[pandaman]

Slacked off... again.

Friday 31 May 2008

Weights

Squat

bar x 5
bar x 5
40k x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 2
75kg x 1
80kg x 1
85kg x 1
90kg x 1
95kg x fail
insert psyching up
95kg x 1
100kg x fail
100kg x fail

Worked out that my 1RM for squat is 95kg!

Push Press

bar x 5
bar x 5
50kg x 1 (decided to do this exercise cause the bar in the next rack was loaded with 50kg. Did that , then got curious)
52.5kg x 1
55kg x 1
57.5kg x 1
60kg x 1
62.5kg x fail

Worked out that my 1RM push press is 60kg!

Ran out of time, had to go home.

First time I've ever gone for a 1RM in any lift. It was a bit scary, because the weight felt really heavy on squats, but I kept on pushing. I think I could get 100kg if I tried again next week, because 2 plates sort of freaked me out (don't laugh...). Hope to continue training again, and not be disrupted. This should be aided by me quitting my job today!

[erskine777]

great work, man. Do you ever feel that doing squats before pp limits your pp? My legs just feel so dead after squats that I doubt if I could muster up any suitable leg drive at all for pp.

[pandaman]

Well, I've never done PP before, so I don't really know Next time I'll take try doing PP before squats and see how that works out. Thanks for the tip.

[pandaman]

I've just hooked up a reasonably priced home gym setup!

Power Rack
Flat Bench
190kg rubber coated Olympic weight set (including 20kg olympic bar)
Plate and bar holder

Once my bank gives me the details to make external money transfers I'll pay and it should be with me by late next week. I can't wait to cancel my gym membership! And I'm holding my girlfriend to her promise that I could have the spare room as training space... whether she likes it or not!

[pandaman]

Resurrecting this thing...

I bought a home gym!

170kg weights
20kg bar
power cage
flat bench
plate rack

I also bought Starting Strength 2nd ed. Presently beating my head against a wall wishing I had got it earlier.

In this vein I'm back to training.

Friday 27 June 2008

Weights

Squat

bar x 5
bar x 5
25kg x 5
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
70kg x 5
70kg x 5
70kg x 5

Bench Press

bar x 5
bar x 5
25kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 5
50kg x 5
50kg x 5
50kg x 5

Deadlift

70kg x 5
90kg x 5

Got weak again. Nothing for it but to work on getting stronger.

[pandaman]

Monday 30 June 2008

Weights

Squat

bar x 5
bar x 5
30kg x 5
45kg x 3
60kg x 2
75kg x 5
75kg x 5
75kg x 5

Press

bar x 5
bar x 5
25kg x 3
35kg x 5
35kg x 5
35kg x 5

Row

bar x 5
bar x 5
25kg x 5
35kg x 3
45kg x 2
50kg x 5
50kg x 5
50kg x 5

Ordered some fractional plates a couple of days ago (2 x 1kg, 2 x 500g, 2 x 250g) which will make it easier for me to pass sticking points (most importantly with the press). Looking forward to their arrival.

[pandaman]

Thursday 17 July 2008

Weights

Squats

bar x 5
bar x 5
30kg x 5
45kg x 3
60kg x 2
80kg x 5
80kg x 5
80kg x 5

Bench Press

bar x 5
bar x 5
25kg x 5
35kg x 3
45kg x 2
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5

Deadlift

70kg x 3
100kg x 5

[ThinkGreen]

Nice lifting. Keep it up!

[pandaman]

Originally Posted by ThinkGreen

Nice lifting. Keep it up!

Thanks mate, I'll try. I'm having trouble with a few things, but I'll keep working on them.

Saturday 19 July 2008

Weights

Squat

bar x 5
bar x 5
30kg x 5
50kg x 3
65kg x 2
85kg x 4
85kg x 1... fail.

Weight was too heavy, but more alarmingly, form is shit. More on that later.

Press

bar x 5
bar x 5
25kg x 3
30kg x 2
37.5kg x 5
37.5kg x 5
37.5kg x 4

Annoyed I missed the last one. Same weight next week.

Row

40kg x 3
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5

I recently laid my hands on Starting Strength 2nd edition and realised that until now my squat is incorrect. I videod myself today and saw it for the first time.

Mark Rippetoe says in the programming section "...when you begin [to squat] if you have been taught [or learned] the movement wrong you will have to de-program yourself (the worst-case scenario)...[and] it is much harder to correct an incorrect movement than it is to learn a new one..."

Things that are good about my squat:

bar position on back - low bar, resting on rear delt muscles
wrist position - wrists and arms are pulling the bar onto the back, not supporting the bar
back tightness - I'm squeezing my back tight
stance width - stance is shoulder width apart
feet angle - feet point out at the correct angle
head position - looking at a point on the floor about 1.8 metres in front
weight on heels - I don't rock forward on my toes
depth - hip joint and top of patella parallel or better
knees - pushing knees out

Things that are bad about my squat:

knees sliding forward at the bottom
no hip drive
bar is coming forward of mid foot area slightly(which is weird because my weight is still on my heels. Maybe it's because my knees are sliding forward)
depth - I'm going low enough to get the hip crease below the patella

So, there's the list - I'll make sure the good things stay good and fix the bad stuff. Starting by working through the Squat chapter and doing all the exercises and remembering all the cues contained within. Then I'll try and take some more video to see how things are going.

[pandaman]

Tuesday 22 July 2008

Weights

Squat

a bunch of 5 rep sets with the bar

Bench Press

bar x 5
bar x 5
25kg x 5
40kg x 3
50kg x 2
57.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5

Deadlift

70kg x 3
85kg x 2
105kg x 1

Reminder to videotape deadlift next time to look at possible lower back rounding.