Saukkis Training Log

[saukkis]

@ james
Indeed they do, and this progress was achievable even with my relaxed attitude towards weight-loss

@ H
I haven't take progress pics and doubt I ever will. Certainly not while wearing white briefs, that's for sure.

[saukkis]

21.11.2009 - 3rd week of the C-P programme

DEADLIFT
3 x 2 x 170

SPEED DEADLIFT
6 x 3 x 140

No hurting palms today. The knurling is probably not as deep as in the bar I used last week. I felt really manly pulling all the red plates my gym has


Stiff-leg deadlift: 2 x 8 x 70
Hyperextension: 2 x 8
Sumo Deadlift: 2 x 8 x 70

Added Sumo DL's to get more power in my hips.

[saukkis]

16.11.2009

BOX SQUAT
5 x 5 x 97 ½

I might be closing on my 5rm on the box. Exiting.

BENCHPRESS
5,5,5,5,3 x 75

Leg drive, leg drive, leg drive and leg drive. Goddamn it made a huge difference. Moving the bar up is still a chore but it just moves so smoothly when I use my legs properly.

BENT-OVER ROW
5 x 5 x 55

Ah, a catastrophe. The bar I've been using for these is not 15 kg but 5 kg. The number 35 on it is a model number instead of the weight.

PUSH-UPS
11 / 0 / 0

Heard a pop from my shoulder and decided that maybe today is not the best day for push-ups. I will do them tomorrow.

PLANK
40s / 40s / ~30s

Will do these until I decide what I'll do to make reverse crunces harder.



____________________
I consider this a good workout since last night I only slept 4,5h. Funny thing is that before I went to the gym I was completely drained and now I feel relatively energetic; exercise is funny like that. Other news is that I'll move the OHP, Chin-ups and PC to "workout C" which I'll start doing every Tuesday. As of now I'm not doing any of these since I'm just too spent after I'm done with the C-P's heavy lifts. This is obviously only until I'm finished with the program after which I will move back to the regular 5x5SL program.

This is what my program looks now:

[saukkis]

24.11.2009

POWERCLEAN
5 x 5 x 30

Will stick with this weight until I'm flexible (wrists mostly) enough to bring the bar to my chest properly. I also have trouble bringing my elbows up fast enough.

OHP
5 x 5 x 40

RACK CHINS
10 / 8 / 7

Rack chins on video. I can recommend these to anyone not being able to do chins.


_____________
Everything felt really heavy. It might be a while until I'll adjust to the four workouts per week.

[saukkis]

26.11.2009

BOX SQUAT
5,5,4,5,5 x 100

Last set was free squats: I wanted to see if I've progressed.

BENCH PRESS
5, 5, 5, 4, 3 x 77 ½

Felt more powerful than I've ever felt on the bench. A good feeling, that.

BARBELL ROW
5 x 5 x 57 ½

Adjusted my technique which made these easier.

PLANK
40s / 40 s / 40s

Definite improvement.


_______________
I think I've reached my 5RM on the box squat. The weight went down and up relative well, but the faces I made as I ascended we're legendary. I just hope that I can still progress linearly. The reason I did the last set without the box was that I wanted to see if I had progressed: I had. Exploding from the hole was much faster than before I started to box squat and the weight wasn't that crushing either.

Bench press was a complete success. I missed just three reps from 25 on a weight I've never even tried to do sets with before. I suppose learning the proper timing for leg drive is really important. However I had to skip the push-ups since my triceps we're absolutely done after the BP. I used straps on my wrists though (hurt them in rugby yesterday) which could have made the difference, even if the straps we're just my now disused deadlifting straps wrapped a couple of times around my wrists.

On the BBRow I moved my hands farther apart and my legs maybe an inch narrower from both sides than my shoulders. I also started to hold my breath for 3/2 reps instead of taking a lungful every rep. Made me faster and thus more powerful.

PS. Did a good deed of the day when I told a fellow squatter why it's important to squat parallel and beyond.

[holvoetn]

Good workout, good adjustment on form, good deed

All is good.

[saukkis]

You've got to be freaking kidding me.. For me to maintain my weight I'd have to eat around 3750 kcal and to lose weight 'safely' I need to eat 3200 kcal.

I just worked out that I've been eating only around 2000-2500 kcals worth of food every day for the past three months. Kids, this is what happens when you don't pay attention to your intake.

[saukkis]

28.11.2009

SPEED DEADLIFT
5 x 3 x 155

DEADLIFT
2 x 1 x 180

Damn. Not enough plates to go around so I had to do my speedlifts with too much weight first This greatly reduced my performance when doing the heavy sets.


Lat Pulldown: 2 x 8 x 60
Hyperextension: 2 x 12
Sumo Deadlift: 2 x 8 x 80

[holvoetn]

2 x 180kg AFTER 3x5 150kg
Now THAT is a nice pull !!
You should be able to blast your current 1RM away now

[saukkis]

16.11.2009

BOX SQUAT
5 x 5 x 95

I thought I loaded 100kg on the bar but when I was done and unloading I realized I had only 80 in addition to the bar. Oh well.

BENCHPRESS
5, 5, 5, 4, 5 x 80

Awesome. Just about a month ago I was struggling with 70.

BENT-OVER ROW
5 x 5 x 60

PUSH-UPS
12 / 20 / 14

PLANK
30s / 30s / 30s

For reasons unknown to me I could only hold for half a minute.

[Prash]

Saukkis,

I noticed you started off doing 5X5 deadlifts which I'm currently doing as well. But its only my 2nd week doing this and the weights arent crazy heavy as yet. Did you at any point feel like you should've stuck to 1X5? I like the dead lifts. Although it does leave me a little winded, i feel like its going to work great for my grip, forearm and back.

[saukkis]

No. As long as I don't squat heavy (or at all) I don't feel that strained with my 5x5 deadlifts. Just don't overdo it with too much weight and you're allright.

Now I actually follow the Coan-Phillipi 10 week deadlift routine which appears to be extremely effective. I will resume the 5x5 pulls when I'm done with it though.

[saukkis]

3.12.2009

SQUAT
5 x 5 x 100

Graduated the box squat school.

BENCHPRESS
5 x 5 x 82 ½

Still progressing.

BENT-OVER ROW
5, 5, 4, 4, 2 x 62 ½

No idea what happened.

CHIN-UPS
5 / 5 / 5 / 3

Rack chins

PLANK
35s / 30s / 30s


______________

I now squat with my whole posterior chain and initiate from the movement from the hip. My knees don't move much anymore either. I recommend box squats for everyone who is not sure with their squat form.

[Prash]

Good job on the squats!

I think I'll be looking at my form more closely on all lifts as I progress. I'm doing the best I can based on what I read, but I'll never know until I have someone watch me on my squats. Anyway..keep up the good work!

[saukkis]

@Prash
If you can't find anyone to observe just film yourself and post the videos here.

5.12.2009 - 5th C-P workout

Deadlift: 3 x 3 x 160
Speed deadlift: 3 x 3 x 130

Power shrugs: 3 x 5 105
Stiff-leg deadlift: 3 x 5 x 105
Bent over row: 3 x 5 x 55
Underhand lat pulldown: 3 x 5 x 70


A great workout. I did deadlifts in front of a mirror and noticed that I look like I eat babies for breakfast when pulling. Today was also the first time ever we've run out of barbells in the gym! It almost brought tears to my eyes to see me and another guy deadlifting and one guy overhead pressing.