18-26/3/18 /  by Muhammad Amir Ayub

3 week.

Had a major incident while benching: my wrist suddenly flipped, I dropped the bar on my lower chest and then saved myself (you could see the cleaner in the background oblivious). Amazingly I finished the session, had just a bit of chest pain, went on call the next day and then squatted the day after that.

Possible factors? I was definitely sleepy (despite so many cups of coffee), the bench isn't aligned properly (I've noted before that the bar keeps on hitting the left side of the rack, hence me losing the proper groove when trying to avoid hitting it), and maybe shitty wrist strength. Or maybe it was just a bad day. I am going to try benching in the power rack from now on; I'm lucky to only be a bit sore. I'm not going to depend on spotters. Although I know my place, I'm still what they'd call in Malay a jaguh kampung (the village champion); I'm weak compared to international lifters, but I'm the strongest numbers wise in that gym. I don't want spotters to ruin my lifts.

Otherwise it was business as usual, with the increased reps on the accessory exercises. Noted the new belt? I'll talk about it another time, after I've tested it in deadlifts.

Deadlift:

DL - Up to 190 kg x 4
Power clean - 72.5 kg x 3
Pistols - 3 x 10
Pushup plank with alternating elbow touches, 10 kg on back - 3 x 22

Bench:
BP - Up to 102.5 kg x 3 (the bar dropped on the 4th rep)
TRX Inverted Rows - 1 x 11, 5 x 10
Standing DB Press - 4 x 10, 1 x 9 with 16 kg

Squat:
Squat - Up to 134 kg x 4
SLDL - 3 x 15 with 20 kg
Pallof press - 2 x 10, 2 x 11 x 33 lb
Face pulls - 2 x 10, 4 x 11 x 33 lg

Military Press:
MP - Up to 62.5 kg x 5
Pullups - 8 x 6, 2 x 5
Pushups with 10 kg plate on butt - 1 x 12, 2 x 11

(the video may make you jump out of your seat)

9-16/3/18 /  by Muhammad Amir Ayub

5 week.

I increased the weight for the new cycle. Since the weight increment for my MP is small (1.25 kg per cycle), so far there is no change with the specific weights for this week. Busted my competition belt doing the last set of deadlifts. Even though on video it didn’t appear to affect the lift, the sudden change forced me to adapt to the loss of belt support midlift, and my back muscles definitely felt that 2 days later as DOMS.

Deadlift:

DL - Up to 180 kg x 6
Power clean - 72.5 kg x 3
Pistols - 2 x 10, 1 x 9
Pushup plank with alternating elbow touches, 10 kg on back - 2 x 22, 1 x 20

Bench:
BP - Up to 97.5 kg x 6
TRX Inverted Rows - 5 x 10
Standing DB Press - 3 x 10, 2 x 9 with 16 kg

Squat:
Squat - Up to 127.5 kg x 6
SLDL - 2 x 15, 1 x 14 with 20 kg
Pallof press - 2 x 10, 1 x 11 x 33 lb
Face pulls - 4 x 10, 2 x 11 x 33 lg

Military Press:
MP - Up to 60 kg x 6
Pullups - 7 x 6, 3 x 5
Pushups with 10 kg plate on butt - 3 x 11

Looking good. But I need to buy a new belt. As I’ve alluded to in my general blog, I’m planning to buy an IPF-grade belt, but that will set me back a grand. I plan to buy it on wage day.

1-7/3/18 /  by Muhammad Amir Ayub

Just a deload week (I don’t usually post these). It’s been years since I did face pulls and Pallof presses as the cable stations are always occupied. It’s good to do such prehab stuff once in a while.

Deadlift:

DL - Up to 122.5 kg
Power clean - 72.5 kg x 3
Pistols - 2 x 10, 1 x 9
Pushup plank with alternating elbow touches, 10 kg on back - 2 x 22, 1 x 20

Bench:
BP - Up to 67.5 kg
One arm DB rows - 5 x 10 x 20 kg
Standing DB Press - 3 x 10, 2 x 9 with 16 kg
Face pulls - 3 x 10 x 15 kg

Squat:
Squat - Up to 90 kg
SLDL - 2 x 15, 1 x 14 with 20 kg
Pallof press - 3 x 10 x 33 lb
Face pulls - 6 x 10 x 33 lg

Military Press:
Standing DB Press - 7 x 5 x 16 kg
Pullups - 7 x 6, 3 x 5
Pushups with 10 kg plate on butt - 3 x 11

Gonna go increase the weight for the next cycle and +1 reps for the next cycle.