I Like Deadlifts

Warming up the lower body/hips area with 3 sets of sled pulls with 50kg for a walk of 25 mtrs there and 25 mtrs back.

Deadlifts 3 x 10 @ 70kg

These reps are starting to get easier. Just having to work on keeping my butt down a little more. Plenty of speed off the floor just have to work bringing my strength and power up. Happy with them.

Bentover Rows 3 x 10 @ 50kg

Just got to work on controlling the weight on the way down a bit more. Can feel my back work on these reps so again getting the reaction from my body that I was looking for.

Lat Pulldowns 3 x 10 @ 100, 110, 120 Pounds

Getting better at these and I am really working on "locking" my lats down tight. Can feel the lats getting worked. Reps felt good and as can been seen weight was pretty light so worked up to a good weight. Hope to repeat it next week.

Dumbbell Rows 3 x 10 @ 20

Again good reps and getting a good workout for my back. The weight is probably a bit light and I will be going up next week. Nice reps with a lot of control both ways. Again I am looking for time under tension.

45 Degree hyper-extensions 3 x 10 @ 10kg

Good way to finish off the lower back and to keep things moving. Getting a good stretch at the bottom and am able to keep my back tight on the way up. I am only coming up to the point where the body is straight. I am not hyperextending the back past that point.

Big Bench's are still a little way off

A good way to warm up for bench's, using Hammer Hits to warm up the shoulders and chest. I am really starting to like this idea of using GPP work to warm up.

Benchpresses 3 x 10 @ 67.5kg

Using 1 4.3kg chain per side as well as a bit of weight. I have my own set of hooks that I can use to get a full deload and reload. Felt pretty good with a little speed but more just working on time under tension.

Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 10 @ 20kg

Getting a little stronger on these as I can flick the weight over and control it a lot better than last week. Really good presses and this just felt like some good reps. Plenty of control and speed.

Floor close grip benchpress 3 x 10 @ 42.5kg

Lying on the floor and with 2 x 4.3kg chains over the bar. Weight is already starting to get a bit light but want to stick to the plan and not rush. All the reps felt good even though it was a bit light.

Tricep pressdowns 3 x 10 @ 36kg

These are getting better each time I do them. Getting a lot of activation from my left tricep over my right even though I am trying to press evenly with both arms. I put it down to that was the side that started everything last year it is behind a bit. Hopefully with synergy both triceps will get stronger together.

Obliques 3 x 10 with the No# 1 band Bottom to Top.

This is one of those exercises that could be a bit dangerous if done wrong for me. Took my time and pulled the band across the body and up. Holding the abs in made me slow down and I really got a lot out of this today. Happy, Happy, Happy.

Abs 3 x 10 with a green band

I am limited a bit to what I can do for abs but this is one of them. Did this standing and pulling away from the anchor point. By holding the abs in tight and crunching with my abs I got a lot out of this. Might have to keep this in for a while, Also might have to do some research on different different ab exercise's.

Oh to be able to squat big again

What a good feeling it is doing prowler pushes. Using them as a GPP warm up for squatting day. As my body is already warm it dosen't take much to get it ready for the extra work. 3 x 1 25 mtr there and 25 mtr back pushes with 60kg on the machine.

Front Squats 3 x 10 @ 60kg

I was using the front squat harness from Get Strength  for the first time in to long. Felt good to do. able to get my feet placed well and really worked hard on squeezing my butt hard on the way up (get into good habits from the start). It is not until you can't do something that you realise how good of an exercise it is. I just like using the harness as it allows me to concentrate on the lift I m doing and not on what the bar is doing.

Leg Curls 3 x 10 @ 32.5kg.

Yes I know but I have to rebuild my hams from the start. These felt a lot better than last week and my hams are handling everything better. Will change to something else after this cycle. Good clean reps  
Calve Raise 3 x 10 @ 20kg

Again I am getting better at these as I slowly rebuild my calves. Good tight contractions at the  top with a controlled descent and a real stretch at the bottom. Done right you don't need massive weight to get the job done.

Pull thoughs 3 x 10 @ 30kg

Getting better t these as well. using your but to move the weight makes all the difference. Most people don't do them and if they do they throw and drop the reps getting very little out of the exercise. I like to control the reps and feel it working. want a big squat or deadlift you have to have a strong arse.

Reverse Hypers 3 x 10 @ 40kg

One of my favourite exercise's. a good way to finish a/squat workout. Still trying to find my old form but getting there. Good controlled reps however just need some more strength and power in my butt be real happy. Like the stretch I get out of it for my lower back.

Obliques 3 x 10 @ 30kg

Good exercise for strengthening my obliques up. Thought I would b a lot weaker though my core (man I hate that word) than I am but I have kept quite a bit of strength in that area. Good clean strong reps.
 

Back to the Start

Liking this part of warming up with a GPP sort of exercise. Will look at how we can add a few more over the next few months.

Barbell Shoulder Press with Chain per side. 3 x 10 @ 32.5kg

Was able to set this up so that the chains fully deloaded at the bottom and reloaded at the top. Felt really good. Would be interesting to see how this works with more weight and chain. Good reps even though the weight is still light. Will be putting it in a few more times over the next year.

Lat Raise. 3 x 10 @ 5kg

Used the same weight as last week, However I am still working on getting more strength back into my left shoulder. This is a real mental challenge and something I am going to have to work hard on over the next year.

Bentover Lat Raise 2 x 10 @ 4

Again same weight as last week and for the same reason as above. Feels good and I can do the exercise easy it is just making sure the right muscles work.

Dumbbell Shrugs 3 x 10 @ 20kg

Same weight as the week before but a lot more control over the weight on each rep. Got to restrenten the neck muscles somehow. Pretty easy so might go up to the next weight next week.

Barbell Curls 3 x 10 @ 20kg

Getting better  at these since having not done them for so long. I have got good control on both parts of the exercise.

Reverse Crunch 3 x 10 @ 48kg

Now that the body has got use to moving started putting these in to help strengthen up around that area as again I have not done a lot for a while. Was a little surprised at how strong I still felt around that area.

Deadlifts and Back

Last day of the first week and the first time I have had a specific Saturday in the gym.

Sets of 10 reps

Sled Pulls

A couple of 25mtr there and back pulls with only 40kg on the sled. This felt like a good way to warm up the muscles to start deadlifting with. Need to up the weight a bit and add some sets as well

Deadlifts

Wow what a drop 60kg and how many reps did you say. This feels like cardio. Felt good doing them just having to get my set up a little better. Felt like there was more there but right now I have plenty of time.















Bentover Rows

Good sets of 40kg with a lot of concentration on good solid reps, not to fast on the way up and control on the way down. Still trying to keep a good clean tempo. Could feel my back starting to work. That is easy to do with all the time off and just starting to rebuild.

Lat Pulldowns

Needing to add in more volume work so in goes these. As I get stronger and can use other exercises these will come out a bit but good to do. 3 sets at 37.5kg or 45kg.

Dumbbell Rows

Not a lot of weight here but just enough to feel my lats working. Because I am wanting to rebuild muscle mass this is exactly what I am looking for. 3 clean sets of 20kg

45 Degree Hyperextensions

Just a finisher to work my erectors a bit. Controlled descent with a strong pull back up. Could feel my glutes and hams being stretched out a bit as well.

Overall a good workout and it was good to get the whole week in. Overall the whole week has been good. Not a lot of weight or anything to set the world on fire with but it is a start back to where I want to be. There are some things I am going to have to work hard on getting back to where I want/need it and there were some things that surprised me with how much I have retained. Here's to looking at next week. Bring it on.

Onwards to the next 100 posts

Day 3 Chest and Triceps

After a warm up of some Hammer hits it was time to do some benchpresses and other exercises.

All sets are for 10 reps

Benchpress

First time doing these for a reason since April. Up until then I was working on a 300 kg bench now I am down on 60 kg. Got to start somewhere. The goal is to go back up to those weights and beyond. Felt good tonight with biggest problem actually being to slow down the rep. Felt strong and good, just like old times. Real real happy with this.



Incline Dumbbell Press

This was a slightly harder exercises as my left shoulder did not want work as well as the other I think due to the fact that the left side is where everything started. Concentrating on pressing with that side makes a big difference.  Just another challenge I have to beat. The sets were pretty good and I was able to feel them working.

Close Grip Benchpress

Was real happy with these sets as I was able to keep my elbows tucked in real tight. Again as with the benchpresses I had to concentrate on slowing the reps down as the speed was still there and the weight is actually quite light.








Tricep Pressdowns

Again nice and tight tucked in and was able to concentrate on making the triceps work hard. Again just the start so the weight wasn't great however at the moment I am more interested in getting the reps right and using the triceps. Strong triceps equals big benchpresses.














Overall a good a workout and another day of working towards my goals over the next year.

My 100th Post

Well, well, well, I have finally made it to 100 posts. So without further ado here goes

So today was the second day of training and it was the turn of the lower body.

Prowler push 2 x 20mtr there and 20mtr back with 40kg on the prowler just as a warm up. Pretty easy at the moment. Concentrated on pulling though with my foot and not pushing with my trailing foot.

Buffalo bar Squats 3 x 10@45

Pretty good here was able to get my feet out okay but not wide, worked on keeping my knees out while sitting back as much as I could. Got to remember that I haven't done any sort of squatting for real in nearly 9mths

A rare sight indeed













Leg Curls 3 x 10 @ 50Lbs

Pretty easy to do, wasn't really expecting much just wanted to get my hams working in some way. Again it has been so long I don;t need to do something wrong right now.

Calve Raise 3 x 10 @ 20kg

I have lost a lot of size in my calves with everything that has happen so again just starting the regrowing thing although I am concentrating on the downward part of the rep.

Pull Throughs 3 x 10 @ 50Lbs

Haven't done these for a few years so a good time to start with something different. Need to strengthen up my butt if I want to lift big again.

Reverse Hypers 3 x 10 @ 20kg

This is one of a few exercises that I feel should be included in everyone's workout and to be done on multiple occasions each week. Felt good to be able to do these again.