Ormond's training log

[Ormond]

W1D2
12 February

Bench 42.5kg x 4 sets of 5
45kg x 1 set of 3, 1 set of 9 (AMAP set, technical failure on rep 10. Increase training max by 2.5kg).
Doing my best to keep scapulae retracted but my right shoulder has a tendency to drift loose in mid-set.

Deadlift [warm up 70kg x 5, 90kg x 3], 101.25kg (misloaded the bar!) x 4 sets of 5;
77.5kg 6 sets of 3 EMOM.
Last work set was mixed grip, everything else DOH. Felt myself losing tightness on the last two work sets, a horrible crunching feeling in my front abdomen which I think means my back is rounding. More rest would have helped, I was rushing these sets.

Ez bar curls 15kg : 4 sets of 10 (program says hammer curls but my gym has no hammers).

Single DB row 22.5kg x 8 (too heavy), 20kg x 8 (still too heavy), 6 (too lazy to change dumbbell).

This was a longer workout than I'm used to, a lot more sets. I ended up rushing things which was a bad idea.

[Ormond]

W1D3
14 February

Squat 80kg x 8, then 3 sets of 5. These were tough. Hips shooting up a bit on third or fourth rep of the second and third sets; last set was better.

Close-grip bench press 37.5kg x 12, then 3 sets of 10. The weight felt right. Focus on keeping shoulders retracted. Good sets.

Lat pull downs. 35kg x 2 sets of 12. A challenging weight. Used a grip a little outside shoulder distance.

This week was a bit off, a combination of work stress, changed schedule, programming uncertainty. Just happy I got all my sessions in. A four-day break now: all sessions next week being pushed back a day.

[Ormond]

W2D1
19 February

Squat 80kg x 4 sets of 5, 1 set of 4. Final rep was a fail: lost tension at the bottom, decided to fight for it, and it turned into an ugly good morning. Technically I stood up with it, but aesthetically it was nonsense.

Bench press 45kg x 4 sets of 5. 47.5kg x 1 set of 3, 1 set of 10 [AMAP set: increase training max by 2.5kg]

Barbell curls 20kg x 9; 15kg x 3 sets of 10.

Benched in the power-rack (the regular bench stations were taken), it worked well. Unfortunately I forgot the bit of paper I'd written the workout down on and was going by memory, didn't quite get it right but it was close enough.

[Ormond]

W2D2
21 February

Deadlift [warm up 70kg x 5, 90kg x 5, 100kg x 3, 105kg x 1] 115kg x 2 singles; 110kg x 3 sets of 3 (2 mins rest); 82.5kg x 6 sets of 3 EMOM. All DOH. Felt good.
Press 37.5kg x 4, 4, 4, 5, 3. Look up when pressing.
Seated cable row [26kg x 10] 33kg x 4 sets of 10. Go heavier next time.

A good morning's work.

[Ormond]

W2D3
23 February

Close-grip bench press 42.5kg x 10, then 4 sets of 8.
Squat [warmup 40kg x 5, 60kg x 5, 70kg x 1, 80kg x 1] 85kg x 5, then 2 sets of 3, then 1 set of 2 (failed the third rep).
Pull-downs 25kg x 12; 35kg x 2 sets of 13.

Was making an effort to go ass-to-grass on squats. These felt difficult, and I was fighting to keep the effort in my quads. Failed the last rep and set the bar down gently on the safeties. I guess I wasn't quite going ass-to-grass the last few weeks, although I think below parallel: I should probably make a motion picture of my squats, and transcend my first-person perspective. Ass-to-grass is harder, but it makes depth less ambiguous.

I still weigh 71kg.

[Ormond]

W3D1
25 February

Bench press 50kg x 3 sets of 3; 52.5kg x 2 sets of 2, 1 set of 7 (AMAP set. This surprised me, I thought it was going to be tougher. Increase training max up to 62.5kg).
Squat [warm-up 50kg x 5, 60kg x 5, 70kg x 3, 80kg x 1] 85kg x 3 singles. These were nice, maybe not ass-to-grass but deep.
Barbell curl about 25 reps, rest-pause. I could only get the plate-loaded EZ curl bar, no idea what it weighs. Just did a bunch of reps.

[Ormond]

W3D2
27 February

Deadlift 90kg x 6 sets of 3 EMOM.
Press 40kg x 2 sets of 3 @10; 35kg x e sets of 6.
Seated cable row 40kg x 8, 8, 11.

A bit distracted today. Trained in the afternoon, not my usual time. Gym was full of preening young men, in packs of three, flicking their hair about like women in shampoo adverts do. Why are their upper arms bigger than their thighs? No-one was that shape when I was their age.

[Ormond]

W3D3
1 March

Close-grip bench press 45kg x 8, then 5 sets of 6.
Squat [warm-up 40kg x 5, 60kg x 5, 80kg x 3] 90 kg x 3, then 3 singles. These were good, steady reps.
Pull-ups x 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 3, [30 reps, 2 minutes rest]. Someone was hogging the pull-down maching. Got a good arm pump though.

[Ormond]

W4D1
4 March

Bench press 42.5kg x 5 sets of 3.
Squat 70kg x 3 sets of 3. Paused reps.
Barbell curl 15kg x 4 sets of 12.

A nice easy day. Testing 1RMs later this week.

[Wilhelm]

Hope your test is good, @Ormond.

[Ormond]

Thanks, @Wilhelm. I didn't let you down.

W4D2
6 March

Deadlift (Overhand grip) 70kg x 5, 80kg x 5, 95kg x 3. (Mixed grip) 110kg x 1, 120kg x 1, 135kg x 1.
I think I felt my lower-back rounding, or at least taking the load. No pain after. Rep was slow but steady, no sticking-point.
+5kg on last month, and that despite switching from twice a week to once a week deadlifting. Will run this program again next month.

At this point I was late for work so I left it at that.

[Ormond]

W4D3
8 March.

More 1RM tests.
Squat 60kg x 5, 72.5kg x 5, 82.5kg x 3, 95kg x 1, 105kg x 1 +5kg PR!. Very slow rep.
Bench 30kg x 5, 40 kg x 5, 45kg x 3, 52.5kg x 1, 60kg x 1 PR!, 65kg x 0, 0. Fuckit, but thank Jeebus for the power rack.

Am delighted with the squat, target achieved. And bench: well, it's only my first month benching, and I never attempted a 1 rep max before. A few thoughts:
1. I had the hooks set a bit high. I moved them down a notch for the last attempt and that was much better, should really have set it up better at the start.
2. E1RM (based on AMAP set last week) was 62.5kg, I should probably have tried that. I got greedy (or confused).
3. Nobody died.

Reflections on second cycle:
Deadlift is still going in the right direction (despite dropping from twice a week to once a week). I'll continue with the 1x intermediate programme.
Squat is going well. Stick with the programme.
Bench is still in the early days. Will stick with the programme.

[ChrisMcCarthy1979]

Well done!

[Ormond]

Thanks Chris!

Well, now for the third cycle:
W1D1
11 March.

Bench press 50kg x 4 sets of 5; 52.5kg x 3, 6 (AMAP set). Increase training max by 2.5kg.
Squat 77.5kg x 6 sets of 6. 2-3 mins rest. These were tough but all the reps were good. A bit of quad pump at the end.
Late for work so no curls.

I recruited a friendly spotter for my bench AMAP set, and a good thing too. I attempted (and failed) a 7th rep. The fail came out of nowhere, it wasn't my intention to push to the absolute limit. Also, I went into the gym almost looking for an excuse not to bench, I haven't really found my groove here yet.