Workout No. 92
Saturday, 4th April 2015

Squat 4/3/3 @ 82.5kg
Bench Press 3 @ 62.5kg

Was not feeling well today but still made it to the gym after work. Started off with low bar squats but felt super weak. Managed 5/5/4 at the same weight during my last attempt but today I only squatted 4/3/3. Form was bad on the last set as well as I started leaning forward on the 3rd rep, so much so that I took a mini-step forward towards the top of the movement.

Felt very weak during the bench press attempts too, with my arms trembling to just support the 62.5kg weights. Gave up after one set.

Was feeling like crap so I skipped the rows and assistance exercises and went home for dinner with my family.

Workout No. 93
Monday, 6th April 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 5/5/3 @ 47.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 130.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Remained at 72.5kg on the front squat as I was not sufficiently confident to progress to 75.0kg considering that I have PR weight attempts for the overhead press and the deadlift coming up after the squats. Completed the 3x8, having to really push hard for the last few reps of each set.

Did surprisingly well for the overhead press; actually managed a solid 5 reps for the first two sets. The key was the set-up, keeping tight and to start pressing immediately after getting into position.

PR on the deadlift @ 130.0kg. Challenging, but definitely not maxing out yet. Some minimal deterioration of form on the last two reps but no significant rounding of the lower back etc.

Have developed some more endurance for chin-ups so I did more reps than usual today as well as holding each rep for slightly longer than usual. Quite a good session overall.

Workout No. 94
Wednesday, 8th April 2015

Front Squat 3/3/5 @ 75.0kg
Bench Press 3/3 @ 62.5kg
Barbell Row 5 @ 62.5kg

After a decent Monday, today was comparatively a worse effort. No drive and no strength. Started my workout at nearly 9pm, which is much later than usual due to work commitments.

Should have done much better in the front squat, only managing 3 reps @ 75.0kg for the first two sets. Regained focus and pushed for 5 reps in the last set.

Another weak attempt at bench pressing 62.5kg. Have noticed that the late nights at work and the minor progressive cut has hampered my progress and affected my strength gains. On the plus side, I seem to be losing a bit of weight but still maintaining my strength, but only just.

Really tired by this point and just finished off 5 reps of barbell rows @ 62.5kg and called it a day. Used the same weight as the bench press attempts for convenience.

Workout No. 95
Monday, 13th April 2015

Front Squat 8/6/6 @ 75.0kg
Overhead Press 4/4/3 @ 47.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Missed one workout last week due to work commitments. Had a bit more time to recover but am still on my slow progressive cut. Much improved front squat compared to my last attempt, actually completing a full 8 reps on the first set @ 75.0kg. Could’ve probably pushed out 7 or 8 reps for the last two sets, but my form was deteriorating slightly and I was starting to lean forward so I decided not to grind it out.

A small step back for the overhead presses, managing only 4/4/3 vs 5/5/3 on my last attempt. Still fairly respectable. Performance may have been partially due to front squats which are really starting to challenge me and tire me out and partially due to my progressive cut.

Went slightly lighter today for deadlifts with 5 reps @ 120.0kg before attempting my constantly improving chin-ups and pull-ups. Will likely be unable to go to the gym very much over the next two weeks. Have to control my eating better to compensate for not working out as much.

Workout No. 96
Tuesday, 21st April 2015

Front Squat 8/8/5 @ 75.0kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 65.0kg
Push-ups 20/12

Haven’t been to the gym in over a week. Slightly surprising but I have managed to lose an additional kg, without any noticeable loss in strength. My eating discipline has improved but it is still far from perfect. I am about 185cm tall and will hopefully drop to a sub-90.0kg weight soon for the first time in years, which is a big milestone for me.

Slight improvement on my front squat today which is also another pleasant surprise. 8 proper reps for the first two sets before bonking out on the last set at 5 reps, with nearly nothing left in me.

Have been plateauing on the bench press for a while so I decided to go for a long overdue deload to 55.0kg. Even this weight didn’t feel particularly easy.

A new PR for the barbell row today, which is again surprising, considering the way I have been eating and the very limited sleep I have been getting due to work. Even felt decently fresh after rowing the 5 reps of each set with decent form.

Ended a better than expected session with two sets of push-ups and am expecting that the earliest I’ll be able to drop by the gym again will be on Saturday.

Workout No. 97
Friday, 5th June 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 60.0kg
Overhead Press 3x8 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 3
Interval Running on Treadmill 2.0km

Hi guys! Have been away from the gym for an extended period of time as I have been busy rushing a tender submission. With that finally out of the way, it is about time to get my exercise and diet programme back on track.

Weighed myself today at the gym, fearing the worst considering the almost total lack of exercise over the past month and some binge eating, and was pleasantly surprised to find myself not far from where I left off @ 91.0kg. I did manage to squeeze in about 3 gym sessions over the past 5 weeks but they were half-hearted at best as I was mostly exhausted and burnt out so I did not even bother logging them properly.

Started off with some “light” front squats at 60.0kg, taking it easy after a long time off. Was surprisingly challenging despite this weight equating to a 15.0kg deload. Completed the 3x8 reps and am looking forward to working back towards my previous squat weights.

Decided to go for some bodybuilding type rep ranges for the overhead press, finishing 3x8 reps @ 40.0kg. Might try 8 reps for most lifts from now on as I want to build some size and lose some fat instead of gaining strength as my main priority from this point forward.

Fairly light deadlifts @ 110.0kg today, completing 5 reps at this weight. Did 5 reps for each of the warm-up sets as well to build up some volume.
“Negative” chin-ups and pull-ups plus 2km of interval running to finish off the session, feeling refreshed after the first proper gym session in over a month.

Workout No. 98
Saturday, 13th June 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 60.0kg
Bench Press 3x8 @ 50.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 60.0kg

Disappointingly missed an entire week of gym again due to work commitments and an unfortunate series of events. I have to stop making excuses. Forced myself to head to the gym after work on Saturday despite being very tired at the end of the working week. Felt reenergised again by the end of the session! No regrets at all.

Repeated the 3x8 reps of front squats @ 60.0kg without too much difficulty. Still far away from regaining my previous front squat strength. Will definitely progress up in weight for my next session. May start incorporating back squats back into my programme as well.

I am experimenting with higher reps for some lifts so I went with 3x8 reps for the bench press today @ 50.0kg which felt decently challenging but not brutal.

Barbell rows to finish off the session with 2 sets of 5 reps @ 60.0kg using the underhand grip to better target the biceps and the final set with an overhand grip.

Workout No. 99
Monday, 15th June 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 62.5kg
Overhead Press 8/7/6 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 115.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5

Upped the front squat weight by 2.5kg. The weights feel heavy but I am able to complete the 8 reps fairly confidently without really struggling at the end. Will hopefully get back to a 75.0kg front squat soon.

Always a little less confident with overhead presses when I’m not pressing at a rack facing a mirror which was the case today. Started off well with 8 solid reps for the first set but didn’t fare too well for the remaining 2 sets. Suspect I would have managed them if I had the help of a mirror. Quite disappointed overall that my gym reconfigured the equipment layout, with only one rack that is mirror facing and the rest facing a wall.

Fairly easy deadlifts @ 115.0kg for 5 reps before finishing off with “negative” chin-ups and pull-ups which are starting to get much easier as well. Could perform 3 solid reps with the tiniest of hops.

Workout No. 100
Thursday, 18th June 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 62.5kg
Bench Press 3x8 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 3x8 @ 55.0kg

Caught a stomach bug from Tuesday and suffered body aches, diarrhoea and a slight fever for 2 days. Felt a little better today so I decided to hit the gym and take it easy if my body was not up to it. Big milestone for me today! 100th workout since starting the Stronglifts programme. Have deviated from it slightly but am still making decent gains and progressively losing fat.

Still not as lean as I would like to be but there is notable definition in my lower body and arms compared to when I first started. Diet discipline is still not very good in terms of controlling my overeating but have generally been eating healthier over the past year or so. Also have cut down my intake of junk food significantly.

Started warming up for front squats as usual, starting with the empty barbell as usual, moving up to 40.0kg and 50.0kg subsequently. Put on 65.0kg for my working set but then chickened out and took 2.5kg off as I was not very confident of progressing in weight after two full days of diarrhoea. Turned out to be a wise decision as the 3x8 reps of 62.5kg front squats felt brutal.

Felt a little better about my chances with the bench press, so I went up 2.5kg to 52.5kg and completed the full 3x8. Sets felt challenging but for some reason, I never feel the after effects of bench presses. I get DOMs or slight aches in my back, quads, delts, etc after all the other lifts but I rarely ever feel my chest or triceps, except during and immediately after pressing.

Tried 3x8 instead of 3x5 for barbell rows today, dropping the weight to 55.0kg. Fairly easy and was decently pleased with today’s session considering how unwell I was feeling over the past two days.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 26 2015, 10:21 AM

Workout No. 101
Monday, 22nd June 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 65.0kg
Overhead Press 8/8/5 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5
Interval Running on Treadmill 2km

Progressed another 2.5kg for front squats. Each rep felt quite heavy but I still had some energy left in me after each set of 8 reps and still maintained decent speed on the ascents. My grip flexibility has improved over the past couple months and I no longer suffer in the front squat position when lifting heavier weights.

Maintained the same overhead pressing weight @ 42.5kg as I only managed 8/7/6 on my previous attempt. Started off decently well with a solid 8 reps in my first set but felt noticeably fatigued after completing the set. Barely, barely completed 8 reps on my second set, with very poor form on the final rep. Took an extended rest but had nothing left in me after 5 reps on the third and final set, meaning that I only managed 8/8/5 which is basically the same as my last attempt.

Warmed up for deadlifts with a mixed grip opposite to my preferred right hand overhand, left hand underhand grip to prevent potential imbalances. Started with 5 reps @ 60.0kg followed by 3 reps @ 90.0kg and 2 reps @ 110.0kg. Went up to 120.0kg for the working set, but was not 100% happy with my form although I felt strong during the lifts.

“Negative” chin-ups and pull-ups as usual and had a little extra time for some cardio so I went for a short 2km run on the treadmill.

Workout No. 102
Wednesday, 24th June 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 67.5kg
Bench Press 3x8 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Push-ups 15/15

Up to 67.5kg for front squats but had a bad start. Descended for the first set with my feet slightly staggered and not in line. Had to adjust myself after the first rep. Pushed up with too much force and lost control slightly on my 2nd rep resulting in leaning forward slightly and my heels coming off the ground. Felt a slight strain in my left knee. Bad form. Focused on controlling my squat movement over the next few reps and finished the 3x8 fairly comfortably. The weight is really starting to feel heavy though.

A more comfortable 3x8 bench presses @ 52.5kg compared to my last attempt. Experimented with wider grips as well. Should be confident enough to attempt 55.0kg during the next bench press session.

Regular pendlay type overhand barbell rows @ 60.0kg for 3 sets of 5 reps. At first, my right arm seemed to feel much stronger than my left during the first set, with the bar touching the right side of my chest before the left during the pull. Somehow this evened out during the next two sets.

Some push-ups to finish off which I have not been doing for quite a while.

Workout No. 103
Saturday, 27th June 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 70.0kg
Overhead Press 8/8/7 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 5/5
“Negative” Pull-ups 5

70.0kg front squats despite my legs not feeling quite up to the job today. Front squatted twice this week already plus had a 2 hour basketball session on Thursday. First set felt surprisingly comfortable and I completed the 8th rep without being too out of breath. Could feel the burn in my legs as soon as I started pacing around a little bit. Took a slightly extended 5 minute rest before attempting my 2nd set which I also completed without too much suffering. The burn started to get worse and I was not too confident for the 3rd set. Started getting hard after the 5th rep and my form deteriorated slightly on the 8th rep, with my body leaning forward a little bit too much for my liking. Nevertheless, completed the full 3x8 and this is the first time I’ve been to the gym 3 times in a single week in a long, long time.

Another session overhead pressing @ 42.5kg. Decent first set, struggled on the 8th rep on the 2nd set and knew that I had no chance completing 8 reps on the 3rd set. Got up to 6 reps and really grinded out a horrible 7th rep. Final count: 8/8/7.

Did not go up in weight for deadlifts @ 120.0kg as I was not too happy with my form on Monday’s session. Completed the 5 reps at this weight and was a little happier with my performance today. Skipped chins and pull-ups as I was rushing home for dinner. Will catch up on these tomorrow.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jul 7 2015, 08:11 AM

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