Ben's strength log

[Ben Byram]

Week 1: x6@8-9 <18' work-sets.

Squat
97.5x6 @8
97.5x6 @8
97.5x6 @8.5
97.5x6 @8.5
100x6 @9
Just focused on movement of the bar and applying maximum leverage to drive it. Sounds like nonsense, but just focusing on the bar itself seems to tidy up my technique naturally.

Hang power clean
55x5 @8
55x6 @8
55x6 @8.5
55x6 @8
57.5x6 @8.5
60x6 @9
Scapulae were behind the bar for the first few sets, realised and pushed my shoulders a little forward and they felt better. Then concentrated on getting full extension and power.

Pause squat (1s below parallel)
60x10 @8
60x10 @9
60x8 @9
These are evil!

Ab roller
BWx12 @8
BWx10 @8
Figured I'll do all my assistance @ RPE 9, but taking it easy on these as they give me serious DOMS.

[Eduardo Chile]

Ben,

That looks good. Don't be afraid to experiment.

But, don't do the pec flies! You got plenty of chest excersises. You'd be better off throwing in some shoulder prehab or whatever you feel you need if time is an issue.

From what I understand about fatigue percents, you should average about 30% total for lower and upper body. 6 exercises at an average of 5% basically.

The earlier the fix any technical issue the better off you are.

[Ben Byram]

Cheers Eduardo.

However, as dumb as the flies look I'm going to leave them in, at least for now. Perhaps due to my monkey arms I find my chest gets virtually no stimulation from presses. I suppose I could widen my grip, but I don't like the feel on my shoulders. I don't see them doing any harm and I may even build the area a bit as it's been neglected.

I've got an upper-body prehab type warm-up and a lower one worked out based on what I've done previously, they seem to do the trick for looking after my shoulders, back and hips. I'll put it in the log soonish.

I think the easiest thing to adjust for 5 pressing exercises is to whack an extra 1% on the fatigue stress, then we have an average of 5x6%=30%. That said not all the exercises using the fatigue %. ?!

Technique wise, I based on all my techniques on Starting Strength. I've deviated a little through experimentation as time has gone by and I've read around a little more. Always room for improvement though...

[Ben Byram]

1 hour very easy bike. Got to make use of the sun when you can in England.

Pretty sore from the pause squats, so some stretching too.

[Ben Byram]

Very stiff and sore legs, especially hams from the pause squats. Not had that for a while.

Just training upper-body was a luxury today, I've been doing full-body for ages.

Pause bench press (1s)
65x6 @8
65x6 @8
65x6 @8
65x6 @8
65x6 @8.5
65x6 @9
Again surprised the difference in difficulty by lessening the stretch-reflex.

Neutral-grip chins
BWx6 @7
(BW+2.5)x6 @8.5
BWx6 @9
Not done chins for a while. Couldn't do much.

Push press (2-3' rest between sets)
67.5x6 @8.5 (3’)
60x8 @9 (2')
57.5x6 @10
First time I've done these. Bit botched, forgot what I was doing on the first set and hit the wall faster than expected in the last set.

Pec deck (2' rest)
50x10 @7.5
50x10 @8.5
50x10 @9
So wrong, but so right.

Neutral-grip chins
BWx6 @9

Enjoyable...

[Ben Byram]

Still had DOMS in my legs and abs today from the pause squats and ab roller respectively. Didn't have the work capacity to even do 15 mins worth of work-sets.

Deadlift
130x6 @8
130x6 @8
130x6 @8.5
130x6 @9
Technique felt good. Focused on staying tight and keeping close to the legs with the bar - engaging the lats.

Pause squat (3s)
60x6 @8
60x6 @8
60x8 @8.5
60x8 @9
Not an exercise to massage the ego. Deceptively difficult.

Back extension (with 2s hold at the top)
10x8 @7
10x8 @7.5
10x8 @8
Decided to hold the top as per Lyle's article on technique. Hopefully it will reduce the likelihood of my occasional backache. Again little weights, was doing sets across of 20+ with 25kg previously.

KB windmill
20x6x2 @8

Will take the last 2 movements to RPE 9 next time.

[Ben Byram]

Upper
Foam roll thoracic spine and do first and lower rib with the hockey ball.
1 Wall slide x 8
2 Scap press-ups x 12
3 Band pull-aparts x 8
4 Inverted KB shrug x 8
5 Scap pull-ups x 8
6 Halo x 10
7 Band dislocates x 10
8 Neck stretch x 20s

Lower
Foam roll quads, adductors.
1 Cat/camel x 12
2 Bird-dog x 8
3 Lying spinal-twist x 8
4 Anterior/posterior leg swings x 10
5 Side-to-side leg swings x 10
6 Calf stretch x 10
7 Running butt-kicks x 8
8 Warrior lunge x 20s
9 One-leg glute raise x 6
10 Pigeon x 20s

These are my basic warm-ups, but change as required. Mainly lifted from Maximum Mobility.

[Ben Byram]

13st 10.2.lbs yesterday (192lbs). Down 1lb this week, 5.8lbs overall in 4 weeks.

Fasted...

Narrow-grip bench press
60x6 @7
65x6 @7.5
70x6 @8
70x6 @8.5
67.5x6 @8
67.5 @8
67.5x6 @8
70x6 @9

Barbell row (from the floor)
55x6 @8
55x6 @8
55x6 @8
55x6 @8
57.5x6 @9

Dips (2' rest)
10x8 @8
10x8 @8.5
10x8 @9

Barbell curls (1.5' rest)
32.5x10 @8
32.5x9 @8
32.5x9 @9

Everything felt slightly different today, trained in a different gym with bars without proper markings.

[Ben Byram]

Week 2: x4 @8-9, 20-22' work sets, 5% fatigue stress lower / 6% fatigue stress upper. (+1% to compensate for less upper-body exercises. I doubt this will make much difference with the light weights being used after rounding to the nearest weight increment).

Fasted... found today very hard. Not sure why; ate, drank and relaxed all weekend with plenty of sleep - so much so that I gained 3lbs in as many days.

Squat
100x4 @8
100x4 @8
100x4 @9
95x4 @8
95x4 @8
97.5x4 @9
Lower back felt it as soon as I unracked the first set. Ran short of time, so increased weight to get the RPE 9 in. All the spring has been sucked out of my legs by last weeks pause squats I think. Please adapt body!

Hang power clean
60x4 @8
60x4 @8
60x4 @8.5
60x4 @8
57.5x4 @8
57.5x4 @8.5
57.5x4 @8
57.5x4 @8.5
My back was sore enough to consider skipping these after squats. Cut short as 22' were up.

Pause squat (1s)
60x10 @8
60x10 @8.5
60x10 @9

Ab roller (on knees)
BWx9 @8
BWx9 @9

Although I didn't put it in my log, my lower back was stiff and sore at the weekend and I don't think the barbell rows have helped on the bench/upper day. Seeing as I've done them for a while already, I'm dropping them in favour of Dan John's batwings this Saturday which will reduce the stress on my lower back. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...your_rhomboids

Will do some rolling with the hockey ball, epsom salts etc to try and get my lower back recovered for Thursday's lower-body session. It feels battered and my sciatica is bothering me. Hello ibuprofen.

[Eduardo Chile]

Is your lower back rounding on the squats or deadlifts?

Good work though.

I usually go either rows or pullups but I need to be better about doing them.