I remember this article. It was the first one I read, about a year ago. You posted this link and a couple more in your log. It didn't made much sense to me back then. Time to reread it..
Overhead Press 20kgs 1x10 30kgs 1x5 40kgs 1x2 52,5kgs 3x5 40kgs 6x2 (35 s rest between sets) Back Squat 20kgs 1x10 60kgs 1x5 80kgs 1x3 97,5kgs 1x2 107,5kgs 2x5, 1x7 Bent Over Row 20kgs 1x8 25kgs 1x5 30kgs 1x8 40kgs 1x2 52,5kgs 2x6, 1x8 Machine Standing calf raises 55kgs 17/17/10/10 Decline Sit ups 5x12 Last 3 sets were harder. I contracted my glutes and hamstrings on every rep. Back extensions 12/10 All in all an awesome day. I was nervous and full of anxiety today and my traps were hurting me all weekend, so I didn't expect it. Now I feel great!
Watching your log progress from where it was a few months back to now is a thing of beauty buddy, you're doing really well . How are you finding the squats now you're triple figures consistently?
Thank you Slothy!! I think that my training is still a mess but yeah.. lately things are starting to look up. Now about the squats, honestly speaking, most of the days I used to feel afraid of the weights. Especially if I didn't eat or sleep as well as I should. The same applied for deadlifts. Maybe even more. But I am feeling less and less nervous because of the steady improvements and being on the triple digits territory. On Tuesday I felt like Superman.
Bench Press 20kgs 1x10 30kgs 1x5 37,5kgs 1x5 47,5kgs 1x3 57,5kgs 1x2 67,5kgs 2x5, 1x6 I tried for a 7th rep even though I knew the 6th one took everything I got, but I failed. I have to get better at grinding.. Deadlift 40kgs 1x10 75kgs 1x5 85kgs 1x3 95kgs 1x2 105kgs 1x7 (overhand grip) After the 3rd and sixth rep i had to leave the bar in the floor for a second or two to readjust my grip because the bar was slipping. I always do deadlifts touch and go though. I wonder if it really counts as 1x7. Barbell Curls 20kgs 1x10 27,5kgs 2x10 20kgs 1x10
Yesterday's log Overhead Press 20kgs 1x15 25kgs 1x8 35kgs 1x3 45kgs 1x2 55kgs 5/4/2 Pull ups 1 AMRAP set of 7,5 reps. lol Back Squat 20kgs 1x10 60kgs 1x5 80kgs 1x3 90kgs 1x3 100kgs 1x2 110kgs 1x5 It wasn't that difficult. I entered the gym half an hour before closing time so I did everything as fast as I could. This was a good week all in all.
Overhead Press 20kgs 1x12 30kgs 1x5 45kgs 1x2 55kgs 5/5/4 RPE: 9, 9,5, 10 respectively 50kgs 3x2 Better than Saturday, but I wish I had gotten that last one rep and moving on to 57,5kgs. Back Squat 20kgs 1x15 60kgs 1x5 80kgs 1x5 90kgs 1x3 100kgs 1x2 110kgs 5/5/7 First set of 110 put a lot of strain on my lower back. That's because my form sucked, like it did 1-2 months ago. The mistake I used to do back then is to support the weight with my lower back at the bottom and not letting it go, opening my hips up and let my glutes and legs support it. The other 2 sets were done properly and without any more strain. Barbell Rows 20kgs 1x10 35kgs 1x5 45kgs 1x5 55kgs 2x6 My back was sore as hell (still is), but it went well.
Bench Press 20kgs 1x20 30kgs 1x8 40kgs 1x5 50kgs 1x3 60kgs 1x2 70kgs 5/5/8 Deadlift 40kgs 1x10 65kgs 1x5 77,5kgs 1x5 87,5kgs 1x3 97,5kgs 1x2 107,5kgs 1x8 Barbell curls 20kgs 1x10 27,5kgs 11/8/4 (3-4 minutes break) More controlled in the eccentric phase and better form in general than last time. Rope Push downs 10kgs 1x40
Overhead Press 20kgs 1x12 25kgs 1x5 35kgs 1x3 45kgs 1x2 55kgs 5/5/6 Back Squat 20kgs 2x10 60kgs 1x5 85kgs 1x5 95kgs 1x2 102,5kgs 1x2 112,5kgs 3x5 The weight seemed heavier than any other time. Till now most issues I had was with my form. I didn't break parallel in most reps. I also tried doing no hand squats, but I couldn't balance the bar. It was even harder than it looked! Barbell Row 20kgs 1x10 25kgs 1x10 35kgs 1x5 45kgs 1x2 57,5kgs 6/6/5 The weight felt heavy and the form wasn't very strict as a result. Bench Press 30kgs 2x10 50kgs 7/5 (in the second one I used for the first time wide grip.) I did as many sets with light weights I could waiting for my pal to finish his workout.
Monday 22-12 Push ups 5x15 Pull ups 6x4 Yesterday Push Ups 10/10/10/15/11/7 Pull ups 3/3/3/9,5 (lol) This is a PR for me, especially weighting at 105kgs according to my scale. This all the exercise I've done this week. Also my macros went to hell. I eat half the food I regularly eat and 3 times more sweets. From tomorrow on the party is over.
Overhead Press 20kgs 1x15 27,5kgs 1x5 37,5kgs 1x3 47,5kgs 1x2 57,5kgs 5/4/4 50kgs 1x3 I felt dizzy and weak from the get go today, so the weights practically lift themselves up. I tend to lift the weight first with my left side because is weaker and then the right one follows. I have to fix that. Back Squats 20kgs 10/15 70kgs 1x5 82,5kgs 1x5 92,5kgs 1x3 102,5kgs 1x2 112,5kgs 5/1 100kgs 3x5 Still weak as hell. I felt a sudden burst of energy in the first set of 102,5 though, that left me quickly. Better depth than last time and less leaning to my right side. I still shoot my **** up too much on the ascend and almost never feel any stretch on the bottom. Barbell Rows 20kgs 1x5 40kgs 1x5 57,5kgs 2x6 Better than last time. Still hard to the point that adding weight wouldn't be wise.
Bench Press 20kgs 1x10 30kgs 1x10 45kgs 1x5 55kgs 1x3 65kgs 1x2 75kgs 3x5 Form sucked. The bar lands too upwards on my chest on half of the reps. Still got all the reps. Deadlift 40kgs 1x10 70kgs 1x5 80kgs 1x5 90kgs 1x3 100kgs 1x2 110kgs 1x5 (double overhand) Felt heavy and this time my grip held up better than my lower back which felt like it was rounded on some of the reps. Didn't have time for barbell curls unfortunately. In my country they say that the new year will go accordingly the last day of the previous one, so I hope that for the next year I would be constantly in the gym, lifting more weight every time
Overhead Press 20kgs 1x15 30kgs 1x5 37,5kgs 1x3 47,5kgs 1x2 57,5kgs 4/5/4 (all of them were 10rpe) 47,5kgs 1x4 (10rpe and failed toget a 5th rep which was the goal) A little disappointed since I hoped for a 3x5. Failed to get a 5th rep in the 1st and 3rd set.The first set went bad because I had a weak set up. Didn't take a good breath and didn't contract by midsection well enough. Back Squat 20kgs 1x15 60kgs 1x5 82,5kgs 1x5 92,5kgs 1x3 102,5kgs 1x2 112,5kgs 1x2 I had no energy for 3x5. Although I HATE deloading, I have to deload next week, at least the weights in my squat. I should probably take the same approach in the overhead press, but I can't bring myself doing it.
i know that feel bro. don't think of it as a deload, as then you're fixating on your top sets to the exclusion of all else. remember that usable weights for adaptation cover a range of intensities from around 70% up. dunno your squat 1RM, but the last you tested for ohp was 60kg, right? 70% of that is 42, while 57.5kg is just over 95% (so with the reps you did, you're either at your limit or possibly already slightly improved your 1RM). spend too long screwing around with the latter and not enough tending towards the former, and you might even get weaker because the higher intensities don't let you get in the volume that you should (that's how i lost my 60kg press four times). when the RPE on the heavier reps goes down, that's when you know that it's safe to start hitting them hard.
Thanks Fish! The way you put it really helped. I always fear that if I train with intensities lower than 85% of my 1RM I will lose my gains, but it's the other way around!
It's exams period for me so I managed to hit the gym only once this week. At least I worked out a little at home. Tuesday 06/01 Push Ups 4x15 Pull Ups 4x5 Through out the day Yesterday's log Push Ups 15/15/11 Pull Ups 3x5 They were done in supersets. The whole workout lasted 6-7 minutes. I had low energy and I got exhausted. Today's log Overhead Press 20kgs 1x12 30kgs 1x3 40kgs 1x2 50kgs 5/5/9 (9,5 rpe) I could maybe squeeze out an extra rep like I normally do, by letting my form break, but I played it smart for once. Back Squat 20kgs 2x10 60kgs 1x5 70kgs 1x5 80kgs 1x3 90kgs 1x2 100kgs 1x1 112,5kgs 1x1 100kgs 5/5/8 I paid more attention to my speed during the eccentric phase and not letting my form break down at all. Most of the time my squats are slow like pause squats, due to fear of losing tightness, something that happened today with 112,5. I need to work more on this. Bent over Barbell Row 20kgs 1x10 30kgs 1x10 40kgs 1x5 47,5kgs 1x2 57,5kgs 2x5 My left side always handicaps me. I could do 2-3 more reps if it was on par with the right. I'll replace this exercise and barbell curls with dumbbell rows and dumbbell curls for a while.
Overhead Press warm up with a bunch hang power cleans and presses with the bar 20kgs 1x10 30kgs 1x5 42,5kgs 1x2 52,5kgs 4x5 I didn't had the energy for a 3rd AMAP set so I did 4sets of 5. Back Squat 20kgs 2x10 60kgs 1x5 70kgs 1x5 80kgs 1x3 90kgs 1x2 100kgs 3x5 60kgs 1x5 I wanted to do a 4rth set with 100 as well, but yeah.. Form sucked and my lower back felt a little strained. I did this workout in the afternoon and now, 7 hours after I still feel weak and my mind is cloudy. It's a bummer because I lost a whole day studying. Having only 6 hours of sleep may have something to do with this.
Overhead Press bunch of hang clean and presses for warm up 20kgs 1x10 30kgs 1x5 40kgs 1x2 52,5kgs 3x5, 1x3 42,5kgs 1x5 35kgs 1x5 30kgs 1x5 The sets with 52,5kgs were harder than I expected. Back Squats 20kgs 1x10 60kgs 1x5 70kgs 1x5 80kgs 1x3 90kgs 1x2 100kgs 2x5 Barbell curls 20kgs 1x10 25kgs 2x8 Then did some hummer curls and tricep push downs.
