Strength Dedication Ambition

[SamEaston]

The equations dont bother me, its molar mass that gets me. Especially when you have to work out volume of gases and things.

Thats the thing though - its not a student gym. The gym in my uni is bollocks, only one bench!!!!!!!!!! I decided to join a private one instead.

Hows your training going?

Molar Mass !! I could write what i understood about that on the back of a postage stamp!! Good luck to you mate! I always remember sitting in the first class of the series of 20 and thinking 'yeah, this is okay', but by number 7 you've no fucking idea what's going on and by 13 you just go to catch up on your sleep!

Private gym is probably a good idea mate. I've been a member of my uni gym at UCL for 2 years and it's a great gym and great value at £135 for the year. It's got 2 racks and a free bench, and 2 Smiths, as well as the other usual stuff, but now that the students are back from summer, it's completely rammed full of skinny buggers pressing DB's for an hour. I have to go at 7.30am to avoid them

I went to Corfu on holiday, it was great. There's some pics in my journal. The sea was crystal clear and full of fish. But it is in Ionian Sea, which is one of the saltiest bodies of water, imagine my surprise when i jumped in (onto my inflatable alligator, no less) and got a load of sea water up my nose! I've been piling salt onto my food for about a week, can't taste anything!

Trainings great. Started doing 5 x 5 with Push/Pull/Legs, and changed last week to a 5 day split, still on 5 x 5. My squat has leapt up considerably - Tremendous!

Glad you're back Gaz!

 

[vortrit]

Not as much as me, i have an Opeth tattoo on my left shoulder

Yeah, I'd def. say you are a much bigger fan.

 

[Gazhole]

good to hear your back is getting better!

things here aren't bad, my training isn't really at it's best right now, I just have no umph! I am considering concocting a new routine, but I just started this one...

school is going good though, it's getting complicated but I think I am one of the few people who understand what's going on, and that's a good feeling! lol. everything else is going smooth too.

what exact problems are you having with your chem? that was my strongest one of the 2 sciences (also took physics, but didn't take biology because I completely don't get it!) I took. I can TRY and clear something up for you maybe.

Maybe you need to try a completely different style of training? What i find i always do is stick to the same sort of thing unless i make a point of purposely making EVERYTHING different.

Like if youre used to increasing the weights on your lifts, switch to program density instead. Or if you usually focus on putting on size, try and cut for a change. Change up EVERY exercise, or just throw some new ones in. Try pre/post exhaust methods...theres tonnes of things you can do.

Obviously if you literally have no UMPH perhaps its time for a week of R+R?

The Chem isnt really the problem, i just have a mental block when in comes to maths, haha. Any sort of maths and my mind goes a little cross-wired thanks for the offer though, i may call you on that somewhere down the road.

 

[Gazhole]

Molar Mass !! I could write what i understood about that on the back of a postage stamp!! Good luck to you mate! I always remember sitting in the first class of the series of 20 and thinking 'yeah, this is okay', but by number 7 you've no fucking idea what's going on and by 13 you just go to catch up on your sleep!

Private gym is probably a good idea mate. I've been a member of my uni gym at UCL for 2 years and it's a great gym and great value at £135 for the year. It's got 2 racks and a free bench, and 2 Smiths, as well as the other usual stuff, but now that the students are back from summer, it's completely rammed full of skinny buggers pressing DB's for an hour. I have to go at 7.30am to avoid them

I went to Corfu on holiday, it was great. There's some pics in my journal. The sea was crystal clear and full of fish. But it is in Ionian Sea, which is one of the saltiest bodies of water, imagine my surprise when i jumped in (onto my inflatable alligator, no less) and got a load of sea water up my nose! I've been piling salt onto my food for about a week, can't taste anything!

Trainings great. Started doing 5 x 5 with Push/Pull/Legs, and changed last week to a 5 day split, still on 5 x 5. My squat has leapt up considerably - Tremendous!

Glad you're back Gaz!

Lol its good to be back!

That does sound lush about your Holiday though. I could go for some relaxation right now. The last few months have been stressful as hell!! Xmas isnt a million miles away i guess...

Cool about squats too! Ive never tried 5x5, would you reccomend?

 

[Gazhole]

Yeah, I'd def. say you are a much bigger fan.

Indeed, haha.

Have all their albums, DVD, seen them live twice, and i have a photo of Mikael Akerfeldt above my desk.

If Opeth were a chick id make sweet, sweet love to her.

Alllllll Riiiiiiight.

Favourite song/album by them?

 

[Scarface30]

Maybe you need to try a completely different style of training? What i find i always do is stick to the same sort of thing unless i make a point of purposely making EVERYTHING different.

Like if youre used to increasing the weights on your lifts, switch to program density instead. Or if you usually focus on putting on size, try and cut for a change. Change up EVERY exercise, or just throw some new ones in. Try pre/post exhaust methods...theres tonnes of things you can do.

Obviously if you literally have no UMPH perhaps its time for a week of R+R?

The Chem isnt really the problem, i just have a mental block when in comes to maths, haha. Any sort of maths and my mind goes a little cross-wired thanks for the offer though, i may call you on that somewhere down the road.

alright, when/if ever you need some help I'll give 'er a shot.

I am not drained of energy, if anything I have more energy now than I have had in a while! it's more a "wow this is starting to get kinda boring" + "it's really hard to go to school and do all your work and eat proper to make some nice clean gains" all wound into one.

I think I am going to switch up the routine all together. I have using the same template now, horizontal/legs/vertical for the past..umm...5 months!! time for a change me thinks, get some metabolic work going and maybe somewhat of a cut, because the way I have been eating at the moment (you know what the school is like) it would actually be easier to cut!

 

[Gazhole]

Yikes, 5 months!?

I switch up every 6-12 weeks! No wonder you're bored, haha.

Just look at the last 5 months, note down every configuration youve done, and make a program that uses none of them.

 

[goob]

Yikes, 5 months!?

I switch up every 6-12 weeks! No wonder you're bored, haha.

Just look at the last 5 months, note down every configuration youve done, and make a program that uses none of them.

...then you get the other extreme, having a different workout every time. Almost like a randomised selection obeying the push, pull rules.

I've done that for occasional periods, totally random. Keeps your body guessing, but I don't think it does too much good.

 

[Gazhole]

...then you get the other extreme, having a different workout every time. Almost like a randomised selection obeying the push, pull rules.

I've done that for occasional periods, totally random. Keeps your body guessing, but I don't think it does too much good.

Not only that, but it becomes impossible to gauge your progress - if any. Which i guess is the point, you just wouldnt know where you were!

I think a good balance is fine. Obviously you can plan for changes in the form of training phases, and work that way. But changing every session would annoy the hell out of me, lol. I like some form of structure going on.

5 months is extremely long for one program though

 

[vortrit]

Doing anything interesting lately?

 

[SamEaston]

Cool about squats too! Ive never tried 5x5, would you reccomend?

Totally!

I think 5 x 5 is by far the best addition to my program yet, and it has caused increases in all my big compound lifts. I've been doing it for about a month, so i'll have to change it up in another month or so but, yeah, it's brilliant lifting much heavier weights. Does wonders for the old ego!

I just changed my program from Push/Pull/Legs to a 5 day split, and im really loving that too!

 

[vortrit]

Indeed, haha.

Have all their albums, DVD, seen them live twice, and i have a photo of Mikael Akerfeldt above my desk.

If Opeth were a chick id make sweet, sweet love to her.

Alllllll Riiiiiiight.

Favourite song/album by them?

Man, I missed that boat (this post). Yeah, my favorite album by them is probably Damnation at the moment. Tough for me to pick a favorite song of that one but, In my time of need is probably it because it's one of those songs that brings back memories. Of course, I really haven't heard anything by them I don't like.

 

[Gazhole]

Warmup - Activation

Glute Bridges - 2x12
Wall Retractions - 2x12
Kneeling Squats - 2x12
Shoulder Dislocations - 1x12

Warmup - Dynamic Flexibility

Standing Knee Raises - 1x12 per leg
Standing Side Bends - 1x12 per side
Butt Kickers - 1x12 per leg
Shoulder Circles - 1x12 per arm per direction

Core Work

Planks - 2x30sec @ 30sec RI
Reverse Crunches - 2x20 @ 30sec RI

Workout B - "HEAVY, FUCKING, METAAAAAAAAAL" - (Fullbody)

Goblet Squats ??? 12, 12 @ x1 17.5KG / 38.5lbs DB (1:30 RI)

Wide Grip Pullups ??? 8, 8 @ BW (1:30 RI)

Romanian Deadlifts ??? 14, 14 @ x2 22.5KG / 49.5lbs DBs (1:30 RI)

Dips ??? 14, 14 @ BW (1:30 RI)

Cardio

Stationary Bike - 5mins @ Lv3 (125 HR) -5
Stationary Bike - 5mins @ Lv10 (165 HR) -5
Stationary Bike - 5mins @ Lv5 (135 HR) -5

Warmdown - Mobility

A's - 2x12
Hip Circles - 1x30 per direction
Lateral Lunges - 2x12 per leg

Warmdown - Static Stretching

Side Neck Stretch - 1x30sec per side
Forward Neck Stretch - 1x30sec
Overhead Tricep Stretch - 1x30sec per arm
Shoulder Dislocation Stretch - 1x30sec per arm
Forearm Stretch - 1x30sec per arm
Quad Stretch - 1x30sec per leg
Somatic Ham Stretch - 1x30sec per leg
Lying Ham Stretch - 1x30sec per leg
Calve Stretch - 1x30sec per leg

***

Hit that one out of the park.

Hit all my targets for Weights, all three levels of Cardio were a tad easier, and i knocked about 10 minutes off the total time i usually spend in the gym.

The Gaz is coming back.

 

[DOMS]

So, I see that you've taken the time that you spend sleeping and have devoted it working out. Good man!

Solid workout, Gaz.

 

[Scarface30]

awesome job dude!

The Gaz is coming back.

 

[Gazhole]

So, I see that you've taken the time that you spend sleeping and have devoted it working out. Good man!

Solid workout, Gaz.

Lol, thanks man .

My back is aching in the good way for once!

 

[Gazhole]

awesome job dude!

Cheers man you damned right im coming back (slowlyyy).

 

[Gazhole]

Man, I missed that boat (this post). Yeah, my favorite album by them is probably Damnation at the moment. Tough for me to pick a favorite song of that one but, In my time of need is probably it because it's one of those songs that brings back memories. Of course, I really haven't heard anything by them I don't like.

Damnation is a great album. Really chilling.

Blackwater Park still takes 1st prize with me though, its a masterpiece.

 

[vortrit]

Damnation is a great album. Really chilling.

Blackwater Park still takes 1st prize with me though, its a masterpiece.

Yeah, Blackwater Park is probably a tie with damnation. Actually I probably like a majority of Blackwater Park better than damnation, but damnation has a few of those songs that just bring back good memories, if you know what I mean.

 

[Gazhole]

Yeah, Blackwater Park is probably a tie with damnation. Actually I probably like a majority of Blackwater Park better than damnation, but damnation has a few of those songs that just bring back good memories, if you know what I mean.

They are very different albums after all. If i wanted to chill i dont think a song like The Leper Affinity would really work, but Hope Leaves sure as hell would .

 

[vortrit]

They are very different albums after all. If i wanted to chill i dont think a song like The Leper Affinity would really work, but Hope Leaves sure as hell would .

Yeah, I know what you mean. Damnation seemed a lot different to me than any of their previous stuff.

So how are the workouts going?

 

[Gazhole]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Damnation seemed a lot different to me than any of their previous stuff.

So how are the workouts going?

Well, for one thing theres no distorted guitars or growling, lol. Its really just a 70s prog rock album to be honest. Which rocks of course, because 70s prog rock was the shit.

Workouts are going really great actually. My conditioning is coming back in a tangibly measurable way thorough CV, which is one of the reasons im doing it Much easier to gauge general progress in conditioning that way.

Lifting is getting a tad easier every session, not struggling as much etc. Hopefully in a few weeks ill be able to start on something a little more interesting and - gasp - periodized.

Hows things with you?

 

[vortrit]

Well, for one thing theres no distorted guitars or growling, lol. Its really just a 70s prog rock album to be honest. Which rocks of course, because 70s prog rock was the shit.

Workouts are going really great actually. My conditioning is coming back in a tangibly measurable way thorough CV, which is one of the reasons im doing it Much easier to gauge general progress in conditioning that way.

Lifting is getting a tad easier every session, not struggling as much etc. Hopefully in a few weeks ill be able to start on something a little more interesting and - gasp - periodized.

Hows things with you?

Yeah, Damnation is just one of those albums you can just chill out too. Yeah, I love the prog rock anyway, or some of it.

I'm glad to see things are shaping up. Hopefully everything will come back together for you soon, but at least your doing something.

Things are good. I'm just very busy with work, college, and my workouts, but I like it that way. I'm a bit wiped out from my workout today. But I'm doing good, and breaking a lot of PR's, so I won't complain.

 

[goob]

Solid Workout Gaz! Like the WG pullups, 8 is hard to do as a set.

What the hell is a goblet squat? I've got visions of you doing standard squats this face....

 

[katt]

Wow - wouldn't that be an awesome costume for Halloween!!!!

 

[Gazhole]

Solid Workout Gaz! Like the WG pullups, 8 is hard to do as a set.

What the hell is a goblet squat? I've got visions of you doing standard squats this face....

Ill get back up to 12 @ BW yet! And 18 Dips @ BW. Woot!

A Goblet Squat is a squat where you hold a dumbell vertically up to your chest as if it were a goblet or wine glass or something. Stability is a little tougher cos its a bit more awkward than a plate .

How did you get that picture of me? It was very early in the morning, dammit.

 

[Gazhole]

Wow - wouldn't that be an awesome costume for Halloween!!!!

Thats a good point...i should decide what im going as...

 

[Gazhole]

Yeah, Damnation is just one of those albums you can just chill out too. Yeah, I love the prog rock anyway, or some of it.

I'm glad to see things are shaping up. Hopefully everything will come back together for you soon, but at least your doing something.

Things are good. I'm just very busy with work, college, and my workouts, but I like it that way. I'm a bit wiped out from my workout today. But I'm doing good, and breaking a lot of PR's, so I won't complain.

Defintely dont complain, man! Hitting PRs is always welcome, haha

 

[vortrit]

Defintely dont complain, man! Hitting PRs is always welcome, haha

The only one I seem to be stuck on is my bench @ 210. I couldn't even do it last week, but I got 200. I'd like to see 220-225 by the end of the year.

 

[DOMS]

The only one I seem to be stuck on is my bench @ 210. I couldn't even do it last week, but I got 200. I'd like to see 220-225 by the end of the year.

I posted some scanned pages in Stewart's journal that may help you.