mjh's training log

[markg]

Great squatting mjh. 100kg is a real achievement.

[atypical1]

Great job on the squats! That's a milestone that's nice to hit.

Definitely don't stop the rehab work on the shoulder. You could also try wearing a jumper when you workout to keep your shoulder warm. Don't laugh, it works.

james

[mjh]

food update:

Had a busy week (first week of a 4 week ESL teaching certificate), but I've managed to eat well (which means both quality and quantity) most of the time. Yesterday was poor, because I felt like rubbish all day and had no appetite, but I was back into the routine today. I'm not counting calories any more as the last two weeks have given me a sound idea of how things stack up.

Today's workout:

Thursday 19 November 2009

Squats
20kg, 2x5
60kg, 3x5
80kg, 2x5
90kg, 3x5

Playing around looking for a pain free squatting experience, and I'm 90% there. My big mistake was in my set up. I was coming into the bar horizontally (like a rugby front-rower would pack down in the scrum... sorry Americans for the irrelevant analogy) which effectively pushed my shoulders and arms straight back, and then sort of rotated into position under the bar. So today I crouched right down and came up to the bar, vertically, keeping my elbows lower and so my shoulders were stressed a lot less. Then I take a big breath, shrug my shoulders up into the bar, lift, step back and squat. Make sure to try and keep my elbows low. This seems to be the way forward for me. I'll do 90kg 5x5 next time to make sure, then 95kg then back to 100kg to resume normal progression.

OHP
20kg, 2x5; 30kg, 1x5
40kg, 5/3/3/3/3

Not the best, but better than being a chicken and sticking with 37.5kg. Pleased to get 5 reps in the first set, and pleased to follow it with 4 sets of 3 reasonably solid reps.

Deadlift
60kg, 1x5; 90kg, 1x3; 120kg, 1x1
130kg, 1x5

These felt strong and fast. Back to my current 5 rep PR weight next workout. Should nail it.

Chin Ups
no band: 3, but not quite with full ROM at the bottom. Still pleased though.
blue band: 4/4/3/3/2

I'm switching tack on these. I'll start with a no-band set, and follow it by taking the 'one more total rep than last time, regardless of sets' approach. When I'm getting 3 sets of 5 in a row I'll switch bands.

Standing 1-arm Cable Row
30lbs, 2x10

Standing 1-arm Cable Row were the subject of one of Eric Cressey's Monday Minutes. I generally enjoy doing some kind of light rehab/prehab exercise for my back or shoulders at the end of each workout. I doubt they'll impact my progress, they can only do good things for me, and they add a bit of variety to the workouts.

[RobCosimo]

Awesome squats! (nice deads too...)

[guru]

Good to see that you've nailed the problem with squats. Now you'll nail the squats too.

Good balance workout. If you try a little bit more with some grunting etc., you should get that 40 kg OHP.

[mjh]

Good balance workout. If you try a little bit more with some grunting etc., you should get that 40 kg OHP.

I agree. If I had my training partner there yelling "up! up!" I may have done a little better. But he's at home with a newborn and an exhausted partner.

Congratulations Jason and Katie, if you're reading this.

[holvoetn]

Good workout.
Back on track for squatting 2 big wheels

[mjh]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Sunday 22 November 2009.

Squats
20kg, 3x5; 60kg, 1x5
90kg, 5x5

I was gung-ho in my last update about getting back up to 100kg, but today I decided that slowly is the better way to do things. Make sure I can get through 5 sets without letting my form degrade, and make it out the other side with no shoulder trouble. The good news is that 90kg was easy as pie, and there was no pain. A little fatigue, maybe, but no pain. 2.5kg increments from here on in.

Push Ups
feet: 8/7/6

If these seem inconsistent it's because of two things. 1) shoulder trouble and 2) experiments with surface (mats versus floor, flat versus slight slope) and position (wide versus close). Today I also used dumbbells as handles, but didn't like it. Usually when I'm experimenting it's a sign I just need to pick one and stick to it. So I will: flat, on the mat, on my knuckles, shoulder width. I'll do 3 sets like that and higher volume on the smith after my IRs.

IR
flat feet, supinated grip: 8/8/8

These felt much better than they ever have before. Took them slow, exploding from the ground on each rep.

Barbell Complex
8 reps each of: RDL, BBR, HC, OHP, FS. Done with a 20kg barbell.

First set: just feeling out the movements, but got a good wind up.
Second set: 1min 20sec... but I forgot the BBRs! Also found it hard to count reps.
Third set: 1min 25 sec... with the BBRs, which are actually very easy to do fast. Did 8x curls at the end to maximise my badassedness.

This was an experiment to see if I like complexes, and the verdict is: hell yeah. I've always hated traditional cardio, so if I'm going to get any conditioning, it will be through complexes or HIIT. I'm willing to compromise some weight gain for conditioning/mediating fat gain, so I think I'll start doing a complex once a week, on Sundays which precedes my two day rest.

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So, here is my routine as I intend to follow it until the end of the year at least. Thoughts appreciated:

Workout A:
Squat, 5x5
Push Up, feet: 3xF
IR: 3xF
Smith Push Up: 3xF
Wed and Fri: Dumbell Rows, 3x8; Reverse Crunches
Sunday: Barbell Complex

Workout B:
Squat: 5x5
OHP: 5x5
Deadlift: 1x5
Chins: first set no band, followed by with band, going for greatest volume in 5 sets. Chins only until I'm doing 5 with no band.
Wed and Fri: rehab/prehab exercise such as facepulls, iso push ups, BTNPAs, standing 1 arm cable rows etc; Prone Bridges, unless I'm doing iso push ups
Sunday: Barbell Complex

[pagangoddess]

Did 8x curls at the end to maximise my badassedness.

90 kg squats are nothing. This is what makes you the man.

I'm not sure I understand the lay out of the modified routine. How many days per week are you working out? Is it workout A on Monday? Then the other stuff on Wed, Fri? So you'd only be squatting once a week?

What's the reason for the change?

[mjh]

working out three times a week still, still alternating workouts. When A falls on W/F I will do the dumbbell rows, but when it falls on a Sunday I'll do the complex. When B falls on W/F I will do the rehab exercises, but when it falls on a Sunday I'll do the complex.

I just wanted to add in complexes for variety, and to do something for my conditioning. I'm getting a lot stronger, but I'd also like to get a little fitter. However I don't really want to do LSD cardio (boring) or HIIT (yet), so complexes seem to be the answer.

[jfh26]

Did 8x curls at the end to maximise my badassedness.

I hope you weren't taking up the squat rack with these

Nice work mjh - keep it going.

[RobCosimo]

complexes rules! good luck

[guru]

Did 8x curls at the end to maximise my badassedness.

So are you going to grow your beard again to complete your badassedness?

[mjh]

I am back to wearing a beard these days, I just keep it a lot tidier than that in my profile pic. But you're right, a bushy lumberjack look would help get the badass rating up there.

[holvoetn]

Nice workout.
Good decision on adding complexes as cardio. Also started doing them recently and I love them as well.

Did 8x curls at the end to maximise my badassedness.

Et tu, Mike ?

Would be an interesting angle for the 'biceps' discussions