Fred's Training Log

Background

Male, 20 years old, 5'8", 77Kg, compete in GBPF (IPF) Junior 74Kg.

Training history (roughly):

17 - 3x8-12 on upper body machines 3 times a week.
18 - a bro split of chest, back, legs, shoulders, arms.
19 - Icecream Fitness 5x5 routine (made the most progress doing this)
20 - PNP2 by powerlifting to win. (about 7-8 months)
20 - Smolov squat routine (just intro + base meso)
now - Sheiko 3 day u80Kg routine

Current best lifts:
- 175Kg Low bar squat
- 135Kg Pause bench
- 200Kg Conventional and sumo deadlift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwY0AZjseoA

Maxes used for Sheiko:
- 170kg High bar squat
- 140Kg Pause bench
- 210kg Conventional deadlift
- 120Kg Front squat (beltless)

Really excited to see how Sheiko improves my technique, it's very different from the Western style programming I am used to. Currently struggling most with squats, especially forward lean and dropping way too low uncontrollably, so hopefully concentrating on improving these will increase my squat significantly. No major weaknesses with bench or deadlift.

I will keep most of the accessories in that are in there for recovery purposes i.e. chest muscles, hypers/ goodmornings etc but then do my own accessories after each workout, mainly for back and quads. It seems every Wednesday Sheiko has either leg press or leg extensions so I'll do leg press for about 3-5 x 10 on this day, with sets being about RPE8 and focus on building them quads. This, with also high bar 1-2x a week and front squats 1x a week should be enough I think. On Mondays and Fridays I'll do a horizontal and vertical pull, probably both for about 4x10 around RPE8 again. Also after each session I'll do some facepulls and side laterals.

Had to swap over from the 4 day due to time constraints which is very annoying, although the overall difference between doing the 4 day and the 3 day probably isn't that significant after even 6 months. Gonna start from Week 1 day 1 of the #37 cycle. If I've gone potato with how I'm laying out my program and accessories i.e. leg press on a Wednesday etc then pls tell me haha

#37 Week 1 - Monday

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4, 4
100Kg x 3, 3
105Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Squat

85Kg x 5
100Kg x 2, 2
120Kg x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench Press

70Kg x 6
85Kg x 6, 6
91Kg x 6, 6, 6, 6

BB Row

70Kg x 12, 12, 12, 12

Chin Ups

BW x 12, 12, 12, 12

Facepulls

45Kg x 15, 15, 15

Side Laterals

8Kg's x 12, 12, 12

BB Curls

35Kg x 12, 12, 12

Sick first session.

Volume

Bench - 6805Kg
Squat - 4425Kg

#37 Week 1

Deadlift

100Kg x 5
130Kg x 5, 5
147.5Kg x 4, 4
160Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Dips

+25Kg x 5, 5, 8, 8, 8

Block Pulls

110Kg x 5
130Kg x 5, 5
150Kg x 4, 4
170Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Incline Flies

12Kg's x 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Leg Press

160Kg x 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Not a great session, was pretty tired and very hungry. Had to use straps for block pulls because the bar's knurling tore my hands up too much and was very tired by this point.

Volume

Deadlift - 9990Kg

Definitely understand the time constraints - I'm sure the 3 day will suit you well!

Looking at the charts, unless I'm interpreting something wrong, it looks like the <80kg program is actually the highest volume offering (I believe the standard 4-day program is the advanced low volume on the app).

It looks like I'm exactly one month ahead of you (just starting #30), so it will be interesting to read your thoughts on the program!

Definitely understand the time constraints - I'm sure the 3 day will suit you well!

Looking at the charts, unless I'm interpreting something wrong, it looks like the <80kg program is actually the highest volume offering (I believe the standard 4-day program is the advanced low volume on the app).

It looks like I'm exactly one month ahead of you (just starting #30), so it will be interesting to read your thoughts on the program!

The standard 4-day is the medium load app program.

Quote from: Dahmkooler on June 18, 2015, 03:50:53 PM

Definitely understand the time constraints - I'm sure the 3 day will suit you well!

Looking at the charts, unless I'm interpreting something wrong, it looks like the <80kg program is actually the highest volume offering (I believe the standard 4-day program is the advanced low volume on the app).

It looks like I'm exactly one month ahead of you (just starting #30), so it will be interesting to read your thoughts on the program!

The standard 4-day is the medium load app program.

Thanks man, it's good that I can see what I've got to expect looking at your log too lol.

#37 Week 1 - Friday

Bench Press

70Kg x 7
77.5Kg x 6
85Kg x 5
90Kg x 4
97.5Kg x 3, 3
105Kg x 2, 2
97.5Kg x 3, 3
90Kg x 4
85Kg x 6
77.5Kg x 8
70Kg x 10

The pump was real.

Cable Flies

15Kg's x 10, 10, 10, 10

More pump. Think I prefer these to DBs, get a better stretch and contraction.

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4, 4
120Kg x 3, 3
127.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1dYN56eSbU

This is the second to last set, was quite tired by this point. I definitely think I have an issue of shooting my hips back+not staying upright. Also the reps are very deep but if I squat higher then it is much slower out the hole. I've just swapped from adi powers to flats as I was borrowing them off a friend who obviously needed them back  :( Squat needs work. 

Barbell Row

60Kg x 12, 12, 12, 12, 12 (1-1.5 min rests + very strict)

Facepulls

50Kg x 12, 12, 12

Side Laterals

6Kg's x 12, 12, 12

Reverse Curls

25Kg x 10, 10, 10

Light weight on accessories but get a much better contract and feel the muscles I'm trying to work actually work. Bahdybuilding. 

Volume

Bench - 5520Kg
Squat - 3878Kg

Weekly Volume

Squat - 8303Kg
Bench - 12325Kg
Deadlift - 9990Kg

#37 Week 2 - Monday

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5 x 4, 4
120 x 3, 3
135 x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
97.5Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Chest Flies - 5x10

Front Squat

70Kg x 3
80Kg x 3
90Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3 - PR lol, never done more than 85Kg for reps!

BB Row

60Kg x 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Facepulls

50Kg x 12, 12, 12

BB Curls

35Kg x 12, 12, 12

Volume

Squat - 4845   
Bench - 2625

#37 Week 2 - Wednesday

Deadlift to knees

105Kg x 4
125Kg x 4, 4
147.5Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 5, 5
97.5Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Deadlift

110Kg x 4
130Kg x 4
147.5Kg x 3, 3
160Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPNqo06oLW4 - 5th set of 3

Leg Press

160Kg x 10, 10, 10, 10 - going to go for 4/5x12 next week

Facepulls 50Kg x 12, 12 ,12

Hammer Curls 12Kg's x 12, 12, 12

Volume
Bench - 3150Kg
Deadlift - 8025Kg

Nice speed on those pulls, they were really flying up.

Nice speed on those pulls, they were really flying up.

Cheers man, glad to hear that seen I was pretty tired by this point and having to rush a bit to finish lol.

#37 Week 2 - Friday

Bench

70Kg x 6
85Kg x 5
97.5Kg x 4, 4
105Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2
105Kg x 4
97.5Kg x 5
85Kg x 6
70Kg x 7

Chest Flies - 5x10

Squat

85Kg x 4
102.5Kg x 4
120Kg x 3, 3
127.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Had to rest for 2 minutes or less between top sets due to time constraints and also use this rest time to stretch lats etc for front squats.

Front Squat

70Kg x 3
80Kg x 3
90Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2

Rested like 1 1/2 - 2  mins per set, definitely fatigued me more than usual and speed suffered.

Tricep Pushdowns - 40Kg x 12, 12, 12, 12 (superset with first sets of front squats)

Facepulls - 50Kg x 12, 12, 12 (superset with last sets of front squats)

Annoyed I had to rush the session, got all the main stuff done just missed out on accessories like rows and side laterals.

Volume

Bench - 4613Kg
Squat - 4935Kg

Weekly Volume

Squat - 9780Kg
Bench - 10,388Kg
Deadlift -  8025Kg

#37 - W3D1

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4, 4
120Kg x 3, 3
135Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

These were really moving, maybe the strongest bench session I've ever had!

Cable Flies - 5 x 10

Trciep Pushdown - 5 x 10

Front Squat

60Kg x 5
72.5Kg x 5
85Kg x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Think this is a rep/set PR for front squat :)

BB Rows - 70Kg x 10, 10, 10, 10

Facepulls - 50Kg x 15, 15, 15

Hammer Curls - 12Kg's x 10, 10, 10

Volume

Squat - 6778Kg
Bench - 2978Kg

Do you do all your bench reps paused, or do you ever work in touch-and-go?

Do you do all your bench reps paused, or do you ever work in touch-and-go?

Always paused, I'm a big believer in practicing the lift you do in the competition the most. If I ever do a variation like CGBP or dumbells then I might TnG but normally it's just heavy pause bench :)

#37 - W3D2

Deadlift to knees

105Kg x 4
127.5Kg x 4
150Kg x 4, 4
160Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo5zgwY7mjo - Last set

Bench Press

70Kg x 6
85Kg x 5
97.5Kg x 4, 4
105Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2
105Kg x 3, 3
97.5Kg x 4
90Kg x 5
85Kg x 6
77.5Kg x 7
70Kg x 8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXc0lA18CK0 - Second set of 112.5Kg x 2

Wasn't focused and lost a bit of tightness at the bottom of the first rep, the second rep was better but the first threw me off a bit, still quite quick but need to keep concentrating among all these sets.

Chest Flies - 5x10

Block Pulls

130Kg x 5
150Kg x 5, 5
170Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N66N8Bph6bE - Last set

Hands were completely shredded, gym only really has an Ivanko bar that is suitable for deadlifting which is okay for a set or 2 but tore my hands up pretty badly after all the sets today. Noticed I wasn't pushing my hips through as much as normal but still getting the hang of block pulls. Saying that I think these are the quickest block pulls I've ever done :)

Leg Press

160Kg x 10, 10, 10, 10 (1.5 min rests)

Hammer Curls

12Kg's x 12, 12, 12

Rear Delt Flies

4Kg's x 15, 15, 15

Volume

Deadlift - 9560Kg
Bench - 5788Kg

Quote from: Dahmkooler on July 01, 2015, 01:02:30 AM

Do you do all your bench reps paused, or do you ever work in touch-and-go?

Always paused, I'm a big believer in practicing the lift you do in the competition the most. If I ever do a variation like CGBP or dumbells then I might TnG but normally it's just heavy pause bench :)

Do you do all you benching paused then? I mean like seconds rounds too?

Do you do all you benching paused then? I mean like seconds rounds too?

Yep, I might change the second rounds to a variation after a cycle or two more but for now it's all just pause bench. I think if I change it in the future I will either swap to a paused spoto or a pin press :)

#37 - W3D3

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
97.5Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 5
120Kg x 5, 5
127.5Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Bench Press

70Kg x 6
85Kg x 6, 6
91Kg x 6, 6, 6, 6

For whatever reason I tried bending the bar on the descent of each rep, made my elbows tuck so naturally and keep a ton of tightness in the bottom position. Definitely gonna give it a go on Monday's heavier session.

Chest Flies - 5 x 10

BB Row

70Kg x 10, 10, 10, 12 (cheat reps for the last 3/4 of  the last set)

Facepulls

50Kg x 12, 12, 12

Seated Curls

10Kg's x 12, 10, 10

Volume

Bench - 6024Kg
Squat - 4688Kg

Weekly Volume

Squat - 11,465Kg
Bench - 14,789Kg
Deadlift - 9,560Kg

#37 W4D1

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4
120Kg x 3, 3
135Kg x 3, 3
145Kg x 2, 2, 2

145Kg (85%) felt RPE 7 on set one and RPE 8 on set 3. Really happy considering my confidence for squats is the worst out of the 3 lifts.

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
97.5Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Bench was sluggish today, haven't eaten very well the past couple of days and had one less meal before the training session so they might be factors. Even still so pysched to go for 85% on Wednesday!

Front Squat

60Kg x 5
72.5Kg x 4
85Kg x 3, 3
96Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2

Dips

BW x 15, 15, 15, 15, 15

BB Row

70Kg x 10, 10, 8, 7

Facepulls

45Kg x 12, 12, 12 - pulling the rope as close as I can to my face made my rear delts work so much more.

Hammer Curls

12Kg's x 12, 10, 9

Volume

Squat - 5103Kg
Bench - 2963Kg

#37 - W4D2

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
97.5Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3
120Kg x 2, 2, 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=-OiCpv49W1E&feature=youtu.be

- First set of 120Kg (85%)

Bench went as well as I could have hoped for! All the reps were quick and my best set was probably my third set of 2. Looking at the footage on the first set the pauses could have been longer so I changed that in the next 2 sets and speed was the same.

Deadlift

110Kg x 5
130Kg x 4
150Kg x 3, 3
167.5Kg x 3, 3
180Kg x 2, 2, 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fKEQunF9lg&feature=youtu.be

- First set of 180Kg (85%)

Again I was pleased with how deadlifting went. Felt like I could have got the 180 for another 3/4 so maybe somewhere around RPE 6.5 lol. Hopefully this means my bench and squat have increased nicely :)

Bench Press

77.5Kg x 5
91Kg x 5
105Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

DB Flies - 5 x 10

Leg Press

160Kg x 12, 13, 15 - Going to increase to 170/180Kg starting #30 next week.

Facepulls

40Kg x 15, 15, 15

Volume

Bench - 5193Kg
Deadlift - 3945Kg

#37 W4D4

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 3
120Kg x 4, 3 - thought it was 2x4 but realised it was 2x3
136Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 5
100Kg x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 - 2 minute rests and felt great

BB Row

70Kg x 12, 10, 10

Dips

BW x 15, 15, 13, 12 (super set with bb rows and 1.5 min rests between sets)

Cable Row

A few up from the bottom stack x 3 sets of about 10-15 then a drop set on the last set. Too precise...

Rear Delt Flies

5Kg's x 12, 10, 9

Volume

Squat - 3275Kg
Bench - 4003Kg   

Weekly Volume

Squat - 9106Kg
Bench - 11,430Kg
Deadlift - 3945Kg

Thoughts on #37
      
First routine of Sheiko finished and loved it to be honest! Doing lots of sets of 5 or less reps really has helped my technique a lot, especially on bench press. Upper back is much stronger on deadlift thanks to the deads to knees, block pulls and probably all the rows lol. My back, quads and traps are slightly bigger I think, surprised about my traps but I guess they are stimulated in almost every lift and accessory I do.

Sheiko 30 has no front squats programmed into it. At the moment I am thinking of sticking with high bar for another 4 weeks and test then move back to low bar with hopefully stronger quads. Does anyone know if it would be wise to swap the second session of squats to front squats during 30 or just stick with back squats? My quads/staying upright are still the main weakness in my squats.

Accessories will remain very similar, BB rows Mon+Fri and leg press on Wed with facepulls and curls very regularly. Going to up the weight 5Kg on BB rows and 10/20Kg on leg press. If I'm not too pressed for time I'll also do some cable rows on Mon+Fri.

My completely non-expert 2 cents:
I think if you are preparing for a competition, you should do low bar for your primary squat, and supplement with high bar or front squats as the second movement. That way the motor pattern is fresh and you have more than 3 weeks to practice it.
If you just want to get strongest long-term, it probably doesn't matter, but high bar seems like a good idea if it is directly bringing up your weak points. Plus you can load it heavier than front squats.

How do you do rows by the way? Pendlay style - dead stop, parallel to the floor? Or BB style, with a ~45 degree angle?

My completely non-expert 2 cents:
I think if you are preparing for a competition, you should do low bar for your primary squat, and supplement with high bar or front squats as the second movement. That way the motor pattern is fresh and you have more than 3 weeks to practice it.
If you just want to get strongest long-term, it probably doesn't matter, but high bar seems like a good idea if it is directly bringing up your weak points. Plus you can load it heavier than front squats.

I'm competing at the end of November so plan to low bar squat at least 8 weeks running up to that. When testing on #32 in a few weeks I'll just test high bar I think. I agree long term it probably won't make a lot of difference, might stick with high bar+front squats as I feel like it's working quite well :)

How do you do rows by the way? Pendlay style - dead stop, parallel to the floor? Or BB style, with a ~45 degree angle?

Just BB style, using straps as well because I feel I can contract my back a lot more. Rest around 1-1.5 mins and do about 4 sets of 10ish :)

#30 - W1D1

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4
120Kg x 3, 3
135Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Still doing high bar based off my 170Kg max.

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
97.5Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Front Squat

70Kg x 5
80Kg x 4
90Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Swapped the second session of squats to a front squat like in #37, still based off the same 120Kg max.

Close Grip Bench

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Did these with a pause, it actually felt quite close in strength to my normal grip.

DB Flies - 4 x 15

BB Row

75Kg x 8, 8, 8, 8 (superset with flies)

Facepulls

45Kg x 15, 15, 15

Volume

Squat - 5600Kg
Bench - 4335Kg

#30 - W1D2

Deadlift

105Kg x 4
130Kg x 4, 4
150Kg x 3, 3
170Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Hands were really dry and bar started tearing all my calluses from about 150Kg onwards. Carried on and by set 4 of 170Kg on of my calluses tore off and bled quite badly. Plastered it up and did the last set which was stupid, now realised it's better to just use straps and stop them tearing, it's been so annoying the past couple of days.

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3
120Kg x 2, 2 - moved even quicker than last time :O
112.5Kg x 3
100Kg x 5
85Kg x 7
70Kg x 9

Block Pulls

130Kg x 5
150Kg x 4, 4
170Kg x 3, 3, 3
190Kg x 2

Had 3 more sets of 190kg x 2 to do but couldn't carry on even with straps, the callus tear was too painful :(. Felt like it was very distracting and my form was so off. Annoyed I had to leave it but learnt from it at least.

DB Flies - 5 x 12

Leg Press

170Kg x 10, 10, 10, 10

Cable Row

3 x 12-15, not sure about the weight but all around RPE 8/9

Facepulls

45Kg x 12, 12, 12

Volume

Bench - 4208Kg
Deadlift - 8670Kg

#30 - W1D3

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4, 4
120Kg x 3, 3
136Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Felt like warmup/speed work :D

Front Squat

60Kg x 5
72.5Kg x 4, 4
85Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

Dips

BW x 20, 20

Cable Rows

110Kg x 15, 15

Facepulls

50Kg x 15

Ran out of time towards the end of the session so had some quick high rep/low rest work.

Volume

Squat - 8505Kg
Bench - 2115Kg

Weekly Volume

Squat - 14,105Kg
Bench - 10,658Kg
Dead - 8670Kg

#30 - W2D1

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4, 4
120Kg x 3, 3
135Kg x 2, 2
152.5Kg x 1, 1, 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=H2Msj_GqnwQ&feature=youtu.be

- 3rd single with 152.5Kg

Had a rough day so training was going to be hard, especially hitting 90% on squats. On the whole very unhappy with how it went, this was the worst rep with poor control on the eccentric and very bad forward lean for high bar. Might have to reassess my squat.
 
Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Dips

+20Kg x 15, 12, 11, 12

Front Squat

60Kg x 5
72.5Kg x 4
85Kg x 3, 3
95Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2

Cable Rows

5 x 12-15

Facepulls

40Kg x 15, 15, 15

Volume

Squat - 4823Kg
Bench - 3135Kg

#30 - W2D2

Deadlift

110Kg x 5
130kg x 4, 4
150Kg x 3, 3
160kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Just realised writing this that I was supposed to do deads to knees not full deadlifts.... don't think it makes the world of difference but it explains a bit more as to why I was so fried when it came to the second round of deads lol.

Bench Pres

75Kg x 5
90Kg x 4
105Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2
120Kg x 1
130Kg x 1 - Filmed
105Kg x 3
90Kg x 5
77.5Kg x 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=Q_B4PGQGvkE&feature=youtu.be

Bench felt as good as ever today and with 120Kg feeling reasonably light the past few weeks thought I would try it instead of one of the 120Kg singles. Very pleased with everything about it, the only thing could be that the pause could have been longer. Even still it was around RPE 7.5/8 which isn't bad for 93% of my entered max and 5Kg off my current PR lol.

Deadlift

110kg x 5
130Kg x 4
150Kg x 3, 3
180Kg x 3 (messed up should have been 170Kg)
175Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3 (messed up AGAIN, I'm a potato)

These were tough, I think partially to do with being fatigued from the first round and also having to use straps because my hands were starting to tear and I wasn't going to tear a callus like last week lol. Found that straps mean I lose tightness in my upper back and cause rounding (usually a straight back) and pushing my hips through at the top doesn't feel comfortable.

DB Flies - 4 x 15

Cable Rows - 4 x 12 - 15

Had to do these because my lower back was too fatigued for bent over rows.

Leg Press

170Kg x 10, 10, 12, 15

Pushed myself on the last couple of sets, legs were like jelly.

Facepulls

45Kg x 12, 12, 12

Volume

Bench - 3058Kg
Dead - 8785Kg

It's a nice feeling when 93% feels easy!

And lol about the plate-loading ;D. For some reason, I'm the opposite on deadlifts - using straps (or DOH in general) I'm able to really contract my lats better and keep everything straight... with mixed grip I really tend to round when it gets heavy.

It's a nice feeling when 93% feels easy!

And lol about the plate-loading ;D. For some reason, I'm the opposite on deadlifts - using straps (or DOH in general) I'm able to really contract my lats better and keep everything straight... with mixed grip I really tend to round when it gets heavy.

Cheers man, yeh obviously most people find it easier, I feel like swapping over to hook grip would be the best of both worlds.

Yeah I just made the switch myself and love it - feels real secure and you don't have to put an *with straps next to your lift!  ;D

#30 - W2D3

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 5
120Kg x 3, 5, 7, 6, 4

Bench Press

75Kg x 5
90Kg x 4
105Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Went very well, rested 1-2 mins max between sets.

Dips

+20Kg x 10, 12, 12, 12

Leg Press

200Kg x 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 - PR lol

Bent Over Row

75Kg x 10, 10, 10, 10

Facepulls

45Kg x 12, 12, 12

Volume

Squat - 3938Kg
Bench - 2235Kg

Weekly Volume

Squat - 8760Kg
Bench - 8478Kg
Dead - 8785Kg

This week felt easier and the low tonnage for all lifts explains it, week 3's training looks much tougher.

#30 - W3D1

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4, 4
120Kg x 3, 3
135Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (Last set filmed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=OWenzSYgA6o&feature=youtu.be

Felt pretty decent today, quads are slowly becoming more dominant :)

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3
120Kg x 2, 2, 2
112.5Kg x 3, 3

Front Squat

60Kg x 6
72.5Kg x 6
85Kg x 6, 6, 6, 6

Messed up and assumed it was 85Kg, should have been 78Kg, still got it without any issues.

Dumbell Fly - 4 x 12

Bent Over Row

75Kg x 12, 10, 8

Volume

Squat - 6825Kg
Bench - 3060Kg

Squats looked good my man. I felt like the fatigue really hit me all at once at the end of this week when I was running the 3-day. I think the combination of fairly high volume pulling on D2 followed by heavy-ish squats on D3 was kind of brutal... enjoy :D

Squats looked good my man. I felt like the fatigue really hit me all at once at the end of this week when I was running the 3-day. I think the combination of fairly high volume pulling on D2 followed by heavy-ish squats on D3 was kind of brutal... enjoy :D

Cheers bro, only realised afterwards but it's one of the best squat sessions I've had on Sheiko :) Thanks for the heads up lol I'll make sure to keep eating, drinking and resting hard, thankfully I've got 4 days off work in a row this week so the deadlift session should go okay... should :P

#30 - W3D2

Deadlift

110Kg x 5
130Kg x 4
150Kg x 3, 3
170Kg x 3, 3, 3
180Kg x 2, 2, 2 - First set filmed (using a potato)

Very very happy with how this '85%' looks :) annoyingly my callus tore AGAIN on the first set of 180, so taped it up and carried on lol. Annoyingly it was too painful to do block pulls with but glad I managed to finish my deadlifts strapless at least.

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=s7STCu8Spc8&feature=youtu.be

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Block Pulls

140Kg x 5
160Kg x 5, 5
180Kg x 4, 4
170Kg x 4, 4

Block pulls were okay, had to use straps again for them which meant less tightness in my back. They still feel harder than for the floor but a lot more confident with them. If I was doing these without straps I think it would have gone a lot better, ahh well. So dropped the weight on the last set just to prevent rounding over and not getting anything out of them.

Facepulls

45Kg x 15, 15, 15, 15

Volume

Bench - 2115Kg
Dead - 9570Kg

Those pulls moved fast! You might want to check out this video from Donny Shankle on hand care:

! No longer available

Cheers man and very helpful video thanks!

#30 - W3D3

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4
120Kg x 3, 3
135Kg x 3, 3
145Kg x 2, 2, 2
135Kg x 3, 3, 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwalkCvDAeM

Mad squat session, so many reps. Filmed the last double with 85% / 145Kg. Moved quite quickly and felt a lot smother than when I last tried it.

Bench Press

70Kg x 6
85Kg x 6
100Kg x 6, 6, 6, 6

Bent Over Row

75Kg x 12, 10, 9, 10

DB Flies - 4 x 10

Volume

Squat - 4450Kg
Bench - 5670Kg

Weekly Volume

Squat - 11,275Kg
Bench - 10,845Kg
Dead - 9570Kg

#30 - W4D1

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4
120Kg x 3, 3
135Kg x 3, 3
145Kg x 2, 2
155Kg x 1, 1 (both filmed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=A5_bqkKm6X4&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=HOS2w9cDVac&feature=youtu.be

Quite happy with how the squats went, tried doing wall squats as a warm up and think it helped a lot with staying upright, definitely going to do a lot more of them.

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Front Squat

60Kg x 5
72.5Kg x 4
85Kg x 3, 3
100Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2 (last set filmed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=pGuxJjNP6q0&feature=youtu.be

Felt like a warm up, looking at it the reps aren't as straight up and down as I'd like, think having heeled shoes would help a lot with that. Not sure if 140 is there yet even if I wore a belt but might go for a new front squat PR on my testing day if I'm not too shattered after the other 3 lifts.

Chest Flies - 5 x 10

Bent Over Rows

75Kg x 11, 10, 10

Cable Rows

8, 8, 8, 10

Facepulls

40Kg x 12, 12, 12 - did with a pause at full contraction.

Volume

Squat - 5155Kg
Bench - 2115Kg

#30 - W4D2

Bench Press

75Kg x 5
90Kg x 4
105Kg x 3
120Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2

Flying up, really REALLY want to get that 140Kg.

Deadlift

105Kg x 5
130Kg x 4
150Kg x 3, 3
170Kg x 3, 3
180Kg x 2, 2, 2 (last set filmed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=0Ae3-ERy1so&feature=youtu.be

Still playing around with slow/controlled eccentrics instead of just dropping the weight. It helps my tightness remain for the next rep but tires me out slightly more. Gonna keep them up and see what impact they have.

Bench Press

70Kg x 3
85Kg x 3
100Kg x 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2, 2

Cable Flies - 5 x 10

DB Rows - 5 x 10

Facepulls

40Kg x 15, 15, 15

Volume

Bench - 3450Kg   
Dead - 3940Kg

#30 - W4D3

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4
120Kg x 3, 3
136Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Bench Press

75Kg x 5
85Kg x 5
105Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

Dips

BW x 10, 10, 10, 15

Cable Row

4 x 10

Dips and rows light and easy with short rests, resting up a little bit before Wednesday.

Chest Flies - 4 x 10

Goodmornings - 4 x 10

Finished #30 now and feel my squats have improved the greatest amount during these 4 weeks. I have a list of things I'll change after doing the skills test on Wednesday and starting #37 again in 10 days.

I'll be interested to see your changes. Good luck on the skills test!

I'll be interested to see your changes. Good luck on the skills test!

Yeh I'll probably be writing the changes into the new cycle next week some time, thanks man :)

Sheiko #32 - W1D1

Squat

85Kg x 5
102.5Kg x 4
120Kg x 3, 3
130Kg x 2, 2, 2

Easy peasy.

Bench Press

70Kg x 5
85Kg x 4
100Kg x 3, 3
107.5Kg x 2, 2, 2

Also went well.

Chest Flies - 3 x 10

Facepulls - 3 x 10

Basically just a deload session with 75% for doubles, everything moved very quickly and felt as it should. Really looking forward to seeing what I can hit on Wednesday, would be so happy with 4 plates, 3 plates, 5 plates as that's been a goal for me since I started powerlifting. Time to eat and rest :)

Haha we can compete! First to 200kg in competition wins? ;)  8)

Good luck on the skills test tomorrow  :)

Haha we can compete! First to 200kg in competition wins? ;)  8)

Good luck on the skills test tomorrow  :)

Lol can do, I'd say I'm 10-15Kg away so still a lot of work to do! Cheers man.

#32 - W1D2

SKILLS TEST

Squat

170Kg - 2.5Kg high bar PB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6sux1p8aaw

175Kg - 7.5Kg high bar PB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuGQd2vUj4k

180Kg - fail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ti_QDBBVI

Pleased with the PB, went smoother than the 170Kg and was a lot better than my previous 167.5Kg max. Bit gutted about the 180Kg but after going back to low bar it should be there.


Bench Press

130Kg - 5Kg below PB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X12XVsD_tZ0

140Kg - 5Kg PB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bfNbWCrZlg

Should have got commands, didn't realise how quick my "pauses" were lol. My back slid backwards as well on the 140Kg making it a grinder when really it should have been comfortable. I think I still have more to give but just left it there for today, so stoked to finally get 3 plates!


Deadlift

210Kg - 10Kg PB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujZIx-FwlfE

220Kg - 20Kg PB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f3dWKiknP4

225Kg - Fail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK0MzTJ64FI

20Kg PB yeaaah. Not too shabby and it was also the cleanest out of the 3 lifts. Looking back at the vid not sure why I dropped the weight, grip isn't an issue but I think I may have just given up lol. Like with bench I'm not too bothered because I finally hit 5 plates which has been a goal for so long!

Overall a decent skills test getting a 535Kg total @79Kg. Main changes from now will be swapping back to low bar squats and incorporating some overhead press into my training. My aim is to try and get a 200Kg low bar squat, 150Kg pause bench and a 240Kg conventional deadlift @83Kg in my meet on November 7th. Quite a lot of work to do but not out of the question especially with some more room to gain weight.

Congratulations to all the PR's!  8) Great job there!

Thanks a lot man! I know the form wasn't super sweet on a few of the lifts, but training it has been much better and it is much improved from when I last tested :)

Friday before new cycle

Thought about doing the easy going session programmed in #32 but thought I'd mess around with low bar, just do some feet up benching and light accessories.

Low Bar Squat

First time doing this in about 3 months so wanted to see how it felt, just wanted to work up to a single that wasn't too heavy/taxing.

20Kg x 10
60Kg x 10
100Kg x 6
120Kg x 4
140Kg x 3
160Kg x 2 - felt awesome
170Kg x 1 - very dodgey walkout but still got it without too much issue
180Kg x 1 - .............. 5Kg PR :O

So much for not going too heavy then lol. When the weight kept going up and low bar was still feeling great I just went for it, not going to go heavy until my next skills test 10 weeks away and I've been aching to get 4 plates, 3 plates, 5 plates for so long now. Glad I've finally reached it and hopefully the progress continues.

Bench Press (feet up)

90Kg x 5, 5, 5, 5

Dips

BW - 12, 12, 12, 12

Chin Ups

BW - 10, 10, 10, 10

Facepulls

40Kg x 12, 12, 12

#37 - W1D1

Bench Press

75Kg x 5
90Kg x 4, 4
105Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Squat - Low-bar and belted

90Kg x 5
112.5Kg x 5, 5
130Kg x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Finally training low bar again, first time ever doing it in flats (no oly shoes anymore :( ) it felt a bit dodgey and uncontrolled which is fine because it means I've got a lot of improvement to make.

Bench Press

75Kg x 6
90Kg x 6, 6
97.5Kg x 6, 6, 6, 6

Chin-ups

BW x 3 x 6

Used straps and focused on really pulling with my back, made it way harder but definitely better than just repping them out.

BB Row

75Kg x 10, 10, 10

Going to do 2 back movements, probably chin ups and a row, twice a week. Also one form of row after deadlifting on Wednesdays which will probably be cable rows depending on how fatigued my lower back is.

Chest Flyes - 4 x 12

Facepulls - 4 x 12

Volume

Squat - 4825Kg
Bench - 7283Kg

#37 - W1D2

Deadlift - still conventional, still belted, wearing converse instead of just socks.

115Kg x 5
137.5Kg x 5, 5
160Kg x 4, 4
172.5Kg x 3, 3

Flying up, big confidence builder. Also going to keep the same altered max in but lowering all deadlifts controlled and keeping my upper back as tight as the way up. Felt the pain the next day, especially from the top to the bottom of my traps.

Bench Press

105Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Was meant to do incline but it's a pain to set up in the rack so just did regular pause bench.

Block Pull

115Kg x 5
140Kg x 5, 5
160Kg x 4, 4
180Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Hands were dead at this point, not worried about tearing but they felt like they had friction burns or something from all the pulls and benching on the ivanko lol. Block pulls felt great and are definitely becoming less of a weakness.

Cable Row - 4 x 10

Dips

20Kg x 10, 10, 10, 10

Facepulls - 3 x 12

Volume

Bench - 2520Kg
Dead - 10,715Kg

#37 - W1D3

Bench Press

85Kg x 7
82.5Kg x 6
90Kg x 5
97.5Kg x 4
105Kg x 3, 3
112.5Kg x 2, 2
105Kg x 3, 3
97.5Kg x 4
90Kg x 6
82.5Kg x 8
75Kg x 10

Had to lift of the bar for myself for most of the sets, makes it literally 20Kg harder, got a PR of unracking 105Kg though lol.

Squat

95Kg x 5
112.5Kg x 4, 4
130Kg x 3, 3
140Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Again squats were quite out of groove and strange depths (often uncontrollably deep). However finally starting to learn where to put the bar on my delts instead of my scapula or having it roll down, hopefully now I can start to work on my form a bit more :)

Dips

20Kg x 10, 10, 10

Chin Ups

BW x 6, 6, 6

DB Rows

?Kg x 10, 10, 10

Facepulls - 3 x 12

Volume

Squat - 4255Kg
Bench - 5980KG

Weekly Volume

Squat - 9080Kg
Bench - 15,783Kg
Dead - 10,715Kg

#37 - W2D1

Squat

95Kg x 5
112.5Kg x 4, 4
130Kg x 3, 3
147.5Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Went even better than the last session, got a bit sloppy with form and bar position towards the end but overall very pleased.

Bench Press

75Kg x 5
90Kg x 4
105Kg x 3, 3
120Kg x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Paused Beltless Squat

85Kg x 3
100Kg x 3, 3
115Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Whether it was not using a belt or pausing these were tough. Probably more the latter seen as I only switched to fully belted last cycle and pause squat have always been awful for me. Very glad that these are a weakness so that if I bring it up my squat should improve nicely :)

Dips

+20Kg x 6, 6, 6, 6

Had the weight behind me like Lu Xiaojun does them, made it way harder for my triceps.

Chin-up

BW x 6, 6, 6, 6

Superset with dips.

DB Rows

3 x 10-12

Facepulls

3 x 12

Volume

Squat - 5565Kg
Bench - 2805Kg

#37 - W2D2

Deadlift to Knees

120Kg x 4
140Kg x 4, 4
160Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

Much easier than this time last cycle, not sure how much benefit I'll continue to get with them so may take them out in #30.

Bench Press

75Kg x 5
90Kg x 5, 5
105Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Deadlift

115Kg x 4
137.5Kg x 4
160Kg x 3, 3
172.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Cable Row

5 x 8-12

DB Row

3 x 8-12

DB Flyes

4 x 10

Facepulls

4 x 10

Volume

Bench - 3375Kg
Dead - 8718Kg

#37 - W2D3

Squat

90Kg x 5
110Kg x 4, 4
130Kg x 3, 3
140Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Bench Press


75Kg x 6
90Kg x 5
105Kg x 4, 4
115Kg x 3, 3
120Kg x 2, 2
112.5Kg x 4
105Kg x 5
90Kg x 6
75Kg x 7

Squat - Paused and Beltless

85Kg x 5
100Kg x 4
115Kg x 3, 2, 2, 2

Messed up the reps a bit, should have been all triples warming up then doubles on the main sets. Still suck at these.

Dips

BW x 15, 15, 15, 12

BB Rows

70Kg x 12, 12, 10, 8

Facepulls

3 x 12-15

Had to rush accessories a bit, looking forward to getting back to uni to add in a 4th day.

Volume

Squat - 5960Kg
Bench - 4950Kg

Weekly Volume

Squat - 11,525Kg
Bench - 11,130Kg
Dead -  8718Kg

#37 - W3D1

Squat

95Kg x 5
112.5Kg x 4, 4
130Kg x 3, 3
147.5Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Even better squat session, starting to loves squats again.

Bench Press

75Kg x 5
90Kg x 4
105Kg x 3, 3
120Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Quickest benching 120Kg has been, first set about RPE7-7.5, last set about RPE8.

Paused Beltless Squat

80Kg x 5
100Kg x 5
110Kg x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Very hard, had someone count 2 seconds for my pauses.

Dips

BW x 15, 15, 12, 10, 8

BB Row

75Kg x 12, 10, 8, 8, 6

Superset together with 30-60 seconds rest between sets.

Facepulls

40Kg x 15, 15, 20

Volume

Squat - 8018Kg
Bench - 3165Kg

#37 - W3D2

Deadlift

120Kg x 4
140Kg x 4
160Kg x 4, 4
172.5Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

Bench Press

75Kg x 6
90Kg x 5
105Kg x 4, 4
112.5Kg x 3, 3
120Kg x 2, 2
112.5Kg x 3, 3
105Kg x 4
97.5Kg x 5
90Kg x 6
82.5Kg x 7
75Kg x 8

Chest Flyes

4 x 10-15

Mad chest pump.

Block Pull

140Kg x 5
160Kg x 5, 5
181Kg x 4, 4, 4, 4

Final set:

https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=KvG5GSmmnVE&feature=youtu.be

Cable Row

4 x 10-15

Chin-up

BW x 12, 8, (6, 2, 2, 2, 2 - rest pause set at the end)

Facepulls

40Kg x 20, 20

Volume

Bench - 6195Kg
Dead - 10,276Kg

#32 - W2D1

95Kg x 5
112.5Kg x 4
130Kg x 3, 3
150Kg x 2
165Kg x 1
170Kg x 1 - Very smooth and quick, much better than previous 90%+ reps.
150Kg x 2, 2, 2

Bench

75Kg x 5
90Kg x 4
105Kg x 3, 3
120Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Squat

100Kg x 3
120Kg x 3, 3
140Kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Lat Pulldown

3 x 8-12

DB Flyes

3 x 12

Facepulls

3 x 12