Ben's Training

[Ben0090]

Week 2
Day 1
Workout B

Morning Weight
59.0kg
Food
2548 kcal
153g protein
232g carbs
106g fat
Workout Length
82 mins (including warmup and stretching)

Paused Squats
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
45kg x 5/5/5

Overhead Press
20kg x 5/5
32.5kg x 5/5/5

Romanian Deadlifts
30kg x 8
45kg x 8/8/8

Pullups
BW x 6/6/6

Cable Crunches
22.5kg x 15/15
Bicep Curls
20kg x 10/10

Notes
Everything good

[ItsTiME35]

solid work Ben, them paused squats are fun

[Ben0090]

solid work Ben, them paused squats are fun

Cheers mate, somehow the sessions are getting easier/staying the same when the weight is going up so I must be getting a lot stronger, dunno how but I'm literally noticing results in the mirror already looking just as lean but bigger might be water retention of something I have no clue

[Ben0090]

Ditched the olympic weightlifting shoes today, squatting in flats, very slightly wider stance, very slightly higher depth, feels like I have more control and that I can produce more force. Feel like Ive wasted money on squat shoes but oh well haha I'll find a use for them in years to come no doubt, maybe front squats or something one day.

[Ben0090]

Week 2
Day 2
Workout A

Morning Weight
59.4kg
Food
2839 kcal
166g protein
396g carbs
57g fats
Swapped some things around with the diet, was probably getting too many of my calories from fat before but now probably not enough haha.
Workout Length
65 mins (including warmup and stretching)

Squats
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
45kg x 3
55kg x 5/5/5

Bench Press
20kg x 5
32.5kg x 5
42.5kg x 5/5/5

Pendlay Rows
20kg x 8
32.5kg x 8
42.5kg x 8/8/8

Face Pulls
15kg x 10/10/10

Calf Raises (Superset)
27.5kg x 15/15
Tricep Pushdowns
22.5kg x 10/10

Notes
Easy.
Squatting in flats, bar sightly lower on back (still high bar), ever so slightly wider stance and pointing feet out to the side a tiny bit, and a tiny bit higher depth but still pretty close to atg. Feels better more powerful and more stable than the ultra upright torso, narrow stance, glutes hitting ankes kind of ridiculous depth squats I was doing with the olympic shoes before.
Still working on bench form the bench press setup sucks at my gym.
Pendlays are awesome, killing them.

[ch3v3ll3]

High bar squats are always going to feel a bit off unless you're 5' tall and Chinese.

I plan to work them in at some point again, but low bar feels much better. As a leg exercise, though, I think they are MUCH better than low bar.

[ItsTiME35]

I wish I had started at 20 instead of 35.... 15 years of desk work and driving really play havoc on a mans mobilty

[17mahmoods]

I wish I had started at 20 instead of 35.... 15 years of desk work and driving really play havoc on a mans mobilty

The grass is always greener on the other side.

I started at 18 and wished I had started at 16.

[ItsTiME35]

The grass is always greener on the other side.

I started at 18 and wished I had started at 16.

fair comment well made sir

[Ben0090]

Week 2
Day 3
Workout B

Morning Weight
59.9kg
Food
2903 kcal
160g protein
373g carbs
77g fat
Workout Length
70 mins (including warmup and stretching)

Paused Squats
20kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 5/5/5

Overhead Press
20kg x 5
25kg x 5
32.5kg x 5/5/5

Romanian Deadlifts
30kg x 6
45kg x 8/8/8

Pullups
BW x 6/6/6

Cable Crunches
22.5kg x 15/15
Bicep Curls
20kg x 10/10

Notes
Easy.
Upped calories a little, going to start doing cardio on a couple of my off days as I have a fitness test in February.

[17mahmoods]

Upped calories a little, going to start doing cardio on a couple of my off days as I have a fitness test in February.

Some cardio is always a good idea. IMO play some sports it's a lot more fun.

[Ben0090]

Some cardio is always a good idea. IMO play some sports it's a lot more fun.

I'd guess I'm upping my weekly calories far more than I'd burn from a couple cardio sessions, BUT, I mean I wouldn't mind gaining a bit extra fat to just carry more weight and be bigger in general, can always lose fat later, better than being skinny and leaving gains on the table.

[Ben0090]

Week 3
Day 1
Workout A

Morning Weight
60.5kg
Food
3016 kcal
168 protein
426 carbs
63 fats

Squats
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
45kg x 5
60kg x 5/5/5

Bench Press
20kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 5/5/5

Pendlay Rows
20kg x 8
35kg x 8
45kg x 8/8/8

Face Pulls
15kg x 10/10/10

Calf Raises (Superset)
30kg x 15/15
Tricep Pushdowns
25kg x 10/10

Notes
Pendlays getting difficult

[MyEgoProblem]

Good things happening here.
Seems your doing it all right.

If you canGet a pendlay row video up bro?
Can probably help tweaking form and get it back on ez street for you.

Goes for any lift, always got time to help out those doing it right.

[Ben0090]

Good things happening here.
Seems your doing it all right.

If you canGet a pendlay row video up bro?
Can probably help tweaking form and get it back on ez street for you.

Goes for any lift, always got time to help out those doing it right.

Thanks, will try and get a video next time

[Ben0090]

Week 3
Day 2
Workout B

Morning Weight
60.6kg
Food
Not a lot

Paused Squats
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
40kg x 3
50kg x 5/5/5

Overhead Press
20kg x 5
30kg x 2
35kg x 5/5/5

Romanian Deadlifts
30kg x 8
40kg x 4
50kg x 8/8/8

Pullups
BW x 7/7/7

Cable Crunches
25kg x 15/15
Bicep Curls
22.5kg x 10/10

Notes
Yesterday's workout
Hadn't eaten a lot
Everything is starting to get harder, especially overhead press and pullups
Going to smash well over 4000 calories today to make up for yesterday, and I'm doing a bit of running later too, will see how tomorrow goes

[Ben0090]

Week 3
Day 3
Workout A

Morning Weight
60.8kg
Food
3016 kcal
168 protein
426 carbs
63 fats

Squats
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
45kg x 5
60kg x 5/5/5

Bench Press
20kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 5/5/5

Pendlay Rows
20kg x 8
35kg x 8
45kg x 8/8/8

Face Pulls
15kg x 10/10/10

Calf Raises (Superset)
30kg x 15/15
Tricep Pushdowns
25kg x 10/10

Notes
This is getting a bit difficult

[17mahmoods]

Keep up the bulk man. Things are looking solid.

+1 on getting vids up. Best time to start working on form, ego gets in the way later on when you realize you have to drop the weight to work on form.

[ItsTiME35]

Keep up the bulk man. Things are looking solid.

+1 on getting vids up. Best time to start working on form, ego gets in the way later on when you realize you have to drop the weight to work on form.

great advice... i was like this and only realised I wasnt tight on my deads until I did a video and saw my back rounding

[Ben0090]

Keep up the bulk man. Things are looking solid.

+1 on getting vids up. Best time to start working on form, ego gets in the way later on when you realize you have to drop the weight to work on form.

great advice... i was like this and only realised I wasnt tight on my deads until I did a video and saw my back rounding

It felt better that session, heavy, but better, focusing on arching my thoracic spine hard as the bar is coming up to avoid just dumping my shoulders forward. I've got videos and it looks good so I'm not going to bother with youtube etc just for that, I will do in the future though when I'm stalling or something doesnt look right.

I took videos of paused squats and I noticed my knees were going very far forward and my heels were coming up only very very slightly at the outside edge of my foot, probably because of the transition to flat shoes. I've altered form slightly to a "hybrid squat" as jonny candito calls it, and its fixed everything, feels solid with a slightly wider stance and higher depth just below parallel rather than going atg and losing tightness in my hips.

[ItsTiME35]

sounds like you are judging it perfectly and have a sensible approach which puts you ahead of 90% of people mate

[Ben0090]

sounds like you are judging it perfectly and have a sensible approach which puts you ahead of 90% of people mate

Thanks!

Im a bit tired today, had a very taxing shift at work which hammered my mid/lower back and forearms, plus my left glute/(maybe abductor?) is feeling a little painful at times seemingly more apparent with twisting motions. Im doing some running/sprints on off days to prepare for a fitness test I have on the 1st of Feb which I have to pass no matter what, after that I'll be recovering better with true days off.

[Ben0090]

Week 4
Day 1
Workout B

Morning Weight
61.0kg
Food
3016 kcal
168 protein
426 carbs
63 fats

Paused Squats
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
40kg x 5
55kg x 5/5/5

Overhead Press
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
37.5kg x 5/5/5

Romanian Deadlifts
30kg x 8
40kg x 8
55kg x 8/8/8

Pullups
BW x 8/7/7

Cable Crunches
27.5kg x 15/15
Bicep Curls
22.5kg x 10/10

Notes
- Warmups for the big compounds I'm doing 50% of working weight then 75%, 5 reps each set or 8 reps respectively... is this too much volume close to the working weight?
- Squats were a challenge, but felt good I think
- Overhead press was brutal, may stall soon :/
- Romanians burned in my lower quire a bit
- Pullups were supposed to be 3x8 this week, but since I'm gaining bodyweight too I'm basically progressing in reps and weight so I suppose its to be expected that I wouldn't make all reps, I'll keep working on getting that perfect 3x8
- After the romanians, pullups, and holding the rope for cable crunches, my forearms were absoloutely ruined for ez bar curls. Im using good form on the curls i.e. not curling my wrist, its just literally holding the ez bar thats so hard at the end of the workout after all those exercises that smashed my forearms, had to cheat reps slightly as my forearms just couldnt handle it and my biceps werent feeling it and needed more work.

[ItsTiME35]

- Warmups for the big compounds I'm doing 50% of working weight then 75%, 5 reps each set or 8 reps respectively... is this too much volume close to the working weight?

do you feel fatigued after your warm up? If you do maybe drop a few reps but I tend to do as follows for example

** Deadlift **
- Total Sets: 8
- Total Reps: 25
- 70.0 kgs x 3 reps
- 70.0 kgs x 3 reps
- 100.0 kgs x 2 reps
- 120.0 kgs x 1 rep
- 140.0 kgs x 1 rep
- 150.0 kgs x 5 reps [PR]
- 150.0 kgs x 5 reps
- 150.0 kgs x 5 reps

[Ben0090]

do you feel fatigued after your warm up? If you do maybe drop a few reps but I tend to do as follows for example

** Deadlift **
- Total Sets: 8
- Total Reps: 25
- 70.0 kgs x 3 reps
- 70.0 kgs x 3 reps
- 100.0 kgs x 2 reps
- 120.0 kgs x 1 rep
- 140.0 kgs x 1 rep
- 150.0 kgs x 5 reps [PR]
- 150.0 kgs x 5 reps
- 150.0 kgs x 5 reps

I dunno really, the last warmup set I always feel a bit of a burn and its little a bit taxing etc during the set, but not after.

Im curious what would you personally do for a 60kg lift 3x5 and 3x8 respectively?

[WolfRose7]

I dunno really, the last warmup set I always feel a bit of a burn and its little a bit taxing etc during the set, but not after.

Im curious what would you personally do for a 60kg lift 3x5 and 3x8 respectively?

I would

20 x 5
20 x 5
40 x 3
50 x 1

60 x 3x5

[ItsTiME35]

I would

20 x 5
20 x 5
40 x 3
50 x 1

60 x 3x5

^^ cant argue with that tbh

[OmarCominYo]

Hey man, still in?

Warmup:
I do them similar to the others.
First set always with the bar (whatever reps feel good).
~50% x 5
~65% x 3
~75% x 2
~90% x 1

[Ben0090]

Missed the last 2 days of week 4, due to a family emergency

Back to eating enough and training today

[17mahmoods]

Missed the last 2 days of week 4, due to a family emergency

Back to eating enough and training today

Hope everything is good now.

Life gets in the way, moving forward is the best thing you can do.