Helm's Training Log (2nd)

[helm]

woo woo, guess who's back from the lazy folks!?

Some might remember me, but I'll just start with a short introduction. Last year I studied in the Netherlands, where I also started doing SL 5x5 with great results. However, in October I left to write my dissertation in Germany and moved in at my father's place. This was supposed to be very temporary, but as it always happens, I'm still there, still writing. But at least I'm almost done.

So since October I haven't had any training, cause I just couldn't find a decent gym around here. Of course, I promised myself to do some bodyweight stuff etc... well, eventually I ended up doing nothing except playing some badminton once a week.
After having a steadily nagging conscience and all the lost fat returning to my stomach, yesterday I finally decided to do something. So today I went to the next city's university, got a gym membership and started over today. And I'm so pissed at myself that I didn't do that earlier, you won't believe it. The membership for 6months is dirt cheap - 18€! Students at that uni can even take all kinds of sports for free
So all I need to do is drive a while, pay some parking fees and do my thing...
Oh, and the gym is just lovely. Lots of machines and crap for the "other people" and a beautiful squat rack, 3 benches, a deadlift platform, lots of weights and collars, and even free magnesia for me It looks like there are some other serious lifters training there, but since I was there in the morning (11am) it was completely empty.

Enough text, here are the current stats:

25 years
82 kg / 181 lbs
182 cm / 6 ft
BF: ?? - too high

and here's the stats of September 2008:

182cm · 87kg · 25yo · 5x5 PRs: Squat 100kg · Bench 70kg · OHP 45kg · Row 70kg · Deadlift 1x3x140kg
6'0" · 192lbs · 25yo · 5x5 PRs: Squat 220lbs · Bench 155lbs · OHP 100lbs · Row 155lbs · Deadlift 1x3x308lbs

of course there was quite a lot less bodyfat last year, but my goal is to get back there and even further...

So here are today's numbers. I started light, so I can keep good form. And because I got quite a lot weaker
I think I'll reread some parts of SS and the SL ebook to remember the small but important things, although today went pretty well.

Squat
2x10x20kg
5x5x40kg

OHP
1x5x20kg
5x5x30
1x5x35

Deadlift
3x5x60kg
1x5x80

and some pull-ups and chin-ups

It's great to be back, now I know what I was missing. And now I have a reason to be more active on the forum again...
Apparently there have been quite some changes, congrats to the well-chosen new mods!

I almost forgot: this time I'm planning on taking a picture each week, to hopefully see some progress...

[groundskeeperwillie]

@helm
Well done for taking up the gauntlet again helm, I'm sure you'll be back into the swing of things quite quickly. Also well done with the cheap gym membership, they don't come round too often!
gkw

[KIB]

Hey Helm!
Great to see you back, man. Things look great with the new gym set-up. Maybe those big lifters will help push you on to beating your old records? But take it slowly and carefully in the beginning, okay? Your body will remember the form and the weights will build nicely, but take your time. Looking forward to seeing some pics of your upcoming changes. I just posted some pics in my log of one year's work.

Big congrats for coming back, man. Yahoo!

[Mouse]

woo woo, guess who's back from the lazy folks!?

Some might remember me

It's great to be back, now I know what I was missing. And now I have a reason to be more active on the forum again...
Apparently there have been quite some changes, congrats to the well-chosen new mods!

I almost forgot: this time I'm planning on taking a picture each week, to hopefully see some progress...

Ah yes - "Dancing Banana Boy"
Good to have you back helm.

Don't forget - whities for photos
Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[helm]

Thanks a lot for the kind comments guys!

Squat
2x5x20kg
2x5x40
5x5x42,5

Bench Press
2x5x20kg
5x5x40

Barbell Row
5x5x55kg

Dips
3/2/1 - man, that sucks!

Squats were good, but I need to get my balance back. Right now I can't believe that I was able to squat almost three times of today's weight only a few months ago :/
Bench was ok, no problems there.
Barbell Row was quite heavy at the end, 50kg might have been better, but for the height I used 15kg plates and they only have those massive collars that weigh about 2,5kg each if I'm right..

@Mouse
sorry, but I opted for grey boxers
pics will follow in a few weeks, when changes are visible..

[Mouse]

@Mouse
sorry, but I opted for grey boxers
pics will follow in a few weeks, when changes are visible..

Nooooooooooo helm - retake the pics - you'll never look as good without whities

[dst]

welcome back helm.
18 euro. Man that's excellent, and it sounds like it is a proper gym too!
You'll be pushing big numbers in no time.... Muscle memory and all that.

[Buffalo150]

Helm-

Don't you know better than to mess with Mouse and his "tighty whities"

Best to do what the man says, he is, after all, a MODERATOR

Glad to see you back at it.

-Bflo

[helm]

so as to not spawn the anger of his Mouseness, would it be ok to wear white boxers?

today was good:

Squat
2x5x20kg
1x5x40
5x5x45
1x5x50

OHP
1x3x40kg
5/5/4/4/4x35

Deadlift
1x3x65kg
1x3x85
1x5x95
1x3x100

Pull-ups 5/5/4
Prone Bridges 30/20/20

squats went well, so I had to try the 50 at the end. shortly thought about doing 5x5x50, but forgot about really fast. no need to rush.
somehow I mistook the 10s for 5s and start OHP with 40kg and was wondering why they were so heavy today? well, 35kg also turned out to be pretty hard again, didn't get that last rep. next time...
deadlifts were great. started with 65kg (60 plus the 5kg collars) - felt good. added 20 - felt better. 10 more - went very well. so I decided to get the magic 100 for three reps, and it was great. apparently I didn't forget much of the deadlifting technique...
there's nothing to do pull-ups, so I hang on one of those larger cable machines looking like a wide, upside down U, but the square-shaped bar isn't very good for grip
...and who would have thought that those prone bridges can be that hard after the other exercises. barely made it to 20 at the end.

about the gym: while I was preparing to squat I heard a sound that I somehow connected with a belt, and I thought to myself "wow, haven't seen any of those belt-wearing curlers here, must be a good place." I turn around about five minutes later, and I'm sure you can imagine what I had to see...
later, while I was deadlifting, I noticed a quite small girl (though far from becoming a beauty queen) - weighing 60kg max - benching 50kg for 10reps with pretty good form. I was amazed. however, after that she went to the mirrors for dumbell curls and stuff... but there's some lifting potential.

[KIB]

Good decision to not push those squats. You may know how to do it, but your body is going to appreciate a slower re-introduction to the weights. Deadlifts looking good, but same deal. You're at 100kg now, how many workouts till you're up to 140?
I'm still making mistakes with the weights, Helm. Sometimes I'll think "okay, going to add 10kg to the bar" and so I reach for the 10kg plates, putting one on each end... Ridiculous.
Sounds like those curl-monkeys are following you.
We've got a bunch here, too: 1,2,3, flex in the mirror to check for progress...

[helm]

Good decision to not push those squats. You may know how to do it, but your body is going to appreciate a slower re-introduction to the weights. Deadlifts looking good, but same deal. You're at 100kg now, how many workouts till you're up to 140?

you're right, gotta take it slow with those deadlifts too. it was just the heat of the moment, knowing I would be able to do it I just had to try. I think I have to contain myself a little more...

btw, there some cars driving around here with a KIB on their license plate, cause the German system puts an abbreviation which represents the city or region where the car is registered on each license plate. always find it funny

here's one from google

[KIB]

btw, there some cars driving around here with a KIB on their license plate, cause the German system puts an abbreviation which represents the city or region where the car is registered on each license plate. always find it funny

here's one from google

Those Germans do the right thing from time to time

[groundskeeperwillie]

Take it steady dude, plenty of time to get your numbers back up.

gkw

[helm]

Squat
2x5x20kg
1x5x40
5x5x47,5

Bench Press
1x10x20kg
1x5x40
5x5x42,5

Barbell Row
5x5x50kg

Dips
5/3/3

quick one today. took some squat videos to find mistakes. turns out I didn't break hip and knees at the same time, but swung hip back first and then went down with knees. practiced that with the last 3 sets. the plate stack is still tempting me to put more on the bar, but I will stay strong!
no probs with bench. tried row without collars, works. so I did them with 50kg, that went a lot smoother than last week.
dips better than last week. push-ups to be done in the afternoon...

I discovered a stack of 25kg bumper plates in a corner. I'm really starting to like that gym.

Btw, is it really necessary to use chalk for the leg press and dumbbell curls?

[rere]

Btw, is it really necessary to use chalk for the leg press and dumbbell curls?