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Squats:

135 x 5
135 x 5

Didn't do last set because I was feeling something funny in my right lat and didn't want to risk anything. For some reason I was particularly out of breath during the squatting, so I probably wasn't keeping my back tight enough.

Push press:

60 x 1
65 x 1
70 x 0
70 x 4

Wanted to shift some weight above my head this afternoon. Last time I did these I got 50 3x5, and I can do that strict now. Had no idea where I'd get to. My bench is 70 2x5 for reference. Missed 70 the first time, strangely; the bar got up to forehead level and stopped, then fell forward. Tried again and got 4 reps. Wrists and arms were hurting, but I maybe could have got 5 reps. Maybe. Either way I'm surprised that my push press is practically my bench press, even after I haven't trained it since 2009. Maybe I'm just not built to bench...

Wanted more volume for shoulders and arms and to check out some hot girls in the other room so I did some cable seated militarys, 2 x 10, 50lbs each arm. These were very easy and then I realised they were stupid and I wanted to do some Kroc rows.

Kroc rows:

45kg dumbbell x 10 each side

Only one set this time. That's as high as the dumbbells go, so I'll have to do more reps next time. Grip on the right side was a little troublesome, strangely.

Reply 341

Smack

Volunteer Team

Brotherhood

My vertical/box/standing is pretty good I'd say and I struggle to hit the fifth step, it's just too far in front at that height to do comfortably. Do some standing jumps in your back garden, they're really good for explosiveness without a box and much safer. I chalk my hand up and use my wall outside as a measure for my vertical too.

Yeah, I was just ****ing around. My gym's got plyo boxes and I have plenty of boxes in my garage as well.

Reply 342

Smack

Volunteer Team

Front squats:

90 x 3
90 x 3
90 x 3

Old 1RM. Not too difficult on the legs.

Bench press:

62.5 x 5
65 x 5
65 x 5

First set was the same as last week. This was a mistake, was meant to be 65. All sets were easy enough, and all reps on the last set were paused for 1s. Can't wait to smash through 70.

Deadlifts:

160 x 5

Better form this time.

Reply 343

Smack

Volunteer Team

25 inch thighs, yeah baby!

Also, not sure what to do for my next routine.

WS4SB was looking appealing, but a) swapping around ME lifts after 3 weeks didn't work for me last time, so I see no reason why it will work this time; b) I don't even have the equipment to do a Westside style routine; and c) doing things like arms/traps supersets doesn't sound too appealing.

I'm considering an Iron Addict style split (which is basically legs/back one day, with chest/shoulders the other). Why? Well, more variance. Less overlap between days. And nothing set in stone.

Still considering my options, though. SS beats me up for the rest of the day. Ergo, I can either lift or revise that day; they are mutually exclusive. A push session doesn't beat me up too much at all. And also equipment considerations: I can't do deadlifts or cleans (which I am dropping totally from now on) or any standing over head work in my garage. And I don't have the time to go to the gym 2+ times per week.

Hoping to gain some more mass on my shoulders and arms due to the higher volume as well.

Reply 344

SMed

Sorry, why can't you ~~be alive~~ do deadlifts?

Reply 345

Smack

Volunteer Team

Because of the flooring. It'll crack. I don't lower deadlifts down softly. I don't do a controlled negative. I used to, and it beat me up so, so badly.

Reply 346

cowsforsale

what stuff do you own? how much did that skin you?

Reply 347

Smack

Volunteer Team

It skinned me 0 pounds. My dad paid for it.

I have:

1 power rack
1 Bodypower Olympic barbell
215kg worth of plates, including 4 x 1.25's, 2.5's and 5's, which is handy for the...
2 x Olympic dumbbell handles. I estimate they weigh 5kg each, so at the moment I'm maxed out at 22.5kg each providing I'm using them both, but for a Kroc row I can go up to 60kg. I could go even further, but then I'd be using 15's which would limit the ROM.
1 x adjustable bench; goes from 30 degree decline to vertical.

Bought everything in 2007 when gym equipment was a lot more reasonable. Also, some items were second hand. In total, the cost was around 600 I think.

Reply 348

SMed

I think I'm going to start piecing some things together. I'd much rather train, shower, eat and sleep in less than 2 hours.

Why not make a platform of some sort?

Reply 349

Witchita

Surely if youve got all that gear you could afford some sheets of 3/4 inch ply and a bit of rubber flooring?

Reply 350

Smack

Volunteer Team

There's also the noise issue. In my old house, the garage was joined onto the house and every time I deadlifted, the only folks that really heard it was my mum and dad in the living room next door. In my new garage, aside from being much smaller, it's weird in that it is like almost joined onto my neighbour's house, quite literally.

Reply 351

Smack

Volunteer Team

Terrible session tonight. Nothing noteworthy at all. My shoulders were killing me on the squats, and I was twisting on the descent. Lower back was hurting on the military press. So went home.

Reply 352

Arteta

Do you hyper-extend your back when doing military presses? This is a problem I have.

Reply 353

Smack

Volunteer Team

Yes, I think. I very much do an Olympic style press when I press.

Reply 354

Khanage

Same, i find my back hyperextends too. Think its always gonna happen when your pressing a decent amount of weight overhead.

Reply 355

Smack

Volunteer Team

Two things.

Firstly, the 'Kroc' rows that I perform are actually nothing like the way that Kroc does them. They're more akin to the way that the Chinese weightlifting team perform them: the same position as a typical 'strict' dumbbell row, but using some momentum. Kroc and co have a more vertical back angle, and only rest their other hand on the bench. But the problem is that my gym only has up to 45kg dumbbells, and the Olympic dumbbell handles, like the decline bench, the four 50kg plates and the bench for doing bench pulls/rows, seem to have gone missing since the weights room was moved from the top floor.

Secondly, I'm seriously considering purchasing a trap-bar. Found some cheap rubber mats and some hopefully get a few sheets of plywood from the dump so I'll be able to deadlift in my garage.

120 quid is the cheapest I've found.

One of the problems with straight bar deadlifts for me is that they asymmetrically hit my shoulders and traps due to the mixed grip, and I can barely pull 120 double overhead without it feeling like 160. Grip, with chalk and mixed grip has never, ever been an issue, but without a mixed grip then the weight feels ~25% heavier than it is.

I could use a heavier weight on the trap bar without the shoulder issues. Gets more legs and greater carry over to the squat as well. Seems like a win-win.