Friday 28th February 2025

Walk
Warmups

SSB paused squat: warmups, 160x6, 165x6

Standing leg curl: 10x12, 30x8x3

Leg extensions: 35x20x4

Nordic curls: Greenx8x4 

Sissy squats: green x10x2, x12

Notes

Weee.  Reaching the top end of the paused squats I think.  Maybe 4-5 reps is better for this.  But the work afterwards was just chonky.  Pump, pain, work.  Just over one more week before I switch gears.  

Wednesday 26th February 2025

Walk

Warmups

Deadlifts: warmups, 230x4x2

High incline: warmups, 85x8, 92.5x8, 97.5x5

Side raise: Bx20x4

Ezy curls: 18x20x4

Notes

Hmmm, hard.  Warmups were fine and in some of them felt really good, but the work sets just were all over the place for the reps.

I think I am fixating on heavier weights than I need to do, especially after a heavy week.  I mean, I am not peaked, so I am likely only around 260-270kg deadlift at the moment on a good day.  So 230 is ~87-88% area, which is up around a 5RM.  So realistically, that's right.  I did 242.5 last week but realistically i was on my down week on squats, so its a little 'fresher'.

So likely I will alter my program a little bit, towards a % target rather than just me saying I need 230/240.  So.. this is week three of a six week block.  During 23 Nationals I did 200-205 for the same day.  I finished that with 283.  Do I think I am 25-30kg up on that at the moment?  308-313.  Not in the slightest.  So I am just pushing it harder than it needs to be, likely because I am interested in the numbers, not the progress overall. 

Monday 24th February 2025

Walk

Warmups

Highbar squat: warmups, 201x3, 156x7x2

TnG bench: warmups, 130x10x3

Banded flyes: Ox20x4

Pulldowns: 50x20, 70x12x3

Pushdowns: 10x20, 30x20, 40x12, 40x10, 40x8

Notes

Good session although belly was a little unhappy.  Stumbled on the first rep of my top set on squats, and then felt like I was going to pop for the next two.  Doh.  I ate reasonably well on the weekend, but a little fermentable stuff did not help.  Bench was good, getting closer to failure at the end but moving well.  Breath ran out on rep 8 of the first set, and then rep 6 of the next two.  Last one was almost a breath each of the last four reps.  Going up next week.  

I have one more week of off-season, then a slightly curtailed pivot/down week, then into Nationals preparations.  Likely competing 23rd May 2025.  Jet Park, Hamilton.  

Wreck on.  

Saturday 22nd February 2025

Walk
Warmups

Bench: warmups, 162.5x3, 128.5x7x3

Banded flyes: Ox30,x20x4

Pendlay row: warmups 100x5, 110x5, 120x5

Lying extensions: warmups, 80x8, 90x8, 80x12

Db preacher curls: 10x20, 12.5x20, 15x15

Notes
Felt ok, but left shoulder starting hurting in the repss, oh well, think the bicep is finally kicking in slightly.  Likely could have gone a little heavier on the top set, but ok.

Friday 21st February 2025

Walk

Warmups
Paused SSB Sqwats: warmups, 145x6, 150x6

BFR Leg extensions: 30x30, x20, x20, x20, x15, x15

BFR Leg curls: 30x20, x15, x15, x15

Notes

Elbows are still sore from whatever got them sore on Wednesday.  I assume it was the rice hand thingy, but even that seems odd.  Elbows.  Squats were ok, hard but ok, the rest was cut short slightly with wanting to get ready early for work.

Wednesday 19th February 2025

Walk

Warmups
Deadlifts: warmups, 245x2, 195x6

High incline: warmups, 80x8, 90x8

Lu Raises: 5x20x4

Ezy curl: 18x20, 28x20, 28x15

Notes

Really not feeling great on the deadlifts at the moment.  Its also training in the mornings is not really good for deadlifts.  Likely better, because it means I am usually running fatigued, which is what deadlift is like, third lift and all.  I also don't have any hype at the moment.  Might be because its off season.  Belt wasn't playing fairly today either, just didn't want to feel right, or hold brace the way I wanted.  

Also feeling fatigued, so will see how a couple more weeks get to me, before back tracking a little.  

Monday 17th February 2025

Walk

Warmup
HB Squat: warmups, 180x5x2

TnG bench: warmups, 125x10x3

Pulldowns: 50x20, 60x12x3

Pushdowns: 10x20, 30x12, 35x12, 40x12x3

Notes

Sore still, lower body, but not too bad.  Felt good in terms of movement, but then that was still hard regardless, at least lockout on each set.  Bench was fatigued and shoulder a bit of a dick, but still moved.  Getting heavier now, so will be interesting to see how far that lets me go. Maybe 135 before I start Nationals blocks.  

Saturday 15th February 2025

Walk

Warmups

Bench: warmups, 160x3, 126x7x3

Banded flyes: Ox20x4

Paused DL: warmups, 198x3x2

Pulldowns: something x something

Lying extensions: 60x8x3

Preacher curls: 8x20x3

Notes

Sore quads, really.  Good bench, little more grinder, but I feel capable of actually grinding which is nice.  Closer grip is going nicely.  Otherwise fell off the cliff going into deadlifts and everything was just eh.  

Friday 14th February 2025

Walk

Warmups

Paused SSB: warmups, 130x6, 135x6

Standing leg curls: 10x12, 20x12, 30x8x2

BFR leg extensions: 30x100 (40+20+15+15+10)

BFR leg curls: 25x20x2

Sissy: -greenx8x3

Notes
Not feeling it this morning, but it moved nicely enough.  The pause feels ok, just like the one rep less.  Will see how this progresses.  

Wednesday 12th February 2025

Walk

Warmups

Deadlifts: warmups, 220x4x2

High incline: warmups, 80x8, 90x8, 92x4 lol

Side raise: Blackx20x4

Preacher db curl: 12x12, 17x8x2

Notes

Ok session, deadlifts felt ok but not great.  Wore belt low again but it was a little harder this week, likely as I wore straps.  Inclines were good until they were not.  Curls were hard.

Monday 10th February 2025

Walk

Warmups

High bar squats: warmups, 192.5x3, 151x7

TnG bench: warmups, 120x10x3

Pulldowns: 50x12, 70x12, 80x12

Pushdowns: 30x12, 35x12, 40x12, 45x10f

Notes

Forgot my banded flyes but oh well.  Otherwise ok.  Squats felt heavy and wobbly like normal, but moved ok.  High reps are new.  Only one set this week.  

Saturday 8th February 2025

Walk

Warmups

Bench: warmups, 155x5, 140x5x3

Pendlay row: warmups, 110x6, 120x6, 130x6

Lying extensions: warmups, 80x8, 90x8, 100x7

Lu raises: 5x20, 10x7+5x13, 10x5+5x15

Preacher curl (incline bench): 7x20, 10x20x2

Notes

Good day.  Happy enough with bench, getting closer to what feels like a max for five.  Likely could have done 160 with a bit more confidence, which is pretty much up to where I was last year before I broke.  So, keeping a track on that, and have a few more weeks before kicking into the Nationals prep.  Obviously earlier this year with the Masters and Juniors Nationals being split off the main competition.  

So for the next few weeks I will continue where I have been, with a little playing to see how I react to some things.  

Friday 7th February 2025

Walk 

Warmups

SSB Squats: warmups, 157.5x7, 165x7

Standing leg curls: 10x20, 30x8x3

Nordic curls: -gx8x3

Sissy squat: -gx8, x12x2

Notes

Later session due to a day off work.  Still got up at a reasonable hour.  The SSB work kills me.  I don't know how I managed my PR on this, as these are hard.  

Wednesday 5th February 2025

Walk

Warmups

Deadlifts: warmups, 242.5x4, 257.5x lolz

Leg curls:25x20x4

High incline: warmups, 80x8, 90x8

Cable Rows: 60x20x3

Notes

Early session and finished early to get to work earlier than normal.  Tired, sore, deadlifts moved well but once again the heavier single was comical.  Also had a boy distracting me but, likely i could do it but its hard.

I haven't really had much luck with singles outside of the context of peaking.  

Monday 3rd February 2025

Walk

Warmups

High bar squats: warmups, 185x5x2

TnG bench: warmups, 115x10x3

Banded flyes: Ox20x3, x30

BFR leg extension: 25x50, x40x2, x34

Pulldowns: 50x12, 70x12x3

Pushdowns: warmups, 30x20, 35x15x3

Notes

Nice enough considering the even earlier up time.  Split session slightly dropping kid to school early, which will happen every other week for the year, I think.  Squats sucked, but oh well, bench was good.  Pumped for everything else.

Also have a date for Masters Nationals.  23rd May 2025.  

Saturday 1st February 2025

Walk
Warmups

Bench: warmups, 145x5, 130x5x2

Paused DL: warmups, 198x3x2

Notes

Quick early morning session as I drove to Martinborough Fair after this.  Felt good.