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Squats and press – tried a few low bar squats too, which felt good. I might switch for a while and see how that goes.

Overhead Press 10×45, 5×95, 3×120, 5×150, 5×160, 6×170

OHP from pins with bands 3x3x115

Squat (high bar) 10×45, 5×135, 4×185, 5×235, 5×250, 5×270 (would’ve kept going but my shorts were tearing and it threw me somewhat), 20×185

Front squat 5×185

Power shrug 5×135, 5×225, 5×315, 5×405, 5×495

BTN Push Press 3×135, 2×185

Squat (low bar) 2×135, 1×225, 1×275, 1×315, 3x1x225

DB curl 2x8x45

Hammer DB curl 8×45

Barbell Curl 10×70

T&A day today, otherwise known as bench & deadlifts. Knocked it out of the park again…very pleased with my lifts the last ten days or so. Hopefully it keeps going like this.

Deadlift 5×135, 5×225, 3×295, 3×335, 2×375, 5×415, 1×460, 1×465

Bench Press 10×45, 5×135, 3×175, 5×205, 3×230, 3×260

Stiff-Legged Deadlift 5×315

Axle Push Press 3×115, 2×165, 1×205, 1×225

Glute-Ham Raise 12,8,8 (with purple band), 12

Pronating DB Curl 8×50, 2x8x45

Barbell Curl 3x8x80

DB Curl 3x8x40

Hammer Curl 12×35

Face Pull 2x12x105

Kroc Row 12×130

Cable Crossover 8×60, 6×75

Today I was somewhat in the zone. It may just be the increasing sense of urgency, since I have a friend arriving from Australia soon, then I’ll be a dad, so my days of solid gym time may shortly be numbered. Whatever it was, I nailed it tonight.

Overhead Press 10×45, 5×95, 3×120, 5×145, 3×165, 4×185, 1×195, 1×205

Behind the Neck Push Press 5×135, 5×185, 1×225, 5×185, 8×135

Unilateral DB Push Press 5×100 (each side)

Bilateral DB Press 1×80

DB Curl 3x8x45, 2x8x40, 8×35

Squat 10×45, 5×135, 5×175, 3×205, 5×230, 3×260, 7×290

Front squat 5×135, 5×185, 4×225

Chest-Supported T-Bar Row 8×160, 6×160

I discovered earlier in the week that my wife and I have only got the hours between a brunch engagement on Saturday and my departure for work the following Monday to be alone together, for about the next twenty years. We have a dinner on Friday, then brunch Saturday, then my best friend arrives from Australia on Thursday, and my mother-in-law arrives just as he’s leaving in June, then we will have a child.

So…we’re off for a night in the country, to enjoy the sliver of alone time we have left this side of old age. Which means I had to cram my two remaining training sessions into my “rest” day today.

Deadlift 5×135, 5×225, 3×295, 2×355, 2×375, 6×395

Bench Press 10×45, 5×135, 3×185, 3×220, 3×230, 4×245

Speed Deadlift with Bands 5×135 (+192lbs at lockout), 2x5x185 (+192lbs)

Incline Press 4x10x135

Dip 12,15

Trap  Bar Deadlift 1×400, 2x5x400

Barbell Curl 2x10x80

Press day…had to get it done fast after waiting a goddamn hour for my bus :/

Overhead Press 10×45, 5×95, 5×115, 5×135, 3×155, 3×165, 5×175

Face Pull 5x10x120, 15×90

Seated Biceps Curl 10×35, 2x8x35

Seated DB Press 8×60, 10×60, 6×70

One-arm Row 10×125

Squaterday…I was pretty loose with my accessory lifts today; I felt like doing some more conditioning work and some pressing, so I ended up doing a fairly unstructured mess of complexes, presses and assorted fun stuff. Good times – we shall see how this bodes for press day on Wednesday. Should be fine, really.

Squat 10×45, 5×135, 5×175, 3×205, 3×245, 3×260, 9×275 (might’ve been 10, I had a brief lapse of attention)

Front squat 3×225

Complexes

5×135: stiff-legged deadlift, hang power clean, front squat, push press, squat, behind the neck push press

1×175: power clean, front squat, overhead press, squat, BTN push press.

1×185: power clean, front squat, push press, squat, BTN push press

1×195: power clean, front squat, push press, squat, BTN push press

1×205: power clean, push press, squat, BTN push press

Two Hands Anyhow 2x(95+35)

One-arm Snatch 4×95

Overhead squat 3×95, 2×115

Overhead Press 1×185

Squat to BTN push press 4×185, 3×205

Face Pull 10×150

Bench & DL day – feeling pretty weak, despite mo real weight loss. I guess after Coan/Phillipi I’m a bit buggered for deadlifts, I should probably leave them out altogether for a week or two just to give my lower back a little recovery time.  I think next week I’m going to skip deads, and just focus on fast heavy days for squat/press/bench, with a good deal more conditioning work, since I’ve been neglecting that side of things pretty badly lately.

Deadlift 8×135, 5×225, 3×315, 2x1x405, 5×365

Stiff-leg Deadlifts 5×315

Speed Deadlift 3x5x275

Bench Press 10×45, 5×115, 5×155, 3×185, 5×205, 5×225, 6×235 (all paused reps)

Chest-Supported T-Bar Row 5×180, 8×135, 6×135

Dip 3×10

Face Pull 10×135

Farmers Walk 200x60m (30m, turn, 30m), 300x60m

Press day – I went somewhat off-program for my accessory lifts, but so what? I had fun.

Overhead Press 10×45, 5×95, 5×115, 3×135, 5×145, 5×155, 6×165

Two-Hands Anyhow 2×95+35

One-arm Snatch 2×105, 2×110, 2×115, 2×105 (with 20s static hold at lockout)

Behind the Neck Push Press 5×135, 5×185, 5×205, 1×225, 10×155

And so begins the cut. I will be doing a slightly modified version of Wendler’s 5/3/1 while I drop maybe 15lbs over the next six or seven weeks. I find it’s a good program to run on a caloric deficit. I’m also giving up on wearing a belt for the time being, just to see what happens, really. I’ve deloaded somewhat for squats to make sure I don’t die in the process.

Squat 10×45, 5×135, 5×185, 3×210, 5×230, 5×245, 9×260

Front Squat 2x10x185, 6×185 I can already see how the belt impacts me; normally 3x10x185 would be really easy, but today after all the squats and front squats my core wasn’t holding up, I was tilting forward and my arms ended up tiring and hurting from trying to keep the bar in place without being vertical. My legs were fine to continue but I had to rack the bar after six on the final set so my shoulders wouldn’t hate me forever.

Glute-Ham Raise 3×12

Dumbbell curl 8×45, 8×40 (got bored between GHR sets)

No real exercise as such today, just went for some big numbers. Mostly successful, as the video below will attest.

Bench Press 10×45, 8×95, 5×135, 3×185, 2×235, 1×265, 1×285, 0×300 (so close dammit)

Overhead Press 3×135, 2×165, 1×185, 1×210

Behind the Neck Push Press 3×135, 3×185, 1×225

Trap Bar Deadlift 5×230, 3×320, 1×410, 1×500