Legs

Front squats
95lb x 5
115lb x 3
135lb x 3
155lb x 3
165lb x 3
175lb x 2

Trap bar deadlift
170lb x 5
280lb x 3, 3, 3, 3

Straight leg deadlifts
145lb x 10
195lb x 8, 8, 7

Leg curls
50lb x 15, 15, 15

Legs

Front squats
95lb x 5
115lb x 3
135lb x 3
155lb x 3
165lb x 3
170lb x 2

Trap bar deadlift
170lb x 5
260lb x 5, 5, 5

Leg extensions
100lb x 10, 10
100lb/62.5lb/37.5lb x 10/8/9

Straight leg deadlifts
135lb x 12, 12, 12

Single leg curls
30lb x 8, 10, 10 per leg

Traveling lunges
40s x 10, 10 per leg

Legs

Just wasn't clicking today, and I couldn't seem to lift as heavy as I know I can. Oh, well - just one of those days. Even the bike ride to and from the gym felt like a struggle.

Trap bar deadlift
140lb x 6
175lb x 4
210lb x 2
245lb x 1
280lb x 1
315lb x 0, 0

Leg extensions
87.5lb x 10, 10
87.5lb/62.5lb/37.5lb x 10/10/10

Straight leg deadlifts
140lb x 5, 5
215lb x 4, 5

Leg curls
50lb x 12, 62.5lb x 11, 9

Wall sits - 1:03, 1:06

Quads and hamstrings

My right adductor is still a little sore, although the pain has decreased. Doing trap bar deadlifts instead of full back squats means I don't have to go down as low, thus avoiding exacerbating the problem. I got fairly heavy, but not up to my 1RM. However, it's been quite some time since I did these.

Trap bar deadlift
105lb x 6
140lb x 6
175lb x 4
210lb x 2
245lb x 1
280lb x 1
315lb x 1
335lb x 1

Leg extensions
62,5lb x 10, 10, 10
Drop sets - 62.5lb x 20, 37.5lb x 10, 25lb x 10

Straight leg deadlifts - 225lb x 3, 205lb x 5, 5

Leg curls
50lb x 12, 11
Drop sets - 50lb x 8, 25lb x 12

Quads, hamstrings and calves

Dan Bailey. New-found respect for him, after seeing his recent video. Good attitude to life.

It's been a while since I did a full leg workout (minus the seated calf raise burn, because I ran out of time) but there's no soccer this week, so I have plenty of time to recover.

Front squats - 95lb x 10; 105lb x 10, 10

Traveling lunges - 40lb dumbbells x 10, 10, 10 per leg

Trap bar deadlift - 195lb x 6, 6, 6

Leg extensions - 5 minute burn

Stiff leg deadlifts - 135lb x 10, 10, 10

Standing calf raises on step - 115lb x 14, 12, 12

Slow painful bike ride home...

Full body

First heavy lift for the year; first PR.

Trap bar deadlift, 1rm
6 x 30% = 105lb
6 x 40% = 140lb
4 x 50% = 175lb
2 x 60% = 210lb
1 x 70% = 245lb
1 x 80% = 280lb
1 x 90% = 315lb
1 x 95% = 335lb
1 x 100% = 350lb (new PR)

This actually felt pretty comfortable, although it's clear from the video that my form was starting to go south (curved back). Still, I think I managed to start with my butt low down, which helped me to push up through my heels. This is the heaviest weight I've ever lifted, so felt pretty good. It looked pretty cool, too - three 45lb bumpers on each side!

======

Bench press, relative max @ 130lb (large bench, 7 holes)
4, 4, 3, 4, 3

======

Pull-ups, max with strict form - 11, 7, 6

Full body

Personal training with Paul

Trap bar deadlifts
1 minute @ 170lb - 27, 25, 23

Dumbbell military press
1 minute @ 25s - 20, 16, 15

Neutral grip pull-ups
1 minute - 14, 10, 9

Plate push-ups
1 minute - 26, 19, 19

======

30 decline sit-ups

Legs

Lindsay Valenzuela. Dayum, strong girls are hot!

Haven't done this in a while.

Complex - 1 squat clean, 2 front squats (a2g)
95, 105, 115, 125, 130, 135, 140 (F), 140

The last time I did this routine was nearly 11 months ago, when I got up to 130lb but failed at 135lb. Even though I didn't video this, I could tell my form wasn't great for the squat cleans at the heavier weights; my elbows were too low. However, that's difficult to correct midway through the motion, so when I got to the top of the squat clean, I shrugged to correct the position of the bar, which allowed me to improve my grip, then did the front squats with better form. The failed attempt at 140lb was due to my lack of concentration more than anything else, which meant I couldn't power the bar up to my chest and I dropped the bar on the way up. I rested 2 minutes, collected my thoughts, then tried again. Not great, but at least that's a 10lb PR compared to last year.

======

Trap bar deadlifts, touch and go
170 x 10
220 x 8
250 x 6
270 x 6
290 x 3

My grip failed during the attempt at a fourth rep at 290lb. Other than that, I was doing okay.

Legs

Jenny Lebaw

Fifties

50 traveling lunges @ 52s (25 per leg)
Time = 4:08

======

50 back squats @ 125lb, a2g
Time = 7:34

======

50 trap bar deadlifts @ 185lb
Time = 5:24

Short, but not very sweet, today; lots of reps with fairly light weights. I was also going to do 50 single leg extensions (25 per leg) but ran out of time. In retrospect, I probably should have sandwiched the lunges between the back squats and trap bar deadlifts so that I did a hamstring and glute dominant routine between two quad dominant ones.

As the times show, the back squats were the toughest, and were the routine that required the most rest breaks. I nearly toppled over at the end because I was so dizzy.

Legs

British divers Tom Daley and Peter Waterfield.
Their strength and conditioning coach, Richard Husseiny, used to be my sports masseur.

Front squats (a2g with pause) 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
95, 105, 120, 130, 140, 150, 155, 160, 170

I used a crossover grip today because of my injured wrist. Other than that, I still tried to keep good form and technique: my head was back, with my chest and elbows up, which helped with my balance with the heavier weights. I've sometimes had problems with my heel coming up, too, but today I found that if I turned my toes in a little bit, it was easier to keep my weight back.

It's been a long time since I did this routine - November 2011 - and back then I got one rep at 160lb. After I managed two with that weight today I was going to add jut 5lb, but I went a little heavier as it was my last set.

Here are my last two sets.

======

3 rft:
20 deadlifts @ 155lb
20 trap bar deadlifts @ 185lb
Time = 11:52

I had planned on doing dumbbell hang squat cleans with the deadlifts, but while I was warming up I could feel a slight pain in my left shoulder when I swung the weight up. It wasn't too bad - and doesn't hurt now - but I think this might be because of the 150 pull-ups I did yesterday.

Legs

I'm really enjoying the return to focusing on one area each day. It allows me to pound the shit out of one body part during each session. I decided to go really heavy on my first routine, then do something light and quick to finish.

Trap bar deadlift
170 x 10
220 x 6
260 x 3
310 x 1
325 x 1
330 x 1
335 x 1
340 x 1
345 x 1 (PR)

It's been a while since I went for a 1RM with any type of lift. I did it today for a bit of a change, but I won't be going back to trying to hit a 1RM PR each week. Here's my final lift. It actually didn't feel too bad while I was doing it, even though my sweaty grip caused the bar to slip after I stood up. Also, I reviewed the video straight after this lift and it's clear my back is starting to bow. Rather than go all the way to failure, I decided it was best to quit rather than risk even worse form with a heavier lift.

To put this PR in perspective, it's 20lb lighter than the weight Neal Maddox cleaned at the weekend.

======

21-15-9:
Back squats @ 115lb, a2g
Jump squats per leg with 30lb dumbbells
Time = 11:58

Following this metcon, my bike ride home was frigging brutal.

Full body

Christmas Abbott

The first two exercises I did today are ones where I usually aim for a 1RM, but I wanted to focus on form and technique, so I went lighter than normal.

Clean and press 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
75, 85, 90, 95, 100 (4)

With the fifth attempt in the final set, I managed the clean and got the bar overhead but couldn't hold it there for more than a split second. I'm being strict with myself, but that would probably be regarded as a no-rep. That being said, I was very pleased that I was able to get four reps at 100lb with what I think was good form (I forgot my camera, so didn't video this). With all the cleans I caught the bar on my clavicle with my elbows up and forearms parallel. That meant I was able to power the bar up cleanly without using my shoulders too much, which I do when my elbows are pointing down. I didn't have to adjust my grip before getting the weight overhead. My 1RM is 125lb, but with crappy technique and very little control (my back was bending back and my feet were all over the place). This felt much more satisfying.

======

Trap bar deadlift, touch and go
170 x 10
220 x 8
240 x 6
260 x 6
280 x 6

I could feel my lower back starting to bow with the last rep, but every rep before that felt like decent form.

======

Bounce box jumps (only bounce rep count)
18" x 10
20" x 10
22" x 10

I added this at the last minute; no idea why. I think I started too high at 18" and couldn't get a good, consistent flow of reps. None of the sets were 10 consecutive reps. Oh, well. Still felt like a decent workout today.

Legs

Not quite the leg session I'd planned. When I got to the gym, both the squat racks were being used, so I opted for Plan B instead.

Trap bar deadlift:
170 x 10
220 x 6
260 x 3
310 x 1
325 x 1
330 x 1
340 x 1
345 x 0
345 x 0

Some rounding in my back, but at least I stood up straighter than last time. 

======

By the time I'd completed the trap bar deadlifts, one of the racks was free. I could have gone for timed back squats, but I felt the squatting movement would have been too similar to the tbd's, albeit for volume rather than max weight. Therefore, I did the planned barbell lunges instead.

Lunges 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 per leg (alternating):
85 x 5
105 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
145 x 5

Not quite a challenging a workout as I was going to do today, but the cycle ride home still made my quads burn.

Full body (mostly legs)

Stoopid trap bar.

Squat cleans:
95 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 3
135 x 1 (failed second rep)
135 x 2 (failed third rep)
140 x 1 (failed second rep)
140 x 1 (failed second rep - just!)

I want to count my last set at 140lb as 1.75, because I was so close! It all happened pretty fast, but I think the bar was only inches away from my chest on my second rep. I seemed to lose my grip and the bar just dropped. Feck! That would have been a PR.

======

Trap bar deadlifts:
170 x 10
220 x 5
260 x 3
285 x 1
315 x 1
330 x 1
340 x 1 (equal PR)
345 x 0
345 x 0

I managed to equal my PR from a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think my form and technique was very good today - too much back, not enough legs. 

Not that it made any difference to my performance, but after the set at 260lb I could feel the rough grip on the trap bar was going to be tough to hold, so I went to get my gloves only to realise that I'd left them at home. D'oh! Hence the ripped calluses on my hands.

I'm planning on doing some running this afternoon at the Wilmot Rec Complex while Madi is having her swimming lesson, so lots of leg punishment today.

Full body

I'm still pretty jetlagged, but I was aching to get back in the gym, even if it was only for a short workout.

Squat cleans:
95 x 5 reps
115 x 5
125 x 5
130 x 1, 1, 0, 1, 0
130 x 5
135 x 1, 0
135 x 1, 1, 0

I didn't feel like I had much power today - understandably - which accounts for my poor squat cleans at the heavier weights. Ordinarily, I'd be pissed at myself for not hitting the same number of reps as as when I did this routine in the past. However, today was just an excuse to get back to doing some real lifting that didn't require any machines.

The next routine went better.

======

Trap bar deadlifts:
170 x 10
220 x 5
260 x 3
280 x 1
310 x 1
330 x 1
340 x 1 (PR)
345 x 0

It's been several months since I've done trap bar deadlifts, as the frame was being repaired. This is only a 5lb PR, but given the circumstances I'm quite pleased with it. Looking at the video, I probably shouldn't have attempted an extra 5lb after the PR; even though I lifted 340lb, it's clear that my form is deteriorating and my back is starting to bow.

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.

======

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.



======

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: 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

======

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.

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.

======

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

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.

======

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.

======

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

======

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

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!

======

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

======

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