Workout No. 104
Tuesday, 30th June 2015

Bench Press 3x8 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Push-ups 17/12

All the squat racks were surprisingly full today (and it’s not even Monday!) so after waiting about 30 minutes, I hopped onto a bench that someone just finished with and started with bench presses as it was getting late. Only after repping out 8 reps @ 55.0kg and keying this into Jefit which I use for tracking my workouts, did I realise that I upped my previous 1RM (equivalent) record to 70.0kg! My bench press has always been by far my weakest lift so this was quite a pleasant surprise for me. Next target to work towards: 80.0kg! Hope to be benching my bodyweight by the first quarter of next year.

Easy 3x5 barbell rows @ 60.0kg. Not very sure why I am always so reluctant to go up in weight for this lift when I am fairly comfortable with rowing this weight. I always keep deloading for no particular reason and always seem to restart at 60.0kg. Will make it a point to add weight on during the next session.

Push-ups to finish off which were particularly punishing after the bench presses.

Workout No. 105
Thursday, 2nd July 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 70.0kg
Overhead Press 8/5/3 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5

Front squats at 70.0kg for the 2nd time as I was not too happy with my form on my last 70.0kg attempt despite completing the 3x8. Much more solid sets today.

Managed 8/7/7 overhead presses @ 42.5kg on my previous attempt but wasn’t feeling too good about my chances today right from the start. Managed 8 reps on the first set but really, really struggled on the final rep. Took a 3 minute break and only managed 5 reps and even worse, 3 reps for the last set. This is my 4th attempt at a 3x8 @ 42.5kg so I am actually overdue for a deload. Will deload to 37.5kg and work my way up again and see how that goes.

Deadlifts at 120.0kg for 5 reps today. This is also another lift which I feel I have been overly cautious with. Will make it a point to go up to 125kg on my next attempt and move upwards in small increments.

The standard “negative” pull-ups and chin-ups to finish off. I seem to be stalling on these pulls. Need to have better training discipline.

Workout No. 106
Saturday, 4th July 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 70.0kg
Bench Press 3x8 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 62.5kg

A friend said that he was interested in paying a visit to Jatomi to have a look around so I agreed to accompany him today. He seemed to be quite impressed overall with the place and the equipment. He typically trains at a Crossfit gym (which usually has very good equipment) and another commercial gym (without squat racks!).

Front squats @ 70.0kg again for the 3rd time without going up in weight. Fairly comfortable sets and will progress to 72.5kg the next time round.

Fairly comfortable bench presses for 3x5 reps @ 55.0kg today as well.

Went up in weight for the barbell rows as planned and finished the 3x5 @ 62.5kg once again, fairly comfortably.

Today felt easy overall. Perhaps it was due to the extra mental motivation of having a gym partner for the first time ever.

Workout No. 107
Monday, 6th July 2015

Front Squat 5/6/8 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 3x8 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 125.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5

The gym was very packed as expected on Mondays. Wasn’t too pleased as the squat racks facing the mirrors were unavailable so I went for one facing a wall. Upped my front squat weight but due to my lack of confidence without a mirror, I only managed a miserable 5 reps on the first set. Fared better in the 2nd set, but still wasted too much time and energy during my set up and adjusting my feet. Gathered my focus for the 3rd set and completed the full 8 reps. The only problem was confidence.

Deloaded overhead presses @ 37.5kg for 3 sets of 8 reps. Didn’t feel too easy surprisingly. Took shorter than usual rests though between sets.

Deadlifted 5 reps @ 125.0kg. Challenging but still had fuel in my tank left over. Will go up another 2.5kg for my next attempt.

Tried hanging longer during my “negative” chin-ups and pull-ups today to try to further stimulate my back and biceps.

Workout No. 108
Friday, 10th July 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 3x8 @ 57.5kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 65.0kg
Push-ups 13/13

Have started a slow cut and I plan to drop 3.0kg over the next month and a half before the end of August, but surprisingly did very well in the gym today, exceeding my own expectations, despite cutting my calorie intake.

First successful attempt at 3x8 reps of 72.5kg front squats since April. Lost some strength as I was basically away from the gym in the month of May and did not manage to go as frequently as I would have liked in June as well. The last two reps for each set were starting to get very challenging so I may stay at 72.5kg for one more session before moving upwards.

Another new PR for bench presses with 3 sets of 8 reps at 57.5kg which equates to a 1RM of 73.0kg. Nothing to be proud of but with the bench being my weakest lift, any progress is good progress haha.

A decent 3x5 for barbell rows @ 65.0kg. Should be confident enough to move up to 67.5kg on my next attempt which will be a new PR too.

The only disappointing thing about my workout today was my push-ups. Only managed 2 sets of 13 reps which is understandable because I had previously maxed out on my bench presses.

Workout No. 109
Monday, 13th July 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 3x8 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 127.5kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5

Got lucky today and only had to wait 10 minutes for the squat rack which is great considering that today is Monday and the gym has twice the usual number of people. Still on my slow cut and front squats were brutal. I am really starting to dread it each time I step up and get ready to unrack the weights. Completed the 3x8 @ 72.5kg and will probably go for one more session at this weight before moving upwards to give myself a little bit more confidence at attempting 75.0kg.

Continued my progression for the overhead press after my deload to 40.0kg. Did not feel too easy but could do a solid 8 reps for each of the 3 sets. May or may not try 42.5kg the next time round depending on how I feel on the day.

It was getting late so I cut my deadlift warm-ups short slightly and went for 5 reps @ 60.0kg and 3 reps at 100.0kg before attempting my working set @ 127.5kg. Usually go for at least one more transition weight before attempting my working set. Regretted this though as 127.5kg felt unusually heavy and my form deteriorated especially during the last two reps. FOCUS!

Some rushed chin-ups and pull-ups to end the session before my shower.

Workout No. 110
Wednesday, 15th July 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 8/8/7 @ 57.5kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 65.0kg
Push-ups 5

Finished work late today but decided to go to the gym anyway as I knew the traffic would be good and my Raya holiday starts tomorrow! Was quite exhausted and suspected that my gym performance would be affected slightly today.

Started off with front squats today as usual, but suffered through the sets although I did not go up in weight. 3x8 reps of 72.5kg today but the final reps of each set were very, very challenging.

Disappointing bench presses as well. Managed the 3x8 @ 57.5kg during the previous session but only managed 8/8/7 today.

Status quo for barbell rows for 3x5 reps @ 65.0kg before a feeble attempt at push-ups. Died after 5 reps and headed straight for my shower. A weak workout is always better than no workout at all though

Workout No. 111
Saturday, 18th July 2015

CROSSFIT #1
EMOM
Thrusters 5 @ 30.0kg (even minutes)
Burpees 5 (odd minutes)

Time: 30:00

Got lured into joining a friend at a newly opened gym in Subang for a Crossfit type session today. He asked me to come along to see this new gym in Subang and train there today as they have nice Olympic bars and bumper plates but when I arrived, I found out I was in for a WOD instead.

First thing I learnt was that they had their own language and I had no idea what they were talking about when they started describing what we were going to do today. The WOD (workout of the day) was an EMOM (every minute on the minute) alternating between 5 reps of thrusters (front squat transitioning into a push press) and 5 reps of burpees. So 15 sets of 5 reps of each of the two exercises for a total of 30 minutes.

Everyone started with a group warm-up first before the coach / trainer started us all on some practice sets. The weight used for the thrusters could be scaled based on the individual’s ability. Some used light dumbbells instead of a barbell, while the stronger guys were using a 50.0kg weight. The coach / trainer prescribed a 40.0kg weight for me after watching me front squat and attempt a thruster for the first time but changed his mind when he found out that I had no idea how to “clean” a 40.0kg weight into the rack position. Got scaled down to 30.0kg instead which I could easily bring up to the rack position from the ground to start the front squat portion of the thruster movement.

Started the first 5 thrusters and felt fine as the weight was quite light and on the second minute, started the 5 burpees. My initial strategy was to complete the thrusters and burpees as fast as possible to maximise on the rest time (remember, EMOM). So I had 60 seconds to do 5 thrusters and 60 seconds to do 5 burpees and this cycle was to be repeated 15 times. I tried to do them in 20 seconds to allow 40 seconds of rest between each exercise.

The burpees also involved a jump and clap at the end of each rep so I tried jumping as high as possible to make sure I wasn’t “cheating”. Was starting to get very tired after the 4th cycle and was watching the more experienced people around me and realised that I had gotten my strategy very, very wrong. For one, everyone was doing the jump and clap portion of the burpees as more of a hop and clap to conserve energy. Also, everyone was slowing down on the burpees instead of rushing through them and maximising rest time. I later learned that the strategy was to keep your heart rate low by slowing down the burpees.

The WOD was brutal. Totally floored after the 30 minutes. Could barely catch my breath and my heart rate was sky rocketing. The lifting part was okay as I was using a fairly light weight but the metabolic conditioning portion (burpees, low weight high rep thrusters) was killer.

Expected to suffer in my shoulders and quads but surprisingly woke up the next day with extremely sore triceps which is weird considering that none of the two exercises were tricep dominant. Slight DOMS for my shoulders but my legs and quads felt good.

Might even consider going again. The horror.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 19 2015, 08:13 AM

Workout No. 112
Monday, 20th July 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Bench Press 8 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 5 @ 60.0kg
Bench Press 5 @ 62.5kg
Barbell Row 5 @ 67.5kg
Pull-ups 1/1/1/1/1

Still suffering from DOMS from Saturday’s WOD, especially in my triceps. The gym was quite packed today although the roads were quite empty as some people are still not back from their Raya breaks.

All 3 squat racks were full so after waiting for over 15 minutes, I decided to start with barbell rows first. Loaded up the bar with my warm-up weights and rowed 5 reps of 40.0kg, 3 reps of 50.0kg and 3 reps of 60.0kg. Felt confident during my warm-up sets so I decided to attempt rowing a new PR of 67.5kg. Completed the full 3x5 without too much difficulty and am actually feeling good about my chances at attempting a 70.0kg set of rows.

Squat racks were still full so I killed some time trying out some single reps of strict pull-ups. Completed 5 reps with about a minute’s rest in between each rep. Stepped up to a squat rack as soon as one became empty. Decided to try back squatting again today as I have been loading my quads with front squats for a very long time and wanted a change for a bit. Started light as I have not tried a back squat for months. Completed the 3x5 @ 60.0kg very easily.

Triceps were still sore so I decided to take bench pressing step by step today, progressively increasing the weight and gauging how to proceed depending on how I felt. Started with warm-ups with the empty bar and 3 reps at 40.0kg. Attempted 8 reps @ 50.0kg which wasn’t too bad. Triceps were feeling fatigued so I tried a slightly higher weight with the intention of doing lower reps. Still felt I had a rep or two in me after 5 reps @ 60.0kg so I upped the weight to 62.5kg for my final 5 rep attempt. Completed it and much to my delight, this actually equated to a new 1RM! Not too bad a day with two new PRs considering that I was still suffering from DOMS. Even better, I am finally sub 90.0kg!!! Cut cut cut!!!

Workout No. 113
Wednesday, 22nd July 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 70.0kg
Overhead Press 6/7/7 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 127.5kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5
Dumbbell Curls 2x8 @ 12.0kg

Still maintaining decent discipline for my cutting attempt. Not too big a calorie deficit (by just eating marginally less than usual) to try and maintain as much lean muscle mass as possible. Slow and steady. Tempted to install a calorie counter app to help me out with the cut and calorie counting but don’t know if I have the perseverance to key everything in. Also, eating things like mixed rice etc, makes things complicated.

Monday’s 60.0kg back squats did not feel challenging at all so I upped the weight by 10.0kg to 70.0kg. Started feeling a little heavy but there should still be plenty of headroom to go. If I remember correctly, my previous best attempt was 3x5 @ 82.5kg before moving to front squats for a couple of months. Completed the 3x5 fairly comfortably at this 70.0kg weight and will continue to back squat for a bit. 2 of the 3 sets were in the low bar position and 1 set was in the high bar position.

Upped the overhead press weight back to my previous 8 rep max of 42.5kg. Managed 8/8/7 once before but my previous attempt only resulted in a 8/5/3. Underestimated the weight a little bit as I stepped up to the bar and didn’t focus enough. Had a little left in me after the 6th rep of the first set but lost tightness slightly and re-racked the bar because I wasn’t too confident. Managed 7 reps for the next two sets which was slightly disappointing but acceptable.

Deadlifts at 127.5kg felt very, very hard, especially the last rep. My last attempt at this weight was definitely more comfortable. Could perhaps be attributed to the fact that I am cutting or maybe it was because I rushed through my warm-up sets going for 5 reps @ 60.0kg, 3 reps @ 90.0kg and 1 rep @ 120.0kg which may have been too close to my working set weight.

“Negative” chin-ups and pull-ups as usual but added some 12.0kg bicep curls at the very end to feel some pump in my biceps.

Workout No. 114
Friday, 24th July 2015

Squat 5/5/8 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 8/6/6 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 70.0kg

Trained on Monday and Wednesday and went for a basketball session yesterday so I wasn’t too confident about how I would perform at the gym today. I am also planning to go hiking tomorrow at Bukit Gasing followed by a light gym session with my girlfriend at Jatomi just to show her around so I need to conserve some energy today and not go all out. Weighed in and was pleased to see that I was still sub-90.0kg.

Started off by upping Wednesday’s squat weight by 2.5kg to 72.5kg for a 3x5 attempt. Yes, the weight felt heavy but after 5 reps my heart rate was still fairly low and I did not feel too strained. Tried another set of 5 reps and I was still feeling okay so I went for 8 reps for my final set just to get a little extra volume in and see how my legs responded.

Went up another 2.5kg for my bench presses @ 60.0kg. Very pleased that I completed a solid 8 reps on my first set at this weight which happens to be equivalent to another new 1RM! The two subsequent sets were not as good and I only managed 6 reps for each of these two sets. Felt that my setup was perfect for the first set as I felt very strong as I unracked the weight.

Barbell rows @ 70.0kg for 3 sets of 5 reps. Was already quite sure that I would manage to row this weight based on my last few attempts at slightly lower weights. Sure enough, completed the reps and set another new 1RM record as well.

I would say the cut is still going quite well considering that I do not think I have lost any strength! Just gotta stay motivated and keep the cutting discipline!

Workout No. 115
Monday, 27th July 2015

Squat 5/5/8 @ 75.0kg
Overhead Press 3x8 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 130.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5
Dumbbell Curls 8/5 @ 14.0kg

Today would represent the first day since moving to my new office (which is now further away from my current gym) that I would need to face the full on traffic on the way to my gym since everybody should finally be back from their Raya breaks and traffic on the roads is back to normal. Was not as bad as expected. Took about 25 minutes which is not ideal, but I suppose I can bear with it for the moment and see how it goes. I still have about 2 months left on my 1 year contract so I may explore other options i.e. signing up for Jatomi’s multiple gym pass and see how long it takes to get to their The Weld branch (theoretically nearer but unsure about traffic or how well the gym is equipped), or looking for a new gym all together. Unfortunately, not many gyms have 3 proper squat racks with adjustable catchers, nice Olympic barbells and bumper plates.

Also, still on target with my cutting programme, achieving my first target of losing 2.0kg in the month of July over a period of 3 weeks, surprisingly without the slightest signs of losing any strength at all and am still setting PRs. The first week was hard but things have gotten better and my discipline has been good especially over the past two weeks. Next target, 87.0kg by the end of August! Slow and steady.

Went up by another 2.5kg for back squats to 75.0kg, doing the same thing as last Friday, starting with 2 sets of 5 reps, and 8 reps on the final set just to test my legs. Nothing too difficult. Definitely moving up in weight again during the next session.

Finally, finally broke past the 3x8 @ 42.5kg overhead press plateau today. So pleased! Didn’t feel particularly strong today but was still feeling okay by the 6th rep of the first set so I pressed on. Same goes for the second set and really struggled with the last rep of the third set but was so determined not to give up and completed the full 3x8!

Didn’t do too well on my last attempt at deadlifting 127.5kg for 5 reps despite completing the reps but was feeling good about my chances today after the first two lifts so I went for a 130.0kg attempt. Warmed up with 5 reps @ 60.0kg, 3 reps at 100.0kg and 2 reps at 120.0kg before arriving at my working set weight of 130.0kg. Focused on pulling fast and aggressively during my warm-up sets. Managed the 5 reps @ 130.0kg much more solidly than I did with the 5 reps @ 127.5kg last Wednesday.

Quite tired by this point so I rushed through my chin-ups and pull-ups and added in some quick dumbbell curls before heading for my shower.

Workout No. 116
Wednesday, 29th July 2015

Squat 5/5/8 @ 77.5kg
Bench Press 6/6/6 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 72.5kg
Thrusters 8x5 @ 35.0kg

My abs still feel strangely sore from Monday’s workout which I suspect can be attributed to the heavy deadlifts during my last workout. 89.1kg at the weigh-in today. Should drop to sub 89.0kg by the end of this week! Have not felt this light on my feet in a while and have noticed that lifting weights over the past year has improved my posture. I am quite tall for a Malaysian standing at 6’1” and used to have a slight, slight hunch. That appears to be gone now!

Continued with my progression in the barbell back squat by another 2.5kg, following the same 5/5/8 format as the previous two sessions. 77.5kg seemed to feel significantly more challenging than the 75.0kg attempt two days ago and I was not feeling too confident after completing my first set of 5 that I would be able to finish the third and final set target of 8 reps. The 2nd set did not feel any better and my strategy for the 3rd set was to just rep out what I could be it 5, 6 or 7 reps. Surprisingly, the 6th and 7th reps did not feel more difficult than the 5th and I only struggled a little bit on the 8th rep. 1RM stands at 98.0kg now; almost at the 3 digit mark!

Bench pressing was slightly disappointing though but to be fair I should not be expecting too much progress considering the fact that I am on a cut. Managed 8/6/6 last week but only managed 6/6/6 today. Really pushed myself hard, and attempted the 7th rep for each set. Failed each time and had to slide myself out from under the bar caught by the safeties and reset for all 3 sets.

Further progress on barbell rows by upping the weight again to 72.5kg. Finished the 3x5 but my form was not too perfect, and I used a slight bit of momentum. Will stay at this weight for at least one more session. On a 84.5kg 1RM now which is actually quite good. I am almost capable of rowing my bodyweight!

Still had some energy left and wanted to try some HIIT to help with the cut but didn’t know what to do so I did 8 sets of thrusters @ 35.0kg with a minute’s rest between each set to finish off my gym session. Basketball session tomorrow!

This post has been edited by justintga: Aug 3 2015, 07:23 AM

Workout No. 117
Friday, 31st July 2015

Front Squat 3x5 @ 50.0kg
Pull-ups 1/1/1/1/1
Push-ups 20/10
Power Cleans 5 @ 40.0kg

Went in to the gym today just to avoid the Friday night traffic. Was not planning to train today as I have a Crossfit session tomorrow morning and I have already trained on Monday and Wednesday plus a 2 hour basketball session yesterday night. Need to let my body recover before tomorrow's brutal Crossfit session.

Started off with some light front squats which I have not been doing in a while since going back to back squats. This was followed by some pull-ups and push-ups.

Also attempted some power cleans today after watching and studying a number of Youtube videos. Didn't have a coach so my form could have been way off but at least I managed to get 40.0kg up into the front rack position!

Workout No. 118
Saturday, 1st August 2015

CROSSFIT #2
FOR TIME
Hang Cleans 50 @ 25.0kg
Run 400m
Push-ups 50
Run 400m
Front Squats 50 @ 25.0kg
Run 400m

Time: 21:18

Went for my second Crossfit session today fearing the worst after the last session. The trainers were there bright and early, trying out the WOD before the rest of us arrived and they were looking like they were at their limits. We started with a typical warm-up and I was told that my hip mobility is excellent. Must be all the front squats?

The exercises were for time, but since there was not a cut-off point or a benchmark, everyone just seemed to watch each other and try to not be the slowest. I was the first out of the gym after the first 50 hang cleans (or substituted for kettlebell swings if you are not familiar with the movement) and started my 400m run. A number of people ran out soon after and overtook me but I made sure to keep my heart rate manageable and not run too fast as I knew that there was plenty to go.

Got back into the gym in 3rd place and started doing my push-ups, in sets of 10 reps to avoid over exerting myself. I didn’t do too well and plenty of the guys there were faring better at the push-ups but I bought a fair bit of time during the first bit so I got out of the gym in 5th place to start the next 400m run outside. Was quite tired by this point so I walked half the time.

The last bit was 50 reps of front squats @ 25.0kg, which is a fairly light weight for me but boy did it feel heavy when I was fatigued. Once again, did this in sets of 10 reps and got out of the gym first for the final 400m. Started walking the first 150m before the guy in 2nd place got out of the gym and I quickened my pace. Managed to conserve enough energy to jog the last 100m to finish in first place! My weight was scaled down though compared to some as I didn’t have the technique to hang clean but still proud of my achievement! Need to rest and recover. Heavy deadlifts on Monday!

This post has been edited by justintga: Aug 18 2015, 08:30 AM

Workout No. 119
Monday, 3rd August 2015

Squat 5/5/8 @ 80.0kg
Overhead Press 6/7/7 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 132.5kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5

Felt decently recovered after last week’s 3 gym sessions, one basketball session and one Crossfit session except for some slightly sore lats. Was in the head office today, so it was a short drive to the gym which was packed as today is a Monday.

Started my warm-up sets for low bar back squats but my legs were feeling the weight. Even the 3 reps @ 60.0kg felt significantly heavier than normal. Loaded up the working set weight of 80.0kg with the target of doing 2 sets of 5 reps followed by a final set of 8 reps as before, not feeling confident of my chances. On my first set, my reps started slowing down on the 4th rep and had to grind through the 5th rep. The second set was the same story and as I stepped up for the final set, I braced my core and was determined to give the 8 reps a try although I didn’t think I could manage it. Felt fresh after the 4th rep of the final set, 5th rep was starting to slow and the 6th rep was even slower. Took a deep breath and rebraced my core before attempting the 7th rep which was another painfully slow rep before descending for my final rep. Got stuck for a second in the hole on the 8th rep thinking that I wouldn’t make it but I pushed through and grinded through every centimetre of the ascent. Racked the bar for a new 1RM PR of 101.0kg. 2nd triple digit lift after my deadlifts. Nothing impressive but it represents a significant personal milestone.

Upped the overhead pressing weight after completing the 3x8 @ 42.5kg last week. Was sure that I wouldn’t finish the 3x8 @ 45.0kg on this attempt as I struggled with the 42.5kg and I am on a cut (which going decently I would say). Stepped up to the bar and started the first set. Not too disciplined with conserving energy and my set-up so I lost some energy adjusting my feet and tightening my glutes and only managed 6 reps on the first set. Rested for 3 minutes before my 2nd attempt and kept everything tight to complete 7 reps. Managed 7 reps for the 3rd set as well. Set a 1RM PR of 55.0kg with this weight and rep combo. Hope to get at least one 8 rep set on my next attempt.

Deadlifts for 5 reps at 132.5kg for the 3rd 1RM PR of the day of 155.0kg. Felt very weak though on the 4th rep onwards and my legs did not feel too stable. The squats and the overhead presses took too much out of me and my deadlifts were not solid at all. Will reattempt this weight again before progressing upwards.

Some sloppy pull-ups and chin-ups as I had nothing left in the tank to finish off today’s session. 3 PRs for 3 lifts while on a cut in a single day. Not too bad at all!

Workout No. 120
Wednesday, 5th August 2015

Squat 5/5/5 @ 82.5kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 72.5kg
Thrusters 5x5 @ 40.0kg

Whole body was not feeling too fresh today after the brutal PR session on Monday. Quite upset that the scale in the gym was not working (battery died, had to be charged) as I was keen on checking my weight and tracking my cut progress.

Started my squat warm-up sets and for some reason, my knees always feel the slightest bit uncomfortable at lighter weights when squatting in the low bar back squat position. This is generally not a problem when attempting front squats. My knees are not caving in or anything and seem to be tracking well. Don’t experience this at heavier weights i.e. above 50.0kg. Was slightly out of the zone and after 3 reps @ 82.5kg, I racked the bar thinking that I was still on one of my warm-up sets. Quickly unracked the bar and repped out 2 more reps to complete the 5 reps. The plan was to go for 5/5/8 reps as before but on the 3rd set, I stopped after 5 reps as I was not feeling confident at all. Still 3x5 @ 82.5kg equals my personal best for 3x5. Not bad while on a cut.

I somehow tweaked my left bicep slightly while setting up for my first working bench press set when trying to get the arch in my back. It just felt off. Biceps are not directly recruited during bench presses so I still managed to rep out 3 sets of 5 reps @ 60.0kg (did 6/6/6 on my last attempt) but didn’t want to risk worsening the strain.

Barbell rows at the same weight of 72.5kg for the full 3x5 to allow time for my bench presses to catch up. Didn’t do too well because of the tweaked bicep.

Finished off the session with some HIIT in the form of 5x5 thrusters @ 40.0kg just to help out with the cut.

Workout No. 121
Friday, 7th August 2015

Squat 5/4/4 @ 85.0kg
Overhead Press 8/6/6 @ 45.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5
Interval Sprints on Treadmill 15 mins
Thrusters 5x5 @ 40.0kg

Sub 89.0kg at today's weigh-in! Slow and steady!

Upped my squat weight by another 2.5kg to 85.0kg. Started the first set and finished the full 5 reps, not feeling as strong as I would have liked. Maybe the cut is finally catching up with me. Thought I could at least manage to complete the 3x5 but failed to get the final rep for the remaining 2 sets. Perhaps I could have managed if I attempted the reps but I did not descend after the 4th reps as I was not feeling confident at all.

Usually poor squatting is an indication of a poor workout overall but I managed to snag a full 8 reps on my first set of overhead presses @ 45.0kg, which is a new 1RM of 57.0kg! Not too bad on my 2nd and 3rd sets, managing 6 presses each.

Decided to skip the deadlifts as I was not feeling strong at all so I did my regular chin-ups and pull-ups before going for some interval sprints on the treadmill. Generally sprinted with a speed setting of 14 for about a minute with about 90 secs rest between each sprint. Whole session lasted about 15 minutes.

Ended the workout with some heavier than usual thrusters just to squeeze in the extra HIIT. Cut cut cut!

Workout No. 122
Monday, 10th August 2015

CROSSFIT #3
FOR TIME
Thrusters 50 @ 30.0kg
Deadlift 50 @ 60.0kg
Burpees 50
Push-ups 50

Time: 38:58

Didn't manage to join the Crossfit session on Saturday as I was accompanying my girlfriend to a wedding. Finished work early today so headed to the gym and decided to try out Saturday's WOD while the gym was still relatively empty.

Warmed up and started off with the thrusters, going for sets of 10. Heart rate shot up very fast despite the light weights. Still not very sure what the strategy should be with thrusters. If I take them slower, I would naturally lose some of the upward momentum and have to use more of my shoulders to press the weight overhead. But going fast brings your heart rate up to the roof so quickly. Suffered slightly for the last few reps of the 4th and 5th sets.

Took a quick breather before resetting my barbell for the 60.0kg deadlifts. Also, went for sets of 10. First set was very, very easy. The 2nd and 3rd sets were still manageable but I had to take slightly longer rests in between. Started to feel my fatigued back after about 35 reps but finished the 50 reps without too much difficulty.

Another quick breather before starting my burpees. Was just over the 15 minute mark now. Tried going for 10 burpees in a row but my heart rate shot straight up again after the first set. Had to rest for over 2 minutes between the 2nd and 3rd sets. Did the burpees in sets of 5 reps from the 30th rep onwards.

Lost a lot of time on the burpees so I started with the push-ups as soon as possible. First 10 reps were okay, struggled towards the end of my next 10 reps. Got ready for my 3rd set but my arms were shaking by the 5th rep so I stopped. Completed the remaining 25 reps in sets of 5 reps.

Total time was just under 39 minutes. Could not stand at all at this point and just lay down on the floor breathing heavily. Was even feeling slightly faint. The burpees were the killer and the deadlifts were by far the easiest part of the WOD. Glad I persevered and didn't give up.

Took a bodyfat measurement using one of the Tanita machines and lo and behold, for the first time ever, my body type was "Standard Muscular" instead of "Solidly Built". My bodyfat percentage is now within the recommended range! Need to keep the discipline and cut cut cut!

This post has been edited by justintga: Aug 18 2015, 08:31 AM

Workout No. 123
Tuesday, 11th August 2015

Squat 5/5/8 @ 80.0kg
Bench Press 6/5/5 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 72.5kg
Hang Snatch 10 @ 30.0kg
Hang Snatch 5 @ 40.0kg

2nd day in a row at the gym. Not ideal but will not be able to go to the gym on Wednesday and Thursday and possibly even Friday due to work commitments so I decided to just give it a go today. My glutes and triceps are still feeling fatigued from yesterday so I expected to perform poorly today.

Started off with squats just like any other day but went for a slightly lighter weight as my legs were not feeling great too. Started in the low bar position for the first set and barely managed the last rep. Switched to high bar and managed a solid 5 reps for the 2nd set. Although I spend most of my time low bar squatting, truth be told, I never felt 100% comfortable with this set-up compared to say the front squat. Felt much stronger (especially in the hole) when doing the high bar reps which I rarely ever do. With the extra confidence, attempted 8 reps for the final set and made it, equaling my previous 1RM. I should keep in mind though that this could be due to that fact that my glutes and hamstrings could be fatigued from yesterday and the main muscles recruited in the high bar squat are "fresher" i.e. the quads.

Set-up for my bench press but with my triceps still suffering from yesterday, could not guess how I would do today. Only managed a feeble 6/5/5 @ 60.0kg in the end. Will give this weight one or two more tries @ 60.0kg before a deload or perhaps I'll move back to the 3x5 format.

Attempted the exact same weight on the barbell rows again for exactly the same number of sets and reps for the 3rd time in a row, all being successful. I guess it is about time to move up to 3x5 @ 75.0kg.

Typically would end the session with some chest or triceps assistance exercise like push-ups but already did that yesterday so I spent some time learning the hang snatch. Started off with the empty bar to practise form and the movement before moving up to 30.0kg for 10 reps and 40.0kg for 5 reps. Felt like I could do more but didn't wanna overdo it on my first attempt so I called it a day.

This post has been edited by justintga: Aug 12 2015, 03:48 PM