Workout No. 72
Thursday, 12th February 2015

Squat 5/4/3 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 4/4/3 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
Front Squat 3x8 @ 50.0kg

A much better attempt at squatting 72.5kg today. Managed 5/4/3 reps with decent form.

Decent attempt at overhead pressing 45.0kg as well completing 4/4/3 reps. With some luck, I should be able to do the full 3x5 during my next try.

Deadlifted a reasonable 110.0kg. Not very sure why but I have been reluctant to try heavier weights on the deadlift. My upper back always rounds slightly (which should be okay) for any lifts past the 100.0kg threshold. Lower back generally looks nice and neutral.

Still quite fresh after everything so I proceeded to do 3x8 front squats @ 50.0kg just for some extra volume.

Workout No. 73
Sunday, 15th February 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 57.5kg
Barbell Row 5/0/0 @ 62.5kg

Finally, finally squatted a full 3x5 @ 72.5kg. Very, very pleased as this is the first time I’ve successfully completed the target reps at a weight beyond my long time plateau of 70.0kg. Hopefully I continue growing stronger and stay injury free!

Also a PR for bench presses @ 57.5kg, completing the full 3x5. Will finally be able to try a 60.0kg bench press next week which has been a personal target for quite some time!

Extremely exhausted by this point and decided to call it a day after completing one set of 5 reps of barbell rows @ 62.5kg. To be honest, I’ve noticed that I have not made it past this weight for a very, very long time but this is the lift that I am least focused on and care least about which clearly highlights my lack of discipline.

Workout No. 74
Tuesday, 17th February 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 50.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 115.0kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 3/3
“Negative” Chin-ups 3

Did front squats instead today to give myself a slight rest after the last session’s PR @ 72.5kg. I know it is not much but I was well pleased with breaking my 70.0kg plateau which I hit when first joining this gym and sustaining my knee injury. It has been a long and slow process.

Also managed a PR for the overhead press today! 3x5 @ 45.0kg. Not too confident with the thought of attempting 47.5kg but have been unable to find lighter plates for a smaller increment of like say 1.0kg instead of 2.5kg.

Completed 5 deadlift reps @ 115.0kg before finishing off the session with some “negative” pull-ups and chin-ups.

Workout No. 75
Friday, 20th February 2015

Squat 2x5 @ 20.0kg
Front Squat 2x8 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 2x5 @ 20.0kg
Overhead Press 2x5 @ 20.0kg
Barbell Row 2x5 @ 35.0kg
Deadlift 2x5 @ 45.0kg

Today’s session was a special one. My brother was back from Bintulu wanted me to teach him some compound lifts so that he can potentially start training at a gym back in Bintulu.

Showed him the basic form for squats, bench presses, overhead presses, barbell rows and deadlifts (core lifts for Stronglifts 5x5) with the minimum recommended weights, and squeezed in some simple front squats just to break a sweat.

The gym closed unexpectedly early today at 8.00pm, probably because it is the 2nd day of Chinese New Year.

Workout No. 76
Monday, 23rd February 2015

Squat 5/5/4 @ 75.0kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 57.5kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 55.0kg
Push-ups 3x15

First attempt but another new low bar squat PR today completing for the first time ever 5 reps @ 75.0kg! Knees felt okay and I should have been able to get the 5th rep of the final set but I felt I started leaning forward ever so slightly on the 4th rep so I didn’t want to take any risks. Still quite pleased overall after failing to get past 70.0kg for months!

Warmed up for bench presses and progressed my way up to 60.0kg which was the target work set weight for today. Carried out two reps and had nothing left in me. I know it is not strictly following the Stronglifts protocol but deloaded to 57.5kg and finished off the 3x5 at this reduced weight. Suspect that I didn't do too well with the 60.0kg because of a psychological barrier. Will stay focused and trust that I can press the 60.0kg during the next session.

Deloaded barbell rows as well to 55.0kg for an easy 3x5 and ended the workout with 3x15 good push-up reps.

Workout No. 77
Wednesday, 25th February 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 55.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 115.0kg

Upped the front squat weight to 55.0kg today and completed 3x8 reps without pushing too hard. Still can go up in weight a fair bit I suspect, before any plateaus.

Did not increase the overhead press weight but rather stayed at 45.0kg although I already managed a proper 3x5 at this weight in the previous session as I was not confident at all of pressing 47.5kg. I was more comfortable with the idea of giving my body a little more time to grow and adapt. Completed the 3x5 but it still did not feel easy.

Fairly easy 5 reps of deadlifts at 115.0kg and no assistance exercises today.

This post has been edited by justintga: Feb 28 2015, 12:01 PM

Workout No. 78
Friday, 27th February 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 57.5kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 57.5kg

Another 2.5kg increment to my front squats today to 57.5kg. Still a fairly comfortable weight for the 3x8. If my legs feel good, I will revert back and attempt the 75.0kg low bar back squats again on Monday.

60.0kg BENCH PRESS ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT! MIGHTY PLEASED! And the full 3x5 as well! Really focused on form and set-up to ensure that I was in the best position to press the weight. This was a target I’ve been aiming for since day one.

Completed barbell rows @ 57.5kg without suffering too much. It was getting late so no assistance exercises today.

Workout No. 79
Tuesday, 3rd March 2015

Squat 5/4/3 @ 75.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 117.5kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 2/2
“Negative” Chin-ups 2

Made a decision to start cutting at the start of the week but have not been very successful. Every time I eat a little less, I end up compensating by eating more, especially towards the end of the day and consequently consuming more calories than normal. Poor self-discipline. Body weight remained at 94.0kg today.

Attempted the low bar squat @ 75.0kg but was overenthusiastic on the 4th rep of the 2nd set, lost tightness and pushed up too hard that I took two uncontrolled steps forward inside the squat rack on the ascent. Poor poor form. Finished only 3 reps on the 3rd set. Disappointed overall.

Third session in a row overhead pressing 45.0kg for the full 3x5. Still feeling difficult but will hopefully have the confidence to attempt 47.5kg in the next session depending on how I feel on that day.

Fairly easy deadlifts at 117.5kg for 5 reps and ended today’s session with some “negative” pull-ups and chin-ups.

Workout No. 80
Friday, 6th March 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 75.0kg
Bench Press 5/4/1 @ 62.5kg
Barbell Row 3x8 @ 40.0kg

Weigh-in today still indicated 94.0kg and I am disappointed to report that my attempts at starting my cut have still been in vain. Still eating too much. My cut will officially start next week. I don’t count calories and I am not cutting too much food out but I get very, very hungry towards the end of the day and start overeating again. Epic fail.

On a positive note, managed to successfully squat 3x5 reps of 75.0kg! Will probably revert to front squats for a bit after this.

First time bench pressing over 60.0kg today. Surprisingly managed 5 full reps @ 62.5kg during the first set. Totally bonked after the effort. Rested 5 minutes and managed 4 reps for the 2nd set. Had nothing left for the final set and only did one rep and unfortunately strained my right shoulder in the process.

Kept the weights light for the barbell rows due to the strained shoulder and did 3x8 reps at 40.0kg.

Skipped assistance exercises because of the slight shoulder strain.

Workout No. 81
Monday, 9th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 60.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Slightly improved discipline with regards to my eating. Will monitor my cutting progress over the next few weeks and report back. Tried using this body composition analyser machine at the gym and it reported that I weigh 92.8kg but have a bodyfat of 23.5% which seems to be on the high side. I know these machines are not very accurate but I will use it as an easy benchmark. Am currently targeting to bring down my bodyfat to 20% over the next 6 weeks before the end of April. Should be doable. Also, have started using Jefit as my main tracking app as I am transitioning away from Stronglifts with the front squatting, 3x5 instead of 5x5, etc. Still focusing on compound lifts in general though plus some compound type assistance exercises.

Back to front squats today. 3x8 reps at 60.0kg was tiring, yes, and I was sweating profusely by the end of each set. But truth be told, each invidual rep was not particularly difficult. Probably a fair bit of headroom to go before I plateau. Also front squats seem to be kinder on my knees but this may also be due to the fact that I am squatting lower weights compared to low bar squatting.

4th session in a row overhead pressing 45.0kg for the full 3x5. Did not dare to attempt the 47.5kg as I was still feeling the slightest shoulder strain from last week’s work out. This weight is still not getting significantly easier.

Deadlifts for 5 reps @ 120.0kg today. Deadlifts at this weight are getting easier and easier and I was not really struggling with the final rep or two as I usually do at heavier weights. Still feels heavy though but I was not as bonked at the end as usual.

Seem to be able to do one respectable chin-up and pull-up rep consistently now with my chin actually clearing the bar fully during chin-ups. Rest of the reps were “negatives”.

Workout No. 82
Wednesday, 11th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 62.5kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Push-ups 15/15/10

Cutting discipline has improved this week but still not in 100% control. Gotta stay focused on the goals!

New front squat PR of 3x8 reps @ 62.5kg. Exhausted by the end of each set of 8 reps but each individual rep was still not too challenging. Suspect that I can continue progressing in weight for a fair bit.

After the shoulder injury from bench pressing 62.5kg last week, I lowered the weight slightly to 60.0kg. Experimented with a wider grip than usual for the first two sets (my bench grip is quite narrow to start off with) and reverted to my regular grip width for the final set.

Strict barbell rows for 3x5 reps at 60.0kg without too much difficulty.

Ended the workout with 15/15/10 reps of push-ups. Was targeting 3 sets of 15 reps and failed. Triceps were burning and aching by the 3rd set.

Workout No. 83
Friday, 13th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 65.0kg
Overhead Press 3/3/3 @ 47.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 122.5kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Still moving up in weight with my front squat. My mobility is not so good so my shoulders and neck and fingers are starting to feel tight at this weight. Managed the 3x8 reps at 65.0kg. Probably will try out 3x5 low bar squats @ 77.5kg during the next session as I have been front squatting 3 sessions in a row.

3/3/3 on my first attempt at a 47.5kg overhead press. Not bad. Quite happy that I stayed at 45.0kg for a while, else I would have failed miserably at this weight.

Deadlifts for 5 reps @ 122.5kg, still not maxing out and had some left in me. Just need to keep my form in check.

Ended with some disciplined “negative” chin-ups and pull-ups.

Workout No. 84
Monday, 16th March 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 77.5kg
Bench Press 3/2 @ 62.5kg
Barbell Row 3x6 @ 40.0kg
Push-ups 15/12

Attempted a new PR low bar squat today @ 77.5kg and finished the full 3x5!!! On the first attempt! Front squats have definitely helped. Effectively a 1RM @ bodyweight!

Warmed up for the bench press and progressively added weight to the bar. By the time I was at 50.0kg, unracking the bar was a challenge. Loaded up a total of 62.5kg, unracked the bar and knew I was in trouble after the 1st rep. Only managed 3 reps in total before giving up. Only did 2 reps on the 2nd set. Didn’t even attempt the 3rd set. Have been on a cut over the past two weeks plus I have been practising headstands, forearm stands and handstands over the weekend which has been putting a fair bit of strain and fatigue on my pressing muscles. Hopefully this was the cause for my poor performance today.

Went for some lighter rows as well and did some push-ups to add to the volume. By the end of today’s gym session I was very, very exhausted.

Workout No. 85
Wednesday, 18th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 67.5kg
Overhead Press 4/5/4 @ 47.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 125.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3
Barbell Curls 2x8 @ 25.0kg

Front squats are starting to get harder and harder on my core and fingers especially. Getting harder to keep my chest up too. Still not at the limit yet though. Suspect that soon my front squat 1RM (85.0kg) will surpass my back squats (90.0kg) which is unusual especially since I have been training back squats for a much longer period. Could be technique related but front squats seem to be less taxing on my knees as well.

Made some progress in the overhead press from 3/3/3 previously, to 4/5/4 reps @ 47.5kg. Will keep trying and hopefully in a session or two, I will be able to manage the full 3x5.

Deadlifted 5 reps at my previous max of 125.0kg. Am confident I can continue progressing in weight but my form is not perfect although I do not feel any strain in my lower back, etc and I am feeling stronger.

“Negative” chin-ups and pull-ups as usual and have noticed that my first pull is much, much more solid. Just need to get to the point where I can do two full chin-ups in a row and progress from there. Also did 2 sets of 8 reps of barbell curls at 25.0kg to get some burn in my biceps which I rarely train directly and seem to be lagging behind the rest of my body.

This post has been edited by justintga: Mar 21 2015, 08:21 AM

Workout No. 86
Friday, 20th March 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 80.0kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Push-ups 13

Was feeling particularly good about my chances with the low bar squat today so I went for the 3x5 @ 80.0kg and completed it on my first attempt! My squats have really been progressing decently well over the past two months. Didn’t squat super deep but made sure that at least my thighs passed the parallel point. Was just worried that I wouldn’t have the strength to get out of the hole.

Played safe with bench presses again as I didn’t do too well on Monday. Managed the 3x5 @ 60.0kg but it wasn’t easy. I’ve noticed that I have yet to perfect my set-up for the bench press. Sometimes I feel much stronger on the bench and sometimes I feel like I am leaking pressing strength everywhere.

Also, have not really been progressing much on the barbell row. My first attempt at this weight was way back in December 2014! It is more of a discipline issue and this is by far my most overlooked lift and I keep playing safe looking for easy sets without upping the weight. Need to be more focused.

Was planning to do 3 sets of push-ups to failure but after one set, decided to practise some headstands and forearm stands. I can now hold a 30 second unassisted headstand fairly easily and am working towards getting my forearm stands to that same standard!

Workout No. 87
Monday, 23rd March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 70.0kg
Overhead Press 3/5/4 @ 47.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Have had improved discipline with regards to my eating habits over the past two weeks. Still far from perfect but at least I am generally eating healthier on most days. Hopefully I am progressively losing body fat. Have noticed that my performance in the gym has been affected slightly though, probably due to the slight calorie deficit.

Front squats aren’t getting any easier. Completed the 3x8 reps @ 70.0kg and suffered a fair bit. Definitely more and more taxing to hold the vertical position now. Expect to start plateauing, at least slightly, quite soon. Might give back squats a little more attention over the next few weeks.

Still at 47.5kg for the overhead press. Lost a little focus on the first set and wasn’t as tight as I should’ve been so I only completed 3 reps. The first rep took much more effort than usual because of my sloppy set up. Managed 5 reps for the next set followed by 4 reps for the final set. 3rd failure in a row so this means it is time for a deload.

Wasn’t feeling particularly strong today so I went for an easy 5 reps for deadlifts @ 110.0kg. Did more warm-up reps than usual to get some volume in.

The usual chin-ups and pull-ups to finish off.

Workout No. 88
Wednesday, 25th March 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 80.0kg
Bench Press 3/2/3 @ 62.5kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 62.5kg
Push-ups 17/13

Used the body composition analyser scale today at Jatomi and apparently my body fat has not dropped the slightest bit over the past two weeks. I know these scales aren’t very accurate but it is discouraging all the same. Maybe I should start cutting out even more calories.

Decided to have another go at the 80.0kg back squats again and completed the 3x5. Fairly challenging and I really had to maintain my focus and form. Still didn’t go as deep as I would like but I broke parallel on each rep. To be honest, I used some of the “spring” at the bottom to make the reps slightly easier while keeping everything tight and controlled.

Epic fail in the bench press. I have completed the 3x5 a number of times @ 60.0kg but 62.5kg is a whole different ball game. Only did 3/2/3 reps and really, really struggled with each one.

Maintained my discipline for the barbell row and completed a fairly clean 3x5 @ 62.5kg. Will advance to 65.0kg for the first time ever during the next session.

Two sets of push-ups to failure before heading in for my shower.

Workout No. 89
Friday, 27th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 70.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 125.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Didn’t go up in weight for front squats as I didn’t think my legs were up to it today. Have been squatting at my max / near my max for the given no of reps for nearly the entire month of March. Still finished a respectable 3x8 @ 70.0kg. Happy with my squat progress this month and have not really had any problems with my knee.

Deloaded my overhead press to 42.5kg after failing to complete the 47.5kg three times in a row. Minimised my rest between sets and completed the 3x5 at this reduced weight without too much difficulty.

Deadlifted 125.0kg for 5 reps again. Will probably start going up in weight again soon as the reps are starting to feel easier.

Paid extra attention to the chin-ups and pull-ups today as my back and bicep development has been lagging behind slightly. Focused on holding the reps for longer than usual to get the “burn” which I hope will help. Might need to up the volume soon too.

Workout No. 90
Monday, 30th March 2015

Squat 5/5/4 @ 82.5kg
Barbell Row 4/3/5 @ 65.0kg
Push-ups 18/12

Arrived at the gym very late today due to work commitments.

Started off with a new low bar squat PR weight of 82.5kg. Managed 5 solid reps for the first two sets and missed a rep on the final rep (didn't attempt it as I was not feeling too confident).

The benches were all taken and it was getting very late so I passed on the bench presses today.

Also a PR weight today for the barbell row @ 65.0kg. Surprisingly did 4/3/5 reps with the final set being the best of the three.

Ended the rushed session with a total of 30 push-ups.

Workout No. 91
Wednesday, 1st April 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 127.5kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Reverted to front squats today, progressing another 2.5kg to 72.5kg. Starting to get really challenging and my face gets very red by the end of each set. To be honest, front squats feel like a much better workout overall compared to low bar back squats and seem to be more forgiving on my knees. Surprisingly, mixing up front and back squats has really helped me progress overall over the past month.

Up to 45.0kg from the deloaded overhead press weight of 42.5kg. Completed the 3x5 without too much difficulty. Hard to believe that each additional 2.5kg in this lift makes such a big difference.

New PR for the deadlift and I feel like I still have some strength headroom left as 127.5kg did not feel too challenging. Suspect that my next attempt at 130.0kg will not be a problem.

Have definitely gained back and bicep strength for chin-ups and pull-ups. I can do a strict single rep chin-up fairly easily. Working towards doing 2 strict reps soon.