Training Log for January 2004
My last training day for 2003 was on 24 December, after which I took almost ten day off from training. This was the longest training break I've had in a very long time and I was a little worried about what sort of shape I would be in upon my return to the gym, especially since I went on a rather tough four day hiking trail over this period. As it turned out, the break did me the world of good and I was really able to kick off the year's training very nicely.
Monday 5 January: Maximum Effort Bench Press
| Board presses (3 boards) with green bands (each band tied into a knot for medium tension) | 5 sets of 3 becoming progressively heavier |
| 175kg x 1 good lift | |
| 180kg x 0 not there but quite close | |
| 140kg for 2 sets of 10 (rep sets) | |
| Floor bench | 130kg x 10, 140kg x 8, 150kg x 6, 160kg x 4 |
| Reverse grip bench | 100kg x 10, 130kg 3 sets of 8 |
| I was feeling rather weak and tired at this point | |
| Lying floor DB tricep extencions | 28kg 4 sets of 10 |
| Remarks | The workout went surprisingly well considering the almost 2 weeks layoff. |
Tuesday 6 January: Maximum Effort Squat
| Parallel chain suspended box squat | 4 sets of 3 becoming progressively heavier |
| 275 kg x 1 very difficult | |
| Good mornings | 100kg x 10, 145kg x 8, 165kg x 8, 185kg x 8 |
| Leg extensions | Full stack, 3 sets of 12, strict |
| Lying leg raises | 2 sets of 10 |
| Remarks | Workout was quite tough but I feel well-rested |
Wednesday 7 January: Delts & Lats
| EZ bar millitary press | 35kg x 10, 65kg x 8, 75kg x 8, 85kg x 8, 95 x 6 |
| Back against wall DB lat raises | 2 sets thumbs up, 2 sets thumbs down |
| Lying low pulley overhead delt pull | Full stack 4 x 12 |
| Lying low pulley overhead lat pull | Full stack 4 x 12 |
| Seated low pulley rope rows | 13 plates x 12, 14p x 12, 15p x 10, 16p x 10 |
| Remarks | Feeling good so far this week |
Thursday 8 January: Dynamic Effort Bench
| Speed bench | 100kg with green bands: 9 sets of 3 |
| Plate benches on floor | 50kg x 12, 65kg x 12, 72kg x 12, 100kg x 8 |
| Remarks | Speed bench was nice and fast. Had to quit |
| early due to powerlifting meeting @ 7pm |
Friday 9 January: Dynamic Effort Squat and strongman events
| Below parallel box squat | 175kg: 10 sets of 2 |
| Pull throughs | 12 plates x 10, 14p x 10, 16p x10, 16p x 10 |
| Dumbell step-ups | 38kg: 4 sets of 6 each hand |
| Remarks | Not a lot of volume but felt quite good |
| Strongman events | Farmer's walk, small tyre, log, atlas stones |
Monday 12 January: Maximum Effort Bench
| 1 Board presses with tied green | 5 sets of 3 becoming progressively heavier |
| bands | 165kg x 0, 165kg x 1 |
| Shirted bench | 220kg x 1 very easy, good form |
| Chain suspended lockouts from | 130kg x12, 140kg x 10, 150kg x 6, 160kg x 4 |
| midrange | |
| Dips | 6, 5, 5, 5 |
| Remarks | Quite happy with the workout. As you can see |
| I'm not much of a dip man! |
Tuesday 13 January: Maximum Effort Squat
| Conventional Deadlift | 4 sets of 3, working up to 250kg |
| 280kg x 1, 310kg (suit) x 1 easy, 330kg x 0 | |
| Good morning squat combination | 100kg x 12, 140kg x 10, 185kg x 8, 185kg x 8 |
| Remarks | The 330kg was really fast off the floor but got |
| got stuck on the knees. Next time... |
Wednesday 14 January: Delts and Lats
| Seated unsupported DB presses | 4 sets becoming heavier, ending on 42kg x 6 |
| Bench DB raises locked elbows (delts) | 4 sets becoming heavier up to 45kg x 10 |
| Bench straight arm bar lowering | 4 sets becoming heavier up to 45kg x 10 |
| One-arm t-bar rows | 4 sets becoming heavier, ending on 50kg x 10 |
| Standing bent over lat rows with ropes | 8 plates x 10, 10p x 10, 12p x10, 14p x 10 |
| Remarks | Good volume. Feeling good. |
Thursday 15 January: Dynamic Effort Bench
| Speed bench | 110kg with green bands: 10 sets of 3 |
| Decline narrow grip tricep presses | 100kg x 12, 120kg x 12, 130kg x 8, 130kg x 8 |
| Skull crushers lowered to chin | 4 sets becoming heavier, last 2 sets 50kg x 10 |
| Lying leg raises | 10 reps |
| Remarks | Speed bench felt really fast. I really have to start |
| doing more abs! |
Friday 16 January: Dynamic Effort Squat
| Below parallel box squat | 175kg + light chains: 10 sets of 2 |
| One leg at a time leg press | 90kg x 10, 120kg x 10, 150kg x 10 |
| Strongman events | Light tyre, heavy suitcases: 1 long run, a little bit |
| of log, atlas stones 120kg, 140kg, 150kg no tacky | |
| Remarks | Man, what a killer! Last two weeks really took |
| their toll. Box squats were fast but very tiring. | |
| I can really do with some rest this weekend! |
Monday 19 January: Maximum Effort Bench
| Cambered bar bench | Sets of 3 up to 145kg, 155kg x 1, 165kg x 1 |
| 175kg x 1, 180kg x 0 (quite close, next time) | |
| 135kg x 6, 145kg x 6 (two rep sets after ME) | |
| Incline bench | 120kg x 6, 140kg x 6, 150kg x 4, 120kg x 6 |
| Floor DB press thumbs toward face | 38kg x 12, 46kg x 12, 60kg x 8, 60kg x 7 |
| High pulley bent over tricep extensions | 8 plates x 10, 9p x 10, 10p x 10 |
| Remarks | My one training partner, Helgard, just got a |
| cambered bar which we used tonight. Works | |
| like a bomb! I was incredibly tired this weekend | |
| and all I could do was eat and sleep, recovering | |
| from the last two weeks. Today was better. This | |
| was a good workout. |
Tuesday 20 January: Maximum Effort Squat
| Chain suspended good mornings | Sets of 3, up to 250kg, 260kg x 1, 270kg x 1 PR |
| Rear deadlifts | 100kg x 10, 125kg x 10, 135kg x 10, 145 x 10 |
| Remarks | Glad about the PR. Was really tough, though. |
| I nearly passed out! My previous PR was 260kg |
Wednesday 21 January: Delts and Lats
| Seated millitary press | 70kg x 10, 90kg x 10, 100kg x 10, 120kg x 3 |
| 70kg x 12 | |
| Incline front raises thumbs forward | 10kg x 10, 12.5kg x 10, 15kg x 10, 15kg x 10 |
| Rear delt cable crossover pulls | 4 plates x10, 5p x 10, 6p x 10 |
| Smith machine bent over rows | 50kg x 10, 80kg 3 x 10 |
| Seated low pulley rows | 12 plates x 10, 13p x 10, 14p x 10, 14p x 10 |
| Wide grip front pull downs | 14 plates 4 x 6 |
| Remarks | Last two exersises done as a superset. Rest of |
| workout was nice and easy. |
Thursday 22 January: Dynamic Effort Bench
| Speed bench | 110kg with green bands: 10 sets of 3 |
| Decline dumbbell presses | 60kg x 10, 60kg x 10, 60kg x 6, 60kg x 6 |
| Skull crushers | 40kg x 10, 45kg x 10, 50kg x 10, 55kg x 10 |
| Remarks | Hmmm. Speed was not too shabby but I've |
| been faster before. I'm quite sore and looking | |
| forward to some rest next week. |
Friday 23 January: Dynamic Effort Squat
| Below parallel box squat | 175kg + tight green bands: 10 sets of 2 |
| Remarks | That's it! These were really, really tough as |
| the band tension was very high, kinda like a | |
| mini circa-maximal phase. I was destroyed | |
| after this and decided to call it a day. |
Week of 26 January
I've decided to try something this year that I've never done before namely to train for three weeks and then take the fourth week off completely. What I'm doing is that on week 1 I'm doing a maximum effort squat, on week 2 a maximum effort deadlift and on week 3 a maximum effort good morning, followed by a fourth week of complete rest. I'm normally always in some state of overtraining and I was thinking that this week of rest might lead to me being able to work harder for three weeks of the month and thus make better gains. I'm going to give it a shot for a while and see if it works. It feels really weird to come home at night and not having to go to the gym!