Workout No. 269
Thursday, 16th June 2016

Front Squat 3x6 @ 195lbs / 87.5kg

Bench Press 10x3 @ 160lbs / 72.5kg

Pull-ups 3/3/3

Back was still slightly tight while stretching but it didn’t feel too bad today so I gave front squatting a go. Everything felt solid and tight while warming and ramping up. Got up to 185lbs / 82.5kg and it felt fine so I upped the weight to my working set weight of 195lbs / 87.5kg for 3x6. Only did 3 sets as I wanted to keep the volume low. My back surprisingly started feeling better after the front squats.

Moved on to bench presses. Went for something different today. Heavy-ish bench presses for 10x3 @ 160lbs / 72.5kg. First few sets felt fine but it was difficult to get that full body tightness towards the last few sets which were a tad grindy. Never came close to failing any set though.

Finished off the session with a few pull-ups.

Workout No. 270
Sunday, 19th June 2016

Squat 3x6 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg

Bench Press 6x6 @ 140lbs / 62.5kg

Won’t be able to train a few days next week due to work and personal commitments so I headed in today for a quick workout. Only had about an hour to train so I tried to get the best bang for my buck. Still keeping the volume low on anything that loads up my lower back so only did 3 sets of 6 reps for squats today @ 230lbs / 105.0kg. Rep PR for me at this weight so I am decently pleased. Bar speed was decent and I am confident that I could’ve managed 8 reps at this weight. Last heavy-ish squats before starting the new Hepburn cycle in July. Targeting a working weight of 245lbs / 110.0kg for the cycle which I suspect will be difficult but manageable.

Continuing with my high volume benching programme for the month of June while letting my back rest a little. 6x6 @ 140lbs / 62.5kg was relatively easy and was completed with minimal rest between sets. Still have the following sets and reps to finish this week:

7x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg
8x4 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg
10x3 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

If all goes well, I plan on starting the Hepburn cycle with 165lbs / 75.0kg and upping it to 170lbs / 77.5kg after a few sessions if I feel comfortable.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 24 2016, 08:10 PM

Workout No. 271
Monday, 20th June 2016

Bench Press 7x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg

Pull-ups 3/3/3/3

Face Pulls 3x12

Continuing with my high volume, high frequency benching programme today. Rep scheme was 7x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg. Some fatigue remaining from yesterday's session though. All the racks were taken so I had to resort to using a squat stand instead. Hate having to use the squat stand as my set-up is more inconsistent compared to when using the racks. Weight was light though so it didn't matter so much. Definitely wouldn't attempt the 10x3 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg at the end of the week on a squat stand. 7x5 is a little more volume than I am used to and especially after benching on consecutive days, my joints were slightly sore and surprisingly, my upper back and biceps too. Lost a little tightness on the later sets but the bar still moved decently.

Some pulling to balance the high volume pushing in the form of pull-ups for 4 sets of 3 coupled with some face pulls using a band for general shoulder health. Next benching session will be on Wednesday if I can find the time which will probably be coupled with some front squats.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 21 2016, 06:25 PM

Workout No. 272
Wednesday, 22nd June 2016

Bench Press 8x4 @ 160lbs / 72.5kg

Headed in today just to bench and complete my programme for the month. Just 2 more benching sessions to go! Started loading up the bar but the later warm-up sets felt heavier than usual and even 135lbs / 60.0kg did not move as I would have liked it. Was slightly concerned that I would not make the rep and set scheme today considering how my warm-up sets were feeling. Started my first working set of 160lbs / 72.5kg and surprise surprise, super smooth. Took my time and finished off my remaining 7 sets resting about 3 minutes between each one.

Realised that I made a mistake and should have been benching 155lbs / 70.0kg instead today. Ah well. Glad I made it through anyway.

Workout No. 273
Friday, 24th June 2016

Bench Press 10x3 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

Final bench session for this cycle! Felt decently fresh but the first working set felt quite heavy. Focused on getting my set-up perfect for the 2nd set and the bar moved a little bit better. Took an hour to complete all 10 sets. Elbows, forearms and biceps were slightly sore at the end of the sets but my triceps and chest barely felt fatigued. Very interesting.

Workout No. 274
Monday, 27th June 2016

Squat 5x3 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg

Pause Squat 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Bench Press 5x3 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg

Done with my bench programme and am back to a full body powerlifting programme starting today. Hopefully my back and posterior chain hold up to the weights and the volume that I will be attempting.

Started with squats for 5x3 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg which is roughly 77.5% of my 1RM. Loaded up the bar for the 1st set after completing my warm-up sets and the bar felt really heavy. Bar did not move as fast as I would have liked it to as well, which isn’t particularly encouraging considering that I managed the same weight for 6 reps last week. 2nd set moved a bit better but on the last rep of the 3rd set, my chest fell forwards slightly and I actually lost balance and stumbled forward. Very disappointing. This hasn’t happened in a very long time. Took a slightly longer rest and reattempted my 4th and 5th sets. Much better. Right glute and lower back felt slightly tight after the final set.

Pause squats next for 3 sets of 6 reps @ 185lbs / 85.0kg. Managed to keep good form throughout. Happy to report that my posterior chain tightness did not bother me the slightest bit during the sets.

Some relatively light bench presses today compared to what I was attempting last week and lower volume too. Solid sets @ 155lbs / 70.0kg and I even took the opportunity today to experiment slightly with my grip widths.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 29 2016, 04:44 PM

Workout No. 275
Tuesday, 28th June 2016

Deadlift 5x3 @ 295lbs / 135.0kg

Overhead Press 5x3 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Lateral Dumbbell Raise 3x8

Haven't deadlifted heavy in over 2 weeks. My posterior chain was feeling fine until yesterday when I decided to load my back up again with the squats. Today, right glute and lower back didn't feel 100% and were a little tight while stretching and doing my mobility routine. Attempted the first set of deadlifts @ 295lbs / 135.0kg for 3 reps. Felt quite heavy but I guess it was understandable considering that I have not attempted any heavy pulls for a while. 295lbs / 135.0kg is approximately 77.5% of my 1RM. Reviewed the video of the first set and my lower back was rounding slightly. Took a 4 minute break before attempting the 2nd set and paid extra attention to my lower back alignment and lifting my chest to set my back. 2nd set looked much better. The following 2 sets also looked decent until the 5th set whereby while pulling the final rep, my lower back rounded slightly again. Struggled to keep tight overall and the weight should definitely not feel so heavy. Pulled a heavier and higher volume 310lbs / 140.0kg for a 5x5 a month ago. Sigh. Will reassess later on the week and decide on how to proceed depending on how my posterior chain feels.

Overhead presses on the other hand @ 115lbs / 52.5kg for 5x3 felt relatively easy. Weight is about 77.5% of my 1RM as per this week's prescribed programme. Experimented with grip widths too today similar to yesterday's bench press attempts.

Some variation to my accessory work for this session. Was programmed to do some lateral dumbbell raises for 3x8 reps. Have never worked with dumbbells before in this gym. Threw in some bro curls for good measure haha.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 29 2016, 05:25 PM

Workout No. 276
Thursday, 30th June 2016

Squat 5x3 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg

Front Squat 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Bench Press 4x3 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg

Squatting for the same set and rep scheme today as I did on Monday but today was notably smoother and the weight felt lighter. Felt some tightness building up in my right arm during the sets, concentrated around the upper forearm, elbow and bicep, and to a lesser extent, my shoulder. Have not experienced this tightness due to squats before and I don’t think my set-up has changed in any way today. Didn’t feel like my wrist or arm was taking the weight of the bar either. Tightness became quite significant towards the 6th and final set.

Proceeded with front squats for 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg. Right arm tightness did not affect my front squatting at all.

Was slightly concerned about bench pressing with the tightness but decided to give it a go anyway. Loaded up the working set of 155lbs / 70.0kg and unracked the bar. Slight discomfort. Lowered the bar for the first rep and felt the tightness in my right arm at the bottom position. Didn’t really affect my pressing strength though. Form was affected slightly as my bar path deviated due to the discomfort. Attempted another 3 sets after the first and stopped after the 4th set as I did not want to aggravate my arm any further. Skipped the programmed Spoto Presses and called it a day.

Workout No. 277
Tuesday, 5th July 2016

Squat 4x3 @ 235lbs / 107.5kg
Squat 1x3 @ 245lbs / 110.0kg

Pause Squat 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Bench Press 5x3 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

Close Grip Bench Press 3x8 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

Squats are feeling pretty good this cycle. Upped the weight again to 235lbs / 107.5kg and started the first set after warming up. Smooth. Everything looked tight, depth was perfect and the bar moved well. After the 4th set, decided to put on another 10lbs on the bar and tried out a triple @ 245lbs / 110.0kg which is roughly the weight I should be squatting at the end of this block in about 3 weeks. 1st rep was very good, 2nd rep was slow so I focused on bracing and leg drive for the final rep which turned out much better than the 2nd. Quite pleased with the attempt overall.

Pause squats for 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg as accessory work. Starting to feel a bit light. Might need to use a heavier weight.

Bench presses next. 5 sets of triples @ 165lbs / 75.0kg. Starting to get much more comfortable with moving this weight. A 5x3 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg should not be problem by the end of the month. If things go well, might even attempt triples @ 175lbs / 80.0kg.

Decided to do some close grip bench presses as accessory and hypertrophy work. Previous attempt was 3x8 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg a while back so I decided to give 135lbs / 60.0kg a go. Managed the full 3x8. Quite happy with this too.

Workout No. 278
Wednesday, 6th July 2016

Deadlift 4x3 @ 310lbs / 140.0kg

Sumo Deadlift 3x3 @ 265lbs / 120.0kg

Overhead Press 2x3 @ 120lbs / 55.0kg
Overhead Press 3x3 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Lateral Dumbbell Raise 3x12 @ 7.5kg

Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3x12 @ 10.0kg

Trained in another gym today as my regular gym was closed for the Raya break. Started off with deadlifts. Programme was for triples at 80% for 5 sets. Set-up for the first set and pulled the 3 reps. Felt decent but the video review showed that I was rounding slightly. Focused on lifting my chest and setting my lower back for the 2nd set which looked much sweeter on video. 3rd set also looked good. Completed the 4th set but the bar was starting to feel really heavy and it felt as if I was grinding more than necessary to deadlift the weight despite the fact that the bar speed was still decent. Decided to stop in fear of re-aggravating my back which is what happened when I pushed on to finish the prescribed set and reps despite feeling like this the last time.

Lowered the weight to 265lbs / 120.0kg to practise some narrow stance sumo deadlifts. Looked decent but have to focus on keeping the bar close.

Overhead presses today were supposed to be triples at roughly 54.0kg so I loaded up 120lbs / 55.0kg. Managed 3 reps on the first 2 sets but failed on the 3rd set. Deloaded to 115lbs / 52.5kg to get in some volume. Suspect I may have overestimated my overhead press 1RM so it will be adjusted accordingly from 67.5kg to 65.0kg.

Ended the training session with some lateral dumbbell raises as shoulder accessory work for 3x12 @ 7.5kg plus some vanity bicep curls, since I had the time, for 3x12 @ 10.0kg.

Training frequency has dropped a bit over the past month and I have been eating unhealthily as well. Have noticed that I have gotten slightly fluffier. Need to get my diet and training back on track.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jul 11 2016, 01:53 PM

Workout No. 279
Monday, 11th July 2016

Squat 5x3 @ 240lbs / 110.0kg

Front Squat 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Bench Press 5x3 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

Spoto Press 3x8 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

After last week’s deadlifting session on Wednesday, my whole posterior chain was aching really badly, from my hamstrings to my glutes to my lower back. Struggled to even sit for extended periods as everything would feel tight and crampy. Had to gingerly get out of bed on Thursday and was sore throughout the day. Friday was slightly better. Saturday felt like a typical high volume post-deadlift day with slight fatigue in my posterior chain and by Sunday I was nearly back to normal. I was aching so badly for most of the week that it was impossible for me to train safely. My coach thinks that the accumulated volume over the past few months has finally caught up to me so my programme will be adjusted shortly.

Started with squats as always. Warm-up sets felt heavier than usual. Started the first set of triples @ 240lbs / 110.0kg and the bar moved very slowly. Watched the video and it looked even worse there. At the start of the ascent out of the hole on the 1st rep, there was an evident shift of my glutes from right to left and everything looked very unstable and unbalanced. 2nd rep was slow and 3rd rep actually moved the best and fastest. I also seemed to descend slower than usual. Probably I was too worried about my back and that affected my overall form. 2nd set onwards was better but generally the bar moved slower than it should have. Attempted a triple last week @ 245lbs / 110.0kg and even that moved better than the lighter weight today. Couldn’t get into a groove and every set did not feel good.

Moved on to front squats as accessory work. 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg surprisingly moved really well. Went deeper than usual to get the stretch reflex out of the hole and form was on point.

Coach was around so he wanted me to try a different set-up and bench strategy today. My grip was widened even further with my pinkies now on the outermost rings. Was also instructed to stop trying to press in a straight line but rather a curved bar path towards my face. Reps were slightly inconsistent as I was getting used to this new benching strategy but the bar moved decently well. Will keep at this for a while and see how it goes. 170lbs / 77.5kg on my next attempt since today did not feel too heavy!

Bench presses have been improving quite a fair bit and I did well on my last close grip bench press attempt so I decided to try a heavier Spoto press weight today. 3x8 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg was challenging but still very much manageable! At the very least my benching is looking good today.

Workout No. 280
Tuesday, 12th July 2016

Snatch Grip Deadlift 3x8 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg

Overhead Press 5x3 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Lateral Dumbbell Raise 3x8 @ 9.0kg

Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3x12 @ 12.0kg

Not supposed to pull too heavy a weight today so I went for 3x8 snatch grip deadlifts @ 205lbs / 92.5kg. The wide snatch grip will naturally limit the weight I can handle but still make the movement challenging enough at this light weight. Back alignment looked really good during the pulls. Perfectly neutral and flat.

Rushed through some overhead presses for 5 sets of triples @ 115lbs / 52.5kg. Will go heavier next week, but perhaps with a 2.5lbs increment instead of a 5lbs increment.

Some dumbbell accessory work in the form of lateral raises and hammer curls to finish off the session.

Workout No. 281
Friday, 15th July 2016

Squat 5x3 @ 240lbs / 110.0kg

Front Squat 2x8 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Bench Press 5x3 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg

Close Grip Bench Press 3x8 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

Missed my training session yesterday due to car problems. Could only afford the time to train one more time this week so my coach suggested that I should squat today. Had a much better squat session compared to on Monday. My squats were all over the place at the start of the week but today they were looking like normal. Good depth and decent speed considering the percentages I am working at. Had the problem whereby my forearms, elbows and biceps started feeling some strain again but it did not bother me too much.

Programmed to do 3 sets of front squats for 8 reps @ 185lbs / 85.0kg but skipped the final set as I was running short on time. Quite happy with the way I repped out the front squats overall.

Rep PR weight for bench presses @ 170lbs / 77.5kg. Still working out the kinks with my new set-up but can’t complain so far. Forgot to reset after each rep i.e. squeeze lats, raise chest, but still managed to complete the 3 reps. Only on the 5th set did I remember to reset but my muscles were fatiguing by that point and the bar speed did not improve despite the additional cues. 3rd rep from the 4th set onwards were slight grinders. Will go for another session at this weight on Monday before gauging if I should attempt 175lbs / 80.0kg (exceeding 85% of my 1RM) on the following session or even before the end of the month because triples @ 170lbs / 77.5kg was my early target for this month which I have already achieved.

Some close grip bench presses to close out the training for the week after attempting Spoto presses at the same weight and rep scheme on Monday.

Workout No. 282
Monday, 18th July 2016

Squat 4x3 @ 245lbs / 110.0kg

Front Squat 2x8 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Bench Press 3x3 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg

Spoto Press 3x8 @ 140lbs / 62.5kg

Arrived really late at the gym today so I had to cut short parts of my programme. Started the new week by upping the squat weight another 5lbs to 245lbs / 110.0kg. The heavier weights are starting to intimidate me and I sometimes fear that I will not be able to get out of the hole, even on the 1st rep. Attempted my first set and it was surprisingly smooth. Went into the 2nd set with a little more confidence and hitting a deeper depth. Completed the remaining 2 sets (instead of 3 as I was running short on time) with good form and bar speed. Back also felt fresh after so I was quite happy with today’s squatting session.

Front squats as accessory work. 2 sets of 8 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg. Really got my heart rate up but the weights felt light.

Wasn’t 100% happy with my bench presses today. Warm-ups were feeling heavier than they should have. Unracked the bar for the first set and went too slow on the descent. 1st rep was already a grind. Barely completed the 3rd rep and my butt may even have lifted off the bench slightly. Tightened up for the 2nd set which was slightly better. 3rd set looked the most solid but bar speed was not as fast as it could have been. My prospect of attempting 175lbs / 80.0kg triples by the end of the month aren’t looking too good.

Removed 30lbs from each side and rushed into Spoto presses. 5lbs heavier than last week but still managed a solid 3x8 to end the session.

Workout No. 283
Tuesday, 19th July 2016

Deadlift 3x3 @ 315lbs / 142.5kg

Snatch Grip Deadlift 1x6 @ 225lbs / 102.5kg

Overhead Press 5x3 @ 120lbs / 55.0kg

Lateral Dumbbell Raise 3x8 @ 9.0kg

Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3x15 @ 9.0kg

Back was feeling surprisingly fresh today. Freshest in a while after a day of heavy squats so I was quite optimistic about deadlifting today. Ramped up to my working set of 315lbs / 142.5kg. I am supposed to be doing approximately 325lbe / 147.5lbs today but I decided to go slightly lighter to be safe as I have not been deadlifting heavy in a while. Pulled the first set, felt okay. Video didn’t look so good as my back was rounding ever so slightly. Focused on keeping tight for the next two sets and they started looking better. The RPE continued increasing from the 1st to the 3rd set and when I attempted my 4th set, I couldn’t even pull one rep. The last time this happened, I was sore for days and couldn’t really train and I expect to feel horrible tomorrow.

Took an extended rest and tried out a set of snatch grip deadlifts @ 225lbs / 102.5kg. Did a set of 6 reps, felt tight and stopped.

On the bright side, rep PR for overhead presses at this weight! Completed a solid 5x3 @ 120lbs / 55.0kg despite the fact that the last rep of each set was quite grindy! Very happy with this. Belted up though as my back was not feeling too good after the deadlifts.

Accessory work was dumbbell work in the form of supersetted lateral raises (3x8) and hammer curls (3x15) @ 9.0kg.

Workout No. 284
Thursday, 21st July 2016

Bench Press 5x3 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg

Close Grip Bench Press 3x8 @ 140lbs / 62.5kg

Back felt like crap on Wednesday morning after my last deadlift session. Everything felt so tight and sitting for extended periods was torture. Improved throughout the day and felt slightly better this morning but decided to lay off squatting today anyway as I did not want to risk it.

Spent a little more time stretching compared to usual before setting up for my bench. Warmed up to the working weight of 170lbs / 77.5kg today and attempted my first triple. Smooth! Subsequent sets went well too and today was surely the best 170lbs / 77.5kg benching session I’ve had so far. May attempt 175lbs / 80.0kg triples next week!

Upped the close grip bench press weight by 5lbs and repped out 3 solid sets of 8 reps.

Workout No. 285
Monday, 25th July 2016

Box Squat 3x8 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg

Bench Press 5x4 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

Floor Press 3x8 @ 125lbs / 57.5kg

Back was feeling a little tight so I decided to not attempt any heavy squats today. Performed some accessory box squats for 3 sets of 8 instead with 205lbs / 92.5kg. Managed to keep tight throughout and my form was solid. Back arch was looking good too and no back pain which was encouraging.

While waiting for a bench to free up, snatch grip deadlifted a bar which was just lying around loaded with 185lbs / 85.0kg for fun. As the bar passed my mid thigh, felt a sharp pain in my lower back. Not good. Put the bar down and walked it off.

Bench presses went decently well. Arching did not cause any discomfort in my lower back. Completed 5 sets of 4 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg.

Have not been floor pressing for a long time so I had no idea what weight to start with. Attempted one set of 8 reps @ 115lbs / 52.5kg which felt too easy. Upped the weight another 10 lbs for my working set.

Workout No. 286
Tuesday, 26th July 2016

Sumo Deadlift 3x8 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Overhead Press 5x4 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Front Dumbbell Raise 3x10 @ 9.0kg

Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3x20 @ 9.0kg

800m Farmer’s Walk @ 48.0kg

Had no confidence in my lower back so I’m continuing to play it safe. Super light sumo deadlifts for 3x8 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg.

No racks were available so I decided to clean the weight from the floor to do my overhead presses. 5 sets of 4 reps @ 115lbs / 52.5kg. Not too happy that I couldn’t manage a 5x5 but I’ll take it for today.

Accessory work with dumbbells in the form of front raises and hammer curls before finishing off the training session with a 800m Farmer’s walk holding two 24.0kg kettlebells.

Workout No. 287
Friday, 29th July 2016

Bench Press 5/5/5/5/4 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

Incline Bench Press 3x8 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Back Extension 3x10

Pull-ups 3/3/3/3/3

Have made an appointment with a physio next Tuesday to hopefully sort out my back issues. Avoided loading my lower back with squats and deadlifts and started off my training session today with bench presses. Did slightly better than on Monday, nearly completing a 5x5 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg. Didn’t attempt the 5th rep of the 5th set as I was not confident and did not have a spotter with me. Quite happy with my bench progress over the past month or so.

Accessory incline bench presses for 3x8 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg. The selected weight was just nice and I got a good pump out of the 3 sets.

Set up a plyo box and a loaded 135lbs / 60.0kg on the rack to set-up a makeshift back extension rig. Did 3 sets of bodyweight back extensions to strengthen my lower back.

Didn’t feel like I did enough at the gym so I added 5 sets of pull-up triples to end the session.

Workout No. 288
Wednesday, 3rd August 2016

Squat 5x5 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

Overhead Press 5x4 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Pull-ups 3/3/3/3/3

Saw the physio yesterday and apparently I am not injured but am overusing certain muscles in my body, mostly due to the accumulated volume. My body generally pulls to one side more and the arch under my right foot is flatter compared to under my left foot. Right glute is particularly tight. Got dry needled in my left inner thigh, right glute and lower back. The said areas were quite sore immediately after the treatment but today I generally feel better and less tight. The dry needling process was extremely uncomfortable though and although it was bearable for me, I’ve heard many strong grown men shrieking while being needled haha. The imbalances were caused by a combination of tight muscles and weak abs plus mid back so quite a number of stretches and accessory exercises were prescribed.

Started off light with squats for 5x5 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg. Went really slow on the reps and tried maintaining perfect form throughout. Barely felt the weight though, which I guess is a good thing. Pain free too. Will try and be as patient as possible and not rush into piling on the weight.

Went decently heavy with overhead presses for 5x4 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg and finished off with some pull-ups to get some volume in.