Full Moon-day.

Hooray for Mondays.  Well, hooray for boobies, but that's for another set of websites.

Fresh week, fresh start at the gym.  I was feeling in fine fettle after the weekend's activity - 18 miles cycled on Saturday and a good boxing session on Sunday.  I normally have very achy abdominals after boxing, but I felt good.  My back is beginning to feel right again after pulling it doing a very heavy deadlift the other week.

• Db shoulder press: 10 @ 45lbs, 8 @ 55lb, 3 x 5 @ 65lb
• Shrug: 10 @ 40kg, 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 80kg
• Military press: 10 @ 30kg, 8 @ 40kg, 3x5 @ 55kg
• Seated row: 10 @ 45kg, 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 85kg
• Dip: 10 @ 80lb, 8 @ 70lb, 3 x 5 @ 40lb

After this I did 20 minutes on the rowing maching.  16 minutes at 2:20/500m pace then a set of Tabata intervals to finish the session off.  Tabata is 20 seconds all out effort followed by 10 seconds rest - repeated 8 times.  I covered 4407m in total.  We'll see how far I cover the next time I do a tabata + 16 minutes, now that I've set a benchmark.

Overall, I was pleased with the session.  A weight on the shoulders that I struggled with was dealth with easily on my second warmup set.  My grip failed slightly due to a damaged grip on the shrug levers.  The military press was pleasing, especially after a DB shoulder set.  I did the first set as clean and press as this is part of an intra-rugby club competition.  Seated row went well and was there to work the rear deltoid.  I was particularly pleased with the dips - my heaviest ever and I'd already worked my triceps twice.  I'm getting close to a bodyweight dip - which for an 18.5 stone man with noodly arms is pleasing!

Fancy that; it's Friday!

Almost the end of another training week.  I thought I'd eventually take a measurement.  My biceps, as I'm absolutely sure that I have a bigger right upper arm than left arm.

Left arm = 15.5 inches.
Right arm = 18 inches.

2.5 inches different.  That's a lot!  So, I want to isolate my arms wherever possible and push/pull independently.  I'll sacrifice a bit of power/strength gain overall in favour of my left arm catching up.

So, onto tonight's gym session:

Bench press: 10 @ 50kg, 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 95kg
Close grip pulldown: 10 @ 50kg, 8 @ 65 kg, 3 x 5 @ 85kg
Incline bench press: 10 @ 50kg, 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 70kg
DB Hammer curl: 10 @ 35lb, 8 @ 45lb, 3 x 5 @ 25kg
Tricep pushdown: 10 @ 40kg (each arm), 8 @ 50kg (each arm), 3 x 5 @ 100kg


We had planned on doing another bicep exercise, but we ran out of time.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the session.  Bench press was getting better.  1 more week at this weight and I'll be on 2 plates, which pleases me enormously.  Everything else was solid enough.  On the hammer curls, I worked my left arm more - I did at least 3 more reps on my left hand side.

Now, I feel the need for a rant.  Some people who use the gym really need taking around the back and burying under the patio.  I got to the gym tonight to find some turd had left his water bottle and a puddle of sweat on the bench press station - seriously; take your kit around with you and wipe up using the towels provided.  Then, as I do my first set on the seemingly unoccupied pulldown cable, the same chap comes sauntering over "er, we're using that".  Really?  Because I could have swore blind that you were giving some rubbish advice on a clean and press at a whopping 30kg.  He suggests that I use another machine.  I suggest 'working in' as I'll be helping my mate on an adjacent machine.  He clearly has no idea what working in means as he then uses the pulley machine for 1 set, then doesn't use it again.  What.  The.  Hell!  He wanted to kick me off for 1 sodding set, for which he used the same weight as I used (didn't check the weight, just jumped on and used it).  I hope the camels of a thousand fleas infect his crotch.

That said; I was so incensed that when I sat down to do my 3 x 5, I breezed through it.  My training partner seems to think that an angry Carl is one to keep on his side as I almost 'went a bit Hulk'.

Wicked Wednesday

This was an early morning session.  Shoulders done in the gym.  I am really NOT a fan of working out before lunch, but it was the only opportunity that I had.

So...

Dumbell shoulder press: 1 x 10 @ 15kg, 1 x 8 @ 20kg, 3 x 5 @ 25kg
Wide grip lat pulldown: 1 x 10 @ 45kg, 1 x 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 80kg
Shoulder raise machine: 1 x 10 @ '7', 1 x 8 @ '9', 3 x 5 @ '12'
Dumbell curl: 1 x 10 @ 15kg, 1 x 8 @ 20kg, 3 x 5 @ 25kg


Shoulders are getting there.  I did try the 30kg dumbells, but that didn't quite work and either I couldn't find or the gym don't have 27.5kg dumbells.  Lat pulldown felt good, although it pinched my back from when I hurt it deadlifting.  Shoulder raise machine was OK and the first time I've used it in anger.  On the 3 x 5 set of DB curls, I did more on my left hand side as there's a visible size difference and that is the side that I lose form on alarmingly quickly - so I need my left bicep to catch up to my right bicep - so it's doing more volume, I actually did 8 x 5/8 x 5 and 15 x 5 (the last set to failure).

Mammary Monday!

I am such a child.  Just look at the title.  Mammary.  Hahaha!

Anyway - the start of a new training week.  More weight.  More effort.  Less days planned.

As appears to be traditional for almost every person to use a gym, ever; Monday = bench press.

So...

Bench press: 1 x 10 @ 50kg, 1 x 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 95kg
Seated row: 1 x 10 @ 50kg, 1 x 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 80kg
Dips: 1 x 10 @ 80lb, 1 x 8 @ 60lb, 3 x 5 @ 45lb
Barbell shrug: 1 x 10 @ 60kg, 1 x 10 @ 80kg, 3 x 5 @ 110kg
Standing military press: 1 x 10 @ 30kg, 1 x 8 @ 40kg, 3 x 5 @ 50kg



A weight PR for bench press.  I did need a tiny bit of assistance on the last 2 reps, but I won't be able to press the weight unless I try pressing the weight.

First time that I've done seated row in a while and I won't be doing that again until my back is better as I'm remarkably sore today.

The bench press took a lot out of my arms so I really struggled my way through these.

Barbell shrug seems easy; I tend to run out of grip before I run out of strength.

Standing military press was physically demanding and really made me breathe hard.  First time I've ever done that.


Quite pleased with this session.  I felt like I'd worked out and the military press is going to be a good way of activating the core whilst exercising - something that I'm going to add in every now and then until I give my routine a proper shake up (in 5 - 6 weeks).

Next session...

Shoulder-tastic on Wednesday.

Fudgecake Friday!

I've completely forgotten to blog my training this week.  Knickers, pisspoo and other sweary words.

So, before I edit...

Tuesday - Shoulder session.  Went well.

Wednesday - surprise leg session.  Didn't go well. 15" deadlift of 140kg and it pulled a muscle in my lower back, which put me out of the rest of the session.

Thursday - bench press.  Went well again, considering the hurty back

Friday - another shoulder session and I'm a little sore and achy from the week's training.

Dumbell shoulder press: 1 x 10 @ 35lbs, 1 x 10 @ 45lbs, 1 x 10 @ 55lbs
Seated dumbell shrug: 1 x 10 @ 40lbs, 1 x 10 @ 55lbs, 3 x 5 @ 90lbs
Tricep rope pushdown: 1 x 10 @ 15kg, 1 x 8 @ 15kg, 3 x 5 @ 25kg
Close grip pulldown: 1 x 10 @ 45kg, 1 x 8 @ 60kg, 3 x 5 @ 75kg


Good session to end a difficult week.  I was really careful to avoid hurting my back again.

Shoulder press is going up 5lbs next week.  Good progression there!  Shrugs were good on power, but I prefer barbell shrugs - I just wanted to take pressure off my back.  Pushdown is as difficult as ever and the pulldown was a solid session ender.

A good training week and I'm looking forward to next week's sessions (aiming at just 3 sessions next week though).

Moooooooooooooooooooooooonday!

Another training week begins and with it comes more improvements in weights shifted.

This week is slightly different though.  I've decided to take the supplements seriously, so in addition to a decent protein rich diet, I'm also going to be having the following supplements...

Protein - Maximuscle ProMax Diet for breakfast
Oats - MyProtein fine oats mixed in with the breakfast shake
BCAA - MyProtein BCAA to aid recovery
Creatine - MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate to help push that little bit more in the gym
Taurine - MyProtein Taurine to help with focus and decent sleep
ZMA - Zinc & Magnesium supplement to aid recovery

In addition to this, I'm making sure that I eat healthier (cutting out the junk food) and that I drink plenty of water - the water is needed as creatine is known for causing cramps.

Basically, my nutritional plan is as follows...

• Breakfast shake with oats, BCAA, creatine, multivitamin 
• Lunch - chicken, pasta and salad, creatine
• Late PM snack - small pasta portion
• Dinner - chicken/fish, veg and rice/boiled potato
• Pre training - taurine drink
• Post training - protein shake + BCAA
• Before bed - ZMA + taurine

And now onto the meat of today.  The training session...

Bench press: 1 x 10 @ 35lb DB, 1 x 8 @ 45lb DB, 3 x 5 @ 90kg
Hammer curl: 1 x 10 @ 25lb, 1 x 8 @ 35lb, 3 x 5 @ 55lb
Dip: 1 x 10 @ 80lb, 1 x 8 @ 70lb, 3 x 5 @ 50lb
Wide grip lat pulldown: 1 x 10 @ 45kg, 1 x 8 @ 55kg, 3 x 5 @ 75kg
Pec flye: 1 x 10 @ '7', 1 x 8 @ 10, 3 x 5 @ 14
Tricep rope pulldown: 1 x 10 @ 15kg, 1 x 8 @ 20kg, 3 x 5 @ 25kg

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the session.  My heaviest benchpress in over a year, equal to my heaviest curl ever - the form on my left arm leaves a little to be desired, so I'm not moving the weight up yet.  The dip is almost as heavy as I've been in over a year - it does pinch on my shoulder though.  Pulldown is coming along nicely - massive thanks to the physio for getting my shoulder workable again!  Flye was OK, it's quite a weird movement though.  Rope pulldown could have gone better - but it is a lot harder using the rope compared to a bar.

So, some more progression and hopefully quite a bit more over the coming weeks as I continue with the training supplements.