Slothosaurus Training Log!

The log is awesome.
I have a video of me, mushroom, jwt and fish pressing a 50kg one at my gym (in my case, only once but everyone else has mucho reps).

thought about getting atlas stones made?

BTW strongly recommend setting up a marquee over your squat rack.

 

It's a good bit of kit actually. Thinking of seeing what my max is with pressing it soon. Should be fun

I hadn't actually. I love the idea of them but I hadn't thought about getting them made. It's definitely worth looking into!

Ha!

Good point. I hadn't actually thought about it

 

15/05/15 - 20/05/15:

Bits and bobs. More log pressing, more barbell pressing, more squatting with actual logs made from trees, more grabbing the kids at random intervals and pressing them

My cardio is pretty crap again, which is not really a surprise. But I can comfortably sling my brother who is 12 1/2 stone over my shoulder and go for a jog with him as if I'm unburdened, much to his horror .

21/05/15:

Log Press (every set starts with a clean)
w/ log @ 1 x 5
w/ 40kg @ 1 x 5
w/ 50kg @ 1 x 5
w/ 60kg @ 1 x 3
w/ 65kg @ 1 x 1
w/ 70kg @ 1 x 1
w/ 75kg @ 3 x 1 (Push presses, 5s hold at the top).

Agh! I managed to get the 70kg strict press with the log which was awesome (and technically is a log press PR as previously I'd struggled to get 65kg) so I went for 75kg. First rep moved a couple of inches, locked and couldn't go any further. Second rep went up a little more and faster but also dropped faster. Third attempt got above my head but couldn't complete the lift. So I resorted to push presses.

Barbell Press (all sets start with a clean):
w/ 35kg @ 1 x 5
w/ 45kg @ 1 x 5
w/ 55kg @ 1 x 5
w/ 60kg @ 1 x 1
w/ 65kg @ 1 x 1
w/ 70kg @ 1 x 1
w 75kg @ 2 x 1 (push presses, 5s hold at the top)

Just couldn't get the elusive 75kg OHP again. I'm hitting 70kg a surprising amount (which is my 1rm) but I just can't quite get 75kg no matter how hard I try.

Barbell shrugs:
w/ 75kg @ 3 x 10

Slow shrugs just because I haven't done them in a while.

Did a few dips on the parallel bars to finish. Horrendous grind to do 3 and I didn't feel up to more, so I stopped.

 

Nice of them to make themselves useful for a change, eh?

 

Bit of a thread necro, but here we go!

It's now the 15th July, so...it's been a while since I've recorded anything. I did keep up with the log presses and bits and bobs, but truth be told nowhere near as much as I should have done. All I'll say on this one is "personal circumstances" and that things are starting to look a little more chipper after months of being down.

So on the downside, my cardio has gone right out of the window in horrifying ways. Not looking forward to developing my cardio again, but it has to be done. My strength has also taken a bit of a downturn, but nothing significant. I can't do dips again for one.

That said, my "real world" strength seems to have improved (by which I mean the ability to cart around electricals like cookers, fridges, dishwashers, large boxes of books, oddly shaped and weighted bags, etc). :dunno:

On the plus side, though I've cancelled my gym membership and moved away from the nearest gym, I now have my own workout room! It's about eight foot long and nine foot wide and I have to cram all of my kit in there (squat rack, grapping bar, concrete mallets, dumbbells, barbell, log, maize bag, etc) and at its' lowest the roof slopes down lower than my head by about 6" (at it's tallest it's less than a foot taller than my head when I'm standing). Obviously it's not the most spacious area, but I can train away in there without leaving the house or disturbing the wife, kids and neighbours. There's also a park with its' own 400m track on grass nearby, which I can actually run on without hurting myself, so I might have to try that soon.

As far as my lifts go, I'm having a bit more difficulty hitting 70kg OHP again but my ability to do higher rep sets with the heavier weights has increased dramatically. They have been neglected of late but I'm quietly confident I can improve on that soon.

Also tested my deadlift and squats properly for the first time in 7 months. Managed multiple single rep sets of 155kg deadlifts with 10 second holds at the top - heavier than I would have liked but I felt like I could have still gone back to just shy of my old PR (175kg). Volume has again increased on the number of reps I can do though.

Squatting for the first time in 7 months properly (back squats, that is) was weird, but it's the first time I've ever been able to do multiple sets of 5 reps w/ triple figures and not needed ANY supports at all - no knee supports, no ankle supports, etc. Stuck to 110kg out of safety since I'm out of practice but I felt like I definitely could have done more. I don't think it'll be long before I try for 140kg+.

Trying to squeeze in some bag work almost every single day in very small amounts to get myself started. I've lost a bit of flexibility with my kicks and my form has gone to hell, but I'm actually doing stuff again. First time in months I've genuinely wanted to be back kickboxing too.

Not going back to Aikido though. Saw more videos of my old aikido club and some of the senior grades doing jiyu waza. I'll spare you the details, but I don't know what the hell my old instructor has gotten up to. He used to be one of those ones that loved strong, intense training and would happily advocate people hitting each other if their partners were being lazy. Now I've seen him share Systema videos and videos of Hatsumi as "positive"...*shudder*

So there we are. Probably not going to start logging regularly just yet until I have something I'm happy to write about, but at least I'm back doing stuff.

Since moving I'm also getting another 45 minutes extra sleep on average of a night time - which is making a world of difference.

 

28/07/15:

General update.

Got my new room pretty much sorted. My bench finally turned up, I proudly set to work assembling it, feeling all happy...

I put the back of the bench on backwards, so now it doesn't lie down properly.



Tried the log presses again recently. Hit 80kg (which felt easier than expected), missed 85kg. Might have to try for 82.5kg and see how I get on, preferably when I don't have a "buddy" that deliberately tries to distract me when I'm doing stuff (like when I was doing sets and reps of paused ATG back squats w/ 120kg and he starts thrusting his groin in my face. Yeah...I punched him in the stomach for that one). But I don't think it'll be long before I get it. I want to spend a bit longer doing seated dumbbell presses and bench presses with the dumbbells though as I still have a fair weakness in my left arm & shoulder compared to my right.

I'm back to doing bag work at least 2 - 3 times a week now on top of everything and am already noticing the benefits to my cardio. Kicks are a bit weak but my jab/reverse is starting to smooth out again. I only have a space a few feet wide to move around in so I can't do as much as I'd hope, but still trying to work on footwork and head movement where I can.

Also, for anyone who didn't see it on Facebook, I pulled a 165kg deadlift with mixed grip and no straps, supports or warm up (totally cold). 20 minutes later, pulled 175kg with straps and no warm-up.

I need to get some new plates if I want to test what my current deadlift PR actually is though.

Dumbbell rows are a touch weaker than they were a couple of months ago because I haven't been working them in favour of other dumbbell exercises, but I can still row 50kg strapless pretty strict. So not too terrible.

That's it, I think.

Until next time!

*swoosh*

 

Impressive deadlift is impressive! (with straps or not) How many reps could you do at that weight? I'll get there someday. I'm still kind of a n00b at deadlifting.

 

Gives brand new meaning to the term "head-master".


I'll bet he was tore up over his loss of control...







Think it time "Bendover-Rover" get "the treatment"? It really helped Lazy Sod (our dog) settle-down and become a livable housemate - though it took a while for him to quit dry-humpin everything in site.

I've the same problem ( one arm stronger than the other ) dumbell bench presses help? I did a few but not long enough to notice any differences.

Glad to hear from you.

EDIT:

Hope you're not a mouth-breather when you lift :evil:

 

So am I. It's not as hard as you might think to get there

If I actually warm up and lift sensibly? I can do a few reps. Never really pushed myself to find out yet, so I might have to.

*sigh*

And just like that, the magic is gone.

A lot of it was that dominance play crap some people do. He was always a little bit on the "macho man" side of life and always used to be stronger than me when we first met. Whereas now it's the complete reverse and he's just "testing the water", so to speak. Hopefully he'll calm down.

Lol, what - was he just copying his owner or something?



Seriously though, his wife has told him he has to come up and do stuff with me once a week because it improved his mood, etc, at home. But he also ended up realising just how enormously weak he is compared to me now, which embarrassed him somewhat. Hopefully if he does more, he'll calm down.

Failing that, I do have a few pairs of boxing gloves...

I've noticed they tend to illustrate problems for me. With the bar & log, I can normally compensate for the slight weakness by adjust the weight balance, etc, when I need to. Whereas with dumbbells, I can't do that. My left arm has to work under it's own steam.

Eeeewwwwwww!!

 

For the love of ... you were not talking about yer dog taking advantage of your encumbered position while you were lifting, were you??



I've tears in my eyes...

What'd you think I was going on about having your dog neutered for? Do you even have a dog?

You must've thought belltoller had finally flipped his god-forsaken wig once and for all and you were being polite about it, lol.

Sorry, ahh ha! Misunderstood what you meant by "buddy"

 

..No, no I wasn't.

[QUTOE=belltoller]What'd you think I was going on about having your dog neutered for? Do you even have a dog?

You must've thought belltoller had finally flipped his god-forsaken wig once and for all and you were being polite about it, lol.[/QUOTE]

Pretty much

 

30/07/15:

Not feeling too great physically today, bad night's sleep and the kids were up extra early this morning.

Seated dumbbell presses:
w/ 13kg on right shoulder & 15.5kg on left shoulder @ 3 x 10
w/ 15.5kg on right shoulder & 18kg on left shoulder @ 3 x 10

Shoulders were feeling a bit tight and painful so I did some higher volume, lighter weight reps just to get them moving again. First set felt diabolical but by the last set they felt pretty limber again. The slight weight discrepancy is deliberate as I have a bit of weakness on my left shoulder. Slowly trying to build the strength in my left shoulder a touch more than my right.

Vertical dumbbell raises:
w/ 13kg @ 3 x 8

Basically nicked the idea off Eddie Hall. Dumbbell in each hand, you raise them directly up in front of you, one at a time. Harder than it looks!

Deadlift:
w/ 60kg @ 1 x 5
w/ 80kg @ 1 x 5
w/ 100kg @ 1 x 5
w/ 120kg @ 1 x 5 (mixed grip part way through)
w/ 130kg @ 1 x 3 (mixed grip)
w/ 140kg @ 1 x 2 (mixed grip)
w/ 150kg @ 1 x 1 (straps on)
w/ 160kg @ 1 x 1
w/ 170kg @ 1 x 1
w/ 180kg @ 1 x 1 (PR)

My grip was diabolically weak today and my hands were extra sweaty for some reason. I just couldn't hold the bar. Had to switch to straps far too early for my liking.

Still, new PR! Obviously, I was just copying HarryF's style .

It was one of those awful moments that I didn't think I'd even get the bar moving off the ground, then I didn't think I'd get it to my knees, then I didn't think I'd get it to my thighs, then I didn't think I'd complete the rep. Somehow though, just kept grinding away and I did. Felt like it took freaking forever to go up though, which I wasn't happy about. Pulling 175kg cold went up in less than half the time that rep did.

Resistance band pull aparts and shoulder mobility work to finish. Some leg stretches too.

Now, to sleep

 

What? So much? That sounds pretty crazy... and yet you complain about a weak grip! Seems like you have no idea what a weak grip looks like!

This is really inspiring, though!

*Now I'm definitely not gonna post my weights if I try that!* :cry:

 

Try wearing gloves for the heavy deads. I started doing it not too long ago, and it made a world of difference. Doesn't make it too easy on the grip like straps-just sufficient to lift comfortably. I use simple gloves made for mechanics with velcro straps, but any sort of thin gloves of leather or durable material should do. Keep up the good work! No need to hurry on to new PRs. I used to do that myself (particularly with back squats), but I found large volume with manageable but challenging weight more effective for strength gains. Cheers! *hugs* See ya on FB or whatever!

 

AKA Alternating dumbell raise, front deltoid raise, etc - yes they are difficult




Personally, the alternating lateral raise FTW as far as difficulty of the two goes.

 

Weyhey! One hundred and eighty!
(Anyone used to watch Bullseye?)

Good work!

Video?

Don't bother with gloves, it's just more material to fold up and give you worse calluses and less friction between your hands and the bar.

Have you got chalk? Liquid chalk is a good (less messy) alternative... Try one of those. Or rope/towel chins for grip strength.

Alternating raises (front or side) are all well and goods provided you keep the rest of your body fairly strictly rigid - Chin, sternum and zipper should all be in one (vertical!) line...

 

FWIW, the Mechanix gloves I use have leathery palms, so it doesn't take away from the grip. I'll look into liquid chalk, though. Cheers!

 

Ok cool, but anything additional between your actual skin and the bar effectively makes the bar thicker, which is harder to grip...

If it works for you then great, carry on, I'm just not convinced myself! Also, I know correlation doesn't guarantee casualty, but I've never seen a powerlifter or strongman wear gloves for lifting...

 

Ha!

To be fair, I have lifted 165 with a mixed grip and no straps, chalk or anything. So yeah, struggling to pick up 120 for me was pretty weak.

The weight looks like a lot at first, but when you think I started lifting 1 1/2 years ago and has been pretty damn inconsistent since the first 6 months, it's not that hard to reach. Plus when you compare the weight I'm lifting to my bodyweight, I'm not all that strong yet.

But thank you!

Post 'em. It'll give you a good record of how far you come in a short space of time.

Besides, you've got newbie gains to look forward to

I try to avoid them if I can, unless the bar is freezing cold. I tend to find gloves actually interfere with my grip even more.

Admittedly if I planned my lifting routines more, I'd probably see more gains. I tend to just lift and see how i get on. If I feel like I can push for a PR, I will. If I don't, I'll stick to doing more volume. That's about the extent of my training method .

*hug*

They're the ones! I can never remember the names for them. They're awful .

Crikey, tell me about it. I've started doing them as well with my training depending on the day and they're so damn hard...

Yep! I even read it with the same voice!

Thankee kindly!

And no, no video. The sloth does not do well with modern technology an' such

Haven't got anywhere to do chins (except at the local park off some of the kids' play equipment, but I'm pretty sure I'll break it if I do that!), but I was thinking of getting some liquid chalk for good measure with my next order of extra plates.

That's the plan, anyway! Easier said than done, as with all things