What training are you doing/have you done today? Vol.2

[mcelliott]

Granfondo said:

mcelliott said:

Burwood said:

mcelliott said:

Burwood said:

Granfondo said:

mcelliott said:

Yesterday back to the gym just for shoulders and back, didn't go too mad but felt good. This morning 65-odd km on the bike, legs feeling super strong at the moment courtesy of my time in the Pyrenees. Could be tempted to do a sportive next Saturday, will see how things go.

Then back to the gym this evening, really with a goal of setting the bar for my bench. I really have lost quite a lot of muscle due to the amount of aerobic exercise I've been taking, so that has really impinged on my strength at the gym. My goal is to do a 150kg, or as close as, bench before Christmas. PB set at 140kg in April, so tonight was just to set down a marker to work from. Much to my delight, and against all expectation, I managed 130kg. It really was a grind but I got it up! Now it's just a case of finding those extra 20kg from somewhere.

You do a lot of pull ups and dips at home, what type of frame have you got?

sub 80kg and ripped.

Ooh, razerblades for breakfast!

Re Granfondo, it's just a cheapy pull up frame from my local Intersport. Just hang it from the door frame and off you go.

Lol I thought he meant body frame. Gets coat

Well that will teach you for being cheeky then, discussing an older gentleman's weight on a public forum

Anyway today, 38km on the bike, pretty lumpy, flew round in 34kph average (almost) followed by some obligatory pull ups at home. Tomorrow will be a recovery ride, Thursday hilly group ride with a possibility of a night time sportive on Saturday, with visits to the gym in between.

Do you ever get time to fit in a little bit of work?

Only a little, occasionally

Briskish recovery ride yesterday, then this evening was a hilly group ride, end of term feel about it all. I did however, bag my second strava KOM in as many days, old habits creeping back in. Really good ride, meeting up with the fellow nutters that rode through the Pyrenees with me. Then a little home workout .

[chris watton]

Today:

Bench Press - 5x12-5 reps
Incline Bench - 4x12-8 reps
Weighted Chest Dips - 4x12-8 reps
DB Cross-Bench Pull-Overs - 4x12-8 reps

Wide grip Pull Ups (chest to bar) - 4x10-7 reps
DB One Arm Row - 4x12-8 reps
T-bar Rows (close neutral grip) - 4x12-8 reps
Seated Cable Rows()medium grip)- 4x12-9 reps

Face Pulls -4x12-8 reps
EZ BB Curls - 4x12-6 reps

Leg Press - 6x12-6 reps

Four months on this, time to change routine and concentrate more on shoulders, I think..

[Digger]

Any suggestions for a combo of one or two exercises for hitting mid upper chest without involving shoulders too much!?

I'm petrified of aggravating an old rotator cuff strain which took over a year to repair.

At the moment I use a twin cable machine with cables in their highest position and do standing upright fly. Also incline dumbbell press with bench never more than say 30degs. I don't do fly on bench as find it starts to strain shoulders.

For same reasons I don't go heavy. Tend to do pyramid sets for most all exercises I do.

eta - got some good answers when I accidentally initially posted in the Moans thread.

Edited by Digger on Friday 23 September 17:59

[MC Bodge]

Amongst other things in my fairly general strength, conditioning and endurance routine (bodyweight and sandbags for past 18months or so to supplement running and cycling) I have started doing some barbell deadlifting (hands placed knuckles forward, wider than knees -for mountain biking position simulation).

I weigh 80kg.

I began with some 65kg lifts to practice form for a couple of seesions, then moved up to 80kg.

Since then I have been doing 5x5, plus warmups, once per week, adding 5kg per week.

My form and technique has improved a lot. I suspect that my actual leg or glutes strength hasn't changed that much yet.

I am now at 110Kg for 5x5. My target was to reach 120kg and this is now within sight. I will carry on!

I am interested know what a "typical" progression might be. For how long am I likely to be able to add 5kg per week? What sort of weight am I likely to plateau at?

My core strength has improved massively over the past year, which was the initial aim.

Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 23 September 17:18

Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 23 September 17:25

[Johnny]

[militantmandy]

Over the last few months I've moved away from powerlifting style training as I kept making loads of progress, hurting myself and being miserable...on repeat. I've been doing more isolation/high reps/bodybuildery stuff. I also moved back to conventional deadlift. Today, managed to pull 180 which has eluded me for a while. Very pleased!

[mcelliott]

Really good workout on Friday at the gym, highlight being flat bench dumbbell press - 180lb for 2 sets. The hardest part was curling them into position! Well chuffed with that workout. Then last night was a night time sportive on the bike done in warm but windy conditions - 82km with nearly 800m of climbing. A pretty average speed of nearly 33kph, really enjoyable. With the ride there and back my total distance was roughly 120km for the day. Got back at 10.15pm so a bit knackered.

This morning early start for a recovery ride, just to spin the legs, 50-odd km but very windy. Popping to the gym this evening.

[Burwood]

Curling them... fk that. No wonder you found if hard. Sit them on your thighs in vertical position then just lie back. The DBS should now be on each side of your pecs. Or if you did it wrong just slipped and took your nuts out. Let his know how you get on

[chris watton]

Still trying to decide on a new routine for the next four months. Until then, a little chest and back workout..

Bench Press - 5x12-6 reps
Incline bench Press - 4x12-8 reps
Weighted Dips - 4x12-7 reps
DB Cross-Bench Pullovers - 4x12-8 reps

Wide grip Pull Up (bar to chest) - 4x12-8 reps
Deadlift - 5x5
BB BOR (reverse grip) - 4x12-8 reps
T-bar Row - 4x12-8 reps
Seated Cable Row - 4x12-10 reps(2xO/H and 2xU/H grip)
Reverse Grip Pull Ups (weighted, medium grip) - 4x12-8 reps

Edited by chris watton on Monday 26th September 16:12

[Burwood]

Hey Ben, nice work 106keys. Trying to gain more weight than the Lab . I'm not a dog person but if every I did get one it would be that.

[chris watton]

Today I did a little power routine, really pushed myself.

Squats - 8 sets of 5 reps, 2 sets of 1 rep with 150/155 and a fail at 160 on 11th set.
Bench Press - 8 sets of 5 reps
Power Clean - 8 sets of 2 reps
Standing BB Press - 6 sets of 5 - went up to 55kg before left RC started to hurt, so stopped there.
Wide Grip Pull Ups (weighted, back of neck to bar) - 5 sets of 8-5 reps
Pendlay Rows - 5x5

[Johnny]

Easy ish session, weight wise af least, to ease myself back in after a week of so away from the gym.

Military Press 5x10@40kg
Superset:
EZ Upright Rows 5x10@35kg/Barbell Front Raise 5x10@20kg
Superset:
Face Pulls 5x10@27.5kg/Straight Bar Cable Front Raises 5x10@15kg
Superset:
Smith Shrugs 5x10@100kg/Lat Raises 5x8@14kg

Hard & fast. Was brutal. And I feel great.

[chris watton]

Today's workout..

Bench Press:
4 sets of 12-8 reps (80-100 kg)
4 sets of 6-1 rep (110 to 130kg, RC definitely getting better.)
Incline bench Press - 4x12-8 reps
Weighted Dips - 4x12-8 reps
DB Cross-Bench Pullovers - 4x12-8 reps

Wide grip Pull Up (bar to chest) - 4x12-8 reps
DB One Arm BOR - 4x12-8 reps
Deadlift - 5x3
T-bar Row - 4x12-8 reps
Seated Cable Row - 4x12-10 reps(2xO/H and 2xU/H grip)
Wide grip Pull Ups (neck to bar) - 4x9-5 reps

Leg Press - 5x12-5 reps

[Johnny]

Pull Ups 6x5
Last Pulldown Plates 5x10@80kg
BOR 6x10@80kg
Wide Grip Seated Cable Row 5x10@55kg
Cable Lat Pulldown Narrow V Grip 5x10@55kg
Reverse Cable Cross 5x10@6.25kg/side

[Mannginger]

Rented myself a Concept 2 this week as the last time I was vaguely fit was when training for the An-Ras Mor a couple of years ago. Mid-week set-up and dabbling didn't look good but I just don't think I allowed myself the ability to get into a rhythm.

Did 5k this morning and whilst it was a bad time (23:23) I did slowly get back into the swing of things, reminding myself how to use back / legs etc and gradually got the breathing into a rhythm.

It'll be a while before I'm even remotely happy with the times but I'm using a 12 week training programme to gradually build up the time and distance.

[ORD]

Squats: 5 x 5 at 100kg.
Dumbell rows: 4 x 10 at 28kg
Incline dumbell press: 3 x 10 at 24kg

Some dips, some lunges and some curls and out of there. 40 mins in total.

I have no idea why 90% of what I see in the gym is endless bloody isolation exercises of increasing complexity. Nobody seems to hit the big lifts and then get out of there (despite this being easily the best course for building strength).

[mcelliott]

Haven't posted for a while so an update. Last Sunday went to the gym, had a really good bench session, got back up to 130kg for 4 reps - very pleased with that. Tuesday was back on the bike, ditto Wednesday Thursday - very similar rides. Yesterday back to the gym for some circuits, and then this afternoon concentrated on my back and triceps. Lacking in tricep strength/development so I really want to bring these up in order to improve my bench. Tomorrow will be a group ride on the bike, fairly hilly, then back to the gym - going to try and get into the low 130s on the bench - the aim is to get to 150kg by Christmas. October will represent a slight change in my training, turning the wick down on the bike slightly, going to start running Monday and then every Friday thereafter. These will either be an hour of hill reps or trail runs, initially 10 or so km, but by Christmas I want to be up at 30 or even possibly 40km (hilly). Also I intend to start my pull up and dip challenge once again, so that will be 100 plus pull ups a day, and double the amount of dips, until the end of December.

[CrouchingWayne]

Not strictly training, but has anyone used Watson Gym equipment before? I'm considering upgrading my power rack and they are on the short list (them, ATX or Rogue)?

[Johnny]

Not used but I love the Rogue stuff personally.

[axel1990chp]

Still suffering from lower back issues as per thread started previously, its much better now, almost full movement and minimal pain but there's still something!

Was advised to start my training of squats and deadlift again, but being the impatient git that I am, I went 0-100% too quickly. Didn't reinjure myself but I definitely felt my back deteriorate hitting my second squat session in the week.

Decided to play it safe, suck up the lost "gains" (excuse the word) and start with something more simple through the week to strengthen my body back up again.

Monday - Legs
Lying Ham curl = 2x15 warm-up/3x12 working sets
Goblet squats = 2x12 warm-up sets/4x8-10 working sets
Extensions = 1x15 warm-up/4x12 working
Walking lunges = 4x20 working
Calf raise/ss/ Calf press = 4x12 working

Tuesday - Chest
Flat bench = 2x10 warm-up/4x8-10 working
Incline Dumbell press = 1x10 warm-up/5x5 working
Incline flies = 4x12 working
Skullcrushers = 4x12 working
Palmdown single arms = 4x15 working

Thursday - Back
Deadlifts = 3x# warm-up/7x10 working
Wide-grip pulldown = 2x15 warm-up/4x8-10 working
Seated row = 4x12 working
Barbell drag curl = 4x15 working
Spider hammer = 4x15 working

Friday - Shoulders
Seated Military = 2x12 warm-up/4x8-10 working
Seated laterals = 4x12 working
BB Front raise/ss/Face pulls = 4x12 working
Seated shrug = 4x10 working
Skullcrushers = 4x12 working

No particular plan to follow, as you can see rep ranges are all over, but I've found its what my body responds to best in terms of "maintenance" while I allow my body to heal. Plenty of rest days to keep from Hypertrophy and the injuries that can occur with it.

Going to stick this out until my back is well and truly fixed, tweek the exercises every 4 weeks if it drags out that long, and when I feel comfortable, start adding accessory movements back in, sled pulls and Abdominal work etc.

Happy training folks