Full body: Strength

Personal training with Paul

Superset - front squats/back squats:
115 - 3 & 3
135 - 3 & 3
145 - 3 & 3
155 - 3 & 3
160 - 2 & 3

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Superset - incline dumbbell bench press/dips (break up as required):
5 x 40s / 10
5 x 45s / 10
5 x 47s / 10
5 x 47s / 10

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Superset - cable row/neutral pull-ups (break up as required):
5 x 120 / 8
5 x 140 / 8
5 x 140 / 8
5 x 140 / 8

My last workout of 2011, and time to come up with some solid fitness goals for the year ahead.

Conditioning

Today I attempted Monday's main site WOD, which - because it's all bodyweight moves - I thought would be well within my capabilities. Bloody hell, was I wrong!

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
18 Box jumps, 24" box
15 Toes to bar
12 Pull-ups

Score = 2 rounds + 10 pull-ups

My score is 2 pull-ups short of 3 complete rounds. Only 3. Fuck, compare that to some of the scores that were posted. It was the t2b that killed me. I did these for the first time on Saturday as part of my 12 Days of Christmas, but only 2 reps per round. They felt pretty easy then, so how hard could 15 be? Plenty, as it turned out. I failed an awful lot of reps, more than I'm used to with any other type of routine. The first round wasn't too bad, taking breaks when I needed to. However, with both the second and third rounds I'd get fatigued pretty quickly, my form would falter and my legs would flail around all over the place. On the occasions when I rested enough I had the presence of mind to keep my feet close together and use controlled movements to swing up. I'd be able to do 3 or 4 consecutive reps that way. Rushing the t2b reps was my downfall. This is how it should have worked...

The box jumps and pull-ups went well, as I'm more experienced with these and knew when to rest and when to go. The first round of box jumps took just over 1 minute. The pull-ups were mostly doubles or triples. I think the whole of the first round took just under 5 minutes.

I'm disappointed because I usually perform better with bodyweight routines, but I learned a lot about how to approach a lengthy t2b routine, so this workout wasn't a complete failure.

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I brought a list of 5 different routines to the gym, one of which is the WOD mentioned above. I planned on choosing which ones to do based on how I felt today, but I ended up ignoring them all for my second routine. I just decided to do these because I felt like it!

Max reps - 1 power clean and 1 front squat @ 95lb, resetting each time
6, 5, 5, 5, 5

For all of the reps I completed the clean before executing the front squat.

Full body: Heavy weight

No curls today, but so what?

Bench press - small bench, safeties at 6 holes, starting from the top:
95 x 5
105 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 4
135 x 2
135 x 1

No idea why, but I felt a bit weak on these today. I benched 140lb for 1 rep earlier this month. However, back then I started the lift from my chest, whereas today the reps started with my arms locked out above me. I don't know if that makes a difference to the routine.

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Trap bar deadlifts:
170 x 10
220 x 5
260 x 3
280 x 1
300 x 1
315 x 1
325 x 1
335 x 1 (new PR)
340 x 0

I increased my PR by 5lb; on December 7 I lifted 330lb. The video below shows my last two successful lifts. I reviewed the video straight after 335lb and I thought my form wasn't too bad, so I went for 340lb. However, even though I rested more than 2 minutes I still couldn't get the weight to budge. Which is just as well because I forgot to start my camera; if I'd been successful I would have been pissed that I didn't record it! The video shows my lifts at 325lb and 335lb.



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Push press with hold @ 95lb

I did 5 individual 1 rep sets of these and also tried various width grips to see if that made a difference. In the end, I found that my usual grip - about an inch outside the knurling - was the one that worked best and enabled me to hold the bar overhead for the longest time.

Full body

Bacon-wrapped sweet potato pucks (not mine)

First workout following a day of Christmas self-indulgence. Actually, I wasn't too bad at all. I ate a lot during dinner, but everything was a healthy choice: no starches, plenty of veggies and, of course, lots of turkey. My cousin/brother-in-law (!) cooked the turkey and some of the veggies, Cher made the various desserts, and I cooked spaghetti squash muffins and bacon-wrapped sweet potato pucks. People were skeptical about the pucks, but tried them nonetheless. Everyone enjoyed and devoured them, except for an overweight type 2 diabetic who said she wasn't going to eat bacon because it had too much fat and was therefore unhealthy. Clearly, that's where I'm going wrong with my nutrition, then. Never mind - they were fucking delicious!

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Bear complex:
75 (x 2), 85, 95, 100, 105 (F rack jerk), 105 (F rack jerk)

Bollocks. This is starting to piss me off now; I keep failing at 105, even though I managed it once before a while back. I don't think this is an issue of strength, more likely technique (rack jerks are a relatively new move for me). Rather than take a break from these so I don't get disheartened by my performance, I think I'll keep persevering in the hope of improving my technique.

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Hang power snatches:
45 (5), 70 (3), 85 (3), 90 (F), 90 (1), 90 (2)

Got there in the end and managed to equal my previous max weight. Again, this is a matter of technique as much as anything.

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Relative max push-ups: 32, 20, 14, 12, 10

And a partridge in a pear tree, 2011 style

Personal training with Paul.

Today I had my third annual 12 Days of Christmas workout, but made even more challenging than last year. And then some.

1 x pull-up
2 x toe to bar
3 x hang power cleans @ 115lb
4 x jump lunges per leg
5 x kettlebell clean and press @ 20kg per arm
6 x burpees
7 x sit-ups
8 x box jump @ 24"
9 x deadlifts @ 115lb
10 x push-ups
11 x push press @ 105lb
12 x front squats @ 105lb

Time = 49:43

Oh. My. God. That was frigging painful. I really had to dig deep mentally for this one. Several times during this routine I had to tell myself to pick up the weight (usually the kettlebell) or get into position and start moving. I was breathing so hard my head was spinning, plus I thought my right calf was starting to cramp up. Thankfully, it never did. The kettlebell clean and press was by far the toughest part of the workout, mainly because I haven't used them for ages, so the c&j movement felt a bit awkward. This is probably where I took the most breaks, which explains why Paul kept telling me to pick up the weight during the last round. Although I wasn't keeping track of time, Paul was, and he wanted me to finish in under 50 minutes. I only just made it!

Great workout. Merry Christmas! 

December 24, 2011

Conditioning

Supersets - 5 x max reps:
Bench presses @ 95 (small bench, safeties at 6 holes): 16, 9, 7, 6, 6
Pull-ups (strict): 7, 5, 5, 5, 4

My infected finger feels like it's almost recovered, but the pull-ups today have been the only exercise that's caused me any discomfort this week. In each round today I felt like I had the strength to do 1 or 2 more pull-ups, but my grip started to go because I couldn't hold onto the bar without gripping hard and causing some pain in my finger.

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This is adapted (scaled) from yesterday's Crossfit WOD.

RFT 21-15-9:
Power cleans @ 105
Sit-ups
Time = 10:26

I used the sit-up bench where you lean back, and touched the ground behind me with alternating hands in each rep. Here's a video with Greg Amundson explaining the WOD. As RXed would have been 135lb cleans with GHD sit-ups. In retrospect, I wish I'd used 115lb for the cleans. I was going for speed today, but even scaling like this my final time is still much slower than scores shown on the Crossfit site. 115lb would obviously have been much more challenging, but I'm sure I could have done it. After all, I've done 110lb clean and jerks before in a metcon.

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Dips below parallel - 5 x max:
9, 6, 4, 4, 4

Full body: Heavy weight

Pretty good heavy workout today with a couple of 1 new PRs.

Power clean and jerk:
95 x 3
105 x 2 (3 cleans but couldn't hold the third jerk)
110 x 2
115 x 0 (locked out but couldn't maintain the overhead hold)
115 x 1 (PR. Dammit!)

This is an improvement on a few weeks ago during a personal training session, but I wasn't able to video it this time. The first attempt at 115lb today was pretty good, but I couldn't hold the bar overhead for more than a second and I wanted to be strict about keeping it up for 2. I rested a couple of seconds and tried again, successfully.

During my warm up/practice I was able to catch the bar on my shoulders and balance it near my fingertips. That meant my elbows were high and my arms were nice and parallel to the floor. I also did this up to 105lb during the actual routine, but from that point on my elbows got lower and lower.

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Front squats (a2g):
75 x 10
105 x 5
115 x 3
130 x 3
140 x 3
150 x 3
160 x 3
165 x 1 (PR)
165 x 1



This is the first time I'd managed 3 reps at 160lb, so I went for an extra 5lb. I could only do 1 rep, so I racked the bar. I was going to quit at that point, but Cher was watching and asked why I didn't do more reps. I said I felt like I was losing my balance and couldn't hold the bar any more. She said it didn't look like I was struggling with the weight, so I rested a couple of minutes before trying again. Cher videoed my second set at 165lb, including an attempt at a second (failed) rep. And whaddaya know - I lost my bloody balance and couldn't hold the bar any more. D'oh!

Legs and Posterior Chain

It's been 3 days since I've done any training, so I decided to do some leg and posterior chain work as I felt this wouldn't be affected by my aching, infected finger. I started with partial squats, which didn't cause me any discomfort at all; I didn't have to grip the bar, just keep it balanced in place on my back using my palms.

Partial back squats:
185 x 5
220 x 3
235 x 3
250 x 3
260 x 3
275 x 3
285 x 3
300 x 3
305 x 2 (PR)

Ok, this is only partial squats but I was still surprised at how fresh my legs felt during this routine, perhaps due to taking a few days off. I was trying for three reps at 305lb, but couldn't stand back up for the third. The video shows my final set.



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Deadlifts:
135 x 10
165 x 6
185 x 5
205 x 3
215 x 1
225 x 1
245 x 1
265 x 1
280 x 1
290 x 1
300 x 1 (PR)

Another PR! After the 290lb round, I set up the bar with another 5lb, then sat down for a rest break. I thought, sod it, another 5lb won't kill me, so went for a round 300lb. This was a target I was hoping I'd hit before Christmas, so I managed it with a few days to spare. I felt like I had enough strength for another 5lb, but reviewing my video shows my back was starting to bow, a sure sign to quit at that point. The video shows my lifts from 265lb onwards. It doesn't show the embarrassing toe holes in my left sock, which I'm sure other gym users must have noticed! But I deadlifted 300lb, so who gives a shit!

Damn. Bugger. Piss.

I was planning on a heavy posterior chain and leg day, but I have a very painful infected ring finger on my left hand. It's been bugging me for just over a week, but seemed to be getting better until yesterday when I noticed that it was swollen, which coincided with it getting even more painful. Even the slightest touch is agony, so there was no way I was going to manage heavy deadlifts (or an empty bar, for that matter).

My doctor noticed my hands are really dry and the skin has cracked from the cold weather, so it's likely that bacteria has infected the broken skin on my finger. Now I'm on a 10-day course of antibiotics, which I hate because they always give me an upset stomach. I'm balancing the medication with a probiotic, so I hope that helps to stop me from losing any weight.

Anyway, the main bugger is that this means an extended rest period because I can't lift anything. The pharmacist reckons I should see some improvement within 48-72 hours, so I might be able to get back to training by Monday morning.

Feck!

Full body: Heavy weight

Not a great workout today. I felt a bit bleh because of a rough night's sleep, plus I have an infection in the ring finger of my left hand, which makes gripping a barbell a little painful. It actually isn't too bad, just painful enough to be distracting, thus limiting my concentration and focus.

The first routine was based on a main site WOD from a few days ago.

Resting 60 seconds between sets:
Bench press 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2
95, 105, 115, 125, 130, 135, 140 (1), 135 (1), 125, 125, 130

I set up the bench press like I usually do, using the small bench and safeties at 6 holes. This means the bar comes down about an inch from my chest at the lowest point when it hits the safeties. However, this time I had the bar on the rests above my head so that I started the move from the top position, rather than the bottom (safeties).

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Push press - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (from rack)
75, 85, 95, 100, 105, 105, 110, 115 (F), 115 (F)

My posture on the heavier push presses is pretty awful and it looks like I'm leaning back too much. I could certainly feel some pressure in my lower back (not painful) where it's arching. Coincidentally, the picture I posted on my last blog post shows what I'm doing wrong (middle picture). On the video you can see I get the bar overhead at 115lb - twice on the second attempt - but I wasn't happy with my form so I marked both sets as "F". The bar was a little bit in front of me - like with my last Grace attempt - and the bar didn't stay up very long.

Perhaps it's the lack of sleep, but the bar just felt heavy today. I've certainly had enough of a break from hard exercise because I had a rest day yesterday, the first time I've done that on a Wednesday.

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Weighted sit-ups - 4 x max @ 8lb
12, 10, 12, 7

Full body: Heavy weight

Overhead: Solid / Weak core / Tight shoulders

Split jerk:
65 (5), 75 (3), 85 (3), 95 (3), 95 (3), 95 (3), 95 (3), 95 (3)

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Complex: 1 x power squat clean and 1 x front squat
Update: It's probably more accurate to describe this as 1 x power clean and 2 x front squats
(Warm up: 95 x 1, 95 x 2, 95 x 2)
105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140 (F), 140 (F)



On both failed sets at 140lb, the failure was in getting the bar up to my chest (i.e. the power clean portion). Both failures - shown in the video - were close, but then dropped. I couldn't get enough power from my hips to get the bar up to my chest.

The last time I attempted a routine similar to this I did 2 front squats, not 1 like today. That time I failed to clean 135, so today was an improvement in that respect.

Full body: Heavy weight

I was too busy to train this morning, so tried to fit in a quick workout in the afternoon. I'd forgotten how much I dislike afternoon in the gym; it's too busy and crowded, and I found it too difficult to concentrate. The only area I could use was close to the pull-up/squat rack and the weight plates. There were people constantly taking or putting back weights, which put me off, especially during my second routine.

Death by deadlifts @ 225lb
(Warm up: 3 rounds of 6 x 185lb)

Score = 7 rounds

When I completed the 7th round there were only about 5 seconds for me to rest, so when I attempted the first rep of the 8th round I simply didn't have any energy. Also, my lower back started to feel tight. I've no idea what my form was like as it was too crowded for me to set up my camera, and I wouldn't have had time to check the videos between rounds, anyway. This routine pretty much went a I'd expected.

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Bear complex
75, 85, 95 (F on rack jerk), 95, 100 (F on push jerk), 100 (F on rack jerk), 100 (F on rack jerk)

It's not that I felt weak on any of these moves, but I found it difficult to concentrate with so much going on around me. People were walking around my set up to get or put back weights, either for bench presses or leg presses. At least in the morning that area of the gym is much less active.

Oh, well. I only wanted a short, simple workout today anyway - just not this short!

My left calf is still painful from Saturday's cramp - which never returned again later, thankfully - and my right calf also hurts, even though it never cramped up during my training session. Massaging it is too painful, so it's just a matter of waiting it out.

Conditioning: a.k.a Breaking Point!

Angie Pye - CrossFit Article

Personal training with Paul

For time:
1 Clean and Jerk - 110
1 Round of Cindy
2 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
3 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
4 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
5 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
6 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
7 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
8 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
9 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
10 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
(Cindy= 5 Kipping Pull-ups, 10 Push-ups, 15 Air Squats)

Time: 44:23

Not a completely accurate time because Paul paused his watch during the round of 9 clean jerks when I got cramp in my left calf. I also cramped up my right hamstring during round 8 of the pull-ups (I think), but that didn't last too long. I think that must be the worst pain I've ever endured during a workout. Thankfully, it cleared up and I was able to continue. Watching my calf muscles twitching was pretty creepy. It would have pissed me off that Paul was laughing at me if I hadn't been laughing myself! :-)

One theory for leg cramps during exercise is dehydration, and I was actually pretty thirsty at this point in the routine. However, in the past, drinking too much water while I'm doing an air squat routine usually makes me feel like I'm going to throw up because of all the liquid swilling around my stomach. Therefore, I deliberately didn't drink too much while I was resting. Also, I once saw a video where Iceland Annie criticised herself for chalking up her hands during a routine as just an excuse for taking a rest; I've done that with water breaks but didn't want to do it today.

Another cause is low sodium, and in the past few months I've cut down on my salt intake by eating much less processed food. I'd estimate that 90% of the food I eat now is prepared from scratch.

Full body: Heavy weight

Hang power cleans @ 125
(Warm up: 3 x 5 @ 95; 5 @ 105)
4, 4, 4, 4, 4 = 20

This is the first time I've hit all 20 reps with 125lb. A couple of weeks ago I did 19, as I only got 3 reps in the final set. Nice and consistent today, though. Taking my time to warm up properly certainly paid off.

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Back squats - a2g
100 x 10
125 x 6
135 x 5
145 x 3
155 x 3
165 x 3
175 x 3
180 x 3
185 x 3
190 x 3
195 x 1
195 x 2

In both sets at 195lb I could feel my balance starting to go - I started to lean forward - so I felt it was safer to leave it there in case I fell over.  That's a respectable weight for me doing full rom squats and pretty close to 200lb, so that's encouraging.

Also, I figured out why I get dizzy doing heavy deadlifts and squats. I used to think it was the up and down motion that got to me, but I realised - from watching my trap bar deadlift video - that my face goes bright red from the exertion. The dizziness is caused by the blood rushing to my head!

I felt like I still had plenty of energy after these two routines, so I was tempted to do a bear complex. However, I took Paul's advice and finished my workout at this point. (The fact I had to ask shows I kind of knew the answer already.) It's going to take discipline for me to work out intelligently.

Full body: Heavy weight

Back into the gym for the first time since Thursday last week, following a much-needed rest. I started with something simple and didn't overdo my workout.

Bench press - small bench, 6 holes:
95 x 6
105 x 5
115 x 5
125 x5
135 x 3
140 x 1

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Trap bar deadlifts:
170 x 10
220 x 5
260 x 3
280 x 1
290 x 1
300 x 1
310 x 1
320 x 1
325 x 1
330 x 1 (PR)



Last time I did these my form on the heavier weights was awful, with my back rounding a lot. This time - at least from the angle I used for this video - was much better, until the last set. That was a PR at 330lb and my back rounded enough for me to call it quits. Even then, I think my form was better than last time. Not wearing shoes definitely helped.

Overtraining... again!

Well, I've gone and done it again. This is the third time this year I've overtrained, although this time the symptoms are a bit different. My joints and muscles are achy, particularly in my arms and shoulders. Previous times when I've overdone it I've also lacked motivation (not wanting to go to the gym, let alone train), my sleep has been disrupted, and I've felt like I was about to get a cold. For the past few days I've just had the aching feeling.

The last time I trained was Thursday, which means that so far I've had 4 days of rest. Depending on how I feel tomorrow, it could well be 5. Reading about overtraining on CrossFit forums, one person advised taking a complete week of rest if necessary, and not doing even light training just for the sake of doing something. At the moment, I'm itching to lift something heavy, even though I know I need to rest. It's the addictive qualities inherent in exercise that keep me going sometimes. As someone noted, perhaps it should be called CrackFit! (Yes, I know I'm not a CrossFit athlete, but it's the style of training that's closest to the regimen I follow.)

I definitely need to rethink how I train, as this is happening too often. Right now I exercise Monday through Thursday, have a personal training session on Saturday, leaving Friday and Sunday as my rest days. As Paul's observed, I often try to fit too much into each session with perhaps 4 or 5 different routines; sticking to just 2 is a more intelligent strategy.

One comment of note, in response to an article about CrossFitters overtraining: "I actually work out less, with greater results than I used to... I used to pretty much always go 5x/week, now it's 4x, and sometimes 3x week. I feel better, recover better, and I've shifted from "I have to hit the PR/I suck at pullups-f$%$%ck!/can't believe that person was faster or lifted heavier than me" BS, and just work out each time as hard as I can, and I do 100% of my best each day."

Part of my problem is that in the back of my mind is the (absurd) idea that if I don't train, I'll turn back into the Pillsbury Doughboy I used to be. However, "Burning Calories: If I don’t workout then I won't have burned any calories today and if I don't do that then I’ll surely get fat. Stop connecting diet and exercise! They are two separate pieces of a healthy profile. Did you know that people actually GAIN weight when they are overtrained or under-slept?"

On another forum, someone said: "Just remember you get stronger by recovering from and adapting to the stress you put on your body in training. Smart training + proper recovery = results. More training ≠ more results."

I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not an athlete, so I don't need to train like one. I'm just trying to have fun getting stronger and fitter, which I measure with improved PRs. I'm not trying to win any trophies.

Full body: Heavy weight

The Speal. 5' 4" of monster athlete. Rather like myself.

Front squats (a2g)
75 x 10
105 x 5
115 x 3
130 x 3
140 x 3
150 x 3
160 x 2

In hindsight I'm a little pissed at myself for not trying and failing (if necessary) with the third rep at 160lb. As you can see in the video, I was slow coming up in the second rep, thought about going again, but ended up racking the bar. At that point, I had nothing to lose by attempting the third. Oh well...



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Bent over rows - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
95, 105, 115, 120, 125 (4)

My form is a little shaky on some of the reps when the bar got heavy. My upper body is moving too much as I jerk the bar, rather than using a smooth motion to lift the bar to my chest. Still, I don't think I did too badly.



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Bear complex: 1 power clean, 1 front squat, 1 push jerk, 1 back squat, 1 rack jerk
75, 85, 95 (failed the push jerk), 95, 100, 105 (failed the pj), 105 (failed the rack jerk)

By this point, I felt really knackered (my arms in particular). This was my last workout at the end of a heavy couple of weeks, so maybe there was just no more fuel left in the tank!

Arms and Active recovery

Erin Stern. I want those arms!

Alternate sets

Straight bar curls: 55 (10), 60 (8), 65 (5), 65 (5)
Dumbbell skull crushers: 25s (10), 27s (7), 30s (5), 30s (5)

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Barbell preacher curls - 3 x max @ 60: 9, 8, 8
Tricep push-downs - 3 x max @ 45: 7, 9, 5

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Dumbbell flies - 2 x 12 @ 22s
Dumbbell lying rear lat raises - 2 x 12 @ 15s

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Lateral raises - 2 x 12 @ 15s
Underhand pull-downs - 2 x 12 @ 75

Grace / Body weight

I really wish I'd started videoing my workouts before because the ones I've been recording recently are showing up flaws in my form that I wasn't aware of. For example, I did Grace today - 30 clean and presses for time - using 105lb for the first time. My time was pretty slow today and I'm surprised that adding only 5lb would be so challenging compared to last time. However, what's apparent from the video below is that my form on a lot of reps was crappy. Too many times I didn't lock out my arms overhead (I know the bar doesn't need to stay up as this is a metcon, but they do need to be straight), plus I'm leaning back a lot so that the bar is pretty much in front of me rather than just behind my head. Still, I'm not being too hard on myself because at least now I'm aware I'm doing something wrong and can correct it.

Grace: 30 clean and jerks for time @ 105



Compare this to my effort: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydeCu7W1VRc

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10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time:
Kipping pull-ups followed by hand release push-ups

Time = 9:01

Legs and Posterior chain: Heavy weight

Back squats - hamstring to calf:
100 x 10
125 x 10
135 x 10
145 x 10
155 x 10
165 x 5
165 x 3

I was disappointed not to complete a full set at 165lb, but my failure was due to feeling dizzy rather than inability to squat the weight. I rested nearly 2 minutes after the first set at 165lb to ensure I was as ready as possible. When the dizziness returned during the second 165lb set, I felt like I was going to drop the bar so I had to rack it. Still, 165 is pretty respectable.

I did this routine in my socks - not my usual running shoes - and I think it helped my posture and balance. I was able to keep my weight in my heels most of the time.

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Deadlifts:
135 x 10
165 x 6
185 x 5
205 x 3
215 x 1
225 x 1
235 x 1
245 x 1
255 x 1
275 x 1
285 x 1 (previous PR)
290 x 1 (new PR)
295 x 1 (newer PR!)

Holy crap! This felt great and nauseating at the same time! As you can see at the end of the video, I nearly passed out after the final lift. I was so lightheaded, which I've never felt before while doing deadlifts. As with the squats, I didn't wear shoes and that made a phenomenal difference. It felt much easier to keep my chest up and my hips down at the start of the lift, although my form did waver a bit towards the end. Also, I used a mixed grip - one palm facing towards me, the other away from me - and didn't have to resort to using wrist straps, which is a first with such heavy weights. I felt like I had the strength to go for 300lb, but my back was rounding enough that I knew it wasn't worth the risk of injury. Still, hitting such a significant PR - an increase of 10lb - feels fantastic!

Loyalty and Integrity

ABsolute Fitness & Personal Training in New Hamburg is one of my favourite places. For more than four years it's been the venue of innumerable mini triumphs and failures, especially over the past 16 months while I've been training there five times a week.

I'm fortunate to have a fantastic personal trainer, Paul French, who has been programming my training since September 2007. I've gone from 17% body fat to 12%; from struggling to complete a push-up properly, to being annoyed with myself because I could only deadlift 340lb with imperfect form. Sure, I'm the one who's doing all the hard work, but Paul's the reason I can do it (plus he checks up on my blog to offer advice - in his own time). He makes me believe I can improve every single day when I train and that I can push through the pain. When that voice in my head tells me to quit, I know I can push harder. A good - no, a great personal trainer builds mental as well as physical strength.

So when I heard one of the gym's clients had fired her trainer, I was curious. Then I heard how and why she did it, and I got pissed. With a capital "f".

Said client recently placed second in a fitness competition, due in no small part to the dedication, imagination and expertise of her trainer. Prior to this, the client had never entered a fitness contest, let alone made it to the podium, so to go from nothing to a silver medal is a major accomplishment. And how does she reward the person who made it possible? Fire him. Not to his face. Not in person. But to a coworker. By phone.

That's cowardly behaviour, and it's reprehensible as it demonstrates disloyalty and a lack of integrity. She claims that her trainer can't take her to the next level. Well, good luck getting there at a big box gym. (All credit to her former trainer, who has handled the situation with good grace. After all, when you tread in dog shit, there's no point jumping up and down on it to punish it.)

Speaking of big gyms, recently I've been dismayed at local people I know who are joining a new establishment that will be opening soon in Waterloo. They're pumping their dollars into big out-of-town chain businesses, rather than supporting independents that are closer to home. Sure, at ABsolute Fitness I don't get towel service, a smoothie bar, nor a cappuccino. What I do get is stronger, fitter and healthier, which is exactly what I expect from a gym. Hanging from the ceiling by a big, pink elastic band is a gimmick that will get boring very quickly. Give me tried and tested fitness techniques that actually work any day.

Most importantly, spending money outside your community adds to the stress on our local companies as they struggle in the current economic climate. Supporting local enterprises means the community as a whole will thrive. Besides, we all love small, unique and independent businesses - the book stores, the restaurants, the gift shops and, of course, the gyms. Who loves Rogers, Wal-Mart or KFC?

Full body: Heavy weight and Conditioning

Personal training with Paul



Clean and Jerk:
95 x 3
105 x 2
110 x 2
115 x 0
115 x 0 (couldn't quite hold the bar up long enough)
115 x 0
115 x 0

I felt close to completing the movement successfully at 115lb, but I couldn't lock out my arms for more than a split second. The video above shows my second and third attempts. My shoulders still feel fatigued from Thursday' upper body workout, which didn't help. The next routine punished them even more.

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Cindy on Steroids: Amrap 20
5 wide grip pull-ups
10 clapping push-ups
15 jump squats

Score = 9 rounds + 5 pull-ups

Bloody hell, this got my heart pumping! It was good to do a seriously punishing conditioning routine again because I've been concentrating on lifting heavy the past few weeks. This is the first time I've done Cindy on Steroids; I usually do the plain vanilla Cindy. It felt great to be able to do jump squats again, this being the first time in months due to my dodgy left hip.

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Each for time: 15 sit-ups, 30 bicycle crunches per side
1:05, 1:25

Upper body: Heavy weight

Josh Everett

I did much better today than I anticipated because I felt pretty tired (sleepy, not fatigued).

Hang power cleans @ 125
(Warm up: 2 x 5 @ 95; 4 @ 105)
4, 4, 4, 4, 3

Last time I did these I managed 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, so this is a significant improvement. Today I had much more power from my hips, and I took my time to prepare myself between individual reps (no more than a couple of seconds each time.) I'm sure that helped as I felt more relaxed mentally. I was convinced I was going to get the fourth rep in the final round, but was only able to get the bar up halfway, hence the loudly hissed "Shit!" when I failed.

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Split jerk: 65 (5), 75 (3), 95 (3), 95 (3), 95 (3), 95 (2)

Nice and consistent, plus better than last time.

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Hang power snatches: 45 (5), 70 (3), 85 (3), 90 (2)

Again, an improvement; I failed at 90lb last time, so this is a PR.

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Weighted sit-ups - max reps @ 8lb: 10, 10, 9, 10

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Relative max push-ups: 32, 20, 13, 13

Overall, it feels like a good week's training. I didn't overdo it so even though I've made significant progress I don't feel like I've over-trained. Plus, I've learned some valuable lessons from my videos.

Legs: Heavy weight

Nice, simple and heavy today. I videoed myself so I could check on my form again.



Front squats (a2g with pause) 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145, 150, 155, 160 (1)

I was pretty pleased I was able to use the proper grip until I got to 160lb, when I switched to a crossover grip. My pauses weren't totally consistent when I got to the heavier weights, but at least I managed to squat all the way down.

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Back squat - 1 rep max to parallel
135 (8), 165 (5), 185 (1), 205 (1), 215 (1), 220 (1), 225 (1), 230 (1-ish!)

My squats to parallel weren't too bad, until the last couple of sets where it looks like I'm a little above parallel. Also, I think I'm leaning too far forward, which affected my balance and form.

Upper body: Heavy weight

Haven't done much horizontal pulling recently, so I threw in 2 routines today.

Dumbbell row - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 per arm
70, 75, 80, 85, 85 (4)

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Push press with 2 second hold - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (from rack)
75, 85, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115 (1)

I think this is a PR for my push presses. I felt like I got a lot of power from my hips today, which helped a lot. I certainly felt in control of the movement. I videoed the first 2 sets, but when I checked my camera during my second rest break, I realised you can only see me from the shoulders down! Pretty useless, but I couldn't find a way to set up the camera at a better angle, so I didn't bother to record any more sets.


The bar could be on elastic attached to the ceiling for all this video shows!

I'm not sure if it made any difference to this routine, but I wore flatter soled shoes today, not my usual running pair. That may or may not have affected my stability.

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C2B chin-ups - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
20, 22, 25, 27 (4), 27 (4)

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Cable row - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
130, 140, 150, 160, 170 (4)

Never hit 4 reps at 170lb before - only 2 last time - so I'm pretty pleased with this.

Full body: Heavy weight

Trap bar deadlifts:
170 x 10
220 x 5
260 x 3
280 x 1
290 x 1
300 x 1
310 x 1
320 x 1
325 x 1
330 (F)

That's a new PR by 5lb. However, looking at the last few lifts in my video, I'm surprised at how poor my form was. I didn't realise I was bending my back so much. Just goes to show how much I miss by only seeing myself head-on in the mirror.

Update: I've had a few comments - from Paul on Facebook and Chris via email, all of them reasonable - that my form, as shown in this video, is pretty bloody awful. I was so preoccupied with hitting a new PR that I let my form suffer, at the risk of injuring myself. I recall having a similar issue with conventional deadlifts and I ended up scaling back the weight I was lifting in order to improve my form. That's definitely what I need to do here, too, so for the next few months I won't be aiming for a new PR, or even trying to match the weight I've managed so far with trap bar deadlifts.

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Bear complex: 1 power clean, 1 front squat, 1 push jerk, 1 back squat, 1 rack jerk
75, 85, 95 (F), 95, 100 (F), 100, 105 (F), 105

Equaled my PR from a couple of weeks ago. Here are the last couple of successful attempts (I edited out the failed first set at 105lb). My upper body form looks ok - and I definitely locked out the rack jerk at 105lb, even though it isn't that clear in the video - but my feet are all over the place. I need to work on my control.



I was going to do a lengthy abs routine to finish off, but my lower back started to feel a bit stiff so I decided to play it safe.

Full body: Heavy weight

Me with my shirt off. Oh, wait...

Personal training with Paul

Bench press:
95 x 6
105 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 5
135 x 2
140 x 1 (PR!)

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Bench press for time - 15 @ 125
Time = 6:12

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Deadlifts:
135 x 10 (touch and go)
185 x 5 (t&g)
205 x 5 (reset after each rep)
225 x 5
245 x 5
255 x 5
255 x 4

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Alternating sets:

Neutral pull-ups:
5 @ 25
5 @ 30
5 @ 35
4 @ 40

Sit-ups:
9 @ bodyweight
10 @ b/w
5 @ 5lb
8 @ 3lb

Struggling to do weighted sit-ups? Well, that's pretty bloody embarrassing! I don't think I've failed that badly on any new exercise since attempting skipping rope about 4 year ago! And the day started so well with a new bench press PR...

Today I took my second monthly progress photo. Still can't figure out why my left arm - which is supposedly my weakest - is so much bigger than my right arm!

Chris Spealler

Conditioning/Arms

Talayna Fortunato

A little bit of everything to finish the week.

5 rft:
10 kipping pull-ups
10 box jumps @ 24"
10 hand release push-ups
10 ball slams @ 20lb
10 sit-ups
Time = 17:43

I'm sure I would have been a lot quicker on the pull-ups if I'd used the squat cage bar instead of the pull-up rack. When I swung my legs for momentum, the whole rack felt like it was going to tip to one side so I didn't use as much movement. On the other bar I can really go for it.

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Straight bar curls - max @ 55: 10, 9, 7

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Skull crushers - max @ 25s: 10, 9, 7

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Alternate sets:

Incline curls - max @ 22s: 10, 9, 7
Tricep push-downs - max @ 80: 9, 8, 7

I used a different set up for the push-downs today, which is why I could do them with 80lb rather than my usual 45lb.

Legs/Posterior chain: Heavy weight

Today was simple but heavy. I had planned on doing conditioning today, but my quads are still burning from Monday's workout, so there was no way I was going to manage quick box jumps.

Where I gripped the bar

Snatch grip deadlift:
95 x 3
110 x 3
150 x 3
180 x 3
205 x 3
210 x 3
215 x 3
220 x 3
225 x 3
230 x 3
235 x 2

As usual, for lower body workouts I aim for 80% of Paul's weights, which is currently 275lb for this routine (making 80% = 220lb). I got to 220lb and felt I had more in me, so I kept going. I finished at 235lb for 2 reps  - I just couldn't budge the bar for a third - which is equal to over 85% of Paul's PR. Very pleased with that, especially as this is the first time I've done this type of deadlift. I gripped the bar with my palms over the shiny/non-knurled part and used straps from 220lb onwards. Throughout the routine I was able to pretty much touch and go, rather than having to reset each time.

Partial back squats:
200 x 3
210 x 3
220 x 3
235 x 3
250 x 3
260 x 3
275 x 1
285 x 1
300 x 1
305 (F)

This started off as aiming to get as heavy as I could for 3 reps each time. When I got to 275lb, I could only manage 1 rep, so from that point on I kept going with single reps. 300 felt challenging but comfortable, so I went for 305. I felt in control squatting down, but when the bar hit the safeties there was no way I was getting back up.

Upper body: Heavy/moderate weight

Hope Solo

This turned out to be an expensive training session:

Bench press - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 (large bench, 7 holes):
95, 115, 125, 135 (3), 135 (2)

Exactly the same reps as last time.

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Wide-grip pull-ups - max reps:
11, 8, 7, 7, 5

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Push presses with 2 second hold - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Each round starts with a power clean
75, 85, 95, 100, 105 (2), 105 (F)

My arms and shoulders were already feeling tired with the 2 reps at 105lb, but I rested almost 2 minutes so I could try again. Big mistake. I cleaned the bar and got it overhead, but couldn't lock out. My arms completely gave up and I had to drop the bar from what must have been chest height. I was using the 10lb bumper plates so I wouldn't have to crouch too low to start the cleans (the rest of the weights were metal), so when I dropped the bar the thin plates buckled. It wasn't until I removed the left bumper that I noticed I had cracked it. I'd been warned not to throw down the new plates, but there was nothing I could do about this today. I simply had no arm or grip strength left so I had to let go. Balls.

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Push-ups - 4 x relative max
29, 24, 15, 12

Legs

I felt nice and rested after 2 days without any exercise, which is just what my body needed.

Christian Thibaudeau demonstrating the strap grip for front squats

Box front squat: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 - small bench, wooden step
95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145, 150 (3)

Last time I did this I only managed 1 rep at 150lb. I had planned on using a new grip technique I found on YouTube. It uses straps to help hold the bar up and removes stress on the wrists, which is a problem for me when I do a conventional front squat grip. I did ok with a few practice squats using an empty 45lb bar, but when I tried it at 95lb I couldn't maintain a decent grip on the straps. This was because I wasn't able to wrap them properly around both hands. Straps like these Gillingham straps would have been more effective, so I might look into buying some. From 115lb onwards I used a cross-grip, which isn't ideal but it's still the only way I can handle heavier weights.

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Back squats: 10 reps at each weight, hamstring to calf
105, 135, 145, 150, 155 (7)

Bugger! I was aiming to replicate Paul's reps, but scaled to roughly 80% of his weight. I was doing fine until the last round and I couldn't manage the full 10 reps. However, this wasn't due to a lack of strength; I felt dizzy coming up from the seventh squat, so I stood for a few seconds trying to get myself together, but I thought I was going to topple over from the dizziness. I think I pissed off some other gym members with all my grunting!

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I had planned on doing a lunge routine - both dumbbell and air lunges - but when I tried a few to warm up I could feel a twinge of pain in my left hip, so I decided not to risk it. I didn't feel a thing during either the front or back squats routines, though. In the end, I just went with a quick hang squat clean routine.

20 x hang squat cleans @ 95; full rom
Time = 4:25

The results in the previous few Mondays have been disappointing, but they were all upper body. I think I overdid the upper body exercises because of my dodgy hip, so today's almost totally leg day was a good idea. I did pretty well, so I'm pleased with the outcome.

Full body: Heavy/moderate weight

Personal training with Paul.

Today was a triumph of willpower as I felt pretty crappy from the moment I woke up. It feels like I've overtrained again and I didn't have any energy. Even warming up with an empty bar was a struggle. The weird thing is, I felt a hell of a lot better at the end of the session than I did when I started.

Split jerk:
65 (5), 75 (3), 95 (2), 95 (2), 95 (1), 95 (3)

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Amrap 15:
10 x deadlifts @ 155
10 x box jumps @ 26"

Score = 8 rounds

I thought I was going to lose my breakfast during this routine. This is where the fatigue really kicked in.

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Superset - 4 sets:
Max rep dips - 10, 8, 8, 7
Leg elevated abs move - 12 per side

Arms

Erin LaVoie, world-champion lumberjack

Still felt a bit tired today, so I took it easy. A short run from Grandview to the gym, after taking Madi to school, which helped me warm up.

Alternate sets

Straight bar curls - max @ 50: 14, 14, 11, 9
Dumbbell skull crushers - max @ 22s: 13, 13, 10, 7

Barbell preacher curls - max @ 50: 10, 8, 9
French presses - max @ 25: 10, 7, 7

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Tricep push-downs - max @ 45: 7, 5, 5

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For the past couple of months, until recently, I've been doing just upper body work because of my hip problem. My hip is 95% better now, but I think all those upper body routines are coming back to haunt me because my arms and shoulder are completely knackered, while my legs feel fine. I've done some heavy leg routines this week but they don't seem to have had any adverse effects on me, whilst the arm and shoulder routines have - for the most part - been less than adequate.

Full body: Heavy/moderate weight

Power clean and press:
65 (5), 95 (3), 105 (3), 105 (3), 110 (2), 115 (F), 115 (F)

That's a step backwards with my clean and presses; I should have got at least 1 rep at 115lb. Either I've overtrained my upper body and it needs more recovery time, my recovery nutrition isn't right, or I need to do more warming up before I start lifting. It may well be the latter because it only seems to be the first routine each morning where I'm not doing as well as I should.

Update: It's now 6:50pm and I'm feeling a bit drained, so perhaps this morning's clean and press performance is simply an indication that I need to have a break. I was planning on taking tomorrow as a rest day anyway, then an arm day on Thursday. That should leave me refreshed for Friday. 

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Fran: 21-15-9
Thrusters @ 95
Kipping pull-ups
Time = 15:13

That's a 22 second improvement on last time, in August, which was 19 seconds quicker than the time before that back in May. Those thrusters felt tougher than I expected and I failed on one rep late in the first round. Kipping pull-ups went really quickly. I'm making steady improvement with Fran, but still a lot of work to do before I match hardcore CrossFit athletes! Clearly, my light weight is an advantage for the kipping pull-ups, but a disadvantage for 95lb thrusters.

Here's how my Girl's scores have improved.

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For time:
20 deadlifts @ 135
20 sumo deadlifts @ 135

Time = 2:32

This is what Fran is supposed to look like.

Full body: Heavy weight

How I felt today

The Monday Morning Curse strikes again!

Rack bench press 5, 5, 4, 4, 3 (small bench, 6 holes)
115, 125, 130, 135 (2), 135 (2)

Last time I did this I got 4 reps in the fourth set at 135lb, and 2 reps at 140lb in the final round, so that's quite a significant drop. Not a good start. However...

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Partial back squats 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (safeties @ 11)
Warm up: 3 @ 185
215, 235, 255, 280, 300 (2)

A new PR - that's the first time I hit any reps at 300lb with this routine, so very pleased with that, especially as it was 2 reps and not just 1. I attempted a third, but after I'd squatted down I couldn't get back up and left the bar on the safeties. At the start of the final round I'd only set up the bar for 295lb then thought, what the hell - go for it!

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Amrap 12:
Neutral pull-ups
8 push-ups when I drop from the bar
Score = 57 pull-ups; 12 breaks; 88 push-ups

The first routine today - bench presses - were pretty crappy. This seems to be a recurring theme on Monday mornings and it's frustrating not knowing the cause. Is it because I don't get my nutrition right at the weekend (I don't eat crappily, just at irregular times)? I don't think it's because I have a rest day on Sundays as I also have one on Fridays and seem to do ok the next day. Then again, it seems to be only when I do upper body work on Monday mornings, as the rack squats PR shows.

Post work-out snack: spicy turkey meatballs with sweet potato rosti and a little mango sauce

Full body: Heavy weight

Personal training with Paul

Trap bar deadlifts:
170 x 10
220 x 5
260 x 3
280 x 1
290 x 1
300 x 1
310 x 1
320 x 1
330 x 0
330 x 0

Pretty pleased with my final successful weight. After 320lb I felt like I was capable of getting more, but I simply couldn't budge the weight off the ground. Still, 320lb is very respectable. That's roughly 2 and 1/4 times my body weight, and 80% of Paul's 1 rep max.

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Complex (1 squat clean and 2 front squats)
95, 105, 115, 125, 130, 135 (F)

The most important thing here for me was that I was able to do 130lb front squats without any hip pain. 80% of Paul's weight with the deadlifts, but only 60% for the complex. Got to work on improving my upper body strength.

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5 round, max reps:
Bench press @ 95: 15, 10, 9, 7, 7
Pull-ups (strict): 8, 7, 6, 6, 6

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1 minute each; 30 seconds rest in between:
Twist: 40
Heel touch: 36
Bicycle crunches: 60
Sit-ups: 17

Arms and Active Recovery

Alternate sets:

Straight bar curls: 50 (10), 55 (10), 60 (7), 65 (6)
Dumbbell skull crushers: 22s (13), 25s (8), 27s (6), 30s (5)

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Barbell preacher curls - 3 x max @ 50: 12, 10, 10
Tricep push-downs - 3 x max @ 45: 9, 7, 5

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Dumbbell flies: 2 x 12 @ 22s
Dumbbell lying rear lat raises: 2 x 12 @ 15s

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Lateral raises: 2 x 12 @ 15s
Underhand pull-downs: 2 x 12 @ 75

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Swiss ball plank for 1 minute, followed by cramp in both sets of quads. Ouch!

Full body: Heavy weight

Annie Sakamoto

I've been advised to "listen to your body" when planning a daily workout. Well, after yesterday's conditioning punishment, today my body was saying "Stay home." This morning I planned two alternative workouts: one was for arms and active recovery, the other a heavy weight routine. I only made my final decision when I stepped out of the locker room. My triceps were so sore from all the dips and push-ups yesterday that there seemed little point in doing any arm-specific routines. I wasn't feeling fatigued at all, just suffering from doms everywhere! In the end, I'm glad I went with the heavy option.

Deadlift - 1 rep max
135 (1)
165 (6)
185 (5)
205 (3)
215 (1)
225 (1)
225 (1)
235 (1)
245 (1)
255 (1)
265 (1)
275 (1)
280 (1)
285 (1)
290 (F)

That's a new PR. I'm hoping to hit 300 by Christmas.

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Bear complex: 1 Power Clean + 1 Front Squat + 1 Push Jerk + 1 Back Squat + 1 Rack Jerk = 1 rep
75, 85, 95 (F), 95, 100, 105

When I did this for the first time on Saturday I felt like I had a little bit more in me, so I went for it today. Only a 5lb improvement, but still. The first time I did 95 today I failed on the rack jerk; I locked out, but the bar didn't stay up. The second time I made sure I had much more momentum. It's almost like I need to mentally reset myself with every movement in every set. I almost failed the rack jerk at 105lb. My right arm felt like it was going to drop back down just as it was about to lock out, and it took sheer will power to get it up there and hold it. I'm sure it wasn't pretty to look at, but it worked.

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Wide cable rows
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Warm up: 5 @ 90
110, 120, 130, 135, 140 (4)

It's been several months since I did these and I only decided to do them at the last minute today while waiting for Cher. A very slight improvement - 1 rep more at 140lb.

Good session today. Perhaps I'll treat myself to that arm day tomorrow!

Conditioning

Cindy: as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 air squats
Score = 15 rounds plus 5 pull-ups and 2 push-ups

That's a new PR, which was previously exactly 15 rounds. I was worried my hip might be a problem with the squats, but I didn't feel a thing. Every squat was a2g. All the pull-ups were unbroken up to and including the 7th set (the whole of the first 2 rounds were completely unbroken). I got a good rhythm going with the kipping, plus I wore gloves today, to avoid ripping open my calluses from Saturday. The last 5 pull-ups were all singles. I was exhausted from the previous round, but I could see I was running out of time and I wanted to get at least 1 rep so I could PR. In the end I did better than I expected.

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I rested 5 minutes before the next routine.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 dips
8 push-ups after each set
Time = 17:56

Today's time was a lot slower than before, which was 13:11. However, my shoulders were toast by this point. The first round of dips were unbroken, but after that they were pretty much singles. Also, none of the push-ups were unbroken, which isn't surprising considering I did 80 of them during Cindy.

Full body: Heavy weight

Hang power cleans @ 125
(Warm up: 2 x 5 @ 95)
4, 3, 3, 3, 3 = 16

My first attempt at reaching a total of 20 reps with 125lb. Still some work to be done here.

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Dumbbell incline bench press
5 x max @ 50s
(Warm up: 8 @ 35s; 5 x 42s)
7, 6, 5, 4, 4

Dropped a rep in the second set, so that's 1 rep fewer than last time.

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Back squats to parallel
135 x 10
Max @ 185: 8, 6, 6, 6

Felt a bit rusty doing heavy squats to parallel. I feel like I should have managed a few more reps, but I'm not too worried about it. I'm sure my score will improve as I get back into heavy squats. I had trouble keeping my chest up and that affected my balance.

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Hang power snatches with 2 second hold: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
45, 65, 75, 85 (2), 85 (1)

Maybe it's Mondays, but I seem to start the week with an average workout - or worse - then do pretty well the rest of the week as a reaction to Monday's session.

Full body: Heavy weight

Robin Van Persie - 28 goals in 27 games

Personal training with Paul

I was following Chelsea v Arsenal at home with the score at 1-1 when I had to leave for the gym. I was tempted to fake an illness so I could see what happened. I had a great personal training session, but I still wish I could have seen the outcome, especially with the final score. The gym needs to get a big screen TV that shows the English Premier League!

Trap bar deadlifts (for time)
220 x 10 - 16 seconds
240 x 10 - 16 seconds
260 x 10 - 54 seconds
270 x 10 - 1:43 seconds
270 x 10 - 1:40 seconds

Big drop from 240 to 260 pounds!

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Bear complex: 1 Power Clean + 1 Front Squat + 1 Push Jerk + 1 Back Squat + 1 Rack Jerk = 1 rep
75, 85, 95, 100 (F for rack jerk), 100 (F for rack jerk), 100

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Drop sets - alternate sets:
Pull-ups - 25/BW:
5-3
4-4
4-3
4-2
4-4

Dips - 20/BW:
4-3
4-3
4-3
4-2
4-3

Full body: Heavy weight

Push-ups are going to be a bitch.

Power clean and press:
95 (3), 105 (1, F, 1, 1), 110 (1, F, 1), 115 (1)

No idea why, but I missed out a set. I'd meant to do a total of 5. Still, I hit the same final weight. With the failed reps I got the bar overhead, but it came straight down again. The successful reps stayed up for a couple of seconds.

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C2B chin-ups 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
20, 22, 25, 27 (4), 27 (3)

This is an exact match for the number of reps I did last time.

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Trap bar deadlift (reset each time)
135 x 10
175 x 5
210 x 3
225 x 3
240 x 3
245 x 3
250 x 3
255 x 3
260 x 3
265 x 3
275 x 2 (couldn't move the third rep)

This is a scaled version of one of Paul's routines. When I'm copying his leg workouts I aim for about 80% of the weight he used, and this is normally a pretty consistent scaling method. That would have meant I'd have matched Paul's (scaled) last set at 255lb, but I felt I could still lift more so I kept going. On the third rep at 275lb I simply couldn't move the weights off the ground. Still, very pleased with the final weight. I know why this is called a trap bar, now - I really felt the heavier weights in my upper back.

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Cable row 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
130, 140, 150, 160, 170 (2)

New PR by 5lb! Not bad, considering this time it's at the end of my workout.

Really pleased with today's efforts. Good way to end the week.

Biceps

Hammer curl: 4 x 12 @ 20s
Cable curl: 3 x 12 @ 30
Preacher curl: 1 x 12 @ 22; 1 x 12 @ 25
Barbell curl: 3 x max @ 55: 8, 8, 6
Seated dumbbell curl: 3 x max @ 22s: 8, 8, 6

Don't know what's wrong with my appetite yesterday and today, but I'm constantly hungry. So hungry that my stomach hurts! I'm going to make us bankrupt with all the food I'm eating.

Legs: Heavy weight

After yesterday's disappointment and frustration, today was significantly better. Today was all heavy leg routines and, although not spectacular, my hip held out without any significant pain. I haven't had a purely leg day - especially a heavy one - for a couple of months, so in context it was certainly a good session.

Partial back squats (Smith machine) 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
215, 235, 255, 280, 300, 305, 310, 315
Update: the bar weighed less than I thought, so I was squatting less than originally shown. It should read:
200, 220, 240, 265, 285, 290, 295, 300

Jason was using the white squat rack, so I couldn't do my usual partial back squats. This is the first time I've used a Smith machine and it definitely made it easier to go heavy because of the extra stability. I had the safeties set on the 6th rung and I'm not sure if that is the same height as having them at 7 holes on the cage. I was certainly well above parallel, but that doesn't really tell me anything. Put it this way - I got up to 315lb on the Smith machine, whereas my PR doing regular partials is only 295.

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Box front squats 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 (small bench, wooden step)
Warm up @ 95
115, 125, 135, 145 (4), 145 (5), 150 (1)

Checking back on my blog, this actually went better than I thought today. I'd planned on doing only 5 sets, but because I got 5 reps in the last one I decided to try an extra set (the first 5 sets matched my PR in July, which was at the start of a personal training session). I only managed 1 rep at 150lb, but I think that's a new PR for box front squats. The first two sets used the proper grip, but I switched to crossed arms from 135lb onwards. If it hadn't been for the weight crushing my thumbs (!) I think I could have got at least 1 more rep at 150lb. Still, no complaints here.

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Dumbbell Bulgarian split squats 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Warm up: 5 @ 40s
52.5s, 55s, 60s, 65s, 65s

Of the 3 routines I'd planned for today, this was the one I was most concerned about because of my hip. However, it feels like it actually might have helped because of the stretching movement. It's been a long time since I did Bulgarian splits with dumbbells - I've been using a barbell more recently - but this matches my PR with dumbbells, albeit from more then 6 months ago. That doesn't bother me, though, because (a) in March I did these at the beginning of my workout, not when my legs were fatigued, and (b) as mentioned before, this is my first heavy leg day in months.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with today, especially as it looks like I haven't lost any strength in my legs from lack of heavy squatting. Quick movements are still a problem - so no timed air squats or burpees yet - but slow, controlled squatting is ok.