Sunday 4th May 2014
DB Pullover 50kg x10, 40kg x10 (2 mins rest) – reduced weight as technique suffering. I may drop again and slow reps down some more as still didn’t feel quite right
Weighted Chins 28kg x6, (2 mins) 24kg x7, (60s) BW x12
DB Row To Hip 35kg x15x13 (60s)
Deadlift 155kg x7
Lying Leg Curl (6) x9+4+2 RP
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Sunday 27th April 2014 – Back Focus Week 6
Crazy week! Moved house on Friday so gym sessions been a little sporadic last week/this weekend and have been a bit run down when I have hit the gym. This is where the log book has been a great help – Even though I didn’t feel up to it, I pushed to achieve at least the same reps as previous sessions and found that despite the tiredness I was still able to increase on some of my lifts through sheer willpower. This links back to a post I wrote a while back about intensity link here – Don’t let that little voice in your head control your training!
DB Pullover 50kg x12x10 (2 mins rest)
Weighted Chins 28kg x6 (2 mins), 24kg x6 (60s) Bodyweight x12
DB Row To Hip 35kg x15x12 (60s)
G Row 45kg x5x5 (90s) – Dropped weight back down as this is more about technique than weight
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Monday 7th April 2014 – Back Focus Week 3
DB Pullover 45kg x12x10 (2 mins rest)
Weighted Chins 28kg x5 (2 mins), 24kg x5 (60s) Bodyweight x10
DB Row To Hip 35kg x12x12 (60s)
G Row 45kg x5x5 (90s)
Used the Lever Deadlift Machine as a bit fried from last few days training and lower back was not enjoying the rack pulls today. Also missed rotator cuff work yesterday so threw it on the end of today’s session.
Standing 1-Arm DB External Rotation 7.5kg x15x15 (rest each side as long as it took to perform the set on opposite side)
Cuban Rotation 10kg EZ Bar x15x15 (60s)
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Monday 24th March 2014 – Back Focus Week 1
After my recent article, injuring my shoulder (again DAMMIT!), and watching the ‘Dark Knight Rises’ (also again :-)) I have decided to re-visit a very effective workout phase I went through a couple of years ago whilst following Johnny Pains Greyskull LP. I am going to focus heavily on back training for the next 8 weeks to bring my back up to a decent standard again alongside some specific rotator cuff exercises which I have been neglecting for waaaay too long! I will be using the same basic template as he lays out with a few ‘Hench’ additions (including rotator cuff work). On top of this as the Deadlift is my weakest lift, the next 8 weeks should hopefully help bring that up too!
I never used to suffer from shoulder pains at all until recently, which I put down to no longer teaching BodyPump. Although I am glad I don’t have to go through it twice a week, it seems logical that it has been responsible for keeping my shoulder health as very little else has changed in my workouts, and it has been a slow decline into the old battered shoulder territory ever since I stopped.
Started the week off with:
DB Pullover 40kg x12x11 (2 mins rest)
Weighted Chins 24kg x6, 20kg x6 (2 mins rest), then after 60 seconds Chin-ups x10 – felt much harder after pullovers!
DB Row To Hip 30kg x12x12 (60s)
Power Cleans – heavy singles up to 100kg
Deadlift 140kg x7 – expected this to be lower than usual after that amount of back work and focusing hard on technique
G Row 40kg x5x5 (2 mins)
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Sunday 17th November 2013
DB Pullovers 38kg x12x11 superset with chins x9x6 (30 secs between each exercise)
V Grip Pulldowns 80kg x8, 70kg x9, 60kg x9 (60s rest)
DB Row To Hip 30kg x12x11 (60s)
Cable Rows 50kg x20x15 (90s)
Smith Rack Pull 170kg x5, 130kg x10
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Saturday 26th October 2013
DB Pullover 42kg x12x12 (90s rest)
V Grip Pulldown 80kg x12, 70kg x10 (90s)
DB Row To Hip 30kg x12x12 (90s)
Smith Rack Pull 160kg x6
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Wednesday 31st July 2013
DB Pullover 46kg x13x13 (2 mins rest)
‘V’ Grip Pulldown To Chest 90kg x9, 75kg x11 (2 mins)
DB Row To Hip 30kg x13x13 (90s)
Smith Rack Pull 157.5kg x10
Cable Rear Flyes 5kg x15x15 (90s)
Ab Sling Knees To Elbows x13 after every set of every exercise
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Wednesday 10th July 2013
DB Pullover 46kg x11x9 (2 mins rest) – Repeated weight from last session, but slowed the eccentric (lowering), focusing on using the Lats as much as possible to avoid it becoming a tricep extension.
Wide-Grip Pulldown 70kg x8, 60kg x10 (2 mins rest) – same as above, slower eccentric.
DB Row To Hip 30kg x12x12 (90s rest) – Technique a bit sloppy on left arm so starting on that side and matching the reps on my right.
– After each set of the above 3 exercises, did oblique hanging knee raises x10 alternating sides to total 30 on each side
Smith Rack Pull 150kg x6 – Went back to doing these heavy, again focus on technique. Still locking out with lower back instead of hips, but getting better!
Prone Rear DB Flye 7kg x15x15x15 (60s rest)
Standing Cable Twist (obliques) 10kg x15x15x15 – alternating sides, no rest, one side straight to another.
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Friday 28th June 2013
DB Bench Press 34kg x12x10x8x6 (90s rest)
Body Rows (Feet Elevated) x12x8 (1/2 second hold at top)
DB Row to Hip 30kg x12x10x10 (90s rest)
Cable Crossover 10kg x12x10x8x6 (slow eccentric, 60s rest)
Wide Grip Pulldown 65kg x10, 60kg x9, 55kg x8, 50kg x8, 30kg x30 (slow eccentric, 60s rest)
Hanging Knees to Elbows x10x10x10x8x8 (SE, 60s)
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Monday 24th June 2013
DB Pullover 46kg x13x12 (2 mins rest)
‘V’ Grip Pulldown 95kg x6, 80kg x9 (2 mins rest) – Technique a bit sloppy on first set, going to go back down and focus on it.
DB Row To Hip 34kg x13x13 (2 mins) – Same again, letting weight become more important than technique.
Smith Rack Pull 105kg x20
Bent Over DB Rear Raise 14kg x12x12x11 (90s)
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Thursday 20th July 2013
DB Pullover 46kg x12x12
‘V’ Grip Pulldown 90kg x9, 80kg x10 (2 mins rest)
DB Row To Hip 34kg x12x12 (2 mins)
Smith Rack Pull 150kg x5, 100kg x20 – just can’t get in right position on smith when heavy so going to do higher reps on it instead.
Bent Over Rear Raise 14kg x12x12, 12kg x12 (90s rest)
Hanging Knee Raise to Straight Leg Lower x10x10x10, then Hanging Alt. Knee Raise x12 each side, then Hanging Knee Raise x10
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Wednesday 12th June 2013
DB Pullover 46kg x12x10
‘V’ Grip Pulldown 90kg x6, 80kg x9
DB Row To Hip 34kg x12x11
Smith Rack Pull 140kg x7
Bent Over Rear Raise 14kg x12x10, 12kg x10
Hanging Knee Raise to Straight Leg Lower x10x10x10, then Hanging Alt. Knee to Elbow x10 (each side)
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Monday 3rd June 2013
DB Pullover 42kg x12x12
‘V’ Grip Pulldown To Chest 85kg x8, 80kg x10
DB Row To Hip 34kg x12x10
Deadlift (Smith) 140kg x6 – Strange doing these on a smith machine, obviously nowhere near the same, but still better than nothing!
Bent Over Rear Raise 12kg x12x12
Quick back session at work today, hence smith deadlift – Down ‘The Shack’ tomorrow for Bench & Squats 🙂 – Haven’t squatted heavy/properly for a while, getting back into the groove of things again so looking forward to it!
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Thursday 2nd May 2013
Been a crazy few days & weekend, super busy – Not much training going on! At least I’ll be nice and fresh to hit the bar again this week!
Back Session last thursday, was still struggling from being ill earlier in the week 😦
DB Pullover 38kg x12x12 (90s rest)
Hammer Grip Chins x12x7x6 (90s)
DB Row To Hip 30kg x12x12 (90s)
Wide Grip Pulldowns 70kg x10x8, 60kg x8x6 (60s)
Straight Arm Pulldown 25kg x10x9x8 (60s)
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Sunday 22nd April 2013
DB Pullovers 38kg x12x12
‘V’ Handle Pulldown to Chest 70kg x10x10x8x8 (60s rest)
DB Row to Hip 38kg x8, 30kg x10x10
Prone Rear Raise 8kg x15x15x15
Upper Back Machine 20kg x40
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Wednesday 10th April 2013
Shoulder feeling a bit sore from Monday’s bench so did a back session:
DB Pullover 42kg x12x12
‘V’ Grip Pulldown To Chest 80kg x8, 75kg x11
DB Row To Hip 42kg x12x12
Smith Rack Pull 160kg x5
Bent Over Rear DB Raise 14kg x15x15x15
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Thursday 4th April 2013
SPIN on Tuesday followed up with 40kg Seated Leg Curls, 3 sets of 25 – so decided to do chest/back/arms only today:
Incline DB Bench 46kg x8x5, 38kg x10x7
DB Row To Hip 38kg x12x10x8x6 (90s rest)
Inc DB Flyes 18kg x12x9x7x5
Wide Grip Pulldown 70kg x8x8x8x8 (60s rest) – (lowered weight to focus more on technique)
Tricep Pushdown 35kg x15x13x11 superset with Cable Curls 35kg x12x9x9
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Wednesday 27th March 2013
Incline DB Bench Press 46kg x7, 42kg x6, 38kg x7, 34kg x9 (90s rest)
DB Row To Hip 34kg x12x10x8x6 (60s rest)
Inc DB Flyes 16kg x12x10x8x6
Wide Grip Pulldown 80kg x11, 70kg x11, 60kg x11, 50kg x11, 40kg x20
Tricep Pushdown 30kg x15x15x15
Cable Curls 25kg x10x9x8 (Superset with pushdowns)
BE HENCH 