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Zander's Training Journal

Friday 13 June: Lower Body - Quad Dominant

Squats
220 x 6 x 2 sets
242 x 3
264 x 3

Bulgarian Squats
16.5 x 6/leg x 2 sets
22 x 3/leg x 2 sets

Compared to yesterday, I didn't feel quite as strong and ready. Nevertheless, my squat is unacceptably low and I'm striving to continually improve it.

264 x 3 was a PR, even though the weight is so low by everybody's standards. That said, I wouldn't have been squatting for more than 6 months in total for my entire lifting life (thanks to injuries). Anyway, progress is progress and a PR is a PR :)

Videos of my squats to follow sometime soon...
 
I decided to treat Elite to some wonderfully exciting shots of my ass in the ugliest shorts this world has ever produced. They're damn comfortable though.
 
That was very nice. Very deep and back was straight, my form needs to be like that. Also your abs didnt collapse at your sticking point and you pushed right through it, some people reach that sticking piont and then turn it into a goodmorning
 
Nothing wrong with 265lbs, I mostly squat with 265-275 for my worksets these days - explosively :)


I think you set your pins a notch or two higher. They should be an inch udner the bar at the bottom so you can dump it safely if you get in trouble

Also why are you holding the bar with such a wide grip? You should hold em as close as you can, so your your traps form a nice shelf for the bar, and it will help your form and help your back arch.

Hold your arms to the side, it makes you feel like hunching, hold em in close as you can, makes you arch instinctively
 
My shoulders cramp if I hold my hands closer together. I recently switched to extra-wide and it feels super-comfortable. I think you make a good point though. Holding my hands as close together as possible will allow me to set the bar slightly lower, which is only a good thing. I need to increase the flexibility of my shoulder girdle, I guess.
 
I do spatts' rotator tri-set weekly.

What I do need is a good stretching routine for my shoulders... Any good stretches you can suggest?
 
If you can't hold it close then your heading for some cuff issues in the future - the pitfalls of too much benching :)

do you stretch your external rotors regularly? especially after benching? Also start hitting your extenral rotors hard.
 
The one I use is

fist on waist pull the elbow forward -hold for 3 secs, release repeat a few tiems and then when its relaxing hold for longer.

start with your other arm doing the pullling on the elbow, when you get better, use a wall to apply pressure

do shoulder dislocates and arm swings as well
 
CCJ - I feel the stretch you suggested exactly where I have problems when I hold the bar close when squatting!!! I guess that suggests I really need to work on my rotator flexibility :( Better finding out now and avoiding problems in the future though!
 
another good way to stretch em out before a set of squats is put the top part of both wrists on the side of your waist, and pull your elbows forward using your pecs.
 
Monday 16 June: Upper Body

Pullup Routine
Set 1: 8-4-3-1
Set 2: 5-3-2-1

Explosive Pushups
3 reps x 8 sets

Felt like a quick workout in this planned week of PR setting. Haven't done the pushups for a month or so, and the pullup routine for quite a while. The extra weight I'm carrying (probably around 7-9lbs) made the pullups very tough. However, I managed to punch out similar numbers to what I was doing last time around, so that suggests strength gains there :)

Tomorrow I will be squatting :D
 
When I do those pushups, I don't pull my arms up like you are doing. I just fully extent and then drop back until my body bounces off the floor, and I catch the bounce on the way up and explode :)

Not a hard bounce though.
 
Fair enough. I guess I was doing it subconsciously in an effort to get further off the ground, even though the difference is only an illusion.
 
well I like to fully extend my arms, gives me an idea how much power I'm getting. Can only get my hands 3 inches off the ground at the moment.

I have read of people doing pushup depth jumps being able to propel themselves as high as a table....

I'll make a clip of me doing em next time, it is different.
 
The next five days...

Tuesday (today), I'm going to be squatting (1RM) and doing some speed deadlifts (1 x 5 sets @ 50%).

Wednesday, I'll be benching (1RM) and rowing.

Thursday, I have my first game of a new indoor soccer season.

Friday will be spent eating.

Saturday I will deadlift (1RM).
 
I started with a three inch box outside both arms and I would do all mine up to them. I moved to six inch boxes and eventually eight. If you have an actual height you are trying to reach every time it is better. It is like the difference between box jumps and knee tucks...even when you are fatigued you still have to make it up on the boxes.
 
Tuesday 17 June: Squats 1RM

Squats
Bar x 5 x 2
132 x 3
176 x 3
220 x 3
242 x 1
264 x 1
286 x 1
308 x 1
330 x 1 PR!!

Speed Deads
176 x 1 x 5 sets

Lonestar Steakhouse should expect some serious profits tonight :D
 
Whats funny is that you never went about 275 in your training cycle! Congrats. Oops i meant bitch youre getting ahead of me, this is getting competitive.....
 
264/330 = 80%

That's as high as my squat weight went during the four week block. I was training for hypertrophy though. At times there were multiple sets with higher reps than I might otherwise use.

Remember, I was also going SLDs and GMs on a different day to my squats. That would've definately helped. Likewise the food. I've been at it hard.

I'm still full from last night's dinner (it is 9:00am Wednesday and I ate at 7:00pm yesterday). It was absolutely massive. However, I still packed some more eggs and cheese into me for breakfast.
 
While not that soft, my carpet does have quite a bit of give in it. Definately not ideal for squatting. Would a mat of some kind help? There is no way in hell I'm going to be able to cut out the carpet under the rack, unfortunately.

I have extremely flat feet. The Asics I'm wearing give me a nice arch and bring me to a neutral position. I'm not sure whether they're good for squatting though?
 
Zander1983 said:
I have extremely flat feet. The Asics I'm wearing give me a nice arch and bring me to a neutral position. I'm not sure whether they're good for squatting though?
Click to expand...

Actually, the flat feet thing isn't correct. My feet turn inwards A LOT. They have quite a normal size arch, but they're abnormally wide and rotate inwards way too much... Finding the right shoe is an effort.
 
I'd only be guessing, since I've never properly maxed out due to injuries. Six weeks ago I would've estimated my squat 1RM to be about 264 pounds.
 
Absolutely. Especially since I've started posting videos. I'm learning so much about my own training with each individual workout and the consequential feedback.
 
Also I think there is more motivation, before if you'd miss a PR, no one would care except you, but on here, its like you feel an urgency to keep going up and up, since so many other people are keeping track of you.
 
For sure. Look at my OHP and how much I struggled for it. I can say with certainty that I would not have kept pushing that 198 if I didn't have this journal going.

I only started keeping track of my training and numbers recently. Previously, it was just hit and miss. All guess-work. Looking back, I was really spinning my wheels and wasting my time.
 
Wednesday 18 June: Bench Press 1RM

Bench Press
132 x 3 x 2 sets
176 x 3 x 2 sets
220 x 1
242 x 1
264 x 1
286 x 1 PR!!

Rows
176 x 5 x 3 sets

Barbell Curls
88 x 5 x 3 sets

22lb PR on my Bench Press. It was a very ugly lift. Wobbly and uneven (although that exaggerated by the camera angle which is not straight-on). Nevertheless, a PR is a PR. Of the four lifts I'm testing this was the one I had the least expectations for.

I'm quite stoked :elephant:

A big LOL to me doing barbell curls for like the 2nd time ever :D They were a piece of piss.

revexrevex - note the choice of music in the background :)

Hammer - I made a point of looking forward and up with the rows. The weight is still easy, but I felt that it hit my lats more and my lower back felt safer. Different, but in a good way :)
 
Thursday 19 June: Indoor Soccer

My conditioning has left the building! I've always kept myself in good shape for indoor soccer (its very much an anaerobic game), but I really struggled tonight. I've done nothing aside from lift four times a week for the past month, so that isn't a shock. We also played without substitutions. After my holiday and layoff, I will be including some more GPP work in addition to a four-day lifting split and a game of soccer. I should get back to a respectable level fairly quickly :)

That said, we won 5-2. I scored two goals and setup another. I'm not playing "high-level" now. Just recreational stuff with my mates. The perfectly weekly addition to my training.

On another positive, yet completely unrelated note (we all have some form of life outside training, right? ;)), I blitzed my Quantitative Methods exam this morning. That's two down and two to go. Unfortunately, Construction Technology is tomorrow and that will be a lot like my leg strength - my weakness! Maybe I can surprise myself like I did with my squats :D
 
Saturday 21 June: Deadlift 355 x max

Deadlifts
132 x 5
176 x 5
220 x 3
264 x 1
308 x 1
355 x 6 PR!!

Hang Cleans
132 x 1 x 10 sets (30 seconds rest)

I couldn't go for the 405 deadlift as planned due to my plates not arriving until mid-next week :mad:, so I put on all the weight I own and decided I'd deadlift anyway.

The video missed the last rep because it only records in 30 second intervals.

My nose started bleeding during the fifth rep, and blood started dripping onto the floor during the sixth rep. Shame the camera missed that!

I'm still angry and think I might do some hill sprints later tonight, in the darkness...
 
Last edited:
louden_swain said:
Excellent work Zander!!! I like your training environment. . .do you train in the basement?
Click to expand...

My house is built on the side of a hill, so that room has the illusion of being 1/2 underground :)
 
You`re flying high Zander. Keep it up. you get karma for your efforts.
 
OH sorry, I gotta spread karma around first. Seems I hit you already. lol
 
Sunday 22 June: Upper Body - Vertical Push/Pull

OHP
148.5 x 3 x 8 sets

supersetted with...

Chin-ups (supinated, medium-width)
BW x 3 x 8 sets

Abdominal circuit x 2 sets
- Russian twists x 10/side
- Bicycles x 10/leg
- Spread eagle situps x 10

Internal/external rotation
7lbs x 10/arm x 2 sets

Stretching

Took it very easy today. Really needed a good stretch after soccer and deadlifting, so I gave myself one :)
 
Last edited:
Oh dear. I've just been looking at every deadlift video I can find and by comparison, my form is embarrassing :(

When my new weight arrives I'll have 440lbs. Forget about 405. I want 440 NOW.
 
That video was your 315lb warmup.

What is most embarrassing is that I didn't even get my arse low and back on the first rep. I could've dealt with it otherwise, because repping heavy weights screws with form. But yeah, I'm ashamed :D
 
Ok, got it now. It really wasn't that bad, though mine isn't a good point of comparison!

I'm psyched. I want to deadlift again.
 
Monday 23 June: Box Squats/Deadlift practice & GPP

12 inch Box Squats
132 x 2 x 8 sets

Speed Deadlits
220 x 1 x 10 sets

GPP
5 minutes of stair running, jumping jacks, shuffle splits, slalom jumps, pushups, DB swings, bent presses etc...

I am even MORE psyched about a 1RM deadlift now, after feeling much more comfortable with my form today. Butt was low, back much straighter - felt good :)

First time doing box squats. Transitioning into WSB after my holiday.
 
Yea, you sat so far back that you almost missed the box on one of the reps
 
Tuesday 24 June (AM): Upper Body - Horizontal Push/Pull

Bench Press
200 x 3 x 8 sets

supersetted with...

DB rows
70 x 3/arm x 8 sets

My own rotator tri-set
- Plate raise: 45lbs x 10
- Cuban press: 11lbs x 10
- Internal/external rotation: 11lbs x 10/arm

Stretching

Tonight I am playing indoor soccer at 10:20PM. Great preparation for my final exam tomorrow morning. The team we're playing better be shit :D
 
Thanks. I'm just cruising at the moment. The last few workouts have been so, so easy :)

I'll be away from the weights between Friday 27 June and Saturday 5 July, so it seems like a bit of a waste to just cruise. However, I need to because the past month was intense, let alone the week of 1RMs and three weeks worth of exams! :D

I'm at an interesting point where I have gained a good amount of muscle and my strength gains have been pleasing, yet I'm also feeling really fat, slow and out of shape. I'm not really comfortable with it as I had a hard time as a chubby teenager before losing a lot of weight.

Consequently, I'm going to have three weeks dedicated to leaning up and losing some fat. I'll have those three weeks off from university (between semesters) and more time to dedicate to training, cardio and a clean diet. I'll outline my fat loss program which is anything but conventional, goes against sound logic, and one I probably wouldn't advise anybody else to do :D That said, I know what works for me and this works incredibly well at stripping off as much fat as possible in a short time frame:

Day 1
Bench Press 3 x 5
Barbell Rows 5 x 5
Close-grip Bench Press 2 x 5

Day 2
Squats 5 x 5
Deadlifts 5 x 5

Day 3
Overhead Press 5 x 5
Chin-ups 5 x 5

Day 4
Rest or repeat from Day 1 depending on how I feel.

Cardio
Every training day in the AM, empty stomach. One of the many forms of HIIT or energy systems work, depending on how I feel.

Diet
For the purpose of these three weeks, I will be simply cleaning up the crap I have been eating and restrict carbs to my pre and post-workout meals.

I'll be running that between July 6 and 28, then start my modified WSB.
 
Tuesday 24 June (PM): Indoor Soccer

We lost 1-5 and I strained one of my left adductors mid-way through the first half :bawling: I kept playing because we had no substitutes :mad: To make matters worse, mid-way through the second half my calves started to cramp. My pre-game nutrition was very good as normal, but I'm lacking some conditioning. Biggest factor though was that my carb drinks were missing a potassium/sodium product that is used as a salt substitute, because that makes a huge difference for me.

So, a bit of a disaster tonight! I'm glad I've got a holiday and break from training coming up. I need to let my groin heal :( Better run - its late and I have an exam in 9 and a bit hours time :)
 
Hell yeah! Exams are done for the semester. It has been a hard one, but a good one with plenty of room for improvement both in terms of school and training. The next half of the year is going to be massive. My motivation is sky-high and I haven't even had my week off yet!!! I want to tear something apart, but I really need to take a break... I think my brain is more burnt out than my body, which is just a bit injured ;)

I'm such a sucker for the game that I will probably sneak in some form of training tomorrow, being my last day before I go away.

On another note, MY PLATES STILL HAVEN'T ARRIVED :mad:

Thanks for reading guys. I'll probably start a fresh thread when I get back, because this one is getting long.
 
Thursday 26 June: Upper-body DC style

Bench Press
176 x 9 + 3

Seated DB Press
55 x 7 + 4

One-arm DB Row
70 x 10 + 5 (left)
70 x 10 + 3 (right)

Chin-ups
BW x 5 + 2

Jump shrugs
176 x 5 x 3 sets (30 seconds rest)

Super-slow negatives on all exercises (very painful!) except for the jump shrugs with rest-pauses (5-15 seconds).

This was my last workout before my holiday, and my last for this journal. I will be starting a new one when I get back.

See you in 9 days!!! :havoc: :elephant:
 
Had a great holiday with surprisingly excellent weather. Masses of sleep, quality food and plenty of junk thrown in. Even had a few nice beers!

I didn't do all that much physical, so I'm feeling incredibly fresh (apart from a tight upper-back from my flight :(). I found it hard to force myself to be active, so the break was welcome. Aside from walking along the beach and the like, over the eight days I managed to fit in:
- 10 x 30m sprints
- stair running & yoga
- pull-ups on a steel balcony beam (dangerous! gripped it with my fingers - no thumbs - and it was murder on my grip... surprisingly, my lats got really sore afterwards, even though I couldn't do as many reps as I would on a bar) and push-ups with my girlfriend sitting on my back :D

Nice to be back :)
 
Thanks bro.

Like the look of your journal. I'll have to check it out properly later. Right now, lasagne calls... followed by unpacking, downloading photos etc...
 
Couple of holiday photos:

holiday.JPG


holiday2.JPG
 
Novotel Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast. I'd post some photos of my lovely girlfriend who accompanied me, but she'd rather I didn't :D
 
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