Road to the 1000lb club

[srobrien]

Hello, thought I would start logging my workouts in order to keep up my motivation.

Wee back ground: Currently I am 31, 5ft 11" and 100kg. I have been at the gym on and off for the past few years but have been taking it seriously for just over a year following some sort of plan or other and making decent gains.

I started with the stronglift 5x5 from scratch working up to roughly:

110kg squat 5x5
150kg deadlift 5x5
85kg bench 5x5

When I hit these numbers adding 2.5-5kg a time was getting neigh on impossible so progress stalled and I ended up binning 5x5 and just going to a 4 day split.

4 day split was fine and I even managed to make further progress but also felt that I was neglecting the squat which is arguably one of the cornerstone exercises for strength.

Anyway, I picked up Johnny Candito 6 week strength programme and set about it using my current 1RM's.

105kg bench
185kg deadlift
120kg squat (I did not test my 1RM on my squat prior to this but as I was only doing them once a week I felt that I should start with a lower weight, estimate my 1RM probably 140-150kg).

Sooo, that was 5 weeks ago and I am about to test my new 1RM this week.

My goal is, as above to enter the 1000lb club. My current total is 410kg or 903 lbs so I need to find about 100lbs somewhere in order to reach my goals.

Will update as soon as I have done my workouts this week:

Here is the plan this week, dependent on the amount of reps I do on each determines my starting 1RM for the next 6 week cycle.

 

[srobrien]

Could someone move this to the training log section...not sure what happened there!

 

[kingshaun2k]

When I hit these numbers adding 2.5-5kg a time was getting neigh on impossible so progress stalled and I ended up binning 5x5 and just going to a 4 day split.

So why didn't you just up the weights in smaller sizes?

 

[Cookeh]

Know of any gyms that stock 0.625kg plates?

 

[GSVBagpuss]

Looks like a good plan - 1000lb club has a nice ring to it!

 

[Freefaller]

I've never ,measured it in lbs - does make it sounds impressive!

Good luck with your goals/training.

 

[srobrien]

Know of any gyms that stock 0.625kg plates?

what he said

I completed my upper body workout last night (Wednesday on the log), my days are a bit back to front due to a mix up last week. Anyway I managed:

Bench: 102.5 x 4 (Using the spreadsheet I can now calculate my starting 1RM for next cycle as 111.7kg..or 110kg for ease).
BOR: 60x12 70x12 80x8 90x6 95x6.
Dumbell OH Press: 25x12 25x6 27.5x5 (they only have DB's with 2.5 increments out here at the moment which is a Pain).
Lat Pulldown: 55x12 60x12 65x8 70x6 75x6
Then a wee bit of arms after.

Pretty happy with that.

 

[Cookeh]

Some good weight in the BORs! Almost at 225lb Good bench too.

 

[srobrien]

Thanks, i was struggling to hit 100kg for so long so it feels good to finally have broken it.

 

[Freefaller]

With good form I trust? Too many people don't know how to do BORs properly

 

[mrthingyx]

With good form I trust? Too many people don't know how to do BORs properly

I think the problem with this comes with the differences in form: some people go for the old "Yates" row which is a glorified upright row; some go full Pendlay that is pretty much horizontal.

I am intrigued by a 90*6 BOR vs. a deadlift of 150*5... may suggest a lack of posterior chain... but may also suggest nothing.

Good work, nonetheless!

 

[spoffle]

I really like Chinese style barbell rows, they're great if you can set them up.

 

[srobrien]

I think the problem with this comes with the differences in form: some people go for the old "Yates" row which is a glorified upright row; some go full Pendlay that is pretty much horizontal.

I am intrigued by a 90*6 BOR vs. a deadlift of 150*5... may suggest a lack of posterior chain... but may also suggest nothing.

Good work, nonetheless!

Thanks, yes I tend not use use a conventional BOR, more of a "yates style" as you mentioned, I find its a lot easier to keep my lower back tight with these, obviously I can shift a higher weight with this posture,

similar to this, but head up:

As for the deadlift, the 150*5 was last year, I estimate I could 5 rep 170-175 at the moment

 

[Freefaller]

You should keep your neck in line with your spine.

 

[srobrien]

Ah, must be because I was using this video, for some reason every time after 00:59 seconds I stop looking at the head position. Don't know why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaw-Up9Fkcg

 

[srobrien]

Last nights session went very good. Managed to max out on my test lift.

Squat: 80x8, 90x6, 117.5x4. Managed 4 reps at max weight so I can now calculate my starting 1RM for next cycle as 128kg or 127.5 for ease.

Deadlift: 125x4, 130x4, 135x2 as per programme.

Just did some bits and pieces after that..nothing worth logging.

 

[srobrien]

Completed my deadlift 1RM day.

8x60
6x110
4x140
3x180

Managed 3x180 so works my new 1RM out at 190kg.

That's the final day of the last week if the cycle complete and my new figures after 5 weeks are:

Bench: 105kg > 110kg : 5kg gain
Squat: 120kg > 127.5kg : 7.5kg gain
Deadlift: 185kg > 190kg : 5 kg gain


17.5kg gain overall giving a 427.5kg total or 940lbs...getting closer, I recon maybe 2-3 more cycles and I should be good.

Its slow going compared to 5x5 but I am completing all of my lifts all of the time so it's a huge mental boost compared to bailing out every few days.

Here is the plan for next week:

 

[Deception]

Damn, that's some impressive lifting man! Keep it up! Oh and the obligatory IN!

 

[srobrien]

Damn, that's some impressive lifting man! Keep it up! Oh and the obligatory IN!

Thanks man, my squat and bench are still lagging but hopefully they will start catching up.

 

[Freefaller]

Good work 1000lbs club will be easy - you'll need to aim for the 500kg club instead