Ricklers Training Log

[rickler]

Hey all, I have decided to publish my training. I have been weight training on and off for the last 15 years. Mainly bodybuilding split routines with the emphasis on heavy weights / low reps. Any gains have generally been lost because of playing lots of football (soccer) and running.

I am 5'9" 79kg and have an extremely thin bone structure and a little bit too much fat (Should really be 75kg)

My aims are mainly strength gains in the legs & posterior chain to help with sprinting in football and overall upper body gains. I have started trying out olympic lifts and these are starting to get into the program.

My training scheme is an amended 5x5 scheme M/W/F and I may try Smolov in a couple of months. I am 4 weeks into this scheme.

Anyways here goes.

8/12/08

Squat
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 100kg 5*5 - Easy - Slowly working back up to my max
Bench Press
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 75kg 5*5 - Thought I would fail to hit 5 on the last 2 sets but went smoothly
Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlift
60kg*5 / 100kg*5 / 140kg*5 - Extremely hard. Much much harder than standard deadlifts
Pull Ups
BW*7 *4 *4 - Couldn't do as many because of the fatigue from deadlifting
Overhead Squat
20kg*10 - Really easy. Will be working up from just the bar to my max over the next couple of months
Hanging Knee Raises
Swiss Ball Crunches

Really good session!

[rickler]

10/12/08 - Sore in Calves / Hams / Glutes / Traps from Mondays Deadlifting.

Front Squat
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 70kg 5*5 - Easy
Overhead Press
20kg*10 / 40kg*5 / 55kg *5*5*5*5*3 - Third time I have failed on this weight but I am still getting stronger so will stay with it
Power Clean
65kg 5*5
Snatch
20kg*5 / 55kg*3 / 57.5kg*1
Snatch & Overhead Squat
52.5kg - Tried twice - Lost balance at bottom of squat
Overhead Squat
25kg*10
Hanging Knee Raises
Swiss Ball Crunches
Swiss Ball Balancing

Overall session went very well but was very tired after the Power Cleans and was a bit weak in the Snatch. Session was 1 hour long

[rickler]

Friday 12/12/08

Squats
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 100kg*3 / 112.5kg*7 - Could have comfortably completed more.
Bench Press
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 72.5kg *5 / 82.5kg*3 / 80kg*3
Shrugs
70kg*5x5
Chin Ups
BW+10kg*6 *3 *2
Snatch
20kg*5 / 52.5kg*5 - Seemed to be struggling on the mid section of the pull.
Snatch & Overhead Squat
52.5kg - Lost balance at bottom of squat
Overhead Squat
30kg*14 / 32.5kg*10 / 35kg*3
Knee Raises
Swiss Ball Crunches
Swiss Ball Balancing

Felt tired towards the end of the week but very pleased with the numbers consistently going up.

[rickler]

15/12/08

Squat
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 105kg 5*5
Bench Press
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 76kg 5*5
Deadlift
60kg*5 / 100kg*5 / 150kg*5
Pull Ups
BW*9 *6 *5 - Couldn't do as many because of the fatigue from deadlifting
Overhead Squat
20kg*10 / 30kg*10 / 35kg*13
Hanging Knee Raises
Swiss Ball Crunches
Swiss Ball Balancing

A good session over 1 hour 10 mins, getting close to my limit on the Bench Press but squat still going up nicely

[rickler]

17/12/08

Front Squat
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 80kg 5*5
Overhead Press
20kg*10 / 40kg*5 / 55kg *5*5*4 - Will deload now - I may change to the push press
Power Clean
70kg 5*5
Snatch
20kg*5 / 55kg*3*3*3 / 60*1 / 62.5kg*1 PB - Adjusted my starting position lowering my butt 2" and using more quad power. The initial pull is much more powerful now.
Overhead Squat
20kg*10 / 37.5kg*15 / 40kg*5 - Really pleased with this.
Hanging Knee Raises
Swiss Ball Crunches
Swiss Ball Balancing

Very pleased with the session as I loaded more weight than originally planned. Only downside was the Overhead Press but not too bothered. Session was 1hr 20 hour long.

[rickler]

Friday 19/12/08

Squats
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 100kg*3 / 120kg*5 - Fairly easy.
Bench Press
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 85kg*3
Shrugs
75kg*5x5
Snatch
20kg*5 / 50kg*1 / 60kg*1 / 65kg Missed Twice
Clean & Jerk - First time tried these
65kg*1 *1 / 70kg*1 / 75kg*1*1 Both Pressed Out
Overhead Squat
20kg*10 / 40kg*3 *2 Found these hard after doing the olympic lifts

Pleased with Squat numbers and tried the Clean & Jerk for the first time. Lower back a bit sore afterwards.

[rickler]

Just realised that the Squats 120kg 1*5 is 1.5BW. Lift was fairly easy so I reckon aim for 140kg 1RM then onto 160kg 1RM for 2BW

[rickler]

Monday 22/12/08

Squat
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 110kg 5*5
Bench Press
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 76kg 5*5
Clean & Jerk
60kg*1 / 70kg*1 / 75kg*1 / 77.5kg*1 / 80kg*1 (Pressed Out)
Full Snatch Technique Practice (20kg Bar)
Pull Ups
BW*10 *7 *4
Overhead Squat
20kg*10 / 40kg*7 *9
Hanging Knee Raises
Swiss Ball Crunches
Swiss Ball Balancing

Absolutely amazing session - After last week squatting heavy M / W / F then playing full 90 minute football matches Saturday and Sunday I was extremely sore this morning. Legs & lower back were tight but managed to get through the session with recent PB's on every exercise. Micro-loading on the bench press - 0.5kg up from last week which 75.5kg not 76kg in post.

As my lower back was sore I did the Clean & Jerks instead of Deadlifts as the pulling is a lot easier but just as hard an exercise.

Will predict that I will complete a 1.5xBW below parallel Squat for 5x5 before the end of January (120kg)

[rickler]

Ouch!

Lower Back tightened and went into light spasm when warming up on front squats - half expecting it to be honest. Just did some light Overhead Presses and went home for a warm bath and stretch.

Tried out narrower clean grip on the presses as usual grip is 1.5 inches wider each side. Feels a bit awkward but will be necessary if I take up competitive olympic lifting.

Front Squats
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 80kg*3
Overhead Presses (Clean Grip)
20kg*10 / 40kg 5*5

Will do some light presses on Friday but no other training until next Monday when I will assess my lower back.

[rickler]

Friday 26/10/08

Floor Presses
50kg*10 / 60kg*10 / 80kg*6- / 85kg*4- / 90kg*2-

Gym closed so did some Floor Presses with my olympic bar in the garden. I think I may have to work on my triceps to improve my lockout in the Bench Press and Overhead Press. So more Floor Presses and some Close Grip Bench Presses in the next few weeks.

Lower back is getting better. Don't want to risk any pulling exercises yet but moving around ok with only a little loss of mobility.

[rickler]

Mon 29/12/08

Bench Press
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 76.5kg 5*5

Pull Ups
BW*8- *6- *5-

Leg Press
70*15
130*10 *10

Spinal Decompressions *3

[rickler]

Wed 31/12/08

Overhead Press (Clean Grip)
20kg*10
42.5kg 5*5

Chin Ups
BW*11- *4- *4-

Leg Press
70*15
130*12 *12

Spinal Decompressions *3

[rickler]

Bench Press
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 85.5kg*4 *2 *2 *2 *1

Clean / Front Squat / Jerk Complexes
50kg*2 *2 *2 *2 *2

Clean / Front Squat Complexes
50kg*2

Pull Ups
BW*5 *5 *5

Cable Chest Pulls
10*15 *15

Cable Face Pulls
10*10

Rack Jerks
50*1
70*1

Rack Push Press
70*1

Good workout. Very Pleased with the numbers on the Bench Press. Also lower back felt good enough to do some light Clean & Jerks.

[rickler]

Squats (Heels on Plates ATG)
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 80kg*5 / 90kg*5 *5 *5

Bench Press
20kg*10 / 60kg*5 / 80kg*5 *5 *5 *5 *5 PB

Full Cleans
20kg*5 / 40kg*3 *3 *3 / 50kg*3 / 60kg*3

Rack Jerks
40kg*3 / 60kg*3 *3 *3 / 70kg*1 / 80kg*1 *1

Pull Ups
BW*11- *2- *2-

Excellent session. Lower back feels much better so started squatting again. Modified technique to give much narrower stance and going ATG. Used small plates to squat on and will carry on doing this until I get some lifting shoes with heels due to my poor ankle flexibility.

Personal Best in the Bench Press. Started doing full Cleans and used low weight to try and get the hang of the technique. Rack Jerks also went well.

[rickler]

Wednesday 07/01/09

Front Squats (Heels on Plates ATG)
20kg*10 / 60kg 6*6

Push Press
40kg*5 / 60kg 5*5

Power Clean
60kg*5 / 80kg*- *1 *1 *-

Hang Power Snatch
40kg 5*5

Narrow Grip Pull Ups
BW*10 *5- *2-----

Cable Chest Pulls
10*15 *15 *15

Cable Face Pulls
10*15 *10-

Knee Raises
BW*10

Spinal Decompressions *1

Really good workout. Starting a cycle of Front Squats 6*6 @ 60kg - Over the next few weeks will work up to a max attempt. First time I have done a proper sets & reps combination of the Push Press and it is really tough on the CNS and wastes your shoulders when lowering the weight slowly. Tired for the Power Cleans but the Hang Power Snatch went well. I want to work up to 60kg for reps over the next couple of weeks.