Lifting and other musings

[ScottishMark]

MUSINGS

New Journal in new section.

More for my own peronal reflection and recording than anything else. Trying to hold myself accountable in order to gain strength.

I work a job which has erratic hours and can be pretty stresfull and I'm also a full time student (currently completing my legal diploma before begining my traineeship and eventually becoming a solicitor). Not an excuse, it's the path I've chosen but there is no doubt it does, at times interfere with my training and my eating. I am working around this as best I can. It means a 'week' of Smolov may take me longer than 7 days. I'll still refer to the weeks of the program as though I'm completing them in the time frame specified.


LIFTING

A little information about training and me in general.

I'm in my 5th week of Smolov at the moment. Body is taking a beating but squats are on the up. I am and have been working around bicep tendonitis and niggling shoulder issues for the past while now. Rest, pre-hab, re-hab and NSAID's have become my friends.

Current lifts (all at around 180-185lbs/83kg-ish bodyweight).

Bench
Who knows? Have hit 140kg in the past but with nagging tenonitis I've not benched in 6 weeks and wasn't hittng it hard prior to then. It's not a priority atm but I'd still be good for 130kg.

Deadlift
Pulled 220kg prior to begining Smolov. As I've been running Smolov haven't pulled since.

Squat
Began Smolov with a max of 170kg. Always been weaker than my Deadlift and decided to tackle this in a productive way - which is working.

All of my max's are gym lifts - I've never completed and don't plan to in the near future.

Smolov progress. As above, I'm in week 5 (base cycle). I began with max of 170kg in base cycle. Added 10kg to my estimated max for numbers in base cycle and added 7.5kg onto the each set in week 4 and now week 5. Next session is the last session prior to resting and re-testing my max (10 sets of 3 with 168kg). I'm not overly apprehensive about this. It will be a long session but the strength is their.

Max wise, I'm going for 190kg when I next test which I'm fairly confident in hitting. That'd be a 20kg gain in 5 'weeks'.

Out of the entire program I'm not really sure what to expect after 13 weeks. Assuming I hit 190kg at my next max, I'd expect to walk away with a 200kg squat at the end of the 13 weeks, maybe more. Follow me and find out.

[ScottishMark]

21/12/14

Schedule/gym opening hours meant that I decided to miss my 10x3 and hit a new max today.

170kg went up no problem.

190kg went up at an RPE of about 8.5.

New all time PR by 10kg. **** yeah.

The weight was a touch over my toes on this rep but I was never in danger of missing this. Could have went for 200kg but playing it smart and I'll stick with the rest of Smolov. A 200kg squat at the end of that doesn't look overly optimistic - maybe even more.

[ScottishMark]

21/12/14

190kg went up at an RPE of about 8.5.

Could have went for 200kg but playing it smart and I'll stick with the rest of Smolov. A 200kg squat at the end of that doesn't look overly optimistic - maybe even more.

22/12/14

Was planning on playing it smart but yesterdays 190kg was playing on my mind and I felt fresh and strong today. Sometimes listening to your body is called for and today was one of those days.

Went to the gym and here was was what went down:

5x70kg
2x90kg
1x140kg
1x160kg
1x180kg
1x200kg - felt fine, RPE of aboout 9. Depth was good by powerlifting standard but I do have a habit of going deeper than required so it was niggling on my mind. Took a 15 minute breather and..
1x200kg - burried depth wise. RPE of about 9 again. A little slower than the first rep but wasn't going to miss it.

What can I say, glad I listened to my body and hit this today. I feel I've peaked well for today over the last 6 weeks and I'm happy to solidify this as a max and slowly add over the next 7 weeks.

30kg in 6 weeks on my squat. ****ing happy. BOOM.

[ScottishMark]

04/01/15

MUSINGS

Happy new year to anyone reading.

The two week switching phase was used mainly for rest and recouperation. Didn't do as many workouts as I'd have done if fully healthy (and if the gym was open over the festive period).

Feels like it has done me good - bicep tendonitis has settled down and I feel healthier than I have done in a long time.

With that being said, it is now time to tackle the intense cycle - basing my working weights on a max of 190kg as being realistic I don't feel I'd hit the sets called for if using my max of 200kg.

LIFTING
123.5kgx3
143.5kgx4
161kgx4x3sets
171kgx5

Last set was kinda playing on my mind. The 3 sets before weren't too bad but I just wasn't confident in hitting 171kgx5. Just knuckled down and focused and got all the reps. Onto the next one..

[ScottishMark]

[ScottishMark]

LIFTING

114kgx3
133kgx3
152kgx4
171kgx3 (see musings section..)
161x5x2sets

MUSINGS
Felt strong today. Nothing felt overly heavy.

171kgx3 set was irritating. Weight is fine but my gyms **** 11kg bar is giving me issues. No knurling in the middle - I end up compensating for this by leaning slightly forward in the hole as I'm worried the bar will slide off my back. This caused me to lose the third rep forward, spotters corrected this but I told them to leave it. Pretty much paused the rep in the hole and drove it up - then did another cause I was pissed off.

161kg sets were slow and deliberate concentrating on keeping bar where it needs to be. No issues. Gym should be getting an Oly bar soon, after me complaining for long enough.