Starting Smolov tomorrow.

[Flyer]

19/11/08 - Wednesday

I hate gym people. Had to wait 30 minutes for the rack to become free.
Had one work-in warm up set, thats it. Too much effort to change weights between his sets.

Must have been the longest 5 setter I've ever sat through. The dude's form was ok, going around parrallel with feet pointed very outwards, but his heels were lifting off the floor. I dont say anything unless they ask.

Burgener warmup

Squat
10x3 - 150
Took about 30-40 minutes myself, but by then the gym was nearing empty with the remaining guys mostly dumbells.

Spine decompressor + lunges (stretch)

Pullups -
3x8 Bodyweight


Sure I may have beated you.. but, did I beat myself?

21/11/08 - Friday

The smolov introduction was right.. I'm dreadding this workout. Looked at my workout paper.. thank god it's not > 140 tonight.

Gym is good on a Friday night, all those half arsed people are out, probably getting drunk or something.. I dont mind, I've stopped drinking for almost since my 21st party (September 2007).

Bumped into an old friend that I've met back in my hay day. Mood lightened up a bit.

Burgener Warmup w/ OH squat.

Squat
4x9 - 130
Failed 3rd set at rep 9.

Low bar squat (form check w/ powerlifter friend)
1x5 - 100

Spine decompressor + lunges

Light Incline Bench (for fun)
2x3 - 60

Tired as hell.

 

[Flyer]

I seem to be getting less and less enthused about going to the gym, always leaving it to the last minute/train.. doing just squats and stretch then leaving.

23/12/08 - Sunday

Burgener warmup

Squats
5x7 - 140

Time taken: 40 minutes

Spine decompressor + Lunges..

I'm feeling a little how do we say this.. unnatural.. around my right ankle. like it hurts a little (not much) if I roll it slightly to the right. Maybe my stance is too wide for the start of the squats.

Anyone else experienced this? pain in the ankle when u roll it slightly?

25/11/08 - Tuesday

You when you drink coffee.. and you're awake.. but physically tired? Yesterday was one of those days.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being most dreading the workout and 1 being least dreading the workout.. I'll rate today a 8. Left work around 6 (normally 515 back in the day before smolov.. when I was more enthusiastic).

Usual warmup.. Really pushed it so that i can get my heart rate up.

Squat
7x5 - 147.5
Failed at set 6, rep 5... need to be more psyched.

No stretching time as late for train.

Cat stretch at home.

Only one more workout to go untill the end of this first nightmare (aka base mesocycle).

Cant wait for max test and switching!! arggghh!

 

[Flyer]

Last day of base meso. I made it!

27/11/08 - Thursday

Squat
10x3 - 155
Woooooooohoooooooo!!! :woo: Saying my legs are tired is an understatement.

Spine Decompressor + lunges

Incline bench
2x5 - 60
1x5 - 65

OH press hold
3x 20seconds - 40

I am so excited that I free of heavy squats for the next week!

Any ideas on how I should taper for max a max test on next friday?

 

[mrRuckus]

Any ideas on how I should taper for max a max test on next friday?

I pretty much do this:
bar x 8
135 x 5
then keep adding like 50 lbs for 2-3 reps until i get close then do 1 reps to the max.

So if your max is around 315 i'd do:
bar x 8
135x5
185x3
225x3
275x2
315x1

Just do smaller jumps if your max is lower.

Trying different protocols has never made a difference to me. I've seen it recommended in westside to just work up the max using sets of 3 until you can't do 3 anymore. Then go for a max.

 

[Flyer]

cheerios mrR

 

[Flyer]

29/11/08 - Saturday

Dumbell swings + full oly warmup with bar bell. x3
8x - 17.5
6x - 22.5
3x - 30

Deadlift pull-
4x - 40
5x - 60

Full snatch
5x - 50

Full C&J
5x - 60

 

[Flyer]

one. seven. five. kilos. PR! :woo:

2/12/08 - Tuesday

Dumbell swings
17.5 x 8
22.5 x 5
32.5 x 3

x3 sets

Buurgener warmup

Snatch
work up to 50

---
Max test.

5/12/08 - Friday

Burgener Warmup.

Squat
bar x 3
60 x 3
80 x 3
100 x 2
120 x 2
140 x 1
160 x 1
170 x 1 PR!
175 x 1 PR!

Form on 170 was not great.
Almost failed 175. Stuck at bottom position for almost half a second. Longest desend and ascend of the night. It was a roaring lift.

Called it a day as my legs were shaking after that last one.

Bench
4x5 - 70

Lunges for stretching.

Widegrip Pullups
3x8 bodyweight

Switching phase!

 

[Flyer]

"The motto of the switching program is speed, and speed again" - S. Smolov

8/12/08 - Monday

Squat Negative
180.

(negatives down. Front squat up - up to 80)

Speed Bench
5x5 - 60

Got lazy and called it a day.

 

[Flyer]

10/12/08 - Wednesday

Hang Power Clean
5x5 - 50

12/12/08 - Friday
Box Squat
5x2 - 70

Incline Bench
5x5 - 65


15/12/08 - Monday

Squat negative
1x - 185

Deadlift
2x2 - 120

17/12/08 - Wednesday
Hang Powerclean / Powerclean
8x3 - 50

Incline Bench
3x5 - 67.5

One more day to end of switching phase.. may have timed it wrongly.
Going away on beach trip from the 28th.

i.e. will do 1 week of loading in first week of Jan before starting intense mesocycle.

Best wishes to everyone on the board for the new year.

 

[Flyer]

19/12/08 - Friday

Box Squat
8x3 - 90

21/12/08 - Sunday
Deadlift
3x3 - 120
3x - 130

Christmas break/closure/getaway got in the way of starting cycle 2.

intensemesocycle, day 1 - try on for size.

27/12/08 - Saturday
3x - 115
4x - 132.5
3x4 - 150
5x - 150

Squats were surprisingly HARD today. missed and failed the 1st set of the 150. Concentrate/regroup to finish the set.

Maybe it's the lack of heavy squats for almost 3 weeks..

Spine decompressors + lunges (15kg each hand)

Hang Snatch
5x - 35

OH Press
3x4 - 45

Front Squat pauses
2x3 - 60

Quads/legs were very sore and tired. Called it a day.
Next time in the gym will be 31st earliest, otherwise maybe 2nd of Jan 2009.

 

[Flyer]

Firstly: Happy new year everyone.
Secondly: bad news: been sick for past 4 days with stomach problems.. lose about 5kg. I dont know how much strenght loss that will translate to.

Anyway. Starting intro cycle again to get back into the rhythem. on the 10th I plan to start intense meso.

Will keep this updated.

Cheers

 

[Flyer]

2/1/08 - Friday

B warmup

Squat
3x8 - 115
5x - 122.5
2x2 - 132.5
1x - 140 (half squat - bad set. called it a day)
Legs felt sore by the 3rd set. I dont know why.. All felt sets/rep too heavy for their weight..

Military Press
3x4 - 45

4/1/08 - Sunday

Squat
4x5 - 122.5 (failed 2nd set)
3x - 132.5
2x2 - 140 (failed 2nd set)
1x - 157.5 (did not attempt)
PAINFUL sets, legs/arse were still sore from Friday.

Spine decompressor

Lunges - these were PAINFUL!

Bench
2x8 - 60
1x4 - 60
God I've gotten weak.

 

[Flyer]

When is the best time to plant a tree? 30 years ago.
When is the next best time? Now.

Happy International Fitness Week everyone, be ready to welcome those new people starting their new years resolution of getting fit.

Two day rest - lunges

7/1/08 - Wednesday
B warmup

Squat
5x - 150

Spine decompressor + lunges

Front Squat
3x5 - 75 (these got harder than i remembered)

Snatch Holds
5x - 30

8/1/08 - Thursday
rest.

Glutes less sore from before. Feeling good about the next workout.

 

[Flyer]

If at first you dont succeed, pick yourself up and try again

11/1/09 - Saturday

Still regaining strength, regained about 2kg.
Trying to get back into 2nd phase of smolov.

Burgener Warmup

Squat
3x - 115
4x - 132.5 (at this point feeling the burn fire up in my glutes)

SHOULD HAVE BEEN 3x4 - 150 (failed failed failed - did 2 rep in first set and failed, arse is really hurting when i squat now)

Decided to lower weight to 140 - guess smolov will have to wait.
3x4 - 140 (getting better and lower, long rests and ham stretches in between sets)
2x - 150 (Should have been 5x 150, but failed at 3rd rep and called it a day.)

Spine Decompressor + lunges

Bench
3x - 75
2x3 - 70
5x -65

12/1/09 - Monday

It's a new week, get the ****!

Squat
3x - 120
4x - 132.5 - MUCH better.
3x4 - 150 (failed 2nd set on 3rd rep)
5x - 150 (failed on 3rd rep)

Overall squats felt good. This time there were no soreness during the workouts like before.

Spine decompressor + lunges

Pullups
3x8 - Bodyweight

 

[Flyer]

14/1/09 - Wednesday

Strength returns.

Squat
3x - 105
3x - 122.5
4x - 140
3x - 157.5
2x5 - 150

Spine decompressor + lunges

Snatch
5x - 40

Clean & Jerk
4x - 40
5x - 60

 

[Flyer]

The saga continues..

18/1/09 - Sunday

Squat
4x - 115
4x - 122.5
5x4 - 140

Spine Dec + lunges

Bench
3x5 - 70

20/1/09 - Tuesday
Squat
4x - 105
4x - 122.5
4x - 140
3x - 157.5
2x4 - 157.5 (failed the first set at 3rd rep)

Military Press + Pullups

22/1/09 - Thursday

Squat
3x - 115
3x - 132.5
3x - 150
3x3 - 157.5 (half squats on the last 2 sets - i counted it. very tired)
3x - 167.5 refocus and punched these out.

Spine deco + lunges

Bench
3x3 - 75 (tried to push it to 5x but felt very weak after 3rd rep)
called it a day - rushed home as late for train

25/1/09 - Sunday
Squat
3x - 115
3x - 132.5
4x - 150
Then, should have been 4x5 - 157.5.
instead --
3x - 157.5 (felt like i couldnt push another one after the 3rd)
2x - 157.5 (lost form on 2nd rep. decide to rack it)
2x5 - 157.5 (these felt good)

deload squat
2x - 140
3x - 100
5x - 60

spine compressor + lunges

Pullups
3x - 12.5
3x - bodyweight
2x - kipup
above x3

 

[Flyer]

27/1/09 - Tuesday

Burgener warmup
up to 2nd set - guy wanted to work in 'squats' with me.. ok.

Squat -
warmup to 100.. the other dude had finished his set by this time
3x 105
3x 122.5
3x 140
5x5 157.5

Easy, but still took almost 40minutes.

Stretch.

Military Press
2x3 45

Wanted to do some benching. Maybe next workout..

30/1/09 - Friday

Shifted so that I hit the gym on friday - less people = less pressure to get sets done asap.

Burgener warmup.

Squat
3x 105
3x 122.5
3x 140
2x3 167.5

wasnt too hard. time taken approx 40 minutes.

Spine decompressor + lunges

bench - again was full.. for some reason.

C&J
10x 60

 

[Flyer]

2/2/09 - Monday

Squat
3x 114
3x 132.5
3x 150
4x3 167.5

Bench + Pullups.
3x4 70

4/2/09 - Wednesday

Usual warmup

Squat
3x 122.5
4x 140
5x5 157.5

^the 5 reppers were hard. failed 4th set at 4th rep.
5th rep did 1x 157.5, 4x 150.

Military Press
3x3 47.5

Called it a day.

7/2/09 - Saturday

Usual warmup

Squat
3x 122.5
3x 140
4x3 167.5

Spine Decompressor + lunges Stretch

Turkish Getups
10kg x 4 for fun

Incline Bench
5x 60
5x 62.5
4x 65

2 more to max test.. c'mon... Get the sh@t!

 

[Flyer]

10/2/09 - Tuesday

Squat
3x 132.5
4x 157.5
3x4 - 167.5

Spine Decompressor + lunges

13/2/09 - Friday
Squat
4x - 132.5
4x4 - 150

Pullups + Dips
8x

Snatch for technique maintenance.
5x 40

Last Session before SMOLOV max test = DONE

NB:
most questions you'll get asked when doing this crazy routine:
'are you going in competitions?'
'are you a powerlifter'
'how do you squat that much..'
mostly from huge guys and trainers. lol.

Max test on the 17th, will be trying for 180. Fingers crossed.

 

[Flyer]

Well... I tried.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAVpL7lh0WM

That wont count in comps.

Smolov completed - 17/2/09

Currently checking up strength maintanence programs.
Looking up billstar 5x5.

Next goal: 80kg C&J