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 jingho's Workout Journal

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TSjustintga
post Nov 25 2014, 10:23 PM

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Workout No. 46
Monday, 24th November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 62.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 35.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 3/3/3 @ 68.0kg

Knees were not feeling good at all so I passed on the squats. Pain was at a 2/10 level. Bodyweight squats usually reduce the pain but today they made the problem worse.

Deloaded overhead presses to 35.0kg after failing 3 attempts at 40.0kg. Completing the 5x5 at this weight was easy and I only took about a minute of rest in between sets.

Form was horrible on the last deadlift attempt so I decided to go for a minor deload to 110.0kg. Tried switching my grip for the work set from left hand underhand, right hand overhand to left hand overhand, right hand underhand. Much less stable. Perhaps I need some time to get used to this. Still didn't feel too strong today but completed the 5 reps with a little difficulty.

Assisted chin-ups with 25.0kg weight relief. Only managed 3/3/3. Today didn't feel too good overall and I hope the next session will be better. Applied an ice pack on my knee once I got home which seemed to help a little.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 26 2014, 03:48 PM
TSjustintga
post Nov 26 2014, 02:55 PM

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Did some recovery work yesterday at the gym as I read that tight quads may be one of the contributors to knee pain. Used a foam roller for the first time ever to target my quads, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, etc.

And also tried out some planks to build my core strength. 3 x 1 min planks.

Generally my knees feel much, much better today but this could have nothing to do with the foam rolling at all.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 26 2014, 03:05 PM
TSjustintga
post Nov 29 2014, 04:50 PM

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Workout No. 47
Thursday, 27th November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 62.5kg
Bench Press 4/4/4/4/4 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 57.5kg
Assisted Dips 3x5 @ 67.0kg

Weigh-in today: 92.0kg.

My left knee has been relatively pain free for two days so I decided to attempt some squats today. Started warming up with just the empty barbell and noticed on the first rep that as I was descending, the angle of my legs did not look symmetrical and I was leaning to the right slightly. Tried to correct this but felt some minor pain in my knee. It seems as if my body is trying to compensate by squatting asymmetrically to avoid loading my left knee such that it will cause me pain. Decided to stop squatting and give my knee more time to rest before deciding on the next plan of action.

Did not manage to get the 5x5 on my first benching attempt @ 52.5kg. Managed 4/4/4/4/4 which is unusual as a more typical failure pattern would be 5/4/4/4/3 rather than 4 reps for each and every set. Should be able to grind out the 5x5 next week to proceed to 55.0kg.

Barbell rowed 5x5 @ 57.5kg. Form looked okay but the weight is starting to feel very heavy and I have to actively fight my body’s inclination to try and use momentum to assist with lifting the weight. Need much more concentration nowadays for this lift compared to when the weight was lighter. If I do not focus and concentrate on pulling as hard as I can and as efficiently as possible, it is very easy to miss the rep.

Managed to complete the full 3x5 dips @ 67.0kg. My dipping ability has now surpassed my chin-up ability which has stalled for a while. This is surprising because I used to be able to chin-up more weight than I was able to dip. Guess the benching and the overhead pressing is helping out with the dips.

TSjustintga
post Nov 29 2014, 05:51 PM

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Workout No. 48
Saturday, 29th November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 62.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 115.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 4/3/3 @ 68.0kg

Skipped squats again today although I was very tempted to try some lighter squats. I think I rushed into adding weight to my squats after my knee partially recovered the last time and as a result, I reinjured my knee. Will take it slow and steady from now on. If the problem still persists after this recovery period, I might need to go and see a specialist for some advice.

Went up to 37.5kg after the deload this week for the overhead press and completed the 5x5. Last set was quite challenging as I limited the rest in between sets as I have previously completed the 5x5 @ this weight before.

Finished the 1x5 deadlifts @ 115.0kg after the mini-deload this week. Form was much better than last time but still not 100%. Might not add any weight for the next session. Progression on the deadlift will surely be slower from now on. Suspect that grip may be a problem soon as well.

Barely any progress on assisted chin-ups again. An additional one rep compared to the last time and have been stuck at this weight for about 2 to 3 weeks.

TSjustintga
post Dec 3 2014, 11:26 PM

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Workout No. 49
Monday, 1st December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 20.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/4/5/4 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Assisted Dips 4/3/3 @ 73.0kg

Tried out some squats today using just the empty barbell with very minimal pain. Did 2 sets in the low bar position and 3 sets in the more vertical high bar position. Going to build up my squat from scratch again to see how my knee copes. Tried out high bar just to see if there was any difference in pain levels. Basically I am willing to try out anything as long I can keep squatting and it keeps my knee pain away.

Missed out 2 reps to complete the 5x5 for bench presses @ 52.5kg. Slightly disappointing but I should get the full 5x5 this week if all goes well. Not too pleased with my progress as usual in the bench press but I will be patient and keep at it.

Completed the 5x5 barbell rows @ 60.0kg. Nearly missed the very first rep due to lack of full and total concentration. Really need to focus and get everything right to be able to explode and row the bar against my chest with good form now that the weight is getting more considerable.

Ended the workout with some assisted dips, getting closer and closed to the bodyweight dip woohoo! 4/3/3 with 20.0kg assistance.

TSjustintga
post Dec 3 2014, 11:50 PM

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Workout No. 50
Wednesday, 3rd December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 25.0kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 117.5kg
Assisted Chin-ups 3x5 @ 67.0kg

Added 5.0kg to my squatting weight at the start of the week and completed the 5x5 @ 25.0kg. Need to keep my ego in check and not rush into adding too much weight too fast to rebuild my squat. Hopefully this time my knee will decide to behave. Once again, tried the first 2 sets in the low bar position and the last 3 sets in the high bar position.

Someone asked if he could share the rack with me so I felt a little pressured to limit my resting time during the overhead presses. Still managed to complete the full 5x5 @ 40.0kg without too much difficulty, breaking through my previous plateau.

Deadlifts were brutal @ 117.5kg. Form is a slight doubt with this lift nowadays but it looked okay overall and I didn't feel any pain while doing the 1x5. Pulled/pushed all warm-up sets up until 110.0kg with the double overhand grip to increase my grip strength. Reverted to the mixed grip for my work weight of 117.5kg. Might spend some time at 120.0kg to work on my form.

Finally completed the 3x5 reps of chin-ups with 25.0kg assistance. Last rep for each set was generally poor but will make another step up in weight and monitor closely.
TSjustintga
post Dec 6 2014, 11:30 AM

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Workout No. 51
Friday, 5th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 30.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 4/3/3/0/0 @ 62.5kg

Was short on time today as I had something on at 9pm so I kinda rushed through my workout, with minimal rest between sets. I even forgot to bring my water bottle along to the gym because I was rushing. Weighed myself again today – 92.0kg.

Up another 5.0kg for my squats today to 30.0kg. As usual, did a mix between 3 sets of high bar squats and 2 sets of low bar squats. Completed the 5x5 fairly easily and only felt the slightest bit of fatigue in my quads. Should I continue with this 5.0kg progression? Or go with 2.5kg increments? I suppose there is no harm being patient but my ego takes a hit each time I show up at the gym and squat these baby weights.

Finally bench pressed through the 52.5kg barrier today. Nearly, nearly missed the final rep of the final set of the 5x5 but that was probably because I minimised my rest between sets as I had to leave the gym early. 55.0kg won’t be easy.

Poor performance on barbell rows today. Practically rushed through the sets, only managing 4/3/3 @ 62.5kg before stopping and heading for a shower. Could not focus well as I was constantly thinking about the time. Will micro-deload to 60.0kg as a self-punishment. Skipped dips entirely.

This post has been edited by justintga: Dec 6 2014, 11:35 AM
TSjustintga
post Dec 10 2014, 07:06 PM

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Workout No. 52
Monday, 8th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 32.5kg
Overhead Press 3/3/3/3/2 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 2/2/2 @ 73.0kg

Finally finished off my first 5lbs tub of whey protein and weighed in at 93.0kg today. Will make a more conscious effort to drop my weight down to 90.0kg as I have only been trying half-heartedly. I know I am making gains muscle-wise, but my belly is not reducing in size at a rate at which I am happy with. Have some fat to lose in the chest region as well. Might try “cutting” while still progressing (albeit at a slower rate) with the Stronglifts programme.

Decided to be patient and not rush into adding weight to my squats so I went for a 2.5kg weight increment instead of 5.0kg. Continuing with what I have been doing recently, squatted 3 sets in the high bar position and 2 sets in the low bar position. Noticed that not pushing out my knees as hard as possible reduced the slight discomfort in my knees. I still kept my knees out and prevented them from collapsing inwards but all I was doing was to apply about 70% of the maximal force I could exert in pushing my knees out instead of 100%. Will do some research online regarding this to see if this is actually what one would consider to be “safe practice”.

Did not complete the 5x5 for the overhead press after the 2.5kg increment to 42.5kg as expected. Only managed 3/3/3/3/2 reps. I somehow quite look forward to this lift nowadays despite the slow progress.

Deadlifted 1x5 @ 120.0kg but I was not at all happy with my form. Lower back looked neutral and not rounded but my upper back definitely rounded a little and I could feel myself “slump” forward slightly. Will either do another micro-deload or just continue lifting 120.0kg until I am confident with my form. Rounding the upper back is generally acceptable but the while the weights are still “light” I would prefer to have near perfect form at this stage.

Barely any energy left in the tank after the deadlifts but I pushed on and did 2/2/2 reps of assisted chin-ups with only 20.0kg assistance. My bodyweight chin-up target of 2014 does not look likely.

TSjustintga
post Dec 13 2014, 05:42 PM

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Workout No. 53
Wednesday, 10th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 35.0kg
Bench Press 2/3/3/3/5 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 5/5/4/3/4 @ 62.5kg
Assisted Dips 3/3/3 @ 72.0kg

Weighed in at 92.0kg today. Still haven’t been very disciplined with my eating habits. Haven’t had the chance to replenish my whey protein supply. I am currently using Dymatize Elite 100% Whey Protein in Café Mocha but have been contemplating if I should try another flavour for my second tub. Only this flavour has some caffeine in it as an ingredient though, and it usually keeps me away from at least one cup of coffee a day.

Squatted 5x5 @ 35.0kg today, continuing with my 2.5kg progression. First 2 sets in the high bar position and the last 3 sets in the low bar position. Kept my stance narrower than usual (but still not too narrow) and did not push my knees out as hard as possible (maintaining about 70% of max pushing-out force). No pain, and squatted quite comfortably.

Only managed 2/3/3/3/5 reps of bench presses @ 55.0kg. Disappointing. Tried to press the 3rd rep of the first set and got pinned under the bar which was caught by the rack safeties. Had to roll the bar over my head to get off the bench and reset the weights. So embarrassing. Surprisingly was able to press 3 reps for the second, third and fourth sets and even more surprisingly, I pressed a full 5 reps for the last set. On the final set, after pressing 3 reps, I still felt very strong and managed another 2 clean reps. Must have been something to do with my set-up and this might be why I am progressing so slowly on the bench press.

Did not complete the 5x5 for barbell rows as well. This is the second session stuck at this weight. Rows are starting to feel very challenging and I really have to remain focused to get a full 5 reps.

Assisted dips @ 72.0kg to finish off the session. 3/3/3 reps which is one less than last time.

TSjustintga
post Dec 13 2014, 11:11 PM

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Workout No. 54
Saturday, 8th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 37.5kg
Overhead Press 4/4/4/4/4 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg

Up another 2.5kg to 5x5 squats @ 37.5kg. Was very tempted to go straight to 40.0kg as my inner ego does not like lifting these baby weights but I fought the temptation. Maintained the same form as described in the previous updates (slightly wider than hip width stance, knees pushed out with 70% effort) and did 3 sets of low bar squats and 2 sets in the high bar position. Tried to keep the reps fast and controlled with minimal rest between sets. Knees are still doing well.

4/4/4/4/4 @ 42.5kg overhead presses. Minimal rest in between sets as well as I was kinda rushing off today. Suspect that I will be able to grind out the 5x5 nest week and progress to 45.0kg.

Did not go up in weight for the deadlifts and lifted 5 reps @ 120.0kg as I did on Monday. Form was still not perfect and I am still not sufficiently happy. Upper back is still rounding slightly and form was bad on the last rep. Might de-load to 110.0kg and work my way up again. Better safe than sorry although I did not feel any unwarranted strain in my back.

Skipped chin-ups today as I was short on time.

This post has been edited by justintga: Dec 14 2014, 11:50 PM
TSjustintga
post Dec 17 2014, 11:47 AM

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Workout No. 55
Monday, 15th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 40.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/5/4/3 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 3/3/0/0/0 @ 62.5kg

I have this bad habit of playing with my calluses (mainly from deadlifting) and I usually tear the skin off, etc. Today I think I overdid this on the callus just under my middle finger on my right hand and tore too much skin off. It now feels painful and tender. Might affect my lifting.

92.0kg weigh in today. Still not eating as I should and snacking at night once in a while. To be completely honest, it is not that I am eating rubbish everyday. I am just not eating sufficiently cleanly to get leaner at the rate at which I want. And the weight lifting makes me hungry. My target since I started training was to be able to perform a bodyweight pull-up by the end of 2014 and a bodyweight of 90.0kg. Looks like I will just about miss both targets for the year. I believe I can still forcefully achieve the 90.0kg target if I really wanted to by dieting over the next two weeks but the intention was to train and moderate my diet to drop my weight by gaining lean muscle mass and losing fat as a result of training instead of by dieting or starving myself.

Squats starting to feel the slightest bit heavy now @ 40.0kg but still managed to complete the 5x5 with minimal rest. Have been squatting continuously for the past 2 weeks which is a major improvement since my knee injury despite the low weights. My left knee is still not at 100% but the last time I was able to squat so many sessions in a row was back in mid-October 2014. Felt the slightest irritation in my knee during the warm-up sets today with just the empty barbell but it went away as soon as I started loading the bar with plates. 3 working sets in the low bar position and 2 sets in the high bar position. Couldn’t get a squat rack today which was facing a mirror to have a better look at my form as all of the good racks were taken considering that today is Monday AKA International Chest Day and the gym was very packed.

Suffered a little during bench presses due to my torn callus. Some improvement from the last session going up to 5/5/5/4/3 (22 reps) from 2/3/3/3/5 (16 reps). The full 5x5 should not be a problem next week. Can’t wait to get up to a more respectable bench press weight of 60.0kg.

Epic fail on the barbell rows. Torn callus hurt quite badly and only managed 3/3/0/0/0. Will deload this lift to 55.0kg for the next session.

Slight shoulder strain after the last session of dips so I skipped the dips today and did some “negative” pull-ups by jumping up and lowering myself as slowly as possible. Did 8 reps in total.
TSjustintga
post Dec 21 2014, 11:30 AM

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Workout No. 56
Wednesday, 17th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 42.5kg
Overhead Press 5/5/5/4/4 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 3/3/3

Fought against temptation to go up 5.0kgs to 45.0kg but kept my discipline and went for 5x5 @ 42.5kg. Slightest irritation still present during the warm up sets with the empty barbell @ 20.0kg but as soon as I loaded up the bar with plates, the pain was gone. 3 low bar, 2 high bar sets as usual, with a slightly wider stance for the low bar and going deeper on the high bar.

Failed to complete the 5x5 for overhead presses today @ 42.5kg, missing the last rep of the last two sets. Third unsuccessful session in a row so it is deload time. Suspect that this is my third deload overall (have to look back at my records) which means changing down to 3x5 from 5x5 following the Stronglifts programme. Maybe a timely deload as I am going off for a year-end holiday next week.

Third session doing deadlifts at 120.0kg. Still not 100% happy with my form. Will wait until I get back from my holiday and see how I feel before deciding whether or not to up the weight further.

3/3/3 "negative" pull ups. Could “hang” for quite a few seconds in the top position for the 1st rep of each set, and less for each additional rep. Really felt the strain in my biceps, arms and back compared to when I am doing barbell rows.

This post has been edited by justintga: Dec 21 2014, 11:30 AM
TSjustintga
post Dec 21 2014, 11:40 AM

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Workout No. 57
Saturday, 20th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 45.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/5/5/4 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 55.0kg

Squats as per usual and managed to complete the 5x5 @ 45.0kg easily. Starting to feel the weight slightly though. Previously the barbell + weights felt very light on my back.

Tragically missed the last rep of my bench press sets, which means a deload which may not be such a bad thing as I am leaving for a week long Christmas holiday.

Rowed the deloaded barbell row weight of 55.0kg easily and rushed off for dinner with my family. Back felt a little tired as I have been doing "negative" pull-ups here and there at work whenever I get the chance. Today is likely to be the second last gym session of the year for me. Will squeeze in one more session on the 29th or 30th just before the new year. See you guys soon!

TSjustintga
post Jan 4 2015, 09:54 AM

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Workout No. 58
Saturday, 3rd January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 47.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
Pull-ups 1/1/1 @ 93.0kg
Chin-ups 1 @ 93.0kg

Back in the gym after a two week break. It was surprisingly packed. Probably everyone is still motivated in keeping to their new 2015 resolutions of keeping fit haha. Happy to report that I did not gain any noticeable weight over the holiday period. Still at 93.0kg which is not bad considering how much I have been pigging out especially during my China trip. Have been doing bodyweight squats, push-ups and "negative" pull-ups just to keep myself active over the past 14 days.

The Stronglifts 5x5 app suggested that I deload by 10% as I have not been lifting for a while. Decided to stubbornly ignore the suggestion as I just deloaded most of my lifts before I took my two week break. Hope I won't regret this decision. Squatted the 5x5 @ 47.5kg relatively easily, 3 reps in the high bar position and 2 reps in the low bar. Knees felt decently good.

Also completed the 5x5 overhead presses at a deloaded weight of 37.5kg with relative ease. I have gone through 3 deloads in the progression up to this weight in total but the app has not switched the programme from 5x5 to 3x5. Suspect that I actually have to go through 3 deloads at the same weight before this happens. Did a quick Google search on this but found nothing concrete. On an unrelated note, does anyone know where I can find 0.5kg plates which I can fit on a standard barbell? I am intending to try smaller weight increments for the overhead press but have been unable to source for these lower increment weights. Lightest plate in my gym is 1.25kg.

Was planning to ease off on the deadlifts and maybe go for a 110.0kg 1x5 today as I have not been to the gym for 2 weeks but felt really good during warm-up sets up until 100.0kg. Went for the 120.0kg working set in the end and completed the 5 reps.

The "negative" pull-ups have really been working and I can basically do a 85% single rep pull-up and hang at the top for 3 seconds and a rep-and-a-half chin-up! Did 3 bodyweight pull-ups with some rest in between each one and a single chin-up slotted in between.

Update (4th January 2015): Sore everywhere the day after... Guess I started too hard after a long time off...

This post has been edited by justintga: Jan 4 2015, 09:57 AM
TSjustintga
post Jan 10 2015, 05:43 PM

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Workout No. 59
Wednesday, 7th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Barbell Row 5/4/4/4/4 @ 57.5kg
Assisted Dips 5/4 @ 72.0kg

Have been very busy at work lately over the past week and have been skipping lunch quite frequently. Was supposed to go to gym on Monday but could not make it due to work commitments and decided to go on Tuesday instead. Got stuck at work again so only managed to make it today. My weight dropped a little and the reduced total calorie consumption from the skipped lunches over the past couple days must have contributed to this. Only arrived at the gym at 9pm, exhausted from the past few days, hoping that my gym form will not suffer.

Quads still felt the slightest bit sore but completed the 5x5 squats @ 50.0kg easily and without much rest in between sets. Starting to “feel” the weight though. Also, reverted back to 5 sets of low bar squats only.

First time bench pressing in quite a while but the 50.0kg weight didn’t feel too bad with minimal rest between sets as well. Also completed the full 5x5.

Did not feel so good as I was stepping up to the bar to start the barbell rows. Felt weak and tired but managed to get 5 full reps on the first set. Didn’t do so well on the remaining sets though. Not sure if it just has been a long time since I last barbell rowed or maybe skipping lunches and the long days at work are taking their toll on me.

Finished off the gym session with assisted dips but only managed a set of 5 reps followed by another set of 4 reps before I totally “bonked” and headed to the showers.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jan 12 2015, 10:33 PM
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post Jan 11 2015, 11:18 PM

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Workout No. 60
Friday, 9th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 52.5kg
Overhead Press 5/5/5/3/5 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 122.5kg
Assisted Chin-ups 5/4/3 @ 72.0kg

Weigh in today read 92.0kg. Haven't been eating well again.

Squats today felt much heavier @ 52.5kg compared to two days ago at 50.0kg. Still only needed the minimum 1.5 minutes between sets but the bad eating habits this week and long hours at work have really affected my gym performance.

Didn't start off too strong for the overhead presses as well but still finished the first 3 sets without too much difficulty. Started off the 4th set sloppily without sufficiently bracing my core and gripping the bar marginally too wide so I didn't get the full 5 reps. Recovered and refocused to get the full 5 reps for the final set. On another day, I would have pressed the full 5x5 but didn't at all feel anywhere near 100%.

Did all the warm-up sets in a variety of different grips for deadlifts (mixed, reversed mixed, double overhand) as even my grip didn't feel too right today. Got up to my work set weight of 125.5kg and deadlifted the full 5 reps. Form broke down slightly on the final rep but nothing too bad. Once again, not too happy with my performance today but still managed a new PR deadlift weight which means today's session wasn't a complete disaster.

Ended the workout with some assisted chin-ups, also fairly disappointing with 5/4/3 @ 72.0kg.
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post Jan 15 2015, 07:41 PM

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Workout No. 61
Monday, 12th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 55.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 55.0kg

Arrived at the gym quite late again due to work commitments. Body weight remained constant at 92.0kg. On a related note, ordered a pair of body fat callipers online to start measuring body fat % instead of relying on the scales which should arrive soon.

Squats are starting to feel heavier @ 55.0kg and I could feel the slightest, slightest sensation again in my left knee during the warm-up sets. No pain during or after the 5x5 but will continue to monitor closely.

Bench presses at 52.5kg for the full 5x5 without any issues. Was not pushed to the limit and will hopefully surpass the previous 55.0kg plateau soon.

Lowered the barbell row weight to 55.0kg as I was not pleased with my form the last session. Completed the 5x5 with relative ease compared to my last attempt at 57.5kg. I have been eating properly again so that has definitely helped.

Skipped the assisted dips as it was getting very late.

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post Jan 18 2015, 01:13 AM

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Workout No. 62
Wednesday, 14th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 57.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 125.0kg

Arrived late in the gym. Again. Sigh. Digital scale at the gym was not working today. The postman attempted to deliver the body fat callipers which I ordered online but no one was home so I’ll have to find time to go pick it up.

Squats are really starting to feel heavy again. All other lifts have been feeling heavy for a long time. Felt myself starting to lean forward a little while pushing upwards on the last reps of the early sets. Focused on sitting back to prevent this from happening. Was sweating by the end of the 5x5 which hasn’t happened for a long, long time.

Tried to minimise my rest time between sets for the overhead press and just barely, barely managed to press the final rep of the 5th set. Would have had it much easier if I didn’t try to rush through it but it was getting late. Will be back up to my previous plateau weight of 42.5kg next week.

Warmed up as usual for deadlifts with the final warm up set at 110.0kg. The first 3 reps of the working set weight of 125.0kg were nice and solid, the 4th set started to feel wonky and I could feel my back rounding a little during the 5th rep. Also on the 5th rep, by the time my torso was upright, my legs were still the slightest bit bent and I sort of “squatted up” the final few centimetres instead of the typical smooth deadlift “pull”. Bad, bad form. Will deload as I do not want to risk any injury to my back.

It was past 10.00pm by this point so I decided to skip chin-ups and head home, extremely exhausted from today’s workout.
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post Jan 18 2015, 01:19 AM

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Workout No. 63
Friday, 16th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Bench Press 5/4/5/3/3 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 57.5kg

Still haven’t had the time to go and pick up my fat callipers. Body weight remained constant at 92.0kg.

Quite pleased that I am finally back up to 60.0kg squats after restarting from the empty bar. Could “feel” my knee slightly during certain reps but took extra care of my form. Still a worry but there was no pain or discomfort. Managed the full 5x5 but came out of it slightly drained.

Back up at my previous plateau bench press weight of 55.0kg. Pressed 5/4/5/3/3. Believe that I probably could have done maybe an extra rep here or there for the failed sets (4/3/3) but didn’t want to take a chance as I might have had to reset the weights after the catchers save me from being crushed by the bar in the eventuality that I fail the rep attempt. I basically stopped if I was not 100% confident of finishing the next rep.

No real issues with the barbell row @ 57.5kg. Usually push-throughed the first 3 reps of each set and slowed down for the 4th and 5th to catch my breath slightly.

Skipped assisted dips.
TSjustintga
post Jan 24 2015, 05:57 PM

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Workout No. 64
Monday, 19th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 62.5kg
Overhead Press 5/5/3/5/2 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 3/3
Dumbbell Curls 5/5 @ 10.0kg

Weigh-in today read a stable 92.0kg as expected. Am definitely gaining muscle and losing fat slowly but I still have a slight belly. Upper body and thighs are starting to show some definition. Very, very tempted to start a cut but I do not know if it is too early for that.

Squats are starting to bother my left knee again very slightly. No pain but there was some noticeable discomfort. I had to deload all the way down to 20.0kg and work my way up to this weight again in 2.5kg increments after experiencing pain in my left knee after the last time I squatted 70.0kg. Slightly worrying again that the symptoms are back. Completed the 5x5 @ 62.5kg and will continue to monitor closely.

Back up to my previous plateau weight of 42.5kg on the overhead press. Only managed 5/5/3/5/2. Lost focus on the last set and started bleeding strength as I didn’t stay tight enough and brace my core. FOCUS!

Deloaded deadlifts to 110.0kg after the poor form during my “successful” 125.0kg attempt. Warmed up as usual but surprisingly 5 reps of 110.0kg did not feel significantly easier than my 125.0kg attempt.

Finished off with 2 sets of 3 “negative” pull-up reps and for the first time ever, some vanity dumbbell curls.


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