If you are looking for the answer to life, the universe and everything... this is not a good place to start.
Monday, December 30, 2024
Monday 30th December 2024
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Saturday 21st December 2024
Thats about it for the more hypertrophy based training. The next week is off/light work. Then into a slight 50.50 strength hypertrophy, building into the Nationals training block, once I actually have a date set.
Friday 20th December 2024
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Wednesday 18th December 2024
Notes
Good work, the bench wasn't quite failure but was heading down that track. Made the single harder. Need to get better. Two more days of this block, then down week for Christmas, while stepping it back in just around new year with new program.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Monday 16th December 2024
High bar felt nicer than SSB so will keep that. Ascending load felt better too.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Saturday 14th December 2024
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Wednesday 11th December 2024
Notes
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Monday 9th December 2024
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Saturday 7th December 2024
Notes
Going to 4x week next week, and also trialing swapping out some carb and fat to protein, to get to around that 250g mark. Thats 2.06g/kg bodymass. And should be at the top end of the range for lean mass.
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Wednesday 4th December 2024
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Monday 2nd December 2024
Wednesday 27th November 2024
Down week.
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Monday 25th November 2024
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Saturday 23rd November 2024
Wednesday 20th November 2024
Monday, November 18, 2024
Monday 18th November 2024
Saturday 16th November 2024
Wednesday 13th November 2024
Monday, November 4, 2024
Monday 4th November 2024
Saturday 2nd November 2024
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Wednesday 30th October 2024
Monday, October 28, 2024
Monday 28th October 2024
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Saturday 26th October 2024
Cable curls: R 10x12x2, x6 drop to 5x10
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Wednesday 23rd October 2024
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Monday 21st October 2024
Monday, October 21, 2024
Saturday 19th October 2024
Wednesday 16th October 2024
Monday, October 14, 2024
Monday 14th October 2024
Saturday 12th October 2024
Notes
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Wednesday 9th October 2024
Monday, October 7, 2024
Monday 7th October 2024
Saturday 5th October 2024
Wednesday 2nd October 2024
Monday, September 30, 2024
Monday 30th September 2024
Notes
Plan for the next few months
Well.
Its been a long period of time stuck at the same weight.
I need to push down again. Would like to end at 110, but will adjust as time allows. I will be suffering, but don't want to suffer too much.
Plan is to increase steps, add in some muscle building exercises. Then a diet that reduces energy, particularly CHO and Fat.
Will push through to Christmas, and then assess. My next nationals are in May. Sometime. Nothing is set yet.
Training is largely more bbr focussed, with an emphasis on some singles/heavy work, but largely higher reps lighter loads. Attempt on some exercise to move closer to failure. Goal is to grow slightly into Nationals. This focus is to provide space to gain muscle. I need to be bigger to be better, and I need to get stronger.
Goals are to enable recovery of my shoulders. They are damaged and i need to strengthen all aspects and recover. Higher reps, more muscle, stronger shoulders, ready for some great gains into 2025. I need a 750 total. That requires a 260 squat, 200 bench and 290 deadlift.
I do not think that is realistically much of a gain on where I ended 2024, but I could not expose those gains because I broke myself.
So, why did I break? I think my lower back bit the bullet because of excessive loadings. I was squatting similar to last block. Twice per week, one high, one low, plus split squats were added in. Then Deadlifts, Instead of leg curls I did RDLs. So I added more deadlifts into the mix, while the paused deadlifts were continuing and pendlay rows were there. So, exposures for lower back went from four per week to six per week. I dont think I allowed myself enough recovery time.
Bench. I did less than ever, but it still broke. But the shoulders had gotten progressively tighter over time, and my lean from the other injury got worse, until snap.
So, the next approach is to update my plan. On-season is focussed towards competition lifts, and getting that. Accessories on-season are to maintain the special strength or muscle size, and then focus the load for the problem areas to the primary lifts.
So, RDL off-season to build posterior, GMs, highbar/SSB squats, more quad work, more hamstring work. Reps, burns. Take some work from the Swedish and Japanese benchers, reps upon reps, not just heavy, even though it is pretty fun.
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
New Zealand Powerlifting Federation National Powerlifting Championships 2024, Sir Don Rowlands Event Centre, Karapiro
Ten weeks of work lead to a quite a bit of pain.
But. Didn't let that get in the way of lifting (but I complained about it along the way).
Competed in the 120kg open class. Against a group of seven younger lifters, most of whom have been alive for less time than I have been lifting. (35 years...old).
I was never going to fair well in this group. Last year the winning total was 755 to 715 for third. And healthy, I think I could have been in the fight for the podium with those sort of numbers. But this year was a massive step up with the top four nominations over 800.
Then there is the pain. Likely felt too good and pushed too hard, and the body didn't appretiate it, so it handed in its notice. One lower back/SI issue that started on week 7 of training, and then the right shoulder joining the left shoulder in pain on my last heavy day - leaving not a lot of time to pivot. The shoulder had me more concerned as it also impacted my ability to retract my shoulder in deadlift.
My pre-injury ranges were looking extremely good... my post injury total ending up less than 1% under my best shows it would have achieved close to my expected numbers. Will get healthier and see if I can do something silly at Masters nationals 2025.
Squat I opened light, 215, which was easy, even with a red light on the right hand side (the injury side). Likely I was nervious of pain. Jumped to 232.5, and then 245, both deep and three white lights. A small increase over last year, and a new WCPA M2 Record.
I was most nervous for bench. I did some warmup band exercises and heat rub/massage gun, failed a couple of pushups which gave a lot of pain. I warmed up on bench, and if I did a fast eccentric and accepted it would hurt, the concentric wasnt bad. But significant pain affterwards. Opening at 160 still gave me a bit of nerviousness. Wasn't warrented. I was going to do the fast eccentric on the platform but my brain didn't let me. I just focussed that it was going to hurt - like Lightning McQueen, but instead of "speed" it was "pain". The new Hansu rack felt great, absolutely flawness, the bench height and pin height was indistinquisible from home. Weight was super easy. Jumped 10kg. Easy. So jumped another 10kg. Moved like an opener. So 180 was the same as last year. But faster. Even while in pain. The live stream commentators were highlighting it - made me laugh.
Deadlifts warmup went well. My entire right shoulder was pretty angry, so I was trying to ensure I got into the best position to allow the least loading on it. 250 opener moved ok, not as fast as it should have. Jumped big to 275. Only the second time I have lifted 5 reds in competition. Moved well. I was concerned about the right lockout, as I could feel the shoulder being pulled forward with the weight, still got a white light - the commentators thought I was losing grip but no, it was the shoulder. I took 285 for a small step up on both my National M2 deadlift and total record, which was a little too ambitious. As soon as it got off the ground I could feel the shoulder being pulled out of position so stopped it early.
Thats another 8/9 day. 700 total. Pleased. Since my second return to lifting I have made 90.7% of lifts I attempted. Pleased with that.
Things do not go to plan. Especially when older. Pivot, adapt, move. There will be a bit of pivoting for the next few months. Trying to get the body back to "healthy", to gain a bit more muscle, and get stronger.
Friday, September 13, 2024
Friday 13th September 2024
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Wednesday 11th September 2024
Warmups
Post training the SI is 'hurting' but not bad, just an ache. One more lighter deadlift/squat day and I am done.
Monday, September 9, 2024
Monday 9th September 2024 P.M.
Monday 9th September 2024
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Saturday 7th September 2024
Friday, September 6, 2024
Friday 6th September 2024
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Wednesday 4th September 2024
Bench: warmups, 162.5x2x6
I will attempt to squat/deadlift on Friday, so will see how it progresses.
Monday, September 2, 2024
Monday 2nd September 2024
Friday, August 30, 2024
Friday 30th August 2024 A. M.
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Wednesday 28th August 2024 A.M.
Warmups
Monday, August 26, 2024
Monday 26th August 2024 A.M.
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Saturday 24th August 2024
Warmups
Friday 23rd August 2024
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Wednesday 21st August 2024 P. M.
Wednesday 21st August 2024 A.M.
Monday, August 19, 2024
Monday 19th August 2024 P.M.
Monday 19th August 2024 A.M.
Friday, August 16, 2024
Friday 16th August 2024 P.M.
Friday 16th August 2024 A.M.
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Wednesday 14th August 2024 P.M.
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Wednesday 14th August 2024 A.M.
Signed up for Nationals yesterday. Open class. 120kg.
Wreck on.
Monday, August 12, 2024
Monday 12th August 2024 P.M.
Monday 12th August 2024 A.M. ish
Notes
Saturday 10th August 2024
Friday, August 9, 2024
Friday 9th August 2024
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Wednesday 7th August 2024 P.M.
Notes
Wednesday 7th August 2024 A.M.
Monday 5th August 2024 P.M.
Monday, August 5, 2024
Monday 5th August 2024 A.M.
Saturday 3rd August 2024
Friday, August 2, 2024
Friday 2nd August 2024
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Wednesday 31st July 2024 P.M.
Wednesday 31st July 2024 A.M.
Monday, July 29, 2024
Monday 29th July 2024 P.M.
Monday 29th July 2024 A.M.
Saturday, July 27, 2024
Saturday 27th July 2024
Notes
Friday, July 26, 2024
Friday 26th July 2024
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Wednesday 24th July 2024 P.M.
Wednesday 24th July 2024 A.M.
Monday, July 22, 2024
Monday 22nd July 2024 P.M.
Monday 22nd July 2024 A.M.
Bloated and all that. Braced well, and moved ok.
Saturday 20th July 2024
Friday, July 19, 2024
Friday 19th July 2024
Adductor squeeze, lateral squats
Wednesday 17th July 2024
Monday, July 15, 2024
Monday 15th July 2024
Felt semi-ok but yeah, first rep was smoke, then dropped off until it was hard at the end. Even with my fancy knee sleeves. Bench was off, completely. Shoulder was eh, but the lack of training means it just felt weird. Low week for it though.
Plus. Oceania plans are off, thanks to them changing the venue from New Caledonia, through to Nauru. It had to be canned, but I had hoped for Australia or NZ to pick it up. Instead, its Nauru, so the cost to get there went up substantially. There are no direct flights from NZ, so the transit is awful (~10-15+hrs from home), and through anther country (Aussie or Fiji) so the costs sneak up. I can afford it, I just don't like spending that much money to go to an Oceania meet. So. The plan is Nationals. Which is instantly compromised. 1. I have to start training cycle immediately after covid week. Ewww. 2. I doubt I can enter as a Masters lifter, as I am going to a concert around the time I would be getting to the meet. I have qualified as an open lifter (15kg above the cutoff), so I can have that flex. Means I cannot chip M2 records. Thats ok, have no care. Plus it means I wont win, which would be nice, but doesn't matter. So, 120kg Open Class. Top 5 maybe. My performance last year would have placed me 4th. And my goal is to be out-performing the third place getter. But hes dropped down to 105. But another 105 has stepped up to 120, and is way ahead. A 120+ has dropped down to 120 and also way ahead. Those two will likely fight it out. I will be lucky to get anywhere near third unless I add 70kg to my total. LOL.
Wednesday 3rd July 2024
Monday, July 1, 2024
Monday 1st July 2024
Adductor squeeze, lateral squats
Notes
Saturday, June 29, 2024
Saturday 29th June 2024
Notes
Friday 28th June 2024
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Wednesday 26th June 2024
Monday, June 24, 2024
Monday 24th June 2024
Saturday 22nd June 2024
Friday, June 21, 2024
Friday 21st June 2024
Nice little session. Weights moved well for first set of squats, less so for second but I did not rest much.
Wednesday 19th June 2024 P.M.
Didn't feel like it but moved well.
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Wednesday 19th June 2024 A.M.
Monday, June 17, 2024
Monday 17th June 2024
Saturday, June 15, 2024
Saturday 15th June 2024
Friday, June 14, 2024
Friday 14th June 2024
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Wednesday 12th June 2024
Monday, June 10, 2024
Monday 10th June 2024
Saturday 8th June 2024
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Thursday 6th June 2024
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Tuesday 4th June 2024
Notes
Saturday 1st June 2024
Thursday 30th May 2024
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Tuesday 28th May 2024
Saturday 25th May 2024
Friday, May 24, 2024
Thursday 23rd May 2024
Bench: warmups, 167.5x1, 138x5x3
Tuesday 21st May 2024
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Saturday 18th May 2024
Notes
Deadlifts felt ok but slow. Bench was massive and a little pain. RDLS moved nicely.
Tired, this left me quite fatigued. Strangely.
Thursday 16th May 2024
Notes
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Tuesday 14th May 2024
Monday, May 13, 2024
Next few months
I have the target to compete in the Oceania Regional Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships, Noumea, New Caledonia. 7th-14th October 2024.
Looking forward to getting back to moving. Some good work planned, quite low RPE, but still chugging away with some fun. The bench will have a bench pyramid in the plan, why? because I enjoy the work from them. I don't think they are optimal, or required, but enjoyment is always a part of it.
Thursday 9th May 2024
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Tuesday 7th May 2024
Wellington and Central Powerlifting Regional Championships 2024, 318 Fitness, Paraparaumu, Kāpiti
Dieting was required, as I was heavy. After Nationals I went overseas and got food poisoning, and the repercussions of that carried on for a month or so, maybe longer. Then went away to another conference in the South Island, and back home for a bit, then Christmas. The repercussions of all that was being heavier. The weekend before the meet was my youngest boys birthday, so cake and food was had, and a bloated 123.6kg was the outcome. Consistent diet (~2550kcal average), and water loading took me back to 119.5kg on the morning of the meet. Seven days, 4.1kg.
Warmed up for squat, and this felt pretty strong overall. Walked out, lifted weight up, and it moved as easily as a sub-5rm weight can move. Timed out for my next two attempts.
Then deadlifts. Another can of rice, a few more lollies, and did a few warmups. Went out for 240 which moved OK, and happy considering I just did heavier than that for four on Thursday. Back felt reasonable. Then timed out on the next two attempts.
A down week and then a little off-season block. Wanting to relax a little on bench, and let the shoulder rest up/recover while I hammer the rehab on it. I do not want this happening later.
I will then have two building blocks before a peaking block into either Oceania Championships (October) if I get selected, or otherwise Nationals (September).
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Thursday 2nd May 2024
Notes
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Tuesday 30th April 2024
Sunday 28th April 2024
Thursday 25th April 2024
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Tuesday 23rd April 2024 P.M.
Tuesday 23rd April 2024 A.M.
Squats: warmups, 210x5, 192.5x5
Sunday 21st April 2024
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Saturday 20th April 2024
Felt fine. Would be better if I could count.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Thursday 18th April 2024 A.M.
Tuesday 16th April 2024
Got stung in the lip by a bee/wasp while out for a walk at lunch, so antihistamine took me down the rest of the day so didnt finish up at night.
Sunday 14th April 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday 13th April 2024
Delayed because of garbage sleep (thanks vaccination), but worked into the timing for my competition. So will be moving all training days across by one day. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday. Light enough session today. Just ticking over.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Wednesday 10th April 2024 P.M.
Wednesday 10th April 2024 A.M.
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Monday 8th April 2024 P.M.
Monday, April 8, 2024
Monday 8th April 2024 A.M.
Notes
Saturday 6th April 2024
Notes
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Wednesday 3rd April 2024 A.M.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Monday 1st April 2024
Warmups
Bench: warmups, 145x6x4
Squats: warmups, 170x3 no sleeves
Rev grip pulldown: 35x20x3
Pin press: warmups, 140x6x2
Notes
Spent the weekend bent over and building a swing set for my little one, which killed my lower back and hips. Never seemed to recover from squats on Friday which was followed by the bulk of the leaning over... so lets blame that. Had wanted more reps on squats and could have done them, but realistically, I need a break. I have deadlifts on Wednesday and then rest until next week for those two. Bench moved ok considering the general fatigue.
Saturday 30th March 2024
Friday, March 29, 2024
Friday 29th March 2024
Wednesday 27th March 2024 P.M.
Feeling pretty toasted.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Wednesday 27th March 2024 A.M.
Monday 25th March 2024 P.M.
Monday, March 25, 2024
Monday 25th March 2024 A.M.
Notes
Saturday 23 March 2024
Notes
Friday, March 22, 2024
Friday 22nd March 2024
Wednesday 20th March 2024 P.M.
Cable row: 10x12, 35x12, 60x12x3
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Wednesday 20th March 2024 A.M.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Monday 18th March 2024 P.M.
Monday, March 18, 2024
Monday 18th March 2024 A.M.
Saturday 16th March 2024
Friday 15th March 2024
High bar squats: warmups, 171x7x2
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Wednesday 13th March 2023 A.M.
RDL
Monday 11th March P.M.
1&1/2 bench: warmups, 122.5x6, 127.5x6
Monday, March 11, 2024
Monday 11th March 2024 A.M.
Saturday 9th March 2024
Notes
Friday, March 8, 2024
Friday 8th March 2024
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Wednesday 6th March 2024 A.M.
Monday, March 4, 2024
Monday 4th March 2024 P.M.
Monday 4th March A.M.
Saturday 2nd March 2024
Friday 1st March 2024
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Wednesday 28th February 2024
Monday, February 26, 2024
Monday 26th February 2024 A.M.
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday 24th February 2024
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Wednesday 21st February 2024 A.M.
Monday, February 19, 2024
Monday 19th February 2024 P.M.
Notes
Monday 19th February 2024 A.M.
Todays work was great.
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Sunday 11th February 2024
End of the block. Taking a down week, and then see where things head. Back to competition movements for a little bit I think.
Saturday 10th February 2024
Thursday 8th February 2024
I got out late and this seemed to take forever. so need to plan better for it when getting up. The deadlifts showed me something. I don't have many heavy sets of deadlift in me, and ascending deadlifts are a little mentally draining, I just cannot keep pushing the same way I can with squat and especially with bench. The one-and-done approach I had been using was hard, but it allowed me to just drop a set and go.
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Tuesday 6th February 2024
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Sunday 4th February 2024
Saturday 3rd February 2024
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Thursday 1st February 2024
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Tuesday 30th January 2024 P.M.
Tuesday 30th January 2024 A.M.
ADductorr squeeze
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Sunday 28th January 2024
Saturday 27th January 2024
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Thursday 25th January 2024 A.M.
Bench: warmups, 154.5x3x4
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Tuesday 23rd January 2024 P.M.
Tuesday 23rd January 2024 A.M.
Adductor squeeze
Wasn't as warm as the later sessions I had done for the last two training days. But it rained part way through and the humidity took over. Bleh. Proper diet week, so kept to RIR as much as possible.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Sunday 21st January 2024
Pulldowns
Saturday 20th January 2024
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Thursday 18th January 2024 A.M.
Feeling quite sore and tired. Weight was less than last week when it should have been similar but its a.m. and feeling quite sore from the Monday workload.
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Tuesday 16th January 2024 P.M.
Tuesday 16th January 2023 A.M.
Sunday, January 14, 2024
Sunday 14th January 2024
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Saturday 13th January 2024
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Thursday 11th January 2024
Notes
Hot, but everything was solid really. Pushed deadlift harder which is the first for awhile. Belt felt a little better too, so Christmas bloat slowly dropping down.