Still On The Right Side Of The Grass

[gymdad150]

11/18/21

6th Cycle / Week Two - reps/sets

Deadlift - 175kg *6, 155kg 6*2
Single Leg RDL - 40kg 10*3
Duck Squats - 40kg 12*3
Leg Ext - 130kg 20*3
Single Leg Banded Hamstring Curl orange band - 20*3
Barbell Row - 60kg 15*3
Leg Ext (0-3-0) 130kg 10*3
SLBHC (0-3-0) orange band - 10*3
Face Pulls - 28kg 15*3

Good top set...had another two reps at least. Knee cooperated nicely...

[gymdad150]

11/20//21

6th Cycle / Week Two - reps/sets

Paused Squats - 105kg 6*2
Close Grip Bench - 72.5kg 7*2
Cable RDL 40kg 10*3
Wide Grip Pulldown - 120lbs 10*3
Dumbbell Press - 45lbs 10*3
Revs Fly - 40lbs 10*3
Lateral Raise - 20lbs 10*3
Leg Ext 80kg 10*6
Banded Hamstring Curl - green band 10*6
Hammer Curls - 60lbs 10*6

A little sluggish to start the session, but got it all done (and more)

[gymdad150]

11/22/21

6th Cycle / Week Two - reps/sets

Low Bar - 125kg *6, 105kg 6*2
Belt Squats (3-0-0) - 75kg 8*3
TRX Hi Row - 12*3
Goblet Squat - 36kg 12*3
Single Leg Ext (0-3-0) - 50kg 20*5
Single Leg Banded Hamstring Curls - orange band 20*5
Banded Dead Bugs - orange band 45sec *2

Tight and uncomfortable all session long. Depth was not in the cards...the strength was, but not the depth.

[gymdad150]

11/23/21

6th Cycle / Week Three - reps/sets

Bench - 85kg *6, 75kg 6*2
Spoto - 82.5kg 5*4
Dumbbell Bench (3-0-0) - 50lbs 10*3
LTE - 35kg 8*3
Tri Pushdown - 28kg 8*3

Redlined things a bit on the Bench. Had to back off the assistance work.

We're back in masks or face shields...fucking bunch of loons running the County.

[gymdad150]

11/26/21

6th Cycle / Week Three - reps/sets

Deadlift - 185kg *6, 155kg 6*2
Single Leg RDL - 40kg 10*2
Duck Squats - 40kg 12*3
Barbell Row - 65kg 15*3
Face Pulls - 30kg 15*3

Wonderful, wonderful...

These are the best pulls I've been able to do since early 2020...hell since prep for Chicago 2019.
My knee is the best it's been in two years as well.

[gymdad150]

11/27/21

6th Cycle / Week Three - reps/sets

Paused Squat - 110kg 6*2
Close Grip Bench - 75kg 7*2
Dumbbell Press - 45lbs 10*3
S/L Ext - 80kg 20*3
S/L Banded Hamstring Curl - orange band 20*3
Revs Fly - 45lbs 10*3
S/L Ext (0-3-0) - 100kg 10*3
S/L Banded Hamstring Curl (0-3-0) - orange band 10*3
Lateral Raise - 25lbs 10*3
Wide Grip Pulldown - 120lbs 10*3

Nice follow-up to yesterdays pulls. Knee continues to cooperate...

[gymdad150]

11/30/21

6th Cycle - Week Four reps/sets

Low Bar Squat - 130kg *6, 107.5kg 6*2
Belt Squats - 50kg 10*5
Goblet Squats - 60lbs 12*3

For being tired from a lack of sleep (life interrupts), stiff knee, and general week four angst, we got the top set in.

Reps were a little high, but I'm not concerned about that at the moment. I haven't touched 130kg for reps since last August...and on that set I started my downward slide as I pulled my Quad. The knee, which was stiff (but not swollen) from Squash last night presented no problems down or up. In fact I think I was good for two more reps...depth will come, always has.

Lightened up on the assistance work. I've pushed hard this cycle, and I think taking my foot off the gas this week is a wise idea.

[gymdad150]

12/1/21

6th Cycle - Week Four reps/sets

Bench - 87.5kg *5, 78kg 6*2
Spoto - 83kg 5*4
Dumbbell Bench (0-3-0) - 60lbs 8*3

Just missed the top set...so close on the 6th rep.

Even with the miss, a number of good things took place to make this one of my best Bench sessions (especially for week four).

- I was able to shake off a sluggish warm-up and progression to the top set.
- I finally got the knack of bracing into the belt for a Bench set.
- I was able to keep my shoulders down, right up to the press out on the sixth rep. If my right shoulder didn't slide out of position, that 6th rep was right there...and that would have been a huge rep PR at 87.5kg.

[gymdad150]

12/2/21

6th Cycle - Week Four reps/sets

Deadlift - 190kg *5, 140kg 6*2
Leg Ext - 50kg 40*3
GHR - bw 10*3

Yeah, I'm fucking tired man. The fourth week of the sixth cycle equals accumulated fatigue. Tuesday was tough, Wednesday was a struggle, and today...well I was simply beat.

That said the set of 5 at 190 was done dead stop, not touch and go...That's as good a set as I've done in two years...especially in the fatigued state I'm in at the moment.

This has been a hard week, I'm extremely pleased at how I rallied inside, and outside the gym.

[codgerus maximus]

Really nice work, Chas. I'm trying to set up a poor-man's GHR in my garage with a strap and some pads on a bench. Maybe I'll post some photos next week.

[gymdad150]

12/4/21

6th Cycle - Week Four reps/sets

Squat - 100kg 6*2
Close Grip - 65kg 7*3
Belt Squat - 90lbs 5*3
Single Leg Ext (0-5-0) - 50kg 10*3
Single Leg Banded Hamstring Curl (0-3-0) - orange band 10*3
Hammer Curl - 60lbs 10*3
Pull-Ups - bw 12*1 on 15sec
Chin-Ups - bw 12*1 on 15sec

Still a bit fatigued, stiff back and knee...

Did what felt good. It all adds up.

[gymdad150]

Really nice work, Chas. I'm trying to set up a poor-man's GHR in my garage with a strap and some pads on a bench. Maybe I'll post some photos next week.

Thanks Tim, it's nice to be back to handling training loads that will get me back to where I feel I should be.

GHR / Nordic Hamstring Curls: having a proper piece of equipment is so appreciated...none more so than for this movement.

[gymdad150]

12/7/21

7th Cycle / Week One - reps/sets

Low Bar - 117.5kg *4, 102.5kg 4*2
Belt Squat - 55kg 10*3
BSS - bw 10*3
Wide Grip Pulldown - 100lbs 10*3
Kroc Rows - 70lbs 12*4

New cycle, but staying with the continuing theme of starting out at 10% less than where we finished the last session.
Should (will) finish at 140kg.

Though he's not my coach (only my doctor) Austin keeps stressing the importance of training with sets at a lower RPE. I think what my coach has me doing is pretty much in tune with this idea. My top set is supposed to be around and rpe8. Rarely have I exceeded that...save for week 4 this last cycle.

I've added another day of court time. I've committed to taking lessons from our 'Pro" in hopes of correcting some bad habits I've picked up over the years. Should be interesting as I'm not the most "coachable" person...too much performance anxiety. Amazing that I don't have this issue with powerlifting; funny that.

Anyway, the lessons are on Sundays, and matches are on Mondays...then I lift Tues / Wen / Thurs / Sat. I hope there's enough recovery in there. That, and that my knee continues to hold up under the work load. well we won't know unless we try...

[codgerus maximus]

Though he's not my coach (only my doctor) Austin keeps stressing the importance of training with sets at a lower RPE.

That seems to be the way to go, especially for the long term. Like you, I've been trying to avoid going above RPE 8. At some point maybe I'll work with a BBM or RTS coach, and ask them about doing doubles at 7 instead of singles at 8.

[gymdad150]

That seems to be the way to go, especially for the long term. Like you, I've been trying to avoid going above RPE 8. At some point maybe I'll work with a BBM or RTS coach, and ask them about doing doubles at 7 instead of singles at 8.

It's a hard lesson to internalize, but when you see Austin's deadlift progress using this method, one doesn't have much to argue with...