chewybaws

Wed 12th October 2011 Bench 2x5x67.5kg 1x7x70kg DB Bench 4x8x25kg DBs T-bar Rows 5x10x45kg (only 42.5kg on the 2nd set due to loading error) Tricep Pushdowns 10,10,10,9,7 x12.5kg BB Curls 3x10x20kg My standard bench has felt weak this week and last, maybe cause it's because I'm doing multiple top sets now. It just doesn't feel comfortable at the moment. DB Bench was self spotted, since I joined the club I just got into position and had a couple of guys hand me the DBs but wanted to try getting them up myself today. Went quite smoothly I guess.

Also One armed dumbbell rows and front/side raises. But yeah, can't beat shoulder press and pullups as already mentionned.

Solid routine. I would maybe swap the days the shoulder/back workouts are on though, so you're not squatting/stiff leg deadlifting the day after you deadlift. You need your back and hams for them! Also gives maximal time for your upper/lower body to recover before next workout. EDIT: also how do you plan to load the main exercises? i assume you won't do the same reps at 85% forever

Mon 10th October 2011 Bodyweight = 84.6kg Deadlift 3x6x160kg (with belt) Romanian Deadlifts 5x10x80kg Leg Press 5x10x130kg Cable Crunches 5x10x32.5kg Got deadlifts on cam, might upload later. Was pretty tough going today, kept my back pretty solid though. Worst 2 reps were the end of the 2nd set. I'm losing weight stupidly quickly just now, need to pull my finger out.

Basically what happened was I was going to start 5/3/1 and do it long term, so moved from 3 days a week to 4. And doing the Periodization Bible assistance template (more or less). But then the guys decided we'd have a club comp in December and there's just not enough volume with a high enough weight in 5/3/1 to prepare me for it with just the one top set and deload weeks. So I'm following a program my coach designed for the main lifts and just slotted them in where I'd normally do the 5/3/1 sets. Generally with assistance trying a lot of exercises I've never done before. A lot of experimentation this cycle.

Thanks guys! Yeah Robert, this is the only place I have my training log from the day I started working out to the present. For the last year or so I've got a paper copy (and an electronic backup from on here for what I don't have on paper). Can't see me ever stopping lifting. Sun 9th October 2011 Speed Bench 8x3x55kg OHP 2x5x37.5kg 1x11x37.5kg Chins 2x10 Tricep Kickbacks 5x10x9kg DB (failed last set on left arm by a few reps) BB curls 4x6x27.5kg Up till now on OHP I'll breathe in, press to the top and from then on I do my breathing at the top of the rep (using the stretch at the bottom). From this workout onwards every rep will be from a dead stop, so I'll be doing the breathing at the bottom. Numbers are low to test, but I'm repping out the last set anyway so I'll get plenty of work. So stoked with chins, I know I'm a few KG's lighter than I was a few months back, but this is the first time I remember hitting 10 reps since I was MUCH less bodyweight. And done it for 2 sets. Will try 11 reps next week.

Wed 5th October 2011 Bench Press 2x5x65kg 1x9x67.5kg Dips 8,8,8,7,8 BB Rows (close underhand grip) 5x10x40kg Close grip bench 2x10x40kg 1x10x42.5kg 1x10x45kg 1x10x40kg DB Curls 3x10x12.5kg each hand Dunno what happened on dips, wasn't much rest between each set. Last set just felt way easier than the 4th. Will switch for a different shoulder/chest exercise next week as per plan. T-bar/lat pulldown was in use so done BB rows/close grip bench in place of t-bars/tricep pushdowns. Was ramping the weight during the 5x10 close grip but on set 4 my right shoulder came off the bench to finish the last 2 reps and the elbow hurt a bit on that side after the set. Felt nothing since then. Fri 7th October 2011 Bodyweight = 85.2kg Squat (belt) 1x5x122.5kg 1x5x125kg 1x7x127.5kg Sumo Deads (no belt as usual) 5x5x110kg Good Mornings 4x8x70kg BB rollouts 5x5 Need to work on getting my first squat reps down. Sumo deads felt quite good, certainly still giving my adductors work but they don't feel like they're going to pull now which is good. Took a front view video of some sets, keeping my knees out pretty well. Good Mornings noticably harder this week, dropped from 5x10 to 4x8 and took a 5kg jump accordingly. My back's feeling more solid now with all these exercises that have me keeping a flat back throughout the whole set - RDLs, Sumo's, Good Mornings. Good shit. Will keep building the weight up.

Tue 4th October 2011 Rowing Machine 2000m Box Jumps 28.5" x 10 32" x 10 35" 2x5 36" (3ft) x 10 28.5" x 20 Really just a session to loosen off today, done a lot of stretching. Been keeping the hamstring stretches up the last few days

Do you think holding a 10kg or 20kg plate in front the torso world work for adding weight, or would that be too dangerous? Personally I'd use dumbbells because my balance is crap and they're easy to dump to the side. I fell during a reverse barbell lunge before and I'm wary to hold anything over me while doing 1 legged work now. But as far as loading the exercise goes, anything would work.

Mon 3rd October 2011 Bodyweight = 86kg Deadlift 1x7x150kg 1x7x152.5kg 1x7x157.5kg RDLs 5x10x77.5kg (double overhand grip) Leg Press 5x10x120kg Cable Crunches 5x10x30kg Right so doing all the breathing worked well for the first 2 sets. Last set got gassed, breathed at the bottom and fucked up some reps, but my back position on the "bad" reps aren't anywhere near as bad as my form was before. Overall very happy with progress. Leg Press, moved my stance north a bit so it's just my heels that are on the plate. Felt much more like a squat position and could get a much larger ROM.

Yeah simply sounds like you're not eating enough. For a girl who exercises regularly you need to be way over 2000. Gradually build up and see how you feel.

Kilmarnock mate, nearby

Sun 2nd October 2011 Speed Bench 8x3x50kg OHP 3x8x37.5kg (extra rep on last set) Chins 2x9 Tricep Kickbacks 5x10x6.5kg BB Curls 3x8x25kg I need a proper back warmup for upper body days. Arching on bench is too extreme a stretch to go into without warming up the back properly. Might try doing some light squatting next week beforehand. OHP was actually quite tough, I think I was leaning back a bit too much need to avoid this next week. Happy with the chins. I've been sucking at them since my weight got over about 80kg but strength's starting to come back.

Good to have another scottish vegan on board, where abouts you from?

Wed 28th September 2011 Bench 1x3x55kg 1x3x62.5kg 1x8x70kg Dips 5x7 T-Bar Rows 5x10x42.5kg (still overhand grip) Tricep Pushdowns 5x10x10kg Fri 30th September 2011 Squat 3x6x115kg (with belt) Sumo Deadlifts 5x5x105kg (no belt) Good Mornings 5x10x65kg Leg Press 1x10x110kg 1x10x115kg 1x10x120kg 1x10x125kg 1x10x135kg Abondoned 5/3/1. It's not got enough volume with the deload weeks to get me ready for the club comp in december. Got 8 weeks of full training ahead and have got a plan written up. Still having problem with my tailbone tucking in deep squatting (buttwink) so going to stretch my hams a lot. Had a few sessions to work leg press in so started to ramp it.

If every time you do a strength workout it consists of exercises you have never done before or in a while, you're going to be sore and there's not much you can do about it. Stretching and active recovery between workouts can help ease it a bit. You just gotta pick a routine that starts you off light and stick to it, and most likely within a couple of weeks you'll be getting barely any soreness.

Tue 27th September 2011 Hanging Knee Raises 3x10 Reverse Crunch 5x8 (5kg counterweight) Quick ab workout today because I missed them on the last 2 lower body days.

Barbell, my pressing strength sucks haha. Always neglected OHP. Anytime in my log if I don't mention DBs, it'll be barbell. Okay so the plan with deadlifts is just to do a linear program to let my back strength increase with the new form changes. So it's not going to be 5/3/1, just the weight will be going up and reps going down towards December. Mon 26th September 2011 @ Strength Shop HQ Deadlift (with belt) 2x12x137.5kg (303lbs) (lost count in first set and done an extra rep by mistake) Squat with Cambered Bar 2x8x80kg 1x8x100kg Circus DB Just dicking about, pressed it 4 reps with right arm at one point, 31kg Deadlifts off 3" Blocks +2 Purple Bands, tripled up (+60kg resistance) 150kg bar weight, 3x3 Assisted GHRs 3x8ish Prowler Sprints 12m, 110kg 5.84s 5.43s Up to Strength Shop HQ to train with Buzz. Deadlifts doing a much better job at flattening my back out. Only rep I'm not happy with is rep 10 in the first set, didn't reset properly, lack of focus. Overall a fun workout, stiff and sore in all kind of places today - was my first time trying a lot of those exercises/variations. EDIT: If anyone's wondering why I used a belt for the 137.5kg deadlifts and not for 150kg +loads of bands, it's because I've been having trouble flattening my back out with the belt, but not before it. So for the main work sets at the start the belt's just on for practice really.

I just mix my aminos in a really small amount of water and just get them down in 1. You get used it

The dude from Stronglifts is a moron. Apart from the program and most of the exercise technique advice, the rest is BS.

Definitely go for the meet, it's experience. I had my 3rd meet recently, still miles away from setting any records but pretty much just doing it for experience. Failed depth on my first 2 squats on the last one. You don't get wake up calls like that in training.

I'm sure you'll be fine, it's just amino acids.

Stronglifts is a squatting program. That's why it's the first exercise and you do it every workout. Being a cyclist will probably mean you have muscle in your legs and good endurance, but make no mistake, doesn't necessarily mean your lower body's strong. I agree with the above post, if you're looking for something that's not going to affect your cycling, look for a strength assistance program for cycling. How long have you squatted for at a time? (when it messes up your cycling) Stronglifts only starts with 5x5x20kg(45lbs) so maybe it's worth a try. It builds up nice and gradual.

5/3/1 - Week 2 Sun 25th September 2011 OHP 1x5x35kg 1x5x40kg 1x9x45kg Incline Close Grip Bench 5x10x32.5kg Chins 2x8 Tricep Kickbacks 5x10x5kg BB Curls 3x8x22.5kg

I'm not using any weight in split squats just now. Just adding a rep every week and going to stick to 5 sets, so 5x10 next week. Then I'll start doing them weighted holding DBs or whatever. I find it hard enough to keep myself balanced just now. When I get to the point where I can't add weight anymore just gonna swap them over for lunges. Front squats you won't be able to use anywhere near the weight for back squats. Just warm up nice and gradual. Keep your chest and elbows up. EDIT: forgot to mention a couple of weeks ago was my first time doing the bulgarian split squats. also my first time doing farmer's walks today. Trying lots of new stuff just now.