 sets just felt so right, set up was spot on, had much more zip from the bottom and they fair flew up... way better than the first set...

WGBP - I am continually surprised at how different this feels from my std bench set up and how much I get from it... @Dig you are the fvcking man buddy... felt really strong the first set, ok the second and chest just said nope on the third

Dips - felt really good on these, way better than expected and just so on...

oh god this is feeling good and as it gets better and better I get more and more into it and motivated... soooo good... loads of stuff starting to sort in personal life too just a couple of (rather major) hurdles to go and then it should be just plain sailing... he says with fingers, toes and eyes crossed...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Back following you on this too GP. New journal is imminent for myself as I look to take the next step...


cheers mate... still plodding on this old man


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3 *belt on 210x2

235x1xf, 1x1

DE squats

140x3x3

GM

115x2x6

wow... bit of a mixed bag really...

Squats - working on speed and power from the hole really... drive up was really good this week, concentrating on technique rather than lifting weight... got to 210 and tried it without a belt but just didnt sit right, belt on and the drove out an easy 2 with really good depth, felt nice and strong and tight... 235 was def a go but the first one I rushed and it just didnt feel right so I baled half way through... got a bit miffed I screwed it up so I went for another to make it work and oh yeah, so much better... took my time setting it up and locked it in nice and tight then sank it down and it felt great... phew...

DE squats - again just working on speed and power from the hole... legs absolutely shagged by the time I got to set three...

GM - started feeling queazy but bashed out 2 sets before I had to finish sooner than I wanted... weight is up a bit and really felt the lower back working... now sitting while lower back and legs ache...

over all a nice work out... want more reps at 235 though but will build on this... just need to take my time setting up... eating has been better this week too and will start to bring it more into line with a cleaner diet (note not "clean" just cleaner lol)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME bench

WU 60x10, 85x8, 105x5

125x3x2

WGBP

105x1x6, 1x5, 1x4

Dips

BW+15kg x 1x8, 1x5, 1x3+1p

Dislocations

Bar x3x20

yeah baby, great workout today... still concentrating on drive and power, getting that speed going from the bottom of the movement...

Bench - so much better than in the past... the light sets felt very easy today... the heavy sets were spot on from the first to the last, much tighter, better speed from the bottom of the lift and every just clicked in... one big diff I have noticed is that off the chest is much easier and its starting to stick higher up which is nice... this is very much due to @Dig advice to do WGBP I think as its improved pec strength off the bottom... time to monopolise this and make even greater improvements...

WGBP - this feels really good, this week felt easier than last week even though reps were down slightly (overall the same I think) so going to start working this too... really feel it in the pecs and its a great addition...

Dips - woo hoo PB today as never done BW+15kg before and the first two sets were really good and felt them working me well... the last sort of collapsed but came away really happy... onward and upward here...

Dislcoations - oh have missed these... felt them right in the shoulders and it was soooo good...

very productive and felt great... definitely getting the fire back in the belly and motivation is high... yeah baby!!!


----------



## nogger

Glad it's all going well mate.....


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Glad it's all going well mate.....


cheers matey, so far so pleasing...



KJW said:


> Sounds like everything is clicking mate, one thing I hate is dips!


so far it is mate... lol I used to hate dips and chins too... like squats though constant working on them is producing results and I am growing to like them...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift day (27 Oct 12)

Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x6

250x1x3, 1x4

Chins

BW+5kg x1x5, 2x4

Rows

120x3x6

oh gooooooooooood (god) yes... first time dealifting in a month and I was a bit apprehensive but I forgot how good it feels to lift from the floor...

Deads - warm ups felt great, technique working big time, grip is in a bit now and it feels better, speed off the floor being worked and drive is really getting there... got to the working sets and the first sort of "paused"... I screwed up and relaxed at the top releasing all my tightness and thus the third was more difficult that in should be... the second working set was awesome... everything just flowed and it felt nice and light... a really good ease into deads again...

Chins - well if deads felt great these were not so great... felt a bit awkward tbh, think I didnt get my mind into them so much and talked myself out of them a bit... still managed a few reps each set and will work hard to increase this...

Rows - wow this hit me hard in the upper back and it damn near screamed my name... felt really good and still feeling it today... god I missed these...

fantastic workout with one or two little glitches... going to work up to a nice heavy lift for the deads in about a month or so and then ease off again to build up again... something like a wave system... really enjoyed this workout and no way will let deads go so long between training again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Combo day

Squats

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3

200x3x2

Bench

WU 60x10, 85x7

105x2x4

Deads

WU 120x10, 170x8

210x 5

thats it... has been a really full on week, got a couple of major issues sorted which meant I could get dozens of minor issues sorted... spent half the week on the phone the other half traipsing round getting things sorted... productive week in life but not in the gym... was just going to leave it and restart next week but as the mrs and the daughter went into london to get their hair done and have a bit of a girlie day before we meet up with them at a meat place with some friends I thought would give a quick session a bash...

feeling a bit lethargic today as brain has been hyper mobile this week and sleep has been erratic... also think when I do sleep its quite heavy and wake with a touch of a headache and my arm as been feeling slept on...

Squats - just a ligth one and tbh I really really enjoyed it... no belt, and felt nice and tight... 180 actually felt heavier than 200... the top sets felt really really nice and just seemed to work so well...

Bench - even though I only went really light it was mainly due to my arm feeling sore (along the humerous near the tri/delt tie-in)... but still bashed out a couple of sets at 105 but mainly just trying to get that technique right, I knew that anything more today would be a negative thing so just left it there... still felt ok...

Deads - started feeling knackered but I love deads so just got on with it... 120 easy, 170 felt even better as really focussed on keeping it tight all the way through the movement both positive and negative... 210 at the top end today just to throw a few up... 5 only but still felt good... was considering going higher but tbh think I will keep it light 3 out of 4 weeks maybe to see how it goes, and hope that heavy lifts dont suffer...

over all so glad I got into the gym and even gladder I kept it light... I loved the lifting but knew that it wasnt going to be a max effort day... mrs is away for a week now on business so will hopefully get a great weeks sleep and thus training will kick up...


----------



## Tinkerbella

GP I'm stalking you until you agree to a squat session - I need someone to help me crack my ankle


----------



## defdaz

And then you fell over and the cat went for you! :lol:


----------



## Greyphantom

Tinkerbella said:


> GP I'm stalking you until you agree to a squat session - I need someone to help me crack my ankle


stalk away dear lady... sounds like a plan... you live anywhere near Monster? got a TM session there sat 01 Dec (I will prob be doing a deadlift session but could help you with squats...)...



defdaz said:


> And then you fell over and the cat went for you! :lol:


lmao... yeah damndeste thing... went to get out of my chair, legs were just fvcked and fell flat on my face, cat was right by my chair scared the p1ss out of him and he took a swipe, thank jebus he missed lol... hes back to loving me know cos I gave him treats


----------



## Tinkerbella

Greyphantom said:


> stalk away dear lady... sounds like a plan... you live anywhere near Monster? got a TM session there sat 01 Dec (I will prob be doing a deadlift session but could help you with squats...)...


I was in Monster last week  its about 45 mins from me, Gemma did tell me about the meet but not sure as I might be skiing that weekend! Would be ace though to do a session with you.....leave it with me!


----------



## Greyphantom

Tinkerbella said:


> I was in Monster last week  its about 45 mins from me, Gemma did tell me about the meet but not sure as I might be skiing that weekend! Would be ace though to do a session with you.....leave it with me!


cool beans... will be getting out and about more in the coming months too, got the mrs to agree to me going to diff gyms to train with people to push me along... aim is to bring up lifts and just generally get out more...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squat

WU 60x10, 100x8, 140x6, 180x3

220x2x2

DE squat

140x3x3

thats it... headache stars and nausea at the end there, plus legs were pretty fried...

Squats - pure awesome today, wasnt that into it tbh but just got under the bar and it felt really good and tight... worked hard on the form and technique and it made a huge difference, took my time with each rep and made it count... was seeing white sparkles and felt a headache at the end of the 220 lifts... the DE squats were hard and the last rep was not that fast tbh lol... but sets done and was going to do GM but decided to call it quits... really happy with how it all went and cant wait for the next session...

and excited much as the mrs has received my new inzer belt in the states and is bringing it home... wooo hooooooo.... sad to get so excited but its cool... and I have two more 25kg plates on the way to add to my "gym" which means more weight on the bar which means me working harder


----------



## defdaz

Good lifting mate! But whats a DE squat?


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> Good lifting mate! But whats a DE squat?


thanks mate, just started working up the weight again in prep for the qualifier in Jan...

DE = Dynamic Effort... means you work on the speed of the movement to get the power part sorted... fvcking hurts after ME squats mate (ME = Max Effort)


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench Day

ME Bench

WU 60x10, 85x8, 105x4

125x3x1

WGBP

100x3x5

Dips

BW+15kg 1x5, 1x4+1p, 1x4

Dislocations

Bar x3x15

nice little session... neither awesome nor mediocre...

Bench - felt really good, arm a little sore this week still but not as bad as last week... set up is feeling better and 125 just didnt feel hard, not easy per se but not hard... liking the way this is going...

WGBP - still loving these and actually made my arm feel better...

Dips - well happy with these, hard but loving them... never would have thought I would be doing dips with 15kg around my waist...

Dislocations - god bless Martin Brown who put me onto these, first set was a bit hard as arm was very sore but it loosened and felt awesome 2nd set on...

build up for my next comp begins next week so looking to monopolise on current lifts and make some progress... watch this space...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats (wed 14 Nov 12)

ME squats

WU 70x10, 110x8, 150x6, 190x3

230x2x2

DE squats

150x3x3

GM

110x3x5

SLDL

140x2x6, 1x5

ooooh what a great workout... cant walk, or stand for long periods but looooove it...

Squats - got to try out my new 25kg plates today so starting weights went up 10kg... felt really really good, technique was spot on and form pretty damn decent... even if I do say so my self lol... warm ups went well and 190 felt really strong, got to the top sets and wasnt sure about jumping 40kg but did it and yeah baby, nailed really nicely... felt much stronger than last week at 220 and really stable... got to see those lovely sparkles in front of my eyes lol... the DE squats were good but on the last set I almost fell backwards but managed to hold it and not tip over either way lol, had to lift it from a complete dead stop so it wasnt very DE but still got it...

GM - first set was a bit wobbly as had to find form again, but last two sets felt great...

SLDL - oh yeah they felt awesome... light and fairly easy with some room to add a lot more weight

legs and posterior chain well and truly beasted now, its hard enough walking but when I had to stand to prep the kids dinner I was wobbling and shaking ffs... I am taking that as a good sign lol... good start to my prep for my next comp (which should be in Jan at the raw qualifiers that Bulldog holds)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

ME Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x3

130x3x1

WGBP

110x1x5, 2x4

Dips

BW+15kg 1x6+1p, 1x5, 1x2+1p

Dislocations

bar x3x20

all in all a nice day with a couple of concerns, nothing serious and certainly not in terms of weight or technique...

Bench - started at a higher point re weights and it felt ok... will be staying with 130 next week and trying for multiple reps per set... it felt better and easier than 125 last week though so very happy, and better yet when I reached my sticking point I managed to power through it on the last single, so well happy there... bench has been feeling better lately... hopefully a sign of good things to come...

WGBP - felt a bit off this week... not sure why but stuck with them and they smoothed out... going to push harder next week...

Dips - started really well but on the last set my right arm just gave way... no pain or anything but just stopped for some reason... lol...

Dislocations - still love these, loosen up the shoulders a treat and a nice finish to the work out...

happy with bench, still got to work on getting the weight up... felt stronger this week and at a higher weight than previous starts to comp prep... onward and upward....


----------



## MRSTRONG

whats next on the comp agenda ?


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> whats next on the comp agenda ?


Prob the raw qualifier in Jan mate... then will be helping out at the april qualifier (raw and equipped that one) then the brit finals, the european champs, the open (maybe) then the worlds (invite pending for the europeans and worlds of course)...


----------



## defdaz

Greyphantom said:


> Prob the raw qualifier in Jan mate... then will be helping out at the april qualifier (raw and equipped that one) then the brit finals, the european champs, the open (maybe) then the worlds (invite pending for the europeans and worlds of course)...


Hell yes!!!!


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> Prob the raw qualifier in Jan mate... then will be helping out at the april qualifier (raw and equipped that one) then the brit finals, the european champs, the open (maybe) then the worlds (invite pending for the europeans and worlds of course)...


only small comps then :whistling:


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> only small comps then :whistling:


lol yeah just the basics


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day (Sat 17 Nov 12)

ME deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 220x5

250x4

270x2 (quick text to my ginger welsh friend to say got it and was easy should have had third, his reply "pffft you should try harder next time" soooo...)

270x3 wooot

DE deads

170x3x3

Chins

bw+5kg 1x4+1p, 2x4

BOR

140x 1x5, 2x4

BAM baby done... really really pleased with these today felt soooo good...

Deads - havent really done any heavy pulling for a while so thought would just go to 250 do a couple of sets and leave it at that... 250 went up so well went to 270 first set flew up but as had number in mind left it at 2, that will teach me... after some wise words from my friend I thought about it for a minute and decided fvck it and lifted again 270 for 3 which was just as easy as the first set... freaking loved it... the speed deads went really well, happy with the speed off the floor finally...

Chins - need to work on these, still one of my worst exercises... felt nice though...

BOR - surprisingly good, was going to do 120 but thought sod it will see how a bit more weight goes... as it turns out it went fine, will work on getting more reps out though...

fantastic session today, got me soooo keyed up for lifting it wasnt funny, want to lift every day and just keep pounding the iron but will stick to the game plan... slowly slowly catchy monkey


----------



## defdaz

270kg x 3!! Get the fook in! Well done mate


----------



## Tinkerbella

Looking at your sets just makes every muscle in my body hurt :laugh: your journal maybe my new gym routine!!


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> 270kg x 3!! Get the fook in! Well done mate


thanks mate... things going well atm training wise...


----------



## Greyphantom

Tinkerbella said:


> Looking at your sets just makes every muscle in my body hurt :laugh: your journal maybe my new gym routine!!


lol, just easing back into it Tinkerbella... gearing up for the monster session 01 Dec... all ladies should lift heavy and hard...!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 70x10, 110x8, 150x6, 190x3, *belt on* 220x1

240x2x1

ME squats

150x3x3

GM

115x 2x7, 1x5

SLDL

150 x1x5 (grip went), *straps on* 1x8, 1x7

Crying...

wow fantastic workout, loads of pain, cant walk now... well can but only small distances...

Squats - felt so great and damn near wanted to not do them as had a dose of CBA... couple of cups of mtfu and voila... warm ups felt awesome, tight and form was spot on... technique work is paying off... up to 220 was easy... 240 didnt feel as heavy on the back, and better yet depth was really good... although tbh I am not sure it was due to me really trying more the weight driving me down felt really good nice and tight, coming out of the hole was like a spring bouncing me off the floor... legs were pretty freaking pumped and wrecked but felt good...

ME squats - were wobbly, legs were like lead and even when I went as fast as I could the speed just wasnt as fast as I would have liked...

GM - wow big surprise here, these felt really strong and caned my back... surprised that I upped the weight and got more reps too...

SLDL - upped the weight and found that grip went after 5 reps on the first set... strapped up and got out a few more... again felt really good, had trouble sitting or standing after this... walking was like I had just been set upon by a randy stallion...

really really loving training atm... things are going well and I am already at my openers from my last comp at the start of my prep, very happy... working technique has been a blessing... weight is sitting at 112.5 which has increased in the last couple of weeks... but not too much...


----------



## MRSTRONG

impressive lifting , looks good .


----------



## nogger

Great session mate..poor legs ouch.


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> impressive lifting , looks good .


thanks mate... getting there...


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Great session mate..poor legs ouch.


thanks buddy... lol, yeah theyre not my best friends at the moment


----------



## Tinkerbella

Greyphantom said:


> lol, just easing back into it Tinkerbella... gearing up for the monster session 01 Dec... all ladies should lift heavy and hard...!!


Don't make me nervous :wacko: LOL no truthfully I am looking forward to it, will be great to take a lesson from the master and I am really keen to improve


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

ME bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x4

130x2x2, 1x1

WGBP

105x2x5, 1x4

Dips

BW+15kg x1x5+1p, 1x5, 1x3

Dislocations

bar x3x20

felt hard today, really achey and just knackered... but cant complain as main reps are up and they felt ok...

Bench - warm ups felt great, still have a small pain in my humerous but not enough to bother me too much... 130 I wanted more reps than last week... goal achieved ... felt happy with getting 2 sets of 2, should have had 2 on the third but I lost my leg drive and that was that... did find that my slowing point is a good 6 inches higher than it has been before... I attribute this to the WGBP for strength off the chest... now to work on some tricep strength to get that lock out sold...

WGBP - tried a slightly wider grip for the first set, felt weird but ok until I racked the bar.. then I found out why I dont go that wide lol... pinched the side of my hand between the bar and the j hook... very ouchie... came back in that little bit on the next two sets but its pretty sore atm, not an ache as such but stings a little...

Dips - by this stage I was feeling knackered... managed to grind out a few reps per set not as many as I wanted but still ok...

Dislocations - still love these... helps the shoulders no end...

Was a good session today but felt hard, very knackered... think doing two sessions one afte another, esp after a heavy squat session is not the done thing... ahead on the weights so far which is good...


----------



## defdaz

God, I hate it when you mention those dislocations mate!


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> God, I hate it when you mention those dislocations mate!


they are so worth it buddy... so great on the shoulders...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Heavy speed deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 220x5

250x5x3

Chins

BW+5kg x1x6, 1x4+1p, 1x4

BOR

140x2x6, 1x5

Deads - oh all thats good and holy... fvck me the pump on this was horrendous... did 5 sets of 3 in 10 mins and it just burned... well not burned but ACHED... ok both... felt really good though and in the first 3 sets speed seemed good, died off a bit set 4 and 5 but still had the will to drive my legs down into the floor... at no stage did it feel heavy though so thats a plus in my book... really happy...

Chins - had to take a min between deads and chins... a loooong minute but they felt better than in previous weeks and it gave my lower back a chance to stretch out... still got some work to do on these though...

BOR - felt really good today... great feeling in the upper back and in fact its still aching now... nice strong movements althought tbh there was probably some momentum going on in that last set for sure...

really good training session today... great start to my prep and even though I really wanted to push the weight on deads I reined that in so I could take a good crack at some decent numbers next week in a great gym... have a great feeling about training right now and see some decent progress being made... bring it on baby...


----------



## defdaz

250kg x 5 reps x 3 sets? WTF! 

Oh wait, 5 sets of 3 reps. Still insane!!


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> 250kg x 5 reps x 3 sets? WTF!
> 
> Oh wait, 5 sets of 3 reps. Still insane!!


lol could probably manage 3x5 tbh but working on speed more than a hernia 

thanks mate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 70x10, 110x8, 150x6, 190x3 *belt on 220x1

240x2x2

DE squats

150x3x3

GM

120x2x6, 1x5

SLDL

160x1x9, 1x8, 1x7

ooooh I am in hurtyville now... legs are well and truly fvcked with a capital d...

Squats - oh good god these were awesome... technique work is paying off hugely, sitting back and getting the pop out of the hole is working its magic... the accessory work is helping with keeping my upper back tight and chest up and out, its all coming together... 220 was super low and felt easy... very heartening and got a bit over excited as the first rep of 240 felt ok, but rushed the second and it felt awkward lol... however the last set of 2 were just amazing... sat back nicely took my time and drove out of the hole... everything just clicked into place... the DE squats were really good, fast and smooth... freaking loved squats today...

GM - oh boy hard, but good... upped the weight but felt better than last week... really working these and feeling their benefit...

SLDL - by this stage was feeling rather sick lol... first two sets went well but the third was a force of will... just shagged, things were hurting and energy sapped... read Doug Youngs quote I have on the wall and did it...

now sitting here with incredibly sore legs, in a good way though if you know what I mean... was supposed to do squats yesterday (monday) but due to some family stuff couldnt get to it... probably for the best though as today kicked ass...


----------



## MRSTRONG

looking solid on the squats buddy .


----------



## nogger

^^^second that on the squat GP..sounds like a great plan coming together. :thumbup1:


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> looking solid on the squats buddy .


thanks mate, its getting there, by end of jan (comp time most likely) it should be in pb territory easy...


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> ^^^second that on the squat GP..sounds like a great plan coming together. :thumbup1:


thanks bud... slowly the plan is working out...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

ME bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x4

135x3x1

WGBP

105x1x8, 1x6, 1x4+1f

Dips

BW+15kg x1x8+1p, 1x6+1p, 1x4

Dislocations

bar x3x20

woo hooo, fantastic session that was very unexpected, had to repair our fence today so a lot of digging out the old, making good the post hole and then concreting in the new... lifting fence sections in place etc... elbows were very sore after this so wasnt expecting a lot...

Bench - upped the weight today and got 3 singles much more easily than expected... sticking point is def higher off the chest... felt very good and strong, set up on the 2nd set was not as good as the other two but still got it up well...

WGBP - really good today, first set the weight fairly flew up and felt good, the next 2 were good but reps decreased... to be expected... really happy with these...

Dips - wasnt expecting alot with these due to elbows but big surprise here... added a load of reps and felt better than previous weeks... chest was in bits after these... really needed to stretch it out...

Disloc. - oh god these are wonderful, the stretch you get is amazing... feel so much through the shoulders and chest and they hurt in such a good way lol...

what a session, from not expecting much to upping weights and reps across the board, couldnt be any happier... well I could but that would involve breaking some pb's lol... well on track for the next comp and should get some good numbers... chest is in total bits and I love that feeling... bring it ON...!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Dead day

ME deads

WU 120x10, 170x8, 210x5, 250x2, 280x1

305xf

DE deads

170x3x3

BOR

140x3x7

dammit, that freaking number over 300 just dont want to fricking lift... it was that heavy tbh and I didnt feel weak going into it but it just stopped above the knees...

Deads - felt pretty good, back was a bit tight from squat day still but as I warmed up it loosened up... 280 damn near flew up and instead of just trying another 300 I thought fvck it add 5 and break that straw... but it just didnt want to go... should have, need to break the mental block, will def get that I know I will... speed deads went well and felt awesome...

BOR - felt really good and by the end back was in bits...

whilst I was trying the 305 a few lads were "squatting" in the rack next to the dead platform and when I started unloading the bar one of them asked, what was that you were trying to lift, I told him and his reply... um so what do you bench fpmsl... when I told him he looked at his squat weight (with all the wraps and chalk along that back and a max of a couple of inches of movement it was 2 plates aside) sort of went ah... then I told him yeah its a weak lift of mine but squat and dead is ok lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

ME squats

WU 70x10, 110x8, 150x6, 190x3, 220x1 (no belt and think thats the best I have done with no belt)

Belt on

240x1x2

250x2x1

DE squat

150x3x3

GM

125x2x6

SLDL

170x2x6

ooooouch...

squats - felt so good, weight was easy up to 190 then it was a little harder at 220... did 220 with no belt for the first time I think and it felt nice and tight and a little deeper than I expected to go but still came out of the hole well... belt on and 240 for 2 went up really well, which I didnt expect as I didnt do squats last week as felt a bit poorly... (ear ached really bad for a few days, first time had one of those in a long time, plus just generally feeling like urgh) so this week was just going to do 240 again to bed it in but as it went up so nicely thought would try 250 for a single, that was nice but I was not too sure the depth was good enough I mean it "felt" parallel but did one more to make sure... the 2nd 250 was more of a grind as I made damn sure of depth and at one point thought it was going to bury me but dug deep and growled it up lol... felt awesome and my form is def far better, able to keep chest up and out and shoulders back and upper back nice and tight... DE squats were not as fast as I would like, didnt think my legs had that much out of them but they were decidedly wobbly lol...

GM - first set started a bit meh, but after a rep or two got into it nicely... by the second set I could feel in well in my lower back so left it at 2 sets...

SLDL - same as with GM left it at two sets today and was lucky I did, felt really good but bl00dy hurt for sure but in a good way... posterior chain well and truly wracked after this...

really really great workout today, happy with progress and felt so much better than previous... going to consolidate and make sure of depth etc while moving on all the time... the extra attention paid to technique and form is paying off... luckily I stopped the last two exercises after the 2nd set as my boy had missed his bus and just as I had finished tidying up my gym I got a text to go pick him up... esp must have been on today... feeling well better today compared to last week as was a bit dodge for me... must have just been a cold or summit as its all gone now... thank god cos I hate having no appetite... onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5

110x6

WGBP

80x1x15, 2x10

TPD

30x1x15, 1x12, 1x11

Dips

BWx2x3

Dislocations

bar x3x20

started the jdig plan today lol... damn its not as easy as I thought... sure the top weights this week are light and tbh I thought well not sure about that but once into the rest of it ouch... couldnt believe how it hit my chest and tris... I did push it through faster than usual too which may have made a difference...

Bench - felt really good, worked the technique as the top weight was not that heavy... wasnt getting the leg drive in as much as I would like... more to work on next time...

WGBP - this is where it started hurting... great first set and could have done a couple more but the second was like hitting a brick wall... third was a grind... chest was freaking sore after this...

TPD - not done these in a loooong time... didnt expect much but should have known better... tris already hit a bit from bench were fried totally after...

Dips - could have cried that I had to do these... tried to add weight to BW but it just wasnt working... so just did some BW stuff and even that was hard... tris were just gone hard to lock out and even press out from the bottom... third set just wasnt going to go...

Dislocations - first set was a bit hard as so tight through chest shoulders and tris but soon loosened me up thank goodness... still highly recommend these...

well expectations were not high as bench top set was a bit light but damn if I aint smarting lol... feel totally worked and loving it... bring on the next round...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day (the jdig plan)

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 150x5

180x5

140x3x3

Chins

BW+5kg 1x8, 1x6, 1x4+1p

BOR

150x2x5

Facepulls

30x1x12

40x1x8, 1x7

ok so first day doing the jdig plan for deads and tbh the weights just seemed light...

Deads - as said warm ups were fine but the top sets were light, very light, 180 flew up from the floor and felt lighter than they have in the past... however it gave me plenty of opportunity to work on technique and speed... really focussed on this and it felt good... worked the hips thrusting through and really blasting it from the floor... wasnt taxing but was rewarding...

Chins - really good this week, however on the second set I twinged my forearm which wasnt great but did a third which I prob shouldnt have in retrospect... felt much stronger this week, prob because I didnt go so heavy on the deads...

BOR - upped the weight a bit and surprisingly it felt good, forearm didnt like them though so I wore straps for the second set, still wasnt happy so I kept it at two sets... I may have to keep up the straps in future... depending on grip...

Facepulls - started on a fairly light 30kg, was alright but man felt it all across my upper back... burn baby, so did the only decent thing and added weight... yeah that was a good idea... hit the back high and hard and felt awesome... forearm grumbled a little but not that much... great addition this ex... will keep it in for sure...

ok so a good start to the plan and will be maintaining this as has been told to me... getting the speed working and technique drilled and this will carry over to the big lifts come comp time... for such a light day its still freaking hurting lol... feeling pretty fricking good though...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Looking good again. How do you warm up before sessions? I get trouble from time to time with major cramp in my hip flexor and that's just when I'm flat bench pressing. I use the power lifting technique of being rounded with butt pushing up from the bench.
> 
> Well done again!


Hi mate, actually my warm up is pants really, I start with a light weight and just work up... no stretching (well not in a structured manner that is) and no cardio... as for hip flexors cramping on the bench I used to get that too, but I played with feet spacing and back arch and its pretty much stopped... find your position is all I can suggest... I prefer my feet more out than many and wider this gives me a great base and stops my flexors cramping up...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

ME squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x3, 230x1 (best weight without a belt)

*belt on*

250x1x2, 1x1+1 (not parallel which I dont count as its a fail in comp)...

DE squats

160x3x3

GM

130x1x6, 1x5

SLDL

175x1x7, 1x6

was feeling totally pants going into today, for the last few nights have had very little sleep as the mrs and my son have been ill so between their coughing and spluttering have been kept awake most of the night since wednesday last week... (apparently patting the mrs on the ar$e saying there there does NOT constitute showing proper sympathy sigh)... but can of monster and got on with it thinking even if I dont lift that heavy will work the technique and speed...

ME squats - the warm ups felt awesome, very very light on the bottom sets and even at 230 with no belt it just seemed to pop up... so focussed and everthing just seemed to work... so did the 250 for 2 as I wanted and the first set was awesome... again it felt like it just worked but man had sparkles and sick feeling after... second set of 250 did not go as well, the first rep was awesome, nice and tight and everything was on, second rep not so good, lost something in the setup and as I got to about 3/4 down had to lift it out as I knew it was not working... still feeling pretty damn pleased with it... took a while to get my wind back after this...

DE squats - ok these hurt, in a good way though... need to work on speed more but have just put the weight up so expected a little stagger... happy enough with these...

GM - oh god I am not a fan of these lol, feeling good but hard and that first rep always seems to pinch the traps till I settle it in place after it... just left it at 2 sets and probably will from now till after comp (or possibly before when will drop this altogether to keep things to bare min)...

SLDL - I should probably call these the holy jebus lifts cos after every set I say "holy jebus" as my hams and glutes just hum... feel really really good though and even though I sit now and still have to change position every 30 secs or so to alleviate the soreness I love them...

was totally sure today was going to be maintainance only but it turned out to be a really really good session... already hurting in a great way and feel like I have really worked hard... apart from a slight hiccup I am happy with it... can feel the progress happening and will be looking at some good numbers in weeks to come...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Sorry to hear mate, But looks like you've had a couple of good sessions we all get our bad ones aye!


----------



## MRSTRONG

lots of crappy germs about hate it


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Sorry to hear mate, But looks like you've had a couple of good sessions we all get our bad ones aye!


had some great session of late... hopefully only getting better as the days go by...


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> lots of crappy germs about hate it


too right mate, how I have missed them so far its a miracle... still I think heavy lifting frightens the crap out of them lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 105x5

120x5

WGBP

110x5

90x10

Lying ext

30x10

40xx10

Dips

BWx1x6, 1x5, 1x4

Dislocations

Bar x3x20

ooooooh you barstardo @Dig lol... does that look about right?

Bench - one of those days where the technique just felt so spot on it almost lifted the weight alone... warm ups felt nice and light and form was tight... 120 felt really good... way better than in the past, the fifth was a bit of a grind near the top but got the job done... got a bit of cramping in the back on the last set but nothing that stopped the lift... think I have found my groove here now...

WGBP - done according to follow up advice from Dig last week... 110 was nice first 4 reps felt easy the fifth was like hitting a wall lol... dropped to 90 and same here the last rep was like all stop lol...

Lying Ext - first time done these in forever... first set was far far too light but good to get my form right... 40 is also too light but again was working on getting the exercise right and as it affects or did affect my elbow in the past I didnt want to strain it jumping in too high... found a good line and keeping elbows in hard helps stop any strain...

Dips - man started loving these and now they are really hard again dread them lol... but doing them and will get back to bw+lots for sure...

Dislocations - as always feel a fantastic end to the workout... really loosens up the chest and shoulders no end...

awesome awesome workout... just so in the groove it was pure fantastic... feeling it now though... chest feels like its grown 2 inches and arms 1 lol... loving training and just want to do it allll the time...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> too right mate, how I have missed them so far its a miracle... still I think heavy lifting frightens the crap out of them lol


Haha and half this forum lol


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> Haha and half this forum lol


lmao...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 160x3

190x5

150x3x3

Chins

BW+7.5kg x2 stopped as aggravated forearm injury...

BW x 2 stopped due to forearm

BOR

150x1x7, 2x6

Facepulls

40x10

45x2x9

oooooh back is hurty now...

Deads - sticking to the program boss... felt really good, just making sure I get speed from the floor and the hips through now... feeling light still but working the technique... even though it feels faster I am wanting more speed lol...

Chins - was a bit wary of these and it proved to be warranted, the forearm I tweaked last week doing these is not quite fully healed so had to stop doing them... hopefully back to strength next week...

BOR - used straps and was worried a bit re the forearm but it felt ok... concentrated on lifting the weight and not yanking it, or letting momentum take it... felt good and strong, back fragged after though...

Facepulls - ok if I thought my back felt sore after BOR then I lied... 40 felt good and not heavy so up just 5 kg to make sure it was still done properly... felt really good but last rep of the last set was a bit ropey... back on fire, and it got worse lol... feeling pretty damn awesome though...

Another really good workout, felt a bit light on the deads but means to an end and goal firmly in sight... had a loooong freaking day today and was not sure I would fit training in but managed to do it... love the feeling of good training...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

ME squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x2

230x2x2

DE squats

160x3x3

GM

130x1x8, 1x6

SLDL

180x2x6

great little bit of a deload...

Squats - was only going to do the 1 set with 3-5 reps at 230 but second rep went all to pot and I didnt keep my upper back tight and let my chest cave... sloppy work, very sloppy... so got the weight out of the hole (no problem there and was deeper than previous so thats a good thing) racked it and went for another double... way better, kept it all together and kept it tight all the way, great depth and felt easy enough to pop out of the hole, no grind at all so that is progress imho... speed squats went really well, fast and tight and just felt so good... much faster than previously...

GM - god these are good, really starting to cane the lower back and starting to get the groove nicely...

SLDL - feeling these every time I work them and man they make my hams and glutes sing...

while I didnt achieve the target I wanted I feel that overall it was a good workout... much deeper on 230 now and it feels stronger and tighter... feeling much more confident under weights that used to give me jitters lol... bring on the new year and ever better training


----------



## Greyphantom

Monday 31 Dec 12

Squat day

ME squats

70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x3, 220x1

*belt on*

240x2x2

DE squats

160x3x3

thats it... back a bit tender and just recovered from a very virulent form of man flu that wiped out the next two villages from ours... a lesser man would have been laid waste but my sheer awesomeness staved it off... well actually was laid out for 4 days straight, couldnt eat, slept long hourse through the day and just recovered... sunday appetite was back with a hiss and a roar (thank god) weight down 3 kg or so so not that bad and monday felt up for a session...

Squats - back a bit sore for some reason but started off and felt better as went through... light weights were easy and very comfortable... wasnt going to go too high but as things felt good I just kept it going from last week and did what I was aiming for... very happy with the top sets, a little wobble on a rep or two but good enough... the speed squats were really good, felt much easier than previous and really tight...

Left it at the squats this week as when I tried good mornings my lower back just didnt want to play... another week and it will be fine but just giving it time to recover more... really happy considering I was unsure about how I would feel after not eating right and feeling so crappy last week... still on and up now and with the comp about 7 weeks away its time to kick it into high gear...


----------



## bigbob33

Good to see some serious weight being moved  long time no speak mate


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Very impressive for being under the weather ,mate fair play to you! Happy New Year also!


thanks mate, not too bad... got to up the numbers now for the comp so hoping thats my bout of illness done and dusted now...


----------



## Greyphantom

bigbob33 said:


> Good to see some serious weight being moved  long time no speak mate


fvck me mate back from the dead, awesome to hear from you big man... well not sure its that serious lol, but weight is being moved at last... how the hell are you? what you up to now?


----------



## bigbob33

All good this end, just had a bit of a change of life but ready to train hard again  in fact of for a nice chest and cardio session later on today


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day...

Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x3

130x3 target reached!

WGBP

110x6

90x11

Lying ext

40x10

50x8

dislocations

bar x 3x20

ooooooooooohhhh... that is all... well ok it was a really really good session, hit targets surprisingly as I missed last weeks training session due to man flu but it was not that hard to catch up today...

Bench - felt really good today, I seemed to have found my groove for sure and its like a switch as been thrown... tbh even though the lighter sets felt easy and were good I was not sure I would hit my target for the top set, but @Dig I did mate... sticking to the jdig plan although I may have to adapt it slightly as the comp is in approx 7 weeks so might do another abbreviated run up to the top weights on the plan again to consolidate... first 2 at 130 went up nicely was hesitant on the third but planted it and well pleased I did!!

WGBP - again as its been a couple of weeks wasnt sure I would do as well as the last time but it went a bit better actually... lovely feel to this exercise and really helps out with the sticking point... going to up the weight slightly next week...

Ext - these felt awful... well not awful as in bad but as in they hit my tris hard and actually made me feel physically sick... only went up to 50 and was going ot do 60 but just felt awful... still got a lot of room to improve on this...

dislocations - as always great end to the workout... felt great and stretched all the bits they needed too...

great workout but gassed out really quickly, arms were shaking hard after the first set of ext and after the second just lost it... knackering but very rewarding... very pleased hit my targets and now to progress some more...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

ME dead

120x2x5, 170x5, 200x2

220x5

DE deads

180x3x3

Chins

BW+5kg x3x5

BOR

150x2x7, 1x6+1p

Facepulls

45x1x10, 2x9

wow was great workout today, first dead session in a couple of weeks as was ill last week, and had to modify it slightly as I only have 7 weeks to go till the comp so went straight to 220...

Deads - nice getting a little weight on the bar at last, felt really good and fast getting up, skinned my shin nicely lol... hips are almost moving on their own to push through at the top which is good... set up is feeling really tight and the groove is locking in... god I love this lift... speed deads are good, nice finish after the main set...

Chins - much better this week, forearm still a little tweaky but held nicely and felt lats contract which is not usual, getting into this exercise at last... its always been a difficult one for me, like dips really but finally clicking...

BOR - oh yeah, loving this movment atm, nice smooth motion up and trying to resist the negative so it doesnt just drop... feeling it right across the middle of my back... this usually happens a few seconds after I release the weight... think "oh that wasnt too bad" then bam right in the back...

Facepulls - these ones are surprising little buggers... get the set done and then like BOR it hits just after releasing the weight... now sitting here with my back in bits... it just doesnt get any better...

Training is just going really well right now... just loving lifting the iron and feeling the body work... it doesnt get any better than this...


----------



## nogger

Great stuff mate...hope you have a good year.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Great stuff mate...hope you have a good year.


Cheers big man, you too and many merry ones besides


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Oh ffs what did I do...

ME squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x3, 230x1 (not as tight as should have been in this, prob should have put belt on)

250x1x2+1p, 1x2

DE squat

165x3x3

GM

135x1x6, 1x5

SLDL

180x1x8, 1x6

ooooh all thats good and holy feeling fooked now... its taken me 20 mins just to be able to type properly on this damn laptop...

Squats - felt ok going in, not too sure I was going to hit my top sets as have a bit of a dodgy belly due to something I ate this weekend... but soldiered on and if the worst happened well fvck it I train in my garage so no embarrassment there lol... warm ups went really really well... 230 I didnt use a belt and prob should have as it just didnt feel comfortable as in the past... 250 felt pretty good by comparison and the partial on the first set was a bit of a boo boo as I didnt set up right so aborted the rep half way down... second set was much better though and felt rock solid, nice and parallel and got the 2 reps so better than before but got loads of those flashy little spots in front of my eyes and had to lean against the rack after lol... DE squats the first set felt slow, and hard but the next two were quick and much easier... very ill after these though...

GM - loved these today, felt solid and stable and the movement seems to be smoother... up slightly on the weight and felt good doing it... lower back was def feeling it...

SLDL - oh maaaaan caned these felt great but man hit my posterior chain hard and felt it too... could sit still after the first set and the second just didnt know if I should sit or try standing... so my legs made the d for me and went to my knees lol... really feeling a buzz down my glutes and hams now...

really great work out today, focus is there and determination is rising... body is taking a beating but going to start decreasing the number of assistance sets and work on the main lifts at 4-5 weeks out (next week or two) and see how that works recovery wise... love feeling like I have worked hard and then being able to do it again and again... albeit with some rest in between lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day...

Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 105x3, 120x1

135x3 (target reached!)

WGBP

115x5

90x14

Lying Ext

50x9

60x3 (WTF)

Dips

BWx2x7

Dislocations

bar x3x20

oooowwwww ok this one hit the spot... or spots... sore now... first time I have had doms set in while training...

Bench - wow just so happy with how this is going right now... finally seems to have clicked and the groove is really in place... set up feels good and tight, drive is there, all the components have finally starting fitting together and this combined with the sticking point rising a good 8 inches off the chest is paying off... 120 felt light... 135 went up really nicely and much more easily than in the past ever... last rep had a wee blip at the top when I went off line slightly but nothing to worry about, most important I reached my target for this week and feel very good about it... huge motivational boost and confidence is rising...

WGBP - oh yeah, the icing on the cake... think @Dig set a goal at 115x5 and 90x15 before the comp and pretty much there, I would have had a 6th on 115 but leg cramped and had to stop at a grinding 5... 90 felt awesome but the 14th rep was slllloooooowwwww lol... such a huge bonus to training I fully recommend these to anyone wanting to develop a raw bench...

LE - man I am finding these hard... not so much the weight but controlling the reps and joints in my arms esp the elbows are just on fire when get any weight on them... just a matter of time I hope to get my joint strength up to my muscle strength... 50 felt easy and no problems but 60 felt difficult...

Dips - happy I could get these done today, first set was a bit dicey as arms were sore, but second felt much better...

Dislocations - again cant praise them enough... really good finisher and helps no end with shoulders...

feeling pretty damn good about training right now... this day is a thorn in my side so to speak and now finally it seems to be moving forward... just got to work on the LE and getting some weight on the bar and weight on the dips and voila... had the shakes bad during and after training but in a good way, really feeling it deep in the chest and tris today... great feeling working them hard and having it pay off... again much love for the jdig program so far...


----------



## MRSTRONG

bench is coming along mate , what total are you aiming for in next comp ?


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> bench is coming along mate , what total are you aiming for in next comp ?


thanks mate its starting to kick in... re total, well I dont like to bandy numbers about pre lifting day tbh... I would ideally like to crack the 700 total as this has been a goal for a while... doable for sure just have to put the work in to get it done...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> thanks mate its starting to kick in... re total, well I dont like to bandy numbers about pre lifting day tbh... I would ideally like to crack the 700 total as this has been a goal for a while... doable for sure just have to put the work in to get it done...


make it happen buddy .


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x1

240x3

200x2x3

Chins

BW+7.5kg x2x5

BOR

170x1x5, 1x4+1p

Facepulls

60x1x7, 1x6

oooooh wtf stupid move on BOR... back in bits, feel the blood actually pumping through it and feels like the muscle has actually just given up and is sliding off the bone...

Deads - still sticking to the jdig plan... its going well lighter sets the bar has never moved so fast or felt so comfortable... it was damn near up on my chest on the 120... once I got to 240 though it slowed a bit... got to work on keeping the speed going all the way to the top sets more... the speed sets were awesome though, bar flew off the floor and felt so ON... next week the bar gets heavier and cannot wait...

Chins - still having some gyp with my left forearm on this... so I brought my hands in to the next bit of the bar (my chin attachment has a few diff parts so you can change grip around) and it felt much much better... not only better on my forearm but felt a long stretch through my lats and it changed the angle so it felt like there was more involvement... sticking to this for the next little bit...

BOR - ok this is where it gets stupid... since I had 170 on the bar from deads I thought well was going to do 160 why not try 170... holy f..... first 4 reps were surprisingly ok... last was dodgy in the extreme and holy damn did my back feel it... right through the upper back just killed... still did a second set and got 4 decent reps before my back just went nuh uh... feeling it majorly now and its sore...

Facepulls - went up again on this one... back well and truly separated in fact its just filed for divorce and fvcked off with the power rack... managed the 2 sets but it was tough... feeling every bit of my upper back atm... more then in the past for sure...

fantastic session today, wasnt sure I would get much done tbh as had the worst night last night with a load of stomach issues (possibly lactose issues but certainlly something digestive... note to self do NOT eat less than an hour, pref 2, before bed and certainly not as much cheese ) was up and down every 15-20 mins... mrs was not happy lol... very tired now and cannot wait to bed... still sore from squats on monday, chest on wed and now back today is just going to be fun... bring it OOOOONNN *small voice* but be nice please lol...


----------



## MRSTRONG

hows the back after bor ?


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> hows the back after bor ?


actually its seriously fvcked now lol... doms kicking in only a couple of hours after a workout, got to be a record for me  I might have to have a hot as fvck bath to just soak it out...


----------



## MRSTRONG

And a massage from the Mrs .


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> And a massage from the Mrs .


not with her claws 

actually rough as fvck today, havent eaten since saturday so got some sort of stomach bug... chilling out and hot baths abound... plus conan (the original) on tv...


----------



## MRSTRONG

got a Q for you fella im looking at buying a squat suit ideally a squat/deadlift suit around the £100-150 if you have any ideas ?

ive been on pullum and they are out of my size in my price range .


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> got a Q for you fella im looking at buying a squat suit ideally a squat/deadlift suit around the £100-150 if you have any ideas ?
> 
> ive been on pullum and they are out of my size in my price range .


hey mate... not my area sorry... I have sod all knowledge when it comes to suits... best place to ask would be on the sugden barbell forum or the powerlifitnguk one...


----------



## MRSTRONG

Greyphantom said:


> hey mate... not my area sorry... I have sod all knowledge when it comes to suits... best place to ask would be on the sugden barbell forum or the powerlifitnguk one...


cool cheers been on already eyeing up a nice metal squat suit .


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x3, 230x1

*belt on*

260x2x1 PB!!!

DE squats

165x3x3

GM

140x1x6, 1x5

SLDL

190x1x8, 1x7

ooooowwwww damn thats not nice... well yeah it is but day-yum....

Squats - after last couple of days not eating and having um tummy troubles shall we say I was somewhat hesitant about getting anything solid (no pun intended) on these... however the warm up sets felt very very good and 230 just didnt feel as taxing as it used to which is nice... so thought wtf was going for a pb anyway lets see what can happen... unracked the bar and felt solid and very stable went down into the hole and BAM farted like a freaking trooper but I still managed to get the bar UP... very very happy but at same time really hope that doesnt happen at the comp lol... second one went even better as I didnt let one rip this time and it felt very stable all the way... left me seeing spots and a bit sick though... after a few minutes or more tbh I went into the DE squats and tbh these just werent as fast as I would have liked... after these was feeling really sick but good... very very happy with these today, had to drop the weights to work on technique and form for a while but its working...

GM - god I felt these right in my lower back... the last rep second set felt like it might have driven me back down but I made it and just had to sit a while to make sure lunch wasnt coming back for round 2... feeling these are working well, def helping me in keeping more upright in the squat...

SLDL - wow... freaky today, felt really good again but seeing spots again and had a wee bit of a pressure headache at this stage... got the job done though and felt them working a treat... hams and glutes well fried and now posterior chain is just smacked around... very very sore atm but in a good way...

had to postpone this squat session as really not well since saturday... only managed to start eating again yesterday but it doesnt seem to have done much to the over all training program... feeling it through my whole body though and in a great way... legs totally fried and back/posterior chain is just screaming... training is getting better and better and while I know there is a goal at the end of this training cycle I am just in love with the idea of lifting heavy sh1t and puting it down again, could do it forever...

going to take in more bcaa's and get some more phosphytidal choline (sp) in to help with cns recovery... but atm training ROCKS...


----------



## Tinkerbella

Sorry to hear you've been poorly GP!!! There are a lot of nasty things hanging about - take it easy bud!

I do love reading your updates, pain really is your friend lol

Ps. More than likely coming to the comp in Feb, you had me at knee socks


----------



## nogger

Some mean weight being shifted in here today mate... :thumbup1:


----------



## Greyphantom

Tinkerbella said:


> Sorry to hear you've been poorly GP!!! There are a lot of nasty things hanging about - take it easy bud!
> 
> I do love reading your updates, pain really is your friend lol
> 
> Ps. More than likely coming to the comp in Feb, you had me at knee socks


lol yeah pain is becoming a close personal friend... but he is just letting me know its working so I let him hang out a while 

be awesome to see you there... I knew the socks would work  that and the sexy singlet


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Some mean weight being shifted in here today mate... :thumbup1:


thanks Nogger, its getting there, just have to make sure the tech and form are nailled...


----------



## Tinkerbella

Greyphantom said:


> lol yeah pain is becoming a close personal friend... but he is just letting me know its working so I let him hang out a while
> 
> be awesome to see you there... I knew the socks would work  that and the sexy singlet


You know me to well GP, the mere mention of a sweaty singlet and I'm quivering like a virgin.....touched for the very first time


----------



## Greyphantom

Tinkerbella said:


> You know me to well GP, the mere mention of a sweaty singlet and I'm quivering like a virgin.....touched for the very first time


wooo groupies... the mrs will be extra pleased now 

legs were mega aching last night so sleep was not abundant... just couldnt get them comfortable... but at the same time it was comforting to know I had caned them well... yes I am just that sick...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x4, 130x1

142.5x1x2 Wooo hooo target reached and rep pb

WGBP

115x1x7

90x1x12

Lying Ext

40x1x10

55x1x6

Dips

BW+5kg x1x9, 1x7

Dislocations

bar x3x20

oh yeah baby thats how I like it...

Bench - pretty hyped for todays work out... warm ups went very easily, felt nice and comfortable and just made sure I had power off the chest and good technique... 130 flew up so was happy but nervous for the 142.5... its in the plan but its the first time I have done this weight at multiple reps in one set... unracking the bar was much easier than I thought, weight went down and went up really well first rep, didnt let nerves do my head in like they can and just concentrated on working the weight... weight went down and bam up nice and comfortably if not exactly easy... jdig plan is kicking ar$e and loving it... (@Dig still got 3 training weeks till my week off before the comp mate, any suggestions on what do do for the next 3 weeks, consolidate the weights, work the pause etc? cheers mate)... very over the moon, easiest its ever gone up and feeling very comfortable...

WGBP - well surpassed my target at 115 here but just stopped at 12 on 90... almost like hitting a wall, weight was moving fine then BAM last few inches on the last rep just ground out for the longest time... still feeling good about it though... might up the weight on the top set next week...

Ext - not my best exercise tbh and its showing... up to 50kg everything is easy then its just like something breaks... elbow (right side) feels it alot connective tissue wise (although as I keep at it it does get better) and so will have to work this till either I get much better at it or I have to change it for another ex due to the elbow... tris did feel worked after though...

Dips - felt really good today... much better than expected... great little finisher to the workout...

Dislocations - as always wow... just opens up the chest and shoulders and stretches it all and makes everything feel so much better...

Pretty damn happy with how its all coming together now... this far out from the comp and bench is feeling this comfortable *knocks on wood* so just need to keep this going... got a lot of competition this year and some big big names hitting the 110kg class so need to pull finger and get it done...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

260x3

240x2x3

Chins

BW+10kg x2x6

BOR

170x2x6

Facepulls

65x2x6

wow, back is killing now, top part is freaking sore, bottom is pumped to hell and back... but what a freaking awesome workout...

Deads - finally getting some weight on the bar and its amazing how good it feels... light sets flew up, speed is finally kicking in now and its all about getting intense and focussed... the top set was all full stop and I thought it might feel heavy but it actually felt good and comfortable... really coming along... the lighter speed sets were really good, felt tight and controlled but very quick...

Chins - kept my grip in close this week and it felt much better on the forearm... put the weight up to 10kg strapped around me and it felt really good, maybe even up next week... felt such a good stretch all down my lats and on the first rep the spine was cracking lol...

BOR - kept the weight the same as last week to get the form right and it felt really good... first set I was going for a 7th but it just werent coming up without some major crane work so left it at 6, just lost focus... second I kept it going and got the 6th if a little wobbly, but it was much better than last week and I feel some more weight could go on... back was just all over the place afterwards though...

Facepulls - I am always amazed by how much this hits my upper back... put the weight up a bit today but felt the form suffered slightly so will keep it at this next time to get it bang on... back now all over and its hurting, in a good way though...

felt really good today, getting some weight on the deadlifts is really good and is feeling better than ever... speed from the floor is proving to be a blessing as its increasing and I am feeling that in the heavier sets as it moves better... some solid progress here... the accessory exercises are really going well, killing me but adding to the whole... things I used to hate now loving more... training on the whole is just awesome, I think about training continually but not in an obsseive way but as in pure enjoyment, I cannot wait to get to my next training session and love it while doing it... long may it continue...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x3, 230x1

*belt on*

260x3x1

DE squats

165x2x3

GM

145x6

SLDL

200x7

finito... worked the squat well and now dropping more sets on the accessory stuff to aid recovery and not burn out...

Squats - wasnt really feeling it today tbh... few little aches and niggles nothing serious or injury wise but just not optimum... warm ups were pretty good though, felt strong and nice and tight, some good depth too... 230 went really quick out of the hole for a change and this is encouraging... put the belt on for 260 and went for my first set, wanted 2 sets of 2 today but it just werent to be... first set I set my belt too low and as I went into the hole the damn thing pinched and pulled all round my middle... however I still managed to get it up and out of the hole and that made me happy, by rights it should have buried me, in fact in the not so recent past it would have buried me for sure... today there was no way I was going to let it... second single went really well and was good... I threw a third single in as I was a bit p1ssed I didnt get 2 sets of 2... it was good but again half way up the damn thing wanted to stop, but no way, I managed to grind it out and man the star bursts I was seeing... took the belt off and now have a lovely collection of blood blisters and scraps from the first rep, that will teach me setting the belt too low...

DE squats - never felt sooo heavy or slow lol... second set went way better than first but still not as quick...

GM - felt good but last couple of reps were tough...

SLDL - big pb for me here and it felt like it... last rep was a grind and essentially pulled up the quads... hams well buzzing now and glutes are just numb... in fact my whole leg/posterior chain area is pretty mashed...

while I didnt get the numbers on the squats I wanted I still loved todays session... mainly because I didnt let the first and last squat bury me, that in my mind is an accomplisment...

have been having a few nights rough sleep and appetite at the weekends has been tanking... the rough nights corelate with heavy squat and deadlift/back days so think its probably the cns getting a beating... feeling pretty good about my run up now and will just keep it as it is diminishing the accessory stuff... have ordered some phosphatidyl choline and more BCAAs to increase the uptake on those and combined with some simple carbs and b complex and vit c will comprise my cns recovery regime...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x3

130x2x4 huge pb! target reached

WGBP

120x4

90x13

Lying Ext

40x4 stopped due to elbow

Dips

BW+10kg x1x7, 1x5+1p

Dislocations

bar x3x20

oh all thats good and holy... spoke with @Dig earlier this week and he gave me some new numbers/targets to aim for... excited to say the least...

Bench - target was 130 for 2 sets of 4 and managed to reach that... weight went up much easier than I expected and I was just freaking wrapped when I completed this weeks lift... everything felt spot on and nice and tight, leg drive is synching well with the press off the chest and it all feels good... looks like things are finally coming together...

WGBP - well passed targets here almost... was thinking 115 for 5 plus 90 for 15 would be a good set of numbers prior to the comp but now looking like I will pass that... bodes well and feels great... chest is wrecked but in a good way...

Lying ext - hmmm not good even at the lighter weight I felt my elbow twinge, stopped it at 4 just so nothing bad happens, I will have to invest in an EZ bar to change the angle on the lift I think or find something else to take the place of these...

Dips - felt great and after the first set I thought great way to finish as it really just destresses everything... after the second set I am not so sure lol...

Dislocations - yeah these I still rate... nice stretch and helps keep the rotator healthy...

keeps getting better and better... was a bit nervous/excited going into todays workout as 130 for 2 sets of 4 is much more than I have done before... but it went well and now just leaves me exhilirated... worked the chest, delts and tris amazingly today and already have DOMS lol... got two more weeks and targets for them and then its a week off before the comp... sh1ts getting real...


----------



## nogger

Great training sessions mate..pb as well.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Great training sessions mate..pb as well.


thanks mate... its all coming together now... hopefully can ride this wave into the comp and post the numbers where they count


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 220x3, 260x1

290x3 big pb and target reached...

240x3

Chins

BW+10kg x1x7

BOR

175x5 (last ropey)

Facepulls

65x7

oooouch... and woo hooo!!

Deads - warm ups flew off the floor, something I am noticing is that I get far more hip drive and ham glute involvement now... speed is increasing and even 260 felt good and comfortable if not light... 290 for 3 was making me a bit nervous tbh but its on the jdig plan so I stopped thinking and just did it... I did not do a complete reset between each rep but I did re-accept the weight (ie take the strain so to speak) to take the bounce out... did the first two really comfortably and then started thinking but managed to shut that down and get the third too... no grind, went up and BAM baby... big pb and it didnt feel a strain... the last set was for speed and technique work and went well

Chins - loving these atm... the closer grip is proving to work well and I get such a full stretch through my lats and as I have to angle up slightly (due to the ceiling being quite low) to get my nose to the bar it seems to work across my upper back to a slight degree too...

BOR - went up slightly on these and tbh it might be a bit premature or because of the triple on deads just too much work... first 4 were ok but the fifth was ropey... however I certainly felt them working...

Facepulls - first rep was pants and so had to shake it off, got the form right and holy crap they worked a treat, my upper back is now it bits... very very sore but feeling great...

Very freaking happy with today, had to do a longer day at work due to the boss pointing some things out I needed to do (some miscommunication and some I had let slide tbf) and then on top of that I was feeling it from bench yesterday and almost sacked it off to do tomorrow but so glad I didnt... initially thought that the deads would be hard but surprisingly they were better than expected... this sets me up in a good place for the comp... starting my extra cns supps today as all the goodies are in, protein247 sent me some extra bcaa's to take in the run up to the comp too so bless them for that... sleep has been good and so far apart from tearing my body apart in training its going well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x3 *belt on*

230x2x3

DE squat

165x3

GM

150x5

SLDL

210x6

done, really fricking done... standing is hard work...

Squats - just backed off a little this week... warm ups were fast and tight, 200 were deep and felt good... 230 I put the belt on to get the feel as if in comp (as I will lift with a belt in all 3 (or 4 if I do well) lifts)... first set of 3 were great, deep, tight and felt like I had more in the tank... second set was just as good which was fantastic... made sure I sank that little bit more to get depth and made sure I had all my cues in my head... very very happy with these atm...

DE Squats - wow, did not think these would go well tbh, however were much quicker than I expected and felt strong... lower back pumped to fvck now and was seeing spots and feeling the squat sickness lol...

GM - was not sure I would get these done tbh as at this stage I started feeling it right down my posterior chain... but after reading Doug Youngs words (up on my wall) just sucked it up and did them, felt strong but hard...

SLDL - at this stage I was ready to quit tbh, even toyed with the idea of just sacking them off and calling it "too close to comp"... again couldnt let it go... they didnt feel too hard but man when I put the weight down I was wobbling something chronic... hams and glutes numb now...

Really happy with how squats are going and it says alot about getting technique and form right at how much easier they are feeling... making sure I hit all my markers/cues makes a diff as it sets it up in my mind and then all that is left is to lift... almost happens on its own... well ALMOST lol... feeling in a good place for the comp, only one more heavy week left then its a week off training before the comp...

at the moment my appetite comes and goes something weird... one day cant eat enough the next cant eat at all... thank god for the whey and blend that protein247 send me to keep my protein intake up as without supplements I just couldnt get it in... have upped BCAA's (mixed with lucosade) and started the other bits for cns recovery, um when I remember to take them that is... so far its all going to plan...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> I'm super motivated by this journal mate - you do some serious business in the gym!


thanks mate that means a lot... I try mate, got to push hard if you want to succeed imho...


----------



## Greyphantom

bench day

ME bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x4, 125x1

140x2x2 reps pb target reached!!

WGBP

120x4+1p (hamstring cramp)

90x12

Lying rope tri ext

30x6

30x10

Dips

BW+10kg x1x7, 1x6

Dislocations

bar x3x20

wow... chest worked, pumped and sore, tris pumped and worked...

Bench - was really looking forward to this session as first time multiple reps on multiple sets at 140... warm ups were all paused on chest and powered up... felt good and strong... however first set at 140 was not good... hurried into the set and didnt set up right and technique was pretty shoddy... still got the weights up ok but it didnt feel as natural as previous sessions... second set was way better... more natural and much better technique and set up with cues being right on, weight went up much easier than first but didnt feel too much lighter lol... must watch this as only get the one chance... however targets reached and its a pb for that weight sets and reps...

WGBP - really wanted to reach the 5 reps today and tbh I should have but on the 4th rep felt my leg starting to cramp in the hamstring and tried to power through it... got the 5th rep about 4 or 5 inches from lockout and it hit hard and hurt like a mother... had to drop the bar (under control just) to the safeties and stretch/massage it out... man that hurt... 90 went well but strangely up to 12 it was light and easy, once I got to 12 it was like no more gas at all and just stopped lol... next week will get that 5th for sure at 120 and more on 90...

Lying rope tri ext - tried these out for something different to see how it affected the elbow... much better and on the second set I found a much better groove which took all the stress off the joint/tendons/ligaments so will use this and see how it goes...

Dips - really good working sets today, felt them right in the chest and tris, in fact after finishing my tris were fried... happy with these and long may the continue...

Dislocations - as always great finisher, feeling better and the stretch just eases everything out...

overall it was a good session but not as good as previous sessions... got my targets but got to remember to set up right and get all my technique sorted too... feeling good about the training right now and cannot wait till the comp... have had some trouble sleeping last few nights waking up all the time and feeling like I havent slept but its not too bad just yet... will see how this progresses... sitting at 111.3ish at the moment so well on track for weight too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5

220x3

Chins

BW+12.5kg x2x5 (think thats a PB)

BOR

175x7 (last one a bit heaved lol)

fin... short and sweet today and thank god, got stuck for 4 hours last night waiting for a mobile tyre fitting guy to come and fit a new tyre on the car as we had a blow out on the way to my daughters diving class (Tom Daley diving not Jacques Cousteau diving) and that was fun then the mrs was out so had to pick her up and the train was late so looooong time getting to bed... very very tired and my usual can of monster only just touched the sides...

Deads - just a light one this week and next as per the plan... speed is improving still and I damn near went over backwards a couple of times lol... didnt bother with chalk at all and no problems with grip... really wanted to move more iron but sticking to the plan...

Chins - felt better this week and back was nicely hit... still getting that feel of the whole length of the lat and some inner back working which is nice... forearm still giving some pain but not enough to be distracting or stop doing them...

BOR - stayed at 175 to nail the form really... first 6 were really good and felt them hitting me right between the shoulder blades and all over the upper back... 7th was a bit hoisted up tbh but I was going to stop after 6 and thought would try for another... still felt it and got touch to just above my belly button...

thats the day done for me... not a lot of work but still feeling it working me well... only light on the deads but its helping with speed and technique... was concentrating on making sure my ar$e and the bar moved at the same rate pace up and there was no lag... 220 felt really good and very easy... excited to say the least to see what happens in 2 weeks... man 2 weeks is not that long, its almost like my first comp again lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats... and thats it...

Squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x2, 230x1

belt on

250x3 target reached and well happy... but sick very very sick...

just squats only today as its the last heavy squat day before the comp, I wanted to get 3 good reps at 250 to see if I could and I did, last I had to dig deep and shouted "yeeeerrrssss" as I came out of the hole lol... but it went up nice and easy but then when I racked the bar legs sort of went floopy... saw stars and damn near threw up... took about 5 or 10mins to settle down... technique is solid now, 230 was nice and deep, near atg... 200 is now as easy as 160 used to be so thats progress... next week will just stick with a light weight no more than 150 say to keep the blood flowing and technique sorted... will do squats and bench on the monday just light... one more heavy bench then its all down hill to the comp...

was a bit surprised tbh as had a very rough afternoon even falling asleep for a while... sleep is still a bit up and down one night great the next nearly none... I sooooo want to lift in the comp now, very excited... want to see what I can do... only a week and a half to go I spose sigh...


----------



## Tinkerbella

Greyphantom said:


> I sooooo want to lift in the comp now, very excited... want to see what I can do... only a week and a half to go I spose sigh...


I'm excited to, I cannot wait to see how you do, but I have a good feeling  keep trucking GP, keep trucking!!


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Nice one! It's a good feeling when you are coming out the hole and you get to the point where you know you're going to make it! Optimistic about the comp I take it?


it is mate... I have noticed that I dont let it fail now as well, mentally I have strengthened as well as physically...


----------



## Greyphantom

Tinkerbella said:


> I'm excited to, I cannot wait to see how you do, but I have a good feeling  keep trucking GP, keep trucking!!


lol ta girl dear, looking forward to it myself, best run up I have had tbh... although I have only been competing for just over a year... will do you can be sure... you coming down with Kate?


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

WU 60x10, 80x8, 100x5, 120x3, 135x1

147.5x1x1+1f PB but target missed...

WGBP

120x5

90x12

thats it... mixed bag today, atm very very tired most days, appetite is all over the place and generally meh... however lifting is going well and am still loving training...

Bench - target was 147.5x2 but missed that... warm ups went pretty well and felt generally good but 135 felt better than 120 for some weird reason... 147.5 is a new PB for me first one felt really good and not as hard as expected, this prooved my downfall a bit as I rushed the second rep and forgot leg drive which then led to me missing my line and trying to correct that I moved the bar forward so had to take it to the safeties... a bit galling tbh as the weight was not an issue and I know I could get it... still got a pb and am well on track for the comp...

WGBP - goal was 115 for 5 but have managed 120 for 5 however 90 is still hovering around 12 and should be 15... still I will take that lol...

happy enough with todays efforts and its reminded me to just take a breath and set up everything properly and make sure I get the technique nailled... do that and I can lift the weight... rather learn that now than on the day tbh... many thanks to @Dig for his help... sorry I missed that second one buddy, should have been but focus lost sigh... light set of deads tomorrow then monday will do a light squat and bench sesssion just to keep the blood flowing and technique locked in and thats all till the big day... have a fair idea of opners atm... will lay them out on monday I think so its locked in the tank...

as it turns out it was supposed to be 2 singles on 147.5 not a double, in that case would have nailled it for sure...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5

220x3

Chins

BW x8

BOR

120x10

thats it...

well thats all she wrote on the prep work, all heavy training finished yesterday and today was the last deads session till the comp... have hit some pb's and had some fantastic training sessions which have been good, now very very knackered so the next week off (barring a light squat/bench session on monday to keep the blood flowing) will be welcome then the big day...

Deads - felt good not as fast as I would like as pretty damn tired atm as no sleep last night... still felt light though which was good...

Chins - felt easy as no weight around my middle, well extra weight lol... just a loosening up set and felt a good stretch all the way down and then the drive up was strong and smooth...

BOR - very light and just squeezed them out... again just to get the blood flowing and loosen up...

well not much else I can do now... openers will be 235, 135 and 290 depending on the day but I know these are all comfortable and should be good to go... much thanks to @Dig and @jdog for all their help and advice will let Dig know how it goes on the day and if you could pass it on to Jdog Dig that would be appreciated... now that the training is done I cant wait to lift to see how it goes and all comes together lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Light pre comp day

Squats

70x5, 120x5, 150x2x5

Bench

60x5, 80x5, 100x2x5

well just a little one to blow off some cobwebs lock in technique and get the blood flowing...

Squats - felt good and easy as they should, second set at 150 was way better form and technique wise than the first as was more focussed due to some issues in the first, nothing serious but just needed to remind myself of the key points...

Bench - nice and easy, felt really good with the drive up and like the squat the second set of 100 felt better as I forgot a few little things that make a big diff... eg I noticed that my elbows were flaring too wide which didnt let me activate my lats and help power the drive off my chest so it was flying up on the second set much better... again just getting the blood flowing but also helping a bit in reminding me about all the points of technique...

so damn ready now, I just want to lift... weigh in on friday (currently still 110.5 but think a good **** and number 2 will take care of that lol) and then lifting on saturday... this has been by far my best run up to date... things seem dialled in and I seem much, much more ON and motivated... some great training sessions have def helped in this and the two chaps in my corner have been instrumental in the great training sessions... @Dig and @jdog dinner on me as some stage lads... um when youre dieting that is thanks again guys, your knowledge and help and a swift kick up my ar$e when I needed it has been pure awesome with a side of fantastic...

is it comp day yet


----------



## Greyphantom

Comp day

What a day... first getting to way in was a right pain in the butt... huge amount of traffic on m25 took us double the time to reach the gym to weigh in...finally got there to find the chap running the event and doing the weigh ins was out getting something to eat lol... sigh... weighed in at 106.7 which was pretty cool... about the same as my first comp... went back to hotel after weigh in and had a full rack of ribs two plates of chips and a plate of vege, then a box of brownies and a bag of jelly babies... think there might have been some jaffa cakes in there too... full on feast and it was gooood...!!

had a bit of a crappy nights sleep as my boy was up and down all night but was ok... got up had a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, then had a bit more as it was nice and I was hungrier than I thought... off to the venue and just shot the breeze with a bunch of fellow lifters... originally about 20 lifters turns out to be closer to 40 with late entries... also there were quite a number of lady lifters which was good to see, so they split us into 3 flights ladies, lights up to 85kg and then us fat buggers over 85kg... this gave me plenty of waiting time...

Squats - warm ups went well, everything felt comfortable and tight... just ran up to 210 for a single then hit the actual lift...

opener - 235kg good lift (a bit fast on the decent though as I rushed it a little lol)...

2nd attempt - 250 good lift

3rd attempt - 260 no lift (but was told later that it should have been given sigh, also on the vid it looked pretty much on...)

Bench - oh my achillies heel for so long... warm ups were ok but 120 was a bit off so I did it again and it flew up... the chap spotting/handing me the bar said the second was way better...

opener - 135 good lift and felt strong

2nd attempt - 150 good lift... felt really good but was told it was probably a bit quick off the chest but it passed as the press command was given before I pressed it

3rd attempt - 160 no lift... man felt a bit heavy but not out of my league however on the press command it started up ok but cramp in my quad killed all leg drive and I had to bail...

Deadlift - oh good gravy, really really really happy with this... been stalled for a while but plan jdig was firmly in place...

opener - 290 good lift... felt good going up strong but not fast enough...

2nd attempt - 305 good lift... felt easier than 290 and was told it was a much better lift, focus was much better...

3rd attempt - 317.5 good lift... yeah baby was easy lift and felt like I had more in the tank... this btw is a world record lift for M1 110kg class... although I cannot claim it as it was not a world sanctioned event I can do better and will claim it in the near future...

was a brilliant day, all three lifts I got comp PBs and I got a PB total of 717.5, previous was 675 so I would say that progress has been made... after my last dead I was so freaking hyped... I would like to say a huge thanks to all those who have supported me like Protein247 who have supplied some top quality supplements and have had the faith in me to produce... @Dig and @jdog guys the help and advice has been brilliant and without it I would not have got the results I did today... all those who have wished me well and said nice things and of course my awesome wife and kids who have been there and supported me for each comp...

Now I have laid down these numbers I will be adding to them for sure, next bench mark over 750 total and lets see how far I can take the 3 lifts... I know I have more there... also have received a lot of really nice and great comments about the changes in my physique... I mean I am no bber all ripped and stuff but there have been definite changes and its nice to get them recognised (along with my lifting of course lol)...

very productive day... foundation laid for many more...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squat

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5

185x2x5

DE squats

140x3x3

GM

100x10

100x9

SLDL

150x10

150x8

ooooooh yeah... fvck it feels good to be under the iron again... this is what its all about... that and feeling wrecked... so wrecked from such a light workout lol...

Squats - felt awesome, tight, light and deep... everything just worked and fit together... 185 is pretty light but a nice start to the new training cycle...

DE squats - took till the third set to get these fast as they should be but that set was strong and very fast...

GM - oh god these wrecked me... after first set head was pounding... just got on with it and second set worked it out a bit...

SLDL - wow didnt expect these to hit me as hard as they did at this weight... hams and glutes were screaming and it took them a few mins to stop throbbing... felt awesome though and after just felt on cloud 9...

oh so good to be back in the mix with the iron again, love lifting so much and its like coming home...

this is the beginning of a new cycle based on percentages of my next targets and how the last training cycle ran... if it all works to plan (and it will) then the new numbers will be more pbs... all set up for the european champs in Jun... if I get an invite...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 105x5

120x2x3

WGBP

105x5

85x10

Lying rope tri ext

35x7

35x6+1p

Dips

BWx9

BWx6

Dislocations

bar x3x20

oooh boy... felt more of a pump session this week... chest and arms well pumped and tight...

Bench - all good here, warm ups felt light and easy, first set of 3 felt good and easy, second felt good if not as easy, but didnt rest as long as normal between sets... forgetting little things but not on each rep, eg might forget leg drive or twisting hands forward or flaring lats... little things but important so need to get back into that groove where everything just fires at once...

WGBP - felt good and not heavy at all, surprised a little as thought it might...

Tri ext - finding that sweet line now and it felt much better on the elbow... weight is about right for now but has room to move up...

Dips - way cool but tris and chest well pumped by now and felt worked... happy enough but still more work to do and will add some weight next time...

Dislocations - first time done these in a while and I needed too... felt shoulders and upper chest loosening up a lot and it felt great... am going to add some weight to the bar I think just 5kg and see how it goes...

man felt it working today for sure... legs got doms from monday and glutes killing and I bet it will be the same for chest and arms friday... been ravenous lately and so getting in a bit of food which is good... sitting in the gym between sets today I thought of something I read on fb which is quite inspiring (yeah I know go figure) that said something about even though our lungs are on fire or our muscles are screaming for us to stop we keep going and man aint that the truth but pretty much NOTHING else brings that same satisfaction and smile to the boat that driving ones self through that barrier does... time to get that game face on!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day...

Deads

WU 100x2x5, 150x5

190x5

150x3x3

Chins

BWx1x8, 1x7

BOR

140x1x7 (no straps), 1x9 (straps)

Facepulls

50x1x10, 1x9

Wooooo hooooo god I love lifting sh!t off the floor... knew it was deads day and giggling like a school girl before I went into the "cave"...

Deads - oh god felt soooo good, fastest and easiest its ever been, tight, form right on... just flew up and tbh almost too light but still using the jdig plan so back to percentage work for me and saving it for the europeans... just felt so damn good...

Chins - felt alright but still get a small twinge in my left forearm but not as bad as before... went wider on the second set and that felt better... smooth and strong through the lift though which is good and new as normally chins are just so hard...

FP - wow, feeling these right across my upper back... at first its all "is that it" then its "holy fvck get it out get it out" lol...

man just love training these and its getting better and better... I did forget about doing power cleans but will add these in next week... I really need to work on my form though as just cant seem to get the elbows high enough when racking the weight across the shoulders, not sure if is shoulders or just arms getting in the way (no not that big unfortunately) but something to work on... is it wrong to want to train again so soon after finishing the last session...


----------



## Greyphantom

squats

DE squat

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5

200x5

DE squat

145x3x3

GM

110x10

110x8

SLDL

160x10

160x9

oooouuuccchhh... wheres ET with his freaking magic finger... posterior chain well and truly fragged, trying not to throw up and seeing sparkles and heads pounding...

Squats - feeling so easy and form is spot on for most part, last 2 of the 200 my back could have been tighter but it wasnt that bad... I didnt lose form and drove up from the hole with relative ease... feeling much more comfortable and faster which is nice... the DE work was great, fast and smooth and light... will work up with some more weight...

GM - these felt really really good... pretty light and nice and tight... second set started seeing spots and felt my head start to ache a bit... weights going up...

SLDL - yeah felt awesome, couldnt sit or stand after each set, was trying for 10 for both sets but just managed to get 9 on the second... glutes and hams creamed and was all I could do to get comfortable... actually strike that I couldnt get comfortable but managed to not cry while the weird feeling went away...

another good day in the temple of iron, it pounded and beat me but I withstood and had a great session... there is NOTHING better than lifting atm... its going well and touching wood it will keep going like this... feeling well and truly shagged now but in a good way... I still have to try and drive in a bit to pick up my daughter but she may just have to walk home yet lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

bench day

ME bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x3

125x4

WGBP

110x5

85x11

Lying rope ext

35x9+1p, 1x8

Dips

BW+5kg x7, 1x6

Dislocations

bar + 5kg x3x15

felt really really good today...

Bench - wanted 5 really but on the last one hit the j hook (rest for the bar on the rack) and it left a bit of a dent in the hand so racked it... good first 4 though paused too which felt strong, really thought about technique and made sure I tried to get everything dialled in... felt good and controlled and tight...

WGBP - the 110 went up much easier than I thought it would, at least the first 4 did the 5th was a bit harder and thought about going for a 6th but held back, 85 flew up and was great but gassed on the 10th, managed to get the 11th with no trouble...

Rope ext - felt much much better this week... better form and tighter control over the position of my arms/elbows so felt it working better too... upping the weight for sure on these...

Dips - again flew through the first few and then pushed out a couple more... great little finisher to the chest routine imho...

Dislocations - added some weight to the bar and dropped the reps to 15... makes a big difference and can really feel the shoulders working hard... feels great still and stretches it all out something awesome...

Bench still finding hard but its getting there... thinking about it after the set of 125 I realised that I bench it for reps which is something I didnt think I would ever do as its always been a sh1t fight for me... and now its going up and up... felt great today... very good start to my training cycle and cannot wait to see where it goes... hopefully to plan


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> I look forward to the day I can bench for reps! Well in again!


thanks mate, I look forward to when I can bench 150 for reps... it will come but slowly...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day wooooot...

Deads

WU 110x2x5, 150x5, 180x3

205x5

165x3x3

Chins

BW+5kg x1x6+1p, 1x6

BOR

150x1x8, 1x7

Facepulls

55x2x9

oooh baby... it just keeps getting better... really crappy day but the training just turned it around...

Deads - everything was just ON today... from foot placement to sitting back nicely to power through the floor... all connected and made the top weight feel light... flew up and didnt use chalk at all... the speed sets (165) were nearly high pulls, I did reverse my alterante grip for the speed sets just to get some sort of balance going... freaking felt awesome...

Chins - moving nicely along, full stretch to head almost hitting the ceiling and it is feeling it... got room for improvement still but given these are one of my worst exercises (along with dips, ohp etc) I am happy...

BOR - oh ouch... loving these first set was really good but the last couple of reps on the second were a bit ropey... might leave it at this weight and work the form next week... we shall see...

FP - used a bar this week and man it felt different, not hard but hit everything across the upper back... how I got the second 9 is a mystery cos after 6 I wanted to stop...

Great training session, everything is well on track and its all working together... while the deads werent taxing they were way better than at same weight previous and much faster and easier... the accessory work is killing as it should be and seems to be working well...

day was crappy as last night hit a pothole (again dammit, just when you think you have them all mapped a new one comes along) and it put a small hole in the tyre which meant that I had to pump it up this morning (slow puncture) to get the mrs to the station and kids to the bus... then had to wait for the mobile tyre chap to come out and replace it along with another that was quite worn (very smooth in places) that we were going to get done next week anyway... going to photo the potholes and send a bill off to the council... couldnt get into work which is no great shakes but that meant I could finish the hall ceiling painting work... wife is happy I hate it lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squat

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5 190x3

210x3

DE squats

150x3x3

GM

120x1x9, 1x7

SLDL

170x1x10, 1x8

totally shagged now... totally...

Squats - hmmm felt ok but not as stellar as previous sessions... felt a bit lethargic going in but managed to get up to max weight ok and form felt good but while it all went up ok it felt lethargic... still not wearing a belt atm but will start wearing it next week for the top set...

DE squats - first set not as dynamic as it should be... but the next two were better... still not as fast as would have liked but good enough considering how meh I feel...

GM - wow these felt good... lower back well and truly worked and tbh before doing them I didnt want to... but the quote on my wall made me and so glad I mtfu and got on with it... nice and strong and had me seeing stars...

SLDL - again wasnt sure how these were going to pan out as by now was feeling shagged and head was aching slightly... got up to do the first set few deep breaths and BAM really good... freaking hurt but in a good way and felt really good doing them... second went just as well and after felt great that I had done them and not wimped out...

however totally wiped now... vision is a bit blurry and feeling like I have a killer head cold... fighting the urge to throw up and generally just want to sleep... sigh... even though I was feeling meh I still enjoyed the session but could have pushed harder on the squats I reckon... damn feeling wiped out now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

ME bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x3

130x2x2

WGBP

110x5

85x12

thats it... fvcking pants day, so much on my mind and just not feeling in a good place so training is affected badly, that and had to put off training yesterday as had to take car in to get sorted which left a fvcking hole in the pocket... then today just was rushed for time and in fact I am supposed to be doing something now but just cannot be fvcked... sigh...

Bench - actually felt ok but again no energy and so very tired, not sleeping the best of late as a lot on mind and so making me slow and lethargic through the day... warm ups felt ok but the 110 felt a bit slow... 130 was actually pretty good but the second set was far better than the first... still a bit slow off the chest but just couldnt muster the power/strength for a speedy lift...

WGBP - 110 I took it a bit wider than usual and it felt it... still a nice 5 reps but the 85 felt really fast and comfortable...

after the main exercises were done just have no energy and just want to sleep tbh... hopefully will feel more up for things tomorrow...


----------



## nogger

Big well done on the comp mate..deadlift unreal.

When is the next one mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Big well done on the comp mate..deadlift unreal.
> 
> When is the next one mate.


thanks mate, was really wrapped at all the pbs that seemed to fly out of every lift... next one is probably the European champs and my lift day is 04 Jun... will be at the bodypower expo to help out most probably and then after that the next programmed event is the worlds in Prague... but I will probably do a couple of comps in between, a raw one at least, the brits if I get the invite...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 110x2x5, 150x5, 190x3

220x5

180x3x3

Thats all folks... did try some chins with 5kg around my middle but got to 4 and just didnt continue, still sleeping like a b1tch which is to say not at all... wake up in weird postions and having vivid dreams... sucks but what can you do...

Deads - warm ups felt awesome, actually got some speed on them and they fairly flew up... 190 just didnt feel heavy at all... I thought that 220 would be a bit more difficult as I wasnt using chalk but it was no bother and again smooth and fast... managed to tear a callus on this one though sigh... 180s were really good, very fast and everything is connecting technique wise... now if I can transfer this grasp of technique to the bench it will be awesome...

tried chins and just wasnt in it... tbh I was almost going to have a nap about an hour before training... but couldnt as had to fit training in due to a bunch of other stuff I need to get done... hopefully will catch up a bit over the next week or so as the mrs is off on a business trip (no thats not to say shes been keeping me up at nights mores the pity  ) so will get more sleep... still next week will keep on and see if I cant shake of this lethargy...

still loving training by the way, cant wait to get at it, just have to adjust while I am on short sleep...


----------



## defdaz

Sorry about your sleeping issues mate, I suffer too - it can really affect everything. I take ZMA, melatonin and Diphenhydramine HCl (old style drowsy hayfever tablets) some nights, can make a big difference...


----------



## Greyphantom

thanks for the pointers guys... zma is a good one, havent used it in a while might get some in... its mainly been some sh1te from life mulling over in my sub c I think... hopefully sorted now so that should see that off...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats day

Squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x1

Belt on

225x3

150x3x3

GM

130x1x9, 1x8

SLDL

180x1x10, 1x8

ooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh ffffffffffarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk... wow so much better than last week, seem to have shaken the lethargy and head in much better place, fairly decent nights sleep last night too so bonus...

Squats - warm ups felt awesome, nice and tight and pretty easy, even 200 felt really good... 225 for 3 and it should have been harder, started seeing stars on the second rep but thats cos I held my breath, 2nd and 3rd reps were deeper and quicker than the first... however did tweak my inner thigh a little on this but didnt feel it till the speed squats... they were all pretty good but not as quick as I would have liked as I was favouring my left leg due to inner thigh... by the end though it was feeling better... hot bath tonight and see how it goes... but really felt good...

GM - wow these went way better than I hoped and felt awesome, had to really force out the last rep of each set and tbh wasnt sure I was going to make it on the last rep of second set lol... still did it and felt good for doing it...

SLDL - really didnt want to do these but sucked it up and got on with it... first set had the bit in my teeth and caned it, number 10 was freaking hard but did it and paid... legs fried, hams and glutes numb for a minute then it hit and wow... second set I thought I got a nose bleed but it was just a runny nose lol... after just had to sit and make sure that a) my legs were going to work and B) I wasnt going to throw up... they were and I didnt lol...

such a great training session, back now and seems have kicked whatever it was that was causing me to feel meh... so on and up and time to shine...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x5

135x1+1f

135x1

WGBP

115x3

85x12

Lying rope ext

35x1x10, 1x9

Dips

BW+5kg 1x7, 1x4

Dislocations

bar +5kg x3x15

wow what a difference... felt much more up for it this week, no lethargy and a bit more sleep is making a big difference...

Bench - felt really good up till the second rep of 135, first rep was easy, went up like it was on a rope, second got it off my chest and my quad/hip flexor cramped hard... was trying out a different foot plan, bringing them back a bit more to help get a better arch and more tightness, it worked but man holding the tightness for even two reps just not for me atm, will have to work on some hip flex maybe... second set of 1 went up really well and felt strong... feet a little more forward this time and no cramping just some tightness...

WGBP - 115 felt fairly hard tbh, but went up easy enough, was going to go for a 4th but bailed... when I racked the weight caught the side of my hand on the j hook... ouch... 85 flew up and felt really easy...

Ext - found my line on this and felt really good... tris were hurting after the second set and felt great lol...

Dips - felt good but on the second set just lost all power and only managed 4... tris were really pumped and sore...

Dislocations - yeah still love these really loosened me up and felt good...

felt so much more into it this week, while I should have done better at least it was enough to progress for now... have had a very mixed couple of days and tbh life atm is sh1t but the lifting is going well and making me sane... well at least makes me act sane lol... onward and upward...


----------



## defdaz

Sorry to hear life's sh1t at the mo mate  If I can help just shout.


----------



## Greyphantom

defdaz said:


> Sorry to hear life's sh1t at the mo mate  If I can help just shout.


cheers mate... its something been building a while, will know if it works out by monday I think... got a new plan of action that I am following re life the "dont give a sh1t plan" lol... just going to focus on training and lifting and making myself a stronger person, in all walks of life...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlifts

Deads

WU 110x2x5, 160x5, 200x3

235x5

190x3x3

Chins

BW+5kg x1x7, 1x5+1p

BOR

150x9

150x8

Facepulls

55x2x9

wow quick workout today and still shaking lol... really wanted to stop after the BOR but took some MTFU and did the pulls... glad/sad I did cos they worked hard and felt great but hurt like a mother lol

Deads - weight starting to go up a bit now, felt really good but not as fast as some other sessions... even though it was slower it felt easier if that makes sense... 235 just went up so well... the 190 sets were easy and fast, felt more in the groove this week but that could be because last week was so pants...

Chins - still struggle a little with these... found a new grip position and it feels much better on the forearm but doesnt change the form much if at all... felt good but needs work

BOR - these went far better than I expected tbh... first set was a surprise and the reps felt clean and form good... second actually went slightly better except this one rep when I hit my knee (facepalm lol)...

Facepulls - was not going to do these as felt knackered... but after reading Doug Youngs quote thats on my wall I just cracked on with it... wow glad I did but man they felt it all in the middle of my upper back and through my traps... have only just stopped shaking now about 30 mins after stopping lol...

deads day slain, back in bits and feeling great... wish I could train everyday but know it would kill me, well training heavy anyway... tore another callous today and its stinging a little but no blood... prob means I didnt train hard enough then lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats...

ME squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 190x1x1 *belt on* 190x1x1, 220x1

240x3x1

DE squats

160x3x3

end...

felt alright for most of today but had a few errands to run so had to train late, by the time I got to train was feeling a bit meh...

Squats - started off pretty decent... but then when I got to the 190 I managed to tweak my lower back right above my glute, woo freaking hoo, managed to get the bar up and racked then put my belt on and did a second felt alright but a bit tender... 220 felt ok but really focussed on keeping it tight... 240 I wanted to get a set of 3 but back was not so much up for it... so just did 3 singles... keeping it really tight and making sure my form was really good kept things working... 3rd single was prob the best as I got more confident that my back wasnt going to collapse lol...

DE squats - started a bit slow, but by third set the speed was up and felt way better, but back still a bit tender...

thats all I had time and inclination for today... wasnt going to push GM or SLDL just in case... happy enough I managed to get the 3 240s but not so happy tweaked my back... its not too bad now and some stretching has helped a lot... bit more later and that should see it ok... pleased that the 240 didnt feel as heavy as I thought it was going to as well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench... (did sucketh)

Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x3

125x1 finished...

Dislocations

bar +5kg 1x1, 2x15

what a shocking day, have to cram a bit of training in this week as off at the end of this week as mrs is on holidays and we will be doing family stuff...

bench - warm ups felt ok but def felt my lower back when trying to arch... target was 125 for 2 sets of at least 4 but on the first one just couldnt maintain form or technique, back was killing... everytime I tried to form the arch it would pinch and be painful and during the lift too much shifting to get comfortable... funnily enough after 125 I tried to do a deadlift and nothing, it was fine... ah well will stretch it out over the next week which is now a rest week of sorts for me and see how it goes come the return back to training...

really peeved tbh, but not much I can do...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Nice training,

Whats your idea with the BOR's is it neccessary to use that much weight and do they really play a positive role within helping build a bigger dead-lift they are so dangerous if done incorrectly to.

You should get a few training videos up Mate.

Good Workout though.


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads...

Deads

WU 110x2x5, 150x5, 190x5, 230x3

255x3

210x3x2

Chins

BW+5kg x1x7, 1x6

end...

very hesitant today tbh, back is still a bit sore and niggly so taking on deadlift day was a bit of a long shot... but since its the last one before a two week break (approx depending if I can get a couple of training sessions in) as the wife is off and we are doing family things (sigh) I thought WTF lets get it done... glad I did...

Deads - first couple of sets just light at 110 to see how the back went, it was fine till I hyper extended at the top then it hurt not a lot but enough to warn me off... proceeding sets were pretty good although I didnt use much power tbh as I didnt want to aggravate anything but the bonus was it made my hyper aware of technique and form so these were spot on... top set of 255 was awesome, no strain at all and felt lighter than 200 used to even going "slow"... well happy with deads atm... the fast sets of 210 I did with much more speed as I was a bit more confident, not enough to be stupid lol but enough so that I put more power into the reps and they were fast and clean, very pleased...

Chins - weirdly these affected my back more than deads as it stretch the crap out of it... at least thats my take... both sets felt good and strong and again easier than it ever has, I was actually going quite fast on the reps on the second set which was very pleasantly surprising... stopped after these due to time contraints and the fact that my lower back is now a bit achey...

Better day today which is good... will be a bit quiet over the next fortnight as the mrs is off and we will be doing a few family things... so never fear would leave you lovely lot without me lmao... when I get back will be full on training mode for sure, going to help out at the folkestone comp and then have a course to go on re coaching and then off to the European champs in June... game face will be firmly on as I want some good numbers, nay I WILL get some good numbers...


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Nice training,
> 
> Whats your idea with the BOR's is it neccessary to use that much weight and do they really play a positive role within helping build a bigger dead-lift they are so dangerous if done incorrectly to.
> 
> You should get a few training videos up Mate.
> 
> Good Workout though.


actually the BOR is more for bench lol... but it helps on deads too... big strong back for a stable platform for bench and helps activate the drive up from the bottom... its not that heavy tbh, form stays good for me so will lift and add weight till the form starts to deterioate then concentrate on getting it right again then up the weight some more... I have some comp vids up... will see if I can link them here...


----------



## Greyphantom

Some vids as requested from my last comp... all are the best good lifts on the day...

250kg squat






150kg bench (very lucky call here as I went right on the "P..." of the press command and she did it right quick lol)






317.5kg dead unofficial European record for masters 1 and def a brit record


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> 5x5 best for adding strength? I'm needing to do something to improve my bench because I can machine press, DB press and pec deck more than I can bench!


Hi mate sorry for the long time replying but been away... I liked the madcow approach and it did add some kg to my lift but since nailing my tech and working on a percentage system its gone up again albeit slowly as I battle with the bench something rotten... give 5x5 or madcow or similar a try and see how it works for you... after a few months if still no movement then look at another system, but dont neglect tricep strength or back for stablising too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x1

*belt on*

220x2x2

ME squats

150x3x3

thats all for today...

oh hell yeah, it feels so good training again, at first my back was pretty sore probably as a carrier over from saturday and catching people squatting or having weights dropped on me but after the first warm up it felt alright...

Squats - felt good the first set of 220 was a bit loose and I had to get my lifting head on, second set felt way better, tighter and much easier and more in control... felt nice and strong... pretty sure I will pay for it tomorrow and thu, but kept it light and easy... stars were seen and queasy felt lol

ME squats - first set a bit wobbly, next two were fast and smooth... finished after this thank god, def feeling it and just after two weeks...

left GM and SLDL today as backs a bit stressed... no problems though, training firmly underway again and LOVING it...


----------



## strongmanmatt

Very good lifts mate looking fantastic congratulations, I am doing the 5x5 again it is looking great.


----------



## Greyphantom

strongmanmatt said:


> Very good lifts mate looking fantastic congratulations, I am doing the 5x5 again it is looking great.


thanks buddy... still ambling along...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8

110x4

WGBP

100x5

70x15

Dislocations

bar +5kg x3x15

thats all... legs in pieces... head feels full of cold but its not a cold so either hit hard from squatting yesterday or its start of hayfever...

Bench - always the worst of my lifts and always the one affected most by a lay off... started the run up to comp based on my last one and it felt good but heavy... still early days yet and time to build it up... got to connect all the dots again though technique wise...

WGBP - actually felt pretty good... 70 is way too light for a second weight so will up that next week, and will up the first set too...

Dislocations - always good and always welcome to stretch it all out at the end, I feel better after doing them thats for sure...

Tired today and just had a full head all day... quiet night tonight as mrs is away on business... so some tv and ice cream is on the cards


----------



## strongmanmatt

Sounds nice to me mate.


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x1

230x2x2

DE squats

150x3x3

thats all she wrote... felt good but very ill at the end...

Squats - way better this week, much tighter and technique was really pushed... felt strong in all the weights and even though felt a bit dodgy at the end so much so I was thinking of just doing the single on the second 230 I made myself do the second rep and nailled it... so pleased I did that now, still feeling dodgy though lol... everything just felt so much more together this week, tighter upper body, sat back nicely and really good drive from the hole... thank goodness as taking that couple of weeks off has been playing on the mind...

ME Squats - very quick this week, form was good and speed from the hole was better than previous ME squat days... very pleased for sure...

Feeling a bit tired now but very happy with the workout even though it was cut short... been a long day with loads going on so was nice to just get under the bar and lift... total destress for sure... was pleasantly surprised that the weights went up so well given the last few days feeling ill and not eating properly... god bless protein247 and those shakes is all I can say, managed to keep protein above 150g for the most part... on track for the european champs for sure...


----------



## Greyphantom

bench

Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 105x3

120x3

WGBP

105x5

80x13

Dips

BWx2x6

Dislocations

bar +5kg x1x20, 2x15

warm today...

Bench - felt better today and form was more on... need to work it harder and get the technique more spot on... but lifts felt comfortable although my left bicep was strained a little... not sure why...

WGBP - love it... felt a lot better today and on the 80s they flew up till I got to 13 then it was like hitting a wall...

Dips - smooth and feeling them... but still have some work here...

Dislocations - still love these, upped the first set and felt it hard... but worth it... felt a load better after these, really opens up the chest and shoulders...

feeling better but still got some work to do, taking those 2 weeks off have really taken a toll... bench though is my nemesis and it will get better... manfluhepasyphylitis is better and feeling good again, appetite is up and away thank goodness... not long left till the comp now and training my nads off till then...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

WU 110x2x5, 150x5, 190x5, 230x3, 250x1

275x2

235x1+1p (well collapse really)...

had to end it there, what a freaking nightmare of a session... started with a his and a roar, all the warm ups felt tight and light, 190 the first rep damn near hit me in the nose it came up that fast... 250 felt easy and was the first lift with chalk (I forgot to put chalk on for the 190 and 230 sets which I would normally do)... but 275 it started going awry... first rep easy and felt good, second started feeling faint, went to do a third and nearly passed out... had to site for 5 or 10 mins then ate a banana and had a lucosade... felt perkier so dropped to 235 to finish with 3x2... first rep felt ok second damn, back just gave on the left side down low, just around the glute and I actually went to my knee... very very sore, stretched it out a lot and hung from the chin bars for a bit but its still sore now... stopped there as just dont want to push it... very surprised given how well it started off...

its been a bit of a nightmare week tbh, so much on and happening that there are just not enough hours in the day atm... got a course I am supposed to be on this weekend (strength coaching which will be fun if my back doesnt sort by tomorrow) and a do I am supposed to go to tomorrow night... not really happy about todays effort but taking the good (brilliant speed on the 190 and ease on the first two reps at 275) with the bad (damn near passing out and then stuffing my back) its ok... still got some time to make it all work...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x10, 90x8, 110x3

125x3

WGBP

105x5

80x13+1p

Dips

BW x1x10, 1x9

Dislocations

bar+5kg x2x20, 1x15

ATM my head seems to be firmly up my ar$e and its proving hard to get back into the mental aspect of training... that coupled with some niggles has made me a bit despondant tbh... however went to my sports therapist yesterday and she caused me no end of pain and worked out pretty much all the niggles... back is so much better today (well not this morning was thinking it was going to prove a curse tbh but as the day went on it has been better and better till now its barely even an ache)... quads are feeling awesome... so time well spent on the table of pain... got two more sessions before the Europeans, for which the registration form and fees have been sent off, with plane tickets booked and hotel booked its all on... really looking forward to it but still need to get my mental state well in...

Bench - was not sure how this would go tbh, was going to leave it at 120 but upped it to 125 cos I need to get my sh!t together... warm ups went well and top set was easier than expected... felt good and strong...

WGBP - felt good, hit my hand on the safeties on the last set at rep 14 so didnt rack it but had to take it down to the safeties... no damage though it was just off puting...

Dips - wow flew up on these and should have done more reps on the first set tbh... second was just as nice...

Dislocations - as always felt good to stretch it all out... upping the reps now as was a bit easy... now wishing kept them down lol...

starting to feel better about it all... illness seems to be passing, niggles clearing so lets hope the next few weeks will kick it all in and BAM come the comp... this run up is no where near as good as the last one... too many interruptions and set backs... still its the nature of the beast so nothing more than to suck it up and just enjoy the lifting...


----------



## Spragga

IMO..... Sounds like you've already got the attitude of a winner.!.!


----------



## Greyphantom

Spragga said:


> IMO..... Sounds like you've already got the attitude of a winner.!.!


thanks mate... I think sometimes we are overly hard on ourselves and can almost make a self fulfilling prophecy so its best to realise that while it may be a struggle or a bit hard at points in time in the overall scheme its good to see how far we have come...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deadlifts

WU 110x2x5, 150x5, 190x5, 230x3

265x1

220x3x2

Chins

BWx1x8, 1x7

end... feeling incredibly off today, spent most of last night up and down as had a very dodgy belly and not sure why... seems to come on at random times and doesnt seem to have a trigger... could be just a carry over from being ill a week ago... but as a result had about an hours sleep... the mrs I think really enjoyed my getting up every 20 mins... I blame the cat of course but she aint having that... back was feeling pretty good though, little tender but nothing like monday or tues before sports massage...

Deads - started off ok, felt nice and tight and just worked getting the technique right... tbh wasnt sure if I was going to stop at 110 or make it to 190... just wanted to see where I could get to so made sure I worked form and technique... as the weight went on the bar it started getting easier which was nice... made it to 265 for a single which felt easie than 230 and was fast and tight... felt like I could have easily trippled that but left it at one, entertained an idea to try 290 but following the jdig principle of backing off when needed left it there... dropped down to 220 for an easy 3 sets of 2... first set was the slowest and then it just seemed to want to lift on its own... very happy considering...

Chins - just bw today and really enjoyed them... seemed nice and easy and fast, very smooth too...

glad I did this today even feeling so awful... still feeling a bit dodgy but better for training imo... very very tired now and still got a lot to do sigh... but at least I can get a sleep in tomorrow morning... or wait, no thats off the cards too as I'm expecting a call from NZ fricking great... really need some sleep now... and I cant even count sheep as that dodgy fvcker @CJ will appear doing very naughty things to them


----------



## Greyphantom

oooh and should mention that I have an invite to the Worlds in Prague in Nov... so new target to aim for after the Europeans...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 70x10, 120x8, 160x5, 200x1, *belt on* 220x1

240x2x1

DE squats

160x3x3

GM

110x1x8, 1x7

SLDL

150x1x9, 1x8

Oh yeah baby now THAT is how its supposed to be... feeling fine today, no virus probs, no niggles, switched on and ready for it...

Squats - felt so good today, head well back in the game, everything felt so good and tight, smooth, and lower sets very easy... even 220 seemed to pop up quite quickly... and was lower than I was going for... 240 I was hoping to get a couple of doubles but as things havent been the best in terms of training lately I will take two singles, first one went well and the second was a bit scrappy coming up but still made it, hit me right in the hams and glutes which is nice... felt very good getting these two singles out...

DE squats - great sets here too, made them fast and smooth and deep... feeling nauseus for sure and saw some stars but went so well... things def switched on and with two more heavy weeks pre comp things def going my way at last...

GM - first time back for these... 110 thought would be heavy but were actually pretty easy, def going up in weight next week...

SLDL - 150 too light, felt them ok in my hams and glutes but not enough to pull against... fast smooth movements here and too comfortable even though I was gassing a little after these lol...

damn it feels so good being back in the right mind frame, with body being in pretty good shape and the spirit to push more... the work I had done at the sports massage place is def a huge improvement as no niggles and no pain in the lift at all... so damn on now its great...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

ME bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x2x3, 110x3

130x2x2

WGBP

110x5

85x15

Dips

BW+5kg x1x10, 1x8

Disloc

bar+5kg x3 x20

wow it was awesome! def feeling it this week and its all kicking in now. about time tbh was getting really worried this close to comp time and it just seemed that the 2 weeks hol, being ill for over a week just took its toll... now though its there and can feel it snapping into place...

Bench - always a bug bear but today it fair flew up, changed up my warm up routine as I have been feeling that the set of 10 or 8 just didnt help me get the technique down or form right as its too many reps to hold the position... paid off I think... 130 I was a bit worried that it would feel a bit heavy but first set of 2 flew up and felt surprisingly easy... second set first flew up and second I had a touch of rockiness near my sticking point but I powered through it... felt awesome...

WGBP - 110 went up really easy, very surprised and well happy... not struggled on any rep and target hit quickly... will up the weight next week... 85 just flew up and felt like nothing on the bar till about rep 12... the last 3 were not easy but went up far better than in the past... happy here...

Dips - wtf!! never has it felt so easy and have they gone so smoothly even adding a bit of weight on... sooo upping the weight next week and going to do it again... loved them...

Disloc - wow again... as always a great finisher, loosened up after this and feeling good... shoulders feel much better and stretched after these...

So freaking happy its coming together... was almost about to sack it off today as feeling knackered (not enough sleep last couple of nights) and a bit despondent but so glad I pushed on through... BAM baby its on... comp is not far off, feeling good now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift day...

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1, 270x1

290x3

240x3x2

Chins

BW+5kg x1x8, 1x6

BOR

120x1x8, 1x7

can I get a "HELL YEAH"... lol... total awesome training session today, fully switched on, focussed and ready to rock and roll... helped a load reading @Dig post on mentality which I linked to my work out and making sure I was physically, mentally and spiritually focussed and I can tell you damn straight I was...

Deads - just right there in the zone today... all warm ups went up easily and smoothly, speed was good up to 270 then I felt that 270 was a bit slow although it felt easy and light... 290 I really wanted the tripple as this is where I should be atm... damn weight flew up... just felt so on and smooth, faster even than the 270 which was great, even felt like I had a couple more there easily but held it at the tripple to follow the plan and leave some in the tank... let out a bit of a roar afterwards lol... the lighter work was good and smooth but first set was not as fast as it should be as I think I was still buzzing from the heavy set... totally there now and I am staying, bring on the Euros!!

Chins - felt really good, much easier and smoother than in the past and very surprising... loving them...

BOR - havent done these in a while so went a bit light on them but really focussed on contracting the back and feeling the movement, very very nice movement and felt them working a treat...

so totally needed a good weeks training this week as I was getting a bit worried my mind just wasnt there yet but this week has been great and to finish like this is the icing on the cake... huge boost and feeling fvcking awesome... I actually want to lift again right now lol... busy weekend ahead but so looking forward to squats on monday I cannot wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat

ME squat

WU 70x2x5, 120x2x4, 160x5, 200x1, *belt on* 230x1

250x2x1

DE squats

160x3x3

GM

120x1x9, 1x8

SLDL

170x1x10, 1x9

oooh yeah... another good session... wrecked now... feeling soooo good lol

Squats - wasnt sure about going up to 250 today but the warm ups felt so good I thought what the hell and tried it out... warm ups were awesome, felt light up to 230 then 230 went up much easier than I expected, so put 250 on and gave it a shot... first rep was great went up easy enough and felt smooth... second not so much lol... went up ok but was a bit wobbly... still felt strong enough but was not pretty... well on track for the comp...

DE squats - fast and smooth, very deep... felt very comfortable really happy with these today...

GM - man by the time I got to these I was hanging... still managed to do a couple of really good sets... felt it hugely though...

SLDL - if I thought I was hanging on the GMs then I was wrong, the SLDL killed me... wasnt going to do the last set but took a still drink of MTFU and got on with it... now having trouble walking... or standing even lol

so glad its coming together, feeling much better about it all and looking forward to the comp... not long to go and its all on... tick the ready box I am coming


----------



## Greyphantom

bench day

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x2x3, 110x3, 125x1

140x2x1

WGBP

115x5

90x12

Dips

BW+10kg x1x10, 1x7

Dislocations

Bar+5kg x3x20

oooh yeah... oh god yeah... lol

Bench - always a weakness and I am beginning to think/see that its a lot in the mind... warm ups flew up all full paused and all easy... was thinking 135 top weight but then thought wtf its all going so well lets make it 140... first one was nice and if not easy at least not as hard as ever before... second had a really long pause on the chest, not entirely planned lol, and normally I would have let it fail but hell no, not this time and it went up... damn skippy!!! very pleased...

WGBP - feeling good and strong on these... top set nice and simple really but second set got to 11 and hit a wall something hard... 12th rep went up but last few inches were a grind... nice and strong feeling that I hope will keep moving forward...

Dips - holy cow not sure whats happening here but the first set flew up nice and easy... till 9th rep and I managed one more at a grind... second set the first 5 were easy then again that blimmin wall... feeling great though...

Dislocations - if theres a better wind down exercise for bench day I dont know what it is... feeling it at 3 sets of 20 with the weight on the bar but its worth it... might add another 2.5kg on to make it a bit harder... hey if it were easy then everyone would be doing it right lol

happy happy damn happy with where things are atm... could have been and certainly felt a lot worse than it is... managed to pull out a half decent prep from a bit of a fire tbh... now I am hungry for lifting... I just want to do it all the time... nearly more than sex... hey I said NEARLY... lol


----------



## nogger

Great deadlifts and bench sessions mate...Looks like it's all coming together at the right time. :thumbup1:


----------



## Greyphantom

nogger said:


> Great deadlifts and bench sessions mate...Looks like it's all coming together at the right time. :thumbup1:


thanks mate... yeah its starting to kick in and come together so am happy enough with that...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day...

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 280x1

305x1+1 just above knees (bailled)

250x3x2

Chins

BW+10kg x1x7, 1x5

BOR

130x1x9, 1x8

Woke up with a dodgey belly but pretty much gone by lunch... felt pretty good by training time but its been a full on day as had to get stuff done and try to get ready for BP...

Deads - all warm ups were great, speed off floor good, hip drive right on... 305 was the first time in the gym with this weight but felt good about it... first rept went up really well, not easy but not hard, felt really good and comfortable... second was also rising well till I got it just past my knees and as I was driving my hips through or about to anyway felt something strain in my right pec near the delt tie in... so in true wimpy fashion I bailled instead of pushing through it as I would normally... hard to say if I was being wimpy or just cautious this close to the comp as it was going up well and looked on for a tripple... still whats done is done and not sure why it went like that... bar drift, not set up right... what ever... still happy with a gym pb and have a pretty good idea of my opener for deads now... the 3 sets of 250 went well but after the first set I changed my grip to right palm out and left palm in... this took strain off my pec and felt a little weird tbh... not as fast as I would like but still easy enough...

Chins - went well, felt them working all along the lats and even in the upper back... very happy with these atm...

BOR - even better than chins... should have gone 140 tbh but was being a little too cautious...

overall happy enough but really really wanted that tripple at 305 which would have been a big milestone... still first rep was really good and tells me I have a lot more there... and this is my last dead session till the comp, not even a light set next week, some full on rest and recovery... bit of a rushed session tonight as day has just been non stop and time has flown... time to get ready for the BP and drive on up... if you see me give me a shout...


----------



## mark_star

hell they're proper deads, I've got a very long way to go :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> hell they're proper deads, I've got a very long way to go :thumb:


lol thanks mate... getting there, now just got to add some weight to the bar and will be in the nearly there territory


----------



## mark_star

Greyphantom said:


> lol thanks mate... getting there, now just got to add some weight to the bar and will be in the nearly there territory


haha nearly there would be nice


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats (and thats it)

WU 70x2x5, 120x2x4, 160x5, 200x1 *belt on* 230x1, 250x1

270x1xNP, 1xAP (NP = not parallel, AP = above para)

thats it...

just wanted to do a few squats today, missed monday due to a few things happening all at same time and today was first chance to get the last heavy set in...

warm up sets were great and felt light and springy even the 250 went down and up easy which was really pleasing... however instead of hitting 260 I thought what the hell you dont achieve nothing by wimping out and put 270 on... taking the weight and walking it out were easy, first rep went down well and kept tight but for some reason I stopped just above parallel... at least it felt high to me... cursed my good name and tried it again... this time blocked myself when it was above parallel for sure... however I did have to stabilise the bar on this one as I nearly lost it at the top... oops... feel its right there... weight didnt feel much of a problem I just need to get my mind fully into it and just lift the fricking weight... vision was a bit blurry for a bit lol, legs now starting to feel it hard... in fact they are trying to cramp up a bit and my glutes and hamstrings are aching already... which only usually happens if I get low enough but I think its more a case of hitting a heavier weight this time tbh... opener in mind for squats and deads now... bench tomorrow and we shall see how it goes...

On another note I am sorry to announce that the relationship between myself and Protein247 is now officially ending... this is something that neither party would like to happen but due to circumstances outside of our control its just how it is. For the last year they have been awesome and very very supportive. With them I have broken a few records and lifted more weight than ever in the past... there may be more news re this to follow but for now thats all she wrote... so if anyone knows of a good company thats looking for an up and coming powerlifter to sponsor let me know


----------



## mark_star

i'm not surprised you're beginning to cramp, I do even at the weights I'm moving.


----------



## Greyphantom

lol it got worse too, walking like an old man and the wife was laughing her ar$e off... had to sit up when went to bed as was feeling so freaking ill... but it all calmed down by 11 and then slept like a baby till the cat threw some stuff off our bedside table... at 0530... stupid cat... legs feeling much better now, sore but nothing bad...


----------



## mark_star

excellent, that's what we call legs day


----------



## Greyphantom

day at the office


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x2x4, 110x3, 130x1

145x1

WGBP

120x5

90x12

Very short and sweet today time just wasnt there... bit of a ****e day tbh in terms of wasted time and just too much on...

Bench - up and down... down cos the first and third sets were just not feeling it, was a bit weird... second set of 70 was spot on, took me a bit to figure out why... first set 90 same again weight felt heavy and unweildy... second was awesome... figured it out, shoulder set up and getting them tucked into the bench, better arch and allowed better arm position... 110 flew up, felt lighter than 90, 130 full pause and bam straight up nice and easy... 145 thought what the hell... went up easier than the 130 tbh... not even a sticking point... felt so good...

WGBP - 120 was great, reps flew up and didnt feel heavy at all... 90 hit the wall at rep 12... probably could have squeezed out onr or two more but would have been a grind tbh...

finally its cracking into place... at the beginning of may was ready to throw the towel in tbh but the last few weeks its all falling into place... all my openers are now set and I have a general idea of the second lifts... lets see how it goes on the day to see where it goes... very very psyched atm... getting the pre comp jitters and really really want to lift...


----------



## Greyphantom

Last lifting day

Bench

WU 70x2x5

100x2x3

Squats

WU 70x1x5, 100x1x5

130x2x3

well just a light one today to blow off the cobwebs and get over the feeling that I really really REALLY want to lift... at that point where I am itching to lift some heavy iron and I find myself not only visualising doing so on the platform but start physically responding to the visualisation of the lifting... weird and totally funny cos my pulse races, breathing becomes a bit erratic and I almost start to perform the lift... can only imagine what people think around me lol... the mrs is taking it all in her stride, shes used to it by now... 

Bench - technique is feeling fantastic, found the groove well on this now and its showing in the snap off the bottom, the WGBP has paid dividends here imho... all I got to do now is make it pay on the platform...

Squat - yeah this is how its supposed to be... just felt so good, and everything is in a nice little pattern, course the weights were very light so just need to maintain this through to the bigger weights... but very ready...

Thats it and I still want to lift, right now even though I have just lifted... did not do deads which is part of the plan as letting things recover and will nail all the heavy stuff on the platform but really really wanted to do a few reps today... sleep is a bit erratic atm as is my appetite but thats getting better... sure sign I am recovering a bit... this time next week will have either done what I set out to or no so much but tbh with the way training has been and how I am feeling its pretty much on and I am going to do my utmost to get those numbers... all my openers are set and I have a pretty definite idea of the second lift for each just not so much the third... well I have a very very rough idea but will see how things feel on the day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Well it's been a brilliant day and I will do a more full write up when I'm home. But results are as follows. Squat 245, bench 145 and deadlift 315 which is a new European record for masters 1 and total of 705 at a body weight of 106! so pretty damn happy with that. Got first in masters 1 110 class and came a surprising 4th in the open as I had me down as 6th or 7th. Now very tired and very sore lol. Good food and drink time!


----------



## mark_star

top man, well done mate


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> top man, well done mate


Thanks mate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok now I am home and sitting in front of my laptop I can write up my thoughts and experiences from the last two days of being at the European Championships.

Short version -

Weigh in - 106.0kg

Squats

230kg good lift

245kg good lift

255kg no lift

Bench

130kg good lift

145kg no lift

145kg good lift

Deads

300kg good lift

315kg good lift (and a new European record masters 1)

322.5kg no lift

Long version if you can be bothered below lol&#8230;

Arrived at Porto on Sunday afternoon and checked into the hotel, I met up with my fellow Team GB mate Emmy Louise and headed to the venue to see the opening ceremony and check it out as well as meet with Emma James who was freaking incredible supporting us and coaching us through both our days of lifting. The opening ceremony was pretty cool but we left after the first couple of hours as we wanted to get some eats in and Emmy was lifting the next day so needed to rest up a bit. Emmy lifted on the Monday and she did such a superb job I felt hugely motivated to do the same when it was my turn, her final deadlift was beyond awesome. I woke nice and early and made sure I had everything ready (only packed about 4 times to make sure lol) and headed to the venue early as I was ready and like to get there with plenty of time to sit and soak it all in. I took a taxi instead of walking as I just wanted to conserve everything I could for the lifting. Got changed, and then Emma arrived and started to help me warm up&#8230; Warm ups went pretty well, they had a fairly small warm up area but it was not too cramped and I worked in with others (Russians as it happened) and went up to 210 for a single. Felt nice and strong and depth was good. Opening squat was a bit lower than normal as I wanted to make sure I had depth and that I got the first lift in to settle nerves as well as not bomb&#8230; 230 was not that hard but nerves were there and certainly told. Went a bit safer on the second squat at 245 but got that ok and depth was much lower than I usually do but felt comfortable enough if not pretty. I decided to just take it to 255 for the last attempt as it would still be a comp pb and the set up was the best of the 3, everything felt tight and on, depth was great and as I started coming up I just lost the line by half an inch or so and couldn't recover the weight so had to be rescued. Still got 245 on the board and on my way.

Bench is always my bugbear, having Emma there was a huge blessing as she is a bench specialist and tweaked my technique and gave me tips and pointers which just hit home on the third attempt. Warmed up with the Czech team and they are a good bunch of lads. Just went up to 110kg nice and easy for an opener of 130&#8230; went out and opened easy enough but forgot a few things like squeezing the bar properly, setting my shoulders correctly and when I realised I had forgotten I damn near forgot to lock out properly, talk about blonde moment lol. 145 was my second attempt and didn't feel that heavy but I got 2 reds on a technical issue (when I did the press as I went for leg drive the bar dipped and was "bounced" off my chest) which was a doofus mistake. Third attempt Emma played a huge roll in calming me and making sure all the technique markers were there and it freaking flew up. Actually based on that lift I reckon I had another 10kg there easy&#8230; her advice was just awesome.

Deads I really, really, REALLY wanted this to happen. 300 is a high opener for me but I felt it was easy enough&#8230; was feeling a bit tired but at this stage was also starting to get fired up for my target of breaking the European record. Warmed up with the Czech lads again and it was good as they were near enough my weights and at the same time two Russian chaps joined in. Warm ups went really well, my last one at 280 flew up and felt light&#8230; due to my opener being a bit higher I was lifting near the end of the group and had to wait a while it seemed (but really it was pretty quick) and went out to lift and it just went up so nicely&#8230; 300 was done and so I at least had a total. Went for 315 for second attempt as this would break the record and I had done slightly more in comp before so knew it was do-able. Went up to lift and man I had to fight it&#8230; it went up ok but had the rock and roll legs going but 3 whites for that lift and sooooo happy&#8230; almost too damn happy as forgot to go see the head ref to get my kit checked to have the record accepted&#8230; however it was all done and so I got the new European record for Masters 1 110kg class. Well happy with that. As that one felt a bit rough I went to 322.5 for my last attempt and at this stage I was feeling a bit hyped, and prob a bit tired too but still you have to try&#8230; got out to the bar and was pretty revved up for it but as it got to just below my knees it just wasn't to be. The bar was travelling very close to my shins and managed to take a nice chunk out of my right shin, its pretty deep but just another war wound lol.

Didn't really mind tbh as I was over the moon that at a body weight of 106kg I had a total of 705kg and a European record for the deadlift. Not only that but as I was the only lift I came first in the masters 1 category of course but I also came a surprising 4th in the 110kg open class. I actually had me down as 6th or 7th depending on how well a couple of the other lifters did. So very very happy indeed.

Over all the two days I was there the event was very well run. Even when hiccups occurred they managed to fix them quickly and ran through two flights of about 20 lifters in each very quickly. I was just awesome competing against some of the best in the world let alone Europe and I met some really really great people and even though not all spoke English we all spoke the universal language of Squat, Press and Deadlift. Cannot put into words how much I enjoyed lifting there and with the support of two fantastic ladies. Plus all the just amazing words from those in the UK and further afield who gave me words of encouragement and support it was very overwhelming. Now bring on the worlds!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

ME Squat

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5

180x2x5

GM

70x10

90x10

SLDL

100x10

120x10

thats it, nice light ease in to the new training cycle...

felt like a bit of a train wreck last week after the comp but this week back to fighting fit (well nearly, tweaked back yesterday doing some drawers for my boys room) and just really really wanted to lift...

Squats - having learned a bit from the comp I have brought my grip in a finger and it feels better, tighter and easier to maintain the upper back squeeze... all sets were good and easy... 180 was snappy and felt easy... but its a start... course I am in cardio territory now, I mean 5 reps a set 

GM - nice and quick, light but felt it in the lower back... up weight on this as its just too light atm...

SLDL - as above very easy, but still felt it working... will be upping the weight on this too...

Nice start to my next phase... next comp is 01 Sep in folkestone, its the BPU Brits and the qualifiers for the worlds so will be skipping the BPC raw brits on 13 Jul which is a shame but I need to prioritise atm and I can only wangle so many hall passes


----------



## mark_star

Greyphantom said:


> Squat day
> 
> ME Squat
> 
> WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5
> 
> 180x2x5
> 
> GM
> 
> 70x10
> 
> 90x10
> 
> SLDL
> 
> 100x10
> 
> 120x10
> 
> thats it, nice light ease in to the new training cycle...
> 
> felt like a bit of a train wreck last week after the comp but this week back to fighting fit (well nearly, tweaked back yesterday doing some drawers for my boys room) and just really really wanted to lift...
> 
> Squats - having learned a bit from the comp I have brought my grip in a finger and it feels better, tighter and easier to maintain the upper back squeeze... all sets were good and easy... 180 was snappy and felt easy... but its a start... course I am in cardio territory now, I mean 5 reps a set
> 
> GM - nice and quick, light but felt it in the lower back... up weight on this as its just too light atm...
> 
> SLDL - as above very easy, but still felt it working... will be upping the weight on this too...
> 
> Nice start to my next phase... next comp is 01 Sep in folkestone, its the BPU Brits and the qualifiers for the worlds so will be skipping the BPC raw brits on 13 Jul which is a shame but I need to prioritise atm and I can only wangle so many hall passes


bet the cardio did you the world of good :thumb:


----------



## Greyphantom

My deadlift from the euros...






as you can see it was a fight but I got 3 whites so I will take that to the bank


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench Day 13 Jun 13

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 85x5

100x3x3

WGBP

100x5

80x15

Dips

BW+10kg x1x8, 1x7

Sh Press

40x2x9

Dislocations

Bar+5kg x3x15

working on some technique pionts that Emma James told me about at the comp... really focussing on doing exactly as she said and feeling it as its supposed to be...

Bench - warm ups were good first two sets of top weight were hit and miss re technique, 1 out of 3 reps was just ropey, the other 2 were alright... last set just worked really well and felt awesome, def a step up...

WGBP - love these and they felt easy so thats a good start... did not think I would get 15 on the 80 but it went up easily and had a few more there I think...

Dips - felt great, hit the chest and tris in particular and hard... surprised that I managed to do quite well with the 10 strapped to me... room to move up some more here for sure...

Sh press - hmmm left shoulder hurt like a [email protected] on the first few reps then seemed to relax and felt fine... thining I will start with the bar to get it sorted and warmed properly then add weight and get it respectable soon as poss...

Dislocations - as usual, felt good after but not so much during lol... really loosens that joint up and feels so worth doing afterwards...

good first bench session back... 100 was light and just making sure I hit the technique hard and get it right, when its spot on there is much more scope for weight so this should translate to some better lifting come Folkestone... dips going really well but need to work the sh press hard... its slipped a lot and I have not done this ex for a loooong time... onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> That is incredible mate well done!


thanks mate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day (Sat 15 Jun 13)

Deads

WU 100x2x5, 140x5, 180x3

220x5

180x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x1x6, 1x5

BOR

100x1x10

120x1x8

BC

40x2x10

Deads day and was feeling fine...

Deads - oh god I love these... if there is a better exercise I have not found it yet, although squats come close... warm ups were fine, no problems at all... 220 was top set today, flew up, even held the 5th rep for about 10secs at top just to hold it really lol... was thinking of doing a couple of sets of 5 maybe even 3 as they felt so good but in line with the jdig plan of less is more and rest your fvcking cns so you can lift heavier on comp day I kept it at that... the 3 sets of 180 for tripples were great, changed the grip to the alternate alternating grip and it felt pretty freaking strong... hmmm maybe train that side up for future lifts... all good here and well on track, great first deads session...

Chins - felt these really well today and ver smooth, damn near bumped my head on the ceiling (which is only a few inches above the bar tbf) but was all good... probably wimped out at 6 tbh so will look to increase this next week or add more weight...

BOR - good smooth and controlled reps and felt awesome... bit light on the weight but good to start with and move up into some heavier weights...

BC - first time in years doing these... kept it at 40 as I was worried I would cripple my tendons/ligaments in the elbow but its actually feeling pretty good... so upping weight for sure next week...

Over all its been a great first session for this training period... could have done an easy 10 on deads but keeping with the program cos it works... have a new set of goals for folkestone and want to hit better numbers this time... feeling good and positive atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats... ooooh my god squats... oooooooooooh...

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5

195x2x5

DE squats

150x3x3

GM

100x1x10, 1x9

SLDL

130x2x10

Holy jebus... gym was like 1000 degrees today, maybe even more... humidity is high where we are and temp is around 24 so made breathing difficult... esp with all this flaming cardio work 

Squats - warm ups went well but could feel the humidity and heat taking their toll even at 160... 195 was fairly easy, depth good but gassing after like you wouldnt believe... got the 2 sets of 5 done and while technique and form felt fine, breathing not so much so felt a bit nauseus to say the least... still felt a good session on these and still no belt... although I may need to put one on next week...

DE squat - felt comparitively much easier and light... happy enough with speed but prob could be a wee bit faster...

GM - was seriously flagging by these but a nice long drink of MTFU and got them done... weight didnt feel heavy really but still felt them working me well...

SLDL - well up for first set but not so much the second oddly enough... still got in there and got the job done, felt really good doing it and so freaking knackered after...

awesome training session today, really pushed me but in a good way and even have some vascularity making an appearance in my quads... so pretty happy with way training is going... sweating my ar$e off atm and it probably looks like I am melting... now I have to go and pick my daughter up but not sure the legs can operate the peddles in the car lol...

oh and a quick pic of that little bit of veinage


----------



## mark_star

eh you monster, dead video is ace, it's not worth it if it isn't hard work. Quite agree, deads are the best.

some great training going on at the mo, especially as it's (ahem) light


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5

110x3x3

WGBP

110x5

85x15

Dips

BW+15x1x7, 1x5

ShP

50xx1x7, 1x8

Dislocations

Bar +5kg x3x15

Man hotter than yesterday but not as hard due to it being bench day and not squats, not looking forward to deads on friday if its still like this... needs a good thunder storm to clear the air...

Bench - working on the technique changes that Emma James advised me on at the comp... felt much better today and 110 felt much easier to shift as a result... was going to do 2x5 at top weight but stuck to 3x3 and I am glad I did as the position is hard to hold for long... very comfortable and happy with this so far...

WGBP - felt really really good today, weight moved really well and quite easily... prob because I am not moving much on the Bench prior to this yet... really happy with it...

Dips - felt a bit harder today but to be expected as upped the weight... still felt it working in my tris and chest really well and a bit of a pump happening... much smoother than in the past too which is nice...

Dislocations - first set felt a bit stiff through my shoulders... but soon loosened up and felt good... could really feel the stretch right through my shoulder joint as well as the muscle... going to up the reps next time to 20 I think...

all in all a good session... bench is feeling better in terms of technique and form... now to add the weight... wgbp is going from strength to strength and feels good... everything else is falling into place too... still a bit shakey on the shoulder press as the left delt (side delt) is giving me a bit of gyp but soon loosens up after the first few reps... I certainly bailled too early on the first set of press and will make sure a nice cup of mtfu is taken for next time...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads...

Deadlift

WU 100x2x5, 140x5, 180x5, 210x3

240x2x5

190x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x1x7, 1x5

BOR

120x2x9

BC

50x2x10

Oh hell yeah... what a great session... just freaking awesome... love lifting like this...

Deads - well going to up reps and sets a bit to push me... sooo went up to 240 and all warm ups felt easy and very comfortable... speed was nice off the floor and everything felt right with technique... 240 I did the first lot of 5 and it was just brilliant, felt loads more left so did another set of 5 and it was just as comfortable... held the last rep for both sets at the top just to feel the grip and it was fine... used chalk this week as hands were a bit sweaty... still feel loads there in the tank and tbh could have done another set of 5 at least... 190 for 3 tripples was mainly for speed work and did it with the reverse grip... all felt great and flew up... atm the lifts are done with a roughly 2 inch deficit as the plates are not the reg size... feeling awesome and loving it soooo much...

Chins - felt a bit harder this week, but managed to do them ok, felt a lot in my lats this week for some reason and really got a good stretch through the entire lift... will look at adding more weight next week maybe just 2.5 though...

BOR - nice and comfortable, felt it a lot in my uppper back and form felt good, not quite parallel to the floor but near enough... nice solid exercise...

BC - doing disco muscles to strengthen them up a bit and by the feel of the exercise they need it... feeling a few aches and pains during but not after so probably just getting used to doing it again as its been so long... 50 was comfortable enough but will prob just go up to 55 next week...

Oh yeah this is the stuff... sooo good to be back into training again and soooo good that its going so well so far... I really look forward to each session atm and cannot wait to lift again even though I have just caned myself a good one... its feeling so on... long may it continue...


----------



## mark_star

oh GP in monster mode, I am sooo jealous, great work mate


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> oh GP in monster mode, I am sooo jealous, great work mate


lol thanks mate... its feeling great right now... good beginning for the run up for my comp...


----------



## mark_star

Greyphantom said:


> lol thanks mate... its feeling great right now... good beginning for the run up for my comp...


excellent, good to see it and hear it


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

WU

70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 190x3

*belt on*

210x2x5

DE squats

150x3x3

GM

110x1x9, 1x8

SLDL

140x2x10

dead... absolutely dead...

Squats - feeling alright about it today, neither awesome nor knackered, warm ups went well, felt nice and tight, the slight change in grip on the bar is working well... 210 I was not totally sure I could do 2 sets of 5 tbh... first set went really well, back was pumped to hell... second set was harder but still went really really well... knackered now and on to...

DE squats - speed was not as good as it should be... feeling my legs majorly and back was just a mess... still got them done and went well enough...

GM - nearly sacked these off as was just gagging by now... still read the Doug Young quote on my wall and just gtfo with it... felt pretty good actually... back worked like you wouldnt believe...

SLDL - sheer act of will doing these... first set felt good, hams and glutes fried... so only thing to do was a second set... harder and last rep was a bit of a grind but nailled it... hams are now humming and legs in general just buzzing...

wow, loved it, absolutely loved training today, pushed hard and still got a bit more in the tank... so knackered now though lol... still got about 8 weeks till the comp so going to slide into some bigger numbers nice and easy I think... well easy being a relative term lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench (pants) day...

ME Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 105x3

120x3x3

WGBP

115x2

90x9

Dips, ShP left

Dislocations

Bar+5kg x3x15

what a crappy day, was all over the place today, not just the training but in general... had to do some bits before work which made me late for work then spent more time trying to get stuff done after which made me late for training, have been feeling crap all day due to hayfever which has come on with a hiss and a roar, probably a result of mowing the fricking lawns yesterday which were pretty fvcking long due to the warm weather and rain we've been having... all in all a crappy day... soooo...

Bench - warm ups felt alright, trying to really nail the technique but it wasnt quite there tbh... forearm on the right was hurting a bit and my shoulder/humerus on the left was a bit niggly... 120 first set went pretty well, technique felt ok and weight went up easy enough... tbh the second was similar and easier than I expected... 3rd set I wasnt sure about, but managed it ok... technique was not quite there on the 2nd or 3rd set but still getting used to it... weight went up ok even with the niggles...

WGBP - nope, just not happening today, right forearm just didnt like it and I managed only 2 on 115 and only 9 on 90... sigh... still you get days like this...

Dips/ShP - tried dips but just wasnt there tbh, mind was all over the place and couldnt really focus on the job at hand, stopped there and gave it up as a loss...

Dislocations - did these as the shoulder was feeling a bit iffy... first set it was really tight, second it loosened way way up and 3rd felt really really good... widened my grip a little on these too and it made a bit of a difference... might have to add some more shoulder mobility type stuff into my training now...

all in all not a very productive training session... still glad the 120 went up well enough, all a learning curve... will probably change the bb curl to a hammer curl and look at getting an ez bar to do curls with as I think its the bb curl thats hit the forearm... good excuse to get more toys for the gym and I will also be able to use that for skull crushers which should help the elbow thing...


----------



## mark_star

hayfever can be a real nightmare, seems to have been really bad today, lots of people suffering, me included


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> hayfever can be a real nightmare, seems to have been really bad today, lots of people suffering, me included


yeah mate at times I have wanted to gouge my eyes out with a spoon... or lop of the nose to stop it irritating me sooooo much... lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads (still approx 2 inch deficit)

WU 100x2x5, 150x5, 190x5, 230x3

255x2x5

*reverse my usual grip*

200x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x2x4

BOR

130x1x9, 1x8

EZ bar curls

47.5x2x10

done, really really done...

Deads - man I just love the deadlift... all warm ups were smooth and fast, felt easy, 255 was going to be a challenge but I just knew it was on... first set went up really well and felt awesome... second set still went up well but had to pause at top of 4th rep to gather my thoughts and then 5th went up fine... felt it this week and tbh a little knackered... feeling well buzzy now though lol...200's were easy and I feel my reverse alternate grip is getting much stronger and feels good...

Chins - first set wtf... got to 4 and just hit a wall... second set was smoother and felt it better but a bit disappointed on the first set... going to hit these harder next time...

BOR - really really good... used straps cos my grip was a little frazzled at this stage... all smooth and man when finished my back was just in bits... still is tbh... but loving the feeling lol...

EZ bar curls - oh yeah this is the stuff, no pain in the forearm at all, felt much better than with the straight bar and now my bi's hurt lol... really good ex and keeping this in...

well tired now... happy with the higher reps work I am doing on the big lifts and feeling good with it too... really feeling everything gel and work hard so this should have some carry over in the singles and one day I will look like Dan Green... well ok more like Trev Green from up the road who carrys a keg under his skivvies but still its a Green


----------



## mark_star

great job on those deads again, always enjoy reading your workouts Mr P. Have a super weekend mate


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> great job on those deads again, always enjoy reading your workouts Mr P. Have a super weekend mate


thanks mate you too buddy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3

*belt on*

225x3x3

DE squats

150x3x3

GM

120x1x8, 1x7

SLDL

150x2x10

ooooooooh...

Squats - warm ups went well, nice and stable and strong... 225 I did 3x3 as not sure I was going to manage 2x5... so something to aim for in future sessions... felt really good though and 2nd rep of the last set of 225 I went really deep... not on purpose you understand but went down a biiiit faster than I expected lol... still got the weight up nice enough and still got the third in... so far so good...the speed squats went really well too, actually faster than last week and really smooth...

GM - man this was hard... back was a bit pumped from squats and tight, but managed 2 sets well enough...

SLDL - oh all thats good and holy by these I was pretty much ready to quit... but a nice glass of mtfu saw me through... that and it was the last 2 sets so sucked it up and just got on with it... felt really good but couldnt stand for a few mins after the last set...

still going well and really enjoying training but its getting harder... which is awesome in a perverse way...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3

125x1x2, 2x3

WGBP

115x3

90x10+1p

Dips

BW+15x1x6, 1x5

ShP

bar x9

50x6

50x7

EZ bar lying ext

37.5x1x10, 1x8+1p

Dislocations

bar+5x3x15

not bad, room for improvement but not too bad at all...

Bench - warm ups went well, having some trouble with setting it up and excuting technique... first set of 125 was just horrible, didnt set it up right and managed to muscle up 2 reps but not great... however next two sets were really good, set up was really good, technique was much better... last rep on last set was a bit of a grind but not too bad... still needs work...

WGBP - struggled a bit on 115 but they werent too bad... 90 was better but still not up to scratch imho... over all bench is still proving the bugbear but slowly slowly conquering it... shoulder was giving me a little hassle today... but found a better groove to help there...

Dips - didnt do these last week but today they felt really good... feeling them a lot in tris and chest... going to push for more reps though...

ShP - man these proved hard and not cos of the weight but I found out that while my shoulder is really sore its not a joint issue but the side delt is really strained or something, loosened up a bit but still a bit of pain doing the lift... feels better than previous so its healing but its still hindering lifting atm... might book up a sports massage next week and see if they cant help out...

EZ bar ext - oh yeah, way better than straight bar and even than rope pulley ext... felt really good and tris were well hammered... still need to put a bit more weight on the bar... like these a lot...

Dislocations - niiiiice... widened my grip a bit and its feeling really good, makes the joints open up and stretch really well...

not a bad session but got to work that set up better... when its done right the weight moves much easier... shoulder is giving me a bit of hassle but nothing I cant work through which is nice... progress is progress I guess...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok so its all official now... I have just been given an invite to compete in the WPC World Champs in Prague... wooo hooo fvcking stoked is an understatement... training motivation is up several levels now and going to up my game... really really looking forward to this...


----------



## mark_star

Greyphantom said:


> Ok so its all official now... I have just been given an invite to compete in the WPC World Champs in Prague... wooo hooo fvcking stoked is an understatement... training motivation is up several levels now and going to up my game... really really looking forward to this...


wow that's fantastic, well done you


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> wow that's fantastic, well done you


thanks mate... well chuffed... I know some people are really blase about this sort of thing but for me its always a big deal...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Congratulations!


cheers buddy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads (2 inch deficit)

WU 110x2x5, 150x5, 190x5, 230x3

270x2x5 (woo hoo moment  )

*change grip to other alternating grip*

200x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x2x5, 1x3+1p

BOR

140x2x8, 1x6

Facepulls

30x2x10

EZ curls

50x2x10

@Dig, I hate you... you are so mean... no more hugs for you... not even the "special" kind 

Deads - warm ups went really well... fast and just felt right... 230 was easy and tbh was a bit thoughtful (not really nervous but not really sanguine either) about 270 for 2x5... first set went up better than expected... felt good and strong... well happy... second set, prob a bit better than the first tbh, felt really good, grip was tight, power off the floor seemed better and was just hunkering down into them more... very happy bunny and went well... blowing out my ar$e though and pretty much melting as its a hot day... stupid GP deadlifting on a day like this lol...speed deads went up faster than I thought they would after that effort and felt really good... back in bits after this though...

Chins - felt tough but doable... added in an extra set courtesy of Dig's suggestion... actually felt good tbh and helped stretch out my back...

BOR - again added an extra set and by the third one I could feel all the top of my back... it was calling me names and touching me in my no-no places lol... really nice although a couple of the last reps were a bit forced...

Facepulls - added these in again and now I know I wish I didnt... compounded the feeling of the BOR tbh but at the same time it felt good... weights very light though so will up that next week...

EZ curls - up a measly 2.5 as I was pretty much fvcked by this stage... tbh didnt think I would get much out of it but surprisingly managed to find some mtfu and pulled a couple of good sets out of my orifice... loving these as no strain on the forearms at all now and can feel a good working feelling in the bicep...

well stuffed now, knackered squared tbh... back is in bits... arms not reall speaking to me and general feeling of blurgh with some spots in front of the eyes... but man feeling of content just beats all that and soooo pleased I managed to hit my numbers... and even add some more in... still dont like Dig though


----------



## M_at

Boo!


----------



## Greyphantom

M_at said:


> Boo!


Hoo??


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3, *belt on* 220x1

240x1x1 + 1p

dumped the bar... sharp pain on side of leg right above knee, possibly the IT band?? happened as I was driving up from the bottom of the second rep of first set... felt great pushing out of the hole but half way up just felt it going so dumped the bar, if anyone wants to know if the CF475 safeties can take 240 from a height of about 3 feet they can lol... not sure how much damage is done tbh as its feeling okish now, a bit of pain esp if I try to squat so as you can imagine I am leaving it there for today... the real ****er is I was on for 3 sets of 3 at that weight which would have been nice... got a sports massage tomorrow so hopefully things arent too bad and she will use her magic fingers of steel to sort it out... fairly p!ssed if truth be told...


----------



## M_at

Greyphantom said:


> Hoo??


Don't you mean Who?


----------



## Greyphantom

M_at said:


> Don't you mean Who?


noooo... :whistling:


----------



## mark_star

hope the legs ok mate


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> hope the legs ok mate


cheers mate its much much better, had my sports sadist give me a working over yesterday and she has magic hands matey... fingers of steel that cause untold pain but magic magic hands  no pain today, tightness a little and a slight ache but on track to be fine for deads on fri and squats even on mon... woooot...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x5

100kg (rep challenge) 13+1p

120x3

Floor Press

70x10

80x7

Dips

BW+15kg x1x6, 1x4+1p

EZ bar ext

40x1x7, 1x6

Dislocations

bar +5kg x3x15

wow... different workout this week and its feeling all ouchie...

Bench - needed to take a bit of a chill on this I think so did a rep challenge against a fellow board member 100kg for reps... warm ups went really well and felt light which was nice, a bit nervous doing 100kg for reps as a) I dont really do many reps normally and B) I suck at bench anyway... anyway it went pretty well, prob should have pushed a bit harder esp on that last partial as that would have equalised the reps with me old mucker  still happy as when I started I couldnt even rep the bar lol... after did that threw up 120 for a few just to do it really...

Floor press - first time doing this, felt really weird... still felt good enough and can see how it works the top end of the press which will help, this combined with wgbp will be pretty good in the old ****nal... @Dig @-Justin- @jdog I just took a normal bench grip on this is that pretty standard or should I vary it?

Dips - felt hard... tris well shot at the end and feeling good lol...

EZ bar - again felt really hard but managed to do a few reps... willl try for more next time on the same weight...

Dislocations - as always great finisher, felt it a lot in my left shoulder which still gives me some gyp but not a lot now, so its getting better which is good...

Was a bit late working out today as had a bit on and then my boy rings to tell me his bus is late and I may have to drive out to pick him up as there was an accident (quite bad according to the radio) and all the roads were closed to get home... great I thought but managed to get it in still and even though it was a bit of a meh session still good enough... feel worked and thats a good thing... going to keep all this in and wgbp and sh press too I think... will either kill me or make me stronger


----------



## mark_star

Greyphantom said:


> cheers mate its much much better, had my sports sadist give me a working over yesterday and she has magic hands matey... fingers of steel that cause untold pain but magic magic hands  no pain today, tightness a little and a slight ache but on track to be fine for deads on fri and squats even on mon... woooot...


excellent news, oh for a woman with fingers of steel


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> excellent news, oh for a woman with fingers of steel


lol well worth it for sure matey... benefits are amazing...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day...

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 250x3, 270x1

290x3x3

200x3x3

Chins

BW+15kg x1x5, 1x4, 1x3+1p

BOR

140x1x10, 1x9, 1x8

Facepulls

35x2x10

EZ BC

52.5x1x8, 1x7

oooooooowwww thats all... 

Deads - nerves a flutter today as I really wanted to hit my target and tbh was pretty sure I would but still you have that flutter in the back of the mind... so I just turned off my mind lol... warm ups easy and fast... 270 was actually pretty light... first set of 290 went fast and smooth... second still not bad and maybe slightly better than the first... 3rd set was ok but the last rep was a hell of a grind, it went up, slllooooooowwwwwllllyyy but it went up lol... man I was so happy... soooo knackered but happy  the down sets at 200 were easy after that... faster than usual and felt tight... set up is actually pretty good at the moment and feels right... down week next week...

Chins - well upped the weight but not sure if I should have... only got a few reps per set but man my lats are now achey all over... felt nice and smooth and on the last set thought I was going to get that 4th easily but just hit the wall... next time for sure...

BOR - love these but man they hit me right in the upper back... really feeling it now... aches all over and just tingles... loving it... ab-so-lutely loving it 

FP - add to the pain really... found a really nice and good position for these and much stricter atm... good addition...

EZBC - went well, bit galling that I can only hit 8 at that weight... but as its been a few years since doing BC of any sort I will allow myself a build up period... hey I'm like that lol... felt them a lot, arms toast...

Man what an awesome awesome session... first time getting multiple sets and multiple reps at 290... all felt strong (well except that last one but it went up) and good... down week next week then back up for a few weeks then cruise into the comp... so far feeling really good... leg didnt even give me a hint of a problem... its as if it didnt happen but the real test will be monday and squat day... I am GP hear me roar


----------



## mark_star

excellent, excellent deads Mr Phantom, top pulling mate


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> excellent, excellent deads Mr Phantom, top pulling mate


thanks matey... just now recovering from them... on squat day lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3, *belt on* 220x1

240x1x3, 1x2

Front squats

70x8

90x7

110x3

DE squats

160x3x3

GM

125x7

SLDL

160x10

Holy cow its hot... havent slept properly if at all since thursday I think... no air at all in the little space I call a gym... tshirt was essentially just water today...

Squats - warm ups felt good, was a bit cautious due to leg being sore last week... but 220 went beautifully if breathlessly lol... 240 first set went well, gassing after though, just couldnt get the air into my lungs... second set got the first two reps and then had to rack the bar as just felt faint, had those sparkles in my vision too... couldnt catch breat at all... felt well enough but just left it there...

Front squats - @Digs new way to add more pain into my day... tried these out, havent really done them in a workout before and really only done them recently as part of a course on training/coaching people... thrown in to change the emphasis from the posterior chain and they do... right onto the throat lol... no really hits the quads a lot, felt the move straight away and it felt pretty good... different for sure but good... only did 3 on the last set as I felt the form was going... delts took the weight ok but form was breaking down a bit and just want to nail that atm... also had to take a narrower stance than normal... going to be a great addition I think...

DE squats - stupid, stupid idea lol... heat killed and my shirt actually started dripping during these sets... went well enough though and faster than I expected also noticed that the quads were hit a bit more which could be due to doing fronts right before...

GM - just trying to stay awake at this stage... so cropped it to one set... hard but good...

SLDL - what a finisher... hams and glutes were hit hard but felt great... had to sit/stand... sit/stand a few times lol...

thats it folks... it was hard today, not the weight so much as the heat and breathing, must have had about 3 litres of water during the workout but it wasnt enough... I just couldnt get enough air in the lungs either... no hint of pain from the leg either which was awesome... hoping it starts cooling down or I might start training either later or earlier to beat the heat... or buy a fan


----------



## mark_star

Greyphantom said:


> Squat day
> 
> hoping it starts cooling down or I might start training either later or earlier to beat the heat... or buy a fan


oh god, i think you just need to man up mate :devil2:


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> oh god, i think you just need to man up mate :devil2:


lol... tried that... fainting aint too manly  still a good session...


----------



## mark_star

Greyphantom said:


> lol... tried that... fainting aint too manly  still a good session...


it's ok if no one sees it, however, that may bring other problems


----------



## MRSTRONG

I admire your dedicated approach buddy it looks like every session is better than the last which is great .

Hows things ?


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> I admire your dedicated approach buddy it looks like every session is better than the last which is great .
> 
> Hows things ?


thanks Ewen, yeah atm its going really well... (touches wood lol) working on some new changes to the training so hoping for some better numbers in folkestone and then prague... things in general are ok... sleep is a bit rare these days due to the heat... sleeping on towels or in the conservatory as I need to cool down at times lol... but on the whole good mate... hows tricks with you?


----------



## MRSTRONG

All good thanks , sounds like things are pretty good mate keep it up


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x5

130x1x3, 1x2, 1x1+1p

WGBP

115x3

90x10

Floor press

80x1x8, 1x6+1p

Dips

BW+15kg x1x4+1p, 1x4+1p

Shp

bar x10, 40x10, 50x6

EZ bar ext

40x1x9, 1x8

Disloc

bar +5kg x2x20, 1x15

jebus its hot... but today wasnt as bad as squat day... still think it was 3 litres in and 3 litres out during training...

Bench - warm ups felt good, still trying to get to terms with all the details of technique top to toe and its getting there... 130 didnt feel as heavy as I expected it too... was going for 2 sets of 3 but lost it on the second set so did the third (hoping for 2 but the second came way off line and just lost it)... felt ok though...

WGBP - felt hard this week, but its been two weeks since last done and this is always the case on bench, if I let it go for a week or so it suffers... room to improve here...

Floor press - still feeling weird but can see where its working... I think this addition will benefit my bench as my sticking point is def way off my chest now... (thanks to wgbp suggested by @Dig)... still finding the groove of it really...

Dips - man felt hard today but by this stage my chest and tris were pretty pumped... bit unusual though good feeling... just couldnt hit that 5th rep so next week for sure...

ShP - certainly a week area and one I want to address... this week there was no soreness but def a weakness on the left... really pleased no pain but not so pleased it was a bit weak...

EZ bar ext - felt way better this week, technique/form much better and nice squeeze in the tris... enjoying this one atm...

Dislocations - concentrating on making sure the rotator works hard and felt it today, not just the stretch but the rotation working well...

Over all a good session, managed to get 7 hours sleep straight through last night as it was cooler than the previous week... makes a massive difference as today I feel more alive and less a zombie... much more positive and happy... this hot weather can just about fvck off though... not sure if I am hydrating enough as it seems as much as I take in I sweat out... sleeping on towels atm and on 2 shirts a day... was 114kg the other day but reckon I have dropped a shedload of water... happy enough with where I am and its about 6 weeks till the comp, which is kinda less time than I thought but as I have the invite to the worlds I can relax a bit going into this and try some new things out (like the higher reps and more sets thing for instance, or some new assistance work) cannot wait though folkestone is always a good comp and the Raw lifting day is full already... great new venue too better seating and even has a restaurant I hear lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day... it really is 

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5

250x1x11






200x3x3

Chins

BW+15 x3x4

BOR

150x1x9, 1x8

FP

40x1x10, 1x9

Thats it... tbh wanted to stop after deads... it killed me, gasping for air, took 10 mins to recover and felt just wonderful lol...

Deads - well warm ups as normal, felt good and easy... the 250 is a one off as had a challenge to complete and this was the effort... wasnt too bad but by rep 10 just couldnt get the air in and things just stopped... happy enough but would have like a few more... the 200 speed lifts were good and better than I expected...

wanted to stop here but with Dig yelling at me to mtfu and train harder ringing in my head (going to see a therapist on monday about that lol) got on with it...

Chins - damn these were hard... really hard... first set just felt awful... 2 and 3 though were better and lats were feeling it...

BOR - ouch... just ouch... felt really good and right across upper back...

FP - oh damn just made the feeling from BOR worse and added their own little kick... back is now it bits... all over... even sitting is hard lol...

well thats it the challenge is done now back to some serious training... not that long till the comp really got a couple of heavy weeks left and then a light week or two then a week off then the comp... really really really want better numbers this time...


----------



## mark_star

brilliant, surprised you didn't leak from your bottom doing that. Top man :rockon:


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> brilliant, surprised you didn't leak from your bottom doing that. Top man :rockon:


damn near did mate lol... thanks...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ME squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3, *belt on* 230x1

255x1+1p

255x1+1p

Front squats

90x8

110x4

DE squats

160x3x3

done...

man what a day... so freaking hot already, but its the humidity that kills... shirt was basically just drenched and much like a waterfall... kept trying to wipe the sweat off but it ended up wiping water on me lol...

Squats - warm ups went really well, technique was really good and felt strong and stable... 230 flew up and felt really tight... 255 got the first rep went for the second and just didnt make parallel... stopped there as was gasping... couldnt get the air in deep enough to keep the midsection tight against the belt... so left it for a second set... first again felt ok, went for the second and it was higher than the second rep of the first set... sigh... still the first reps were ok... was dripping at the end and legs/posterior chain were a bit numb but with that feeling of an ache that was going to hit and hit hard...

Fronties - 90 felt great... still getting used to it but forearms flet bette this week... 110 I placed the bar wrong on my shoulders and as a result it was resting on my collar bone, that was a bit ouchy... only managed 4 reps... will def have to watch this next week... legs were feeling just fvcked about now...

DE squats - stupid stupid boy... went well enough, even though I was trying to hit a good speed it just didnt feel like the weight was moving fast enough... still felt good tech and form wise... just the speed was lacking...

left it there today, legs are now starting to feel sore... that deep soreness that means theyre probably going to explode or divorce me... doesnt help that sleep has been sh1t too... that thunder storm last night just made it more humid dammit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench... and that was it as it turned out...

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 105x3, 120x1

135x3x1

end...

feeling a bit crap today, tired, headache and just a bit meh... got a bit done so should have felt good but just couldnt get into it... woke up a bit this evening and thought would train anyway...

Bench - first warm up and felt my forearm hurt... not sure what it is but its a tad ouchy... second warm up felt better but still not really there... all warm ups felt easy and good... 120 flew up even though my forearm was suggesting I should perhaps stop... 135 I wanted to do at 2 reps per set but left it at 3 singles... the weight felt really good, all paused (not entirely on purpose tbh) and went up pretty easily... only the last single was a bit tough but still went up easier than it used to... happy that the weights feeling good to move and goes up well, technique is feeling better and form seems to be pretty locked in now... bit peeved that my forearm stopped me making better progress this week...

went to do wgbp and just couldnt do it... forearm decided to stop at the bottom of the first rep... leaving it there... good news is that my shoulder is feeling better lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day (sat 27 Jul 13)

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 250x3, 280x1

305x3x1

210x3x3

Chins

BWx1x8, 1x6

BOR

150x2x9

went up to Monster gym in Cheshunt for a training session today... hot as hell in the gym...

Deads - all warm ups felt good... feeling tired but nothing too drastic, got to the top sets and was thinking of trying doubles but just wasnt going to happen so worked the singles instead... 1 and 3 at 305 were great, felt good and strong, didnt fly up but went up easy enough... rep 2 was not as smooth as on the way up I hit one of my knees (think I twisted slightly on the way up) but instead of just giving up and releasing the weight I just mtfu and lifted it... pretty happy I got the 3 singles tbh as I have not done that before and the last time I tried this weight in monster I couldnt move it at all... even though happy enough I am a bit disappointed I didnt do the doubles...the 210 sets were easy and smooth and quick enough... felt really good...

Chins - just did body weight as I couldnt be ar$ed a) finding a belt to tie weight on and B) actually doing weighted  ... were really good and felt strong doing them... much easier than previous too which is nice...

BOR - felt knackered by this time and just left it at the same weight as last week... reps felt better and quicker... felt it right through my upper back and man it hit hard on the second set...

left it there... might start looking at dialling things back in terms of how many sets and exercises I do as feeling knackered all the time atm... sleep still a bit of a pain in the ar$e but am getting 1 in 3 nights atm... still onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x3

220x1

all no belt of course... just a light day to test out the glute/tailbone thing... um maybe not my brightest day but it went up easy... easier than I expected tbh and that was pretty awesome... however out to lunch on wether or not its a good idea at this stage lol... just something to keep me going and make sure my technique and form was still ok... tbh it felt better... bench tomorrow... deads on saturday... wooot...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3, 125x1

140x2x1

fin... energy levels are just down a load atm... decided to drop all accessory stuff and just stick with the basic lifts for now... if I get a few nights sleep will re-address things and see how it goes...

was ok... didnt feel like doing anything but cracked on, warm ups felt easy and light even 125 just was so much better than before... 140 I thought would be a struggle but actually went up really well... first was smooth and straight forward, second though came off line but I kept it in control and made the lift... both paused on the chest and felt good... was going to do a third but tbh just lost the drive to lift it... cold shower time and hopefully some sleep... happy enough with today esp as it felt so much easier than it has in the past... no leg drive to speak of due to left leg not wanting to play ball lol... actually wondering if me worrying about my glute/back made it feel easier to lift...

appetite is shot too atm... fml... oh well weight will be easy to make


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3, 225x1 (miss load)

*belt on*

240x2x2

finito... feeling much better today, managed 3 nights of sleep and its bliss... felt pretty crap over the weekend with no appetite and energy levels were so low...

warm ups felt good, no niggle at all from the glute/lower back... things felt tight and comfortable... went to do a single at 220 to prep for the top weight (capped at 240 this week as wanted to do something ok but not silly in case anything went ping... it didnt  ) but misloaded the bar by 5kg on one side (yes it felt lop sided but I shifted so it was straight again...) and did the rep fine... that is I think the most I have squatted without the belt lol... 240s felt good and depth was fine, felt a bit queasy after the second set and left it there... feeling good now and happy things seem to be back on track... only a few weeks till I hit the platform so need to pull it together a lot...


----------



## mark_star

glad you're on your way back up mate, hope your appetite has returned


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> glad you're on your way back up mate, hope your appetite has returned


thanks buddy... its certainly on the way back mate... didnt realise how much lack of sleep affects you...


----------



## mark_star

i know it's a bloody killer isn't it


----------



## Tinkerbella

Hey you.....miss ya


----------



## Greyphantom

Tinkerbella said:


> Hey you.....miss ya


Hey missy... yeah been missing you too... youve been jet setting and stuff havent you


----------



## Greyphantom

bench day

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3, 130x1

145x3x1

WGBP

110x5

90x12

feeling better day by day... getting more sleep in now and its starting to show in energy levels and strength...

Bench - warm ups went really well... no niggle in the forearm at all and 130 flew up way more easily than in the past... thought bollocks will try 145 and had to check that I had the plates right as it was pretty easy... did 3 singles and felt awesome... never had the weight go up so well in the past... feeling pretty wrapped with tonights session...

WGBP - lowered the first set to 110 and it felt comfortable... 90 felt light and went up well... happy with these and tbh was going to leave it at bench but felt pretty good so added these in... glad I did... again no niggle in the forearm to speak of and felt strong...

pretty good session... happy that weights are feeling easier but got to transform that into more weight lifted at the comp...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift day

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 250x3

280x1

left it there... just no energy, warm ups felt ok, in fact up to 250 it just felt awesome, pretty light and went up easy... 280 went up better than 250 as I locked in some technique points that I let slip on the 250 due to cba... energy was pretty much nil and tbh was going to leave it till tomorrow but have some things on and it just wouldnt happen... not too happy as feels like I am being slack but know that to push it would probably be counter productive... feel like I am moving 1 step forward and 2 back atm... hoping its just me still catching up on the sleepless weeks but a bit concerned atm... ah well nothing too it but keep on moving forward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

WU

70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3, 220x1

*belt on*

240x1

250x1

done... did better than expected tbh... after a weekend of feeling rubbish, sleeping all day sunday and not eating I didnt expect to do much at all... but feeling much better and much more into lifting... warm ups went really well 200 felt pretty decent and bum was right down... 220 felt alright and had a slight pull in the quad but nothing to take notice of... 240 felt good... better than expected so added 10 more on and went for that too... 250 was a bit harder tbh but it went up pretty decently... feeling really good and happy so far... looking to add a bit more weight next week and then the week off before the comp... looking forward to next session which will be tomorrow due to timetable being out of whack this week... even caught up on sleep now so thats a bonus too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3, 130x1

150x3x1 Gym pb baby...

WGBP

115x5

90x15

BAM baby what a great session, short and sweet but just was so, so ON... bench was great, no niggle from forearm at all, weights felt light and even 150 which is the first time in the gym btw felt easy... I simply couldnt believe it... its like a huge switch has been thrown and war paint firmly in place... cannot wait to lift more and more now... def had more in the tank today... so freaking wrapped...

WGBP - def had a few more reps on both sets today... 115 just flew up and was thinking should have done 120... 90 felt light... almost (but not quite lol) floated off the chest... something has def changed and feeling way more on it...

bring it!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day (Sat 17 Aug 13)

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 250x3, 280x1

305x1x1+1 not locked out

done... happier about deads this week, flew up and really into the lift... all warm ups felt great and I was really focussed on getting technique and form right and speed from the floor, really ripping it up and forcing the hips through... which is why I am kicking myself hard as the first 305 flew up and felt great... went for the second and got it above my knees really easily and then it all just went to pot... just forgot to force the hips through and for the sake of an inch I missed that lock out... arrrgh... but still it was a great session till I brain farted... felt pec a little on the second attempt of the 305... fairly happy with this... last heavyish lifting for this lift now and just a light one next week... if at all... one more heavy squat and bench session to go then its on to the comp...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3, 220x1

*belt on*

235x1

250x1

265x1x2 NP (not parallel)...

bit knackered today as the mrs has been cracking the whip (no not the good kind) all weekend as her father is over for a couple of weeks from tomorrow so had to do a sh1t load of stuff round the house... once I got into the gym and under the bar though it was just like a switch had been thrown... warm ups were awesome, bar damn well flew up and a couple of times on the lighter sets I swear it left my shoulders... 235 felt comfortable which is good... 250 was a bit harder but was nice and deep and went up well... 265 however just felt not confident... should have been but as I got to above parallel I talked myself out of it both times... second attempt was better than the first though as was closer... legs are well fvcked now... hams feel sore and achey, butt is just numb lol... feel good now and its just a light loosening set next week then the comp... heavy bench on wednesday then a light deads session then the light squat/bench session and its all on baby...


----------



## Greyphantom

Hi all, been offline a few days as the mrs is off work and her dad is over visiting so spending loads of time with the family... so on with the comp write up...

Weigh in went ok, being at the venue was good on the saturday for a while to get the blood flowing a bit... as they put a timetable for lifting up on the interweb I could see that I was not lifting till about 1530 so slept in and then got up and got ready at a leisurely pace... then headed off to the venue. This time it was being run a bit differently... the three lifts were being run together for each group so squats then bench then deads all a lot quicker or closer together than normal.

Squats - warm up went ok, bit of a mis load on my last warm up though as I did 230 instead of 220 but thats ok meant I should have got a good first lift... wrong... was slightly high and thus didnt make it... nailled it on the second lift though and went for 250 for my final lift... as was going down into the hole the bar started to shift forward again as in the Europeans... this time though I didnt give in and let it stop me but basically muscled it up... prob the winner of the ugliest squat award for sure lol but I did learn a few things about getting my technique down better... so ended up with a 250kg squat...

Bench - have been feeling more confident on this for the last few weeks or so and set opener at 140 which is a lot higher than I usually do... got that easy... went for 150 for next lift... was going up but had a second where I started to grind it out when they called it and the spotters grabbed it... one of the judges though that this was too soon and I should have been left for a second or two to grind it out... but really its one of those tough calls... so went for 152.5 for next lift... didnt make that one as trying to make the arch more pronounced I didnt set right and back was cramping a bit...

Deads - warm ups went well except for the 250 which I had moved a bit away from my body so made it harder than it should have been... 280 flew up though so was happy enough... I was last up for lifting so went and sat by the door to the platform hall and just chill... bad mistake (well one among many)... got called to lift and went to stand up but didnt legs cramped massively, both V.medialis locked up and I couldnt stand or walk... fvcking agony... I managed to get them loose enough to stand and a friend helped me to the platform, was asked if I want to try it and said of course I did... missed the lift though... friend helped me off the platform and into the warm up area, another friend then pounded the sh1t out of my quads to get them working on some level and it loosened them up enough so I could walk... so I walked around till my lift... went out to the platform somewhat gingerly... made the lift! very freaking happy as meant not bombed out then set next lift for 312.5... however legs just werent in it at all... came off the floor a bit but thats all...

lessons learned - when the day runs the lifts together its best to start rehydration and cramp measures early like before squats... loads of little suggestions for me to use for technique and form and to help me lift better... oh and that when your quads cramp that much it hurts for days...

Really enjoyed the day even so... wish I could have done better but a 695 total is not too bad however I should have done better... starting training again wednesday probably as worlds are in 8 weeks so want to be spot on for those... start light and ramp up again with full accessory work in too...

didnt do what I wanted to do on the day, so a bit disappointed but so damn happy I got that deadlift done as otherwise would not have posted a total... that would have been total sh1te... lessons learned as said and now to just make sure I get some progress in...


----------



## mark_star

awesome mate, a shame didn't go to plan but take the positive and learn. Those VM cramps are bloody killers aren't they. Looking forward to seeing how you go from here onto the worlds


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> awesome mate, a shame didn't go to plan but take the positive and learn. Those VM cramps are bloody killers aren't they. Looking forward to seeing how you go from here onto the worlds


thanks matey... yeah def got to take what you can and learn... they freaking are mate, couldnt believe it... cheers...


----------



## mark_star

does me after almost every leg session, I jump up to do something and almost collapse in a heap, stairs are nightmarish


----------



## mark_star

question for you mate, what federation do you compete in, I assume they have weight classes


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> does me after almost every leg session, I jump up to do something and almost collapse in a heap, stairs are nightmarish


lol... oh on occasion I have had a bit of leg cramp too in training but not locking up on both VM like this lol...



mark_star said:


> question for you mate, what federation do you compete in, I assume they have weight classes


BPU mate affiliated with the WPC... also belong to the BPC for now and will look at competing GPC too at some stage... they have classes up to 140+


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5

200x3

Front Squats

90x5

100x2x5

GM

100x2x10

well back into it and a 7 week run up to the worlds...

Squats - legs felt fine and no problems from my lower back (giving me a bit of a niggle the last week) so thats a great thing... kept them deep and made sure technique and form were spot on... head up, elbows down and bum damn well scraping the floor... only up to 200 to make sure it went well and that everything was kept as best it could... felt fantastic tbh, oh to be squatting again, I need to get my head around lifting more though and keeping the form and tech up through the weights...

Front squats - nailed the technique today... didnt feel uncomfortable on the shoulders at all but it sure cut off my breathing lol... felt them hit the quads a lot... veins were silly after the last set and it felt difficult but not heavy... went very low and kept upright and loved them... more weight will be added...

GM - was a bit worried about my lower back on this but it felt fine... actually stretched it out I think... felt pretty light tbh but made the reps fast and continuous...

all in all a good start, going to add in sldl next week and will up the weights as I go... so good to be under the bar again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3

125x2x3

WGBP

100x9

80x12

Floor Press

80x2x6

Dips

BWx1x10, 1x9

oh god its nice to be in the gym again... niggles and all lol...

Bench - was only going to go to 110 but it felt so nice and easy that I hit 125 and was only going to do a tripple but it felt so good and easy again that I did it twice... prob should have gone for a third tripple really but I didnt... really comfortable and finding the groove again...

WGBP - need to up the weight a bit next week but felt good, pumped afterwards and can feel the chest working nicely...

FP - wobbly, very wobbly... need to relearn to control the weight and the dynamics of the floor stopping my arms then the drive up... felt good but awkward... more practice will see more weight and then more results...

Dips - felt nice, really really nice... just BW today but wanted to ease in... big pump in chest and tris now and feeling it already...

Great start to the bench day... better than I expected really and feeling really good... only concern atm is a bit of a niggle in the lower back/sciatic area but judicious use of stretching drugs and the mrs jumping up and down on me (nooooo not like that you perverts although it might help  ) has made it feel a lot better today... really starting to get hyped up for the worlds and excited about lifting... well more excited lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

6" block pulls

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5

250x3x3

Floor pulls

180x3x3

Chins

BWx1x8, 1x7

BOR

120x2x8

wow that was different...

Block pulls - well first time I have tried these and they felt a bit unusual... like them though... hits the back way differently and much more imo... back pump off these were ridiculous... 250 felt easy so will be upping the weight...

Floor pulls - after the blocks these felt very light and really easy... flew off the floor and going to have to add weight... back pump was insane and hurty...

Chins - felt ok but couldnt believe that just hanging there my lower back was sore lol... was a bit lazy if I am being honest and could have wrung out another rep or two on each set...

BOR - ok so killed my lower and mid back on the block pulls and then went big and not home by killing my upper back and traps... bit light but not by much tbh...

back totally toasted now and feels soooo good lol... really hyped up for training and the worlds now, looking to add some numbers this time round... got to work harder and smarter...


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## mark_star

that sounds immense, how high were the blocks


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> that sounds immense, how high were the blocks


it wasnt bad tbh Mark, pump was pretty intense though... blocks are 6 inches... changes the dynamic a bit but can def see/feel a carry over there...


----------



## mark_star

excellent, sounds the business, never tried blocks, perhaps one for the future.


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3

*belt on*

220x3

Front squats

100x5

110x4

110x3

thats all I had time for...

Squats - felt awesome, was not expecting them to tbh as felt off... just not into it but from the start something clicked and I loved them... nice deep and just there... 220 felt way better than I expected and I managed to get them lower than I wanted and kept the form good all the way through... head was up, back tight and chest out... felt so good...

Front squats - 100 felt great, easy in fact... 110 not so much coming out of the hole on the 4th rep first set I fell forward but managed to keep it under control to get the weight up... last set just didnt feel it as much and tbh didnt feel it as much or as well... must work on these... bar placement seems good and I dont feel any discomfort in my arms as before... elbows I could work on keeping up better through the lift I think... weight doesnt feel heavy and dept his good, feet are much closer together and I am hitting my quads much more I feel on these than back squats... esp VM...


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> excellent, sounds the business, never tried blocks, perhaps one for the future.


definitely worth a try mate... going to use them for this training period and see how the go adding some weight to my deads for the worlds...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

70x2x5, 90x5, 110x5, 125x3

135x3x1 (1 speed down, 1 up on traps and 1 feet on toes)

WGBP

110x3

80x11

Bench light

100x2x2 (1x2 speed, 1x2 traps)

100x1x1 (feet right under up on toes)

ok did some experimentation today... as per suggestions tried to do some different things to find the best way to lift the weight... tried to work on the speed I loweed the bar to my chest, the set up and getting right up on my traps and then a last shot puting my feet further back and getting up on my toes... turns out the best way for me to bench is getting up on the traps, lowering the bar quickly but not too fast and as the bar rises moving it in more of an arc rather than straight up...

Bench - 70 felt heavy... was thinking wtf... then 90 felt good, 110 felt better and 125 felt good too... 135 I wasnt going to try but thought fvck it the worlds are in 6 weeks and I really need to start moving some metal... first one was easy but hit the j hooks... second felt the most comfortable (in terms of the weight moving but not in terms of how I was on the bench, felt like my chin was driving into my chest and throat was cut off lol) and for this was up on traps feet flat and moved the bar in a slight arc off the chest... feet under and up on my toes was the hardest by far and wouldnt you know it aggravated my glute/tail bone problem... so on the traps it is...

WGBP - went too fast on this, only waited about 2 mins before jumping straight on it... freaking glute thing was killing but once started lifting sort of forgot about it... 110 was ok but I need to work on the drive more, was a bit lazy with this... 80 felt much better tbh and I was more focussed...

Extra experimental bench - did some lighter bench to see how it worked and which would be the best lifting method... speed down again, up on traps and the feet... def up on traps making sure the bar follows the arc and keeping elbows down a bit more helps a lot... this is what I will focus on in the future and will do some straight bench down sets to lock in the form... as suggested...

thats all I had time for today... loads happening in life atm and most of it to do with the kids getting back into the swing of things after school has started...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

6" block pulls

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 250x3

280x3x3

Floor pulls

200x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x1x7, 1x6

BOR

130x2x8

wooooooo man I love a good dead session...

Block pulls - warm ups were good till about 250... felt better than last week and more in tune with how they work... 250 felt a bit heavy and I was thinking wtf... then thought well 280 done or bust... first set was awesome, felt easier than the 250 warm up... second just as good and at this stage I was questioning my math skills and checked the weights... yep 280... third set of 3 was a bit harder but still easier than I expected... felt really comfortable and just powered it up... last set was slower than the first two tbf but to be expected I think... really loving these...

Floor pulls - almost fell over backwards on the first rep lol... flew up and just felt so light... kept form and technique in check for the rest of the reps and sets though... felt really good and was concentrating on speed off the floor and hips driving through... really really good on these and just so easy...

Chins - one of my old bugbears (along with dips) but felt very comfortable doing these today, even adding 10kg this week still felt them working really well and again easier than expected...

BOR - first set was a bit average as didnt really get into it, felt it working well but just wasnt really into it... ammended my thinking for the second set and what a difference... powered through the reps and just got right into it... made a massive difference... no yelling or screaming but just a change in mindset... back is p1ssed with me right now lol...

Awesome awesome workout today, no trouble at all from the glute/tailbone issue (its still there but squatting and deads dont aggravate it but making an arch on the bench did for some reason)... just felt everything working and it was such a great feeling... so on atm... and perfect timing as the kids are away tomorrow night so its just me and the mrs... and you know what that means... yep thats right loads of housework to do lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3, 130x1

140x3x1

WGBP

110x6

85x12

Bench (form/technique work)

100x5x2

Dips

BW+10kg x1x8, 1x6

Yeah baby... something that @Dig, @Tatty and Emma James said (bits from each) all came together today to click re things about my technique and form... put them together and bam... best bench session I have had ever I think...

Bench - up on traps found a way to get right up on them that is easy to repeat each time (I got up and walked around to simulate having to get up at a comp) and that didnt aggravate my niggle... then the point re getting your sternum up rather than focussing on the arch I read from Tans earlier clicked in and then I remembered something Emma said to me at the Europeans about pulling the bar down while making everything tight and the damn bar flew up... that coupled with me finding my groove or bar path made for a great session... warm ups felt lighter than usual... 140 the first rep went up easilly... second went up even better and felt just on... third was a bit more difficult but still easier than ever before... def going to lock this in now and work it hard... I have more there... a lot more...

WGBP - 110 just kicked its butt this week, last week 3 hard this week 5 easy and was going to stop but got one more out just cos fvck it  85 went up very easily and felt light...

Bench - these sets were to lock in the form and technique... just working the lift and making sure I have it all in... felt very comfortable this week... easy reps...

Dips - wasnt going to but did them anyway... felt great... ran out of gas at less reps than I wanted to or thought I would tbh but still felt really good and more power than before...

what a great workout... things that all clicked together made a hell of a difference... just felt a nice easy lift today... and may it long continue...


----------



## mark_star

wow that sounds fantastic, good on yer, look forward to seeing how far you go


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> wow that sounds fantastic, good on yer, look forward to seeing how far you go


thanks mate... yeah was a great session... hoping it continues for another 4 weeks at least... or 5 maybe


----------



## mark_star

Greyphantom said:


> thanks mate... yeah was a great session... hoping it continues for another 4 weeks at least... or 5 maybe


yeah go for the 5 :thumbup1:


----------



## Greyphantom

mark_star said:


> yeah go for the 5 :thumbup1:


that would be best as it would have me peaking the day of lifting at the comp


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

6" block pulls

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 250x3, 280x1

300x3

Floor pulls

220x5x2

Chins

BW+10kg x1x7, 1x6

BOR

140x1x6, 1x5+1p

man I knew today was going to be meh... long day at work... feeling lethargic and floopy... was going to not train till either later or tomorrow but took a preworkout and just got on with it... as it turned out it was meh...

Block pulls - first warm up set was sloppy... even the pre workout didnt really wake me up and I had to mentally b1tch slap myself... second was way better... after that it seemed like game was on... 250 felt good and 280 went up well... did a set at 300 and it felt pretty decent... little bit of pulling in the pecs but that I put down to DOMS from wed as they are pretty sore today... went to do another set of 300 but just wasnt happening, couldnt really get into it and only made it just past my knees on the first attempt... p1ss poor effort imho... skin off palms of hands, hair torn from quads so I have these two little bald runways up my legs lol... taking solace in that the first set felt pretty good...

Floor pulls - feeling knackered but got down to it... literally cos after block pulls this seems so low lol... all went pretty smoothly and the last 3 sets I changed my grip so it was the other way... pretty comfortable and no surprises here...

Chins - tbh just wasnt going to do them... at this stage it was just meh... however thought I would try it and see and managed to get the same reps out as last week although the second set was pretty hard tbf... was a bit surprised as just really tired at this stage...

BOR - oh ffs... happy enough with this... first set went up pretty decently and the second I didnt quite touch the abdomen on the last rep but it was a good enough lift... back is now in bits and really really achey all over... traps to glutes...

not sure why I am feeling so tired atm, had a decent nights sleep last night, work was busy this morning with a lot of lifting but nothing overly taxing, my daughter informs me she has a cold so hoping I dodge that one atm... still 300 for a tripple is ok I guess but must work harder next week...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Colds are killer!


I know which is why shes being kept at bay... with a long pole


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3, 220x1

*belt on*

240x1x1 (dodgy)

240x1x1+1p

Partial squats

300x3 (down about 1/3 of the way)

300x3 (down about 1/3 way)

Squats - Technique with belt

200x3x2

GM

100x2x8

SLDL

140x1x9, 1x8

oh thats it... feel knackered...

Squats - warm ups felt awesome, 220 was great and very deep, no pain at all and no niggle from the glute thing (thank you voltarol) and was much more upright as working on keeping head and chest up... 240... sigh... not sure if its me not working well with the belt or just losing concentration but it was a bit dodgy depth ok, but wobbled a bit on the way up... second set was the same really just couldnt seem to work the belt properly, could possibly be the belt was higher or just not in the same position but it felt ok tbh... tried a second rep on the second set but nope it werent going to work so bailed about half way or so...

Partials - had some damn fool in my head about how 300kg would feel across my back as never had it on my shoulders before... (prob brought about by a conversation with my daughter watching the WSM on the weekend (recording the series)... they were squatting 317.5 for reps and she asked if I thought I would squat that one day I replied of course... which started me thinking... sooooo thought will walk it out to see... then as I was out there and I had set the safeties about a third the way down thought whats a partial feel like... well its fvcking heavy... but did 3... happy enough that I thought well wonder if I can do another... so did... it was heavier... but now got me thinking that I might just keep lowering the safeties each week and see how that goes... really feeling my legs about then too...

Belt tech squats - right since I felt awkward on the 240 singles (and a fail) I thought got to see if I cant get the belt working better for me or at least me more used to the belt... so just whacked out 3 sets of 2 at 200 with a belt... nice and deep too which felt good and I concentrated on getting all my air into the belly and pushing against my belt all the way around and staying tight etc... felt really good... do need to work on speed of descent for the heavy sets though as I think this plays a part too... need to descend faster into the hole to get that stretch reflex working for me...

GM - woooot felt great... first time in a while I could do these without my glute/lower back falling off... nice even sets and my lower back didnt even really complain...

SLDL - oh yeah... feeling my hams and posterier chain working... god thats good... not a niggle here either, in fact if anything it felt really good... bit light on the weight atm but will up that as I go...

squats seem to be hard work atm and I am just re-working everything to find why or where I am going wrong... going to use the belt more in the coming weeks as I am not sure I am using it enough to make it as effective as it should be... 220 feels great and not that hard, put the belt on and 240 feels like I have added 80kg and not 20... maybe I should start squatting without a belt as well lol... now THAT would be raw raw...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench Day

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3, 130x1

150x1x1, 1xf

WGBP

115x4

90x12

Bench technique

100x6x2

Dips

BW+20kg x1x7+1p, 1x6

Mixed bag today...

Bench - Was more worried about remembering to set up properly than weight lifted today but it went well... up on traps and sternum well up legs nice and tight to get that drive and bum on bench... all good... warm ups were really really easy... 130 flew up like it was 100... that was awesome soooo thought lets not p1ss around just whack on 150... first rep was great, traps, sternum and legs all worked well, line was really good and it went up nicely... second rep kinda fell apart... was overthinking things and concentrating on traps and sternum too much forgot legs and then as I was driving up line went to sh1t and hit the j hooks... safeties were there, phew... left it there but happy with the first... still a little work to do on technique and esp thinking or not thinking about all the bits instead of focussing too much on just one or two points...

WGBP - nice sets these... was hoping for 5 on 115 but happy enough with 4, next week will do more... 90 felt really light and just flew till the last rep or two... hit my damn hand on the j hook when racking the bar... that stings... but no lasting damage...

Tecnique work - loved them... working on line more and getting it all working together as it failed on the heavy set... making it more natural and almost automatic... 100kg feels so light now and I had to smile as when I first started lifting all those years ago I could barely do the bar... now pushing out 6 sets of 2 at 100kg was nothing... after speaking with the boss though there is a bit of a change up... next week will hit 115 for singles every 30s... thats going to be challenging...

Dips - big surprise of the day here... was going to go up to 15kg extra, but lately I have felt there is more in me and I think I am p1ssing about a bit when it comes to adding weight... so thought sod it and added 20kg... felt great... in fact reps were smooth and strong... think this is a pb for me but next week will surely be when I add a bit more weight...

def need to concentrate on the tech more and make sure all the points are working together... need to come down the bench a tad more so when I drive the bar up I dont hit the uprights or j hooks... and need to pull my head out my ar$e ala @AHF advice a while back to get more weight moving... but positive today... 4 weeks tomorrow is my lifting at the worlds... I will be ready...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads...

6" block pulls

120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 250x3, 280x1, 300xfvckity fvck fvck...

what a crappity day its been... was feeling a bit excited about training but a bit knackered as well... too a pre workout (UXB stuff from MT) and it kicked in and felt ok... first warm ups were great... hams felt a bit tight and lower back was pumped to hell but weight moved well and easily... 300 just made school boy rookie errors and couldnt get it back... technique mistakes were just silly... hips too low knees/legs not coming up same rate as hips and hit my knees on way up... till then the bar was flying up... fvcking hurt when I hit them but still tried to pull it with just brute force forward and over my knees... nope... after this just couldnt get it back... tbh its been a ****ty couple of days and wondering if one is affecting the other more... wed was great... should have skipped thu altogether I think... sigh... still will call this a rest week and hit it next week... get my numbers and then so more heavy deads till the comp...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU - 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x3, *belt on* 220x1

240x3x1

Partials

300x2x2

GM

120x1x8, 1x7

SLDL

160x1x9, 1x8

finito... wow... just wow what a difference a few days of getting your head on and recovering make... sweat my **** off friday night, bed was like a pool and pillow had to be wrung out, then felt a bit groggy in the AM but by PM way better... Sunday felt so much more alert and with it and then hunger... man it hit like a freight train... just was always hungry... and to top it off with some big fat chocolate icing today my glute/lower back issue has vanished... not just got better but not even there anymore (note touching wood (no not that kind you pervs) as I speak/type) and it feel sooooooo much better...

Squats - forgot to put belt on till last warm up (oopsy) but warm ups rocketed and felt awesome... just so much better and tighter than last week... way more alert and kept back tighter and more upright with chest out... 220 felt good with the belt and was really concentrating on making the use of the belt... 240 felt so much better than last week too... 1st two were nice and deep, but last one was only about parallel I believe, maybe a touch below but felt about there... also found that I tend to be more forward on my feet than prev, this could be in reponse to the glute issue but this was corrected today and imo it made the squat feel better and gave me more control... love them... made me feel ouch but looooved them...

Partials - reading an article that discusses the benefits behind working to a new max using partial squats and its making some sense, sort of like board presses for bench or block pulls for deads... still felt freaking heavy and I set the safeties a hole lower on the rack... wow, much harder, and its worse when you hit the bar on one side but not the other, nearly freaking lost it completely but managed (still dont know how) to get it under control and re rack on the 2nd rep first set... second set felt better but hard...

GM - fvck me is all I can say... felt great, stretch in the glutes, lower back pumped to sh1t and over all wow... had to actually actively stretch out my lower back between sets... really worked well today...

SLDL - damn these had me twitching... couldnt sit, couldnt stand, couldnt move, couldnt be still... legs just dancing on their own... must do these before going to a club next time so it looks like I have some sort of rythym 

legs and lower back are totally fried, legs have just stopped being numb and now hurt a lot... deep ache and its a good feeling... posterior chain feels frazzled but in a good way, its been worked well today and its like a jolt of electricity... feel so much more awake and alive... time to eat again soon and looking forward to it, just chicken escalope sandwiches and some apple struddle but man looking forward to it... prob two struddels tbh


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> These days are necessary because you come back with something to prove and ultimately come back stronger. Don't worry too much.


yeah mate def...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x1 *belt on* 220x1

240x1

250x1(np)

250x1

Partials

300x1x4, 1x3

GM

130x7

SLDL

180x7

well havent bothered updating as its been a mare the last week or so... been a bit unwell... appetite has been up and down and has some personal stuff to deal with... body was aching all over last week and over the weekend but had some hot baths which sorted it and it seems to be all aboard and on track again (touches wood)...

Squats - oh felt so much better this week... warm ups went well and belt felt great today... found a good position and put a little weight on round the middle I think (or just tightened due to position) and it was good... 220 felt easy, 240 went well and so I though lets just add 10kg to see... first 250 was a bit of a shambles as half way down I let one rip and had a split second to decide to abort to see if I had sh1t myself or just keep going and sod the consequences... I aborted... but all was clear and I managed to do another that was better... 

Partials - wow felt heavy and it seems I couldnt quite get the balance right... kept hitting one side or the other rather than both at once when I was going down to the safeties... dead after these sets but felt a good dead...

GM - just the one set as running out of time and thinking I might just drop a set or two with only two weeks to go... felt tough but good... only managed 7 but will get more weight or reps or both next week...

SLDL - wow these felt hard this week... was blowing a gasket at the end and pretty much just staggered back to the bench to sit, then had to move around cos my hams, glutes and back was just in bits and wanted to be moved... felt really good though...

so glad it went well... hoping that tomorrow bench goes the same and then deads are similar on fri...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3, 130x1

140x3x1

WGBP

115x1x5

90x12

Bench Technique

115x5x1 (30 secs between each)

Dips

BW+20kg x1x8, 1x5+1p

Bit of a mixed bag psych wise today...

Bench - all warm ups felt really good 130 flew up and felt good... I shouldnt have tried it but thought I would go 150 but it wasnt working... dropped to 140 and they flew up... in fact on the first rep my foot slipped as I was pressing and I still managed to press it fine... sigh... still better than I thought I would be...

WGBP - felt good and strong... prob could have done an extra rep on the 90 but stopped it there to save some for the next exercise which is a new one... sort of...

Technique - at the suggestion of @Dig we are trying something new... a number of singles with a 30 sec break between each where I have to reset my form each time to get into the habit of getting into that set up each time... weight is up and reps down... managed to get 5 before technique started breaking down too much... pretty happy with this, and its harder than I thought...

Dips - wasnt expecting too much from this as its been a couple of weeks since I have done them but they were actually really good... first set felt awesome, strong and strict... second was harder but still really good...

bit miffed I couldnt get 150 when I should be able to... at least in my mind but then its been a couple of weeks since I have felt right up for training tbh... and 140 did fly up quite well so I should be happy I havent taken too big a step back... all other exercises were really good though and made up for it a bit... however its the bench that counts on the platform but hoping that as I am back into it its going to pick up quickly... deads tomorrow... first time in a couple of weeks I have felt well up for them too... lets see where it goes...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads (from floor)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 280x1

300x1

Deads (technique/speed)

220x5x1 (up to a min between each rep or so)

Chins

BW+20kg x1x5, 1x4+1p

BOR

140x1x8, 1x7

Woah... what a difference a week or so makes... way more energy, way more up for it... felt totally different workout today...

Deads - warm ups flew up, felt so good and smooth... big difference to last week or the week before... 210 felt so easy, 250 flew up and 280 went smooth and well... 300 was also very smooth but by no means easy... nor was it too hard and it felt good... very very happy, I do wish I had another week of heavy before the worlds tbh as I am just now getting back into my stride but that is now it for deads...

Deads (tech/speed) - set weight at 220 and it felt about right... every time the clock changed the min number I did another rep... kept it fast and smooth... working the hips through at the top as hard as I could... went well and felt great...

Chins - added 20kg to my bodyweight today and I actually got a few reps out... big PB for me here and it felt really good... starting to love these...

BOR - wow felt my upper back on fire... still hurting now but in a good way... kept the pull all the way to the top and made sure to pull through the elbows...

God this week felt good and was a huge difference from the last two weeks... really feeling like I am getting back into the swing of it now and even though it might be a bit late I am feeling way more up for lifting in two weeks now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 200x1, *belt on* 220x1

240x2x1

GM

140x6

SLDL

190x7

just a quick one today... wanted to at least hit my opener and maybe add a cheeky few kg...

Squats - warm ups were awesome, felt way more stable and went a bit deeper on each just to make sure and lock that feeling in... 220 went up like a rocket nice and straight... 240 was really good this week... first rep was very deep which I was thrilled at and the second was a few inches below parallel... much better feel and kept it much tighter... left it there, was going to go a bit heavier but going to leave it in the tank I think... just make sure I nail the technique like today next week and it should be ok...

GM - wow felt a bit heavy today but good, once done I was actually staggered, but after a few mins of just chilling my back and posterior felt pretty good...

SLDL - felt pretty decent today, even with the weight increase it wasnt that much harder than last week and in fact I think if I had really pushed would have got another rep or maybe even two out... maybe... legs were all jittery after this and just couldnt sit still nor stand really either... sigh...

Good last squat workout... feeling much better about it all now and hoping its going to go even better on the day... bench tomorrow (or thu at latest) and we shall see how prepared I am... starting to really feel things kicking in now which is nice as two weeks ago it was pretty much time at the bar... just wasnt feeling the energy and now its like something has been switched on full blast...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Your cold and any lingering germs may have left your system and you're feeling the benefits of that now? I slept 13 hours and then a nap on the couch this afternoon so something is either working on me or I am run down a bit. Gym tomorrow


thats probably the case mate... I have read that the russians infected their lifters with a cold a few days before a meet in the old days which apparently super charged their systems and made them lift better... could be just hogwash though


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

bench only

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3

130x1

thats it... nice and light and really tasty... 130 went up really easy so fairly pleased with that... going to leave it at that and make a d on my opener in the next few days... squat and deads openers set pretty much but been having problems with bench lately... seem to have found a good position on the bench and a nice groove for the bar to follow but feels like I struggle above 130... well maybe not struggle but have difficulties... anywho... thats it a week off and just rest and recover...


----------



## Greyphantom

WPC 2103 World Champs Prague

Right a bit more of a write up... this will probably be as boring as fvck so just skip the long paragraph and look for numbers to see how I did... or didnt as the case may be 

Flew out wed morning early... the tuesday I weighed in at 108 and felt actually pretty decent... wed woke feeling good and the trip to Prague was good... missed the first weigh in so hung around till 3 and went in to register and weigh in... for some reason I had lost a few kg and weighed in at 104.5kg... the lightest I have been really but I had done nothing to cut weight at all and in fact was eating some seriously sh1t food for calories and loads of carbs etc the day before... go figure... watched the lighter weight classes do their thing and saw the UK team get some great results... ate and ate and drank loads of water too... rested up and had an early night...

Up early to get down to the lobby to see what the daily schecule would be and found that instead of starting at 0930 I was now starting at 1430... so had a few plates of brekkie and then went back to bed... got up around 10 and got my stuff together and wandered down to the warm up room... one of the other chaps who was there was helping me out for the day so he was there as well... was still feeling pretty good at this stage and I started my pre lifting regime on time eating a banana and getting some diarlyte in me... started warming up with squats and felt awesome... 60, 100, 140 all felt so easy and loads of spring from the bottom, nice and deep and felt strong... 180 is where the crap happened... down in the hole I felt something give in my quad round my IT band... could not believe it and felt my heart sink... got my helper to stand behind me in case I couldnt get the weights up (no straps on the monos in the warm up room that day) and tried 200... felt ok but leg was just not 100%... tried 220 and it was wobbly... leg was very painful but I could do it... wasnt happy but as I was at the worlds I took a hot cup of mtfu and just lowered my opener to 220... all I could do was wait and see...

Squats

220 - No lift

230 - Good lift

240 - No lift

first lift took the bar and it felt really good, felt light tbh and thought nice, went down into the hole and tried powering out and leg didnt give me too much trouble but it certainly didnt help... however I thought it was ok but was told not deep enough... 230 came and I went out (set at 230 as thought 220 was feeling light I might as well kill myself to try and get something ok in) set up and bam baby got 3 whites... up to 240 (was thinking 250 but at this stage I was pretty sure I wouldnt get that tbh) and set up again felt good but was given 3 reds and no lift as was too high...disappointed but happy as I was on the board and on to bench... (vids are not coming out properly on youtube so will work that out and see if I can get them posted... they are just all green and blue shmush at the moment)...

Bench

130 - Good lift

140 - Good lift

150 - No lift

bench felt ok actually... dont really get a lot of leg drive going so leg didnt pose a problem... first two felt really good and 140 went up really well... 150 lowered, got the press command and went to drive up, got it 3/4 way up and left arm just fell... so no lift there...

Deads

300 - Good lift

312.5 - No lift

312.5 - No lift

sigh... managed to get one of the team members to give me some magic leg manipulation... told me it was a spasm something or other and he got it to to the point where it felt much better... started warming up and it felt good... went up to 280 and that felt easy enough, was told it went up really well so 300 will be kept as the opener... managed to scrape my shin though and get my new socks all bloody... and rip one of the calluses on my hand but chalk covered that... out to the platform and found we had to wait for a while before lifting... they were running a bit late... sigh... just focussed and prepared and when it was my turn went up and pulled... felt a bit harder than I expected to be honest... thought would try 312.5 to see how if it would go... not so much really... bit disappointed... tried it again but even worse... was fvcked by this stage... just wanted to eat and sleep...

got changed, ate, drank and watched a bit more lifting... went up to find out where I had come and got told 8th... was really happy with that as I was just hoping to crack the top 10... so only 670 total but loads learned and things spotted that I need to work on some... will take a day or two to have a think and work out what my next plan will be and then work towards bettering myself... may seek some outside input on this too... probably will in fact... feeling a bit deflated atm tbh, but thats something I feel after a comp most times tbh... leg is still sore but much better thanks to the magic fingers of the chappie that manipulated it... was really sore friday and saturday but by sunday had started to ease out... really tired too but that could be cos I had a couple of late nights having a few drinkies with some of the others and only getting about 3 or 4 hours sleep a night... right then onward and upward now...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> That's the exciting part - so much more to come and spending the time putting together a new plan of attack. Well done again, very impressive numbers.


thanks mate... started training again today... felt so awesome and the smell of my gym was like freaking heaven lol


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

*belt on*

200x3x3

thats all... lower back is a bit tender atm (always happens if I go a period of time without training tbh) and just want to ease into it atm, going to start training to the rule of threes lol... 3 sets of 3 and then up weights for now...

Squats - felt really good... oh so good... all warm ups felt easy and really good... 70 and 120 just sprung up out of the hole and felt like nothing... 160 felt good and strong but could feel my lower back tweaking a little... 200 for 3 sets of 3 was the goal this week and managed those easily... just felt so good being under the bar again... nice and easy to get back into it and will add some assistance work next week... legs feeling pretty toasted thought tbh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5

110x3x3

WGBP

110x5

80x15

short and sweet... unlike me.... or so I am told...

Bench - nice easy session tbh, I didnt expect 110 to feel as easy as it did... fricking flew up off the chest like a fat bloke running for the pastry shop... really happy as its never felt so easy...

WGBP - again felt this really really well... almost felt like my pecs were elastic bands and they just sprang the weight up from the bottom... felt the muscle working incredibly well and really really happy here too...

just light stuff to ease me back in and tbh to get my enjoyment quotient up in lifting again, no set targets or goals as yet but loving the lifting for the sake of lifting...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x3

*belt on*

210x3x3

thats it, was going to do front squats and sldl but it took me 10 mins to stop wanting to throw up a further 5 to stand and take the weights off then went inside had a lucosade and proceeded to sleep for 30 mins... wtf...???

all squats felt really good, 210 was comfortable enough but the last set was particularly taxing and got the nausea flowing... I brought my stance in a bit too to see how it felt and it was good, much better than I expected tbh... legs certainly feeling it right after training and all my glutes and hams are buzzing, quads just getting doms now ffs... had a thumping headache after too... that took a few mins to recede but is all good now and I am actually feeling jazzed after my kip... going to do a proper full session next week as cant be doing this truncated sh1t for proper training...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 105x3

115x3x3

WGBP

115x3

90x10

Dips

BW+15kg x 2x4

ok day, chest feeling it now...

Bench - feeling really good on these atm... form and technique seem to be good and feeling a good groove... weights light enough to be comfortable but heavy enough to feel the movement... almost feels like my chest is an elastic band that drives the weight up atm...

WGBP - feeling this one today for some reason. only managed 3 and then 10 which was a bit disappointing but still better than a hot knife in the testes... felt good enough in terms of the lift just feeling it shouldnt have felt as heavy... still progress will be made...

Dips - bit disappointed with these tbh... expected more reps but just couldnt quite get the 5th out on either set... first set felt a tweak in my upper back neck area but second set it was fine, only a slight ache there now...

Overall ok and certainly the bench felt easy enough, more work to be done and will add in some more exercises next week... still a very fluid idea of a program atm but solidifying as I go...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlifts

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5

210x3x3

Chins

BW+15kg x1x4, 1x3+1p

BOR

120x1x8, 1x7

Short and sweet... felt really good too...

Deads - first time back doing these after the worlds... no problems at all felt very light and went up fast enough... working on technique and speed... full stop each time... feels like coming home... 

Chins - expected these to be a bit tough... still felt ok considering... dead hang to near hitting the ceiling (just above the top of the rack) and felt good along the lats...

BOR - actually did better than expected on these today... didnt feel it much at first but then it hit me a few seconds after finishing the set... love these...

happy enough but must work better... going to add some bits in next time pulley rows and bicep curls I think...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x3

*belt on*

215x2x3, 1x2

Front Sq

100x2x3

GM

100x2x5

SLDL

130x2x6

good session today...

Squats - everything up to and incl 190 felt light and went flying up, stance was again no more than shoulder width as trying something out... felt very good and comfortable... widened the stance a little for the 215 sets but not that much, not as much as platform lifting anyway... 215 was pretty decent... felt comfortable enough and on the last set I only did 2 as on the 2nd rep I went forward for some reason, think focus was lost on the way up as I was prematurely giving myself a "hell yeah" as it was such a nice couple of reps on the last set... that will learn me for sure... mind on the game, something I tell my kids all the time dammit... still felt comfy enough and pleased with depth, multi rep sets are a b1tch though hey 

FSq - trying 100 and it was light... technique felt way better and bar rested much more comfortably on the delts and arms were not stressed/stretched so that is a good thing... will put the weight up and keep pushing it making sure the form and technique is worked hard...

GM - pretty easy tbh... feeling a bit knackered by this stage but ploughed on and it felt good... upping the weight is a must here...

SLDL - well if GM were easy this was just too easy... def need more weight and while I felt it well enough much more weight can be added... will still try to keep it to tripples as part of the plan but weight will be added...

Great little workout today... feeling it well and feel great after... legs a bit sore now but not as bad as previous weeks... not sure if its a sad thing but was so happy to go to the dungeon to lift today, right excited too lol... sigh yes my life is that boring


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 105x3

117.5x3x3

WGBP

115x5

90x11

ShP

40x8

50x6

Dips

BW+15kg x1x6, 1x4

job done...

Bench - still feeling good, just really trying to get that form/technique nailed and the same every lift... not feeling too heavy which is a surprise even the last set of 3 on the top weight is still well do-able... still get a little bit of wobble in the lift from time to time but its progressing...

WGBP - felt much better this week and at 115 I almost stopped at 4 but felt I could get at least one more out so pushed it harder and voila... thinking I may have been able to get a 6th but tbh not sure... 90 felt ok but man the chest was bombed after...

ShP - never had much luck with this as its another weak area... starting off light and seeing how far I can go... shoulders felt ok but got a little cramp in my mid back... didnt stop the lifting though... actually felt easier than I expected...

Dips - hmmm note to self dont set the bar higher than usual else youll clock yourself on the head on the top bar of the rack sigh... still went better than last week... only had about a mins break between the two sets when I normally have about 3... made the second set a bit harder but good...

overall going well atm... hopefully can keep it going till the new year when I start my next run up to my next comp...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

230x3x3

Chins

BW+15kg x1x5, 1x4+1p

BOR

130x2x7

BC (oly bar)

50x1x7, 1x6

not a bad session and went through pretty quick...

Deads - still aiming for speed and power... felt pretty easy and light which was nice... even on the last set it felt like the bar was never going to stop going up... tried getting a little more revved up as per some advice and tbh felt a bit of a dick lol... not sure if it had any effect or not as the weight is still pretty light... will see how it goes when I am trying 290 for 3 tripples 

Chins - felt a bit better this week but can tell I have taken some time off these as they feel harder than they should... still happy enough and def feel it in my lats... they are "soring up" as I type 

BOR - still feeling a bit light but reps are good and pretty controlled... really feeling it across my upper back and its a good feeling... going to push these a bit now as need to develop more upper back strenght and also will add pulley rows...

BC - first time in ages done these... only did 50kg but think I will use an EZ bar as the oly bar seemed to strain my elbow a bit... felt good but and not that heavy... heavy enough to make my arms feel it though lol...

still easy days yet but going well... going to look at adding some power cleans after deads to get a better pull going... program is coming together... loving training again and cannot wait till the next session...

on a side note, flaming laptop died yesterday... so will have to get a new one... @Little Simon, @simon you guys are fairly techy... looking at this acer e something or other, two different versions one an i5 64bit and the other an i7 I guess a 32 bit as it doesnt say otherwise both look good... any diff in the i's or do you have another recommendation (in fact if anyone can point out a good laptop for around 500 or under feel free...) right on to the night... and maybe a port... or two


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x3

*belt on*

220x1x2, 1x1

Front squats

120x1x1

thats it... felt a bit off today, rough night last night... mrs bleating in my ear just as we went to bed (why do women feel the need to bring up subjects they feel serious right before you sleep and want to talk about it for lengths of time??) and then a rough nights sleep with some weird dreams didnt help...

Squats - warm ups felt great... much closer stance and it feels pretty good tbh... top set was going well but on second rep first set felt a twinge in my left side back and leg... tried a second but it wasnt any better... isnt really sore as such but its noticeable... so left it there...

Front squats - well in my finite wisdom I thought if back squats hurt lets try fronties... yeah not so well either... didnt feel heavy and technique/form felt good enough... just left side didnt want to play...

def need to see my massage girl... something may be pinching or twisting or something... left left lower back felt a bit numb and tingly after but its coming right now, going to do some stretching and stuff to ease it out... been a long week already and its only wednesday...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 105x3

120x3x3

WGBP

115x4

90x10

ShP

50x7

60x2+1p

Dips

BW+15kg x1x6, 1x4+1p

that is all...

Bench - felt really good today, didnt expect it tbh as week has been just one big pile of poo... warm ups went well and felt solid, first two sets at 120 felt really comfortable and quicker than I expected too, last set was a bit more oomph but still not a problem... happy with that

WGBP - probably hurried a bit much through this today... felt great across the chest but I wimped out of the last rep on the 115 and then the 90 I kept hitting the j hooks... line was just a little out... still went up ok and felt fine enough...

ShP - 50 felt really good, easy and reps went quick... 60 was a bit harder and on the 3rd rep I over arched my back and felt it... didnt hurt it or anything but just wasnt tight enough... shoulders feel good but left is more tired than the right...

Dips - really tucked my elbows back today and felt it in my tris way more... when I stopped the set my tris felt on fire... not doing as many as I want but slowly slowly...

good workout today... hopefully means the start of a good weekend... got a few bottles of port in just in case


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads (Sat 07 Dec 13)

Deadlifts (2" deficit)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

250x3x3

Chins

BW+15kg x1x5, 1x4

BOR

140x2x7

EZcurl

60x2x5

wow... great session but tough...

Deads - felt really good but on the first set on top weight right pec pulling again... switched grip and it felt much better and surprisingly as strong the other way which hasnt been the case in the past... well pleased that strength didnt fade over the sets and still felt good and strong on the last set... weight shifted well, working on speed from floor and getting a better start for the pull...

Chins - felt a bit tougher than normal but have put on a few kg in the last few weeks gaining weight back but also did these a lot sooner after deads than normal... was trying to push through a little faster... need to focus on these more, might add in a set or two to keep them working and get the technique and form down better...

BOR - felt really good, still got more weight to add to these... last rep or two on last set might be a bit ropey but overall really nice work... got to hit these harder too as need to build more upper back strength I reckon...

EZcurls - did these this week instead of straight as my forearm/elbow was hurting last week and this week nada, was good to go and nary a twinge, tweak or awful fvcking pain 

Wow... went through a bit faster than normal, finished all in about 40-45 mins and still have doms today... got to add in power cleans after deads I think... something to help with the speed off the floor...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x3

thats it... felt really good doing the lighter lifts and have brought my stance in quite a bit, feels pretty good tbh... 190 felt light and got a great lift for each rep but top of glute was tingling and leg started feeling a bit numb again... no where near as bad as last week... but still enough to make me back off for now... funnily enough didnt feel it at all doing deads but think its to do with the angle and position I put my hips and glutes in when squatting... still next week should see me good enough to do a normal session... apart from that I feel pretty good...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Excellent stuff. EZ curls are really beneficial I find.


cheers mate, yeah I find them better on my forearms and elbows... strengthen up the tendons and soft tissue and straight bar should be no problem


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3

122.5x3x3

WGBP

115x4

90x11

ShP

40x5

60x3+1p

60x4

Dips

BW+15kg x1x7, 1x3+1p

Dislocations

bar x3x15

not a bad session tbh, felt good and really worked well...

Bench - another slight increase on the weight this week... still felt pretty good... form and technique really coming on more naturally now which is great, weight shifted quickly and smoothly so thats also good... feels more comfortable getting into position now, when I get it right it feels in the right groove...

WGBP - 115 felt pretty heavy this week... but right across the chest... loved the feeling and 90 was just light... till the last rep lol...

ShP - man I need to relearn balance here... first 3 on first set went up well... last I stalled on and it was mainly me talking myself out of it as at the top I was going back... and back... and back... but didnt topple lol... second set was far better in terms of form and technique and weight was moving much faster... balance better but still not great tbh... sigh always something...

Dislocations - oh yeah these are back and feeling awesome as always... really loosen up the shoulders and stretch the chest... much needed as the left shoulder in particular has been feeling tight... just the metal bar weighing about 7.5kg atm but will add some weights when its less difficult...

all in all a good session... pretty happy with the progress, slow but steady and will be adding some more bits in over the coming months till I start training for the march comp... feeling good about it atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok two reports in one here...

Sat 14 Dec 13

Deads

feeling a bit iffy as the back/leg problem was not great... and as was going out with the fam to celebrate the kids birthdays (yep 3 days apart) was just going to do deads...

WU

120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

260x1+1p, 1x1

not happy, was going for 3x3 but just couldnt fire the glutes and left quad properly... no power or drive really and leg was feeling numb again... also a bit sore after... sigh... very disillusioned but fvck all I can do... well apart from stretch which I did a lot of and man it hurt, swear I could feel some bits moving and cracking into place...

Wed 18 Dec 13

Squats

WU

70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3,

190x3

thats it left it there... I am just fvcking falling apart... first the glute/leg is iffy (but feeling loads better now) and then the freaking shoulder goes and I have no idea what caused that...

squats themselves felt really good, was only going to stick with lighter word today as didnt want to aggravate the glute/leg thing and it didnt, in fact not a whisper today from training, little bit of a niggle there now but just a hint and not over such a large area (not saying I have a fat ar$e or anything lol)... stance narrow again and deep as I could go... felt awesome the 190 went up much faster than last week and much easier too...

shoulder was really really sore yesterday... started feeling it monday and then from yesterday morning it progressively got worse and worse... took some voltarol and doubled my cissus intake and today its much much better... not sure if its a tendon thing or just a swelling where the side delt inserts into the clavicle or whatever... but was NOT happy hence me sitting around with my head up my harris wallowing in self pity... still cant stay like that for long so thought fvck it squats will cure or kill... just keep it light and basic... see how bench goes tomorrow and then deads friday as we are off to the xmas markets in brussels on sat so cant do it then... now feeling much better about it all... quick and very basic on squats but its helped my mood no end... be back to normal service next week...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench and Deads combo day

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3

125x2x3

Deads (speed)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5

200x5x3

finito... today was the first day since tue I have not had any voltarol for my shoulder and my back has been feeling pretty decent... was humming and harring about bench but thought would just go up till I could feel my shoulder... might not make my top sets but at least its something... (top set this week was 125 btw)...

Bench - warm ups felt good... no twinging or groaning from shoulder... fast and powerful (at least they felt it lol)... did 110 and tbh it felt a bit heavy... loaded the 125 a bit apprehensively and got under the bar... was ready to dump it on the safeties if I felt anything from the shoulder... first set was awesome, felt very good and lighter than 110 tbh... think my position was better and technique was sharper... shoulder felt good while doing it but after a bit tight... thought what the hell lets try another... second set as good as the first but this time shoulder was a bit more tight so left it there... really happy with how easy it felt though...

Deads - just a light session today as I wanted to work on my speed and getting the hips through... all felt really really good, humping the bar like a good one and could feel everything working as it should... glutes/leg thing seems to be on the mend if not fully mended... 200 flew up and did a quick 5 sets of 3 finished feeling very satisfied...


----------



## MRSTRONG

How's things mate ?


----------



## Greyphantom

ewen said:


> How's things mate ?


hey buddy... things starting to go well again, injuries seem to have healed well enough now and training is feeling good... life in general is pretty decent atm... got some ppi repaid so that helped this time of the year... oh and can you text me your number mate as lost all the contacts in my phone cos its (I'm) stupid  keep meaning to call Steve re the gym bud but been busy... prob wont do that till after xmas now... if you see him prod him to get back to me...  Hope all is well with you matey...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Morning = how are you today? I'm back at it now and loving it!


Hey buddy, started back new years eve... so now all the silly season crap is over can devote the time to lifting again... time to shine matey...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats (31 Dec 13)

Squat (narrow stance)

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 190x3

210x1

*belt on*

210x1

Front Squat

120x2x2

just a quick one but really needed to do it as has been about a million years since last session (well it felt like it lol) just so damn busy with the family and the festive season... every time I went to train the mrs came up with something else to get done or to do "as a family" so that meant I had to put my stuff on the back burner... probably a good thing as it gave me a week to rest and stuff...

Squats - felt great... then got to 210 and forgot to put my belt on and remembered as I started to do the rep... dammit... threw me off a bit... the narrow stance is taking a bit to get used to as its hitting me differently to the wider squat... feels really good doing it though...

Front sq - felt much better in terms of form... lost it a little on second rep of first set and it hurt the forearm a bit, but did a second couple (stupidly or not as forearm is a bit sore today) and they felt even better and managed to keep it on my shoulders right this time, but need more flex in the arms...

not bad but room for improvement... going to keep the narrower stance in I think as it feels like its doing more and better... now that the silly season is over I can get back to normal training and progress... bring on 2014...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 90x5, 110x3

125x3x2

WGBP

110x5

90x12

ShP

bar x loads

50x2x6

Dips

BW+15kg x1x6, 1x4

Dislocations

bar x3x15

good day training today... didnt expect much and did ok considering...

Bench - still really finding my position each time I lie down to bench... hitting it way more than missing it now which is nice... 125 went up well which is not usual after two weeks, usually bench is the fastest and first to go...

WGBP - felt great, working on speed and it seems to be working decently...

ShP - again felt oddly good and not hard which is again unusual as my pressing movements are always the first to decline... however not looking a gift horse and will just keep on keeping on...

Dips - felt good but could and should be doing better here... must work on getting these back up to where they were a few weeks ago...

over all a good workout and even though it went pretty well I still need to work on a few things... starting to work on speed in the lift and it seems to have some pay off... shoulder feeling pretty good and forearm held up fine after the mishap on front squats the other day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads (2" deficit)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x3

230x4x3

Chins

BW+15kg x1x3, 1x3+1p

BOR

130x2x7 (second set straps on)

bit of an earlier session than planned... mrs made plans to do something then changed them so I could have trained later but went on anyway as had my can of monster...

Deads - first set felt a bit heavier than it should... thought wtf then second set flew... all good to the top set when the first one felt awkward again and the next three sets felt awesome... did them from a 2 inch def and felt fine, just need to trust in my body knowing what to do and not overthink it... something a wise man said to me... (smug git  )

Chins - grip was a bit of a problem today, forearms were sore and palms stinging... but the chin bars were wet with condensation so that added some excitement... went ok but low reps that need to move up... felt good enough doing them...

BOR - felt really good, first set grip started going... straps on for second and it went fine...

pretty decent session today, still light but working the speed aspect of the lifts and once my head was out my **** it went well...

in some other news I have now joined Team Dig and Neil Deighton will be coaching me... the man knows his stuff and has the record to back it up... he has helped me a lot (for free) over the last year or so and has helped me reached my biggest totals... I know he will help me to even better lifting... cannot wait and best yet he will be lifting on the same platform at the same comp... at a lighter weight cos he isnt as fat as me


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Excellent news! It'll be interesting to see how things change (if at all) and how you feel it's impacting the lifts. Good stuff. Where would be good to get a decent lifting belt from by the way? 125kg deads without are touch and go for me and my last one is too small now


yeah mate pretty stoked and cant wait to see where it will take me...

best place for me is either the strength shop or house of pain (in the states) for an inzer belt 4 inch 10mm thick... I am lucky though cos the mrs heads to the states every couple of months or so and I just get her to pick my stuff up direct from inzer or HOP with no post or customs


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats....

before I write this up I would like to point out that I really do love Dig, his level of knowledge and helpfulness are simply unbounded.... that being said fvck you Dig!!!

Squats

70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5

200x2x6

180x2x5

Front squats

115x1x2, 1x1+1p

SLDL

170x2x6

holy sh1t... holy holy HOLY sh1t... I thought hmmm that doesnt seem like much... should be doable... pfffffft

Squats - truth be told I was a bit nervous when Dig sent the program through... 200 for 6 I havent done let alone 2 sets... but he is the man and what he says I follow... try to follow... cry when following... well you get the idea... warm up sets were really really good, felt easy and lighter than ever... first set of 200 went far better and easier than expected but tbh there was some gassing at the end and a little hint of sparkles and nausea... second 200 was also pretty decent and didnt feel as hard as expected but loads more gassing and loads more nausea... in fact had to remove the belt so I didnt hurl and could breath... at this stage was thinking how the hell am I going to do 2 sets at 180... but once breathing had eased got up and did them... similar results to the 2nd set of 200 though... legs were actually feeling numb by now... I didnt leave as much time between the sets... getting up at 4 mins instead of 5 to do the next set... this impacted recovery time... think it was just excitement or nerves or poss both so I didnt want to wait but just get on with it... this impacted fronties...

Front Squats - by this stage I didnt really thing I could do another squat... of any kind, hell even going to the toilet I was considering just doing it right there... but up to do the first set... got 2 ok but then legs got some severe shakes, had to stop to hold myself up... not used to this "much" work... second set first rep went ok... second not so much legs again just stopped working... no cramps or uncomfortable feelings just didnt want to do what I told them...

SLDL - heavier than I remember this weight for sure but got out both sets comfortably and fairly easily... first set had grip in too close... second was better when I widened it... no issues doing these really...

Well it certainly doesnt look like much on paper but fvck me it felt it... first time doing that many reps on 200... and even though my legs are throbbing and tingly and starting to get doms already (next 2 days are sure going to be fun!!) I loved it... even though I missed the 3x3 on fronts I feel really good... knackered but good... going to have a hot bath tonight and then get the zimmer frame out... bit of a learning curve in terms of increasing the volume, I will get conditioned better and be able to perform higher volume (compared to old training) better... BRING IT ON DIG!!!  x


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 70x2x5, 85x5, 100x3

115x1x5+1p (hit j hooks)

115x1x4+1p

115x1x4

No touch bench

110x2x3

feet up bench

90x6

Lying EZ ext

40x2x10, 1x7

apologies to @Dig, let you down mate missed my targets on the bench...

Bench - warm ups felt good and easy... got to the work sets and first set was going great guns till I hit the j hook on the last rep... second set first 4 reps were quick and felt great 5th just could not lock out, literally an inch from getting it over the j hook and racked but just couldnt do it, like hitting a brick wall all of a sudden... noticed that my right elbow was clicking a lot on the press from the second set too, no pain but loud clicks only... last set felt ok but harder than the first two... wasnt feeling great as was really aiming for 3x6... sigh...

No Touch Bench - this is where I bring the bar down to just above the chest, hold it then drive it up again... weird... very weird, not used to this at all and felt it much deeper through the pecs tbh... liked it alot but strange getting it to just above the chest... I need to keep my eyes on the bar as it lowers which helps in a weird way in keeping my chest up... elbow clicking a through these too...

Feet up bench - wow, havent done these for years and stability was a huge issue, wobbling all over the bench here... weight didnt feel heavy but chest was pretty tired by this stage... once I work out the stability thing will be better I am sure... could probably have done the 7th easily enough but was told to stop before failure...

EZ ext - freaking hell... first set easy... thought ok not bad... second set not so easy still thinking fair enough lets do it... third set tris starting to burn a lot... got to 6th rep thinking thats it... but then rethought it and did a 7th... couldnt have done another tbh...

over all its certainly made me work, I feel a deep ache across my pecs, more than normal, my tris are fried, taking off a t shirt is hard work and puting my seatbelt on was tough lol... miffed at the bench but I will hit targets on that, I WILL... going to up the dose on my joint supps too as doing more volume will be impacting them more, so taking them morning and night from today... still eating for england atm... legs still sore, but not as bad as I expected which is nice, walking is easier today...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads (2" def @Dig forgot to ask if thats ok or you want me pulling from normal height)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x3

220x5 (cluster set)

6" block pul

240x6

Floor 2" def

180x3x3 (cluster)

BOR

140x2x8

100x15

very decent start for deads... first week of Plan Dig completed and freaking LOVE it... has kicked my ar$e on each work out and made me reach further for sure...

Deads - did these as I have been with a 2" deficit but not sure if it was supposed to be reg height... all warm ups went well 220 for 5 in a cluster set was harder than touch and go by far but not taxing that much tbh... working on speed and making sure the hips drive through at the top... hump the bar mode I calls it  also for those that dont know a cluster set is where you have a set of 5 for eg and do 1 rep then let go of the bar stand and then down for the next rep rinse and repeat... takes any momentum out for sure... even tougher than full stop...

6" block - havent done these in a while and they felt weird but ok, 6th rep was a little tough tbh, and I have to watch that my back doesnt round too much... was happy enough with these today...

Floor - changed grip so it went the other way... easy really and have to watch my focus is always on as in the second set I realised I was slacking on the hip drive... third set went well... fast off the floor too... again these were done as cluster sets...

BOR - ok these were tougher... did the two sets of 8 ok but the last rep last set was ropey... the down set of 100 started easy and then by rep 9 was like holy sh... by 15 it was over, especially as the last two reps were ropey as hell... back is now very sore in a good way and pumped...

good thing about today is that my chest didnt feel strained at all... really happy about that, not only that but I didnt use chalk at all either for any of the deads... deads were mostly feeling pretty good, not too tough although the clusters are hard work... BOR was great, better than expected but challenging too, will have to up the weight there... fantastic first week with the new boss... will have to see what he has in store for me next week... probably more pain, more tears and more GAINS... bring it


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x1

*belt on*

210x5

200x5

190x5

*crying noises*

Front squats

105x2

120x2 (more crying noises)

100x3

SLDL

180x6

170x7

(lots of crying noises)

legs finally feeling ok from last week when I get squat day again... sigh...

Squats - felt pretty good today, wasnt sure about 210 for 5 but all reps felt pretty decent, speed was good and only had to take 4 or 5 breaths before final rep lol... 200 was really good and last rep was really deep... not on purpose, I sort of fell into the hole lol, but still made it out albeit slower than I should have and it was hard... 190 was shaking but first 3 reps were quick, last 2 not much slower and felt pretty good, blowing out my ar$e significantly after these and legs buzzing...

Front squats - well after last week wanted to redeem myself a bit, managed the first set absolutely fine... second was a bit of a mare, got 2 out of 3 reps... the last just didnt work due to form issues, leaning too forward and dropping elbows is never a good idea, so bailed on that one... legs were freaking tingling and shaking after this... felt really odd... last set was fine, really working the form and keeping the damn elbows up...

SLDL - good god... quads were in bits, glutes and hams were punished a bit from the quad work so lets fvck up the hams and posterior chain while we're at it... can only think this is Digs line of reasoning... managed the sets ok, felt it right down the chain and deep... took a second or two after releasing the bar till I could walk back to sit on the bench tbh... legs well and truly screwed now...

As I said to Dig, I thought DOMS was supposed to occur AFTER the workout and not DURING... legs are still buzzing majorly but man I have to say I must be a masochistic barsteward cos I am loving it... I am sitting here and my legs are going crazy... seems like sod all on paper but the work... far out the work at speed too makes it kill... will be logging weight 3x a week too mon, wed, fri... unless you want me to do it more often @Dig ?

got to see if I can drive now to pick my daughter up... its so wrong I love feeling this fvcked after training lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 70x5, 85x2, 105x1

120x1x5, 1x4+1p

No touch bench 2 sec pause

115x3

110x3

105x3

Feet up bench

85x9

Lying EZ ext

45x8

40x12

WU suggested by Dig and tbh probably was a more sensible approach... certainly didnt tire me out and seemed to prime me nicely for bench main...

Bench - as said tried a new warm up approach, felt good and almost too easy... but felt nice and primed for the main event... was supposed to be 120 for 5 and then for 4 or 5 if I felt it there... first set was pretty decent and was pretty happy with it, second went even better tbh, felt more in control of the bar and weight and if anything it felt easier than the first set... however got to the 4th and thought well that went up well enough so went for the 5th... half way up I just bailed, no excuse really as strength was def there, form was good but just talked myself out of continuing the drive up... a few self slaps to the face after that ffs... still goals got...

No touch - with a twist this week... 2 sec pause at the bottom... wow made a diff for sure... really felt it deep in the pecs and felt good... still weird stopping just before touching the chest though and think I concentrate on this better as its got to be thought about more to make sure no touch... the drive up is pretty hard too but I think this is helping me with keeping tightness at the bottom and not relaxing before I drive the bar up again which I think might be a thing I do... nice indeed...

Feet up - better with stability this week... the 9th rep was a hell of a grind but after dropping that 5th rep on the second set of bench taint no way no how I was going to give in... and nailed it...

EZ ext - both sets went well... felt it nicely in the tris and second set was pretty easy... got 12 instead of 11 set but now know I can go over the targets on assistance stuff so will push harder in future...

really happy with today, feeling it all over the chest and tris and it feels good... was feeling pretty rough before training but took some aspirin and a nice cold cup of mtfu (cos real men dont need it heated up  ) and turned out to be a cracking session... tomorrow is deads... bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Dead day

Deads (2" def, cluster on main set)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

235x5 (cluster, alternated grip each rep)

6" block deads

247.5x5

floor deads 2" def

190x2x3 (alternated grip each set, cluster)

BOR

150x6

120x10

120x12

EZ bar curls

47.5x1x11, 1x10, 1x8

shattered... its official, Dig is trying to kill me... 

Deads - pretty standard really, warm ups were ok, got better from the second set, 235 went up well but could be faster I feel... alternated the grip each rep on the cluster set too which I think prob made it harder, also didnt use chalk at all... felt pretty good even so...

6" block - these went up a lot better than I expected tbh, thought it would be a bit of a struggle after the cluster set but speed was good and felt easier than expected which was nice... not to say they were a breeze lol but went up with more speed and felt lighter...

floor pulls - very good on these... speed was great, didnt feel hard at all and form and technique was spot on, makes a big difference when you focus just right and the form flows with the technique...

BOR - again not as bad as I expected, first set was fine, bar moved well and very little movement from the bent over position... second set was pretty decent too and was feeling it right through my back at this stage, last set was a 10 or more reps set... up to eight was thinking yeah baby 15 is on... by 10 I was thinking just one more lol... made it to 12 before the reps went to pot...

EZ bar curls - thrown in by Dig as an "if you fancy doing more" deal... I took it as "do these as well girl"... jebus, my arms may not forgive me... weight not terribly heavy but felt the biceps a lot... by the last set I was just squeezing out single reps from 4... made it to 8 and just dropped the damn thing...

week 2 done and dusted and felt it went a lot better, hitting targets and feeling the plan working well... its seriously hitting me hard but in a great way, Dig knows his sh1t and it gives me a lot of motivation to make sure I work hard to hit his targets so as not to let him down... even though its for me lol... I just know I am going to hurt over the next few days... living the dream is me...

weigh in this morning too and it was 112.2kg so thats pretty decent... crawling off to find somewhere to die but first I have to do the kids dinner... sigh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squat

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1

220x5

205x5 (speed :lol: )

180x3x3 (paused 3 count in the hole)

SLDL

185x6

172.5x8

oooooh ffs legs WERE feeling fine... now not so fine... I think they are filing for divorce...

Squats - variation today... did the standard squat at 220 for 5... first 4 went pretty well and target was 5 but if I could then aim for 6... on the 5th rep legs went to rubber, literally were waving all over the place on the way out of the hole, feet stayed in place but man felt awkward... next step was the 205 for "speed" squats lmao... ah speed... funny man is my coach... but tbh I pushed hard... had to swallow my lunch a couple of times but it went well... the 180 paused squats were new and not done paused before but went pretty decently as it happens... no rebound at all from those...

SLDL - nice sets and not too taxing but def feeling them in the hams and glutes... had to fall back into the sitting position on the bench at the end of the second set, legs shaking so I guess they are working ok lol...

wow, every time Dig sends me the new program for the week I have to be honest and tell you that I look at it and think... hmmm not sure this will work... then I get it done (really dont want to let the man down after all the help and work he is giving me)... after I feel fvcked but pretty damn awesome too as I have done things each week that I thought I couldnt or that I have not done before... every week has been progress and has also killed me  sitting here now my legs are actually buzzing (you know that going over a sharp rise feeling) and aching and shaking... all at once... still loving it... ALOT...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Brilliant stuff. My weigh in for week one of the comp was pretty good considering but last few days have been a write=off.
> 
> Back at it though.
> 
> Glad I'm not the only one whose journal is made up of OP posts!


weight now 112.7 so creeping up a bit...

lol I dont really frequent this board like I used to... prob should as it was my first home really


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 115x2

125x5

117.5x1x5, 1x4+1p

Close grip

110x4

100x4+1p

Lying EZ ext

50x8

45x2x8

Front raise (barbell)

bar x12

30x12

35x12

Dislocations

bar x3x15

wow... tris are fried... chest is sore and shoulders worked...

Bench - warm ups felt light and easy... hit top set and tbh wasnt sure how it would go but strangely it felt great, even the 5th rep flew up and felt better than I expected, was thinking it would be a heck of a grind but it wasnt... next set at 117.5 was pretty decent too but the second set at that weight just missed the 5th but should have got it tbh... the 4th was pretty good just couldnt get full lock on the last rep...

Close grip - felt awkward as havent done these for a bit, came in a bit too far on the first set (only supposed to come in around 1.5 inches but was more like 5) and rectified this on second... tris took a knocking here... once I get used to the motion should be fine though...

EZ ext - man after CG these were fun... first set wasnt too bad tbh, second was harder even though lighter and third freaking killed... tri pump and pain was awesome...

Front raises - last time I did these there was this chap doing things with water, loaves and fishes at a party I was at... went much easier than expected but even so by 35kg was feeling it... can do more on this for sure...

dislocations - threw these in for some shoulder mobility/rotator work... ooooh yeah hit the spot, shoulders were feeling a tad tight and now much better... if a little sore 

week 3 on program Dig and its going great, noticed that on my bench the sticking point is now becoming easier for sure... I was fairly surprised and really pleased at how easily the 125 went up and how everything is coming together... def feeling it but have a feeling we can push much further and really get things rocking... just when my legs recover (only ache now instead of crippling sore lol) my chest, shoulders and tris are for it... yeah baby


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day (so aptly named)

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

260x5 (cluster set)

BOR

130x12

120x12

100x17

*crying*

Chins

BWx1x3, 1x3+1p, 1x4

*more crying*

EZ bar curls

50x1x12, 1x9 1x8

*curl into fetal position*

jebus H yamaha...

Deads - nice little jump to 260 at the top end today, was going to be either 255 or 260 depending on how warm ups went and tbh they felt pretty damn good with 240 flying up... first 4 at 260 were quick and fairly easy off the floor and the 5th while slower went up nice and smoothly... I alternated my grip for each warm up set and then again for each rep on the cluster set... felt awesome...

BOR - pffft I thought, Dig is slipping in some cardio... first set, starting to feel it quite a lot, second set oh yeah def feeling it and its hurting... third set HOLY MOTHER OF GOD FVCKING DIG... lol entire upper back very very sore, on fire even... deep deep in the muscle... safe to say it did its work...

Chins - pffft BW I thought... then I tried the first set... ooooooh thats why, my entire back felt like each nerve was trying to out do each other for the pain trophy... stupid nerves... only did 3 felt a bit embarrassed and went for at least 4 on second set... nope couldnt get high enough so rested an extra minute and got the 4th... and some horrible pain... well and truly shagged now...

EZ curls - really really just wanted to stop now... sighed, stood and lifted the damn bar... felt this work me hard too, by this stage I was just knackered and ready for a hot bath and bed... made it through the 3 sets and then just sat till I could move again...

how awesome was todays workout... hurt a lot... but man sweet sweet lifting... was feeling really anxious or a lot of trepidation or some such before as 260 for a cluster set seemed like a big task but nailed it hard... have been doing some reading up on bio mechanics in the deadlift and something Andy Bolton said in an email sort of hit home so used that and it really made it easier... also been using 25g of creatine monohydrate before training the last 2 times and whether its placebo or not combing that and the monster I usually take seems to give me an edgy feel that turns into energy, seems I remember reading about the efficacy of caffeine mixed with creatine a while ago, not sure if this has anything to do with it though... feeling jazzed...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1

227.5x5

Paused squats

190x3x3

SLDL

195x6

175x8

oh jebus fvck... legs killed now...

Squats - just a straight set today... thank the good lord... was told 4 or 5 reps... first 3 went really well then 4 went ok was going to bail but instead decided to man up and do the 5th rep... fvck... shaky, very shaky and I think I pooped a little coming up out of the hole... it was hard... but did it... then collapsed...

Paused squats - felt good but belt was pinching round by my hips as it was a tad low... actually quite liking these...

SLDL - nothing much to report here but done and felt good doing... legs truly fragged by the end though... didnt know whether to sit or stand or just do both or fall to the floor... tingling all over...

week four of Plan Dig and I think there are some def changes... think my legs are bigger now, strength def feels there, 200 squat was hams on calves and that felt good... still feeling a bit of excitement/trepidation/nerves before doing the workout but I think its adding to the drive... a good coach makes all the diff I am learning... I still want to smack him one for all the pain hes causing and making me sh1t my keks but hes still a great coach


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Interesting on the creatine mono as I've started putting a scoop in my pre workout and overall I just feel better during the workout.
> 
> Cluster set?


cluster set is a set where there will be 5 reps in one set but done as singles so for eg for you pull the bar, put it down, stand, reset and pull again then put it down, stand etc...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 95x3, 110x2, 122.5x2

132.5x2+1p

Closer grip bench (1.5" in)

112.5x5

105x5

90x8

Lying ext

50x1x9, 1x7

40x12

BB front raise

45x8

40x14

jebus, today I found out that he can do to my chest and tris what he can do to my legs...

Bench - warm ups went really well, felt very strong and power was there... 122.5 was to do either 1 or 2, it went up so well I opted for 2 and in hindsight I wonder if I should have just let it at 1... 132.5 first two went up really well and felt nice on the third was about half way up and got some tightness/cramp in my hip so leg drive went to sh1t and just had to rack it on the safeties... however the paused benching I did has helped with keeping it tight when I pause on my chest... so thats a good thing... def felt the third was there but not sure the 4th (which I was to do if poss) was tbh...

CG - first set the bar felt loose... like it was moving in my hands... but second set went much better... third went nicely but was hoping for a rep or two more... tris feeling pumped after which is different...

Ext - maaaan just dragging my tris by this time... first set felt pretty decent but second got to 7 and tris just stopped... was supposed to hit 9... last set felt pretty good and at the end tris on fire...

BB fronties - a bit heavier than last week for sure... first set started ok got sloppy in the middle and finished ok... noticed that around rep 5 I was using more momentum so I made sure to stop that in the last couple of reps... yeah that made it much harder but felt it much better... the last set I really made sure it was pure continuous lifting... holy jebus... tris, chest and now front delts fvcked... thank you Dig... 

fairly pleased with todays session... can see where its heading and tbh I am loving the fact that I dont have to think about it but just lift it and do what I am told... even if the bad man is hurting me and touching me where I have never been touched before


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5

190x5x5 12mins

Chins

BWx23 5mins

EZ bar curls

55x11

50x12

20x35

holy sheep... light one today but the time constraints were amazing... made a big difference and tbh was feeling nausea through most of workout and still do... arms not really working right now...

Deads - weight was dead easy, goal was 5 sets of 5 in 20 mins... felt good all the way through and I reckon the 3rd and 5th sets were the fastest... full stop reps too... weight wasnt a problem just the accumulation of breathing out my bum... back was pumped by the end...

Chins - started well, finished rubbish... by end of third minute at like 18... didnt count any that were partials or elbow bends... lats were just on fire, managed to squeezed out 5 more in the last two mins... back well and truly stuffed...

Curls - first set was supposed to be 9+ and it felt pretty good tbh, was really pleased... second was a squeeze though but still felt ok... arms sore by now but this week Dig threw in an "optional" set of 20kg as many as I could with the aim being 50+... got to 20 and though yeah this is good, upper 20s was thinking wow this is getting hard by 33 my arms were seizing... managed to squeeze out 2 more measley reps and just had to stop... biceps on fire and just hurty...

holy jebus for a light day this was hard... back is pumped all over, arms are just messed up and I cant even slap Dig dammit cos they wont work... feeling slightly ill now which is an improvement but only just...

Weight this morning was 112.7 which is a pretty big jump from wed but I think Dig nailed it when he said I was probably dehydrated a bit, upped my water intake and its helped obviously esp as I have been sweating my ar$e off the last few nights... now to recover and progress...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1 *belt on* 220x1

237.5x3

Paused squats

200x2x3

SLDL

200x8

gassing... legs numb and posterior chain screaming... ooooh yeah...

Squats - wow, went into todays session very excited/nervous/apprehensive... seemed really really keyed up for it... once I got under the bar I seemed to settle though and got on with it... all warm ups went really well and were lovely and deep... belt went on at 220 but I put it on the 4th hole to give me a bit of room to get a nice big belly of breath and it felt alright... legs were decidedly wobbly after squats but I got my targets... first 2 reps on top set were really good third I have to say it was tough coming up again but with some very loud growling I managed it... took me a bit to recover this time...

Paused - oh all thats good and holy... felt this today, holding it for a 3 count at the bottom is so freaking hard... first set came up out of the hole ok second on the last rep it was hard... but managed it and felt like puking huge...

SLDL - wasnt as difficult as I first imagined it would be but left me wobbly all over... hams and glutes sore and lower back was pretty hit too...

awesome workout... felt soooo good completing it tbh... very shaky all over and legs truly fvcked... got that numb feeling atm but can tell that it will change to the tingly feeling soon... then doms... wooot... Dig is really pushing me with this but I love him for it... I think I need to seek therapy


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 70x5, 90x4, 105x2, 120x1

130x2x3

WGBP

122.5x5

CGBP

115x5

Front raise

40x3x10

yeah baby, today was a great day for working out... training felt strong and it also felt like there were more reps in the tank for each set... strange cos I have been very tired all day and my personal life is taking a massive falcon punch to the nuts which is par for the course... perhaps thats fueling the fire...

Bench - followed the plan, 105 and 120 focused on speed as much as possible and it felt goooood... 130 first set felt very comfortable and went up quicker than I expected... second set first two were pretty much the same and the third went up easy enough just a bit slower than the first two... set up felt tight and kept it all through the lift, think the playing with the no touch has def helped me visualise keeping tightness on the chest and not relaxing or loosening... very happy here...

WGBP - a bit of a weight pb here, was not sure how it was going to go but tbh first 4 flew up and 5th went easily enough but slower... felt really good and again tight through the whole lift...

CGBP - bam baby... def got a handle on this now, nice control of the weight and kept it going well all through the lift... had to check it was 115 and not 105 at the end lol... love it when this happens...

Front raises - wow... end of the second set I could feel it in my shoulders a lot, pumped and worked... by the end of the third set they were def fragged... not a struggle though and felt the movement all the way through the lift, concentrated on that in fact...

yeah baby love days like today... go in feeling crappy and come out feeling pure awesome... tired but awesome... I have said it before and will keep on saying it but nothing beats iron therapy... cannot wait till deads day tomorrow now... legs feeling good today if a little sore still... havent had doms like this in a while... but in a good way... rolled a bit and it hurt, but gave me that tingly feeling after which I like... ooooooh tingles


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

260x2x3

BOR

155x7

140x8

120x15

EZ curls

60x9

45x15

20x2x25 (30 secs rest between sets)

oh good gravy...

Deads - felt good worked the form and technique again, made sure my shins were properly in place and worked the aggression on the lift not before... was flying... top sets I was to focus on speed (lmao yeah @Dig speed... good one  ) and the first 2 reps on each actually went up pretty quick... third was slower though but no trouble or struggle to lift it... all reps full stop at the bottom but didnt reset/stand so straight sets... felt good...

BOR - wow... felt this today, right through my upper back, pumped and sore and so so good... last set where I managed to squeeze 15 the last couple of reps were a bit ropey but managed to get them out... doubt there would have been another... well maybe one if you held a gun to my family... if you had have held the gun on me I probably would have said fvck it just shoot me...  back way pumped and felt good...

EZ curls - jebus... just managed to squeeze the 9th out on the first set... arms hurting then... the 15 felt ok and better than expected but bis felt pumped and had that hard to flex arms feeling... the last 2 sets of 25 at 20kg were freaking atrocious... if someone had walked in on the last set where I was screaming and gurning for England it would be so comical... the last 5 were torture to get out, but the odd thing is the bar did not feel heavy... just really really hard to curl...

there you go, bascially feeling shagged now... back and arms sore and trained...

weight this am was 112.2 and Dig pointed out that it seems to dip after my squat day... interesting point... feeling tired today as not loads of sleep the last couple of nights but sorted some stuff in life now so hopefully this means more sleep and better rest... bring on next week...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats - all paused incl warm ups

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x1

*belt on*

205x3

182.5x5

SLDL

210x7

holy jebus... pausing on all reps makes a bit of a difference...

Squats - all warm ups were great even 190 and all were hams resting on calves... 205 were nice and deep felt pretty good although the last was a growl coming up from the hole... felt loads of pressure in the head but not bad, just pressure... gassing a bit and felt a little bleh, but was thinking not feeling too bad... then did the down set of 182.5 and at the end of that felt freaking off... nausea and legs tingling and blurgh... still went well enough, loads of pressure again but subsided soon after finishing the set...

SLDL - thought it would be fine if feel a bit heavy but tbh the weight was fine and felt really pants again after, nausea and whole posterior chain now on fire, couldnt sit, couldnt stand... man great set... really felt the hams and glutes working hard... now all bits of my legs hurt and tingle...

didnt go too heavy today, well maybe on sldl but really loved the different workout and feeling after... felt totally worked and ready for bed now... was probably not as hard as I expected but hit me in different ways to what I thought it would... esp the pressure thing... spots were seen in front of the eyes and light headedness abounded... got a big weak training wise this week... cannot wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Any videos of you doing BOR's? Curious to see your form as I'm fairly strict but when I look around the gym the folk seeing them move big weights it's all very ropey.
> 
> Looking like a good workout there.


nope I dont believe I do tbh mate... however I will tell you I am not a form nazi... esp as I am after power and not looks  I do make sure that I keep my technique and form good and have had people watch me and pass it and its doing its job so that ticks all the boxes for me... I often find that those who work at either end of the spectrum (ie those who are super strict at the expense of weight vs those who use a load of weight at the expense of good technique and form) dont make the gains/progress they probably should...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 70x5, 90x4, 105x2, 117.5x1, 127.5x1

137.5x2x2

No touch (2 count)

120x2x3

CGBP

117.5x1x4+1p

110x1x5

wow... just wow, really felt this today... got the bench and felt happy, moved to the no touch and really felt it hit the chest deep... fvcked by the time CGBP came around...

Bench - really really happy with today... warm ups felt good, funny thing was that 105 felt heavyish when I unracked it but felt light pressing it... then they all felt alright... 137.5 flew up on the first set and def had at least a 3rd there, 2nd set the first rep came out of line and I had to muscle it up a bit but still got it and the 2nd rep felt hard but wasnt a grind, not sure if a third was there at all... but target was hit...

No touch - wow felt these work today... felt them hit me deep in the chest and it felt gooood... both sets were pretty decent tbh and felt good...

CGBP - missed my targets on these today... was supposed to be 5 and 6 respectively but just couldnt quite push that last little bit on the first set and on the second there was no way I was going to get the 6th... felt really really worked though and I am def stronger on these than when I began...

Oh yeah baby, this is working so well atm... Dig knows how to get the best out of me and my workout and hes continually pushing just enough to get me to reach more and more... sitting here feeling my chest get doms already ffs... the no touch really hit home today but feels so good doing it... first time I have felt this nauseus on a bench day... good feeling (me being the sicko I am lol)... deads day tomorrow... cannot wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deadlifts

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1, 260x1

280x2

BOR

165x8

160x8

140x10

Chins

BWx1x7, 1x6

EZ curls

60x2x8

25x2x20 (20secs between sets)

bleurrgh... felt slightly off today but felt good...

Deads - warm ups flew, alternated grip all the way through for each set too... got to top set and first rep was pretty quick off the floor, second one I was slightly off on the set up for second rep and it went up a bit harder but smoothly all the same... felt good to be pulling some weight again...

BOR - damn... that felt heavy on the first two sets... last rep of the first set was a bit ropey and the last two of the second set were the same... last set was good... back was on fire after these...

Chins - flagging by this stage but managed to get a couple of ok sets out... thought back was feeling it after BOR well this added to it... all across my back and down my lats were just pumped and sore... felt awesome...

EZ curls - oh get out... first set was ok... thought yep got this... second set by 6th rep was thinking ok this is not going to go... got the 7th and had to cheat curl the 8th... man biceps were cursing me... then had to do 2 sets of 20 at 25kg... first set was pretty good... count to 20 and do second, got to 15 and had to pause for a second at bottom, do 3 more then pause a second then 2 more... holy jebus... arms not happy feeling pumped and shaking...

feeling great about the deadlift today... was a great effort and not too much trouble at all... BORs felt heavy but doable... back and bi's feel awesomely worked today... still actually sore from the workout, cant wait for doms... bring it on... been promised that next week will be a big one... woo... hoo...??


----------



## Greyphantom

KJW said:


> Cheers just wondered as I've loosened my form on them and can do 60-70kg for reps and the muscles have grown very well as a result.


I think so mate just make sure you dont loosen your form that much


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1 *belt on* 230x1

245x1x1+1p

Paused squats (2 count)

210x1x3

190x1x5

Front squats

120x2

100x2x3

bit of a hard one today...

Squats - warm ups went really well... top weight first rep went really well was pleased but then lost control of the bar on the way up on 2nd rep, it started to twist, I started to fight to bring it back into line but left quad started to wobble and stuff so I just thought sod it and took it down to the safeties... no problem with the strength but I should have held the bar tighter into my traps... that and perhaps take a little more time as I think I rushed it a little too...

Paused - wow, only a 2 count this time but man felt these... 210 3 was about right... 190 I was supposed to go for 4 or 5... as I didnt do so well on top set of squats I hit 5... felt that...

Front squats - yeah these were hard, not the weight but getting the bar to sit right and comfortably... first try at 120 I had to take off my chain as the bar was pressing it into my clavicle... second set was ok but just didnt sit right... the last two sets went much better...

knackered now... bit of a mixed session happy enough with the strength aspect of the squat but disappointed I missed the second rep due to being sloppy... still liking the paused squats but man they were hard after squats... fronts remain my anathema...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 120x1, 130x1

140x1x2

140x1x1

WGBP

127.5x1x2+1p

110x7

Lying ext

50x6

Maaaaaan... I know you get em but hate it when its a meh session...

Bench - warm ups felt good and strong... energy felt just not there... feel slightly fluey hot etc... first 140 felt pretty good, got a little tightness in the hip and quad on the right side and just knicked the j-hooks at the top of the second rep so racked it... went for a second set at 140 (if missed 3 reps on first set was to do 2x2) but again hip and quad tightened... weight felt alright and was happy with strength...

WGBP - felt heavy unracking but not too bad lifting... just didnt have the energy to do more, sweating at this stage but feeling better... didnt set up properly on the top set here either... 110 went really well... 7th was a grind but got it up...

Ext - all went horribly wrong here... got to 5th rep and was feeling pretty good arms a little sore then went for the 6th rep and on way up my elbow clicked mighty bad... not the joint but something like a tendon or ligament... doesnt feel too bad atm, a bit sore but hopefully nothing serious... enough to scare me into stopping there though...

not a great session but tbh I am happy that the 140 felt good enough and the 127.5 on WGBP was easy enough, just no energy to keep going... sleep has been ok but not sterling... food has been going in ok though... think a nice baking hot bath will do me nicely...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 250x2, 280x1

300x1x1+1p

Def deads

260x1x3+1p

Chins

BWx25 in 5 mins

BB curls

50x3x10

one of the hardest sessions ever... nothing felt particularly heavy just so tired and a few niggles... oh and some light puking...

Deads - warm ups felt great, speed from floor was great, hips through at top was awesome, felt really strong... top set was supposed to be 300 for 2 but just couldnt lock out the second rep properly and ended up puking a little... that blew my focus... felt pretty good on the first rep though, thought the second was going for sure but not to be...

Def deads (standing on 20kg plates) - was told to do 250 or 260... chose 260 cos I wimped out on the second rep... first 3 rocketed up and thought yeah baby... 4th stopped at knees and it was like hitting a brick wall at 100mph... just gassed...

Chins - as many as poss in 5 mins aim was 24+ I was going ok but again just seemed to hit a wall, managed 25 and man were my lats freaking sore... funny thing was that my elbow was feeling better till chins, these seemed to aggravate it a bit...

BB curls - yeah these were fun... first set was pretty good... second harder... third was holy jebus... just done by the end and tbh I was nearly going to sack them off but didnt want to let dig down 

went much better than I expected... lack of sleep last night and my elbow was sort of playing on my mind, took some anti inflamms this morning and by the time I got home from work it was feeling much better... took a power nap and ended up feeling pretty decent... last heavy session for deads till the comp now... off for the weekend to Barnstaple and the BPU SW and Wales qualifier to help out... and some sleep...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x5, 100x3, 135x2, 165x2, *belt on* 195x1, 230x1

255x1

235x2x2

Paused (1 count)

170x3x3

oh jebus... legs just fried, head stuffy... just holy jebus...

Squats - last heavy workout before comp... warm ups set by Dig this week to add in an extra set on warm ups... think it worked as 230 was pretty decent and 255 felt good if it made me see spots and want to projectile vomit... belt was on a bit tighter... in fact only had two holes left to go so it was a lot tighter and this was good... also put it on a couple of sets before the heavy one to feel it in and make sure I was utilising it right... the 235 was good but oddly the first rep of the second set felt the best of the bunch, good depth and a nice ascent from the hole... killed me though... one good thing is that even though I felt my upper quad/hip on the heavy sets it was not that serious and my elbow niggle thing from last weeks bench day did cause a little pain but nothing to worry me too much about... will see how that pans out on thursday...

Paused - after the main sets of squats this felt light... down into the hole was easy and primary purpose was to make sure I got plenty of power coming out of the hole... felt really good even had the bar bounce a little at the top... legs though were screaming... cut down the rest periods here as it was only 170...

had to sit for a minute after the last set to let things settle... still actually feeling a little sick now tbh... really pleased I have a week off now (well except for a little bit on monday to just keep my hand in so to speak) and this is the last heavy squat session before the comp... one more heavy bench on thursday (I hope as have an interview about doing some work in a gym that day) and then a light thing on Monday then comp time... going to have a hot bath and some lovely lovely foam rolling tonight... yay me... well knackered now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x5, 60x3, 80x2, 100x2, 115x1, 125x1, 135x1

145x1

135x2+1p

117x5x1x6, 1x4

Ext (standing)

30x3x10

Front raise

30x3x10

last heavy bench... oh yeah... actually pretty glad that this is the end of all my heavy work now... think I am reaching or have reached that point where I need to have a week off, Dig has timed it perfectly and pushed it spot on I feel... had to move bench to today as yesterday was up at stupid o'clock to get my daughter to a bus as she is in Germany on an exchange for a week and then had a few things to do through the day that took up a bit more time than originally planned... some good news though...

Bench - elbow is still tender and I was interested to see how it would hold up... as it happens only a little niggley on bench itself... 145 went up pretty decently but then things unraveled a little as was supposed to get 3 on 135 and aim was 2 sets of 6 at 117.5 with possibly a 3rd... hit a wall on the second set of 117.5... just couldnt get any more reps out... feeling it deep in my pecs though... happy enough with todays effort but looking for more weight next cycle for sure...

Ext - tried lying ext and no way was that happening, elbow was just not going to do it so switched to standing and that worked out ok... still felt my elbow a little but it was do-able and didnt put too much pressure on it... felt comfortable enough but maybe a shade too light (aim was to just do some light work to get the blood flowing)... triceps felt good after finished...

Front raises - again prob a bit too light as it felt pretty easy... but kept tension on the movement on both positive and negative parts of the lift... felt good too and on both this and ext only left a min between sets...

wow feeling soooo knackered at the moment... looking forward to a week off and it will be a full week off as Dig has instructed no training next week... nice as I really need some rest and sleep...

went to a gym in my local area and talked to the manager and he has agreed to let me train people there from the 2nd week of April and it looks good... still got to work out the details but its a great start for me getting into strength and conditioning coaching... now for some sleep, food, sleep, food and a hot bath... not sure about the order it will all take place lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day

GM

WU 60x5, 80x5, 100x5

130x6

BOR

120x3x10

Chins

BWx1x6, 1x5+1p

Hit monster gym but only a light assistance day for me... was good to see a few of the crew there too (fvck me I am a poet) and have a good catch up after... felt pretty good but then wasnt taxing at all...

Dig has sent through what he wants me to open at and its pretty much the same as I was thinking so good to be on same wave length... second attempts even suggested... going to be interesting... week off now just weighing in and resting is all... feeling a bit better today not so sore or knackered... hot baths and sleep all this week for me...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok its been a rough couple of days... have managed to pick up a virus which I hear a couple of others have too from sat... throwing up and ****ting through the eye of a needle and cramping something awful... havent eaten since monday am and nothing to drink till yesterday afternoon (glass of water with diarlyte and a normal glass of water then today some water and some sprite)... managed two bits of toast just now... weight on mon am was 111.1 today was 105.3... feeling better but generally tired and weak as a kitten... hoping my appetite comes back by tomorrow so I can get some food in and reload for sunday... atm I am still looking to compete but if I am not feeling any better by end of week will have to make a call... havent been this sick in a long while... was not pretty...


----------



## Greyphantom

What a weekend... ups and downs and all arounds... but over all a good one...

Sat - weigh in day... wasnt sure what I would be tbh as weight was tanked... felt pretty good though, much better than any day since monday... weight was 106.6kg so was happy enough with that but did feel flat and thought I was skinny lol... met Dig at the gym and we headed off for some breakfast at a harvester, two helpings of pancakes and syrup (sooooo good) and a plate of potatoes for brekkie hit the spot... I had to head off to pick up a mate but Dig couldnt check in till 1400 so waited at the restaurant till I got back and then we had lunch lol... the waitress who served us at brekkie seemed impressed  really good to catch up with Dig and have a good chin wag... headed off home had some fajitas for dinner then bed fairly early...

Sun - woke at 0400 after some really freaky dreams... couldnt really sleep from then and had to sit on the loo a few times (but not as bad as earlier in the week) and in the end got up to make sure had everything ready... no brekkie today as just was not hungry at all... headed off the the lifting at about ten to 8... arrived about 0830... managed to get in some jelly snakes and a crunchie bar plus some diarolyte and water... then watched Dig warm up with the others and after they headed off started to warm up for my squats session... warm ups went ok... everything up to 200 felt spot on and light enough... didnt like how the tummy felt when squatting tbh as was very worried about um "embarrassing" myself on the platform and I dont mean by failing a lift lol... dropped my opener to 220 just in case... once warmed up went over to the lifting area and kicked it all off...

220 - good lift (cut a little high)

235 - good lift (very nice and depth good)

252.5 - no lift (had to bail on the way out of the hole)

went better than expected but not as good as hoped... I really didnt want to become the subject of a viral video so was very concious of how my body was reacting to the pressure of holding tight... meant mentally I was not really fully caught up in the lift but I liked the way 235 felt... 252 should have been as good tbh as it felt nice till I started the ascent then had to back off quickly...

Bench - always a hard one for me but I have felt it coming on lately... warm ups felt pretty good tbh and even though I really just wanted to curl up and snooze I was feeling happy... time between last warm up and first lift was a fair while so I mistimed that one but still felt pretty confident...

135 - no lift

135 - good lift

145 - no lift

first lift felt off and as I went to press the weight got a bit of cramp in my lower back and I just didnt feel right... second lift though rocketed up and I had people commenting that it looked like a completely different lifter altogether... however I soon made up for that on the third attempt... lack of energy and just not really feeling it means I missed that too... stupid bench 

Deads - well for this lift I dont really have to even feel it... during warm ups it was all good... even 220 felt simple enough so I tried a 250 and it went up well... lowered my opener down to 270 and felt happy enough...

270 - good lift

290 - good lift

310 - no lift

meh... 270 felt pretty ok but nothing special... 290 though I changed my grip to the other alternating grip (left over right under) and the damn weight flew up... felt really good and so fast... spoke a min with Dig and set third at 310... def thought this was on tbh... set up for it but then as started the lift just all the power seemed to fade... got it mid shin or so and just let it go, didnt even try really and feel a bit miffed I didnt...

over all I did ok, but a bit disappointed even though I wasnt 100%... tbh its probably the first time I have been at an event and not really been "there"... Dig had me spot on in the run up and his programming was a thing of beauty, encouraging and challenging and working... the man knows his stuff and I just cant thank him enough for all his help and effort in getting me further along than I would ever be on my own... much thanks to him and I wish I could have done better by him on the day... cannot wait to see where he takes me in the future!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5

160x3x5

Paused squats

120x3x3 (2 count)

SLDL

120x3x8

just a light one today but Dig has slipped in some cardio... I mean 3 sets of 5... lol...

Squats - just nice and light to get the body moving again and not to over tax anything after coming right... warm ups were fine but first set of 160 felt a bit wobbly... the other 2 sets though I tightened up the form and made sure technique was better and they were awesome... felt much better... however felt a bit light headed and a nausea after lol...

Paused squats - very light here, just a 2 count in the hole and tbh went much better than I expected... all the way down and really drove out of the hole...

SLDL - again very light and felt really good... first set was a little hinky as had my feet turned ever so slightly out so corrected half way through the set and made sure toes straight for subsequent sets... felt it nice and good in the hams and a little in the glutes...

really good start back... nothing over stressing but certainly got the blood flowing again... was almost falling asleep 15 mins before starting but once I started getting my training kit on its like a zap of energy... almost like the body knows its time to suit up...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench sets of 10 (see Dig is making me do cardio the *&^%$$%^&  )

40x10

60x10

70x10

80x10

90x10

OHP

40x3x6

Tri Push down

20x3x20

thats all folks... short and sweet today...

Bench - was to do sets of 10 till it became a bit difficult for 10... target was 85-90 and when 80 went up well just jumped to 90 and did that, probably could have done 95 or even 100 today but as I had to pause after rep 6 to take an extra breath on 90 then push out the other reps I left it at 90... chest felt pretty pumped lol...

OHP - seated and tbh was no stress... worked form and technique, I have found that if I lower the weight too slowly it is harder than if I lower it quickly (under control though)... found balance a bit tricky at first lol...

Tri Push down - 3 sets of 20 at 20kg... didnt seem like a lot and tbh I did set the weight low... prob should have been 25 or even 30 but on second set could really feel tris at around rep 16... 3rd set it started around rep 12 lol... tris pumped after this and elbow was ok... had my back against the bar (set for squats) so no movement at all apart from arms...

short and sweet today and thats a good thing as 1) I had a few drinkies last night... a bottle and a half of port went down far too easily and 2) had some family stuff to deal with, nothing bad but just meant time became an issue... feeling pretty good atm and feeling great training again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 150x5, 180x5

200x5

BOR

80x3x10

Chins

BWx5+1p (hands on wider grip bar)

BWx6 (brought hands in to the narrower grip)

BWx5

Just a light one today and not much of a sweat...

Deads - target was 180 for 5 and if that felt ok then 200 for 5... 180 felt fine... so 200 it was... nice and easy all full stop and felt good...

BOR - felt lighter than expected and made sure the back contracted all the way through the movement... felt it working nicely...

Chins - started on the wider grip (hands facing) and it really pulled on the elbow... so brought my hands into the narrower grips (still palms facing) and two things happened... one was elbow pain was non existent (woooot) and two felt it way more through my lats... so will use the narrower grips from now on...

nothing much to report but it was a nice light start to this next wave... good to start lighter and work on the technique and form to make sure its nailed and in the bank... still feeling it too as really making sure the muscles are working hard plus the higher reps are something different... bring on next week... cannot wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5

*belt on*

175x3x5

Paused squats (2 count)

135x3x3

SLDL

140x3x8

oh good grief... fvcking feeling it today... legs caned, very tired and generally knackered...

Squats - everything went pretty well today... found sweet spot in keeping everything tight and form good, made it easier to do each rep and felt really good... put belt on for the 175 sets (shamed I know) as I have been more tired lately due to some weird sleep patterns and dreams keeping me from properly sleeping... was good though as it helped me to re affirm squatting with a belt... had belt a little too high on second set and it pinched a lot at the bottom in the hole, but not enough to disrupt the reps... by third set legs shaking and feeling it but all reps very deep... and fast which is good...

Paused - weight felt light and the count for two was a rather long count (as opposed to my quick 2 count when its around the 200 mark lol) and kept tight in the hole ready for the drive up... felt really good actually esp given the condition of my legs after main set of squats...

SLDL - no straps this week either, felt pretty good and fairly easy... well knackered by the end of these though and of course perfect timing that my daughter texts me to say shes on an earlier bus so had to leave straight away to pick her up... man thats a very long drive when your legs are not working properly lol...

felt really good even if I was cursing Digs good name at the end of the work out... legs well fried and feeling good... been a long week already with not much sleep and lots to do re the family and stuff... sleep has been a bit broken as well as sleeping hot atm (which the mrs loves as shes a cold frog but I hate as I end up on the edge of the bed out of the covers and go from sweating my nads off to freezing them off... sigh) dreams are also a bit odd which wake me up on occasion... must be that time of the month for me... dammit, although I am carrying a lot of "water" weight 

not sure of weight atm tbh as not weighing myself, might start that once a week or so... eating has been good though and appetite is good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 75x4, 90x3

100x3x6

OHP

50x3x6

TPD

30x3x20

Dislocations

Bar x3x15

awesome session today... everything was just right...

Bench - not sure why but was thinking that 100 for 3 sets of 6 would be a bit harder than it was... warm ups felt really good and form/technique tight... 100 flew up and had more reps in the tank for all sets... felt really really good... power off the chest was great and lockout fast and smooth...

OHP - again thought it was going to be harder that it was, all reps smooth and felt strong... last set a little harder than prev 2... think I am getting the hang of ohp now... form felt really stable and powerful...

TPD - holy cow... was told 30kg and max reps with an aim to do 20 for the first set... soooo did that and then managed to get 20 for the next two sets too... 2nd set was pretty hard on the last 2-3 reps and really felt the tris... 3rd set from about 12 was hard and from 15 just burnt the bejebus out of my tris...

Dislocations - threw these in at the end for some shoulder mobility and rc work... felt good and could feel the shoulders stretching out...

great session today... really really enjoyed it and everything felt right on the money... hope it keeps up like this cos its awesome... however legs have massive doms and even sitting on the toilet feels like murder lol... tired now and hopefully tonight I can get some more sleep as I have a feeling that tomorrow is a long day at work as got a call that there was a big spill of diesel... sigh... appetite is huge atm too eating everything and anything but weighed myself this morning and only 109.7kg so weight going back on but slowly... Deads tomorrow... bring it ON...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x3

220x2x5

BOR

90x3x12

Chins

BW+5kg x1x6, 1x5, 1x4+2p

actually had a "power nap" this afternoon but didnt mean to  wasnt feeling fantastic but once I got the blood flowing I woke up a little and cracked on...

Deads - warm ups felt really good, first 3 sets did touch and go then it was full stop from then on... 200 felt pretty light and then 220 felt easy, didnt think too much about it tbh just got on with it and did it... alternated the grip every other set too... no chalk used and felt fine... speed was good and working technique to get those shins as perpendicular as possible...

BOR - see he has got me doing cardio lol... weight was no problem and reps no hassle either really felt my back working but not overly stressed...

Chins - added some kg round my waist today, also I think the extra weight and reps on the BOR made a slight impact on these as really felt my upper back working and hurting (in a good way) after these... narrower grip is def easier on my elbow but can feel my biceps working more...

feeling pretty tired atm but starting to get more sleep through the night and better sleep too... not so many weird dreams... appetite is going great guns still and thats good... managed to tweak my calf muscle cleaning the bar (with weight on it but only 70kg total) up to set it on the rack for squats next week... stretching it out helps so will do that and give it a good rubbing and see how it goes...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5

*belt on*

180x4x5

Paused squats

145x3x3 (2ct)

SLDL

145x2x10

ooooh farrrrrk... killed me... killed me dead... legs were just knackered after this and they were numb for a little while but then settled down to hurting 

Squats - still working form and technique, warm ups were fine, calf didnt play up at all and tbh stopped feeling sore sunday... tiger balm and massage for the win... top sets were good, depth was brilliant and even when I was taking in a couple of extra breaths on the last couple of sets the weight didnt present much of a problem... did start feeling my legs a lot after though...

Paused - and because I was feeling them I felt a bit unsure how the paused squats were going to go... however was no problem... in fact rather pleased that it went so well...

SLDL - tbh by this exercise was ready to sleep... still only 145 and 2 sets of 10 so just powered through... felt really good and hams and glutes hit nicely...

sweating my rear off in todays training session, getting warmer and the air con in my gym is pretty much just an open door lol... definitely felt it today in terms of hitting the muscles but also getting technique and form nailed... maintained a better position and kept tightness better through the whole lift... Dig is killing me but I am loving it... he doesnt pile on too much but builds it up and seems to push me exactly right... once I can walk again will be bench day


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 95x3

110x3x5

CGBP

90x5

OHP

50x3x8

TPD

45x11

40x10+1p

35x10+1p

Dislocations

bar x3x15

Bench day done and was so jazzed it was almost jizzed 

Bench - something is definitely going on with this atm... 2nd week in a row that bench felt smooth and powerful and form/technique felt really good... really felt the chest working today and it felt goooood... completed all the top sets comfortably and only took a breath on after the 4th rep last set... seem to have found my groove on this and really working to make sure it stays...

CGBP - just the one set and it was fine, no difficulty and felt really good... again form and technique seemed to just click right in...

OHP - really nice on this one, one of my weaker lifts tbh and I always used to tread carefully but since have found that if I lower it quicker and drive hard from the bottom then its actually easier (that or more confidence makes it seem easier)... starting to like this now... course when the weights get up there will probably hate it again lol...

TPD - prob could have gone maybe 5kg heavier here... goal was weight that could do 8-12 and then drop 5 kg for max reps next two sets... and only a min rest between sets... tris were pretty fried by the end of it and am feeling it now... felt good though and elbow no problem at all which is really good...

what a great session, love it when its like this as its so enjoyable it should probably be illegal (which they will probably soon make it nancies that they are)... bench is feeling really smooth and have found a really nice groove so it makes it rocket up... getting set in the right place high on my traps is def the key and keeping the abs tight and "tucked" also helps... ohp is going nicely and cannot wait to progress here too... really felt the chest work well and got a nice little pump and a bit of doms... well more like ioms


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

230x3x5

BOR

100x4x8

Chins

BW+5kg x2x6

oh all thats good and holy... knackered... tired... sore... loving it... 

Deads - all good with this today, although tbh would be worried if it wasnt... funny thing is that 230 first set felt easier than the 210 and the 2nd and 3rd sets felt easier than the first 230 set... had to take an extra breath between rep 4 and 5 of the last set though lol... felt really good but a bit worried about next week as it seems he likes adding a set and weight each week so far...

BOR - not much to report, more sets and reps than I am used to... felt comfortable and easy enough re the weight... upper back started out ok but by end of 4th set was a tad ouchy... only about 90secs rest between sets here...

Chins - first set felt a bit hard tbh but I didnt have my mind in the game properly as was late picking up my daughter... second set was much better and felt smoother... back really feeling it by this stage though...

job jobbed and feeling good... been a great week training wise and really loving it... sitting at about 110kg atm and feeling bigger which is nice...

daughter is off out to a friends place this evening where there will be boys... told her that there was to be no funny business and if anyone tried anything on and she didnt like it that there would be an **** kicking to be had... she just looked at me and said I think they all know that already Dad, they are all scared of you  oh those sweet sweet words


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

*belt on*

200x5

185x3x5

Paused squats

145x3x3

SLDL

155x2x7

oooooooooooooowwwwww.... damn now that is a squat session...

Squats - back is a little tight today for some reason... not sure why... but since I am not a crossfitter took a hot cup of mtfu and got on with it... warm ups felt ok, performing the squat was fine just standing under the weight felt a bit off... belt on and it felt a bit better... top set went better than I thought tbh, was going to do another warm up at 180 but jumped it to save a bit of energy and see how it goes... it went well... happy with depth and feel of the squat there... felt it working hard though, was thinking damn 3 more sets of 5 but as the weight was lowered wasnt as bad as I thought again... tbh think I build it up in my mind and for some reason its actually easier and better than I "fear"...

Paused squats - really nice, felt these working hard again and had my hams on my ankles... quads really feeling it by now... hams and glutes were also starting to get that feeling... loving it...

SLDL - fairly knackered by now and a bit worried about my lower back but kept form tight and made sure my glutes and hams did the work so it went fine... glutes and hams not happy now and starting to hurt, in a good way...

had to do these a day earlier as I can train friday now due to something else coming up... pretty damn happy with it all too tbh... felt really good re form and technique, weights were not too taxing (although certainly not too easy either lol) and depth was really good... quads, hams and glutes totally fried now and feeling it already... great start to my next week of training...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2

115x1x6

115x2x5

CGBP

95x7

OHP

60x2x6

TPD

40x15, 11, 8 (30+ in 3 sets 1 min rest)

Dislocations

bar x3x15

oooowwwww... bit harder this week... still felt strong and power was there but tired quicker puting this down to sleep being shot...

Bench - warm ups were fine as always... top sets were pretty good, felt nice and strong but tired quickly... didnt present any problems really just a couple of reps went off line slightly but no problem bringing them back...

CGBP - aim was 6+ and tbh I could have prob got 8 but left it at 7... should have pushed for that last rep in hind sight...

OHP - getting harder now first set was ok second got to 5 and was not sure 6 would go but it did albeit a bit of a grind... happy enough here... must work on balance and making sure I descend quick enough to get that power for the up...

TPD - aim was 30+ over 3 sets with a min rest... first set was surprised to hit 15 and tris were feeling it... quite a drop on second and third sets and man tris hit hard and felt pumped...

Dislocations - oh these are good, shoulders and tris tight esp on the first set but second set felt them loosen and felt better... going to up weight or reps next week I think...

good work out today... felt plenty of strength and power but just tired easily as said... sleep is a bit over the place and not sure why... just keep waking up through the night and having mad dreams... stupid dreams keeping me awake... oh well onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x3x3

BOR

110x12

100x12

90x12

Chins

BW+10kg x2x5

BWx1x7

man back was on fire after the chins...

Deads - felt pretty good considering I am a bit tired after a few nights crappy sleep... not just me though the mrs is having problems too... warm ups were fine... first set of 240 felt really good... second set not so much which at first puzzled me then I realised I didnt tighten my lats or set up as well as I should have, right face palm moment... third set rectified this and was much better although I did take a chuck out of my shin... now thats how close you should be lol...

BOR - was max reps for each weight... first I got 12 but think I could have done one or two more tbh... second got 12 but think that was about it and third was going to stop at 10 but as I wimped on the first set pushed it and got 12 again... back was a tad tingly after... felt really good though...

Chins - actually felt pretty good... nice strong pull up and controlled down... first set was a good 5 second the 5th was a bit harder and the last set went really well... lats and upper back are really sore now but in a good way...

all done for another week, felt really good even though I am a bit tired... shoulder was a bit sore going into todays session but by the end of it was a lot better... muscular not joint so not that worried... had to move things up a day this week as off to pick up a new motor tomorrow and then off to the theatre... yep all posh us 

loving the training and it seems to keep getting better...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

200x3x5

Paused Rack squats

160x3

180x3

190x3

SLDL

160x8

150x11

Niiice...

Squats - supposed to do these monday but had a cold and ended up falling asleep instead lol... still got em done tuesday instead... warm ups felt good not much bother at all, 160 felt pretty easy and really sharp in terms of form and tech so just went straight to 200... first set was not as good as it should have been in terms of form but second and third were much better... def making progress here as was not gassing as bad as previous weeks and felt stronger over all...

Paused rack squats - new exercise and it felt odd but went well enough... safeties set so that I would hit them about an inch above parallel and when the bar rests on them explode up... first set was pretty easy tbh, second bit harder and third I swear I was exploding but it seemed that the bar was moving in slow mo lol... felt nice enough and look forward to reaping the benefits here...

SLDL - no surprises here, was feeling it by this time and was just hoping to hit my numbers but as it turned out made it easily enough...

quads, hams and glutes were done, really felt them and @JB came round to do a squat session and could feel my legs every time I spotted him (not that I was needed as he made it look easy  ) still feeling them today... happy with the session and feeling good about the progress... got to train tue, wed, thu this week as got some more family stuff to do friday and with missing monday it just has to be done...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2

120x5

115x6

110x6

CGBP

100x6

OHP

60x7

55x7

TPD

40x17

40x11

40x8

40x7

Dislocations

bar x3x20

very tired lately... but still soldiering on...

Bench - went well, didnt give me any trouble at all and felt comfortable... got a nice groove on with bench lately... didnt really feel chest working till main sets and then BAM...

so far so good and happy...

CGBP - looking for 5+ here and got 6... was hunting for 7 but not sure it was there and hit the j hooks on the 6th which kind of distracted me... was going well though and had a nice line on this too...

OHP - very comfortable this week, had a better technique going on and speed was better so made each rep easier... bit tough on the last rep for each set but not that difficult... was pleased with both sets...

TPD - aiming for 40+ in 4 sets... got 43... made 17 first set and felt great with that, second set just hit the wall trying for the 12th just could not lock it out... same with the next two sets almost got 9 and 8 but just couldnt lock out those last reps... tris were fricking fried though...

wow, feeling it all over, chest, shoulders and tris really hit well today... very happy with training today and hoping it keeps going well as it is... still tired, late night again last night and sleep is a bit patchy... cold is going pretty quick so thats a good thing...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

250x1x5 (deadstop)

230x5 (deficit standing on 20kg plates)

BOR

115x14

105x13

95x13

Chins

BW+10kg x1x6, 1x5

BWx8

man really good session but what a sh!t day... colds still hanging around, hayfever is kicking in, morons on the road and I think I managed to break a toe or two this afternoon too... yeah baby rock and roll...

Deads - pretty standard really... warm ups went well, top set was supposed to be 3+ and got 5 pretty easily, should have been 6 or even 7 but toes were killing me... felt very nice though... down set of 230 for 5 standing on 20kg plates, easier than expected and felt good about that...

BOR - man the old saying more than 5 reps is cardio is soooo true... felt it hitting my upper back something chronic... aim was 12+ for each set and managed that ok...

Chins - well knackered but this time... all for sacking it in really but forged on as didnt want to seem I was giving up... got my target but no extras this week... soooo freaking tired by this stage...

feeling it deep in my muscles now and its good... churned through the session in about 45mins too which is nice... must be time for bed soon, well bath then bed... man I must be getting old... cant wait to get rid of this cold and for hayfever season to p off...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x1

*belt on*

210x5 (target 3+)

200x5 (target 3+)

190x6 (target 4+)

Rack paused squats

200x3x3

SLDL

165x11 (target 8+)

lowering the volume and upping intensity... yeah right... 

Squats - warm ups felt good as they should, first set I was pleased with but it had me gassing... think thats the most I have done at 210... all good depth and really hit hard, could even feel it in me testicles which means it must be working right... either that or the mrs had secretly stood behind me and was booting me in them... 200 felt really good and 190 was actually not as hard as I thought/feared it would be... probably could have done another rep for each set but it would def be touch and go on the first two and on the 190 I left it in the tank... yes thats right wimped out in other words 

Paused rack - legs were pretty fried but as these are partials just cracked on... first set was good, nice descent and good drive up... second terrible as was uneven for two of the reps and the bar wobbled and didnt feel good in the drive... third set was cracking though as really made sure of them and focused on exploding up as soon as contact was made... felt good...

SLDL - had to take an extra minute before these as was feeling a tad queezy lol... didnt feel especially taxing till rep 9... then 10 was a bit hard while 11 was more difficult again and only doable after taking a few breaths at the top... not sure a 12th was there but possibly at a grind... hams and glutes feeling it a doozy here... in fact still are...

didnt expect such a good session today as was away over weekend long drive home yesterday and food hasnt been best... plus I forgot to get my stock of monster drinks in and luckily I had a sample of bulk3d (Bulks gym pre workout) in which went down really well and kicked ar$e... squats went really well and felt good, getting much better at keeping the chest up and driving up with legs all the way through the movement... I mean combining them to work together lol... sitting here feeling washed out and now not as nauseus as before... got a decent week of training this week... Dig keeps me motivated and excited to see what I can do... having an objective and knowledgeable eye watch over me is making a big difference...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x1, 115x1

130x4

115x2x6

115x1x2+1p

WGBP

110x4/90x4/60x7

TPD

50x10+1p

35x15+1p

Dislocations

bar x3x20

oooosh... really buzzing about today as seemed like a good workout... I was right and a little wrong...

Bench - warm ups felt really really good... really worked on launching the bar and it seemed to do the trick... 130 got 4 fairly easily (4th a little wobbly) and think there was a 5th there at a grind... first set of 115 felt really good and not hard at all, second was a little harder but nothing to worry about but the third was a bit of a disaster... as I start just lost focus and only managed the two with a partial... just lost tightness, focus and drive... was right peeved cos it was going so well till then... rookie error really...

WGBP - havent done a drop set in a long time... first one I am sure I could have made 5 and same with the 90kg set... just went soft I reckon.... felt it work hard though and even though the 60 felt light it felt heavy if you know what I mean lol...

TPD - didnt expect as much from the 50kg set tbh, but it wasnt as hard as I imagined... tris felt dead after... second set went really well though again went better than expected... tris really hurt at the end and still feeling tingly now... well goosed...

Dislocations - as always a great finisher and so good at stretching the shoulders and chest out... really makes things feel so much better...

so mostly good session today... bit disappointed with that last set of 115 but next time mine for sure... chest is feeling it now and already getting doms ffs lol... legs still feeling it from tuesday too so its all kicking in for sure... kicking my a$$ a bit too lol... deads tomorrow and its a bit of a session there for sure... might just start crying before I start that session to save time cos it will have me in tears after


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

270x1

240x2x4

Deficit

230x6

Chins

BW+10kg x1x8, 1x2

BW+ 5kg x1x8, 1x2

BWx1x7, 1x3

yeah baby... really good session which is odd cos all the indicators were heading to a crappy session... very tired atm as mrs has a cold (not man flu of course else she would be dead) and keeps me awake all night with her freaking snoring and moaning that she cant get comfy... and had to delay my training time, which wasnt a problem but took all my pre workouts and ready for it when my daughter got in touch saying she couldnt stay in after school to finish her work as she had planned so I had to delay it another hour... thought that it would be in the pan tbh but as it turned out it was banging...

Deads - warm ups were ok, was a bit slow on the first 120 but rectified that and got some speed into it... rest of the sets went well and then the top set was great... went up smooth and quicker than expected so that was a bonus... then into two down sets at 240 which I thought I would have trouble with but as it turns out they actually went really well... had to pause at the top of rep 3 on the second set to take a breath but went well...

Deficit - again was thinking man its going to be a pain but surprisingly went better than last week... felt strong and got a good leg drive going on too which helped... breathing through my rear at the end though lol...

Chins - target was 10 reps for each weight in as few sets as possible... I was trying to do them in 1 but could only manage 2... lats and upper back are caned though and feeling it hard... got a better pull this week too and felt easier so thats good... but this could be due to no BOR before hand...

well knackered now, really good session so feeling great about that and really happy where I am in terms of how the weight is going up and how its all feeling... doesnt seem much on paper but really feeling it work... forearms are pumped to hell atm too lol... going to chug a protein shake and down a cheesecake in a bit then see how hungry I am later... loving it!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1

220x3

205x6

Paused 1ct

190x5

squats

160x11 (target 15+)

SLDL

170x10

jebus... holy jebus... omfg holy jebus...

Squats - first 3 warm up sets felt fine... then everything felt heavy... only managed 3 on the top set and was hoping for a couple more tbh... 205 felt ok but heard some alarming creaking coming from either my belt or my knees.. not sure which lol...

Paused - felt heavy but kept everything tight in the hole and managed to power out ok... got 5 but was hoping for at least one more... today it was not to be however...

Squats - saw this when I got Digs program sunday and started crying... was thinking 5 after the previous would be good going but managed 11 however hit a wall rather hard and had to swallow vomit so think that was it for today... didnt feel that heavy particularly but 11th was hard and pretty much all in... high reps are my bane however... felt soooo freaking ill after this had to sit for a long while till I could face sldl... legs were numb after this and even my upper body where I had been keeping it more upright and tight was sore...

SLDL - just didnt want to do these... however the werent a problem although it took me a few mins to get my breath back to be able to talk to my boy who came into the gym just as I finished... legs well and truly [email protected] now... in fact just sitting is presenting a problem and feeling of projectile vomiting is only just receding... eyesight is also coming back which is nice...

freaking jimminy cricket... sod all sleep last couple of nights (mrs related as she has had to travel with work and thus be up early and home late) and feeling very tired, managed to catch a bit of a snooze this am but not sure if that helped or hindered... food is going ok and probably should get more water in which would help... can feel my legs tingling now and thats usually a good sign... going to break that 15 for sure next time... take some extra mtfu before the workout


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2, 120x1

135x3

125x5

120x4+1p

CGBP

105x5

95x6

WGBP

90x6

OHP

50x10, 8, 5

oooh yeah... good session today... really felt it all through my chest and shoulders... even tris are pretty delicate now...

Bench - warm ups flew, really focused on increasing the speed of the negative today as after talking with @JB yesterday while he was in the dungeon we both found out our descent is a little slow and need to speed it up so I was focused more on the downward and less on the press but it seemed to work well... 120 last warm up felt easy... 135 went much better than it has in the past, still a little slow on the first rep but fixed that for the other two... felt stronger and more power... hmmmm speed down must keep that in... 125 was pretty good, probably not a 6th there but who knows... 120 first 4 felt fine then it was like I hit a brick wall a few inches from lock out... just could not squeeze it that last little bit... dammit... still felt good... chest def feeling it by the end of that set...

CGBP - had to pick a weight I thought I would fail at around 5... did 100 for 6 before so thought 105 and it seems that was pretty bang on... 5th went up ok but not sure a 6th would have as it was a bit wobbly... dropped it 10kg and banged out 6 ok but thats about it... again felt better than in the past, once again making sure speed down was quick and not laboured...

WGBP - just a straight out as many as I can set... felt great till the 6th... again that wall appeared but I just managed to break through it this time... just... chest was actually hurting at this stage deep in the muscle too...

OHP - actually quite enjoyed this today, didnt think I was going to but it went better than I thought... first set was happy with, 10 was def the limit though... second was happy with too but third was just slamming into that wall again... got the 5th ok but 6th just wouldnt lock out...

Dislocations - once again a nice little finisher but today didnt feel as tight through the shoulders or chest... taking that as a good sign...

felt pretty knackered this morning... but after lunch felt much better and a bit more alive... by the time got to the workout was pretty rearing to go... definitely going to keep that speed on the negative faster than slower as it seems thats been hindering me perhaps... only one workout so far but going to keep at it and see where that takes me... weights felt pretty decent today and not too difficult... chest is pretty freaking sore atm and tris are very tired... delts have been a bit shocked but not as bad...

good day today... deads day tomorrow... yeah baby bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

280x1

250x2x4

Block pulls 6"

230x8

Chins

BW+10kg x9, 1x3

BW+5kg x8, 1x4

BWx8, 1x4

done and well shattered... feeling tired today again and thought appetite was not there around lunch time but stopped at BK and ended up devouring a couple of the chicken royales and a bacon double cheese burger lol... then had a bounty and packet of quavers and probably would have had something else if it was handy...

Deads - felt really good considering I was feeling a bit tired beforehand... warm ups were all fast and felt right on got to 280 and was pretty into it by then... went up really well, not as fast as I would have liked but felt strong all the way through, kept good line and never faltered... the 2 sets of 250 went great except for one little glitch, 2nd rep first set I let the bar travel too far from my shins which meant I was about an inch off line and it felt it... 3rd and 4th rep amended that and it was awesome...

Block pulls - first rep felt odd... just didnt feel right pulling from so high lol... after that though felt comfortable enough and was fine, 8th rep was tough but got it up ok... not sure a 9th was there tbh...

Chins - wow, really starting to find a good line with these... feeling it down my lats and even in my upper back and forearms were stinging after too... now that the groove is better I am enjoying them more... concentrated on pulling down through the elbows and really letting the lats squeeze me up... now ruing that as they are sore lol...

Really good session today... felt very very on even though I started the day tired... pleased with how the lifts felt and with how not hard they were (note Dig, NOT hard... not easy but not HARD  this is not an invite to keep trying to kill me  )... hands took a bit of a beating, skin lost on the palms and the join between one of my fingers and the palm has split... but these are the war wounds that we accrue... loved it today and looking for more...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

190x6

*belt on*

190x4x6

SLDL (on 20kg plates)

170x9

damn... just damn... oh hell damn...

Squats - Dig is a bastard, put do 4 sets of 6 but if you think a 5th is there do that too as a "bonus" set... course he knows I am going to do that... or at least die in the attempt... warm ups went well, little niggle in left lower back but nothing serious... first 190 was without belt but as niggle was there put belt on for the rest... after that it was all gravy and only my quads, hams and glutes hurt lol... first couple of sets after belt on were really good, felt strong and depth was nice... 3rd set with belt was a bit tougher... 4th set was hard but the last rep was really hard, had to dig deep and push hard out of the hole... felt so freaking sick after this I had to sit for about 10 mins to recover and no puke... legs just humming and so so sore...

SLDL - took so long to get to these today... was to be done standing on 20kg plates so about a 2" deficit... 6+ was the target and got 9 so pretty happy there, might have possibly squeezed out 10 but at this stage just trying to keep lunch down... stonking headache and feeling rough as guts now... my legs have pretty much exploded so thats that then for squat days lol...

felt really good going into the session today... however 5 sets of fairly heavy squats took care of that... my legs have actually gone numb just at the minute and will no doubt start hurting again in due course... worked out that instead of 3 reps at top set I did 30 so thats a bit of an increase on volume then... just basically trying to stay awake and not throw up... even typing is hard... woo... hooooooo


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2, 120x1

140x1

145xf

Negative

170x1

Bench

115x6

115x5

115x3

115x0

OHP

65x5

65x5

65x6

50x12

dislocations

bar x3x15

pants day... headache all day and just felt absolute rubbish, lack of sleep last night was horrendous and just couldnt get comfortable... just generally tired and lack of energy all day... and to add insult to injury I forgot to take my normal pre workout stuff (read can of monster) and only figured that out on 3rd set of 65 ohp when I was thinking why such a lack of energy... sigh...

Bench - was going pretty decent, all warm ups were really good and easy, 120 flew up and felt great... 140 was spot on, speed of descent was good and decent drive up and didnt feel overly heavy or taxing... 145 went like sh1t though... was thinking about speed of descent too much and rushed it and lost line, about an inch or so down from where I normally touch and then couldnt pull it back in so it went forwards... right tit I felt...

Negative - wow have never held 170 in my hands on the bench before... felt pretty weighty lol... managed to control it down to the safeties though and it did feel heavy...

Bench - was supposed to do 115 for 4 sets of 6 but only got 3 sets and then not the reps looking for... left shoulder/pec area is feeling a bit abused by the second set and third set just felt ridiculously heavy... like someone had sneaked in and added 10kg... [email protected] 

OHP - was not expecting much tbh... bench was dead and shoulder a bit sore but first set went very well... second about the same and I managed to squeeze an extra rep out on the third which was a bonus... but to get 12 on the 50kg set I was wrapped as I was thinking maybe 8... shoulder wasnt feeling too bad by the end although both sets of delts were feeling it nicely...

dislocations - oh yeah, just 3 sets of 15 but by the third set should/pec area felt much better...

up and down session today, bench felt great then not so great and just felt freaking tired, missing the can of monster wasnt great but lack of sleep last night killed, just got to find that comfy spot... not too disappointed I suppose but expecting more on the bench in terms of the 115 sets... also a bit miffed I had my head in the clouds re the 145 set as it should have gone up well enough just overthinking the movement instead of just doing it... cannot wait till bedtime but first a hot dinner and a hot bath...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5

220x5

Block pulls 6"

240x5

270x5

Def (stand on 20kg plates)

240x6

Chins

BW x31+1p in 6 mins

wow back pumped, forearms pumped even biceps feeling it....

Deads - just a light one to prime me today I reckon... felt easy enough, kept close to body as it makes for a better line... easy reps

Blocks - always feel weird with the first rep for me... 240 went fine although felt a little slower than I would like... 270 felt better than 240 albeit heavier... got both sets done ok probably could have done another at 270... maybe 2 if you held my family hostage...

Def - felt pretty good tbh, all the way up to 5 then it felt a bit harder... got the 6th out ok but not sure there was another... back stupidly pumped by this stage...

Chins - just BW today but supposed to aim for 40+ and only got 31 and a partial... back completely pumped by this stage and forearms were just not playing ball...

had a great nights sleep last night even though I was woken twice within 40mins of falling asleep by 1) the cat meowing in my face to be let into bed to snuggle up to the warm body... (stupid freaking cat) and 2) by the mrs coming to bed like 15 mins later to moan that I was sleeping with the cat and not her ffs... but after that out like a light and all the way through... bliss... feeling much better today but still a little tired and had my can of monster too so that helped pick me up pre workout... pleased with workout today although I would like to see more chins but just wasnt happening at all... something to work on...

@Dig we've been working together for about 5.5 months now and last night I noticed some surprising changes in the mirror let alone with weights and stuff mate, def leaning out a bit and back has more thickness to it and even abs are coming out a little in the right light on a tuesday with the wind from the east... although I will always have a weird circle of smooth due to the hernia ops I likey very much... chest and shoulders starting to show more too, got a comment the other day about puting on size so wooot... keep on punishing me big boy... in a non **** way of course... oh who am I kidding full ****


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 200x1

225x4

225x3

210x6

hi bar paused squats (2ct)

160x3 (oops forgot hi bar)

170x3

180x3

Single leg SLDL

70x4

70x5

damn just as my legs were feeling better (sunday) I get this today... finally got rid of the doms and now looking forward to more tomorrow on, hell I mean from now on lol...

Squats - pinched something in lower left back yesterday as was out in the garden getting stuff done to keep the mrs on side... but it didnt play too much of a problem today... warm ups felt good and even 160 felt light enough... 200 felt strong and 225 felt good, first set did anyway lol... managed to do 4, not sure if another was there or not... second set of 3 was harder and really felt that one... set of 210 was up and down (forgive the pun lol) as 2nd rep was a tad high I think but nailed all the others and barely got the 6th tbh... was really happy until I realised that I had hi bar paused to come...

Paused, hi bar - forgot to do hi bar on the first set... brain fart and just automatically went for normal position across my rear delts... but made up for it on the other two sets... felt much more upright and it was more hurty on the neck but went pretty well... legs were shaking a bit after this... sweating like a fat lass in a cake shop on keto and legs were buzzing...

Single leg SLDL - hmmmm felt very awkward... supposed to do 100kg but tbh form was pants and bar was twisting like there was a force 12 hurricane whistling through the gym so I dropped the weight and it felt much better but still hard... its mainly my coordination and getting used to the exercise I think... really felt this hit the hams and glutes though... legs and rear are now totally fried...

wow pushing reps on weights I used to single is hard, but rewarding... and hurty... feeling pretty decent even though had some weird dreams last night which woke me a few times but nothing seriously and felt fairly rested this morning... felt a bit nauseus after squats and was gassing like a beached whale but recovered quicker than expected which was nice... until I realised another set was in the offing... going to have to see my girl about a sports massage too... in fact will book that asap as need to get some work done... starting to feel a few niggles but thats mainly from the damn garden work I have been doing all the bending and twisting and stupid thorn bushes stabbing me... hot bath again tonight and relax...


----------



## RowRow

Fascinating reading on your log and some real good numbers too! Subbed for the long haul


----------



## Greyphantom

RowRow said:


> Fascinating reading on your log and some real good numbers too! Subbed for the long haul


thanks mate... numbers not too bad, got to get them up to be more competitive though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench (with bands)

40x2x6, 60x5, 70x5

Bands on

50x3

60x3

70x3

80x3

90x2

75x5, 2x4

60x5

OHP

45x5 (actually done after the 90+bands see below)

70x3

65x4

55x8

TPD

50x11

50x9

50x6

holy jebus... @Dig youre a fvcking sadist mate... wtf is it with you and pain... took a while to work out how to get the bands on the bar properly ended up attaching them to the rack and then they made the right height or thereabouts... pic shows how I did it, look ok mate??

there was a pic here but not showing on this forum... oops...

Bench - new experience for me today... took a while to learn the optimal way to set the bands up tbh, Dig the dumbbell thing you sent was no good as they were either too loose or way to tight... tried to choke them off together but again a bit tight... looped them around the rack and voila... did a straight bench warm up till 70 kg then put the bands on... wow feels completely different and a bit odd at first... sets went reasaonbly well till I got to 90kg when all of a sudden it felt very heavy... got two out fine but the third was not there today... dropped it to 75 and that felt ok... 60 was feeling good but only 5... very different set up and just cannot let tension go at all... also have to move very fast off the chest as you need to increase power on the way up... very odd but also very cool... however the freaking ache I had in my chest delts and tris not so cool... really feeling it and shaking a shed load...

OHP - bit of a balls up here, forgot about the extra sets on the bench so started to do these after the set of 90kg and bands but then remembered so re set the bench up again and did that then on to the 70kg ohp... felt heavy tbh... delts were tired and only managed the 3... 65 was not much better and 55 was the only set I managed to hit the lower target... delts feeling fried... not actually felt them that achey in a while...

TPD - jebus... just not ending today... really happy with the first set as got 11, hurt a lot but did it just and felt pretty pleased... second went reasonably well too with 9 but the 9th was a grind and a half... only managed 6 on the last as that was all she had... couldnt believe how much I am feeling them today...

pretty pleased with this work out today... tried something new and once I get used to the form and technique looking forward to seeing where it can take me... bands were very interesting and their impact was immediate and much more than I expected... you absolutely have to stay tight else you will lose it and as the bands pull down there is really very little you can do to off load the bar lol... really cant wait till the doms sets in for real... said no one ever...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x5

Blocks

260x3

fin... was supposed to do more but its been a long freaking day with massive meh feelings and total lack of motivation to do anything... sleep was sh1tty last night due in part to heat and in part to wife trying to get comfy... which somehow means that I shouldnt be???? work that one out... anywho, even though I was feeling unmotivated still gave it a go... lower back was tight starting but starting loosening up which was good but it was just a lull as when I did the 260 it just started to seize up... loaded up 280 (which I probably shouldnt have done but had to see if it was me being a girl or my back was indeed not working) and went for the next set but as I lifted the first had to stop it as back just stopped working... its not really sore as such but in certain positions (bent over it seems) it gets a pain (not excruciating but enough to make you sit up and notice) and just doesnt want to play... sigh... 260 went up fast enough though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x1, *belt on* 220x1

235x1p

stopped there... back was not happy from the get go and I had to conciously make sure I drove up from the hole with both legs equally else I would favour my right leg (the side not affected by the back niggle)... warm ups were easy enough even so, 220 didnt feel too bad at all except for the back thing and so I thought would do the tops set of 235... unracked it and felt fairly solid, nice deep breath and held it pushing into my belt all around and started to go down but back just wouldnt let me... got about half way then had to return to top... funny thing is its not hurting now... stretched it out this morning and it felt pretty good actually then spent the morning in the garden doing some stuff and it started feeling tight and a little sore again... sigh... stupid garden... so back to stretching and ease it out... it was coming right just too much too soon I think...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

40x2x6, 60x5, 70x5

bands on

50x3

70x3

90x3

100x3

110x3

95x3x5

75x9

OHP

50x3

70x3

60x7

55x9

TPD

50x13

50x9

50x7

50x6

holy sheeeeeet... great workout, really really felt this all through my chest, delts and tris... and @Dig fvck you 

Bench - warm ups straight forward but set up felt really tight and more in the groove... added bands on and ran them under the bench this time which was interesting and actually went better than I expected... 50kg was easy, 70 easy too, 90 could feel it starting to bite... 100 was nice but could go up a bit so went 110 and thats about right here... 3rd rep was a bit of a hard one but doable, not a fourth though... could feel it hitting me in the chest from the get go and at the end of the 3rd set of 95 it was pain city, a good pain though... the 75 set topped it off nicely and I was really happily surprised to get 9 reps on that one...

OHP - again a bit of a nemesis for me... did a quick warm up set on 50kg and then hit the 70... felt hard today, on the 3rd rep upper back was tightening up and as went for the 4th I just bailed as I knew it wasnt going to work... didnt quite make reps on the 60 set either missed the last one but got the 9 at 55kg... that was a hard set though... misloaded the 60kg set as had a 5kg on one side and 2.5 on the other... doh... still rectified and banged out the set... delts feeling it a lot...

TPD - holy cow, went well but tris were killing... I was really trying for 10 on the second set but it just wasnt going to go... tris were burning and arms shaking... felt awesome...

man that was one hell of a work out, the bands really keep the tension on and you just cannot relax... really good thing imho as its teaching me to drive fast up from the bottom and keep it tight all the way through the press... came away aching like hell... cussed Dig out in my text report and then had a bit of a cry 

good thing my back did not feel sore at all, could feel it a little in certain positions but no painful bits... stretching is going well so keeping that up all this week... deads tomorrow so hopefully it will be good for that...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls 6 inch

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

280x2

Def pulls

250x4

deads

220x10

Chins

BW+5kg x 10,6,5,5,3

oh good gravy... back feeling way better, could feel it on the pulls but not so bad it stopped me pushing it a little... and on the chins it seemed to ease it out somewhat so thats a good thing... course now my back is well fragged and feeling it but this time in a good way...

Block pulls - not my favourite exercise but I have found a pretty decent technique or at least groove to do these in... kept it very close to my body all the way up and possibly lost some skin and hair off my quads... kept my shins much more up right too so it felt more natural all the way through the pull... will keep this technique moving forward... warm ups felt ok and didnt aggravate my back much... 250 went up pretty quick tbh and felt the least in my niggle out of all of them... 280 went up pretty well, slower than I would have liked and was aiming for three... got to 2 and forgot to keep my head in the game and not on the niggle so lost it... was very in the zone till then as well...

Def pulls - did not think I was going to get these tbh... but surprisingly the weight felt good just had to make sure the motion was spot on... had to concentrate to make sure my hips drove through at the top as I was a bit hesitant due to thinking about the niggle but did it and felt ok... very pleased...

Deads - good god, by the time I got to these I was not sure about 10... hell 5 seemed a bit of an ask... but cracked on (@AHF had your voice in my head saying pull your head out of your **** and just lift the freaking weight  ) and first 5 went pretty well, swapped grip to the other alternate and did the next 5 albeit a bit more time between the full stops on the floor than at the beginning lol... gassing after these and was feeling shaky...

Chins - oh I so wanted to stop now... this time it was thinking of @jdog and his "motivational" post that did it... suck it up and freaking do it... didnt quite make the 30 though... but back at this stage was feeling sore, can feel it from traps down to glutes... man alive its a great feeling...

very very happy with today, even if I missed a couple of targets I still made it through the whole workout and feel ok coming out the other side... knackered but loving it... got some clients on sunday to train and looking forward to the drive up there and meeting up with some friends too... time for food, stretching and possibly a hot bath


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1 *belt on* 220x1

235x2

Paused 2 ct

180x3x3

SLDL (single leg)

75x3x5 each leg

oh ffs... just holy oh ffs...

Squats - seeing how it went with the back and it went pretty ok... warm ups felt good, concentrated on keeping both legs working equally as hard in the drive up... felt the lower left give a little but nothing I couldnt handle... 220 felt pretty good and quick... 235 was a little harder but first rep was nice and quick, second a little slower and felt my back a little so talked myself out of the 3rd, but goal was 2+ so will take that...

Paused - did a 2 count on these as a default as I didnt have the number I was supposed to use... hi bar again and it does make a difference... feel it more in the quads and have to stay more upright, I dont do low bar as a rule usually mid bar really but even the 2 or so inches this goes up my neck on top of my traps makes a difference... felt very very good... nice power from the hole and good hold at the bottom...

SLDL - again with the single leg... man this one really gets me... my hams and glutes are well fvcked up right now... only light but still working on the form as it still sucks but getting better... def feel a bit weaker in the left than the right... glute isnt firing right...

very happy with this one today, soooo much better than last week... back held up well and didnt stop me from doing any of the exercises... happy with the strength and power I can get out of this old body right now... as the back improves so will the numbers... feeling well knackered now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2, 115x1

130x3x3

WGBP

120x2x4

100x7+1p

OHP (seat back up)

70x7

65x8

60x9

TPD

35x2x25

30x2x25

oh jebus... started off nicely and ended in me whimpering and crying...

Bench - warm ups felt really good, strange as no bands but I feel easier on drive up from the chest... 115 felt esp good and then 130 went really well so very happy there... better than expected, felt strong and straight forward...

WGBP - first set I hit a nerve in my hand or something cos it was really sore and had a sort of burning sensation... got 2 sets of 4 supposed to be 5... felt it working the chest hard though... last set at 100 was aiming for 8 but just couldnt lock out the last rep, no matter how hard I pushed... happy enough atm...

OHP - seat back was up for today and it made a big difference... in fact was quite surprised at how well it went, 65 aim was to beat 70 and 60 was to beat 65... did that on both sets, just... man feeling my delts now... did enjoy it though...

TPD - knew this was going to be a hard ask... 4 sets of 25 with a min rest between them... yeah baby bring it... target weight was 30-35 so started with 35 and at end of first set knew would have to drop it to 30 for the last 2... man this hurt... 2nd set of 35 and both 30 sets the last few reps were very not strict lol... arms screaming by this stage... cursing Digs good name and a few others for good measure...

holy fvck, great workout but damn its hurty... even sitting makes things sore atm... happy with todays efforts though as its feeling better... hopefully the portent of things to come... good things... heavy things


----------



## Huntingground

Hello matey, for some reason, I didn't think you was on here.

Great lifts.


----------



## Greyphantom

Huntingground said:


> Hello matey, for some reason, I didn't think you was on here.
> 
> Great lifts.


lol yeah mate been on here a while... thanks mate, feeling pretty wrecked atm... deads in a minute...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls (6")

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

255x2x5

Deads (speed)

190x3x3

Reverse BOR

150x8

120x13

Chins

BW+10 x7

BWx10

Feeling well knackered before todays session, lack of sleep and lots going on at work and home just draining me... also fvcked up the weight on BOR as was going to do 130 then 100 but forgot that I had 50s on each end, dufus that I am sigh...

Block pulls - focused on getting my line right and making sure technique was spot on, and it helped a load getting the weight up... felt pretty good, still a little stiffness in my lower back but bearable... pump was great from these today...

Deads - speed work today and it went goooood... went up very quick but not as quick as I would like, got to get more explosive and it felt a lot lighter than expected... very comfortable...

BOR (reverse grip) - oh good grief I cannot believe I made the rookie mistake of screwing up the weight... aiming for 130 I put 15 on each side forgetting I had 50s on the bar which made it 150... ffs... still managed 8 but the last 2 were a bit sloppy and didnt quite touch with the 8th... 120 felt good and only just missed touching the belly on 13... upper back is sooooore now... feeling good though...

Chins - first set felt good, and smoother than in the past... nice drive up from the bottom and felt it right along the lat... bw chins felt even better... at the finish my entire back is just one mass of sore... in a good way though...

Feeling as knackered as I did going in I was not sure it was going to go well but as I was throwing on my training tshirt my kids said to me that I was looking much more muscular and strong lol so I used that as motivation and drive during the work out... worked pretty well too... very productive session and back is very worked... mrs is back home tonight and looking forward to getting some eats on... and got a great weekend of lifting ahead... well not me but reffing the Birmingham qualifiers on sunday and doing a short seminar on reffing disabled lifting which sounds awesome... cannot wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x2, 200x2 *belt on* 225x1

245x1

230x3

Paused

210x4 (2ct)

SLDL (def)

180x6

200x6

Hard work today, still knackered from the weekend and back/glute is giving me issues still in the heavier weights...

Squats - felt ok going up to 225 then glute starting twinging again, didnt feel as bad as a couple of weeks ago where I had to bail but JB was watching the 245 set and said it looked hard and painful... he should have tried it from my end  ... 235 got the first two ok but a bit hard still and then the third I didnt keep the chest locked well enough and it was slightly high... back was feeling a bit sore but now...

Paused - was a bit dubious about the weight but JB said might as well give it a shot... pr**k...  got it but it wasnt pretty... feeling a bit of pain that time but not unbearable...

SLDL - supposed to hit a top set of 6 so after chatting with JB we thought 180 would be about right went up pretty well but left glute really didnt fire right though... again JB talked me into doing 200 which went ok, however after glute/back started to stiffen up a bit...

pretty meh session tbh... even though the niggle felt better still made the top sets hard... going to do some more stretching and get the mrs to help out there, it helps a lot and I havent been keeping that up... did a little afterwards and it felt really good... bit sore now still but hot bath later will clear that out...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 70x5 *bands on* 50x3, 70x3, 90x1, 105x1

115x3

100x2x5, 1x4+1p

OHP

50x3

80x5

60x3x8

EZ bar curls

47.5x8

67.5x7+1p

57.5x8, 7, 6

wow, job certainly jobbed there...

Bench - really nice today, felt good weights moved smoothly and only missed the last one due to not being able to lock it out, just couldnt make it that last inch or so... happy enough though... chest very sore by the end though...

OHP - felt really good today as well... shoulders very sore by the end but didnt feel too difficult so this is moving along nicely...

EZ bar curls - started as bb curls but forearms were hurting way too much to do the straight bar, switched to ez and it went much better although they still grumbled a little... freaking hurt like hell though and can still feel them a few hours later...

over all really good workout today which is great considering before hand I was feeling a bit despondent about life the universe and everything... a good workout was exactly what I needed... feeling like its really coming together on the bench atm, better than squats (but thats due to the ol' glute/piriformis thing)... deads doing nicely there too so all in all its all good...


----------



## MrTozzy

Greyphantom said:


> wow, job certainly jobbed there...


Made my day, that sentence. Keep up the good work.


----------



## Greyphantom

MrTozzy said:


> Made my day, that sentence. Keep up the good work.


lol thanks mate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads... (my own freaking D day...)

Block pulls 6"

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x4, 250x1

270x3x3

Speed deads

200x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x8

BWx50

oh good jebus... holy hell... damn... that is all...

Blocks - bit hesitant as forearms and biceps really sore both from yesterdays training and work this morning as it involved a shed load of lifting heavy crap around... warm ups went pretty well though and felt good about the 270 sets... first set however didnt got as well as I would have liked but didnt feel overly heavy but made it up on the last two as found the groove and they went much better and it felt nice and smooth... pretty happy about finding the groove now... back was not too bad either, little bit of soreness that made me slightly hesitant on the hips through at the top but not enough to make me stop...

Speed - forearms were hurting by this stage, back niggling but got it done, first two sets were really quick and felt very nice... last set was slightly slower but still felt light enough... back a little more sore but still not enough to make me stop...

Chins - jebus... but this stage I was about ready to just stop but gotta put the lifts in during training to make it count on the platform... sigh... first set was really good and felt much better than ever before, but I did have straps on and it felt smooth, pretty sure I had more in the tank there maybe even 2 more... the bw chins for 50 killed... damn... back was definitely tingling by the end of this and arms were just gone... very sore... but job is done...

pretty nervous about todays session as forearms were a bit sore and so I thought the grip would be pretty affected but as it turns out it grip was pretty good... back is still niggling but stretching it out with the mrs at night so its better than it was... will keep up with that as its got to be fixed... feeling pretty damn good now and looking forward to next week... lifting just rocks plain and simple...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5

155x5x5

Hi bar closer stance

140x10

150x2x10

oh jebus... bit of a "deload" week this week... back felt pretty fine through it all only a bit tight at the bottom of the hole...

Squats - felt alright for the most part, pretty quick and nice and tidy... on the third set I noticed I was pulling down on the bar on the way up so concentrated on driving up with everything and that seemed to work better... 5th was a little slower than the others but first 4 were nice... didnt feel too heavy but certainly more reps than used to...

Hi bar - 140 felt pretty easy and very quick... so was told if 140 felt ok then up the weight... 150 it was... man this one felt a bit harder... had to take an extra couple of minutes at the end of this set to stop feeling so ill... did the third after some fast talking to myself and that was hard... first 5 or 6 reps were ok and fast enough but the last 4 were hard... had to sit for a while after the last set and even then walking is an issue  felt this all the way from my glutes to my toes... at least I didnt throw up or feel that ill after...

not too bad for a deload... needed to come down as my back has been giving me niggles lately and as I havent kept the stretching up it was not getting better as fast as it should... feels loads better this week though... happy enough with the speed on the earlier sets but surprised a little at how hard the extra reps hit me on the sets of 10... didnt really gas too badly but def felt ill... still all done now and on ward to more weight... I hope


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2, 120x1

135x2

135x2x1

WGBP

125x2

125x0

105x7

OHP

50x5

80x3x5

French press (ez bar)

27.5x8

27.5x10

27.5x9

27.5x8

well that was a messed up session... mentally going in I was just all over the place but the warm ups felt pretty decent, seemed to crack the form really nicely and technique felt good... was hoping it would be one of those days when things sucked going in but ramped up and felt awesome doing it... nope...

Bench - as said warm ups felt pretty tight and good, bar moved well and smoothly... 120 flew up and felt really good so was happy and starting to turn around mentally... 135 laid that to rest though... first was cracking, actually felt good about it all... second something changed and it felt horrible, not sure if I just lost the vibe due to being so thrilled with the first one or if it was something else... felt heavy and slow... left pec was aching a little after but not too bad... second set I set up and it felt good took the bar out of the rack and then lowered... and waited... and waited... and finally thought fvck it and drove up and holy hell it actually went up... as it was coming down I just lost the plot... no idea why was not even thinking which could have been the problem... but it sat on my chest for a good 3-4 seconds as I was making up my mind to dump it on the safeties I thought sod it and tried to drive it up... and it went up... thats the longest I have held that weight and then managed to drive it up for sure... didnt feel heavy just didnt have any oomph... third set I was going to push hard tried to rev myself up but again was lack lustre... stupid lack lustre... got it up easy enough but just bailed at this point... left pec was feeling pretty tight and sore at this stage... but tried sacking up and cracking on...

WGBP - sigh... prob should have stopped tbh... first rep felt heavy and lop sided, left just wasnt pushing up like the right... second rep I held again on the chest thinking of bailing onto the safeties but again drove the bar up... albeit lopsided... was not happy at all and left it there... fml... took off 20kg and tried to do the last set and managed to get the reps I needed but again on the last few reps the bar was definitely down on the left side...

OHP - was thinking about just calling it a day at this stage... but thought I would give it a shot... 50 was just a warm up to get things moving... actually the main sets all felt good and a bit easier than I expected... started to feel a little better at this stage... was pretty happy with the weight and how the reps went... moved quick enough too...

French press - this was the one that I thought would give me trouble today... havent done this in years and when I have done lying extension my elbow has given me a load of trouble... first set was supposed to hit 8 reps on a relatively heavy weight... picked 27.5 thinking it would be heavy enough for a first go... should have gone at least 5kg heavier... form felt really good and elbow felt absolutely great... did not cause any trouble at any time... last 3 sets were pretty decent too... again could have gone up a little in the weight... think I have found another tri exercise that doesnt cause elbow issues a great bonus that raised my spirits a little...

well mixed session today... bench sucked, chest felt tight and sore but seems to be mostly ok now a little tighter on the left and a little sore in certain motions and if I press it a bit... so I am not doing that... pretty hacked of tbh, last two bench days or more have gone so well... have been enjoying them actually... I sort of knew going into todays session it was perhaps not going to go so well, have some things going on at home that are playing on my mind which didnt help but sh1t happens and we must move on... however ohp and french press went well enough... appetite is up atm too, had four meals yesterday instead of my normal three and today have been eating a bit more as well... adding the odd shake in as well here and there... going to ride that wave while it lasts... oh well tomorrow is another day and its deads... bring it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls (6")

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x4, 250x1, 270x1

290x1

300x1

Deads (speed)

220x3x3

Rev rows

BWx10

BWx10

BWx9+1p

BWx8

BC EZ bar

50x11

50x10

50x8

40x14

wow much better day...

Blocks - felt pretty good... nice and quick and I am loving the slight changes in technique and form that make it better... felt nice and quick till the 300 then it was a bit slower... probably had a 310 there but left it as a win in the tank... esp after yesterdays efforts... felt really good with this...

Deads - quicker than last week I think... certainly nice and easy and fast... back gave no problems at all... sweat p1ssing off me at this stage...

Rev rows - set the bar about waist height off the j hooks and using straps pull yourself up to the bar like BOR... just bw this week but needed that first set to get the form right really, from the second set I nailed it and it made a huge difference in feel and movement... felt it really well across my upper back... esp once I sorted the form out... like them...

BC - first set was a little hinky as forearms a tad sore and bis were feeling it a little from all the back work... arms feeling fried by the end of the 50s then had to do the 40 set... sigh... biceps still sore now and a little tingly...

much better workout, got into it much more mentally today and it helped a load... probably a good thing that I sorted some stuff out last night at home too which cleared my head... feeling in a better place now which is nice... feeling good...


----------



## RowRow

Generally what's your sticking point on a deadlift?

Just curious to know as your numbers are really good


----------



## Greyphantom

RowRow said:


> Generally what's your sticking point on a deadlift?
> 
> Just curious to know as your numbers are really good


tends to be around the knee, or used to be... usually if I can get it off the floor it will go up... numbers ok mate need to add a few kg to be up there with the big boys


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats (aka faaarrrrrrrk)...

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1

240x2

Hi bar (closer stance)

185x5

160x10

150x11

SLDL (def approx 2")

200x8

oh jebus... holy jebus save me from the monster that is Dig... hard one today even though there is not that much on paper...

Squats - warm ups felt great, no pain at all in the lower back and felt strong... even the 200 felt nice and strong and even.. I did have to work on NOT favouring the left as both legs and hips etc were firing on all cylinders... belt on for 220 and it felt nice... 240 felt pretty darn neat tbh... but damn if I didnt feel them...

Hi bar - again with the closer stance... its much hard not being upright on the hi bar than the lower and the closer stance really hits the quads much more too... first set was supposed to be a heavy 5 and tbh I could have gone another 10kg here more than likely... the next two sets were hard, mainly cos of the reps... got to 7 on the 160 and the last 3 were hard... or so I thought... the last 4 on the 150 were really fvcking hard... legs were actually numb by this stage and just really not working...

SLDL (def) - heavy 8 was the goal... got it just probably could have gone another 5kg but as the last rep was pretty damn tough I think I will take this to the bank... glutes and hams fragged and just trying to keep from yakking and fainting at this stage...

so freaking happy that my back is better... makes it easier to do the rep without tending to lift lopsided or favour the injury... which in turn translates to an easier lift and more power out of the hole... felt really good doing that... struggling to stay alert atm and to keep lunch down lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

WGBP

WU 40x2x10, 60x10, 80x5, 100x5

112.5x10

Paused no touch bench (2ct)

90x3

100x3

110x3

French press (ez bar)

35x3x8

EZ bar curl

35x8

60x11

60x9

60x8

ouch... arms fried, chest even feels a little pumped but ok...

WGBP - felt pretty good today... bit of a deload on bench this week... warm ups felt pretty easy and then did the 112.5 set... hmmm not so easy... did not help when I hit the j hook on the 8th rep and the 10th felt very very hard... also added the bonus extra pinch of hand on j hook at the end... sigh...

Paused - did these for a 2 count... 90 felt very easy as did 100... 110 was easy but not so much... held off the chest and counted to 2 then drive up... all felt smooth and good...

French press - first set was freaking horrible... felt it a little in my elbow, couldnt seem to get the same sort of smooth action as last time and was all over the place... thought about where I was going wrong and then did 2nd set... wow what a difference... felt awesome and smooth and hit my right in the tris... set up was much better and elbows further back... 3 rd set was the same and could have done another 2 reps easy I think... felt very very good...

EZ curl - 35 felt hard believe it or not, felt it in my forearms and seemed I was squeezing my biceps too much... 60 felt much better weirdly and forearms didnt hurt at all which was nice... felt it working the biceps well though... 2nd and 3rd sets felt good too although felt my forearms a little on both of these... nothing to worry about though... arms fried... feels good...

nice little deload this week... left pec didnt have any issues at all and back is just totally fine... went to the massage therapist yesterday and she gave me a working over... did something new to my IT bands and was laughing at my pain... shes a good girl really lol... feel good for it though... appetite is still pretty decent although I have times where I dont think I am hungry but make myself eat and all of a sudden am ravenous...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls (6")

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, *chalk on* 240x2

260x6

Floor

240x5

Deficit

200x10

Rev Rows

BWx50 (4 sets 14, 14, 12,10)

oh so done...

Block pulls - found a really good groove on these now I think... keep it close to the body and literally pull the hairs out of my thighs on the way up... yeah baby thats how I roll (and then cry a little  )... felt really good and no back pain at all... wooot...

Floor - very surprised at how quick these were today and how easy they felt too... really happy with the drive up and hips firing through at the top which is great, all on their own almost not forced like the last few weeks... really feels good to be back to almost normal 

Def - how fast were these today... was feeling a bit knackered by these but had a good song come on when I started and it helped just drive through... so fast off the floor and hips driving through at the top was awesome... just so nice... and best yet was not that gassed at the end...

Rev Rows - first set was a bit of a mess as had the rack set one hole lower and the bench was too close to the rack so I hit it at full extension... made the adjustment to the 9th hole up and bench back a little and BAM was on like me on cheesecake  felt so good and back is just so worked and tired right now... feeling awesome...

what a great workout... everything just clicked and went BAM... deads felt great and so good, form and technique was just ON... rev rows felt fantastic... coming together and going to make some noise now I think...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 200x2

*belt on*

225x3x3

Hi bar squats

190x2x5

155x12

GHR (bench set up)

BWx3x5

holy moly... feeling very tired today and just meh... started feeling better once warm ups were under way though, but not a hell of a lot more...

Squats - warm ups felt good, even 200 felt tight and not too hard... for some reason 225 felt more like 250 and it meant a wobbly first rep, shakes on the way down kind of thing... stern talking too (ie scream at self to lift the f'ing weight, oh what must the neighbours think lol) and next 2 were nice and smooth and hit just right... second set went well too but third set was the best of the lot... weight didnt feel heavy but it was still hard on the third and reps were smooth and felt spot on... left quad is def back now and firing well, could feel it working hard and properly... left lower back didnt feel at all during the reps and glute was firing nicely...

Hi bar - not a fan of these primarily cos they cut into the neck so much... 190 for 2 sets of 5 was nice... legs totally fvcked by this stage and really had to motivate for the 3rd set of 11+... got to 8 and thought going to bail, but managed 2 more and then 2 more after some deep (hahaha yeah right deep... well as deep as I could) breaths at the top... 12 felt my legs on fire... stopped there... couldnt walk... or sit...

GHR - have to use the bench set up on these where I use the knee pads for lat pull downs to slide my feet under and then knees on bench lowering down and then pulling up... also had a straight lat pulldown bar to use as a spot if needed but on first set was ok (however learned to get a towel as knees/shins get sweaty) but needed it half way through 2nd and 3rd... at the end of these legs were in bits... at first was thinking mmmm not so bad then a second or two later it was more like %(*%&$&$&()))*^&$&$^$(& 

ok session today... 225 did feel unexpectedly heavy but after some words with self it went quite well... just think I didnt have my head in the right place... been very tired lately, the heat and lack of sleep (mainly heat related I think but also been a problem in the past) is starting to play its part, still slept well last night so a few more nights of that and voila... appetite still odd in that sometimes I dont feel hungry at all and then I will start to nibble on something and all of a sudden just nom anything edible in sight... drinking shed loads atm to keep hydrated too as seem to be sweating a fair whack... which the mrs looooves... not... so knackered now, legs, glutes and hams are in bits... walking is a problem but one I love lol...


----------



## RowRow

Have you got any tips on how to get the bar at more powerlifting position I can only do hi bar squats and even this sometimes hurts my shoulder. If I pull the bar towards mid traps it's agony


----------



## Silvaback

RowRow said:


> Have you got any tips on how to get the bar at more powerlifting position I can only do hi bar squats and even this sometimes hurts my shoulder. If I pull the bar towards mid traps it's agony


Try a wider grip, I used to have the same problem until I worked on shoulder mobility


----------



## RowRow

Silvaback said:


> Try a wider grip, I used to have the same problem until I worked on shoulder mobility


I go little fingers on the outer ring so will try wider.

I do shoulder dislocations most days in between sets, other than Those what else would you suggest?


----------



## Silvaback

RowRow said:


> I go little fingers on the outer ring so will try wider.
> 
> I do shoulder dislocations most days in between sets, other than Those what else would you suggest?


Dislocations and across the chest stretches are all I do right before I squat, the dislocations being the one that helped me the most.

With the grip, stand in position as you usually would with the bar loaded on your back and work your hands out towards the plates.


----------



## RowRow

Silvaback said:


> Dislocations and across the chest stretches are all I do right before I squat, the dislocations being the one that helped me the most.
> 
> With the grip, stand in position as you usually would with the bar loaded on your back and work your hands out towards the plates.


Thankyou sir.

I will give them a whirl.


----------



## Greyphantom

agreed re dislocations for shoulder mobility, helps no end ime...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bands bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 70x3, *bands on* 50x3, 70x3, 90x2, 110x1

120x3

115x2x3

107.5x1x5, 1x4+1p

OHP

50x5

85x4

75x7

65x10

65x9

French press

35x4x10

EZ curls

47.5x5

65x8

60x9

50x2x10

oh jebus...

Bench - lovely session today... weights felt good and movement felt on... only issue was last set I was a couple of inches further back on the bench I think as arms were hitting the bands... all in all felt really good and got a good drive off the chest going... chest felt strong and slowing point was a few inches further up than previous...

OHP - felt really good... liking this atm... on first set started to lose it a bit on the last rep and left shoulder felt it but maintained better form in the remaining sets and all good after that... def feeling stronger here...

FP - much better first set but it felt a little harder than the rest of the sets after... well apart from the last set which I thought was going ok till I hit the 9th rep and then the 10th was a hell of a grind... but I got it... woooot... tris feeling very sore and swollen after this...

EZ curls - oh good gravy... form felt better and felt it hitting the bis more... last two sets were as strict as I could possibly do barring tying myself to the rack... damn my arms were literally crying after this...

yeah baby great workout today... chest feeling good and apart from a little weird tummy thing in the middle of bench all cylinders firing... starting to see that my lockout is getting better now too as its failing in a higher position, which is good... have bench technique better now too and get into the position up on my traps much easier with no hassle... much more comfortable in the bench now as well which is good... long session today tbh as it seemed there were sets and sets and sets lol... feeling knackered now but good... and happy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls (6")

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x2

270x6

Deads (floor)

250x5

Speed

195x3x3

Meadows rows

60kg (and bar) x8

Rev rows

BW+10kg x12, 11,11

oh yeah good session that killed me lol...

Blocks - def found a good groove on these now, feeling much better... was a bit apprehensive about the 270 as feeling a bit meh even though sleep has been good for 2 nights in a row!! (got 6 hours at least each night)... but went up nicely and just might have been able to get another if you held a gun to my head, but tbh the 6th was pretty hard... job done and felt good about it too...

Floor - very surprised at how comfortable these were... went much better than expected and smooth... fairly quick too... really happy with these and could have a couple more there...

Speed deads - very fast and very easy... so happy with these...

Meadows rows - first time doing these, wasnt sure about weight to use tbh but seemed to have found a decent start point... felt it right across each of the lats I was working which was cool...

Rev rows - added some weight to them this week... felt great got the form spot on and hit my back right...

back is def feeling it now... sore and pumped... really happy with the session and feeling it working well... things progressing in the right way imho and hoping @Dig agrees 

yep def feeling it now... ooooooh my back


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 190x3, 210x1 *belt on* 230x1

250x1x1+1np (near parallel)

Hi bar

200x5

160x12

GHR

BWx4x5

oh jebus... jebus take me now...

Squats - warm ups felt pretty decent, left belt off for the 210 as wanted to see how it would feel, felt fine although that niggle felt slightly weak but didnt give any trouble... 230 was good and the first 250 felt decent but the second I stopped too high I reckon by about 2 or 3 inches... so not quite 2 reps but still not too bad...

Hi bar - man these hurt my neck lol... got 5 on 200 which was a surprise, probably wouldnt have a 6th I think as the fifth was pretty hard... 160 I got 12 on and that was hard... man felt so ill after... legs humming at this stage and just felt fragged... so happy I got the 12 though...

GHR - holy cow some sadistic barsteward made these up right... got the first two sets on my own, hams buzzing and feeling well worked then had to use the spot stick on the last couple of set 3 and the last few on set 4... feeling these hitting hard tbh... glutes and hams are just fried right now... stinging almost...

god almighty what a session... squats hitting me in the front and back then more killing of the back with the GHR... legs are just feeling hard done by atm lol... felt nice getting under that 250 though it did feel heavy it wasnt too heavy if you know what I mean... legs are just numb now and shaking too... def hot bath this evening and an early night... have been getting better sleep the last few nights by the by... lets hope that continues...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x3, 115x2, 130x1

140x1+1p (not locked out)

132.5x2+1p

2 board bench

100x5

110x5

115x4

Bb curl

50x14

50x12

50x11

had to train today as tomorrow just have too much on to fit it in and cannot put it off till friday... bench remains a stubborn lift for me... but on the bright side never done 140 this far out from comp before...

Bench - warm ups felt great... even 130 felt pretty easy and I was chuffed... but pride cometh before the fall they say and thus was my afternoon... on the top set 140 I took the weight, felt ok and down it went, nice pause on the chest while maintaining tightness and drive up... went up ok slightly off line but not dramatic... went for second rep and down it went, up ok till 3/4 way up and it was like slow motion, then lower back cramped up a bit and had to hastily rack it, which I only just managed to do as luckily I got the weight just over the j hooks... sigh... 132.5 felt ok but on last one the cramp came back a bit stronger only on right side and just had to dump the bar... stretched out a bit and went back under it for the next ex...

2 board - hmmmm felt odd this one, first time doing it and wasnt sure what to expect... was aiming for a top set of 5... 100 felt easy, 110 felt pretty good and so went for 115... first 3 went up nicely but the 4th was a grind... doubt a 5th was there tbh but still felt the work being done... feels a bit odd to touch something that far off the chest... still went ok... just have to get used to the movement...

BBC - straight oly bb used... wasnt sure if my forearms were going to give me what for or not... they didnt!! felt really good in fact and man were my biceps singing after this... felt it very deep in the bicep and a different place to the EZ bar curls I have been doing...

ok a mixed session today... my fame is not at all suited for bench but I will conquer this mother trucker... going to set up some bench days with some folks at different gyms in the next month or so to get some pointers and hopefully I can get up to see Dig at some stage so he can kick my ar$e... but that might be a pipe dream atm as its just getting time to do that... still it mostly felt good and I can see/feel differences in myself... in the lifting I mean... onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls 6"

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x2, 265x1

285x3

Floor pulls

265x5

Meadows rows

70x8 each side

Chins

BW+10kg x9

BWx11

fffffffff... actually I am typing this as a puddle off of my gym floor...

Blocks - warm ups started a little slow then got quicker as I got into it... really got into my stride about 240 on... 285 was not too bad tbh, first 2 anyway, third felt more difficult and not sure I would have had a 4th today... but job done... sweat pouring off me at this stage... feeling good though...

Floor - for some reason I was thinking it wasnt going to come off the floor... not sure why and when it came to lifting it was fine, felt really good and quicker than I expected... one thing learned, dont hold breath for all 5 reps esp when you pause for a second at the top of the 3rd rep... got all light headed and dizzy lol... nice and strong though...

Meadows - slightly out of position I reckon today as it felt harder than last week although still felt it hitting right across each lat as I did them...

Chins - first set was thinking I would go for 6 hope for 7 and bam got 9 and felt really good doing them... might have had a 10th but wasnt sure so left it at 9... BW felt even better and got 11... quite surprised that I did so well on these as usually they are a more difficult exercise for me...

felt pretty knackered before lunch today actually had a wee nap for half hour or so... felt a bit off colour but when I woke feeling much better so choked down some lunch and took my monster then trained, and glad I did... even with stupidly chronic hayfever atm and sleep being p1ss poor due to heat and hayfever I felt good with the training... managed to hit all targets and feel good doing it... bl00dy hot today though and def need to get in a few pints of water to top up the body as lost shed loads with sweating...

got a busy weekend getting kit over to the powerlifting comp in Barnstaple and setting up and then reffing all day sunday... then starting a new program schedule next week to kick some more iron a$$...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x3, 115x1

130x4

120x2x5

120x4+1p

OHP

WU 60x4

90x2

77.5x7

65x10

ok start of a new training schedule... bench twice a week mon and thu and squats tue with deads fri...

Bench - changed my setup a little now, feet are further back by a few inches or so, just so the heel comes of the ground when I lay on the bench and get my traps into the bench, then drive heels down into the floor to create more tightness also after talking with @LittleLiam yesterday he mentioned making the feet straight instead of having them at an angle and so did this too, immediately felt quads more and overall leg drive def improved... this feels very stable and has made bench a bit easier I think... only problem atm is my back gets sore with multi rep sets (noticed it esp on set 3 of the 120) but not such an issue really and will no doubt get used to it in time... warm ups felt very good and light... was really pleased and then went for the 130... usually it feels a bit heavy but today it was great, felt strong in the lift and didnt feel heavy till the 4th rep... 120 the first two sets were great, weight flew up and didnt feel heavy at all... the third set was just as good really and the only reason I lost the 5th rep was due to my back being sore and me losing all form and technique... no cramping or anything like that but hold that position is not easy for so long... overall well pleased... also watched a vid by Mark Bell on benching which has helped and another chap whos name I forget atm... all the tidbits that Dig, Tania and others have discussed with me have added up and with Digs programming I can feel it starting to kick in, non too soon as the comp is in 8 weeks lol...

OHP - did just the one warm up at 60 but next time will add another at least before the heavy set... could have probably had 1 more or even 2 on a great day if I was that little more prepared... but happy with 90 for 2... felt really good and not too hard, kept the bar stable and good reps... 77.5 was a nice set too and felt it working a lot... last set I pushed and starting getting the shakes around the 7th rep wanted 11 but just couldnt quite do it... still a bit of improvement here...

probably one of the best bench sessions I have had tbh... excited by the new program and cannot wait to see where it takes me... Dig has been brilliant in helping me along and the adjusting when and where needed so looking forward to this next phase... also the man has es-freaking-p as one of his messages addressed the issue I was having with the meadows row and unless he has secret cameras in my gym (which is prob what @JB was doing when training here lol) I dont see how the man could know... but he is spot on... so will address that this week...

was feeling rough as guts this morning as little sleep over the weekend and a big comp yesterday to ref at as well as kit taken and returned... got to see some great lifting though and had a good chat with many friends old and new... got some nice comments from people who I have not seen in a while as well mostly along the lines of youre looking bigger or have you put on wait... so that was nice... wait... were they saying I am fat... oh ffs...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on*

220x5

Paused squats (2 ct)

210x3

Hi bar

170x10

oh jebus... looks like nothing on paper, but had me screaming after paused and still had the flaming hi bar to go... sigh....

Squats - first warm up felt awkward... not sure why but just off... second was way better and got me kicking into gear... working on sitting back more and really working the rep and weight... warm ups then felt great... belt on for the 220... aim was 5+ and I got the 5, could have a 6th pretty ok too but just couldnt breathe properly and felt like I was hyperventilating... legs feeling it after this and my glutes and hams were humming too...

Paused - was not sure about the weight on this... aim was about 210 or so for a triple so I stuck with 210 and possibly could have gone another 5kg... counted for 2 in the bottom and it took my mind off my quads screaming... felt ok on these but after my legs were just not happy... buzzing is a mild way to put it...

Hi bar - these felt pretty alright actually... weight was manageable and tbh I was cringing on the first rep but it went better than expected... had to have a wee pause at the top of number 5 for a deep breath and then again at 9... but all went well...

finished but my legs havent... they are getting flash backs of each exercise and are not happy... feeling it all over my quads, glutes and hams... wavers between buzzing and numb to actually hurting like they have doms already... loved the workout though... sitting back was much better and I also stayed more upright, so def keeping at this in future just to make sure I nail that form... I think it also makes the lift better in terms of ease but not easy by any means... man feeling it now... bring on bench 2 on thu...

and now 112.3 in the bw department... which is not far off what the boss wants me to be at so good there then...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2 board bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x3, 115x1

125x5

115x5

110x7+1p

French press

40x7

35x13

35x11

EZ curls

35x5

70x7

60x11

40x20

awesome today... esp given had a crappy day with feeling not so great and not eating as much as normal...

2 board - felt really good today, working the new set up and making sure I follow a better line with the press... seems to have worked its magic, last week couldnt do 5 on 115 this week 125 for 5... nice... felt it a lot in my back if I moved out of the set up... keeping tight made it much better but its not comfortable... noticed that during the 125 set back felt fine, end of the 115 set it was a bit sore and feeling it then by the end of the 110 set really was sore but only due to position and no cramping or anything like that... I will get used to it... esp if my bench makes progress...

French press - again felt pretty good... found a good movement here too... tris felt pretty pumped after this and "tired"...

EZ curls - wow 70 didnt feel light lol, 7th rep was sloppy as all get out too... but did ok here... 60 felt pretty good but arms were starting to give a little and 40 felt great and light till about rep 13 when all of a sudden it was like fires being lit in my biceps lol... man that stung but felt good...

loved it today... great second bench session and if they progress and go like this bring it on... good idea by Dig to make it 2 bench training sessions in a week I think...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 160x5

180x3x3

Meadows rows

80x9

70x10

70x9

Chins

BW+15kg x7

BW+5kg x10, 8, 7 (aim 22+ in 3 sets)

wow light deads but man my back is killing...

Deads - just a light speed week this week... weight was nothing but probably should have been faster, I have that little nag in the back of my mind that the niggle will hit again... even though it isnt... sigh...

Meadows rows - Dig was spot on with his advice re my set up... the movement felt much much better this week but the weights still felt heavy lol... 80 was holy cow... managed to get 9 but the last was a struggle... hell the last few were hard... 70 felt a lot better but still felt it working my back damn hard... almost felt like my ribs were breaking at times lol...

Chins - happy with the +15 chins, didnt expect 7, was hoping for 6... then got a few more on the +5 sets too... felt it right down my lats...

back on fire after these... felt awesome...!! so tired though... had to move through pretty fast as had some stuff to do with the kids... cannot wait till next week... just wanna lift... bring on the lift...!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day 1

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, *belt on* 115x1, 125x1

137.5x2

*belt off*

120x6

110x9

OHP

60x5, 75x3

90x3

80x6

67.5x11

TPD

45x16

45x15

45x13

oooooh... ok that was hard/not hard weirdly enough...

Bench - felt pretty good on the warm ups... put a belt on at 115 and it felt a bit odd tbh, will have to use it a few more times to get used to it I think... 115 felt good, 125 was a bit weird as it didnt feel like I was lifting right, almost as if muscles were a bit flat but weight went up well... same with the 137.5 tbh... weight felt alright but keeping the position in my new set up was hard... back was feeling like it was cramping as it was really sore and so did my right side of my abs... but managed to get the target reps... 120 felt a bit better but again felt right on the edge of cramping... 110 was better but holding the position for so many reps was certainly uncomfortable... the bench is def feeling better... still working on making the set up more comfortable though...

OHP - def felt better doing the extra warm up set... feeling better lifting the weight too... man shoulders fried after this...

TPD - god these felt hard... but felt them really working the tris and tris very pumped after...

felt a bit flat all day, even at work was feeling a bit jittery like I needed to eat and was becoming hypoglycemic or something... was ok going into the first lot of warm ups on bench but then started feeling like I didnt or couldnt get the muscles firing properly... could have been due to being a bit dehydrated as downed a pint and a half of water between bench and ohp and felt a bit better after a few mins... going to change pre training nutrition a little and add in a banana before the workout... had another pint and a half of water after training and feeling good but tired... sore too... all in all pleased with progress but a bit disappointed I didnt get an extra rep on the top two sets of bench and an extra rep on the 90kg ohp... pretty sure they were there tbh but I wimped out...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2 Board

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 120x1

135x3

130x3x3

CGBP (hand width in)

100x5

110x4+1p

EZ curls

60x12

60x11

60x10

60x8

man was both a good and bad session, good because the 2 board and cgbp felt really good and with some tinkering have found a really good line (if I can just remember to do it each time) and bad as it was so damn hot and close I was gasping for breath and sweat pouring off me...

2 Board - felt really really good today... warm ups didnt feel heavyish till 120 and then 135 popped up really nicely... good set up and remembered to get my line of pressing right... just felt awesome... 130 for 3 sets of 3 felt really good as well although I forgot a little about my line of press on the first set and it felt slightly off but not hard but rectified it on the second set and bam baby all good... even the 3rd set didnt present too much of a problem... set up felt more comfortable too...

CGBP - looking for a top set of 5... tried 100 and it felt easy, did 110 and just gassed out... just stopped half way up and gave up, energy seriously flagging by then... still happy...

EZ curls - man these were hard, looking for 40 in 4 sets... flaming heck just couldnt get my breath in... mashed through it though but tbh the last set was hard... even felt slightly nauseus after this...

really good session today, felt much better than ever and all the extra work is paying off... the weight no longer feels heavy in my hands and bringing it down is easier... feeling more comfortable with the two board stuff now and can see where it will benefit... the set up felt much more comfy today, not as sore in lower back and felt good and tight... practice makes perfect I guess... deads day tomorrow, can someone turn on the air con for that... not sure I want to melt into the floor...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls 6"

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x4, 250x2, 280x1

295x3

Floor pulls

275x3

Chins

BW+10kg x10, 8, 6

Reverse rows

BWx15, 14

man o man... must have been a billion degrees in the gym today... melted...

Block pulls - warm ups all smooth and easy... 280 felt a bit slow but went up ok... 295 was hard but not heavy as I got the 3 ok and was thinking of a 4th but just wilted really, body temp was through the roof... felt good though...

Floor - again really good, felt nice and smooth and quick which was nice... sweat was not much of an issue on the grip as chalk helped and keeping my hands up to stop it dripping down my hands lol...

Chins - aim was 20+ in 3 sets and managed that fine... felt nice and all through my lats...

Rev rows - oh these were good... quite a few reps out but felt great... right across my back and nice controlled reps too...

ok was a great session and felt it all working really well... however the heat freaking killed me... sweat dripping off and just sapped the energy right out of me... had a 4th in me for sure on the blocks and I think the floor too but just flagged...

very happy with the way things are going at the moment... powering through...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x5, 100x3, 120x1

135x1 (2ct pause)

125x5

125x4+1p

125x2

OHP

60x5, 80x3

95x2

80x7

man, very meh session tbh...

Bench - warm ups felt great, weights felt light and easy and set up felt good... 135 was great, felt it work really nicely, 125 first set felt great, not easy but not hard... downhill after that though... first few reps felt ok, 4th I thought my hip/leg was cramping but on the 5th it was like I pinched a nerve in my lower back on the right side that hit me in the hip and down the leg... really really painful... got up and stretched a bit... went to do the third set and the first one felt ok, second felt rough and same pain was back... ffs not too happy and even sitting now its still sore, standing is the same, going to stretch it out tonight and every night to get it to ease off... I havent been stretching actually which is not good either...

ohp - quick couple of warm up sets and hit the 95 for 2, felt good actually but a third wasnt there... 80 felt pretty good but only got the 7 out of it...

Dig has sent me through a plan of attack for the next few weeks in the run up to the comp, looks good and we have a plan to get my bench going, now just have to beat the body into the proper set up and technique... it felt so good at 135 and even the first 125 was awesome... just not sure what went wrong for me to catch what ever it was... thinking maybe I pushed my legs out a bit wider... once I caught it I couldnt seem to get into a good position again... sigh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats (no belt)

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2, 215x1

230x1

215x3

215x2

Paused squats (2ct with belt)

190x3

205x3

215x2

ok was not sure about this session as on monday I did something to my trap/neck area that really freaking hurt... mrs tried to get the elbow in to ease it off but when she hit the spot it was hurting it became excruciating and I literally hit the floor... was a bit better tue but sacked off normal squat session as it was still just that side of too much... tiger balmed the crap out of it yesterday and last night took some diclofenac along with today and it was a bit better... enter squats and voila feels much better... actually have movement in my neck and a load less pain... hmmm diclofenac or squats... you be the judge 

Squats - all beltless today... warm ups felt comfortable and pretty good till 215 then it felt a bit heavy, 230 felt pretty good though, better than 215 even... although on the way up my chest collapsed a bit so got to keep tight and chest up and out... but best weight yet with no belt... then was supposed to do two down sets of 5 at 215 but man just hit a wall at 3 and then 2... all no belt... felt hard...

Paused - belt on for these and it felt much much better... all nice and comfortable... 215 felt good much better than beltless...

mixed feelings about today, 230 felt good but 215 horrible... trap/neck felt awesome and now feels way better... for now... legs feel sore and tingly, hams in particular feel pretty battered, or "ham"mered  oh we laugh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2 board bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 120x1, 135x1

145x1

140x2

135x2x3

overload (hold for 10 secs)

165x1

CGBP

115x5

90x11

oh yeah thats the stuff... much better session today and man felt it working all over the chest, delts and tris... found a much better position for the set up which puts no stress on the lower back, trick is not pushing the hips to the ribs and just bring the feet back a little more and make sure the sternum is pushed up (more like pulled up)... no sore back at all...

2 board - warm ups felt pretty good... 145 was actually a bit easier than I expected but not that easy I would have got two I think lol... 140 the first felt more awkward than the second oddly... tough too... 135 actually went really well... first set was far easier than expected as I was thinking it would be very tough but was only moderately so lol, second set was pretty much the same... pretty happy...

overload - just like a rack lockout but held for 10secs... pretty much as it says on the tin, held and felt pretty good tbh, started shaking about the 7 or 8 second mark but didnt present a problem and held for a few more seconds to make sure I hit the 10 for real...

CGBP - really pleased with this today, did not expect it to feel as good as it did... 115 first 4 flew up but the last was a bit of a grind... 90 was the same really first 8 or 9 flew then ground out a couple more...

now feeling it a lot and loving it... neck/trap felt good and did not give any of the trouble I expected feels a bit achey today but over all way better than yesterday morning... had to do an early training session today as have a meeting later and got a lot of stuff on... sigh, hopefully life will get less busy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x3

200x3

200x3

BOR

150x3x8

Chins

BW+15 x8

BW+10 x9

BWx3x7, 4, 4 (15 breaths between each set)

short and sweet today, just a light one to work on some speed...

Deads - not sure how the trap/neck was going to hold up but felt great... working on speed today and it felt pretty damn decent... went a bit fast on the first rep of 170 as I nearly went over backwards lol... 240 felt quick but I think could be a bit quicker... 200 was really good, smooth and fast...

BOR - havent done these in a while I think and was a bit worried the weight might be a bit heavy but all in all they actually went quite well... first set had hands too far apart, second I set them closer in and it felt much better last set the last couple of reps were hard... didnt quite touch on the 8th in fact... felt it all across my upper back, and still do...

Chins - happy with the weighted stuff... tried something new with the last set/s though... was BW to failure but with 15 breaths between each set... a lot harder than expected, the last set esp was such a grind... back felt pumped and just fragged...

feeling it now and loving it... pretty happy with how it went and cannot wait to see where its all going to lead... one thing I am noticing is that I am not gassing as much between sets and I am ready for the next set earlier than I was in the beginning of the year, think conditioning is happening somehow... all in all feeling pretty good even though pretty freaking tired as sleep is still all over the place, so damn hot...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 120x1

140x1 (paused on chest for 2ct)

130x4

125x5

120x5

OHP

60x3, 75x3

90x3

80x3x5

ok a bit late this week as the gym I was going to use while I was away wasnt there lol... its moved and I couldnt find the address on teh interweb... sigh...

Bench - warm ups felt really really good... light and smooth and quick... 120 felt so good I skipped the planned 130 warm up and went straight to 140... 140 actually felt pretty good, went up nice and smoothly with only a bit of slow down through my sticking point which seems to be a bit higher now... felt very good...

OHP - warm ups not a problem, 90 felt nice but only did 3 was going to go for a 4th but wasnt sure so left it... 80 felt surprisingly good tbh and didnt present the problem I expected, even the last set went up nicely... felt my shoulders after that though and still feeling them now...

went away and knew that training was going to be problematic but thought I was onto a good gym in redcar but it turns out it has moved... DOH... still didnt panic too much and it means I will have to do a few days training on the trot this week... bench is def coming on, feels really smooth and great atm... 120 flew up and I had to check to make sure it wasnt 100 again... 140 went better than it ever has so thats a win... ohp is going pretty well too and today the trap shoulder area didnt give me a problem at all... happy chappy atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2, *belt on* 220x1, 235x1

250x1

235x3

Paused 2ct

200x2

220x2

210x2

GHR

BWx7

BWx5

oh jebus... jebus, jebus, jebus...

Squats - warm ups felt really good till about 235 which felt heavyish... 250 felt heavy but went ok... 235 I only made 3 and the last felt a bit high... for some reason the squats felt heavy today... ****e nights sleep last night sweated two rivers... but generally feeling ok... I did notice that when I had the bar in the sweet spot on my back the squat felt much better, was more upright today too and sat back better... so those be bonuses... legs feeling a bit wobbly...

Paused - tbh was not sure I had copied the weights down right... but I had sigh... first one was ok nothing to write home about but went well... 220 went really well and felt bang on, bar again in the sweet spot and form felt right on... last set was hard but only cos I was just knackered by then...

GHR - oh so didnt want to do this... did it anyway and damn if my hams and glutes didnt scream at me... they are still that sore I can barely sit let alone stand...

legs are in bits atm... form is getting better but weight needs to be added... feeling it all over my legs and glutes more and more and feel the form and technique is better... got to work on getting that bar sitting right on the sweet spot every time though... makes a big difference when that happens... oh god my legs are so numb... and tingly... and numb... yeah had to say it twice cos they are...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench and Deads combined...

Bench

2bd bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x6, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1, 140x1

150x2x1

140x3

Overload 10 sec hold

170x1

CGBP

125x1

120x5

ok tiring now but straight on to deads...

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x4, 240x2

260x3

240x3

finito... gassed totally and just knackered...

Bench - the 2bd went well today... had to delay it a day as went out to meet up with some of my wifes work colleagues and didnt get home till late... was a bit not sure how it would run tbh, felt a bit meh going into it... warm ups felt great and the 100, 115, 130 felt really good found a great groove and loads of power, the press felt awesome... lost that a little at 140 but 150 went pretty smoothly... well at least the first single lol, the second one went up ok but felt slower... still went better than I expected... 140 for 3 first two felt awesome but the 3rd was a grind... one thing I noticed was that I have to watch my leg placement as on the first 150 my right leg was slightly forward of the other which slightly off balanced me... but all good...

Overload - no problems there... felt fine and held slightly longer than the 10 secs...

CGBP - yeah man felt great, had more in there at 125 for sure... maybe even 3 at a push... but def did me 120 for 5 ok, last was a grind... felt pretty good after this...

right straight onto deads... felt pretty tired by this stage but cracked on...

Deads - warm ups felt really quick and better than previous... 210 felt a bit off but then seemed to correct what ever was wrong and 240 felt ok... 260 felt heavy but not hard first 2 reps were really good if slow but the last was a bit heavy and not as tidy as I would like and to top it off I thought I might have tweaked the lower back... sigh... 240 set the first was off but the last 2 went really well... felt good... and best of all the lower back thing no problem and nothing to have worried about... wooooo...

was supposed to do BOR and Chins but tried to do a couple of sets of BOR and it just werent happening... had no energy and no power for it... so stopped it there...

happy enough with how it went but miffed a bit that lost the oomph for the BOR and Chins... another thing thats becoming apparent is how much more stable the bench is feeling, taking the weight down it much better and it feels stronger... everything seems to be coming together...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 190x3 *belt on* 210x1, 230x1

245x2

Paused squats

225x2 (2ct)

210x3 (3ct)

GHR

BWx8, 6, 5

oh jebus.. oh my god... legs gone... fried and feeling awesome...

Squats - warm ups felt really solid and form felt spot on... have found a great foundation/base set up and its solid... 230 felt the easiest its felt ever... 245 felt really good and solid, nice stable base and really good in depth... almost lost the 2nd rep but held it and drove up out of the hole nicely.. that would be the paused squats coming into play... form is def better much more upright and its easier to hit depth... feeling it much more in my legs now too...

Paused - oh c'mooooooon man... 225 really... really.... did ok on the first one, even coming up well but the second went really slooooooow on the way up... still nailed them and felt good... 210 felt better but the last one was still slow... legs just jelly by the end of these...

GHR - just when you thought your legs couldnt be any more punished your coach goes and shows you how wrong you are... damn these just ripped them to pieces... hams and glutes were not happy... last rep on last couple of sets were just made...

wow def made some progress here, squats feeling really really good and solid... think the paused squats are helping a load and keeping me more upright in the hole which leads to easier lift... which leads to more weight... yeah baby... (but also leads to more pain... noooooo baby)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

145x1 (paused 2ct)

137.5x2+1p

125x6

OHP

WU 60x3, 80x3

92.5x3

87.5x2x4

60x15

yeah baby... just freaking yeah...

Bench - warm ups felt awesome, tight, solid, and really good form... found the groove here and tbh I think the 2bd stuff has helped with that... 145 felt great in my hands, solid and strong... down nicely and held for a proper 2 ct then BAM powered up and felt awesome... 137.5 felt pretty good third rep was a bit of a mare as hit the j hooks and then couldnt lock it out... traveled too far back... sigh... 125 was nice last being a little slow though... best bench session for a while...

OHP - oh yeah... top sets were not that heavy but not that not heavy lol... got a bit shaky on the last rep or so of the last 87.5 but the biggest surprise was the 60... a really good solid 15 with only the last being slow and wobbly... really really happy with this...

holy cow what a good session, coupled with yesterdays really decent squat session things seem to be kicking in... feeling a bit tired and so forth as still having trouble sleeping till I get the fan on then its lights out... so really looking forward to it all in a big way...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 270x1

290x1+1p

fin... what a crappy day... woke up, actually got up as didnt sleep last night, feeling really off, went to work and just dragged my ar$e around then got home to pass out for a couple of hours broken nap time... was not sure about training today tbh but started feeling better so thought yep its on... meh...

Deads - warm ups... felt very good tbh... 250 felt better than 240 last week and 270 went up very nicely... got to 290 full of **** and vinegar and it turned out to be pretty much vinegar... first rep went up ok felt slower than I would have liked but no bother... second rep got to above my knees and had to drop it as tore the skin on the plam of my hand and by one of my calluses... freaking joy...

tried to do block pulls next but just wasnt happening so just stopped... feeling pretty peeved tbh but I guess a 290 pull on a really sh1tty day is ok...

got to get some sleep in as its starting to really give me the willies... sat out in the conservatory for a while last night with doors open started to drift off but then I got up and went to bed... dammit that woke me enough so that getting back to lala land was not happening... sigh next time I will stay in the freaking conservatory it was lovely and cool in there... btw the mrs is still sleeping under our winter fing duvet... last night she turned and said whats your problem its not even hot... oooooooh why I oughta...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

142.5x2

Overload (10s hold)

180x2

CGBP

130x1

125x2

115x5

another crappy session... had a great 3 nights sleep over the weekend, got between 7 and 8.5 hours each night... bliss but that didnt translate to todays training mores the pity as 142.5 felt heavier than 145 last week...

2bd - warm ups felt really good up till 130, 130 felt ok but off slightly, thought I had corrected that on the 142.5 but on the first rep came down too fast and didnt control it well at all and as it hit/touched the board heard a crack sound... hmmm held it on the board for about 4 secs or so thinking I might dump it but then pressed it anyway (which is actually kind of a surprise as wouldnt have been able to do this before) and then did a 2nd rep that was ugly and felt heavy... not happy as aiming for 3 reps and a 2nd set, I did try to do the 2nd set but it just wasnt working... chest a bit achey but not painful really...

overload - did the 10 holds here as sucked so much on the bench, it wasnt a problem till I released the bar and then felt my sternum hurt a bit... probably a hint I should have left it but did the second hold and it was ok... neither "set" felt hard...

CGBP - think these might be pbs too which is nice but def felt it in my sternum area after each set... 130 felt a lot better than expected... 125 was actually pretty good, even the 2nd rep felt good... 115 again nice and smooth, all five were nice, not sure there was much more in there but comfortable enough...

yeah another not so good session imho... just pants atm... just pants... lifting more weight than before but it should be easier shouldnt it... sigh... slept great over the weekend which is nice and hope that continues... just got to get my head back into the game and lock all that great form and technique in that made last week squat and bench so good... feeling a bit meh but not too despondent...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1, 230x1, 245x1

260x3x1 (high though sigh)

Paused 3ct

180x3x5

GHR

BW+5kg x3, x4+1p, x4

oooooh farking hell...

Squats - oh so good up till 245... all up till then were solid, felt really nice and everything was tight... 245 bar twisted slightly as going down (my fault as rushed it) and that put me off a bit and only went to parallel... 260 sigh... first slightly high... 2nd was high and I thought dammit the weight wasnt that bad just a mental block, so tried a 3rd (not in the program sorry Dig) but went pretty much like the 2nd... dammit...

Paused - aiming for explosiveness here... hahahahahahahahahahhahaha explosiveness... first set 4 out of 5 went pretty quick, thought well maybe not too bad... second set 3 out of 5... hmmm getting a bit slow here... third set was just holy jebus... actually had to talk myself into getting under the bar... not quick at all... and it hurt sooo much but in a good way... well if there is such a thing... legs not working too well... and still ghr to go... fvck you Dig...

GHR - right added weight this week... woo freaking hoo... first set was a bit off... maybe went too soon after last paused squats what ever... wow these were hard... second set hams froze up a bit... no bother though... third set damn that was just mean... hovering on the verge of cramping atm... joy of joys...

not sure why depth was a problem on the squats today, weight didnt feel that bad tbh and set up felt solid enough... just a mental block hence the third attempt instead of stopping at 2... upper body felt nice and tight and didnt cave at all, lower felt strong and only a slight niggle in the left glute which wasnt really an issue... ah dammit, next time... paused went better than I expected but far out they were torture... lol at how fast I lost the power to "explode" out of the hole... tried pushing as fast as I could but it felt like I was wading through treacle... the extra sticky kind... good enough but need to make that depth better...


----------



## Greyphantom

bench 2

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 120x1, 135x1

147.5x 1(fail as hit j hooks underneath and then had to rest it on the safeties as off line)

147.5x1 fvck yeah...

142.5x2

130x2x4

OHP

60x3, 80x2

100x1

90x3x3

70x12

todays workout was brought to you by fvck yeah and sponsored by ouch that hurts.... 

Bench - man after yesterday I thought it was just going to be a pants workout... had a mini migraine thing going on so was just floored... postponed training till today and so glad I did... warm ups felt awesome... 135 just flew up and felt so smooth and strong... 147.5 just going through my head make sure you set up like the 135... I did but about an inch or 2 too far back on the bench so when I drove up (and it flew) I hit the underside of the j hooks... tried to bring it forward a bit to get out from under and rack it but just too far off line and had to lower it to the safeties... was a bit p1ssed tbh so set it up for round 2 and did it again... felt better than the first tbh and so smooth and strong... 142.5 felt good but the 2nd rep was a grind... so much so that I kept trying to lock it out wondering why it was taking so long when I realised that it was at the top... lol... 130 I was not sure about getting 2 sets of 4... but damn if I didnt and it was really good... the second set actually felt better than the first... loved it...

OHP - warm ups easy... 100 is a bench mark and I am not sure I have ever ohp 100 before... took the bar and it didnt feel too bad... down it went and up really well... too start... then it tried to stall but no way was I giving in and managed to press it out... fvck yeah... 90 for 3 sets of 3 was tough but got it done and shoulders were sore but I was happy... 70 felt pretty light till about rep 10... then like someone slipped on another 20kg when I was not looking...

now that is how its supposed to go... one thing I am noticing is that when I take the heavy weight in the bench now no wobble or tremble... feels much stronger and I can lower the bar under much better control and keep the form much tighter... set up is feeling really good and I am able to get it right more often than not...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x3x3, 170x2x3, 210x3

230x3

SLDL

212.5x7

BOR

160x2x6

another pretty decent session...

Deads - split it up into triples today for something different lol... top set was to do it as fast as possible... and it went pretty smooth and quick, worked on hitting the reps as smooth as possible to get a nice pull... went rather well... pretty happy here... hand also held up well and the torn skin is pretty much healed...

SLDL - havent done these for a while and tbh was not sure how it would go... apparently 6 at this weight would have been a pb so was trying for 8... sure as hell werent happening, got the 7th and thats all she wrote... felt good though and hams and glutes just not happy... still not really recovered fully from ghr on monday...

BOR - again not done these in a while... felt really good though and back got a good pump going and a bit of pain just to remind me that its been a while lol...

Good session and even though much earlier than I normally do a session it went well... felt strong and deads were really good in terms of how smooth they went and how quick it was all moving... two weeks to go now... gulp...


----------



## Greyphantom

Hmmm Hybrid day...

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 190x2, *belt on* 220x1

240x2x2

CGBP

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 120x1

135x1

130x2

117.5x5

Overload (10s)

185x2x1

bit of a hybrid day today...

Squats - warm ups felt really strong and stable... 220 was deeper than I have done before as really pushed it and then 240 went really well... first set a little more wobbly than the second as I came up with some better mental cues to "shout" at myself... worked like a charm... felt strong if a little slow and depth felt great... hope it goes this well on the platform...

CGBP - warm ups felt good if a little odd doing cgbp with no bench prior lol... 120 flew up and I was all woooo... then 135 felt awesome... didnt feel hard at all... 130 I thought might give me a little problem but again the weight just moved so well... 117.5 felt nice and strong again, 5th a little more difficult than the first 4 but no problems...

Overload - um was only supposed to do 1 set here... felt so nice threw in another one... oh yeah thats the stuff, little shaking but strong and steady...

really great session today... felt awesome and strong... bench seems to be flying atm so hopefully this will continue into the comp... feeling good and cannot wait... although as always a little nervous tbh... just loving the training, things seem to be showing up in the training I didnt expect like much more stability in the bench, more solid squatting platform, faster deads... happy with it all atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Combi practice comp day

Squats (paused)

WU 70x2x3, 120x2x3, 160x3, 190x3

*belt on*

215x3 (2ct)

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 120x1, 135x1

150x3x1 (paused 2ct)

140x3

130x5

Deads

WU 120x2x3, 170x3

220x3

180x3

day started off a bit pants, but training killed the crappy feelings...

Squats - warm ups felt very solid... 190 very deep and comfortable... 215 didnt feel too light but again comfortable and solid, deep and good... held for a two count and up very nicely... really happy with this today...

Bench - set up felt really good and all warm ups just bang on and light... 135 flew up and felt great... 150 for 3 singles with pause on chest for a 2 count... was the best I have ever lifted 150, ever... all reps fast and smooth and no problem bring the weight down or driving it up off the chest even the third felt good and tight... set up was awesome... just worked so well today, def noticing a huge difference in being able to control the weight and maintaining tightness...

140 for 3 was touch and go but easy and felt great, third came off line a little and at my weak point but powered through nicely enough and locked the sucker out... 130 for 5 the fifth was hard though... bench feeling really good...

Deads - just had to focus on speed and man they were quick, warm ups were short and sweet and jumped the 50kg from 170 as it was only 220... 220 went amazingly quick and felt like nothing on the bar, just so smooth and quick... 180 was even faster and felt ridiculously light... so happy here...

damn if things are not starting to really gel... reps starting to feel really really solid and form locking in and all paying dividends... felt a bit rough this morning and went off lunch (which is to say I ate lunch but just not quite as much lol)... but sacked up and got on with it and it caned any ill feelings... awesome session...


----------



## Greyphantom

Pre comp day

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4

180x2x3

Walkout holds

280x2 (10s holds)

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

110x2x3

Overload

175x2 (10s hold)

right last training session before the comp... been a few sleepless nights but due to some stomach upsets not sure what exactly...

Squats - felt solid comfortable and fast... still its only light so I would expect it to be fast... def getting better form and technique...

Walkouts - loaded to 280 and under the bar and up and walk it out... rack it and think that wasnt bad but felt a bit heavier than expected, then realised I forgot to put my belt on lol... both times... still felt solid enough...

Bench - not much bother here... had to put a comp pause in so brought down to chest then said touch, pause, press and up she went... weight was fine and loads of power off chest...

Overload - felt fine there too... kept nice and tight and really made sure I was keeping the muscles contracted to support it all and keeping the legs tight with the back arch and lats solid... felt good...

nice little session before the big day... still have those pre comp jitters but usually they go on the day... looking forward to it and should be a hell of a weekend... nowt to do now but relax and ease into it...


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## Greyphantom

Comp weekend...

hell where do I start... first with the lifting and then if youre NOT bored you can read on with all the guff that was going on over the weekend... including how the lifting went...

Comp day

Squats - 240 no lift (rookie mistake), 240 good lift, 255 good lift

Bench - 140 good lift, 150 no lift (stupid change back to old technique), 150 no lift

Deads - 290 good lift, 305 good lift, 320 no lift

Total - 700kg (just off my best of 717.5kg)

Right comp day explained...

Had to set up on the friday and left the venue at 2130 after sweating my ar$e off all afternoon, moving 4 monolifts, comp benches and all the bars and weights along with a long platform and rubber matting... weighed myself on the calibrated scales and was 108.7 so was happy (early in the day) and after busting our butts all afternoon decided that I had probably lost enough weight to hit pizza hut and have a pizza and that bacon cheese garlic bread and loads of pepsi max... oh yeah needed that... went to bed and dreamed I now weight 112 and no matter what I did couldnt get weight lower lol...

Sat up early and off to weigh in and ref for the day... weight was 108.4kg really pleased and I think my heaviest weigh in yet... reffing went pretty well and some really good lifting going on... day went pretty quick and I ate a load of donuts, bananas and drank a load too... burgers and stuff for dinner and got home nice and early to get some sleep... which I DID... couldnt believe it... was soooo good but then luckily @JB sent a text to say good luck at 0650 cos that woke us up and we found we had slept in DOH... managed to get out the door pretty quick though and down to venue... I like to get there a bit early and soak in the atmosphere shoot the breeze with some of the other lifters and just chill... had 3 lifters in my class in the open cat and I was the only one in the masters 1 110kg...

warm ups for squats went really well... had some helpers and that was good... stopped at 215 and felt comfortable, depth was good and not trouble with weight... went out for my first attempt... stupid rookie mistake the bar was not at the right height and instead of getting them to reset it I just got right down under the bar and half squatted it up for my lift... stupid mistake... stoooopid... didnt set it right at all and it was awkward, no tightness and not solid at all... cut depth too as it just was not right... sigh... second attempt same rack (two different racks same make but their heights were very different) sank the mother to china and back lol... easy rep and no issue with weight at all... very happy but should have been the first lift... 255 called for last attempt and it was the other rack this time... as I had set my height on that one I knew it was going to be ok... like fvck lol... took the bar nice and solid... fvck me if the mono arms couldnt swing back as the height was not right as set it one high... sigh... luckily Dave Beattie was with me and he pulled me back got me focussed and slapped me on the back to get me sorted... nailed it... nice and deep and again didnt feel too bad... maaaaaan wanted to do more but silly mistake bit me in the ar$e...

warming up for bench again went pretty good, felt strong and power was there, worked the same technique I have been using for a while now... 130 felt light and went up quick was really happy... 140 first lift and yeah nice and smooth and up quick enough... happy and set second lift for 150... under the bar set up not quite right but not bad... down nice and easy went to drive up and doofus here only fell back to the old way I pressed and tried going straight up instead of bring it back as I should have... this just stopped me dead and power tailed off... people commented on what went wrong and the consensus was the same so need a smack for that... when they took the bar (about half way up or just past) my left shoulder was killing me... sharp pains but subsided pretty quick... went for a third attempt at 150... this time did it right but left shoulder refused to play ball while the right went up fine... sigh...

Deads were quick... very quick, first of all warm ups had to to through really quickly as they were motoring through the flight before us... they were awesome though... got all the way up to 270 feeling good and quick and then went out to the platform area to wait the first attempt... only after I got out there did I realise I had not put any chalk on at all for my warm ups lol... so chalked up and took my first lift at 290... flew up and felt comfortable... set second lift for 305... again felt really good and not much trouble... so went over thinking I might try 317.5 but wanted to beat that so after a quick confab with a couple of other lifters chose 320... felt pretty good tbh and on for this... till as I left the table right after giving my third attempt to them heard over the speaker... it was my turn to lift... turned back and must have had an obvious look of WTAF on my face as the announcer said yeah most of the flight have dropped out so its you up next... holy jebus... soooo literally 2 mins after my last lift (maybe 3) took my third attempt and was just not ready... now there probably should have been a 5 min break between 2nd and 3rd round but it is what it is... got the weight off the floor but nothing to talk about really...

then got into my fancy duds to ref for the flights after... finished up around 8ish then got the medals and trophies... I got 2nd in the open in the 110kg cat and 1st in the masters 1 110kg cat (obv) and I also managed to pick up the trophy for best overall masters raw lifter which I was both surprised and chuffed at... however not really happy enough as I should have had another 30kg on top of my total... well at least if things had gone to plan lol... still everything feels better and I got loads of comments on size I have put on (?) and that I looked good so thats a plus too...

after the award thing I got to stay behind and clear up and shift all the kit back to where we got it from the friday... finally got finished around 0230 in the morning and home by just after 3, ate some things then bed and up at 0530 for my day... yeah baby thats just freaking awesome lol... sigh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2Bd bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

120x3x5

CGBP

100x7

100x6

100x5

Dislocations

bar x3x15

done... shoulder felt fine, stiff but not sore...

2Bd - felt really good and not hard... very pleased considering bench is usually the first to go... felt strong and solid, shoulder held up well... not sore at all and didnt give but was a bit stiff by the last set...

CGBP - died a death on these... was going for 3x8 but just lost power before that... felt tough but ok...

Dislocations - added these back in as have been neglecting the shoulder prehab stuff and it contributed to the shoulder thing on the bench on the day... felt good and going to keep them in now... add weight as I go...

good start back but a bit disappointed with the close grip, still the main part felt nice and strong... now I have my invite will have to hit it hard and I am sure Dig has me well in hand, have had a lot of good comments on how I look and that my lifting looks better and more in control/solid... onward and upward now...

Also got my invite to the worlds in Florida... qualified for open and masters 1... think I would have a great shot at winning the masters 1 tbh but will enter the open for more competition and harder too... see if I cant crack top 8 this time...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats (no belt)

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5

190x10

Paused 2ct

140x3x5

GHR

BWx10, 7+1p

holy jebus... holy holy jebus...

Squats - pick a weight heavyish and do 10 he says... oh and no belt he says... so muggins thinking hmmm 180 is a good start then after 160 flew up thought sod it will try 190... stoooopid... got to 6 ok but then 7 felt it a bit 8 was ok here we go and 9 and 10 was hard... form broke a little and was fighting the collapse forward a lot... ground out the 10th racked the weight and collapsed crying... legs were in bits...

Paused squats - well thought it might be not too bad... I lied... going for explosive power out of the hole... tried to get the bar to raise off my shoulders each rep and managed to do that for most... felt really good and loads of power but man it hit me hard... legs just kept getting pummeled and hurty... felt damn sick after each set but working them hard and it felt good...

GHR - really wanted to give up here... but did them and they felt awesome but again really hit my glutes and hams hard... in fact they are still hurting and starting to get that buzz on...

wow great first squat session back... felt awesome and knackering at the same time... looks simple and small on paper but felt freakishly hard and hit everything so well... feeling so up for this next phase and cannot wait till nov...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x5, 100x3

110x9+1p (couldnt lock it out)

OHP

60x3

75x3x6

man legs are just in bits today, quads pretty sore but hams and glutes really sore... also picked up a stupid chest thing with a horrendous cough... taken some cavonia and its a bit better now...

Bench - warm ups felt nice and worked getting my groove right... back felt a bit fatigued but I just pushed up onto my traps and that seemed to help... 110 first 8 flew up and felt nice, good groove and was happy, 9th felt a bit tougher but ok, 10th one got half way up and leg drive just collapsed and then right lower back just went "nope" and I just couldnt quite lock it out, had to bail and barely managed to clear the jhooks... felt ok till then though...

OHP - quick warm up on 60 just to get used to the motion... 3 sets at 75 for 6 felt good and not too taxing at all... was happy with this today... third set was a bit more of a trial than the others but not too bad... nice and strong press which felt great...

feeling tired but cracked on... hoping this chest thing is just a quick flash virus or something... will dose myself up and have a super hot bath which I find usually helps... will be training a bit later tomorrow as will be off to JWs service so will fit it in when can... then a weekend without the kids and even a night at a spa hotel thing with the mrs where a few ports will be consumed both in the memory of JW and my brother in law who passed last sunday very suddenly... both funerals tomorrow as it happens... not a happy friday... even if it is deadlift day... :sad:


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## Greyphantom

Deadlifts

Deficit Deads

WU 70x5, 120x5, 170x5, 210x5

240x8

BOR

130x3x10

Chins

BWx2x6

holy jebus... chest thing is hanging on, god bless cavonia... trained later today as was out most of the day...

Deads - warm ups felt great... tore a bit of skin on my palm on last warm up but kept on, think I just didnt have a tight enough grip... 240 for 8 was not the easiest I have done but wasnt too bad... funnily enough 7th rep felt harder than 8th and think would have had 1 more but probably not 2 in me... lower back very pumped and glutes suitably mashed... really knackered after these and still had two exercises to go... needs must and all that...

BOR - fvck me... first set okish... felt it working though... second set not so okish lol... last 2 reps bit shabby... upper back well and truly fvcked by now... 3rd set went similar to 2nd... back in bits... severe bits...

Chins - all bit wanted to give up now... just happy if I could get a couple on each of the sets tbh... first set went hard... second not so hard but still made my back scream just a bit...

long old day today... bit of a roller coaster really... training felt pretty good... if hard... but feel so good after though... if totally shagged... got a relatively child free weekend planned so hopefully plenty of naked time


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## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 120x1

140x1

130x3x3

CGBP

110x6

90x11

soooo weekend was not too bad, but fighting off this lurgy (seems I picked up a virus off this guy who was relieving our manager at work dammit) and managed to hold it off till monday morning which was lucky as the mrs and I had a night away at a s****y hotel... monday was a zombie though and coughing up more phlegm than I can believe... today is a tad better but still feeling crappy... however with the worlds not that far off and the fact I love training and Dig has provided a nice little training week I really wanted to give it a shot... glad I did now...

2bd - energy not really there but can of monster and some enthusiasm for lifting seems to have given me a bit of a kick... all warm ups felt easy and smooth, even 120 flew up and felt strong... 140 felt good when I took the weight and then the lift went very nicely indeed, more easy than hard and at no time felt trouble... 130 for 3x3 all felt good and no grinders at all which I was a bit surprised at... felt nice and strong last set was probably not as smooth as first two but not a struggle...

CGBP - surprised myself here, 110 got 6 and as I slightly stuttered on the 6th I bailed on attempting a 7th, if I was at full health I think I might have tried it and possibly have got it too... 90 felt pretty light and smooth till about rep 9 lol then it felt a bit harder with 11 being it... tris suitably messed now...

really good session... seems there might be some truth to that old Russian method of giving their lifters a cold a few days out from a meet so they supercompensate, I just didnt think it was going to be as good today... felt strong and comfortable on all lifts... loved it totally... more days like this please...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats (beltless)

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x3, 215x1

232.5x1

done... had more to do but made a very stupid school boy error on 190... didnt really focus at all and did NOT stay tight on the first rep, just went down without being really ready and twinged something in the back... couldnt believe it as it was a stupid thing to do... really stupid... still got the 2nd and 3rd out but wasnt comfortable as it should have been... 215 was ok but felt the back make a noise a little and then on 232.5 I didnt hit proper depth as it was only just parallel so a bit of a dodgy squat... weight wasnt a problem but what ever I had tweaked on the stupid rep just didnt want to know... was supposed to hit 205 for 2x3 and then some paused... tried 205 and only got the first but even then it wasnt pretty... called it there as didnt want to aggravate anything overly much... bit peeved but have to play it a little safe atm as dont want to stuff things to the point I cannot train with 8 weeks to go... back doesnt feel overly stressed or strained atm but that could be a lull before the storm... hot bath tonight and maybe some stretching... stupid school boy error... *kicks self*...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 120x1

135x2 (paused 2ct)

125x4

125x3

OHP

60x3, 75x3

85x3x5

man just dragging today, lurgy just will not let go... hanging on and up all night coughing just a tickly irritating thing now... energy levels just flagging too...

Bench - felt pretty good, got the form and technique down and focused so that I made sure it was all kept tight and good... warm ups went well... 135 felt really good and the pause was nice and solid... no problems there at all... 125 though made an impact... just no ooomph so only got the 4 and 3...

OHP - just a couple of lighter sets to warm up the shoulders then on to the main sets... first one felt good no problems second not so much, and third was hard...

good thing is that my back didnt feel sore but a bit fatigued is all... deads tomorrow so that will be the real test...


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## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x4, 240x2

260x2

Chins

BWx 9, 8, 6, 5

thats all today, was supposed to be 260x5, and have sldl in there too but back is not really feeling it today which it kindly let me know on second rep of deads...

Deads - all warm ups felt good... kept weight close to the body and felt comfortable... set up the 260 and was feeling good about it... first rep flew up smooth and fast as any I have done prob the quickest ever... kept it close to my body taking a chunk of skin off and loved it... second rep weight drifted ever so slightly off my body and on any normal day wouldnt have been a problem but today the back just didnt want to fight it to keep it in check and let me know... left it there... bit peeved but have to play safe...

Chins - target was 24 reps in 4 sets... went rather well... felt strong and comfortable... varied the grip a bit by going out and then in...

all in all at least I got a couple of reps in on the deads... missed the sldl and was looking forward to those as it was a bit of weight tbh and would have been good to shift that... still we can do what we can do... back isnt broken but its def tender... more round to the side than along the erectors too which is odd but after thinking back on the stupid mistake squat makes some sense... will be better by mon or tues when squatting again... went to docs about the lurgy, cant do anything but let it take its course... stupid freaking thing... up all night coughing my tonsils up and not really sleeping... makes me a bit fuzzy that... said it can last 1 to 3 weeks so hoping its more like 1 which means any day now its over lol... right hot bath for some tired muscles and to try to shift this last bit of the lurg...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

142.5x1

140x1

Overload (hold 10s)

170x2

CGBP

130x1

125x1

115x4

Dislocations

bar x3x15

done and a bit of a meh session... spent most of last night coughing up my lungs liver and ringpiece so not much sleep if any, today has been much the same even when training, was like do a set, cough, do next set, cough etc... lurgy is really p!ssing me off now...

2bd - warm ups felt ok, first work set was supposed to be 2+ but I totally wimped out... weight didnt present much of a problem which was nice but just backed out of the 2nd rep... in hindsight the act of a big girls blouse... 140 was much the same...

Overload - first one was a bit wobbly but ok... second was much more solid and felt that holding the tightness was much better...

CGBP - very meh by this exercise... first set went down then took a second to make the decision to press it lol... just wasnt into it by now, energy levels are lacking but got it done, second was supposed to be a double but just not there, not in terms of weight as that was fine but just didnt have the oomph to press the second rep... last set missed target by 1 but felt a bit better as had a min or so longer rest as neighbour had a very quick chat...

Dislocations - nice end to the session stretching out the shoulders and giving them a bit of work...

just plain knackered now... got some more strepsils to wolf down before bed tonight (and through the evening) so that should help I am hoping... can get some more snooze time tomorrow too as not working so if I need it that will help... just very fvcking over this bug... thing is the weights themselves are not feeling difficult... just get to the point where I can be bothered or have the oomph to keep lifting... want to but just not there... fvck it, will try to boil it away with a uber hot bath tonight again... something has to give somewhere...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1

225x3x3

Paused 3ct squats

200x4

GHR

BW+5kg x2x5

oh jebus... just holy jebus... all but dead atm...

Squats - well given last week didnt go so well when I got to the 190s I thought would see how the back was going to do by going beltless up to 190... went fine, felt really good and technique/form was great... 210 felt very nice... 225 first set brilliant, second set last rep was really only to parallel but will take that and 3rd set was good but hard... feeling it after these...

Paused squats - with a 3 ct mind... freaking 3... feeling knackered by this stage and was thinking not so sure... first two felt good third a little harder and 4th was holy sheep... left it there but happy as target was 3+... shaking like anything though and head was sore, in fact legs werent too freaking happy at this stage either lol...

GHR - oh man... still had these to go, 5kg on top of BW and it felt it all the way down and up... wanted to give up so bad by this stage but had to do them as Dig had written them in... fvck Dig... yeah thats right you heard... 

well better nights sleep last night got a broken but decent 5.5 hours sleep in and felt better this morning, also had a nap for about 1.5 hours this morning which helped a bit too... feeling very unenergetic though... in fact before the session was really considering sacking them off... glad I didnt as it turned out to be a good session... even if it killed me... back held up really well and didnt even twinge so really happy there... although I am about as beat as they get I am happy with today... on to the next session and hopefully will feel even better...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 120x1

140x1+1p (2ct pause)

125x4+1p

120x5

OHP

60x3, 80x2

92.5x3

87.5x2x4

60x15

mixed bag... pretty normal for bench which is always a pain in my ar... side...

Bench - warm ups felt great, seemed to have a great groove and felt comfortable and solid... first 140 went up nicely and felt comfortable... second not so much as weight came down counted 2, went for the drive up and came off my chest ok but then got cramp in my right hip flexor area and lost all drive, had to bring it down to the safeties... sigh... 125 first couple felt fine then cramp again on rep 3, managed to fight through it till rep 5 then had to bring it down again as just couldnt drive it up... dammit... bit of stretching and went to do the 120 but this time opened up my hips a bit more and had feet planted a bit wider... 5 went up fine with no problems and no cramping at all... going to keep the more open set up for hips and feet now as seems if I am to narrow its causing an issue...

OHP - 92.5 for 3 but the 3rd went up slloooowww lol... not too bad though... first set of 4 at 87.5 was good second the last rep went slow again... then went for 15 at 60kg... first 11 felt awesome and fast then man shoulders fatiguing... 15th rep was uber slow but got it and shoulders felt freaking fried... still do...

ok session but not much to write home about... always seem to be learning things though so hopefully thats good... shoulders feeling knackered now but good, chest tired and worked... still got a bit of work to do on bench but its going to get there...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 265x1

280x2

SLDL

220x3

Chins

BW+5kg x9, 8, 6, 4

man just didnt feel up to it today, lack of sleep or what ever is catching up and sooo freaking tired... but cup of mtfu juice and away I went...

Deads - all warm ups felt surprisingly good... easy in fact and all quicker than I expected... 250x1 and 265x1 were set by Dig this week... went to the 280 and was aiming for 2 or 3... pulled the first and felt really good, back a little tender but nothing bad, pulled the second keeping it very close to the body and it felt as good as the first but back a little more tender so left it at two, very happy with them though they were easier and quicker than expected... def at least a third there but erring on side of caution this week as just want to get all niggles and lurgies done and dusted so rest of the run into the worlds is spot on...

SLDL - considering glutes and hams still feeling it from tue I was a little trepidatious (made up word that) about this set, but after a stern talking to I set it up and got the 3 lifts done, now glutes and hams a little more sore than they were lol... felt good though but was cautious about the back however nothing complaining there...

Chins - knackered by now... wanted to go to bed or hot bath didnt care which... aim was 25 in 4 sets... managed 27 so happy enough again I alternated a wider grip with a narrower one... back in bits... not happy with me now, but fvck it, it deserved it 

considering I was not going to train as just fvcked I am very very happy with today... back is very sore now but not in a bad way and I feel that my deads moved better than in the past, certainly quicker and were easier which is nice... sldl was great, and chins just rounded it all off... very tired now and looking forward to a hot bath and then bed, hopefully the mrs will just want to sleep tonight... ah who am I kidding, got to get that conditioning work in   looking forward to next week and then its just not that long till the worlds...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

145x1

140x2

137.5x1+1p

137.5x1+1p

Overload 10s hold

175x2x1

CGBP

132.5x1x0

125x1x0

117.5x1x1

Dislocations

bar x3x20

wtaf... damn its starting to get me p1ssed...

2bd - warm ups felt good, first two sets felt really good and I am pretty sure another would have been there for the 140 set which was good but then I tried to diddle around with the way I was lifting a bit by lowering the bar quicker but it was a case of losing control to make the speed and it didnt feel right, first rep went up but scrappy second rep got nearly there but then went forward and lost the rep... more control on the second set of 137.5 but again lost the oomph on the second rep... aaargh...

Overload - these went fine, kept tight and made sure everything was locked it nicely...

CGBP - damn... like hitting a wall and being flung through the windscreen here... tried the first set and nothing... went for the 125 and nothing... did a single at 117.5 and it sucked... wtf is going on here I didnt know... everything felt ok just nothing in the tank...

dislocations - to finish and felt good, needed to stretch out the shoulders and on the last set brought my grip in a little which made it harder...

oh ffs what a pain in the ar$e, just not sure why lost it on cgbp... spoke with Dig and he asked about food over the last few days and that reminded me that its not been the best tbh... a little down but makes a big difference I guess... gotta get my head out of my ar$e on these and just lift the fvcking weight...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 220x1

235x3

2ct paused

215x2

3ct paused

180x2x5

GHR

BW+5kg x7, 6, 5

holy jebus... holy holy jebus... not much to look at on paper but damn my legs are still hurting nearly an hour later... fought the puke monster from the 215 paused and when I got to the last couple of reps at 180 just really had to dig deep...

squats - warm ups felt solid and really good, as the weight got heavier they felt more comfortable and stable... 220 was awesome and 235 felt really really good... tough but good. nice depth and solid form... 2nd rep was pretty slow on the way up though but it went up, even though I was driving as hard as can it moved slloooooooowwwwllly lol...

2ct - seriously Dig wtf... 2 feels more like 15 esp in the hole... but felt good enough although by the end of these I was feeling a might queasy...

3ct - ok Dig is a pr**k lol... first set actually wasnt too bad felt pretty good and the 3 ct felt like 5 but not shaky... 2nd set first 3 felt ok too but last 2 just like moving through molasses... def felt awful after this and only just managed to hold onto lunch...

GHR - just didnt want to... nope... nup... not at all... still he who must be obeyed said so I did... first set wasnt too bad tbh, felt it a lot in glutes and hams but was ok... 2nd set still pretty ok but starting to feel it a lot and having trouble sitting or standing... last set just fvcking killed and I think I wept blood... really had to grind out the last rep and it was a bit sloppy but got it in... target was 15 in 3 sets... did it...

didnt train yesterday as upper back/trap area was really sore, not sure if it was due to sleeping in crappy position or if it was through training (although I suspect the mrs and the damn cat ganging up on me in my sleep) but today it was much much better and in fact now its feeling strong again... feeling good about todays session, have got in more food over last 3 days and energy is really there, so pretty sure monday was to do with my food intake being down... very tired now and legs are really sore, good sore though but I can tell that tomorrow and or friday I wont be thinking its that good at all lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 75x5

90x8x3

WGBP

100x3x5

TPD

35x3x20

Dislocations

bar x3x20

hmmm well end of last week just descended into a tragedgy really... load of personal stuff going on that just overwhelmed me a bit and I couldnt leave them at the gym door like I normally do not even for deads... now that should tell you how much they played on my mind... bench was rubbish, got to 130 and then just canned it... it felt good and quick but when I went to do 145 just couldnt get my mind on it... not at all... deads got to 270 and it went really well up quick and everything but again started to dwell on my demons and they just got on top, got 290 off the floor but between mind being elsewhere and the trap/back thing still giving me gip it just werent happening... anywho on to a new week and some interesting programming...

Bench - have never done 8 sets before at the top and never done 90 for more than a few sets... but all were really good in fact the last set seemed to go better than the first set, fast, explosive off the chest and easy... never felt fatigued or difficult...

WGBP - first set was a bit wobbly as havent done these for a while but 2nd and 3rd were awesome, comp pause on chest and explode off, went really well and felt that the drive off the chest was great...

TPD - picked a weight to do 20 reps and have that as just shy of failure... first set was pretty simple and was thinking hmmm maybe 40, but left it and glad I did as man the second and third proved more difficult... well I say difficult but it killed my tris... felt well pumped and sore after these...

Dislocations - nice finisher and as I think I have done something in my right RC def need these in and thinking will do more on other days with some more exercises...

great start to the week... bit of a different sort of training program but good to distract me and get me on track... back/trap feels much better today and almost not an issue now so thats good, will build on this and hopefully resume normal service next week...

just got to shout out to Dig who has been great in motivating and reassuring me through this last few days... also in adapting and tweaking the program to keep me on track... not only a great coach but a good man too...

also apologies to those whos journals I normally visit even if I dont post anything in them but I am really only going to post updates for training and probably keep to that for now just till I can get some sh1t sorted... take care all...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x5

*belt on* (as instructed)

157.5x5x5 as explosive as poss and within 15 mins (did it in 12)

GM

70x8

100x4x8

thanks to all for the kind words and messages... things slowly getting on track and slaying the demons as they arise...

Squats - pretty basic really warm ups felt good and then main sets were to be belt on 5 sets of 5 in 15 mins... first set I over corrected my knees and they went out a bit far but after that it was pretty tight... felt very quick and really good... was going to space them 3 mins apart but it was more like 2.5 as it just felt really good, well I say good but after my legs were a bit wobbly and def could feel it... aim was to do them as explosive as possible as well and the last set felt as quick as the first and form still really good... little winded by then tbh but all good...

GM - work up to a weight that was heavy but not all out and do 4 sets was the command from on high... 70 felt too light so went to 100 which felt medium tbh but not too light... even after the 2nd set I was thinking it was maybe a bit light but then by the 4th set my posterior chain was cursing my good name and casting aspersions on my parentage... was thinking about trying 110 for the 4x8 but probably would have been just a touch heavy... maybe...

in fact my whole lower body is not too happy with me right now lol... good session that didnt look much on paper but execution once again was a bit tougher than anticipated... felt really good and could get the mind engaged and focused which is good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench (2ct pause)

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2

110x2

120x2

125x1

130x3

OHP

WU 60x3, 75x3

90x3x3

70x12

Woooot boom baby... focus was good, demons not slain and in fact look like the future will not be bright but there is now fvck all I can do about that as its pretty much out of my hands... we can but try but I can do something about my lifting and focus and what have you so lets get jiggy with it...

Bench - first set a bit meh but not due to it being light just form/technique was a bit naf... from 2nd set on it was firing... have got the legs sorted now (def liking the wider feet and open hips), arch is not huge but its good for me and feels good too, shoulders and traps pushed into the bench and after chatting with @LittleLiam about how I tend to shrug my shoulders up when starting the descent I have mostly got that ironed out (thanks mate)... so I couldnt figure why things felt off... on the second set I was really monitoring the form and technique and focus was very switched on... seems I have not been flaring my elbows as much as I should but keeping them tucked worrying about the line down and not thinking of the flare, when I get the line right and flare it feels incredibly solid and stable... bringing the bar down feels much better as well... got to 110 and it felt very good, 120 again felt lighter than normal and great when pressed... 125 still the same and I was really enjoying bench for a change lol... 130 was suppsed to be 1 but if I could get another rep or so then give it a shot but not fail... did 3 and think I could have maybe had a 4th tbh but wanted to leave it on a high and was very pleased as it didnt feel as heavy or as awkward... (got my reps on 130 LittleLiam lol)

OHP - feeling psyched after a good bench session straight in as had to take the daughter back to school for some stuff... felt food up until the last rep of 90 which was a bit wobbly... looking at the program and saw 70 for 10+ I was not sure about it but managed to get 12 shoulders not happy after this lol... felt good though

great session today, focus is back and feeling the iron work again, managed to leave all the sh1t at the door... god I love training... the iron doesnt lie, doesnt b1tch at you it just is... 200lbs will always be 200lbs...


----------



## Greyphantom

The non dead deads day...

BOR

WU 60x8, 80x8

100x10 normal and normal grip

100x10 normal wider grip

100x10 normal grip pendlay

100x10 more upright normal grip

100x10 normal

Chins

BW+10kg x8

BW+5kg x8

BWx7+1p 60s rest 5 60s rest 4

BC (oly bar)

50x11

50x8

30x20 90s rest 9 had to stop

well it sure feels like I did more than whats above... arms and forearms esp are wrecked, still shaking in fact and back is in bits... top to bottom of the lats...

BOR - felt good no straps and varied the grip and position and method a bit to make each set hard... weight felt fine no both at all... def feeling it in the upper back all over though... now its starting to hurt quite a bit... loving that though...

Chins - first set with 10kg felt very hard for some reason... second set with 5 felt much better and more natural... the BW sets felt like I was trying to lift the rack with me lol... forearms feeling it a lot by the last 2 sets really...

BC - jebus... forearm pump was horrendous but ok initially... then got to the 30kg for 3 sets of 20 and on the second set the pain in my right forearm just flared up and had to stop as it was making me do funky things with my form... stupid forearms... arms are shaking still from today and its hard to type... almost like 200mcg of clen if I knew what that felt like 

pretty good day today, missed doing deads tbh but a change is as good as a rest and managed to keep focus again so thats good... feeling well worked... its one month from sunday I lift in Florida... man **** is really getting real now... scary... exciting and cannot wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ooops did a boo boo on the post above to had to edit, supposed to be 10 reps on the bor and not 5...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

CGBP

WU 40x2x6, 60x6

*1st rep paused 2nd tng*

80x2

100x2

110x2

120x2

125x2

2bd bench

120x6

120x5

120x3+1p

Dislocations

bar x3x20

keeping it pretty stripped back atm...

CGBP - feels a bit different starting with this but nice enough... warm up sets easy as were the work sets... first rep was paused on the chest (I did a 2ct) and 2nd was a touch n go rep... this made for some interesting memory exercise as well lol... all reps felt comfortable and even 125 felt good... def more there...

2bd - first set was really comfortable and felt good, kept my elbows more flared as per thu session and it felt strong... 2nd set was going well too till I hit the j hooks, just a little too far back on the bench for when I started to fatigue and the bar drifted back just a tad... last set I wasnt sure about 6 tbh but thought I could get 5... first 3 were smooth and felt good but on the 4th I brought the bar down and the "board" shifted under my shirt and the bar just knicked the end of it... (too far back toward my head, need to remember to keep it very low down the chest)... ce la vie... chest is actually feeling pretty worked surprisingly...

Dislocations - as always great little finisher, feeling good for my shoulders atm...

nice little session today, think I probably rushed the 2bd pressing a bit but nothing too bad... sleep been a little over the place last week or so but last night got a good 6 hours... appetite is a little hit and miss, well I say that but sometimes I feel like not eating but make myself and all of a sudden I have eaten a full meal and am looking for dessert lol... ride the wave of that when I can... will need to weigh myself at some stage this week too, think I am around the 110 mark tbh but will confirm tomorrow or wednesday...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 190x3 *belt on* 210x1

230x3

170x3x3

SLDL

70x5

100x5

130x5

*straps on*

160x5

170x5

yeah man I want whatever I am on today to be on in Florida...

Squats - first couple of warm up sets always just take a bit of getting into the swing... 120 it started feeling good, 160 felt better and really good, 190 was suprisingly easy and felt really good... 210 was ok but not difficult, loaded up 230 and was expecting it to be a bit heavy but it was really really good, felt brilliant and form was so nice really sat back and kept more upright, felt everything firing as they should and the first rep just rocketed... 2nd rep felt pretty quick too and again really good, 3rd rep maybe not so quick lol but still felt good and sitting back into it instead of leaning forward more... just felt really switched on today... the 170 for 3x3 were supposed to be nice and snappy and damn if they were quick as hell... felt really comfortable and no problem at all... did all three sets in 5 mins just because I could and the last set was still as quick as the first or very nearly... quads feeling it after that though...

SLDL - working up to the top set was different to my usual way of doing things but all felt good... again supposed to snap the reps up quick and explosive and it was just ON... first few sets had no straps as the weight was a bit light but at 160 put them on so I could just focus on the speed and getting it all right... felt awesome, really quick and explosive and driving the hips through at the top... 170 felt pretty damn easy tbh and I loved it... was even looking to do more but thats all that was programmed so thats where I left it...

man I wish all days could be like today... squats were a dream and sldl just flew... hopefully this will also be the case on the main day which is 4 weeks tomorrow... game face firmly on... grrrrr...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench

WU 40x6, 60x6

*first rep paused then tng*

80x2

100x3

110x2

120x2

130x2

135x3

135x2 (supposed to be 3)

OHP

WU 60x3, 75x3

90x4

80x8

pretty decent session today...

Bench - def makes a diff flaring the elbows more and keeping the hips open and feet slightly wider, feels more solid and stable... had no problems with the weight till 2nd set of 135 when the third rep just wasnt there... no real reason as far as I can see or feel esp as the first two went up so well... feeling much more comfortable on bench atm... just hope it keeps going...

OHP - loved this today, 90 went up well and comfortable, even the 4th rep felt good... 80 was 6+ and I hit 8 but probably should have gone for 9 as it was feeling good till half way up the 8th rep when it slowed a bit so just left it there...

feeling way better today... weight is a bit down atm at 108.1 but going to add some more food in and that should rise, appetite has been hit and miss last few weeks due to things going on but its more on track or at least seems to be or I have just shifted focus to lifting the iron and fvck everything else lol... feeling really good though and now have to go up on the roof to do some minor repairs...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 160x5

190x3

220x2

250x3 (cluster)

250x3 (cluster)

GHR

BWx 9, 5+1p, 5, 5+1p

wooo deads baby yeah...

Deads - oh yeah thats the stuff, almost better than sex lol... first two sets fine, no issues there, 190 felt better as more weight on the bar, 220 felt awesome, bar flew up and so quick... oh yeah thats it baby, work for daddy  then 250 which were to be cluster sets (where you do the rep, release the bar stand and reset then do next rep etc)... felt a bit heavier than 220 (yeah I know it is actually heavier but you get my meaning) and was a bit slower... second set felt slightly better than the first and think this was just a case of me getting my head round the cluster set again... felt great though... so so good to do these...

GHR - focusing on the hams and glutes... killed them dead... first set was pretty ok, second hit a wall at 5 and couldnt squeeze that 6th... next set got 5 only and felt like I was wimping out so really tried for a 6th on the last but no way just stopped half way and really couldnt squeeze that last bit out... hams were screaming and glutes feeling it so thought I maybe didnt work them as hard as I could, now though they are letting me know they felt it too...

short sharp and shweet  felt really good and no real problems... also today for the first time in a while no niggles at all, no aches or pains and even the shoulder is feeling pretty much mended... bit tired today but mainly cos last night was a nightmare sleep... no reason really just tossing and turning... sleep in tomorrow though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

CGBP (1st rep paused)

WU 40x2x6, 60x6

80x2

100x2

115x2

122.5x2

130x2

2BD

135x1

royally p1ssed is nothing to how I am feeling atm...

CGBP - bit more weight on board today... all felt really good going up the weights and getting to 130 with the pause felt comfortable... not easy but not hard either... felt raring to go...

2bd - ok here is where it went to sh1t... took the weight at 135 and felt ok, brought it down and seemed to be fine but when I pressed it up felt something twinge in my right shoulder upper arm area... I mean wtf... racked it and things felt ok... thought it might just be that I came a little off line so took the weight for another rep but half way down felt it again and just pressed it up from there and racked... not fvcking happy, in fact ended up throwing the board at the fvcking door...

ffs this close to the comp things should be going much better on the bench than this, was going pretty decently then it just all seems to have gone pear... fvcking pears... going to start meditating again to see if I cant get my mental side kicking in again and maintaining the void that will help... arrrrrrrggghhh... dammit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x2, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1

240x3

180x3x3

SLDL

WU 70x5, 110x5

140x5

*straps on*

160x5

180x5

holy jebus... just plum tuckered...

Squats - warm ups felt fine but again the weight didnt feel good till about 120 and it seemed to settle in... 160 felt good 180 was really nice and then the 200 went up as a bit of a nice surprise... belt on and just did the 220 for a single... felt really good so was happy... took 240 and it settled on the shoulders nicely... first 2 reps were really good and felt very nice if not easy by any means but the 3rd got depth really well and went up soooo slloooooowwwllllyyyy lol... man I didnt think that was ever going up... legs feeling it and was not looking forward to the down sets... no problems there though the 180 felt awesome, really fast reps and felt good doing them too... form felt tight and sat right into them... legs humming after this...

SLDL - maaaaaan still had to do these after squats... first couple of sets were warm ups and fine, 140 flew and had no problems 160 felt even better tbh and 180 while killing off what little was left of my legs felt really good...

now sitting here just trying to stop my lunch from making a reappearance lol... felt really good today, shoulder area was a bit stiff but once I stretched it out presented no problems at all... happy with the squatting right now, just need to carry it forward to the worlds... have booked my flights and hotel... its on for real now no backing out and starting to feel the nerves... bring it ON...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench

WU 40x6, 60x6, *1st rep paused from here* 80x2, 100x3, 110x2, 120x2, 130x1

140x1

*TNG*

125x2x5

115x5

OHP

60x4, 75x3

90x3+1p

85x3

80x0

hmmmm trying to figure out if silly or brave or stoic... maybe all three...

Bench - shoulder feeling good all day, no ache or movement impediment... warm ups felt really good till 120 then started to feel it a little in the shoulder... 130 went up really well in fact where it normally stalls it didnt and flew through that point but again shoulder was grumbling at this stage... 140 was supposed to be 2+ with first paused, I did the first paused and it went up well no problems at all... went to do the 2nd and bailed as shoulder just didnt want to know... no pain or even niggle but it just didnt feel stable enough... 125 I was iffy on but first set went really well so thought boll0cks give the next a go... went as well as the first to my surprise... first time doing 2 sets of 5 at that weight so happy there, shoulder not so happy but not complaining... 115 aim was 6+ but stopped at 5... I may be silly but not stupid... ok not that stupid...

OHP - warm ups felt fine shoulder feeling it a little at 75 but nothing to stop me... at 90 though it wasnt happy so I only got 3 and a partial, aim was 5... shoulder just wasnt feeling it... tried 85 and made it to 3 before bailing and just leaving it there... happy enough but wish I could have got the ohp put to bed...

over all pleased as the twinge I felt on monday is not presenting a major problem, at least not one that will stop me competing... also because I got the 125x2x5 which is a pb and because it didnt feel hard which was nice... weird thing was a few sets into the warm up for bench I felt dizzy as fvck and queasy like my blood sugars were bottoming out, nearly a whole bag of jelly snakes took care of that lol and managed to get on track till 120 when my son called to say the bus had gone the wrong way (WTAF) and I had to get him from a bus stop instead of him walking up the hill... right pain... still got the work done for the most part...

also been very tired today, sleep has been broken with some weird ar$e dreams including one where I couldnt do my last heavy session of deadlift becuase something always got in the way and I had to get it done before training but when I went to train another thing would happen... aaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhh... hopefully this will sort itself out...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

270x2x2 *cluster*

Chins

bw+15kg x7

bw+10x7

bw+5x8

bw x8

feeling a bit tired and stressed as a few things frustrated the bejebus out of me today but DAMN that is a session and a half, best session ever...

Deads - worked on the technique hard today and it paid... kept tight and lats were activated and form spot on... warm ups flew... was supposed to chalk up at 250 but forgot lol but it went up easy... then put chalk on and did the first set... yeah baby thats how it goes, weight never felt hard and while not as fast as I would like it didnt feel difficult... second set was as good as the first by far... thats the way we do deads...

Chins - wasnt expecting too much today but wtf, must be having more weetabix or something... put the 15kg on and the first 5 reps were so ON, 6th a bit harder and 7th was def hard but maybe... just maybe there might have been an 8th... left it there... swapped to the 10kg and again flew through the 5 6th was hard wasnt going to do a 7th but thought fvck it and it went up just... 5kg and bw were just p1ssed in...

wow that was awesome... considering I was feeling a bit tired and wondering how it was going to go it proved no problem at all... all the pulls felt strong and light... the cluster sets got progressively better... it is indeed ON...


----------



## Greyphantom

Catch up...

Hi all been away for a week with the family... bit of vegas and stuff was awesome but really disrupted my training and stff too...

Sunday 26 Oct 14

Golds in Vegas (weights in lbs/kg)

Bench 1

Hammer press

40kg each side x8

53.4kg x6+1p

53.4kg x5+1p

OH rope tri ext

90lbs x12

70lbs x15

50lbs x20

Front bb raise/side raise

30kg/30lbs x3x12

different environment and interesting to work out in a gym... first time using the hammer strength chest press machine so was a bit finding my feet so to speak... felt good though and hit the chest really good... OH tri ext killed my triceps, man they tingled and the shoulder work was just brilliant and brutal... was the day after landing in vegas but didnt feel bad at all...

Saturday 01 Nov 14

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 190x1, 210x1, 230x1

247.5x1

190x3

Deads

220x3

SLDL

200x5

had to change the workout as couldnt fit it in on the wed as planned... coccyx was horribly painful for some reason but had a sh1t flight home with delays and crappy stuff... so squats were a bit delicate... supposed to be the 2 on 247.5 but only managed the 1... the 190 set was ok, first rep a little slow but the next two were fine and quick... deads were no problem again the 1st rep a little slow as was feeling out the coccyx issue but it didnt present a problem and the next two were great... sldl was easy no hassle there... little behind in the schedule but catching up and Dig has been awesome in reworking the training sessions to make it work...


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## Greyphantom

bench 2

bench

WU 40x6, 60x6, 80x2, 100x3, 115x1, 125x1

135x1 (paused)

145xf

end... fvcking end... felt ok going in and warm ups felt good... 135 sailed up and felt good... 145 lowered to chest went to press shoulder felt tight and then just lost it... then couldnt get under the bar again... totally psyched myself out... no reason at all I should not be able to do it... really fvcked off with myself atm tbh... got to do something to get my head back under that bar properly...


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## Greyphantom

Pre comp heavyish workout

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1

230x2

walk out 10sec stand

280x1

Bench

WU 40x6, 60x6, 80x3

100x2

110x1

120x1

127.5x1

135x1

142.5x1

Overload 10s

175x1

oh baby on fire today... awesome session...

Squats - right from the start these felt strong and solid, excellent in fact... 160 felt like 100 used to, 210 felt like 160 and 230 was nice and deep and strong... so so on today... form was cracking and just sunk into the lifting with no worries or concerns... the walk out was pretty easy too... no hassle standing with that on my back and held for a couple of seconds longer just in case lol...

Bench - very different from sunday... head totally focused and in the game today... again right from the first warm up it felt very on... 135 was easy and went up nice and quick... 142.5 I started to think but switched off the mind and just got on with the lift and it worked... felt very good if not easy and strong on the way up all the bench from 100 were paused for approx a 2 count, I brought the weight down said in my mind touch, pause, press and thats roughly a 2 count... the overload was fine not much wobble at all and best thing yet is no shoulder problem at all, not a hint of a niggle at all... sweet...

awesome workout today... just got to take the same focus and mentality forward and it should be a good lifting day... talked openers with the coach and I think they are sensible... will also get some pointers re next two lifts now I think... probably not the done thing texting him at like 3am on the day lol... cannot wait now, bring it on...


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## Greyphantom

Last training session before comp.

Bench

WU 40x6, 60x6, 75x4

90x5x3

OHP

40x3x10

TPD

30x3x15

just a light one to loosen up and keep things going...

Bench - all with a pause, no problems at all, however did change my hands slightly by twisting the palms more toward the feet, this straightened my wrists more and kept them more in line which made the pressing much easier and the 90 felt lighter from set 3 when I started doing them this way... felt much better so will keep this in then...

OHP - just a nice easy few sets here... no problem at all and barely felt like I was lifting lol...

TPD - again light and easy...

felt really good no stress and just an enjoyable light session... always refining form and technique so that little twist of the palms might help a lot when it comes to the comp day... nothing left now but to lift on the platform, flying out tomorrow and then got a busy few days till L day (lift day lol) and then back home thu... very up for it now... nervous, excited, and a bit sleepy lol... game face is ON... general plan mostly outlined... and feeling a bit peckish


----------



## Greyphantom

Worlds Write up...

Got out to Florida a few days before my lifting day to try to acclimatise and just generally get over any jet lag (if any) etc and I had to sit my practical for the international ref exam on the tuesday... felt pretty good and pretty calm-ish about it till the day before then it started getting real... had a good nights sleep the night before which is unusual to say the least and woke up pretty early but headed down to the venue a bit early which turned out to be a good thing as everything had been changed, flights, times and so forth so got there in plenty of time to warm up and soak up a bit of the comp atmosphere... had a great team with me that day and from the UK there were 11 lifters competing on both platforms... also all the equipment was amazing... all brand new and really really top notch... according to the roster there were 8 in my class so expected a bit of a battle and was hoping for top 5...

Venue - great set up, really really awesome warm up area with 5 monos, 5 dead platforms and 5 bench areas... all brand new monos, benchs and bars but the weights were a mix of the calibrated in kg and just gym plates in lbs and kg... made for a bit of guess work when it came to loading but was ok... West Palm Beach and the venue itself were both great, plenty of hotels near by and the airport was like 10-15 mins away... loads of food places around it as well... all in all great area... venue was big, loads of room but it was hot and humid however this is not the fault of the venue as when you went outside it was worse lol...

Squats - warm ups went really well and felt comfortable... helped to settle the nerves a bit, however the heat and humidity were a bit more than we expected and I was sweating worse than usual... luckily I took a load of diarlyte and bananas and gatorade so just kept getting the fluids in me to replace it, I have never sweat non stop like that... went out for my first attempt and got 230 easy enough... went to 245 and missed it as only went to parallel and the judges were marking things hard... (I knew that from the day before though lol) and even though I didnt get it in the weight felt good and easy and a couple of chaps there looking after us said it was touch and go re the call so went to 255 (aim was 260) and it felt pretty good and I swear and went even lower but again missed depth, got told it was 1/4 inch if that off... one of the guys watching me reckoned it was in but again the judging was hard but consistent and I think very fair, just means I need to get my ar$e down that little bit lower... was knackered after this though, singlet was soaked and had a wee break till bench...

Bench - was a bit fluttery with this tbh, my worst lift but warm ups were ok felt a bit heavy on my last one which was 125 and I was worried... benches were awesome though, they gripped you and didnt want to let go lol... went out to do my opener at 135 and fvck me it flew up, I mean it felt light... very confused at this point but when told one of the others about it we realised that in the warm up room the weights were in kg and lbs so when we were thinking we had 125 on the bar it was like 128... however I was just happy I was in and it was pretty much game on as I knew I would get my first dead... second attempt 145 went a bit slower but still felt good and one of the other GB lifters said it looked quick... went for 152.5 which would have been a pb... took the bar down and it felt ok... started to drive it up and it just werent happening... just lost all the oomph... feeling wasted by this stage but it was on to the deads...

Deads - well I wasnt worried here... well at least at the start... all the light warm ups were very quick and felt strong and good... getting to about 220 I started feeling weary... at this point I was really hoping that I would have the endurance to keep it going... most of us were starting to feel it... even one of the US lifters warming up with us was flagging due to the heat and humidity... really happy at this stage we had lowered my openers lol... last warm ups went well enough and I had timed it really well so just had to wait... first attempt 280... yeah that went well... no problems at all and was money in the bank all day long... 300 second lift... again flew up nicely and was thinking maybe second wind... however setting 320 as my third told me that wind didnt come around a second time lol... oh well its not to be atm... feeling absolutely wasted... the poor US bloke just had no gas for the deads and didnt make any of his lifts even though he was doing quite well out in the warm up area...

Right so that was job done and I was happy enough but did kick myself a little as could and should have done better... out of 8 that had registered only 5 made it to the platform... out of that I managed a 4th place so am happy enough again but still can do better... well I guess thats what we all say... experience was awesome though, reffing at this level is amazing and the guy who was watching over me was fantastic and very knowledgeable... we did have a few disagreements over some calls but it was usually because one of us missed something the other caught as they were looking at the right place at the right time (eg foot movement or rear off the bench etc)... found out that I passed that portion of it and now have to sit the theory to make it stick...

well there you go... cannot express how amazing it was... everything about the event, the organisation, the people, the lifting, the food lol... all of it was great and the judging was very good, very few people griped about it at all, the spotters and loaders were incredible... they were just so switched on and right there when needed... home now and still processing it all, feeling a little sore but nothing too bad... cannot wait to start training again and get stronger for next year (Portugal)...

Would like to thank @Dig as he has been a rock and right there when needed... bit of up and down training going on in the last few weeks but he didnt bat and eyelid and changed things up on the fly and had me about as ready as I could be and this is the best I have felt going into any competition in terms of readiness or how relaxed I was... the man is brilliant... thanks mate I just hope I did ok by you... heres to the next one mate...


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## Greyphantom

Squat day

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5

160x5x5 (speed)

SLDL

WU 120x8, 160x8

*straps on*

200x8

first session back and nice and easy... sort of 

Squats - going back to a wider stance for these now... helps with getting depth in and trying to put some more weight on the bar... warm ups were good... first 160 was a bit slow as getting used to the width and slight difference in position etc... sets 2-5 were good though and were much faster... all sets felt fine and no belt for any of them...

SLDL - up to a heavy 8 was the goal... goal reached lol... warm ups were no prob really except for the grip starting to go a little at the end of the 2nd warm up... straps on and 200 was good but by last 2 or 3 reps it was telling... hams and glutes feeling it a lot at the end...

nice little start to next phase of training, the boss man has sent me his thoughts and plan for the next phase of training, orders are to put weight on and weigh in heavier for next comp much heavier so will do that, add some more cals in via mass shake before/after training and generally get more food in... also looking at videoing my training more and think I can manage that as worked something out today, just have to see if it works now... looking forward to it and being b1tch slapped in the gym weekly...

Legs are definitely feeling it now too... thought it was not too bad after training but as the evening goes on they are feeling it more and more... awesome


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## Greyphantom

Bench

WGBP

WU 40x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x4

120x6

CGBP

110x6

French press

30x17

30x10+1p

30x6+1p

BB curl

50x8

40x12+1p

30x13+1p

oooooouch...

WGBP - went really well... top set for 6 and it was about right in terms of weight... any more and would have missed the 6th I reckon... felt comfortable and could feel it in my chest after for sure... aimed for really driving it off the chest ie speed as much as possible... first 4 of the top set felt good and quick... 5th slowed a lot and 6th was like pushing through heavy treacle...

CGBP - same again a top set of 6... picked the right weight again as 6th rep was about it at 110... first 3 felt good after that it got progressively slower...

French press - had to pick a tri ext ex and this was it... first set c15 reps and got 17... tris felt pumped and tired... 30 secs rest then next set and man that felt hard... then another 30 secs and last set... tris pumped to hell by then... felt hard and knackered...

BB curl - went a bit light on the first set as it happens... should have gone 55kg at least... 8 felt easy enough then drop 10kg and rep for max... holy hell biceps started hurting... the drop another 10 and rep for max again... ok Digs a bastard... this hurt even more... its hard to scratch my face atm... forearms feeling it too... ouch...

had a pretty good day, got a bunch of crap done and hopefully kept the mrs happy... (like thats possible lol)... went into work and got two great comments... first she said wow your beards looking good, its getting longer and bigger...  second she then said wow your chest is bigger too... youve really put on some size... aaaah bless her... made my morning though

appetite is pretty good atm... ramming in high cal food in form of pretty much everything and anything cal dense... pizza and burgers featuring heavily and even the JB approved kfc diet  weight atm is 109.6kg so got about 5kg to gain... by march... plenty of time... as of next week will be adding in another shake too, mass gain shake though...


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## Greyphantom

Deads...

Block pulls

WU 120x2x5, 170x5 200x3

220x3x5 (speed)

floor

180x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x6

BW+5kg x8

BWx9

yeah not too bad, rushed day as got/had/still have so mjuch to do...

Blocks - started a bit awkward... working sets the first was a bit slow, 2nd set faster and felt better, 3rd set faster again and better still got back into the groove and found my path... set up was better... ended well...

floor - weight was light but could have been faster... no problems here...

Chins - first set was not quite right... second much better and felt good... 3rd felt very good too but last couple I had to push for... lats done...

all in all pretty decent session but certainly need to up my speed on the deads... especially from the first rep... pretty tired atm loads going on just getting **** sorted for kids birthdays and some other bits... sleeping ok but for some reason it doesnt seem to be touching sides... going for a bit of a mountain bike tomorrow with the boy and his mate and the mrs... it is NOT cardio but conditioning  @JB pointers mate 

looking forward to next week and back to the 4 days training...


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## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x6, 60x5, 80x5

100x5

110x3

120x2

127.5x1

135xf

120x1

thats it... **** day, **** session... just one of those days where the knock on effect of one thing led to no time so rushed through taking shorter rests and too much going on in my mind with an early bus for one of my kids just meant I was ****...

Bench - all warm ups felt good, even the 127.5 felt nice and smooth and lots of power but 135 took the bar from the jhooks and it just didnt go... couldnt talk myself into it... sigh... dropped it to 120 and got 1 but then just sacked it as a bad day... apologies to Dig... not the best at all and tbh my attitude today is in the toilet... got to do better...


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## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 150x5, 170x3

190x8

Lunges (static supposed to be dynamic)

WU barx6, 40x6, 60x6

80x L7 R6

GHR

BWx7

BWx6

BWx6

holy jebus... legs buzzing now, hams and flutes fried...

Squats - no belt just as many as I could over 6... got to 6 and felt good, 7 still felt ok, 8 felt tough and form was drifting so left it there but I could have probably got another 1 maybe, just slightly maybe 2 if I had really really pushed hard... I know afterwards while whimpering on the bench I was thinking I should have gone for the extra... keeping the wider stance in atm and its feeling good... depth feels better and sitting back is easier... need to keep the drive even on both legs from the hole...

Lunges - supposed to be step out then back but I just dont have the room in the rack or the gym (garage) so made them static... balance was a bit of an issue but found it ok going... after 60kg went to get the 10s to put on the bar and quads felt it a lot... 80 was great weight didnt feel heavy per say but certainly hit the quads hard... managed 7 on the left leg but only 6 on the right... need to find the form better and get better at the movement...

GHR - man by now my legs were not happy... got the first set out and felt good but sore... second set was hard... third had me rethinking that question Tafka posed about intelligence and whether I was or not... stupid move as hams and glutes are now just not happy...

much better day today, although the plumber is back trying to get us some hot water he came later which meant I could get my training in fine and I got a bunch of stuff done this morning which meant I had better timing through the rest of the day... the session felt good and feeling better in general today...


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## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *2bd on* 80x4

100x5

120x2

130x2

140x1

150xf (no touch attempted twice bottled twice :sad: )

120x6

OHP

WU 60x5 (should have done another warm up here doofus)...

85x2+1p (shoulder clicked and sore)

80x3 (shoulder felt better and not sore)

75x5 (shoulder pretty ok)

French press

37.5x3x10

ok much better day, most problems sorted from the last few days and not so much dicking around today...

2bd - felt pretty good till 140 which felt a little heavy but not unmanageable, 150 I started lowering the bar and got to about 2 inches above the boards but bottled as it was feeling heavy awkward sort of thing, tried twice bottled twice... should be able to do this... think I was coming down fairly flat too ie down to nipple height not lower rib cage... will look at this next time... 120 felt pretty good and its a maybe possibility that I may have got a 7th but left it there...

OHP - 60 felt good and mind on the first set I loaded 85 straight away instead of 75... doofus that I am... first set felt heavy but doable till on 3rd rep something went click in the shoulder and it hurt a little... was a bit tempted to call it there but thought fvck it cant have 2 ****e sessions in a week and tried 80 which went ok although I left it at 3 reps and then tried 75 and got 5 and no shoulder ouchie at all... odd... finished on a smile and sigh of relief...

French press - went for 37.5 as goal was 3x10 with last set hard... used this as from last week 30 was too light on first set bang on second and hard on 3rd... seemed to work out really well... triceps are well done in now... 3rd set had to stop for a second at 7 and do basically 3 singles to finish with 10th barely there... felt good...

felt way better than mondays session, more with it and together... still got a lot of work to do but then its bench and my nemesis... stoopid bench... happy enough today and its deads day tomorrow so win there


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## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5, 240x3

260x5

Floor

240x5

BOR

155x8

120x15

Bbc

40x5

55x9

50x10

45x11

oooowwwwww.... back and arms truly done...

Block - still not liking this one, just seems an unnatural pulling position to me... but today for some reason it felt pretty good... top set of 260 felt faster and easier than expected, the fifth was a bit of an effort but all in all it went really well, very happy... esp as I have been up since 4am as the mrs had to go to Dublin on business... not sure why but this meant I had to get up too... hmmm

Floor - was thinking ok 220 from the floor piece of cake... then looked again and it was 240... damn... however these flew up and felt awesome... even the 5th was good and strong... really happy and buzzing by now...

BOR - yeah ok these brought me back to earth with a thump lol... first set of 8 were not easy... last two were a bit of a grind tbh and I had to take a min after finishing before dropping the weight down... next set start well but by the 15th was done, in fact that 15th didnt actually touch my belly so probably should be a partial... back was screaming... but as sadistic as I am I was loving it...

Bbc - traditionally give me a bit of gip in the elbow (particularly the right) but today found a nice hand position to stop that it seems... goal was 8-10 first set, got 9 not sure a 10th was there... then beat the reps with next set etc... managed to get 10 on second but that was a rest after 9 and form was not the best... biceps didnt like this... however they didnt like the next set even more... managed the 11 but jebus arms were just not having it... shaking and pumped and sore...

great workout, esp given I am a bit knackered from being up early... and this weekend got a house full of girls... no not the dancing variety but the little girl giggles type as its my daughters birthday weekend and shes having a sleep over, which means no sleep for me then... have been relegated to the bedroom for the duration so dont even get to watch movies or sh1t... dammit... still buzzing after today and looking forward to next week... have also got my mass shakes in so having one of those after my training session now and will prob throw one in on sat and sun too... with milk so more cals and hopefully this will see me gain some weight as the boss wants... fvck this typing my arms cant take it so have a good weekend...


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## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x4

115x3x5

WGBP

110x4

95x7

TPD

35x16, 14,12

done...

Bench - warm ups went really well, felt better with form... first 115 was a bit ropey as it didnt feel smooth... 2nd set went really really well though and set up and technique was spot on... 3rd set first 3 reps flew up and felt really good... 4th bit hard 5th a right grinder... got them out though...

WGBP - felt good but a bit harder than expected tbh... got 4 at 110 but probably could have pushed out a 5th... second set went better... 7th was hard but not beyond reach... felt good after...

PD - picked 35 but should have gone 40 at least... after first set decided to do 1min rest between sets to make it harder... yeah that worked... tris were stinging after this...

better start than last week for sure... felt good and happy...

still trying to get the weight up... mass shake with milk after the training and some ginger biscuit slice things...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x5, 190x3

*belt on*

210x6

SLDL (Romanian)

WU 150x6, 180x6

210x6

Lunges

65x8/9 (L/R)

65x7/8

holy mother... holy holy mother...

Squats - warm ups all felt good, better form and just sat back into it a whole lot better... belt on at 210 and they felt great... sat back well, broke at the hips nicely and felt strong all the way through for all the reps... should have done a 7th which would easily have gone, probably would have an 8th but I couldnt breathe properly after the 6th and had spots floating around and felt a mite dizzy... called it there gasping... in retrospect I should have just hit that 7th as it was there for sure... could have dealt with the falling over easy... felt great...

SLDL - heavy set of 6 he said... sigh... 150 and 180 felt good and felt the hams and glutes get hit... 210 first 4 felt a bit heavy 5th hard and 6th was ropey for sure... concentrating on sticking my rear back and feeling the stretch in my hams firing back up right... oh I felt that stretch alright... weight stopping just below the knee... tick all those boxes and the fact it was uncomfortable to stand or sit after...

Lunges - tbh this took some will power to do... weight was light but legs were fvcked and I felt ill, very ill... did the first set and was going to sack of the 2nd tbf but once I got as much of my breath back as I was going to I sacked up and did the last set... jebus... this was one of the best squat work outs in a while... legs fried and fighting of the puke monster...

what a session... need to work on my breathing technique for the multirep sets for sure as I should have had the legs for at least 1 or 2 more reps on the squats, they were not that hard just the breathing issue... sldl killed me off nicely and then finishing with those lunges just put the sadistic icing on the cake... legs are only just now starting to get feeling back...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP

WU 40x6, 60x6, 80x5

100x3

110x2

117.5x1

122.5x1

127.5x1

132.5x1

137.5xf

105x6 (80% of top weight)

92.5x10 (70% of top weight)

OHP

WU 60x5, 70x3

80x5

70x8

60x12

bit of a different one today...

CGBP - working up to a rep that was hard 132.5 went up nicely but 137.5 I started to get cramp in my hip and managed to get it about 2/3 or 3/4 up but couldnt lock it out... sigh... felt good though and made some good connections with form and technique... then dropped the weight to 80% of the top and got 6 (aim was 6+) then dropped again to 70% and made 10 (aim was 10+)... felt pretty decent and there may have been one more rep there but dodgy...

OHP - better warm ups today... shoulder felt a little niggly but good... first set I managed to get 5 (aim 4+) and it felt pretty decent... 70 for 8 (aim 6+) felt even better and then the last set was great got 12 and didnt expect that... (aim was 8+)... shoulders are pretty done now...

good session, felt really good which is nice... need to get some good benching sessions in now... worked the descent for both pressing movements and its feeling better...


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## Greyphantom

No Deads deads day mk II

Low Pulley Rows

50x10, 80x10

100x12

100x12

Change set up using two bumper plates to extend reach and increase stretch

110x11 (better)

110x11 (just)

Chins

nope just not happening with the forearm...

tried some light deads to see how it affected these and it felt fine...

PR - felt good and found a good set up to keep these feeling good... with my feet agains the rack its just too short a ROM to really get the stretch and contraction really working... using the bumper plates helped a load with this... felt it all across my upper back and down my lats...

Chins - tried to do these again but just too much strain on the forearm

job done so on to next week now...


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## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench 2ct

WU 40x6, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

110x2

120x1

130x1

135x1

140xf

TnG

125x3

115x4

Drop set

100/80/60 x 7/6/8

French press

40x9

40x10

40x9

hmmm mixed bag today... forearm was fine not even a niggle... happy with that... felt fine going in so that was good too...

Bench - all warm ups felt good as per... 110 not a prob, 120 flew up and 130 just felt spot on, set up was excellent and the bar seemed to want to go up by itself... 135 was not as easy but it felt good... 140 came down fine and felt better than it has, touch count 2 then drive off chest was unexpectedly quicker than normal and bar went up fast but forward, a lot forward... didnt even bring it down to safeties just let the fvcker fall... have no idea why it went so far forward or felt so quick up off the chest... I felt that leg drive was really coming together with the rest of it all today, setting down into the bench felt right on the money today too... shoulders locked in and up on traps etc... anywho left it there...

TnG - aim was 125 for 4+ and 115 for 5+ but just didnt have the legs to get that last rep on each set, not sure why as first reps felt good and easy...

Drop - would have thought this would be easier than it felt... only got 7 on 100, then 6 on 80 ffs but managed 8 on 60 but chest just really sore and pumped... had about 5-10 secs between each only long enough to take weights off... felt easy first few reps then like hitting a wall it was more and more difficult, chest feels pumped and sore still...

Fr press - first set I cocked up the speed of the reppage... just too slow and steady when needed to be a bit faster esp on the concentric... 2nd set was better and third still good... tris though were not enjoying it too much... elbows held up pretty good as they usually dont but think I am keeping them in more or at least in a better position so its helping...

felt ok today... 130 was a thing of beauty as it just all clicked in... even 135 felt good just peeved I missed the 140... chest feeling worked and tris just not happy so thats good... got a deadlift day tomorrow and then thats it till saturday as off with the family doing family sh1t at xmas... this merry gentleman does not want rest, he wants to train...


----------



## Greyphantom

Speed squats and Deads day

Squats

60x2x5

100x5

120x2

140x2

160x2x2

Block pulls

WU 120x5, 170x3, 210x3, 250x1, 270x1

290x3

Floor

270x3

left it there as got so much to do and no time, off to do some family stuff which will see me a bit absent from everywhere for the next couple of weeks...

Squats - going for speed/explosiveness and technique today... just felt so good tbh... 120 felt very light and 140 settled in so nicely but 160 was amazing... bar left my shoulders for every rep and each rep felt so solid and stable... it was actually feeling a bit lighter than normal too so was really happy...

Blocks - working up to a max rep set of 290 (with an aim for 3 or more)... got the 3, first 2 felt pretty good and could feel it just connecting, 3rd felt a little harder and I think there may, possibly may, have been a 4th if I had a gun to my head but left it there... tbh happy I got the 3 and they felt so good...

Floor - 270 for the same reps as the blocks... no trouble really just kept it solid and all reps felt ok, not sure a 4th was there tbh, but again if you held a gun to my head maybe, just maybe...

was supposed to do some cable work today but just have no time, in fact I probably shouldnt be typing this lol... off doing family sh1t for the next couple of weeks so will try to stay in touch as much as poss and if I dont everyone have a great chrimbo and fantastic new year... lets all hit our goals in the new year but above all love what we do...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x6, 60x6, 80x4, 100x3

110x6

110x8

WGBP

105x7

95x8

85x12

OHP

60x2x3

BB Front Raise

bar x20

bar x21

all done...

Bench - felt pretty good, both sets felt tight and comfortable... was to do 2x6 or if could do more on the 2nd then 6+ and got a couple more, might have been able to squeeze out one more but it would have been touch and go re getting it... quite enjoyed this today...

WGBP - ok feeling it more on this one... first set was ok... second set the 8th was a real grind, felt hard, 3rd set was even harder at 12... thought it would be ok tbh as 11 went up slow but ok however 12 just hit the wall...

OHP - and speaking of walls holy hell batman, just felt awkward and heavy today... have no idea why... shoulder a little tight but not sore at all... think I need to get back into the groove here... pffft girl...

Front raise - no weight on the bar just as many as I could... first set stopped at 20 as was breathing a mite hard... second got to 21 but shoulders were burning a bit... not heavy though...

good start back except for the ohp... feeling it a bit in the chest and shoulders now... squats tomorrow and my legs are crying already


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats...

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5

160x3

180x3

*belt on*

200x3

220x3

Paused squats 2ct

170x3

180x3

Lunges (split squat style)

70x1x9/10 (Left/Right)

GHR

BWx2

holy jebus... mother of all thats merciful... dont ever stop squatting for 2 weeks or more... EVER...

Squats - felt pretty good up to 200... 200 felt ok and if that was the case then the orders were to try 220 for 3... like I wouldnt try if he mentioned it... did them and they were good but slow... felt a bit shaky after these...

Paused - actually went better than I expected... first set felt really good, upped the weight a little and did another and it felt good too, killed my legs... and body... but went well...

Lunges - these are the stuff of nightmares... man felt them hit my quads hard and I was shaking a lot after... got 9 on the left side and 10 on the right... for me balance is the name of the game I think to get some progress here... but as I get used to them they will get better...

GHR - supposed to do 3 sets at BW but after doing 2 reps had a bit of a pull in the inner upper left thigh, just not worth tempting an injury... its been a niggle for a few days (have no idea how it happened) so leaving it there...

holy jebus again... that was a session, not a lot in there but great start back... legs feel fully buzzing now and I can feel a potential cramp or two coming on this evening when lying peacefully in bed... oh well something to surprise the mrs with hey... Chest was achy and tight today but after squats seems to be good... its really good to be back on the iron...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd bench

WU 40x5, 60x5, (2bd) 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1

132.5x3

125x5

CGBP

115x3

90x8

French Press/Tricep pushdown superset

37.5/30 x 10/18

32.5/30 x 10/15

27.5/30 x 10/14

holy cow... ouch...

2bd - wasnt sure how today was going to work out given that I trained bench 2 days ago... but a little behind this week so took my dress off and cracked on... warm up felt surprisingly good... top set 132.5 I got the 3 but couldnt do another... was hoping I might pull it off but nope... 125 managed 5 easy enough (well easier than I expected) but the 6th just evaded me and I think it was more mental than physical...

CGBP - man just lost loads of power or strength here... 115 felt heavy by the third rep and missed the 4th... 90 started by feeling light but by 6 was like wtf... got another 2 but just had to leave it there and miss the 10... grip was slightly closer in on this today... perhaps a finger width...

Supersets - oh jebus Dig is diabolical... made the 10 on FP then straight into TPD... first set felt it working a lot, arms were tingly and buzzing even but not so bad... second set started feeling it a lot on FP then straight into TPD and damn it was hard... starting to lose feeling in the arms now... one more set... just one more... managed the 10 on FP and my arms started crying then hit TPD and they were hollering... I can still feel them burning now  wow what a way to finish the workout...

actually not a bad session today... been talking with Dig and we have decided that I will not be competing in march as its a bit soon and instead will concentrate on the Euro champs and aim for the 125 class... hmmm bit more time to eat and train... god my arms are sore... so are my legs... and my chest... and tomorrow is deads day... come at me bro...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlift day (pants deadlift day...) Sun 11 Jan 15

Def deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 220x3

250x1

Block pulls

220x1

left it there... sigh

had a bit of an issue with my tailbone area last couple of weeks... like I have been kicked in it repeatedly... yesterday it just flared and gave so that meant I just couldnt activate the glutes properly at all... power off the floor was ok then nothing to finish the movement... hurt a bit too... felt pretty good on the 120 and 170 felt it a little on 220 but thought would give the 250 a go for the required 6... nope... got the first ok but slowed a lot from knees... second came up off the floor fine but then just stopped... little miffed... so went for 220 on blocks and got the first but it was slow then stopped... again just couldnt get the hips through... threw my toys out the pram and went back inside to sulk... not happy esp as 250 didnt feel that heavy just couldnt push the damn hips through... did a bit of stretching last night and it is feeling much better this morning, will do more stretching and rolling work tonight and see how it goes...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day 1

Bench

WU 40x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

120x5

115x5

WGBP

110x5

90x10

OHP

WU 40x5, 60x3

70x6

60x8

50x3x10

EZ Curls

37.5x8 not finished...

pretty good day of it today...

Bench - really switched on today, everything seemed to gel and feel fine... warm ups felt good and tight... first working set at 120 felt better than 110... weight just felt solid in the hands and I managed to get leg drive working with me... 115 was much the same all good and felt right there... just wish I could be more consistent here... I have put on a few kg so maybe thats starting to have an effect but its prob too soon to tell tbh...

WGBP - again just popped off the chest and felt great... 110 was no problem at all and I just had everything working together and well... 90 was much the same but the last rep was slow and I am pretty sure there was no more in the tank there...

OHP - what a difference compared to last week... warm ups felt good... 70 target was 3+ and I managed to pass that fairly comfortably... 60 felt even better and the last 3 sets were originally set at 40 for 3x10 but had a note more weight if poss... as 60 flew up tried 50kg and tbh it felt awesome... shoulders were feeling it but in a good way...

EZ curl - had to cut this short... daughter ended up catching the early bus home so had to go pick her up... she gets uppity if I make her wait  just got a quick warm up set at 37.5 but was supposed to do a lot more (sorry Dig)...

awesome session today... things felt much more together, niggles seem to be disappearing and gave no problems at all... liking that... back seems to be clearing up too, will keep stretching that for the next few days to make sure its gone away... squats tomorrow and a pretty decent session is planned... I think I might cry


----------



## Greyphantom

Sqauts

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 180x3

200x6

Speed

150x3x5

Lunges (wtxL/R)

70x12/11

55x16/17

GHR

BWx5, 4, 4

oh good jebus...

Squats - all warm ups felt good apart from the first set but thats usual as it takes me one to ease into it and get things moving... 180 for 3 felt pretty decent... always knew 200 for 6 was on but watched the breathing this time to make sure I didnt get dizzy or what have you... went well, and all felt strong and solid bar the last rep which went forward slight as I came up but I kept it in control with no problem... legs feeling a bit at this stage...

Speed - 2 sets at 150 as fast as I could get the rep done... first set was the slowest funnily enough... felt fine but 2nd and 3rd kicked in to gear and powered through nicely... felt ill after these three though... lunges next woo...

Lunges - finally starting to get the motor skills going here... felt more stable (still a few wobbles though) and got through the first set ok... quads were done though and was thinking no way can I get 15+ on the second set even with the lower weight... still managed to do it ok but had the shakes big time...

GHR - yay... didnt hit as many as I would have like but still got a slight niggle in the upper thigh area, plus was knackered by now...

great session... tiring and I still have to go up onto the roof to finish off some work so thats going to be interesting... squats feeling solid and I like how lunges are now feeling more in control... on ward and upward as always...


----------



## RowRow

Nice work on the squats and everything looking good in here!


----------



## Greyphantom

RowRow said:


> Nice work on the squats and everything looking good in here!


thanks mate... a work in progress...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd CGBP

40x5, 60x5, *2bd* 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

122.5x4

122.5x5

122.5x4

CGBP (comp pause)

80x3

100x3

110x2

115x2

Dips

BW+10kg x3x5, 4, 3+1p

TPD

30x3x20

ok so now I can feel my triceps...

2bd CGBP - warm ups felt pretty good... first set was going well but the bds moved on the last rep so ditched the 5th... 2nd set went awesomely, speed of bar was much better, and leg drive was much more engaged... felt really good... third set went just as well but lost ooomph on the 4th rep...

CGBP - all done with a comp pause and they were really good... felt much better than usual and I only had a little difficulty on the last rep of 115 (pretty much only cos I hit the jhooks lol)... going quite well here...

Dips - done with 10kg... these were harder than I remember... only managed 5 on the first and went for 5 again at least on the second but all of a sudden my triceps just stopped... could feel them aching already... did the 3rd set but only got 3 and a bit, just couldnt quite make it all the way up, like off by an inch or so... sigh...

TPD - first set easy and felt good, smooth and quick... second set not so much and third set was pretty tough tbh... all done well though and now my triceps were done... still hurt in fact lol...

really good session, hopefully a portent of things to come... forgot to weigh myself this morning so not sure of weight, will do it tomorrow though and see where I am at... been tired lately as some weird dreams keeping me awake... stupid dreams... that and the mrs wants me to organise all our photos from the digital cameras over the years so she can print a bunch off and put them in a book... about 300gb or more over the years... jebus its a lot of work...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day (no deads)

Chins

BWx2x5

BW+10kg x3x5

Rev close grip pulldowns

80x3x10

Low pulley rows v bar

80x3x10

forearm prehab

5kg plate x4 x10 (rotations)

no deads this week as had this niggly back thing but it seems to be a thing of the past atm so next week deads will be on (this week actually)...

Chins - pretty standard really forearm gave me a bit of trouble but held ok... back wasnt really feeling this I thought but then at the end of the exercise it felt sore along my lats...

Rev close grip PD - felt these giving my lats a workout... felt really good but could have gone up in weight a bit here...

V bar low row - yeah feeling it here too... felt really good but tbh could also have gone up in weight here too... back feeling it a lot after these...

Forearm prehab - forearm on the right side has been feeling it of late, bit of a pain half way up it... did some rotations of a 5kg plate to try to work it out... didnt really work too well initially as forearm was killing sunday morning but felt much better by sunday night...

all in all a decent session... felt odd doing no deads but needed to give the back a rest to fully recover... stupid back... back to normal this week with timings for the sessions and its a pretty full on week too... I swear Dig is trying to make me puke... or die... or both...


----------



## Greyphantom

oh and up at 113.9kg atm... so weight is going on nicely hoping I can keep it going...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

125x3x3

WGBP

110x5+1p

90x11

OHP

WU 40x5, 60x3

70x8

55x3x10

EZ curls

WU 35x7

50x11

45x12

40x13

35x15

ouch... arms a trifle sore and pumped... chest feels great and worked and shoulders slightly sore too...

Bench - feeling pretty up for it tbh... not the usual defeatist feeling going in but yeah lets get this... 125 felt really good, descent of bar was good and quicker than usual, felt much more solid and good in the hands and drive up was really good with legs engaging well again this week... first two sets were brilliant and was aiming for 3+ on last, got the first 3 ok but the 4th was not to be as just lost the oomph... pleased enough there...

WGBP - felt these today, bit harder than normal, lost the drive on the 6th rep at 110 and hit the jhooks (which also hit my hand so not real happy about that) and then did ok on 90 getting my required reps... still felt a bit more difficult than normal...

OHP - flew with these today... 40 felt a little stiff but 60 was fine and 70 felt really good... 55 for 3 sets went well with slowing happening on the 3rd set only and even then not much...

EZ curls - bit of trepidation here as right forearm was giving me a bit of hassle over the weekend but it ended up being ok... biceps felt pretty done by the end and pleasingly pumped and sore...

good session to start the week with... kids have a cold atm so hoping they do NOT pass that fvcker on... with bodyweight going up nicely and weights feeling good I just dont want to break the chain... right then off to eat and then eat some more


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 180x2 *belt on* 200x1

215x6

Paused squats 2ct

190x3

175x5

Lunges

80xL8/R9

57.5xL16/R15

oh holy gibbers... didnt want to even do lunges... no really know I didnt want to do them...

Squats - felt good as usual warming up... 200 felt good and solid... went into 215 looking for 5+ hoping for 7 really but damn was gassing after 5 and managed only 6... a couple of reps went a bit deeper than expected lol... descended a bit quicker than I expected so caught them a bit lower and had to drive out of the hole... legs were a bit numb after which I found preferable to how they felt later...

Paused - felt pretty good actually, took an extra minute of breathing heavily to get ready for them... 190 first 2 felt awesome but third was sllloooowww... 175 felt better than expected and even the last rep was not too bad...

Lunges - what the hell... just what the actual hell... 80 felt light on my back but for some reason hit my quads hard... hurty very long time lol... then when I wanted to be done I had to do another set which started by feeling lighter but ended with me damn near crying as my quads were just on fire... had to take a min before I could stand ffs...

great session today but hell it was hard even though it doesnt look a lot on paper... felt a bit bloaty and sluggish today, up most of last night as the daughter was throwing up as she is not well, think its just phlegm getting caught but it could be a bug... woo hoo... still got at least 3 hours in a row so cant complain I guess lol... next workout just looks silly... I think I might find Dig and slap him... not softly at all even though I love the man... hes making me hurty...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP paused

WU 40x5, 60x5

80x2

oh fvck forgot sons orthodontist appointment... rushes off... sigh

Bench 2 take 2 (2 hours later)

CGBP

WU 40x5, 60x5

80x2

100x2

110x2

120x2

2bd cgbp

120x3x5

Dips

BW+10kg x10, 6, 6

Tri Push downs

40x2x15

oh all thats good an holy... set up for a good start to the session when I remembered my son had an orthdontist appointment... thankfully made it with 5 mins to spare... so had to restart a couple of hours later...

CGBP - went pretty well, tris feeling it but not too bad, all paused for 2 count on the chest before driving up...

2bd - ok first set was a nightmare as just didnt get into it at all technique or form wise... didnt have shoulders set into bench enough, legs werent coming into play at all and just felt off... 2nd set though felt great, everything I did wrong in the first I did right in the second but couldnt quite get the 6th rep (my target for each set)... 3rd set did the same and felt good till 4th rep and 5th rep was a real grind... going to make some adjustments to my 2bd too and make it more stable and easy to use on your own... disappointed I missed my reps but happy enough I hit the tris as they were toast by the end...

Dips - yeah was not looking forward to these tris already complaining... first set thought went incredibly well and even though tris were hurting about rep 6 I managed to push a few more out... second set didnt go so well and my triceps were really sore by now... left a little more time till the 3rd set and pushed out another 6 but the 6th was hard and just managed to squeeze it to the top before they froze...

TPD - triceps already pretty sore but this one they got more pumped... felt them a lot by now and arms had the shakes... not too bad just little tremors... both sets done with not too much hassle... tris are now screaming though...

great little training session... just missing my target reps on the 2bd work but still felt things moving well... arms are freaking stuffed now and I feel the need for a hot bath...

BW was up this morning to 114.4kg so happy its rebounded and added on 500g... going to maintain this or up to 115 and keep it steady are the orders... oh so cannot wait till deadlifts tomorrow... bucket for GPs dungeon please garcon...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5

190kg x 5 reps for as many sets in 15 mins as possible... 9 mothers b1tches... (crawls away to cry)...

Low Pulley row

100x11

100x10

80x14

rev cg pulldowns

80x11

80x2x9

that was it, was supposed to do ghr at bw but back and glutes just laughed in my face... lower back is still intensely pumped and sore... very very sore...

Deads - awesome... first few sets (say 4 or 5) were very very fast and felt great... slowed down a bit after this though... aim was 7 but threw in a couple more as had some time... stupid idea... very stupid... got a vid of the 7th set... breathing out my ar$e to say the least...

Rows - felt pretty good but hit the upper back to make it so all my back is very sore not just my lower... yeah thats just great... lower back was a bit sore on this but seemed to ease off a few reps into the sets...

Pulldowns - damn just keep piling it on... felt ok but again upper back was getting sore and lower just screaming...

that was it, was supposed to fit in ghr but no way, just couldnt do it... sitting here back is just a mass of ouchie... felt awesome though getting the 9 sets out... well at the time, now I just feel like dead...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat day

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2

205x3 (no belt)

*belt on*

225x3

Paused 2ct

200x1

210x1

182.5x4

SLDL (def, full stop)

150x6

180x3x6

oooooh thats about enough... had a better nights sleep last night, prob got 5 hours straight through... makes a difference... arm feeling a bit funny on a couple of the squat reps, under the muscle near the elbow (but not the joint) almost like hitting the funny bone (which consequently is NOT that funny) sort of feeling, no pain but just there and feeling odd... but for most part it was ok, tail bone area was a bit achey for some of the reps but again not anything that stopped me...

Squats - warms ups started better than usual so happy there, all felt good and then went into top sets which was one beltless and one with belt... 205 felt pretty good, think I could have a couple more there at a squeeze... belt on and 225 felt pretty decent, prob would have another but not sure about 2 more... was focusing on getting the hips through at the top and this seemed to help with driving up better... hmmm something to investigate maybe...

Paused - holy jebus... 200 felt good and was instructed if felt it was there try 210... so I did... stoopid... felt pretty good though a bit slow... dropped to 182.5 and did 4 which I thought was going to be tougher but felt good...

SLDL - oh ffs just when you thought it wouldnt get worse... sigh... did a trial at 150 and that felt great so upped weight to 180 for the actual sets... about a 2 inch def and full stop on the floor... yeah that sucks... felt it quite a bit through my glutes and hams... luckily got these long ar$e arms so lower back was not that much in it but still a little there... first 2 sets were ok third felt tough... now just want to go to bed...

better today, sleep was better last night and felt better overall... tough session but good and now feeling it... have done some more stretching for the tailbone area and thats helped a lot I think, going to add back that dislocation work as I think I need to get more mobility/flexibility through the shoulders... arm feels odd... like I hit my funny bone but not... food is going in well and up to 114.6kg atm which is nicely within where the boss wants me... going to maintain 115kg and work out maintenance cals... hoping next couple of nights sleep is just as good so bench 2 works well on thu... I will beat it... stupid leverages...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP paused

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

110x2

117.5x1

125x1

130x1

2Bd

130x1

137.5xf

137.5xf

120x3

French press

40x2x10

40x12

TPD (rest/pause 15 breath pause)

45x12/7/5

Oly bar curls (rest/pause 15 breath pause)

50x10/6/5

ok so so session today... woke up with some odd things going on. arms and lower legs felt really sore when muscles under tension and same with my abs... almost like I had trained them extremely hard and the muscles were tearing... yay...

CGBP - was really good... had a good line and felt tight, right up to 130 was really good...

2bd - hmmm not so good here... 130 went up fine and quick enough but felt off, just awkward, line was not good... 137.5 brought it down and ffs just scraped the end of the board (ripped my freaking shirt too) and had to then try to force it up... almost got it but couldnt lock it... arms took a bit of a hit there... tried again and line was better but just didnt do it...

French press - actually felt pretty good... first few reps elbow was a bit ouchy but then soon got into the swing of things and pushed out some nice reps... last set managed 12, arms were feeling it...

TPD - just a rest/pause set... 15 breaths for each pause... let me tell you 15 breaths is NOT a long time... esp if youre breathing a bit heavier than usual... triceps were def done by the end... feeling it deep in them...

Oly bar curls - curls on a straight oly bar... again with the rest/pause... holy crap this was not as easy as I expected, again how short is 15 breaths... arms done...

not too bad but not great... still have issues with bench, thinking most of its mental really... also noticing that as weight gets higher bringing it down to chest is more of a battle... need to work on this thankfully Dig has a plan and next week I will be getting some kit to make that happen... also as per Liam need more arms... Dig has been working my arms lately and its def made a difference...

still could have been as bad as monday lol... up at 4 this morning too as had to take my boy to a school trip... yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deadlifts...

Deads (full stop, explosive and fast)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x3

220x5

180x3x3

Chins

BW+10kg x2x4

BWx2x6

Low rows

110x11

95x15

80x19

GHR

BWx4

feeling a bit meh today, little lethargic and tired... mrs says I was making snoring like noises last night quite loudly... (I dont snore  )... def noticing the extra 5kg or so... def out of breath easier and wtf is up with chins??? should have had a few more reps on every set...

Deads - just a light one this time, full stop this week and as explosive as possible off the floor... warm ups went well... 220 went really quick, first 4 were faster than expected and came off the floor well... 5th was slightly slower but still not bad... 180 just flew... treated them more like high pulls and just turned it into a bit of a competition trying to get each one faster than the last... felt much better and more with it after these...

Chins - oh man these just didnt go well... not sure if its the extra bw or just me being a girl but only got 4 on the first set and they felt off... second set felt much better but still only 4... bw sets felt much better but 6 on the first (maybe could have wiggled up to a 7th) and 6 on the second (ropey 6th rep though) just wasnt feeling these this week...

Low row - wow these felt really good... felt it all over my upper back and just slayed it... back in bits now but feeling great...

GHR - nope... just nope tendon or something in behind my knee just hurt too much and I dont want to do anything to break it... possibly did something when doing sldl the other day or just could be something at work... stupid body...

Good session today, feeling positive about it all and had a really good deads workout... didnt feel heavy at any stage but I did find myself out of breath much quicker and easier than the past... bw just under 116 now and supposed to maintain now... looking forward to some more sleep tonight though


----------



## C.Hill

Dunno how I've missed this journal it's probably one of the most interesting I've come across in a while!

Sessions look really good in here mate, strong fcuker too!

What does TPD and 2bd stand for by the way?


----------



## Greyphantom

C.Hill said:


> Dunno how I've missed this journal it's probably one of the most interesting I've come across in a while!
> 
> Sessions look really good in here mate, strong fcuker too!
> 
> What does TPD and 2bd stand for by the way?


thanks for your kind words mate... just type it as it happens 

getting stronger and more work to come...

TPD is tricep pushdowns and 2 board pressing...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1

130x3

130x2

WGBP

115x5

100x9

OHP

40x6

55x4x10

EZ curls (rest/pause 15 breath pause)

50kg x14/7/6

oh yeah much better this week... touch wood theres no real niggles or twinges to hold anything up...

Bench - bit of a pep talk from Dig, some suggestions made re mental attitude and how to and pretty much what I was supposed to do last week... warm ups went pretty well (got a vid of 100x3 for form check will post later) and then hit 130... no overthinking but keeping in mind Digs suggestions and first set went well... first two reps pretty quick and the 3rd a tad slow... second set first rep went well but hit j hook second set was better down quicker and got better leg drive and went up well... then ashamed to say I wimped out of the third... shouldnt have... just should have... but glad I got those in...

WGBP - felt really good... 115 was very decent and didnt feel a struggle at all... little slow on the last rep but not too shabby... 100 felt really good till about rep 7 then hit the wall a bit and sloooowwweeedd right down but managed to scrape two more out... happy with these...

OHP - quick set on 40 to loosen up then into a simple 4x10... all sets felt great, again slowed on the last few reps of the last set but didnt feel a problem... have to say my shoulders were feeling pretty tingly after...

EZ curls - dammit 15 breaths go by so fast when its the break you have between sets... 50kg for a rest/pause set... first set went far better than expected and felt pretty good... second just was ouch and third was just grinding out reps... got to 5 and thought just one more and I got it but man biceps were not happy...

oh so much better than last week... felt better too and going to keep that mindset when benching mind/no mind sort of thing lol... felt really good and just got to keep that going now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2

210x3

*belt on*

227.5x2x3

paused 2ct

200x4

185x4

SLDL

180x4x6

oooooooh jebus... holy holy jebus...

Squats - warm ups all good... 210 with no belt felt pretty good and not too shabby speed wise... nice surprise there... 227.5 belt was on and last rep of first set was a bit odd, just felt a little off but second set went really well... legs werent best pleased at the two sets though lol...

Paused - wow aim for 200 was 2+ did the third and thought that went ok so went for the 4th... man that was slow... got it up ok though but felt that one... 185 all were quite quick and snappy so that was good... felt comfortable even if a little heavier than expected...

SLDL - 4 sets this week just done normally (I assumed)... first two sets were pretty good, felt ok and moved nicely... 3rd set started to get a bit slower and 4th I was just glad I made it to the 6th rep and could stop there lol... glutes and hams joined the quads in protesting...

legs def wobbly after the training session, squats felt really good today, solid and just right there... sldl finished me off nicely... by the end of it all I was basically fighting nausea and as my daughters bus was extremely late due to road works or some other bs I actually managed to get in a wee nap in the car for about 30 mins lol... much needed though... gym was colder than satans sisters t1ts... feet in particular even though the rest of me was pretty warm... late getting my PWO shake in now but not too worried as weighed in at 115.9kg this morning and the word is to back off on the cals slightly and maintain 114.5-115.5kg or there abouts... starting to get used to the extra weight as in not breathing so heavily (for me) and things not seeming so much of a chore...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *2bd* 100x3, 110x3

120x3x6

Dips

BW+10kg x12

BW+10kg x8+1p

BW+10kg x6

BB curl/TPD supersets

(quick 40x8 on bbc as warm up)

55/50 x 9/8

45/45 x 11/10

40/40 x 12/11+1p

35/30 x 14/15

awesome... just awesome...

2bd - warm ups felt fine added the 2bd at 100 and it felt really really good, have positioned board a bit down my chest and bringing the bar down quicker and getting better drive is all coming together... 110 felt really good and pretty easy so did an extra rep there... 120 first set flew... was pretty surprised tbh... all 6 just went great... 2nd set... same thing all reps were really good and didnt at any time feel difficult... 3rd set and can you believe it not one rep felt hard... no grind or thinking this wont go just 6 reps nice and great feeling... loved it...

Dips - holy jebus aiming higher here than have before but even though I missed the target for the 3rd set (was 7+) I still felt them working a hell of a lot...

BBC/TPD - did a quick warm up set for biceps and straight in... holy jebus on the motorcycle... first set was pretty good and could feel it working... second set started burning and was thinking holy [email protected] got 2 more... 3rd set was cursing Digs good name and vowing to do things upon his person... 4th just left it for crying... arms were totally done... took me 4 goes to type the text to Dig to let him know how it all went...

now that is a bench workout... not only did it feel really good but it all clicked in... Dig was spot on re adding bw to help out and whats more a couple of weeks ago he said it would take a couple of weeks to make any noticeable difference... looks like he was right... dammit  really felt good today, no struggle at all but still working really well... I would use the word easy but I am scared of what Dig would give me for next weeks sessions lol... dips were good but the supersets freaking hit me hard, have not done them for a long long time... and then my training partner was jebus... all good though and stronger arms will mean easier lifting for bench and deads...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads (dead stop, explosive, speed)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x3

200x2x3

Pulldowns (med-wide grip)

90x9

rest/pause (15 breaths)

75x14/6/5

Straight arm pulldown

30x2x10

35x2x10

Facepulls

35x2x15

35x1x14

was feeling a bit knackered today, later night, early morning and such... bit of chair time and a can of monster and off we go...

Deads - dead stop again going for explosiveness off the floor and speed... warm ups all good... 240 felt pretty quick, could probably have been quicker but they felt really good all the same... really worked coming off the floor as fast as possible and then getting the hips through hard... pretty happy... 200 well the first rep of the first set just petered out... focusing too much off the floor and hips were an afterthought... means the bar slowed a bit at that transition point... rectified for the next 2 reps which went very quick and 2nd set was great, fast and hip drive just connected... happy with these today...

Pulldowns - went with 90kg happy I did as only got 9... felt nice enough in the lats... then dropped weight 15kg and went for a rest pause set... got 14 and was thinking good, second bit only managed 6 wtf... then 5... thinking dammit... 15 breaths goes so fast...

Straight arm - wow forgot how much these hit the lats tbh... first set was easy but felt it a little in the lats... 2nd set still a bit easy so went up to 35 for the next two which was about right... definitely got that tingly feeling through my lats...

Facepulls - holy cow... these just hammered my upper back... didnt feel that heavy but sure as anything felt them work...

great session today in fact its been a great week imho... feeling tired atm but thats hopefully going to be remedied by a lie in this weekend... sitting at 116.1 as of yesterday and been given the orders to drop cals a bit to come down to 115.5... def more used to the weight now as out of breath far less... really getting into the zone with training atm, a lot of the reading I am doing is helping as well, with understanding of how things work and the psychology as well...


----------



## C.Hill

Good deadlifting mate. Know what you mean with the hip drive gotta really focus on pushing though, hard when getting tired though. Out of interest What's the most you've pulled?


----------



## Greyphantom

C.Hill said:


> Good deadlifting mate. Know what you mean with the hip drive gotta really focus on pushing though, hard when getting tired though. Out of interest What's the most you've pulled?


yeah if you lose that mental aspect just a little and leave something out its just not so good... have had 317.5kg in comp... came close to 320 which would be nice... got 315 in the europeans in 2013 for a record which made my freaking competition tbh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1

135x2

125x4+1p

WGBP

115x5

OHP

WU 40x5, 60x4

80x3

85x2x3

EZ curl (rest/pause)

WU 37.5x8

55x14/7/6

ah bit of a mixed bag today... very annoyed at myself and feel I have let Dig down a bit...

Bench - warm ups felt cracking even 115 felt best ever... 125 went much better than before and quick... 135 first was awesome 2nd the rep itself was very good and felt fine but got some tightness in my hip and used that as an excuse to wimp out of a third which if I am honest would have been there, should have been there if I didnt act like such a girl and pull out... 125 first 4 reps were great, felt strong and went up really well... 5th just stopped lol... just didnt have it there... using Digs suggestions and they are helping a lot, just some mental technique and making sure I cut off my windpipe by getting right up on my traps as much as I can... think I might go purple during the set...

WGBP - never felt so good... could have had a couple more tbh... went very nicely and quick... never felt hard...

OHP - couple of warm up sets to get the swing of things... then hit the first set of 80 and was instructed that if it felt good up the weight... it did feel good but I debated puting the weight up for about 30 secs before deciding wimping out on one set was more than enough for one training session... hit another two sets at 85 and they felt hard but ok... shoulders were a tad done by now...

EZ curl - quick warm up set to loosen up... felt fine on to the main event... trying to slow the breathing down on the pauses is hard I have found out lol... first set was ok made 14 reps and felt it... second set was harder and just made the 7 tbh... last set I had to dig deep from 4th rep and just made the 6th which was certainly ouchie... arms are a bit tired atm...

over all it has some great positives... the weight did not feel that bad on bench and I made it through feeling much better about handling the weight... however wimping out on that third rep casts a bit of a pall over the proceedings... however got on and got it down... weight is feeling much nicer in my hands now bringing it down to the chest and seeming to find that good groove more often than not atm... must press on (haha excuse the pun)...


----------



## C.Hill

Greyphantom said:


> yeah if you lose that mental aspect just a little and leave something out its just not so good... have had 317.5kg in comp... came close to 320 which would be nice... got 315 in the europeans in 2013 for a record which made my freaking competition tbh...


Beast mate can't wait to hit them sort of numbers!

Yeah I can imagine, couldn't imagine the feeling lol


----------



## Greyphantom

C.Hill said:


> Beast mate can't wait to hit them sort of numbers!
> 
> Yeah I can imagine, couldn't imagine the feeling lol


I want to add to them this year mate... oh it was cool... damn near cried on my friends shoulder... big strong man that I am


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2

215x3 (no belt)

*belt on*

235x3

2ct Paused

205x4

190x4

SLDL (slight deficit of about 1.5 inches)

190x2x6

bit of a deceptive one today, didnt look alot on paper and was quite keen to get it on...

Squats - warm ups felt very very good, 200 felt so comfortable and really getting the form right sitting back and keeping tight... took 215 off the rack and thought ooof thats a bit heavier than expected but once set and tightness was locked in it felt ok... first 2 felt pretty decent... last one a bit slow... still ok though... 235 belt was on for these... all felt a bit hard tbh but last one was by far the slowest... first two while feeling a bit hard still went ok, felt a seam or something in me pants going on these, every time I went down it gave a little more... at least I hope it was in my pants...

Paused - was feeling a bit wobbly and tbh wasnt sure how it would go... 205 I am sure he sneaked in some extra reps or weight there... however it went pretty well... same motif though as the last rep again was slow and a bit hard... 190 though was pretty great, fast and sweet... legs pretty much done though...

oh wait...

SLDL - dammit... only 2 sets this week so I guess should be thankful... first set was pretty good, and felt much better than previous weeks wrt my piriformis issue... no niggle or pain at all... second set was even better I think... bit quicker and felt good...

sitting here typing this I really dont want to have to get up out of the chair again for a while... sigh but I have to... good workout today... 215 felt better than I expected but 235 probably not so much, sitting back more and keeping things more in check re form and technique so whether this has anything to do with it I dont know... paused squats felt nice... nothing too challenging but certainly letting me know about it... sldl always ok till the weight goes on... happy with today, legs shattered and feeling that I am going to throw up has subsided so I can enjoy the aftermath...

bw today was 115.3 so right where we want it... going to try to maintain that now, have been getting in more water and liquids and will hit some more fruit too... plus sort some vitamins etc...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *add 2bd*

100x3

110x3

120x2

130x2

140x4

CGBP

123x3

95x10

Dips

BW+15kg x8

BW+10kg x9

BWx11

bb curl (rest pause (15 breath rest)

45x15/9/8

wooo yeah baby, something is switching on...

2bd - really ramped up for this today and everything felt switched on... even up to 130 it was feeling pretty decent and not hard at all... dear I say it was even a little easier... 140 just went so much better than previous... got the first two out and felt it was pretty good, got the 3rd and almost stopped it here but as I wimped a bit last session I threw another one up to see how it went... it went might fine if a bit more difficult, doubt a fifth was there tbh... really happy with this today...

CGBP - hmmmm ok bit of a come down here, 125 just felt awkward and only just managed the 3... was a wtf moment but soldiered on and got 10 on 95 which felt great if tough, tris were feeling it...

Dips - oh yeah tris getting a beating today... first set went better than hoped for... got 8 target was 6+ and rest of the sets were pretty much the same tbh... really felt the tris working hard here and they were pumped and aching by the end... really good feel...

bbc - man this rest/pause stuff is a killer, arms fried... totally fried... still aching now and loving it lol...

pretty decent session today, one small slip on the cgbp first set... but rest was pretty good... body weight was at 115.2 this morning so its still within our target...

felt a bit rough this morning legs were still sore from tue and so were a few other body parts lol... had a snooze before training and that helped I think... feeling pretty good now... deads tomorrow... its a doozy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads (dead stop, explosive as possible)

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

260x3

240x2x3

Rev grip pulldowns

90x11

80x12

70x15

Straight arm pd

35x4x11

Facepulls

35x3x15

holy jebus... bit of a rough day tbh, bit tired from some poor nights sleep... sh1tty day at work and just meh... bit fluey too 

Deads - was thinking that it might go one of two ways tbh, either my first real train wreck when non injured or it would all click... first warm up set did not promise the click... second however went exceedingly well and then it was just all boom... top set at 260 was to be as explosive/fast as possible... it actually went quite well, not as fast as I wanted but by no means slow either, felt comfortable tbh and really enjoyed it... down to 240 first rep was sloppy... no problem getting it but it was not pretty, 2nd and 3rd rocked... second set at 240 was a bit slow though... still no problem but slower than previous sets...

Rev PD - holy batman, batman... first set was brilliant and felt it working my lats nicely... 2nd set good and started hitting my lats hard, 3rd set was great and OMG lats on fire... all the way down...

Straight arm pd - weight not that heavy but hell it makes you work... first two sets were fine last couple of reps on the 3rd set was tough and the last few reps on the last set were really tough... this added to the feeling of fire from the prev exercise...

Facepulls - again started out so innocent, felt it working fine on the first set... 2nd set my upper back was killing and on the third I think it was trying to inch its way up to strangle me... whole back is now a mess... but man it feels so good...

awesome session to finish a great week on... and it looks like next week will only get tougher lol... feeling a bit tired atm as last couple of nights sleep has been a bit off... still been a great week for training... next week will be better... but first I am going to hide for a minute and cry a little


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1

135x2

117.5x4+1p

OHP

40x6, 65x3

85x3x3

DB curl (alt arm) (rest/pause)

20kg x15/8/7

Dislocations

Bar x3x15

mixed feelings about today...

Bench - up to 135 again and aim was 3... warm ups felt great... 125 flew up and felt awesome... first rep 135 went up really nicely and thought great... 2nd rep went off kilter a bit as right arm drifted a bit toward my feet while left was going fine... pulled it back in but just felt a tough rep although tbh prob not as tough as it would normally do... however kinda took it out of me so left it there... 117.5 was ok till the 5th rep and then just lost oomph... a bit annoyed as really wanted to push it today but just went meh...

OHP - felt a bit sore in my right elbow on the first set and on the 2nd rep it went click, nothing major just a small sound but after that it felt fine... 2nd and 3rd sets felt much better and more power... go figure...

DB alt curls - first set went fine and only felt it working hard on the last couple of reps... second set started to bite a little and felt the biceps hit, 3rd set started fine and not sure why but was powering through till rep 4 then all of a sudden biceps were like "oh holy cr4p thats what youre doing, yeah we arent doing that anymore" lol... just bit hard... stopped at 7 was thinking to do 8 but by the time I got round to having a go too long a break to call it the same set lol...

Dislocations - been meaning to add these in for a while as right shoulder has been a bit tight the last week or so, finally got them in today and they felt great, can really feel my right shoulder stretching and loosening up a lot... little bit of soreness there but not to worry over...

glad that 135 is feeling good on that first bit but just need to get a couple more reps out at that weight... bench still a bug bear but getting there... rest of the workout was pretty decent... ohp the last 2 sets felt pretty nice and the db alt curls were cool to do as its been so long since I did anything with db that I had to literally blow the cobwebs off them lol... def a good idea adding the dislocations in too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squat deload day

db split squat rear leg elevated

30xL8/R10

20x3x10

SLDL db

30x4x15

total relax day today almost... taking a wee rest to not over tax the system for fridays deads day...

Split squats - first set was horrible, balance shoddy and form worse... dropped the weight to 20 and it all tightened up and went much better... felt it in my quads a lot tbh but wasnt that taxing...

SLDL db - just going for the stretch here and that went well... felt more like a kettle bell exercise...

nice and easy today... which was good as spent the morning digging up a tree root system from the garden and that really stuffed me, forearm (particularly left one) very tired and sore after swinging a pick axe for more than an hour... weighed in at 116 this morning so a little up from where I was but not too bad...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *2bd* 100x3, 115x2

130x1

140x1

145x2x2

120x7

Dips

BW+20kg x6

BW+15kg x3x5

bbc (r/p 15 breath pause)

50x13/9/8

done...

2bd - felt ok, elbows a bit sore for lord knows what but after a warm up it seemed to settle ok and give no problems... 130 and 140 went up nicely and first 145 was good, second was ok as first rep was fine but second was a bit more difficult... 120 felt great up till rep 6 and rep 7 was not easy... but still happy with todays efforts...

Dips - 20kg felt heavy when I first belted it on... seemed to go ok on the bars though... really felt tris today for some reason, felt them working well... 15kg felt pretty decent after 20, reps were nice and smooth...

bbc - oh good gravy, 15 breaths just feels shorter and shorter... not only are my tris fried but now to are my bis... really felt good though...

pretty done after this, not much by the looks but really felt it working today and it felt good... weight is up to 116.5kg this morning and not sure why... feeling really good with it now though, seemed to have become more comfortable with the extra weight... wife says I am snoring a bit atm though... however that could be due to a slight touch of "flu" I may have atm... big deads session tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 270x1

290x1+1p

Rev grip pulldowns

75x5x10

Facepulls

40x2x10

40x15

meh... bit of a disappointing session...

Deads - aim today was 290 for a triple... warm ups were really good, 120 went up so quick it was going to my waist... 270 flew up and felt better than 250... then hit 290... first rep was ok, bit tough but went up fine... second I rushed the set up and was too over the bar and chest was too down... this meant I had some work to do recovering it and just couldnt do it, got it to just below the knee and had to stop trying... dammit...

Rev PD - aim was to take short rest periods and feel the contraction... rests were 1min 30secs... really felt the lats contracting then stretching out... by the 4th set could feel the lats burning and on the 5th they were pretty much on fire... felt really good though...

Facepulls - yeah lets just add to the pain... first 2 sets went well and felt them working but wasnt too taxing... last set was a 10+ set and managed 15... thought about going for 16 but just couldnt have done it properly... upper back in bits...

ok so its a mixed session with some dammit thrown in... should have had that second 290... just silly little things on the set up but nearing my max little mistakes are NOT forgiving... really pleased with the 270 though... just didnt feel like anything and fast as fast too... need to make the 290 feel like that now... rest of the workout was good and really felt it hitting my back...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x8, 60x5, 80x5, 95x5

105x10

105x7

105x6

OHP

WU 40x8

60x3x10

DB curl (rest/pause, 15 breath pause)

25x12/7/6

Dislocations

bar x3x15

deload bench really...

Bench - just dont have strength endurance on this... first set felt ok, felt it hitting my chest well... second set got to 5th rep and wall was hit... squeezed out 2 more but should have been 3... 3rd set got to 5 and not sure how I got the 6th but it was slow... chest was feeling it after...

OHP - first set went really well and quick, felt good, 2nd set hit shoulders nicely and they felt it after... 3rd set started shaking on the last two reps and shoulders not happy after... felt great and def in the groove there...

DB curl - rest/pause set... again just cant believe how fast 15 breaths go by and I was trying to make them last lol... arms were gone by the last set... felt very pumped after...

Dislocations - oh yeah thats the stuff... right shoulder is def a little on the tight side and this just eases it out... must do more often I think or at least more regularly...

nice little deload, wanted 3x10 on the bench but wasnt to be... was a bit annoyed tbh... did think though that a few years ago I wouldnt be able to get 10 reps at 100 let alone 105 and then do a couple more sets after... so progress of sorts... still want it to be better...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2, *belt on* 220x1

240x2+1p

Paused squats 2ct

210x3

SLDL

195x2x6

Db split squats

20kgx2x12

well Dig finally made me cry... well close as near dammit and I came a gnats whisker from vomiting too... tbh was feeling bloaty and a bit off anyway so it might have been that too 

Squats - oh fvck me... warm ups were good really focusing on the sitting back and making sure chest was up and pushed up through the movement in the top weights... 190 flew and felt really nice... 220 I put the belt on and it felt pretty good... def sitting back better and I think getting my leg drive more sorted... 240 first rep felt really nice... 2nd rep felt a bit slower and as I descended for a third it just started to feel loose so I bailed half way through and got the weight back up and racked it... legs at this stage were starting to get that sort of achy crampy feel... and I still had paused squats to do... sigh

Paused - ok these were not as quick as I would have liked and the 3rd was a bit slower than the first 2... still got them in ok but jebus legs were toast... and still had sldl to do... dammit...

sldl - holy jebus, at this stage my legs were pretty sore, and was gassed and close to vomiting... weight felt ok though, first set was more awkward than the 2nd as my grip was a bit too close so I widened it for the second and my hands didnt get caught on my thighs... was much better... but by finishing these my legs were done... quads not happy and hams/glutes just sore...

oh wait...

Db split squat - only 20kg but holy sh1t this just finished me off... tbh was an act of will to do the first set... and the second set was when I started crying and cursing Digs fine name, I bet his ears were burning... hope they were fvcking flaming tbh... these killed, legs after were so sore I had to sit then walk then sit some more and then I had to drive to get my daughter from the bus stop... that was sheer hell...

great session... legs are truly caned, fine tuning some form issues is hitting hard but worth it... really wanted that 3rd rep on the 240 and if I hadnt have lost the tightness I think I would have had it... sod the pain lets get the gains happening... going to have a baking hot bath later and just soak it out... hopefully... rest day tomorrow and I think I am gonna need it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

ok bit of forewarning, brain was a bit not there as some issues at home atm... just felt a bit meh... up for it but it went how it went...

2bd

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *2bd* 100x3, 115x1

130x1

137.5x1

145x1

150x1

155x1 *extra*

cgbp

60x6

80x3

100x3

110x2

120x1

127.5x1+1p

Dips

BW x30 (17/9/4) 1min between sets

bbc (R/P)

55x12/8/7

not too shabby at all in the end...

2bd - warm us felt awesome and very light... kept the acceleration constant all the way through the lift which felt good... brought in the boards at 100kg... again felt great and didnt feel difficult at all even at 137.5, 145 felt a little slow but got into better position and better leg drive for the 150 so added 5kg on and managed to hit a pb... happy with that... even that wasnt too bad and I think I might have had 157.5 or even (dear I dream) 160... only to 2bd but still more than I have pressed in any form before...

CGBP - holy cow 60 felt like nothing... in fact up till about 110 it all felt so good and easy... 120 was a little stutter but nothing serious... 127.5 first went really well second I hit the jhooks for some reason (probably too far back on the bench and brought it up and over rather than straight up as I normally do for cgbp) and that just knocked it out for me... but not too shabby still...

Dips - felt amazingly light just my bw... flew through the first 15 which was my original goal for the first set, but managed to squeeze out 17... second set after 1 min rest was tough but got 9 and last set after another min was really tough but only needed 4 reps...

bbc - bit of an ache in the forearm but ok... was breathing hard during the pause bit trying to make the breaths slow but they were fighting lol... managed 12 on the first set which felt good... 2nd and 3rd sets starting kicking my rear end though...

finished... good training session today... feel there is more there on the 2bd press which is nice and its feeling more comfortable when taking the weight down through my arms now and not like it will go out of my control as it has in the past... arm work is def paying off...

bodyweight today is 115.7kg... nicely maintained there...


----------



## Greyphantom

No deads deads day 

BOR

WU 60x6, 80x6, 100x6, 120x6, 140x6

160x6

145x10

130x14

Low pulley rows

115x11

100x15

80x20

Rev closegrip pulldown

75x5x10

Facepulls

40x18

40x16

40x14+1p

holy bejebus... back is a mass of sore right now... actually it has been for a littl while now...

BOR - warm ups all cosy, didnt feel too heavy till 140 then 160 was about the limit to get 6 today, may have had 170 but left it there... 145 felt pretty comfortable till about rep 8 then it just burned... 130 was good till about rep 10... then each one was just making sure the muscle was working... they did...

Low pulley rows - holy hell... first set just kicked my rear... felt it all across my upper back... good squeeze though and once finished thought that was not too bad... for like 4 seconds then it was like every muscle in my upper back was just shouting... 100 went pretty much the same but hurt more and getting 20 reps at 80 I thought would be pretty easy... well it was and it wasnt... wow really had to word in the last 5 or so reps... upper back not happy and feeling it...

Rev grip pd - Digs notes said these would feel harder than last week as this week have done more work in the upper back... he was not wrong... 2nd set felt like the 4th last week 3rd like the 5th and this week the 4th and 5th I could actually feel pain running down my lats... but tbh it was feeling pretty good... in a masochistic kind of way... great stretch and contraction...

Face pulls - yeah like my back didnt hurt enough already... aim was 40kg for 45+ reps in 3 sets... think I did that but at what great cost... my upper back is toast but a good kind of toast...

great session this week, missed the deads but then cant pull all the time... (kinda like when I was in the pub scene lol)... felt it all over my upper back this week... still feeling it now and its just awesome... got a busy weekend moving kit to a competition then reffing... then moving kit back again... so more lifting then


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1, 132.5x1

140x1+1p

140x1p

Comp pause bench (fast as poss up)

110x6

110x5

110x2x4

OHP

50x5, 70x3

87.5x3

65x10

DB curl (R/P 15 breaths)

27.5x12/6/6

ouch... didnt train yesterday as just not up for it, actually fell asleep in my chair out of the blue, woke an hour later and realised was just too knackered to hit the iron, felt better today but still meh...

Bench - warm ups felt great, 132.5 went up really nicely and felt really good... 140 first rep felt pretty good then the second just meh, hip cramped half way up and that side just lost power... tried another set and same again... just left it there and shook my head...

Comp pause on bench - 110 for 6 was tough but felt ok... only managed 5 on second set as just lost oomph... managed to get two further sets of 4 though and while the 4th rep on 3rd set was tough, I was surprised to get the 4th rep on the last set as it was a grinder but just kept thinking Dig said push away from the bar and it worked lol... chest feeling it a lot at this time...

ohp - only got 3 on 87.5 and was hoping for at least one or two more but it was about it there... same with the 65 only got 10 but hoping for about 12... today is just not an energetic day...

DB curl - wow just ouch... felt these hitting biceps and just managed to scream out the last set of 6 on the last R/P... those 15 breaths seem to get quicker and quicker too...

overall not such a fantastic workout but still glad I got something done, need to get some better nights sleep tbh and shake this meh feeling... could be coming down with something so might prescribe some vitamin iron


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2, *belt on* 230x1

250x1

220x6

SLDL

185x9

Db split squat

25x3x10

ok I lied, felt great in the morning when I got up yesterday but half way through work started feeling rough as guts... sacked off squats yesterday and brought them forward to today... turned out to be a great idea...

Squats - wow, all I can say really, warm ups started best ever... felt solid and good... 200 felt easy and I didnt feel fatigued at all... 230 went up quick and started feeling a little heavier... 250 was smooth as silk and unexpected tbh... probably could have had another with not much trouble... dont know about a third but they way I was feeling today would have had a bash I think even if I had to dump it... just felt right there in terms of bar on the back and form... 220 I got 6 but if breathing was a little better might have had a 7th... when finished was thinking well that was better than expected legs dont feel so bad... went to walk away from the bar and legs laughed in my face... guess I hit them harder than I thought lol...

SLDL - no problems here, smooth and pretty easy tbh... nice rythym and when finished great feel...

Split squats - oh yeah form much better on these today... think I am getting the groove on them nicely and damn do they hit the quads... freaking on fire when finished... first set was ok tbh, second could feel the quads starting to shake and by the end of the third quads were just hurting sooo good..

great session today, felt much much better in terms of the dreaded lurgy... might be some supercompensation from the cold which would anecdotally prove the Russians right for infecting their lifters with a cold a few days before lifting... 

bw is 115.7 atm too which is also a surprise as appetite has been pants the last few days and have been sweating my nads off at night... but been pushing the food and water in to compensate...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *2bd* 100x3, 115x2, 125x2

135x4+1p

CGBP

130x1xf

130x1x1p

left it there, been a long sh1tty day today, work was ok but dragging my ar$e again, colds still here a bit and now giving me a scratchy throat and sneezing, I fvcking hate sneezing, then I get home and laptop is not working properly... no access to interweb, things loading uber slow etc... finally tracked it down after fvcking hours of trial and error to Norton internet sec and it not letting anything even itself access the internet... looking back every time I updated firefox the laptop would have trouble connecting with the internet for a little bit (usually turned it off a few times and restarted firefox) but today after an update it just [email protected] itself... finally got it fixed I hope...

anywho all the above meant I was a bit late getting to training and not really in a good mental state anyway... slogged on...

2bd - actually felt pretty good... warm ups were better than expected and thought nice... got to 135 and was thinking 5+ on the cards but the last rep I loosened up far too much on the way down and was not tight enough to get a good drive so lock out didnt happen... stupid loosening... felt pretty decent though...

CGBP - all went to pot here... first try just didnt get under the bar properly and ended up bringing it too far towards my head instead of bringing it down toward the bottom of my chest... needless to say that didnt work... tried again and it came down better started to go up but felt a tightness in my left pec where it meets the shoulder and just left it... was not in the right mind set to keep it going after this tbh just sacked it and finished fixing the laptop...

ffs its like theres a great week at bench then a crap one... still will keep plugging away...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1 *belt on* 220x1, 240x1

260x1

Paused squats (2ct)

220x3

200x5

Db split squats

30x2x10

holy jebus... just no...

Squats - was to try for 255-260 depending on feel today... warm ups felt great, sitting back is good, nice big breath in to keep that tightness and then down for a great squat... 240 was the test tbh, if it felt really good was going for 260, if not so much 255... well it felt great, sat back well and great drive out of the hole... 260 felt really good on the back, took the weight really well which gave me a bit of confidence... sat down into the squat and then bam out of the hole... when I say bam it was more like baaaa... aaaa...aaaaam  as it was pretty slow... came up well though and while I dont think another was there really I think I would have given it a shot...

Paused - well Dig tells me that 215x3 was my best before so I though hell why not do 217.5... then I thought cant be faffed with all that mucking about lets just make it a round 220... yeah stupid idea... first 2 ok last came up slow... legs felt toast... still one more paused set to go, great... 200 felt much lighter for some reason and while I got the 5 reps I almost cocked up the 4th as it was coming up I lent forward a little too much and only just managed to drag it back into line...

Db split squats - oh good grief... first set about killed me... second just made my legs cry... a lot... felt these hit hard and still feel my legs quivering tbh...

great session, felt really good with it and happy with how its going squat wise... legs are truly battered now and during the session I went 50 shades of pale, nearly puking after the first set of paused... really happy with form and technique atm and getting that breathing right is paying dividends as well...

after the debacle of the last bench session Dig told me to drop the deads session too and rest, he nailed that as saturday I was pretty much fvcked... took so many drugs I had to apply for a pharmacist licence lol... sunday felt better though and yesterday much better again but wanted to take a day to get back to nearly fully recovered... only 3 sessions this week... oh god my legs...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

DB bench

20x10

30x10

35x10

30x14

Dips

BW+25x1x6

BW+15x2x6

BW+15x1x4+1p

DB ohp

15x4x12

bbc

60x10

60x7

60x6

bit of a different one today, backing off the bench a little and doing some different things...

DB bench - wow this is very different and as havent done this for a while I felt I was learning it anew... seemed to be puting as much effort in keeping the dumbbells steady as pushing them up... 35 felt pretty good at 10 reps... I may have had 40kg there but not sure tbh... dropped to 30 and did 14 well enough although the last 2 reps were a bit difficult...

Dips - damn that +25kg felt heavy... got a good 6 reps out though and felt that... dropped to 15kg and was aiming for at least 3x6 with the last set being 6+ but last set I cocked up the 4th rep and then just didnt have enough for any more... felt pretty good though...

DB ohp - wow this was the hardest in terms of motor skills today... have not done this in years and it told... tried 20kg at first but was in wrong position in the rack (too far forward and close to the bars) and didnt have the motor skills in place to get the db up properly at first which resulted in me tweaking my forearm trying to get it into postion... dropped to 15 and sat further down the bench so no bars in the way and it went ok, 1st set were a little rough... 2nd set on it all just flowed much more smoothly and I got the hang of using db again... could have gone a bit heavier then...

bbc - went ok considering forearm was a little sore... after first set forearm settled mostly and it went well... felt it pretty good in the biceps which are still pumped now lol...

decent enough workout if no serious weight was lifted today... getting used to the db again is interesting... all those little motor skills you forget and the line of movement that is slightly different... once got the hang of it though it felt fine but would take a little bit to get used to I think... got a big deads day tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x2

*chalk on*

260x2

280x2

Low pulley rows

115x3x10

Chins

BW+10kg x6/5

BWx10/6

Facepulls

50x15

50x13

50x13

bit of an odd day... lousy nights sleep last night and the tail end of that cold flared up... got to work and was told I look dreadful which is always so nice... didnt really feel up for a decent session but around 3ish just felt a second wind and really up for some training...

Deads - goal was to go for a heavy double... 260 felt a bit off though and so was thinking 280 would be touch and go... as it was first one went up quite nicely, not fast but not as slow as expected... second was about the same as the first albeit it a little slower... was actually quite happy with that, thought breifly about hitting 300 for a double but based on the 280 didnt want to push my luck lol...

Low rows - yeah felt these working well... first set was fine, second started to make my upper back tingle and third nailled it... felt really good and all sets were smooth...

Chins - aim was 9+ reps over 2 sets with 10kg on and 13+ over 2 sets with BW... pretty happy with how it turned out as was not sure how the forearm was going to hold up after tweaking it yesterday but it offered no real problem till the last set of bw chins and I could feel them hitting the lats rather well... still feeling them now actually...

Facepulls - great finisher... back screaming at the end and even though the 50kg felt pretty light it really got in there... really good sets and felt it working hard...

better than expected workout today... happy with it all although need to do a bit of work to get my deadlift back up... was fairly happy with the 280 double though as it went better than expected... looking forward to some sleep tonight though and hoping its better than last night... weight still around 115... so far so good...


----------



## C.Hill

Superb deadlifting as always mate, can't wait to be hitting 280 for a double. Are you familiar with the Ortmayer/magnusson deadlift programme? Starting that next week and hoping to hit 290/300 by the end of it!

Nice 260 squat aswell! Should get some videos up man!


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1

130x1

135x1

140x1

145xf

132.5xND

122.5xND

DB bench

30x10

32.5x2x10

32.5x9+1p

OHP

50x5, 70x3

87.5x1

Dislocations

bar x3x15

stupid thing today... stupid stupid...

Bench - warm up felt ok but had niggles in elbow (today for some reason elbows have been feeling like they needed to "click") up till about 115, that felt good, 130 felt very good, 135 felt really good and 140 went pretty quick tbh and felt nice... was pleasantly surprised... however went for 145 and as I started to drive up left elbow gave way so had to lower bar to safeties... instead of stopping there I thought sod it try the 132.5 (didnt even lower it as elbow started to ache taking the weight off the jhooks) and then 122.5 which while lowered ok couldnt straighten my left arm properly so had to lower it again... sigh...

DB bench - yeah instead of stopping lets try more pressing cos that will fix it... did 30 which went quite well actually... felt nice enough I put it up to 32.5... ok the first set was easy enough but felt it again in the elbow... did I stop... did I fvck... 3rd set went ok... felt easy enough too and went for the 4th... first 8 flew up 9th felt a little harder and 10th elbow gave and nearly dropped the db on me... luckily managed to drop it away from me but was not too happy...

OHP - yeah yeah I am a tard... fvck or re not quite sure... 50 felt fine... 70 felt ok little more difficult but nothing hard... 87.5 yeah thats where the elbow said nope... left it finally there...

Dislocations - well except for these which was nice on the shoulders didnt feel it at all in the elbows which should be the case I guess...

have no clue whats up with the elbows... cant be growing pains lol, just felt like they really needed to be clicked today... bench was feeling great, 140 felt pretty good really and thought was a good day... sh1t happens and so it goes... maybe old age... ah fvck it up the dose of cissus and stuff...


----------



## Greyphantom

C.Hill said:


> Superb deadlifting as always mate, can't wait to be hitting 280 for a double. Are you familiar with the Ortmayer/magnusson deadlift programme? Starting that next week and hoping to hit 290/300 by the end of it!
> 
> Nice 260 squat aswell! Should get some videos up man!


thanks mate... have heard of it and the coan/phillipi one too, both supposed to be really good, have not tried them myself though...

there are some up from comps and stuff in this journal... dont really take them during training as I train on my own normally...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2

205x4 (no belt)

*belt on*

225x4

Paused 2ct

180x3x4

SLDL

180x4x6

oh god... legs crying, feeling ill and generally wiped out... was not really in to it today as last night was pretty sleepless, tossed and turned till about 0300 then went to sleep nicely to be woken by my alarm at 0615... woo freaking hoo...

Squats - first few sets felt ok but not really connecting as I should... 190 gave myself a mental slap and took a proper breath and it felt pretty good... 205 was about the same, took nice deep breaths at the top and sank the squat and straight up again, first 3 were nice and pretty quick, 4th a little slower... belt on and same again, get the breath in sink the squat and drive up nice and hard... went really well again 4th was a bit slower... pretty happy even if I started to feel my legs about now...

Paused 2ct - bit ambivalent about these as was thinking not sure how "explosive" they would be... turned out pretty good... sat back nicely counted 2 and then drove hard concentrating on accelerating right to the top trying to get the bar to lift... which it did a number of times, not a lot but still enough to keep me going lol... legs ruined after this...

SLDL - oh hell... first set was feeling it right away, this set the tone for the rest of the sets and by the 4th set was an act of will to get it done... hams and glutes were toast... has that sort of vibrating soreness about them... still aching as it happens... feeling very ill by the end and just happy to have finished...

man it was a hard but good session today... feeling pretty ill but good that completed them all and loving how squats are feeling atm... def need some sleep though as have headache and just not motivated through the day... elbows are feeling better left one is sort of solid feeling if a little achey while the right one still feels like it needs to be clicked at some point... oh well they will get better, have double my cissus intake for a while to see if that makes a difference...

def a hot bath on the cards tonight and early night...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd CGBP

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *2bd* 100x3, 110x2, 120x2

130x4

125x4

100x11

Dips

BW+30x3

BW+15x8/6/4

Curls/TPD (superset)

55/50x12/11

45/40x14/12

40/40x11/10

30/30x15/14

oh god just damn...

2bd - actually felt pretty decent... no ache or pain in the elbow at all which was nice but there was a slight weakness which was more pronounced as the reps increased... 130 and 125 first 3 reps went really well 4th right went up quick and straight while the left lagged a little... still straightened it out but def noticeable... just missed targets by 1 rep on each...

Dips - holy jebus +30kg felt a bit heavy... aim for 5 or more hit 3 and 4th just werent going to go... dropped it to +15 and managed to hit the target there and damn if my tris didnt feel it there... started feeling a bit iffy here as headache was developing and feeling sluggish... dehydrated a bit (note below)...

Supersets bbc (yeah yeah)/TPD - just didnt want to... first set went better than expected... second was pretty good but started feeling just so poorly and at this stage wanted to flag the rest... took a slap to the face and did the 3rd set and was so fvcked... managed to eke out the 4th ok as well which was awesome and thank god finished... arms toast... tris were just screaming...

straight inside and bottle of lucosade to celebrate which helped the headache alot... rough night last night, ate something new for dinner and it just didnt agree with me, these chicken and chorizo and rice cake things (in breadcrumbs) tasted nice but indigestion and wind all night was bad... throw in some weird ar$e dreams and GP no sleepy... felt ok this morning, BW was 116.2kg (go figure) and started on my day... rudely interrupted by numerous throne room visits from early this morning till not long before training... seems to have settled now but still have indigestion... last time I eat those fvcking things... not really had enough fluid today to cope either, but rectifying that now... hot bath and early night for me...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Preamble - been ill since Fri before last... felt a bit off at the powerlifting comp I was reffing at but ok come sunday night throat was feeling sore and then mon and tue couldnt talk or eat or drink due to throat swelled shut... was fvcking horrendous... did look at getting some training in last week but ended up getting home from work and sleeping... then trying to drink and eat then sleeping again... from wed managed to get a couple or three meals a day in... started coming right fri felt better by sun and today was ok... bit tired but standard tbh...

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 150x3

170x3 (no belt)

*belt on*

190x3x5

Paused squats

160x5

Split squats (db)

25x12/12

25x10/11

GHR

BWx4+1p

def taxing today, but apart from gassing after squats and feeling a bit nauseus felt ok...

Squats - 170 no belt felt easy, form and technique was nailed and felt so smooth... not problem here... 190 first 2 sets of 5 again felt fine and got a good grip on taking in the breath holding it and sitting back... 3rd set had a couple of wobbles on form but still didnt feel particularly heavy... so far so good...

Paused - weight posed no problem at all... got a great drive out of the hole on the first 4 with the 5th being a little slower... set up and form felt rock solid was really nice...

Split squats - was knackered by these but sucked the air in and got on with it... felt good form wise but hit my quads quite nicely and while the 12 felt ok on the right on the left the last rep or two felt harder... got 11 on the right second set but only 10 on left, went for 11th but it didnt want to go back up lol...

GHR - try out set, few reps to see how the knee was holding (had a wee problem with it a few weeks ago) but no problem at all... just weak here lol...

feeling it now for sure... legs are humming, I can actually feel the muscles and the blood flowing through the muscles lol... so good to get back into the gym... dont realise how much I miss the lifting when I am not doing it or unable to do it... getting back under the bar is just awesome... bench is prob thu as mrs birthday on wed and we have stuff to do... deads fri...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

120x5

110x6

DbBP

36x9

30x12

TPD

30x4x20

just a little one getting back into it...

Bench - tbh did not expect much on this one today, not really with it but got on with the job and went pretty decent... warm ups felt ok but 110 felt better than 100 and then 120 went really smoothly and fairly good reps there... might have had one more at a squeeze but save it for 110 which again went a lot better than I expected... felt good...

DbBP - again this went better than expected... didnt quite get the 10 at 36 I wanted but was still pretty good... 30 felt decent as well... chest nicely worked...

TPD - 4 sets of 20... ffs thats cardio but for a reason... had to get the blood flowing and treat the elbow a bit carefully, felt ok tbh and no problem on any set...

good little session today... had to postpone it due to mrs birthday yesterday and will probably have to postpone tomorrows dead session till sat as out with fam... I may slip it in though... feeling better but still tired and body weight is going back up slowly as its now 113.4 today...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Tue aborted squat session...

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x1 stopped here as back was just not having it...

Thu take two...

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x3

*belt on*

205x3x6

Paused 2ct

170x5

GHR

BW x3x4

Split squats

30x10/10

25x13/13

well its been an odd one this week, tue went to do the squat session and it werent happening as back just was very sore and stiff... did some assisted stretching and got the mrs to dig her elbow in that night and today its awesome... no pain at all and feels really good...

Squats - warm ups felt pretty good and while form could be a little better tbh all good here... 205 did really present a problem... at least strength wise but was seriously gassing after last set, felt nauseus and just trying to suck the air in... form and technique had a few issues but nothing terrible just could have been tidier...

Paused - no problems here and form felt much better... sat back nicely and even did a slower count... legs toast at the end though and actually wanted to stop after these...

GHR - wow these get into the hams so much and glutes kinda sneak up on ya... first 2 sets felt ok but the last was a bit tough...

Split squats - jebus, kill me now... did not want to do them and tbh was looking for any excuse to back out... felt sick, legs shaky, done in, hell would have taken grandmas cats fish was sick... but I did them, mainly cos I didnt want to let Dig down lol... did better than expected although had to dig deep on the second leg done on each set as just was done...

so much better today back felt awesome, more energy and in general happier with it all... the squat session soon changed all that lol... just sparked out for 30 mins while typing this as just felt sick and knackered... felt good getting it done though and looking forward to tomorrows bench session... wait... did I just say that lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

125x2

112.5x5

OHP

WU 50x5, 70x3

85x5

65x11

DB bench

32.5x10, 7, 6+1p

TPD

35x3x20

bit of an average session...

Bench - started off ok but by the time I got to 100 my left leg was not delivering on the drive, just really sore and didnt want to push the power... not painful or a pull or anything but like doms... prob could have pushed hard and got a third but left it at a mostly comfortable 2... 112.5 went a bit better but the last rep I had to lift the leg so just muscle it up, still went up ok though...

OHP - felt pretty good on these... 5th rep on the 85 I talked to myself pretty fast to get it done lol... went up slowly but nicely... 65 was pretty good and not too much of a problem...

DB press - same issue with the leg but got the first set done fine, second just lost if after 7... third was actually feeling fine till rep 6 and then pfffft... oh well...

TPD - just another light one on these really... felt good and clean with good pump in the tris...

average session as said but still ok... feeling much better lately as sore throat is gone and have a bit of energy these days... hopefully thats that lurgy got rid of... havent weighed myself this week as not too sure what weight will be, probably light tbh but wed at work my colleagues all told me I was looking bigger so was happy with that...


----------



## Greyphantom

Sundays deads day

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x3

240x2

Def deads

not done

BOR

120x4x10

Chins (dead hang 2ct)

BWx2x5

BWx1x4+1p

meh day... bit rushed as had to go out with the fam... to the gym ironically but one that didnt have enough weight for me to train as well...

Deads - warm ups went pretty decently... around 210 felt my lower back reminding me it was sore last week... 240 and it complained a bit more loudly not pulling or injured but just reminding me it was not at 100%... did 3 on the first set and then just 2 on the second... good thing though was they were very fast and smooth... although they should be at that weight...

Defs - was supposed to do these but left it as didnt want to aggravate the back...

BOR - nice sets here... felt a good squeeze and really got some nice work through the back... thought it would feel heavier but was ok...

Chins - did these with a dead hang 2 count at the bottom, first set they felt a bit strange but second set was better...

not a great session but still not too bad... stopped the deads before the back twinged or anything... probably sensible but still a bit miffed...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 200x2

215x3x6

Paused 2ct

175x2x5

GHR

BWx3x5

oh jebus... fvck you Dig... fvck you....

Squats - when I saw what he wanted me to do I had to look twice... 3 exercises but first one was just the big holy fvck... warm ups felt really good... sitting back nicely and nice and upright... first set of 215 felt ok... second less ok and I really wanted to stop here... just thought I would try a third and see what I could get... got to 4 and thought that was it but managed the fifth by taking in some big air... how I got the 6th I have no idea but the fart at the bottom of the hole might have had something to do with it... legs ruined... so much ouch... did not want to go on and it took me about 12 mins to get up to carry on...

Paused - man, even though these were 40kg lighter I just didnt want to go... finally got up the nads to try the 1st set and it wasnt too bad... legs not happy though... 2nd set was harder than first and by this time legs just quit...

GHR - just numb now so cracked on and managed to crack out 2 mostly good sets with the 3rd being a bit harder and slow... really gone now... legs just so sore its ridiculous... shaking something rotten and thirsty... so so thirsty...

jebus it was hard today... trying to get big air in to get a rigid structure for the squat was nigh on impossible after set 1 of squats... legs are in bits, absolute bits now but at least that awful feeling of nausea has subsided... now just need a nap time... oh god my legs... back held up ok today which was nice but can feel the top of my inner thigh on left side... probably nothing but some rest and a hot bath will help... and some cyanide... lol... still at least its bench day tomorrow


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

125x3

115x5

CGBP 2bd

100x6

110x5

DB BP

32.5x11

32.5x9

DBC

25x11

25x2x10

damn legs so sore...

Bench - actually the bench part went pretty well and felt good, reps quick and smooth... legs didnt want to play too much though but got enough drive out of them to do something...

2bd cgbp - first set was ok... second lost oomph at rep 5... still felt nice though...

DB BP - wasnt sure how this would do today, just a bit meh by now... however actually went pretty well... felt it quite a bit in the chest and found a good arm position to get the reps working better...

DBC - again just wasnt sure how it would go... went well... felt it ok on the first set, more on the 2nd and on the 3rd the last couple of reps were really pushing it... biceps stinging a bit atm...

overall a good workout... if the legs were in better shape I am pretty sure I would have had another rep on each of the bench sets at least... was pretty tired as last night sleep was not optimal as legs were just not comfortable... literally humming... today they are sore... text the coach and said legs sore he sent back yeah wait till tomorrow... nice... lol... deads tomorrow... got a comp this weekend to ref and set up... woo hoo...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x3x5

Def deads

220x8

BOR

145x5

130x7

120x10

Chins dead hang 2ct

BWx7

BWx6

Great session today... felt a bit off before training, tired and just a bit meh... but once I started it kicked in and felt much better...

Deads - warm ups went quite well and back didnt feel any niggle at all, hamstring felt a little tight and was a bit worried but by the time I hit the main sets it felt ok... first set at 240 went a little sluggish... slapped myself about and the second set went much better feeling quick and smooth... third set was quick but not as easy... feeling it by the end of these sets but felt good...

Def - still feeling pretty good at this stage, weight felt quite light till about rep 7 then rep 8 was a bit of a grind... not so much the weight being heavy but just gassing with all the reps lol... felt good here too and back was still feeling good... in fact only the spinal erectors were fatigued here... loving it...

BOR - 145 felt a bit heavier than expected but managed 5 reps ok... 5th rep a little wobbly... dropped the weight and got a really good 7 out back feeling it now and 120 felt awesome was thinking 11 but would have been a bit awful... felt good here as well...

Chins - bit knackered by now but actually got a good couple of sets out... count of 2 at the bottom and power up... feeling these nicely and good stretch at the bottom...

really good session today, very happy with it and glad I managed to get those deads in with no back issues... legs still sore from wed squatting... forearm though is feeling pretty good where it was feeling a bit niggly in prior weeks...

got a competition this weekend up in S****horpe but just setting up and reffing not lifting... still a big weekend...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2, 120x1

130x2

117.5x5

110x6

OHP

WU 50x5, 70x3

80x2x6

70x9

DBC R/P (15 breaths)

25x14/8/6

dislocations

bar x3x15

wow felt pretty tired today but had a good session... more of this please but with a little better feeling to the form/technique...

Bench - warm ups started ok then felt a few little niggles in forearms then came right for the heavier sets and felt fine... 120 flew up and was a bit surprising so was confident for 130... first 130 went up quick and smooth even if the form could probably have been a bit better... 2nd rep went up nice enough but not as nice as I wanted to try for a 3rd... felt good though... 117.5 felt really good till rep 4 but 5th went up well enough however pretty sure a 6th wasnt there... 110 got 6 so happy here and thought I might have had 7 but things slowed quite a bit at rep 5... 6 was about it...

OHP - wasnt sure how these would be today... as it turned out first set of 80 went really well and second was spot on with 6 reps, again was thinking I might have had a 7th but at rep 5 it just became apparent there was not going to be a 7th... still felt good... 70 for 9 went ok too... 8 went up fast enough for me to think of doing 10 but 9 was too slow...

DBC - rest pause sucks ar$e... pleased with the first stint and getting 14... didnt expect that... 2nd bit was tough and 3rd was tougher still... arms def fried...

Dislocations - oh yeah need to do these as noticing a bit of stiffness in the shoulders... certainly the first set was really tight, 2nd felt much better and third felt really good... got to make sure I keep these in...

good session and a good start to the week... will check bw tomorrow as havent had a chance today (ok I forgot) but I think its still up around 115... had a good comp on sunday up in Scvnthorpe, some pretty freaking amazing lifters tbh and moving massive weight... got another in 2 weeks in Stoke on trent which should be pretty decent too... right off to do some garden work as its still sunny and light (wtf its like its summer lol)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2

205x4

*belt on*

225x2x4

Paused squats 2ct

187.5x4

GHR

BWx8, 7, 6

Split squats

32.5x12

oooooooh... thats gonna leave a mark...

Squats - wasnt really into it today, felt a bit tired (sleeps up and down atm) and just didnt feel the power... till after the first warm up that is... 1st set of 70 went really well and felt good, after felt a bit more energetic and in tune... warm ups really comfortable... even 190 felt good and reasonably light... 205 with no belt was tidy... got good air in and kept nice and tight... not too winded after either... put belt on for the next 2 working sets... first set 2nd rep was only to parallel so a bit miffed, but third was nearly paused as I wanted to make sure I got to depth, and it was a bit tricky getting up out of the hole on that one, but 4th went nicely... 2nd set was a tad more knackering though... got through the first 3 nice enough but 4th was harder and sloooow...

Paused - wasnt sure about these as pretty tired from squats... however they felt really comfortable and managed to move the bar pretty quick... well at least the first 3 reps went pretty quick the 4th was a bit slower... still felt good though and nice power from the hole...

GHR - wow these hit me right in the glutes and hams... which is good as thats what they are supposed to do... once finished these it became sore to sit down and legs were shaky from squats so hard to stand... yeah felt great lol...

Split squats - oh these hit me really hard... did left leg first and felt good 12 a little slow and leg was hurting but in a good way... switched to right and that was hard... got to about 8 and had to really grind out the next 4 with the last one being a battle of will over iron... I just won that...

totally shagged now... legs are buzzing still and hurting... not in a bad way but like doms is already here with a promise to bring its bigger and worse older brother tomorrow... yay... bw is 114.5kg today, little down but I have missed a couple of meals in the last day or two... plus water intake was slightly lower than usual... will rectify...


----------



## C.Hill

Some serious lifts been happening in here lately mate! 225 2x4 wtf?lol your legs are gonna be worse after this than your last leg session lol deads are mental too.


----------



## Greyphantom

C.Hill said:


> Some serious lifts been happening in here lately mate! 225 2x4 wtf?lol your legs are gonna be worse after this than your last leg session lol deads are mental too.


getting there mate... lol they hurt bad matey, walking is a problem atm as is going to the loo lmao...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CG 2bd

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *2bd* 100x3, 115x3

125x5

120x5

115x5

Dips

BW+27.5x2

BW+15x6

BW+15x5+1p

BW+15x3+1p

EZ bar curls r/p

50x12/8/7

well was not sure if today was going to work too well as legs are fried... have had trouble walking all day and going to the loo is just pants... very sore and feeling it hard in hams and glutes...

CG - tbh was more worried about legs than anything, had to have feet up on bench support (about 2 inches from floor) for first few sets as back was so tight... loosened up though and by the time got to top sets things were better if not optimal... felt really good today... got first 5 out and felt I could have had another there, hell maybe even 2... same with the next two sets... although tbh I am not sure if this was because I found a better line or because I was so focused on the legs hurting and trying to make sure they didnt interfere that everything just went smoothly lol... either way went well...

Dips - not so well here only an embarrassing 2 on the top set... felt hard tbh... the sets at bw+15 went better but only made the 6 reps required on the first set... so close on the 2nd... a bit off on the third... felt them working but they used to be easier I am sure...

EZ curls - got a twinge in the forearm doing these but still went alright, felt my biceps working hard and at the end had a good pump and pain... rest pause is awful though and the rest is just over so quick... 15 breaths is surprisingly a short amount of time...

ok legs are fvcked, can only walk like a man rogered by a herd of horses, even sitting when I want to bend them I have to use my hands to manipulate them a little... quads are sore but hams and glutes seem hit the hardest... really pleased I got the workout in today as I was half fearful I wouldnt as legs too sore, wife is home tomorrow and wont be able to train as we are off doing stuff... incl seeing age of ultron... yeah baby cannot wait... back was a bit stiff today too hopefully that will be gone by saturday and deadlift training...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

120x2x5

OHP

WU 50x5, 75x3

87.5x5

72.5x9

DB BP

27.5x2x10

DB curl

27.5x12/8/6

great session today...

Bench - went really well, all sets felt good and worked on a constant acceleration from the chest to the top... 120 went really quick which was a nice feel even the 2nd set felt fast and not too difficult... worked on some general form tweaks too like making sure the elbows were directly under the bar and grip was set right...

OHP - felt pretty good even if the last rep at 87.5 was really tough... didnt expect it to go as well as it did tbh... 72.5 felt pretty decent again working the form making sure it was right and I could get the bar moving along the right path...

DB BP - supposed to move them as fast as possible and they did indeed fly... felt really good and fast... more comfortable than I expected here too...

DB curl - oh yeah these got right into the biceps, still feeling them...

felt good today, really well worked... things are getting pretty manic with life the universe and everything so had to miss deads but moved that to this week, also gives me a chance to get my training back on track re doing weekday training...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2

217.5x3

*belt on*

237.5x3

Paused 2ct

195x4

GHR

BW+5x6, 5, 3

Split squats

35x12/12

oh ffs... nope, just nope... woke up feeling awesome and probably the best I have in a while, put that down to a couple of nights good sleep in a row... I know right in a row... but by after lunch just sacked out and spent an hour napping, didnt think I was going to get todays session in but daughter on late bus so meant I could do it... so glad I did...

Squats - warm ups took a bit to get into... once I hit 160 though it felt good and seemed to hit my stride... 217.5 was beltless... back felt a little tender but nothing to concerning... felt good sitting right back into it and powering (as much as I was able) out of the hole... 237.5 was belt on and the first two reps were ok, last one went sllllloooooooooowwww though... in fact I was thinking it wasnt moving at one stage but managed to drive it up... legs feeling it...

2ct - actually felt pretty good... till rep 4 and that was a bit slow... not as bad as the last rep on belted squats but still not as fast as first 3...

GHR - adding the weight made a big difference... first set felt a bit awkward but ok, second set started to really feel the hams and glutes just complaining, 3rd set I was aiming for 4 but posterior chain just went nope...

Split squats - oh good gravy just wanted to stop... but managed a pretty decent set here, form felt best it has ever... getting the 12 on the left was tough but on the right it was sheer fvcking will... legs were very sore after this...

so glad I got this in today... feeling really good if totally knackered... legs are humming... feeling fvcked... but so so happy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *2bd* 100x3, 110x3, 120x2

127.5x5

122.5x5

117.5x5

Dips

BW+10x2x6

BW+10x1x7+1p

EZ bar curls

50x3x10

good day, was a bit late training as have a bit on atm and its proving time intensive... still keeps me out of or in trouble... not sure which yet 

2bd - felt really good today... warm ups were fine and form felt good... top set had a rep or two more in there (shhh dont tell Dig he will add more weight) and pretty much the same with the next 2 sets... last set left a pause on the board and on last rep 2 or 3 count before pressing and it went up fine... felt good...

Dips - oh yeah felt much better this week, quicker and more in control... last set was aiming for at least 8 but the last rep just got away from me...

EZ bar curls - felt a bit of pain in the forearm but gripping harder helped that out... by the third set really feeling it in the biceps... still sore now actually...

good simple session today... feeling pretty good too as slept last night... deads tomorrow and then a comp in stoke on trent for the weekend...

BW atm is 116.6kg


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x2

255x5

255x1

thats it... did have def to do as well as BOR and Chins but forearm is too sore...

Deads - started warm ups with left hand underhand grip as normal, first 120 flew up and felt good thinking it was a good day, changed as I normally do to left hand overhand grip (right under) and went for second warm up set but damn if my right forearm did NOT like that grip at all... hurt a bit decent it did so switched back to left under and it was ok... 170 was good, 210 a little off but ok, 240 felt much better and then the top set (supposed to be the first of two)... 255 went up really well as it happens, first 4 reps were quick and felt nice, 5th rep was not as quick form a little soft but by no means a grind and felt ok still... was up for round 2... did the first rep and the right hand just didnt want to play... grip was off so just sacked it... it feels ok atm, better than before training tbh but that could be adrenalin or something... will get some prehab/rehab work going on that...

happy with how the set went, miffed I had to call time...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

125x4

125x3+1p

OHP

WU 60x5, 70x3, 80x2

90x3+1p

75x8

DB bench

27.5x2x12

was going to sack it today but can of mtfu and got on with it... turned out to be a good session even if a couple of missed targets miffed me a little...

Bench - warm ups felt ok till about 80 then felt a twinge in the forearm elbow but keeping tighter form/technique in 100, 115 seemed to help, first set of 125 went quite well and felt strong... last one was a little tougher but went up ok... second set I twinged the forearm/elbow again setting up and this played on the mind a little... first 3 went well but last as I was coming down felt a little off so bailed... *hangs head in shame*

OHP - first set was a little tight getting the shoulders loose but ok, second was much better and the 80 felt pretty good... 90 first 3 went well but on the 4th I twisted slightly so bailed on that... 75 felt awesome and while the 8th was a little tough it went up well enough and felt nice... shoulders a little sore after this in a good way though...

DB bench - getting the hang of this exercise much better now... felt really really good and fast... chest was finished off here very nicely... form and tech firmly put to bed hopefully...

overall pretty decent... felt good even if I missed a couple of targets (2nd set of bench and ohp at 90)... was a long weekend and even after a day of chilling yesterday I still feel a little wiped but have to get used to it as the next two are at least as full on... tomorrow squats... sigh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 200x2, 220x1, 235x1

250x2

Split squats

35x14/14

GHR

BWx10kg x3

BWx5kg x6

BWx6+1p

holeeeee sheet... short sharp but man it got right in...

Squats - warm ups felt awesome, best they have ever felt I think... seemed to click right in place in terms of form and technique... 235 felt awesome if a little slow but not heavy so was thinking it is ON... 250 first rep was great, nice down and pretty decent up... 2nd rep not so nice tbh, would have been touch and go in terms of depth I think even though it felt deep enough... bit slow on the way up too... didnt feel out of control at all though and legs firmly worked...

Split - oh jebus... just shoot me... shoot me now... first set was left leg, last rep felt very hard and hurt... right leg last 4 reps felt very hard and legs totally fvcked after... had a wee sit down, and shake off and smack to get things flowing...

GHR - ok this one was holy jebus... barely got the 3rd rep with 10kg... hams and glutes just said nope... managed 6 with 5kg and then 6 and a partial with just my bw... felt it hugely in the hams and glutes... really got in deep and had to sit for a min but that was a bit sore so tried to stand but that was no good either... stupid legs...

really good session today, had a wee nap from 2-3 or there abouts which was unexpected but welcomed and it didnt put me off training (sometimes it does)... was pretty keen to give it a real crack today and see how it would go, as it happens it went pretty good... happy with it all... legs feeling a bit sort of numb/humming at the moment... glutes sore and hams just not happy... cannot believe how hard the quads were hit in the split squats today too... was pretty amazing...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *2bd* 100x3, 110x3, 120x2

130x5

125x5

120x5

Dips

BW+15kg x8

BW+5kg x11

TPD (drop set)

45x15/35x11

holy horus batman... short but very good session...

2bd - today was spot on... got great arch going, legs were in good position and drive was well time to get bar moving optimally... warm ups felt great top set went so well I almost choked up... just seemed to click into place almost like the bar was on a predetermined path... also got right up on my traps too which helped with the arch and technique... all the sets of 5 at the top felt good... nice bar control, speed of bar went well and just seemed to really get under the weight properly... happy...

Dips - wow, felt these awesomely today... first set went better than expected and the 8th rep was a squeeze but I got it however a 9th wasnt there... drop it to 5kg and tried to move faster for each rep and got 11 which felt amazing and sore... tris were hammered a bit here...

TPD - ok tris hammered so throw in a tpd drop set... started at 45 (in hind sight should have been 50 I think) and got a good 15... dropped to 35 and pushed out 11... the 10th and 11th hurt... tris pumped and sore and arms shaking...

yeah baby thats how its supposed to go... felt really good today... things just seemed to gel and I am def replicating that next time... getting the leg drive is very important and once I nailed the arch and getting right up onto my traps it seemed to flow well... forearm felt pretty good today too, nothing to bother me with tbh so happy there... esp as its deads day tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 230x1, 250x1

265x3

Def dead

240x2

Chins

BW+5kg x7

Inverted rows (fatmans pullups) *feet on bench*

BWx8

BWx9

good little session but missed target at 265 which was supposed to be 5 but should have got it really, also should have done more weight on the def...

Deads - warm ups felt really good, 250 was a little off but just adjusted set up and 265 felt better... got 3 reps aiming for 5... they were good and quick enough but reset grip a little on the 3rd and it just put me off mentally so bailed on 4th... forearm held up pretty well on these and I alternated the grip so it was doing well...

Def - was very surprised with this as it felt really easy and fast... was thinking might go to 260 but left it off as forearm while not sore was feeling it... really happy at how it felt tbh (as well as the 265)...

Chins - felt pretty ok... only managed 7 these hit the forearm a bit though... not too badly just enough to let me know when to stop...

Inverted Rows - had a slightly wide grip on the first set... got 8 and it felt a bit off, narrowed the grip for the second set and it went much better, felt nothing in the forearm and much more in the back...

overall good session bit miffed I stopped the deads early but actually feeling pretty good, forearm is feeling really good and I was happy with the way the deads went... swings and roundabouts I spose... got another comp to sort and ref this weekend...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2, 120x1

130x3x3

DB bench

36x13

31x15

OHP

WU 50x5

70x2x8

DB curls

30x12

30x10

30x9

yeah baby great session today... considering an hour before I was thinking it was nap time I am pretty happy with how things went...

Bench - warm ups were ok, 110 felt harder than 120 tbh... 130 first set was great, leg drive there but not quite optimal but form was spot on really, got right up on traps, legs were set right and it all felt productive and dare I say it easy... second set got better leg drive but perversely form went a bit pear, however still a good set... third managed to get it all working and even though the last rep was a little slow still good set... felt it after though, really good and happy with it all...

DB bench - starting to come together now, form is much better and this shows in how much easier I am getting the bells up... felt chest working really well and it just seemed to flow... again very happy...

OHP - first set of 70 was fine, had a few more reps there tbh and the second set was still good but slower on the last rep... felt really good and strong on this today and form seemed to be more on...

DB curls - used 30 as the top set as did 27.5 for 5 a couple of weeks ago... it was not easy but got it all the same however being totally honest I did get a bit of swing in the last couple of reps... second set was better and managed a good 10, third surprised me a little as I managed 9, was thinking 8 would be it max as arms were sore... forearm is feeling a little used but not hurt so thats a good sign...

really happy with todays session, @Dig wanted me to nail the 3x3 on bench so I did... all felt good and strong, right in the groove and after a couple of good weeks I think it might be coming together more... chest shoulders and bis feeling worked... and so good... light day on squats tomorrow which will be nice... and thinking of combining my bench 2 with the "no deads" deads day as I am driving up to the BP on friday to help with the lifting there...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5

160x3x5

Split squats

25x3x10

GHR

BW+5kg x8

BW+5kg x6

BW+5kg x3+1p

short and sweet today, light squats followed by some deceivingly hard splits and ghrs...

Squats - not a problem here, warm ups felt pretty good and form seemed to be spot on... just 160 for 3x5 today, no belt or even safeties needed there, all went well and only slowed slightly on the last couple of reps on the last set... didnt have as long a rest between each set either...

Split squats - lighter weight but these hit me right in the quads quite well... balance is getting better but still a little wobbly if I lose focus...

GHR - wow still kick my ar$e each time I do them... glutes and hams get hit so hard here was aiming for 4 on the last set and thought I could do it but nope they just stopped half way up...

all in all a good session but tbh it should be as it was so light... legs still got worked but not mangled...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2/Back

2bd

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *2bd* 100x3, 115x3, 125x2

135x4+1p

120x8

Dips

BW+20kg x6

BW+10kg x10

TPD

50/35x14/14

straight into back

Rev CG PD

95x9

85x12

75x14

Low rows

115x13

115x12

115x10

Rev rows/Inverted rows/fat man pull ups

BW+10kg x6

BW+10kg x5+1p

BW+10kg x5

oh jebus... all thats good an holy... noooooooooooooooooo

2bd - felt really good today... just seemed to find the groove again... very happy with this today...

Dips - 20kg actually felt ok... managed to get a good 6 reps... 10kg felt better and managed to get a very decent 9 with a harder 10th... felt good...

TPD - hit the tris really well and got a good pump too...

Rev cg pull downs - holy hera these hit me right in the lats nice and deep... 95 I felt them tingling after 85 they were hurting a lot, by the end of 75 they felt like they were separating from my back... great sets...

Low rows - believe it or not 115 felt heavier than 140 bent over rows... managed a good 13 on the first set which was nice... second set surprised me a little as was aiming for 10 as I wasnt sure I had more there... last set was about right fought for the 10... back screaming by now...

Rev rows - feet up on bench for this... 10kg weight in the lap... grip same as bench... back was trying its hardest to stop me doing them... big fvck you to my back and cracked on... however didnt get big numbers here but it certainly hit it right across...

big workout today as off to the body power expo tomorrow to do the lifting there... will be reffing and generally making a pain in the **** of my self so pop along and say hi, I am the fat bearded one...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench 2ct paused

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2, 110x1

120x1

127.5x1

135x1

140x1

bench tng

135x1

120x5

OHP

WU 60x5, 75x3, 85x2

92.5x3

70x10

EZ curl (3sec -ve)

27.5x10

40x10

man odd session... feeling knackered from bp this weekend... and from loading kit in vans, setting up venues and then getting all the kit back to the place of origin for 4 out of the last 5 weekends... odd session as about the 80kg mark on bench I got very light headed and sweaty and felt nauseus... kept on though as was looking forward to the session...

Bench - as said about 80kg felt odd... still cracked on and everything felt really good but form was a little slack as couldnt get leg drive as in sync as last couple of weeks... taking the weight down felt really strong though and tight, driving up felt smooth and good line... while 140 went a little slower than I would like it was still smooth and felt good...

tng - yeah well 135 was supposed to be 3, tbh 1st felt ok but just had nothing left... started feeling better when I did the 120 but only got 5 out of 6 and tbh I probably just wimped on that one... still 120 felt strong and line still good...

OHP - warm ups were odd as still feeling off... 60 felt a bit meh, 75 felt pretty good, 85 feeling better and when I got to the main set I felt fine and full of energy... little nauseated still but did the set and felt really good... 70 for 10 felt even better even though the last 2 reps a little slower than the previous... feeling pretty good...

EZ curls - keeping it light this week with a 3 sec negative so dont aggravate the forearm... well it does make a difference lol... not heavy but certainly worked the biceps...

overall pretty decent session... happy enough with the bench odd feeling not withstanding... onward and and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1, 230x1

242.5x3

Paused 2ct squats

222.5x3

200x3

GHR

BW+10x4

BW+5x9+1p

BWx9

man was looking forward to this today but kept up a bit last night as the mrs is not well and coughing part of the night... only the part we were trying to sleep though so not the whole night  so a little off going in...

Squats - warm ups felt ok, 190 felt a little slow but 210 felt spot on and quick... 230 felt ok and went a little deeper than planned lol... 242.5 first two felt good, little slow but good, the last one I could not get the air in as with the first two so couldnt set up into my belt properly and it felt a little off, cut a little high but counting it... legs humming and a little numb... and tbh damn near peed myself a little on the last rep...

2ct - damn... legs just were feeling it now and wasnt sure how the 222.5 would go, as it turns out while a little slow were pretty good... 200 was told to make it snappy as possible so he got snappy... felt really good and tight... went up quick... legs fell off... threw up in my mouth... cried a little...

GHR - these are the devils tool... +10 felt tough but ok... +5 went really well... till the last rep... went for a 10th, then face plant lmao... um never mind then... bw went nicely and got a good 9 but damn my hams and glutes just fried...

pretty decent session, really knackered now though and looking forward to bed again... might put the mrs out on the couch tonight... um well no I dont think I will suggest that as I like my testicles where they are... tomorrow is bench two and its a doozy... when I saw Digs plans this week I cried a bit... oh well onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 230x1, 250x1

265x4+1p

Rev CG PD

100x9

90x12

Low pulley rows

120x12/80x14

Rev rows (inverted rows/fatman pullups)

BW+10kg x2x6

BW+10kg x8

wow done... as an aside I did try bench yesterday it was supposed to be 2bd but my lower back was extremely tight, so much so that I could not even have my feet on the floor for the first 2 warm up sets and by the time I got to 140 it was patently obvious that I could not maintain arch or tightness to get to 160 pb attempt... consult with Dig and he said leave it till next week (I wanted to have a bash today) and just crack on with deads... today back way better, loosened up over night really well and I even got some sleep actually...

Deads - warm ups felt cracking... although 210 felt quicker than 170 tbh... hit the top set and first 3 felt good, felt the skin on my palms a bit so changed from under/over to over under and then on last rep just couldnt get my hips through... sigh...

Rev CGPD - felt pretty decent today... felt the upper back working well and managed a few more reps than I expected...

Low rows - bit of a drop set today... feel these hit the inner upper back really hard... again hitting more reps than expected but man it hurt... in a good way of course...

Rev rows - found a good grip width and that made a big difference to each rep performed and hitting the back better... managed to squeeze out 2 more reps on the last set and that was good... upper back in bits by the end though...

over all ok, feeling it this week tbh, think the culmination of 4 out of 5 weeks setting up and taking down and reffing comps has knackered me and the mrs has been unwell this week with a cold thats had a cough which she only managed to get under some sort of control last night... feeling less tired today which is nice and she is off to the US for work for the next week or so so sleep ins for GP


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2, *belt on* 220x1, 240x1

255x2

GM

120x6

140x6

160x4

Split squats

30x3x10 (each leg)

holy jebus...

Squats - man these went so well... warm ups flew, just flew 220 felt like 100 today and 240 felt pretty damn decent too... loaded to 255 and it didnt feel too bad on the back, first rep was good and felt right on... got some good air for the 2nd and it went a bit better I think... racked the weight feeling awesome and legs feeling numb  everything just felt so on... sat back really well and bar seemed to sit on shoulders tight...

GM - supposed to work up to a top set of 6 here... got to 160 and the bar rolled on my neck slightly so called it at 4 reps... felt pretty decent though and will do better in future... hams glutes and erectors feeling it but mainly in the hams and glutes...

Split squats - hate these but love them at same time lol... feel them working hard but felt really good today... powered through each set and much better balance and so forth...

done and had to sit on my bench for a good 10 mins while legs decided to work again... walking to my front door they felt a bit crampy a few times but seemed to have settled now... they are freaking tingly though and I am not looking forward to later... felt awesome today and really happy with how it went... down to a 3 session week this week and the next two are both doozies too... hell of a week...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

2bd bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *2bd* 100x3, 115x2, 130x1

140x1

150x1

160xF (soooo freaking close)

137.5x4

OHP

WU 60x5, 80x3

90x2

100x1

75x12

Dips

BW+25kg x1 (stopped)

EZ curls (3sec negative)

40x14, 10, 9

hmmm... tbh thought today was going to be a write off as woke last night with a very dodgy tummy and felt ill... didnt really sleep too much after but finally felt a bit better and got a couple of hours in the end... food was not going in easy tbh but got a bit in... fixed the toilet too which was good and then hit the gym...

Bench - warm ups were flying, felt good and easy... 140 flew and felt very comfortable... 150 was even really good and while not as quick as 140 still good and gave me hope for 160... 160 felt great in my hands, lowered it easily enough and went for the drive up and damn near got it... just a few more inches would have seen it in the jhooks... maybe even 2... straighten my damn elbows and voila... sigh... still hope for the future... 137.5 didnt feel too easy after this, but still got a good 4, however the last was a little hard...

OHP - a bit knackered going into this, warm ups were fine and felt a little bit in the left side (elbow and shoulder) but went easy enough... 90 felt pretty good, great line and straight overhead which made it easier I think... 100... well, took the weight, felt alright, lowered the weight felt a bit heavy, drive weight up aaaaaannnnnd for a second I thought it was not going to go... took and age to get it locked out and racked... got it though... dropped weight to 75 and surprisingly got 12 reps which all felt good although 12 a little slow...

Dips - oh man, not well at all, up on the bars, lowered and drive up but left side elbow really sore and it went slower than right side... left it there...

EZ curls - done with a three second negative and 90 sec rest period... first set felt alright... bis were hurty a bit... second set they started crying... 3rd set they screamed...

all in all ok session today, really p1ssed I missed the 160 as it was def on, just got to keep driving and moving that weight that last few inches... cannot believe it... sigh, oh well next time... dont know what was up with the left elbow, after curls it seemed better but was pushing myself up after and it hurt again, something off there but its not so bad tbh... so hot bath and some food and then a shake before bed to get that protein in and tomorrows another day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

100x4

110x4

120x4

130x3+1p

DB press

36x12

36x11

EZ deadstops ext

30x8

25x15

20x21

good session today...

Bench - working up to a top set of 130 for a target of 4... got the first three and they felt really good but lost focus on the 4th and meh... still better than expected... happy with the way it went...

DB press - first set fired up and felt really good second was aiming for 12 again but 11th was tough and that was it... but all reps felt strong and good...

Deadstop EZ ext - first time doing these... felt a bit odd and tbh I went a bit light, should have gone to 40 probably but was being careful of the elbow which ached a couple of times but gave no trouble... quite liked them for something different but the last set was a bit more cardio than I would like 

Late training session tonight as ended up sleeping this afternoon lol... wanted to get it in so I could do deads tomorrow and leave weekend free as the mrs wants to do some stuff and I need brownie points  good session and cleared some cobwebs...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

272.5x4+1p

Def deads

250x6+1p

BOR

145x10

120x15

Chins

BW+10kg x8, 6

2ct chins

BWx8

oh yeah... much better this week and where it should be (well nearly)...

Deads - on fire today, 120 felt like nothing, in fact up to 210 felt like it was just the bar... 250 flew faster than ever and the first 3 on 272.5 were fast and easy, 4th a little slow and the fifth I missed as I bottled it rather than missing it... bit miffed but I will take that...

Def dead - felt even better than deads tbh... first 5 flew up very quick, 6th was slower but not by too much and again bottled 7th... gassing though after this...

BOR - bit surprising here... got some good reps out and man felt this across my upper back... second set felt pretty light but was more the sweating into the eyes that stopped my set lol...

Chins - bit tougher than the other exercises, was pretty done by now though... first set was ok and got a good 6 out on the second... bit better than I thought and lats were not happy...

2ct chins - (2ct hang at the bottom)... tough... first few were fine esp as I lost the 10kg weight but by 5 I was struggling... managed 8 though and then was done...

back in pieces and have lost some skin off the palms of the hands but over all great little workout... deads really clicked today and felt awesome... still a little wiped from being ill but after a nap this afternoon I managed to get to it a bit later than I wanted (which worked out as my daughter was also running late)... baking hot in the gym though but still smashed it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

DB press

WU (bb press for warm up) 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

(db) 36x2x12

Dips

BW+15kg x10

BW+10kg x11

TPD

45/40/35 x 9/10/9

EZ curls (3ct negative)

45x13

45x10

45x8

oh man... pressing was fine, then just caned the arms...

DB Press - warmed up with the barbell as couldnt be ar$ed changing the plates on the dumb bells all the time... went fine... both sets of db press were good, no problems at all and on the first set probably had 3 more reps in the tank... at a push... on the 2nd would have been more like 1 or possibly 2... felt good though and nicely worked...

Dips - man felt my triceps working well on these today... good pump and sore after each set, really squeezed the last rep on each set out too...

TPD - these killed my triceps hard... drop set was to be had and tbh it took a little bit of courage to do the last one... I think I may have cried...

EZ curls - 3ct negatives on these... first set not too bad, second set just was wrong... third set had to talk to my arms rather sternly... the did it but cried... really hit my biceps and could feel them working through the each set...

back to 4 sessions this week. still feeling a bit iffy tbh but better than the weekend... mainly tired but also a bit ill however getting food in and just need some sleep... got work starting on the house now which is a fairly big job 7 years or so in the making... will take a few months to complete but will be awesome when done, unfortunately not a new gym with all the trimmings lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x3, *belt on* 210x2

230x5

230x4

GM

140x3x6

GHR

BWx9

BWx7

BWx6

oh all thats good an holy... I hate Dig... I really really do...

Squats - when I read the plan (230x2x5) I didnt really believe it... so looked again... sadly it was true... warm ups went well, put the belt on and it was 2 notches tighter... um ok... then took the weight and it felt light... did the 2 and I had to check to make sure it was 210... awesome... 230 first 4 went well, 5th a little slow... second set... first 3 were ok, 4th was all I think... so missed the 5th which is a pain... legs were tingly numb though... buzzing something rotten...

GM - felt pretty good, but man this caned me hard... by second set wanted to stop... managed to grit the teeth and nail the 3rd pretty well making sure I pushed the hips through well and it helped... legs and posterior chain were pretty done...

GHR - so of course throw in some GHR... concentrating on the negatives here... first 8 were good 9th the negative was pretty quick lol... second set went pretty well too but hams and glutes were sore... did the third set on the promise that was it... glutes and hams felt worse after lol...

man that was a good session... legs are well and truly stuffed, bit miffed I missed the 5th rep on 2nd set of squats but I am pretty sure it would have been a case of dumping the bar... pretty sure... well mostly sure... ok sure... dammit maybe I should have gone for it... next time... feeling a lot better today, hungry now even after eating I feel like more which is a good change... worked out today I am about 3 weeks out from the brits too lol... will get my form in tomorrow... then lift...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

*comp pause*

110x2

117.5x2

125x2

130x2

135x2

2bd

110x3

120x2

130x1

135x3

150x1

DB Flyes

25x10

20x12

20x11

oh yeah...

Bench - was quite up for todays session but as I started took on a funny turn and felt a bit light headed... this happened from about 80kg to 117.5... after that I seemed to snap out of it and just hit my stride, 125 felt better than 117 and 130 was the same, really good and smooth... 135 was not the easiest but not the hardest either... good pauses on chest and I worked out that when thinking "press" (the command given by ref) I would think legs and get the drive right, this seemed to work in terms of timing and made it better... happy with how it ended... was thinking it was going to be a disaster...

2bd - first set was a bit wobbly but that was just me getting used to the motion... 120 was nice and easy as was 130... 135 felt good but got cramp in left erectors which meant I had to stop at 3 and miss target of 4+... Dig threw in a further 150 for a single which I thought he was crazy but damn if I didnt get it in... was not easy but at the point I normally give up I had his voice telling me to push away from the bar and I was thinking just straighten the arms... it worked... nailed it and really happy with that, the idea was getting used to handling the weight when fatigued... I was duly fatigued... 

flyes - was thinking of starting on 20 but took a cup of mtfu and hit 25 instead, pleased I did, was about it though, have not done these for a long time. Got 10 reps at 25 but the 10th was tough... dropped to 20 and got a good 12 which felt pretty good, chest was feeling it by then... did another set at 20 and damn it hit my chest hard... felt great though...

was fired up, then felt off then refired up right when I needed it... really good session and really happy with it... chest is feeling it hard now but good... legs a little sore from yesterday and squats but they coped well... had a hot bath to ease out the pain... worked ok... deads tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1, 260x1

280x2+1p

BOR

160x6

140x12

100x13

Chins

BW+15kg x6

BW+5kg x9

BWx10

um well that was not as planned... started late as daughters bus was late, had slight altercation with old man who parked like a pr1ck (on foot path car out into road blocking me in) and then it was so hot and humid it wasnt funny, we are in for one hell of a storm...

Deads - warm ups were ok but focus was not really there... got to 260 and was seriously gassing... couldnt seem to get air in... 280 was feeling a bit more with it, first 2 were pretty good, third I tried taking some air in at the top and just couldnt get it in so half way up things went grey... had to let it go and luckily managed to lean on upright of rack so I didnt fall over... first time ever doing that with deads... happy with how the first two reps went, p1ssed I missed the 3rd cause of some panty waist breathing thing...

BOR - 160 was not easy... got the 6 in and felt that was it... I mean totally end of work out... sacked up and went for the 140 which I controlled really well and had very little if any momentum... back was feeling it and breathing was pants... felt ill... down to 100 which was supposed to be uber controlled and no momentum at all... nailed it... back was in bits after this and seriously wanted to stop...

Chins - +15kg was hard, no two ways about it... +5kg was better and felt pretty decent... BW was dead hang and I really did not think I was going to get it... damn if I didnt... hurt though...

probably one of the hardest sessions I have had in a while, couldnt focus, heat was stupid and couple with humidity was just redonkulous... wanted to stop pretty every set from deads... but Digs voice was there pushing me on... although tbh some of the names he was calling me were just a bit beyond the pale... I am fvcked... that is all...

oh and I have sent in my entry form so its all done... lifting on sunday 05 Jul...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5

100x10

DB press

36x15

Dips

BW+20kg x6

BW+10kg x14

TPD

40x2x10

40x17

quick light one today...

Bench - wow, warm ups felt so light and easy... 80 just didnt feel like 80 at all... did 100 and it was fast, smooth and strong... never done 100kg that easily before and no stops or stuttering, just repped out and even had a few more there too...

DB press - very nice, did not think it was going to be as smooth as it was, first 13 went up easily and no stops took a breath then got the next 2, 15 was a bit of a tough one though... squeezed it out at the top... chest well pumped and feeling it now...

Dips - started the first set and felt my palm hurting as I had the wrong placement on the handles... got to 6 and just had to stop... found a much better placement for the 10kg set and it went much better...

TPD - again really great sets, easy first 2 and the last was a 10+ so went for it and got a surprising 17... very happy with that...

great little workout today... just so on and felt awesome... quick session though but only a few working sets so to be expected... really crappy nights sleep last night and appetite is all over the place lately but think its probably a case of coming up to the over reaching bit and in a couple of weeks will be in the pre comp week so will recover and then hit over compensation hopefully right on the head... loving training atm... Dig is pushing it good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1, 230x1

245x3

2ct Paused squats

200x3x3

GHR

BWx 10, 8

oh so glad that was short... it wasnt sweet... nope...

Squats - warm ups felt awesome... 160 hams on calves and easy, 190 hams on calves and easy... 210 felt great and deep, 230 was right on the money... 245 felt better on the back than I expected tbh... first 2 reps were good, great depth and fired up if not fast then at least well... the last one though was a close call depth wise, at least parallel still if not below, but man a real fight up... got it though... cried a little and then legs walked off in a huff...

2ct - looking to be as explosive as possible this week... mission accomplished... 200 felt light and form felt tight... got right down and powered right up... felt good but man legs not happy...

GHR - oh dammit... just a quick simple bw couple of sets... still managed to hit the hams and glutes pretty decently... had to reposition the knees further in the middle and toward the edge of the bent as heard a slight cracking sound which might be the wood of the bench seat going...

short sharp and shiiiiiit that was hard work out today... happy enough with the squats, that last one was a bit touch and go but still something I wouldnt have even entertained going for a while back... weighed myself today too and was 112.6kg which is a few kg down from a couple or 3 weeks ago... combination of a couple of things but mostly all ok now... well done in now... hot bath I think...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench (comp pause)

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2

110x2

120x2

127.5x1

135x1

140x3x1

2bd

145x2x1

WGBP

120x3x3

DB Flyes

25x12

25x11

holy jebus, chest is so sore now... didnt think it was going to go well today as forearm/elbow was giving me a few problems...

Bench - felt a bit off today, said niggles making me a bit hesitant lowering the bar... still went ok though... got 3 singles at 140 and they felt very decent... no problems at all actually... however didnt really get the leg drive working in time but still did them well enough...

2bd - felt pretty good tbh... happy with these and got a better leg drive off the second rep...

WGBP - did not think this would go well as was pretty done by now... first two sets I hit the safeties but still got the weight up fine which is something that I doubt would have happened in the past... 3rd set managed much better...

Flyes - oh man just finished the chest off... the last set esp killed...

great session today... really happy with how its going and cannot wait to hit the platform... deads tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 275x1

295x2

Rev grip PD

100x12

90x14

Low Rows

125x13

85x16

annnnd done... had to postpone this from friday as friday I was tanked, combination of hayfever and no sleep thu night just wiped me out... slept fri night from like 930pm till 11 sat morn then in bed and out at 10pm till 10 sun morning and needed it... appetite back, ill feeling pretty much gone...

Deads - warm ups went pretty well, was going to have a nap before training to get a bit of voom but spent the afternoon visualising the lift and getting myself ready for it, far too hyped for napping lol... got to 275 and felt pretty decent, sat and quietly rocked back and forth getting the lift set in my mind... really psyching up for it... took the bar and BAM baby, went up much quicker than I expected, went for the second rep and hell yeah nailed... target was 2 reps but think a third was there if pushing it too... really happy with it...

Rev PD - went better than I thought as was pretty done from deads, but got a great squeeze in lats and felt my back working hard... really pleased here too...

Low rows - ok done now and wanted to stop... got down to business though as what am I a crossfitter  first set went pretty decently... got an extra rep out and only cried once... back was just a mass of pain about now... second set a few deep breaths and the first 10 or so reps flew then hit the wall... last 4 reps were hard and last 2 were slllooooowwww... nailed though and totally knackered...

last big dead day before the comp... really wanted it to be a good one and it freaking was... very happy with the deads and at how quick they went, did not expect that... now if that is how it goes on the day I will be awesomely happy... back is in bits now though but in a great way... my flight is all set and will be lifting on the sunday probably in the afternoon... theres a few more 110kg lifters than I thought but that adds to the flavour and competition... got a big bench day wed and even scarier squat day fri... bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

comp pause

100x3

115x3

125x1

135x1

140x1

145x1

145x1

WGBP

120x5

90x14

Deadstop EZ ext

40x10

30x20

25x23

Flyes

27.5x11+1p

20x17

wow... chest and tris are done... feeling it a lot now and prob one of the best bench sessions have had tbh...

Bench - warm ups ok but when changed to comp pause leg drive was not connecting and was a bit frustrating tbh... by 140 I managed to get the timing much better and 140 felt good... 145 it was better too and both singles went up a lot quicker than I expected they would... even the second one didnt feel slower or too heavy... very nice...

WGBP - prob went a little early on the 120 and only managed 5 reps... last one was hard but did not give in as I might have in the past, made sure I got that in... 90 felt much better both in terms of bar movement and position...

dead stop ext - first set prob could have had another rep or 2 tbh... second set was all in and third just caned the tris... felt done after these... no aches pains or niggles though so happy with that...

Flyes - was tired and hot and sweaty... first set just missed the 12th and had to lower the db to the floor, well I say lower but mean drop under control... dropped the weight to 20 and did much better but chest was just done after...

yeah baby really enjoyed todays workout... glad the timing on leg drive started getting better right when it was most important... just have to translate that to the comp now... have found that I can push harder and get those reps that I wasnt getting before or just giving in... this is a plus and some progress in my book... just over a week to go and its platform time... last heavy session on friday, squats and some fairly mean ones too... starting to think about openers now but will see how it all ties together...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1, 240x1

260x2

Paused squats 2ct

210x3x3

GHR

BW+10kg x2x5

BWx10

oh jebus... just jebus... dammit jebus...

Squats - warm ups went awesome... 240 felt great and was good... 260... took the bar felt ok... did 1st rep and it felt ok... however kicking myself here, rushed the 2nd rep and it didnt feel as good, slightly high too which is pants... need to take more time and stay tight and upright as the first one... legs done a bit after this... belt was feeling tight... sweat pouring off...

2ct - oh man... why Dig, why... first set was not as explosive as should be but still quick... 2nd set first rep felt good, 2nd I went forward in the hole and had to muscle the weight up and 3rd was ok... 3rd set was awesome... everything was on and tight and as should be, probably because I had to focus hard as I really didnt want to do it... very tired and hot... shirt soaked...

ghr - ffs Dig really... adding that 10kg makes a diff... first set a little wobbly but ok, second set the form was better and felt more in hams and glutes, which freaking killed... 3rd set was bw only and started so easy, but by rep 7 hams just hurt... made the 10 though and then had a wee sit...

holy sheet, legs numb, hams and glutes are fvcked and testicles are freaking aching... I can actually feel the blood flowing through my legs lol... great last heavy session with only a couple of irritating little hiccups... sitting more up in the squat is def making it feel better and helping with depth too I think... well just over a week to go and I hit the platform... a week to recover and super compensate and eat into the comp rather than watch weight too much (although I will have to be careful as slightly over atm but nothing drastic)... going to rest up as much as poss and sleep all the times of the day that I am not working or doing sh1t the wife wants me to do (but want be getting done cos lets face it its the last week before comp so good luck to her  )...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *paused from here* 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

125x1

Overload 10s hold

140x1

160x1

170x1

DB press

30x2x10

Dips

BWx2x8

fin... nice easy one today

Bench - found a really good bench position and groove today, need to carry that over to sunday and make sure it gives me the max it can on moving that weight... still working leg drive but it still needs work... 125 flew up and felt really tight, didnt even bother puting on the safeties for today tbh...

Overload - all good here, 170 felt good to unrack and hold tbh, better than it has in the past... dare I think lol...

DB press - piece of cake... first few on the first set were a little wobbly but once found the line it was easy and smooth...

Dips - felt very funny not puting any weight round my waist and felt easy... really good and smooth...

well thats that... nothing now till sunday when I lift in the finals... looking forward to it tbh... all seems ready and the plan has been talked over with the coach and sorted... he has got me freaking water loading now too... son of a b.... um good plan coach  and its a pain in the rear... loads of water till friday then sod all then weigh in fri... will weigh myself tomorrow to see where I am... food stays the same really just eat and make sure get it in... all the remains now is to lift the fvcking weights on the day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Comp day

Hmmm where to begin... well first making weight was a bit harder than expected, or usual... got down to 110.5kg friday night on the comp scales and thought brill nothing more needing doing, Dig was happy and I even got to eat (8oz steak dinner, steak was good but the rest was freaking horrible which was a blessing as it turned out) and have an extra drink (non alcoholic)... went to bed thinking will be piece of p1ss to make weight as will sweat it off overnight as it was so warm, then the thunderstorm happened... cooled right down but didnt think much of it... woke early as had to do weigh ins... did some and then weighed myself... 110.4kg... dammit... weigh in was at 0900... hmmmm... went to loo... 110.3 ffs.... did some jumping around and stuff... 110.2... oh good gravy... weighed more in, then about 0830 weighed myself again and 110.0 woooot... texted one of the girls who does weigh ins to come to the room to confirm and then found another chap who could do it so jumped on scales... 110.2... oh fml... had to take off chain with ring round me neck and my boxers then got back on and 110.0 standing there stark naked and then the girl walks in the room... sigh....

ok weight made, day of reffing eating and sinking the fluids then sleep at hotel...

Woke feeling pretty good, little tired but nothing too bad... had brekkie got all my bits and headed to venue... started all my pre comp stuff and got set up... warm ups for squats with a bunch of the others and the started off ok, 145 felt a bit heavy though, even one of the others commented on that lol... one chap (masters lifter) missed the hooks on re racking the bar and hurt his back... I made a comment about old age and injuries... karma heard and thought that day she would be a b1tch... sigh... 2 sets later I did the same thing and twisted the right hurt something in my lower back/glute area... continued though and up to 225 felt ok, form check from a friend who was spotting and he said it was spot on... awesome... out to platform and did my opener at 240... went ok I thought although right side was sore and a bit tight... got 2 whites but that changed to 2 reds so missed that lift...

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took it again for second attempt and nailed it

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set 260 as my final attempt both a comp pb and record and one I was pretty confident at getting as have done it in the gym... however it did not go how I would like, from the hole started to drive up and right side stopped, just nothing firing at all, one of the refs asked if I had pulled something as it looked wrong... great...

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back was pretty sore by this time... started to warm up for bench and tried a sneaky 100kg pull and it didnt go past the knees... back was not happy... forgot to bring in my ibuprofen as well so that made things worse, but luckily a mate had some so he passed me 2, I asked for 4 and took them... kept on with bench warm up... that went pretty well... got to 125 and it flew up nicely... was done and ready... feeling pretty good... then we had a delay in proceedings... became less happy... had to re do the 125 (still fired up and felt good)... then down to business...

Bench 1 was to be 137.5kg and I was feeling pretty confident... went out lay down did it and got up... very decent... although back was a bit painful it didnt interfere with the lift at all only getting off the bench...

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on to bench 2 at 145 and feeling better now and more switched on... set up on the bench felt good and again good lift... felt pretty comfortable and I was confident of hitting better...

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152.5 another pb and record attempt... was pretty excited by this and really really wanted it... as 145 went so well I didnt think it would go any other way except a pass and with Liam offering some advice on the 145 attempt that made the lift a bit easier I thought bam baby its on... except I forgot to do the same thing as I had done with the 145 and it didnt go so well sigh... however it didnt feel hard, just need to remember the cues and do all the things I need to do to get the lift...

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aaaaand time for deadlifts... tbh I was thinking of missing these or just doing a token... but a couple of the other lifters rallied me (@CJ David was one mate and damn glad I had the opportunity to lift with him that day) and I thought fvck it see how far I can get, might have to change my opener to a lower weight but I am here so lets smash it... warm ups went pretty well as it happened, 120 flew up felt easy and by this time the pills had kicked in and didnt feel bad... 160 again flew and felt awesome, 200 the same so it was one... went 240 then 270 and still felt great... as long as I stayed on the line and had good form it was ok... I did forget to chalk up though lol, 270 without chalk is not too bad...

opener at 290 was a bit tough tbh and one of the others said it looked painful... but it went up... not what I wanted it to feel like tbh but you get what you get on the platform...

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threw caution to the wind and thought if I am going to mess myself up then lets do it in style and took 310 as my second attempt... this felt much better, line was better and just went up nicely... now this is more like it...

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oh yeah really focused and so on so third attempt was for 322.5 another record and pb attempt... so wanted this, so so wanted this... however it was not to be, got to my knees and nope, hips shot up too quick and the bar twisted a little... not gonna lie this one hurt... dammit so wanted the day to run to form... still got a 695 total and did deads which I was thinking of sacking at one stage... have a vid but its like a min of me stalking up and down getting ready for the lift and then seeing me hit my knees... I would edit it down but dont know how to do that either on youtube or with my laptop... old age









So lifts were

Squat 240
Bench 145
Deads 310
Total 695

feeling wrecked today tbh, got the usual post comp hit by a train feeling and my back is killing me, not sure if I was right on for pushing through and doing what I love or right stupid for pushing too hard and risking further injury lol... still had a great day (few issues there tbh and it could have been run better imho) but lifting with the other lads was awesome and that makes my day...


----------



## Greyphantom

ok cant figure out how to link in the youtube things... soooo will work it out later...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x2

70/75/80/85/90/95/100/105/110/115/120/125/130/135 x2

WGBP
90x2x7

DB press
30x2x10

nice start back...

Bench - Dig sent through a bit of a form and technique adjustment and orders were to go up to something moderately heavy... brought feet further back so up on toes, right up on traps and have to stop that "annoying thing where I set up and extend upwards and then drop it again" (his words lol)... also concentrated on the knuckle roll that @LittleLiam suggested at the comp... felt very uncomfortable to start and just got more uncomfortable lol... up on toes, legs tight not sure I got much leg drive from this set up, arched back up on traps and cutting of wind pipe to the point I felt like I was choking... didnt start feeling heavy till about 130... went to 135 as still felt comfortable enough just was harder maintaining form and back was a little sore... the knuckle roll works well too... now to make sure I lock all this in and keep it going... also seemed to feel it more on the front delts than usual... not a lot just more than normal...

WGBP - goal to maintain the setup as much as poss and just get the sets in... kept the form going and also used the knuckle roll here, felt very easy and pretty awesome...

DB press - again no difficulty at all... easy and swift... felt best it has and I think I might get another 4 10kg plates so this would mean I could go to 50kg...

actually a great session, first one back since comp, glute/lower back area is feeling great, pain pretty much gone by sat and swelling was down too (from one side I had the beyonce butt, the other was miley cyrus







) and it gave no hassle at all today even maintaining that arch and tight setup... spinal erectors feeling it after that... new setup feels odd atm but it seems to be working... onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats Hi bar, close stance
WU 70x2x5, 110x5

140x3x5

Front squats (raised heel, crossed arms)
60/70/80/90/100/110 x3

short and sweat... no thats not a typo, was sweaty as hell... not that warm but pretty humid...

Squats - changed to hi bar setup and close stance to hit the quads more... and it worked... felt it far more in the quads today and less in hams and glutes... weight not a bother, squats nice and deep, good feeling too and only the memory of an ache in the lower back/glute area I pulled... stretching and the mrs elbow ftw...

Front squats - go up in sets of 3 till hit a moderate weight... also raised my heels on 2.5kg plates which I dont normally like to do... this time I crossed my arms and it felt much better in terms of stability and prob not so much better in terms of choking me lol... weight felt light till about 100 then 110 felt about the point where I needed focus on the form to make sure I nailed it... so left it there... quads def feeling it and veins were even popping through...

really enjoyed todays session, in fact the last two days I have found my mood elevated and outlook a bit better as last week I think I was just p1ssy that the comp was over and I was injured and I wasnt lifting... life just seemed a pain in the ar$e and there were a couple of hairy days where I was just fvcking over it... thinking China looked good lol... much better now and back on an even keel... weighed myself this morning at 112.7kg as a mate asked me yesterday if I was bulking as I was looking bigger lol... not too much of a loss since comp day given my eating has not been up at the normal level and was a bit haphazard... back to eating as normal now so should see a bit of a climb but not going to worry too much over the next couple of weeks... looking forward to the next session which is bench...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5

60/70/75/80/85/90/95/100/105/110/115/120/125/130 x3

135x1

2bd bench
110x5
120x5
130x3

OHP
WU 50x5, 60x5

75x8

Dips
BWx1x12
BWx1x11

holy buffalo...

Bench - all felt pretty good but as weight started climbing chest started getting more and more sore, and keeping form was more difficult... heat and humidity was high and sweat was copious... by the time I got to 130 keeping tight was difficult but ok... when I went to do the 135 triple and it just was about it... body was feeling it... the new form seems to be working well... pressing seems better from this position and the knuckle roll works nicely... chest was feeling very sore by the end but in a worked it hard kind of way...

2bd - first 2 sets felt good but again on the last set got to the 3rd and body was like... um no not today... just think I was a little off line which made it more difficult...

OHP - felt pretty good as it happens, got a good groove working and form was nice... 75 went up easy enough for 8 but I am not 100% sure that 80 would have...

Dips - were easier than I expected... very decent reps and smooth... felt great and once done was wrecked...

heat and humidity was a killer today, sweat was dripping off me and chest ruined... really enjoyed the session and feeling the new changes working their magic as pressing seems easier and the 130 went really well, still uncomfortable to hold for a bit but will probably become better as I get more used to it... feels a little more natural today than the other day... cant believe the ache in my chest... tris a little sore and shoulders feeling it too but chest is hammered...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads (but no deads)

BOR
WU 60x5, 100x5, 120x5

140x8

CG rev PD
80x4x10

LPR (seated rows)
100x4x10

DbC
22.5x13
20x14

oh damn that worked the back... and the biceps...

BOR - just working up to a mod-heavy 8 reps... prob should have gone 150 at least here as 140 was easy enough... possibly would have had 160 too I think...

CG PD - mod weight supposed to feel it work but not to failure... mission accomplished, think on the last set I might have squeezed out another rep possibly, just possibly 2 reps but man my lats were screaming and not happy and pumped...

LPR - same again on this ex... and again hit it right on I think... by the last set my back was crying and the pump was intense, felt awesome but damn the shakes were making it hard to write lol... tbh was feeling it by the second set but cracked on and it felt even better/worse by the 4th...

Db curls - just didnt want to... 22.5 felt not too bad tbh and prob should have gone 25 but in actual fact I am kinda glad I didnt as my arms were pumped and sore and the 20s didnt feel much lighter...

oh yeah felt that work my back and bis hard... back is in bits atm and I have the shakes... typing this out is fun... seem to hit some keys like 18 times and others not at all lol... looking forward to an ale or two tonight and some sleep...


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## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *new form* 80x3 100x2, 110x1

120x2
125x2
130x2
135x2x2
130x4x2

WGBP
100x2x7

DB press
30x2x12
30x10+1p

oh wow... freaking awesome session... chest in bits atm... fvcking LOVED it... well except for how uncomfortable the set up is... although thats cool as its working...

Bench - instructed to set up tighter more on traps and still working the knuckle roll and making sure I dont do the little push up before I start the rep... oh holy hell, got as tight as I could then screwed traps further into the bench, pulled hips more up and really worked on getting my neck flat as Dig has said... up on toes feet back and kept legs and everything tight... face felt like it was being pushed off and eyes popping out... however, all reps felt easy and flew up... descent of bar (which I generally do too slowly on the first rep at least) was much much better and the 2 sets of 135 felt brilliant... quick and fairly easy... the 130 for 4 sets of 2 were the big surprise, the first 3 felt fast and easy, the last one was not as fast but no less easy... chest starting to hum...

WGBP - while not heavy or that many reps was thinking it might be a little more difficult as did so well on the bench before... nope, freaking flew up and didnt present any trouble at all...

DB press - again thought might be a bit more trouble due to how well everything went up to now... first two sets flew though and felt great, third set got to 10 felt ok but 11th just stopped... chest is well done in now and feeling it...

oh yeah now that is how its supposed to go... if I could bottle that and take a swig for every workout that would be awesome... feeling it much more in my chest with this new set up and the bench is feeling great for once... Dig has made some great suggestions and it is so far paying a sh1t load of dividends...

going to take my son to boxing tonight and I am even going to have a go myself... not sure I will be able to punch worth a damn but should be fun and will be something we can do together (well sort of) and hopefully will be some good father son time...


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## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats hi bar narrow stance
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

180x2x5

2ct paused hi bar narrow
160x3

Front squats (raised heels on 2.5kg plates)
110x2x3
110x1 dammit...

argh, mixed day today...

Squats - felt good and comfortable, aim to get to a heavyish 5 and do another set at that weight... got to 180 and it felt about right however in retrospect I think I might have had 190 ok and maybe at a big push 200... felt it working my quads well and form was decent with good depth...

2ct paused - no problems at all and felt strong and easy enough... nice and deep here too... felt this when finished though...

front squats - here is where it fell apart... got the first two sets out easy... in fact weight felt light but the form was a bit wobbly on the first rep of first set then after that nailed it... took the weight for 3rd set (aim was 4x3) and down fine, coming up felt a twinge in left quad... racked the bar right away and left it there, stretched it out a bit and tested it, def a pull there, hopefully just a light one... really p1ssed me off as it was going so awesomely... think I might have had toes slightly more out on third set... just one of those things I guess...

sod all can do about it at least its not a really bad injury just a light pull (so far)... will massage area and stretch it out...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

2bd
WU 40x2x5, 60x5 *2bd* 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

120x3x5

OHP
WU 50x5, 65x5

75x2x8

Dips
BW+10kg x12, 10

yeah baby, great little session today...

Bench - felt really good and much easier than in the past... changed from the normal flat set up to the new tight and squeezy set up at 80kg and 80 felt like 40... def something there then, even taking the bar from the rack feels easier... all sets at 120 felt easy and quick, didnt even have the safeties on... in fact I didnt put them on till the 2nd set of 135 the other day either, just feels more stable and better to handle...

OHP - felt pretty good here too, first set was easy enough and the second only the last couple felt difficult...

Dips - felt very good... was thinking about 10 for the first set and managed a good 12... then got a good 10 on the second... felt it really well and happy with today...

started the day with a great brekkie with @JB got lunch in and then my preworkout monster... felt really good even though sleep is a bit all over the place atm... new set up seems to be triggering something in my bench atm... long may that continue... leg is feeling good, no soreness at all now only a little tightness but nothing serious... pretty pleased by that... deads tomorrow and then the mrs and wandering daughter return...


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## Greyphantom

Deads

Def deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x8

BOR
145x11

Low rows
110x2x8
110x12

DbC
25x12
20x16

oh holy holy jebus...

Def deads - felt really good, all warm ups flew and was aiming for about 220+ 210 felt so good went to 240... damn it went well... first 6 flew up and felt strong, 7th a little harder and 8th was tough, but I would have put money on a 9th being there but not sure I would have bet on a 10th... lost a bit of skin and a callus or two but its all good...

BOR - aim 8+ and after the deads wasnt feeling too energetic, but these went really well... 11th was a little tough might have had a 12th tbh but was gassing by now...

Low rows - oh yeah, just went well... first two sets easy enough, third I blasted through and got 12 felt it hitting me in the upper back and now its killing...

DbC - just was done now... but boss says lift more weight you lift more weight... so went and done it... arms a tad sore after the first set... positively screaming after the second...

oh damn I think I am going to be sore later... can feel it already and still have a load of stuff to do today... woo freaking hoo... hands shaking a bit and it takes a few goes to type properly lol... god I love training...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Bench 1
> 
> Bench
> 
> WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2
> 
> 120x2x5
> 
> 120x6
> 
> WGBP
> 
> 110x6
> 
> 110x7
> 
> DB flyes
> 
> 25x2x10
> 
> 25x13
> 
> oh yeah and so it continues...
> 
> Bench - again feels really really good... weight wise that is but the new form continues to become more uncomfortable as I try to get tighter and more up on traps... knuckle roll still working well... hammered out the first two sets and they felt really good and quite easy... last set thought well 5 would be a good go and got 6 so happy with that... will continue to tighten the form and get it working better and better...
> 
> WGBP - again felt better than expected... first set flew up and second set banged out 5, took a breath and got the next two well enough... felt really good...
> 
> DB flyes - first set felt a little off, second and third sets though were amazing... got 13 on the final set and that was totally unexpected but very welcome... chest done and felt worked...
> 
> great training session again today... bench continues to get better and feel better utilising Digs form and technique changes and that little tip from Liam... actually starting to like bench now... form is hard to maintain for the higher reps though (over 3 lol) and feels very uncomfortable but its working well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats (hi bar, narrow stance)
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

185x1x5
*belt on*
185x2x5

Paused 2ct squat hi bar form
165x1

thats it... leg went tight on that one so called it a day there, just about but not quite a pull there... now its feeling ok...

Squats - really wary of the leg tbh and this showed in how hard the lift felt compared to me just belting them out... up to the first set of 185 and it was ok but 185 felt harder than it should then I realised I was favouring the left leg as it was the one I did the mischief to last week so focused on pushing with both and keeping knees out all through the lift... put belt on as well for the last two sets and it was much better and felt stronger, kept everything tight and form was better... leg felt ok as it happens...

Paused squats 2 ct - ok so this was a step too far it seems... did the first rep and in the hole while counting to 2 I felt my leg tighten a bit and so just did the 1 rep... probably wise but still annoying...

oh well its not as fully recovered as I had hoped but at least I managed to get the main set done... going to have to book my girl to get that seen to so it completely heals... hot bath tonight and some more stretching etc... hopefully get a good nights sleep tonight too, been a few since had one of those...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2 (with no bench... huh??







)

OHP
WU 40x2x5, 55x5, 65x3, 75x3

85x2x5
85x7

Dips
BW+10kg x2x10
BW+10kg x14

Deadstop tri ext
40x10
30x15

nice little session...

OHP - warm ups felt good, no problems... 85 first set actually felt very good... could have done a few more reps easy... second set a little less easy but still went up really well... 3rd set set things tight and it flew up again... got to 7 and it was pretty shaky so left it there... felt really good though and shoulders nicely done...

Dips - wow first set was really easy... second set just as nice... went for a good third and hit 14 reps which was a surprise... felt toasted after that... good though...

Tri ext dead stop - did a light set at 20kg just to lubricate the elbows etc... went to 40 and did a pretty good 10, should have gone to 45 maybe even 50... dropped weight down and hit 15 pretty easily and again I should have gone 35 maybe 40... tris pretty much done by now...

great little session and felt really good... missed benching tbh, seems I am coming to like the bench now... god forbid... Deads session tomorrow... looking forward to that...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

250x8

Def sldl
180x6 (felt a bit easy so thought I should have tried 200)

so I did

200x6

Seated rows
115x2x8
115x11

EZ curls
52.5x10
47.5x11+1p
47.5x10

oh yeah now that was a session...

Deads - warm ups felt great, fast and smooth and just flew... 210 felt so good just jumped to 250... dont know what I am on atm but damn if they didnt fly... thought I would have trouble from about rep 5 but even rep 8 was pretty decent... blowing out my rear but felt great... was from the floor this week...

SLDL - yeah this really hit the hams and lower back and glutes... first set I knew was too light really after 3rd rep... nailed an easy 6 then thought should have done 200 so fvck it I did... and got a good 6, bit harder than 180 and probably could have got 210 tbh maybe a very very hard 220... back was feeling pumped after this but not too bad...

Rows - again really good, first 2 sets straight forward third set really made it bite... upper and lower back pretty much done at this stage...

EZ curls - oh all thats holy why... first set was prob a little easy tbh should have gone 55 or maybe 60... 2nd two sets were much more on the money...

jebus a good training session and felt it kicking my ar$e all over... but man felt so good doing it lol... training is flying along atm which is great...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

125x3x4

WGBP
115x2x6

Flyes
25x3x12

not too shabby... bit tired today, long day already when went to train... sleep is a bit better but could do with a couple more hours quality...

Bench - warm ups felt good, first set of 125 was a bit all over the place... didnt set up right really and wasnt doing the things during the lift that make it better... (you know knuckle roll, leg drive etc)... next 2 sets though were great and really much better... set up was much tighter, legs better, drive better, roll better, kept really tight and @Dig felt my lats and tris engaging too... breathing is hard was wind pipe feels a bit cut off when right up on traps but its worth it to make the lift better...

WGBP - first set was really good... very happy and form right on... second set started brilliantly, first 5 went really well and quick, 6th went up so well was already thinking of 7th and thats when things reminded me to focus on the task at hand, or at least the rep I was on... hit the j hooks and it just threw me off... luckily I missed my little finger as that could have been an owie... but happy with the feel and speed of both sets here...

Flyes - no problems presented here, even the 3rd set felt decent and only really tight on the 11th/12th rep...

feel really good and worked... just need to keep focused and make sure I set up right and get all the components of the lift working... it makes a massive difference as I felt today... was a bit worried tbh at that first set of bench and was thinking why on earth is it more difficult, then after some review I realised a few key points hadnt been put into play... stupid GP







however once I made sure they were there BAM baby... Dig has def made some huge improvements thus far with my form, cannot remember things feeling this good (although tbf maintaining the form is uncomfortable but I take that as a sign I am doing it right, esp when the weight springs up nicely)... bit tired today, long morning and a few bits this afternoon to deal with but all in all it turned out ok...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5

160x5x5

Front squats
110x3x3

job jobbed... leg held up fine, the memory of an ache is all but nothing sore or tight there at all, very happy...

Squats - aim to be explosive to the point that the bar is jumping off back... first set was a bit slow and controlled but was feeling out the leg... leg fine so crack on sets 2-5 awesome... fast bar leaving shoulders and actually jumped a few times as well... not one set felt heavy... sat back nicely and kept legs out and tight... squats were normal stance this week...

front squats - bit apprehensive as tweaked the leg on these... didnt use plates under heels this time, feet flat and stance slightly wider... first set bam baby... second set first 2 really good third elbows dipped but not too bad... 3rd set first 2 reps again were good but 3rd elbows dipped again... still cracked them out ok kept form fairly decent...

oh yeah legs all good and feeling ok... although feeling it now... in such a good way...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2 (soon to be renamed press day







)

OHP
WU 40x2x5, 50x5, 60x3, 70x3

80x3x7

Dips
BW+15kg x2x8
BW+15kg x1x10

Dead stop ez ext
45x2x10
35x19

bit tired today, sleeps not been the most restive of late and not even been able to get a nap in here or there...

OHP - felt good and strong, making sure the reps are quick helps with the power from the bottom of the lift for sure... aim on 3rd set was for 7+ and I thought I would get 8 or even 9 but on 7 it was like I hit a wall and just had to rack the bar... oh well next time...

Dips - really good again today, felt really decent in tris and chest and made sure loads of power from the bottom to make sure the reps were good and quick and felt it all... last set got a good 10, doubt the 11th was there tbh...

Dead stop ext - oh yeah these hit the tris pretty well... felt a good pump and tris were pleasantly fried... well I say pleasantly but they tingled a little...

good workout today but def feeling a bit harder as pretty tired, sleep has been all over the place, usually broken and I might get say 2 hours solid a night with the rest snoozing really... just seems that the brain just decides to switch on and atm is not too happy switching off... stupid brain... should have had more on the ohp on that last set tbh, dips were really decent and so were the ext... feel good now as only one can after hitting the iron...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x2

260x7

Coan SLDL
120x6
140x6
160x6

140x10

BOR
150x9

EZ curls
55x10
50x10
50x12

oh all thats good and holy, shoot me... shoot me now... or at least pass a brother a beer ffs...

Deads - warm ups went well keeping bar close to body and getting it as fast as poss off the floor... 240 felt fine and didnt think there would be any problem with 260... yep awesome... first 5 went up nicely 6th was a bit harder, changed grip from left over to left under (alt grip still) and pulled another off the floor, contemplated an 8th but left it there, not sure it was there tbh... still felt pretty decent getting that 7th after such a long pause...

Coan SLDL - oh all thats holy... very different from the normal sldl and damn if it didnt hit the hams hard, some glute activation there but not as much as on the normal... the 160 was ok but man it made me work for it... kept midsection tight as His Coaness said in the vid Dig sent me and it just killed me... down set of 140 I managed to hit 10... but it hit me back pretty hard tbh...

BOR - oh jebus save me... didnt expect too much here but got out the first 6 ok, slowed a little on 7 and 8 and 9 was just a grind... done in now, didnt want to do anything else... even if Anne Hathaway herself appeared naked before me I would have passed...

EZ curls - oh yeah just what you want to finish a grueling back session... went alright as it happens... biceps got a heck of a workout though...

fvck me it was awesome today... awesome hard, awesome enjoyed it, awesome enjoyed it more when I finished lol... back is done... just done... hams are actually tingling and I think I might be in for some cramping later tonight, thanks Dig... shaking still has not stopped and its been like 20mins... atm training seems to be kicked up a notch... going to ride that wave till I hit some decent numbers... tfif, means there must be a beer there surely...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Bench 1
> 
> Bench (paused count to 2 then give press command)
> 
> WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x3
> 
> 110x3x3
> 
> DB ext
> 
> 10x3x10
> 
> DB press
> 
> 25x3x10
> 
> Bit of a light one today, doing a deload before the next bench session which is a pretty decent one...
> 
> Bench - no problems here, had a ropey second set but thats because I let my form loosen, tightened it back up for 3rd set and BAM all good and easy... pause was no bother...
> 
> DB ext - have not done these for ages... single arm felt pretty decent and felt it working nicely, weight a little light 12.5 would have been better and 15 might have been ok... something to aim for...
> 
> DB press - felt very light today and weight flew up... no problem at all here...
> 
> good little session... hams and glutes still sore from fri lol but back is all good... got a good squat session tomorrow and then pretty tough bench session on thu then a no deads dead day on fri... again bit of a deload before we start another big cycle...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 180x2, 200x1

220x5

Paused squats (2ct) hi bar
160x3
180x3

Front squats
100x2
110x2
120x2

holy cow sweat much?? was pouring off me today...

Squats - back to normal stance and lower bar... warm ups felt pretty good and leg gave no problem at all... 220 prob the heaviest I have done since the comp and for reps... yay... still leg felt fine and gave no issues at all... 2nd rep was a bit ropey as just didnt stay tight and didnt focus properly, gave myself a stern talking to and the rest of them were really good and felt so much better, sat back better, back tighter and chest up and out... happy with these...

Paused squats - aim was 160 for 3 and if that felt ok then up the weight... 160 was light and easy... felt strong and good so up to 180... felt a little harder but still not bad at all, quads were sore now but in a good way...

Front squats - felt awesome today... everything seemed to fall into place form wise and weights presented no difficulty at all... really really happy with these today hoping to capitalise on how it went today and do better next time...

tired but good today, everything went about as well as one could expect, wish I could have got a rep or two more on the squats but played it a little safe re the leg, should have pushed for one more I think... onwards and upwards from here...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

well due to having a bit of a fall this morning I wasnt sure how it would go... had trouble with my feet, massive scrape etc on stomach, left bi and tri in a bit of discomfort, and when I started the warm up on my right I felt it pull and discovered a few other lumps bumps and scrapes... great... and today the boss wanted to test me a bit... yeah...

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 100x3, 110x1, 120x1

125x2
132.5x2
140x2
132.5x3x2

OHP
WU 60x5, 70x3

80x4
90x4
75x10

Deadstop ez ext
(60x4 ooops)
50x10
40x15

yeah baby, battered, bruised and probably should have called it off but wtf are we... mortals...?? Hell no... tonight I dine in valhalla...

Bench - first few warm ups were a little loosening up exercise really, by the time I hit 80 it was just awesome... really focused on the form and tightening as much as poss... 120 felt great and 125 was easy... 132.5 was even better but 140 the first awesome second I started to tighten up on the right side and pulled it slightly so it hit the j hooks but still managed to slam it up, it did not feel off in terms of weight or form at any time... very happy at this stage, wondering if I would manage the next three sets... and hell yeah I did... was great and pretty easy... the last set I could have done another rep easy and maybe got another again...

OHP - went pretty well, little soreness in some of the scrapes and battered joints but ok... on the 90kg set the 4th was a little rough but went up... 75 down set was great and happy I got 10...

Ext - yeah this one started a bit off, loaded the bar and thought holy sheet this feels heavy, then counted the weight again and realised I had loaded 60kg and not 50... sigh... soooo reloaded it to the correct weight and it was much better... tris were battered after and I was done...

hell of a start to the day, slipped on a beam and ended up a bit bruised for the experience... but managed to pull a pretty decent bench day out of it... think I might have passed the test hey @Dig







... weather has been awful today too massive downpours and huge thunder and lightening... hence me being up on the roof (well where the roof was) as had to put a bucket or two up to catch some drips... internet down for most of the day too so living like stone age heathens ffs







sore but buzzing...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day with no deads









BOR
WU 100x5, 130x5

155x10

Seated rows
110x4x10

Lat pulldowns
85x2x10 (left it there)

felt pretty sore today and tried to set up some things at the house which didnt work out so lots of effort for nothing...

BOR - felt pretty good in the back, but left bi was pulling quite a bit...

Seated rows - really good through my back but the left bi was pulling more and I was thinking about just stopping but managed the 4 sets ok... back was feeling it by the end so was working as it should...

Lat PD - ok this is where my left bi just gave up really, pulled a lot on the first set and I just managed to squeeze out the second that bicep just didnt want to know... left it there but still had a good feeling in the back...

stupid falling through the ceiling... sigh... at least it was not a big deads day... going to try for some good sleep at the weekend and get some healing done... ribs are a bit sore today too, probably from where they hit the beam... sweating like a fat bloke in a cake shop as well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *2bd* 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

120x10
110x12

WGBP
100x11

Flyes (rest/pause 15 breaths)
25x15/5+1p/5

yeah what a day...

2bd - warm ups felt really easy... was just really switched on... hit the first set and target was 6+ smashed that I think, just felt really good and kept tight and focused... second set target was 7+... BAM baby cannot believe it all came together so well... chest was feeling it a lot by the end...

WGBP - hoping for 8 or 9 here then hit 11 now thats how its done... again just kept tight and focused and got it all working along with some good leg drive... felt awesome and chest very sore by the end of this...

Flyes - man chest was feeling it now and really happy I managed to get 15 out on the first bit but then chest went bye bye and only managed a couple of 5s on the remaining "sets"...

really really happy with todays training... @Dig has actually got me liking and looking forward to Bench days... the horror lol... chest is feeling it so much and its such a good feeling...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 190x3, 210x1

230x4

Hi bar paused 2ct (stance narrower)
170x3
190x3

Front squats
100x2
115x2
130x4

oh god so done...

Squats - first 2 sets were difficult to get under the bar as chest so stiff from yesterday... by 120 had loosened up and felt good... 190 felt better than 160 and 210 was comfortable... 230 first 2 were nice and went well, 3rd I thought went slow but the 4th showed me what slow really was lol... was difficult but got it up ok... after though I felt done, legs were humming and it took a few seconds to untighten from under the bar... then a few more to actually make the bench to sit for a bit...

Hi bar - 170 flew and felt no problem... first 2 on 190 felt fine but the 3rd went a bit slower than would have liked... no real problems here though... legs fairly singing after these though...

Front squats - getting to terms with these more and more... first 2 sets felt fine and no problem, reps were fast and smooth... 130 first 2 felt great, the 3rd was a little more difficult as the bar slipped a little, and the 4th the bar wanted to roll... need to work on keeping it still better as the weight itself is fine just the holding of the bar....

holy jebus... great session but man alive I felt that one as well... loving training atm, things are really kicking off and its good to feel so knackered and sore after lol... got a rest day tomorrow and then two more big sessions to end the week... yeah baby bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Bench 2
> 
> Bench
> 
> WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x1, 120x1, 125x1
> 
> 132.5x2
> 
> 140x1
> 
> 132.5x1
> 
> sigh... ok first really crap session in a while... started off ok as the warm ups went well and felt spot on and easy... got to 132.5 and still felt ok but tbh mentally it was a struggle to get into it and on the 140 pressing it out my elbow went off, very achey and sore and forearm feels like I have hit my funny bone, all numb and tingly... very odd... was supposed to get 140x2x2 and 132.5x3+... did try to get the last 132.5 but only managed 1 elbow was not playing ball and tbh just wasnt in it at all... p1ssed off a bit well quite a bit really... still deads tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

255x6 sigh

Coan SLDL
170x6

Seated pulley rows
120x8
120x14

DB curls
27.5x12
22.5x14

went into the session feeling a bit meh... just tired and out of sorts...

Deads - 120 felt ok, 170 a bit heavy tbh but then 210 flew up and 240 was awesome... 255, well what can I say, cocked up my breathing a bit and by 5 was still holding it instead of working it... 6th changed grip to other alternating as callus was a bit ripped (only skin) and 7th just couldnt get air in at all, everytime I went to get into position started gassing... target was 8 so missed 2 which should have happened... felt a bit sh1tty after this tbh, wanted to cry and sack it in and hit the pub well the fridge for a couple of bottles of port (one is a 10 year tawny) and get one on, but atm lifting is life so slapped self, cup of mtfu and got on...

Coans - jebus these hit the hams and glutes hard... first 3 was thinking not bad by 6th was thinking of falling over... really good set and got me back on track...

Seated rows - again smashed these out, they felt really good... made my back feel really bad though lol, in a good way of course... second set was a surprise... thought I might get 12 and hit 14... shaking a bit after though...

DB curls - first set felt ok, much better in the forearms and the bi that was hurt felt nothing but the lifting... second set was actually harder believe it or not... managed 14 was hoping for 15... arms sore, back sore its time to hit the lucosade...

not a bad session in the end... bit miffed I missed the 2 reps on the deads as I should have had that no problem... but session ended up going well... feeling much better after that and on for the weekend of diy and housework... fvcking joy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *2bd* 80x4

100x3x6

Deadstop ez ext
40x10
30x15

Dips
BWx2x10

ok the start of a deload or light week...

2bd - really worked technique and form and made sure the bar moved fast and easy... it was indeed fast and easy and tbh 100kg has never felt so light... every rep was paused for a sec on the "chest"...

Deadstops - nothing too difficult here either... first set felt fine and again just worked the technique, making it a little better... second set worked on speed and power from the stop, felt really good...

Dips - again just felt fine, nothing hard but was not really easy either as really concentrated on working the tris and making sure they were hit well...

Good session today but tbh was a little miffed at going light after going so so well but then this is where the huge benefit of having a good coach hits home, I would have kept pushing and pushing and just trying to hit heavy week after week and this can lead to possible burn out, possible my ar$e definite is the right word there... as a coach of sorts myself I know this and have remonstrated with clients over taking a break from the heavy stuff when it was needed... so objectively I should know this but for some reason I just want to keep pushing lol... Dig has succinctly and in no uncertain terms explained why this is a light week so he must be obeyed...

Also have to make a D about the worlds in the next few weeks... @Dig will need to discuss some things with you...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Hi bar squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

180x2x5

Hi bar paused 2ct
160x3

*belt on*

Front squats
140x2x2

postponed from yesterday as had to build my son his new bed from ikea... man thats a strong mental exercise...

Squats - all comfortable, first set was just getting the legs working right... then everything felt good... was thinking that when I took 160 off the rack it felt heavy but reps felt light... same with 180... sat back nicely and kept tight...

Paused - kept this hi bar but tbh wasnt sure if it was to follow on from main sets or should change to normal... felt good worked on getting the bar to keep moving up so it almost came off shoulders...

Front squats - first attempt at these didnt go well, didnt get the bar set right and so when I tried to first rep it basically rolled off my arms... stupid set up... reset and voila how good did it feel and how different... first was a bit wobbly but second spot on, hit quads really well... 2nd set much better and again set up felt solid... slammed both reps felt good... heavier now though... also put belt on for these as felt better... think this is my first go at 140...??

good enough session feeling a bit off as tired and now bit head achy... but feeling happy with the session... mrs is home for the next few days so might be a bit scarce on the forums...


----------



## Greyphantom

Thu 27 Aug 15

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x4x5

WGBP
95x2x8

DB press
30x2x10

fighting off a cold thanks to the mrs and had the toothache from hell... really wasnt into it... buuuut, somewhat surprisingly had a brilliant session...

Bench - warm ups felt ok, 100 felt a bit iffy but light enough... 115 1st set flew... 2nd set even better and third just easy... 4th set first 4 went as quick and smooth the 5th was a little slower... not by much though... loved it... felt awesome after this and what fvcking cold/toothache...

WGBP - hot off the success of bench this was the same... smooth fast and no bother...

DB press - again couldnt believe how light this felt... expected it to feel heavier but bam just smooth and easy...

still feeling pants today, tooth is a little better but may need to see a dentist... dammit I hate dentists... cold feels like its just on hold atm so we will see, have a comp to ref tomorrow in folkestone so I will be drugged up and see how it goes, better today but...

had a moment or two to reflect after yesterdays session and I can remember when 1 set of 5 at 115 was a huge ask let alone blasting out 4 sets and them being easy... it wasnt that long ago either tbh... happy with that... working the technique that Dig suggested and that knuckle roll that Liam told me about and its coming together... lol I can also remember when 100 for 1 was a huge achievement let alone wgbp 95 for 2 sets of 8... loving it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 160x5

180x5
160x5

BOR
110x8
90x8

Pulldowns
80x3x10

DB curls
20x2x12
20x15

done, easy light workout today... actually I think all my deads were warm ups lol...

Deads - no problems there, light easy fast and smooth, really focused on them coming fast off the floor and getting the hips through hard and fast... all good

BOR - was debating straps or no straps at first, thought well if 110 feels a bit heavy then can just quickly put them on... pffft heavy my ar$e... light as hell and very smooth... felt really good and kept the reps tight and made the positive portion powerful while slow on the neg...

PD - first 2 sets felt good, easy enough and no trouble really... 3rd got to about rep 7 and it started feeling it in my lats... used the normal grip palms forward which is diff from what I normally do (rev grip close in)...

DB curls - again thought they would be heavier... first two sets were quick and easy third got out 15 good reps which I really felt in the bis...

good session, deload week done and now to look forward to some heavy work... bring it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Mon 31 Aug 15
Bench 1

2bd
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *2bd* 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

120x3x5

OHP
WU 50x5, 65x5

75x2x8

Dips
BW+12.5x2x10

early session as had friends over for a bbq... mmmm bbq... all that meaty goodness...

Bench - felt really good no problems at all... cranked tight on the form and reps easy... really pleased...

OHP - again no problem at all, reps smooth and strong, felt good...

Dips - first set easy and just all straightforward... 2nd set last 2 reps were a bit of a challenge but done ok...

good session and a quick one too, kept the rest periods shorter to make it a bit tougher but also get through it faster... felt really good and back on track...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 190x2

210x2x5

Hi bar Paused 2ct
160x2x3

Front squats
125x3x3

another early day as got to meet up with the brother in law and his mrs this afternoon...

Squats - decent warm ups and felt good from the start... 190 felt very comfortable and I seemed to have just found the notch where everything set up tight and felt great... 210 1st set was really good... legs feeling it already after this though







and then had to do it again... again under the bar felt spot on and right... 1st 4 went really well the 5th felt a little slow... legs trembling and done after this though...

Paused - so of course throw in some paused squats... tbh felt fantastic and fast, very smooth... goal was to really crank them up and so I did... last rep on each set I made sure the bar was traveling so quick it left my shoulders... felt fine...

FS - still finding my feet with these so to speak... first set was really good and easy, smooth and quick... 2nd set I didnt set the bar right across my collar bone/shoulders so it was a little more awkward but on the 3rd nailed it and again went really good...

legs are hating on Dig right now... feeling worked and sore (good sore) and still a little shaky lol... best thing is all my niggles seem to have made themselves scarce atm so enjoying that a lot... rest day tomorrow and then normal bench on thu but an early deads session on fri as doing the theater lovey...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

bit p1ssed off by todays session tbh... you will see why...

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

105x4
115x3
125x6

WGBP
105x2x8

Db flyes
27.5x11
25x12

awwww come on...

Bench - was so up for it today, had been really really eager to get it started and nail it... warm ups felt great and instead of going 100 after 80 I just hit the first working set as given by the boss... 105 easy... 115 easy and feeling good... 125 BAM baby... first 5 were smooth quick and felt easy enough, 6th a little slow and past the target so even though I had at least 1 more there I got excited/brain dead and rack it... ffs it was only slightly slower than the 5th and def had at least the 7th there... dare I say an 8th... arrrrrgghhh... still feeling strong on BP atm...

WGBP - felt awesome even stopped the bar on my chest for like 5 seconds rep 5/6 to change grip slightly and then drove it up no problem... lol thats much more confident than I have been ever... second set the 8th rep was a little bit of a push but ok...

Flyes - these were fine... no problems with any of the reps really the last on each set was difficult but prob could have done another at a big push...

great session, aim was for 4+ on 125 and I know I could have had 7 easy enough with maybe 8 being there... miffed I didnt just take my head out of my ar$e and just nail it... still there for next time... chest is feeling good atm, worked but good... legs still have a bit of doms from tue and I can already feel chest and even tris for tomorrow and sat... wooot... deads tomorrow and a nice session there too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

230x5
250x5

BOR
150x10

Seated rows
120x2x8
120x12

DB curls
20x2x10
20x13

good session, back is feeling it and still got doms from squat and bench 2...

Deads - warm ups standard... 230 was quick and easy which was nice... 250 was nearly as easy and pretty quick, kept the bar close to legs which meant scraping some skin of shin and losing hair on quads... good job I call that









BOR - no problem here... felt good and strong... back hit very nicely...

Rows - quick and powerful pulling here, first 2 sets very comfortable... last one the last couple of reps were tough but not all out... back now calling me names and talking about leaving...

DB curls - again no problems here... felt really good and no niggles either which is awesome...

really good session today, nice to get a little bit of weight on the bar... a step closer to deciding whether or not to go to the worlds as I can lift open and M1 (masters 1) on the same day which means one lift for both cats... mrs has pretty much given me the all clear too... pretty much going... just need to get my head around a little break in training in oct... hmmm

feeling great atm... Dig has me humming in the gym and looking forward to each session, even the bench ones and I would have said that was impossible lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd
WU 40x2x5, 60x5 *2bd* 80x4, 100x3, 110x3

120x2x6

OHP
WU 50x5, 60x5

70x2x10

Dips
BW+15kg x12

great session short and sweet...

2bd - went really well, easy on the top sets and a lot more there but today was for focusing on form and technique and I had no feeling of soreness in lower back from keeping the position and so managed to squeeze a little more tightness in there and it still feels uncomfortable... got better timing on leg drive too and it was feeling good...

OHP - again went well... top sets smooth and easy enough... second set had to take a breath or two in the last 4 or 5 reps but weight was no issue...

Dips - wow went fast and smooth till about rep 11 then rep 12 was a squeeze... felt really good though...

very happy with todays session, setting me up for a good bench on thu... pretty much decided I am going to the worlds now even though I have a gap of about 11 days in oct due to family reasons I should still be able to work around that... I can enter M1 and open this year too for the first time so have a set of goals in mind... cannot wait now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats (delayed)

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 190x2, 210x1

225x4

Hi bar Paused 2ct
160x3x3 (last rep on each set 3ct)

FS
130x2
145x2

ooooh yeah... after yesterdays disaster and woes today was awesome... mrs gave my back a good going over yesterday (tweaked something on warm ups on first rep at 160 and it spasmed a few times that evening) she ended up walking all over it digging her heels in as muscles were rock hard, few creaks and cracks and this morning felt good as new, and just got better throughout the day... sooooo thought fvck it dive in bruv...

Squats - bit tentative tbh and took it really easy in terms of making sure set up was tight and good... felt really good and even 160 was a breeze... happy and then it all just went swimmingly... 190 flew up, 210 was comfortable and 225 I could have done a 5th but left it at 4 as told... had to remain as strict as possible and made sure the back was tight, chest out and sat back to remain more upright... seems to have done the trick...

Paused - supposed to be fast and feel good even if a 3ct... sooo I made the last rep on each set a 3ct and it was good, 3ct felt a lot longer than a 2 though lol... still the bar moved fast and easy and again coming off the shoulders a bit at the top...

FS - set up was spot on this week... right up against the throat and kept elbows high, chest out and back tight... 145 felt a bit heavyish but presented less problem than I thought...

legs done and back still feeling great... yeah baby... very happy as just booked the flights and hotel for the worlds... time to get it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x3
125x3
135x3
130x4

WGBP
115x7
100x9

Flyes
20x4x10 (1min rest between sets)

yeah baby...

Bench - was right in the zone for today... warm ups went well and felt light... 125 felt great but 135 felt better and there was def a 4th there... dropped to 130 and was hoping for 5 (target 3+) but on the 4th the bar traveled back towards the head so came off line and I had to man handle it back in line and press it up which I did with little trouble and the first time I have been able to do that at that weight without dropping to the safeties... left it at 4 but very happy...

WGBP - buzzing and got a good first set out... reps were quick and smooth... 100 felt light and while I only managed 9 reps it wasnt due to a true lack of strength but just being a bit knackered at this stage lol... felt very good...

Flyes - light weight but short rest = nice pump in the chesticles... presented no problem at all and felt fine...

really happy with today... things going well so far and hoping they keep doing so... bench is slowly picking up and progressing well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

270x4+1p

Seated rows (2ct squeeze at contraction)
100x3x8

Pulldowns (rev grip)
80x3x10

DB curls
22.5x16, 13, 11

cracking day considering no sleep and was not feeling too confident leading up to the start of training...

Deads - really had to key myself up for this as was feeling meh... it worked though as warm ups felt good, was going to do a 230 warm up but felt it would just use some energy that I could use on the main set so skipped it and went straight to 250... that went really well and felt pretty light and quick... happy here... took 270 and first one was ok 2nd and 3rd went better and 4th was pretty good... went for the 5th but as I started to get the hips going as it passed my knees my chest pulled slightly so I just stopped and let the bar down... probably a bit cautious but at this stage would rather be safe than sorry...

Rows - weight was light enough but man that holding the contraction makes a big difference... felt a bit odd first set but found the rythym by the 2nd and it went well... hit my upper back really well though and by the end of the third set was feeling sore... in a good way...

PD - again pretty straight forward and felt good, lats got hit well and feeling a good back pump at this stage...

DB curls - surprised myself here as was a bit knackered by this stage and these seem to take sooooo long due to so many reps... felt good though and arms were thrashed...

enjoyed the session in the end, sleep last night was pants as just couldnt seem to fall into a good sleep... plus was busier today than normal and after squats and bench in a row feeling that sleep would be nice... cracked on though and ended up having a fairly decent session... going to stick with left over and right under on the top sets I think as that doesnt cause my chest to pull like it did... feeling well worked now... cant wait to see whats next...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *2bd* 80x4, 100x4, 115x3

125x6

OHP
WU 50x5, 65x5

80x7
75x8

Dips
BWx3x10

very straightforward session today, light and simple...

2bd - felt really good didnt even use the safeties and never felt any difficulty at all... getting into position for bench is easier now but still feels like I am cutting off my wind pipe lol... felt strong and powerful today...

OHP - few little niggles but nothing that hinders the lift... felt nice and strong on the 80 and a few more were there... so to the 75...

Dips - pretty simple and pleased with how easy they were, nice power out of the hole and up, good stretch at the bottom...

very simple workout today... but this it would seem is to lull me into a false sense of complacency as the next 3 are a bit brutal... keying myself up mentally now to meet them head on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x2, 190x1, 220x1

240x4

Hi bar paused 2ct
170x2x3

Front squats
130x3x3

oh holy jebus...

Squats - today was a big day... warm ups felt good, really good actually... got to 220 and it felt spot on... 240 first 2 were really good, 3rd was a bit slower but still ok, and the 4th just kicked my ar$e all over the place... before today I had delusions of doing 5 maybe... well the 4th laid rest to that... went down and was thinking I was not going to get out of the hole, managed to start the drive from the hole ok but it was the slowest rep in history, in fact a snail was racing up the upright of the rack faster and flipping me off as doing so... I swear at times it was pretty much all over but somehow it kept going... that was it though I was done... took me a few seconds to get out from under the bar and then a min or 2 to actually get the ability to sit back again... legs were humming... actually they were full on singing...

Paused - how the hell did I do these... sheer will and concentration... took two goes to stand up to do them... once under the bar though felt good... fast and powerful but that could be cos I just wanted them over and done so I could sit and cry some more...

FS - really happy with these today, felt solid and strong and sore... went really well and hit me nicely as a finisher...

legs now just done... not even sure I can pick up my daughter at the bus stop as not sure I can work the peddles... really freaking happy with the squats, did not think that 4th was going to go... just kept on grinding and grinding... something I dont think I would have done before... rest tomorrow then two more big sessions to end the week on... woooot...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 125x1

132.5x2
140x2x2
132.5x3
132.5x2+1p

WGBP
120x5+1p
110x6
100x7

have a cold atm so was hoping it wasnt going to prove a pain the rear and as it turns out it didnt... well maybe except for a bit of stamina/endurance...

Bench - was supposed to do this nearly a month ago but elbow was not so good... so some make up time... all warm ups were awesome... found a really good position right up on traps and found a way to get that back really screwed in and tight... 132.5 was easy, had to make sure had the right weight on... 140 first set BAM baby, just so nice... form and technique felt awesome... second set 1st rep flew but the 2nd was a little slower... still felt good though... got a really good 132.5 for a triple that was much easier than expected and then it went a little south... only got the 2 and a partial on the last set, prob should have extended the rest a little between sets at this stage...

WGBP - oomph pretty much gone here... aim was 6+ on 120 but just didnt have the legs for it... got a good 5 then a shabby partial... then aim was to just beat the last set and that went ok but there was not much more in the tank tbh... having said that getting 7 reps at 100 on bench let alone wgbp was a dream not that long ago... and its at the end of my training session...

over all happy with todays effort, short and sweet but really good work done... form and technique is still improving and those improvements are starting to pay off... 140 has never felt so light or good or easy... thats progress I will take...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads... well no not really... feeling the cold more today, just a bit run down and tired... gave todays session a try but got to 250 warming up and just felt light headed and nauseous so left it there... weight felt fine, maybe not as quick as normal but just meh... prob should have just slept the afternoon away tbh... oh well next week...


----------



## Plate

Greyphantom said:


> Deads... well no not really... feeling the cold more today, just a bit run down and tired... gave todays session a try but got to 250 warming up and just felt light headed and nauseous so left it there... weight felt fine, maybe not as quick as normal but just meh... prob should have just slept the afternoon away tbh... oh well next week...


It's hit and miss when feeling that way I think, you can sometimes end up having a pretty good session and feeling better for it after..


----------



## Greyphantom

> It's hit and miss when feeling that way I think, you can sometimes end up having a pretty good session and feeling better for it after..


yeah def agree there mate, kill or cure usually and that day wasnt cure lol...

ench 1

DB bench
WU (bb) 40x2x5, 60x5

30x3x10

Db ohp
22.5x3x10

Deadstop ez ext
40x3x10

TPD
40x16
40x2x15

done... feeling better today but still not 100% but it was a nice light session and a good one too...

DB bench - felt strong easy and good... didnt present a problem at all...

DB ohp - picked a weight I thought would do 3 sets of 10 well but challenge, turns out I should prob have hit 25s but tbh I felt a bit spastic as it felt like they were going to go all over the place lol... went well though...

Deadstop - best ez ext have ever felt... strong powerful and no niggles at all anywhere... really happy with these today...

TPD - was supposed to do 3 sets of 15 but first set went and did 16 and felt good... second two sets were a bit tougher... felt it hit the tris nicely...

bit of a back off week of sorts this week... loving training even though feeling a bit meh with cold and not a lot of sleep... stupid sleep who needs it... but rearing to go...


----------



## strength_gains

Hey GreyPhantom, hope your getting better buddy wish you a fast recovery. Good to see you sticking through it like a real warrior. Great stuff keep up the hard work mate, I will be following your journal closely very inspiring.


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

FS
WU 60x2x3, 80x3, 100x2, 120x2

130x2
140x2
*belt on*
150x2
160x2
145x3

3ct Paused hi bar
WU 130x3
150x3x3

GHR
BWx9
BWx7+1p
BW5+1p

ok not such a down session as I thought...

FS - felt good and was told if 150 felt ok then do one more double so hit 160... think thats a pb for me too... well both 150 and 160... 150 was good if a little wobbly weight didnt feel bad at all... 160 the first rep was good and felt fine, 2nd felt fine into the hole but as reaching the top the bar started to slip as I allowed my elbows to dip slightly... a no not in FS... made it ok though... 145 felt fine but on the third as I was driving up and out of the hole I came up slightly crooked and hit one of the jhooks quite hard which sort of put me off... lesson is to take a bigger step back









Paused - hi bar and a longer count... did a quick 3 at 130 as a warm up due to change of exercise/form... every rep felt awesome. Strong and powerful and tight... weight was lifting at the top of each rep too as I drove up fast and hard... felt awesome...

GHR - oh all thats good and holy... forgot how much of a barsteward these are... first set felt tough at the end, 2nd and third were just tough full stop... hams and glutes fried...

great little session felt really good in all exercises...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Hey GreyPhantom, hope your getting better buddy wish you a fast recovery. Good to see you sticking through it like a real warrior. Great stuff keep up the hard work mate, I will be following your journal closely very inspiring.


thanks mate just got to keep on keeping on... thats how we progress... thank you for your kind words...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

110x3x6

WGBP
95x2x10

Dips
+15kg x9
+15kg x6+1p

was told it would be "not an easy session"... hmmmm

Bench - all felt great, set up was good and felt it working really well... didnt even put the safeties on as felt pretty confident... (inb4barfellonneck







) first 110 I had to check the weight as it didnt feel that heavy... second felt really good too, third went up well and had no problems at all... at this stage thinking hmmm its not that hard wonder what the boss was on about...

WGBP - first set flew and felt really good... straight through no stops and felt good in the chest... second set flew till about rep 8 then I had to dig a little as chest was pumped and had to take a few breaths at rep 9 to get the 10th... managed to pin my hand puting the weight back too lol...

Dips - ok here is where it got tough... first set started well and felt great but I could feel my chest tiring and my tris just were struggling (still got a little doms from mon) and only managed 9 (10 was the goal) then second set I could tell was going to be a mother... I wasnt wrong... got to 5 pretty well then it was like hitting a wall... 6 went up ok, almost got the 7th but just couldnt quite make myself get all the way up...

ok so as it turned out it wasnt that easy a session... Damn Dig and his innocent seeming sessions on paper







big deads session tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

282.5x4

BOR
160x10

Seated rows
120x2x10
120x13

Ez curls
60x9
50x2x12

oh yeah... started day feeling rough, think @huntingground jinxed me with me telling him take two aspirin and a hot cup of mtfu lol... took that advice myself and bam baby...

Deads - today was one of those sweet days... form and technique felt tight... weights felt light... 250 flew up and at that point I knew the top set was just so on... 282.5 first rep was easy... 2nd and 3rd not that bad and 4th was a bit harder... was thinking about going for a 5th but left it there as tbh was not 100% sure it was going to go, but happy with the possibility of the 5th being there... took some skin off my shins and hands felt the knurling today too... but it did not at any point feel off just very very good...

BOR - felt better than expected tbh... got to 8 and started slowing, 9 was a tough one and 10 was down right hard but managed to squeeze it out... just...

Rows - did not expect them to go as well as they did... first 2 sets felt great and no bother... did not expect 13 for the last set was thinking 11 maybe 12... back at this stage was thinking about p1ssing off and leaving me lol...

Curls - what the actual hell, I means seriously... first set got 9 thought about 10 but the arms revolted at this stage... first set of 50 felt fine, second from rep 9 was a grind... man my arms were fragged... did not think they would kill this much...

awesome session and felt right on the button... now thinking I should have gone for that 5th even if I missed it... ah well its there next time... back and arms well fvcked now and I havent stopped shaking yet lol... gonna have a nice hot bath later and soak... still got to drive to pick up the daughter and then the mrs later... not sure how that will go...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Um with no bench









DB ohp
WU oly bar x15
25x3x10

DB flyes (1 min rest between sets)
20x3x10

Deadstop ez ext
45x3x10

done, very quick session only about 25 mins or so...

OHP - felt really good, first set I was a little slow moving the weights up but on the 2nd and 3rd I corrected this and got some good power/speed from the bottom... still feel a bit like a spastic octopus when using the db atm but getting better...

Flyes - light but very short rest... felt a good stretch in the chest...

Deadstop - yeah these were great, just seem to have found the groove with these and keeping tight (taking an almost bench like position when lying down) makes them feel good... tris hit nicely and now feel worked but not over done...

just a quick and easy one to start... which is nice... but now I am scared, very scared that he is gonna hurt me







fri was ridiculous... couldnt wash my face that night or my hair... then went to brush my teeth and I had to throw water at my face and hope some went into my mouth when rinsing after brushing my teeth lol... fri night sleep was just painful, tossing and turning and couldnt get comfy... went to get up in the morning and holy hell my back and arms were just a mass of pain... have not had doms like that for a long while... sat night best sleep ever though... oh man it was good... sun back and arms better but still sore and today they were much better again... awesome... just. pure. awesome!!!


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 200x1

220x2x4

Paused 3ct squats hi bar
155x3x3

Front squats
150x2
150x3

ok that was a bit tougher than I expected... sleep last night I thought was ok but so tired today and slept a bit this morning when supposed to be doing other stuff... sigh... also felt a bit off...

Squats - warm ups actually felt ok till about 200kg then really felt like I needed to hit the loo so just trying to hold it all in after this... 220 the first set felt good second set 1st 3 reps felt good but the 4th was a bit slow... legs a bit jelly like after these... breathing hard...

3ct - went really well, fast good reps and weight would have left shoulders if not holding it down... felt light enough too which was a bonus...

FS - which was when I had to do these lol... first set was for 2 only and felt good... hit right in the quads and everything felt spot on... second set was 2+ and I managed 3... was hoping for a 4th but coming up on the 3rd it was a bit wobbly so left it there... weight not an issue on the legs just maintaining form and keeping my elbows up...

legs pretty done now... feel much better than before squatting but tbh could do with a nap again... hot bath and early night tonight then a rest day tomorrow before a big bench session on thu... worlds not too far away now so need to be right on the mark...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x1, 120x1

130x2
137.5x1
145x1
135x2
125x4

WGBP
100x10+1p
90x11

Dips
BWx14
BWx11

tummy still a bit dodgy today, got some nice leg doms too nothing serious just enough to know I train them tue... sleep tue was awesome, went to bed early and apart from opening an eye when the mrs came to bed slept straight through till morning and soundly which is the first time in a long time... felt so good... but last night ffs first a suitcase fell off its perch in the laundry and so woke us up and I had to go see what it was then the fvcking cat wanted out and knocked sh1t over so had to go throw him in the conservatory (hes on lock down at nights as he goes into the next doors house and kicks the sh1t out of their cats for their food)... so every time I was about to sleep something would wake me and it would take me while to sleep again... anyone know how many grams of protein in a cat??









Bench - really up for it today even with last nights shenanigans and dodgy toilet goings ons... warm ups were awesome... didnt even put the safeties on till 137.5 as they all felt so good... 130 were a quick two and felt good 137.5 again was quicker than I thought it would be and felt good... 145 was told to go for 1+ only if the 2nd was def on... did the first and it felt really good, considered a 2nd but lower back and glutes were tightening (precursor to cramp feeling) so left it there but thinking I should have gone for it anyway... sigh... feeling a bit meh by now too... 135 should have been 3 or more but only hit 2 and again tight back and leg... maybe more hydration to combat the water loss? 125 should have been 5 or more and not even tight just lost the oomph...

WGBP - tbh if I could have got away with it I might have left it here... still cracked on and managed 10 and a partial on 100kg... didnt get the 11th as hand hit the safety (was not centered in the rack properly so when took the weight out was slightly to one side)... 90 was spot on though and felt good... chest feeling it after these too...

Dips - really just wanted to sack it but had Digs voice in my head pushing it (how disturbing is that) and pushed out a decent 14 on first set and ok 11 on second... didnt feel hard just knackered by now...

overall it was a good session but need to work leg drive better on the bench for sure and while I was getting right up on traps and in a good position for bench it could probably be a bit tighter and I need to make sure everything is remembered to make it work optimally... tired atm... early night and hot bath again tonight...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5

140x5
160x5
180x5

BOR
170x8
150x12

Seated rows 2ct squeeze
100x3x10

Db curls
25x13
25x11
25x9

holy jebus... upper back is in bits and arms humming... on a good note feeling a bit better today tummy wise and slept last night with no fvcking cat in sight... still a little tired tbh but a couple more good nights sleep should see this right...

Deads - just a speed day today, light weights easy reps and fast... in fact even the 180 just felt light... quicker than expected too... no dramas here...

BOR - ok heres where the work began... first set was good but felt it... around rep 6 it started feeling hard then rep 8 was just a bit ropey, didnt go for a 9th as I think it would have been just too off... back was feeling it even after this one set... 150 felt lighter and first 8 or so were pretty decent, last rep or two was a bit more difficult but still felt good... back done by the end of this short exercise...

Seated rows - oh ffs Dig is such a pr1ck... first set felt that sucker work it hard but good... second set holy hell wtf is happening to my back and 3rd set just hold it for 2... just for 2... hooooold it... aaaarggghh...







felt this hitting my upper back really well... that holding of the squeeze is actually pretty effective... back is fried...

Dbc - sets to failure and the first was an aim of 12+ I got 13... just... arms were working and hard... second set felt like hell and third was a grind... squeeze was had and biceps pumped... pity I aint got no disco to go to tonight... offers anyone









great session even with some light deads... probably spot on tbh as just on the tail end of this deli belly issue... still managed to hit my upper back really well and made it work hard...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *2bd* 80x4, 100x3, 120x2

130x6

OHP
WU 50x5, 65x5

80x2x8

Deadstop ez ext
50x12
50x10

short and sweet, from now on in will only be doing reps given no extras (ie 4+ for eg) as now in the final phase to the comp... feeling fvcking knackered today as sleep last night was pish and was woken up early by the cat and my boy... however feeling strong so thats positive...

2bd - warm ups went a bit odd... 60 felt heavy in my hands (not the actual pressing just the unrack) but 80, 100 and 120 felt light... 130 didnt feel heavy which was nice and I didnt use a safety today as it went so well... there was no doubt at all I was going to lift it... felt really good and def had a few more reps in the tank... poss even 4 which is a pretty big deal given my pressing skills lol... nice pause on the boards and great drive up... everything def falling into place technique and form wise, now moving focus on keeping the lats etc tight and spread so to act like that spring board to launch the weight up... its more difficult with the 2bd but I can feel them activating and its good...

OHP - wow, 50 felt very light... 65 felt very light... 80 not so light but first set easy and the second set only the last one gave me any sort of not easy (wasnt diff just not easy lol)... felt really good and strong here too... awesome...

Deadstops - wow again... things just seem to be clicking... best tri extension sets to date... felt really good and connected to the lift... no niggles or hurtys at all and felt strong... managed 12 on first and thought a good 8 would be done on second and managed to get 10... tris def felt it today and still complaining lol...

good session today... got some big ones coming up and game face is firmly on... times like these I know I get a bit selfish or absorbed with it all and the mrs and kids put up with it awesomely... the mrs knows the phases of build up now and she has pretty much nailed it in regards to how I react to the training and so forth... but shes pretty tolerant of it too... so far that is... still has a moan and a b1tch at me but lets me crack on... was 6 weeks last friday till my lifting day... got a few weeks full training left and a couple of weeks abbreviated (family stuff) so going to cram it in and nail it as best I can...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 190x1 220x1

245x3

Hi bar 2ct
160x3x3

Front squats
153.75x3 (sigh)
162.5x1

really [email protected] nights sleep last night again, stupid cat thought I need company which made me over heat, I swear that things going into a burger and the next time I tell the wife get ready cos I am eating your pussy it will not be her pleasure time...

Squats - warm ups felt tight and solid, no problems at all and even hit the safeties a couple of times so depth is not an issue... belt is a notch tighter today but weight still round 115kg so thats a good step... sort of... 245 took the weight and it felt good, first 2 reps were really nice and went for the third which was a lot slower and one way up things started going dark/fuzzy... very light headed after and felt a little ill... but shook it off (literally) and made sure got plenty of air...

2ct - hi bar sucks, bar presses right into the vertebrae on these as bar sits so high up on traps... still reps were very fast and weight felt light...

FS - like a doofus I misloaded the bar and thought that I just was a bit unbalanced... first 2 reps on 153.75 (supposed to be 152.5) were fine but the third was a bit ropey as off kilter... loaded 162.5 (right this time) and it flew and felt better than the 153.75 did...

legs pretty done now, can feel them starting to tighten a little but hot bat later and some recovery time will take care of that... pleased on one hand that my belt is in a notch but also realise this could mean a tougher time making weight... ah well fatties class here I come...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench (comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5, 100x3, 110x1

120x4x4

WGBP
95x4x8

done, short and sweet well exercise wise anyway...

Bench - didnt really have a concern with this weight or sets and reps today... knew I would pretty much get it done and thats a huge progress I think as bench has always been a weak area and in the past never would have thought this about 120... will take what I can in terms of progress lol... for some reason was very disconnected irt form and technique today... only in the last set did I get any sort of leg drive and even then it was a bit wimpy... got the form tighter and tbh keeping the form for 4 reps was harder than lifting the weight... with comp pause brought weight down, thought "touch" then "press" and pressed...

WGBP - little bit of trepidation here today, not sure I have done so many sets and reps lol... still proved to be no bother at all... good drive off the chest and even on the last set the first 6 flew with only a little pause (getting a breath in) on 7/8... felt good...

was feeling meh again today, wanted to get into it as was looking forward to it but just tired (been a sh1t few nights sleep and a couple of early mornings after late nights) and a bit "fluey"... still once into it straightened up and got on... felt good even weight wise even if form and technique was a bit disjointed... hopefully a good nights sleep tonight and bang into deads tomorow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads...

just for the record I hate Dig...

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1, 270x1

295x2

Rev grip pulldowns R/P 15 breaths
80x15
80x8
80x5

seated rows (1min rest)
100x18
100x12
100x9

DBC
30x9
22.5x15
15x21

oh for the love of... fvcking jebus what the hell... first off been a stupidly crap week for sleep, when I did it was horrible... but has been broken by cats, kids and bl00dy wife asking silly questions at stupid oclock or having to go into work early... culminated in me lying down for 30mins this afternoon and waking 2 hours later... just knackered... but conversely niggle wise its the best I have been in a long time... every thing seems good except for the normal aches and pains from training... touching wood cos now I have jinxed myself lol...

Deads - wow... 120 felt like nothing and speed was silly... 170 was the same, just flew... 210 even felt light and very fast so was loving it... 240 again wtaf, drive off the floor and everything spot on and flew up weight felt awesome... 270 I thought this is where it gets heavy... un not really again weight felt fine, couple of form issues but nothing drastic... 295 the top set... bit nervous tbh as just tired but first rep was great... fast enough and form nice and tight... second rep was not so good, slower and form a little off as came out of position on the way up so had to man handle it back into proper line but got it albeit sloppy (no hitching though)... 3rd wouldnt have been there today but on a good day think it would have gone with good form... was feeling chest quite a lot from about 240 as well doms from yesterday...

Rev grip PD - holy damn... 15 breaths is NOT that long a time... got 15 fairly easy on the first set, thinking yeah I got this... got to like 5 on second thinking what the hell??? managed to get a few more then the third set hit 5 just... back was on fire and I started to hate Dig at this stage...

Rows - grip was a little pumped by now so first set got 18 albeit not easy, felt right across back and grip was uber pumped... second set was harder but mainly in the back... only managed 12 and was a bit surprised... last set was done but managed to get 9... back went numb right about now...

Dbc - so so so didnt want to keep going at this stage, wasnt even sure I could grip the db properly... managed to get a decent 9 on first set, second set arms were flaming and ready to give but got a good 15, hard though... last set db went p1ssy on me as couldnt get one of the spinlock collars on but did in the end, and they looked tiny but jebus arms felt it alright, in fact I felt like a giant wimp groaning the last few reps out with my son watching (waiting for me to finish to ask about going on the ps4, he has his good moments)... managed 21, was going for 22 but arms told me and Dig to fvck right off...

turned out to be a good session, although at the end it was a race to see if back would freeze up first or arms would give out re curls... they tied... [email protected] going to sleep in tomorrow but not for too long as full day of getting the mrs ready for her work trip and going to see friends... but resting up till monday... although tbh I am a little sick as looking forward to training again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

2bd
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, *2bd* 80x4, 100x3, 115x3, 130x1

140x3

DB ohp
25x2x12

Deadstop ez ext
55x8+1p
40x18

oh good grief...

2bd - warm ups felt very good... 115 I did 3 as forgot to stop at 2 lol... 130 felt fine and then hit 140... first 2 felt really good, weight was easy and quick... on the 3rd got a bit of cramp in the hip as I started to bring the bar down... instead of bailing I carried on and made the rep... felt good in terms of speed and the weight was not a problem, stopped there though as had to stand and work off the tightness...

ohp - did not expect them to go this well tbh, weight was light and not hard but did feel the shoulders working just not as much as I thought they would... yeah yeah now Dig is going to kick my ar$e... sigh... very happy with these...

Deadstops - holy jebus... first set got to 5 and then pushed hard to get the next 3, went for a 9th which I thought was there, just could not lock it out... sigh... 40 felt awesome, light and fast and great till about rep 12 then it was wtf did someone add weight to it when I wasnt looking??? got 18 and man the tris were done...

good session today... starting to feel training aches and pains but nothing bad yet... getting a few more hot baths and good sleeps in this week I think...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on*

190x4x5

FS
155x2

done, short and sweet and no sweat... woke up feeling pants, achey, tired and just generally pants... had lunch, felt meh, took ibuprofen and paracetamol and nice big cup of mtfu and voila wake up juice was there somewhere...

Squats - warm ups felt so good I changed the plan... was going to do 70x2, 120x1, 150x1 170x1 then on to top sets but 120 flew up easy so jumped to 160 which went incredibly well so dropped the extra and just cracked on... 190 for the first 5 was a surprise... felt lighter than expected and just powerful from the hole... 2nd set felt better and 3rd felt the same... was feeling it in the legs at this stage... 4th set was just BOOM... never have squats felt so comfortable or good... strong and deep and just drive from the hole was great...

FS - ok jinxed it lol... first 2 at 155 felt great, down and up no hassle and even felt comfortable... 3rd was just nope.... going down and elbows dipped too much, couldnt make it a squat so had to bail but managed to some how get up enough to get the bar in the rack... fvck knows how...

felt really good in training today, really happy with it and a bit of a confidence boost tbh... squats felt strong and deep and fronts are coming along even if doofus here forgets to keep it all together for every single rep... body weight was 114.3 this am so not dropped too much but that will probably be mostly water as havent been drinking as much the last couple or three days... feeling hungry atm too which is nice as its not an issue shoving the food in... tired now but a hot bath and early night will see that right... oh when the mrs is away I know how to party


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench (comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2, 115x1

122.5x2
132.5x1
140x2
135x2
130x2

Bench (TnG)
120x2x5

short and sweet, he didnt put any WGBP in today so I am fresher for tomorrows dead session which is a doozy... so he added a couple of sets of straight bench instead... awww so sweet









Bench comp pause - warm ups felt fine and easy, 122.5 was really good, 132.5 very good too and flew up... 140 hmmm first flew up and felt really good second was not going to be an issue as bar felt good but I stuffed the leg drive completely and it threw out the press completely... on Digs earlier advice to press away from the bar helped me to make the lift... 135 was awesome, leg drive right and felt much stronger and went up nice, 130 was the same... just a slight blip...

Bench TnG - wow... was thinking this might be more difficult after the main sets but first set fairly flew through and the second only the last rep felt a little tired... never in any doubt though all went well... 120 has never felt so good...

good session today... felt good going through it all and learned a couple of important lessons (get leg drive right and dont stop pressing







) so happy with it over all...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 270x1, 290x1

310xf

BOR
180x6
120x2x12

EZ curls
45x20
35x20

started the day feeling awful, but after lunch had some paracetamol and ibuprofen, felt better, had a nap, felt more better so cracked on...

Deads - man the warm ups were great, was really feeling on and everything up to 250 flew up and felt light... 270 was great, didnt feel heavy and went really quick... 290 felt as good and a bit of a surprise tbh as I thought it would feel heavier... got to the main set, started to focus and get set for it, took some big deep breaths before addressing the bar and went for the pull... came off the floor really well, but as passing the knees I started washing out and things went a bit grey, felt wobbly so just stopped... felt a bit ill after but more like blood sugars were bottoming out tbh... not happy as was excited that it started so well and was expecting it to got all the way up... not to be though...

BOR - top set of 180 which was loose but ok, only got 6 though as again felt off... fuzzy and went all tingly again like blood sugars bottomed out... dammit... still what to be done but crack on... 120 for 2 sets of 12 which was a lot stricter and felt pretty good...

Ez curls - aim was to get 20 and if I had to rest for 10 secs to make sure I hit the 20... got it in one on both sets... wooot... but feeling it after...

not too bad considering... def feeling a bit beat up atm but tired more than anything, combination of training and sleep being all over the place... training is feeling good though and this week only have two days to train and then 3 next week due to some family stuff... not ideal but spoken with the boss man about it and hes got a cunning plan...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench (comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, *comp pause* 115x1, 130x1

137.5x1
145xf

TnG
125x3
125x4+1p

WGBP
95x3x9

Deadstop EZ ext
60x6
45x14/5/4 (rest pause)

bit of a meh session today... starting to feel it now...

Bench - started so well... warm ups felt great, 115 flew up everything connected didnt even feel heavy, 130 again didnt feel 130 and got it all connected... 137.5 felt heavier but very nice to lift and again things just seemed to be there... 145 dammit... lost it half way up, bar drifted forward and I couldnt pull it back, safeties it was... tbh it should have gone, feeling a bit beat up atm and as only benched on thu maybe just a bit tired... meh...

TnG - 125 did not feel heavy but got a bit of cramp in the hip and lost it mentally, just couldnt engage with the lift... stupid brain... second set though was feeling meh, gave myself a stern talking to and it felt much better... first 4 were really nice but just couldnt quite lock it out on the 5th... DOH... better though

WGBP - oh yeah, much better first felt great, second was the same and the 3rd it was the last rep where it felt a bit tough... much better... still feeling a bit beaten up though...

Deadstops - man this was hard today, felt good though... only 6 on the first set... 45 was a rest pause set and man how humbling... only 14 to start then 5, ffs only 5... then 4... whaaaaat... still felt it and it went well...

had to train today as mrs and I have time off with the kids over their holidays so family time, got to be done as she is letting me go to the worlds too... got a big squat session tomorrow then rest... oh yeah... dont get me wrong I love lifting, I love what Dig is puting me through love it with a passion... but a rest will be nice


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 200x1, 225x1

242.5x1
265x1 (but only parallel)
230x5

Paused 3ct
210x3
190x5

oh all thats fvcking holy... was not into it at all today, just meh and been running around like a blue ar$e fly getting stuff done for some family time and no sleep really the last few nights still so tired...

Squats - tbh warm ups felt really good... didnt expect that at all... 225 went up nice and easy and felt strong... 242.5 felt pretty good too, had a great set up and it just felt really good and tight on the back... at this point I decided I would try the 265 (which I was not sure about as it happens)... loaded it, got myself in the game and took the bar, didnt feel too bad, down but only to parallel (I wouldnt have passed it tbh so no lift really) and up again but slow... it felt good across the shoulders and I just bottled it down in the hole... sigh... still it went up again which was nice... felt decidedly peaky after... then remembered the 230 for 5... yay... oh for the record Dig is a barsteward... evil evil barsteward... hit 5 reps and it killed my legs dead, they actually went numb... numb in the face with a chair... had to breath long and slow as very close to hurling at this stage...

Paused - oh he wasnt finished there... 3ct squats this time... actually these went better than expected by far... 210 for 3 while not easy felt good and got some good power from the hole... 190 went really well and strong till the last one which went quite a bit slower than the others, think it was a combo of rushing a little to finish and a little wobble descending...

good bob this was a tough one... def need a rest now I think, feeling it hard... off the radar for a little while, a week or so as the mrs is off and the kids are off and she wants to do family stuff (more in a week) as the kids will leave home soon and all that jazz... going to eat, drink and be mary or sue or jane depending on how my fancy is tickled


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench (comp Pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x4x4
120x2
125x1

Flyes
20x4x10

TPD
35x4x10

Well good first training session back after a week in Washington with the family... great week away but not training unfortunately... picked up a few niggles while away too like chaffing (thighs getting bigger yay), achillies tendon is really sore (walked a load while away) and shoulder is still acting up... but got it done and it felt good...

Bench - warm ups felt good but leg drive not working... first 2 sets at 115 felt ok but 3rd and 4th were much better... leg drive connected and it all worked so well... felt awesome... 120 was as good and it went so smooth... 125 was the same, happy as hell... and didnt even use safeties as never felt the need... happy here...

Flyes - easy sets here... just a pump session on these and the tpd... worked on the stretch and making them quicker as I was a bit slow through the movement...

TPD - working on feeling the tri all the way through the movement here, felt good... elbows a little niggly but it wasnt too hard to get a good feel...

good first session back... have a plan all the way up to the worlds now... had an awesome trip to the US and def notice the difference between the UK and US in terms of getting looks and attention at being bigger than average... even the security in the Pentagon were chatting about lifting with me lol... food intake was down while away though and walked so freaking far every day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 200x1

220x3
225x3
230x2

Paused squats
220x2
200x3

holy cow...

Squats - went pretty decent... warm ups felt good but funnily enough it was from 160 on that they really felt right on the line... 220 felt pretty quick and good, same with 225... 230 the first rep was spot on but the second was slower and felt slightly off... still went up though...

Paused squats - yeah wasnt looking forward to these tbh... but went well considering... 220 managed it pretty well, bit slow esp on the 2nd but went ok... 200 was fine... legs were certainly done by this though...

quick workout with seemingly not much in it but man worked the legs hard... achillies tendon gave no trouble which was good... felt a bit iffy all day but once I started it perked me up... tired now and it will be an early night as have a comp to ref tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench and Deads

Bench (comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

122.5x2x4
127x5x2
135x1

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x3, 210x3, 250x1

270x2

man atm I am suffering a loss of momentum but a slight rise in motivation... feeling bigger, stronger and more comfortable in getting form and technique right but just like things should be moving more... if that makes sense, the week and a bit off didnt do me any favours but it wasnt that long and the weights are not feeling any harder... well too bad will just have to get my head around it and sort this sh1t out...

Bench - warm ups felt good, very good in fact... 115 went up very nicely... leg drive still a little out of synch but not too bad... 122.5 should read the program better as first reading I thought yeah thats not bad, then realised it was 2 sets of 4... with a comp pause... ok... actually went really well and felt no problems at all and leg drive was even better... not great but better... 127.5 was much the same went better than expected which is nice... then 135... slower than I would have liked but no real problems there... again leg drive not too bad, not great but not bad either...

Deads - shouldnt have presented a problem today as only up to 270 for a quick double, however my achillies tendon is feeling tender and up till about 270 it was playing on the mind even if it wasnt really hurting during the reps... 250 felt sluggish and ungainly tbh, I was thinking boll0cks... had a good talking to myself and a bit of a mental slap and put on my lifting song then addressed the bar for the 270 set... BAM baby... much quicker than the 250 and felt easier too... yeah thats the stuff...

not long till the big day and looking at the list of lifters theres like 8 or 9 open lifters in the 110 and just me now in the masters 1, there was a french chap but it looks like he has pulled out... was looking forward to competing tbh oh well still time for someone to enter...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats/Bench/Deads

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x1 *belt on* 210x1

230x2
245x1

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2, 115x1, 127,5x1

140x0 (more in a bit)

Deads (deficit today as couldnt be ar$ed changing plates from bench)
WU 120x5

180x5

ah fvck it... so achillies tendon has been very sore... sat on the couch yesterday with a hot water bottle treating the area to a heat as hot as could stand for as long as could stand as it seems the heat helps... today oh yeah... did not hurt at all walking and in fact its not sore at all now... thank god... mindset restored for some decent squattage...

Squats - yeah baby... warm ups were good... got better from 120 as really settled in... 190 felt so solid, 210 was pretty decent and 230 felt great... 245, well, form and technique was prob best yet, up a little slower than I would like but it felt great... depth felt very good so happy with it...

Bench - theeeen the bench... fml... 40 felt my upper pec and neck (sort of collar bone area) quite sore... 100 still went up ok but was still sore... 115 ok that was not heavy but area very sore... at this point I should probably have stopped tbh... but I hate doing that as feel like I am wimping out... soooo instead of 125 as my next WU and then to 135 before 140 for 3 singles (as programmed) I went to 127.5... yeah probably shouldnt have... weight went up fine, didnt feel heavy just that pec/neck/collar bone thing was very sore, loaded the bar to 140... took the bar from the rack... weight felt good, however was too sore and common sense won so re racked and felt p1ssed... dammit... hot bath tonight and some stuff rubbed in maybe...

Deads - just a very light set of 180 today, fast smooth and light... collar bone/neck/pec felt ok doing this and achillies no problem at all...

ffs fix one thing and another pops up... not fvcking happy and hate, hate, HATE bailing on a set... that is not how progress is made... its just a strain I think so should be right in the next couple of days... stupid damn strain... still got a light session on Mon and then thats it till Fri... aaaargh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Final comp lift...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5

165x3x5

Bench
WU 40x5, 60x5, 75x3

90x3x5

just a light one today to keep me fresh... pec/collar area feels better when lifting but squatting affects it quite a bit (not during the lift but after and then for bench) however found a good position/tightness on the bench to counter act it and it feels better today on the bench than fri albeit the weights are not heavy yet... achillies seemed to be getting better but last night was very sore... have tiger balmed the sh1t out of both areas and its feeling better... achillies doesnt affect squatting but can feel it slightly during the first part of deads which is off puting but once I get over that its fine...

Squats - um light and fast... thats about it really

Bench - 75 felt the pec/collar a bit here but not too bad as tweaked the form a little to get a bit of extra tightness and changed the position slightly so it felt better... 90 1st set, felt easier and faster than 75... 90 the 2nd was even better again... encouraging, then hit the 3rd set and it was as good so there... finished...

ok now the mental aspect of it hits home and quite hard this time... one thing thats underplayed quite often I think is the mental side of powerlifting... pre comp jitters are starting to bite a little and while I can usually keep them at bay they frequently hit home and you get questions like "damn maybe I should drop my openers" or "am I really good enough" or "what happens if..." fly across your mind and for the most part its not too much of an issue flicking them off... I have a pretty good defense mechanism built in which ignores said questions quite well... still they add to the maelstrom and very occasionally one can be carried away by an errant thought or even get caught by a sudden twinge somewhere on the body... all fun and games till that first squat and bench are done after that its all gravy... well cake... yeah cake... mmmm cake...

Bw this am was 113.3 and Dig has me drinking more water which has had me p1ssing like a race horse but thats dropped a little now as I adjust... feeling pretty good niggles notwithstanding, fly out wed around 1 and then lift on friday... time to get that game face on and slap myself a few times...


----------



## Greyphantom

the rehab begins...

Squats
WU 70x8

120x4x8

Lunges
40x3x10

Rehab session 1
Bench
bar x3x10

Tri PD
20x3x10

DB preacher curls
10x3x10

thats it... just a very light one to see how things feel...

squats - 70 felt light and good, no niggle in the pec so went up to 120... felt good as well and again no pain in the pec but left it at 120 as didnt want to push it too much... truth be told probably a bit over cautious too as just need to get it fixed and healthy... sets of 8 is like cardio... wtf









lunges - yay... not... was supposed to do 4 sets of 10 but had to cut it short as my son reminded me I had to pick him up from school this afternoon as he was doing an extra class... oops... father of the year award goes to... not me I guess... luckily I sent him a text asking if he was on the bus yet









rehab sessions this week for bench etc will be 3... first one today...

Bench - yeah just the bar, first I thought really... when doing it though thought oh yeah really... felt the pec working here, it wasnt painful just a little sore like an unused muscle starting to work again... the actual movement felt fine and I feel better after it...

Tri pd - light and very strict... no pulling on the pec or anything so that was good... very light though...

Preachers - funnily enough there was some pulling on the pec here... not a lot but enough to remind me its there... again very light and strict... felt good...

oh yeah, feels so good to be lifting again... only squats and rehab work this week, no deads or anything serious... felt odd just using the bar for bench but once I was doing it I quickly realised the wisdom of that... feels better for getting some movement and blood back into it too... slowly slowly in getting it back...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 1

BP
bar x10
25x10
30x3x10

TPD
20x4x10

Facepulls
20x4x10

BC (oly bar)
20x4x10

rehab continues...

BP - felt pretty good today, only a slight twinge near my collar bone when setting up but performing the reps felt good... no problems here...

TPD - felt fine... light and easy and no soreness at all... will up weight on these next time...

FP - ok felt it on these a bit... mainly on first set... the sets after felt better as I warmed up more...

BC - felt fine, only a little pulling on the pec but mainly on the first set...

ok so healing is continuing apace... for the last couple of days its been feeling pretty good barring me sleeping on it (which I tend to do ffs) then when I go to turn over or move it complains most loudly... wakes me up a lot too when sleeping on it so sleep is a bit broken atm... felt really good today... just got to keep on keeping on... my physio appt fell through so I have to make another one... which I will tomorrow... get it looked at and see whats what... feeling a bit off the last couple of weeks, combination of post comp blues, p1ssiness at injury and just meh feeling all round I think... but getting back into lifting is helping...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 2

Squats
70x5
100x5
130x4x9

Lunges
50x3x10

BP
barx15
25x15
30x4x15

tired as fvck today, had to make myself get in the gym and get it done, but now I have done it feel so much better and glad I did... pec/collar bone area feeling so much better I can stretch when I yawn, now that may seem a silly thing to get excited over but trust me you miss it when you cant do it lol...

Squats - only light still but not used to doing such high rep cardio work














actually feels really good and no niggles at all this week on the pec so I am claiming that as a win...

Lunges - hate these... hurt too much







but love them cos of that lol... felt them right in the quads... no issues with the pec again so another win...

BP - set up felt much better only slightly sore this time... could get more up on the traps... actually lifting the weight felt fine... was light and easy and felt good... just a sort of general tightness as if it was getting blood flow through the area more than sore... happy with today...

sleep is a big issue atm as I seem to want to sleep on the right side which is the dodgy side, and when I do I sleep heavy so it makes it sore and then it wakes me when I go to turn over... so I am waking up 3 or 4 times every hour and not really getting a good sleep going... however in general its getting better as I can do more with it and it doesnt get sore or as sore... its taking its sweet time to heal in my mind tbh... but Dig said its healing quick... ah well these things will as they do... just happy to be lifting atm... even if my ar$e is dragging on the ground









also tbh its been quite a mental struggle in terms of just plodding along and at the damn thing taking its time to heal which is something no one really speaks of I guess... still progress is being made if slowly...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 3 (split over 2 days as life got in the way)

Squats
WU 70x5, 100x5, 130x5

160x3x7

GM
100x4x6

GHR
BWx9
BWx6+1p

next day

Bench
bar x10, 30x10, 40x10

50x4x10

TPD
25x4x10

FP
25x4x10

BC
25x4x10

pec is feeling a load better... still hurts of a night when sleeping on it but not as much... during the day its actually mostly pretty good unless I do something too quick in a certain plane of motion etc... still it feels like its taking ages to come right but is probably going quite well...

Squats - felt good getting under 160 and the form and technique felt better and tighter... had loads more in the tank in terms of reps or weight or both... no issue at all with pec...

GM - felt the pec here slightly but nothing to worry about... felt good and quick doing them... could go a bit heavier here atm too...

GHR - forgot how much of a barsteward these can be... in fact today (day after doing them) my hams are fried and normal motion is a bit iffy...

next day

BP - went all the way up to 50kg today... yeah cos thats how I roll...







felt really good, pec felt stretched and worked in a really good way... no pain during or after reps but in the set up still getting a bit getting up onto the traps... really pleased these went so well today...

TPD - pretty straight forward and no issues here... need to up the weight though...

FP - good sets but I do feel it a little in the pec... nothing serious though...

bc - easy and quick felt good, need to put more weight on...

things progressing... slowly but surely... feeling better each week and things will steam ahead I am sure...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 1

Squats
WU 70x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2

175x4x7

Lunges
60x2x10

BP
bar x15
30x12
40x10
50x10
60x10

TPD
30x4x10

Facepulls
25x4x12

BC
30x4x10

man... just man...

Squats - well then 175x4x7 top sets today... yeah great... 160 felt pretty great as it happens... first set of 175 went really well, felt strong and quick... no issues... same with the second... third set I felt the pec pull a little but set up was slightly off so just adjusted the right side and elbow and it felt much better... 4th set went well but last couple of reps were slow and I had to take an extra couple of breaths between them...

Lunges - along with GHR the work of the devil I tells ye... first set actually went quite well... 2nd set then showed me that the first set was lying...

BP - feeling better with these now... no problem at all untill 50kg today, then it was just a little on set up... 60 I could feel the pec working and aching a little like it was being worked or stretched out... not painful but like it was just getting used to things again...

TPD - felt great... no issues at all and getting a better push with the tris...

FP - feel the pec a little on these as it happens but mainly on the first set as it gets warmed up I think...

BC - felt fine... no issues here at all...

great little workout... happy with the squats as I keep thinking they will be awful but end up doing ok... still not wearing a belt atm but that will change on friday I think with the next step up on squats and its 5x5... yay... pec is feeling pretty good now, still not there 100%... prob about 70 I think maybe a little lower... but dont feel it much at all through the day, and even at night its starting to feel better... seems to be taking a looong freaking time to heal... sigh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 3 part 1

Squats
WU 70x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2

190x5x5

GHR
BWx12
BWx8
BWx5+1p

ok supposed to add bp and so forth on the end but had to get to my sons school and then up to london to pick his mate up as its his birthday this weekend... will do it tomorrow as a part 2...

Squats - warm ups felt a little slow to start with but soon produced... first 2 sets at 190 were good but then from set 3 everything was really really good... seemed to fine a great groove and set up was spot on so the weight actually felt lighter across the shoulders and felt great doing the sets... tbh I could have done another set or two I think (shh dont tell the coach else I will be sorry)... actually a couple of hours later I am starting to feel it quite a bit in the quads... so maybe I will be sorry anyway







felt great though and well on the way I think...

GHR - holy jebus... first set was pretty good... second also went well but hams were hurting... third set I got to 5 and just couldnt lock out the 6th... just couldnt squeeze it out... hams crying again... already feeling doms setting in... sigh...

good session and went far better than I expected tbh... heel has hurt fantastically all day and I was thinking squatting would be just done... however it went well and seemed to fix things... pec didnt even murmur through the whole thing too so really happy with that... bench on the morrow and we shall see how it goes then...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 1

Bench
bar/35/45/55/65x10

75x2x10

TPD
30x4x14

FP
30x4x15

BC
35x4x10

long day, work was busy and had a big day yesterday as my boys birthday and our annual xmas pizza day... yes thats a thing... was a good day though... weight this morning was 116.3kg which was a bit higher than I expected tbh but nice enough, esp as the other day my son said to me "youre actually quite muscly dad"














better than youre actually a fat pr**k dad I spose









BP - holy mother of all thats jihad... no pain... none... no niggle or ache or even a wince in set up and reps... I was expecting it and kept thinking ok next set but it didnt happen... first time since before the worlds that I have benched without my pec being sore and set up being pain free... well happy...

TPD - felt very good and light, nice movement and felt the tris working there...

FP - wow this is harder but still felt good and again no pain, first time during this rehab that its not hurt... yeah baby... last set last few reps were hard...

BC - easy and light and felt good...

yeah baby no pain... oh thats amazing... happy with it today and while the pec felt like it was worked it was not sore... setting up was a dream and I kept waiting for it to hurt but nope it was pain free... reps were good and getting the explosiveness off the chest going well... on the road to recovery now, will be even happier when I can sleep all night without waking up when turning from right side to left... its better but still gives a little hassle... soon though... soon...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 2

squats
WU 70x5, 120x5, 160x3, 180x2

*belt on*

200x3
210x2x3

Hi bar paused 2ct
150x2x3

BOR
70x2x10
80x2x10

yay back to some weight and BOR...

Squat - warm ups were fine, felt nice and tidy... oddly 180 felt lighter than 160... first time since the worlds been up to and over 200 and it felt tight and good... 210 was the same... good to have a bit more weight on the back... getting back into the game...

Hi bar - not a fan of hi bar squatting, bar digs into my neck... but felt fine and fast... even the last rep the bar was coming off the back... job done...

BOR - first time since before the worlds I have done this, just taking it easy and playing safe here... 70 felt really good and easy so up to 80 which also felt easy and really good... slight feeling in the pec but it was not a pain of injury so much as a feeling that it was being used in a different way...

good session today... very happy again and now starting to move into some weight... will have to start calling the sessions recovery sessions rather than rehab now... still get some issues when I sleep on that side but its getting better... I know that I cannot front squat yet or indeed hold the bar in the front squat position as that affects it a bit much atm... still progress is being made...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 3

BP
WU bar x10, 30x10, 40x10, 50x10, 60x10, 70x10

80x10

done, felt really good and getting better drive off the chest and its feeling fine... still no pain so thats a good thing...


----------



## Greyphantom

Rehab 4

Squats
WU 70x5, 120x5, 160x3

182.5x7
*belt on*
182.5x3x7

GHR
BW+5kg x8, 6, 5

BP
Bar/35/45/55/65/75x10

85x10

Deadstop ez ext
25x2x10
30x2x10

DB sh press
15x4x10

man had a right day to day, freaking fuel spill at work spent hours cleaning that up, then vodafone (fvcking tossers) ported my daughters number to my phone instead of her phone which happened as they didnt set up my account right... spent hours sorting that to find they cant do anything till tomorrow ffs... retarded buttwads...

anyway... thought training was going to be a right off but in the end it turned out pretty good...

Squats - warm ups went well... form as always tightening up the heavier it got... first set was ok but could have been better... put the belt on and BAM just beautiful... last set last couple of reps were freaking tough... but man felt good...

GHR - all thats good and jebus... tough... so so tough... sigh...

BP - was knackered but soldiered on... sets up to 85 today and it felt great... no pain or even ache, just good pressing... well on the mend now...

Deadstop - felt better than expected tbh, was thinking it might affect the pec area but it turns out went well... started way too light then went to just light...

DB shp - this actually did affect the pec area but only slightly... probably went too light tbh but slowly slowly...

Glad I trained today... blew away the bad juju and got the juices flowing... quiet weekend mostly and then the week before christmas...


----------



## Greyphantom

Recovery 1

BP
WU bar/30/40/50/60/70/80x10

90x10

TPD
35x3x12

FP
30x3x12

EZ curls
35x3x10

oh yeah baby, best session since the worlds... no pain at all on anything and not even a niggle...

BP - much faster off chest and its feeling really strong... no pain getting into the right set up and no pain performing the exercise at all... felt very very good and strong today...

TPD - felt very strong and powerful even had the weight bounce at the bottom of the extension a couple of times...

FP - oh yeah getting more used to this and back was feeling well pumped after too...

EZ curls - felt really good and light... smooth and strong here...

great session today, so happy with progress and even though its felt like such a long time so far the boss says he is happy with progress so thats a good thing... he has brought me along so well, on my own I think I would have fvcked it again tbh... he has kept me grounded and its proving awesome... best thing is I get to do deads tomorrow... yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Recovery 2

Squats
WU 70x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 205x1

220x5

21ct paused (no belt)
170x3
180x3

Deads (eeeeeee *squeals like a little girl*)
120x5
170x5
210x5

woooooo yeah baby... great session again... freaking loved it...

squats - warm ups pretty much the same as all the other times... 190 felt great, 205 was smooth as and then 220 was awesome... first 4 were pretty good and quick enough but the fifth was a bit slower than I would have liked so didnt hit the 6 I wanted... next time...

2ct - 170 felt light and quick... 180 not so much lol... felt really good though...

deads - oh god yeah... totally understand arnie when he said its like cumming all the time lol... felt so so good... 120 easy and light... 170 easy and light... 210 easy and light but started to feel a little pulling in chest... not pain or ache or anything bad just enough to take it easy... actually I think 210 was light and easy







damn if felt good... so so good... deadlifting again motherb1tches









good training sesh today... day was pretty ok too so that probably helped... saw star wars and it was awesome... had a good lunch, fixed my phone (wasnt getting 4g) and then posted a shed load of cards from chrimbo... yes we know, we are pretty late but got the majority out earlier... then training... and deads... wonderful wonderful deads...


----------



## Greyphantom

Recovery 3

BP
WU 30x10, 45x10, 60x10, 75x10, 85x10

95x10
95x6 (supposed to be 10)

Deadstop EZ ext
35x3x10

Flyes
10x10
10x12
10x15

bit of a mixed day... work, then had to get the kids and myself sorted for xmas... sigh...

BP - felt ok, warm ups went a little more between them as went up more in the final sets and didnt want to tire repping out...







up to 85 felt good... then 95... first set was pretty good, felt ok and no real problems... second set I made it to 4 feeling fine then 5th was a bit slow and 6th I just felt was it... I would have had to push quite a bit to get the next 4 but tbh I left it as I didnt want to tempt fate...

Deadstops - all went fine here... felt nice and strong...

Flyes - ok heres where it went a little wobbly... just light and easy to see how it went... def felt my pec stretching here... no pain or ache but stretched out for sure... went to 10 on the first and then 12 on second and all out for 15 on last one lol... will up the weight next time...

pretty decent progress but reminded that healing can take time... oh well, on and up...

will be doing some family stuff over the next little bit too so not sure when can get on and even if I can train from now till new year...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day 1

BP
WU 40x10, 60x5, 80x5, 100x5

110x5x5

DB ohp
20x3x10

oh yeah... good session and felt great...

BP - warm ups were ok but felt a bit heavy at 80 and 100... which was odd... 110 felt pretty good... sets 1-3 were nothing special but set 4 felt the easiest and felt really good... 5th set was very nearly as good... quick and easy... no ache at all and now looking forward to getting better numbers...

DB ohp - oh yeah now thats good... felt very light and easy and weights moved quick... no niggle at all either which is great... def on the mend...

good first session back... really primed for some good training now and going to really drive it... was getting some great results pre worlds and on the way to some good lifting so aiming for the same now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

190x5
*belt on*
190x3x5

Lunges
65x10

GHR
BW+5kg x9, 7, 5

first squat session in a couple of week and it was a good one... tough but good...

Squats - warm ups felt awesome... first set of 190 felt a bit off and tough tbh, but put the belt on and damn if they didnt fly after that... think it locked in the mental aspect and I just cracked on... felt strong, comfortable and great coming out of the hole... the last rep on the 4th set was a bit slow though... legs caned after and was feeling a mite peaky...

Lunges - oh all thats good and holy, not my favourite exercise tbh and after the squats they were not looking any better... still got them fairly well and made my quads feel worse lol....

GHR - was done by these, but needs must... oh they were every bit as awful as I expected... managed to get an extra rep over goal for first 2 sets but last one I just made the target...

legs done, really done and already aching... feels good though, def hot bath later and that will sort them... or make them hurt more lol... feels good getting back into normal training tbh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

BP
WU 40x10, 60x10, 75x5

90x3x10

Deadstop ez ext
40x2x10
40x18

Flyes
20x3x10

oh yeah brilliant session...

BP - just flew up today... no issues and felt strong and easy... even the last set pushed out the 10 smoothly and easily with no niggles... few weeks back I had to stop at 6 on 95 as just didnt feel it was worth pushing today would have p1ssed all over that and told its big brother too... course now I said that Dig will be a b1atch and make it impossible... lol

Deadstops - first set a little rough as didnt have the right form... felt fine though, 2nd set locked in the form and it was awesome... last set was 10+ and I managed 18 with the possibility of another... or even two if I really really squeezed but left a little in the tank, tris feeling a bit done though... form was the key really as once I locked it in things went so much better...

Flyes - again good reps and good stretch... still being a little careful on the pecs tbh as I didnt make them too fast although tried to make the return to middle quick and more powerful... no issues though so happy here...

great session and felt really really good... did not expect bench to feel so good tbh... thought I would falter on the last set for sure if not the 2nd even... but nope just powered it all the way through... yeah baby... good session and looking for more...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads (yes an actual deads day again woooooo)

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x5

220x5

Deficit SLDL
190x6

Seated Rows
90x10
100x10
110x3x10

EZ curls
40x2x10
40x19

oooooh yeaaaahhh...

Deads - so good to be adding these back in... warm ups felt really good and light as they should 220 put some chalk on as hands feeling a little tender lol... nice set of 5 and felt light enough and went fast which was good but felt tougher than I remember... prob just a little out of practice... so so good to be doing these and no issue at all with the pec... no niggle, ache or anything... yeah baby...

SLDL - no dramas there... glutes and hams were feeling good and weight was not a problem... used 20s to stand on for the deficit...

Rows - was supposed to do 3-5 sets of 10 using a weight that felt heavyish without feeling the pec... 90 was too light, 100 was too light... 110 felt about right and tbh I could have bumped it up another 5 or 10kg... felt nice and upper back is now feeling it...

EZ curls - light... good squeeze and easy... first two sets went pretty quick... last set was 10+ and I managed 19... got to 15 thinking well this is ok... 16 felt a bit harder, 17 even more so and 19 was a squeeze... weird...

great session really good first week back and now I am just going to work hard to get that progress rocking again like last year before my holiday... stupid holiday... feeling good and strong...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x10, 60x5, 80x5, 100x5

115x5x5

DB ohp
22.5x2x10
22.5x11+1p

wasnt expecting to get all the targets today tbh... bench not being my strong point to say the least...

Bench - warm ups went well... first set of 115 felt a little off but nothing hard or bad... after that settled in a bit and next 3 sets were really good... last set the last rep was a bit tough... tbh really happy I managed to get all the sets and reps here... technique could have been a bit better form was ok... pec felt fine and no issues at all...

DB ohp - first 2 sets felt really good... third I was feeling good and looking at 13 or 14 or so I thought but did 11 and the 12 just stopped lol... like hitting a wall...

feeling good about training atm... pec seems to have settled in quite well and gives me no trouble so far... got a nutri bullet for xmas so going to have a crack at some protein smoothies and drinks... got some fruit and cheesecake slices to see if I cant add some cals in... will have to remember to weigh myself tomorrow too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x3

*belt on*

210x3x5

Front squats
WU 100x3

140x3
140x1+1p

GHR
BW+10x6
BW+5x7
BWx9

tough one today...

Squats - warm ups were a bit meh... 190 I felt the knee twinge a little... only on the one rep but made me sigh inwardly... first 210 felt pretty good... happy... 2nd 210 felt the same so still happy but it hit hard... 3rd first 3 reps were really good and was thinking alright... then the ceiling fell on me or something cos 4th was a bit harder and 5th was very slow... hard... but it went up... legs were humming and sore by now... gassing too... took a little while to get to the point I could do the next exercise...

Front squats - warm up set felt ok... but first set at 140 felt a bit horrible as my technique and form was all over the place... its been a while since I did these and it showed... 2nd set I took in good air and the bar felt much better across the delts and the 1st rep was nailed beautifully... 2nd rep started the same way but as I was coming up near the top I leaned forward just a bit much and couldnt hold onto the bar... down she went... left it there (even though I was supposed to do one more set of 3)... pec felt fine during this which was a concern tbh...

GHR - oh man... I was just trying to hold onto lunch at this stage... first set made the hams and glutes hurt... a lot... legs shaking... 2nd set I got 7 and it felt hard... 3rd set was easier but man if I didnt nearly cry...

legs gone... its taken like 45 mins but I am now feeling more normal... just... really got to work the front squats and get that technique and form working... going to see if I can get some feeling back into my legs now...


----------



## Greyphantom

bench 2

CGBP
WU 40x10, 60x5, 80x5

100x3x6

Floor press
80x4x8

short and sweet... recovery is continuing fast indeed and I now get no pain when sleeping on it either... only the odd twinge now and then...

GCBP - warm ups went well, just getting used to the movement again... different bar path and so forth... came in about a handspan either side which is about right as much more and the movement becomes uncomfortable... just that little move in though and tris are hit much harder... went to 100 and that felt pretty good, probably could have gone 105 with not much more trouble although that would be about it before pushing harder I think...

Floor press - havent done these in forever... bit of a swing at the weight and tbh could have gone heavier, 80 felt good, bit awkward on the first set as I was getting used to the movement again but 2nd to 4th sets were strong and felt really good... 90 would have pushed me more but not sure much above that would be beneficial this week as needed to nail the form and tech on this...

short and sweet as said, felt really good though, tris got more of a hit today, floor press was interesting and felt strong and powerful, can see how that will benefit that last push past the sticking point... pec is feeling great so thats awesome... onwards and upwards from here...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads
WU 120x5, 170x5, 200x3

220x3x5

SLDL
190x8

Seated rows (1 min between sets)
110x4x10
110x9
110x7

EZ curls (R/P 15 breaths between)
50x14/8/6

oh jebus... Dig is one sick fvck...

Deads - fine... in fact way better than last week and first 2 sets were much faster and felt stronger and light... 3rd set was still faster than last week but only a bit... still felt strong and lighter than last week... really happy and no problem at all... all deads full stop and paused at the bottom to explode into the lift... felt awesome...

SLDL - thought they would be more difficult but again felt better than last week... glutes still sore from tue so only made them and hams sorer lol... but nice and strong...

Rows - oh jebus... holy hera what the hell was Dig thinking... 110 was the weight, one set every min (mins rest between sets) and keep going till drop below 8 reps in a set... looking for 4+ sets total... thought that 4 would be doable... wow... 4 was not too bad tbh... gassing and back was in bits but recovery between wasnt bad... till 5th set when back started saying nuh uh... firm talking too did 9 couldnt squeeze 10... felt very very ill... by the time 1 min went by (and how freaking fast is 1 min... its like 10 secs really) my back was still incredibly sore and had not recovered and I was thinking about puking... hot cup of mtfu and managed to squeeze out 7... 6 sets in total... that was tough...

EZ curls - stupid rest pause... first set thought yeah not too bad... 15 breaths later (I think my counting is sus btw) and managed 8... just stopped dead... another 15 breaths and some gray outs later only got 6... man that was hard too...

wow great session today... deads feeling back on form and much stronger... faster too which is good as I was thinking maybe I had lost my dead mojo... sldl were fine... glutes are even more painful now and hams which were feeling alright are back to tue... but upper back is where its at today... holy jebus... cannot believe how it was hit... swear the mrs backed her car into when when I sat down to lift... curls were good but biceps fried... forearms help up well actually which is a surprise as I thought they would be pumped to hell... its the weekend and so I am going to hit a few ports and see how it all rocks... oh and btw the nutri bullet is awesome, have had 1 or 2 smoothies a day (fruit of some sort and protein powder (100g of protein) and milk) takes seconds and is light... awesome...

actually I wonder if you can make port smoothies... mmmmm


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x10, 60x5, 80x3, 100x3, 110x2

120x3x4

DB OHP
25x2x8
25x10

not too bad, bit tired today, result of weekend and not sleeping... but it was worth it









BP - warm ups felt a little weird, heavy from the get go really... form was ok and moved quick enough but just felt off... after 100 it was feeling a bit better but the 1st 120 was a slow tenuous set... just feeling it out... felt more confident on the 2nd set and it went quicker and felt better too... still not quite there though... 3rd set was the better one by far... confidence was higher and thus I moved the bar quicker and made sure things were more dialed in... still felt heavier than I expected but moved well... was well within limits I think and now I need to get my head around moving weight again...

OHP - wrist on right was a little sore on the first set, better on second though... weight was fine really and it was just a hassle getting the weight up to press them out... going to work on that to make it smoother... last set was going well, first 8 felt fine... 9th was a bit slow... then the 10th was harder and I knew that was it... felt good though...

good workout short and sweet again... starting to climb a little in the weights and now starts the mental games... pec still feels good and only a bit achy after the workout no twinges or niggles lifting at all...


----------



## Greyphantom

squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2, *belt on* 210x1

225x3
200x9

FS
WU 100x3, 120x3

140x3
150x1
160x1
165x1 (think its a pb)

ghr (rest/pause 15 breaths rest)
BWx14/8/6

oh holy mother of all thats stoopid... first gym was cold about -1 so looks like will have to switch on the heater... second I got some stoopid fool thoughts in the noggin today during training and now my legs are numb... and achy... how the hell can they be numb AND achy...

Squats - was looking forward to these today... and for some reason sh1t was switched on... form and technique seemed just nailed and bar was sitting oh so sweet on my back... every set was just great... 225 felt really good and not as heavy as expected... strong from the bottom and legs felt good, which was just as well cos next set was 200 for 6+... was thinking I would be pleased if I got 8 and when I hit 6 and it was feeling good still started thinking 10 is on the cards here so pushed it hard and only managed the 9... and that 9th was pretty tough... at the time I knew the 10th wasnt there but in retrospect I keep thinking maybe I should have pushed harder lol... oh well, legs were shaking and sore...

FS - after last week I was not looking forward to these tbh... but as it happens they went pretty well... 140 felt awesome, nailed the form and technique really well... 150 felt good weight wise but I let it slip form wise as I was coming up but not that bad so went for 160... oh yeah felt better than 150 and found a better way to nail the form (breathing in before taking weight and holding it do the rep and rack weight) so thought dammit going for 165... this was a bit tougher but got it and was well happy... legs werent... vibrating after this... think that is a pb on weight for the front squat for me too...

GHR - just bw but it was rest/pause... managed a good 14 on the first bit hams were sore though... second part only just got 8 and glutes and hams just not happy... its surprising how fast one breathes btw... last bit got 6 and that 6th was a bit ropey...

holy cr4p legs are toast... they are aching even now 30 mins later and humming... really pleased with how it all went tbh... making a bit of a comeback now and feeling good with it... pleased I managed to get the fronts right too, not a big fan of them but man they hit the quads... and once you get them right they actually feel quite good... rest day tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP
WU 40x10, 60x5, 80x3, 95x3

105x3x6

Floor press
90x8
90x6
90x8
90x8

was a bit meh today, trouble sleeping the last couple of nights, seem to not go into a deep sleep and then imagine s**t going on and get up to check to find nothing... argh...

CGBP - warm ups felt pretty decent and when got to top sets it felt heavyish but at the same time I felt strong lifting...

Floor press - holy mother that floor was cold... first set went ok, felt a little odd but not heavy... 2nd went all over the place, form malfunctioned and left arm was just not working the same as the right... got to 6 and had to rack it... wtf... next set blasted them out fine and the last set the first 7 went well but the 8th was tough as hell... ffs I wish this would iron out, still early days so still learning the technique and form but makes me feel awkward lol...

bit tired today and tbh could just sleep now, but then that would mean being up half the night which would mean that tomorrow would be naff so must stay awaaaaazzzzzzzz


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 230x1

250x5

SLDL (def)
200x6

Rev grip PD (R/P)
75x17/8/6

Seated rows (1 min rest)
100x18
100x13
100x11

DB curls (1 min rest)
25x11
25x9
25x7

oh jebus... still shaking now... hard to type and forearms are pumped to high heaven while back is just a mass of aches... fvcking love it...

Deads - warm ups went ok, 210 was a bit sluggish though tbh as I wasnt really in it, just sort of winged it, 230 freaking flew up and felt light... 250 went way better than expected, the first 3 were really quick and felt light enough which I didnt expect tbh, 4th was good but a bit slower and the 5th was slow... prob could have done 1 or 2 more I reckon... but 5 was a good stop point... thats the heaviest I have gone since the worlds and it was good, oh so good, no issues at all and no niggles...

SLDL - wow felt really good... expected them to feel heavier and harder but it was just on the money... straight forward and no hardships...

rev grip pd - holy cow, these hit harder than I expected... first set was straight forward but got pretty hard near the end, second set (after the fasted 15 breaths ever) was freaking hard and only managed 8... then the last was an act of will after what felt like 3 breaths and a back just a mass of owie... was humming...

Rows - these just felt like hell tbh, form and technique was ok but back was already sore from pd so just compounded with these... 1 min rest this time between sets and as Einstein said time is relative... the first min went quick, the second was just 1 blink... I swear to jebus just that one blink... back was fvcked and forearms were pumped to hell, grip was pretty much gone...

DB curls - so of course on to curls... not a big fan of db curls mainly cos there seems to be so many reps they go on forever lol... first set was ok and I thought I might hit 12 or 13 but 11 was about it... 2nd set ffs was just no... didnt make 10 dammit... 3rd set was an act of will really, hands didnt even want to grip the pen I was using to write in my journal lol... I was thinking 3 or 4 but managed 7 somehow... arms were pretty sore... shaking like a leaf...

oh man that was probably the hardest session since returning from the worlds... certainly this and squats on tue were pretty decent... loved getting back to some weight on deads... went far better than I expected... just want to sleep now lol... got a big weekend lugging kit up to stoke for a comp this weekend setting up reffing and then bringing it all back again to unload... woo hoo...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench press
WU 40x10, 60x8, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

122.5x4

WGBP
90x3x8

DB OHP
25x8
25x11

oh holy moley I am tired, and knackered... had a comp over the weekend so had to load truck, drive to Stoke on trent and then unload and set up then ref all day and break stuff down and bring it all back and unload and set up a mono back in the gym we got the kit from... comp was awesome and I got to ref Martin Brown in a comp which was kind of a moment for me as he was so helpful in getting me into lifting and with things like my squat and stuff at the beginning... he nailed it btw... that man can lift... had a load of female lifters this time and man they gave it some... quality has gone up amazingly in the last couple of years... however getting home at 1 am after all that and then up at 0530 to get the mrs to work kids to school and then work for me doesnt make for a bright and cheery GP lol...

BP - warm ups felt pretty good... first rep at 100 fired up really fast and surprised me a bit as the next 2 were not as good cos I paused to think wow lol, then 115 was no bother and 122.5 felt pretty decent and on a good day would have gone for a rep or two more but left it there as just fvcked and back was starting to hurt a little...

WGBP - no problem with these at all and fired up fast and strong... no pain or irritation of the pec at all either which is good...

OHP - first set went fine and quick... second was as good really but tbh I wanted to stop at 9 but thought I would just get a couple more reps out to make it look half decent...

still going well... aside from aches and pains from the weekend pec is feeling good and doesnt hurt under load... getting heavier which is good but I do need to work on the form and technique... when I am sitting up I can feel my lats activate really well but when lying down they seem to just not do the same... worked on it a bit today and think I got it down better but still needs work... going to see if I cant get some time off for good behaviour and go see Dig to get some face to face time so he can smack me round and sort me out









looking for some bed time now and something to eat...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1 *belt on* 220x1

235x2

Front squats
WU 120x3

140x2+1p
150x3
150x2
150x3

GHR
BW+10x3x5

had to do squats today as mrs was off yesterday and I already get told I am selfish with my chosen sport enough that I figured why add fuel to the fire...

Squats - felt awesome, all warm ups and the main set... good solid reps, nice and tight and sat back well... form is def more on and technique is up there... 1st rep of 235 I rebounded out of the hole really well... second was not as fast but still good... pretty sure a 3rd was on there too...

FS - man these punish you if you slip just that little bit... 120 was easy and felt great, 140 first 2 were fine but lost form on the 3rd (more later), up to 150 and got the 3 but 3rd was a bit off, 2nd set missed the 3rd rep as again form just collapsed and on the 3rd, Nailed. It. after 2nd set at 150 took a good look and figured out the problem... which should have been obvious tbh... turns out my breath control sucks and what is happening (was happening ahem) is I would hold my breath for the first 2 reps but let it out on the 3rd, this mean that my chest was not as up and out and I couldnt maintain that tightness to create a good shelf for the bar to stay on... 3rd set I managed to hold it all together and nail it, felt fine in terms of weight... need to work that breath issue...

GHR- oh ffs first set went ok but could feel the hams and a little in the glutes... 2nd got to 4th rep ok but 5th was harder and hams and glutes were humming a bit, 3rd set holy jebus, up to rep 3 ok but 4th and 5th were harder and again hams and glutes sore... still are tbh...

good session not as great as I would like but still solid and I figured out some stuff re FS... squats were really good and felt so on... feels weird though training today...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP
WU 40x10, 60x9, 80x4

100x6
110x7

Floor press
100x3x5

EZ curls
50x2x10
50x15

oh yeah much better session this week...

CGBP - everything connected today, just seemed to all fall into place... form was tightened, keeping tight was tightened and the weight nearly lifted itself... nearly... 80 felt as easy as 60 and 100 felt as easy as 80 but not as easy as 60 and 110 was excellent but I am kicking myself for not going for rep 8 tbh... pretty sure I would have got it with a little fight... kept elbows tighter too this week and really worked...

Floor press - oh so much better this week as well... kept tight as Little Simon reminded me and Dig had a tip re flaring my elbows a little more which seemed to really help a lot... smooth strong solid reps... all felt good...

EZ curls - weight felt lighter than expected... blasted through the first two sets and third set was fine till about rep 11 then it started biting... got to 15 and was getting too sloppy so called it there...

really good session today, felt a lot better... form and technique are dialing in and still no niggles on pec... happy days...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Def Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x7

BOR
130x10
120x10

Seated rows
110x10 (oops)
110x8
110x16

oh good gravy... sweet holy jebus and all that... quads, hams and glutes are still very sore from wed and when I did the old pre training toilet break I was thinking if its this hard sitting and getting up off the loo then how the hell am I going to train... pffft I laugh at the ache... (while quietly wiping that rogue tear gently wending its way down through my manly beard)...

Def Deads - wow did not expect them to go so well tbh... warm ups felt fast and light... 210 felt very quick and I was thinking alright.... then loaded 240 and BAM baby just as fast and felt fine till 6th rep then started fatiguing fast... got the 7th ok and it was not much slower but hands were starting to sting a little so left the 8th but now wishing I had it done... it would have gone too I know that... hands were a mite tingly though as skin on palms was a bit stretched, not torn but was certainly not happy... still 7 was ok... they were fast and not that hard so happy with that for now...

BOR - again thought this was going to feel heavier but actually went really well... form was not too loose at all and felt in the back well... 120 was to maintain a stricter form which was done and felt good... well the form felt good my back was a bit tingly after...

Seated rows - jumped into these and forgot it was supposed to be 8 reps and did 10 instead... back was grumbling a little but second set was just as good as first and the third was 8+ cannot believe I managed 16... I thought 12 maybe 13... felt really good and back was def smashed after... took me a min to write in the journal...

wow really good session and very happy with it... can def feel it all doing its damage (in a good way of course) and its starting to come back... just wish I had have gone for that 8th on the deads... sigh... weekend off and then back at it next week...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Bench 1
> 
> BP
> 
> WU 40x10, 60x8, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2
> 
> 125x4
> 
> 120x4
> 
> 115x4
> 
> WGBP
> 
> 95x2x8
> 
> OHP
> 
> 30x not done...
> 
> sigh... meh session at the end, after such a promising start too...
> 
> BP - felt good, warm ups felt better than ever and light... 125 got the 4 really nicely and it felt better than last weeks 122.5 which is good... 120 felt really good and fast... 115 was even better and quicker if possible... very happy at this stage... and better yet all niggles in forearms etc not there... yay...
> 
> WGBP - felt very very good, light and easy and fast... was pretty surprised by these tbh... firing well at this stage...
> 
> OHP db - yeah till this... 30 was the first set today and loaded the bells ok but to get them to shoulder proved to be a pain in the rear... dont have the room to swing a lot so tried to the first time and hit the rack (even with the bench pulled right to the door), moved a little tried again and hit my fvcking leg and this time hurt my forearm a little (nothing serious) so all p1ssed off I got one up ok but the other not so much... left it as a bad job... stupid db... 10kg plates are size of big dinner plates... need to get some better sized ones or better db...
> 
> meh mixed all over the place today... bench was awesome... ohp went down in a screaming heap cursing all the way... oh well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x1, *belt on* 210x1

222.5x5

2ct Paused
220x1

*belt off*

185x3

FS
*belt back freaking on* 125x3

145x3
155x3
160x3

done... and how...

Squats - warm ups felt light and almost too easy... when I took 120 it almost came off my shoulders... 210 settled in better and top weight just ooomph... first 3 at top went well and fast enough the last couple though were a bit tougher and slower... legs needed a minute after to learn to stand properly again lol... felt good though and form is going really well... sitting up more and going back better...

2ct - holy jebus... 220 did not feel light, went down ok, 1, 2 then up... up... come on you mother up... it went up slow... smoothly but slow... lol... could have been tighter I think... belt off for the 185s and went no problem at all, fast and smooth and felt good... legs were not feeling so good though and I was feeling decidedly ill...

FS - did a quick 125x3 to get the feel of it to work out a method of taking the weight and then going straight into the squats quickly instead of taking my time and inviting potential looseness... went well... 145 was awesome, weight felt light and squats fast and smooth and kept tight... 155 first 2 were much the same but let out half a breath at the top of the 2nd rep and lost a bit of tightness so this made the 3rd rep a little harder... still got it in and 160 was there for the offering as Dig said if 155 felt good then go for it... took about 20 secs to decide to go for it... after all why not... 160 loaded... took the weight made sure was damn tight and BAM nailed beautifully... stayed tight for the whole three and moved quickly... felt awesome... weight didnt even feel that heavy compared to previous lifts at similar weight...

legs are numb atm... well they were but now starting to get feeling back... and they dont feel happy lol... very happy with today, squats felt spot on, fronts went best yet and felt so good, think I have managed to unlock the form and technique there... will keep working it as I think its helping with squats and staying more upright and getting back better...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Floor press
40x5
60x5
80x5
100x5
110x5

CGBP
80x4 (to feel the form right)
100x8
100x7

thats it... feeling really meh today, just mentally not fvcking there... sleep last night = < 0 if thats poss... load on the mind atm too tbh... usually I can get into training and find focus as its the one thing that I can really sink into, but not today... physically feeling sh1te and mentally too so not to be... bit p1ssed tbh...

FP - felt really good as it happens... kept tight and good arm placement as Dig has suggested and felt it working well... probably should have done 115 tbh as I think it was there but left it at 110... that felt ok... better than I expected...

CGBP - did the 80kg just to make sure I had the form and technique... felt light... happy... 1st set went really well and felt good... 2nd set first 6 went fine but 7th the bar twisted and elbow felt something so left it there... reps were surprisingly quick and good up till then, lost a bit of focus or concentration and let the bar move...

hopefully get some sleep tonight but it is not looking good... heads in overdrive which is never good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

260x5

BOR
140x8
125x10

GHR
bw+10x4x5

man felt like death warmed up last night, but had a scalding hot bath that after 5 mins I felt peeled so stayed in for 5 mins longer (felt like 50 lol) and then got out, felt a lot better after that, went to bed and passed out for 6 hours straight... longest sleep period in a long time... felt awesome... woke this morning and felt much much better, mrs tells me I have been a bit pale and incredibly hot last few nights so maybe it was a bug of some sort... so much better after last nights sleep...

Deads - warm ups went really well... goal was to go to one rep below all out... 4 went up easy enough I thought 5 and got 5th easy enough too, but left it there... after thinking for a few secs I think I should have done at least 6 as it felt like I had 7 there if not 8 had someone held a gun to my head... just was really switched on and form was really good, kept the bar close to my body all the way up and just stayed on the line... awesome...

BOR - felt really good... 140 surprisingly easy felt heavyish but was well within range... elbow a little sore on this one, same side that twisted yesterday... but only for a rep or two and nothing serious... 125 went fine... good squeeze and well controlled...

GHR - first set fine, second set ok still 3rd started becoming a lot less fine and 4th set was ffs... last 2 reps form was sloppy and I thought I got away with min soreness but after a min or so started to feel my hams and then the glutes...

so much better today, even at work I felt good and was much happier... lunch I was starving... felt a little tired but after last nights sleep much more energised... was a bit hmm about deads today tbh... Dig was wanting at least 3 reps I was hoping more but given how I was yesterday I was thinking 3 might be an ask... but nope smashed it... feeling good now, hungry again which is good... got a comp to lug kit too and ref over the weekend so going to be a big one...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

oh man, Dig sent through this weeks training and said it was going to be the hardest since worlds... yay, I asked him if he was looking for new ways to kill me... his reply... of course lol... yeah this coach is a keeper... all that said, this weekend was a huge one, spent sat loading and unloading about 4 tonnes of kit and driving to scunthorpe in atrocious weather and all day sunday reffing, sorting comp out and then loading kit back in van to drive home again but as we werent getting back till late (home around 0215) had to wait till this morning to unload... was beat up, physically and mentally but on a high emotionally due to some freaking awesome lifting (among which our own @Sam Bollands was involved, the man can fricking lift)... so thought fvck it will give it a crack... worst comes to worst will just have to redo it tomorrow...

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 110x1, 120x1

130x3
125x3
120x3

WGBP
105x6
105x8

DB BP
35x2x12

yeah baby nailed... it...!!!

Bench - brought my grip in slightly so that my ring finger is on the rings on the bar... think this helps a little so will keep with this for a bit... warm ups felt awesome, 110 went faster than 100 and 120 felt simple... 130 not so simple tbh but first 2 went up nicely while the 3rd tried to drift a little but I held it in line and it went up fine... something I dont normally manage tbh... 125 went really well for the tripple and 120 was actually quite light feeling and almost easy... very happy... back was hurting, arms sore and generally knackered but got the job done... still no pain at all from the pec either...

WGBP - oh yeah... first set went really well, fast, smooth and light... nice... 2nd set went just as well tbh, rep 8 was about there though and I am not sure a 9th would have gone... really happy now...

DB BP - but best for last, these flew up, freaking flew like the DB were 15s... did not expect that... very happy but also a little sad as I think I can only get my DB up to 35... might have to look at some more 10 plates









really happy with todays session... felt like death and nailed it still... going to sleep so well tonight and have a hot bath to see if I cant soak out the aches... was a great weekend though, the lifters were amazing, 65 I think we had which is just phenomenal... had one of the monos malfunction and had to switch the last flight to the warm up room but they rallied and just gave so much... Sam was amazing... fvcking inspiration and a really nice guy too... yeah I hate him














god I love the lifting fraternity...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1

227.5x5

2ct Paused squats (no belt)
180x3x3

GHR
BW+10kg x9
30 secs rest
BW+5kg x6
1mins rest
BW x5

oh jebus... how the hell am I surprised every time he kills me...

Squats - warm ups felt spot on... fast light and snappy... 210 felt really good was feeling good going into 227.5... 1st 4 reps went pretty good... 5th was very slow... not a grind but not far off... holy cow legs were ready to fall off... felt very ill and like a new born foal...

Paused - first set felt a bit harder than I expected tbh... might have rushed into it a tad... but next two sets were pretty decent... 2 count is a long time in the hole... at least it felt like that today... power up was ok...

GHR - man.. just maaaan... was pretty happy with the +10 and number of reps... 30 secs was more like 5... at least if felt like that... not so many reps as I was expecting there, legs were shaking at this stage... 1 mins rest felt like 10 secs ffs... bw felt more like +20 lol...

man that was a good session... legs are fried now... well up for some pancakes and a smoothie or two... when I can eat that is as still feel a little ill lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Floor press

WU 40x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x3, 110x3

120x3

100x10

OHP bb

40x5

65x3x8

Db curls

22.5x18

22.5x15

22.5x13

oh yeah done...

Floor press - felt so much better this week... 120 went really well and had a rep or two in the tank... 100 surprised me tbh as was a 6+ target and managed 10 quite well, maybe, maybe an 11th was there... feeling much better and keeping tight and elbows slightly out as suggested.

OHP - straight forward and not problems here really... slightly crick in the neck but was just about positioning the head and back properly... little bit slower on the last set last few reps but no problems...

DB curls - actually didnt feel too bad at all... failure on all sets well as near as could, biceps were humming and I had to stretch them out between each set... pumped and sore now...

great session today... really happy with how its going atm... floor press is coming along well and is teaching me to stay tight and keep form through whole rep... floor is freaking cold though lol...

weight today is 116.9 which is the heaviest I have been for a while... but squat belt is in a notch and I am feeling better with the weight, lighter on my feet and no trouble breathing or doing stuff so thats good... hopefully translates to more lean mass 

deads tomorrow... with a prequel of front squats...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Front squat (yeah I know)
WU 60x3, 100x3, 120x2, *belt on* 140x1

150x1
160x1
170x1

Deads
WU 120x3, 170x3, 210x3, 250x1

280x3

Speed deads
200x4x2

Chins
BWx7
BWx6
BWx3 (pain so stopped)

been a good week with training, probably the hardest week since worlds (or so the boss tells me) and it felt really good... knackered now and think a few glasses of port are in order... and a bit of a lie in... ordered a new TPB as a spare as well as BMAC strength had them going ridiculously cheap due to slight rust damage (very slight and 5 secs with a bit of steelo pad or wire brush and it will be fine) but shhhh dont tell the mrs lol... bit of a stealth buy...

FS - felt pretty good doing these today tbh... nice deep squats and quick, in fact I noticed that I am much quicker on the descent and drive up than with normal squats... something to think about with back squatting I think... went to 140 on warm ups and then 150 which felt better than 140 and 160 for a very quick single then 170 which didnt feel that heavy at all and I drove up and back so hard I almost went over backwards lol... caught myself at the top... felt fine after these...

Deads - rearing to go here... truncated warm up due to fronts being first today... everything felt great and fast enough, even the 250 felt pretty good... 280 I was a little hesitant about as I havent pulled this since the worlds... first 2 reps were really good and quick, 3rd was harder and slower... very happy I nailed these though... then went into speed deads... 200 for 4 sets of 2... about 2 or 3 mins apart... felt really good and light and easy but still feel I could go faster tbh... and after them I didnt really feel like I had lifted them lol... happy enough but more speed...

Chins - first set was ok but I need to push harder and stop not when feeling a little fatigued but when its really hurting... second set went ok too but same again... 3rd set got first 2 reps nicely but the 3rd I tweaked that same part of the neck/back as yesterday and felt it... tired for another rep but nope just wasnt there...

really good session, very pleased and on a good wicket re training atm I think... starting to get back to decent numbers... now that I have my Euro invite will have to make damn sure I push it harder...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

3ct paused bench (keeping tight at bottom)
WU 40x2x10, 60x5 *paused from now* 80x3, 100x3, 110x3

120x3
125x3
112.5x5
107.5x5

DB press
35x14
35x9+1p
35x9

OHP
WU 40x5, 60x5
75x5
65x8

mixed session today... upper back still sore from last thu... been a bit sore all weekend as it happens... still cracked on...

3ct - well this was different... just did some light stuff as normal to warm up then started adding the pause in from 80kg... 80, 100 and 110 felt great... so went 120 and that felt pretty decent too... little harder on the last rep but then 125 felt about the same... I am not sure that 130 would have made all three reps tbh... then had to drop it about 10% and knock out 5 and then another 5kg down for another 5... 112.5 went ok but last rep a little harder, 107.5 thought felt fine... adding in the pause was good and keeping the tightness in the bottom was awesome, its a bit of a mental as well as physical exercise that... felt it in my back more than normal for sure and keeping tight felt pretty good if a little challenging... pleased about this today...

DB press - pleasantly surprised here as I didnt expect 14 on the first set... fair flew up it did and it felt good... didnt quite make the 10 on the second I was wanting if not 11 but just seemed to stop... then managed 9 on the last set which was great... felt a little hard on the 9th rep tbh but managed to squeeze it up... had to have 2 min rests between sets too so was feeling that...

OHP - supposed to do 8+ on the 75kg set and while 60 felt great on the warm up when I got to rep 4 I could feel my back a little so did 5 and then bottled it... 65 was supposed to match or beat 75 and tbh it wasnt too much of a problem... although again stupid back thing was playing on the mind so was watching out for that more than focusing on the lift... its feeling better day by day so hopefully will be sorted next time...

over all happy with today... feeling good about training at the moment... got a new toy to play with in the gym today too, another TPB so might have to break it in tomorrow on squats or might wait till next week when I do deads again... oooh decisions decisions lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1

230x1
240x1
250x1

2ct paused squats
210x4

Normal squats
180x13

GHR
BW+15kg x5
BWx3x5, 1x4, 1x3 (1 min rest between sets)

Holy moly... legs fvcked...

Squats - simple singles today, 230 went up really well and felt good, sat back well and powered up nicely from the hole... 240 was pretty much the same, felt nice and strong... 250, well it went down quick lol, came up very slowly and was a hard one today...

2ct - goal was for 2+ and I wanted to nail it... so I did, but man the legs felt that... first 2 were good, 3rd was ok but a bit slower, the last rep went much slower and legs were a bit wobbly...

Squats - back to normal squats for this set and I wasnt sure about it tbh... made the target of 10 reps and went for a few more... really wanted to try for 15 but only managed 13, the weight was not a problem but gassed hard and just couldnt get the air in... should have hit at least 14 but just couldnt get the air to maintain tightness... sigh... still felt happy enough with it... legs totally bambi now and was feeling very ill...

GHR - ffs 15kg on top of bw today... managed 5 but fvck me it was felt... then went to bw for sets of 5 with 1 min rest between each till I could only get 3... managed 3 sets of 5 then one of 4 (went for the 5th but just ended up flat on my face lol) and the last was 3...

could not lift my legs after this... hobbled to the house and then had to go get my boy from his mates place... getting in and out of the car is a hoot... laugh, I nearly cried lol... felt good today but def a couple of tough reps there... condition is sh1t as shown by gassing hard on the 180kg squats... I mean I should be doing 15 or so at least...

BW today is 116.9 again... feeling good at this weight atm so happy there...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads, but no deads day

Rev grip pulldowns
WU 40x6, 60x5, 80x5

100x8
90x9
80x11

Seated rows
130x10
110x12,12,11,9

BOR
110x4x10

DBC
30/20/10 x 8/7/8+1p (right arm)
30/20/10 x 9/7/9 (left arm)

oh jebus wtf was that... legs fvcked from yesterday so felt terrible going in... back well on fire when finished and arms are little more than rubber atm...

PD - started ok, light, light, not so light dammit main set, not sure if I had more than 100 for 8 in me today... maybe 105... but went well enough and felt them working the back nicely... second set match or beat reps of which I'd be blowed if only matching so managed to get a 9th but lats were sore... then again for 80 and managed 11 but lats were really sore after this... found a better way to set up for the pull too, legs are not fitting under the knee pads as well as they used to lol...

Seated rows - ffs 130 Dig, really... goal 8+ and I managed 10, that was hard... but felt good lol... then 110 for sets of 12 with a mins rest till I couldnt do 10... managed 4 sets of them in total, this killed... back on fire and just hurting all over... good though...

BOR - but wait theres more... sets of strict rows here with no leg involvement, haha jokes on Dig, I cant use my legs even when walking today... oh wait... dammit... first set felt heavier than I expected, but next sets were better... managed all 4 sets pretty strict and managed to do my back even more pain... yeah was really loving Dig about now...

DBC - weird one this week, one arm at a time, 30 straight into 20 then straight into 10... used a 10kg plate for the last set as they have handles on them and it was just like a db mostly... fvck me was an experience, the 30s were bad enough but when I picked up the 20s they felt light but my arm didnt want to lift them and the 10kg plate felt like nothing but I had to concentrate on my arm moving... they are very rubbery atm tbh... left arm seemed to have more in it than my right which is odd as I am mainly right dominant although I am left footed... and can write with my left...

thats the training for the week done... mrs is off the next couple of days and it being school hols she wants to do family stuff... so thought I would do the husbandly thing and chill with her the next few days... legs are well fvcked from yesterday, hot bath last night and they felt better but by bed time I could tell they were going to be a pain, they were humming and very sore... apologised to the mrs in advance lol... I was right, took me a while to get them comfy to get to sleep and they kept waking me up, right on the verge of cramping at times... now my back feels the same so yay matching set









feeling good about training atm, as always Dig nails it and makes me do things I am not sure I could... looking forward to next week now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 115x1, 125x1

135x2 (1st paused)
127.5x4

DB press
37.5x14
37.5x10+1p
37.5x6+1p

OHP
WU 50x5

70x8
70x11

oh yeah, great session today... been away for a few days with the fam to Chester which was nice... had some wicked DOMS for a couple of days but by fri all good and bouncing like a goo un...

Bench - oddly first couple of sets ie the 40s felt a bit off... settled in quick enough and then it all went well... 125 felt great... 135 felt really good, pretty quick and def another there, first rep was to be paused which was fine and second touch and go... paused went up pretty quick and was really happy, second rep was very quick too and felt good... 127.5 actually felt better than expected and tbh I should have gone for the 5th rep... really happy with it today...

DB press - have reached the limit of the db now with 37.5 unless I get another 4 10 kg plates or something... which is entirely possible as I am liking db press atm... however after the 1st set I let the db down a bit heavy and broke one of the spin lock collars on each db dammit... but I had a spare set so quickly got it sorted and made sure I placed them down more gently for the next 2 sets lol... all sets felt really good... good stretch and felt really good on the drive up...

OHP - last week these were a bit tough but this week they were awesome... felt really good on the 50 WU and then the first set was really quick, no niggle or soreness from that upper back/neck area that I had last week... second set went really well and I managed a very hard 11, 10th rep felt ok so went for the 11th, that almost never made it up lol...

great session today... sleep hasnt been too bad lately although last night I was struggling to get comfy in bed and arms and legs just felt restless... managed to nod off though... light day on squats this week but a couple of big sessions to end the week on... bring it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5

150x5x5

GHR
BW+15x7, 5, 3+1p

short and sweet today...

Squats - first warm up was a bit off as quads were a little tender, medialis on one was sore and the lateralis in the other was also sore, got to 150 and took the first set a little tenderly but felt ok so went quicker and harder in the 2nd and still felt ok, so went for it and tbh the weight felt light as fvck and it went much quicker than I expected... even the 5th set was not a problem and went very well... kept the reps fast and really drove out of the hole, this meant the legs felt a little tight but fvck it gotta beat them into shape right









GHR - oh jebus save me... first set I was happy to get 7 and it felt ok... second set was aiming for 5 and made it but the 5th was hard... got to that certain point in the rep and it was a fight to finish it... did it though... last set I got 3 and 3rd felt hard so went for a 4th... nope that just stopped... legs feeling good atm... hams and glutes a little sore but quads ok...

good light session today, well except the ghr that is lol... was really surprised at how light 150 felt as I expected it to be heavier... I broke a sweat doing the reps and sets but it never felt hard or heavy... happy with how fast and easy it was too... huge boost there... ghr was a son of a... um it was tough lol... seems you hunt along pretty well till its like hitting a wall and everything says nope...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2

110x8
100x10

Floor Press
WU 90x3

105x8 (FVCK)

EZ curls
55x12
55x11
55x10

oh ffs... great session pressing wise and felt strong but....

CGBP - warm ups felt so on and really tight... 100 felt light which is awesome and then 110 felt great, very strong on this today and felt another might be there in hindsight... 100 also felt great but another prob not there today... still got more than target and they all felt really really good, floor press and front squats are helping me learn to keep tight...

FP - oh so good to start, 90 felt easy, 105 first 5 flew up and 6 and 7 felt good 8 was a bit of a toughie so went to rack the bar, missed the fvcking j hooks and clocked myself right above the eye... fvck that hurt and blood p1ssing everywhere and double vision... awesome... just awesome...

EZ curls - so of course when bleeding must be time to do curls... tbh should have had a couple more reps on at least the 1st and 2nd sets... didnt push as hard as should have here... had to keep eyes closed as 1) stupid eye brow wouldnt stop bleeding for a bit and 2) vision was fvcked anyway... still knocked them out ok...

really happy with the pressing today, not so happy with the d1ckhead move of missing the freaking hooks... ah well... deads tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Front squats
WU 60x3, 80x3, 100x2, 120x1, *belt on* 140x1, 155x1, 165x1

175x1

Deads
WU 120x3, 170x3, 210x2, 255x1

295x1p
295x1p

nope had to stop it there...

Front squats - well these went really well till about 155 when my head started to ache while coming out of the hole... so of course I went on and did 165 which felt quick and easy enough but again head was just really sore... only for a few seconds though... did the 175 cos I didnt want to wimp out and it was good, felt strong and fast enough (although not as fast as last weeks 170) and yep head was sore again but sort of had that stuffy feeling too... yay... so did the only thing I could do... go on to deads

Deads - warm ups were ok... fast and light but again head was not that happy... up to 255 weights felt fine, fast off the floor and great lifting but head just didnt enter the game plan so went for 295 and as it got to my knees and went to transition to lock out felt a bit of pressure in the head and a bit of pain so took the bar to the floor... took a few mins breather and tried it again, same thing as I was hitting that transition point the side I managed to bean with my bar felt a bit of pressure and ache so again just left it...

and thats all for today, not happy leaving it as it was feeling good but have to have some sense I guess and just rest it up a bit... got a docs appt in about 25 mins so off to get it looked at... eye is a bit more bloodshot now... um it wasnt my fault I swear... its a bit sore now too... stoopid body...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

OHP
WU 40x5, 60x5

75x2x8
75x11

DB press
30x3x12

TPD
30x4x15

short and sweet and pretty simple... maybe hes taking pity on me cos I beaned myself lol...

OHP - pretty simple, first set was good but second was better and third found a groove and it felt strong and fast and smooth... but not sure a 12th there today tbh...

DB press - still a bit surprised at how light these feel cos pressing is sh1t for me... felt good little tired on the last rep last set but still felt good and moved well...

TPD - havent done these for ages, and it told... 30 was about spot on for 4 sets of 15... really felt it in my tris and they felt good...

well a light and easy to lull me this week as its all brutal after this... not sure training last fri was a good idea in the end cos as the night wore on felt more pressure in the head and my eye went a bit bloodshot... wasnt really aching but just felt like a sinus pressure but on the eye... mrs was not happy I tried training... sigh... still it was all good by the next morning and eye has cleared mostly so no harm no foul right...

today was a nice easy one, felt really good tbh, not too taxing but certainly worked me... bodyweight this morning was 117.2kg which is the heaviest I have been for a while and I have never felt better... I was about 118 at one stage quite a few years ago and I remember feeling bloated and out of breath and generally meh, but this time I feel good, light on the feet and well... sort of lends to Digs argument for me competing at 125 in the next comp... hmmmmm


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats... aka oh holy fvck what have I done...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1

230x3x3

2ct paused squats
210x3x2

GHR
BW+10kg x3x5

oh jebus... I swear Dig is out to get us for something brothers...

Squats - warm ups were awesome, felt light as hell till 210 but even that went well... first set 230 was a little slower than I would have liked but went nicely, so I pushed a bit harder on the 2nd set and nailed it nicely, felt better and quicker... legs started to complain though... 3rd set was just nuts... first 2 reps were ok, went slower than 2nd but still good however the 3rd rep was very very slow... quite a tough one tbh... legs actually leaped up to strangle me at this stage...

2ct paused - ffs Dig 210 really... sigh... well as it happens they felt a lot better than I expected but no way were they quick... esp the last set... got good power out of the hole though... at the end my legs have pretty much given up on me now...

GHR - sadistic fvcker... control the negs he said... yeah control thats what that was... first set I managed to do ok... 2nd set I managed not to face plant... 3rd set was more of a oh fvck it set and just bounced my forehead off the bench lol... well not quite that bad but jebus getting my hams and glutes to stop that downward motion was hard...

legs are in a bit of an owie state atm... best thing is I still have some work to do clearing out one of the sheds we lovingly call a "summer house"... fvcking joy... hot bath tonight though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

1ct paused bench comp style
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 115x1, 130x1

140x3x1

Pin press (aim RPE 8)
Test 60x3, 80x3

100x3
95x3
95x3

CGBP
100x8
95x8
90x11

EZ curls
60x12
60x11
60x9

ok Dig has found a great way to get rid of leg doms, kill the chest... yep that does it...

BP - warm ups went really well... fast smooth strong and didnt feel any weight really till 130... 115 flew up and prob felt the best it ever has... 130 a little more weight on it but the first 140 felt just the same and moved quick, smooth and strong enough too... 2nd 140 also felt pretty good and was really happy... went for a 3rd and it moved ok but a little slower and tougher than the 2nd so left it there... 4th might have gone or not and was instructed only to go for it if it was def so erred on side of caution and all that... happy though...

Pin press - new exercise for me and also first time using the RPE scale for a long while if I ever have... aim was RPE 8 which means 2 in the tank... tbh I wasnt sure if 100 was 8... probably 105 would have been better but just getting used to it... tried out a couple of light sets at 60 and 80 and they were easy and the bar was resting right on my chest when on the safeties (used them instead of pins as cant get the bench back far enough for pins) felt really odd but really good... in fact I have been meaning to ask Dig about maintaining my tightness at the bottom and getting a good drive up and this seems to address that, son of a b1tch has esp or something... 100 felt good, as said prob should have tried 105... 95 and 90 were really good too... looking forward to nailing this and getting better at staying tighter in the bottom of the press... strength is there just need it to be helped by better technique now...

CGBP - tbh I was thinking yeah right... 8 reps pffft... but surprisingly 100 went really well and fast... prob had a couple more in there too... 95 was as good if a little harder but only a little... and 90 was nice, hoping for 12 but I will take 11... this finished me off nicely and chest was sore and tris were feeling used...

EZ curls - ouch... first set was really happy to nail 12, 12 was hard though... cannot believe I got the 11 on second set... 11 was a grind though... over the moon got 9 on the last set, was going to stop at 8 as it was wobbly but thought fvck it will try for one more... done...

oh yeah thats the stuff... felt really really good... did not expect to do so well today... back up to 3 plates for bench and feeling good with it too... legs feel much better this afternoon even compared with this morning... but chest is now fvcked lol... I cannot wait for more now...

also thinking after training today that there must be a real love/hate thing going on with people who have great coaches... eg I love what Dig does for me and the changes in my training and body and so forth are awesome but fvck me theres that little bit of hate when I see a new week come through and the numbers... and then when I send him my report of the session and it went well like today I hate it that it did cos I know that next week he will want to kill me some more lmao... bring it on Dig... bring it on... (whimpers quietly in reality on this side of the keyboard)


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Front squats
WU 60x3, 85x3 105x2, 125x1, *belt on* 145x1

165x1+1p

Block pulls (RPE 8.5)
WU 120x3, 170x3, 210x3, 250x4

260x4
250x4
240x4

SLDL
200x2x6

Snatch grip deads (RPE 8)
Test sets 120x10, 150x10

170x10

yeah ok... lower lats and back pumped and fvcked now... basically fighting off the need to throw up... fvck snatch grip deads, and sets of 10... fvck them to death...

FS - warm ups felt great, no issues and felt strong, legs were awesome and no pains or probs from doms... got to 165 and nailed the first rep easily, went for second and focus slipped or something as I allowed the bar to slip and it started rolling so I had to bail the rep so only a partial, weight no problem but technique still needs work...

Block pulls - not a good one for me tbh... worked the form and technique from the start... got to 250 and thought nope thats not rpe 8.5 (with 1 or poss 2 in the tank) so went to 260 and it felt even better than 250 ffs... prob should have gone to 270 I think... form was decent and managed to get technique working well... 250 felt far better than the first time and 240 was about it... noticed it hitting my lower lats today, but felt really good over all...

SDLD - first set felt great, not hard and strong... second set felt great for the 1st 4 reps then 5th slowed and 6th was hard... like hitting a brick wall... felt it a lot in my glutes and hams... sitting was an issue...

Snatch grip deads - a new exercise for me... used straps at had grip about 2 fingers outside the rings may be able to go a little wider we shall see... first set was a test to see how the form and technique felt and after a few reps I felt comfortable doing it, was going to go 140 but went 150 as 120 moved so easily... 150 a bit easy there too... so up to 170... fvcking 10 reps... who does that ffs... this was much closer to the rpe 8... possibly should have gone 180... and I see in the future that it will def be much higher weight vis a vis the rpe...

holy fvck, that took some, didnt think it would but my back is done... blocks felt better today but need to work those felt them working better than before too... snatch grip is odd but good... Dig is really kicking my ar$e lately... and while I whimper and moan through the work out and after (and the next day with the doms lately lol) I am loving it, hes pushing me and I feel great for it... mentally getting me primed and physically too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Floor press
WU 40x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x3, 115x2

125x2 (should have been 3)
115x5

DB bench
35x4x10

Incline ez extensions
Test sets 30x10, 35x10

40x10
35x14/8/7 (R/P)

interesting session today... up for it but floor press went a bit meh.

Floor press - felt good about this today... went in pretty on... warm ups felt really good and no issues... 125 on and did the 1st rep nice and smooth and strong... 2nd rep was fine till the last little bit near the top when it wobbled and thats when it went south, mentally lost it and wimped out completely when it came to do the 3rd, not happy... at all... it was totally there... fvcking brain... anywho cracked on with 115 and managed to do 5 with no problems, but that was about it today...

DB bench press - at first I saw this as 30kg and was thinking easy... then saw it was 35 and thought ok not so easy but fine... expected a bit of issue with the last set but as it turned out it went really well and I found a good groove and form... last set the last few reps were tough, not hard but tougher than the others... felt a great movement in the chest and felt good...

incline ez ext - new one for me, so tested it with 30kg and it was easy, 35 and it was fine so went 40 which was pretty good too but was feeling it after the other 2 sets, if started fresh would have tried 45 or 50 perhaps... felt it nicely in the triceps... more than flat ez ext tbh... dropped it 5kg and did a rest/pause set... yeah that was fun... 14 first part was good, fvcking 8 on the 2nd and it felt hard, last one I just really pushed and got 7 the 7th was a grind though... tris were feeling fried by this stage and still ache now...

decent session today even with missing that first target... shouldnt have missed it tbh as it was there just a bit of a nervous nelly... stoopid brain... feeling good and looking at the numbers for this week thats a good thing as its another strong week... Dig is actively trying to kill me...


----------



## Floydy

Jeez! You get around bud


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

ok before I start will put in my reasons *cough*excuses*cough* for the session now... forgot to have my morning shake a right bone head move ffs... had a good lunch though but cannot believe that I missed the morning bit, wondered why I was so hungry at like 0930... anyway thats out the way so on with the report...

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1, 230x1

242.5x2

220x2x4

2ct paused squats

210x3

200x3

GHR

BW+12.5kg x3x5

ooh ffs... the man is nuts... not sure which man, the one that writes the plan or the one that carries it out... 

Squats - warm ups felt awesome, 190 flew up and has never felt so light or easy... was very fast, 210 was much the same great form and so forth and just nailed... 230 though felt a bit heavy, although was slightly off form... went for 242.5... weight felt great on my back, right in the spot... first rep was great, better than I thought it would go, went for the 2nd and BAM nailed... was slow but quicker than I expected it would go up... very nice... then I remembered had 2 sets of 220 for 4... ffs Dig... at this stage was just thinking it would be good to get at least one set done... first set of 4 felt great, just spot on and while it made me say all sorts of naughty words and give me those bright white lights in the vision I was really happy... 2nd set was much the same (although the last rep was a bit slow lol)... freaking wrapped at this stage... but cursing Digs good name as legs were sore... bit wobbly too...

2Ct - jebus save me... 210 for 3, yeah right... deep breath, blow out into belt and BAM yeah baby... wasnt really easy by any means but was good, solid and strong... last a little slow but still not as bad as thought... 200 was even better and I really tried to get that bar moving... wasnt going to leave my shoulders at any stage but was pretty damn good... till I stopped and my legs were just not fvcking happy... I think I might have inadvertently let out a small sob, um I mean growl of alpha-ness... 

GHR - just when I thought it was done, yeah thanks... first set went fine and felt good... 2nd set went fine for the 1st 4 reps but last was hard and needed a hand on the bench... 3rd set went much the same except the 4th rep was slow, 5th needed a hand again...

fvck me my legs were basically numb at this stage... managed to walk indoors and then sit... legs now starting to tingle with that anticipated soreness... hot bath later will help that... tbh I looked at the plan and was thinking it was not going to happen... but the man knows and fvck me I did it... really happy with how squats are feeling lately... found a good groove and when the bar is right on my back I know its on... ghr still kills though... I thought that sh1t was supposed to get easier ffs... yeah here they come, legs are getting feeling back and its now uncomfortable to sit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Floydy said:


> Jeez! You get around bud


 lol I have been around the boards for quite some time now mate, this was my first home I think, this and MT I believe...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 110x1, 120x1

(first rep has comp pause)

127.5x2
127.5x2x3

Pin press
105x3
100x2x3

CGBP
105x7
100x5

left it there... ffs... went in feeling well up for it... and tbh during warm ups I wanted to hit the next set earlier as I was ready to lift... but waited the normal rest time, well mostly and cracked on...

BP - warm ups went awesome, 100 felt light, 120 flew up and was thinking brill... first set on 127.5 first was fine, 2nd just lost all power about half way up and had to strive to press it out... very flaming odd, just stopped... 2nd set went far better, all reps were good and felt easy... quicker by far too... 3rd set 1st 2 reps went well 3rd slowed a little but still felt ok... bit odd but shook it off as bad set up or something...

Pin press - awesome work here... 105 felt I could have kept going for at least another couple if not more... 100 felt the same if not better, quick strong and went up well...

CGBP - ok went south again... first set went fine till the last rep when left side just went nope again... went for the 100kg set and got to 5 and just lost the oomph... energy bottomed out too...

just left it there, wasnt interested in dragging on... started to get a cold tue night but thought I had swerved it mostly, had some lemsip (yeah sharapova aint got nowt on me







) this afternoon and felt a bit better after... but just fvcked now, so tried... but at same time focussed... sigh... have noticed that my elbow on the left side is feeling weird... not sore but just tired... changing gear in the car was a bit odd and thats where I noticed it tbh... oh well deads tomorrow will cure that... hot bath and early night I think...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Squats
> 
> Squats
> 
> WU 70x2x5, 120x5
> 
> 155x5x5
> 
> Romanian split squats
> 
> 37.5x8
> 
> 32.5xL12/R9
> 
> GHR
> 
> BWx6x5
> 
> BWx3+1p
> 
> bit of a deload week of sorts... only 1 bench session this week and light squats... cold was a mother on fri and sat, felt a bit better sun and then this morning was the tail end as just getting rid of gunk and stuff... breathing is a little tight atm but ok, tired but felt strong...
> 
> Squats - aim was to do them as fast as possible... nailed... it... first set flew and felt the best strongest and quickest it ever has, smoked the 150 I did a few weeks ago... 2-5 sets felt pretty much the same with little if any slow down... bar just didnt feel heavy at any point and it was pretty much leaving the shoulders at the top... has never felt this good tbh...





> Splits - yeah so the first set went well... 8 was doable and didnt present much problem, went into the second set which was drop 5kg a db and go to failure... got 12 on the left leg 13th didnt go, was breathing hard by now changed to right leg and got to 9 when lost balance and dropped the bells and then gassed, just couldnt get it together to make sure it was all the same set... sat for a min to catch breath...





> GHR - aim was sets of 5 at bw with 1 min rest between each and then when couldnt get 5 reps call it then... made it to 6 sets which surprised me and on the 7th which I thought would go but it didnt... legs were tingling and felt worked...
> 
> great session and really happy with the speed of the reps on the squats, moved faster than ever and felt light... bank that for sure... split squats hit my quads hard, shins more perpendicular too.... cold seems to be broken so just need to recover a bit more till optimal...
> 
> got the job description through for tomorrows interview, hmmm its more of a PA role than I expected so tbh I dont think its for me... will still go chat but I am not holding out for it atm... still nice to be wanted...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 110x1, 120x1
1st rep comp pause
130x2
130x2x3

3ct paused bench
110x3x3

OHP
WU 50x5, 65x5

75x10
65x12

Inc EZ ext (2min rest between each set)
40x2x10
40x13

Db curls
27.5x14
27.5x12

so so tired today, monday didnt sleep much at all... just not comfy and too meh... tue was better but still had a few moments where I would wake for a little bit... was going to have a nap this afternoon but nope brain decided would be hyper... stoopid brain...

Bench - warm ups were a bit odd, first set of 40 felt heavy and awkward ffs... then it seemed to smooth out and by 120 was awesome... first set of 130 was w4nk... for some reason I stopped at 2 reps instead of hitting the 3rd, and thats just down to bailing like a big sack of coward... the 2 reps felt strong and smooth and had no issues... so went on to 2nd and 3rd sets... 2nd was strong and smooth as first and felt great... 3rd set first 2 reps were same but third was a bit slow and wanted to stop at my usual sticking point but think the tri work is paying off as I just remember thinking tris and drove it through... locked it out and wooooot... happy with that...

3ct - 3 Dig... really... ffs thought this would be interesting and it turns out it hits the chest quite well... in fact more than expected... little slow on the 3rd rep last set but got a good drive off the chest and was quick... really learning to keep tighter on the chest by the end...

OHP - a few weeks ago was struggling with 75 to get 5 reps... today fvcking nailed it... just felt really good and line seemed to be bang on... second set went much the same and managed a good 12... very happy with this today...

Inc ez ext - wow these just p1ss all over the tris... felt really good though and got a great pump... they are starting to feel a little sore lol...

DBc - felt better than I thought and managed 14 each arm on the 1st set... probably should have gone for the 15th but they were feeling it by then... 12 was all out on the last set though and tbh was lucky to hit 12... arms done...

great session today except for that first blip with the bench... just backed out of it for no reason and felt very embarrassed and p1ssed... used that to fuel the rest of the workout I think... felt a bit stoopid... really pleased with how the sessions are feeling atm too... even really tired today I managed a good one and look forward to the next... a friend has managed to get hold of some premier pharmaceuticals stuff and he is telling me that so far its looking good, just trying out the Test and eq base and sust 400 atm, so far smooth very little pip and early days but things seem to be going well ...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Front squats
WU 60x3, 80x3, 100x3, 120x2 *belt on* 140x1

155x2x3
155x2+1p

Block pulls
WU 120x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x2

270x2x4

SLDL
210x6

Snatch grip deads
185x8
175x10

jebus save me... very bad sleep last night some chronic pip in the left leg which had me thinking nope today but some naproxen helped and by training it was mostly all good...

Front squats - warm ups were great and felt right on the money, still need to remember NOT to release breath and try for another at the top esp at the top weight ffs... 155 first 2 sets were cracking, fast and felt good, 3rd set first 2 reps ok but bar wasnt seated quite right on the right delt and on the 3rd rep it slipped and that was all she wrote, zerchered the bar to the safeties lol... felt good though which was nice...

Block pulls - getting better at these found a nice groove and it went smoothly today... got a blister on the bottom of my thumb in that soft part between thumb and forefinger right where you grip the bar, knurling in a blister is NOT a pleasant way to lift imho... still cracked on and warm up felt fine, 250 went better than expected and 270 was pretty decent... 2nd set was better than the 1st but thats cos I gripped the bar better and kept tighter... felt good

SLDL - yeah felt these suckers today... went well but the last rep was hard... gassing a little after these but not as bad as thought it would be...

Snatch grip - wow... first set had me knackered... got the 8 fine, form was a little off but not too bad, just 8 reps on a deads exercise ffs...







2nd set was looking for 11 or 12 but got to 10 and body went nope you are done sir... I listened for once... feeling this one all over...

great session today, still need to tidy up form on fronts as still getting the slipping off the delts... prob need bigger delts tbh lol... deads felt good in all forms... back and posterior chain is done now though... its def drinkies time... really pleased I managed to train today and nail what I needed... feeling it now... weekend then time to start all over again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Floor press
WU 40x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

110x3x5

DB bench
37.5x2x10
37.5x8

TPD
35x4x15

done...

Floor press - warm ups felt light af... in fact didnt feel much weight till 100... then it was like ooooh there it is lol... 110 first set was easy, felt really good and no issues... 2nd set went better... better set up and stayed tighter and better form throughout... 3rd set I wobble on the 4th rep as the bar drifted a little but no biggie, 5th rep was a little harder than the rest too... but still went up nicely and felt strong... in fact thats the strongest I have felt on the FP and it was good...

DB bench - noticed from the first set that the left arm was not doing as well as the right arm, the elbow is still a little off... I dropped the cissus from 2 tabs to 1 tab last week as a couple of weeks ago my left elbow was feeling off then, took the extra cissus to aid recovery and it was working a treat, but lowered it too soon it seems so will up it back to 2 a day and run an extra couple of weeks... first set was good though and felt fine... second set felt a little tougher but only left side and 3rd set didnt make the 10 as left was just gone by 8th... weight didnt feel a problem at all but the softness in the elbow made it feel like the weight would just drop and I didnt want that...

TPD - oh yeah, first 2 sets slammed and felt great, 3rd set started feeling it right in the tris and on the 4th could feel them working it hard... weight was easy though and no problems at all...

felt good today, recovery during and after the workout is def getting better... stamina is increasing I feel and not gassing as badly either... which is NOT an invite for Dig to now kick my ar$e all over by increasing sh1t







actually slept last night too, out like a light and pretty much stayed there till alarm went off at stoopid oclock this morning, only one pit stop in the night... just the wee kind unfortunately not the surprise sex kind lol... squats tomorrow and I will be also training wed and thu this week as its easter and thus mrs will be home so easier to just chill with her instead of having her moan about me loving the gym more... which we all know is not the case... nope... no siree... not really...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x1 *belt on* 220x1

235x3

2ct paused
210x2x3

Bulgarian split squats
40x10
40x9

oh ffs all thats good and holy... first off was not into training today at all, tired and felt meh... sleep last night was me, hot and restless... but cracked on as needs must and once I got under the bar it was like a switch was thrown and BAM just felt right on...

Squats - warm ups felt great till 200... took the 200 on my back and thought um this feels heavier than it should... however the weight moved really well and felt strong... 220 went well and even though I am at the same bw this week (116kg) my belt was in a notch... 235 I wasnt sure of tbh... but first 2 reps were good and felt strong, third felt slow... not sure a 4th would have been there today tbh...maybe though... maybe... legs were not happy at this stage...

2ct - holy hell, the 1st set went ok as it happens... held really well in the bottom and drove up really well too... happy... 1st rep 2nd set was not as good but 2nd and 3rd I picked it up, still a bit slower than 1st set but all in all pretty good... legs just gone now and walking was an issue...

Split squats - oh ffs you have to be kidding... first set made 10 and felt it hard... legs were hurty... still had one set to go... not happy... not at all happy at this stage... did the second set and somehow I managed 9 reps... how the fvck I dont know as my quads were screaming... in fact my legs are a mess right now... this is my new favourite ex to hate...

jebus... great session but fvck me it felt evey last rep... my legs are done... slight head ache atm too... bw same but belt comes in and manage to get a decent workout in... win there I think I will take... even if its not, going to take it anyway... def need a hot bath tonight... and bench 2 is tomorrow... yay... oh yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 115x1, 125x1

135x1
135x1

CGBP
115x2

nope had to leave it there... left arm is just not playing ball... after bench I had a wee feel of the area, and felt a bit of pain in the bicep tendon area so manipulated it a bit and it became a sharp pain for a bit which suddenly stopped and felt much better... went to do CG and it was just too sore to press so left it there... its feeling better, like something as been released but sore... both inner elbow and forearm was a bit sore when tight and pressing but when I went to release the bar it was much worse... well for benching CG it didnt hurt after releasing the bar which was positive I thought... weight did not feel too bad and tbh I think I wouldnt have even managed a single at this weight prior to now... so silver lining perhaps...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads (aka holy fvck)

Block pulls
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 270x1

290x3

SLDL
220x5

Snatch grip deads
190x10

Seated Rows (1 min rest between sets)
120x12
110x13
100x15

Ez curls (rest/pause)
60x13, 6, 5

holy jebus that was a damn fine session... pushed it as needed to get the kids early today as easter tis upon us and so the teachers all take off early, layabouts @welshguy84

Blocks - warm ups were pretty good, but was a bit worried that 270 felt a bit harder than it should... got a bit revved for 290 and set up really well and it flew up... easiest 290 I have ever pulled from blocks... 2nd rep was awful... bar was too forward and I had to muscle it up... reset completely for the 3rd and the damn thing flew up again... was happy at this stage cos was thinking wtaf...

SLDL - was looking at this and thinking wtf... you sure but as it turns out it went pretty well, first 4 reps were tight and strong and fast, had to take a couple of breaths for the 5th but again it was no problem... glutes and hams might disagree though as they were feeling a bit hard done by...

Snatch grip - got this spot on today, form square and technique just right... first 8 fired up nicely last 2 were a bit slower and it was more a case of knackered on the 10th but after I felt I short changed myself and could have done another 1 or 2 well enough... push harder...

Seated rows - went for 120 for the 1st set, aim 10-12 reps then drop weight 10kg beat reps and drop another 10kg beat reps again and 1 min rest between each set... fvcking killed me... not just upper back done but lower too... made 12 on first set, might have got 130 tbh, might... then dropped and felt it hit harder, dropped again and ffs it was just ouch... back was jittery by this stage...

Ez curls - oh all thats good and holy, did not want to do it, but Dig has this way of making you do it without even being there... bar felt light enough when I picked it up, first 8 or 9 were ok but then I hit the wall... made 13 but that was about it today... second set was stoopid... 3rd even more so... arms fvcked...

elbow didnt hurt at all today, felt a bit achey last night but frozen peas and then hot bath seemed to help... four days on the trot though is pants... sleep has not been optimal lately had some weird fvcking dreams last few nights... and hot, fvck me last night after bath I didnt stop sweating for about 2 hours... however stamina seems to be on the up, def have more gas the last few days... feel pretty good about todays training compared to yesterday, I hate letting Dig down and on his specialty lift too still onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1 and Squats day

Bench 1
cgbp
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5

90x4x8

DB bench
35x3x8
35x10

Squats
WU 70x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2

*belt on*

210x3x5

2ct squats
195x3x3

Left it there...

had to combine 2 workouts today as it was easter monday yesterday and doing family stuff (even though had to work in the morning) and then this fri is wifes birthday so taking her out for the day and then dinner... then of course she will want hours of kinky fun... oh wait its HER birthday not mine so anyway had to do 3 days and as forgot to tell the boss combined bench 1 with squats...

bench -

cgbp - oh baby, this rocketed today... elbow felt fine and only a slight ache but not when lifting, no hesitation or pause on any set just fast strong and felt awesome... wish it felt this good all the time...

DB bench - again felt really good... strong reps and no pausing or hesitation here either... on the last set it was 8+ and felt fine till rep 10 when it literally just stopped...

straight on to squats

squats - oh jebus... Dig suggested a new technique whereby the knees come in slightly on the drive out of the hole ala Pozdeev (watched a vid a few times to see how it worked) and so I tried it... tbh at first I was focusing more on the change in technique than the lift itself and did record a bad vid of 190 to send the boss... 210 though first set was done as usual with knees out... second set I did the first 3 with knees as normal but on the 3rd rep slowed incredibly to nearly a stand still driving up, so switched on 4 and 5 to knees in slightly and bam straight up but felt it more in the quads... legs starting to feel a bit done... 3rd set was knees in and focused on getting it right... down into the hole the normal way and drive up with knees in slightly... seemed to work a treat but again hit the quads more than expected and legs were feeling it...

2ct paused - ffs at this stage I was seriously thinking it might not go... but first set was ok if a little slow, again knees in style... 2nd set had to talk hard to myself to get off my ar$e and get it done... legs stopped working about now... new technique works nicely but for some reason just had my legs shaking... 3rd set I was not too keen on tbh, in fact tbh I was thinking it would not work at all... pulled myself up and got under the bar, switched on a bit (ok a lot cos I needed to) and did it somehow... legs fvcked... I was shaking like a dog at this stage and had to sit for a bit till I could walk to my front door... actually legs still really fvcked now and tbh its like I started madcow all over again, tonight should be fun...

Oh at this stage I was thinking I might try split squats but after a few mins where I couldnt stop shaking and my legs were basically laughing in my face I conceded, hung my head in shame and admitted defeat...

oh a hot bath is so on tonight, with some of that magic salt sh1t that makes things alright again... novaca... um I mean epsom chest is feeling fine but legs, oh yeah they are not...

bw is 117kg and my belt still has 4 holes so put on a kg with no increase in waist... been told by 4 diff people this weekend that I am looking bigger and my wife then tells me I have a belly... dagger right in the heart... wow... just wow... my friends experimentation with premier pharmaceuticals is paying off he tells me going to add in another meal mon-fri too see how that goes as my appetite is not huge but have been hungry lately... maybe start small with like a smoothie or somesuch...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench (all paused)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x3

110x3x6
100x2x6

Incl ez ext (90 secs rest between sets)
45x10
45x9
45x7

Lateral raises... (strict)
10x14
10x13
10x12

oh ffs legs are just fvcked from yesterday, you change one little thing... also quads are swollen and rubbing together a bit more today...

Bench - when I read what Dig had planned was just like "he wants me to do how many at what now"... but was feeling up for it tbh... all warm ups felt really good which helped, managed to vid the top set for him but angles and stuff in the dungeon are not great but we are working on that... got 3 sets at 110 for 6 paused reps... felt a bit slow on the last rep 3rd set so went down to 100 for the last 2 sets... first set of 100 felt a little off but last set was great... elbows were feeling fine and only a slight ache after lifting... bonus...

Incl ext - oh jebus... these are the ex from hell... well one of the ex from hell... felt them hit my tris hard today... thought I would get more than 10 on the first set tbh but 10th was pretty much it... same for the 2nd set, was thinking I would hit 10 again but while 8 was good 9 was like going from 5th gear down to 2nd all of a sudden... managed a decent 7 on the last set...

Lat raises - holy hera, have not done these since jebus and I trained together that one time... picked 10kg but turns out that was a bit on the light side, probably start at 15 for the prescribed reps and then drop as appropriate... stayed super strict and no swing or sway... disengaged the traps as much as poss too... side delts were like wtaf are you doing...??

knackered today, legs were fvcked last night, hot hot bath helped a load but in bed they just didnt want to lie still... got up a few times to walk it off and get some water, prob p1ssed the mrs off lol... they are a ball of freaking ache today too... like the first time I started madcow... was a bit worried that after doing some bench related stuff yesterday today would be a massive fail but it actually went quite well... very tired but once in the dungeon I seemed to hit a stride... fvcked now though... deads tomorrow yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x2

255x2x5

SLDL
205x2x6

Chins
BWx7,6,5+1p

EZ curls
40x18, 11, 9

fvck me... did not think I was going to get this done today, another day out getting stuff done for the family this time the kids... home at 1630 which was far later than I wanted as hinted at the mrs then down right told her I wanted to miss the shopping expedition but to no avail... sigh...

Deads - warm ups felt meh... 240 felt ok... first set at 255 fvcking flew... gave myself a good metaphorical slap and really focused... all reps fullstop and reset... went much much better than I expected... second set first 3 was much the same in terms of speed and form etc but last 2 slowed noticeably but still went and went well, again very happy that I managed it... feeling much better now...

sldl - ok these were a bit more difficult than expected but still moved well enough... first set felt slightly more off than second tbh... glutes got hammered and felt sore after, was really focusing on the drive through at the top to get the glutes going and finished well... it paid off...

Chins - have not done these in ages and it showed, plus I was pretty knackered so probably didnt push as hard as should have... felt the back work well and best yet no niggles or pains in forearms or elbows which was awesome...

EZ curls - super strict, focus on blood pumping through the biceps... yep nailed... did reps till there was any sway... holy hera the bis got a beating... pumped and painful at the end... arms shaking like a good one too...

job done, really happy I got to it and got it done... not expected and was just tired and meh going in, but damn if the lifting bug didnt bite me hard after I started... sleep has been a bit all over the place lately too... think I scored ok with the mrs and her birthday too, loved the watch I got her and she enjoyed the home show but was disappointed that it is a lot smaller and less exhibits than it used to be... fvck me walking around all day gave me some hard back pumps... legs also were a very tight squeeze into my jeans which are supposed to be comfort fit and they didnt get any more comfortable... lol... feeling much better now lifting wins again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Floor press
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 115x1

122.5x3
110x6+1p

CGBP
WU 80x5

95x2x8
95x9

Flyes
25x10
25x9+1p
25x8+1p

good session today, felt pretty good going in, not tired and up for it... so thats different...

Floor press - warm ups felt awesome, even at 115 felt good strong and solid... 122.5 felt ok, third one was a bit wobbly and left it there but made the target and an extra... dropped to 110, flying along till rep 5 then it was like wait, did someone add some weight when I was not looking cos 6 felt heavier and as I went for 7th managed to get it nearly there but not to be so can only call it a partial, just that last couple of inches... also flared elbows more as suggested by Dig re bench last week... job jobbed...

CGBP - did a quick 5 at 80 to get the feel of the exercise, felt simple... first set of 90 felt great and fast and strong... second set the first 7 reps same, flew along nicely and felt fine, 8th was a bit slow... last set felt better than 2nd but around rep 7 slowed a lot... made it to 9 and had to leave it there... pretty sure a 10th would not have gone...

Flyes - been a while since I have done these too... tried 25 for a 10RM and it felt about right although 27.5 might have been fine too... thought I was going to hit 10 on second set but dammit just stopped as was going back up for the 10th... same with the 3rd set, thought the 9th was there easy but ffs the damn weights love to tease... felt a great stretch across the pecs and they feel done...

good session, not awesome but will do for a decent training day... feeling tired but good now and looking forward to some pretty damn serious sessions this week... a bit tough Dig calls them... sigh...


----------



## Greyphantom

squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2, *belt on* 210x1

220x2x5

2ct paused
205x3x3

Split squats
40x3x9

holy azreal... just no...

Squats - first few sets felt ok but then just started feeling off, or awkward... not sure what was wrong cos it didnt feel like it was off... weight moved well enough even up to and incl 210 but just felt like it was not in there... first set of 220 first few felt ok but last one was really slow and I had too much lean forward... second set of 220 went much better and I was working the new technique as much as possible but sometimes it didnt feel as comfortable but it will get there... just have to keep working it... def hits the quads harder, they are done today... oh and I did vid the top set, well I got a vid of the floor and the audio of a fat man grunting... I need to get a shelf in or a stool or something stable...

2ct - oh man, did not want to do these... 1st set went ok, 2nd not so much ok but went well enough, 3rd set was slow... still got the reps in but not as snappy as I would have liked... quads were grumbling a bit here tbh...

split squats - the devils work... pure devil I tell you... first set was not too bad but hurt... 2nd set was like walking on lego with no shoes and third set was more like walking on plugs with their prongs face up in the night when going to the loo... jebus wept my quads were shot and I was staving off throwing up... holy hera I was done... but with not much in the way of vol...

just a long day, spent most of it looking at bathroom fixtures and fittings which is sh1t, sleep has been very meh of late, just hot and cannot get comfy then the mrs wakes and grumbles shes not getting cuddles and so I get baking again then move away and repeat... sigh... was feeling a bit unsure but still up for training if that makes sense... seemed to blow some cobwebs off which was good and once under the bar was like yep... still felt a little awkward today though... legs are really going to be a pain tonight...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1

125x4
120x4
115x4

OHP
WU 50x5, 65x5

80x7
65x14

Incline ez ext
47.5x12
40x16/7/5 (R/P)

odd one today... felt up for it, had a good nights sleep last night, probably the best in a while but seemed to flag a bit...

Bench - Dig gave me a few pointers last bench vid... put them into play today and it seemed to make a bit of difference in the lift... certainly felt a little easier if not more... just elbows flared more and a squeeze in the grip slightly different... up till 115 it seemed to fly... first 3 reps at 125 felt really good too... was thinking on for 5 but then lost some focus and 4th was much different... happy enough as made target but know I should have got more... 120 and 115 were just to match reps and 120 was by far the best set, felt strong and solid... 115 felt ok weight was light enough but just a bit meh...

OHP - warm ups felt surprisingly good... 80 started so well... got to 6 and was thinking 8 is on maybe 9... 7 went nope just kidding... sigh... 65 went really well... felt good...

Incl ez ext - holy jebus... did the devil make these up... that and split squats... felt great but tris got hit hard... second set was a rest pause set... first part nailed it well... second was hard and was feeling it hard.... last one I had to make myself take the bar... tris after were done and very sore and pumped...

happy enough but want more and more... felt an improvement from Digs advice and will keep working it... legs still sore from tue... only when I walk though


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2, *belt on* 215x1

230x4

2ct Paused
215x2x3

GHR
not done...

Bench set up practice (got a new way to set up from the man so just trying it out with 70kg on the bar)

long day today... had a load of things I had to do got it all done but started training 2 hours later than planned...

Squats - warm ups felt good... still working on that new technique with the knees coming in on the drive up... its feeling better but I still need to think about it so its not auto yet... 230 was supposed to be 5... just made 4 tbh felt ok but on the vid it looks high, could be the angle as while doing them they felt good re depth... quads got a bit of a battering, more than usual as with the knees coming in they def do more work... glutes and hams feeling it too...

2ct - oh yeah these were not easy today... slow was the order of the day... the last rep on the last set was uber slow... felt strong enough but just not quick at all...

GHR - was supposed to do these with a 10kg plate but knee was really painful on the negative so had to sack them... its been a bit off for a little while but does not interfere with any other exercise so have not thought any thing of it...

legs feelling it but not sure about todays session... felt alright but missed the target on squats by 1... Dig informs me we will be making some form changes so as to improve in the long term... which is cool... part of my day was a good news/bad news type of situation... turns out that the thing I was supposed to be doing on the 1st may is moved so I could go to the Dan Green seminar so sent of the email to register interest... get one back to say yep still places only for the mrs to then say work needs her to go to the states end of april so I have to wait to see when they send her before booking... dammit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 125x1, 135x1

142.5x1
125x4+1p
115x7

CGBP
105x3x6

Inc EZ ext (90 sec rest)
50x10
40x2x12
40x13

DB flyes (2min rest)
22.5x3x10

oh ouch... chest and tris are very sore today... feeling the ache deep and hard...

Bench - right along with Digs pointers on technique and form also had a new way to set up sent through... tbh it feels much better as my shoulders feel locked right down into the bench but it will take some getting used to and repetition to get it natural and automatic... warm ups felt pretty strong as a result of the changes... solid and stable too... 125 didnt feel as good as it should have but 135 felt really good... 142.5 well it went up... you will see on the vid, faltered at the bottom as hand got that tingly burn feel when the bar is not seated right (you will see my hand move) and on the way up my freaking chain around my neck snapped which gave me a little pause in thought (mrs wont be happy as it held my wedding ring which doesnt fit on my finger atm and it was a fathers day pressie)... still went up, Dig says its about my 1rm atm... a few changes coming... 125 felt good for the first few reps as I was trying to descend the bar faster as Dig has repeatedly asked me to do... its more a confidence thing I think, but first 3 were awesome, 4th went pretty well but a little slower and the 5th is where I went slow and fluffed it... barely made the j hooks on the last rep so no lock out... 115 went pretty well, first 6 felt fine but 7th was a bit slow so left it there as 8th would be 50/50 at best... @Dig keeping the elbows out more certainly hits the chest much more, feeling it today mate... that set up feels pretty good too mate but I need to work/practice it to get it locked in...

CGBP - went really well, better than I expected tbh... first set was straight forward, 2nd even better really and 3rd was where the last couple of reps slowed and felt a little harder... but was pleased as Dig suggested lowering the weight if needed and it wasnt... woot... tris were feeling it a bit after though...

Inc ez ext - holy cow, still hitting the triceps hard and great feel... didnt make the + on the first set (10+ was the target) but I made damn sure on the last set of 40 I got the extra rep to make it lol... tris done...

DB flyes - just finished my chest off really, felt the stretch and the ache lol...

still some work to do... working on all the suggestions and tips and its now keeping it all in my head to make sure I can implement them properly so they become ingrained and it becomes just natural to do... who would have thought lifting would be so cerebral hey... isnt it just supposed to be picking sh1t up and puting it down again

chest is def aching and grumbling... gonna hear it from the mrs later about that chain, all the "so you dont want to wear my wedding ring" malarky... I am laying that firmly on Dig btw...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads day

FS
WU 60x5, 80x4, 100x3
*belt on*
120x7
135x4
150x2+1 fall on my ar$e









SLDL
200x4x6

BOR (90 secs rest between sets)
150x8
130x10
110x12

Rev grip PD
105x8
80x13/6/4 (R/P)

Ez curls not done

interesting day... had a few things to do so started a bit later than I would like, also the new squat shoes came in today so I tried them out... hmmm very solid, and stable and snug... feel good but will take some getting used to (although wont be hard) as very different from converse...

FS - def notice a difference with the squat shoes... much more rigid than the converse and tight... warm ups were very fast and smooth... deep as well... 120 I was thinking would be harder than it was, felt more stable and depth felt easier to hit... worked keeping elbows up... which went really well here... 135 was also really good and better than expected... again felt more solid... depth very good and kept elbows up reasonably well here too... 150 ah well first rep ok, second elbows dipped so third was really thing elbows up more and stay back... back... no too far, dammit... luckily safeties were there so I didnt get squashed









SLDL - changed back to the converse... felt good and no problems at all but the last 2 reps on the last set were slower and felt tougher... hams and glutes ringing...

BOR - 150 for 8 was pretty spot on... reps were good if not super strict... drop to 130 and get the reps stricter and beat reps from 150... 10 felt pretty on, 110 same again, got 12 might have got a shoddy 13... felt good though...

Rev grip pd - damn these were hard today... first 5 at 105 were ok but felt tougher than expected... last 3 I had to dig deep and really work the pull... only made the 8 and not the + here... drop to 80 for a rest/pause set... got 13 but hard, then 6 and then 4...

EZ curls - did not get to these as 1 had to go get daughter, was running late too... 2 biceps were feeling the work today for some reason... so good excuse to sack it, sorry Dig...

yep shoes were feeling good but will have to work them for the next little bit to get used to them... def feel different in the front squat and now I cannot wait to try them in the back squat, I can see what Dig means now re helping with the new changes in the form (coming down more rather than sitting back etc)... is it tuesday yet









sleep last few nights has been pants... had 3 or 4 days where it was awesome then just not... been very warm lately and restless... just loads going on so brain is busy... stupid brain... gonna get a knitting needle cos that would fvck it









also have been having an extra bit of food through the day on weekdays, not a lot about half a meal for me (prob a full meal for a normal person lol) prob is I am also feeling fuller and more bloaty... rennies have made a come back in the last couple of days to help...

is it tuesday yet???


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench (90sec - 2min rest)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 75x5

90x3x8
90x10

Incl bench (2min rest)
60x12
60x11
60x10

Db flyes (1 min rest)
17.5x3x10
17.5x13

DB bench (1 min rest)
17.5x19
17.5x12

ok have really shaken it up this week...

Bench - felt really good, strong and good power up... same set up as prior but more of a bbing feel to the session today...

Incl bench - wow have not done this in like forever, had to work out the technique and form again... first set was a bit odd, but light, second was much better and third I could feel the groove and it was much much better... bit light today should have been at least 65 or 70 but relearning so will give that for now...

DB flyes - 1 min rest, holy hera... first two sets yeah fine, 3rd started feeling it a little and 4th set felt it really good... fatigue with hardly any rest I mean lol... good feel across the chest...

DB bench - was aiming for 20 (20 reps wtaf???) but only hit 19... chest was just done... managed to knock out another 12 though on the last set...

holy cow, big change in the way we do bench training now... def felt it deep in the chest and even though I know theres no such thing upper chest was feeling it from Incl today... chest all tight and puffy... is that the pump?? I hear people tell of














... session felt really good today...

have been sick the last few days too... no energy at all and sleeping more than not and not eating either... today got a shake in for brekkie and had some lunch and all stayed in so on road to recovery...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5

160x4x8

Hi bar 2ct Paused
160x3

done, was supposed to do fronts and good mornings but just done in... thought I was pretty much over this bug but energy gets sapped rapidly and too easily, tbh wanted to stop after squats but did the paused, and tbh wanted at least 180 on the paused but just fvcked...

Squats - so many things to remember now its like I am starting all over again and just remembering all the points as I am doing them... new shoes on, bar lower down on the back, stance closer in, sit down more not back, knees more in on the way up... aarrrrggh... felt alright but just got to get used to it all again, knees in def help with a closer stance and sitting down rather than back, big diff... quads def hit harder today... can still feel the bar where it was lower on my traps... didnt feel uncomfortable just have to get used to it all again, rebuilding the mechanics and getting that groove automatic again... vid looks a little high and Dig mentions opening up my hips but I cant remember if I did tbh as was thinking of all the other bits... feel like a babe in the woods again... yay...

Hi bar 2ct - was hoping for 180 here but barely had the oomph to do 160 which didnt feel heavy just meh... in the last rep was just going to give up half way up ffs... pffft... right freaking pansy I am...

heads aching a bit now, so tired but slept really well last night and the night before (mrs said that I passed out and didnt get up and down as normal) also had a little nap this afternoon for about an hour...

new shoes def rock in the squat, as I get used to them they will play their part as will the new form and technique... so many things to think of... and I am just simple boy really


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads (Sat 23 Apr 16)

Block pulls
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 245x2

265x5

Deads
245x5

BOR
155x11
120x15
100x18

Rev grip PD and EZ curls left... trained sat instead of fri cos A) was fvcked on fri and B) the mrs and daughter were going out shopping so I could train sat...

Block pulls - well first set was a bit meh, just didnt feel optimal... second set was much better and 170 felt great... 210 simple as anything and 245 was also very good... set up for 265 and felt pretty decent, first 3 were really good, 4th a bit tougher and 5th was hard but not so much the weight just the oomph went right out...

Deads - oh yeah this is how its supposed to go... freaking flew up and felt very quick and easy... was really happy... gassing a bit after stamina is still in the toilet really...

BOR - first set no idea how I got the 11... flagged a bit after this too and then hit the 120... dammit got 15 which was unexpected and even more so was the 18 at 100... at this stage I was done...

Energy is still in the [email protected] and still fairly tired... best thing about deads session was the fact that for the first time in 3 weeks I did not feel ill during training... woooot... just knackered after lol... finally feeling better in myself too just still that carry over of gen tiredness which is being helped by some good nights sleep lately, yes you heard it right folks... I am actually getting some good nights sleep in lately... nice...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

OHP (90s - 2mins rest)
WU 40x8, 65x5

65x4x10

CGBP
WU 50x7, 65x5

80x3x10
80x8

Incl EZ ext
40x3x12
40x11
40x9

Lateral raises
10x3x12
10x16

oh yeah thats better but tbf its not like there were any big lifts here... so maybe that had a part to play... feeling much better today, still a bit tired but not bone weary... food has been good going in and so far not an issue (eg indigestion, nausea etc) once in...

OHP - felt really good, speed was decent and didnt feel heavy till the last few reps on the last set when it was a total slow down around rep 7... still managed to finish it ok...

CGBP - first 3 sets were ok could feel it slowing on the 3rd and didnt think 10 was there for the last, that proved to be the case... managed 8 but a 9th was def not there...

Incl ez - man seriously 5 sets... managed to do the first 3 well enough but the 4th just would not give me 12, then of course the 5th set was not going there either, tris feeling pumped and done by the end...

Side raises - first set easy, 2nd set pffft... 3rd set feeling a little burn there, 4th oh yeah there it is... good strict and solid reps... shoulders def feeling it today...

so pleased to be climbing out the other side of this illness... fvcking hate feeling ill... havent had a nap at all today and after not a lot of sleep last night (um self inflicted not cos I couldnt) I thought I might need one... but still going well and feeling well too... so nice to not feel exhausted for no reason and after training feeling tired but invigorated... tomorrow is a squat day though so might feel differently after that lol... my mate who has been playing with premier pharmaceuticals tells me that the stuff is working a treat and all the associated feelings and so forth are there... the sust400 is the smoothest in terms of pip and now he is getting used to the associated sust flu its going well... the mtren is pretty damn good too, in fact a couple of sessions recently would not have happened if it werent for that... and monster, that lovely lovely monster...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats... or ffs meh...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 150x4
*belt on*
170x6
175x6

done... actually was done before I started... still not great re the stamina feeling sh1te... starting to p1ss me off tbh... however this was compounded by the fact that the mrs went to the states for work yesterday and then thought it would be great to text me till 0300 about the sun shining and a taxi ride and stuff... ffs... then I kept waking up thinking I missed another text or the alarm...

getting used to the new form/technique, but still make little mistakes (eg not opening up on the way down then knees in on way up but reverse sigh)... but its getting there... did get vid, have not uploaded to youtube yet but its a worse angle than before... I moved it thinking it would be better but need to move it again as its not... still boss said they were fast reps which is nice... hot bath and early night for me...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

90x8
95x8
100x8
100x10

Incl BP
50x6
65x6
80x2x5
80x8
60x17

Flyes (1 min rest)
20x2x10
20x15

TPD (1min rest)
45x10
40x12
35x15

oh yeah... today was very different, in fact feeling so much better its like night and day, still tired but not exhausted... got 7.5 hours sleep last night and woke feeling tired thinking dammit... went to work, did the shopping and had some lunch and came home, slept for another 1.5 hours and woke feeling much refreshed and like I had some energy... wow... pre workouts went in and felt awesome... very very diff... now it could be the sleep or the fact that my ahem friend has started peps again today but ffs I hope this is the end of that sh1tty feeling...

BP - warm ups felt good... fast easy light... 90 felt very very good... tight and almost like the bar sprang up off the chest... 95 much the same and 100 felt really good... got a vid of that although I almost didnt... second set of 100 felt really good too... managed to get a good 10... new set up is sinking in a bit and feels more natural to get into...

Incl BP - oh how different was this one compared to last week... found the groove... 50 and 65 felt way too light... hell even the sets at 80 felt too light tbh but very very good... managed a good 8 on the last set, contemplated a 9th for a brief second but the 8th was not as clean as I like so left it there... could not believe 17 at 60 though, felt fantastic...

Flyes - again just not expecting it to feel so good... light fast and room for more...

TPD - prob should have gone a bit heavier (50 at least) on the first set as was supposed to get 8 reps... then take off 5kg match or beat and repeat... felt good on all sets and def felt my tris working...

oh yeah baby... chest and tris feeling it now and feel good... bit tired but not exhausted which is a huge step and appetite is rumbling back... just hope this means its turned and can move on with some good training...


----------



## Greyphantom

deads

block pulls
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

275x5

Deads
255x5

BOR
160x11
140x8 (strict)
100x10 (strict)

EX curls (strict with 90s rest)
45X3X12

Oh fck yeah... not best nights sleep last night but got about 9 hours with breaks... however biggest difference is energy is there even though I am tired where as the last couple of weeks there has been no energy at all... just fvcked all the time... since yesterday afternoon though this has changed... still tired but I dont feel sick when training and not wanting to sleep through the day...

Blocks - warm ups were fine, from 170 on they seemed to just click in and had the power there too... 210 felt easy, 250 went better than I expected and then had to amp up for the top set... tbh wasnt sure as last week though went ok was a little on the difficult side... pffft I say... pffft... 275 felt far better than 265 last week... and I am sure I had a rep or even at a push two left... felt way better and just never an issue...

Deads - after feeling good last week from the floor was hoping for more this week but it was not to be, cos it went better... just flew up all dead stop and just never in doubt again... and again def a rep maybe just maybe 2... went fast smooth and felt strong...

BOR - wow 160 felt heavy but good, managed 11 and felt it... 140 was a stricter set with instructions to stop at 8 and due to the full contraction and squeeze I felt this too... 100 was the same stop at 10 and make sure its strict... mission accomplished...

EZ curls - tired for sure by now but unlike the past couple of weeks I cracked on and could... ouch... first set went pretty well... second I felt it on the 10th rep a lot... third set I really had to focus on not swinging and squeezing those reps out at the end, just and only just managed the 12... bis are done...

oh yeah baby much better deads day this week... feeling so much better too, food is going in, not the normal amount but about 75% I reckon... tbh the last couple of weeks have been very rough and at one point was even contemplating pulling out of the euros all together but some pep talk from the coach and its still on... time to get some heavy lifting on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x6
105x3x8

CGBP (2min rest)
85x11
75x12
65x14

Incl EZ ext (90sec rest)
40x4x120

Side raise
12.5x2x12
12.5x16

oh yeah... well at least wrt the workout, felt pants before, sleep is tanked again and today just felt off... but not as bad as previous... however right before the can of monster and pre workouts I just wasnt feeling it so had to b1tch slap myself about and get on with it...

BP - new set up is proving to be a great thing, warm ups felt awesome and light... 100 never felt so easy and the 115 felt strong... its like I have a better platform to drive up off of... 105 sets were really really good and felt strong as well... only the last set last 2 reps did it feel slow and not all out either... was really happy...

CGBP - still kept it going and all sets felt good, might have had one more on the 85 set but kept it sensible and was surprised at the 65... tris were feeling it at the end though...

Incl ez - still loving these and how they feel, tris very pumped after and sore... so good... all sets were fast and strong last set had to take a breath for the last few reps but still felt good...

Side raise - upped the weight but it still felt really good, side delts are done... kept the reps as strict as possible and really felt for each rep...

no idea where it came from today but once under way everything just clicked in and felt so good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads without deads... um...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4
*belt on*
185x2x6

SLDL
WU 180x5

210x5

Seated rows
125x14
125x11
125x9

ok still not 100% and tbh I am still questioning lifting in the Euros... have been eating since fri ok but not at full capacity... fluids are starting to go in as well which is good as pee was a bit dark for a few days... now much lighter... mrs has talked me into going to the doc tomorrow to get checked out... sleep last few days has been awesome... but tbh any night I get sleep is a bonus after the last few weeks... not exhausted through the day but still a bit tired... although that is going now too... antibiotics seem to be kicking ar$e or masking something lol... explaining to the doc how I have been using antibiotics will be fun... sigh...

Squats - jebus was like I had forgotten how to squat properly... trying to remember the new set up and get all the cues on point but forgot a few in the first couple of sets but ironed it out by 160... however it still didnt click today... just felt awkward and meh... 185 felt ok but ungainly... got a vid of the first set... gassed a little but not as bad as I expected... 2nd set was about the same as first really... felt off...

SLDL - aim was for a set at 8.5rpe so after warm up of 180 I thought 210... as it happens should have gone 220 probably and on a good day maybe 230... felt good though...

Rows - surprised myself here... first set was aiming for 12+ but got 14 out of no where... felt really good too... second set managed to hit 11 which again was pretty much due to sheer bl00dy mindedness... last set nailed a good 9 and man did I feel that in the upper back...

over all happy enough with training today... had a bit of a change in the program as in deads are now tue and squats fri but that was based on me running up to the euros training consistently and tbh its been off and on with more off... stupid fvcking body... right lets see what the doc says tomorrow... I can guess some of the questions already tbh lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day (missed from last week)

Incl BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 75x5

85x2x6
85x10

DB flyes
22.5x2x12
22.5x15

Flat DB tri ext
15x8
12.5x12
10x20

DB bp
17.5x20

felt a bit off today, but better than in the last few weeks... food is going in but not as well nor as much...

Incl bench - warm ups felt really good... first set of 85 freaking flew... got a vid... felt fast and easy... second set much the same and third set was for 6+ thought I might get 8... got 8 alright as easy as 6 and then it slowed, 9 was slower and 10 was a little bump against the wall so left it there, I may have had 11 (probably would have in retrospect) but was happy with that today... felt a bit better too...

Flyes - ok didnt think this was going to be as easy as it was... felt very comfortable and felt a good stretch across the chest... last set the 15th rep was a little difficult...

Tri ext - have not done these either ever or since jebus walked the earth so was really looking to nail form tbh... however I was a mite conservative as 15 was a tad light... this was born out by the following sets... felt it working well though...

DB bp - really easy tbh, very light and quick...

really good session over all... did not expect it to go as well as it did... still feeling tired but better slowly... got the bodypower expo on this weekend and will be up there from fri setting up helping out reffing and even announcing on sun morning lol... hoping to fit my last workout in tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 110x1, 120x1

130x1 (comp pause)
120x7
115x7
110x7

CGBP
85x12
75x13
65x16

Incl EZ ext
40x4x12

Side raise
12.5x2x12
12.5x19

well on friday I started feeling much better and actually ate mostly normal in terms of number of meals but was slightly down on quantity... got better each day and now eating and drinking nearly normal again... dont feel as tired either... was at BP all weekend reffing and it was pretty full on...

BP - warm ups felt really really good... set up was tight and very on and weight just flew up... 110 felt so light and fast, I hoped that 120 would do the same... it did... got set up for 130 and damn if it didnt feel very good... 130 was a comp pause, managed to keep tight set up right and just press the cr4p out of it... then dropped weight for touch and go at 120 for the first set, this was to set the number of reps for the next two sets as well... goal was 5 plus and was thinking 5 would be good, managed to get 7 and toyed with the idea of an 8th but thought too long and lost it... still happy enough with 7 there... next two sets nailed 7 for both and they felt really good...

CGBP - similar set up to a couple of weeks ago... this time felt much better and managed to get a few more reps... really felt my tris working hard esp on the last set... felt strong here too...

Incl ez ext - again weight felt light enough and sets really good... last couple of sets the last couple of reps felt tougher but really good... tris again felt it hard but good...

Side raise - oh yeah hit the delts nicely and on the last set managed 19, 20th just eluded me...

such an awesome work out after a few weeks of pants... pants diet, pants training and pants sleep... things seem to be turning a corner and as such have made me rethink dropping out of the Euros... Dig has been a rock through the last few weeks, keeping things calm when tbh I was wobbling... now looking forward to a rebound effect and hopefully pull something out of the bag come June...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Squats
WU 70x5, 120x5, 160x3
*belt on*
190x3

Deads
WU 120x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

280x4

SLDL
220x5

Seated rows (c90sec rest)
130x15
130x12
130x9

EZ curls (c90sec rest)
45x2x12
45x14

oh holy damn... yeah thought I was well up for this today... had my eye on a number for deads as goal was a 5RM... BW today was 111.5 which is 6.5kg down from a few weeks ago before I was ill... ffs all that work puting it on and the sob drops cos of a couple of days sick...

Squats - warm ups felt good still getting used to all the new bits but its starting to get better... shoes are going ok but I still need to sit down more as I am feeling like I go forward still so try to compensate... still 190 felt ok... felt better than 185 but then only 3 reps too...

Deads - warm ups went really well... even 250 felt light enough and quick enough so I thought sod it lets go for 280... first 3 ok 4th not so much, after the set I started to think I should have changed the grip to left hand over after rep 3 and that might have helped get the 4th better and perhaps allow the 5th... but in all honesty I am not sure... it was not easy... happy I got the 4 though...

SLDL - 220 for 5 felt good, difficult but not overwhelmingly so... prob could have got 225 easy enough and maybe, just maybe 230 if I sucked it up...

Rows - well since shafted the posterior chain thought might as well cr4p out the upper back as well lol... mission accomplished... holy cow after finishing my upper back was toast in fact all my back was fried... managed to do an extra rep on the first 2 sets but the 3rd was all I could do to hit the target...

EZ curls - first set felt pretty good... second harder and third I was really digging deep to get the extra reps and man did it hit my biceps hard... shaking like a beaten dog...

feeling good and eating is starting to get back on track now... training feeling very good and I really need to push it hard to make sure I can get into some sort of ready for the Euros... its going to be a full on week anyway as I will be reffing and am also the technical officer so will be bombarded with questions, protests and so forth... yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Incl BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

95x4x6
70x15

Flyes (c1min rest)
25x2x10
25x11

Lying DB tri ext (c90secs rest)
15x15
15x12
15x9

DB BP
25x22 (done with 2 30 sec rest periods... so set 1 13, set 2 to 17 and last set 22)

holy cow good session today... felt it hard in the chest and tris...

Incl BP - felt pretty decent, more weight on so felt a little heavier obv but went up well enough... got a vid of the first set, was told if it felt heavy then drop to 90 after first set, as I have had a fairly long rest due to being ill just kept it 95 and it felt good... 4th set I had to take a breath before the 5th rep but was all good... felt strong and hit the chest nicely... 70 felt pretty light after and was thinking at least 12-15 reps in there, got to 10 thinking maybe more but by 13 could feel it starting to bite and 15 was about it although I might have had one more... might... happy with this atm...

Flyes - expected it to be harder tbh... first 2 sets felt good pretty speedy... but by the 3rd set the short rest was biting... got to 8 thinking damn and managed to get the 11th but not a 12... was hoping 12 would be done...

Tri ext - still getting used to this but feeling it really well in the tris... hit 15 on first set reasonably well... doubt a 16th was there tbh... then it was tough to get 12... tris were not happy... 3rd set I got 8 and had to really push for 9... 10 just werent going to go well...

DB bp - started off so well, got 1st 10 really fast and felt comfy enough but then all the work caught up with me and chest just went nope... so had to take a pit stop at 13... counted 30 (prob a bit fast for 30secs) then pushed out another 4 to get to 17... thinking wtaf at this stage then in the next 30sec rest my lifting song came on and got a good 5... could not get the 6th...

wow much better this week... really kicking into gear with training and hope it keeps going... not long till the euros and even though a week ago I was thinking of NOT lifting in them I am now back to lets get it on... Dig has been awesome getting things spot on and being that rock... food going in ok atm, was 111.5 the other day and today 112.4 so its not falling any more... loads of work to do for the euros behind the scenes too... going to be so busy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 180x1
*belt on*
200x2
215x2
225x1
200x6

Front squats
120x2x5

GHR
BWx8, 7+1p, 6+1p, 5

sh1tty nights sleep last night, just warm (mrs was in the hug mode and needed to be close so I end up over heating) and couldnt get comfy... so as an offshoot did not feel well up for it today... cracked on regardless...

Squats - once under way actually started feeling pretty good... 200 felt surprisingly good and fast so was happy... and then the fall... 215 felt surprisingly heavy and slow... but I rushed it a little and didnt set up as well so made sure to take more time on the 225 which went better but still not as good as I would like... quads feeling a bit hard done by and looking back this is the first time I have gone over 200 in about 6 weeks... in fact its the best squat session I have had in a while... 200 for 5+ was the target I was thinking I will be lucky to make 5... did it ok went for the 6th and yeah that was about it, quads were very tight at this stage... on that verge of almost cramping...

Front squats - target was not met by any means today... supposed to be 120x4x7 I managed 2 sets of 5 sigh... first set I thought it was going to go well... got to 4 and left quad was just not happy, did a 5th to make sure and it was sure... tried a 2nd set to make really sure and got to 3 then had to push out the next 2... left it there rather than push too hard... feeling my quads now tbh... they are humming a bit...

GHR - yeah my fave... not... was a bit worried as last time my knee was really sore doing these but today it was pretty much ok, little sore but nothing to worry about... first set was a quick 8, might have had the 9th but only maybe... thought I would manage another 8 on the 2nd but nope could not get up again when I face planted lol... then down from there but hams and glutes are feeling tingly and sore so must have hit them ok...

in fact both sides of my legs are now sore and humming... if I stretch one the other starts complaining so try stretching the other and then the opposite lol... fairly happy with that today even if I missed the fronts... will get them next time... got some serious veinage happening in the legs atm too... even the mrs commented on it... belt is in so there are only 2 holes remaining too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2, 110x1, 120x1, 130x1

140x1 (comp pause)
130x3
110x10

CGBP
85x3x10

Incl EZ ext (90 sec rest)
50x6 left there

Side raise (90 sec rest)
17.5x18
17.5x12
17.5x10

mixed day but good over all...

BP - warm ups felt good, getting that set up locked down and it does make a big difference... 110 flew up, 120 easy and quick, 130 was better than last week... 140 I was hoping would go really well... well it went and mostly really well, bit slower than I wanted and it came off line a bit so had to handle it back in a bit... over all I was happy enough with it... 130 for 3 was good... actually so good I had a rep or two more there... 110 felt pretty light till about rep 8 then got the 9th ok, 10th was a struggle but where as I would have bailed or not locked out before I did it...

CGBP - first set was ok but nothing special, yeah weight moved fast but felt meh... second set way better and so was the 3rd... felt really good and no problems...

Incl EZ - hmmm got a bit complacent here... first 4 reps were really good 5th I got sloppy on the form and felt my elbow twinge, did a 6th but elbow was really not happy so left it there... weight didnt feel heavy I just relaxed and let things slide, it showed me what happens when you dont respect the weight...

Side raise - oh yeah felt these today... good first set, second set was harder and felt it hit well, 3rd I really pushed the last couple of reps... wow... really felt it in the delts today...

happy with training atm... getting some decent sessions in and its feeling really good for the euros... still not 100% from what ever it was I had but much much better...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

280x1
300x1

SLDL
225x8

BOR
140x3x8

CG rev PD
85x12
85x11+1p
85x10

EZ curls
50x2x10
50x12

ok pretty decent day today as well...

Deads - warm ups felt ok to start but got better as they went and by 250 it flew... but 280 went well but not as well as it should, it felt a little off... might have been a little forward looking back so it made the pull harder than it should have... however 300 felt a lot better but slower than I wanted... there is a vid...

SLDL - oh good grief... goal was 5+ was thinking 6 maybe 7 if I am lucky... got to 7 and just went for the 8th... got it but not sure another was there... that was tough... took a min for the feeling to hit the hams and glutes though... then ouch...

BOR - these felt good, kept them as strict as I could and did pretty well... upper back was feeling it a load... went well as they should...

CG PD - oh hell... first set went ok, second set got to 9th rep and started feeling it hard in the lats... went for the 12 rep but just couldnt get it all the way down... and man my lats were screaming... last set was supposed to be 12+ but tbh I knew going in there was no way... managed 10 and that hurt... lats fvcking humming and hurt a load... still very sore tbh but then it matches lower back, hams and glutes...









EZ curls - felt pretty good tbh and easier than I expected... biceps were feeling it by last set and I was hoping for 14 on last set but got to 8 and thought 11 would be good, made 12...

oh yeah... good session for last heavy deads before the comp... feeling more and more up for it as the days go by... just got to hold on to this feeling and keep it moving as well as it has the last couple of weeks...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Incl BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 75x5

87.5x3x8
87.5x9

DB BP (1min rest)
25x22
25x13
25x11

Flat db ext
not done, elbow just not having it

Flyes (1min rest)
20x3x15

great little session today...

Incl - warm ups felt very light... first set flew and felt great as did 2 and 3... 4th set was hoping for 10reps... but by rep 6 felt like I hit the wall and managed to push out an extra 3 reps...

DB bp - holy jebus did that first set surprise me... just felt very light and found a great groove... pressing lately is going quite well... the 1min rest really plays havoc though... reps dropped sharply for the last 2 sets and holy cr4p did my chest feel it...

Flat ext - tried the first rep at 17.5 but no way was my elbow having it... did not push as its 2 weeks to lifting day...

Flyes - again felt light and really moved the weights quick... felt really good in my chest and again that one min rest really kills recovery... but got a great pump and feel right through the pecs... good stretch at the bottom and nice drive up...

really pleased with the workout today... the last couple of weeks going well and starting to ignite that desire to hit the platform... still got some work to do both on and off the platform but its getting done...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 200x1, 220x1

235x2 meh...

2ct paused
210x1

done... shouldnt have been but nope today was pants...

Squats - warm ups felt pretty decent tbh... esp considering I was running really late, felt very meh and generally not into it... got to 200 nicely although I did put the belt on at 200 instead of 220 like I was going to... just didnt feel stable or in the groove... really focused on getting the knees to break first and go straight down more which was working till 220... 200 was a little slow and felt wobbly... 220 was a bit better but still slow... 235 went to cr4p very quickly... took the weight and it felt ok, not heavy but not light... tried to maintain the new form and it just werent feeling good... very high, went for rep 2, tried to sit down more but again just not feeling stable enough and thinking of too many things at once so was a confused mess... still need to get to the point where I dont think of it just do it... sigh...

2ct - well less said the better... did the first rep felt like cr4p stopped there and went got daughter...

sleep last few nights been broken... have been hot and mrs been restless which keeps waking me... plus she gets cold so wants to cuddle in which just raises the inferno to fission levels... so I get up to "go to the toilet" to cool down... today work went long, had crap to do when got home which went long, then next thing training was late and I had to wake up, which didnt really happen... oh well sh1t happens...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 75x5

90x3x10

DB BP

25x3x10

TPD

35x4x20

light one today, no vids will save them for the proper sets 

BP - felt light and easy... in fact a lot better than I expected it tbh...

DB bench - again light and easy...

TPD - just a blood pumping ex today, getting my elbow loose and it worked, first set felt the elbow a little but by the 2nd set it felt a lot better and tpd felt good... last set was a little tougher though...

good session today, feeling quite a bit better and appetite is coming back slowly... only a 3 day training week this week but last one is a doozy... got a good nights sleep last night after boiling on sun night... woke up and was at least a thousand degrees... sat up for a while reading... contemplated going to conservatory and opening the doors to cool down but was too lazy lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5

210x1
180x1

BOR
100x3x10

Seated Rows
100x4x10

simple and light one today...

Deads - warm ups ok, second set of 120 form felt banging and all so smooth... 170 then went wtf and felt a bit heavy and not so smooth... then 210 fvcking flew up and felt very good light and smooth... hips through better too... 180 went the same way...

BOR - didnt even bother with straps... all felt really good and worked the squeeze in the back... strict and easy...

Seated rows - light weight and working the contraction was the go today... felt really good and great in the upper back and lats... def felt the contraction working here...

nice light one again... lullling me into false sense of complacency for tomorrow... got squats and bench in the one workout... reverting back to the old form to see if I can nail the squat better as its really suffering of late... def thinking that me feeling a bit meh still is down to some of the supps I am on if I was going to take any that is... it is what it is and only a week to go till the day of lift... food has been better though will weigh in tomorrow or fri to see where I am at...


----------



## Greyphantom

Last session before comp

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 200x1

220x1
220x1

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3, 100x2, 110x1, 120x1
Paused reps
130x1
137.5x1
145x1
135x2

Incl BP
90x10

Flyes
22.5x3x15

very meh day today... belly little bit dodgy and food not going in great, got some frosty treatment at home which is just great and felt meh... did not expect today to go very well at all...

Squat - reverted back to old form... felt good but different... warm ups were fine and felt good... supposed to do 1 single at 220 but ended up doing another as first felt fine but looked a little iffy, did a 2nd to cover it and it felt even better but again fvcking camera looks marginal... need to get a little platform going so can put phone on it at the right height, as it it its about mid ankle... anyhow felt good...






Bench - first few sets felt a little off as elbow was feeling a bit sore... settled in though and things started feeling better... 130 felt good not particularly heavy at all... 137.5 felt a little heavy but still went up pretty well... 145 I did not expect to go as well as it did as just not feeling it and a freaking sainsburys delivery truck reversed up the drive right when I was setting up to lift which did not go as it should as I forgot a few things... sigh, however it still went well enough... 135 I got 2 good reps there and really happy with that tbh...






Incl BP - felt good and gave no trouble... last rep was a little hard but doable...

Flyes - again no problem at all and felt light, good stretch...

pretty decent training session tbh, didnt expect it to go well but managed to do ok... now one week till lift day and I am pondering how it will go... hopefully over the weekend will get some better food in and start feeling better... just want to nail the lifts next week tbh... will be off line till the following week or if I am so inclined and can use my arms thu night might get a quick write up in...


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## Greyphantom

Hey all, well been a long week... reffed, transported kit, set up, took down, transported kit and competed in the middle there somewhere...

Weighing in went mostly well... day before weighed 111.5 so just a quick loss regiment and weighed in at 108.5... started loading again and it was awesome... just ate and ate and couldnt seem to get enough, loads of water and other fluids too... weighed in thu morn at 115







nice... sat in my hotel room and read and watched tv, spoke with Dig a couple of times but fairly chilled... started to get nerves kicking in around 12... got my kit together and then went to venue to get into the frame of things...

Warm ups went neither well nor badly... went to 200 to see how it felt and then open at 220... it felt pretty good so left opening squat at 220...

Squats
220 - first lift and felt a bit nervous about it tbh went down and then up 2 whites 1 red... slightly high on one side...
235 - felt much more confident and settled, down and up, nailed it... 3 whites...
250 - again took the bar, felt really good on my back, not heavy and solid... down then up, dammit just pulled it slightly high... reds (not sure if all or just 2)

Bench
140 - think this is highest I have opened and by the time I got to lift I was a little cooled down... but it went down then up... good lift
147.5 - felt a little better going out to this... weight generally felt better and lifted it easier than the first good lift
152.5 - first pb attempt... set up ok, weight didnt feel too heavy and took it down well, but not down to best point on chest, drive up faltered and I missed it... no lift

Deads
290 - no problem, went up well and 3 whites...
310 - even better, went up quick enough, felt good 3 whites
320 - came off the floor and was traveling well... till hamstring "shifted" and fvcking hurt so released bar and got helped off platform... ffs it was moving, Dave Jenks said it was on as it was moving so well... damn annoyed...

well not the best I could have done but certainly better than expected and considering I was going to pull out a few weeks ago I will take that... ended up with Masters 1 110kg 1st and 2nd in the Open 110kg... Britain took 1 2 and 3 in the open and there was just me in the masters so that made it easier to win














really glad Dig talked me round to competing now, not as well as I wanted to but better than I expected... tired now and training starts today


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

CGBP (90s rest)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5

75x4x10

OHP (90s to 2min rest)
WU 50x5

65x2x10
60x2x10

Incl ez ext (90x rest)
35x4x12

Side raises (45s rest)
10x3x12

first one back after the comp, not too bad, no issue with hamstring, short rests are a pain though









CGBP - felt better than I thought... straight forward...

OHP - first set felt heavier than expected... second was ok but dropped the weight to 60 as wasnt sure it was going well... 3rd set felt off too, finely realised on 4th set that my form was off and speed was too slow... fixed it and 4th went really well... rookie error...

Incl ez - elbow was feeling this a bit but after a few reps it eased out and felt ok till the 4th set... was supposed to do a 5th but left it there as didnt want to tempt fate...

side raises - nothing to trouble me here, but the short rests were a killer...

decent enough return... short and easy really... still hungry both for food and lifting lol... something that developed last night was the mrs noticed some bruising on the back of my leg down at the bottom of the ham... whooop... feels fine to walk on and only twinges in certain movements so think the initial prognosis of possible minor tear was about right... at least it happened on the last lift and not the first... total was achieved


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day (cant really call it deads lol)

PD (1min)
WU 40x8, 60x5,

80x3x10
70x10

Seated rows (1min rest)
110x2x15
100x15

Straight arm PD (1 min rest)
30x3x12

incl db rows (90s rest)
22.5x8
27.5x2x8

EZ curls (1min to 90s rest)
45x4x10

wow bit of a harder than expected one today, swear its cos of the short rests...

PD - felt good on the 1st set, 2nd set was harder towards the end with a breath or two at rep 8 then 3rd set was much more difficult and lats were feeling it... dropped the weight and made a good 10 but again lats were really complaining... 1 min is not that long really...

SR - first 2 sets were harder than expected... really felt the upper back working and good squeeze... dropped the weight for the 3rd and again felt it working hard... back was pumped and sore at this stage... oh yeah...

Straight arm - weight a bit conservative as been a very long time since doing these... first set felt a little odd but once in the groove much better... could go up on these today tbh but just feeling my way... felt it in the lats diff from the pd... forgot how effective they can be...

incl db rows - again first set feeling my way as this is the first time doing these... felt odd but good... upped weight on 2nd set and felt better, felt it in a diff place to the seated rows... more mid back than upper but still very very good... back pumped to fvck at the end...

ez curls - all good here, slight feeling in the hamstring as I counterbalanced the weight... but nothing serious...

holy cow back is loving today... not... felt good and got a great pump... sore now... great sore though... ham was good and did some stretching at the end of the training to ease it out... do this a few times a day to help the rehab so it doesnt heal tight... tired now, will not fit in the next upper session in this week as sat will be out all day with kids and some other stuff and sunday is fathers day so they fam is taking me out... for food of course... appetite is back up which is good... think 125s is def on lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Mon 20 Jun 16
Bench 1
BP (90s-2min rest)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 75x5

90x3x8
90x12

Incl BP (90s-2m)
85x3x6

Flyes (1min)
22.5x2x12
22.5x15

DB tri ext
15x1

rushed day today as had parent teacher night and a few other things going on at home that need to be done...

Bench - felt great today, set up was really nice and as the weight got heavier it felt better... 90 felt light... all 3 sets of 8 were quick smooth and easy... last set I got to 10 and then had to squeeze the last 2 out but still not terribly hard, maybe could have got another but 12 was slower and felt about right so left it there...

Incl - again felt ok, better than I thought it would... even the third set which was a bit tougher than first 2 felt fine... no real hassle and might have had another set in there...

Flyes - all good here... last set the 15 rep was def a squeeze... comfortable enough though...

Tri ext - yeah elbow was not having this... maybe a lighter weight to get the elbow through rehab... and some peps to make sure









felt pretty good but man was it humid and sweaty... freaking pouring off me last night... very happy with how the bench is feeling atm... incl are the same really... was pushed but not taxed if that makes sense...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day

Seated rows (90s rest)
WU 40x10, 80x10

120x15
115x2x15

Incl DB row
30x14
30x12
30x10+1p

PD (R/P)
80x15/8/6

EZ curls (R/P)
50x14/9/7

Seated DB Power cleans (1min)
10x14
10x9
10x8

oh jebus... very hard and sweaty one today... back is in bits...

Rows - felt pretty good, second set upper back started to grumble and then 3rd set it started doing more than grumble... wow felt that hit hard... good squeeze...

Incl rows - managed 14 first set but was feeling them from 8... second set got a good 12 and that was hard... last set managed 10 and a bit, just couldnt make the weight go up all the way... mid back feeling hit hard...

PD - first set felt pretty decent tbh, lats felt it but were good... thats the false sense of complacency kicking in and then on the next 2 sets lats were not happy at all and felt them hit hard... so so sore...

EZ curls - holy crap trying to hold the bar was hard... managed to hit a good 14 on the first set... felt really good but damn if my forearms werent also hit hard...

Cleans - thought I might even look at 15s on these but as Dig states 10 did the 10s... and thank god I did... damn if these were not incredibly hard... traps and rear delts were screaming by rep 9 on the first set... cannot believe got to 14, didnt even entertain the idea of a 15th... second set was even worse... third I was damn near crying and shaking was bad... traps and delts were just done...

man talk about sweat... was dripping off me and back is in bits... so so good... still think Dig is trying to kill me though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Training Fri 24 Jun 16

OHP (90s-2min rest)
WU 40x5 55x5

65x3x10
65x12

GCBP (90s)
WU 50x8, 65x5

80x2x10
80x9

Incl EZ ext (not done)

Side raises
12.5x2x12
12.5x17

TPD
40x3

pushed for time as had to get some stuff done and then pick up wife and kids from london to head up to warwick to check out the uni and then to york and then durham... yay...

OHP - felt pretty good this week... better form and technique... moved fast and well...

CG - also went nicely but on last set just ran out of oomph... shorter rests hit a bit...

Incl ext - didnt do these as needed to save time and my elbow was feeling a bit sore...

Side raises - pretty good and delts were feeling a bit sore after...

TPD - started the first set and the elbow was not playing well so left it there which was probably just as well as time was fleeting...

decent enough but still need to watch the elbow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1
Incl BP (2mins)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 75x5

90x2x6
90x8

BP (90s)
95x10
87.5x11
80x11

Flyes (90s)
25x12
25x10
25x9

DB BP (90s)
20x15
20x13+1p
20x12+1p

holy cow its been a busy week so far and looks to be so till sun... yay... only managed to get to my first session today...

Incl BP - felt pretty good, weight seemed to be light enough and came up off the chest well... first 2 sets felt good enough was sure what the 3rd would do but managed a good 8 and there was prob a 9th there I think... hindsight though...

BP - wasnt sure about getting more than 8 on the first set but it felt pretty good... not sure an 11th was there tbh... maybe... 87.5 felt really good and got 11 which was nice... 80 only managed 11 even though the weight felt pretty light... chest was done at this point... felt it pumped and worked...

Flyes - man 25 felt like 30 today... got the first 12 ok but not the second, only managed 10 and then 9 on the last as chest was just not giving anything...

DB BP - was thinking would do 25 and see but tbh 20 was about right... holy cow chest started hurting now... 2nd set started well but hit 10 and was pushing to get each rep after... 3rd set was the same and I am surprised I managed the 12 tbh...

good session and I have been informed I can start squats again this week after my 2nd Bench day... will start with the bar and go all the way up to 30kg for 5 lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back

BOR (90s)
WU 60x8, 100x8

120x4x10

Incl DB rows (1min and squeeze for 1 ct at top)
25x16
25x13
25x11

Seated rows (1min) (sets 10 till cant do 8 or more)
122.5x4x10
122.5x9
122.5x7

PD
60x20
70x15 (straps on this one and subsequent sets)
80x9/60x9+1p (drop set)

EZ curls not done... no time and tbh I was shagged, forearms were done, back was screaming and I was shaking like a leaf...

BOR - testing out the hams on this one, kept legs locked and reps slow on negative with a squeeze at top... by third set back was not happy by 4th it was calling me names...

Incl rows - holy jebus... every rep had a 1 ct squeeze at the top... 1 min rest... means back was screaming even more and was trying to divorce me... feeling it work...

Seated rows - oh ffs... what is Dig thinking... 1 min rest... really!!?? was aiming for sets of 10 till could only do 8 or less... did not believe I got 5 sets out before that happened... set 4 I didnt expect 10 but think it was due to the wife annoying me at that time lol... back was done by this time... just done...

PD - wanted to go home... but the 10 steps it would take was just too far so thought I might as well get on with it... oh jebus... should have gone home... first set got to 15 then it was just will power... second set got to 10 and have no idea what made me do the next 5 and ffs the last set... holy rubbish... shaking so much after this... back was humming and still is...

great session, but again just so many things to do today had to train very late and then cut it short... not by too much though... looking forward to a hot bath tonight... and sleep...

hamstring held up well in the bor, felt it stretching a little and can feel it now but like its been worked after the injury rather than exasperating the injury... fingers crossed its mending well... seems to be... onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Sat 02 Jul 16 bench 2

ohp
WU 40x2x5, 55x5

70x3x8
70x12

CGBP
WU 50x5, 70x5

85x15
75x14
75x11
75x10

WGBP
80x3x8
80x4

Squats(!!!!!!)
bar x5
40x5
60x5

yeah that was a great session and squats!!!

OHP - found the groove and form that works well... it seemed really good today and shoulders just performed... surprised myself on the last set was aiming for 10... the extra 2 most welcome...

CGBP - did a bit better than expected here too... great groove and felt very good...

WGBP - havent done these in a while... aim was 4 sets of 8 but on the last set hit the wall rather suddenly lol... felt really good and chest done...

Squats... SQUATS baby - slowly slowly... was supposed to do bar for 5 then 30 for 5... bar felt ridiculous so went 40 and that felt silly so went 60 and that felt light but oh so so good... no issues with the hamstring at all... yay...

great session today, back in bits from the other day and chest still a bit sore from wed... yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP (2min)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

90x8
95x8
100x11

Incl bp (90s)
75x12
75x8
75x7

flyes (1min)
17.5x3x11
17.5x18

DB BP
20x20
(4ct negatives)
20x8+1p
20x7+1p

Squats
40x6
60x6
70x6
80x6

great session again... felt the negatives on the db bp...

bp - felt great, fast reps and smooth... got a nice 11 on the 100kg and it felt good...

Incl - found a better position for my shoulders and it helped but man it was tough hitting the reps... got first set fine then it was failure and I thought I might have a rep or two more each set but like hitting a wall...

Flyes - felt good and nice stretch... light enough and good squeeze at top...

DB BP - first set was great then I added in the 4ct negatives and man that took a hit... first 5 reps were fine then it was like trying to press an extra 10kg a rep lol...

Squats - again felt awesome... no trouble at all and cannot wait to get some weight on the bar...

good session, feeling it on the short rest periods and 4ct negs... onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back

T bar rows
WU 40x8, 60x8, 80x8

100x8
90x10
80x12
70x14

Seated rows (90s)
135x13
135x10
135x7

Incl rows (1min)
27.5x2x12
27.5x14

PD (1min)
75x2x10
75x11

EZ curls
55x12
55x9

had to finish it there as had to a) pick up my boy who missed his stop ffs and B) go get some shots from the doc as some of my vaccinations were due, actually that happened for all of us in the last few weeks... the mrs told me when she got hers (different to mine slightly) oooh you wont be able to train as one of them hurts for a few days lol... ah bless could have told her about pip from sust and some other bits but refrained...

T bar - long time since I did these... felt awesome in the back hitting it quite hard... prob could have gone up another 10kg...

Seated rows - ffs these felt heavy today... back was not happy when I had finished... in a good way lol... last couple of reps each set were not as strict as they could be...

Incl db rows - again with the squeeze at the top... that and short rest period kills the upper back...

PD - wow again felt heavier than expected and got a little elbow niggle but after finding a nice form it eased and felt more in the lats... sore now as it happens...

Ez curls - good grief again with the heavy... but went better than expected tbh... had to cut it short but did the job still...

ditched the last set of curls and squats today... time at the moment seems to be at a premium as have quite a bit going on... still should settle by next week and then get a good couple of weeks training before the kids are off school then we have some family time planned... woot... just woot...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

OHP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5

75x2x8
75x10

CGBP
WU 50x5, 70x5

85x2x10
85x11

WGBP (2ct)
75x2x8
70x2x8

TPD
25x3x25

Squats
40x6
60x6
80x6
100x6
120x6

yeah baby... bit tired from last night as not much sleep...

OHP - felt a little heavy compared to last week... put it down to being tired... felt good enough though and nice press up from the bottom... speed was good too which helps I find...

CGBP - felt really good... only managed 11 on last set was going to go for the 12th but erred on the side of wimp there...

WGBP - 2ct pause on the chest, focused on speed from the chest making sure it moved as fast as I could... first set could have been faster tbh but really got it moving on the next 3... mainly due to me finding a better groove and getting legs more involved... did first set and prior to racking weight was thinking huh barely felt that... then racked weight sat up and chest felt like it was kicked by a horse lol... same for all subsequent sets...

TPD - just working on getting blood flowing through the elbow and tbh felt it less in the elbow than on PD on back day... tris were screaming by the end of the last set though... wow...

Squats - yeah baby... extended slightly more weight wise than suggested by Dig... felt really good, 60 felt so light just jumped to 80 then 100 and could feel things working well so went to 120 which made the ham work a little more... could have done 140 easy enough I reckon but erred on side of caution here and left it in the tank... slowly slowly heal the monkey...

good session, really happy with training atm... looking forward to lifting proper weights again though and getting squats and deads going again...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

110x10
105x10
100x10

Incl BP 2ct (2mins)

80x2x6
80x7

Db bp
30x15
30x10
30x7

Incl ez ext
20x16
*change grip*
20x18
20x20

Squats
50x5, 80x5, 100x5

120x3x6

oh hell yeah, good day today, got some sleep last night too... fri and sat nights I was blazing hot and had to sit by the front door wide open to cool down but last night was cooler and much better sleep...

BP - warm ups were ok... 80 felt a little heavy but went smooth so started me thinking hmmm... 100 felt ok though and then the main sets... 110 felt really good and blazed it up... first 8 felt really good and fast with the last 2 slowing a bit.. 10 was about it today though... 105 I thought no way will I match it (as commanded by him most high)... smashed it too... prob could have had one more at a big push... felt really good... 100 was sceptical again but went even better than the first two and could have had another 2 maybe... think this is the first time I have done 100+ for 3 sets of 10... chest was feeling it though...

Incl BP 2ct - oh hell now, wtf was he thinking making it a 2ct... felt pretty good tbf... till after each set when my chest felt like that little alien thing was bursting its way out... felt strong enough though...

DB bp - have no idea where the first set came from... felt good and easy till about 12 then managed just to get the extra to make it 15... second set started hard and got harder lol... third was even tougher... chest fvcked by this stage...

Incl ez ext - very light weight this week making sure elbow is ok, well on first set my usual grip it felt it quite a bit but not enough to stop... 2nd set I changed my grip so hands were turned out rather than in and it was so much better... didnt feel elbow at all although that grip made it feel weird... still went much better so did the same for the 3rd and hit the tris really well...

Squats baby - 3 sets at 120 today... yeah... thats the stuff right there... felt light and easy and no moans from the hamstring... quads feeling it a little but cant wait to put more weight on...

great session today... chest is humming atm but I expect it to be sore later lol... squats are going great and wed I start sldl again albeit carefully... loving lifting right now...


----------



## Greyphantom

Back day

Tbar rows (90s)
WU 60x5, 80x5, 100x5

110x10
95x12
80x16

Incl db rows (1ct and 1min)
30x16
30x12
30x11

Seated rows (90s)
145x9
120x14
120x13

SLDL
60x8
80x8
100x8

done and left db preacher curls... flipping heck this was a hard one today... back in bits... totally fvcked actually...

Tbar - warm ups felt pretty good... 110 felt a little heavier but first 6 or so were spot on then it went a bit heavy... but still managed 10 good reps... back was feeling it even now... 95 holy cow, double checked def 95 not 950... felt it a lot in the upper back... hit a good 12 and back was telling me about it... 80... ok this felt really good till about rep 8 then back was saying nope... I ignored it and cracked out a good 16... doubt a 17th would have been there though... ouch...

Incl rows - oh all thats good and holy, I think Dig hates me... first set felt tough but that was nothing as the second and third were much worse... upper back at this time was pretty much just a lump of sore... felt massive though...

seated rows - had a go at 145 prob should have done 150 tbh... it wasnt making my back feel any better tbh... in fact I was fvcked... had 2 more sets to go too... 120 I thought would feel lighter... nope... managed to get a good 14 then surprised myself with a strong finish on 13... back humming... felt like a heard of elephants tap danced all over it then came back for a river dance encore...

SLDL - yay at least its a form of dl... 60 felt too light but was testing the hamstring out, no probs... 80 felt better but again just seeing how it went, and it went well... felt really good and no soreness... 100 oh yeah thats better and felt the ham stretch but not break or get sore... so good... really happy

was supposed to do db preacher curls but I started training late as just have so much on atm and I didnt quite understand the breakdown of weight and rep scheme too and didnt get in touch with Dig before starting the doofus I am... still shaking atm from the workout...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2
OHP
WU 40x2x5, 55x5
70x5
80x5
87.5x5

CGBP (2ct, 2mins)
WU 40x5, 60x5, 80x3

90x10 or 11 (lost count at 5 and pretty sure I counted it twice)
80x12
80x10

OHP (90s yes ohp again)
65x13
65x9
65x8

Squats
WU 60x6, 100x6
120x6
130x6
140x6
150x6

holy cow bit of a session today... two lots of ohp, had to clarify with Dig it was two and not a typo... the pr1ck said yes it was two... ahem I mean the brilliant wonderful man said it was two...

OHP - was a heavy type group of sets... top set was 85+ depending on how if felt... 70 felt really good and pretty decent, went to 80 and it felt better... so went to 87.5 and it felt heavier (obv) but good and I managed the 5 reps pretty well... think I might have been able to hit 90 today...

cgbp - 2ct... seriously... ffs Dig... first set went really good as it happens... however lost count round rep 5 as I think I counted 5, then 5 again instead of 6 ffs... still decent set and felt good... next two sets were similar tbh... just good pressing and felt it working really well... happy...

ohp - this one was a reps type set structure... tbh shoulders were a bit knackered from the first 2 exercises... was supposed to get 14+ reps first set but only managed 13... 14th would not have been a good one if it went at all... was looking for 30+ as a total so wanted 10 on the 2nd set... nope only managed 9... meant I needed 8 for that last one... damn if I didnt fight for it... 8 went... up... sllloooowwwww... still I got it... shoulders were fvcked...

Squats - oh yeah, god I love doing these... all sets were fine, back got a little pump going but nowt serious, or at least nothing a few pints tonight wont fix... so good to get under the bar again and weight is starting to go up... felt very very good and light so thats good...

great session... things are progressing fairly well and really enjoying things atm... food is going in well and weight slowly increasing, forgot to weigh myself this morning but will do so tomorrow... bit tired but feeling ok with it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x1

117.5x8
112.5x8
107x5x7

Incl BP
90x7
(2ct)
82.5x6
82.5x8

Flyes
25x2x10
25x12

Squats
WU 60x5, 100x5, 130x5

150x2x6

fvcking hell its hot today, shirt is dripping and I discovered I have a pool in my gym too... yeah just underneath the bench
















BP - warm ups were nothing special... first set I did alright, felt pretty good and had a great tempo... second went pretty decently too... third I messed up the last rep, went too slow and it was hesitant so that meant I missed the 8th rep... sweating like a mother had to get a lucosade in...

Incl bp - first set felt really good... good spring off the chest and nice drive up... next two sets were done with a 2ct... that def makes it more interesting lol, but still had a decent press and it felt really good...

Flyes - good stretch and strong drive up... bench was running with sweat but after some water second wind came along... nice last set and the 12th rep was hard...

Squats - god loving these... still light but good sets and reps... felt very very good... more I say... more...

good session but very hot... god so hot... weight is up to 115.7kg which is nice... will keep pushing that I think see if I cant hit 120


----------



## Greyphantom

Back

BOR
WU 60x2x5, 100x5

130x4x10

Tbar rows (90s (ha yeah right) 1ct at top)
85x15 (first 5 were controlled but not 1ct cos I forgot till 5th rep)
85x12
85x10

PD (c75... very circa lol)
75x4x10

SLDL
100x3x8

DB preacher (c90s)
10x2x12
10x11
10x10

holy hera it was hot today... sweat started by 2nd set of BOR and just got worse... fluids were sucked back but the more I took in the more I leaked out...

BOR - felt a bit heavy today tbh, but didnt get more difficult just gassed a bit as no air... back was feeling it really well and by the end had a little pump going on...

Tbar - ffs 1ct really Dig... forgot about the 1ct for the first 5 reps but they were very controlled so will forgive myself... nice reps and jebus did the back feel it big time... gassing a load and thus the rest period was prob a little longer than the 90s it was supposed to be... but not too much longer... felt a little ill tbh at the end...

PD - these went better than I thought and that was cool... but lats were really hurting by the last set and even though goal was 10+ I stuck at 10 as they were not happening after... felt them really well...

SLDL - still light on these... getting nice stretch in hamstring and felt really good no issues at all... today though the ham has been a little achy but more like its been worked rather than its hurt... enjoying these and looking for to actual deads...

DB preacher - oh ffs... I was going to go 12.5 but so glad I stuck with 10... first couple of sets were ok... 3rd was feeling it by 8th rep and last by 6th, getting to 10 on the last set was hard and bis hurting... hell back and bis hurting now...

good session but fvck me it was hot... not much of a breeze in the ol shed gym so will look at getting a fan as this will help... feeling good but tired as sleep is all over the place due to heat and needing to drink through the night... have a fan on me all night and that helps a load but the mrs is not a huge "fan" of it being on... tough... shes still under the fvcking duvet ffs... next session fri and hopefully its cooler or at least that fan will keep me breezy...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

OHP (c2-3mins)
WU 50x2x5, 65x5

80x10
75x11
70x12

CGBP (c2-3mins)
WU 40x5, 60x5, 80x3, 95x3

105x5
100x5
95x5

Incl EZ ext
25x2x18
25x17

Squats
WU 60x5, 100x5, 130x5

160x3x5

bit of an up and down one today... think a combo of the heat and no sleep and running around like a blue ar$e fly getting a few things done has just crept up on me and I feel a bit wiped... still some great points today and some not so great...

OHP - ok this went better than expected, found a really good form and tech for it and the groove is in... goal for first set was 7+ and as I made it to 9 thought fvck it going for 10, really pleased I did but it was wobbly and slow... next set made 11 and was wrapped thinking that would be it... but last set made 12 and even though the 12th was a bit slow and stally I got it in... oh yeah...

CGBP - sigh then back to earth with these... aim was 6+ on 1st set... but biceps believe it or not were feeling it a bit and didnt feel too stable... so just got 5... ffs... same for the other sets and tbh even though sub par I have to say that on the one hand I remember a time not too long ago that I couldnt even bench 100 for reps let alone cgbp... so will take what I got tonight...

Incl ez - first set was not great tbh... had hands in the wrong place on the bar and it felt awkward... 2nd set though nailed it... hands in the center of the bar and it felt much better with little to no strain on the elbow... better in the tris too... 3rd set the same... happier now...

Squats - oh yeah now we are talking... still light but feeling it more in the quads and ham is holding up really well... feeling best it has since the euros... good solid reps and sets and speed is faster too...

training going really well atm... which is a shame as I will have 2 weeks off now more or less (will try to train but got family stuff) will try to get some training in when I can but the mrs might get all complainy... bw this morning was 115.7 which is same as last week but def feeling and looking bigger this week... will be pretty much off the boards the next 2 weeks unless I can sneak on when she isnt looking







hope everyone doesnt melt and keeps on keeping on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5

80x10
85x10
90x10
95x10
100x9

Incl BP
75x10
75x8
75x7

Flyes (c75-90s)
20x3x12
20x13+1p

TPD
30x20
30x18
30x17

keeping volume up wouldnt hurt he said, pffft lying barsteward...

BP - 80+ sets of 10 till couldnt do 10... thought 100 was going to go 10 ok but at 7 hit the wall but managed 2 more... no way was I going to just give up, 9 went up very very veeeeerrrryyyy slowly lol.. still got it though... chest was sore just from this...

Incl BP - was supposed to do 12+ on first set, got to 9 and knew that was an ask... did 10 and only just... left it there... next two sets done ok and chest was feeling fvcked tbh...

flyes - oh all thats good and holy... went well enough but man felt my chest spreading on this... in fact by the time I finished it was like one of those aliens coming out ala John Heard...

TPD - first set was ok, prob had a rep or two in there extra tbh... but 2 and 3 was hurting... tris nicely fried from this...

good first session back and oh it feels so so good to be back... so so so good... good time away though, amazing scenery both the mountain kind and the two legged variety lol... got to swim nearly every night as it was so damn hot... it was so damn hot I saw this little guy in orange robes burst into flames it was that damn hot... (ref anyone







) going to really pull my finger from now and just focus a lot more on training... adding a meal in (well a mass shake) daily to see if I cant bump more weight on... got to go to my brothers wedding in feb so want to get some good size on and be in decent shape for that...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 60x2x6, 100x6, 130x6

150x6
160x6
170x2x6

Front squats
100x5

end... had to leave it yesterday as had splitting headache that 4 paracetamol only just touched... woke up this morning feeling much better but with a bit of a dodgy belly that cleared up by lunch time... looking forward to squatting and feeling good...

Squats - warm ups went really really well, felt fine and loads of speed and power from the hole... 150 felt light, 160 felt very good and 170 felt the same, toyed with going to 180 but head was aching after the first set of 170 so left it there erring on side of caution and sore head... last set felt as good as first set of 170 and was thinking 180 should have been it... but then head said otherwise, ffs it was sore...

Fronts - well plowed on as was looking forward to doing these again... just starting with 100 as have not done them in ages... first 3 felt fine but then started getting those spots in front of eyes and head just split... fvck me it was sore... sat for a few mins with the idea of trying the next set but no way...

ah well sh1t happens... no twinges from hammy in the squats or aborted set of fronts so thats a good thing... going to get a decent nights sleep tonight (haha) and see how it goes tomorrow... also have added in a mass shake a couple of hours after lunch so getting some more cals in...


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## Greyphantom

bench 2

CGBP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5

100x7x5

OHP
WU 50x8, 60x8

70x10
70x7
70x6

Incl EZ ext
30x18
30x16
30x14
30x13

good session... woke up with head feeling much better but a bit run down, sore throat etc seems I have a freaking cold... stupid cold... but onwards and upwards

CGBP - very surprised with this today... goal was 3+ sets... got to 5 and it felt good so kept going... 7th set last couple of reps were a bit tougher so left it with a good 7 sets... pretty happy with this...

OHP - buuuut it had a knock on I think as was supposed to get 13+ on first set here... but nope, by rep 8 I knew I was in a bit of trouble... managed 2 more and lost oomph... next two sets were a bit tough as well...

Incl ez - felt really good, grip position was excellent and felt it working well... tris feeling really tired by the end...

holy cow still had doms from chest on monday and legs were just so fricking sore... I mean I didnt really do that much work yesterday but flaming heck they are feeling it, glutes, hams and quads all complaining... feels great









best news is I got deads tomorrow, first time since the Euros at beginning of june... cannot wait...


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## Greyphantom

Deads day

Deads
120x5
170x5
200x5
220x5

Tbar rows
90x16
90x14
90x12

Seated rows
140x10
120x14
120x11

Pulldowns
70x12
60x14
50x17

Done and woooo doing deads again, man it feels so good...

Deads - not gonna lie, was like drinking water after walking through a desert... however did feel a little off as havent done them for so long... was working up to a set of 5 that felt comfortable... was dreaming it would be like 220 or 240... got to 220 and after a little soul searching left it there as didnt want to tempt fate... hammy felt fine but doms was a cruel b1tch today... yay deads...

Tbar - oh wow, really felt these hit my upper back and the pump was pretty decent too... good solid reps...

seated rows - was a little taken aback with the weight on first set but it went pretty well... smashed my back though... 2nd set was even better and third really laid it down...

Pulldowns - probably a bit light on these today... but holy jebus they hit nicely...

back done... upper back is already starting to doms up... doing deads was awesome... so much awesome... will have to do more so I get the groove back... but they still felt great... 220 did not feel bad at all and of course now I am thinking should have hit that 240 but slowly slowly as they say...


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## Greyphantom

Bench 1

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

112.5x9
100x10
90x11

Spoto press (2ct pause)
80x3
90x3
95x3x3

Dips
BWx10
BWx9
BWx8+1p

Ez deadstop ext
40x2x7
40x6

decent session today, bit late as had to go fill out some paperwork for a dog we are adopting from dogs trust... and take her for a walk and play for a bit... elbow has been sore since last night, no idea what I did to it but when I move a certain way, usually picking something up or puting pressure on it, it hurts... go figure...

Bench - as the weight increased if felt better tbh... but 112.5 didnt feel as good as I hoped it would... still first 8 went up fine but 9th was a tough one and quite a soft lock out at the top so iffy on the rep tbh... 100 felt alright and 90 went much quicker...

Spoto - havent done this for a while... 80 and 90 felt light so 95 was the order of the day, prob could have done 100 but the 3rd set of 95 was not easy tbf... and after this chest felt it big time...

Dips - went really well, felt good and elbow went well no problem...

Ez deadstop - was a bit worried the elbow would flare up but it went fine, prob should have pushed a little harder though but found a good groove...

good session today... on the road to 125 I think, the brits are out as just wont be ready but might do a qualifier later in the year...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3

180x3x6

*belt on*

180x6

Front squats

70x7

90x7

90x3x6

90x5

Preacher db curls

10x16

10x2x15

10x14

oh all thats good and fvcking holy... 4 sets Dig... really... really... then 5 of front squats (70 not counted as not the working set weight)

Squats - started out really good felt strong and fast... 160 then felt a bit heavy on the shoulders but the reps felt good... then 180 felt better... did the first 3 sets no belt then put it on as it was feeling not as solid on set 3... fvcking legs were just done... havent done this much work on the squat since the euros... good reps though and felt it all through the quads, glutes and hams... hit them hard tbh... good though... might have cursed Dig a time or two at set 3 and 4...

Fronts - did the first set at 70 to find that groove again... went well and fast etc but light... went to 90 and that felt about right today... first set was fast solid and on 7th rep could feel the weight a little, second to 4th sets got 6 reps out and cant believe that on the 4th as it nearly stopped on the way up... last set the 5th actually felt a little tough but was going very low on these today to really push it... legs felt that and were not happy with me... fvck em, who needs legs anyway... oh wait...

DB preacher - 10s felt pretty light today but certainly worked the bis decently... last set was starting to feel it at rep 9 but pushed out till arms were starting to shout... made 14... see need to work more...

happy with todays session considering last week I basically had to stop it due to feeling pants... legs got caned today and feel buzzy atm but so so good... till later when doms sets in lol...

had the dogs trust people in today, the meeting between cat and dog was pretty good tbh, cat was not happy we brought Ali in but the dog did not go for the cat (or the bird for that matter) and response was positive... she did find a hole in the fence behind some bushes in the thickest part of the garden so that means I will be doing more fvcking fence work... sigh... but we visit her thu and fri and then bring her home on saturday... tbh not sure how to feel about this as it was kinda foisted on me but shes a beautiful dog and seems quite loveable... now off to the petshop to get her a bed, bowls, crate, blanket for car and couch (not going to kid myself she wont end up on the couch with the mrs or kids ffs) and some other bits...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x3

220x3x6

BOR
140x3x8

Rev grip PD (90s-2mins)
85x2x10
85x11

Seated rows (90s)
130x13
130x10
130x8

oh jebus... this was a toughie today...

Deads - first set was a bit awkward but gave myself a mental wedgie and some chalk on the hands and second and third sets were much better... still need to work the form a bit but its feeling good... had some doms in the legs glutes and hams from tue still but went well enough... so good to be back doing these... I just like them...

BOR - wow... first set felt good, released weight and back was ouchie... all the upper and mid back was saying nope... so of course I did 2 more sets... far out, these really hit the ticket this week... still sore now (course did more back work after this though)... really enjoyed the sets and was surprised it didnt feel worse than it did in terms of how heavy it was... or wasnt...

Rev grip pd - surprised at these today, did not feel as heavy as expected (my rack attachment is horrible for these really but use it as extra resistance







) and lats were fairly worked... third set I managed to get 11 although wanted 12, lats were saying nah shes all good brah... sore but good...

Seated rows - wow... now these felt heavy today... fvcking upper back just caned and after 2nd and 3rd sets felt like vomiting a little... had the shakes something chronic too... all good fun though...

great session and back hammered... feeling knackered in a good way but a little tired as in sleepy as last night was not a great night for sleep, mainly as it was a late night early start... could have done with a couple more hours really... still 5 hours is more than any man needs right... long day today too so very late in starting training, which always messes up my timing and stuff... work followed by kids stuff followed by last visit to the dogs trust to take the pooch for a walk and play then shopping as the mrs invited people over for a bbq ffs and then home to eat, train and now dinner... pick up the pooch tomorrow and looking forward to it... even if it means a cardio like activity... maybe I can drag a tyre and call it conditioning


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU - 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x1

120x5
110x7
102.5x8

Spoto press
80x10
80x9
80x8

Dips
BW+5kg x9, 8, 6

EZ curls
55x15
55x12
55x10

Lat raises
15x12
15x2x11

crappy day all round, felt so tired should have had a nap after work but had too much to do... just shoddy sleep and late night early mornings...

BP - warm ups felt off... 110 felt fvcking heavy tbh... thought 120 was a no go today... then I remembered I promised Dig I would just get my sh1t together and push hard... and by doing everything he said and has suggested I managed to get a good 5 reps out... not sure if I stopped as that was it or just wimped out tbh... 110 felt better and 102.5 felt good too...

Spoto - holy hell, from set one these felt like they were spreading my chest a bit... hit right in the pecs and really well... pleased enough with these...

Dips - hmmm again not so pleased with these even though I hit targets they didnt feel as good as they should have... first set was the worst tbh and then seem to really crack on...

EZ curls - oh good grief... did not want to do this... first set was hard, second arms fell off and the third had to really dig deep to do it... still felt good and got it done...

Lat raises - felt pretty good doing these today, delts def hit though and the last set I dont know how I managed that 11th rep... def felt them working for sure...

def need sleep... early nights for me and next week will be able to get more sleep as the mrs is off to the states and means I wont have to be up as late to pick her up or up early to drop her off... food has been going in but weekend could have seen more tbh, still got at least three meals a day sat and sunday which I didnt expect as it was a busy weekend... will do what I can to up intake...

Dog seems to be settling in really well... cat is not impressed by her and atm she wants to chase him a little but will prob settle down in a few weeks... I hope...

so increase sleep, up food and train harder...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x4, 180x2 *belt on*

200x3x7

Paused squats 3ct
170x6
160x7 (or 8 as think I counted 5 twice)

Front squats
100x7
90x7

stopped there... oh man legs started cramping on that last front squats... got to rep 4 and could feel them going... managed to get the last 3 reps for 7 and just stopped it there... it took me 15 mins after paused squats to start again as I was basically trying not to throw up...

Squats - @Dig youre a barsteward.... yep no two ways about it... you go puting xkg + you know I will push it a bit... aim was for 3 sets today 190kg+ 3x7... so I thought lets try 200... yeah first set at least and then go down to 190... first set went really well, sank them nicely and felt them working great... so left it at 200 and did the second set, again went well but man could feel my legs now and they were not best pleased... debated dropping it to 190 while resting, but managed to talk myself into the 3rd set of 200 for 7... what a pr1ck I am... yeah it went but ffs legs were done... made sure that depth was nailed this week as the weights are getting back up there... keep them sunk... hammy is holding up nicely...

Paused 3ct - fvcking 3 ct Dig... really?? 170 actually went better than I expected, tbh I did not expect to hit the 5 of the 5+ I needed... got to 5 and it was tough but went for another and that was it though... 160 was to beat the 170 reps and I did that but tbh at this stage I was basically trying to stay up right and the sparkles in the eyes were getting silly... so I think I said 5 twice... counting it as 7 even so... legs were done done and I spent the next 10 mins trying not to throw up and then another 5 getting off the bench to do front squats...

Fronts - supposed to start at 95+ for 7... so did 100 and that felt pretty good as it happened... short rest and went for the 90 for 7 and half way through my legs just starting seizing up... man I hate that feeling... managed to get the 7 reps though but called it there...

missed the next 2 sets of fronts and 2 sets of ghr to see how the hammy is... actually a bit pleased at that tbh as still in the back of the mind I am thinking it might go or twinge again or something...

after that took about 20 mins to get off the bench to walk to my front door... even now my legs are really sore and on that verge of cramping but not quite... think sleep tonight is going to be great... not... bw is now 114kg up .5kg since the weekend and food is being increased...

in other news dog found a new hole in the fence and managed to get into the neighbours kitchen, luckily they are friends and good so she just brought her back and I fixed that hole and cant wait till she finds the next one... sigh...

by the way my legs are fvcked...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x2

110x6
105x7
100x8
95x8

Incl BP
85x8
85x7
85x6

Flyes
25x2x10
25x11

DB ext
15x2
stopped due to elbows

DB preacher
15x17
12.5x18
12.5x15

really good session today... hot as hell so put it off till later (also due to a few things I had to do but it worked out so hey oh)...

CGBP - didnt feel so good on the lower weights and was thinking aw maaaan... then around the 80kg mark it kicked in and voila felt really good... 110 was about right for a 6RM which was the target... then dropped the weight and needed 6+ on each set... did alright... wanted 9 on the last one but just couldnt manage it... tris got a good beating though...

Incl BP - started firing on all cylinders and was looking for 9 or even 10 reps but on rep 7 came off line and it was a bit more of a struggle but got it ok, 8th then was more of a chore... next two sets were really good and my chest got a good caning... felt awesome...

Flyes - oh yeah good stretch and felt my chest well... nice and strong on these...

DB ext - just not feeling these as well as I should... elbows were really not happy about this exercise so I am either doing it wrong or my line is just not working so need to find a better one...
did 2 reps and then left it there...

DB preacher curls - oh good gravy... hit my bis hard and god they hurt... in a good way... nailed them well and was great sets...

really happy about the session even though the db ext did not go well... gonna have to work this out as they are a good exercise...

managed to put on 1.7kg since tuesday... not bad for 2 days... hopefully this is the start of a good period of growth and gains in terms of mass and strength... training is certainly feeling really good...

Dog is settling in well but man she can fart like a freaking trooper... god she stinks... oh man I have to get out of here...


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## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x3x5

BOR
150x3x8

Seated rows
155x9
145x11
130x15

Rev grip PD
90x12
82.5x13
75x15

oooooh holy jebus take me to valhalla...









Deads - was not sure about these today... body is sore from training and pushing this week... legs still stiff and sore from tue ffs... however just cracked on as need to make the most of current training cycle and food intake... first set was pretty good... but one of the reps my hammy felt a bit tight and gave me a moment... 2nd set I did anyway not letting it phase me too much... went just as well as the first and felt a bit quicker tbh... third was tougher... first 3 reps good 4th was ok here we go and 5th was rrrrriiiiigggghhht thats it... happy I did them and they felt great tbh... lower back got a good pump on for the first time in ages...

BOR - oh good grief... first set felt hard... got the reps and felt it hit my upper back really well but still a bit difficult... 2nd set was actually a bit better... upper back not happy... 3rd was tough again and back was crying... not sweating cos they were tears... was pretty much done here...

Seated rows - you said what weight now... ffs Dig... actually went pretty well... felt heavy enough but managed to get some good reps in and wow back got a good smacking... 145 went well... felt nice and strong and really good... 130 just powered through that... however it did take me a few mins to get my breath back and for the back to stop shaking... pump was awesome...

PD - felt really good, as good as 80kg tbh reps were better and stronger too... lats got a good stretch... 82.5 again went really well and reps were banging... lats got a little sore here... last set I really pushed (or pulled







) the boat out and squeezed the last few reps out... 14 and 15 were tough... lats were cooked and tshirt was soaked...

great week of training tbh, getting back up there and at last some weights going on the bar... body is feeling it though... the heat is a killer too... drinking a pint of water after every exercise atm and needing to...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1

125x5
120x6
115x6

Spoto
90x9
82.5x10
75x13

Dips
BW+10x9
BW+5x8
BW+5x6

EZ curls
60x14
60x10
60x8

Lat raises
17.5x10
17.5x13

yay the heat is not intense so the workout didnt drain as much... really good session...

BP - was really on today... everything went well in the warm ups and then the top set felt really good... the final rep was tough but it still felt good and strong... 2nd set was even better... but the third set started really well then just got tough... chest got a great thumping though...

Spoto - oh ffs this one really seems to spread the chest out and hit it hard... did a bit better than I expected and felt really good and strong doing it...

Dips - yeah chest was done by these... first set went pretty well... next two sets not so much... chest was just on fire after these... breathing was achy...

EZ curls - ok these werent fun... forearm was a little sore and this aggrevated it a bit... surprised myself on the first set... crapped out on the next two lol... arms were not too happy...

Lat raises - first set went well enough and the second set felt good too, delts caned though...

now sore all over... great session, sore session... now its sleepy time... but have to have some food first...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Squats
> 
> Squats
> WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 180x2, *belt on* 200x1
> 
> 215x6
> 205x6
> 195x6
> 
> 3ct Paused squats
> 180x2x3
> 
> Front squats
> 100x3x7
> 
> GHR
> BWx6
> BWx5
> 
> oh good grief... loved it but it pushed me...
> 
> Squats - warm ups felt good, all felt tight and form felt much better... in fact 180 and 200 felt really switched on... then put 215 on my back and it went really well too... got to rep 5 and was thinking theres 7 there easy... unfortunately that will teach me to be cocky as on the 6th either through lack of concentration and focus or just switching off I came up slow and went forward slightly so had to bring the bar back into line and that did it for me... left it there... so matched the reps with the next 2 sets... 205 felt pretty good and 195 was better... legs didnt like it though, called me all sorts of names so I told them Dig made me do it...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 3ct - oh god yeah legs def not liking me today but they did feel good... kept really good form in the hole and drive up was good... felt right on the money tbh... did tingle in the legs though...
> 
> FS - first set felt good and I was thinking this is like doing down sets... the first set lied... 2nd and 3rd sets fvcked me good... oh my legs... my sort of beautiful legs... by third set I was nearly crying... in fact on the 2nd set I believe my ar5e did touch the floor on one of the reps...
> 
> GHR - seeing how the hamstring was with this... first set felt good... ham held up nicely and felt ok... second set it started feeling tight on rep 2 or 3 and I just did a good 5... left it there...
> 
> oh wow training lately is kicking my rear a bit... legs are sore and tingling now and doms is already setting in again... Dig is really stepping things up and some how I am rising to meet that challenge... tbh I always look at his sessions and think "he must be laughing" but then get them done and its like he knew me better than me... w4nker...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> really worked on both legs doing the driving up this week as have been favouring the left one a little as this was the hammy that went... today was much better and felt the left working harder... yay...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> dog is good as when I go to train she just lies on the couch and has a snooze... looks up when I come in for a drink but stays there till I have finished... shes now part of the fam... started to bark softly at things outside the fence line, or people trying to get in the house, not aggressive more of a warning bark, read that this means she now thinks that this is home so shes just a bit protective, will keep an eye on that as dont want her to get out of hand... once we greet someone if its a person shes uber friendly... so far no sign of any allergy from me too... bonus...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Incl BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

100x6
85x10
80x10

CGBP
90x2x9
90x8

Flyes (90s)
30x9
25x13
20x14

Preacher db curls
20x14
20x11
20x8

ooooh man... great work out chest and biceps caned and feeling sore... all the way down...

Incl BP - started off really good, locked shoulders down and back as found this really helps with the lift... got to 100 and it went pretty well but got to rep 5 and it felt tough... managed 6 though as prescribed and toyed with the idea of thinking about a 7th but I doubt it would have gone today... still a bit tired from mon chest session... 85 felt really good and nailed a good few reps there and 80 was great... chest was really hit hard today on this...

CGBP - first set went ok but not quite as good as wanted... aim was 10 managed 9, set up was not optimal but corrected for 2nd set and got another 9 but it felt better... last set just managed the 8 but tris and chest were really feeling it...

Flyes - holy hell... chest felt spread on these... first set the 30s felt like 50s lol... nice work in the pecs though... 2nd and 3rd sets went well and felt great... chest really sore after these...

Preacher db - oh holy hera... biceps got a beating on this today... cant believe I got the 14 on the first set was tough... 2nd set was as hard and only just got the 11... last set just was hell, 8 was ok on the right arm, well I say ok but I mean I managed it ok... left arm was a lot tougher though... 8 stalled a bit on the way up, was basically a fight to get it all the way... did it though... pain... so much pain...

great workout today, had to do Bench 2 today and will do deads tomorrow as got a day of work, setting up for brits and driving to bristol on friday... so yay... then a night farting and snoring for the pleasure of @welshguy84














followed by a weekend of reffing... not lifting in this one as wont really be ready with the ham the way it is and where I am... got a fair few friends lifting though...

my legs are so sore from yesterday and chest was only just getting over mon now I am smashed it again... bring it on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

255x2x5

SLDL
180x8

BOR
160x8
140x10
120x13

Rev grip pd
105x9
80x15/8/6 (r/p)

oh damn that was not easy... good, really good but not easy...

Deads - was not into this today, till the second warm up first was meh, second went really well, 170 went good and so did 210... 240 felt good but a little heavy... 255 first set nailed it... couldnt believe it tbh as was not thinking it would go so well at the start... 255 second set... damn... first 4 reps flew up nicely and 5th was tougher but went fine... really pleased I did it... pretty knackered too...

SLDL - seeing how the hamstring went and it went well... in fact it felt a little tight during deads but after this felt better... back was getting some killer pumps though...

BOR - noooooo 160 wow just managed the 8 feeling a little ill tbh... 140 went good but still hit me right in the upper back so nicely... 120 oh god is it finished yet







sets went well reps were decent and back was not happy... job done...

Rev grip pd - damn the first set was a bit heavier than I have done in a while... lats were not enjoying it but perversely I did lol... second set was just ffs... felt so fvcking tough, and tbh the last 2 bits of the r/p were done through an effort of will...

good session, great session even, but man it was tough... hardest part was getting into the mindset... once in the gym though seemed to switch on and nail it... felt so good after too tbh, even though I fought throwing up till like 5 mins ago (roughly 1.5 hours after training)... tomorrow off to Bristol huge comp this weekend... so much to do...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2, 120x1

130x5
122.5x6
115x7

Spoto bp (2mins)
105x6
100x5
95x6

Dips (2mins)
BW+15x7
BW+10x7

Side lat raises
20x10
20x12

EZ curls (90s)
65x11
65x9

holy cow... great session today, really really good... had to sleep this morning a couple of hours then had a nap after lunch... weekend is catching up after a looooong one helping out at the BPU British Champs...

BP - felt so up for it today... warm ups felt awesome, 120 went up really well and felt like 100 used to but stronger... 130 well did not believe how well this went... first 3 reps was feeling really good, 4th was a bit slower but still good and 5th slowed right down but felt strong and now thinking back I think I should have gone for the 6th tbh... but happy with 5... felt it working and form is really starting to fire...

Spoto - ok this really caned the chest... got a good 6 on the first and then had to match this for the next two sets... second set this didnt happen, on 4th rep I went off line quite a bit and had to bring it back it and was slow, 5th felt very slow and made me unsure for 6th... racked it there... 3rd set went no problems though and I made sure I kept the line... damn chest was hurting after...

Dips - felt much better this week... nailed a good 7 on the first set but chest paid for it... 2nd set only managed the 7 but again felt it hitting hard which was good...

Lat raises - first set went better than expected... second felt good and really pushed for 13 but was not to be...

EZ curls - oh yeah... this week felt much better as well, good reps and felt the bis working hard... was hoping for a couple more reps on both sets but tbh was flagging by these...

really pleased with todays workout... things starting to come into line and now to keep it progressing... feeling pretty good about training and the results I am getting... long may they continue...

Long weekend helping out with the BPU Brit champs... had to lug the kit up from folkestone with the lads getting pulled along the m4 for being overweight (supposed to be 3.5 tonnes but was 5.2







) set up and then weigh people in and ref both days... tbh was feeling a bit jaded before the lifting started but after reffing for a little while started to really see why we do it and go through all the sh1t to run these... the lifters... man what an amazing bunch of people...

weight was 118.2kg on sunday on the comp scales... so weights going on nicely... food was not best tbh as just no time... changing that this week







got a lot of good comments about my size over the weekend with one of the lifters being very surprised that my midsection is actually hard and not soft cos I look podgy














lifters belly for the win baby... just got to keep the weights going up and size on a good increase...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2, *belt on* 210x1

225x4






200x8

Paused 3ct
190x2x3

Front squats
110x3x6

fin...

man it was hot today, was dripping before I finished my warm ups... felt a little tired but generally ok...

Squats - warm ups felt really good... even 190 with no belt felt fine and no problems... belt on and in an extra notch... 210 felt good... 225 was on the cards... even took a vid... sigh... 225 felt good, maybe one or two cut a little but felt in, however the vid is showing high by my looking... I really need to make a shelf or something to hold the phone at a good height and not on a slant... tried to use a few bits to raise it and level but as it turns out it didnt do much... still they felt alright as said... hams and glutes got a bit of a battering... quads didnt like me much after... then I had to do 200... sigh... actually these felt ok but so many reps... and on such a hot day... breathing became an issue, and have you ever breathed in sweat... ffs choking on your own sweat, now theres a death for the sun...

Paused - jebus, legs already sore and had to do these... felt ok in the end... nice solid pause in the hole and drive up well... at least on the first set lol... second nice solid pause in the hole, 1st rep drive up well, 2nd rep just drive it up, 3rd rep come on drive it up...









Fronts - weight felt light enough, need to get my form and technique working better though... elbows high through the whole movement... nice and deep these...

was supposed to do a db leg curl thing but got a call from my son who was supposed to start work saying it was tomorrow not tonight so had to go get him... made him wait till I finished the front squats though... couldnt really justify the curls as well









bit perplexed by the vid tbh... felt lower than the euros and got those in... maybe a stool or something like that to rest the phone on... perhaps I need a bigger gym... hmmm how to sell that to the mrs


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x6
105x8

Incl BP
100x4
85x11

Flyes (90s)
30x10
25x14
25x10

EZ ext deadstop
40x2x8
40x10

DB preacher curls
20x16
20x13

well today was totally sh1t... I mean the really runny kind that just p1sses you off... less than 4 hours broken sleep last night and then some other things this morning knocked me about and just was not feeling today at all... in fact I didnt want to adult today but had some things to do so just had to crack on... stupid adult...

CGBP - well did not expect it to start so well tbh... warm ups felt really good, found a good position and managed to get into it each set... 100 just felt great, not heavy at all and strong... 115 was just the same really... first 4 flew up and felt great, 5th was a little slower and tbh before I might have stopped there but got another rep out... left it there though... then dropped the weight and managed a good 8 but 9 was not on the cards tbh... tris got a bit of a battering and form was much better this week...

Incl BP - well... ffs as good as cg was this went to sh1t real quick, first set got under the bar, didnt get my mind into it and just went through the motions which showed as I only got 4 reps ffs... should have been at least 6... got severely p1ssed off at this stage and tbh was going to sack it but promised Dig I would push myself harder and thus got under the 85 and managed a good 11 reps... much better and felt really good, chest felt this one much better...

Flyes - oh jebus... the difference 5kg makes... 30s felt heavy getting them into place, first 7 reps went pretty quick and felt good next 3 I pushed out with the 10th being a bit of a struggle... chest not happy... 25 felt hugely different and first 10 flew... not so much after this though lol... second 25 went about the same...

EZ deadstop - def found a perfect position with my hands right in the middle and keeping elbows in and up... had no elbow issues at all and tris got nailed... just felt really good...

Preacher - oh ffs... was done by now and already late to pick up my daughter... but knocked out the 2 final sets and ffs my biceps got a kicking...

happy enough in the end and tbh I feel so much better after training... but really miffed at the first set of incl... just a matter of getting my sh1t together and nailing it properly... hoping to get some decent sleep tonight and then got deads tomorrow... and looking at it, it scares me a little lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

270x3
270x4

Def Deads
250x4

Seated Rows
160x9
150x11
140x14

Rev BOR/Fatman pullups
BWx10 8 8 7

what a day... did not feel like it was going to go well at all today, in fact when I went out to the gym I told my boy I would prob be back soonish...

Deads - big lift today... was not sure it would go that well... warm ups to 250 felt good... 250 I felt my lat pull a little, just not tight enough and lack of focus on the pull... was thinking dammit... then a nice hot cup of mtfu and hit the first set of 270... damn skippy baby thats how its done... fast strong and really good reps... way better than 250... far better than hoped... second set same set up... BAM baby... got a 4th and contemplated a 5th but the lock out on 4th was a bit slow... left it at a good strong 4 reps... felt so much better...

Def deads - man 2 inches seems like such a long way down... felt pretty decent, was hoping for 5 but again the 4th rep was a bit slower than I wanted... still felt strong and quick enough...

Seated Rows - do not know where this came from tbh... felt good on the 160 but heavy, then just seemed to hit second wind... 150 flew up and felt so good, well till I let go the weigh then the back was just not happy lol... 140 same thing... strong as fvck and good... again back was screaming after... but good though...

Rev BOR - thought these would be easy... yeah like hell lol... surprisingly tough... slammed my back into little pieces...

so from not feeling up for it to an amazing session... best deads session for a long while... after I felt so much better and not as tired... sleep is pretty much a dream for me atm, well it would be if I slept to dream







been trying to increase the food the last week but appetite has been up and down tbh... still got a bit more in... weigh in tomorrow... or sunday depending on memory lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Lifting day

Front squats
WU 60x3, 80x3, 100x3, *belt on* 120x3, 140x3

160x2+1p
155x3
150x2
145x3

2ct paused front squats
105x3x3

DB leg curls
20x4

Leg curls on low cable attachment
20x5

hmmm mixed bag today

FS - warm ups felt great 160 first 2 reps felt good but went a bit low on 1st as my rear pretty much hit the ground lol... didnt control that one at all... on the last I let my elbows dip and that was it couldnt complete the rep... 155 went much better felt good and tech/form better too... 150 oh ffs, got 2, went for last and dowwwwwwwnnn I went... just really really slow, too far back and the weight pushed me over... went so easy that it didnt even make much of a noise on the safeties tbh... last set was better again as set up better... need to work on it tbh nail the technique and form better...

2ct FS - yep this felt weird... difficult too... but good...

DB leg curls - something to try but tbh just not feeling it and the db doesnt sit in the feet right which makes it hard to keep a balanced lift... sacked it...

Cable leg curl - ok this worked better but need to find a way to keep the attachment in the same place on the legs...

got a bit fed up on the 150 fs set tbh, was just going to sack it all off and call it quits... but thankfully I took a second and remembered I need to pull finger and make sure I make each session work... that and I realised what happened on that last rep and had a wee laugh... well more of a smile really, ok a tiny smirk... but cracked on and in the end it went mostly ok... def got some tech and form issues I need to work on with the fs as well... got a good grip going but the thumbs will need to build a bit of callus to keep them not hurty...

not bad for a deload day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Lifting day 2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x3

90x3x5

Flyes
20x3x10

SLDL
140x2x5

Rev BOR
BWx2x8

EZ curls
40x18
40x14
40x11

another deload day...

BP - just flew but then it should, weight felt really light and snappy... did it paused for each rep to really focus on drive speed off chest and it went well...

Flyes - felt light too, stretch at bottom was the focus and man it stretched... t1ts fell off I am sure...

Rev BOR - felt easy and really good

Curls - ok felt these a lot... strict as possible and slow negatives... started easy and felt light but biceps were screaming by the end and each set after was just hurty...

good little deload and all weights felt easy and light...

bw this morning was 117.3kg which was a surprise as I have been building some things at the house and have been sweating profusely having to use 3 shirts each day, sod this hot weather... food was increased though as burned off quite a few more cals than usual... water intake was also up... resume as normal next week...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1

125x2x5
125x6

Spoto press
115x3
110x3
105x3

Dips
BW+12.5x10
BW+7.5x12

EZ curls (3-4 sec negative)
45x15
45x12
45x10

wow... really good session today, give that I trained on sat and did bench and curls then did not expect it to be so good...

BP - warm ups felt awesome, set up was locked down tight and really good... felt like I had a springboard to help move the bar off my chest... 125 felt as easy as the 90s did on saturday, not as light but def easy smooth and fast... stalled a little on the last set as wanted a couple more reps but 6th was slow... felt really good though...

Spoto - not light but really good reps... felt my chest working hard and after these very sore...

Dips - felt better than before and really good... chest def done after this and tris got a bit of working too... felt much smoother than previous too...

EZ curls - after doing these sat I was not looking forward to them today tbh... still cracked on and the negatives kill... man the bis were screaming and so much sore...

really happy with todays session... went really well and felt really good... set up on the bench is getting there finally and hopefully have locked that away to make sure I get it the same every time... squats tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 200x2

215x3x5






Front squats
150x3
150x0

Lunges
missed

GHR
BWx8
BWx7
BWx6

started pretty well... bit tired even though sleeping pretty soundly of late, that could be why though... too much solid sleep and not used to it...

Squats - ok this week was working on the form change to go down more than back... warm ups felt really good and just worked it to lock it in... first set (video) worked the same thing... first rep great felt ok... second rep ok not so good here felt a twinge in my groin and made a quick d to continue on... 3rd and 4th rep was ok but 5th a bit high... I think I forgot to sit down more and got confused so went down and tried to rectify it or something... still got some work to do on the quads... 2nd set I decided to give it a go... felt ok... kept everything solid and groin felt ok... 3rd set I felt tighter and managed to get the 5 was hoping for 6 but groin a little tight so bailed... quads were feeling it a lot today...

FS - first set... set up nice and tight and felt good... first 2 fine, 3rd I let my breath out and got too loose and felt my groin pull a little again... dammit... 2nd set set up for the lift... went down started to drive up but nope let it back down to the safeties... left it there

Lunges - left these as well as just dont want to aggravate the twinge...

GHR - holy cow... these felt great today, hams and glutes caned and feel it... nice reps... sore hams and glutes...

ah balls... was feeling pretty good till that slight twinge... little bit stiff now but not overly sore... so hopefully just a tweak that will be all good... can be hard making the call to continue on or stop when you tweak something as sometimes I feel we often use it as an excuse to stop... but conversely we can push too much and end up quite poorly... feel I did ok today... quads and glutes/hams are very sore... as in worked hard...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

Inc BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 95x2

105x6
87.5x11
82.5x11

CGBP
85x3x10

Flyes
30x8+1p
25x14/3/4 R/P

Lat raises
20x2x12

well bit of a decent session, flyes fell apart though...

Inc BP - felt pretty good this week... warm ups were good, top set felt good and strong... happy with the down sets too, chest was humming a bit after...

CGBP - holy cow did NOT expect to pull off all 3 sets at 10 reps today, first set felt a little heavy... 2nd set was expecting reps to be down but set up was better and nailed the 10 reps easier than the first... odd... then the 3rd well again was thinking will get close but not quite there... again though good set up and just pushed them out and felt great... chest and tris were feeling it by the end though...

Flyes - ok this is where it fell apart a bit... first set did not get the reps was after and chest was really aching... second was rest/pause and ffs killed me... got the first bit ok, made the mistake of resting the weights on my thighs and getting back into position was a bit more difficult than I expected... only managed 3 reps so put the weights down and then went again and got 4... damn that was tough... chest was feeling well beaten at this stage...

Lat raises - oh yeah felt these as well... first set had side delts on fire... second just killed them more...

pretty good workout today... bit late as had a bit to do at home... sleep last night was tough, legs were so sore from training quads hams and glutes were a mass of ache... finally nodded off after midnight some time... but woke a few times as couldnt find a comfy position for my legs... stupid legs... training feeling good atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

275x3

Def Deads
245x5

BOR
162.5x10
130/100x13/11 (drop set sort of)

Seated rows (1min rest, 2ct squeeze)
120x3x15

oh Dig is a barsteward... damn it was a good one... back is in bits... started the session not feeling so energetic, its been a long week...

Deads - warm ups were crash hot... by the time I got to the gym I was feeling much more up for it... 170 actually felt better than 120... 250 went up quick and felt good... 275 first 2 reps were great, well on line and set up was nigh perfect... 3rd rep was a little off line so was a little slower than I would like... felt good though...

Def Deads - yeah its a long way down to that bar the first rep... but after that went smoothly enough... felt strong once I got the movement right...

BOR - really went well... bit surprising as I thought it would be more of a struggle... 10th rep on the first set was a bit ropey though... the 130/100 set went far better than I thought it would... back was not happy though...

Seated rows - yeah great... first set went well enough got all 15 well in and good squeeze... back p1ssed off by this stage... second set was harder and tbh I didnt think I would get all 15 here... but made it just... 3rd set was really tough even to start... had to take a couple of breaths at 8 and then 12... but got it and man it was sore... combined with 1min rest was brutal...

yeah done actually went really well... back is in bits now and after the 275 set of deads I had to pull off a callus as it was in danger of tearing... done chalked up and cracked on and it was all good... food time soon and then sleep... mrs is back tomorrow and by god she had better be impressed by the work on the house... dammit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1

132.5x5
122.5x7
115x7

OHP (c75s)
WU 45x10

55x2x15
55x12

Dips (2mins)
BW+15x8
BW+10x10

EZ curls (90s, 3-4 sec negative/switch to normal to make the 15 reps)
45x15
45x13/2
45x11/4

oh jebus... jebus holy hera...

BP - def found a good set up and groove on this.... Digs advice about up on traps, flare elbows slightly more and get back tight is paying... warm ups felt awesome, 125 fastest and lightest its ever been... hit the 132.5 and got all 5 very nicely... 5th a bit slower than the others and tbh I should have gone for a 6th in retrospect... made up for it on 122.5 by getting the 7th but that was it as it was tough... 115 another good set but again only the 7 there today... chest felt pretty good after... now sore af...

OHP - jebus Dig 75s really... got the first set well enough, felt good... second set last 3 were a bit slow and tough... last set I was thinking I would make another 15 but got to 10 and it was like nope wall coming... shoulders felt pretty pumped after... now sore af









Dips - died a bit of a death on these... supposed to hit 10+ on the first set, got to 8 and that was tough enough... did manage it on the second set though... chest done...

EZ curls - oh ffs... the negatives kill me and then short rest period... yeah awesome... arms screaming... first set hit 15 with the slow negs ok... second set it was just so freaking hard and only managed 13... the 2 extra to make reps to 15 were actually still really hard, I thought they would be easier... nope... last set I was just going to bang out 15 normal reps... was... then I thought well been slack and now its pay back time... so went for as many neg reps as poss, managed 11 which was a huge surprise... last 4 were dug from deep inside... arms fvcked...

wow good session and bench seems to be hitting a stride atm... training is feeling very good and I am really enjoying it... even though its kicking my ar$e its as its meant to be...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 200x2, 215x1

230x3

Front squats
WU 130x2
150x2x3

2ct front squats
120x3x3

Lunges
90x8
80x9
70x10

well a really sh1tty start to the session tbh, by about 1330 I was feeling pants, dizzy, sick, light headed... took my monster then just didnt feel any better... had to train at 1430 though as had to pick up the boy from school as he had a detention... just dont... sooo thought fvck it, kill or cure... tbh not sure which one it did lol...

Squats - ok feeling pants... did first warm up, felt ok, second the same if not a little better... 120 flew and felt good starting to feel a bit better... 160 was nice and easy and felt a lot better... 200 nice 2 reps there and starting to get head into the squats rather than thinking about being sick... 215 felt good and 230 well... went better than expected, still sitting more down than back so felt it much more in the quads... @Dig I think here I would have attempted another set of 3 at 230 if you had asked... not sure I would have got all 3 but sure as hell would have given it a go... first two felt pretty quick last one a smidge slower but not bad... quads def feeling it more with the new form...

FS - did a quick warm up set to get the feel and transition better... I think it paid off tbh as managed to do quite well on the 150 sets and it felt better... still got work to do on my technique though... quads took a battering...

2ct fs - really... sigh... actually went pretty well... hit me hard though... weight wasnt too bad but making sure all technique points were addressed took some focus and a little pain









lunges - the devils work these... balance took a bit to get right... but once I was in the groove it felt ok... quads got smashed and felt so sore... prob a bit conservative with 90kg but wanted to make sure I got them right, still caned me though...

holy bat cr4p batman... legs def feeling it more this week... certainly looked bigger and felt tight/swollen... more quad emphasis is a good thing the coach tells me... we shall see









got a good nights sleep last night... a mate is using some gh and tells me that the rest is better and wake up periods not as often and even then its straight back to sleep... huge boost... although still feeling a bit tired but prob cos I... um he is not used to sleeping so much so soundly









bench 2 tomorrow and deads on fri... oooooh deads... cant wait... sort of...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

CGBP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

117.5x7
105x10

Incl Press (2min)
90x8
90x5

DB press (c75s)
30x17
30x10
30x7+1p

Side raise
20x17
20x14

oh ffs bring on the pain...

CGBP - yeah went pretty well... using the same back tightness set up as with bench makes this much more stable and feel like can get more drive off the chest too... first top set went really good... second was a bit better I think...

Incl press - first set went really well but the second hit a wall... prob more mental than physical tbh... was going quite well but then bam... just nope... chest feeling a bit tender and tris pumpy...

DB press - wasnt sure how this would go... turns out pretty good... first set flew and felt great... 17 was about it though... second set was a bit harder but short rest meant less recovery... last set I really tried to hit that 8 but just could not quite lock it out... chest was goosed after these... really sore...

Side raise - yeah so just to make sure not only my chest and tris were feeling it he threw these in... oh yeah delts a bit sore after these...

good session feeling nailed... seem to be on a bit of a run atm and keeping it going as long as I can... food is going in a treat... but I could be eating a bit more tbh... deads day tomorrow... oh yeah... looking forward to it... and not lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 270x1

290x2+1p

SLDL
210x6

Tbar rows
100x14
90x15

Rack chins/rev bor
BWx12
BWx11
BWx9

oh wow... upper back is pumped and sore... hamstring seems to be pretty much healed as there was no problem with either deads or sldl...

Deads - warm ups were awesome... got a good groove and set up was spot on... 270 went up really well and was hoping for a good top set... 290 loaded and first 2 reps were good... last rep went slightly off line and I ended up not locked properly at the top, hips went through fine, but shoulders were hunched and chest caved so not a lift... dammit...

SLDL - was going to go 200 but as 210 was easier to do on the bar thats what I did lol... got a good 6 and tbh probably could do a bit more weight there as well...

Tbar rows - wow these hit my upper back really hard and felt so good... pump was awesome and back sore...

Rack chins - yeah ok, add more pain... good sets and really targeted the back well...

was a good session today, not quite as good as I had hoped for but still got some work done... been a pretty decent week of training tbh... long may it continue...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3 *belt on* 200x2, 220x1

235x3

2ct paused
210x5

my legs are fvcked

Front squats
WU 120x2

162.5x2 (elbows dropped on 3rd so had to let it go)
152.5x3

Lunges
95x10
85x11

GHR
BWx11
BWx10

oh jebus... wtf has he done to my legs...

Squats - warm ups went awesome, felt brilliant... 235 got under bar locked nice and tight and down into the hole... fvck a wobble... dammit, up out of the hole not as fast as would like... ok keep tight... down BAM, much better and again for the 3rd... recovered nicely and with the more straight down approach quads getting a kicking...

2ct - felt good, nice and tight at the bottom and pushed out the first 3 well... got 2 more and was well happy, doubt a 6th was there tbh as legs were really fvcking sore and starting that buzzing thing...

front squats - oh jebus... did the 120 to get the form in... the first 2 reps on 162.5 felt great, I remembered to keep my elbows up and everything locked in and looked up, 3rd rep not so much... little bit p1ssed with myself tbh... stupid lapse and shouldnt have happened... legs even worse... loaded the 152.5 and nailed a good 3 reps...

lunges - proof that Dig is a real sadist... but surprisingly they went better than I thought... oh yeah the quads were just on fire but def know there is more there to go on with... quads were pretty much done at this stage, just standing was a feat...

ghr - dammit Dig... 1 or 2 sets to failure he says, knowing full well I will opt for 2... oh god these were awesome but totally finished me off...

great session today, felt it working hard and so so good... couple of things to work on though... quads are buzzing and sore... going to be a fun sleep tonight...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

140x3

2ct paused bp
115x2x5
115x7

Inc BP
80x3x8
80x11

Dips
BW+5x2x10
BW+5x8

DB preacher curls
25x9
20x16
20x12

wow, great session but severely p1ssed that I gave up on the 4th rep on 140... sigh... not sure which is worse, knowing that I could have pushed out an extra rep or me thinking of @Con and him shaking his head saying not working hard brah









BP - warm ups were on fire, 80 felt like 40, 100 felt like 50 and 115 just flew... set up really clicking now and I feel I have a much better platform to push against and get the bar firing up... however 130 was a step back as set up was not quite spot on, rectified for the 140 and first 2 went up much easier than expected, not very easy just better than I was thinking they would... went for the 3rd straight away no breath and bam up a little slower but still really well... then racked the bar... 1... 2... 3... awww fvck it I should have done 4 as I know I could have pushed it out... dammit... still really good benching I felt...

2ct - tbh I was thinking Dig was just doing some crazy talk... but first 2 sets went well and felt good... chest started hurting and on the third set I managed 6 but instead of giving in I squeezed out the 7th cos I was a little p1ssed I didnt on the BP... felt good and chest was aching...

Inc bp - oh man these flew... again I thought the man is insane 4 sets at 80 after all the previous stuff... pffft... but cracked it and how... reps were fast smooth and never in doubt... felt great...

Dips - first 2 sets went great last set was where I hit the wall... just couldnt crank out the last 2 reps to make it the 3 sets of 10... still felt good and tris got a kicking too... chest well done by now

DB preacher - oh son of a... first set was a bit tough... felt heavy tbh... managed 9 but arms goosed... dropped to 20 and holy cow arms on fire... third set was about the same really...

good session but as I said really miffed I didnt go for that 4th... I think when the 3rd was a bit slower I just automatically racked the bar... need to break that habit and just push it hard... chest and arms feeling sore and trained...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 1

CGBP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

120x2x5
107.5x9

OHP
WU 50x8
60x2x12
60x14

Flyes
30x11
22.5x18

TPD
35x25
35x22
35x19

wow... been really ill the last 3 days, missed training friday cos of it and didnt eat from fri lunch to monday lunch really... sun slept pretty much all day really... was miffed as had a good dead session planned and managed to get to 119kg on fri morning... heaviest I have been and leaner than I have been too... which is not saying I am lean just not as fat...

CGBP - warm ups went really well... 110 felt very good and easy... both sets of 120 were strong and fast and smooth... def had more on both sets there... 107.5 started brilliantly but at about rep 6 got that burning tingly feeling in the palm of my hand and so stopped at 9... just happens when I hit the nerve cluster which is a pain...

OHP - very happy with these today... surprised myself a bit tbh... fast easy reps and smooth... shoulders got a good beating and felt great... happy with these...

Flyes - 30 def felt better today, but 11 was it, and only just... 22.5 felt so light and fast... managed a good 18 but that was about it there too...

tpd - might have gone a bit light on these tbh... again bit of a surprise getting more reps each set than I expected... tris got a great pump and very sore...

really good session today... felt working well... chest and tris pumped...

@RACK my mate started the sdrol... that combined with mtren holy fvck... focus to the power of focus and the aggression is simmering... hes looking forward to seeing what it produces in the next 4 weeks...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, *belt on* 200x2

222.5x6
210x7

FS
135x6
125x6

2ct FS
125x3x3

GHR
BW+5kg x9
BW+5kg x7

well first off last night had a terrible nights sleep, had a shake really late (for me) and went to bed less than an hour later which played a bit of havoc with the belly, rennies and sitting up to let it settle till 0230 then finally sleep at 0245... up again at 0530 to get the mrs to the station and kids up for the day etc... woke once sort of after 0245 and felt awesome, no aches, pains or belly issues and had a quick thought that I might actually be dead at that stage but just reveled in feeling good...

Squats - warm ups were literally nothing... 160 was the easiest its ever felt... 200 just ridiculous how light it felt... 222.5 felt a little more weight and first 4 flew up, got a bit light headed then but managed to crack out another 2 before I had to rack the bar... def had a 7th there I reckon... probably... 210 I felt meh before but when taking the bar it was like game on... first 5 went no problem then the next 2 were a bit slower and 7th was def harder... maybe an 8th, but really not sure... would have been a grind... happy enough and pretty much at this stage done, just knackered... but pushed it to see how far I would get...

FS - oh god I am technically awful at these... weight felt fine but after about rep 4 or so I try to get the breath in and it all goes loose and elbows drop etc... managed to get the 6 at 135 but the last one was def horrible... 125 went better but again on the 6th just meh... quads at this stage were not happy...

2ct fs - really Dig... really... ffs... 125 again but this time with only 3 reps I focused a lot more on keeping the form and technique tight and it went much better... good and deep and legs really loved it... no... no they didnt but the sets went well and felt them working great...

GHR - to add insult to injury add a fiver and knock out some ghr... went well but man they smack your ar$e and hams...

tbh did not think I would make it through the whole workout today... but after each exercise just carried on... glad I did and it feels great... well except for the legs... they feel a bit sore... sleep tonight will be good I am thinking...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

127.5x4+1p
127.5x5
127.5x3

Spoto
100x7

done... ffs, worst session I have had in a while... sleep last night was off and on, thought I would be sleeping sound but then be awake, just nod off the mrs would move and wake me so that was that for a while then indigestion again ffs... food has still not been going in so well as prior to last fri... arrrgghhh...

BP - warm ups started ok... 60 felt a little twinge in both elbows but 80 felt strong and solid not a single issue... 100 felt pretty good too... 115 not so much and tbh thought would not hit the top sets... first set I cant believe I got the first 4 as head was just all over the place... last one I bailed on really and got a bit miffed... 2nd set was much better and first 4 reps quicker and solid... last one a little tough but still solid... final set (which should have been 3 of 4) just all over the place again... elbows in particular were hurting on the reps and on the 3rd I just gave it up as lost tbh... left elbow in particular is not happy... havent been taking my joint supps (otc or otherwise) since last fri as just not been feeling well... so going to reintro those...

Spoto - so like we all should do and throwing sense out the window I cracked on to see if I couldnt salvage anything... 100kg felt light and I was feeling positive... got to rep 4 and that just fvcked off right quick, elbows again and its weird as its directly below the elbow on the forearms and in the joint... so knocked out 7 reps and left it there...

me done... dammit... feeling better in terms of that whatever it was I had... appetite is coming back and food going down better today but sleep is meh, not enough food going in and its p1ssing me off tbh... ah pants...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

caveat... feeling incredibly crap today... about 5 mins sleep last night (ok more like 30 but still) and just not feeling anything at all... sent a message to the boss and said feeling sh1t, his reply well crack on and go up to where you can... not the oh you poor wee man day off then... pr1ck









Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 280x1

300x1

BOR
170x8
150x10
125x16

done, had a couple more ex but just nothing left and left forearm was giving me some jip... upper back was toasted anyway...

Deads - first 2 sets did not feel good... just off... 170 got the grip right and set up was on and it felt easy... 210 same... 250 very good and quick... 280 was the test... if it went ok then try the top set... if not then home I go... well to the front door... 280 set up was good, grip strong... up it went nice and easy... dammit... set up 300 got the build up right here and set up nice... drove through the floor and while not the easiest its ever been it went up not hard and I even toyed at the top for .0001 of a sec of attempting a second... but didnt... was very happy given how I am feeling today...

BOR - sob put 170 for top set... dammit man... however went pretty decent... def felt it strong in the upper back... wow... might have had a 9th there though... second set 150 thought it would feel a bit lighter... it didnt... made the 10 and upper back was in bits... not happy with me at all... dropped it again for the last set... got 16 and it told... fvcked after this and fighting off throwing up... just not feeling it at all... so stopped here and left seated rows and chins till another time...

actually pretty happy with this... Dirtyvest (friend from another board if this is not MT) posted up a comment that told me to get my head out of my rear and crack on... so I did... motivational words indeed lol... still it worked and I made the 300 today... will take that nicely... bors felt awesome... back is done now... hopefully tonight will be a good night for sleep... gotta be up early tomorrow for some family stuff and then sunday hopefully sleep in day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 150x3

165x5x5

2ct FS
130x3x3

meh that was it... did have a couple of other exercises on the list but left it there... tbh was not sure I was even going to bother today...

Squats - deload week... weight actually felt pretty light which was nice... started out fairly quick but slowed as the sets went on... was going to take 5 mins between sets but ended up more like 3 or 4 as couldnt be bothered waiting... given that I am not really in the mood they moved well enough, probably could be a little tighter... camera skills could def be better...






2ct FS - yeah here is where I knew when to stop... well after the 3rd set that is... again just wasnt maintaining enough tightness to be comfortable and while the weight moved ok needed to be more focused...

stopped there...

weekend was an odd one... fri night slept well, sat felt better and ate more normally... sat night slept well... sun morn ok... sun afternoon straight off a cliff... up all night on the loo and just pants... mon started feeling better again and got really hungry... went to docs, their theory is that I have a viral gastro thingy which flares up every now and then (picked something up a few years ago and its like it keeps coming back) soooo ate that night felt better, slept well, ate yesterday ok but not as much as usual and slept ok last night (mrs and kids wanted heating on and I like it cold... so bedroom was about a million degrees... well nearly) and felt better this morning and have eaten mostly normally today so far... hopefully on the tail end of this now... usually lasts about 10 days or so...

sun morn bought a new bed with the mrs... had one kind in mind with a very firm mattress from bensons then cos the mrs wanted cover all bases popped into dreams on the way to order just in case, left 2.5 hours later with a bed from dreams... twice the price of the one we were going to get... but tbf this super duper mattress thing will be good for us both and not just me (I prefer a firm one and cos I am twice her weight we sort of need it so we dont roll together lol)... tempur its called... does feel pretty awesome to lie on tbh...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1

135xx3x3

CGBP

110x7

95x11

Inc BP

85x8

85x7

had to leave it there... running a bit late all day and had to go to my sons school for a parent evening thing...

BP - warm ups felt great, def getting the set up right now and much more drive through my back... line of the press is improving too and much more consistent... all the pointers and tips that Dig has been telling me over the last couple of years are biting now and its showing... really wanted to nail the 135 today... first set set up took the weight off the hooks and it felt good, not heavy and nice in the hands... 3 simple smooth reps nice and strong... 2nd set same set up and made sure screwed traps in tight to the bench... took the weight and same deal... nice smooth and good reps... last set was feeling pretty good and happy but just kept my head on the press... set up went well and first 2 reps were good, took a quick breath before the 3rd rep and nailed it... very happy... even better I would have tried a 4th set if it was asked for...

CGBP - well the first set went to sh1t on this... too slow, not explosive enough and just too meh... meant missed the target by a couple of reps... miffed... 2nd set went much better, more focused, faster more explosive reps much better...

Inc BP - time was pressing by now and I was cutting the rest time shorter so got under the weight and first set went ok... second set not so much... bit rushed and missed the target... at this stage just knew that I would be rushing things and I wasnt going to make the rest of the session so left it there...

feeling much better, still have wobbles and feel a bit meh but its moving in the right direction... really happy with the bench today, moved very well and felt strong... going in the right direction...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5

180x5
200x5

Seated rows (c90s)
165x10
152.5x13
142.5x15

Rev PD (R/P 15 breaths)
75x16/9/7

Hammer PD (c90s)
70x12
60x14
50x16

ok much better session today... feeling better still and food is finally nearing what it should be, still down but at least appetite is creeping back...

Deads - pure deload, not even worth getting out of bed for really... super fast and light... didnt even break a sweat or get out of breath...

Seated rows - ok these hit hard... wow upper back got a serious pasting... felt awesome... first set felt it well... second set ffs upper back just in flames and the last set just finished it off nicely... great pump and sore...

Rev PD - yeah this was great... so after smashing it with rows the boss thought yeah hit some rest pause... flaming hell this hurt... first set cut it in, second just made it a mass of hurt and the last set was auto pilot really... nailed it though... after lats were feeling large...

hammer PD - not sure I have ever done these before or at least not for a very long time... def went a little light on the weight tbh but it still felt really good... first 8 reps was thinking oh yeah way to light... then rep 9 and 10 it was like ooooh ok there it is, 12 reps done and felt it but had a few more in there I think... second set was similar, first 8 or 9 reps quite easy but then it started kicking in... lats were really sore... last set again felt light at the start... not by the end... lats done...

great session... felt my back working all the way along... gave it a really good working over today too... sitting here and its really sore already, yay for the next couple of days...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Bench 1
> 
> CGBP
> WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3
> 
> 115x6
> 110x6
> 
> OHP
> WU 50x8
> 
> 65x2x12
> 65x11
> 
> Flyes
> 30x2x8
> 30x9
> 
> TPD
> 35x2x20
> 35x23
> 
> oh yeah today feeling so much better... food went in for the first time in 2 weeks without me feeling sick... however weighed myself on Sat and down 5kg to 114kg which really pees me off...
> 
> CGBP - warm ups felt good and got a good groove going... first top set felt awesome... in fact better than I thought it would... fast smooth and strong... as did the second set... again just much stronger feeling than I expected...
> 
> OHP - that carried on with the ohp... prob the common denominator is that I am moving the bar much quicker and set up is better all round... first 2 sets were straight forward and good... last set started slowing on about rep 9 and by 11th rep bar speed just didnt allow for the extra rep or two...
> 
> Flyes - so much better on these too... not so long ago 30kg felt heavy now its feeling great... was hoping for 10 on the last set but 9 nearly fell on my face so thought I would leave it there...
> 
> TPD - oh man... tris got a kicking with these today... pump and so sore... felt fantastic though...
> 
> much better workout today... energy up and felt good through the whole workout... seems I might be fully on the mend now which is good... sleep is better the last few nights too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2

*belt on*

210x2x7

FS
140x4

2ct FS
130x2x3

Lunges (no rest, straight on each leg)
60x15/15/9/9

GHR
BW+5kg x11
BWx11

oh holy hell... had to miss yesterday as our new bed came and was fitting a lid to a window box seat/blanket box I was building... took a bit so did squats today...

Squats - warm ups were awesome... 120 felt like 70... 190 felt strong and tight... belt went on for the top sets... first set was great... fast and smooth and strong felt really good... second set first 4 reps were the same, fast smooth and strong... slowed a bit after this though... 7th I pushed it out but it was still not difficult... was feeling my quads buzzing though... belt was biting into me a bit too... felt a bit loose with 3 holes to go...

FS - ah my nemesis atm... got a pretty good set up... good reps till 4th and then let breath out struggled to get a good breath in to get tight again and just didnt get the last two reps... dammit... quads were still hit a bit even at 4 reps... esp the left as been really focusing on pushing evenly with both legs...

2ct fs - much better set up... breathing felt better as found a position that allowed me to get a full breath in... quads were not happy after first set... forced myself to the second tbh... quads really not happy after the 2nd set... wow...

lunges - oh Dig is a sob... one leg straight to the next no breaks... first 2 (left then right) felt pretty good and got a decent 15 on each... then realised was shaking like a sh1tting dog and breathing was an issue but throwing up might not be... second set left leg struggled to 9 reps... that hurt... changed legs... breathing was just gasping at this stage... 7 reps... keep going you fvcking ar$e... 8... 9... collapse... damn that hurt... legs done... buzzing numb sore couldnt make them stop moving cos it was so uncomfortable to keep them still...

ghr - what do we give the man in pain, ghr of course... actually pretty surprised tbh... first set felt good and really quite strong... last rep was hard tbf... second set went as well... last couple of reps hard but got them...

holy hera that was awesome... legs toast... walking like bambi after being rogered by a stag but got a good session in... squats getting better and more down than back too which is telling in my quads atm... bench 2 tomorrow and looking forward to it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench 2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1, 135x1

145x1

Spoto press
117.5x3
112.5x3
107.5x3

Dips
BW+10x13
BW+10x10

Side raises (1ct hold at top, 1min rest)
15x14
15x11

EZ curls
50x3x13

bit of a cluster fvck session tbh... well started that way... anyway...

BP - warm ups went really well... 135 moved quick and strong... really felt good for the top set... then my daughter came to tell me the dog had chased the next door neighbours cat and I had to go get her back... took about 5 mins to get her out of the neighbours place... then went back and hit the top set... nope went to hell... 145 was supposed to get 2+... got the single... set up was not right, mind not in it and just peeved at the interruption... not happy at all... in fact was going to just sack it in felt so p1ssed at it all... but thought what the hell give the 127.5 a shot... got 4 good reps and the last just couldnt lock it out... literally an inch from the top... stupid lockout...

Spoto - so still carried on... and it started feeling better as I got back into it... spoto press I really feel working the chest well... first set felt great and better than expected... the next sets were the same...

Dips - did not think I was going to do so well on these tbh but got a great first set that felt awesome... second set was similar and really hit the chest and tris... started feeling glad I carried on...

Side raises - a min rest and hold at the top for a count of 1... yay... first set went ok, felt my delts working hard and well... second set was more awesome as the delts got a pounding... the hold at the top adds a lot to the lift...

EZ curls - stay as strict as poss till I cant... managed to keep it strict till the last rep on the last set... biceps felt it by the end...

so started pants... not how I thought it would... but really glad I didnt throw my toys out of my pram and leave it... ended pretty well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 190x2, *belt on* 220x1

240x1
230x2
220x3

2ct paused squats
200x3x4

Lunges
65x17
55x20

GHR
BW+10x2x6
BW+10x7

oh yeah... felt very good... didnt train the last couple of days as had to so some stuff around the house... had a competition I reffed at on the weekend and it was pretty good... got loads of comments about how I looked, people saying I look bigger and leaner than ever... wearing my TM shirt one of the guys asked if the shirt came with free shoulder pads









Squats - first warm up set... nooooo felt lower back twinge something fierce... made the d to crack on... felt ok... as went up the weights just felt better... belt on at 220 and it moved quick and pretty decently... so went to 240 and that felt great... was supposed to be rpe 9 where there is one rep in the tank but tbh felt more like rpe 8.5 as def 2 there maybe a third... dropped it 10kg and hit a double and then another 10kg off and got an easy triple... felt great on the quads... belt was in a notch so down to the last two notches... thats the tightest its ever been...

2ct - went down to 200 for this as wanted to make sure I didnt over reach... start out as rpe 8... ended more like rpe 9.5 lol... felt really good through the sets though and quads were def hit...

Lunges - ffs Dig... reps were ridiculous... quads were on fire after the first sets... then the second were just torture... quads were pumped and hurting after... had to sit for a while to stop that throwing up feeling...

GHR - yeah these are just diabolical... first set ok... 2nd set not ok... 3rd set just nope... managed to finish it all though...

really good session today... things are still moving along...

new bed is pretty good... sleep still been a bit up and down the last week or so but only cos I have been ill... last night feeling better and slept for a solid 5.5 hours... woke feeling really good, no stiffness or anything like with the old mattress which was comfy but not anything like this one... we still have 92 days to test it out to make sure we really like it... food went in so well today... had some burger king for lunch and wanted more after I finished... stayed sensible though and just had a sundae


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x10
105x11
95x12

CGBP
80x12
80x9
80x8

Dips
BW+20x3
BW+5x5

Flyes
32.5x3

done... what a fvcked up day it was and is and sh1t training session... loads going on, mostly sh1t that shouldnt...

BP - warm ups were easy and light and didnt feel like I was warming up till 100... loaded 115 and got a very decent and fast 10 reps... pretty happy at this stage... dropped it to 105 and did 11 reps... even happier as I didnt expect that... dropped to 95 and got 12 solid reps... about done there though as chest at this stage was feeling it...

CGBP - 80 felt light... first set flew and got a really good 12 reps... 12 was about it though... really felt this... got 9 on the next and that was tough but good... tris and chest were feeling hit and pretty much done... 3rd set I just went for it and aimed for as many as I could get... thought I might make 6 maybe 7 at a push but got 8 and that last one the arms were shaking a little... chest and tris were done after this and felt worked...

Dips - heres where it went to sh1t... first set +20kg and 5 reps or more was the target... nope, barely made the 3, chest and tris were just not wanting to push... so went to the next set which was +5kg and 3 sets... first set I managed 5 and that was tough, chest and tris again just done and did not want to do anything... really really p1ssed off at this stage...

Flyes - grabbed the dbs and went for the first set, was freaking hard enough getting them into position ffs... did 3 reps and that was it... just no gas left... no excuses at all just not firing today

left it there... no reason at all I should have missed that... was feeling really good going in... some sh1t going on that was a bit distracting but really shouldnt have hit me like that... chest and tris feel worked now but still shouldnt have just stopped like that... pretty p1ssed off now... gotta be careful about that as the mrs has been ar$ey lately and I know shes going to be like that tonight so I might just fvcking lose it... women... cant live with them...

anywho... tomorrows deads day, that sh1t cures everything...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

285x2

BOR
175x9
155x12
110x14 (strict reps)

Rev grip PD (1min)
80x16
80x11
80x8

Hammer grip PD (90secs)
75x13
65x15

Seated Rows (20 reps - fail 15 breaths then fail till 20 reps)
140x13/7

oh yeah much better session which is odd as was not feeling as up for it today... feeling a bit warm... maybe coming down with something which would be great so soon after feeling better from the stomach thing... def got to get my bloods done asap...

Deads - first warm up felt ridiculously light... then got phone call from daughter saying bus had not come (she was supposed to be on a bus an hour and a half later) so made her got to a friends till I finished training... yep father of the year... but this pi$$ed me off and so the next few sets were fast easy and felt light... even 250 felt simple... 285 first rep flew, easiest its ever been... 2nd not so much fast but still a good rep... really happy with this so calmed down a bit... which is not where I wanted to be with the BOR coming up...

BOR - yeah was not sure how this would go... top set went pretty well as it happened... had to take a breath at 7 but got another 2 reps out... upper back did not like this... ouch... 155 ok so this should be good right dropped 20kg... yeah no... holy hell, back got slammed and it took me a min to make it feel again... last set was 110 and as strict as I could do... weight felt really light to start with... then around rep 9 it hit... ffs... upper back toast...

Rev grip PD - total reps were supposed to be 33 or more... got 35... lats did not like this... they still dont...

Hammer grip PD - I like these... well in a love hate sort of way... started well finished hurty... wow... the short breaks certainly add impact to these...

Seated Rows - yeah at first thought 140 for 20 reps yeah thats ok... nope, felt heavy from the first rep... managed to get 13 in the first block then 15 breaths and got the last 7... my back is just lurving me right now... not...

much better session today... got a bit more food in and had more liquids... but then its deads and back day so I always do ok... I think tomorrow or sunday will be just great... DOMS baby...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2

*belt on*

215x2x5
215x3

thats it, had to stop there... on last set rep 2 felt my right hamstring twinge a little... nothing major just a little thing, rep 3 it felt fine going down, as I pushed up out of the hole my left out quad (poss IT band) tweaked and I decided to leave it there... ffs its not made me happy to say the least... tbh its a fvcking continuation of a sh1t weekend... nothing but hurdles and fvcking shopping from sat morn till sun night and this morning was much the same... was feeling right up for a good session and it started brilliantly... was looking at 215x5x5... w4nknuts...

still first time doing 200 beltless for a while and feeling better today more normal so little things... nah fvck the little things, I am not happy... dammit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 125x1, 135x1, 145x1

152.5x1 PB!!!
122.5x4x5

Spoto
115x3x3

thats it ran out of time... was doing some bits for the mrs today and then had to take the boy to a school visit for a 6th form open evening... IT band was feeling ok today which is good, hamstring has been sore though... but eases off when active or stretching it out so just a strain...

BP - oh yeah... warm ups felt great... 145 went up better and faster than last time... soooo thought fvck it will try 152.5 (its been a bit of a mental block getting passed 150 for me) and took the weight... felt lighter than expected in the hands and it came down nicely... went up just as sweet... oh yeah... not terribly fast but smooth and well enough... fvcking get in... course now I think I should have tried 155







... then went 122.5 for 4 sets of 5... all sets felt great... strong and hit the chest really well... was very pleasantly surprised at how well they all moved...

Spoto - tbh was not feeling as light but def felt it working hard... really good sets and chest was really hit...

had to leave it there, thought I had more time but as it turns out I was a bit late... very happy with tonights session... getting the bench pb was just awesome and hopefully thats broken the mental lock I have had over hitting more than 150...


----------



## Greyphantom

BP

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x2, 135x2

142.5x2

125x3x5

CGBP (2ct)
100x5
90x5
80x5

Dips
BW+10x3x10

Flyes
32.5x6
32.5x5+1p

done there... was supposed to do db preachers but will have to leave that till fri... just ran out of time... feeling a bit pants today, lack of sleep, not so much the quality but just short sleep as loads going on... new bed is the bees knees tbh and helps a lot with sleeping and support of this fat ar$e... but just needed some extra today so had a wee nap after work 12-1430...

BP - warm ups went really well... 100 felt ridiculously easy compared to what it has even a few months ago... 115 flew up and so did 125... 135 went really well... was thinking 145 but played it safe and went to 142.5... prob should have gone 145 tbh... 142.5 was good... first rep was nice and quick second very nearly the same, had a third there for sure and on a good day maybe a 4th... rpe maybe 8.5... finished off with a good 3 sets of 125... first two were quick and strong... last one the first 4 reps were pretty much the same, on the 5th hit a falter point but managed to press it out well enough... bit of a bonus as have just left in the past, no more...

CGBP - with a 2 ct, 5 of them... really... sigh... first set was about on the money weight wise, that 2ct on the chest seemed to be a while tbh lol... the next two felt a bit light if I a honest but still got a good squeeze out of them...

Dips - have been a sticking point lately but today went pretty well... felt good and strong, kept tight and made sure each rep was smooth and fast... happy with these...

Flyes - again have been stopped by these lately but today even though didnt make the rep target I managed to push out some good reps...

chest was done at this point... man, big pump, sore and felt great... still feeling a bit meh but better than previous... happy with the session and it seems to be moving in the right direction atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 120x5, 160x3, 200x2

*belt on*

220x4x5

2ct
205x1

left it there... felt a slight twinge in the hamstring in the bottom of the hole, twisted slightly and the side I was more on just let me know it was uncomfortable... its not a tweak or sore in any way but my head got fvcked enough that I stopped and I have a big deads target this week and want that so bad I didnt want to risk anything...

Squats - warm ups actually felt good, bit tired this week and feeling meh so was expecting them to not go so well, however on the first set I started feeling better and it just kept going... first set of 220 felt really good and I was pleased... 2nd also felt good and fast so again happy... 3rd set felt good and strong but legs at end were shaking and sore... like hold onto the bar so I didnt fall over sore lol... 4th set 2nd rep was pants, cut it slightly high but all the others were good if a little slow... racked bar collapse in heap... legs were not happy with me but I was...

2ct - bar felt a little heavy tbh but set up well enough, went down into the hole and bar twisted slightly which I reckon put a bit of extra strain on the right leg which caused the little twinge... just stopped...

mixed bag... happy with the squats peeved with the 2ct... but saving myself for the next 2 sessions really... quite big and need to be right on the money...

been incredibly busy with the house and family stuff too lately... its been a right pain in the ar$e tbh... finally got the new bathroom bits done so ticked the biggest bit off the list and the mrs was so ecstatic with it all she even said and I quote "its alright I spose"







wow... should settle down a bit now but have sons 16th (paintball) then daughters 18th (2x4 to boys heads







) coming up... then freaking xmas... sigh... I just wanna train... getting my blood tested on thu too... was supposed to be today but had to get some stuff done at the house... I am expecting the results to not be too stirling tbh but will see how bad it is...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

140x1
145x1
150x1

117.5x2x6
117.5x5+1p

Spoto press
110x4x3

Incl Press
85x4

left there...

mixed day tbh... seems that yesterdays twisting bar in the squat did more than twinge my ham but maybe strained my shoulder too trying to keep control of it maybe... anyway shoulders been stiff and a litle sore all day... seemed to be ok initially till the weights got not so light...

BP - warm ups flew... 100 felt like 40 today and I was happy... 130 felt easy and I was still happy first working rep 140 felt good and moved quick... 145 was a little slower but still good and set up felt good... 150... well didnt feel that heavy but set up was not as good as it should have been... bar still went up ok but as it wasnt moving as well as I would have liked I left the last set as instructed... which would have been 155... sigh... shoulder at the end of these was not that happy... but went on to do some down sets with 117.5... first set was ok but not as good as it should have been... shoulder complained a little... 2nd set was better, set up better, head in better and just powered through... last set started really well... first 5 reps were on... 6th rep hit the jhooks a good one and scared the life out of me... luckily I didnt drop the weight on my head (although safeties) and managed to rack the weight after some manipulation... shoulder sore but not bad...

Spoto - yeah these were a challenge tbf... for some reason the first 2 sets I did as a 2ct pause... no idea why as not programmed in but I caught myself counting in the bottom and holding the bar there... sooo corrected this on the 3rd and 4th sets... didnt make much diff I reckon lol... felt good in the chest but not so good on the shoulder... still not bad though...

Inc press - yeah here was where it went awry... did the first rep with 85 which felt light but shoulder did not want to play so I did 3 more reps to make sure and on the 4th it was evident I was not going to do myself any favours... so stopped it there...

happy enough but just pffft a little... been so busy lately things are catching up a bit I reckon and add to it I have not had any pre workout stuff (monster etc) for the last 2 weeks or any supps to help clear things in my system and sort of reset a couple of issues plus the fact the last few nights or maybe a week (or more cant really remember) sleep has been short (time wise, but if I do sleep its been good sleep) I think I am doing ok... hamstring is a little sore today and seems to be right where the transition point is when deadlifting... might see if I cant help the recovery of that along a little...


----------



## Greyphantom

bench

BP (2ct long pause)
WU (normal) - 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

120x2
130x2
140x2
145x1+1p

TNG
125x6
115x7
105x6

Inc BP
85x8
75x8
65x12

Dips
BW+15x7
BW+5x12

finished there... been hectic lately as had so much to do and also a touch of man flu...

BP - felt great up till 145 second rep... hip started tightening and leg drive was not well timed so lost the oomph about 2/3 way up and couldnt recover... first rep felt good though but holding it on chest for a count of 2 seemed a bit long lol...

TNG - felt good till last couple of reps when the hip went crampy... managed to hit the target though but ideally should have got at least 1 or even 2 more... next set went a bit better but the third sort of stalled again...

Inc BP - felt much better than last time... second set not as good as I was hoping... last set went really well...

Dips - felt good this week... usually a bit of a bug bear of mine... but kept it together and managed to do ok...

feeling better than I have in a long time, managed to get full meals in today instead of just bits... hopefully will be able to push it a bit now so can put the weight back on...

life is just a bit over the top atm, will settle a bit after this weekend which will be fvcking fantastic as can get back into training properly again as have missed a few days in the last few weeks due to life and getting stuff done for the mrs... which has been as appreciated as a skid mark in a set of tidy whities... but after this weekend should be back to normal...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads and squats

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

282.5x2x2

FS
WU 70x4, 100x4

*belt on*

120x4x4

Lunges
70x15
57.5x22

Hammer pd (90s)
WU 60x8

80x15
70x15
60x16

all I had time for today... man it was enough tbh... bit knackered as sleep was dodge last night and had to clean up the back yard this afternoon...

Deads - warm ups actually felt really good... first set of 282.5 felt strong and fast... was toying with the idea of going to 302.5 as suggested if felt good but tbh played it safe and just went 282.5 again as per plan... second set first rep was a bit meh but the second felt way better, better line and just snappy...

FS - again played it a bit safe as back was a bit tender but went quick enough... well except the last set when the last rep felt slow... quads hit quite nicely...

Lunges - dammit... first set legs just sore as hell... second set killed them... cursing Digs good name... how many reps Dig... how many!!!???

Hammer PD - first set nice, hit the lats nicely and felt good... second set, holy sh... jebus... lats screaming and it def hit in all the right places... third set was even worse... I had to work myself up to it a bit and man my back was crying...

great session but a little rushed again... was a bit miffed that I didnt do more on the deads tbh but then I thought well still got 2 sets of 2 at 282.5 so thats alright then... suitably battered and looking forward to next week...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2, 180x2, 200x2, *belt on* 220x2

240x2
235x2
215x8

Front squats
125x4x3

Lunges
110x8

GHR
BWx11, 10, 8, 7

ooooooh jebus... been a little bit since last did a back squat session really... about a month as it happens...

Squats - oh felt so good up till the top set... got 200 with no belt and it felt good... 240 first rep was only to parallel as felt the ham just stretch a little... but 2nd rep felt spot on and good... no twinge... 235 went really well and felt good... 215 went better than expected and felt like throwing up after







quads well shagged...

FS - snappy quick deep and good... really felt good here, but still need to work on keeping elbows up high... quads got hit in a different place and different way but man they were humming after the last set...

Lunges - noooooooo dammit... aim was 8rm and I think I pretty much nailed it at 110 today... quads were battered and felt tingly all over... last couple of reps on last leg were slow and hard... did it though...

GHR - wow they really get right into the glutes and hams... hams felt pretty good on these which was nice as was a little concerned as its been a little bit of a bugbear in the last couple of squat sessions... went really well though...

ffs legs were shivering and felt done... quads were already sore and sitting on the glutes was not comfortable... felt a good session though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3 *2ct pause for all from now* 115x1, 125x1

135x2
140x2x2

TNG
127.5x5
107.5x10
100x9

CGBP
85x3x8

Dips
BW+5kg x14
BW+5kg x9

Flyes (3-4s negative)
22.5x8+1p
17.5x11

DB preacher curls (r/p)
22.5x16/8/5

holy jebus...

BP - warm ups felt brilliant... 125 felt lightest its ever been... 135 felt heavy sort of but flew up really got a good groove... carried on to 140... felt very good... last set I thought was going to be a bit tough but managed to nail it really well... very happy with it tbh... keeping tighter and getting more back involved... up on traps better and generally just finding the line better...

TNG - first set was not as good as hoped... aim was 6+ but hip started tightening on rep 3... pushed on but rep 5 was just the end... had legs too far under so adjusted that for next set and it went far better... last set was much the same... chest was feeling it a bit...

CGBP - first set was the less comfortable set here... got a better set up on 2nd and 3rd sets... went really well...

Dips - first set felt good... nice and deep and good drive up... 2nd set started that way and I was hoping for 10 but at 8 I knew I would be lucky to hit 9 and as it turns out I was... 9th was a bit dodgy but def no more there...

Flyes - oh that negative rep... its a killer... missed the rep target on first set... beat it on 2nd... chest was fried...

DB preacher - oh ffs Dig you wan.... rest pause killed... arms toast... probably cried a little here... first bit went well... second was what the hell and 3rd was you fvcking barsteward... arms killed dead...

great session today, put off from yesterday as ham glute and quad doms was horrendous... felt a bit better today so hit the gym and loved it... weighed in this morning and after 2 months of not eating properly the damage is 111.5kg sigh... lost 7.5 but I am eating again properly and hope to put a little more away besides... sleeps been pretty decent but not long... so quality over quantity but tbh I would like quantity and quality...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x5

250x8

Deads
WU 170x3, 200x2

225x2x5

BOR
155x14
120x17

Rev BOR
BW+10x12
BW+10x9
BW+10x8

Seated Rows (R/P)
120x22/11/8

oh holy hell... back is shot... so much pain but so much pleasure...

Block pulls - go up to 8rm was the goal... did 250 but thinking 260 would have gone just as well, maybe a little more... felt pretty good tbh which is good as usually I have trouble with block pulls getting the right position or form...

Deads - speed work and how... first 225 went so fast it was unreal... just flew up... second set first 3 reps went just as quick with the 4th and 5th going a tad slower... felt awesome...

BOR - was a bit iffy here but just got on with it and tbh surprised myself... nice solid reps with the 120 being even stricter and a little more than the boss called for (sorry boss) but went really well... just couldnt be ar$ed with changing the bar round...

Rev BOR - adding 10kg shouldnt make it that much harder... but it sure as hell hit the upper back that much more... really good work... felt stronger than expected... back fvcked by the end though...

Seated rows - oh come on... just not cricket... rest freaking paused... dammit... first bit supposed to be 20+ and I was thinking yeah right... damn if I didnt get 22... back was done and fighting the puke... second bit was pretty woeful... last one not much more in the way of redemption...

Back is done... so so sore... so much awesome... great way to finish the training week... body def got some gains well it better had...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats (4reps rpe 9)
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x2

240x4
227.5x4

FS
130x4
127.5x4
125x4

SLDL (8 rep rpe 8)
170x8

Lunges
100x10

GHR
BW+5x10
BW+5x8

oh ffs that was just plain dumb...

Squats - well warm ups went really well... so well that 220 felt so good that I thought yeah will do 240 as feeling up for it... d1ck... got 3 reps out quite nicely 4th was quite a push and even though if you held a gun to my head I might have tried for a 5th, I might have just taken the bullet too... it was 50/50 tbh... quads were trembling and numb... so of course I went for 227.5 down set... yeah... did it and it went alright as it happens except my legs forgot how to walk properly... wow good sets... stopped there as that was about it (if it had have been easier on the 227 I would have gone for another set of 4 as instructed but that 240 killed any chance of that)...

FS - felt very good today... raped the quads a little more though and at the end I was just shuffling a bit... had to do the funky leg dance thing as they were really sore... but def hit them well on this...

SLDL - was hoping for a bit more weight on the bar tbh... but this felt about right today... might have done 180 but it would have been a little higher on the rpe chart methinks...

Lunges - oh ffs... I so didnt want to do these today... and after doing them I knew I was right lol... legs done... more than done... they were numb and tingly...

ghr - awww dammit Dig... felt pretty decent as it happens but damn if my hams and glutes didnt get hammered...

ok a bit more of a session than I first planned and glad on the one hand I went for 240 but also giving myself a b1tch slap for being silly... my legs are in so much pain atm... but as sick as I am I actually kind of enjoy it lol... Dig informs me this is a 4 rep pb which is nice but I would rather have the use of my legs









thank god its a rest day tomorrow... well weights wise...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2, 120x2

127.5x5
117.5x6
105x7

IP
87.5x6
70x9
70x10

oh so done... went into today feeling a bit crap and after 100 on BP just knew it was not going to be a great session...

BP - got some aches and pains today whcih manifested even at 40 but it went well enough that at first I thought it would go ok... 100 felt really decent and then things sort of just stopped... 110 felt ok weight wise but each rep things ached all over... forearms in particular but holding the position made my back ache a bit and shoulders and pecs were just not happy either... 120 was much the same weight was fine but just had no ooomph... 127.5 started ok first 3 reps fired up nicely but then not so much... dropped the weight and it felt like I hadnt dropped it at all... dropped again and again it was like I hadnt dropped it... wtaf... chest was feeling it though...

IP - ok now this was just off... 87.5 felt more like 120... had to re-rack it and take it out again which felt better but was just meh... 70 felt ok but it bl00dy well should as its light...

just done so left it here... a couple of thoughts as to why its meh... just an off day is one and the other is I am trying a new supplement brand so might have a touch of a special kind of flu which happens with some brands... means I should have taken some paracetamol and ibuprofen before which would have helped a lot... had a hot bath last night and that helped a lot with the legs (still sore today but not as much) and will have another tonight... had to train tonight as tomorrow the mrs is off and wants to do some family sh... uh I mean stuff...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

290x3

Deads (speed)
WU 170x3, 210x2

230x2x5

Rev grip PD
82.5x18
82.5x15
82.5x12

Seated rows
140x16
140x12

Rev BOR
bw+15x10
bw+15x8

oh holy hell... thats a good session...

Block - usually a bit of a weak movement for me but its been pretty decent... got to 250 and it felt pretty good so just went straight on to 290 and that felt good... got a good strong triple, another rep was there I feel and if really pushed I might have possibly got a 5th... but thats not for sure...

Deads - dropping to 170 to warm up was a laugh as first rep ripped from the floor like it was 290 and it damn near put me on my ar$e... both sets at 230 felt great, fast and light enough... second set felt better this week than last week at a higher weight...

Rev grip pd - again felt way better than in past... nice and strong lats punished suitably... strong on all three sets and better form...

Seated rows - oh man... went well but mid back took a smacking... felt good and strong though... just ouchie...

Rev BOR - ffs Dig 15 really... these feel really good but damn they are tough... esp at the end of the workout... was just done after these...

redemption after wed effort... def an effect from certain supplements I am on atm, just started a new brand and it is just settling in... so will take on a monday now which will be fine by wed... todays session went well and really happy with the triple, but thinking hmmm should I have tried 300














always the way...

its xmas weekend so got some port and baileys in the fridge to keep me suitably gained up... also gonna eat myself stupid and see if I cant put some more weight back on... back to 113 this week so its a start...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2, 180x2 noooooo felt right IT band give a little, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1, 235x1

250x2
237.5x2

FS
132.5x3

SLDL
160x3x8

left it there... DB lunges not done as leg felt a bit iffy and tbh I really dont want to push it...

Squats - felt great to start... weights were flying felt really good in the hole and just moved so well... prob got a bit complacent cos 2nd on 180 felt my IT band give a little... thought ffs... tried 200 and it felt ok... it was a form issue I am pretty sure as I think I let my knee track in a little more than I should hence the twinge... 220 belt went on and felt ok... 235 felt a bit heavier than I would like tbh... 250 surprisingly felt pretty decent... but man my quads felt it... went down to 237.5 for some doubles but only got the one as legs were just not quite right...

FS - weight felt fine... first 2 felt really good but on the 3rd the IT band gave a bit of a shout so just left it there...

SLDL - oh come on... went pretty well as it happens but hams and glutes got a battering... weight moved fast and felt fine...

wow... quads are so sore in that deep worked hard kind of way... hams and glutes soon joined them after the sldl... bit miffed about the IT band but at least it didnt impede the workout too much... and I dont think its going to be much of a problem... at least I hope...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP 2ct paused (2min)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 95x3

105x5x6

CGBP
90x9
82.5x10
75x11

DB flye/press hybrid
20x12
17.5x16
17.5x15

Lat raise (1min)
20x16
15x18
10x20

EZ curls
50x16
50x14
50x11

oh good grief... legs were just not happy this morning but by the afternoon they were better... felt loads better this week compared to last...

BP - first few sets went really well and strong... faded a bit on the 4th and the fifth was def the one to leave it... felt good though and strong... shorter rest than I am used to on the bench but made out ok...

CGBP - these went really well... good form and technique and put loads into it so got a decent result...

DB flye/press - a hybrid movement where I bend the arms a bit more than a normal flye and it sort of has a press feel about it... great stretch and feel through the whole pec area... went a little light on the first set as should prob have done at least 22.5 prob even 25... felt it good though...

Lat raise - holy jebus... delts got a good smashing here today... the short rest between sets and always looking for more reps... thought it would be a bit easier but nope it just burned more...

EZ curls - now why should the delts have all the fun







wow got a great feel on these today and biceps were caned...

good session today and happy enough... bit tired as last night sleep was pretty rubbish due to legs aching so much... that great deep worked hard ache... hot bath helped a bit but not as much as I hoped... feeling pretty good re the work outs atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

235x5

BOR
185x6
172.5x10
160x12

Seated rows
155x13
145x14/9/6 (R/P)

Hammer PD
85x13
70x14
60x16+1p

dammit... light speed deads but the rest was a bit ffs...

Deads - felt odd stopping at 235 but was a speed seat with no heavy work as squats were so late in the week... went fast enough but def feeling the 3 workouts in a row... arms a bit fatigued from yesterday...

BOR - awww maaaan... only got the target of 6 on the top set... upper back was a bit shocked to say the least... did better on the second set... but only got the target on the last set... arms def a factor here but did alright, upper back was well done by the end... after the last set I thought well that wasnt so bad... then I relaxed when letting go the weight and ffs thats when it hit...

Seated rows - great, more evil doing... first set not too bad in the scheme of things, good feel and nice work... second ffs rest pause... back did not like that...

Hammer grip pd - just to finish off all my back throw in some lat work... felt pretty good if that burning feeling is supposed to be good lol...

good workout today, bit taxing having all three one after the other but needs must...


----------



## Greyphantom

Sqauts

Squats (rpe8)
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 215x2

230x4

FS (2 min break till cant do 3)
132.5x4x3

SLDL
175x8

DB lunges (taking steps on spot)
38.5x2x8

meh session... just mentally not into as I would have liked as things would pop into my head to shake my focus... I hate that...

Squats - pretty decent warm ups... top set the weight felt pretty good, just on that last rep I lost a bit of focus and allowed myself to collapse forward a little, not a problem but shouldnt happen at this weight...

FS - felt really good weight wise, first 2 sets were nice and easy 3rd the 3rd rep was a little difficult and the last set my form started to break a little more than I would like so left it there...

SLDL - nice easy 8... felt good and great ham/glute involvement...

DB lunges - did steps in place on these... really felt it in the quads in a different way... first set was all over the place as felt like a new born deer... 2nd went far better as I got used to the movement and technique...

overall a decent enough session but I just dont like losing focus... IT band etc did not give me any trouble at all... felt really good today and felt strong, just a bit meh a time or two...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench... well...

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3 *115x2, 130x1

140x1

2ct pause
130x2

stopped there... warm ups for bench started really well... light and easy up till the 115 set... then my right arm started hurting a bit, humerus half way down between the bi and tri... (after some playing it starts when the bar is near the bottom of the movement and when initiating the drive up its a bit sharp but more a sharp ache)... not sure what that was about so went 130 which felt a bit heavier than it should but went up ok... did 140 as the first top set and nope the ommph from the bottom was just not working...

soooo tried the lighter weight for a 2ct pause set... supposed to be triples but only managed two... toyed for a second with doing a third but arm was playing on my mind... ended it there...

now very aggro and wondering wtf is going on... sleep last night was a bit pants and I woke up in some odd positions so maybe I slept on it funny or what have you and so its a bit off... lifting my arm up is fine... rotating my should is all good except for when the movement stress my upper arm... usually when I flare my elbows... pants...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2, 180x2, 200x2, *belt on* 220x1, 235x1

245x1
255x1

2ct Paused
190x3
180x3

FS
WU 110x3, 125x3

137.5x3

DB lunges
39.75x10
39.75x8

GHR (very slow -ve)
BW+10kg x2x5

oh boy... mrs has been called away to NY for work (got told friday) so I have spent a lazy couple of days just sleeping and resting really... shouldnt but there you go...

Squats - just felt so on today... nothing felt heavy at all... not even the 255... warm ups were great... 245 went up pretty quick and felt strong... 255 took the weight and felt good... was focusing on making sure my depth was good so really making sure it was forefront of the mind, and then when in the hole realised I should have also been cue-ing myself for the damn drive up out of the hole too lol... went up ok and smooth but slow... slower than I would have liked tbh... still I reckon 260 would have been the same today... legs felt surprisingly ok after that... for about 15-30 secs then they went wobbly...

2ct - light weights here so quick and easy, snappy out of the hole and nice drive...

FS - felt very good... fast and deep and kept form too... bonus...

DB lunges - holy hera... the david of lifting, squats being the goliath but these little buggers knock you about too... form was much better and it told when my quads felt like butter after... very wobbly legs...

GHR - man Dig is a SOB... very slow negs... oh my poor hams and glutes... great way to finish the session...

been feeling a bit tired lately but have been catching up on some zzzzz's which has been good... niggles seem all cleared up and feeling great... got a solid 7 hours sleep last night too which is awesome... felt good today in training... got to go to NZ at the end of the month for my brothers wedding so want to be working it hard right up till then, will also get a few sessions in while over there...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x9
105x10
95x9

CGBP
80x12
80x9
80x8

DB press/flyes hybrid
20x16
20x13

Dips (very slow controlled negatives)
BWx6
BWx5

Seated Deadstop EZ curls
27.5x15
22.5x18
17.5x20

pretty decent session today...arm was fine but lacking a bit of power and oomph on the end of the sets...

BP - didnt quite make the target reps today, just lost it on the last few reps... felt pretty good though... chest got a bit of a decent workout...

CGBP - made the targets here but man felt this working hard as well... tris got nailed pretty well but chest also got a bit of a hammering...

DB flye/press - still getting the hang of these but can feel them sort of spread the chest... felt good...

Dips - oh ffs... controlled slow negatives... jebus these hit the triceps really hard... did not get the number of reps I thought...

EZ deadstop - bar down to quads then up again... dropped the weight quite a bit as not done these before and prob went a bit too light... hit the biceps in a different way and a bit "lower" down... thought 17.5 would be a breeze, but nope biceps done...

much better today even though I didnt quite make the initial sets targets... chest feels well trained, arms too, tris got a kicking off the dips which I didnt expect... well not as much... feeling good...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Deads
> 
> Block pulls
> WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 280x1
> 
> 300x2+1p
> 
> Deads (speed)
> WU 170x3, 210x3
> 
> 240x5
> 
> Seated Rows
> 140x4x10
> 
> Rev BOR (slow negs)
> BWx10
> BWx9
> 
> well that went ok I spose...
> 
> Blocks - felt so on today, warm ups went well and felt fine... lat did not complain even a little and all pulls felt much better... top set was 300... ah pants... did the first 2 and they felt so good and switched on I knew a 3rd was there... went up for the 3rd and dammit could not get the hips through, prob my own fault as I was so happy with the first 2 I sort of didnt focus enough on nailing and maintaining the 3rd... son of a...
> 
> Deads - 170 felt like nothing, just light af... 210 was a little better and then the main set which I didnt expect to move so fast tbh went amazingly well... just a lot faster than I expected but probably not as fast as I would like lol... so happy after these...
> 
> Seated rows - again felt really good and kept the reps as strict as possible with little movement to generate momentum, just the pull through the back and it felt good... solid fast reps and strong...
> 
> Rev BOR - damn Dig and his slow negatives... holy cow they add a component all their own... first set got a good 10, back was grumbling though... second set the 9th was a drive and dig deep... tried to go as slow as possible on the neg but back said nope pow down I went lol...
> 
> yeah good session today, felt pretty happy with it mostly just wanted that 3rd rep on the top set of blocks... stupid hips... it was there but just couldnt complete ffs... back is nicely toasted and feeling it atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1

235x5
215x5
205x5

FS
WU 120x3

140x3
140x2

had to stop there for 2 reasons... 1) had quite a twinge in the soft tissue/muscle area right above my knee... its prob just something to do with a side effect of some related lifting activities and 2) had to pick up my boy as he has been put on special report or something for one of his subjects at school... was running late anyway and this prob proved a boon...

Squats - warm ups felt good... solid fast and right... the last warm up of 220 was really good... so went to 235 which was supposed to be RPE of 9.5 or 10 for 5 reps... think that was nailed, pretty much right on the money re RPE... doubt I would have got another rep, I would have tried but doubt I would have finished the rep... 215 felt pretty decent tbh and moved quick enough... legs were def feeling it by now... and finally 205 which went well and felt light enough... legs still got a battering though...

FS - warm up was great... first 140 felt really good... kept really tight and form was better than its been before... 2nd set did not go as well... not sure if I had just aggravated a bit of a swollen and sore part of my leg but the first rep caused a bit of pain in the soft tissue right above the knee, so did a second with better form and keeping tighter in the legs and it was still quite sore... so thought will leave it at the double and go to db lunges...

as it happens got a text saying my son needed picking up a bit early... so just left it all there and went to get him... the knee thing will be fine as its just an aggravation really and I know what its from so it will clear... hot bath tonight will help and maybe some anti inflamms if its still about by thu...

happy enough with today... mrs is away again next week which will mean a bit more freedom and then I am away the week after... ah well... already scoping out some gyms in NZ...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench (Comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 125x1, 135x1

145x1

2ct Paused bench
130x3x3

Inc BP
90x7
75x12
75x9

DB flye/press
25x13
25x11

EZ deadstop curls
32.5x17
27.5x18
22.5x20

pretty decent session really...

BP - started really well was just going to keep going till I got to RPE 9, was hoping for a bit more but it was not to be today... warm ups went well till 135 when it just felt a bit heavy and not as smooth... loaded 145 and just got into a much better position and it went up really well... but that was about it today... went better than the 135 tbh or at least felt better... happy enough with that for now but want more...

2ct - was not optimistic really... first set went ok... 2nd set felt better and went well and the 3rd I was really happy I got... not sure if there would have been a 4th set there but after the fact I am thinking maybe I should have gone for it... hmmmm...

IP - went much better than expected again, found a great position on the bench and got a really good press going... first set was good... second felt pretty light and the 3rd went much the same way... felt good on the chest and no issues with the upper arm...

DB flye/press - getting used to these, big spread in the chest... did quite well today... just pummels the chest and finishes it off after the rest of the exercises...

Deadstop ez curls - these def hit the biceps in a different way to standing... first set was like ok ouch... 2nd was bl00dy hell ouch... 3rd was fvck ouch... lol... arms done...

good session was not feeling the bench as well as I would have liked, getting that extra single at the top set would have been nice but onward and upward... gym is getting fricking cold so might have to get the heater on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Block pulls
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 280x1 (doh forgot to put chalk on so chalked up), 300x1

320x1

Deads (speed)
WU 170x3, 210x3, 240x3

260x3

BOR (drop sets)
175/135/100 x 10/9/11

Seated Rows
157.5x14
135x18

oooooouch... fvcking oooooouuucccchhh... did not think that today was going to happen after having to postpone training from friday as day was a bit hectic... dropped the mrs off at the airport this morning and while there started getting weird vision issues and that feeling that a migraine was coming on... sinking feeling and then realise fvck got to drive home... and dammit training...

Block pulls - warm ups were pretty decent... moved well and felt strong... did the 280 and it felt good then I realised I hadnt been puting chalk on lol, usually do this when I get to 250... chalked up for 300 and it went well... put on the extra to make it 320 and started the focus process, tbh after talking with Dig last week about just not thinking and lift it mostly involved me clearing my mind and just lifting... thats what I did and voila 320 went up nice and smooth but very slow... no muss no fuss and hips and glutes all fired as good as can be and bam baby locked that mother out...

Deads - ok supposed to be as fast as possible and the warm ups felt ridiculously light again... 260 the first rep was a bit slow... but second was much better and quicker and so was the 3rd... felt good and strong and not a problem at all really...

BOR - Dig is such a barsteward... drop sets... really... fvcking ouch... first was tough, got the 10 but felt the last few a lot... dropped to 135 and knocked out 9 gassing and about dead... dropped to 100 and nailed 11... back so damn sore at this stage and breathing was very hard and felt decidedly ill...

Seated rows - son of a... man this just added to the pain... felt a great stretch and contraction in the upper back but man it hurt... doing the last set was just an act of will... did not want to do it... but did... dammit... hurt... so much hurt... still hurts... a lot...

great session today really good considering it was going to be a bust but so glad I managed to stave it off and hit the gym... weight is only 113.5 atm too but belt is in so only 2 notches left its normally there when I am about 107 tbh... so I am taking this as a good sign...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2, 180x2 *belt on*

195x11

Rack squats
140x3
160x3
180x3
200x3

Lunges
39.75x12
39.75x8

GHR
BW+10x3x5

oh holy hera... reps suck...

Squats - warm ups were good... 195 yeah reps... first 8 were fine... gassing after that so couple of deep breaths... got to 11 but wobbled a bit on way up and had to correct a bit so lost the line and oomph... racked the bar a little miffed as wanted at least 12 if not a rep or two more... legs were a bit toasted after and felt ill... stupid reps...

Rack squats - set rack at parallel or just below and down touch rack resting weight then up again... work up to rpe 9... oh new way of torture... ffs quads and legs in general were just not happy...

Lunges - noooooo... sigh, just wanted to stop but on we go... first set was tough... started wobbling about rep 9 managed to get to 12 but ffs legs were fried... 2nd set was just fvcking hard... only got the 8 and that was done...

GHR - strict as poss and damn just more pain... great... felt great though... think I am messed up lol...

great session, still would have been nice to get the extra couple of reps on the squats... oh god my legs are sore... so so sore...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Bench
> 
> CGBP
> WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3
> 
> 115x6x3
> 
> Floor press
> 100x8
> 90x8
> 80x10
> 
> DB bench
> 30x11+1p
> 30x8
> 30x6+1p
> 
> Dips (3-4 sec neg)
> BWx7
> BWx6
> 
> DB preacher (no rest just switch hands)
> 25x13/7/5
> 
> decent enough session but tough as no sleep last night all my fault as left heating on all night and was overheating... stupid man...
> 
> CGBP - started off fairly well got to 100 and though hmm might stay with 115... however should probably have gone for 120... got 6 triples and felt them working hard... might have got another set but was a bit 50/50... should have gone 120...
> 
> Floor press - 100 was def the 8rm today... just got the 8th and when racking managed to catch my freaking hand on the jhook... ouch... got a good 8 on the 90 and then managed 10 on 80 chest was very sore after this... felt it pumped too...
> 
> DB press - pffft... just not much less in the tank tbh... only got 11 on the first chest was feeling it though... then it just went down hill lol... chest was very sore after...
> 
> Dips - holy hera those slow negs are a killer... got to 6 on the first set and it was like nope... but forced another one out and thought about an 8th but that was not to be... last set was not too bad but damn it hurt...
> 
> DB preachers - oh come on now, 25... ffs... just a big nope... no rest at all between arms, just enough time to switch the weight... it was worse than I thought... arms just died...
> 
> chest and arms felt it today, got a pretty decent work out but was hard... def turning off the heating tonight cos that sucks...


----------



## Greyphantom

Fvck Digs killed me and it was no deads dead day lol...

BOR (deadstop off rack no leg drive super strict)
WU 60x5, 100x5, 120x5, 140x5

160x8
145x8
130x8

Seated rows (90s)
170x10
150x12
130x14
110x17

Hammer grip PD (75-90s)
85x2x10
85x11

Face pulls
40x15
40x14
40x13

Rev BOR (strict slow neg 1min)
BWx2x6
BWx5

oh holy jebus... for no deads or what I would call max type work this had my back in bits half way through let alone the end, now sitting here its screaming and very fvcking sore...

BOR - warm ups went well... did 140 and was thinking I might do 150 so to make sure its strict as poss... thought at last min nope whack on 160 cos I wimped out on thu with the cgbp so went 160 and that went really well... no legs involved and a nice smooth pull to the belly... felt really good... 145 was much the same but a bit easier and so too 130 but the upper back was feeling it a bit by the end... rest was only about 3 mins cos its not deads innit...

Seated Rows - that 170 gave me a slight pause but it actually went better than I thought it would... back was not happy though lol... dropped the weight (how fvcking fast does 90s go ffs) got a couple more reps but back really not happy... dropped again and swear I blinked twice and had to go again which went fine and nice smooth pulls... but was really sore and then had to do another set... not sure I even got to blink this time... theory of relativity in practice right there brahs...

Hammer pd - first set went pretty well... felt it a bit in my lats and went smooth... 2nd set not so much... 75 seconds my ar$e Dig... 3rd set was just a drive to the end really... dug deep and managed 11 although tbf that 11th was a bit ropey...

Face pulls - you know I dont remember these hurting as much as they did... was toying with 50kg tbh but really glad I stuck on 40... holy sh1t just fire all over... so I guess went really well...

Rev BOR - oh come on... 1 fvcking min... son of a... up and down slow... slow... I said fvcking slow body... body called me a name I shall not repeat here... slow as poss negs were hard... really hard and tbh I am very surprised I managed that 6th on the 2nd set... didnt want to do the last set... Digs a barsteward... that is all...

something that didnt look too bad on paper was actually really tough... started well and the pain just kept compounding... I think every inch of my back is feeling it right now... sleep has been sh1te again lately... last night might have got 1 hour solid with the rest being broken and just trying to cool down... mrs is back tomorrow night so that temperature in bed will go up exponentially and I dont mean sexy time... 4 days till I fly off too... I should probably start packing really lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Squats
> 
> Squat
> WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x2, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1
> 
> 235x3x1
> 
> Rack squats
> 180x3x5
> 
> stopped there, actually running late at the moment...
> 
> Squats - warm ups felt really good and much tighter than before... 235 first one was great, quick and smooth and felt good... 2nd was a bit slower but technique and form felt better and weight was not too hard... 3rd was a little deeper than I was intending lol but went up ok albeit a bit slower than the first 2... weight felt ok though...
> 
> Rack squats - liking these but they are making themselves felt... legs got a good thrashing from them and on the 1st set I was reminded why I need to stay tight when the bar is on the rack... and oh how it reminded me...
> 
> that was it, had to do a few more things than I was planning on as mrs made some sort of list for me to get done for when I go to NZ... late start so later finish than I wanted and still got a couple of things to do (like packing) before I take my boy to boxing...
> 
> today feeling really good physically till I trained of course lol... also slept pretty well over the weekend so hopefully that will settle but of course will be turning that upside down when I hit the bottom of the world... got bench tomorrow before I fly and then deads on sat...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3 *comp pauses*

120x2
130x1
137.5x2
130x3
125x3+1p

IP
87.5x9
80x9
72.5x10

cut it there... running late today, story of my life atm...

BP - comp pauses from 120 on so basically brought the bar down and then in head counted 1, 2, press and up the bar went... 120 felt a bit rough tbh... was worried about the rest but 130 went really well and felt good... 137.5 the first rep felt a bit off but 2nd rep was much better... form was adjusted slightly so probably helped... 130 felt pretty good but 3 was it for today... 125 went well enough on the first 3 but the last rep went forward and I lost the line so over it went, luckily I managed to take it down to the safeties well enough...

IP - felt pretty good today... first 8 on top set felt smooth and good but 9th was like nope thats it... same with the second set... last set went really well... just managed the last one again though...

had to call it there and tbh shouldnt even be updating this journal cos I havent finished packing and need to leave in like 45 mins... oh well... will log on when can...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2

*belt on*
217.5x4x3

Rack squats
185x5
190x5

tally ho chaps... hope all are well... its been a while... trip to NZ (some great times but on the whole wish I had not gone tbh) and the lurgy has meant not posted really in a while...

Squats - felt better today and warm ups felt awesome... really started to blow off some cobwebs... 200 felt really good and not as heavy as I thought they would... tops sets went pretty decently as it happens... prob not as quick as I would have liked but moved well enough and felt strong... def therapeutic...

Rack squats - first set felt ok really got to concentrate on keeping tight at the bottom when the baar is resting on the rack... only jumped to 190 as was starting to feel it and glad I did tbh...

first real session back since coming home... def needed it and cant wait till the next one now..

NZ was alright, got to train 4 days which went well... gyms are not so great tbh where I was but found a decent one that had bars and weights enough... didnt break anything so that was good lol... didnt gain or lose any weight really still around 114kg and in not too bad shape... got a bit messed up head wise but now back on track I think and moving forward... the iron really is the best therapy tool...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

BP (comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

122.5x4x3

CGBP
85x2x8
85x11

another quick one today, seems life is a little busy atm but hopefully will soon just settle again... kids mainly with school stuff...

BP - warm ups felt good, getting my head into a good place and nailing the form/technique... top sets felt great... in fact could have gone a 5th set well enough and if feeling particularly mentally imbalanced maybe a 6th... just felt really good today and thats very odd as usually after a layoff bench sucks...

CGBP - again felt really good... first 2 sets breezed through and the third was hoping for 12 but made 11 ok, 12th would have been touch and go...

stopped as out of time, good session though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

245x4x3

Deadstops Rack BOR
140x2x8
140x12

Chins
BWx10
BWx8
BWx7

and done... kinda glad it was a light one today tbh as doms has manifested and still quite achy tbh... was wondering how deads would go...

Deads - as it happens went ok as I warmed up more... top sets were not as fast as I would like but after the first one were better... want them quicker though...

Deadstop bor - wow these were different and felt good... def felt my back working with these although they sort of snuck up on me... good squeeze and decent enough reps...

Chins - started by feeling really good... got to about rep 8 on first set and it hit a bit of a wall... made it to 10 that one and then the subsequent sets went ok...

finished there... went well enough today and certainly felt my back being worked...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2

*belt on*
215x4x4

Rack squats
190x2x5

Lunges (bb)
90x12

GHR
BW+10kg x3x6

been a bit slack this week, puting off the training till today and paid for it really as sleep last night was pants... had a wee nap this afternoon after lunch which helped a little...

Squats - warm ups felt really good... working on bring the knees in slightly to aid the drive out of the hole... going well esp as the quads are getting hit harder atm... also seem to be going slightly lower which isnt a bad thing... well except for the added sore it brings... warm ups up to and incl 180 felt sound and solid... 200 for some reason felt like I had added 40 extra kg instead of 20... but 215 felt solid and strong... first 2 sets had the belt at 2 notches to go then I changed that to 3 notches to go and they felt better (not pinching as much at the bottom which was happening about 2 or so inchese below para)... 3rd set felt tough and legs were wobbly, 4th set my legs called me names and pretty much went numb/sore... how I dont know...

Rack squats - holy fvck... kept tight better on the rack and this made it "easier" to get the lift... but damn quads were killed... shaking like a new born deer...

Lunges - full disclosure I thought about just stopping... but need to make some solid progress this year and thus I did them... first 8 or so were fine enough but after legs started hurting a bit, by 12 I was done... quads just were not happy... I was... sort of...

GHR - just to add to the hell why not... holding the 10kg keeping it as strict as possible... jebus save me... glutes and hams were pummeled hard... legs def trained well and hard today...

wow... legs sore... glutes sore... head a little sore... great session... I def have a love/hate thing with Dig lol... bench tomorrow and deads fri, my own fault but there you go...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench

Bench (comp paused)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

127.5x3
130x3
127.5x2x3

IP
90x8
75x11
75x8

Dips
BW+15x3x5
BW+15x3

Lat raises
20x2x12
20x15

decent enough session today... legs as expected a bit achey... walking up the stairs to our bedroom last night was sheer horror...

Bench - warm ups to 100 felt great and solid, 100 felt a bit heavy for some reason but 115 felt spot on and easier than 100... hmmm... top set of 127.5 felt good and strong... went to 130 and that felt pretty good but hit the jhook on the 2nd rep and while I got the 3rd rep ok I went for the wimpy option of dropping back to 127.5 but should have done 130 again... that 127.5 felt really good and the last set while not easy also felt pretty decent... chest was feeling a bit worked

IP - first set went well enough but lost the drive on rep 7... got the 8th but wanted more... next two sets were supposed to have a couple more reps on each but again just lost that oomph and reps ran out...

Dips - first 2 sets went well 3rd was hard but made it ok and was told if hard then drop the weight but I decided to go for it and see if I couldnt get that last set of 5... nope... oh well... still by this stage chest was well done and tris also feeling it...

Lat raises - went better than expected... first set felt great, 2nd not as good but the 3rd had that groove back and felt it working well again...

felt good today... deads tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

257.5x2x3

Romanian Deads
160x8
200x8

Rack BOR deadstop
155x10
145x11
130x13

Chins
BW+5x2x6
BW+5x8

Db curls (one arm then the next)
30/25x8/6
25/20x9x6

holy crumbs

Deads - warms ups went pretty well as it happens... helped loosen up some aching bones for sure... top sets actually went better than expected quicker and smoother... was feeling pretty wiped out as sleep as not been optimal and training 3 days on the trot has had a bit of an impact... first set was solid and form really decent... kept the bar close and that made a diff... 2nd was slightly better... felt a bit faster oddly too...

RDL - havent done these for a while and holly hell they hit my glutes quite hard... def more posterior involvement felt...

BOR - yeah these worked... first set was good and did better than expected... felt it hitting my upper middle back really nicely... 2nd set felt a little off but still decent... 3rd was really good still feeling it now tbh...

Chins - not a strong ex for me but went alright today... used straps on the last set though...

DB curls - a little different and it felt a bit weird but good... arms def got hit well...

and just as I finished got a phone call I had to pick up the daughter as the buses werent running... found out it was due to a possible jumper who blocked off the whole of the town centre... sigh... good workout today though... got orders though to make sure I try utmost to hit M W F so I get a day between each session... yeah I agree as it happens lol... happy enough with this week... also appetite seems to be increasing which is a good thing...


----------



## Greyphantom

hmmm not sure what to call this day now... umm day 1...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 185x2

202.5x2x3
*belt on*
202.5x3x3

Rack squats
180x2x5

BP (comp paused after 80kg)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 95x3

105x5x2

Flyes
20x3x8

Deadstop db ext
10x2x15

ok start of a different phase of program for me... based on hatfields 80 day peaking program but with quite a bit of personalisation

Squats - went really well... warm ups felt great... 130 felt like 60 used to and 202.5 was strong and fast... did the first 2 top sets with no belt but added that in on the 3rd... smooth and decent... legs felt mostly ok after... little sore but not too bad...

Rack squats - again good sets and strong, keeping tight in the hole a lot better and strong drive out... felt good...

BP - pretty light tbh, some slight niggle in one of my forearms but prob due to hitting them so soon after squats... comp pauses on every rep after the 80kg warm up from now on... yay... top sets went well enough, quick and smooth...

Flyes - pretty easy here, was quite light tbh but good stretch...

Deadstop db ext - hmmmm still get elbow issue on the heavier weight but that could be due to crappy form... tried 15 and that flared the elbow plus felt a bit heavier than I expected so I dropped the weight and it went ok... 2nd set was better as found the form and technique... will work that from now on...

went better than I expected but its early days yet... its going to be interesting thats for sure... looking forward to seeing how it progresses...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

BOR
WU 60x8, 100x8, 130x5

150x3x8

Rev grip PD
80x3x10

Facepulls
40x3x15

Seated DB power cleans
15x15
15x14
15x12

DB curls
15x2x15
15x13

just a lighter day today... but still felt my back working esp on the devils seated db power cleans...

BOR - prob a little light tbh should have hit 160 I think... still a good feel in the back and went smooth and strong enough...

Rev PD - again a little light, today could have gone 90 I reckon... felt good and strong and lats had a nice work out...

Facepulls - yeah ok these were spot on and man I felt them working... upper back was starting to feel it

DB power cleans - son of a... damn these hit hard... forgot how much tbh, upper back was in bits as well as a few other areas... tbh love them even though they are hard...

Curls - a bit light I thought but soon found out they were about right... arms burning and worked...

nice and simple today, deads will be on this day I think... start again next week with those... and reading the next 3 weeks training numbers I am really starting to not like Dig... you hear that Dig... (please dont hurt me too much







)


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

190x5x2

GHR
BWx14, 12, 11

BP (all reps comp pause after 80kg)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

112.5x5x3

Inc Press
65x2x8
65x14

Dips
BWx2x8
BWx9

good session today but could have been a bit better...

Squats - no belt on these today, just cracked on... warm ups felt really good... top sets were no bother but I think I could have done them faster... (rep speed that is) rest was about 3 mins between sets or a bit less on some cases...

GHR - holy cow hit the hams but esp the glutes today... sitting was not much fun so I stood between sets lol... felt nice and strong...

BP - warm ups felt ok but nothing special... seemed to settle after the 1st top set and then get better but still could do better even so...

IP - light enough weight and reps were fast and smooth... surprised a bit with 14 on the last set...

Dips - full stretch on these and felt it... chest def done after these... last set was hoping for at least 10 but nope...

ok settling into the new format still but can see it being very challenging... bring it on I say...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3 185x2

205x1x4
*belt on*
205x4x4

Rack squats
190x5

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 (comp pause from here) 100x3

107.5x5x2

Flyes
25x14
20x17

TPD
40x15
40x14

Good session felt really strong and fast today...

Squats - was thinking that 5x4 at 205 would be a pretty hard ask, but as it turned out all sets felt strong and fast and went better than I expected... 1st set was with no belt at 205 then the last 4 I wore the belt... slightly higher than normal (like an inch maybe) but it made a bit of a difference...

Rack squats - felt really good today, nice and smooth and strong... fast enough too...

BP - again felt better than expected, fast and strong, better yet I kept tighter through the lift esp at the bottom which helped I think...

Flyes - nice stretch and really felt the pecs working...

TPD - prob could have done a rep or 2 more on the first set... 2nd set really felt the tris working hard...

great session today, felt very good on the two main lift exercises... in fact they all felt really good... happy with this one today... deads next... holy hera...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

235x5x3

Chins
BW+5kg x2x6
BW+5kg x8

Seated rows (drop set)
160/140/120x10/12/12

DB curls
25x12
25x10
25x9

meh session today sort of... have not felt great, just a bit tired and heads aching a bit...

Deads - warm ups felt meh, not heavy just not into it... 1st set was a bit slower than I like and should be, 2nd went much better, 3rd ok but again slower and meh, 4th and 5th were much better again... only 235 so should have just nailed it really... still felt it working ok though...

Chins - actually went quite well... focused on moving strongly from the bottom, full extension to as high as the ceiling would allow (rack comes to just below ceiling so cant quite get full head over the bar)... last set was still pretty decent tbh...

Seated rows - some drama here... did the 160 fine, took weight to 140 went to pull the first rep and the carabiner broke and I went flying back into my bench lol... quickly replaced it and carried on... good set felt it hitting my upper back nicely... dropped to 120 and managed another 12 but man back was not happy...

DB curls - oh good grief, didnt expect 12 tbh... felt pretty good... the second set also felt good 3rd was pushing it... after arms were shaking a bit...

good session given I was feeling off... had to laugh about the breakage, only interrupted the set for about 20 secs so kept the flow going... back is feeling it quite a bit now, esp in the traps and upper back...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

192.5x5x2

GHR
BW+5x11
BW+5x9
BW+5x6

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, (comp pause) 100x3

112.5x5x4

Inc press
72.5x8
72.5x10

Dips left as no time...

Hell of a day, first off forgot my boy was going to a school for a 6th form entry interview... woke him up at 0630 as normal to be told he could have slept in... lol... oops took him to that and then went to work (who I had also forgot to let know I would be late but luckily they are good there) then home very late and basically training...

Squats - warm ups went well... felt better as weight increased... tops sets were really good... went deep and felt smooth, strong and quick, prob not as quick as I would like but then when are they ever...

GHR - oh all thats good and holy... first set was only aiming for 10 but thought I would do one more... dope... second set was decent enough... third just died...

BP - warm ups felt pretty good... top sets went really well, from set 3 was really working on getting the lats and back working better... felt more stable and "lighter"... prob a bit quicker too... felt working well...

Inc Press - man today these flew... had a great pressing motion and it felt spot on... chest hit well...

done for today... things going well and feeling this new program is hitting me in all the right places...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x1

207.5x1x5
*belt on*
207.5x4x5

Rack squats
202.5x3

BP
WU40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *comp pause* 100x3

107.5x5x2

Flyes
30x12
22.5x18

TPD (rest/pause)
40x18/11/7

holy jebus... Dig is such a barsteward... but so good at the same time... hmmm to kick or kiss him... hmmm fvck it slap with a wet salmon...

Squats - holy dammit... warm ups felt awesome... not one felt heavy and form felt good... top sets 1st one was really good and not belt so getting up there atm... belt on and made it through the 4 more... 4th set the last rep was a bit slow... last set 4th and 5th went slower but still felt strong... legs were just mullered after this though, I was thinking hey only 3 reps for rack and its only 190... forgot it was 202.5... fvcking joy...

Rack squats - went well as it happens... strong and good tightness, and kept it all the way through better this week.... legs done though...

BP - went very well... warm ups were good but the top sets were the big surprise... felt strong and fast and fluid... found a good line kept it for all the sets and was just smooth as silk... very happy...

Flyes - damn... first set went well and again better than I expected... felt it hard in the pecs though... nice stretch and felt them working... second set I didnt expect to get the target of 16 tbh but managed 18... again nice stretch and worked well...

TPD - oh man... rest pause these ones today... first set went really well... felt it working hard but good... second set tris died... third was tough and felt my triceps alot...

great session today, not sure if I have to train tomorrow or can do it wednesday as mrs goes in for a knee op wed... should be home by lunch but you never know... deads day... reads like freaking cardio day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

225x5x5

Seated rows (90secs)
170x11
130x16
130x12
130x10

Rev BOR/Rack Chins (1min, slow negative)
BWx10
BWx8
BWx7

DB hammer curls
25x9
20x13
20x12

holy jebus, was a good work out today but man felt that one bite... had to train today as couldnt yesterday due to the mrs op taking longer than expected and the hospital took ages discharging her, excellent service and all but long time...

Deads - pretty standard to be honest... little tired as last couple of nights been low on sleep but was a fairly light one so went ok... actually better than ok... top weights moved fast which I would expect at that weight... however second set second rep I managed to pull something in my inner thigh near the top... reset and carried on that set, felt ok so kept going for the last 3 and they all went ok as it happens... happy with that...

Seated rows - ffs that was hard... top set went ok, felt it hit me right in the upper back... had to take a minute to get my breath after... the 130 sets were stricter... felt these working the back really well... was already getting doms...

Rev BOR - oh come on, these sound innocuous but dammit they sting... esp with the slow negatives...

DB hammer curls - havent done these in a while but pretty straight forward, should have gone up about 2.5kg but still worked enough...

great session... glad I got it done... def see what Dig means with keep a day between workouts though... tomorrow will be interesting... yay me...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3 Or the day that I forgot everything that would help me bench properly...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

192.5x5x2

GHR
BW+10x8
BW+5x10
BWx10

Bench
WU 40x2x40, 60x5, 80x4, *comp pause* 100x3

115x3x5
115x3
115x4

Inc Press
77.5x8
77.5x9

Dips left

been pretty full on this week... so training is a little up and down...

Squats - was a little worried that the inner thigh niggle would stop these but as it happened they went really well and the niggle got better as the weight went on... top sets were really good, fast and smooth and strong... really happy...

GHR - oh man... these really killed my hamstrings today... glutes got a bit of a beating but the hams were hit hard in particular...

Bench - well that was a pants bench session... first 3 sets went ok... not special and felt off... the 4th set was just god awful... if you could have a poster session of what not to do thats what I did... instead of just throwing in the towel I sat and thought about what I was doing wrong... took a look at the form and technique and then remember to apply some of Digs advice to benching... seemed to do the trick a bit... felt much much better...

Inc press - ok this went better... first set fired the weight up really nicely second set went much the same...

not the best session but tbh not the worst... def works best when the head is in the game and I am nailing the form and technique... gotta make sure that I get this down every session and make sure I keep that advice foremost in the mind... was pretty late today training as well as had to take the mrs in to get her dressing removed... knee looks pretty good tbh but is all stapled up and she looks like frankenstein...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2

*belt on*
215x5x6

Rack squats
210x4

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 (comp pause) 100x3

107.5x5x2

Holy sh1t... sleep has not been very good lately as have to be up for the mrs to help her to the loo or get a drink or whatever as she cant really just get up and down with her knee... so feeling knackered...

Squats - my coach is a w4nker... yes Dig you are... warm ups went really well as it happens... felt smooth and deep and good... 200 flew up and was thinking cool this is on... top set jebus... first set of 6 and I felt it hit my quads really well... they felt sore... 2nd set was worse... third set was not sure if I should try crying or dying... think in the end I was considering both... 4th and 5th sets were acts of will... quads got fantastically hit today... hams and glutes got something as well but quads in particular were just pummeled...

Rack squats - after thinking yay thats the last set of squats I remembered I had these... and at 210... Dig you colossal w4nker... oh holy hell these hurt... legs were wobbly and just on fire... got them though and kept tight in the rack which meant I could get the rep, loosen a little and its hard enough but today I think if I had got a little loose in the hole I would have lost the set...

BP - thank god I get to lie down... but wait the legs are still aching ffs... still made sure that today the cues and advice Dig has given me over the time I have been with him were nailed... made a big difference... speed was much better, felt the exercise better too...

jebus what a session, looks small on paper felt huge in practice... legs are dead... they are gonna act up tonight I am sure... have not been on the magic connection box as much lately as the mrs is home and we have a bunch of things to do like rehab and some family stuff... but will resume normal service fairly soon...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Postponed from yesterday as was feeling shattered, just no sleep and what I did get was broken as the mrs needed my help to get up to go toilet and move pillows to support the knee... thats a lot better now so last night 4 hours straight sleep and it felt awesome...

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

240x5x5

Chins
BW+7.5x2x6
BW+7.5x8 (last was a bit pants tbh)

Seated rows
175x9
140x15

Hammer curls
27.5x11

Db curls (R/P slow negative)
20x15/9/6

holy jebus...

Deads - was a bit nervous tbh as 5x5 is a bit more than I am used to and at 240... however I knew from first warm up that it was going to go well... first set at 240 flew... in fact first 4 sets went incredibly well and the 5th was great till the 4th and 5th rep when they slowed... solid, quick and smooth... I will take that all day long... only did a 4 min break max between each set too so down on rest period...

Chins - went better than expected, first 2 sets felt good, last set went pretty well till the last rep which I fanaggled up...

Seated rows - holy fvck... the 175 felt heavy... wow... back got a bit of a blast though... 140 went much better but hit the upper back just as hard... man back pumps galore...

hammer curls - oh come on... felt these hit the biceps hard... after all the back work the grip was hurting too...

DB curls - holy hera slow negatives... well I tried... first set was pretty good... hurt but went well... second set I think I might have had an outta body experience... last set I vaguely remember... 15 breaths go by awfully fast...

great session and really glad I postponed it till today... yesterday was just no energy and doubt I would have finished it tbh... today much better... back is in bits... pumps from sacrum to skull... pain from sacrum to skull lol... will look at training sat next... been very busy with the mrs off... shes much better but still at home so been spending some quality time... knee is healing well and shes been upgraded to a new lot of exercises today and can walk on it without crutches... physio was good this morning... will get to all the posts and journals next week... also looking for a new car, will stick with the mazda 6 as its a great car and looks great too... still working on the mrs but should be able to do that in the next week or two...


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## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

195x5x2

GHR (weight behind head)
BW+5kg x5
BW+5kg x4+1p

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 (comp pause) 100x3

110x4x6
110x1x5+1p

Inc Press
80x10

Flyes
32.5x8+1p

Dips
BW+5kg x10

decent session today, sleep still a bit hit and miss tbh but getting through it...

Squats - felt really good today... the volume on squats is def paying off... form and technique felt really on point... quick smooth and deep...

GHR - holy fvck moving the weight behind my head made a massive difference... hams and glutes caned...

BP - dammit... nearly made it for all the reps... went really well for the first 4 sets then on the 4th rep last set hit the wall... managed to get the 5th rep ok but not the 6th, just couldnt lock out the rep...

Inc press - wow felt great, managed to move the weight really well... felt the chest working hard too...

Flyes - again great set and felt them stretch the pecs out... strong and smooth...

Dips - went fairly well... certainly better than I expected...

still not sleeping great... but at least the training is going ok... ended up being a busy day, got the new car this morning but have to wait till it gets delivered so pick it up in a couple of weeks... did a family lunch then home to train... time seems to be flying atm... one week till I head to Ireland to ref the Irish pro... run by a huge lifter and awesome chap Shane Brodie... should be fun...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2, 215x1

*belt on*

227.5x3x2

2ct Paused squats

210x2x3

BP

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *comp pause* 100x3

110x5x2

actually got a full 7 hours sat night sleep wise and about 6 last night (albeit in 2 lots of 3) but feel worse for it ffs...

Squats - was really happy to see only 3x2 and even happier that the top sets felt very stable and solid and strong... prob could have moved faster but they went well enough... really happy with squats atm as they are feeling so good...

2ct - awww maaaan... yeah hit the quads a bit here... however felt much better in the hole and more stable... quick out of it too which was good...

BP - did not expect it to go so well tbh... weight moved fast enough and felt strong... a couple of reps felt a little off but corrected well enough...

good session, feeling it but not overwhelmingly so... some more sleep would be nice but things are settling there too I think... mrs knee is healing pretty well but she probably needs to push it a little more than she does with her rehab work... still its healing quicker than I thought it would... had a few days where it was harder getting food in but starting to get some appetite back so will look to get back up to 118 or 120 in the next month or two and then try to hold that there... however we booked a holiday today so that may mean it falls a little (yeah I know most put weight on when on holiday me I lose ffs, although theres a buffet there I am sure somewhere so might try to maintain  )...


----------



## MRSTRONG

looking good in here buddy :thumb


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## Greyphantom

MRSTRONG said:


> looking good in here buddy :thumb


 thanks mate... making slow progress but progress is progress right


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## Greyphantom

Day 1 (take 2)

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2, 215x1

*shiny new belt on*
227.5x3x2

Paused squats 2ct
215x2x3

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

110x5x2

well I have not been on a lot lately as been a bit sick and had the Irish Pro Invitational to ref so been a bit busy... having a cold sucks ar$e and this one seems to hang on ffs... could hardly breath last week but this week its better albeit seems to have settled in my sinuses... the Irish Pro was awesome and a true pleasure to be involved with... while there I treated myself to a new belt, one of the sbd lever 13mm belts... always wanted to try it out and so thought while I am there would be rude not to get one







its pretty awesome, first use today and first lever and first 13 mm I have used too... def rate it... the lever is sooooooo good to use, makes it a cinch to get tight and its comfortable too... and can release it between sets which I dont do as its a hassle on the double prong... very stiff atm but to be expected I guess...

Squats - felt awesome... so light up till about 200 then a little heavier, put the belt on at 227.5 and it went really well... sat more upright in the hole, whether due to a combination of belt and strength or one or tother I dont know but all felt good and quads got a battering... felt strong and quick enough...

2ct - felt great, nice and strong and quick enough and really solid in the hole...

Bp - really good today, brought my grip in a finger so ring fingers on the rings and it felt a lot better, stronger and faster... decided to do this after watching a few really good benchers and noticed they had a slightly closer grip than I did (comparatively of course)... worked well...

good session today, pleased with how it went...


----------



## Greyphantom

day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5 fvck fvck fvckity fvck... felt something go in the upper inner rear part of the leg... adductors were feeling sore from squats the other day but felt ok with deads... but this felt like a sharp pull... with thoughts of the hamstring tear last year I was a gnats fart from giving up todays session... did a couple more reps at 120 and felt ok so went 170x5, 210x3

235x5x5

first puking attempt (phlegm only ffs cold)

Hammer close grip pd
90x11
80x12
70x14

Seated rows r/p
135x17/10/8

oh jebus back done... second puking thought (just a thought this time)... this cold is just hanging on and the chesty thing is still fvcking there...

left out hammer curls as ran out of time...

Deads - started fine, 120 felt very light and fast 1st set well enough and legs/adductors were fine... 2nd set did the 5 quick and easy again then when I lowered the bar after last rep felt a sharp pull/twinge in the upper inner rear part of leg and though oh no... massaged it a bit and it felt sore... sent Dig a text he suggested wrapping it (and I turned down some sdp knee wraps at the weekend ffs) but nothing to wrap it with so gave 120 a couple more reps and it felt fine so went to 170... still fine so 210 and that was still fine so went to top sets 235... 1st set was a bit tentative... felt ok a little achey and I just had to make sure form was spot on... 2nd and 3rd sets went fine... as did the 4th and 5th... weight was not a problem but speed was a little down mainly as I was being a bit careful although on the 5th set I did push a little quicker as I wanted to test it... doesnt feel bad at all now, a little sore but just a very little...

Hammer pd - wow felt these hit the back quite a lot tbh... lats and even mid back felt it working hard...

Seated rows - felt heavy today... bench got in the way so I had to push it back on one of the reps lol... mid back toasted...

long ar$sed day today... not much sleep last night well a late one anyway then out in the garden most of the day so was not a happy bunny then the fvcking niggle... still got the work done and def worked the back... got a call from the car guy and our car will be ready to pick up next fri... sweet... need to have a few days long sleep but thats not going to happen till next... um.... um... well we shall see...


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## Greyphantom

Day 3
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

200x5x2

GHR
Left

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *comp pause* 100x3, 115x2

122.5x3x3

Incl press
85x8
85x10

Side raises
25x8+1p
17.5x15

after the twinge I got yesterday was a bit careful on the squats but it went ok...

Squats - warm ups went well... felt great and smooth... no problem with the niggle from yesterday... top sets first 2 went a little slow as was being careful... 3-5 went a bit quicker and felt nice and strong, weight no problem at all... no belt on and was a little nervous but again went smooth and felt tight... really happy with these...

GHR - a bit nope, first one could feel the ache intensify so just sacked that so as not to make it worse...

BP - brought my grip in again so the little finger is on the rings... felt much better off the chest and faster too... warm ups nice and strong... top sets were really good and faster than I have done in the past... felt really good...

Incl press - went well... ring fingers on the rings this time and strong pressing was had... first set a little sluggish if truth be told but the last one really got under the bar well...

Side raises - fvck me the 25s felt heavy... only managed the 8 and a partial there... the 17.5s went much better and felt good... delts done...

good session but so much going on at the moment I have no time to fit it all in... up at 0400 to drive to devon to ref a comp... long day then sunday the same... drive home again...


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## Greyphantom

Day 1
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2, 215x1

*belt on*
230x3x3

2ct Paused squats
222.5x3

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

110x5x2

busy weekend reffing the Southwest qual in Barnstaple... food was not as much as should have been but I did get some rest... even slept well last night...

Squats - oh the warm ups felt awesome, much better quad feel and form is starting to really sink in... technique is feeling bang on too... top sets went thusly... 1st... what a clusterfvck... jebus h christmas... first off the belt was a bit tight... secondly I completely didnt think about anything to do with squatting as I was trying to use the belt too much... thirdly felt something go owie in the groin so just meh... sat and considered all the above points... 2nd set, did belt a notch less and felt much better, actually got my legs involved and sat back better and did all the things that Dig has been harping on about for a while and got into the squat proper... man that felt much better... stronger and quads more involved... 3rd set went better yet as I settled into it... legs in slightly on ascent too so that gave me more oomph and involved the quads a bit more too... phew...

2ct - Dig you barsteward... man this was hard but not as terrible as I expected... quads a little sore now... twinged upper back a little on 1st rep as weight shifted slight when breathed in deep but went fine...

BP - warm ups went smooth and fast... top sets were brilliant... little finger on the rings def a good grip position for me... much stronger off the chest and fast drive up too... helps bring to bear all of Digs suggestions too... feels more solid... had 2 mins rest between the top sets too... didnt feel fatigued at all... happy with how these are going atm...

little tired today but not too bad tbh... time going slow atm but thats cos its 4 more sleeps till I get the car... food wasnt terrific over the weekend but remedying that now... really need to get it all working as wed is a big day with deads... little nervous but thats a good thing I am hoping...


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## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 230x1

250x5x6

Hammer cg pd
95x12
80x15

Db hammer curls
not done

holy damn... sleep has actually been pretty decent last few nights which is so good... food been good too... however with that little mishap on the paused squats on mon I was feeling it in my upper back yesterday and thankfully this quietened down by today but was still a little sore... however it did not affect my training neither did any hamstring issues...

Deads - warm ups went very well... felt very light and fast... tbh was a bit nervous about going into todays session as the vol is something I have never really done before esp at this weight... first set was blazing... fast, strong and easy... well happy... 2, 3 and 4 was much the same and very surprised I was... 5th set got my head in the game and first 4 reps went much the same as the previous sets... last 2 reps the speed dropped off but managed to do the reps nice enough... totally fvcked after this... took me 5 mins just to get to break the weight down and then another couple to move on to the next ex...

Hammer cg pd - ok lower back done, feeling very ill and so what better way to take ones mind off it than by smashing out some more weight... first set went pretty well as it happens... felt my lats and upper back working really well and the movement felt strong... the second set went a bit better I think and while I felt the ex in the lats I finished thinking that wasnt bad... 30 secs later I was cursing Digs good name and calling his parentage into question... lats and upper back on fire... feeling very ill and basically doing all I can to not throw up...

was supposed to do hammer curls but left them to 2 reasons... 1) had some stuff to do and was running a bit later than I thought I would... and 2) most importantly I was fvcked... took me 10 mins to stand up without feeling ill... prob should have left a bit longer rest between sets... (4 mins or so on deads and a few mins on the pd)... really pleased I got the deads... glad I hit the pd too... but I am still sure Dig is trying to kill me... or experiment on me...


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## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x3

200x5x2

GHR (weight behind head)
BW+5x7
BWx10

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x1, 120x1

127.5x3x2

CGBP
87.5x2x8
87x5x12

Flyes
not done as no time

Good session yesterday (fri 29 Apr) and felt really good too... had to cut it a bit short as had to go pick up mrs from airport but no hassle as got to take the new car for a decent spin... is awesome btw...

Squats - warm ups felt so good that I cocked up the 180... took the weight and it felt light so thought I must be at the 160 set and did a triple instead of 2... oops







the 200 went really well and fast enough... form and technique is really improving here I think...

GHR - who the hell makes you put the weight behind your head... first set was hard, felt that a lot... bw I thought would be better and it was... sort of... but still hit the glutes and hams very decently...

BP - the change to form and technique seems to be paying off... little fingers on the rings and more air in keeping up on traps more and using the back to push through the bench more... warm ups went fine, top sets felt really good and pretty quick which is good...

CGBP - easy really felt great and the press was smooth and fast...

Flyes I couldnt fit in as it was one of those days and had to drive to heathrow to get the mrs as she was coming back from Ireland... training went well and is feeling good, I am getting used to more volume and find the extra bench and squat work is helping with bettering form and technique... really happy with deads atm as well and surprised tbh... long may it continue...

new car is the dogs btw... very pleased with it and so shiny


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## Greyphantom

Day 1

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1

235x3x2

2ct paused squats
220x2x3

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *comp pause from here* 100x3, 110x1

115x5x2

had to move yesterday to today as the mrs and daughter wanted to go shopping for the daughters prom dress yesterday... sigh... still went really well and felt very good

Squats - wam ups still feeling light and easy and form seems to be improving all the time... 220 felt really good and 235 while I felt the weight it moved very well... very happy with these atm... working the knees in trick that Dig suggested and it seems to make the weight want to go up... not quite on its own but well enough...

2ct paused - again felt the weight here but man it went well... not fast and not easy but not hard either... smooth and solid... quads getting more work in the squat atm which is good...

BP - warm ups went well... 110 flew and felt very easy... 115 well how on earth did this get to feel so good... fast, smooth and so good... it felt better than the 110 did last week actually, really moving along and long may it do so...

great session today... working the form on bench and squats has been paying dividends... technique and form are improving all the time and I am sure this will pay off down the road... as I am at Bodypower all weekend reffing I thought I would throw my name in for a cheeky seminar with Mike Womack who is a pretty decent bencher and trains Emma James... will see how it goes there, although if I am being totally honest now that I seem to have found a really good groove I am loathe to break it up with anything new... we shall see how it goes...


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## Greyphantom

Day 2 (Wed 03 May 17)

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

237.5x5x5

Hammer pd
100x11
75x16/7/6

Hammer curls
30x10
25x11
20x14

short and sweet today but still gave me a great work out... feeling a bit meh, tired a little... but the show must be lifted...

Deads - warm ups went well... didnt feel heavy and moved fast so was happy... top sets went fine... quick and smooth... pretty standard really...

PD - felt these hitting my lats really well... nice and smooth and on the edge of a little too heavy but right where its supposed to be... the next set was a rest/pause set... flaming nora that hit hard, lats were screaming...

good session overall... feeling it well...


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## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats (no belt)
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 195x2

205x5x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *comp pause* 100x3, 115x1, 125x1

132.5x3x2

CGBP
95x10
87.5x12
80x13

yeah I will take that, good session and felt strong... also the mrs and kids got me a new stereo thing for the gym for my birthday and it has got amazing sound which added at least 20% more oomph to my training









Squats - warm ups felt great... smooth strong and fast... got to top sets and they still felt smooth strong and fast... also deep... even worked going a little deeper on the last few sets to really bed it in... no belt on the lighter squats still and felt very good with it... form and technique are feeling great with the added squat vol...

BP - yeah will take this today... 115 felt so fast it was unreal, 125 was not as good but first 2 sets at 132.5 felt better than the 125... the last one something went a little awry and felt a little off but still got them out ok... getting more air in helps with stability for sure and the narrower grip helps with keeping my back and triceps in the lift... also funnily enough I feel it more in the pecs...

CGBP - first set felt nice and strong but man the arms got a battering... made it to 10 with not much trouble and thought about 11 but left it there... next set was lighter and felt strong, but was going to sack it at 11 reps and thought nope one more and got it, just... last set went really well but again by rep 11 feeling it and just managed the 13...

really good training today and things moving apace...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1

235x3x3

2ct Paused
225x3
210x5

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

115x5x2

oh man... just not a good day today... sleep was awful last night, woke all the time and couldnt seem to get any solid sleep... feeling a bit meh...

Squats - warm ups went mostly ok till about 220 which felt the weight but moved ok... 235 first set moved pretty well... 2nd set not so much, 2nd rep I lost tightness in the upper back and chest caved a little which worried me for a second, had a word with myself and tightened up third went well... last set was much better and cues were bang on...

2ct - holy jebus Dig... first set I felt that... went very slow but strong and if I was feeling a bit better then I might have gone for a 4th... second set I pretty much cried about as didnt want to do it as legs were mega fvcked... did it anyway and first 4 reps were awesome... last one not so much however...

BP - dammit... warm ups felt a little meh... 100 felt pretty decent tbh and so went for the top sets but first one I didnt get set up right nor get all my cues working... stupid... rest of the sets flew and felt much better... much faster and stronger...

sleep tonight is going to be god awful... hot bath for sure... legs already feeling really sore... but wouldnt have it any other way... bring the challenge... whimper...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1

265x3x3

CG hammer pd (dropset)
107.5/80/60x10/8/8

Db curls
25x2x11
25x13

just a short one today... feeling ok even though sleep is still a little off... better last night but still not great...

Deads - warm ups felt good, better as they went along, 250 went up very quickly and while I was thinking 265 might feel a bit heavy after the 250 I knew it wouldnt... and it didnt... first set went really well, quick easy and no trouble... second set 1st rep was a bit slow, just a bit cocky I think but the other 2 moved well... 3rd set went really well again and tbh I think 3x5 wouldnt have been out of order today...

PD - oh yeah... first set went pretty good... dropped to 80 straight away and into it got 8 feeling it a bit then straight into 60 and the last 2 reps felt like my lats were going to come off... wow...

Curls - thought they were going to be more of a challenge tbh but went really well... arms felt suitably worked...

good session really happy... feeling much better with the workouts now... big weekend with bodypower and reffing also attending a bench seminar held by Mike Womack... will be reffing some very big lifters too... cannot wait...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x1

207.5x5x2

GHR (weight behind head)
BW+5kg x9

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *comp pause* 100x3, 115x2, 125x1

132.5x3
132.5x2
132.5x3

CGBP
110x5
97.5x9
85x11

bit of a busy day, work went a bit longer today and had a bunch of stuff to do so didnt get home till later than usual and so everything was put off a bit... sleep still meh... feeling ok though...

Squats - went really well... still no belt and feeling very strong and solid... depth is really good and form and technique is being nailed which helps keep it all flowing so well...

GHR - who would do this to a person... really hit the hams and glutes hard and felt them work loads...

BP - ok this didnt go exactly to plan but went well enough... warm ups were good 100 felt amazing and moved very fast and well... better than 80 used to feel and light... even 125 felt really good so quite happy... first set 132.5 nailed... weight moved well and quickly and I felt I would have had another and maybe possibly even 2 more on that set... 2nd set was where it went a little meh... took the bar, started 1st rep and felt hip flexor cramp... did the 1st rep, went for 2nd, hip got a lot worse and really felt it, got 2nd rep but then had to bail the 3rd as it was just not going to work... doh... 3rd set after some reflection realised hadnt opened up legs enough to get the hips in well... did this and 3rd moved nicely... not as well as the 1st set but went smoothly enough... so up and down really...

CGBP - pretty standard and felt good... moved through these quickly enough and all went well...

decent enough session... happy enough even though missed the 3rd on the 2nd set of bp... however in the past I think that would have hindered the 3rd but today nope, did that and felt good about it... program changes a bit from here... training is not 3 times a week as standard but moves a bit... he tells me it will get harder... such a nice man... *mutters choice insulting words under breath*


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1 (Its getting a bit complex now)

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3 180x2 200x2

207.5x5x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3, 115x2, 130x1

137.5x2x2
137.5x1

CGBP
110x6
97.5x10
85x11

was supposed to do this monday but was feeling a bit off, got worse tue with a thumping headache so as feeling better today did it today... weekend was busy with the Bodypower comp and that was awesome will write a bit more at the end of this...

Squats - felt really good and light till about 200 then felt a little weight... the top sets felt fine and went well enough if not as snappy as should have been, I will put that down to heat and recovery... still no belt on these squats and its feeling good...

BP - right did a bench seminar at BP with Mike Womack on the friday... used some of his pointers today and they seem to work quite well... although they do cause a few aches and pains as well... warm ups went fine, fast and solid... top sets the first 2 were really good... got into the position and kept it as told... main points were keep upper back "squeezing the can" through the whole movement, drive butt up to shoulders to create better arch and maintain that drive during the whole press and breath through nose into diaphragm... also he took my grip out wide... last top set was supposed to be a double as well but back was really sore at this stage and maintaining the arch etc just didnt happen... had to rack it and stretch it all out... back is now sore and so are my legs funnily enough...

CGBP - these went pretty well... got a couple of extra reps and felt them hit the tris well...

happy enough with today... really got to work the changes as I am feeling it hard atm but can see how they will help... weekend was a good one with some pretty fvcking decent lifting tbf... fri I did a seminar for the bench with Mike Womack who is one of the best benchers in single ply around... he did both a raw and equipped... I obv did the raw... main points were to shorten the stroke so you lessened the rom... he also helped sink in some of the bits that Dig has been telling me and getting me to implement... did the bench to see how it went... went 70 for 3, 120 for a single then 152.5 for an equal pb... I said 150 but my friends who were helping out added a little extra to the bar lol... so not too bad...

rest of bp I basically saw the walkway to the lifting and the lifting arena and then the walkway out of the venue lol... long days but very worth it...


----------



## Greyphantom

day 2 hmmm will have to start labeling these different now as its going to 5 days apart all 3 lifts...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1

237.5x3x2

2ct paused
220x6

bp
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

115x5x2

feeling a bit dodge today so was thinking of ditching it but felt alright around training time so went for it...

Squats - feeling very strong atm... well controlled and tight all the way through the movement... mostly... got to top sets ok... first set 1st rep went well... 2nd rep well for some reason went quite a bit deeper than expected, didnt loosen up or anything but just dropped right down into the hole, but before where I might have bailed and dropped the weight to the safeties I powered out of the hole really well... rest of the sets went well and felt good...

2ct - ok this went well... way better than I expected... felt very strong and tight in the hole and drive out was really good, well till the last one... that was a bit slow...

bp - using the pointers again, keeping that technique and form is not easy, back def feels it and def noticing things like the breathing into diaphragm etc... more stability and keeping tighter through the whole movment... went well... got better as the set progressed...

felt good about the session and feel it went well... now working on a 5 day apart training session cycle with all three lifts... I think Dig is trying to kill me...


----------



## Greyphantom

Session 1

ok bit of a difference going forward, all 3 lifts on the one day... yay... sessions every 5th day... but next session will be a non deadlift day...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5 130x3, 160x3, 190x2

205x5x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

140x2
137.5x1+1p
137.5x1+1p

Deads
WU 120x5, 170x3, 210x2, 250x1, 270x1

282.5x2x2
282.5x1+1p

man was a hard day today tbh... last good sleep was sat night... felt great sun but each night since has been pants... hasnt helped the mrs being in the US so I get texts late in the evening... the heat was also a killer, dripping before I even hit the first set of squats...

Squats - pretty good and routine now... warm ups felt good... tops sets the 1st felt a little heavier than expected but nailed the form after that and it went much better... pretty solid and comfortable...

BP - warm ups felt good, moved the grip in again to see if it made a difference... it does, feels better and more stable... get better drive through my back... arch is better though as still use Womacks pointers re the arch and breathing... got to top set and 1st rep went up nicely... 2nd rep was good but a little slower... went down to 137.5 and 1st rep was pretty quick but 2nd had a muscle twitch or the bar moved or something as it was not smooth at all... got it to chest, went to drive up and elbow just gave about half way up... dammit... was a bit sore but after a few mins thought fvck it give it another shot... last set first rep went really well, kept it tighter and made sure form was on point... 2nd rep did the same but just couldnt lock it out as elbow started folding at the top... pffft...

Deads - was dragging at this stage, heat was killing just dog tired... was a little worried as thought the elbow thing might affect grip but as it happens it went ok... warm ups went pretty well as it happens... didnt expect the heavier ones to go as smooth... tops sets started well, 1st moved quick enough and didnt feel particularly taxing, 2nd was much the same if a little better tbh but the 3rd didnt go to plan... first rep was ok but 2nd I was done... couldnt get the hips through at the top and lock it out so just took it back to the floor... def dragging at this stage...

ok this was a long session and a little harder than I expected... the heat and tiredness taking their toll... enjoyed the session in a sadistic sort of way though... def sleepy time soon...


----------



## Greyphantom

Session 2 (29 May 17)

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3 160x3, 180x2, 200x2, *belt on* 220x1, 235x1

242.5x3x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3, 110x2

117.5x5x2

finished there, ran out of time to finish some back work... the mrs was home so had a day of work and clearing a shed and moving a bunch of crap about, well to a skip anyway... tbh I didnt think it was going to go well... sleep as been sporadic at best... the heat and lifting stuff all over the place I was just fooked... I was thinking I would make it to about 220 on the squats...

Squats - warm ups went surprisingly well... solid strong and easy... even though tired started feeling happy... got to the 220 and I thought well here it is, prob the limit for today... went up ok... thought hell give the 235 a shot... that went up even better... loaded for the top sets... first set 1st rep dropped a little quicker than expected but came up nicely and 2nd rep was a lot tighter and more controlled... 2nd set was great felt strong and no problem... 3rd set 1st rep really good 2nd rep down ok and the drive from the hole started ok but man it was a slow journey up lol... legs were feeling strong and not too badly battered tbh...

BP - brought grip in to the little fingers on the rings... still utilised all the other tweaks that Mike Womack was teaching at the seminar and these combined with all the stuff Dig has me do nailed it... warm ups felt strong and stable and fast... very light even 100 felt much lighter than usual... 110 flew up solid and strong... 117.5 just went far better than I thought it would and than it has... close grip, diaphragmatic breathing and traps/butt arch thing all working together to make a solid lifting platform and getting that drive through the back is really making it work... very fast and light (ish







)...

had no time to do the back accessory stuff as the mrs made dinner (but as it turned out I could have probably got it in as she faffed about for a further 30 mins or so before it was ready)... combination of late start and her coming out to tell me dinner was about done (pfffft) just meant called it there... I reckon Dig has been working things right as today was a bit of a bonus in my eyes... normally I like to chill a bit before training to make the most of it but today just had no time... loads of lifting and moving heavy sh1t all day and the heat just pants... tbh would have called it in the past and just put it off a day but put some big boy pants on and did as told... very nicely surprised... belt was in a hole as well... weight maintaining at about 115 or so...


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## Greyphantom

Session 3 Fri 02 Jun 17

sleep not great, so freaking hot... feeling knackered...

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 190x2

205x3x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3 115x1 130x1 140x1

147.5x2x1
140x2

Deads
WU 120x5, 170x3, 210x2, 250x1, 280x1

295x2
280x2

yeah was very warm and a bit close in the gym... feeling pretty up for it if a bit tired...

squats - standard really form good and kept it tight and spot on... reps fast and comfortable...

BP - warm ups felt cracking... got to top sets 147.5 ok these I wa pretty happy with... fast off the chest till near lockout when they slowed but never in doubt... the 2nd single went better than the first... 140x2 were quick and better than the last time I did 140 which was last week I think...

Deads - ok very hot and sweaty and a little knackered by now... warm ups went well... 295 moved well, quicker than I thought and while not feeling easy felt good... 280 felt fast and smooth and tbh almost easy... did not expect them to fly up like they did...

very happy with today even though felt a bit meh... Dig informs me that I have failed a double at 295 a few times when fresh let alone after squats and bench so that I will take and be happy with... tbh the work Dig has me doing has made some big differences in stamina and strength... got a bit of a deload next then a big max session or two... bring it on...


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## Greyphantom

Session 4 08 Jun 17

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1, 235x1

250x2
240x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, *comp pause* 100x3, 110x1, 120x1

130x2x3

feeling pretty good today...

Squats - warm ups felt tight and sweet... no issues... 250 oh yeah felt really good, fast and smooth and not too hard... 240 following went up really well too and no problems there... funny thing about the 250 is that when I racked the weight all felt fine with my legs but about 30 secs later they just needed to rest and felt sore... soon shook that off... legs felt nicely worked...

BP - yeah def getting the hang of this... warm ups went quick and felt good... form locking in now... 130 1st set went fast and smooth, really got up on the traps as Dig has said and pushed away from the bar as he has also suggested... combined with the diaphragm breathing Mike Womack pointed out at his seminar and it locked in really tight, so stable... 2nd set 130 first 2 reps went much the same... last was a bit slower but not in doubt...

oh yeah that was a good session... felt strong and solid and much better than previous...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deload

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 120x5, 140x5

155x5

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5

90x5 (pause on the chest)

deload before friday starts max comp days...

Squats - all reps to be bang on and feel good... all reps were bang on and felt fvcking awesome... strong stable solid and fast... course its a light weight so it should... form and technique is really locking in and it feels much better...

BP - form and technique is also improving and getting more natural here too... much better at locking into the traps and getting the lats locked to form a decent platform and driving away from the bar as Dig has suggested is becoming more natural too... feeling strong and bar moving so much quicker...

good little deload session for the main event this fri and then mon... sleep has been pants but I get what I can, just very warm and I wake either hot or hot and sweaty... once I can cool down enough I seem to sleep really well but that can take a while... food is going in better atm which is good... generally feeling pretty good... getting used to the bench arch so the back is not as sore lol... got a bit of work on the house still before fri which I will call "conditioning work"









in other very sad news found out that Dot Shaw has passed away today... she is one of Britiains top lifters really and after blowing out both knees in Vegas came back and was squatting 300+ and making it look so graceful... she was also a truly good person with an encouraging word to those of us starting out and had a ready smile... she will be missed...


----------



## Greyphantom

Mock meet Squat and bench

Squat
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x1, 200x1 *belt on* 220x1

240x1
255x1
265x1 PB
275x1 PB

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

140x1
150x1
155x1
160xf

ok today was a day of maxes and training like it was a comp day...

Squats - warm ups were tight and felt great... 160 and it really started kicking in... first working weight was 240 and that felt easy... 255 and it went better than expected felt good and fast... loaded to 265 which is a PB and nailed it... wasnt the fastest rep but nice and smooth and felt good enough I went for another one... 275 more than I have done before... took the weight felt and it felt ok... went down... tight in the hole, drive up and BAM went slowly but still went up... locked it and done... went to re rack it and legs were a tad wobbly... left it there and feeling pretty happy albeit alot shaky...

Bench - took 30 mins before I started the bench... warm ups felt nice and tight, moved well and even the 130 felt good... 140 went well if not great... 150 though moved very well and quick... was nicely surprised so confident going to 155... weight felt nice in my hands lowered pause on the chest and drive up... oh man that went well better than the 147.5 did for sure and as it went so well I thought lets try 160... got all set up and psyched and too the weight, didnt feel too bad but lowered to chest pause and drive up but only a few inches and then nothing left...

sleep hasnt been best lately but have been feeling pretty good... food is on the up and so is the weight (114.4kg as of this morning)... also spent the day yesterday tearing down and old shed in the back as the mrs wants to replace it... tbf it is falling apart... so great run in to the mock meet...

hot enough today but feeling very good... the weight all felt good even on the PBs... well except for the 160... feeling a bit beat up atm and I get to do it all over again but with deads this time... looking forward to some food a bath then bed...


----------



## Greyphantom

Mock meet deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 270x1

290x1
310x1 (no lift)
310xf

how freaking hot was it today... and last night... today was supposed to be a mock meet session for deads... had a very achievable target imho and was hoping to do a little more... well not today... had about 2 hrs sleep in total last night, had a fan on me opened some windows to let the air flow and that worked as went to sleep around 3... woke at 0315 to find I was dripping with sweat and so hot... couldnt figure why as fan was still on... went to loo and only then realised that all the windows were closed... the mrs had got up literally 5 mins after I had opened them and closed them all as she didnt want to get bitten by bugs... fvcking woo fvcking hoo...

anywho... left training till 1715 as it is scorching here... still too hot really... warm ups started really well, sweating after first set though... food and liquid all good today and over the weekend so wasnt worried about dehydration... 210 flew, 250 smooth as silk, 270 not as quick as I would like but put it down to meh rep... 290 flew up, very fast and really nice...310 was about 10mins later as instructed, pulled the bar from the floor and it came up really well till the top when I overbalanced and went back onto my heels but couldnt recover and nearly went ar$e over t1t so had to drop the bar and catch the rack so I didnt fall... bit miffed at this so went to do it again and nope just had nothing left really... not happy but its one of those things I spose... was happy with how quick the 310 came up which probably caught me a little off guard... oh well next time...


----------



## Greyphantom

session from friday

Sq
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x5

160x3x5

2ct paused
140x3

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

92.5x3x5

CGBP
80x2x5

EZ Curls
47.5x3x10

all simple and straight forward, like a reload lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Session 1
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 190x2

205x2x5
*belt on*
205x3x3

SSB squats
130x3x6

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

110x5x2

DB BP
25x2x10
25x18

feeling pretty good tbh... lack of sleep is not too bad... I am either getting used to it or the 3 nights I have had in the last week did me some good...

Squats - feeling well up for it... warm ups nice and smooth and easy... first 2 sets did beltless but as they were a bit slower than I would like put the belt on and did the last 3 belted... big difference today, much stronger and faster... just more stable... no problems...

SSB - oh all thats good and holy... why... just why... anyway, was going to go to 150 but thought I would test it out at 130... glad I did, the movement feels very odd... first 2 sets went pretty decent didnt feel heavy just weird... last set at rep 3 I tweaked something in the upper left area... just not had the bar set right, will have to learn that... first two sets were fine just that last one...

BP - oh yeah, the first time that 110 has felt like true speed reps... very fast, powerful and easy... yes easy, very easy... set up is going great...

DB BP - way too light, should have hit at least 30 if not 35...

good session... felt strong... start of the Brits prep is on...


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## Greyphantom

Session 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x3

220x5x3

SLDL
200x2x6

Rack chins/Rev BOR
BWx12
BWx11
BWx10

EZ curls
50x2x10
50x14

very fvcking tired atm... got family coming over from Aus so the mrs is frantic with getting the house ready and at this stage I think it would be easier to just build a new fvcking house in the field across the road... sleep is fvcking awful... last night it was finally cool enough to start drifting off when *BEEP*... 5mins later *BEEP* the fvcking smoke alarm decided the back up battery needed to be replaced... anywho more work, painting and sh1t today then training... which was going to be interesting as on the weekend when taking the dog for a walk she decided to bolt to a fence to see another dog and as she doesnt get on too well with other dogs I grabbed the lead... nice one as it gave me quite the rope burn across my hand... so deads were going to be interesting...

Deads - bit apprehensive tbh... warm ups went ok... first set at 220 was a bit hesitant as was feeling out how the hand would go... went ok so then could switch that off and just make sure the weights moved fast as possible with good form and felt strong... went very well and very fast... happy... although the skin split a bit on my finger the hand held up well...

SLDL - felt really good and hit the spot... smooth and quick... hams and glutes got a nice workout...

Rack chins/rev BOR - felt really good today, really worked on engaging the lats and making sure the pull was strong and powerful... mission accomplished... feel it tons in my back all over...

EZ curls - very good... tried staying pretty strict and making sure the biceps were worked hard... first 2 sets were pretty decent and the last one really felt them hit at rep 11... the last one was a bit of a grind but kept it smooth...

decent session tbh... even though feeling pretty tired atm seem to be getting some decent training in... work wanted me to work extra hours this week and now next too and the mrs is on the warpath as said so there just dont seem to be enough hours in the day atm... have been a bit scarce of most of the forums... glad the cooler weather has made an entrance... long may it continue... looking forward to some sleep tonight and tomorrow night as the weekend will be late... I am getting old...


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## Greyphantom

Fri 30 Jun 17
Bench

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3

190x5x2

GHR (hit hams hard)
BWx15
BWx12
BWx11

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x4, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

115x5x3

2bd
Left due to time and cramp...

actually not a bad session given the times and stuff...

Squats - initially that chest/shoulder thing was giving me a bit of trouble but by 130 was keeping tight enough for it to be no bother... got to 190 and they all felt snappy and decent, a year ago would not have been able to do that I reckon...

GHR - was only body weight but was to really make sure the hams got hit well... and they did... first set they were really pummeled... 2nd and 3rd just carried that on... felt suitably sore... good sets...

BP - went well and felt good... form and technique working well and really smooth... loads of power there and liking it atm...

2bd - at 130 got fierce cramps in my erectors... had to re-rack then try again but same... was going to try again but got the call I had to pick up my brother and sister in law as they are over visiting...

had to start late today as the day was just manic... went a little over long and as such just didnt have the time to finish... maybe a good thing as my back was cramping up a hell of a lot when getting into the arch to bench on the last exercise... not sure what was going on with that but will be all good for next week... (or this week as I am late posting this up too)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2 200x1

*belt on*

210x5x4

SSB
135x6
150x6

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

112.5x5x2

Inc DB press
30x2x10
30x16

bit tired so had a nap this afternoon oops lol... so a little late starting the training but by the time I got there well up for it...

Squats - first set went fine... 2nd set was a near disaster, 1st rep rushed and just didnt get tight enough in time and in the hole leaned forward and nearly lost it, but somehow managed to hold it and get it up, rest of the set was a little of... however redemption in the remaining sets... stayed tight reps good and felt strong...

ssb - oh so much better than last week, using some tips and pointers made a big difference... first set felt really good... top set was the same and there is more there...

BP - went well and felt strong and fast... feeling pretty decent with this atm...

Inc DB press - wow 30kg has never felt so good... first 2 sets surprised me tbh as thought it would be a bit tougher... last set was hoping for 12 maybe 14 at the most and nailed 16 really good reps...

good session and a good start to the prep... pretty happy and looking forward to making good progress...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

235x5x3

SLDL
210x2x6

PD
110x8
80x15/7/6

DB curls
30x9
20x15
20x13

fvck me it was warm...

Deads - went well and felt good for the most part... couple of sets were a bit slower than I like but the rest were fast enough... had to use chalk from set 2 as the hands were getting a bit slippy... good positioning and nice drive off the floor... lock outs were fast and ferocious...

SLDL - wow hit me right in the hammies and glutes... felt good and strong though...

PD - felt heavy not going to lie... not sure why my machine feels harder than ones in the gym but it does... got 8 on the first set and it felt it all in the lats... the rest pause was sheer torture... lats were screaming all up and down...

db curls - did not expect those numbers tbh... was done but seem to find a hidden pool of strength... arms shaking and done...

it was hot in the gym today... soooo tired as sleep is just pants still quality and length is just not there... next couple of days dont look good either as got more family over and dropping off daughter and friends at airport very early fri morning to go to europe... yay... still loving training atm and looking forward to the next bit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench (Fri 07 Jul 17)

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

195x5x2

GHR
BW+5kg held behind head x3x4

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

117.5x5x4

2bd
100x5
120x2

fvck me it was hot, had to train a bit earlier and tbh it was a touch and go as to whether I was going to or not as up at 0230 to take my daughter and her friends to the airport to catch a plane to their big little European adventure... so sleep was not really there... thankfully the boss at work text me to say as I have done extra hours and she had some cover I didnt have to got to work so bonus, had niece over from Aus though so still had to be a little alive...

Squats - moved well and warm ups went better than expected, started sweating straight away and had to hydrate a bit... top sets first was a bit meh but then got into it properly and kept tight and moved it well... felt very good... need to get more balanced on the drive out of the hole though as often was using the right more... corrected it but must keep it in mind...

GHR - Dig is the devil... hams were focused on again... still feeling it from sldl on wed but this really caned them... glutes felt hard done by too tbf... holding the weight behind the head is a killer...

BP - def moving better... warm ups were good solid and felt nice... was going to take 110 as a last warm up but 100 went so well I thought I would skip it to save energy as at this stage it was flagging big time, my skin was on fire even though sweating like a race horse and drinking water and lucosades... first 2 sets went really good strong smooth and fast... 3rd set was good but on last rep I thought it was a little lagging... 4th made sure to get better drive and set up and everything and it went better than expected... 5th first 3 reps were good last was def a grind but not in doubt... everything came into play as it should and made it... was happy enough with that...

2bd - seriously gave thought to just stopping at this stage as had to take niece to airport and time was pressing (no pun intended)... plus heat was oppressive and just sucking the air right out of me... but did the first warmup at 100 which went fine but then 120 felt off and elbow got a bit of a tweak (nothing serious but a good excuse to stop) so stopped... need to relearn the lines on this... going to implement the bench daddy from now too which should be interesting...

went well considering... heat was a d1ck and energy was meh, still got the job done and felt good enough doing it... slept 9 hours, thats right NINE whole hours... was fvcking amazing... pretty much solid sleep... un-fvcking-believable... hopefully tonight is the same... mrs is off to the states tomorrow... more work stuff... so just me and the boy, bring in the dancing girls... we will call it "educational"







and we got some Ed Sheeran tickets today front row seated near the stage... the wife is fvcking lucky I love her... course she tells it the other way around... actually just thinking about it the best thing about the next week is having the windows above the bed open all night for that cool air breeze... its the small things...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2
*belt on*
212.5x4x5
212.5x4

SSB
not done

BP
40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

112.5x5x2

DB incl press
35x3x10

mixed bag today...

squats - warm ups were cracking... form and tech spot on... 200 felt nice and easy so belt on and into the main sets... fvck me did not expect them to fly... and how they flew... felt really good and so light and easy... hit really well in the quads... sets 2, 3 and 4 were the same... felt so good and strong... set 5... well... first 3 reps were cracking then had to stop for a breath... rep 4 is where it went a little meh... on the way out of the hole felt my adductor start to go, it didnt but was a bit of a warning so I stopped there... felt tender but not painful...

SSB - left these today due to aforementioned adductor issue... little bit miffed tbh as was looking forward to cranking out some decent reps...

BP - really good, def finding my feet (or pecs haha) with these now... form and technique getting really good and making things better... 112.5 just feels so good and light now...

Incl db press - first 2 sets went really well and felt strong... 3rd set was really good till rep 9 and then the last one just lost the juice... was hoping for a couple more but at this stage will take that...

so over all a good session but marred by the stupid adductor... still at least it was not a complete pull or even worse... sleep is getting better but still got some catching up to do... weight is holding around 114 atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads 12 Jul 17

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

225x2x5

SLDL
215x6
215x8

Rack chins (slow negative)
BW+10x2x8
BW+10x10

EZ curls
55x2x10
55x13

wow... not as hot which is nice but still managed to sweat a load as really caned the back...

Deads - just the 2 sets today and not the 5 as trying something out re resting the cns and helping recovery... weights flew up and really focused on the form and technique... keeping the lats tight and getting the drive spot on... no chalk used for these weights either...

SLDL - ok these were tough... first set felt ok but is starting to get heavy... second set I got to 6 and thought fvck it lets get another... did that and then pushed the 8th out then fell over... well tried to but couldnt sit or stand... hams and glutes were crying a bit...

Rack chins - adding the 10kg is mean enough but the slow/controlled negative was brutal... upper back was ruined... felt every thing from tip of my traps to the lower of the lats... today is still achy...

Curls - thought they would be harder than they were, well the first set anyway... went well felt it working nicely... 2nd set felt it more and arms shaking... third set went harder and arms felt it...

good session worked well... not as hot now which means that its not as sweaty but sleep is still a little over the place... doesnt help the stupid cat starts meowing at stupid times... had some issues with the laptop the last couple of days as well and seemed to have worked most of them out but having trouble transferring files to an external hard drive for back up... fvcking technamology sucks... never is as good as made out, not as fast nor as flash as the hype says... ah well... now very far behind in my list of things to do... lucky the mrs is away for work so got a few days to fix things up...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench day

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x3

197.5x5x2

GHR
BW+5kg x8
BW+5kg x6
BWx11

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

115x5x5

Bench Daddy press
100x3
115x3
125x3
135x3
135x2

feeling pretty decent today... sleeps not been great tbh but better than when it was hot... did a bit of naughty today... will see in a bit...

Squats - from the first warm up I felt that adductor but not painful just tight... so made me a little wary of it... reps were more controlled and a bit slower than I would like... made it to the top sets ok and went carefully on the first 2... by the 3rd it had loosened enough and I had gained more confidence that I could move a bit faster and it held up fine...

GHR - holy jebus... 5kg behind the head and it makes it feel very different... hams were caned, glutes feeling it too but hams in particular fried...

BP - ok here is where I suspected I would get a telling off... warm ups were fine, not any issues at all and in fact I thought they felt particularly light even the last one at 100... so went to the tops sets and was supposed to go for 4x5... they felt really good and fast so after a couple of mins I talked myself into trying a 5th set and fvck me it flew... the 5th rep was a little slow but never in doubt and felt fine... might have even had another there too... maybe feeling a little c0cky at this point lol... chest def feeling all that though...

Bench Daddy - got one of these off Mike Womack at Bodypower this year at his bench seminar... first time using it and it felt weird but man I see this is going to be fun and make for some good progress... like a sling shot it goes on the arms and across the chest to get that weight moving... started at 100 got used to it, well sort of, then up to 135 where I stopped as it was running away from me a bit in terms of learning to use it properly, weight didnt feel heavy but I need to work it better as on the last set lost the line and man it dumped quick...

chest is done and feeling it big time... very happy with today... hoping it continues and the progress is better and faster than the last cycle... Dig was happy enough and didnt yell at me for that extra set btw lol... in life news the mrs is back sunday as is the daughter... laptop seems to be running mostly ok for now but still having issues transferring some photos across... the rest seems all good for now... and its cooler so sleep should be good tonight...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2

*belt on*

220x5x6

SSB
160x6

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

112.5x5x2

CGBP
80x3x10

oh damn... I dont have any legs left...

Squats - warm ups felt good and no issues with the adductor at all... very freaking hot in the gym... sweat pouring off me... first top set... ok not too bad but feeling it already... 2nd set... yeah ok there it is... legs feeling it but its still feeling good... 3rd set... ok there you go harder now and legs really feeling it... had to take a bit of extra time to do the 4th set... that was hard... legs def not there... think they walked off somewhere... another long rest period legs actually not really recovered but on to the 5th set... went pretty decent as it happens... had to take a few breaths for the last rep but got it then fell onto the bench... thought thank fvck thats over... then remembered fvck ssb...

ssb - had to really get psyched up for this... legs didnt want to... but they did... managed 6 reps hurt a lot but in a good way... rear was dragging at this stage...

BP - pretty much no leg drive here... legs were just there not helping a bit, blo0dy ungrateful things they are... pretty straight forward all the same, didnt present a problem... last 2 sets legs starting coming back on line... made a bit of a difference...

CGBP - easy and light... fast off the chest and felt the tris work well...

holy hera that was a hell of a work out... took just over 2 hours which is a much longer time than usual... but needed that extra rest time tbh, between the lifting and the heat (how the fvck can it still be this hot, dont we only have one week thats hot a year) it took it out of me... nailed it though... and pretty happy with it... legs are not however and tonights sleep prognosis is not good...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

242.5x5x5

SLDL
220x7

Overhand PD
90x12
90x11+1p
90x9

DB curls
22.5x15
22.5x12
22.5x10

so fvcking tired... sleep is not optimal... and its made worse when on the one morning you get to sleep in the mrs wakes you early and not even for anything good ffs... just because...

Deads - was expecting them to be a bit hard tbh... physically no problem just fcking sleepy... however they were really good... first set flew as did 2 and 3... only hiccup was the 5th rep 4th set when I relaxed a little and loosened the form which wasnt good... rep was no problem but needed to stay tight... last set went just as well as the first 3... little tired by now though... really worked the form and technique today made use of the lighter weight... worked firing the hips through and working the glutes to do so...

SLDL - awww maaan... deep breath... bam 7 went pretty well... not the 8th... nope just not there... hams and glutes were not happy...

OH PD - damn but these felt heavy... first set went ok... second set lats burned couldnt quite get the last rep... 3rd set fvck this sh1t lats got out of there...

DB curls - wanted to just go to bed tbh... cracked on however and went ok... arms well fried though...

good session as it happens... feeling pretty decent now and hopefully tonight some sleep will happen... had a cracking lightening storm last night, went on for a while woke me up like 4 times then when it finished it was the cats freaking turn when it threw up on the bedroom carpet... fvcking joy... then when I could have got another hour or so sleep the wife decided to start poking and prodding me for some freaking reason... and not for the reason that would have made it ok... seriously wtaf... how I kept it together enough to not start a massive row I will never know... ah well at least training was good... next session will be tomorrow as the mrs is off for a couple of weeks and so off to do family stuff is I... yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Hi all... well its been a couple of weeks been away with the fam on a holiday... prob the last family one as the daughter is off to uni in sep... 9 days in orlando then a cruise round a few caribbean islands... good time was had by all if busy...

While away got to train at the Iron Religion/Power and Strength gym down the road from the hotel, very good gym... had monos and everything...

week beginning 24 Jul 17 (all weights are approxiamate as working in lbs cos the yanks dont know real numbers







)
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x1 *belt on* 220x1

230x3x3 (was actually 235)

2ct
215x2x3

BP
WU 60x2x5, 80x4, *comp pause* 100x3

112.5x5x2

CGBP
87.5x3x8

all went well... using lbs was a bit different...

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x2

255x3x6 (weight pretty much bang on)

SLDL
220x4 (supposed to be 8 but no juice)

Deads went really well but doing sldl energy flagged and just stopped... had been a busy few days...

Bench
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 187.5x2

202.5x5x2

Lying Ham curls
68x8
59x11
50x13

BP
WU 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3, 115x1

122.5x3x4

cut a little short again as no time...

good week even if didnt fit it all in...

Week beginning 31 Jul 17 by necessity a deload week of sorts as had to use a gym on a ship which turned out to be not too bad how ever not well equipped...

Deload 1
Leg press (life fitness machine)
WU 170x10, 210x10, 250x10, 310x10

390x4x10

Seated leg curls
WU 70x10, 110x10

150x4x10

Inc DB bp
WU 40x10, 50x10

65x4x10

DB shp
55x2x8
55x9
55x8

good session a bit different but did the job... felt a decent pump... max weights on db were the 65s (lbs this is the yanks)...

Deload 2
Seated cleans
WU 20x10, 30x10

40x4x10

Machine rows
WU 150x10

190x4x10

Machine PD
WU 56x10, 70x10

91x4x10

Hammer curls
35x10
45x10
45x9+1p

another good session...

Deload 3
LP
WU 210x10, 270x10, 330x10

390x4x10

Seated leg curls
WU 70x10, 130x10

170x4x10

DB BP
WU 40x10, 55x10

65x4x10

Flyes
45x4x10

all light easy and smooth...

really lucky I found a good gym to train in for the first week... and pretty lucky that the ship had a decent gym for the 2nd... was a full on holiday visited a few parks of the disney and universal variety... went to NASA for a day and that was freaking cool... spent a day swimming with dolphins and snorkling on a reef tickling sting rays... found a great gym that had good people working and training there... then did a 6 day stint on a cruise boat which was pretty decent too... home with a thump...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Squats 07 Aug 17
> 
> Squats
> WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1
> 
> 237.5x2x2 (dropped last set due to straining an adductor)
> 
> 2ct
> Not done
> 
> BP
> WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3 115x2
> 
> 127.5x2
> 112.5x3x2
> 
> SLDL
> 160x2x5
> 
> Prob should have waited till today to do this one... still pretty tired from the trip home and generally trying to catch up with real life...
> 
> Squats - warm ups felt great... 180 felt like an empty bar... went great till 2nd set of squats then felt adductor strain on 1st rep... so did a 2nd just to make sure, yep it was pulled a bit...
> 
> 2ct paused - didnt do these to save the adductor from further strain...
> 
> BP - warm ups went well, 127 set was very good and fast felt very comfortable... the down sets of 112 were really good...
> 
> SLDL - light and easy... no hassle at all...
> 
> ok first session back... some more sleep will be needed to be back into the swing of things...


----------



## Greyphantom

Accessory day

EZ curls strict
WU 37.5x12

47.5x2x12
47.5x2x11

Single leg squats
BWx3x10

Deficit sldl (paused hold stretch)
60x2x10

Facepulls
30x3x15

ok the run up to the comp is a bit different to normal training... today was about recovery and so forth... just to get the blood flowing type of thing... oh it flowed...

Curls - think I nailed the weight tbh very strict no elbow movement at all and no swing... ouch... felt it well in the biceps and got a decent pump... arms nicely worked...

Squats - leg up on bench behind me and just squat on the leg in front... felt easy as pie...

sldl - holy cow... the hold the stretch thing... damn that adds something to this exercise... keeping tight just feel the stretch at the bottom and hold it for a bit... that "bit" went from about 10 secs or so to about 5...

facepulls - yeah these worked the upper back really well...

done nice and easy and even though I am really tired (fvcking sleep) I felt better after the workout and felt worked but not smashed... fri is a light squat heavyish bench and heavy deads day... bring it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Bench/deads

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 185x2
*belt on*
205x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *belt on* 100x3, 115x1, 125x1

135x3x2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 270x1

285x2
260x3

forgot to get some more monster today at the shops so was a bit p1ssy with it tbh... prob gave me a boost lol...

Squats - well adductor was feeling fine, no niggle at all and the warm ups felt great... started to feel the adductor at 185 but only lightly like it was a little tight... and I put the belt on for the 205 sets (well was supposed to be sets) as wanted to save the lower back a bit for the deads... did the first set at 205 and felt the adductor quite a bit... didnt pull or get hurt at all but it felt tight so I just did the one set and left it... was supposed to be 5 sets of 2... weight felt light though which was good...

BP - warm ups felt great... 125 flew and felt really on... 135 felt a little heavier but still moved really well and fast... first and 3rd sets were the best as went slightly loose on the 2nd... moving the weights well on this now...

Deads - warm ups again felt pretty good till 270 which went a little slower than I would have expected... put it out of the noggin and then went into lift mode for the 285... BAM baby, weight moved quick and was smooth and strong... 2nd rep I think went better than the first... dropped to 260 and that was pretty routine tbh... all three reps went fast and easy...

got to stretch out the adductor more and get it really working for next week... happy with how the bp and deads went and its feeling strong and good atm... the holiday didnt take too much of a toll which is good... body weight is on point well atm anyway as it might still go up now I am home and can eat more and more regularly... will keep an eye on it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Accessory day

Hammer grip PD
WU 40x10, 60x10

80x3x10

Seated rows
110x3x10

Seated power cleans
10x18
10x17

standing db curls
15x23/20

supposed to be done yesterday but just got too busy and stuff...

PD - felt good nice and strong and smooth... prob about bang on with the weight... short breaks too...

Seated rows - prob a bit light here tbh... but felt it work nicely in the upper back and got a good contraction and stretch...

Seated Power cleans - man I still cannot believe how much these hit the traps and upper back... start thinking well these are all good then around rep 10 it starts biting then a few more and its pain city...

Standing dbc - with a twist, one arm at a time and all done one after the other no breaks except that which the non working arm gets while working the other... holy hera these hurt... arms still fried... and shaking...

nice little work out... feeling really good after and ready for heavy squats tomorrow... mrs is away, boys got college interviews and the daughter is due her results on thu... its all on for young and old...


----------



## Greyphantom

Squats

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 215x1, 230x1

245x3x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3

115x5x2

day was a bit iffy tbh... developed a stomach ache and had to take the boy to a college interview where he found out he has a place on this computer course, back up if the gcse results are not quite whats needed... that finished earlier than expected and instead of puting off the training till tomorrow I decided to fit it in tonight...

Squats - ok so to start the warm ups were a little off... but by 130 the stomach ache had gone and things were really settling in... by 230 it was feeling really good... 1st set went pretty well... felt decent enough... 2nd set ffs didnt stay tight enough and on the 2nd rep chest collapsed a little and felt a bit of pain... made it up but total bs muscled up type of thing... thought about leaving it there but had a hot cup of mtfu and went for it... stayed very tight, kept the chest up and out, and made sure the upper back was tight... yeah best set yet... wasnt fast but went well enough...

BP - went well from start on this... 100 feels like 50 used to... light and fast as ever... 115 went really well... feeling much better and light, fast and smooth... very pleased...

went better than expected even with the hiccup... silly mistake really but still got the work done... at the time thought that it didnt hit my legs that hard really but as the nights gone on feeling it more and more... yay... the stretching and mobility work done lately has helped as the adductor was not a problem at all, very surprised there tbh... lifes seeming to get busier and not enough hours in the day, boy had a college interview today and has a place on the computer science course so thats 2 places as back up if the gcse results dont work out as hoped... my girl has had a phone call to go into school early for the results and get her picture taken for the school... traditionally this has meant good things re the results but we shall see, do not want to get hopes up there... so much work to do round the house still... so so much... sigh


----------



## Greyphantom

Deads

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 185x2

205x3x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4 *comp pause* 100x3, 115x1

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 280x1

300xf

ah ffs... just ffs...

Squats - well after last week was really working on keeping the chest up and out and the back tight... went fine and felt fine... chest wasnt giving me much trouble at all was feeling ok...

BP - yeah well just lulling me into a false sense of complacency... got to 115 which flew, fastest and felt easiest ever but pec was def painful... took 130 out of the rack and fvck me pec just felt like it was pulling far too much and painful so re racked the weight and left it there... not happy...

Deads - was worried as last time pec did this I felt it on deads... up to 250 it was fine then (with left hand over) felt it strain a lot on 280 but that moved up nice enough... as left hand under was next had hopes... took 300 for a spin but had to bail as pec just too painful to push it at this point is pointless really... not fvcking happy...

life has been very full on lately too, uni stuff, results and travel and then organising uni stuff and working out trip stuff (for my daughter as she is in China atm doing volunteer work at a panda sanctuary) and then got told we need to go up to edinburgh to take daughter to uni ffs and had to do some building work for the mrs... etc etc... sleep has been ok-ish if not good... feeling generally meh atm too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Right been off a few weeks as life has just been a ball ache... got daughter settled in Edinburgh Uni as she starts her next phase of life... studying Physics to masters level ffs... also had a roller coaster with the boy getting him into 6th form finally but this is on going as after a week they say he cant do maths as his gcse grade wasnt high enough (true there but due in part to his immaturity and in part to the school being shite at teaching the kids how to study, revise and generally learn) this will be resolved by fri as thats the deadline for course changes... so as for me and training, well did a squat and bench session that went up to a double at 252.5 which felt fine for squats and then up to a set of 10 on bench which I got to 80kg which didnt feel so fine but was doable... next day was going to just hit 60x3x10 on bp to get the blood flowing and ffs it was painful, even unracking the bar was god awful... soooo with that in mind I spoke with the coach and decided that competing was not going to happen but got it moved to the Alan Collins cup in Jan... total rest for the next 3 weeks and then a start last week althought it didnt go to plan due to stuff going on...

Day 1 14 Sep 17

BP

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x6 (oops forgot to stop)

100x3x8

Squat

WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x5

160x2x10

stopped there... bench felt great no pain at all which was nice... squats also felt good but man felt light headed and sick so just stopped...

Day 2 15 Sep 17

Deads

WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x5

230x3x8

SLDL

150x2x8

stopped there again... time and knackered... back pump from hell after this too... turning into a wuss...

Today Day 1

BP

WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5, 95x5

105x2x8

105x6

Squats

WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x5, 160x5

180x10

SSB squats

130x3x6

ended there as dog has found another hole in the fence (read made) and had to fix it and get said dog from neighbours before it ate the cats...

BP - felt pretty good but last set just ran out of oomph on the last couple of reps... hit the wall big time... no pain still which is really good...

Squats - warm ups felt awesome... 180 went very well and felt better and easier than expected tbh... legs feeling it a bit...

SSB - oh ffs hit the quads right in the quads here... possibly could have gone up a bit in weight maybe 140...

after all that chest was a little achey but more in a oh I've been used kind of way... quads were surprisingly hit pretty hard though... its actually pretty fvcking good to be back training again... def a release from all of lifes sh1te...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

245x2x6

SLDL
160x10

Seated rows
110x2x10
110x17

Rack chins
bw x10
bw x9
bw x8+1p

ok now getting back into the swing of things and it felt really good today... light but still felt it work...

Deads - warm ups were fine technique and form felt great and weights moved fast and easy... 1st working set was awesome, very fast, felt light and easy... well happy... 2nd set was also fast but not so light and easy lol... went up well though...

sldl - surprised at this today, felt light and easy... didnt expect it to tbh but was happy with it, form was a little tighter too...

Seated rows - for some reason I thought these would feel heavier... really good contraction in the upper back nice smooth pull... was aiming for 15 on the last set but got an extra 2 reps out...

Rack chins - holy cow these really hit my upper back hard... still hurting now... thought I would get more tbh... still went well and worked hard...

well day was a bit up and down, spoke with a couple of teachers I know and trust and got semi conflicting advice lol (one saying best not to while the other said its going to be hard but see if they will do a trial period till xmas lets say but imho that will mean if he doesnt get it then swapping to another subject is out as too much work gone by)... but it looks like Maths will be out for my boy and hopefully he gets to do chemistry his second choice and not classical civilisations when hes never shown an interest in history or the like... sigh... meeting tomorrow to sort that out... also patched up the fence so the damn dog cant get out and into the neighbours yard, the neighbours are good about it all but fair is fair...

training on the other hand was brilliant, really felt connected today and felt it working really well... deads were a dream, and the accessory stuff went fantastically... training is truly the panacea for all ills... well up till death and maybe even then...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4
*comp pause*
100x3x3

Squats mf squats
Wu 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3 180x2
*belt on*
195x11

SSB ffs Dig ssb
140x4x6

EZ curls strict
47.5x2x15
47.5x12

oh mother of lucifer... jebus h cricket...

BP - fine, warm ups went well... top sets were fast and good with full pause each rep... felt strong and fast...

Squats - oh yeah... warm ups went well and felt pretty damn good even 180 felt smooth and strong and went far better than I expected... 195 for 8+ was the goal... taking the weight I set up really well, this helped make for a stable platform... big breath in and knocked them out pretty quick and fairly evenly stopping at 6 for retake of the big breath to find it was actually just a breath... got 3 pretty decent, another breath to find breathing was no longer much of an option and got the next 2... was hoping for 12 and tbh the weight was not an issue but no breath to do it... felt majorly ill and gassing like... um just gassing... fvcking legs were in bits too...

SSB - so of course the boss puts in ssb right after... tbh I had to make myself do the first set... went well enough as it happens so got the 2nd and 3rd out all ok well except for my quads hurting some thing fierce... 4th set I had to take a few breaths to get it done and it went pretty well... prob should have gone another 5 or maybe even 10kg more...

curls - first set was pretty good and felt easy enough... 2nd set not so much... 3rd my biceps started feeling it around rep 8... managed to get to 12 but that was about it within the staying strict boundary...

holy hell... did not think it was going to go well as its been a busy day and then had to mow the lawns right before training as it was fine and mostly dry so make hay whille the sun shines and all that... but ended up being pretty great... my legs are fvcked tbh and I am not looking forward to the old squat sleep tonight but worth it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2
Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x2

260x5

SLDL
180x10

OH PD
90x2x11
90x10

Rack chins
BW+10x11
BW+10x9
BW+10x8

well I have to be honest today was a long one and had to do some yard work clearing leaves and stuff and back pump/soreness was insane... was thinking that the session would be just fantastic (read loads of sarcasm in that word)... however it went ok in the end...

Deads - warm ups went well... felt solid and back was fine... top set went really well... 1st four reps were smooth and strong and pretty fast... 5th I didnt think was going to move too well and would be a struggle... but up it went... not as fast but smooth and strong still... pretty happy with these given the earlier apprehension...

SLDL - smooth strong and easy enough... worked well too... lower back felt pretty good...

OH PD - wow these felt a bit tough today... lats def got a working... think my lat attachment is rubbing or something as the weights feel more on mine vs a gym...

Rack chins - went better than expected... first set felt good and strong, nice stretch in the lats... second was feeling it quite a bit... last set back was not happy... but it did it...

turned out ok, happy with today, sleep tonight hopefully and a hot bath before hand to loosen up a bit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats 2ct pause
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2
*belt on*
190x2x5

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

112.5x3x6

Floor CGBP
80x3x6

OHP
WU 40x10

50x12
50x11
50x10

inc flyes
20x2x12

pretty decent day, bit of work, bit of searching for a tutor and bit of tv watching...

2ct - all felt really good... keeping tight much better and form is progressing too... depth is good and made sure I went low and did a solid 2ct... legs were feeling it a bit... upper back sore from yesterday... mind you so was the lower back so used the belt today...

BP - got into a good position much better and got better leg drive too, it was actually matching the drive up off the chest lol... first 2 sets were pretty decent and moved fast and well 3rd set first 5 were pretty good 6th was ok but enough of a push that I didnt go for a 7th but in hindsight I should have...

Floor cgbp - much smoother this week and felt really good... funny point is that I dont feel it much in my tris till a few mins after the exercise... starting to like this... prob makes me a sicko or something...









OHP - prob went a little light on this one... but erred on side of caution...

inc flyes - just light weight and good stretch on these today... went well and felt good...

good session today... took a bit longer than I expected tbh but felt good and productive...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

BP
WU 40x10, 60x10, 70x5

85x20
70x21

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, *belt on* 200x2

210x10

3ct SSB
155x3

SSB
145x3x6

Hammer curls
30x11
20x16
20x11

oh my coach is an ar$ehole... what a right nob...

BP - tbh was not expecting a lot from this as we all know my bench is not the best lift I have... however it went rather well... target was 15+ and managed 20... chest was hit quite well... second set went just as well... chest was suitably done and felt good...

Squats - heres where I really starting hating my coach







warm ups went really well and was really happy at 200... 210 about 5 reps in got a lot less happy lol... was gassing when got to 8 so I dug deep and managed to get the extra 2... oh man legs just did not work for a bit after... went numb and buzzing at same time... they are just squashed now...

3ct ssb - was going to do 145 as with the following sets but thought fvck it lets hit 155... dammit I should know better... went well but man again the quads just screaming... felt good though if you get my drift...

ssb - legs pretty much done at this stage but I cracked on and first set was pretty good... last rep second set was a not at all planned paused rep lol... last set went better as kept tighter and form was better...

hammer curls - first set went pretty well... arms felt it but ok... 2nd set felt it a lot more and third they were pushing at rep 8... managed to do ok and done

holy heck this was a good session but a toughie... legs are so freaking sore... they are humming... bit of a decent day over all, cleaned up the back yard cleaned out the drains and had to fix a pipe too but will need to get parts to finish that... back pump from raking up sh1t was pretty harsh but at least it got done...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1, 260x1

280x2






SLDL
205x8

Rack BOR
100x2x8
110x2x8

Rack chins
BW+15kg x3x7

had a bit of a dodgy tum today so had to be careful on deads... went ok though...

Deads - went pretty well... made sure I was focused and on form... top sets were dead stop and was told to stop at 2 so I did... felt like there were more reps there for sure and quite happy with it tbh...

SLDL - these felt pretty good and weight was about right as the last rep was a bit tough...

Rack BOR - well went a bit light for the first 2 sets as it felt a bit odd but on 2nd set I found the groove and they felt less awkward so upped the weight to 110 and that felt better... could prob go up a bit more as well but for now thats ok...

Rack chins - good stretch in the lats and really good contraction too... feeling these really nicely and done after...

good session today... felt better than I expected which is nice... new phone so new camera and things... need to move it down the bit of wood more so it gets the lift in better... also set up a new network thing at home with this mesh system instead of extenders and its ok atm... need to install (read plug in) these plugs that send the interweb signal down the power lines... thats going to be interesting... weight is up at 114kg atm


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

200x3x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x3x6

Bench Daddy
125x5

CGBP floor
85x6
85x8

OHP
55x11
50x13

Inc flyes
20x2x12

days been a pig... network set up in the house is sh1t and I am just not that tech savvy so have to learn about it all and see what the issue might be... sigh... fvcking technology fine when it works but it goes out too often...

Squats - no belt today, just wanted to see how it would feel no belt... went really well... felt strong and stable except for the 1st rep on the 2nd set... just went a little lop sided...

BP - getting a decent groove here... first 2 sets went really well last one started fine but 5th rep hit the j hook but still got the 6th out ok... not sure the 7th would have been there even without the j hook incident...

Bench daddy - ok so forgot about the rebound thing off the chest which made the first rep interesting lol... after that settled in and went much better... stopped at the 5th rep, prob should have gone for at least one more but got to get the confidence up...

CGBP floor - went pretty well... tris got hit hard but good...

OHP - went better than I expected and hit the shoulders nice...

Inc flyes - good stretch and nice smooth but fast reps...

good session today and pretty happy with how things are going this week... got some family over next week but going to make sure I get the sessions in...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
BP
WU 40x2x10, 60x10, 80x5

92.5x16
82.5x18

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2 *belt on* 200x2

220x8

ssb 3ct
160x3

ssb
140x3x8

EZ curls (r/p)
50x18/8/6

oh hell... just nope... big bags of nope...

BP - feeling pretty decent atm... course it is light... first set hit 15 and a bit of a wall... 16 was tight and stopped there... chest feeling pretty good... second set was decent too and after chest was pumped and felt it... went well though

Squats - ok these killed... got to 5 was thinking maaan am I sure its not 7 already... hit 7 and thought ok keep it going... did the 8th and that was pretty much that... was hoping for a 9th but man that was pretty much all out... legs were fried... just done... actually all of me was pretty fvcked tbh...

SSB 3ct - no really.. damn sadistic coach... went ok though but legs were hurting... ssb is a weird beast and works me hard...

ssb - oh come on... well did the first set ok, 2nd set was also pretty ok... 3rd was a sheer act of will... legs were done and not really responding too well...

ez curls - went well and felt them working the muscles for the girls...

good session today, this more than 3 reps malarky on squats and stuff is really pummeling the body... but feeling good with it tbh... legs buzzing now... which is a step up from numb... gotta rest up for thu which is a big deads day... bring it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Friday 13 Oct 17

Squats
Wu 70x2x5 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 185x2

202x5x3x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

120x2x4
120x5

Bench Daddy
130x5
140x5

that was it for fri... felt very hot and just meh... weights felt heavy and the fast squats werent that fast tbh...

Squats - not as quick as should have been but still strong enough... no belt which was nice and it felt fine...

BP - felt good first 2 sets was happy with but the last one was quite surprised at... might have got 6 on a good day...

Bench Daddy - again did not expect that... if I were feeling better then 150 for a good 5 is doable too...

overall not as good as would have liked... but still did ok...

went up to Rotherham for the Andy Bolton deadlift challenge on sat, was reffing and it was great to see some of the old crew hitting the platform again... some immense lifting by over 100 lifters... bumped into @RACK when I got there was good to see him... was doing some strange exercise that made him sweat... called it a kardeeoh... odd fellow







sunday was a day of just quiet as needed to recover a bit, still felt a bit hot and head was sore... seems to be better today which is good as got some training to do... well today or tomorrow...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
BP
WU 40x2x10, 60x10, 80x5

95x16
85x16

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 215x2

230x6

SSB
160x3x5

GHR
BWx3x6

Hammer curls
30x13
25x15
20x18

holy moly... done...

BP - felt pretty decent actually... think I should have gone for 17th on the first set but there was no 17th on the second...

Squats - most definitely did NOT feel decent lol... 215 felt pretty good... 230 didnt feel too heavy on the back tbh but then by the 4th rep was feeling it in the quads... by 6th rep legs fvcked... contemplated a 7th for like .0000000000001 of a sec but racked it... legs were not happy...

SSB - maaaaaan first set was ok as it happens... 2nd set less so and the 3rd was pretty tough... quads were well and truly just gone... so achy...

GHR - oh ffs... you have GOT to be kidding... making sure it was done slow on the neg and really squeezing on the pos... hurts... just hurts... but felt good...

Hammer curls - 30s were heavy but the 25s felt really good... worked well... 20s were just as good really if not a little better...

ok all things ache... so so ache... atm I have to be honest and say that I approach each session with a little trepidation and excitement... after having a bug or something end of last week and over the weekend feeling much better and up for it this week... got a new plan re deads and peaking for them... but I have had a think about it and I realise that while I have been really working the squat and bench I have perhaps slackened off on training them optimally... so cutting that sh1t out and cracking on... fvck my body hurts... screw you Dig... (just kidding dont hurt me)...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2
Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 200x3

220x3x5

SLDL
180x12
180x10

Rack Rows
110x3x8
110x12

OH PD
90x14
90x11
90x8

ok that was different...

Deads - object of these are to pull all the way up and fast... I have been going through the motions a bit on these lately while concentrating on the squat and bench so will refocus on these now... making sure I hit all three lifts with the same care and focus... bit of a difference, lats felt more engaged, form felt tighter and bar path def better as the hairs on my legs can attest... also hit the shins a bit this session... all sets the bar was pulled as far up as I could go maintaing the pull and made it to the top of the hips on all 3 sets... everything felt snappier...

SLDL - holy cr4p these hit like a freight train... hams and glutes got a wake up and lower back was feeling pumped... managed the 12 on the first set but 2nd only got 10... done in tbh...

Rack rows - jebus... back was crying but got them done... first 3 sets felt pretty good if a little light... last set locked it in more and felt good... upper back was worked but lower was just complaining...

OH PD - felt heavy today... think I need to oil the machine or something...

done... lower back was insanely pumped today... didnt help the training that I dropped a 25kg plate on the foot after deads... that didnt tickle... didnt do too much damage I think, its aching a bit now but doesnt feel too injured... think focusing on moving the deads fast and all the way to the top as high as I can will be good, def seemed much quicker today course it was only 220 so early days yet... mrs is away to the states on sun and the boy goes to the midlands on a DofE thing so will have the house to myself... will be weird as I think its the first time I will be on my own in the house since we bought it about 11 years ago... ah well... got a job interview next wed as well... just a basic fitness instructor job... hoping they dont need reps... food is going in very well atm... up to 116.3 last sat when I weighed in on the comp scales... can feel the 5kg thats gone on since the brits... recovery is taking a hit atm as supplements leave the system... but feeling good enough...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 195x1

205x3x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1

127.5x2x2
127.5x3

Bench Daddy
140x3
150x3

CGBP floor
90x6
90x7

OHP
WU 40x5
60x2x8
60x10

Inc flyes
25x10
25x12+1p

back was in doms city all day, last night got up to go to the loo and the foot just was not playing fun... woke up this morning and it was much better didnt give me much pain through the day so think I managed to dodge anything serious...

Squats - everything felt fine even with the sore back... no belt used again and while the top sets were a little slower than I would have liked they still felt strong and quick enough...

BP - again went well... the last set I was thinking 4 reps but on the 3rd things slowed quite a bit and just gave me enough of a wobble to back off... prob should have gone for it though...

Bench Daddy - 140 flew and felt really good... 150 went well but felt a bit off... turns out I didnt set the bench daddy right and thus it didnt have the best bar path etc... oh well live and learn... again I should have had another rep there tbh...

cgbp floor - felt really good... starting to ache a bit at this point and flag but went well enough and I am getting used to the movement...

OHP - went really well... better form and bar path... good speed as well which always makes it better...

flyes - surprisingly good... nice stretch and felt it working well...

was happy with today... body was a bit sore and was thinking this might impede things but as it happens got the job done... mrs is no longer going to the states it turns out so we have a few days no kids.. not sure what the hell to do with that lol... will be brushing up on some S&C stuff too for the interview next week... and some tv watching... with food...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

BP
WU 40x2x10, 60x10, 80x5

97.5x15
87.5x15+1p

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2, *belt on* 220x1, 235x1

250x3

SSB
170x6
155x6

GHR
BW+10kg x6
BW+10kg x2x5

EZ curls
55x16
55x11
55x8

holy son of a... was a bit meh today, started to focus on the squats from the morning tbh and by the time it came to training completely forgot that I had BP before lol...

BP - feeling really good atm... seem to be getting the leg drive moving with the press on nearly all the reps... more back involvement and stability... feeling pretty decent... chest felt sore and pumped after...

squats - yeah man the main event... warm ups felt really good... strong legs and good drive up... tightness was good too... 220 felt a bit mmmm but 235 went really well... 250 unracked and felt good, not light but not heavy... first 2 were good and felt strong, did a 3rd to make sure and was thinking about a 4th but the 3rd was about it... maybe... legs were really not happy with me at this stage... so the only sensible thing was to hit ssb...

ssb - holy cow first set fried the legs... quads got hit quite hard and were feeling abused... second set dropped to 155 and it felt sort of easier/hard... on the 5th rep right quad complained, not twinged or anything but just enough to say probably should stop there... so I did a 6th rep to make sure and yep not worth risking at this stage...

GHR - holy hera... as if killing the front of me wasnt enough... first set I stuffed up a little and did 6 reps as I thought it was 6 for some reason... next 2 got the 5 in but hams and glutes were really complaining... in fact they still are... good sets though kept as strict as possible...

ez curls - awwww come on... first set went far better than I expected... legs were in bits and chest was sore so thought I would be about done... managed 16 good reps... arms started to say wtf at this stage along with the legs... 2 more sets and nice reps shut them up...

did alright today, would have liked the 4th rep on the squats tbh but will take the triple... they are feeling solid atm as is the bench... 12 weeks till the comp I am informed so its getting real now... bw is sitting at 116 or thereabouts... going to be walking like a cowboy with crushed nuts tomorrow... hope the job interview isnt up stairs


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3

237.5x3x4

Rack rows
120x2x8
120x13

Seated rows (90s rest)
130x17
130x12
130x10

Rack chins (5ct neg, 1min rest)
BWx8
BWx6

pffft didnt sleep too well last night bit of barney with the mrs and then it went warm/cool all night... so was feeling a bit meh going in, also feeling it from tue still...

Deads - warm ups went really well, bar moved very quickly and felt strong... 1st top set though was pants... well sort of, bar did not move as fast as I wanted and the movement was just off... 2nd set though very different and really quick... everything just worked... 3rd set was much the same, head much more into it and got all the bits working as they should, tightness and drive etc...

Rack rows - went better than expected... felt really good and was surprised tbh... last set was happy with for sure... at the 10th it was feeling tough but managed to get a good 3 more out...

seated rows - expected these to be harder tbh... good stretch and a great pull back using the upper back and feeling it... squeezed that orange and felt my upper back complain...

rack chins - holy mother of donuts... 5ct neg, really Dig... that is hard... felt this one all the way through to my front...

not a bad workout after all... got to switch on from the first set on deads though, get my head in it and really make sure everything is firing properly... back is feeling it nicely though... hot bath and sleep tonight oh and I got another interview for a senior fitness instructor at another leisure centre next week... things ticking over...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

190x4x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5, 100x3, 115x1, 125x1

135x2x2
135x1

Bench daddy
155x1 (paused)
145x4 (TnG)

OHP
WU 50x5

70x2x6
70x7

job jobbed... bit of an early start today as I was supposed to get a bit done but was running late so in the end didnt get the things done I wanted...

Squats - warm ups felt pretty good till about 160 when my quad reminded me that it was a tad sore from the other day when I twinged it a bit... kept going though and just made sure things were on point... 180 was good as gold and 190 moved well even though the first set was tentative... however the rest got quicker and felt good... quad a little sore after but not serious... surprisingly legs were still feeling it from Tue...

BP - warm ups were great... things felt tight and on form... 125 went really easily and the top sets first 2 were solid and smooth, last one though I stuffed up and got the set up all wrong... just not as tight and it showed so just did the one rep there... felt good though...

Bench daddy - went really well... full 2ct pause on the chest and it went up fine... had the set up really good this time so that helped... learning to use it is a bit odd but when you get it right its brilliant... 145 for 4 went better than I thought, could have had the 5th maybe, I need to stop talking myself out of reaching for that extra rep tbh...

ohp - hmmm warm up felt my forearm something fierce... hurt quite a bit but not sure why... made sure I had things more on point for the main sets and it went better but slower than I would like... felt a little heavier than I expected tbh but puting this down to the arm thing...

decent training session today... feeling pretty happy with how its all going and looking forward to making more progress on this training cycle than the last... 11 weeks now till comp so got some time...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
BP
WU 40x2x10, 60x10, 80x5

100x15
90x15

2ct Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3

160x3x5

GHR
BW+10x10
BW+10x7
BWx11
BWx8

Hammer curls
35x10
20x22

little deload today giving the squats a bit of a rest...

BP - Ive actually been looking forward to this one as I wanted to see if 100 would go well... it did... should have gone for the 16th rep tbh but still felt that quite a bit... 90 that 15 was about all in really 13 felt great 14 was like ffs this is harder and 15 was done... chest was feeling it quite a bit...

2ct squats - had stance in closer and knees slightly more over the toes... felt good, even 130 felt easy in the warm ups so kept it for 160... easiest 160 has ever felt tbh... even with the closer stance and the 2ct in the bottom which was damn near atg if not all the way... powering up from the hole felt great and quads def feeling stronger...

GHR - there was a 15 min gap as had to go pick up the boy due to bus detouring round some road closures in our area... sets went well managed a good 10 on the first and felt the hams and glutes a lot... second set they really complained switched down to bw and thought it would be easier it was and wasnt lol... good sets though...

Hammer curls - hmmm first weight felt heavier than I expected tbh... a bit of body english in there and tbh though I wasnt hitting the arms as much as I should... till I put the weight down and then the biceps felt freaking hit... dropped the weight and managed a good 22, very strict and felt that...

good session... really want to keep testing the squat but the boss knows when to put the breaks on and stuff... happy with the bench too... chest is feeling it though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2
Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

262.5x2x3

SLDL
195x2x8

Rack rows
135x12
120x14
110x15

OH PD
110x8 90 seconds rest then...
80x15/6/4+1p

fvck me thats done... didnt do this yesterday as had a thumping headache... every time I bent over or stood up it pounded so left it but still made it to the John Bishop gig at the O2 which was pretty decent...

Deads - been watching some of Ben Pollacks stuff on the interweb and one of his dead lift vids reminded me of a thing I used to do that helped engage the lats (doing this arms back and arched back thing that gets them down and locked) that I havent been doing recently so I went back to basics as it were for me... yep that helped... warm ups flew and could def feel it in the lats more and feel it all just connecting... first top set went really well and quick and after done I realised I had forgotten to put chalk on as was so focused on getting the lift done lol... chalked up for second top set and the first one was not as spot on as it should have been but still a bit faster than the 237.5 last week I reckon... last 2 were right on... felt good but still need to do more work on nailing the technique and form really, got to keep working that speed as well...

SLDL - hit the hams and glutes really well... felt it working brilliantly...

Rack rows - really pleased with these tonight... top set went better than expected and the next two were stricter and they all hit my upper back well...

OH PD - ffs these felt too heavy really... not sure if its down to how the rack forces my position so I am a tad far out than usual or if the uprights need lubricating or both... also at that weight the bench sometimes wants to lift if I am not careful so I will try a couple of 50kg plates on the bench to help weigh it down... first set was all I could to get 8... lats were feeling that... next one it felt like the quickest 90s in the history of time... 15 was tough... lats were not happy... 15 breaths then broke all laws of space time to be done before I started them I reckon... measly 6 is all there... then I went for the next 15 breaths and they ended before I actually started training so the last 4 and a bit were the first set except it was hard... and sore... lats hurt... sons of b...

head was better today but not 100%... happy with how the deads went today but will be pushing to do better as need more speed and better power... upper back is toast now, can feel it from top to bottom literally... its starting to hum its own tune... in other news the mrs got called to the states on sunday and found out yesterday... not only that but she also is needed there right over the kids birthdays which isnt ideal but given one is at uni and the other will be at school most of the day I think it will be ok..


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3
Squat
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

200x5x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

140x2
135x2
130x2

Bench daddy
157.5x1

done, stopped there as ran out of time, started later than intended so I was happy to get the first bench daddy set in...

Squat - closer stance again and it went really well... warm ups felt strong and fast... top sets went really well, very strong and quick enough...

BP - warm ups felt ok till 130 then that felt a bit more difficult than I would have liked... 140 though the first rep went pretty good the 2nd pretty slow lol... tbh in the past I might have stopped pressing but today I kept it moving no matter what and voila it went up... 135 though was good, strong and quicker than last week... 130 felt very good... pretty happy tbh...

Bench daddy - set up was pretty good although I need to keep my wrists in better form/locked... they were just a little off or the bar was a little back in my hands either way need to tighten that bit up...

stopped there as time got away... was supposed to start training earlier but didnt happen so didnt quite get through the whole session... did the main bits though... mrs is off to the states today for a week for work, got told thu that she was needed there... nothing like good planning lol... feeling pretty good about training at the moment... need to work on some areas though like mental toughness duing the lift etc...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Day 1
> BP
> WU 40x2x10, 60x10, 80x5, 100x3
> 
> 107.5x12
> 97.5x12
> 
> Squats
> WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2
> 
> *belt on*
> 
> 215x3
> 
> dammit... done there...
> 
> BP - started the warm ups and felt really hypo a few sets in... had a few jelly babies... felt better as the next couple of sets went and by the time got to the top set it was better... made sure I set up really well... didnt do too bad... got 12, maybe 1 or 2 more there on a good day but today is not that day... second set on 97.5 felt a bit better but still managed just the 12, this one was a tad harder... felt a little wiped after but better...
> 
> Squats - heres where it fell apart... warm ups actually felt pretty decent... quads felt strong and form felt on... 200 even felt good... which is why I probably didnt do what I should have done and make sure the reps were set up and good... first rep top set bang on... 2nd rep I went forward at the top and instead of taking a second to reset and just make sure it was all good, I went straight into the next rep... managed to correct things on the way down but on the way up felt something give in my groin... yay... took a second then to debate going on or stopping... decided sensible was the way to go...
> 
> ffs not happy, in fact really p1ssed off tbh... last couple of nights sleep has been pants... was feeling off today but cracked on anyway as I have no time to reschedule another day as its a busy week... it was a stupid rookie mistake that I should have avoided... its not even like the weights are high either... just impatience and maybe a little arrogance... well that'll learn me I guess... appetitie is a little up and down the last few days too... maybe a hangover from the bug thing the mrs gave me... ah well onward and upward...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2 and 3 (sort of)

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 250x1, 280x1

295x1+1p
295xf

SLDL
205x3
220x7

Rack rows
140x13
125x16
115x18

rest for 20 mins

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

thats it... got a message I had to collect the lights to take to the comp this weekend and as they were in folkestone and I a sh1tload of things to do this evening I had to dash to get them... did some other errands at the same time so killed two birds with one stone...

Deads - was watching a vid of Ed Coan running over the deadlift so I made a couple of changes or tweaks really to the lift and it seemed to make a diff... felt stronger and better so will work on this set up and form for now... all the warm ups felt great... 280 moved really well and felt good... moved to the top sets 295 for 2 doubles... first set the set up was good and felt strong... came off the floor really fast and felt good, kept the push all the way up and near the top had a little twinge in the groin where I did the mischief on tue... down for the second and again came up fast got to the knees and then just pfffft... nothing, gave up the brain just switched it off... think the little twinge just caused a worry... took a rest as normal, set up again and off the floor it came to the knees and again the body stopping moving as it should, like it wouldnt let me extend to push the hips through... ffs... thinking about it I think its a mental thing just switching me off so not allowing me to injure myself further... ffs...

SLDL - these moved well... little surprised as to how easy the 205 went... so upped it to 215... had a quick think and then made it 220 which was kind of lucky as I had misloaded one side and extra 5kg... that moved well to and felt good... well felt ouchie after it lol... but good...

Rack rows - again went really well... felt strong and solid... back was really worked well...

not too happy about the deads tbh... should have been nailing those, I mean sure logically I understand the mechanism that switched things off but I should be able to ignore that by now... ah well something else to work on... happy enough with the tweaks I made and how it changed the lift for the better...

BP - well started good but then got a message and had to stop to get my ar$e into gear and stuff... 130 felt really good though even though I was a little tired it still moved well and was never in doubt...

well that was it... been a bit of a strange week... had sod all sleep till last night, 7 whole hours sleep and it was freaking bliss... tired just drains you... appetite has been mostly ok which is good, weight is up around 117 atm... very early start tomorrow and then the weekend up north...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3

180x5x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

145x2x1
140x2

Bench daddy
140x3

OHP
WU 50x5, 65x5

75x5
80x6

CG floor press
85x12

did not think it was going to be a decent session today, woke up feeling pants and needed a nap this morning... sleep has been rare the last week or so with only a few nights in the last 10 more than 3 hours actual sleep... however by the time the session started felt a bit better...

Squats - groin was feeling fine and all through warm ups gave no problems... however on the first set of 180 I felt a slight pull or tightness... 2nd and 3rd went the same so widened my stance a tad and it went much better and faster... felt better too...

BP - warm ups felt ok but nothing spectacular... still 130... that went up fast and smooth... 145 first rep was ok but not much to write about the 2nd though was much better and felt stronger... then down to 140 and tbh I thought this was going to be tough but they went really well... felt strong quick and smooth...

Bench daddy - first 2 reps were great 3rd I lost the line quite a bit and hit the up rights nearly took off my face so racked it... left it there...

OHP - better than expected here too... 75 felt good and strong 80 a little harder but still pretty decent...

CG floor - wow this went really well... strong and easy really...

good session, have had the sessions moved around this week light deads and then squats I missed last week due to the groin... hopefully be all good...

had a good comp on the weekend got to see some monster lifts... Tom Martin, Alex Clarke, Martin Brown, Darren McCormac among others... however some of the best fights getting the weights up were on the lighter weight day with some amazing battles and none giving in...

hopefully on the cards tonight is sleep...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2
Deads
WU 120x4x3, 150x3

180x5

SLDL
150x8

Seated rows
135x18
105x3x15

oh PD (5ct neg 90s rest)
85x4x10

finished there as ran out of time, forgot I had to take my son to orthodontist (his last visit) so started very late...

Deads - all simple here... changed that first warm up to 4 sets of 3 to get a few more reps in and getting more first reps in... all simple at the top set light fast and really good pull...

SLDL - again nice and light and really quick, did the last 3 hook grip to see... I saw... nope... well I can see how it works and was a useful experiment... higher weights though might change my mind about how well it works









Seated rows - good reps... 135 was fairly strict 105 very strict... back was just in bits... and not liking all those reps...

oh PD - oh ffs... just no... fvcking no... put the 50kg on the bench to hold it down and that worked a treat, still need to lubricate the poles though... pulling down was pretty ok... however holding the weight for a count of 5 on the neg was sheer ouch... 1st set was pretty ok... 2nd not so ok, 3rd set by rep 7 I was not expecting all 10 and on the 4th set after rep 7 the count was getting faster... back screaming... me cursing Digs fine name...

had to finish there which meant missing out the seated power cleans as had to get dinner on the go and a couple of other things done... got a skip in and clearing out yet more [email protected] we have... thats some unexpected cardio work right there... think I am coming down with a cold or something... squats will kill that tomorrow... or me... either way I am good


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3
BP
WU 40x2x10, 60x10, 80x5, 100x5

112.5x9+1p
100x10

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2 *belt on* 200x2

215x9

SSB
142.5x2x8

GHR
BW+10x3x7

EZ curls
60/50/40/30x13/10/11/12/

oh yay... was a little meh today... sleep has been better but not awesome... cold seems to be going ok and held at bay... food has been going in... which means weight is up again... 117.5 atm... which is not too great as in the last 6 weeks or so its gone up just over a kg a week and its now making me a little out of condition... will take some time to acclimatise but will even out...

BP - back still very sore from yesterday and forearms a bit trashed too... still went ok till top set... just could not lock out the left arm on the last rep... no lift... so dropped to the next set and basically wimped out at 10... should have had more... dammit...

squats - warm ups felt good, 200 felt nice and no groin strain... up to 215 and started well... around rep 7 started to gas a bit and couldnt get enough air in... made it to rep 9 and just stopped there... the weight was not a problem tbh... felt a few more there just no air... might have to start working the condition a bit... maybe some farmers walks or high rep sets of squats or deads... but I always find this when I put weight on fairly quickly till I get used to it... belt was tighter too...

SSB - wow... after squats this bit... first set hurt but the 2nd set hurt more lol... midway through the 2nd set started feeling the groin tightening but kept going till I got the 8 reps and then left it there just in case...

GHR - oh man... not enough my quads painful he had to hit the back as well... last rep last set was really all out... hams and glutes fvcked...

EZ bar curls - ffffffffs... start at 60 and then drop the weight 10kg till 30 getting stricter all the time... oh ouch... when I hit 40 biceps were fvcking screaming... trying to keep the curls strict felt like ripping them off... at 30 it was just fvck off really... job done though...

so so session really not too happy with how bench went feel like I should be getting more... actually I know I can get more... the squats felt really good but just the condition letting me down there... groin held up really well so happy with that... hopefully a quiet weekend but got a bit to do... might have to start puting the heating on in the gym too... fvck me its getting cold...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3

180x3x3

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4

100x3x6

Dips
BWx8
BWx2x9

TPD
40x11
35x2x16

SLR (45s rest)
10x3x15

just a light one today... have been watching a bunch of vids with the likes of Ed Coan and Ben Pollack and Mark Bell among others getting some tips and ideas how I can improve... took a few pointers from the GOAT and applied them today... seemed to work a treat...

Squats - warm ups went fine... something Ed Coan was saying about opening the groin instead of thinking about pushing the knees out and pushing up with the back made sense so I gave it a whirl... did make a difference imo... def noticed a better drive up from the hole and easier getting depth and not as telling on the knees... 180 felt light easy and strong...

BP - fairly routine here too... shoulder has been a little achey lately but seems to be getting better as do the forearms... reps were fast smooth and easy...

Dips - ok a bit low in terms of reps on these tbh... should have gone for a few more on each set... I am pretty sure the bars are not as wide as they used to be either lol...

TPD - again a little light for their purpose I think... should have done 45 maybe a tad more on the first set and then 40 on the next 2...

SLR - glad I picked 10s but could have done 12.5s too tbh... strict and 45s between sets made for some interesting feeling in the delts... first set was fine and thought yeah ok... second set was a little more tough and was thinking ok... 3rd set delts had not recovered from last set and were def sore by the end... that cumulative effect hey...

good session today, a little easy but its more a recovery session for the two remaining mothers that Dig has me doing... ngl both really looking forward to them and a little nervous... but will channel that like on comp day...

in other news I got a new job as a senior fitness instructor at a local gym however it turns out that a couple years back they change the rules on the right to work requirements and it turns out that my indefinite leave to remain visa as it is in my old passport is not acceptable as they decided that you would need it in a current passport (not for entry into the UK just to work) which I cannot transfer unless I am outside the UK or I can go for the Biometric ID Card thing that costs a grand to get... soooo I thought sod it will just get my citizenship done as I had planned to a couple years back just never got round to it... cue me searching for all the paper work for it and now it looks like I have lost the life in the UK certificate from the test us immigants have to do... ffs it turns out they dont replace it either but have a number to let me know what I have to do... prob resit it ffs... been here 22 years so I guess I still need to prove I love life in the UK... anywho this prob means I will lose the job now if I cant get it sorted by next week... and have handed in notice at my other job... fvcking yay... serves me right though, should have got of my harris and got is sorted when I got the damn thing years ago...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2, *belt on* 215x1

225x8

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 130x1

140x1
147.5x1
135x2
135x1+1p

that was it for now... was not feeling too well end of last week, picked something up off the mrs which was ironic as she had been taking the p1ss a few days before she got sick saying I got sick more than her then she got sick... and then passed it on... yay...

squats - ok been watching a bunch of vids with a few different lifters like Coan, Bell, Pollack and added a few little changes to my technique and it made a difference... def got the weigh moving better and stronger... prob a bit quicker too... warm ups went awesome... felt good... 225 holy jebus... weight felt good and reps strong... and I know I could have 9 and would have gone for a 10th... pretty sure it would have gone if slow... legs though... holy fvck... took me a min to stand properly then a few more to move to unload and def felt ill... happy though...

BP - warm ups went awesome, 130 flew up and felt so solid, set up was great... 140 did the same set up and again it flew up and felt so solid... really happy with that... 147.5 did the same again, didnt fly as fast thats for sure but was never in doubt and went well if slow... was really happy with that... then went for 135 for 2 triples... first set got 2 reps as the top of the quad started cramping around the hip flexor... just couldnt get the drive... next set of 135 first rep felt the tightening again then went for a second and nope half way up cramped and just had to take it to the safeties... not too happy but not terribly disappointed...

left it there even though had two more exercises to go... 1 because it was getting late and two freaking freezing... feet were so cold during the bench it wasnt funny... probably going to have to wear trackies when training now and will def put on the heater... feet have feeling back again not so much the legs atm... sleep has been pretty ok lately as well...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads

WU 120x3x3, 170x2x3, 210x2

240x1

260x1

280x1

300x1

235x3x6

SLDL

215x5

185x10

Rack rows

150x9

130x2x8

Seated db power cleans

10x18

10x15

10x14

fairly decent day... very freaking cold but heater on an hour before made the gym warm... meant I didnt freeze during training...

Deads - still working the form and technique tweaks I gleaned from vids watched... warm ups went well... 240 felt meh, bit heavy and tbh not flowing at all... 260 now that went well and felt great... light and fast... 280 felt about right... not heavy and quick enough... 300 not so much... set up was slightly off and instead of pulling the bar close in let it stay out so by the time it got to my knees I realised I had to pull it back and wrestled with it a bit... still managed to get it up but not as good as it should... so of course worked that hard on the down sets and thus made my legs bald and very red...

SLDL - yay... 215 was alright... glutes were a little sore already and this just made it worse... hams got a bit of a battering too... dropped to 185 and 10 reps... really 10... hams and glutes even less happy and posterior chain done...

Rack rows - well the posterior chain was hurting why not punish the upper back... yep... 150 felt good not too shabby... felt it working nicely... next two sets 130 were strict and really nailed the upper back... felt really good but sore...

Seated cleans - oh all thats holy... forgotten how these hit... glad the weight was lighter than I thought it should be in the end... first set was good but wow... 2nd about rep 10 I was feeling it hard and thinking ooh... 3rd set it was rep 7... upper back traps hit and hurting... so so good

fairly ok session... got to work the form better on deads... shouldnt have slipped that much tbh its pretty routine... really feeling the posterior chain atm... and the upper back... legs were pretty good from tue session but now a bit sore too...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

200x5x2

BP (2ct pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

120x3x3

CGBP feet up
80x8
90x2x8

Floor paused flyes
15x2x10
15x20

lat raises
15x2x15
15x20

oh all thats good and holy... back is in bits from yesterday... sore all over...

Squats - went well... new bits on form feel great and make it stronger and faster... helps with depth too... I realised today that a session like the one I did today I now consider a light one... a bit mind boggling tbh as sometimes I feel that I make little or rubbish progress but then I have a think and bam... no issue with any set or rep all went well and weight went nice and fast...

BP - again similar thoughts to the squat... weight felt fine and form feeling good... keeping tight is much easier and I am feeling the groove better, almost like the bar should travel in a particular line and thats where it sits... no problem with the sets or reps here...

CGBP - wow this is odd... feet up makes it very unstable and while the first set went well the second almost saw me on my butt... 3rd was much better though and tbh can prob go up in weight here...

Floor flyes - if I thought the feet up was odd this is even odder... down till the elbows touch the ground and then pause for second then up till about 9 inches apart at the top... went a bit light on these as wanted to get the feel for them and now reckon 20kg would be fine for a good start...

lat raises - felt fine, strict and controlled... very nice...

good session felt nice... back is pretty sore but held ok with the squats... also bench didnt present a problem with stability in terms of back either... well finished my last shift on the old job today... start the other one next friday now... looking forward to it...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 95x3

105x2x8

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2
*belt on*
220x4x5

SSB
145x8
135x8

GHR
BW+10x2x8

done... so so fvcking done...

BP - yep nice and easy, in fact really happy how easy this weight now feels just wish that would translate to the bigger weights... sigh...

Squats - oh jesus... oh good lord... warm ups were cracking... top sets were making me cry... well set 3 and 4 anyway... 1st top set was good but 2nd was better... legs were starting to go ouchy a bit... 3rd set the 2nd rep was a bit wobbly... but rest were ok... 4th set man... went really well but fvck me the legs were done... cant believe I got through it... just played the one more set thing till did all 4...

SSB - so what does my coach make me do when my legs are fried... sure ssb for 2 sets why not... holy jebus... first set was a trembler 2nd just ended them... quads def done...

GHR - yeah woo... hoo... felt pretty good tbh and def easier than in the past... but really just finished them off nicely... the legs that is... and by nicely I mean in pain...

good session really but man it was tough... legs are trembling and so so sore... feeling ill atm and so tired... sun sleep was prob the worst for a while but mon slept like a log... hopefully that will happen tonight but tbh the way my legs feel I can see squat sleep hitting hard... tomorrow got the citizenship thing and applying for the passport at the same time... then take the forms into the new job and start that fri... if I can walk... ffs Dig...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads

WU 120x3x3, 170x2x3, 210x3

230x3x5

SLDL

170x2x10

Hip thrusts

80x10

65x2x10

Rack chins (5ct neg, 75s)

bw x10

bw x7

facepulls (1min)

30x12

25x15

20x17

hammer curls

40x7

25x3x12

decent session... legs were still sore from tue... but not a bother...

Deads - pretty routine tbh still making sure I pull and push at the same time (legs and back) and I even tried a belt on the 2nd set but nope it was awful... felt restrictive and just in the way (and it was a hole further out than squats so didnt feel tight... just in the way of getting into position)... deads were fast and snappy...

SLDL - really good, fast and smooth well mostly set 2 I kept squashing the boys quads are getting a bit bigger lately so thats a good thing...

Hip thrusts - these are new thought I had the set up pretty good but turns out the j hooks were not the best so will replace them with the safeties as it offers a better position to start and end... glutes got bit hard by these tbh... didnt expect that... yay...

rack chins - the 5 ct neg makes them hard enough but the 75 sec rest kills... back was fried... arms a little too but the upper back was hit nicely... still feeling it...

facepulls - prob a bit light here tbh but went well and man added whole levels of hurt...

hammer curls - from yesterday as didnt get to them... 40 was heavy... the reps were not clean and a bit sloppy and at the end I thought well that wont do much... then I put the weights down... holy cow yeah fair to say the biceps got a bit of work there... the 25s were much crisper and form was on point...

done and feeling it tbh... been a long day as a folder on the laptop is crapping out and every time I try to access it it starts to load fine but then freezes every thing... EVERY thing... so have to do the emergency restart to get it working again... pain in the harris... its a backup folder for our camera and of course the mrs is quite vocal about me fixing it ffs... I tried but nope... so will have to take the damn thing in to the shop... ffs...

in other news start the new job tomorrow... citizenship is all done and just have to wait till they let me know if its all good or I have to do something else or get rejected... yay... hot bath and some sleep... which has been decent the last couple of nights...


----------



## Greyphantom

> Day 3
> Squats
> WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 195x1
> 
> 205x4x2
> 
> BP
> WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3
> 
> 115x4x6
> 
> Bench daddy
> 130x2x5
> 
> Feet up CGBP
> 80x2x10
> 
> Floor flyes paused
> 20x3x8
> 
> well first day of work went well but ended up training late...
> 
> Squats - yeah went really well... form really on and legs felt very strong, 3rd set forgot to push with the back as much but 4th was nailed and felt really good...
> 
> BP - again went so well... strong and smooth and never in doubt not one rep... line is better and technique really went well... very happy...
> 
> Bench daddy - damn but this went fast... really fast... felt so easy tbh... was very surprised and pleased... great line and form made it work well
> 
> Feet up cgbp - much more stable this week and that helped a load with the press... easy and strong again...
> 
> floor flyes - up in weight but still good and easy enough, was feeling it on the last set more but went so well... felt it nicely...
> 
> yeah great session that, pretty happy with it all and feeling good lately... sleeps been decent and eating good... 4 meals today instead of the 3 and that might be the case from now as the work cafe does a staff menu thats pretty decent and good food... got some big sessions coming up so big boy pants firmly on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 95x4

105x2x10

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 215x1

227.5x4x5

SSB
145x2x8

GHR
BW+15x2x6

a bit tired today and tbh was not sure I was going to do any good... turned out went alright...

BP - felt really really good... strong smooth and fast... no niggles or aches either...

Squats - here was where I was worried as just not feelling that up for it tbh... warm ups though went awesome... 215 felt smooth and light enough... top sets were pretty good too... first 2 felt really good and I was thinking surely my legs should be feeling this more... 3rd set even felt pretty good but they started feeling it... 4th set was oh yeah there it is... 4th rep was slow and stuttered a little on the way up... took a breath kept damn tight and really focused on the form and technique making sure it was as good as I could get it and voila better than the 4th... but man quads were done...

SSB - oh come on... took belt off for these as it was in the way last time... felt good without it tbh... quads didnt like it though lol...

GHR - dammit Dig... the extra 5kg was ouch... by rep 3 on the first set I was feeling it... finished first set and owie... second set was pretty good but holy cow the hams and glutes are humming...

left it there as time is a bit rushed atm... new job is going ok, did 3 hours of programming this morning for different scenarios which made my head spin... getting up even earlier at 0515 now which is fun... gym was cold to start too but heater and trackies meant warmed up pretty quick...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2
Deads
WU 120x3x3, 170x2x3, 210x3, 240x1

260x3x4

SLDL
175x2x10

Hip thrusts
85x15
65x17
65x14

had to leave it there... just ran out of time really... had to take the dog for a walk as work this afternoon and as the boy was at work too that mean she was going to be alone for about 10 hrs so made it a long one... felt a bit crap this morning though and was thinking that training just wouldnt work... as it turns out deads cures everything









Deads - warm ups as always felt good and breathed some life back into me... 240 felt a little off or at least I thought it did... 260 though moved really well... a lot bette rthan expected... quick and smooth... kept it close to the body and really got a good pull going... the other two sets were pretty much the same with the 3rd being a little better than the 2nd...

SLDL - felt light and good...

Hip thrusts - yeah def better using the safeties as the rest and kept the glutes squeezing all the way through... hit them really well and man they ached...

had to miss the other 2 exercises... but felt these work well enough... new job seems to be going ok atm... just adjusting to the loss of time to do other stuff... still just need to learn to time manage better...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2,

207.5x4x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

122.5x4x5

Bench daddy
135x2x5

CGBP feet up
90x2x8

Floor flyes paused (90s)
20x3x10

wasnt sure how it would go being a sunday morning...

Squats - went pretty well... top sets a couple went really well in terms of technique, form and speed a couple not so much but still good enough...

BP - oh good grief did not expect this to go well due to it being at an odd time... but man felt really good and went pretty damn well... think I am finally nailing the set up and form properly...

Bench daddy - again went fast and felt really strong... not as easy as last week but still easy enough... and as with bp really coming to terms with how it all works...

CGBP - went superbly... much more stable and felt strong here too...

Floor flyes - the 90s rest made this a bit more trying... first set felt good, 2nd set about rep 8 it was feeling harder and then 3rd set rep 5 it started kicking in... felt it working hard...

good session really went well... after was off to the go karting with my boy and his friend... they did pretty well with that, except for a few stacks lol...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5, 100x5

110x10

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2, *belt on* 220x1

235x3x4

2ct paused squat
210x2x5

GHR
BW+15x2x6

EZ curls (5ct -ve)
40x10
40x9
40x8

oh man done... felt like sh1t sunday night and then through monday only started feeling ok this morning so was touch and go as to whether I was going to train tbh... glad I did though...

BP - no problems here... felt good and strong and smooth, couple more reps there for sure...

Squats - oh good grief... warm ups felt really good... top sets went pretty good too... 1st set felt good... 2nd set felt good but tougher... 3rd set felt good and damn my legs...

2ct - thought these were going to be god awful but they actually went really well...

GHR - holy hera... super strict and really made sure the hams got squeezed... and damn did they...

EZ curls - strict and a 5ct -ve... oh man... that really hurt... weight was light but the negatives made it difficult...

glad I perked up enough to hit the weights tbh... tired but feeling good... work is going pretty well... still getting used to managing the time though...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x3x3, 170x2x3, 210x3, 250x1

275x2x3

SLDL
180x2x10

Hip thrusts
95x14
90x16

OH PD (1min-90secs)
100x3x8

Facepulls (c 1min)
30x2x10
30x15

man today was a drag, last night the mrs got home much later than she said (xmas drinks but not sort of thing) and then wanted to play silly buggers in the car (no not that sort mores the pity but the kind that delays us even further when I have to get up at 0500 I am sure she thinks its cute but when the shoe is on the other foot shes not that happy) so not a lot of sleep had... was even thinking I might sack it off today but as it turned out things sort of worked out that I could fit it in pretty well...

Deads - yeah these were much better... warm ups went really well and even 250 didnt feel that heavy or hard as usual... 1st set of 275 felt good but a little off... 2nd set though nailed... just tightened up form a bit and really focused... felt good and a 3rd set would have been on the cards...

SLDL - yeah getting a little heavier but felt really good and solid... hams already stinging from tue got smashed again... along with the rest of the posterior chain...

Hip thrusts - surprising how well these hit the glutes... felt good might need a pad for the bar though as it really presses agains the pelvic region...

OH PD - 1st set felt a little discomfort in the bicep tendon but just had a nice hot cup of mtfu and cracked on, turned out better in the rest of the sets...

Facepulls - holy cow upper back got hit hard here... nice...

good session in the end... glad I trained... got to pick up my daughter from the airport and the flight is late by about 35 mins already... this means another night of no sleep yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Ok its been a few days... new job is taking a load of time and with all the other bits like chrimbo and family etc just not much time atm to do a lot but work, get the training in when I can and do family stuff...

Training
24 Dec 17
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2

207.5x4x2

BP
130x4
130x3
130x4

Bench daddy
140x2x5

CGBP (feet up)
95x2x8

floor flyes (90s)
22.5x3x10

went well, got a bit of tightness/cramp on the second set of bench but recovered for the 3rd...

27 Dec 17
BP (comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x3x2

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2, *belt on* 215x1, 230x1

242.5x3x3

2ct pause
217.5x2x3

GHR
BW+20x2x5

this was a tough one tbh... mainly the ghr... what kind of maniac makes someone do that with 20kg... legs toasted...

31 Dec 17
Deads (take 2 first was 30 Dec but back very tight and twinged so stopped)
WU 120x3x3, 170x2x3, 210x3, 250x1

272.5x1
292.5xf

SLDL
222.5x3
232.5x3

right this is where its going pear... first try was the day before and at 272.5 my back just gave a twinge that made me not complete the lift... so bailed and retried the next day... went to 272.5 which went up well and no probs but 292.5 was not so good... same issue... so of course being sensible I went on to heavy sldl... and then added 10kg for another set... which actually went well and felt good, kept very very tight... after the back was a bit sore but has settled since... even contemplated 242.5 but left it in the tank...

01 Jan 18
BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1

135x2
120x3x3

CGBP
110x6
100x6

to make up some training and stuff doing a few days in a row and thus Dig has adjusted things so vol is down weights up ex few... was supposed to do 4 on top set of bench but back was a bit sore and couldnt get the position right and it twinged a bit on the 3rd rep so bailed that... cgbp went alright though...

02 Jan 18
Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1, 240x1

250x3x2

2ct Paused
222.5x3
213x3

EZ curls (5ct negative)
35x15/9/7

bit unsure about this today as squats and back while feeling better was just a bit delicate still... kept tight and made sure got it all squared spot on form and technique wise...

Squats - warm ups were tentative but went well... all the way to 200 with no belt felt good... belt on and then it just flew.... first set 250 went better than I expected and felt good... 2nd was the same and 3rd just spot on... felt really good and while legs were worked didnt feel too bad... which lulled me into a false sense of complacency as last night they really started aching and today yeah they got worked...

2ct - talked myself into believing that as I was dropping nearly 30kg it would be fine... it was not fine, legs hate me... although the weight moved well and strong 3rd rep was a bit slow... second set was good...

curls - 5ct neg... really... holy hera... arms got smashed... wow... rest pause too... the fun... oh the fun...

next training day is thu... deads... hoping the back is better by then...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 130x1

140x3x1

Bench daddy
140x1
150x1
155x1
160x1

CGBP
120x4
115x4

did not go as planned today... first off I thought it was deads day... nope lol... then the back is still sore and to get into the arch and hold was just not happening... so reps were not working either...

BP - warm ups ok till about 115... then could feel things tightening and just not working... 130 went fine so was thinking ok maybe... then 140 was supposed to be 3 reps... did 1st went really well... went for second and back just started complaining so bailed... 2nd set first rep same nice strong and felt good... second rep back just not playing... ffs... so added in a third single just to make sure the 140 was feeling good... it was... just cant hold the position for too long...

Bench daddy - not as good as its felt previous but all went up well and 160 def felt better in the hands than before... arms got a bit of a bashing from these today... back not too bad here...

cgbp - yeah mixed... happy I got the 4 reps on the 120... was a bit ouchie though... second set was supposed to be 5+ but just couldnt hold things and tbh was thinking the 3rd rep was the last there... managed a 4th...

going to sort out an appointment with the sports massage girl I see as that might help and have been stretching things out but its a bit sore today.... fvck knows what I have done...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3

Deads
WU 120x3x3, 170x2x3, 210x3, 250x1, 280x1

292.5x2
280x2

SLDL
242.5x3

Facepulls
35x20
35x17
35x15

yasssss decent session this one... back has been a bit meh but today I managed to have a good pull session...

Deads - warm ups went really well... bar was flying and doofus here forgot to chalk up till the top set... so happy with how they went... top set I just thought about my cues for second and then switched off and let my body do the work... weight freaking flew up nicely... strong quick and smooth... had a 3rd there for sure and would have gone for a 4th... might not have got it but would have tried it for sure... back was fine at this point... 280 for a double was not as smooth as had to make it two attempts as the first one I started to pull it but felt the bar was too far out in front so took it back to the floor and then immediately pulled it for two good reps... keep the bar close... see doofus...

SLDL - ok this felt heavy today but went really well... felt it hit the posterior chain pretty nicely... back was a bit touchy at this stage but kept tight and got a good 3 reps...

Facepulls - oh wow... felt this a freaking lot in the upper back...

yeah good session for sure... back is starting to play ball and should be good in time for the comp... sitting at 115ish atm so should make weight nicely too... still would like more time in my day but its starting to pan out a bit...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

BP (comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1

130x1
140x1
145x1

TNG BP
135x3
120x7

Inc flyes
22.5x3x10

ok second to last bench day and it started awful as late night last night and early morning this morning... bit knackered...

BP - warm ups went well... nothing fantabulous though... 130 up it went easy as pie and no safeties which is a first ... 140 safeties on now but didnt need them as it moved easy and well... very happy... 145 oh yeah smooth and quicker than ever... felt very good...

TNG - 135 felt a bit heavier than expected tbh but got the triple... 120 felt lighter than expected lol... good 7 there...

Flyes - just a light one to stretch and for active recovery... no problems... felt good...

happy with this today... esp given a bit of a meh day in terms of tired etc... work is busy but good and the clientele are pretty cool... daughter goes back to uni this sat and is working the next two nights so will not see her much sigh... oh well life goes on...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x2, 160x2, 180x2, 200x2 *belt on* 220x1, 240x1

255x2
240x2 (oh ffs)
245x2
245x2

done... last squat session before comp... warm ups went well and felt good... form feeling spot on and depth good... went up to top set well... 255 felt really good... not terribly fast but strong and smooth... 240 oh ffs this was a mistake it was supposed to be 245... it felt very good though... 245 first set went well and felt good, strong and quick enough... 2nd 245 was done cos I am a doofus (was supposed to go 255, then 245x2x2 but stuffed up the weight)... it didnt feel as quick but was still good and made sure the depth was there... form felt really good... legs feeling it but not too bad although later I bet they complain a lot... got a bench day sunday and then a deload next week then its game time... feeling pretty decent atm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3

BP (comp pause)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1, 125x1

135x2x2

Deads
WU 120x2x3, 150x3

180x3x1

done... last heavyish bench before comp...

BP - went really well... no problems at all with the weight and moved as it should...

Deads - no issues moved really fast and last one felt like nothing...

body is feeling a bit battered but about where it should... got a deload on wed and then its nothing till comp... weight atm is 112.5 so thats pretty much all done bar the final pee...


----------



## Greyphantom

Deload or "did I even lift today brah day"

Squats
WU 70x5, 100x5, 130x3

150x2x3

BP
WU 40x5, 60x5

70x4
80x4
90x4

well that went well...

squats - all felt light and fast... form and technique spot on and good loosening up lifting... really pleased at how fast they moved...

BP - top sets all had a pause in them... didnt mean to but it just happened that way... all were fast and easy but the 90 felt better than 80...

all done now bar the actual lifting... just got to switch the head off and let the training do its thing, Dig has me pretty spot on tbh and I feel good... few aches and pains but these are receding now which is nice... sitting at 112 so pretty much there... although carby goodness will be cut a bit till sat... will weigh in again tomorrow to monitor and then fri to see what I can eat through the day... then after 10am sat... nom nom nom...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1 and 2 training

Day 1
BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x5, 100x5

110x10
105x10
100x10

Inc DB press
30x2x10
30x9+1p
30x9

Floor flyes paused (1min-90secs)
20x3x8

supposed to do deadstop ez ext but time was not on my side, prob should have stopped before the floor flyes but they were quick and I needed to get more done...

BP- felt pretty good and went nice and smoothly...

Inc db press - felt good but man this hit my chest pretty well...

floor flyes - again went well but hit the chest hard but good...

Day 2
OH PD (90secs)
WU 40x10, 70x10

95x3x10

Seated rows (90s)
140x2x12
140x14

Rack chins (90s)
BWx12, 10, 9

seated db cleans (1min)
10x16, 15, 13

Seated ez curls (75s)
27.5x12, 11, 10

holy crap this was a tough one...

PD - felt heavy and I used 50kg on bench to hold me down which helped... by third set lats were not happy...

Rows - again felt heavy but holy hera the upper back was on fire...

rack chins - didnt feel so heavy but man did the back complain...

seated cleans - jebus wept was about to cry... traps and upper back crying... as was I...

seated curls - oh what a doofus thought I would use 20kg and forgot to include the bar weight... thought man this is hard glad I went for 20kg... then after realised I had stuffed up... oops...

good weekend of working out... feeling soooo good lifting again even after only 5 days since last lifting attempt...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
BP (pause reps)
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x5x2

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

210x5x3

Paused squats 3ct
175x2x5

first day back training proper like...

BP - went well even after sat session... full pause on each rep on the top sets... felt good except for 1 rep when I just relaxed a bit at the bottom thus making it harder to drive up quickly...

Squats - went ok... back a little tight but managed to get all sets out, prob about parallel so need to get that extra inch to nail it... got a few pointers and will start implementing that asap... after legs were feeling crampy but managed to keep them loose... back was feeling a bit sore too but nothing terrible... hot bath last night and it felt much better... well till sleepy time... then legs very sore all night long and still a bit today... yay...

Paused - holy jebus... wasnt too bad but the extra count makes it interesting... as do the extra reps but the weight was well manageable... legs were feeling awesome (sarcasm on)

left it there as ran out of time, sons bus was extremely late so had to take him into school.. now where do I send the fuel bill and refund ticket again... oh thats right no where... I wonder if the lobotomy to become a member of council hurts... hmmmm...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 2

Deads
WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1

257.5x3x4

SSB GM
105x3 nope
60x8 bit easy
85x8 yeah ok about right
75x8

Hip Thrusts
95x10
105x12

OH PD
80x4x10

Standing EZ curls
35x2x12
35x17

had a really good session today... was thinking it would be pants tbh as lower back was a bit niggly and legs still had a bit of doms in them and hamstrings were quite sore... however turned out pretty decent...

Deads - warm ups felt good and I made damn sure things were tight and in control... kept the bar very close to the body too and ended up with bald tracks that were very red up the quads lol... third set was prob the best tbh... weight moved fast and easy though which was nice...

SSB GM - holy cow such a humbling exercise... did not expect it to be how it was... very different to the normal bar for sure... will have to get used to this to make some progress but found that 85 was pretty good... 105 was just no...

Hip thrusts - went well and felt it right in the glutes... upped the weight and worked it harder... sore glutes...

OH PD - aim of the game was maintaining form and going for more hypertrophy, I am taking this to mean a fast way to getting a prize...







went well felt it in the lats but not as much as when heavier but only to be expected...

Standing EZ - so much easier than seated... good finisher...

enjoyed Thu session a load... blew off some cobwebs and back felt good all day so that was a bonus... legs started feeling better too as the doms wore off then the doms from Thu session started kicking in around mid evening lol...


----------



## anna1

Greyphantom said:


> Day 2
> 
> Deads
> WU 120x2x5, 170x5, 210x3, 240x1
> 
> 257.5x3x4
> 
> SSB GM
> 105x3 nope
> 60x8 bit easy
> 85x8 yeah ok about right
> 75x8
> 
> Hip Thrusts
> 95x10
> 105x12
> 
> OH PD
> 80x4x10
> 
> Standing EZ curls
> 35x2x12
> 35x17
> 
> had a really good session today... was thinking it would be pants tbh as lower back was a bit niggly and legs still had a bit of doms in them and hamstrings were quite sore... however turned out pretty decent...
> 
> Deads - warm ups felt good and I made damn sure things were tight and in control... kept the bar very close to the body too and ended up with bald tracks that were very red up the quads lol... third set was prob the best tbh... weight moved fast and easy though which was nice...
> 
> SSB GM - holy cow such a humbling exercise... did not expect it to be how it was... very different to the normal bar for sure... will have to get used to this to make some progress but found that 85 was pretty good... 105 was just no...
> 
> Hip thrusts - went well and felt it right in the glutes... upped the weight and worked it harder... sore glutes...
> 
> OH PD - aim of the game was maintaining form and going for more hypertrophy, I am taking this to mean a fast way to getting a prize...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> went well felt it in the lats but not as much as when heavier but only to be expected...
> 
> Standing EZ - so much easier than seated... good finisher...
> 
> enjoyed Thu session a load... blew off some cobwebs and back felt good all day so that was a bonus... legs started feeling better too as the doms wore off then the doms from Thu session started kicking in around mid evening lol...


 Hi!

What's SSB GM ?

x


----------



## Greyphantom

anna1 said:


> Hi!
> 
> What's SSB GM ?
> 
> x


 Safety squat bar good mornings...


----------



## anna1

Greyphantom said:


> Safety squat bar good mornings...


 Never heard of this before , but I 'll google it 

thank you!


----------



## Greyphantom

anna1 said:


> Never heard of this before , but I 'll google it
> 
> thank you!


 no probs... its a horrible exercise...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

195x5x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

117.5x4x4

DB BP
35x3x6

Dips
BW+15x8
BW+12.5x10
BW+10x10

DB seated shoulder Press
20x3x8

good session today but really late... wanted to start at 3 but didnt get to it till nearly 5... just one thing after another but nothing major...

Squats - trying out some form and technique changes today right from the get go... made a bit of a difference tbh, screwing my heels into the ground opened up my groin and knees and tightened the glutes as well... def felt it more in the glutes and adductors and kept the back more upright... weights moved a bit slow tbh but was a good lesson in the new tweaks...

BP - oh yeah, felt really good... warm ups were just awesome and the top sets even better... weights moved really well... great pop off the chest and just felt much lighter...

DB press - weights a bit on the light side tbh... but needed to learn the movement again tbh... felt good and moved well but then it should...

dips - oh holy cow... just to finish off the chest and tris lets do some dips... tbh it went better than I thought it would... hit me hard... hit me real hard right now lol...

Sh press - again a bit light here, first set was a bit wonky but then the next 2 much better and smoother...

really good session today that I was not expecting... ready for some eats and a hot bath then a sort of quiet sat before work on sun...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1
BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

117.5x2

Sq
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2, 200x2
*belt on*
210x5x3

3ct Pause
185x2x4

finished there as run out of time...

BP - was really good and felt strong and quick...

sq - trying a few things to help with form and technique and get depth better... got a few more pointers from the coach and will implement them next squat session... fri then...

3ct Pause - holy cow... finished the legs off really well... legs done...

was a good session with a bit being learned... and still more to learn...

Day 2
Deads
WU 120x3x3, 170x2x3, 210x3, 250x1

280x2
260x4

ssb gm
85x3x8

Hip thrusts
110x10
110x16

incl bb rows
100x8
90x11
80x14

bb curl (very slow negative and strict)
40x10

late one again as on a first aid course this week...

Deads - oh yeah, went really well... fast and strong felt really good... everything connected and I switched off the brain and just lifted... form and techinique felt better too... 260 was just as good with only the 4th rep going a bit slower and feeling a little heavier...

ssb gm - damn but these still feel odd and hard... but worked well...

incl bb rows - done on a bench on an incline and holy cow it worked the upper back more and the traps too... felt good...

bb curl - here I stuffed it up a little... just did the one set when it should have been 3... oh well... still made the arms work hard with very slow negatives and strict reps... felt the burn...

great session felt really good and better than expected by far as been a long week and day...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 3 (Fri 09 Feb 18)

Squats
WU 70x2x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x3, 180x2

195x5x2

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x1

125x3x4

Bench daddy
135x1
145x1

fin... home late off the last day of a first aid course... so started late and just ran out of time for the last few exercises... still back to normal next week... but pretty knackered tbh after a week of course and 3 days on the trot training...

Squats - went pretty well tbh worked stayiing more upright and keeping on my heels... got better as the lifting went on... still room for improvement though

BP - yeah went pretty well but while the first 2 sets were great the third was ok... first 3 reps were decent just that last I had to take a breath and it was slower than I would have liked... still given how knackered I was it went ok...

Bench daddy - first rep was a bit meh... 2nd a lot better...

long day and week actually... had to train three days in a row as life... still on the weekend got confirmation that my British citizenship has gone through which is a good thing... just have to do the ceremony and then get my passport...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1 Tue 13 Feb 18

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 110x2

120x8x1

Squats
WU 60x5, 90x5, 120x4, 150x3, 170x3, 190x2, 200x1, *belt on* 210x1

220x1
225x1

200x4x3

done but a bit of a mix up, went to do some rack squats but then realised hadnt done the 4 sets at 200... oops so reset things and did them but then had to call it to get ready for work...

BP - felt good and smooth... no problems at all...

squats - still feeling my way through some technique changes and stuff... will get there eventually but still a ball ache...

works been busy and finding time to do everything still a struggle atm... but getting there...


----------



## Greyphantom

Day 1

Bench
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

110x5x2

Squats
WU 60x5, 90x5, 120x4, 150x3, 170x3, 190x2, 200x1
*belt on*
210x1
220x1
230x1

170x3x6

thats all I had time for... was a late one but a good one

BP - felt great, nice strong smooth and loads more there... fast too....

Squats - still working on the form and technique and I have a feeling I will be for life... best thing was the back is awesomely fine and no twinge or aches etc... however just got to work on the mind now to know that its all fine... warm up sets went well... top sets mostly well... still working that twist the heels thing while doing it and its a bit hit and miss...

that it had to rush off as was a late one today, but at least got the main bits in... another long day tomorrow at work but off at the weekend so looking forward to a chill out time... well I say that but bet the mrs comes up with something to put the kybosh on that... yay...


----------



## Greyphantom

Mish mash day 2/3 24 Feb 18

Deads
WU 120x2x3, 170x2x3, 210x3, 250x1, 280xf

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2

132.5x3x2

Bench daddy
140x1
150x1

Hip thrusts
120x10
120x15

Incl bb rows
105x9
92.5x13
85x15

done... had to put 2 sessions together as just been one of those weeks... work was busy and had to do extra hours...

Deads - went ok till the 250 when the back felt tight and then tried the 280 which didnt work so well... not too happy...

BP - yeah this went really well... was going to go for a 3rd on the last set but went way off line on the 2nd so got it back in and pressed it out ok but left it there...

Bench daddy - yeah very very good this week, felt great and strong... technique and form spot on...

Hip thrusts - hits the glutes really good... felt it working extremely well...

incl bb rows - really liking these... very not easy but really gets the upper back really well...

Good session made out of a sows ear to paraphrase... trying to find that work/life balance but its proving a little elusive... still onward and upward... and Dig has been very patient with me...


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## Greyphantom

Day 1 28 Feb 18

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x3x2
120x2x2

squats
WU 60x5, 90x5, 120x4, 150x3, 170x3, 190x2
*belt on*
210x1
230x3x1
205x2x3

SLDL
200x2x5

good session today even if it was -4 and the heater barely managed to warm up the gym... training with numb feet was novel...

BP - went really well... felt good and fast and strong... happy...

squats - ok had to do the hardest thing I have tried today... keep my eyes open lol... I tend to close them so Dig has me forcing them open... went ok though and a bit different...

SLDL - just up to an rpe of 7 today so stuck at the 200 and that went really well... glutes and hams as done as the quads...

stuffed up a little as started to squat before bench but realised my error after the 2nd warm up set so just switched easy enough... fvcking cold... went through as quick as I could and then into a hot bath... job jobbed...


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## Greyphantom

Day 2
Squats
WU 60x5, 90x5, 120x4, 150x3, 170x3, 190x2

200x5

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3, 115x2, 125x1

130x1
135x1
140x1

Deads
WU 120x2x3, 170x3, 210x3

240x3
260x2
272.5x3

and done... was supposed to do this fri/sat but fri was busy getting drive cleared a bit and then other family stuff and so thought sat it is... got called into work sat as the chap supposed to be doing the shift got stuck in the snow...

Squats - went really well still working on keeping the eyes open and the other various techniques etc... keeping eyes open is freaking hard lol... top set went really well and felt better than I expected...

BP - oh yeah felt really good... 130 was really good and fast... 135 went the same and felt great which I was really happy with and then the 140... well it went fast off the chest but slowed a bit at the lockout but still went well... happy...

Deads - yes please... back was a bit achy but 240 went well and 260 felt better... 272.5 was a bonus round and it went really well... felt much better than it has in a while...

good session and happy with it tbh... life continues to be busy... but pretty good...


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## Greyphantom

Comp write up

Comp date 18 Mar 18

Well second chance at qualifying for the Brits at bodypower in may... training had been ok leading up but had some issues with lower back and time as things got pretty busy... drove up to Manchester on Sat afternoon and it was a wee bit longer than I had anticipated but I made weigh in (just) and then made weight for the 110s which was unexpected as I was weighing in at 115 a week before... no special diet or cut weight stuff but had been a lot busier phyically with work and training people etc... after weigh in back to hotel and eat a nice steak dinner with a great dessert and then sleep... up early and off to the venue...

My flight was slated to kick off at 1100... which it did... after chatting with Dig we decided to keep openers low and nail the lifts rather than trying anything special... warm up went well and felt fine, back was playing ball and no twinges or anything... time to rock... I originally had the opener set at 220 but dropped it to 210 just in case... nailed it... nice and deep and made sure I was on the board at least... 2nd lift was 225 and same again nice and deep and felt fine... set the 3rd lift at 240 and ooooh sooo close literally mm in it...

bench next... feeling pretty good at this stage... again opening light to make sure... 130... good lift and no problem... set the 2nd at 140 and it went up just as well... 3rd was for 147.5... this one was good but felt a little harder... still got the whites so all fine...

Deads - again low opener at 275 which was no problem... went up fine... second lift was set at 290 and that went just as well and again back was great and had no issues... set the final lift for 300 which felt more than doable... walked out took the bar and up to the knees when felt my back tighten so just let it go back to the ground again... little disappointed I didnt get that as it should have been a piece of cake but rather protect the back for the brits in 7 weeks than stuff it up at a qualifier...

so 662.5 total way down but ok... qualified for the brits for open and masters 2 and won of course the masters 2 class but a big surprise was I also beat out some competition to win the open... who knew... so pretty successful day... long drive home, started to ache like a mother about 30 mins into the trip and body then followed... home in to bed slept like the dead for a few hours then up for work... holy fvck what road train hit me... forgot how much a comp can take out of you... mon felt rough as hell, no appetite at all and body broken even though I didnt really push it too much had a boiling hot bath after work, 3 hour nap and then another hot bath just to get to nearly alive







... tue appetite still meh and body felt better but a little ouch... wed nearly normal and today back to normal and better... really want to lift again now and am eating a load... been on earlys all week and sleep hasnt been great but ok... so back into the next training cycle and hopefully the back stays feeling awesome and it goes well...


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## Damo1980

Well done mate


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## Greyphantom

Day 1 17 Apr 18

Squats
WU 60x5, 90x5, 120x4, 150x3, 170x3, 190x2 *belt on* 210x1

225x3x3

3ct Paused squats
190x4
175x3

BP
WU 40x2x5, 60x5, 80x4, 100x3

115x5x2

Dips
BW+15kg x2x5
BW+15kg x10+1p

ok been a while as was very busy at work and have been away for a week and a bit in Ireland and Egypt...

Squats went pretty decently tbh... first two sets were good 3rd set first 2 reps went well but the 3rd was dodgy... legs were just done really lack of sleep and no energy plus a cold... not full man flu at least









3ct - felt good these...

BP - got better as the sets progressed, all done with a full comp pause...

Dips - felt great... not sure where the 10 came from at the last set but felt strong...

good enough when returning from a holiday and had no training or gym access... legs feeling it a bit today but not as bad as I thought... yet...

Ireland I was reffing the Irish pro and it was one hell of a bash... amazing even some amazing lifters and quite a few "quiet" pints after... flew into one airport and home by 2230 to then get ready for a family trip and get to another airport at 0400... this time off to Egypt... that was one hell of a trip... such an awesome place and I totally geeked out... been wanting to go for a very long time and did most of the major sites but still didnt scratch the surface... have to go back for sure...

4 weeks till the Brits...


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