Balham Beast's Arms Race

[BalhamBeast]

A bit about me:

I'm one of the TVixens who was ousted from that other site, thanks to being friendly with the devil woman known as Hallowed. I haven't logged anywhere is quite some time. Time to change that.

I’m 45. I often look in the mirror and think “how the hell did that happen?” but as my mother once said, getting older is better than the alternative. Still, I’m basically a big kid. I love computer games and rollercoasters and, with no relationship or family commitments, I’m free to indulge my pastimes as much as my meagre salary allows.

I’ve been training for close to 30 years now. I started out jogging, doing push-ups and messing around with plastic dumbbells when I was 16 or so. When I went to university, I began using the multigym and then started buying bodybuilding magazines and began to train more seriously when I got to 20. I qualified as a gym instructor at 22 but found the pay so poor I never made a career of it. I continued to train, but worked as a games journalist from 1993-2000 and then, when the internet killed off the games magazines, I fell into games industry recruitment. It wasn’t really my thing but I stuck it for close to five years until the recession started to bite and I was let go for not making enough placements. A friend who worked as a drama teacher at a primary school called me and asked if I fancied giving teaching a go. Their PE teacher had fallen pregnant and they suddenly found themselves with a vacancy that needed filling yesterday. Although I wasn’t qualified as a teacher, it was a private school where qualifications aren’t mandatory. It was a steep learning curve but I’m now in my third academic year at the school and (although the children can be infuriating at times) find it a lot more rewarding than recruitment.

As for my training, that’s another story. I was inspired by pictures of the early bodybuilders – Lisa Lyons, Carolyn Cheshire, Rachel McLish and Carla Dunlap – during my late teens. I wanted to look like that but Mother Nature had seen fit to give me a bottom heavy, oestrogenic physique – wide hips, soft thighs and a tendency to add fat easily. I spent many years struggling to add muscle whilst trying to reduce my bodyfat levels. Of course, I couldn’t do both, and never made much progress in either direction. I struggled with eating disorders in my teens and twenties and I also trained like a dick – heavy benching all the time, pulldowns behind the neck, seated presses behind the neck. Unsurprisingly I messed up my rotator cuff at the age of 24, something that still bothers me now if I’m not careful. I’ve a lot of physical issues. I have little thoracic extension thanks to years of hunching over desks playing games on my PC, jammed up hips, crepitus in my knees and neck, a right ankle that has been sprained multiple times, achilles tendonosis, golfer’s elbow and I had a minor operation to remove a “fibrous cystic mass” (aka a funny lump) from the ball of my foot in July. But I still train, and I do what I can.

So what are my goals? Eventually I want to cut. I’d like a six pack, or even a four pack, before I get menopausal and fat starts to accumulate around my middle. But right now, I want to bring up my most stubborn body parts, my delts and arms. I’ve always been able to add muscle to my chest and back, but my shoulders and arms have remained stubbornly unimpressive. I want to be beastly. To do that, I need to gain, so I need to bite the bullet and bulk. Plan is to bulk until Christmas and then start cutting again in the new year.

I’m afraid this log won’t have very many pictures, and certainly not sexy ones. Being a teacher, I can’t risk pupils, parents or colleagues finding naughty photos of my online. Sorry. But more to the point, as I’m single and most of my friends live a fair way from me, I don’t have anyone to take photos of me more than occasionally, and I don’t have a good mirror in my flat. So I’ll do what I can but I can’t make any promises. Anyway, onward...

[BalhamBeast]

Thursday 24th October

I've been bulking for a few weeks now and have gained around 10lbs since July (I lost a fair bit of weight then - I dieted for a holiday, then had my foot operation and was determined not to sit around getting fat so cut carbs hard and dropped to 139lbs. That's the lowest I've been since my early 30s and admittedly I think some of that was muscle due to the fact I had to stop training on my feet for a while. I did get into the gym five days after the op to train upper body).

I've just had three days off with a cold. I'm still snuffling and coughing but I feel less crappy than I did yesterday so I figured I could get a workout in. It didn't seem to affect my strength levels at least.

This being a British gym, all weights are in kilos. For those trying to figure it out, 5kg is roughly 11lbs.

Shoulders

Military Press

20kg (bar) x 10
25kg x 10
30kg x 10
32.5kg x 8
35kg x 4
37.5kg x 3
40kg x 2
42.5kg x 1 (equal PR)

Rear Delt Flye

These are done face down on an incline bench.

4 x 12kg x 10 (10-15 seconds between sets)

Lateral Raises

2 x 10kg x 10
2 x 8kg x 10

(10-15 seconds between sets).
Had to drop down a weight halfway through as shoulders were fried.

Seated Dumbell Press

16kg x 8
16kg x 6
18kg x 3

First couple of reps always seem quite easy on these, and then it's like someone pulled the plug.

Read Delt Cable Extension (in Cable Crossover machine)

7.5kg > 5kg >2.5kg

Didn't count reps on these but it was about 10 on each - I did it as one big drop set.

Barbell Hang Power Clean

20kg x 10
20kg x 8
35kg x 6

Didn't go heavier because a) I was starting to get tired and b) problem elbow was getting gnarly.

Barbell Shrugs

60kg x 10
70kg x 8

Grip was going. I haven't done these for a while and realise I need chalk.

I don't have a high enough post count to link images so I've attached an awful blurry photo I took in September while on a theme park trip to Germany (and just before I commited to the bulk). Just to show why I need to get my arms and shoulders up.

[Hallowed666]

yay!!!! Devil women devil women devil women!!!!!



I love that youre mixing up your shoulder routine. Those meadows monster sets are beast!

[Hallowed666]

omg. So much pretty.



This safely avoids naughty by remaining strictly sporty



Youre right its a bit blurry your abs pop way more than this pic.




I love that youre mixing up your shoulder routine. Those meadows monster sets are beast!

[BalhamBeast]

Yay Hally! Thanks for posting those pictures for me. It's a bit infuriating that I can't do it myself until I have 50 posts but oh well. And yes I got the Meadows sets from you - if that doesn't scare the buggers out of hiding I don't know what will!

[BalhamBeast]

Friday 25th October

My cold has now become very productive. I'm a seething mass of snot, phlegm and other bodily fluids but I take that as a good sign because it means the cold is on its way out.

Today was arms day, which is generally a bit easier. I used to stick arms after shoulders but then they were treated as a bit of an afterthought and since they suck, I decided to give them their own day. They can't seem to handle a lot of volume which makes sense as the muscles are smaller than, say, legs or back, but I always feel a sense of "is that it? Shouldn't I be doing something else?" at the end of the workout.

As before, all weights are in kilos. For those trying to figure it out, 5kg is roughly 11lbs.

Arms

Superset:

Overhead Dumbell Extension/Preacher Curls

20kg x 10/20kg x 10
22kg x 10/20kg x 10
24kg x 8/22.5kg x 6

To do the dumbell extension I sit facing the wrong way on the preacher bench - this gives my back a little support without getting in the way as a regular adjustable bench would. I hold the dumbell with both hands and lower it behind my head. I find this easier on my bum elbow than doing skullcrushers.
I am not good at the preachers - I've only just added them into my routine. I go fairly slow on the negative.

Dips

10, 8, 8, 7

Relatively long rest between each set as these tend to make me grey out a bit. Also, a fit man was doing straight leg deadlifts near me. That was a little distracting.

Tricep Rope Pushdowns - drop sets plus Push-Ups

2 x 15kg > 10kg > 5kg + as many push-ups as I can do

#1: 10 > 5 > 7 + 5
#2: 7 > 4 > 6 + 4

These are pretty nasty. I am not bad at push-ups but I fail at them after doing these drop sets. I do my push ups with relatively narrow hand spacing and elbows tucked. I use dumbells as handles as I have a bit of carpal tunnel going on and find it more comfortable this way.

[u]Seated Dumbell Curls - drop sets]/u]

2 x 12kg > 8kg > 4kg

#1: 10, 10, 10
#2: 8, 6, 7


Superset:

Standing Dumbell Hammer Curls/Decline Push-ups (feet on a bench)

2 x 10kg x 10/10


My gym just got some power plates (V-Plates, actually - I think that's a cheaper version) so I just dicked around and did another set of 12 push-ups with my hands on the plate. I'm not convinced by them but I have been using them for my achilles rehab - I do some slow eccentric training on them as part of my general warm-up.

Anyways, that was it for today. My arms do feel suitably trashed even if I didn't feel as though I had done much. I guess that's the main thing right?

[KatieKate]

I followed your log on T-Nation, so I look forward to following your training again.

[BalhamBeast]

Thanks Katie!

[BalhamBeast]

Saturday 26th October

Didn’t get enough sleep last night and am still snotty and phlegm but I felt sufficiently OK to train.

A Disclaimer: I suck at squats. I have been lifting what I’d consider seriously for 25 years and yet I still can’t do the blasted things. Admittedly I spent most of my early training years avoiding them but once I knuckled down and started doing them, I found that they didn’t come easily. Or at all. A lot of people deadlift more than they squat. I can actually bench press more than I squat. Hell, I can move more weight on the leg extension than I squat. It’s quite embarrassing. Essentially, I’m old and busted and have a range of physical limitations (little ankle mobility due to multiple sprains, zero extension in my t-spine from years of hunching over computers playing games, jammed up hip flexors from much the same thing, limited shoulder ROM from bench pressing like a brotard in my early 20s and ruining my rotator cuff, coupled with a long spine, long femur and short tib/fib) that come together to create a perfect storm of squatting fail. But I’m stubborn, so I do them anyway, and even if the weights I use for squatting are pretty pathetic, I still feel muscles working and that’s enough reason for me. Onward!

(nb, I do a boatload of mobility work, but years of bad habits can’t be undone that quickly).

Legs

Squats
2 x Bar (20kg) x 10
2 x 30kg x 10
2 x 40kg x 8

I was feeling my lower back a bit. Wasn’t hurting as such but it was enough to dissuade me from going heavier this time. My lower back tends to take up the slack from all the movements I do where I have restrictions elsewhere and much as I try to avoid stressing it too much, my form deteriorates as I get more fatigued.

Bulgarian Split Squats

3 x 5kg x 10 (per leg)

I do these with a 5kg body bar overhead (snatch grip) which helps keep my torso more upright. I find these pretty effective – legs felt a bit wobbly after and they hit my glute medius pretty well.

Leg Extensions

Old school plate loader variety. Pause at top.

30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 8
60kg x 6

Single Leg Curl

Cybex doggy-style bent over leg curl machine. (Also plate loader)

30kg x 8 (per leg)
32.5kg x 6 (per leg)

Romanian Deadlift

I do these standing on a step (no risers)

Bar (20kg) x 10
2 x 60kg x 8

45 Degree Leg Press

120kg x 10
140kg x 10
160kg x 8

Done.

[BalhamBeast]

Sunday 28th October

Argh, major lower body DOMS today! I was expecting sore glutes but my quads are also pretty tender and that’s a good thing because they are quite hard to stimulate. I guess going heavier on the leg extensions did the trick.

Today was the fourth day in a row I’ve been to the gym so I’m starting to feel a bit tired. No excuses though. Chest and back today – these are more responsive bodyparts for me so I usually train them together. I am doing more chest than back work at the moment – I realise that ratio is wrong but my cranky left elbow hates pulling work and I don’t want to aggravate it more than I need to.

Chest/Back

Bench Press

Bar (20kg) x 10
30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 10
55kg x 5
60kg x 3
62.5kg x 1
65kg x 1
67.5kg – FAIL

I have only recently gone back to benching after a long hiatus. As I mentioned in my first post, I messed up my rotator cuff benching too heavy too often in my early 20s and the shoulder has never been right since so I have to be careful with it and avoid benching when it feels gnarly. Currently it’s feeling OK and this is the third bench session I’ve done since around a year’s break. Last time out I was pleased to get 60kg (132lbs) for three so I decided to test my max. I used to bench 70kg (154lbs) for a single and I got as high as 65kg (143lbs) today. I didn’t quite have the next lift in me but given I’m still a bit sore from shoulders and arms and am recovering from a cold (nice how the snot seems to accumulate at the back of your throat when you’re lying on a bench!) I am pretty pleased with this. I reckon I could get back to 70kg by Christmas if my shoulder doesn’t decide to rebel.

Superset:

Low Cable Row/Push-ups

30kg x 10/10
35kg x 10/10
40kg x10/10
45kg x 8/10
50kg x 5/10

I try to do the rows as strictly as possibly but my ROM was definitely decreasing on the last two sets. I think 50kg (110lbs) is probably a bit too heavy but what the hell.

Superset:

Dips/Straight-Arm Pulldowns

8/20kg x 10
7/20kg x 10
7/20kg x 10

My dip numbers have decreased since Friday but that’s not surprising given that this is my fourth workout in a row and my muscles were already pretty fatigued from the benching and push-ups. I like to do them anyway – I see them as squats for the upper body.

Meadows Rows

15kg x 8 (per arm)
15kg x 6 (per arm)

I quite like these but by this point in the workout I was tired and the elbow was getting pissy so I left it at two sets per arm.

Incline Dumbell Press

18kg x 8
20kg x 6

I’d had enough by this point – I’d been in the gym nearly two hours and it was time to go home.

I’m actually down a pound again – some of my bulk bloat seems to have dissipated and my waist is down half an inch. Quite surprising as I had sea-salt chocolate, blue cheese and bacon yesterday but bodies don’t always do what you expect.

[CharlieChap]

Hey Cal.

Nice bench, I bet you'll get that 70kgs bench before the end of your bulk. :-)

[BalhamBeast]

Thanks Charlie!
Rest day today - did some mobility stuff and I've reached the conclusion that my piss-poor dorsiflexion is the main cause of my squat suckage. I have to compensate for the lack of ROM in my ankles by leaning so far forward I might as well be doing a good morning. So I'm going to rethink squats - maybe replace with box squats or drop altogether since I have no aspirations to compete in powerlifting and there are plenty of other exercises that stimulate my legs just as well if not better. I'm going to see my physio on Wednesday to see if there's any hope of improving my ankle ROM but as it's been sprained multiple times, I'm not terribly hopeful.

[BalhamBeast]

Tuesday 30th October

Bloat is back and I feel like a whale. Ugh! Still, I was feeling pretty strong today so decided to go heavy and do fewer reps on the earlier sets.

Shoulders

20kg (bar) x 10
25kg x 10
30kg x 6
32.5kg x 6
35kg x 4
37.5kg x 3
40kg x 3 (rep PR!)
42.5kg x 1
45kg – FAIL

I’d never tried 45kg (approx 99lbs) before so I wasn’t really confident given that 42.5kg didn’t exactly fly up. Tried twice and couldn’t get it past my eyebrows despite making myself angry, telling the bar it was my bitch and headbutting it a few times (discretely, so I didn’t frighten people). Having said that it took a long time for my 1 rep max to go from 40kg to 42.5kg so I guess I can expect more of the same. I’m still pleased with the 3 reps at 40kg (88lbs) and the fact I’m getting 42.5kg up pretty consistently now. That weight was a real bugbear for ages.

Rear Delt Flye

As before, these are done face down on an incline bench.

4 x 14kg x 8 (10-15 seconds between sets)

Decided to move up a dumbbell (in old money, 14kg is a touch under 31lbs) and drop reps by two. Crazy stuff.

Lateral Raises

10kg x 10
12kg x 8
14kg x 5

Superset: Rear Delt Flye/Lateral Raises

6kg x 15/15

Just did these for the lovely lactic acid.

Rear Delt Cable Extension (in Cable Crossover machine)

3 x 5kg x 10

Seated Dumbell Press

16kg x 6
18kg x 2

Big fail here – I guess my delts were too fatigued by this point. I could hardly get the 18s up at all. Last time I did them before the rear delt cable work so perhaps that made the difference.

Barbell Shrugs

60kg x 10
70kg x 8
80kg x 6

Skipped the power cleans because someone was deadlifting in the space where I’d normally do them. Instead:

Plate Front Raises

10kg x 10
2 x 15kg x 8

Done.

Think I’ve tweaked my levator. AGAIN. Damn you, 45kg press!

[BalhamBeast]

Wednesday 31st October

Happy Halloween everyone!
Decided to take my dipping belt to the gym. Been a while since I did weighted dips.

Arms

Dips

2 x 5 x bodyweight only
5 x +5kg
5 x +7.5kg
5 x +10kg

Not too bad. I stuck with 5 reps on the earlier sets so as not to tire myself out and then aimed to do as many reps as possible on the last set. Turns out that 5 was my limit for that anyway. I’m definitely getting heavier. The crap scale in the gym reckons I’m over 70kg now (around 156lbs or so) but that scale never gives the same reading twice and I don’t trust it. Having said that, I am putting on weight for sure.

Superset:Overhead DB Extension/Preacher Curls

20kg x 10/20kg x 10
22kg x 10/20kg x 10
24kg x 8/22.5kg x 6
26kg x 6/22.5kg x 6

New weight on the dumbbell extensions, which is good, but I suck at the preachers. Swings and roundabouts.

Superset:Tricep Rope Pushdown/Cable Curls

10kg x 15/10kg x 15
12.5kg x 12/12.5kg x 12
15kg x 10/15kg x 10

Superset:Seated DB Curls/Push-ups (narrow)

8kg x 10/10
10kg x 8/8

Arms were gone by this point. Decided not to do a third set.

Standing DB Curls

4kg x 20

Pump set.

My body only really looks proportional with a good arm pump. They grow half an inch with a pump and flexed they go up to 13.25” which looks a lot better. Now if only I could get them to stay that way.

Off to the physio this afternoon.

[Hallowed666]

Holy shoulder volume! Wow. My delta are burning just reading that. You have made progress on that OHP for sure and I don't think I could put 100lbs over head right now either. That is one lift that my strength increases as does my fatness lol.

[BalhamBeast]

Yeah I have my own Dreamer bulk going on, lol! I'm definitely stronger though.

Saw my physio today and she confirmed what I thought: my ankles are a stiff as a day old corpse. The right one - the one I sprained multiple times - is definitely worse. It has almost no eversion and as she put it, it's blocked. No way to know how bad it is without an MRI and I would have to go to the doctors and insist on it which could take month and months (going by the crap I went through to get that lump removed from my foot). I first sprained it falling downstairs as a kid and she said that an ankle sprain at that age can damage the growth plate and cause bone spurs. She also said a lot of ankle sprains are also fractures but the fractures are too small to pick up on an x-ray and by the time they are discovered, they've usually started to heal (often badly) leading to muscle imbalance and all sorts. The way that ankle functions, it's unsurprising I have perma-tight calves and an achilles problem. If there are bone spurs I could get it scoped but then, again, that'll be a year of getting passed around the NHS. Or I could just leave it alone but the likelihood is that I won't be doing any more running and I'll never be able to squat properly. I am considering whether to squat with my heels elevated. It's lame but on the other hand it would mean I could squat without leaning forward as though I'd been punched in the stomach. The alternative is I just don't squat. Hmm.

[Hallowed666]

Yeah I have my own Dreamer bulk going on, lol! I'm definitely stronger though.

Saw my physio today and she confirmed what I thought: my ankles are a stiff as a day old corpse. The right one - the one I sprained multiple times - is definitely worse. It has almost no eversion and as she put it, it's blocked. No way to know how bad it is without an MRI and I would have to go to the doctors and insist on it which could take month and months (going by the crap I went through to get that lump removed from my foot). I first sprained it falling downstairs as a kid and she said that an ankle sprain at that age can damage the growth plate and cause bone spurs. She also said a lot of ankle sprains are also fractures but the fractures are too small to pick up on an x-ray and by the time they are discovered, they've usually started to heal (often badly) leading to muscle imbalance and all sorts. The way that ankle functions, it's unsurprising I have perma-tight calves and an achilles problem. If there are bone spurs I could get it scoped but then, again, that'll be a year of getting passed around the NHS. Or I could just leave it alone but the likelihood is that I won't be doing any more running and I'll never be able to squat properly. I am considering whether to squat with my heels elevated. It's lame but on the other hand it would mean I could squat without leaning forward as though I'd been punched in the stomach. The alternative is I just don't squat. Hmm.

Well I dunno girl you insist on squatting! I wouldn't. Just as I gave up barbell bench it wasnt worth it to me. But why is heels elevated lame? LOL. My coach had me start with my heels on plates and my brand new rogue squat shoes have elevated heels!

[BalhamBeast]

Thursday 1st November

I wasn’t feeling particularly stellar today. Perhaps it’s the change of seasons, perhaps it’s the fact I had acupuncture yesterday (always fun having someone jam needles into your Achilles tendon), perhaps it’s because I had tea instead of coffee this morning. Could be nothing, could be several factors. I was achier than normal and just felt fatigued. Now, as it happens I don’t usually train as often as I have been in this log. It happens that (being a PE teacher) I’m on half term break, so I’m making the most of it. The second half of term starts next week – Wednesday for me, since I work part time – and I don’t go to the gym on school days because a) it isn’t open early enough for me to go before work and b) I am bloody exhausted by the time I get home. It’s over an hour commute on the tube each way and after standing all day yelling at small children then standing with my face pressed into someone’s armpit in a tiny metal can deep under London, I am good for absolutely nothing. I often fall into bed around 9pm. Sometimes even earlier.

The net result of that is that I have to pack all my training into Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and then have a three day break. Of course, that also gets disrupted if I go away for a weekend, which I’m doing this weekend in fact. So I’ll be training tomorrow, then I’ll have a three day break, then training Tuesday, then another three day break before it’s the weekend again. I’ve been experimenting with doing a bit of tabata before school one or two mornings but that largely depends how awake I am at 5.30am.

So today was legs day. Not my favourite. I did all my mobs and really worked on my ankle but I still ended up with a sore back.

Legs

Squats

2 x Bar x 10
30kg x 10
2 x 40kg x 6

I tried elevating my heels on some plate and it was better but then I noticed the restriction in the front of my right hip more. (I had the physio look at that too – internal rotation is quite poor, apparently. I can work on that, though, unlike my ankle). My back started aching a bit at 40kg so I called it a day. I’m done with squats, at least until I can improve my mobility. Adding weight to dysfunction just doesn’t seem like the smart thing to do.

[u]Bulgarian Split Squats]/u]

3 x 10 per leg

Again, with a 5kg body bar held overhead in snatch position. No issues with these at all other than the fact they are pretty taxing.

Leg Extensions

30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 10 (+2 from last time)
60kg x 7 (+1 from last time)

The masochist in me enjoys these. I make all sorts of ugly faces grinding out the last rep or two. Legs were pleasingly wobbly afterwards.

Single Leg Curls

Cybex doggy-style plate loader machine.

25kg x 8 per leg
30kg x 7 per leg
32.5kg x 5 per leg

I started lighter this time in the hope of getting more reps but I actually did worse than last time. I think fatigue was starting to set in.

Romanian Deadlift

Bar x 10
50kg x 10

From the floor this time – didn’t see the value in standing on a step when my back was cranky. Regardless, my elbow got very pissy and even using a mixed grip with the left palm upwards didn’t seem to help as it normally does. So I left it there.

Leg Press

120kg x 10
140kg x 10
160kg x 10 (+2 from last time)

My ROM on these isn’t fantastic as I get discomfort in the hip crease if I bring my legs too far back.

I also did a few squats in the Smith Machine with an empty bar to see if this might be a viable replacement for squats. Certainly I can stay more upright due to foot placing being more anatomically advantageous – it’s more like a hack squat (and my gym doesn’t have a hack squat machine which would be my next choice if one were available). Smith Machine squats get a bad rap but if you can’t do the regular kind, then perhaps it’s better than not squatting at all. It’s that or high box step-ups, I guess. I’ll have to give it some thought.

[BalhamBeast]

Friday 2nd November

My body is feeling particularly beaten up and crappy at the moment – all my joints are hurting and I wasn’t feeling very strong and energetic this morning. I’m also feeling particularly lumpy and unattractive. I think my shoulders and arms are looking a bit better, but at the expense of my hips and thighs which are starting to resemble one of those ancient African fertility carvings. Ugh.

I would have taken today off but for the fact I’m going away for the next three days, so I decided to push ahead with the workout but scale back the weights and volume and do slower reps.

Chest/Back

Bench Press

Bar x 15
30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 5
55kg x 3

I was very careful on bench. My right shoulder is one of the cranky joints and given its history, I didn’t push it. I plan to do a good old bench session next Saturday, by which time it should be nicely recovered.

Superset:Low Cable Row/Push-ups

30kg x 10/10
35kg x 10/10
40kg x 10/10
45kg x 8/10

Straight Arm Pulldowns – Drop Sets

20kg > 15kg > 10kg x 30 reps total (12 on heaviest weight)
22.5kg > 17.5kg > 12.5kg x 18 reps total (8 on heaviest weight)

Ouch.

Incline Dumbell Press

16kg x 8
18kg x 7
20kg x 5

Used slow negatives – these are killer.
Wide-Grip Pulldown

30kg x 10
35kg x 10
40kg x 10

I don’t often do these as they tend to aggravate my shoulders but I kept it light(ish) and could feel my lats working.

Plate Pullovers

20kg x 10

Just did these as a finisher to open up my chest a bit.

Right, that’s it for the next three days. As I’m pushed for time next week the plan is to combine shoulders and arms on Tuesday , maybe do some leg stuff at home if I wake up early enough on one of the school days and then hit Chest and Back again Saturday. Toodle-pip.

[BalhamBeast]

Tuesday 6th November

I’ve just spent the weekend running around theme parks, eating crap food, sleeping on a blow-up mattress and hanging out in smoky rooms so despite having a little rest in terms of training, I wasn’t on top form today.

As mentioned before, I decided to put shoulders and arms together albeit with less volume on both. My joints are feeling particularly pissy so I didn’t push it too much.

Shoulders & Arms

Military Press

Bar x 10
25kg x 10
30kg x 5
32.5kg x 5
35kg x 4
37.5kg x 2
40kg x 1

Wasn’t feeling it today, mostly because stuff hurt. I blame the mattress.

Superset:Rear Delt Flyes/Push-ups

3 x 6kg x 50/10

Decided to do some Mountain Dog-style high reps. Holy crap, ouch. I had to take a few rests on the last set, I admit. Interesting how exhausting the rear shoulders makes push-ups harder, too.

Heavy Rear Delt Flyes

3 x 14kg x 8

Rear Delt Cable Extension (Cable Crossover machine)

3 x 5kg x 10

No progress here but after those 50 rep sets earlier, there wasn’t going to be. I did try starting at 7.5kg but it was too heavy.

Lateral Raises

3 x 6kg x 25

More high rep ouch.

Barbell Shrugs

60kg x 15
70kg x 10

Superset:Overhead DB Extension/Preacher Curls

20kg x 10/20kg x 10
22kg x 10/20kg x 10
24kg x 8/22.5kg x 8

Didn’t go heavier today.

Triset:Rope Pushdowns/Push-ups/Hammer Curls

15kg x 10/10/10kg x 10
17.5kg x 8/8/10kg x 8

Nothing left in the tank. The end.

Weighed myself. Weight is up to 11 stone 1 (155lbs). I am definitely fatter but I am also definitely bigger. My shoulders look half decent with a pump. If only I could persuade them to look like that all the time.

[BalhamBeast]

Saturday 10th November

I don’t know what’s up with me right now – all my all war wounds are playing up and I seem to have a few new ones. The instep of my left foot (the good one!) has started hurting and now my left shoulder (the less troublesome of the two) is getting grumpy. That in addition to a sore lower back, the Achilles tendonitis, dodgy knees, cranky right shoulder and golfer’s elbow. My neck is pretty much perma-sore too. I think I should be taken out back and shot!

Anyway, back at school now until Christmas so no training from Wednesday to Friday (because those kids are tiring, not to mention being on my feet all day). So as I missed last weekend due to gallivanting around Alton Towers I’ve only had one training session in six days. Logically you’d think that would give my body some time to recover but it clearly hasn’t because it’s cranky as hell. Still, as long as I’m mobile, I’ll go to the gym.

Chest/Back

Bench Press

Bar x 20
30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 5
55kg x 5
60kg x 3
65kg x 1
67.5kg – FAIL. Again.

Well I guess as I wasn’t feeling at my most awesome I probably shouldn’t have gone for a (recent) max but the 65kg went up easily enough that I felt I could handle it. Obviously I couldn’t because my right arm just buckled like a wet noodle. Even though I’m right handed, I tend to fail on that side due to my duff rotator cuff. Ah well, next time, when I’m better rested. I want to get that 70kg by the end of the year.

Superset:Incline Dumbell Press/Rear Delt Flyes

18kg x 10/10kg x 20
20kg x 8/10kg x 20
22kg x 8/10kg x 20

I think I could have gone to 24kg but this was when my left shoulder was getting gnarly and I didn’t want to piss it off further. Also, used a lower incline than normal as I was supersetting with rear delts (which I do lying on the incline bench and I can’t reach the floor to pick the dumbells up in the incline’s too high).

Superset:Seated Cable Rows/Push-ups
30kg x 15/10
35kg x 12/10
40kg x 10/10

Didn’t go heavier today, partly because of my elbow and partly because I wanted to keep form as strict as possible. Also, starting to get tired by this point.

Straight-Arm Pulldowns (Drop Sets)

25kg >20kg >15kg > 10kg x 30 reps total, 8 reps on heaviest weight.

Just did the one of these. It was enough.

Wide Grip Pulldowns

30kg x 10
35kg x 10
40kg x 10

Again, didn’t go heavy on these as I wanted to focus on form. The bottom of my right shoulderblade feels a lot different to the left when I bring the bar down. But then I know my two sides are quite different – because I injured my right shoulder 21 years ago the muscles on that side work a bit differently as they have been compensating. Not an easy thing to fix, and the reason why I tend not to brute force heavier weights on the upper back exercises.

Dumbell Rows

24kg x 6/6

Just did one set. Elbow didn’t like it. Left it there.

I am training legs tomorrow and have decided to drop squats entirely. (It’s not like a need a squat ass – I have a generous derriere anyway).

[BalhamBeast]

Sunday 11th November

Success! I’ve actually found a squat-type exercise I can do.

Legs

Step-Ups

Step + 6 risers x 10 reps per leg (alternating) – Body only
Step + 7 risers x 10 reps per leg (alternating) – Body only
Step + 7 risers x 10 reps per leg (alternating) – with Olympic Bar

I’ve done step-ups plenty of times before – I did them a fair bit when I needed to do unilateral work to help with my piriformis syndrome-induced sciatica when I was training for a half marathon at the beginning of last year. I thought that if I weighted them, they might make a good alternative to squats but actually, I felt quite unstable when I got the bar on my shoulders and my achilles didn’t like it much. Next.

Box Squats

Used step + 6 risers which brings me just about parallel.

Bar x 15 – Felt OK.
30kg x 10
40kg x 10
45kg x 8 – Starting to get quite hard now
50kg x 5 – This is progress by my own sucky standards
55kg x 2 – This was pushing it, really, but considering my best box squat ever was 60kg I’m not far off.

So box squats appear to be the exercise. I concentrated on using my glutes to drive up and I could really feel my abs working. I must admit I feel a lot more secure with the step there so I’ll stick with these.

Superset:Overhead Split Squats/Hip Thrusts

3 x 10 (Right)/10 (Left)/20 (Thrusts).

As before, Bulgarian Split Squats done with a 5kg body bar held overhead. This time I superset them with hip thrusts (or air humps) with my feet elevated on the same box I put my hind foot on when doing the split squats. Got my glutes working quite hard, though I definitely feel the right side better than the left.


Leg Extensions

40kg x 10
50kg x 10
60kg x 8

Started heavier so didn’t do as many sets.

Single Leg Curls

20kg x 10/10
25kg x 10/10
30kg x 6/6

The 30kg seemed easy enough for a few reps and then I just lost it.
I definitely struggle more on the right leg and the right ankle doesn’t feel brilliant doing these but the weight stack machine in the main gym is crap so I stick to these.

45 Degree Leg Press

120kg x 10
140kg x 10
160kg x 10
180kg x 8
200kg x 6

I’ll admit my ROM isn’t huge on these on account of the fact I have poor hip flexion – I can’t get my knees back against my chest without a lot of discomfort. I really need to get that looked at – it’s like something is blocked. Anyway, that’s why I use a comparatively large amount of weight (200kg = 440lbs in old money). I do try not to lock out a) in order to keep tension on the quads and b) because I hyperextend my knees and doing that with a lot of weight on them is not a smart move.

Legs felt pleasantly wobbly after, anyway.

[BalhamBeast]

Monday 12th November

Shoulders today – could still feel them a bit from the back work I did on Saturday. Mystery left foot pain seems to have died off, thankfully (not a problem I need on top of everything else!) but right shoulder decided to start whining and bitching today. I’ve had this injury for 21 years now so I’ve come to expect it, but I hope it doesn’t persist this time because I want a 70kg bench press by the new year.

Shoulders

Military Press

Bar x 10
25kg x 10
30kg x 10
32.5kg x 8
35kg x 5
37.5kg x 2
40kg x 1 (went up reasonably easily)
42.5kg – FAIL (Eh...wtf? I’d thought after the easy 40kg I’d get this. Try again...)
42.5kg x 1 (Ugly! It really didn’t want to go past my eyebrows but I ground it out. Right arm was crapping out on me so the bar was all wonky but I got the bastard up in the end. Hmph).

Going to need to work on those right shoulder stabilisers I think – same thing happened on bench on Saturday.

Rear Delt Flyes

Done face down on incline bench as usual.

3 x 14kg x 10
8kg x 30

Lateral Raises

I was going to do the same as I did on the rear delts – three heavy sets and a light set. But soon as I tried raising the 10kgs my right shoulder was all “Back off, biatch!” so I thought better of it. Did a couple of light sets instead.

2 x 6kg x 20

Superset:Rear Delt Cable Extension/Cable Crossovers

5kg x 12/12
7.5kg x 6/10

I did the cable crossovers for the hell of it really. I don’t normally do them even on chest day. I like using the machine for rear delts, though. I just wish it had an intermediate weight between 5 and 7.5kgs. Maybe I could get a 1.25kg plate and hang it from the pin or something.


Plate Front Raises

10kg x 10
2 x 15kg x 8


That was it. I left out dumbbell press today as I didn’t want to put any further stress on the right shoulder by heaving the dumbbells up to shoulder height. And I’ll admit I just plain forgot the shrugs.

Arms tomorrow. I may throw in some more light shoulder stuff if they don’t feel sufficiently cooked. I certainly have a nice case of ass DOMS from yesterday.

[mudbound]

Yay I found you! Nice work in here!

[RyouBakua]

[LoveMyInk]

another Hallowed friend.

Yay

[BalhamBeast]

Welcome to my palace of debauchery.

[RyouBakua]

Welcome to my palace of debauchery.

we shall see

[BalhamBeast]

Tuesday 13th November

I could definitely feel my shoulders this morning but it’s more of an “ugh, I lifted something heavy yesterday” rather than a DOMS-type soreness. Still got glute DOMS though!

Arms

Weighted Dips

Bodyweight only x 10
+5kg x 6
+10kg x 5, 3, 3

Kind of surprised I can still get 10 reps on the first (unweighted) set given I’m heavier. The weighted sets were pretty challenging though – only three reps on the second and third sets with 10kg.

Superset:Overhead Dumbell Extension/Preacher Curls

22kg x 10/20kg x 10
24kg x 8/22.5kg x 8
26kg x 6/25k x 2 +20kg x 8

I’m getting pretty strong at the dumbbell extensions but I find preacher curls pretty challenging. Getting 8 reps with 22.5kg was hard but I thought I could go a bit heavier. Then I tried 25kg and only got two reps so I just stripped the 2.5kg plates off and carried on. Guess I have weak biceps, huh?

Arm Triset of Doom!

Basically this is Tricep Rope Pressdowns done as a strip set followed immediately by push-ups followed immediately by standing dumbell curls (supinating).

#1 Rope: 20kg > 15kg >10kg > 5kg (30 rep total, 8 reps on heaviest weight)/ 5 push-ups /20 x 8kg DB curls
#2 Rope: 17.5kg >12.5kg >7.5kg > 2.5kg (30 rep total, 7 reps on heaviest weight)/6 push-ups/12 x 8kg DB curls

My pump was ridiculous – I actually had to stop at 12 curls on the second set because I couldn’t bend my arm anymore! I blame the creatine.


Seated Hammer Curls

10kg x 10
12kg x 2 – right bicep tendon didn’t feel right so I stopped. If 20-odd years of training have taught me anything, it’s to listen to my body when it tells me to back the hell off. So that was that.
Practised my handstands (getting there) and cartwheels (still crap) a bit afterwards – watching me do gymnastics must be like watching an elephant do dressage, but it’s coming up to the part of the year where I have to start teaching the kids gymnastics so I pretty much have to practise to avoid embarrassment.

[mudbound]

Tuesday 13th November

I could definitely feel my shoulders this morning but it’s more of an “ugh, I lifted something heavy yesterday” rather than a DOMS-type soreness. Still got glute DOMS though!

Arms

Weighted Dips

Bodyweight only x 10
+5kg x 6
+10kg x 5, 3, 3

Kind of surprised I can still get 10 reps on the first (unweighted) set given I’m heavier. The weighted sets were pretty challenging though – only three reps on the second and third sets with 10kg.

Superset:Overhead Dumbell Extension/Preacher Curls

22kg x 10/20kg x 10
24kg x 8/22.5kg x 8
26kg x 6/25k x 2 +20kg x 8

I’m getting pretty strong at the dumbbell extensions but I find preacher curls pretty challenging. Getting 8 reps with 22.5kg was hard but I thought I could go a bit heavier. Then I tried 25kg and only got two reps so I just stripped the 2.5kg plates off and carried on. Guess I have weak biceps, huh?

Arm Triset of Doom!

Basically this is Tricep Rope Pressdowns done as a strip set followed immediately by push-ups followed immediately by standing dumbell curls (supinating).

#1 Rope: 20kg > 15kg >10kg > 5kg (30 rep total, 8 reps on heaviest weight)/ 5 push-ups /20 x 8kg DB curls
#2 Rope: 17.5kg >12.5kg >7.5kg > 2.5kg (30 rep total, 7 reps on heaviest weight)/6 push-ups/12 x 8kg DB curls

My pump was ridiculous – I actually had to stop at 12 curls on the second set because I couldn’t bend my arm anymore! I blame the creatine.


Seated Hammer Curls

10kg x 10
12kg x 2 – right bicep tendon didn’t feel right so I stopped. If 20-odd years of training have taught me anything, it’s to listen to my body when it tells me to back the hell off. So that was that.
Practised my handstands (getting there) and cartwheels (still crap) a bit afterwards – watching me do gymnastics must be like watching an elephant do dressage, but it’s coming up to the part of the year where I have to start teaching the kids gymnastics so I pretty much have to practise to avoid embarrassment.

An elephant doing dressage?! That has to be the most eloquent metaphor any of us have ever uttered. Stop upping the game! Oh and nice work!