Hit The Ground Running ...

[goob]

Monday 3rd March

Chest - 60s RI : Mid Rep-Range Week

30 WG Pullups - BW-75lb
- im doing 30 WG pullups every day for the next 2 weeks and assessing progress after that.

DB Bench
(22's) 13, 13
(26's) 10, 10

Incline DB Bench
(26's) 8, 8, 6, 6

CG BB Bench
(65lb) 7, 6, 6, 6

Incline DB Flys
(18's) 8, 7, 6, 6

DB SLDL's
(30's) 20, 20

Seated Calf Raises
(105lb) 15
(130lb) 20

20 mins medium intensity X-Trainer
153-172bpm (79-90% max)

Okay session. Went in to do Legs but the rack was busy (again) so improvised. Some legs crept in at the end there, but that's only because i really wanted to train them :thumbdown:

Im doing a mid rep range (6-10) week this week and i'll do a 'Wala Challenge Week' next week where i'll do all the same exercises but try to get 40 reps on them all. Mad?? Yeah, probably. Fcuk it

Wow, this is the first workout in forever with no PR's. But I guess you were not oing for them anyway. Good job Sam, especially following it up with some hardcore X-trainer action.

 

[SamEaston]

Wow, this is the first workout in forever with no PR's. But I guess you were not oing for them anyway. Good job Sam, especially following it up with some hardcore X-trainer action.

No, im upping the reps this week, then going for mad rep mayhem next week.

5 x 5 this time round really did me proud. Can't wait for next time. Maybe i should post my PR's from before and after the program, hmmm . . . .

 

[SamEaston]

Okay, so here's a selection of the improvements i made from the PR's at the end of my previous 5x5 (end of October) and PR's at the end of this one. Some are hard to gauge because i've used different exercises but here are some:

5RM's
Squat- 110lb to 120lb
Deads- 135lb to 150lb
Bench- 77lb to 82.5lb

For 5 x 5
BB Military Press- 50lb to 55lb
Upright Row- 55lb to 66lb
Leg Extension- 115lb to 125lb
Standing Calf Raises - 145lb to 165lb

So yeah, some good improvements across the board. Not huge increases in weight but then i'd rather increase the poundage carefully and without injury. Form is all

Overall : Happy Bunny

 

[katt]

30 pullups a day good golly girl,,!! I'd have to do them in sets of 2 and it would probably take me my whole workout..

How are you liking the higher reps? I know for me, I got so use to the 4-6,, then when we went to the 8-10 it was like,, crap!! A whole different type of burn..

 

[SamEaston]

Yeah, it did actually take me 4 sets, but i only had a few seconds rest between them!

I like 8-10 reps actually. I might do that next, with an explosive concentric . . . hmm . . . .

 

[Scarface30]

upping the volume I see? I find the higher stuff to be quite the ass kicker. I do lower volume stuff at the beginning of my workout and towards the end higher volume, and just that little switch is a big difference!

I see the addition of pullups, and 30 reps nonetheless! great workout Sam

 

[nadirmg]

Hey mate! Welcome to my journal

22's are the DB's i was using, so for bench i did 2 sets using 2 x 22lb DB's then 2 sets using 2 x 26lb DB's.

Yeah, im in this game for the long haul! Lets do it!

aaah, ok, i wondered if maybe that's what it was i too am in it for the long haul!

btw, where in the UK are you? i have a sister that lives in edinburgh

 

[b_reed23]

great improvements Sam...what's next after 5x5 or did I miss that somewhere...??

 

[goob]

30 pullups a day good golly girl,,!! I'd have to do them in sets of 2 and it would probably take me my whole workout..

How are you liking the higher reps? I know for me, I got so use to the 4-6,, then when we went to the 8-10 it was like,, crap!! A whole different type of burn..

Holy shit, I missed that. That's really impressive.

Your PR record is equally good too.

 

[the other half]

ya, i like to try and get 30 pullups(in a month, and thats only if there is 31 days.)

good job on the total pr's. just goes to show. hard work pays.

 

[SamEaston]

Okay, having missed doing legs yesterday i got the chance to do them today. Madness ensued . . . .

Tuesday 4th March

Legs - Supersets of Death - 75s RI

1a. Front Squats - 90lb
1b. SLDL's - 70lb
- 8, 8, 8, 7, 6

2a. Split Squats - 82.5lb
2b. Deads - 70lb
- 8, 8, 7, 7
- couldn't do a 5th set

3a. Leg Extension - 115lb
3b. Standing Calf Raises - 155lb
- 8, 8, 7, 7
couldn't do a 5th set

4a. Hip Abductor - 45lb: 20, 20, 20
4b. WG Pullups - BW-75lb: 30 (4 sets)

15 mins low intensity Bike
140-148bpm (72-76% max)

This was the most fantastic workout i've had in a loooooong time. Amazing focus and drive and i kept on it even when my legs were shaking and my heart about to burst through my chest. At one stage i dropped to my knees after the last set of superset 2 (i think?), and someone actually came and asked me if i was okay. I must have sounded like a retard because i was so knackered i couldn't actually formulate a proper sentence

Brilliant. My legs will be suffering for the next few days i reckon

 

[SamEaston]

upping the volume I see? I find the higher stuff to be quite the ass kicker. I do lower volume stuff at the beginning of my workout and towards the end higher volume, and just that little switch is a big difference!

I see the addition of pullups, and 30 reps nonetheless! great workout Sam

Yeah, i was getting bored of 5 x 5 even though i was still getting PR's from it. My mind is sick of it though, and i felt like i was losing the drive i once had to attack each session with the same ferocity. It was getting to be to much of a routine, if that makes sense?

aaah, ok, i wondered if maybe that's what it was i too am in it for the long haul!

btw, where in the UK are you? i have a sister that lives in edinburgh

Im in London at the moment but im from Edinburgh. Do you visit her? It's an amazing city, but of course Im biased

great improvements Sam...what's next after 5x5 or did I miss that somewhere...??

Hey B! No you didn't miss anything! Im doing a bit of mid-range reps for a week, then a very high reps (40) week, then a week off then starting my new program, which i'll have to type out and get everyones opinions on.

Holy shit, I missed that. That's really impressive.

Your PR record is equally good too.

Thanks Goob! No more PR's for me for a while though. Oh well, it was good while it lasted!

ya, i like to try and get 30 pullups(in a month, and thats only if there is 31 days.)

good job on the total pr's. just goes to show. hard work pays.

Haha Yeah, one a day - hell, i'd be happy with one bodyweight pullup per day, let me tell you!

Getting all those PR's was brilliant, does wonders for your confidence. I think i'll do 5 x 5 maybe 3 or 4 times a year and really hit it. I hope in a couple of years to be shifting impressive weight, like Katt

 

[nadirmg]

Im in London at the moment but im from Edinburgh. Do you visit her? It's an amazing city, but of course Im biased

edinburgh, huh? no way! i've been to visit her about twice. i'd like to go again sometime soon. she lives near morningside. i freakin'-a love Scotland. i'd move there if texas wasn't as awesome as it is

 

[King Silverback]

Awesome w/o's and Fantastic progress Sister Sam!!!

 

[SamEaston]

edinburgh, huh? no way! i've been to visit her about twice. i'd like to go again sometime soon. she lives near morningside. i freakin'-a love Scotland. i'd move there if texas wasn't as awesome as it is

Morningside is nice, up in the north of Edinburgh. I went to uni in the west of the city so always lived in the west end but i had a friend who lived up there - gorgeous town houses, all georgian and that. Beautiful

Texas huh? Never thought of visiting, but i might now

Awesome w/o's and Fantastic progress Sister Sam!!!

Thanks Arch! The progress isn't much but nice and slow wins the race huh?!


So today was meant to be just cardio, but i sneaked in a Wala Challenge before jumping on the stepper. (the Wala challenge was made up by one of the guys [nutters] over at EB who thought it would be a good idea to randomly see how much you can bench for 40 reps without racking the bar. Needless to say he has since extended his repertoire to Deads and Squats too )

Wala Challenge - Bench
45lb x 40
- owww

13 mins HIIT
0-6 mins : 1 min max, 1 min light
6-10 mins : 45s max, 45s light
10-13mins : 30s max, 30s light

Killer cardio. I felt my asthma kicking in for the first time in ages pretty much straight away. That happens when the air is cold and my heart rate goes from zero to superhero in less than a minute!

Oh well - short and sweet. Ok, just short

 

[katt]

ok - 40 reps.. are you insane???? How do you go about finding that correct weight to use for 40 reps?? And do you take any r/p in there anywhere - or is it just get it done?

 

[the other half]

40 reps+HIIT=one sick person

 

[goob]

Cool. Love the 40 reps thing. Yaw one crazee ass bitch.

One extreme to the other, low reps heavy PR's to still heavy stuff at incredible reps. Great job.

 

[nadirmg]

40 reps+HIIT=one sick person

hyper-masochism
40 reps is a lot, no joke.

 

[Scarface30]

Yeah, i was getting bored of 5 x 5 even though i was still getting PR's from it. My mind is sick of it though, and i felt like i was losing the drive i once had to attack each session with the same ferocity. It was getting to be to much of a routine, if that makes sense?

that makes complete sense. I think that is partially what happened to me a few weeks back, just got bored with what I was doing and needed a change. change is good

nice HIIT session too. you were right, it was short and sweet. great job

 

[b_reed23]

ok - 40 reps.. are you insane???? How do you go about finding that correct weight to use for 40 reps?? And do you take any r/p in there anywhere - or is it just get it done?

I kinda had the same questions, but Katt said it so well

 

[SamEaston]

ok - 40 reps.. are you insane???? How do you go about finding that correct weight to use for 40 reps?? And do you take any r/p in there anywhere - or is it just get it done?

Insane? No.

Bored? Yeah, a bit.

I just used the bar with no weights on, Katt. I have done this before so i used the same weight again, although i'll increase it next week for 'Wala Challenge Week'!

No r/p, just get it over with as fast as possible. The first 10 are easy and you kinda get into a false sense of security thinking you should have upped the weight a bit. Next 10 are okay, reps 20-30 are where you begin to slow down alot, and 30-40 are agony. Reps 36-40 to me could have weighed 100lb, that's how tough it was to keep going.

I recommend it

40 reps+HIIT=one sick person

Ahh, you know me so well

Cool. Love the 40 reps thing. Yaw one crazee ass bitch.

One extreme to the other, low reps heavy PR's to still heavy stuff at incredible reps. Great job.

Thanks Goob. Im sure you said it once, that every so often you just get the burning desire to fuck yourself up completely. Well, that's my effort

hyper-masochism
40 reps is a lot, no joke.

Completely! Wait till next week, christ knows how i'll manage 40 rep squats

that makes complete sense. I think that is partially what happened to me a few weeks back, just got bored with what I was doing and needed a change. change is good

nice HIIT session too. you were right, it was short and sweet. great job

change is good, you are right. In fact, a change is as good as a rest as my mum always says. I recommend the Wala Challenge - you know Wala, any challenge of his is going to fuck you up good and proper

I kinda had the same questions, but Katt said it so well

Well, there ya go hunny! Give it a try - go on! Join me on the road to Hell

 

[SamEaston]

Well, im not sore today after my Wala-inspired workout yesterday, which is strange, so i reckon i definately need to up the weight on Bench. I didn't really want to because it looks a bit ridiculous putting 2 x 2lb weights on an olympic bar, but needs must i suppose

Anyway, todays shenanigans included:

Thursday 6th March
Back - Supersets of Death : 75s RI

30 WG Pullups: 4 sets needed

1a. V-Bar Pulldown : 95lb - 10, 8, 8, 8, 8
1b. 1 Arm DB Rows : 30lb - 6, 6, 5, 5, 5

2a. Stirrup-Grip Cable Row : 55lb - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
2b. Stirrup-Grip Pulldown : 75lb - 10, 10, 9, 8, 8

3a. Reverse Cable X-over : 13lb each side - 9, 9, 7, 8, 7
3b. Unilateral Cable Pulldown : 13lb - 5, 5, 4, 5, 4

Internal and external rotation - 2 sets each arm, each way

10 min Bike to get the blood out of my back because i felt like the Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Stonking workout - loved it!!

 

[katt]

Nice supersets you had there!!

"stonking"??? you England peeps sure have weird words sometimes..

 

[SamEaston]

Nice supersets you had there!!

"stonking"??? you England peeps sure have weird words sometimes..

Ahem, well im actually Scottish, but i'll let it slide since its you Katt

The Scottish have even better words, that you would never grasp the meaning of.

What? Examples you say? Here ye go:

breeks = trousers/pants
baffies = slippers
craic = banter/conversation
dreich = dismal/dreary, as in the weather
lugs = ears
bowfin = disgusting
glakit = ugly/stupid
howkit = pull (something) out
klut = cloth
braw = fine/handsome

It's like a whole other language

 

[goob]

Ahem, well im actually Scottish, but i'll let it slide since its you Katt

The Scottish have even better words, that you would never grasp the meaning of.

What? Examples you say? Here ye go:

breeks = trousers/pants
baffies = slippers
craic = banter/conversation
dreich = dismal/dreary, as in the weather
lugs = ears
bowfin = disgusting
glakit = ugly/stupid
howkit = pull (something) out
klut = cloth
braw = fine/handsome

It's like a whole other language

So, Ah went tae the gym, wi ma breeks in ma bag, twas a dreich day, wi tha rain pissin doon like a glakit auld hag wi incontinant problems, y'ken.
T'was fooking bowfin owt, n I had tae howkit me brolly tae sheil' ma braw face fay the elimints, y'ken. But ma klut wiz soaked thru.

Ok how's that then Sam?

 

[SamEaston]

So, Ah went tae the gym, wi ma breeks in ma bag, twas a dreich day, wi tha rain pissin doon like a glakit auld hag wi incontinant problems, y'ken.
T'was fooking bowfin owt, n I had tae howkit me brolly tae sheil' ma braw face fay the elimints, y'ken. But ma klut wiz soaked thru.

Ok how's that then Sam?

*chokes*

. . . . . . . . a cannie breathe . . . . . . ..

 

[nadirmg]

Ahem, well im actually Scottish

my sister's husband was born in aberdeen into a scottish family but he grew up in London. blood-wise, heritage-wise he's scottish but he says he feels more comfortable in english settings. and he sounds english, not scottish, when he speaks for sure. poor guy doesn't know where his place is... lol

speaking of crazy expressions... I'll never forget when i was over in a pub in England once, this guy sidled up to me at the bar sat down next to me and asked me,

"Bite ya for a fag, mate?"
to which i replied, "Uh... NO...."
Later a friend translated for me what the guy asked me:
"Can a bum a cigarette from you?"

Still though. AWKWARD.
Yes, they do have some weird expressions in the UK.

 

[the other half]

hey sammie, nice looking workout. it sure is a challenge trying to find the proper weight to start a new program.

maybe when katt and i get back from negril, we will be fluent enought in jamacian that we can throw a few new words into the mix.

 

[Scarface30]

Ahem, well im actually Scottish, but i'll let it slide since its you Katt

The Scottish have even better words, that you would never grasp the meaning of.

What? Examples you say? Here ye go:

breeks = trousers/pants
baffies = slippers
craic = banter/conversation
dreich = dismal/dreary, as in the weather
lugs = ears
bowfin = disgusting
glakit = ugly/stupid
howkit = pull (something) out
klut = cloth
braw = fine/handsome

It's like a whole other language

I love Scottish/British/Australian (I know it's all different but it's all sweet) vocabulary! would you say you have a strong Scottish accent...because that would be hot! lol

great workout above though, that was some serious supersetting/volume in that workout! excellent job