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Pat's Training Log


patrickmeniru

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05/04/2014

Squats

2 x 10 w/60kg

2 x 1 w/90kg

4 x 5 w/120kg - PR

1 x 5* w/130kg - PR

1 x 10 w/60kg

*5th rep would have been a failed rep but for some assistance from a spotter.

Really goods session for me today, hamstring seemed to hold up well. Very happy with the sets, 120kg felt heavy, but very manageable. 130kg was pushing it a bit and my form started to break down quite a bit on reps 4 and 5, where I shifted the stress from my legs to my back.

Also did a quick circuit:

5 x (5 chin-ups, 10 pushups, 10 crunches) and finished with 10 chin ups.

Did a little bit of rotator cuff work and some handstand work against a wall.

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  • 1 month later...

Forearm has been preventing me doing any pulling work or anything that involves grip at all, which is a major blow - but have just started seeing a very good Osteopath in Torben Hersborg and I'm hopeful that with his help I can recover sooner rather than later.

In the mean time I have been working on my squatting, and have started incorporating more tempo work (slow eccentrics and pauses in the hole) as well as split squats, which look a little like a lunge, and are excellent for mobility and injury prevention.

My latest squat workout was very satisfying:

1 x 10 w/60kg

1 x 10 w/80kg

1 x 10 w/100kg

1 x 5 w/120kg

1 x 3 w/140kg - PB

1 x 1 w/150kg - PB

1 x 1 w/160kg - PB (actually felt easier than 150kg)

1 x 5 w/100kg

I should have pushed on to attempt 170kg, but I didn't have a good spotter (i.e. one that I could trust not to lift the weight for me!) and I wanted to leave on a positive rather than a failed rep. I'd like to hit 4 plates (180kg) before I leave for New Zealand in 5 weeks, but this might be a step too far.

I've been able to start practicing handstands again, and I'm now able to consistently hold one for 10 seconds or longer without 'walking', which feels like a positive step.

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  • 9 months later...

It's been a long time since I last posted, and even longer since I last posted regularly, but I'm back home after my travels and have slowly been getting back into my workout routine. After 6 months away I was shocked at how weak I'd become, just squatting 60kg for 5x10 was a real struggle. Luckily there's a great gym right around the corner from my flat, and my flatmate is also keen to get stronger and train, so for the first time ever I have a regular training partner.

It's taken almost two months, but I've managed to get back to a reasonable level of strength, although I'm still down on where I was in May 2014. Hope to start posting here regularly again, with any luck I'll avoid injuries! (Shoulder/elbows still give me trouble sometimes).

Immediate goals are (in order of priority):

1) Squat double bodyweight (~190kg)

2) 30 strict pull-ups

3) Bench 140kg

4) Weighted dip 80kg

5) Weighted pull-up 60kg

6) Deadlift 200kg for 5

At present my best numbers in 2015 are:

1) Squat 130kg for 4 x 8 reps

2) 20 strict pull-ups

3) Bench 120kg

4) Weighted dip 1 x 2 with 65kg

5) Weighted pull-up 3 x 3 with 40kg

6) Deadlift 5 x 5 with 170kg (very comfortably)

Last workout (today) was:

Squat

Warm-up with split squats:

1 x 10 w/20kg

1 x 10 w/40kg

1 x 6 w/60kg

Warm up reps:

1 x 6 w/60kg

1 x 6 w/80kg

1 x 10 w/100kg

Working sets:

1 x 8 w/120kg

4 x 8 w/130kg

Did a few pull-ups and rows, dips and core work at the end, but nothing major. My flatmate hit a new PR on the squat of 100kg for a single and 80kg for 5 x 8. He's never really trained legs until recently, and is making great progress in all his lifts, which gives me great motivation to try and make similar progress!

Edited by PatrickMeniru
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Good to see you back posting.

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Good to see you back posting.

Thanks Chez! It's good to be back, going to have to check up on how you've all been getting on - still killing it I'm sure.

You still hitting the calisthenics? I've been doing a lot of it lately.

The calisthenics have been on hold (along with everything else) whilst I was teaching snowboarding but I'm starting to do some more now. Was cautious to begin with because if I do too much too soon my elbows will get bad quickly. Once I hit 30 pull-ups I'm going to focus on strength for the OAC again. Will work up to a double with 2/3 bodyweight (about 62kg) and then start OAC specific work again - I feel like I failed in the past because I didn't have enough base strength and tried to progress too fast resulting in injury. Determined not to make the same mistakes again! Good to hear from you, will check out your posts as well :)

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Missed posting a couple of workouts, can't remember exactly what I did but the essence of the workouts was:

28/02/2015

Pull-ups (each set was max) 3-4 min recovery:

1 x 24

1 x 21

1 x 18

1 x 12

Bent over rows:

1 x 10 w/60kg

3 x 8 w/90kg

EZ curls, with some momentum - 4 x 6 w/50kg

Face pulls and rotator cuff work

01/03/2015

First time I've really tried front squats, found them very taxing as a new movement, trying to keep my torso sufficiently upright was a struggle.

1 x 10 w/60kg

1 x 10 w/70kg

1 x 6 w/80kg

2 x 8 w/70kg

Calf raises (placed pins high and used barbell - also to help condition me to having more weight on my back):

1 x 10 w/120kg

1 x 10 w/150kg

2 x 10 w/180kg

2 x 8 w/180kg

Did some handstand work, after a lot of rubbish attempts I got fairly consistent and am still capable of holding a fairly solid 10 second HS much to my delight! Showed my flatmate a few bodyweight exercises like backlever and tuck-planche to l-sit rocks (really good for core).

02/03/2015

Deadlifts today and had a great workout. Each rep had a controlled eccentric component, weight was gently touched to the floor and I then reset before the next rep (i.e. straightened legs and re-bent to get tension into hamstrings, grip remained the same).

1 x 10 w/70kg

1 x 2 w/100kg

1 x 5 w/120kg

1 x 5 w/150kg

1 x 5 w/180kg (this was my planned working weight, but felt really good so pushed on)

1 x 5 w/200kg (PR) (felt heavy but pretty good, decided that discretion was the better part of valour though and didn't attempt another set at 200kg)

3 x 5 w/180kg

Did some stiff legged deadlifts and some back hyper extensions on the GHR. Wanted to do bench but it irritated my shoulder, in future I think I'll forgo barbell bench and focus on dumbell presses and dips. Finished the workout with a max set of pull-ups, but going up on command rather than at my own volition - makes it a lot harder, plus was fatigued anyway so only made 14 reps.

New goal for deadlifts is to be able to use 200 for working sets of 5 and to progress to a set of 5 with 220kg.

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Squats today - felt pretty fragile after Monday's session so listened to my body and took it nice and easy. Also had some real discomfort in my upper, inner forearm near by biceps tendon - so will have to review my deadlifting technique to make sure I'm not exposing myself to unnecessary risk of a tear.

Warm up for squats is always split squats, focussing on the stretch in my hips at the bottom:

1 x 10 w/20kg each leg

2 x 6 w/60kg "

Squats:

1 x 10 w/60kg

2 x 5 w/90kg (2 second pause in hole)

3 x 5 w/110kg (2 second pause in hole)

1 x 10 w/60kg

Leg press - used one leg with full ROM:

5 x 10 w/45kg

(Had planned on doing some pull-ups and gripper work but given the state of my forearms I decided against it)

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05/03/2015

Wanted to do 4 x 15 pull-ups w/10kg. However, pull ups have become much weaker since I slightly hurt my shoulder a couple of weeks ago so failed miserably, but tried to grind out some reps regardless.

Pull-ups:

2 x 10 w/10kg

1 x 8 chins w/10kg (failed attempt at 10)

1 x 6 chins w/10kg

Dips:

1 x 20

1 x 20 w/10kg

1 x 20 w/25kg

4 x 5 w/25kg, pause at bottom of rep

Pull-ups:

3 x 10 (in between dips)

1 x 16 chins at end of workout.

Rows:

3 x 10 bodyweight rows in rack

3 x 20 pushups

Also did a few shrugs with 50kg dumbbells, grip still failing me!! Very frustrating.

If my pull-ups don't start improving again soon I'll have to take a few days off completely and if that doesn't make a difference I'll have to rethink my approach.

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Odd sort of workout today - hit a PR but finished up feeling pretty disappointed with how it went. Elbows have been giving me a lot of discomfort while squatting, will have a look online but if i can't get any advice might post a topic on the main board to see if anyone has any tips.

Chin-ups:

1 x 3

1 x 3 w/20kg

3 x 3 w/40kg

1 x 2 w/50kg

Split squats - each leg:

1 x 10 w/20kg

1 x 6 w/50kg

1 x 6 w/60kg

Squats:

1 x 9 w/70kg

1 x 5 w/100kg

1 x 3 w/120kg

1 x 3 w/130kg

1 x 3 w/140kg

1 x 3 w/150kg (PR) felt like my torso was bent too far over and I was using my back rather than my legs - video attached)

1 x 1 w/150kg (stayed more upright and just ground out one rep, but would have failed a second)

2 x 3 w/140kg

1 x 10 w/90kg

Did some plyos - jumping and hopping up stairs

Leg Press (it's one of the commercial gym ones with a 195kg stack, not a proper leg press sadly)

1 x 10 w/195kg

1 x 6 w/125kg (1 leg each leg - really took it out of me)

1 x 10 w/60kg (1 leg each leg)

1 x 10 w/195kg

3 x 15 w/195kg

Elbows were killing me during and after squatting so have decided to take the weekend off from any upper body stuff to give them time to heal a bit I hope.

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11/03/2015

Planned on doing some squatting but felt really weak and my lumbar area was really sore so took it easy:

Split squats to warm up then

1 x 10 w/70kg

1 x 5 w/90kg

4 x 5 w/100kg with pause

1 x 20 chins

1 x 15 chins

4 x 8 neutral chins

4 x 20 dips

12/03/2015

1 arm dumbbell snatch, did each set with both arms:

1 x 6 w/38kg

1 x 5 w/42kg

2 x 6 w/38kg

2 x 10 w/32 kg

2 x 10 bent over rows w/90kg

3 x 10 pull ups

3 x 10 crunches on GHR

A little HS work

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Went to the gym feeling pretty lethargic, haven't felt great since leg press, and planned on just doing light squats with 60kg or so for high volume to try and get myself to feel better. Racks were all taken though so decided to do deficit deadlifts instead, ended up being a great session. At each set I felt pretty good so just kept bumping the weight up.

Deficit at about 5". All reps had a controlled eccentric, and I didn't reset between reps.

1 x 10 w/70kg

1 x 8 w/110kg

1 x 5 w/130kg

1 x 5 w/150kg

3 x 5 w/180kg (Switched to mixed grip from here up)

1 x 5 w/190kg

1 x 5 w/180kg

1 x 5 w/150kg

Did a few speed pulls from the floor with lighter weight, then decided to do a few rack pulls, which I've never tried before, worked up to a set of 5 reps with 260kg, but pretty short rom, did DO with straps because grip was shot (terrible I know, but working on it).

Finished up the session with a few pull-ups and push ups, then practiced handstands - managed to get a solid 20 second one without any 'walking'. Hopefully post a video soon.

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13/03/2015

Light session, wanted to recover properly after deadlifts. Focussed on speed of movement in all working reps.

Warm-up:

Split squats (3 sets of 10 with 20kg, 40kg then 60kg)

squat 1 x 10 w/60kg

Working sets:

1 x 20 w/80kg

1 x 10 w/80kg (17 seconds)

3 x 10 w/110kg (23 seconds for set 1, 24 for set 2, didn't time set 3)

1 x 10 w/80kg

Pull-ups:

Pyramid up to 8 (PR) alternated with flatmate, I jump up and do a rep, then he steps in and does 1 rep. Next round we each do 2, then 3 in the third round etc. up to 8. Then after his set of 8, I do a set of 7 and so on all the way back down to 1. Pyramid took about 9 minutes total of about 70 reps (failed a couple on the way back down).

14/03/2015

3 x 5 minutes on spin bike, each with a set of muscle ups in between (about 8 reps).

1 x 1 chin w/25kg

1 x 1 chin w/40kg

1 x 4 chins w/40kg

1 x 10 wide grip chins

25 minute run.

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15/03/2015

Messed around with some grippers at home, can manage 10 TNS reps with my #2 but only just managed to get a TNS rep with my #2.5 righty and missed it lefty. Got MMS #3 rights pretty easily. Endurance in holding the close position was really poor too. So a lot of work to do to get back to where I was!

Did a one arm hang for time on each arm from my doorway pull-up bar, managed 21 seconds each arm - reasonably happy with the left arm but right arm was way off - have done the best part of a minute in the past. Still, nice to do some grip work, want to wake my grip up, especially support strength, to help me hit a big deadlift PB, which I feel I'm ready to do.

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10 TNS reps with my #2

Damn dude 10 TNS with #2 is strong as hell.

Thanks man, although based on my #2.5 I think I might have a relatively easy #2. I was pretty close to TNSing my #3 a while back, so would be nice to get that feat done at some stage, although grippers aren't a priority atm.

16/03/2015

Didn't have much time for a session today before the gym closed, and my lower back has been feeling slightly stiff for a while now so took the opportunity to avoid putting weight on my back and did some pistol squats (put a thin foam wedge under my heel, which I always use when full squatting to mimic a lifting shoe).

Circuit was 5 pistols, 5 weighted pull-ups w/25kg (various grips and tempos) and weighted dips (various tempos). Did 5 or 6 rounds then went for a run (25 mins).

Was pleased to be able to do the pistols with my left leg, although coordination is nowhere near as good as my right leg, probably due to the fact my achilles tear and leg break were both on my left side. Will definitely revisit these and potentially include a couple of sets as part of my squat warm-up. Would be nice to get some clean sets of 10 with the left leg (right side is there already), then I can start adding weight.

Edited by PatrickMeniru
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19/03/2015

Pretty crappy workout today, but did manage a feat I haven't done in ages so not all bad. With the squats, the load felt really light on my back, but the legs just didn't seem to want to fire for whatever reason.

Warm-up:

Split squats as usual but just 1x5s with 20kg, 40kg and then 60kg.

1 x 5 w/60kg

1 x 5 w/80kg

1 x 5 w/100kg

Squats:

1 x 5 w/120kg

1 x 5 w/130kg - misgrooved a rep or two here and struggled accordingly but the 5th rep felt pretty easy

1 x 2 w/140kg (wanted 5 but failed the 3rd rep miserably)

3 x 5 w/120kg

1 x 5 w/100kg

Deadlift:

1 x 5 w/70kg

1 x 5 w/120kg

1 x 5 w/140kg

1 x 5 w/160kg (this may be a PR for DO but I'm not sure).

2 x 1 w/190kg (switched to mixed grip, and planned to hit 220kg for a double but felt really weak so called it a day).

Accessories

3 x 5 bet over rows w/110kg

3 x 5 overhead press w/60kg

2 x 6 GHR

Some single leg leg press

Misc

Did some backlevers, some ring muscle ups and got a couple of reps on an ab-wheel from standing for the first time in a long while, although I did splay my legs to make it easier.

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19/03/2015

Really pleased with this session, think it helped that I got a great lunch of pasta, greens and chicken in today (made it myself rather than buying it out), will have to test the hypothesis more before I can actually attribute it to that though. Bodyweight was about 94.5kg. Down from 97.5kg, which I'm happy about! Have stopped eating cereal, which I think is a good move.

Warmed up with a few pull-ups and push ups with a variety of grips.

Pull-ups:

4 x 10 w/25kg (wanted 5 sets of 10 but failed the last rep set 4 so called it a day)

Bent over rows:

1 x 10 w/70kg

1 x 6 w/90kg (supinated)

1 x 5 w/90kg (pronated)

Dips:

2 x 5 bodyweight (felt really, really explosive and strong so could tell I was going to have a good session)

1 x 5 w/25kg

1 x 5 w/40kg

1 x 5 w/50kg

1 x 3 w/65kg

1 x 2 w/75kg (PR)

5 x 5 w/50kg

Misc.:

2 x 10 side bends w/50kg dumbbell

2 x 10 shrugs with 50kg dumbbells (more for grip than anything)

Finished with a couple of max pull up sets:

1 x 16 w/10kg (last couple of reps were sketchy)

1 x 9 bodyweight

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20/03/2015

Closed my #2 a lot - maybe 50 reps total each hand TNS. Did this during lectures, sitting down, so not really with any intensity or anything.

21/03/2015

Quick morning session:

Warm-up with split squats.

Front Squat - want to start doing these because feel my quads/hips are weak - deadlift 200x5 comfortably but struggle to squat 150x3, also want to strengthen my thoracic, which is definitely a weak point. Might start experimenting with some sumo deadlifts during warm-ups for normal deads soon too.

5 x 10 w/60kg

Will increase this to 5 x 10 w/70kg next time.

Back-squat just to grease the groove more than anything:

5 x 5 w/100kg

3 x 15 second one arm hangs w/16kg

3 x 45 second wall handstand

Edited by PatrickMeniru
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22/03/2015

Hit a deadlift PR today, but not in quite the dominant fashion I had in mind - was hoping to get 230kg for a single after a triple with 220kg but that didn't materialise. Technique hasn't been feeling quite a solid as when I hit 200 x 5, so am going to stop doing deficit pulls and concentrate on improving my technique off the floor.

Deadlift:

1 x 6 w/70kg from ~3" deficit

1 x 5 w/100kg ~3" deficit

1 x 5 w/120kg ~3" deficit

1 x 5 w/150kg ~3" deficit

1 x 5 w/170kg ~3" deficit

1 x 5 w/190kg ~1" deficit

1 x 3 w/200kg

1 x 3 w/210kg (PR)

1 x 1 w/220kg (PR) - was surprised by how hard this was, was planning on three reps, but couldn't get the second and didn't want to go absolutely all out to grind it out.

2 x 5 w/180kg

Close Neutral Grip Pull ups:

1 x 19

(5 min break)

1 x 15

(Took a break to do squats, then:)

1 x 19

Squats:

1 x 5 w/60kg

1 x 5 w/60kg

1 x 5 w/80kg

1 x 5 w/100kg

1 x 5 w/120kg (planned on 3 sets but gym closed)

At home:

2 x 5 supported pistols

1 x 50 pushups

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24/03/2015

Squats - focussing on pushing evenly with both legs and not relying on my right leg to do the bulk of the work:

1 x 10 w/20kg

2 x 10 w/40kg

1 x 10 w/60kg

1 x 10w/70kg (frontsquats)

1 x 9 w/80kg (frontsquats - failed last rep)

1 x 10 w/90kg

3 x 10 w/110kg

Pull-ups:

5 x 5 w/25kg

2 x 5 chins w/35kg

1 x 10

Push-ups:

1 x 50

Bent over rows:

3 x 10 w/70kg

1 x 10 w/70kg supinated

Benchpress - really focussed on keeping my back tight, felt a lot weaker because I couldn't focus on the press itself but also felt more solid and no shoulder pain, which is the main goal:

1 x 10 w/60kg

2 x 10 w/80kg

2 x 5 w/100kg

Abs:

1 x 10 crunches on GHR

3 x 10 crunches on GHR w/5kg plate held above head

1 x 10 hanging leg raises

3 x 10 leg raises from support with gym partner pushing legs down at top of each rep

1 x 21s (7 rounds of hanging tuck leg raises, 1 rep left, 1 right, 1 central)

22 minute run (approx 5km).

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26/03/2015

My diet has completely fallen off this past week or so, so decided to burn some calories/punish myself by doing some GVT type work.

Pull-ups (30 seconds between sets):

10 x 7 (last couple of sets switched to chins and kipped a bit, last set was v.ugly but got the reps done)

Squats (30 seconds between sets):

10 x 10 w/70kg - harder than it sounds

Bench (30 seconds between sets):

10 x 10 w/60kg (sets 8 and 9 only managed 9 and 8 reps respectively).

Bicep curls (1 minute recovery):

3 x 10 w/16kg

2 x 10 w/14kg pronated

1 x 10 dips

3 x 10 pull-ups (to take total reps to 100).

3 x (20 crunches, 20 oblique crunches each side, 20 feet raised crunches, 20 russian twists).

Also finally bought some FatGripz, have put them on the pull-up bar in my flat, and am trying to do a rep or two every-time I pass under the bar. Interested to see the results of using them for a few weeks.

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Quick session before I went out for a very boozy afternoon/night:

Deadlift:

1 x 10 w/70kg

1 x 6 w/120kg

1 x 5 w/140kg

1 x 5 w/160kg

1 x 1 w/180kg (DO PR - grip felt pretty solid, so hoping I can hit 200kg DO before too long)

4 x 5 w/180kg (mixed grip, alternated between sets, trying to be explosive, not feeling very successful)

1 x 2 w/160kg

3 x 6 muscle ups

1 x 10 dips

1 x 10 pushups

10 minutes on treadmill - (1 minute at 18kph, 1 minute at 10kph x 5)

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30/03/2015

Squats were all hard work today, didn't feel explosive at all and reps had to be ground out. Spoke to a friend about my strength imbalance and he told me that it's stemming from inequal ankle flexion, with my left ankle blocking before my right side does. So will seek to address this asap.

Warm-up:

Split squats (3 second hold at bottom):

1 x 5 w/20kg

1 x 5 w/40kg

1 x 5 w/60kg

1 x 5 w/80kg

Squats:

1 x 8 w/60kg

1 x 5 w/80kg

1 x 3 w/80kg

1 x 5 w/100kg

Front squats:

1 x 5 w/60kg

1 x 5 w/80kg

1 x 4 w/100kg (PR)

Working sets:

Squats:

1 x 5 w/120kg

1 x 5 w/130kg

3 x 5 w/140kg

0 x 5 w/140kg (failed the 4th rep)

3 x 5 w/100kg (paused in hole)

Chin-ups:

1 x 3

1 x 3 w/25kg

1 x 3 w/40kg

2 x 3 w/50kg

1 x 4 w/40kg

1 x 3 pull-ups w/40kg

Dips:

1 x 10

1 x 5 w/25kg (paused)

2 x 5 w/40kg (paused)

1 x 10 paused

Finished with some jumps and handstand work, also managed two reps of standing ab-wheel (legs splayed).

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