Training Log: 29/03/2013

Second Upper Body Split

1. Pull-up: 3 sets to failure
2. Lat Pull-down: 2 sets of drop-set
3. Meadows Row: 5 sets of 8
4(a). Seated DB Press: 3 sets of 8
4(b). Incline DB chins: 3 sets of 10
5. Barbell curl: 5 sets of 6
6. Core circuit
7. Barbell push-up finisher

Training Log: 27/03/2013

Upper Body Day 1

1. Machine Press: 3x8
2. Bench: x5, x3, x1
3. Alternate DB Bench: 2x12
4. Machine Fly: 2 sets to failure
5. Shoulder Complex
6(a). DB shrugs: 3x30s
6(b). Alt. hammer curl: 3x8
7. Ab roll finisher

Training Log: 22/03/2013

Upper Body Day 2

1. Pull-up: Max + 2 x 70%
2. Pulldown Drop Set: 2 sets
3. DB Pullover: 4 x 12
4(a). Seated Arnold Press: 3 x 8
4(b). Incline DB clean: 3 x 10
5. BB Curl: 4 x 8
6. Core Circuit
7. Finisher: Barbell Push-ups Descending: 18,17,16,15...3,2,1.

Love the finisher, gave me a huge pump on the chest. Pretty satisfied with today's training, was able to crank out 15 pull-ups. Looking forward to getting more reps. Hopefully will be able to perform muscle-ups in the summer.

Peace.

Training Log: 24/03/2013

Today I had the privilege to train with Lawrence who is a personal trainer at PURE and also an expert in athletic performance. It was a sick session with a lot of adrenaline and testosterone pumping. Learned a great deal from him, corrected some of my bad habits on the deadlift and also squatted some heavy weights. Since currently I only have one legs day, I wanted to pack everything into that session so I can get the most of it. We ended up doing deadlifts and squats in the same session.

So I decided we begin with some speed deadlifts with 40 to 50% max, did like 20 sets with around 10 worksets. Then moved on to (what was supposed to be my mainlift of the day) max squat. Then I realized it was a terrible idea. My lower back was quite fatigue from the deadlifts, probably since I hadnt deadlifted for a couple months. And the speed work had taxed my CNS quite significantly, I was only able to hit 70-80% of what I was supposed to lift. But "f*ck it" I thought. Lawrence was killing it for reps, I should be able to at least hit a rep with that weight. It was only 130kg. I switched from free squat to box squat cus I knew I can handle more on the box. So I loaded the bar, squatted down and sat on the box. As I tried to explode upwards,  I realized there was nothing left in me. Next thing I know the bar rolled over my neck and bam it hit the ground.

First time to really miss a weight like this. Here's what I've learned:

1. Never pair dynamic with max effort. If time only allows you to train legs once a week. Pick one, you cant put too much on your plate.

2. Assess your physical condition realistically. As old Henry Rollins said: "Most injuries involving the Iron come from the ego... Try to lift what you aren't prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson about restraint and self-control."

3. If you're gonna alter your stance/ the way you execute a lift in the middle of your sets, you gotta start from scratch. For example, you were pyramiding up your free squats for a max lift. You realize you may not be able to hit the weight you wanted to on that particular day with a free squat but you know you have a bigger chance using a box.  Now you don't just put a box there and start doing box squats using the same weights you were using. Even though its arguably still a squat, the target muscles are entirely different so does the way it is executed. You gotta start all over again from a light weight and pyramid up. Well that seldom happens to me actually. Usually I'd settle for a 3 rep max instead. Guess my competitiveness got the best of me.

Well at least I wasn't injured. I'll take what I've learned from my mistakes and kick some asses next week.

Here's a sneak peak into our training:

So I thought it would be easy:

This guy was obviously killing it, he moved on to 140kg after this.

This is before things got ugly:

All in all, it was a sick session. Thanks to Lawrence, here's my new motto: "To become the best you must learn from the be(a)st".

Stay strong and get stronger

Training Log: 20-3-2013

Upper Body Day 1

1(a). Machine Chest Flyes: 3 x 8

1(b). Band dislocation: 3 x 8

2. Bench Press: x6, x4, x2

3. Alternating Lying DB Press: 2 x 10 

4. Dip: 2 x till failure

5. Standing Rope Pulldown: 4 x 12

6. Shoulder Complex: 2 x 10

7(a). DB Shrug: 2 x 30s

7(b). Alternating Hammer Curls: 2 x 10 

Stay Strong.

Keep Your Chin Up

Today's my second upper body day, did some chin-ups, arms and shoulders and some abs.

Love the chin-up, I think it's the King of upper body exercises because it utilizes a heck load of muscles, builds your lats tremendously, as well as your upper chest, arms and your core. Best thing is that all you need is a bar. Personally, I love doing chin-ups because I suck at it.

Here's what my training today looks like:

1. Chin-up: Max reps + 3x 60%

2. Lat Pulldown: 1 set 12-15, 8-10, 3-5 (20s rest in-between)

3. Shoulder Press: 3x 12

4. Blackburn: 2 sets of 4 variations (hold for 20s)

5. Cable curl: 3x 12

6. Hammer curl: till failure (~25 reps)

7. Some core circuit: 2 sets (V-up x20, Hip raise x20, Toetouch x 15)

On a good day, I could crank out 15 reps. Unfortunately, not today. 

This is one of the places where one should do their curls in, i.e. not in the squat rack.

Stay Strong.

Shut up and Squat

Training Log: Legs (Day 2)

Finally, the long awaited legs day!

I'm using a 3-day split these days (twice upper body, once lower) cus things have been hectic with school and other school. Here's my routine:

1. Kneeling Jump (with 20kg barbell): 5 sets of 5

2. Stiff-legged Deadlift: 3 sets of 10 warmup, 3 sets of heavy 10 workset. Enjoyed the pump after pre-exhausting the hamstrings

3. Squat: pyramid up to x7, x5, x3 or more

4(a). Supine hip thrust: 3 sets of 15

4(b). Elevated stability ball plank: 3 sets of 45s

5. Front leg elevated reverse lunge: 2 sets of 12

Not too intense. But I did enjoy going heavy on squat. In fact its my first free squat in months! I've been doing box squats only, stacking up the "steps" as the box if you know what I mean. Like those the ladies like to do aerobics on. Anyway, today some dude took it for depth jumps so I wondered why not some free squats? I was surprised I could handle the same weights as I did for box squats. That was encouraging. However my form began to fall into pieces as I moved up the weight, I wasn't sitting back enough, the shins were too forward, and became too quad dominant. It was a hell of a session nonetheless! Probably gotta start doing some good mornings and other posterior chain movements to remedy the issue. 

Here is my last set of squat (253lb x 6)

My warm-up set has a better form, notice how I sit back and my shins are closer to perpendicular to the floor:

Some hops:

Left the gym with surging testosterone. Ate a huge slice of pizza and drank a gainer on the way home. Cooked myself a big slice of grass fed ribeye afterwards. Now I'm ready to deal with all the crap life throws at me.

And the answer is "No". Squat is not bad for ur knees (when performed correctly)