Yo!

This weeks training feels like it’s gone way to fast. I did a few extras and didn’t do a few things I had planned. I put all farmers walks and yokes on hold because last weeks max farmer really drained me.

This is the heaviest week of my micro-meso cycle (this is the term I use for each 3 week block of my training, it’s not as short as a daily/weekly microcycle but it’s not enough for a mesocycle which, I feel, should encompass an entire block of training within a, minimum of, yearly macrocycle) so it also has the lowest volume. I’ll tell you what though I’m writing this the day after deadlifts and my back definitely knows it was a heavy day!

Here http://tiny.cc/wsjkix is the overview of what I’m doing. And remember I’ll only write in the work sets because I do a ton of warm up work as it is


Monday (14h/7)


What’s there to say about this. Was slightly rushed again but got in the main work which is the main thing.

Incline Axle Bench

As little rest as possible between sets, this ended up being about 45 seconds to a minute

  • Start out with standard straight sets

    • 5 reps at 72.5 kg (easy as you like)

    • 3 reps at 80 kg (again very easy)

  • As many reps as possible set: 10 reps at 95 kg (this felt heavy from the off for some reason maybe because I’ve been trying to take my rest periods down. I’m happy with 10 reps though. Last rep (11) my as left the bench a little so I haven’t counted it.

  • Daily Maxes:

    • 1 rep at 97 kg (was pretty easy)

    • 1 rep at 100 kg (average)

    • 1 rep at 105 kg (took a bit of a jump because I had 110 in my head and didn’t want to burn out)

    • 1 rep at 110 kg (felt really good, thought about going for a 115/120 kg but figured I’m in no rush I can save that for another day

  • Back off sets – this is similar to the AMRAP set insofar as you do the most reps you can but at the same % as the first rep of the day.

    • 15 reps at 72.5 kg

    • 8 reps at 72.5 kg

    • 5 reps at 72.5 kg

I took a strict 20 seconds max between these and it showed. Was dripping (not in the good way) by the end of it.

Log bar Strict Press

I actually used a thick bar for this because my wrist is starting to play up badly when I use the log. This is just a straight 5 sets of 10 reps @ 45kg (50% of 85% of my 1RM so now you can do the maths on that) no leg drive at all for these.

Farmers walks

Was still burnt out after last weeks heavy farmers so left it out today

Tuesday (16th/7)

A better week, almost feel like I’m back on track with my squats. Not there yet but it’s coming back.

Straight bar back squat

Again with as little rest between sets as I could. Although towards the end it was building up to be around 3 minutes

  • Straight sets

    • 5 reps at 140kg (was actually pretty easy)

    • 3 reps at 160kg (was okay, not a struggle)

  • AMRAP: 6 reps at 180kg (I had great glute drive on these. I was pretty shaky towards the end but coming through me sticking point I was fast)

  • Daily Maxes

    • Not going to write all of these out. I very slowly worked up to a single at 195 kg. Was a very hard rep but hit depth and drove through.

  • Back Off Sets – No back off sets today as my legs were done.

Deadlift

After the squats I was feeling pretty shitty and couldn’t be bother to move the fat bar off the platform so this ended up as 5 sets of 10 reps at 105kg with the fat bar. Only issue was with grip on the 9th and 10th rep of each set. No problems apart from that though. I only pulled conventional on this as well. I’m only going to be pulling with a fat bar in strongman competition and you can’t pull sumo in them.


Back Extensions

Went to 3 sets of 25 at 10 kg on this. Last few reps got tough, got very sweaty ha.

Thursday (11th/7)

I’m still taking a break from pressing with the log because of my wrist so used the fat bar again. Obviously it’s not a rep if the bar doesn’t touch your chest a la strongman competition rules. That extra couple of inches the log gives definitely made a difference to me.

Log Bar Strict Press

  • Straight Sets

    • 5 reps at 65kg (easy)

    • 3 reps at 70kg (easy as well, this pressing business is going well)

  • AMRAP: 6 reps at 80kg (good strong reps, think I had a couple in the tank still but would be pushing form if I went for extras )

  • Daily Maxes

    • Again I won’t write the whole lot out but I worked up to a 90kg strict press which I’m really happy with. It’s not an all time max but it’s close enough for me!

  • Back of sets – No back offs today

Incline Axle Bench

5 sets of 10 reps used just 50kg. Reeeeally easy took less than 30 seconds between sets. Looking forward to the weight going up.

Yoke carry

No Yoke this week

This is how no farmers makes me feel
This is how no farmers  or farmers makes me feel

Saturday (19th/7)

Back down to the elite performance centre for deadlifts. I was feeling it today and excited to get some heavy singles in. Even loaded up on some specific pre-workout supps!


Deadlift

  • Straight sets

    • 5 reps at 160 kg (easy, actually made a mistake and thought it was a warm-up set)

    • 3 reps at 180 kg (okay, not a great speed but was okay)

  • AMRAP: 10 reps at 200 kg (really shitty, really hard but felt great to be pulling 200 kg for double figures. I was stuck on 200 kg for a long time and in my eyes that 200 kg mark is the point where it becomes a good lift for most atheletes)

  • Daily Maxes

    • Worked up to 245 kg. I got stuck at 230 kg, took me 3 attempts to get it, took me 2 attempts to hit the 240 kg although the second rep was really good. Happily enough the 245 kg went up first time even if I thought I was going to fall over straight after it.

  • Back off sets: only 1 set today

    • 13 reps at 160

Squats

5 sets of 10 reps at 100kg. 30 seconds rest only. Was fine, didn’t struggle in any way, think I need to add in some more mobility work though as I’m aware that my hips are starting to tighten up.

Rows

Strict barbell rows for me. Did 4 work sets of 5 reps at 130 kg felt okay, pretty heavy but that’s the game.

Finisher!

I’m not usually a fan of doing finishers unless there is a fat loss element to think about. I’m aware that I’m a bit weak off the floor though and because I had a little bit of time spare (was going to do 200 kg yoke for 100 metres but there was a kids soccer tourney on the pitch for some crazy reason)  I thought I’d add in something a little bit different to help with that.

Here it is:

Deadlift (again!). Using 160 kg I did 5 reps from the floor, 5 reps from a 1 inch deficit, 5 reps from a 2 inch deficit, 5 reps from a 3 inch deficit and 5 reps from a 4 inch deficit. I would have kept going but there was no room for my size 11’s under the bar.