Phil's Journal.

[Proper Knob]

9/2/13

Squats
2 x 5 x 60kgs
2 x 4 x 80kgs
5 x 100kgs
5 x 117.5kgs
5 x 132.5kgs

SB Pause Squats
3 x 3 x 80kgs

Back Extensions / Elv Reverse Lunges
3 x 10 x 5kgs / 3 x 15 x bw

Pallof Press
3 x 12

Back wasn't feeling too great during the squats so i only got the required reps and also cut short the paused squats. Next day my back was really quite sore. I didn't want to do back to back workouts but my schedule meant that i wouldn't have been able to get into the gym for a few days. I thought my body could handle it, alas it couldn't. My lower back has not been great for a few weeks, but it has been getting better so now i'm going to take a few days off and then see what i can do pain free when i get back to the gym. It's annoying as i was making good progress on all my lifts. Bench i'm lifting off and pressing on my own only 2.5kgs below my 1RM. Squat is going through the roof, numerous rep PR's have been set over the last few months including a 5kgs 1RM. The same for deadlifts, excluding a new 1RM. Oh well.

[Proper Knob]

18/2/13

A week off due to a very tight/stiff lower back. Back is a lot better but still not quite right, today it was fine but a lower body day will be the test.

Bench Press
2 x 8 x bar
5 x 40kgs
4 x 40kgs
3 x 60kgs
2 x 70kgs
1 x 80kgs
1 x 90kgs
1 x 95kgs

3 x 8 x 60kgs (feet up)

Pullups
6, 6, 5, 4

Shrugs
3 x 15 x 60kgs

DB Preacher Curls / Straight Arm Pulldowns
3 x lots / 3 x lots

[Proper Knob]

20/2/13

Close Stance SB Squats
2 x 10 x bar
2 x 5 x 60kgs
5 x 80kgs
5 x 90kgs
5 x 90kgs (wider stance)

RDL's
12 x 60kgs
12 x 60kgs (sumo stance)

Deadlifts
5 x 50kgs
3 x 100kgs
1 x 120kgs (sumo)
1 x 140kgs (sumo)

Elevated KB Split Squats
10 x bw
2 x 10 x 16kgs

Pullups
23 in 4 min 40 sec

Just a loosener to see how my back is.

[Proper Knob]

23/2/13

Tried some Deadlifts today, got up to 140kgs but my back wasn't liking it. Switched to a sumo stance and pulled 160kgs but again my back still wasn't happy. So I tried a few different things. Nothing to report except pin pressing 110kgs from a few inches and hitting 24 reps in my 4min 40sec pull-up test.

As of next week I'll change things up and do a program from a t-nation article. Three upper days and one lower, chest heavy program for 4 weeks which will give my back a rest.

[Proper Knob]

25/2/13

Mixing things up for a month to give my back a longer rest. This is what i'll be doing -

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_art ... gger_chest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So today i did this -

A Incline Barbell Bench Press 4 8-10
B1 Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press 3 8-10*
B2 Cable External Shoulder Rotation 3 8-10*
C1 Low-To-High Cable Chest Fly 3 8-10
C2 Face Pull 3 8-10

* each side

Nothing really worth logging, except my incline pressing was super weak. I only managed 7 x 60kgs on the first set, which is poor when you consider i've done 14 x 62.5kgs and 8 x 70kgs.

[Proper Knob]

26/2/13

Squats - high bar close stance
10 x 60kgs
10 x 70kgs
10 x 80kgs
8 x 90kgs

Pullups / DB Step Ups *superset
3 x 8 x bw / 3 x 10

Straight Arm Cable Pulldowns / Rollouts *superset
3 x 10 / 2 x 6

I've not squatted with a close and stance and high bar for over 3 years. Strength felt good, form felt very weird. Balance was the main issue, it will improve though. 4 sets of 10 was the aim, but I could just feel by back a little so I stopped. The program called for 3 sets of 8-10 reps on Rollouts but after doing them on Monday for the first time in a long time I was already sore and didn't want to end up with a pulled abdominal muscle.

[Proper Knob]

28/2/13

Bench Press
Warmed up to -

6 x 70kgs
6 x 70kgs
6 x 70kgs
6 x 75kgs
6 x 70kgs
6 x 70kgs

Pullups
12 equals my PR

Floor Press / Bent Over Rows *superset
5 x 70kgs / 4 x 70kgs
5 x 80kgs / 4 x 70kgs
4 x 90kgs / 6 x 70kgs
6 x 80kgs / 6 x 70kgs

Good session. Floor presses were cool, the program called for dips but my shoulder/neck doesn't like them so I switched.

[Proper Knob]

3/3/13

Did this -

A Incline Dumbbell Press 4 12-15
B1 Single-Arm Cable Chest Press 3 12-15*
B2 Single-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 12-15*
C1 High-To-Low Cable Chest Fly 3 12-15
C2 Ys, Ts, Ls, Ws 3 5**

Weights are irrelevant.

[Proper Knob]

5/3/13

A Barbell Bench Press 4 10-12 (drop set on last)
B1 Single-Arm Incline Dumbbell Press 3 10-12*
B2 Trap-3 Raise 3 10-12*
C1 Cable Chest Fly 3 10-12
C2 Face Pull 3 10-12
D Push-Up 2 AMRAP**

[Proper Knob]

6/3/13

A Deadlift 4 8-10
B1 Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press 3 8-10
B2 Alternating Step Back Lunge 3 8-10
C1 DB Preacher Curl 3 8-10
C2 Hanging Leg Raise 3 8-10

Hit 3 x 8 x 140kgs on deadlift. Other than that nothing special.

[Proper Knob]

8/3/13

Incline Press
6 x 60kgs
6 x 60kgs
6 x 55kgs
6 x 55kgs
8 x 50kgs / 8 x 35kgs

Floor Press / Seated Rows (high) *superset
8 x 60kgs / 8 reps
6 x 80kgs / 8 reps
6 x 70kgs / 8 reps
6 x 70kgs / 8 reps

[Proper Knob]

11/3/13

A Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 15-18
B1 Single-Arm Cable Chest Press 3 15-18
B2 Single-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 15-18
C1 Lying Cable Chest Fly 3 15-18
C2 Scapulae Wall Slide 3 15-18
D Feet-Elevated Push-Up 1 50

[Proper Knob]

13/3/13

A Incline Barbell Bench Press 5 8-10
B1 Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press 4 8-10*
B2 Cable External Shoulder Rotation 4 8-10*
C1 Low-To-High Cable Chest Fly 4 8-10
C2 Seated Face Pull 4 8-10

[Proper Knob]

14/3/13

A Front Squat 5 6-8
B1 Chin-Up/Lat Pulldown 4 6-8
B2 Walking Lunge 4 6-8*
C1 Decline EZ Bar Triceps Extension 3 8-10
C2 Reverse Crunch 3 8-10

Safety Bar squats were substituted for Front Squats. After not squatting with a vengeance for a while, this hurt.

[Proper Knob]

18/3/13

A Barbell Bench Press 8 2-4
B1 Floor Press 5 4-6
B2 Bent-Over Barbell Row 5 4-6