2017-02-23: I've been lazy recently

Not sure if lazy is the right word.  Been travelling, returned to Norway, forgot important stuff as change of clothes at home on Monday.  Tuesday I realized I also didn't have a towel.  Yesterday I was busy preparing stuff at work.  Today I didn't have any more lame excuses, so I went to the gym.

My lifts have suffered from the lack of lifting.

Today's Lifts

Barbell Squat

2x5x20kg

5x40kg

3x60kg

3x80kg

3x100kg

1x120kg

1x140kg

1x160kg

Overhead Press

5x20kg

5x40kg

5x60kg

Deadlift

5x60kg

5x80kg

5x100kg

1x120kg

1x140kg

1x160kg

1x180kg

Can't bother to calculate volume as it's just not enough, but I went back to the gym again which was the important bit.  Now I need to make sure to keep it up.

2017-02-14: Lifting in Barcelona

In Barcelona.  Tried out a new gym - anytimefitness.  They've got one power rack, and the floor is a bit slippy for my shoes, but they DO have a power rack, enough weights, and it's quite good lifting.

Didn't lift yesterday as there was just too many meetings to get some time for the gym.

Today's Lifts

Barbell Squat

5x20kg

5x40kg

3x60kg

3x80kg

3x100kg

1x120kg

3x1x140kg

Volume: 1560kg

Bench Press

20x20kg

5x40kg

5x60kg

3x80kg

3x100kg

Volume: 1440kg

Should have done more volume in Bench Press, but I forgot my wrist wraps in Norway, and this was more than enough strain for my wrists today.

Barbell Row

5x60kg

5x70kg (wrong amount of reps)

5x8x70kg (PR)

14x70kg (PR)

Volume: 4430kg

Workout Volume: 7430kg

2017-02-10: Volume Day

Happy.  Satisfied.  Today was a good volume day.  Would've loved to be able to do 5x5x120kg again for Squats, but given that I'm running on 3 volume days and two single days per week, I guess that just isn't happening juuust yet.

Today's Lifts

Barbell Squats

5x20kg

5x40kg

5x60kg

5x80kg

5x100kg

3x5x120kg

3x5x100kg

Volume: 5100kg

Overhead Press

5x20kg

5x40kg

6x5x60kg

Volume: 2100kg

Deadlift

5x60kg

5x80kg

5x100kg

5x120kg

5x5x140kg

Volume: 5300kg

Workout Volume: 12500kg

2017-02-09: Squat, Row, No bench

Decided to rows before bench.  When I was finished with my rowing, people were squatting in the bench press racks.  Bleh.  There was 5 available squat racks!?

(The squat racks doesn't allow fine adjustment of safeties.  The barbell hits the safety bar on one step, and is below throat-level on the one below - so I prefer not to bench in the squat racks)

Today's Lifts

Barbell Squat

5x20kg

5x40kg

3x40kg (was distracted, needed another set of warmups)

3x60kg

3x80kg

3x100kg

1x120kg

1x140kg

1x160kg

Volume: 1560kg

Barbell Row

2x5x60kg

5x8x65kg (PR)

17x65kg (PR)

Note: I don't count 5x8-PR's, but the first set of 8x65kg was a 8 rep PR.  The AMRAP set after the 5 sets kind of squashed that 8-rep PR quite immediately. :P

Volume: 4305kg

Workout Volume: 5865kg

2017-02-08: Yargh

Tried heavy deadlift.  Failed.  Twice.  Blergh

Today's Lifts

Barbell Squat

5x20kg

5x40kg

5x60kg

5x80kg

5x100kg

5x5x110kg

7x100kg

Volume: 4950kg

Overhead Press

5x20kg

5x40kg

5x50kg

3x6x55kg

10x40kg

Bleh, wanted to lift 6x6x55kg today too, but OHP on Monday and Bench on Tuesday didn't make a stronger Wednesday lifter.

Volume: 1940kg

Deadlift

5x60kg

5x80kg

3x100kg

1x120kg

1x140kg

1x160kg

2x0x200kg  (two attempts, both failed)

Volume: 1420kg

Workout Volume: 8310kg

2016-02-07: Squats, Bench

Didn't have time for my rows.

Today's Lifts

Barbell Squats

5x20kg

5x40kg

3x60kg

3x80kg

3x100kg

1x120kg

1x140kg

1x160kg

Volume: 1440kg

Small volume, but that's as I want it for squats on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Bench Press

20x20kg

5x40kg

3x60kg

3x80kg

3x100kg (at this point I realize that I've decided Volume, not Weight)

3x5x90kg

10x80kg

6x80kg

10x70kg

8x70kg

Volume: 5210kg

Workout Volume: 6650kg

2017-02-06: Back in the Gym

Went to Sweden for some corporate training last week.  Didn't work well in conjunction with lifting.  Thus - a week off lifting.  Not good.

Today I was back in the gym.   Most certainly not enough volume today.

Today's Lifts

Barbell Squat

5x20kg

5x40kg

3x60kg

3x80kg

3x100kg

3x5x120kg

Volume: 2820kg

This is not enough volume.  But was good to be back in the gym again.

Overhead Press

5x20kg

5x40kg

5x50kg

6x6x55kg

Volume: 2530kg

Good!

Deadlift

5x60kg

5x80kg

3x100kg

1x120kg

1x140kg

1x160kg

2x1x180kg

Volume: 1780kg

Definately not enough volume..

Workout Volume: 7130kg

2017-01-27: Moar Volume!

Yesterday afternoon, I started questioning the volume approach, as fatigue started setting in.  My hamstrings felt crazy tired.  This morning, I woke up feeling fresh and ready for another volume day.  And given that it's Friday and the last day of the week - I've got two days of rest ahead of me.

So, Moar Volume!

Todays Lifts

Barbell Squat

10x20kg

5x40kg

5x60kg

5x80kg

5x100kg

5x5x110kg

Volume: 4350kg

Overhead Press

5x20kg

5x40kg

5x50kg

6x6x52.5kg

Volume: 2440kg

Deadlift

5x60kg

5x80kg

5x100kg

5x120kg

5x5x130kg

Voume: 5050kg

Workout Volume: 11840kg

2017-01-26: Upper body volume day

Plus squats, of course.

Someone in #powerlifting pointed out to me that I seem to have unintentionally peaked myself at the end of November, and continued on with silly singles in most of December... and that's why I did a heck of a lot of PRs at the end of November, while then going weaker.

So.. tentative program, as much as I can stick to it (which might be difficult given all the travel I have to do in the next few months).

• Squats: 5 times a week.  Volume on Mon,Wed,Fri.  Heavy single(s) on Tue, Thu.
• Deadlifts: 3 times a week.  Volume on Mon,Fri.  Heavy single on Wed.
• Overhead Press: 2 times a week.  Just volume for now.  Mon, Fri
• Bench Press: 2 times a week.  Tue, Thu.  Just volume for a while
• Barbell Row: 2 times a week.  Tue, Thu.  Just volume forever.

This leaves me with just Squats and Deadlifts on Wednesdays.. I was thinking that I need to do some Power Cleans and Power Snatches .. but doing that on wednesdays when my legs will be shivering like Jell-O seems like seems like a bad idea.  Pullups seems like a bad idea given the rows on both Tue and Thu.  Maybe I'll add some core exercises.  I hate'em.  But maybe I'll add some.

Todays Lifts

Barbell Squat

2x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
3x80kg
3x100kg
1x120kg
1x140kg
1x160kg

Volume: 1540kg

Barbell Row

5x8x60kg

20x60kg (PR)

Volume: 3600kg

OKay, I think maybe 60kg is too light for me as a training weight in Barbell Rows.  I just hate this exercise.  Maybe I should up it to 70kg or something.

Bench Press

20x20kg

10x40kg

10x50kg

10x60kg

10x70kg

10x80kg

3x8x80kg

Volume: 5320kg

Workout Volume: 10460kg

2017-01-25: Volume day

So, I've grown weaker.  I've been frustrated that my lifts seem to have grown weaker - and I wasn't sure why.  When fiddling with Fitnotes, I looked at the volume of my lifting.  Lo and behold; ever since the middle of November my total volume in each lift has decreased.

I've mainly focused on heavy lifts with few reps.  Completely ignoring volume.

In the beginning, my max lifts increased, which was cool - and I continued.  Now they've .. diminished.  Thus; I decided to do a bit of volume and I can clearly see that I've become weaker.

Time to add a couple of volume days per week.

And time to add a Volume bit at the bottom of each Lifts section, so that I can keep score when writing this blog.

Todays Lifts

Barbell Squat

10x20kg

5x40kg

5x60kg

5x80kg

5x100kg

2x5x120kg (I used to do 5x5, but hell, no chance of a 3rd set)

2x5x100kg

5x100kg

Volume: 4400kg

Overhead Press

5x20kg

6x40kg

6x6x50kg

Volume: 2140kg

Deadlift

5x60kg

5x80kg

10x100kg

15x100kg (PR)

3x5x120kg

Volume: 5000kg

Workout Volume: 11540kg