T.P.W.s log of lifting heavy things and making funny faces

[T.P.W.]

I'm going to try and keep this updated to best of my abilities, but they may be a bit sporadic but I do stick to my staggering method below.

Bit of background, I've been going to the gym for about 18 months, the last 6 I'd say seriously. I do find it hard being a smaller guy being 5,8", always hoped for more but genetics decided otherwise, hmph...

Was held back slightly earlier this year as I hurt my back a little bit, meaning I couldn't do any squats, deadlifts and load baring exercises. But since July my back has been solid and have been gently pushing the weights up on squats deadlifts. Probably means slower progress, but I'd rather that than 6 months of not being able to any at all.

Also happy to say that I can squat and DL more than my own body weight now (you may have guessed I enjoy those particular exercises...)

Just started a new regime and today was the first session.

The way I stagger my sessions is like this:

Back & Bicep Session
Chest & Tricep Session
Day Off
Leg & Shoulders Session
Day Off
Begin Again----------^

Previous regime was a lot of super seting, so this time round is pretty much all station training for variation. Some of these you might know by other names, but these are the names I know them by, also if it's a super set then it would appear as A1, A2 etc. I'm not putting down the tempo of each exercise though (the amount of time under tension).

Back & Bicep Day:
A1: Romanian Dead Lift, 4-6 reps, 4 sets
B1: Standing Good Mornings, 6 reps, 4 sets
C1: Pull Ups, 6-8 reps, 3 sets
D1: Face Pull, 6-8 reps, 4 sets
E1: Straight Bar Bicep Curl, 4-6 reps, 3 sets
E2: Mid Line Hammer Curl, 6-8 reps, 3 sets

Chest & Tricep Day:
A1: Pec Dec Machine, 4-6 reps, 3 sets
B1: Flat DB Press Semi Supinated Grip, 4-6 reps, 4 sets
C1: Cable Fly, 6-8 reps, 4 sets
D1: Incline EZ Bar ext., 4-6 reps, 4 sets
E1: Half Press, 4-6 reps, 4 sets
F1: Overhead Rop Ext., 6-8 reps, 4 sets

Leg & Shoulders
A1: Leg Press, 6-8 reps, 4 sets
B1: Wide Stance Squat, 4-6 reps, 4 sets
C1: Leg ext., 6-8 reps, 4 sets
D1: DB Shoulder Press, 4-6 reps, 4 sets
E1: Cable Lateral ext., 6-8 reps, 4 sets
F1: Bent Arm Pullover, 6-8 reps, 4 sets

Always hate the first day of a new regime as there's a lot of faffing with weights as you try and find your level, it's been a while since I've done some of these too. As today was the first day here's how it went: (reps/total weight in Kg)

Back & Bicep Day:
A1: Romanian Dead Lift: 6/62.5, 6/65, 5/65, 5/62.5
B1: Standing Good Mornings: 6/20, 6/22.5, 6/25, 6/27.5
C1: Pull Ups: 6, 6, 4 (boo )
D1: Face Pull: 8/35, 8/40, 8/42.5, 6/42.5
E1: Straight Bar Bicep Curl: 6/20, 6/20, 6/20 (this will be going up next time!)
E2: Mid Line Hammer Curl: 6/20, 6/16, 8/12 (some bugger stole my 8kg bells for the last set...)

Thanks for reading (promise they won't all be this long!)
Rich

[T.P.W.]

Todays efforts

Chest & Tricep Day:
A1: Pec Dec Machine: 5/49, 4/49, 5/47
B1: Flat DB Press Semi Supinated Grip: 4/40, 6/36, 4/36, 5/36
C1: Cable Fly: 6/30, 7/30, 7/30, 6/30
D1: Incline EZ Bar ext.: 6/22.5, 6/25, 5/25, 4/25
E1: Half Press: 6/20, 3/22.5, 5/20, 4/20
F1: Overhead Rop Ext.: 8/20, 8/20, 8/20, 8/20 (should have pushed harder here )

[T.P.W.]

Leg & Shoulders
A1: Leg Press: 8/75, 8/80, 8/90, 8/95
B1: Wide Stance Squat: 6/57/5, 6/60, 6/60, 6/60 (the last few reps of each set weren't easy ones which is why the weight didn't go up much)
C1: Leg ext.: 8/42.5, 8/45, 8/47.5, 8/50
D1: DB Shoulder Press: 6/28, 5/32, 4/32, 4/28
E1: Cable Lateral ext.: 8/20, 6/20, 8/17.5, 8/17.5

Decided to drop the bent arm pullover as this session is already quite long, and including that one takes me over and hour which I don't want. Plus I've got places to go!

Now that I've done one of each session, no more faffing with weights so I can get on with it all now, hurrah!

Rich

[ldematto]

Looks like a great routine! I too use to love doing DL and Squats (weighted) was up to 150 lbs and I was soooo excited, but hurt myself an it seems it's been downhill ever since Anyway, now I'm on a lighted weight program and slowly but surely getting back into DL's and Squats...(still haven't done deads in awhile

Keep up the good work! I'll have to check in and see what you are doing - maybe get some ideas!

Lu

[T.P.W.]

thanks Lu I had some PT sessions with an awesome guy down my gym right at the start of the year. Unfortunately he's moved on to another gym, but I've got all the exercises he gave me written down, so it's an amalgamation of all of those.

I can empathise with your injury, It was very frustrating being held back by an injury. Make sure you give it the time and respect it needs to heal, then you'll be back to DL & squats

If you don't mind me asking, Is it your back that you've injured? If so I can give you the regime I was given to help me, as well as a few other tips if you feel it would be of use?

Rich

[T.P.W.]

Forgot my log book today, so had to try and remember the exercises and what I had done last time. Remembered most of it, so here's todays efforts:

Back & Bicep Day:
A1: Romanian Dead Lift: 6/65, 6/65, 5/65, 3/65
B1: Standing Good Mornings: 8/27.5, 8/27.5, 8/27.5, 8/27.5 (felt a bit of twinge doing this so didn't push it today)
C1: Pull Ups: 8, 5, 5
D1: Face Pull: 8/40, 8/45, 8/42.5, 8/42.5
E1: Straight Bar Bicep Curl: 4/25, 4/25, 5/22.5
E2: Mid Line Hammer Curl: 8/20, 4/20, 6/16

Bit of progress on my pull ups which I'm happy with, but I'm going to get some lifting straps for deadlifting. The weight isn't a problem for my back and I feel I can go higher, but I don't have the grip strength to hold onto the bar that's why I only managed 3 reps in the last set as I couldn't hold on any more.

[T.P.W.]

Not enjoying having to de-frost my car before going to the gym these days grrrr

Chest & Tricep Day:
A1: Pec Dec Machine: 6/49, 5/49, 3/49
B1: Flat DB Press Semi Supinated Grip: 6/40, 4/40, 6/36, 4/36
C1: Cable Fly: 7/35, 8/30, 6/30, 6/30
D1: Incline EZ Bar ext.: 6/25, 6/25, 4/25, 4/25
E1: Half Press: 6/20, 5/22.5, 4/22.5, 3/22.5
F1: Overhead Rop Ext.: 8/22.5, 7/25, 8/25, 7/25

[T.P.W.]

Definitely not my idea of fun either! It's been -2C here all day, might get some snow tonight. All this makes the bed so much more appealing!! lol

[T.P.W.]

Ok, gym the last month just didn't happen due to non stop work and silly hours. On the plus side it was physical work, having been back the last couple of days I haven't lost as much strength as I feared despite dropping 2 kilos in weight. I have climbing up and down 2 ladders 16 times a day for a month to thank for that I think.

Here's my efforts for first 2 days back.

Back & Bicep Day: Monday
A1: Romanian Dead Lift: 6/65, 6/70, 6/72.5, 6/70
B1: Standing Good Mornings: 6/27.5, 6/30, 6/32.5, 5/32.5
C1: Pull Ups: 8, 5, 4
D1: Face Pull: 8/40, 7/42.5, 7/40, 7/40
E1: Straight Bar Bicep Curl: 6/25, 4/25, 4/22.5
E2: Mid Line Hammer Curl: 6/20, 4/16, 4/16

Chest & Tricep Day: Tuesday
A1: Pec Dec Machine: 6/49, 5/49, 4/47
B1: Flat DB Press Semi Supinated Grip: 4/40, 5/36, 4/36, 3/36
C1: Cable Fly: 6/35, 7/30, 5/30, 7/25
D1: Incline EZ Bar ext.: 6/25, 4/27.5, 3/27.5, 3/25
E1: Half Press: 4/22.5, 4/22.5, 3/22.5, 5/20
F1: Rope Ext.: 8/25, 6/27.5, 6/25, 5/25

I did make the mistake of doing deadlifting for the first session back, movement has become an issue I just need to man the hell up!

[Boss Man]

I did make the mistake of doing deadlifting for the first session back, movement has become an issue I just need to man the hell up!

Exactly. You're british after all, not French, so you might have lost a bit of muscle, but you shouldn't have lost any backbone .

[T.P.W.]

Brilliant! I actually lol'd

Unfortunately there is a bit of France in my family history somewhere. However it's only manifested itself as a fondness for cheese, instead of surrendering.

First legs session tomorrow. After that there will be pain! I hear sitting down is really underrated...

[Boss Man]

I think most of us are a bit French, (stupid umb Normans), either that or Scandanavian and seeing as how many Americans are descneded from the Brits and Irish, don't think French connections can't exist for you, because they might.

I think that might have manifested itself, in the way you and they drive perhaps.

[T.P.W.]

They invaded, they shagged, they left, we invaded everywhere else, we shagged and then sort of stayed put for a while. That's all I remember from history lessons at school

Hard session today, but a good one. First time I've done an exercise with the weight in triple figures

Leg & Shoulders
A1: Leg Press: 8/90, 8/100, 8/105, 8/110
B1: Wide Stance Squat: 6/60, 4/60, 4/60, 5/57.5
C1: Leg ext.: 8/50, 7/50, 8/47.5, 7/47.5
D1: DB Shoulder Press: 6/32, 6/32, 3/32, 4/28
E1: Cable Lateral ext.: 8/20, 6/20, 5/20, 8/15

It's a good that I've just left my job as I need a rest after that!

[Boss Man]

They invaded, they shagged, they left, we invaded everywhere else, we shagged and then sort of stayed put for a while. That's all I remember from history lessons at school

You pretty much covered most of the salient points about British history, pre-20th century

[T.P.W.]

Shows that I was potentially listening at one point or another!

I bought some lifting straps the other day, used them for the first time for todays session and my dead lift weight has jumped nearly 20kgs! Shows how much my grip strength was holding me back on that area. I even did a 5th set just for kicks as I was enjoying it!
I know using lifting straps means losing some of the other benefits of dead lifting, such as grip strength. But I'm hoping that the gains of being able to work my core a lot harder will out weigh the loss of these other ares. Any of you guys in the know (Boss Man, LesPlease et al) can let me know if I'm right in thinking this?

Todays efforts.

Back & Bicep Day:
A1: Romanian Dead Lift: 5/75, 6/80, 6/85, 6/87.5, 6/87.5
B1: Standing Good Mornings: 6/30, 6/30, 6/30, 6/30
C1: Pull Ups: 8, 5, 4
D1: Face Pull: 8/42.5, 8/45, 7/47.5, 6/45
E1: Straight Bar Bicep Curl: 6/25, 4/25, 5/22.5
E2: Mid Line Hammer Curl: 6/20,4/20, 5/16

Finding it hard when I get to the bicep exercises at the end, but then I'm working them doing pull ups and face pull.