Hello Barbell Medicine
My goal is to get really strong and compete as a <105kg athlete.
I’m not yet sure if I’d like to specialise in powerlifting, strongman or weightlifting. Either way, I need to get strong first and I’ll decide which sport(s) to compete in at a later date.
Stats:
- Sex: Male
- Height: 6ft
- Age: 35
- Bodyweight: c104-105kg
- Waist: c42.5 inch
- Nationality: English. So I’ll be using kilograms. Sorry.
- Squat PB: 110kg x5
- Deadlift PB: 135kg x1
- Bench PB: 100kg x1
- Press PB: 50kg x5
- Power clean PB: 55kg x1 John
Sunday 24th June @104.3kg bodyweight
Squat: 65kgx5x3
Bench: 65kg x5x3
Pull: 95kg x5
Haven’t trained for a while so started pretty light. All pretty easy, although my right shoulder was really stiff on the squat. Definitely 5kg jumps for a while on squats and pulls.
Sunday 1st July @104.5kg bodyweight
Squat 70kg x5x3
Press 37.5kg x5x3
Deadlift 100kg x5
So, this was a bad start to training. I’ve had the flu all week and a fever, so missed 2-3 sessions. Weights were light last week though, so I still moved up 5kg on squat and pull.
My right shoulder still felt really tight and painful for low bar squat, but was fine in high bar. Hopefully I’ll be able to stretch it out over the next few weeks and get back to low bar.
My waist was about 41.5-42 inches this morning.
Tuesday 3rd July @104.3kg bodyweight
squat 75kg x5x3
bench 70kg x5x3
pull 105kg x5
weights still feeling light, but still having to high bar squat due to tight shoulder
Thursday 5th July @104.4kg bodyweight
squat 80kg x5x3
press 40kg x5x3
pull 110kg x5
All fine apart from this persistent shoulder tightness on squat. Feels like it’s slowly getting better though
Sunday 8th July @ 104.9kg bodyweight
squat 85kg x5x3
bench 72.5k x5x3
deadlift 115kg x5
Bodyweight is creeping back up so I need to get it back to more like 104kg. Still having to high bar squat due to tight right shoulder. Other than that, and training in a London heatwave, all is fine. Bench was the toughest of the 3 lifts today.
Tuesday 10th July @104.8kg bodyweight
squat 90kg x5x3
press 42.5kg x5x3
pull 120kg x5
I’m now getting the hang of high bar squat. Press was really hard. I felt knackered during deadlift. Weight didn’t feel that heavy, but energy levels were low. It’s really hot here so I’m not sleeping well. Might introduce power clean soon.
Thursday 12th July @104.8kg bodyweight:
Squat 92.5kg x5x3
Bench 75kg x5x3
Power clean 40kg x3x5
I’m off to a stag tomorrow, so won’t be able to train until Tuesday.
Tuesday 17th July @ 104.4kg bodyweight
Squat 95kg x5x3
Bench 75kg x5x3
Pull 125kg x5
Missed a few sessions as was on a stag all weekend which seriously damaged my recovery. Struggled a bit with bench last time so thought I’d repeat the last workout. I’m about to go on holiday for 10 days so didn’t want to push it.
My waist was about 41.5 inches this morning. Definitely coming down while bodyweight stays the same. Belts and trousers also feel looser around the waist
Thursday 20th July @ 104.1kg
Squat 97.5kg x5x3
Press 42.5kg x5x3
Pull 130kg x5
I’m pleased my weight is now staying nicely in the 104-105kg range, but at some point I want to cut to 102-103kg so I can comfortably make the 105kg weight class. Shame I’m about to take a long holiday, as I’ll need to reset when back and am currently making good progress.
I’ve just read Jordan’s article and watched the video on BMI and waist measurement. My waist is about 41.5 to 42inches and at 184cm/c105kg my BMI is 30.8.
In order to reduce my health risks, I’m now going to gently cut 3kgs and then never let my bodyweight get above 102kg which will keep my BMI below 30. I’ll continue to strength train while doing this and hopefully my waist will fall comfortably below 40 inches.
I’ll then spend the rest of the year getting as strong as possible at under 102kg before doing a competition next year.
Sunday 22nd July @104.9kg bodyweight.
Squat 90kg x5x3
Bench 77.5kg x5x3
Row 60kg x5x3
I was mega hungover after a wedding yesterday so made this a light session. Did some barbell row practice which felt good.
Tuesday 24th July @104.9kg bodyweight:
squat 100kg x5x3
press 45kg x5x3
pull 130kg x5
bench 80kg x5x2
This is probably my last workout for 2 weeks due to holiday, so I thought I’d go big. I’m really pleased with how my return to training has gone, and almost a bit disappointed about the enforced break from training,
As I mentioned previously, I want to get down to under 102kg bodyweight with an under 40” waist while still getting stronger. Although I’m on holiday for the next fortnight, hopefully I can lose 1-2kg as I’ll be quite active. When I’m back, I’ll need to do a bit of a reset after 2 weeks out of the gym so hopefully I can use that reset period to get down to 102kg. But I want to keep pushing my lifts up, and if that means losing weight very slowly then that’s fine.
Having a great time on holiday. But I suspect I will come back heavier rather than lighter.
Next weigh in is on Monday morning, and next training session is on Tuesday. Will need to ease myself back in gently, and then deliver on the plan of cutting to 102kg while pushing my lifts up.
Right, just back from an excellent two week holiday but unfortunately I’m a tad heavier @105.7kg this morning. Which is disappointing as I said I’d never let my weight get above 105kg again, but - frankly - I’m surprised I haven’t come back heavier given how much I ate and drank. Waist was about 42 inches.
My plan now is to cut down to under 102kg while still pushing my lifts up. Hopefully that will get my waist under 40inches.
I’ve got a weekend break on Friday 12th October and want to have achieved this bodyweight goal by then. So that’s a 3.7kg cut in just under 10 weeks. Should be achievable while still getting stronger.
Actually, looking again at the numbers at my height of 184cm (a tad over 6ft) I need to weigh exactly 16 stone to have a BMI of 30. I know this sounds odd, but for an Englishman 16 stone is a much more resonant figure than c102kgs, and I reckon thinking in terms of targeting this rather than 102kg might get better compliance. In the past my nutrition compliance has always improved by having a landmark goal to aim for. (I worked really hard to get down to the 105kg weight class).
Plus, I was 16st 9lbs this morning and have basically 9 weeks until my goal date, so this way I can focus on simply losing 1lb a week which should still enable strength progress, while giving me a simple, easy bodyweight target.
So - long story short - I’m going to switch my bodyweight tracking to stones and pounds for the next 9 weeks in an effort to help compliance. I’ll weigh 16stone or under on Friday 12th October.
Tuesday 7th August @16st 9lbs
Squat 90kgx2x2; 80kgx5
Press 40kgx4x2
Pull 110kgx1; 110kgx2; 120kgx1
Just easing myself back in gently after a 2 week lay off so I don’t get severe DOMS. Despite a 2 week break I’m still having a problem with my right shoulder and wrist when squatting. I generally have quite a bit of RSI in my right wrist due to too much blackberry and iPhone typing, I might try to stop that and see if it helps. I’ll also re-read “the grip problem”.
Press felt good apart from my wrist.
Deadlift was best lift of all. Felt good.
Next time I’ll do my proper work sets on 85kg squat, 40kg press, 110kg pull.
So apparently “the grip problem” is about the deadlift…
Will find something else to read up on!
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Ah - thanks v. much.
i think I’ve been lifting my elbows too high