[Chumbaniya]

We have a first session! Simple stuff, moderate weights.

Bench
20 x10
30 x8
40 x5
50 x5, x5, x5

Squat
20 x10
50 x5
70 x5, x5, x5

Cleans (what's the correct name for cleans that aren't from the floor? Didn't have any big plastic plates so it wouldn't have been the right height from the floor)
20 x5
30 x5, x5, x5

Nothing really of note but it was good to get back to it.

[Becca]

(Original post by Chumbaniya)

Cleans[/B] (what's the correct name for cleans that aren't from the floor? Didn't have any big plastic plates so it wouldn't have been the right height from the floor)


Nothing really of note but it was good to get back to it.

Hang cleans

[Chumbaniya]

(Original post by Becca)
Hang cleans

That's the one, thanks. I knew I knew it, I just didn't know it.

[Chumbaniya]

Just a short swim today since I was in town near the gym anyway and thought I'd do a bit to loosen me up after yesterday. 20 lengths at a steady pace, so not 'proper exercise' by any stretch of the imagination.

[Chumbaniya]

So I guess the reason you don't take days off like a pussy is because then the next session you are f***ing terrible.

Deadlift
50 x5
80 x5
100 x2 - so long since I've deadlifted that I didn't have the grip for it and had to just drop it half way through, which was mortifying.

Overhead Press
20 x8
30 x5
40 x5, x5, x4 - I shouldn't have gone for 40 given my benching earlier in the week; first set was no problem but I'm too out of shape to keep my strength through all 3 sets at the oment

Squats
20 x8
60 x5
75 x5, x5, x5

These were all fine. There was actually a decently strong guy there doing some proper training today and he pointed out my back was rounding a little and suggested moving the bar a little higher up my back. Obviously I'm used to the powerlifting style low bar squat, but to be honest as I'm out of practice and I'm not looking at any powerlifting comps at the moment, the higher bar squats do feel a lot less stressful on my back, so they could be a good idea given that I'm prone to lower back issues anyway.

DB Rows
25 x10, x10, x10

Rope tricep push-down things
30 x8, x8, x8

No need for the assistance work, I know, but as I have a date tomorrow my Y chromosome took over and decided I'd make substantial progress towards having sexy arms through a couple of naff exercises in a single session.

[Chumbaniya]

Straightforward session today.

Squats
40 x8
65 x5
80 x5, x5, x5

These were solid. Not super fast but they felt comfortable. I stuck with the adjusted technique of keeping the bar a little further forward on my back than I'm used to and my back feels much less sore for it - I think I must have had a tendency to try deep, low-bar squats even when my hip flexibility wasn't really up to it, resulting in me trying to good-morning the bar up.

Bench
30 x8
55 x5, x5, x5

I'm not really sure if these were easy or just fairly smooth. I'm pretty sure I could have done them at 60 or maybe even 65, but as I don't fuss about my bench in the way I might be prone to for squats and deadlifts I'm happy to just build it up gradually.

Lat pull-downs
30 x8
45 x8, x8, x8

Wasn't too sure what to do as a 3rd exercise so it was a toss up between cleans, rows of some sort, and this. Went for the pull-downs as I'd quite like to get back to doing decent sets of chin-ups/pull-ups which I wouldn't be too good at right now.

[Chumbaniya]

Not a bad session today, but I don't feel as strong as I should be after my exciting near-fainting (twice) after giving blood on Tuesday and not getting enough sleep the last couple of nights. I was quite happy to weigh myself and find I'm back at 70kg now. Hopefully I'll be able to put on a few more before long.

Squats
20 x8
50 x5
70 x5
82.5 x5, x5, x5

As I wasn't feeling my best I had to give myself a lot of rest between sets and really work hard to psyche myself up for them, but the squats themselves weren't actually too hard. 87.5 next session for sure.

Overhead Press
20 x5
30 x5
40x5, x5, x5

Much better than the last attempt, where I missed the last rep on the last set. All reps in all sets were pretty quick, and I really punched it up at the lockout.

DB Rows
32.5 x6, x6, x6

Not much to say about these.

[Motorbiker]

Your max old strength is about the same as what i am now at the same weight.

In to watch progress.

[Chumbaniya]

My blog fell off the front page, which suggests I've been really lazy.

Squats
20 x8
60 x5
80 x3
87.5 x5, x5, x5

All pretty smooth but they were a bit slow - I think I just wasn't particularly well focused and I was a bit sloppy at the bottom instead of driving up explosively. I focused up a bit for the last set which was definitely a little crisper.

Bench
20 x8
40 x5
50 x3
60 x5, x5, x5

By contrast my benching was very good - tight all the way through every set and good bar speed despite feeling like I was working pretty hard. I still think confidence is limiting me here and I'll probably go for 65 next session.

Lat pull-downs
35 x8
50 x8, x8, x8

Last set was a bit naff at the end, probably won't up this next time (either that or I'll start doing chin ups like a man).

Static barbell holds
80 x20s, x20s, x20s

My grip strength was so shockingly poor when I deadlifted the other week (I should not be dropping 100kg on the 3rd rep double overhand even without chalk) so I thought I'd throw in some grip work. Uncomfortably pumped forearms afterwards but there you go.

Then my usual shoulder stretching. This seems to be working nicely as my shoulders typically cause me problems but they've been fine since I restarted and did the stretches every session.

[Chumbaniya]

I've been such a mess over the last week. Ended up leaving myself so exhausted I had a cold yesterday. Anyway.

Squats
30 x8
60 x5
80 x3
90 x5, x5, x5

After yesterday I didn't feel my best but these went up without any problems. I still felt like I wasn't quite focused but they weren't too bad.

Overhead Press
20 x5
32.5 x5
42.5 x5, x5, x5

Again, not as focused as I'd like but they all went up. Last rep of the last set was a bit sketchy.

Pull ups
x5, x5

Lat pull-downs
40 x8, x8

Didn't think I'd get a third decent set of pull ups out so went for some pull-downs instead. Decent enough.

Still at 70kg but I think I'd drunk considerably less today so I'm probably still on a gradual increase.

[Chumbaniya]

OK SO.

A little while ago - the 26th of April, I think - I had a horrible session where I managed to get a single set of squats at 90kg done and felt destroyed. This was because I was starting to become ill, and the following weekend I was in Wales walking in pretty shocking conditions (which was great fun) which was no good for the oncoming illness, which set me back for a little while.

I've done 3 sessions since:

8th May - not a serious session, just keeping myself active.

Incline BB Press
20 x5
40 x5
45 x8, x8, x8

Front Squat
20 x5
40 x5
60 x3, x3, x3, x3, x3

That thing where the barbell is attached to a hinge on the ground at one end and you do rows with it
25 x8
40 x8, x8, x8

Tricep rope pushdowns
20 x8
35 x8, x8, x8

14th May

Squat
35 x8
60 x5
80 x3
90 x5, x5, x5

Overhead Press
20 x8
30 x5
40 x5, x5, x5

BB (Yates) Row
20 x10
40 x8
60 x8, x8, x8

Shrugs (mainly just for extra grip training)
60 x10, x10, x10

17th May

Lat Pulldowns
35 x8
55 x8, x8, x8

Trap Bar Deadlifts (other bars in use, didn't see why not) - these assume the bar weighs 20kg
60 x5
90 x5
105 x3, x3, x3

DB Bench
20 x8
25 x6, x6, x6

EDIT: Oh, and other news - I've fixed up my bike, so this is now being used for trips to the gym and other general getting around. As I find it pretty much impossible to deliberately cycle more slowly than I can, this is pretty reasonable exercise.

[McHumpy92]

Do you train at the uni or matt's gym? Or is there a good gym in Solihull.

[Chumbaniya]

(Original post by McHumpy92)
Do you train at the uni or matt's gym? Or is there a good gym in Solihull.

Birmingham gyms would be a bit far for regular training. My gym in Solihull isn't exactly good, but it's got everything I need (some more dumbbells would be nice as they only go up to 40 and it's nice to have more than that for rows sometimes, but other than that it's just luxuries like bands that we don't have).

[Becca]

Somehow got unsubscribed to this

[Madmachine]

Lol @ the title.

The Internet is still run on coal, for the electricity to run it comes from coal

R.I.P Adonis.

[Chumbaniya]

(Original post by Becca)
Somehow got unsubscribed to this

It's probably because there were no new posts for about a billion years and the thread got tagged as fossilised. Or something.

Anyway, I'd really love to do some exercise today, but I'm hungover Very much looking forward to a good session tomorrow. I've been eating a ton of food this week to try to make up for things. I was 71kg last time I was in the gym, so it shouldn't take me too long to reach a pretty sensible 75kg.

[Chumbaniya]

Really nice session today. I was definitely in the mood for pushing myself.

Squats
20 x5
60 x5
(belt on)
90 x3
105 x3, x3, x3

At first I thought that these were pretty difficult, but it was just the fact that I'd no squatted with a belt or for lower reps in ages (I've not had more than 90kg on my back this year, certainly). As I got used to it, these actually felt easier, and the last set was a breeze. I think my form wasn't ideal, but that'll settle in time, and the reps were pretty fast.

DB Rows
20 x8
25 x12, x12

Seated DB Press
15 x5
20 x5, x5

Only did seated because the rack wasn't free and I was impatient. I didn't feel confident about getting a third set out, but it wasn't a strength issue - it's just that I have so little experience doing seated shoulder presses and I wobble all over the place.

BB Reverse Lunge
20 x16 (alternating, 8 per leg)
50 x20, x20 (alternating, 10 per leg)

As I said, I was in the mood for pushing myself and these really did the job. Painful but very satisfying.

Tricep Dips
x10, x9

Just needed a little extra upper body work after not doing much on the DB presses.

[Chumbaniya]

Something I'd completely forgot happened when you do reverse lunges: massive glute DOMS.

[Chumbaniya]

Kind of a weak session today. I wasn't really feeling it - not sure whether that's the fact that I've still got pretty bad DOMS from Monday or just me spending too much time in the sun and getting dozy.

Pull ups
x6, x2 (rofl)

supersetted for no good reason with:

Lat pulldowns
45 x10, 10

Deadlift
60 x5
80 x3
(belt and straps on like a pansy)
100 x3
120 x3, x3

Overhead Press
20 x8
30 x5
40 x6, x6, x5

[Chumbaniya]

Just went out for a quick cycle - the idea was to go fairly gently just for fun, maybe 5-8km. I didn't bother changing out of the baggy shorts I was wearing beforehand and didn't put my cycle computer on, but I've just checked the route and it turns out I did 13km. Not bad for a session I only did because I wanted an excuse to be outside.