AndrewNR's log

AndrewNR said:
Today was B:

Squats
Bar x 10
117.5 x 5 x 5

Overhead Press
Bar x 10
57.5 x 5 x 2
57.5 x 3 x 1 (finished 4th and 5th rep after 1 minute rest)
My shoulders were aching before I started so left it at that.

Deadlift
Bar x 10
157.5 x 5 x 1

Having watched myself perform this (and dropping to 100) my form isn't looking good so will look at adjusting on Monday. My back was almost horizontal to the ground instead of being at about 45 degrees. :eek:
I don't think the weight is the issue, just the set up and posture etc.
Click to expand...

Today was B:

Squats
Bar x 10
120 x 5 x 4
120 x 4 x 1 (finished 5th rep after 30 second rest)

Overhead Press
Bar x 10
57.5 x 5 x 4
57.5 x 4 x 1 (finished 5th rep after 30 second rest)

Deadlift
Bar x 10
60 x 5 x 3
Just worked on form a bit
 
AndrewNR said:
My garage was like a sauna. :mad:

Workout A

Squats
Bar x 10
120 x 5 x 3
120 x 3 x 2 (finished 4th and 5th rep after 1 minute rest)

Bench Press
Bar x 10
100 x 5 x 5

Row (Pendley)
Bar x 10
75 x 5 x 5
Click to expand...

Workout A

Squats
Bar x 10
120 x 5 x 5

Bench Press
Bar x 10
100 x 5 x 5
60 x 10 x 1
Will up the weight

Row (Pendley)
Bar x 10
75 x 5 x 5
 
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AndrewNR said:
Cheers for the feedback. At about 6'4" I just find it a bit easier to get better form if I preload my hips/stick my backside out/bend my knees a bit.

Going to do deadlifts later and get the form right.
Click to expand...

Yes - it's not unusual from what I've seen and probably suggests you'd be more comfortable with front squatting. But I'm just causing trouble. ;) :D

I've had a look at the row video, too, and have some thoughts...

- you're flexing your upper back and bringing your shoulders forward;
- the concentric part of the row is not 'explosive'.

So, I know you're (very!) tall, but in order to keep your back nice and flat, you may need to take a wider stance to get your back parallel to the floor. As soon as you go below parallel, you're going to be working different musculature.

The same principle applies to the shoulders: keep them pinned back and down, using traps and rhomboids. The actual concentric element of the row should be focussed on the lats, so giving your shoulders room to move reduces the effectiveness of the exercise: it might build bigger rhomboids, etc., but will also make your shoulders quite uncomfortable if you're unlucky as the glenohumeral joint won't be articulating 'correctly' (i.e. with the head of the humerus tight into its socket), causing irritation of the various soft tissues in there.

So try:

- Wider stance;
- Shoulders pinned back and down hard.

:)
 
No... get your legs wider which will help you get your hips and torso lower.

With your shoulders you need to pin them back but pull them down, too. :)
 
AndrewNR said:
Today was B:

Squats
Bar x 10
120 x 5 x 4
120 x 4 x 1 (finished 5th rep after 30 second rest)

Overhead Press
Bar x 10
57.5 x 5 x 4
57.5 x 4 x 1 (finished 5th rep after 30 second rest)

Deadlift
Bar x 10
60 x 5 x 3
Just worked on form a bit
Click to expand...

Saturday was B:

Squats
Bar x 10
122.5 x 5 x 3
122.5 x 3 x 2 (finished 4th and 5th rep after 1 minute rest)

Overhead Press
Bar x 10
57.5 x 5 x 5
Finally manage 5 x 5 - will increase weight

Deadlift
Bar x 10
60 x 5 x 2
Just worked on form a bit
 
AndrewNR said:
Workout A

Wasn't in the mood for full weight so did "bodybuilding" sets/reps
Bar x 10
60 x 10
80 x 10
90 x 10
100 x 5
Much pump, much sweat. Much wow.

Bench Press
Bar x 10
100 x 5 x 5
60 x 10 x 1
Will up the weight

Row (Pendley)
Bar x 10
75 x 5 x 5
Click to expand...

Workout A

Squats
Bar x 10
120 x 5 x 3
120 x 3 x 2 (finished 4th and 5th rep after 1 minute rest)

Bench Press
Bar x 10
101 x 5 x 5

Row (Pendley)
Bar x 10
75 x 5 x 5
 
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AndrewNR said:
Saturday was B:

Squats
Bar x 10
122.5 x 5 x 3
122.5 x 3 x 2 (finished 4th and 5th rep after 1 minute rest)

Overhead Press
Bar x 10
57.5 x 5 x 5
Finally manage 5 x 5 - will increase weight

Deadlift
Bar x 10
60 x 5 x 2
Just worked on form a bit
Click to expand...

Today was B:

Squats
Bar x 10
122.5 x 5 x 3
122.5 x 3 x 2 (finished 4th and 5th rep after 1 minute rest)

Overhead Press
Bar x 10
58.5 x 5 x 3
58.5 x 4 x 2 (finished 5th rep after 30 second rest - quite tough)

Deadlift
Bar x 10
60 x 5 x 5 (small rests - just working on form)
Think I'm happy with the form now.
I bend at the knees a bit more which pushes me into a more 'seated' position and brings my chest up and back in a better position, making it easier to keep it straight.
 
AndrewNR said:
Workout A

Bench Press
Bar x 10
101 x 5 x 5 (Upped the weight by 1kg and felt conformable - had about a 10-15 sec rest on the last rep. Will increase by 0.75).

Row (Pendley)
Bar x 10
75 x 5 x 5
(Will up the weight to 77.5. Taking a wider stance seemed to help. Thanks Mrthingyx).

Squats
Wasn't in the mood for full weight so did "bodybuilding" sets/reps
Bar x 10
60 x 10
80 x 10
90 x 10
100 x 5
Much pump, much sweat. Much wow.
Click to expand...

Saturday was A

Bench Press
Bar x 10
101.75 x 5 x 3
101.75 x 4 x 2 (finished 5th rep after a 30 second rest)

Row (Pendley)
Bar x 10
77.5 x 5 x 5

Squats
Bar x 10
122.5 x 5 x 3
122.5 x 4 x 2 (finished 5th rep after a 30 second rest)
 
AndrewNR said:
Today was B:

Squats
Bar x 10
122.5 x 5 x 3
122.5 x 3 x 2 (finished 4th and 5th rep after 1 minute rest)

Overhead Press
Bar x 10
58.5 x 5 x 3
58.5 x 4 x 2 (finished 5th rep after 30 second rest - quite tough)

Deadlift
Bar x 10
60 x 5 x 5 (small rests - just working on form)
Think I'm happy with the form now.
I bend at the knees a bit more which pushes me into a more 'seated' position and brings my chest up and back in a better position, making it easier to keep it straight.
Click to expand...

Today was B:

Overhead Press
Bar x 10
58.5 x 5 x 5
Felt easy-ish. Will up weight to 60.

Deadlift
Working on form again:
100 x 5 x 4
120 x 5 x 1
120 x 3 x 1

Video of the 6th set below. Pointers please. I assume I need to bring my chest up/hinge up more?


Squats
Bar x 10
80 x 10 x 1
90 x 10 x 1
100 x 5 x 1
 
Had just over a week off after a 5-week block.

I'm going to change from a "powerlifting" (Stronglifts) routine to a "bodybuilding" (split muscle groups) routine for a while, as below (weights to be decided):

Legs/Shoulders (Saturday)
Squat
Barbell Hack Squat
Barbell Front Squat
Barbell Lunge
Military Press (seated)
Barbell Upright Row
Barbell Front Deltoid Raise

Chest/Triceps
Bench Press
Incline Bench Press
Decline Bench Press
Barbell Reverse Bench Press
Barbell Triceps Extension (kick-back)
Barbell Triceps Extension (seated)
Wrist Extension

Back/Biceps
Deadlift
Pendley Row
Barbell Shrug
Pull Ups
Barbell Biceps Curl
Barbell Biceps Curl Concentrated (seated)
Barbell Biceps Curl Prone
Barbell Wrist Curl

I'm only going to have access to a barbell/rack/weights hence the exercises following a common theme.

Going to try and lose some weight (go from about 16 stone 8 to about 15 stone 7) so hopefully this might be more effective than the "powerlifting" route.
 
That routine... Is not ideal.

Wrist curls (seriously? What is this really going to add)?
Shrugs (heavy deadlifts, please)?
Four different types of bench (do flat bench, and get quality reps)?
Upright rows (these are a recipe for shoulder ruin - avoid like the plague)?
Every type of squat going (back squats - or front squats, depending - and deficit Bulgarian split squats are all you will ever need)?

What are you actually trying to achieve?
 
Just fancy a switch to a Hypertrophy routine rather than a strength one. I only have access to a power rack and barbell.

Wrist curls (seriously? What is this really going to add)?
Will drop the forearm work. :)
Shrugs (heavy deadlifts, please)?
Will look at more back exercises.
Four different types of bench (do flat bench, and get quality reps)?
How else can I work the chest with just a bench and barbell?
Upright rows (these are a recipe for shoulder ruin - avoid like the plague)?
Are they that bad? Not many alternative exercises for shoulders using a barbell.
Every type of squat going (back squats - or front squats, depending - and deficit Bulgarian split squats are all you will ever need)?
I agree. I will do back squats, lunge and...

What are you actually trying to achieve?
Dat physique.
 
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Legs/Shoulders (Saturday)
Squat
Bulgarian Split Squat
Barbell Lunge

Military Press (seated)
Barbell Upright Row
Barbell Front Deltoid Raise

Chest/Triceps
Bench Press
Incline Bench Press
Decline Bench Press

Barbell Reverse Bench Press
Barbell Triceps Extension (kick-back)
Barbell Triceps Extension (seated)

Back/Biceps
Deadlift
Bent Over Barbell Row
Barbell Shrug
Pull Ups

Barbell Biceps Curl
Barbell Biceps Curl Concentrated (seated)
Barbell Biceps Curl Prone
 
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My point is there are a lot of exercises on that list that will detract from you getting either big or strong as efficiently as you could.

For shoulders, strict press, pushpress, and lateral raises using the plates themselves (slow negatives)...

For chest, flat bench is pretty much all you need, coupled with some weighted push-ups.

Back? Deadlifts. And rows/chins. And if you really want, paused good mornings (start VERY light).

Arms? Chins and curlz.

You can do a million different exercises if you want, but you won't notice a difference from doing a heavy primary exercise, followed by an equally miserable secondary isolation thing.
 
mrthingyx said:
My point is there are a lot of exercises on that list that will detract from you getting either big or strong as efficiently as you could.

For shoulders, strict press, pushpress, and lateral raises using the plates themselves (slow negatives)...
Strict Press I'm doing (military press), pushpress I can't do due to my height and being in a garage. I think I might do lateral rises instead of upright row, depending on how awkward it is with plates.

For chest, flat bench is pretty much all you need, coupled with some weighted push-ups.
I won't be able to do weighted push ups because I have no-one to put the weights on my back - unless there is another way?
I think I might do a combination of SL/Hypertrophy pressing. Perhaps 5 x 5, then 3 x 10 on what I have left in me.

Back? Deadlifts. And rows/chins. And if you really want, paused good mornings (start VERY light).
Back will be deadlift, row and chins. I will give shrugs a go too and see how I get on.

Arms? Chins and curlz.
Aye, pretty much.

You can do a million different exercises if you want, but you won't notice a difference from doing a heavy primary exercise, followed by an equally miserable secondary isolation thing.
I aim to keep the basic compound lifts: squat, deadlift, bench and row
Click to expand...

All 60 second rests.

Legs/Shoulders (Saturday)
Squat [90kg]
3 x 10
Straight-legged Deadlift [60kg]
3 x 10
Barbell Lunge [40kg]
1 x 10
2 x 3

Military Press (seated) [40kg]
3 x 10
Barbell Upright Row [40kg]
3 x 10
Barbell Front Deltoid Raise [20kg (bar only)]
1 x 10

Will swap Upright Row for Lateral Raises using plates.

Legs feel like they've had a good workout. I will increase the weight on squats, straight-legged deadlift and try to be not so knackered come the lunges.

Shoulders again feel like they've had a good workout. I will increase the weight on military press, substitute in lateral raises for upright row and hopefully have more in the tank for front deltoid raise.
 
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Didn't have much time so just did a quick blast.

Chest/Triceps
Bench Press [80kg]
Bar x 10
2 x 10
1 x 9
Incline Bench Press [60kg]
Bar x 10
2 x 10
1 x 8
Decline Bench Press [Bar]
2 x 10

Barbell Reverse Bench Press [n/a]
Barbell Triceps Extension (kick-back) [n/a]
Barbell Triceps Extension (seated) [n/a]
 
Didn't have much time so just did a quick blast.

Back/Biceps

Deadlift [100kg]
Bar x 10
2 x 10
1 x 5
Bent Over Barbell Row [50kg]
Bar x 10
3 x 10
Pull Ups
5, 4, 3

Barbell Biceps Curl [n/a]
Barbell Biceps Curl Concentrated (seated) [n/a]
Barbell Biceps Curl Prone [n/a]
 
Can we get a better angle on those squats? It looks like your stance might be too narrow.

You have complete thoracic collapse on your rows too. You don't need to do them from the floor.

Deadlifts, need a better angle too, but your back isn't flat and your hips shoot up. Stance may be too wide.
 
Thanks for the feedback.

I had to Google 'thoracic'. I will keep this in mind next time I'm doing rows.

My stance is fairly wide with squats (at least shoulder width) but I'll try recording some front/back reps.

I know my deadlift form is poor. I will try record some more where my stance is narrower and where (I hope) my form is better.

As I've moved to 3 x 10 routine using lower weights hopefully that'll keep my form more in check.
 
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