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Pete's attempt at a blog

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i just find it very annoying that they moved the squat rack away from infront of the mirror at the gym, now it just faces a wall with a "how to squat" poster on.

also my 1RM is totally higher than his for squats :colone:

Reply 61

Piggsil

Original post by Monkey_Pete

I find I work out better if I don't look in a mirror at all. You don't need to check your form constantly, plus you lose tightness from focusing on looking at yourself.

Reply 62

rlw31

Original post by Becca

I find I work out better if I don't look in a mirror at all. You don't need to check your form constantly, plus you lose tightness from focusing on looking at yourself.

This.

Reply 63

Monkey_Pete

Update

Entered a 5K run yesterday. From my phone the time was 24.39 (from the endomondo app on my galaxy S), from the official event time keepers it was 25.01. either number means i beat my previous best, but quite a considerable margin (and the best time that my bro has done, and he has done alot more 5k runs than i have)

Split times from endomondo
1k 4.57
2k 9.58 (5.01)
3k 15.03 (5.05)
4k 20.01 (4.58)
5k 24.39 (4.38) (sprint finish)

Got some blisters from my crappy trainers, so went out today and bought a new pair of proper running shoes, no excuses next time.

Major DOMS for the evening and this morning from this run. also no gym today because of that (and all my gym gear being in the wash). Tomorrow it will be for normal lifts at the gym again

Reply 64

Monkey_Pete

Update

Bench

20kg
30kg
40kg
50kg
65kg*4,3
60kg*3

Think i might deload this

Squat

20kg
40kg
60kg*3
80kg*2
100kg*2
60kg*15

Still has DOMS from the 5k run the other day so didnt fancy a big weight, so decided to try and aim for 60*20, but didnt make it

OHP

20kg
30kg*3
42.5kg*2

Stopped there cos i realised i was over extending my back. did some reps at 20 trying to do it without over extending my back but wasnt able to

Deadlift

70kg
100kg
120kg
147.5kg*3

Think i might deload, but not sure

Pull ups

BW(82)*2,2

Chin ups

BW(82)*3

One armed strongman style dumbell press (a competition between me and MHorman)

15kg*1
17.5kg*1
20kg*1
22.5kg*1
25kg*1
27.5kg*1
30kg*1
32.5kg*1 (PB)
35kg*0 (fail)

Reply 65

Motorbiker

Original post by Monkey_Pete

Update

One armed strongman style dumbell press (a competition between me and MHorman)
27.5kg*1
30kg*1
32.5kg*1 (PB)
35kg*0 (fail)

Annoyingly my dumbells go up in 2kg increments so i have to hit 34kg to beat you... At least it means we can only draw every 10kg...

I may have to try and beat this tomorrow morning now...

Reply 66

Monkey_Pete

Update

Deadlift

warm up
147.5kg*4

nearly...

Squat

warmup
110*0
60*5

I blame the 5 hours sleep and deadlifting first for that epic failure of failures

Bench

20kg*lots
30kg*3
40kg*3
50kg*3
55kg*3
60kg*3
62.5kg*3
65kg*3
67.5kg*3 (PB)

Thought i would do something different with bench, as i had just failed at squat spectacularly, and havent hit a targeted 3*5 on bench in ages.

Dumbell OHP

15kg*5

Strongman one arm push press

20kg*1
25kg*1
30kg*1
35kg*1 (PB)

I then tried to find the 37.5kg dumbell, but there was only 3 bigger than 35, one had 50 written on it, and the other two didnt have numbers on, no idea how heavy they were.

Dumbell OHP

17.5kg*5

Pull Ups

BW*3 (PB)

Chins

BW*4,2

Reply 67

Monkey_Pete

I just checked, and this is only my 5th weights section in the entirety of may, think i need to start going more often again after exams

When i got to the gym, first glance not too bad only around 10 people in the weights section. Then i noticed that everyone had claimed/was using a barbell and there were none left anywhere. Briefly considered using the smith machine, but then pictured Matt Grif in my head saying that smith machines are for idiots, so i didn't do that.

Chins

bw*5

Probably could have got higher reps but i was thinking of going for as many sets of 5 as possible. then i noticed someone finishing with a barbell, so went and grabbed it.

Deadlifts (both the benches and squat racks were taken, so not much other choice)

60kg*5
90kg*3
120kg*2
147.5kg*4(.5)

I tried out my liquid chalk and it did seem to help, but also showed me that grip wasnt the main thing slowing me down. got the same as i did last time on deadlift, which considering how little i have lifted recently i was happy with. I was thinking at this point whether i had screwed over the rest of my lifts by deadlifting first...

Bench

20kg*lots
30kg*5
40kg*something
60kg*3
62.5kg*3
65kg*3,3

The first set of 65 was a struggle so i didnt bother increasing the weight, though i would just try for another set, which i just about got

Squat

I jumped in with one of the few people i have seen at the gym that actually seems to squat properly, so there was pressure to make sure my form and everything was good.

20kg*lots
60kg*5
80kg*2
100kg*(1/2),3
80kg*5,5,3
60kg*4

My first rep of 100 didnt count, i broke from the knees and just went down instead of from the hips back, cos of this i didnt go deep enough. so i composed myself and went again for reps. All that running recently (some which i didnt post on here) and no squating has screwed me over a bit. So i dropped down to 80 just to get some volume in. then again down to 60, but hitting the fail bar stopped more reps there. Atleast i got a decent amount of volume in.

Pull ups

bw*2

Chins

Bw*2

Everything considered i was pretty happy with the lifts i got, but gonna try and do better next time

Reply 68

Monkey_Pete

Update

Thought i would go for a quick session as i probably wont be able to go again due to lots of exams for about a week and a half.

Squat

20kg*lots
40kg*5
60kg*4
80kg*2
100kg*5,3

Bench

20kg*lots
30kg*4
50kg*2
65kg*4,3

Thought i would try to get a new 5RM, but missed it, the last rep of 4 was very slow, so no chance of the 5rm rep

Deadlift

20kg*5
60kg*5
90kg*3
120kg*2
147.5kg*4,3

Decided to try and get more volume if i couldnt get that 5th rep

Reply 69

Monkey_Pete

Update

Trip to the gym with commandant. he decided to try and get me to kill my chest

Bench

20kg*lots
40kg*5
55kg*13,9,9

dumbbell slight incline bench press

22.5kg*2
17.5kg*2
12.5kg*20ish
15kg*10ish

cable flys/dips

10kg*6ish
3*dips
12.5kg*10ish
0*dips

Chest press machine

40kg*5
60kg*1
50kg*2
Drop set:50kg to failure, drop 10kg then rep to failure down to 10kg*6ish

HiiT on the recumbent bike

16 minutes (8.13km, 160ish cals, difficulty 8)

Killed my legs

Edit: When i was there with commandant today he pointed out to me which bars weighed 15kg and which weighed 20kg. I had been using all bars previously assuming 20kg. so all my lifts other than today could potentially 5kg less that i thought. making theoretical 5RM actually 102.5/57.5/140. I will have to pay attention to which bars i am using and get proper numbers after exams

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 70

Monkey_Pete

i went on sunday as a brief distraction from revision

Push press (never really tried these before)

20kg*lots
30kg*3
35kg*3 (the same as i have 1reped one handed)
37.5kg*3
40kg*3
42.5*3
45kg*3
47.5kg*0

Bench

warm up
60kg*3*5

Squat

warm up
100kg*3*5

Deadlift

warm up
145kg*3
140kg*5

didnt go too heavy on anything (other than deadlift it seems) because i havent been much recently so it was more of a maintain. Also wanted to get some respectable numbers now that i know how much each bar actually weighs

Reply 71

username369234

still up for thursday afternoon?

Reply 72

Monkey_Pete

Original post by commandant

still up for thursday afternoon?

yup, my plans for thursday is just dissertation work, afternoon gym and obviously the party

Reply 73

Monkey_Pete

trip to gym with commandant again

Squat (borrowed his squat shoes also used belt for one set)

20kg*lots
60kg*5
80kg*2
100kg*3,3 (first set was with the belt)

found the belt a bit weird, but didnt want to do too many reps on squat cos the plan was to go big on deadlift...

Bench

warm up
65kg*5 (PB),3

Deadlift

70kg*5
115kg*3
145kg*5 (PB)
155kg*1
175kg*0
165kg*1 (PB)

Pulls

3

chins

5ish

Reply 74

Piggsil

Absolutely sweet deadlifting.

Reply 75

Monkey_Pete

Update

Clean + Push press (down to the floor on each rep)

20kg*lots (obviously didn't tap the empty bar to the floor, but down to roughly where it should be)
40kg*3
47.5kg*3
50kg*3
52.5kg*2 (missed the press on the 3rd rep, tried it 3 times, but dont think i was powering up enough with my legs)
40kg*5

Bench

warmup
62.5kg*5,5,4

monged the last rep of the 2nd and 3rd sets up. i was going a bit slow on them, to the point that people were running over to spot me, so i shouted "i got it" just as they were about to grab the bar, and i did it.

I was planning on squating after this, but there was lots of skinny fags doing weighted crunches and other such stuff, so i decided to summersofas it up and beast out the gym

Deadlift

60kg*5
100kg*3
120kg*2
147.5kg*5 (PB)

that was over twice the weight i saw anyone else move while i was in the gym, so i was pretty happy with that. (and there was some bro's squating)

Dumbbell rows

15kg*5
20kg*5
22.5Kg*5
25kg*5
27.5kg*5
30kg*5 (PB)

I tried these cos it had been suggested that they might help with stalling near the top of deadlifts

Reply 76

Piggsil

If you#re having lockout issues you could try rack pulls?

Reply 77

Monkey_Pete

Original post by Becca

If you#re having lockout issues you could try rack pulls?

might try that, do people normally do heavier weights with rack pulls than their deadlifts?

Reply 78

Piggsil

Original post by Monkey_Pete

might try that, do people normally do heavier weights with rack pulls than their deadlifts?

Yeah, I do a supersetting thing some weeks where I do some heavy rack pulls (did 95 the last time, which is 5kg over anything I've fully deadlifted before) then quickly put it onto the floor and do some normal deadlifts (80kg when i was rack pulling 95). Quick look at my programme tells me my next rack pulls will be 100kg :zomg:

Reply 79

RawJoh1

Original post by Monkey_Pete

might try that, do people normally do heavier weights with rack pulls than their deadlifts?

Depends on the person and what height you pull from. If I pull from below the knee I use the same weight for as I would off the floor and focus on speed (once the bar starts moving. Getting it moving is the hard part for me with rack pulls). Above the knee I can use a shed load more weight than I can off the floor but I'm sceptical of its usefulness for anything other than getting used to holding really heavy weight.