Mehdi's Training Log [2009]

[markoid]

Hi Medhi,

Since you started these type of heavy compound programmes did you notice any specific mucsle growth?

I can't get my head around your lifts, given I am the same build as you!

M

[holvoetn]

I guess you are aware there is a flu epidemic ongoing in Belgium ?
I already know 10 persons or so having the flu.

[Mehdi]

@Markoid
Don't get your question. Short answer is that I look better doing everything I'm doing know than all the bodybuilding routines I did years ago.

@Holvoetn
Myeah I know several people who have the flu. I work from home and train from home, so I only really see people when I go out. People with flu tend to stay at home, so haven't catched anything so far.

[alienmuaythai]

well I bet you sure feel like sleeping now! just curious Mehdi- do you drink when you go out or do you stick to water?

[Mouse]

Snatch Grip Deadlift
4x140kg
lying on the floor for 5mins
3x140kg couldn't 4th off floor
lying on the floor PR
2x140kg couldn't get more off the floor

Sign of a good deadlift workout Mehdi - having to lie down on the floor between sets

Good weight though

[Mehdi]

@alienmuaythai
Usually don't drink when I go out. Gets too hard to go out 3 days in a row + work/train the day after if you start drinking. So water only, if I drink it's 1 glass max.

@Mouse
Tnx.

[Kyle]

Drinking Green Tea? You had an article a while back on green tea affecting your sleep...

[Mehdi]

Bench Press Reverse Band (light band)
3x100kg
3/3x120kg
3/3/3/3x115kg

band pull aparts 5x15 light band in between

Overhead Press + Clean
2x55kg
4x4 50kg

Pull-ups
3x10kg
3x20kg
2x25kg

Inverted Rows
3x8

[Mehdi]

Box Squat
8x2 75kg + 16kg chains

Speed Deadlifts (feet elevated)
12x1 100kg + light band

GHR
3x8

[Mehdi]

Speed Bench
8x3 55kg + mini band

2db Oh Press + clean
1x28,5kg
0x28,5kg (ok left)
1x28,5kg
1x28,5kg
1x28,5kg
still strength difference left/right, although it went better

1db Row
3x6x41,5kg

Pull-ups
3x10kg
3x20kg
3x25kg

[Mehdi]

Deadlift
1x160kg
0x172,5kg too soon, got it off the floor, but not past mid shin
0x170kg would have had it if I didn't had done the 172,5kg before
1/1x160kg easy

GHR
3x5

Side Bridges
3x

[Mehdi]

Overhead Press + Clean
3x55kg
1x60kg easy
1x65kg wow I didn't thought I would have it since I haven't really trained the press hard since the neck injury last summer. This went very fast off the chest. Might get 67,5kg fast, then think of 70kg.
1x62,5kg
0x62,5kg not enough rest in between maybe
1x60kg

Bench Press from Pins (about 5cm off my chest, starting from a dead stop)
3x80kg
3x85kg
2x90kg

Inverted Rows
3x8

Pull-ups
3x10kg
3x20kg
2x30kg

shoulder dislocations & pectoral stretching in between.

###

@Kyle
Drinking green tea, but it's not the problem. Just sleep schedule that is all messed up with the 3 nights out a week thing.

Since this Monday I've been waking up every day at 6am, doing a nap post workout. It was rough the first day, but the day afterwards were easy. I really felt good at the gym today. And sleep has improved a lot, no more the insomnia stuff going on this week. Productivity is also a lot better, much longer days and less sleeping.

Tomorrow is Thursday, 3 nights out in a row again. Imo I need to wake up at 6am consistently if I really want to build this habit (already waking up a few minutes before alarm goes off). However coming home at 4am and waking up at 6am doesn't really sound good. I'm going to try it anyway and do some afternoon napping and see how that goes.

[rere]

30kg on the belt on pull ups, that's awesome I can't seem to past 15kg, ohh well onwards and upwards.
Impressed by those pull up figures.

[holvoetn]

Bench Press from Pins (about 5cm off my chest, starting from a dead stop)

Care to clarify what this is particularly good for ?
Apart from being sure there is some safety, I am not seeing it.

Since this Monday I've been waking up every day at 6am, doing a nap post workout. It was rough the first day, but the day afterwards were easy. I really felt good at the gym today. And sleep has improved a lot, no more the insomnia stuff going on this week. Productivity is also a lot better, much longer days and less sleeping.

Tomorrow is Thursday, 3 nights out in a row again. Imo I need to wake up at 6am consistently if I really want to build this habit (already waking up a few minutes before alarm goes off). However coming home at 4am and waking up at 6am doesn't really sound good. I'm going to try it anyway and do some afternoon napping and see how that goes.

Lack of sleep is what got my performance down some months ago. You can cope with it for a while but be sure it gets you.

I have to get up at 5am 4 days a week (working in Brussels but not wanting to spend a single minute in traffic jams requires me to leave home around 5h30 latest).
At least 3 nights I go to bed at the same time as my son (21h30 something). It surely has improved things for me.
How much do you have in total and what is the longest stretch ?

[Mehdi]

@rere
ROM is still not what I'd like it to be on the pull-ups, but we're getting there.

@holvoetn
Bench Press => it's my sticky points. Locking out & off chest aren't a problem, but just inbetween is.

Sleep => Here's what sleep was like during last days (I keep a journal)
* tuesday night (last week): in bed at 2:30am, couldn't catch sleep anything before
* wednesday: woke up at 6am, couldn't sleep anymore. Went to gym then slept from noon to 4pm. Went to a girl in evening, came home at 2:30am.
* thursday: woke up at 11am. Went out in the evening, came home at 5:30am.
* friday: woke up at 2pm, went to gym, was really tired. Too tired to go out, did it anyway to not break the habit. Came home early at 2:30am. Thought "I'm going to sleep until noon"
* saturday: woke up at 6:30am. I didn't get it, couldn't sleep anymore. Went out, came home at 3:30am with girl, I don't even know if I slept, but I got out of bed sunday at 10am.

So it's always can't catch sleep/bad sleep/wake up too early and then tired the whole day. Situation has been like this for a couple of weeks now. Training often feels like crap, productivity is low, and days are too short.

That's why I decided to wake up every day at the same time again. That's what I used to do before I started to go out 3x/week again. Although I used to wake up at 8am, now I want to do it earlier, since I've been getting up that early several time (not on purpose) and I like the long days. So far:

* Sunday: tired the whole day, in bed at 11pm.
* Monday: woke up at 6am. Really tired. Went to gym, then slept from 10:30am to 4pm. Went to bed at 1am.
* Tuesday: woke up at 6am. Went to bed at 11pm, was already getting tired at 7pm, I liked it.
* Wednesday (today): woke up at 6am. Went to gym. Then slept from 12:30 to 2pm.

The only problems I see:
* Th/Fr/Sa is going out, don't want to get tired because I'm awake since 6am.
* Waking up at 6am or not on fr/sa/su. I think it's better to do so, so you don't break the habit. But if I come home at 4-5am, then get up at 6am, that's a bit over the top, unless I do the afternoon napping.

You wrote you wake up 4 days at 5am, what time do you wake up the rest of the week?