[The Blind Monk]

The thing is I spent 2 years doing BJJ so I'm not particularly tense/hulk smash like most people, which is good. My cardio is just intergalactically bad due to the fact a) I hate it b) I haven't been eating properly and c) I'm just not quite as smooth as I should be. AndI rarely do more than 5 reps anyway.

Keeping up with the Jits?

[Antonious Block]

Not since uni, which is about 18 months now. I did gym 6 days a week, thai twice a week, BJJ once a week and wakeskating when I had the money in my last year.. Then when I finished I did nothing until getting into strength training about 4 months ago. Lazy b****** that I am.

Considering getting back into when I start uni again in september though, BJJ and rugby league are both on the cards.

[The Blind Monk]

Sounds like you have a better recovery capacity then I do. I can barely recover from 2-3 hard weights sessions and one jits session a week. But then again, I've never been what you might describe as...athletic. My 'natural' bodyweight is probably about 50kg or so. Which means that I find it very easy to lose bodyweight if my eating isn't on the ball.

[The Blind Monk]

Weird day, odd sleep, not eating enough etc.
Snatches
worked up to 50. Felt heavy
Clean
60x1 not great
DL
work up to 140x5,4,3 Felt run over
Squat
60x2 80x8 (felt like blacking out so passed on true 20 repper. It'll probably move to bench day.

Went home and did
Clean and Press
30x5 35x3 40x3 45x3 50x5 (oddly easy, I like the belt) 55x2 (comfortable)
Chins
14,12,10,6
Curls
30x8

[The Blind Monk]

Bench
worked up to 77.5x5,5,5 82.5x3 87.5x2
Squat
work up to 80x20. I had a ringing sound in my ears and my vision went odd. I think I understand why you can hear Jesus on the last rep according to Rippetoe

[The Blind Monk]

Yesterday:
Clean and Press (strict but belted for top weight)
30x3 35x3 40x3 45x3 50x5,5,5
Pretty easy. Will advance in 1kg increments because...it's the press. And has a habit of stalling horrendously. Will hit 2-3x a week. Especially when I don't have a spotter for benching (I have difficulties maintaining an arch with the J-hooks in my gym.)
Today
terrible snatches/cleans. Must have had fatigued traps from yesterday
Deadlift
Worked up to 140x6,5,6 155x3 (belted only for the last set.)
pullups and some curls. V. low intensity because I was gone at this stage.

[The Blind Monk]

There are good days. And then there are days like today...lower back way too fatigued but can't really make the gym till saturday. So had to do the session today.

Clean and Press
work up to 52.5x5,3
Squats
Work up to 110x1 120xfail!? hit the pins at the bottom, lost tightness and felt...gassed
Some chinups/seated rows
Smith Decline Bench
worked up to 115x1. For the lulz.

[The Blind Monk]

Clean and Press
work up to 52.5x6,5
Pendlay Rows
work up to 57.5x5

[The Blind Monk]

I am officially a retard. But a retard who went to a nice gym. Sadly I can't really afford to go there.

Deadlift
work up to 145x5 (lower back fatigued from the Pendlays, don't ask.)
Bench
work up to 80x3,3,3,2,2,2 (very nice Hammer Strength Bench. Felt very solid)
HS inclines/rows/dumbell benches up to 30x10 pissed about all over the shop with loads of excercises leg pres up to 6 plates a side etcetc

[The Blind Monk]

Squat
work up to 110x5 120x1 (belted) 125x1
Bench
work up to 80x3
Pullups 5x5
HS bench
work up to 35kg per side
Really like this
Seated Curls
12.5x10,8,6

Eleiko bars are absolutely awesome. Seriously, it makes such a difference to have a decent bar.

[u4m1r]

(Original post by The Blind Monk)
Squat
work up to 110x5 120x1 (belted) 125x1
Bench
work up to 80x3
Pullups 5x5
HS bench
work up to 35kg per side
Really like this
Seated Curls
12.5x10,8,6

Eleiko bars are absolutely awesome. Seriously, it makes such a difference to have a decent bar.

Yeah I once had a powerlifter in my gym tell me that. How exactly does the bar make such a difference though?

[The Blind Monk]

Some flex in the bar helps to reduce the range of motion when you're deadlifting. Better knurling makes it easier to grip, especially in conjunction with chalk. The bar in question is a bit thinner so a hook grip doesn't brutalise my thumbs (too badly.) In the case of the Olympic lifts, the bar rotates properly, which means it's less likely to do your shoulder in. Those are the generalised differences to me.

Clean and Press
Work up to 52.5x5,4
Deadlift
work up to 145x5,4 (yes, I am a retard.)
Seated Curls
Hanging Leg Raises

[SMed]

Yeah, I love the Eleiko bar for pulls. Not so much for squats. I don't like the whippiness when you're walking out with 140kg.

[redbuthotter]

Really? I can barely feel it... mind im light front squatting... heaviest back I did was 140 on it and didn't notice it.

[SMed]

You used the Eleiko for squats? I thought you hadn't used it?

I suppose I just notice the bar more because it's thinner and digs in more than the thicker bars. Just makes me more aware of it, but I'm sure one would get accustomed to it quickly.

[redbuthotter]

Yeah always for front squats. Always. Just feels better... dunno why, its only like 2mm difference or sth lol. Yeah I'm not sure I make it whip much... or if I do I don't notice.

Neways whats your best back squat atm?? I'll try catching it with front squat after russian squat routine... after current smolov cycle is done.

[The Blind Monk]

I barely noticed the difference when squatting. There are only 3 bars at the gym I currently go to: an Eleiko, an Ivanko and some ***** bar that doesn't seem to flex properly at all. It's not super whippy at the kind of weight I'm using so I think it's ok. The squats felt pretty ok considering my lack of heavy-ish squatting lately. The bar did have some disturbing whip/flex when I saw a guy squat c.200kg though.

[redbuthotter]

Are those competition or training bars? Some flex more than others I guess... its gangster when it flexes loads.

[Arturo Bandini]

28mm barbells are soooo much better for deadlifting.

[SMed]

I haven't squatted since June. And I did an easy 140kg, but failed 150kg (which I'd done previously). I probably won't be training again until September, which sucks. But hopefully I'll have set up my home gym and I'll be training hardcore then.