blinki's log

[blinki]

22nd April

Weight: 66.3kg

Incline bench: 20kg x10 30kg x7 40kg x4 45kg x4
Decline DB bench: 12kg x10 18kg x13, 9
Cable Row: 30kg x8 45kg x8 52.5kg x8,7,5 (switch to...some other row that doesn't hurt)
Shrug: 20kg x10 40kg x10 50kg x10 57.5kg 3x10
Running around with 10kg bag
Back extension: 25kg 3x15

Maybe I won't need to reduce my calories anymore, cutting on 2500 would be lovely
My ipod died so could bring myself to cycle

[blinki]

24th April

Pushups: 41 (PB), 15 x3

Tried to start learning to clean. Face kept connecting with bar. Mate struggled not to get annoyed at me. Kind of thought that’s what would happen and it’s why I don’t olympic lift

25th April
Hop: +10kg fail, painfully
Single Leg Squat: 20kgx10 30kg x10 32.5kg 2x10 (each leg)
GHR: BWx8 +10kg 3x8
Side bend: 16kg 2x10 26kg 4x10
Back extensions: 32kg 3x15
Cycling, L4 30s/60s intervals x5

Might be wise to go for more gradual increase with hops to save face planting over the step, least I've found something challenging

[Lordmuppet]

staff at the CSE are knowledgable about power cleans. Will show you how to do one for free. I looked into it.

[baldy]

Tried to start learning to clean. Face kept connecting with bar. Mate struggled not to get annoyed at me. Kind of thought that’s what would happen and it’s why I don’t olympic lift

Bar hitting the face is actually good because you get feedback what is going wrong.
Start with the empty bar to get the feel for it. Think about the bar coming up straight and you rotating around and under it. Not bar coming up and smacking you in the face. Don't worry about people getting annoyed, the next step will be people getting jealous of your smooth clean technique.

[blinki]

thanks guys. I'm going to switch to front squats soon since I have the forearm flexibility to do it now. Hopefully that'll help by getting me more used to the end position. Just now I need to think about it and I think that might be half my problem. Will try thinking of it as me going under it


26th April
Chins: 4 (PB),3,3,2
DP Press: 6kg x 10 8kg x10 12.5kg x10 10kg x10
Pull Down: 27.5kg x12 36kg x12,11,8 (switch to face pull 4x8)
Shrug: 20kg x10 40kg x10 50kg x10 60kg 3x10
Plate pinches
Back extension: 32kg 3x20

Into the weeks leading up to final exams so gym’s going to need to be when possible rather than when it should.

Not liking this diet stuff. I’m so hungry half the time and filling up on veg doesn't work well. Today I feel very fuck it about having a more ‘athletic’ body fat

[blinki]

28th April

Front Squat: 20kg 3x8 30kg 2x8 40kg x5 50kg x5 55kg x5
Single leg squat: 20kg x6 35kg 3x5 (each leg)
GHR: BW x12 +10kg 3x12

I felt like I did more than that, was really tired and sweaty by the end

I’m sticking at 2500 calories at least until after exams- less would be harder to deal with than I thought. Re-adjusted so less protein and more carbs cause carbs make my belly happy

[Lordmuppet]

wait are you done bulking already?

[blinki]

wait are you done bulking already?

It's more I'm taking a little break. I've put on about 10kg and been bulking (sometimes rather slowly) for over a year and I'm a bit squishier than I'd like. It's part vanity, part irrational fear of getting fat. I still plan to go to about 80kg longer term but I think if I went from 57 to 80 without stopping to loose a bit fat I'd end up much squishier than I could deal with

Out of not being able to sleep last night I found myself playing with a calculator on Scooby's workshop, it says at 2500 I should loose fat while still getting some muscle gain. If that were to happen it'd be my ideal right now so at least if I stick to it for the few weeks to my exams I'll get to see if it does

[blinki]

1st May

Incline bench: 20kg x15 30kg x10 40kg x4 45kg x4 47.5kg x4
Decline DB Bench: 18kg x11, 6 (switch to flat)
Pedlay Row: 20kg x8 30kg x8 35kg x8 40kg x8
Shrug: 20kg x10 40kg x10 62.5kg 2x10, 8
Curls: 8kg 3x8, 6 (switch to hammer curls 3x12)


rows didn't hurt my lower back, so long as I don't wake up sore tomorrow I think it might more or less be better
lost my grip on shrugs rather than a real fail

[blinki]

4th May

Weight: 66kg

some hops, none weighted
Squat: 20kg x10 40kg x10 50kg x10 (working on bar position)
Single Leg Squat: 37.5kg 2x10 (each leg)
GHR: BW x10 10kg x8 15kg 3x8

Major man flu issues hence not really a full workout.

I realised I've been squatting high bar but can't find a comfortable low bar place. It felt fine but I tried just holding 70kg and it was hard work so I guess my arms are taking too much of it. Either I'm being vacant or something is wrong

I almost don’t want to say it in case I jinx it but I think my back is fine. I can’t wait to get a decent deadlift, it’s absurd that I’ve never lifted more than 90kg but not going to rush into it.

[blinki]

6th May

Chins: 5(PB), 4, 3, 8 negatives
DB OHP: 5kg x10 9kg 4x10
Face Pull: 11.5kg x8 18kg x8 22.5kg x8 20.5kg x8
Shrug: 20kg x10 40kg x10 50kg x10 62.5kg 3x10
Deadlift: 40kg x5 50kg x5 50kg held at the top 5x1

Man flu has turned into a chest infection though not a bad one. Kept leaning back of face pulls, so think I need to stick at 20.5 but forgot to try split stance

Just took pictures to see if I do look any different since it's a bit over two weeks now since I stopped bulking. I was right in suspecting my back has something that resembles definition, but never looked at it before so not sure if that's a sign of progress. Think I might have a bit less belly. Camera ate my first pictures so I'm not sure and haven't properly had time for cardio anyways

[blinki]

10th May

Front Squat: 20kg x10 40kg x5 50kg x5 60kg x5
Single leg squat: 40kg 3x6 each leg
GHR: BW x12 +15kg x7,10, 6

Exams getting in the way of what I want to do is getting annoying. Sleep deprivation plus chest infection seemed to result in good squatting, felt pretty easy, but by GHR I was considering going for a nap in the stretching area.

But new work has a gym. It’s £15 joining then £2 a session. It’s mostly cardio stuff but it has a cable thingy and some DBs (doesn’t look like they go much past 15kg) but means I could do some sort of cardio circuit on Mondays and Wednedays

[blinki]

All studying, no gym. Exams finish this week then I will get my arse in gear and join work gym too- turns out it has DBs up 20kg and about 70kg in plates (though only a funny little bar). The gym guy seems to really know his shit too

11th, 12th and 13th May

15 mins jog

14th May
25 pushups x3, probably around 3 mins rest

[blinki]

17th May
Clap pushups: 10x3

20th May

Weight: 65.9kg

Front Squat: 20kg 2x10 30kg x10 40kg 2x5
Squat: 40kg x5 50kg x5 60kg x5
Dip: 3x5
GHR: 3x8
Chins: 3,2
OHP: 20kg x10 30kg x5

Cycling: L4, 10mins, 3.85km

Felt the need to just get some moving around going on before starting properly again. Back squats felt awfully awkward, I'm not sure if I was just stiff or if I'm not so used to low bar.

Signed up for a climbing circuits class. Usually I’m suspicious of classes but chatted to the guy and seems like it’ll be fun and might even help sort out the whole never done a pullup issue.

[blinki]

22nd May

Weight: 65.3kg

DB Bench: 8kg 2x15 14kg x8 18kg x 11,8
Pedlay row: 20kg x10 30kg x8 40kg x8
Shrug: 20kg x10 40kg x10 60kg 3x10
some chins
some cycling


Ditched incline bench cause both were being hogged stupidly and the gym was weird loud and messy and busy with people who were comparing their curl 1RM. Still slightly cautious of my back when rowing, I think it is mostly in my head now so I need to stop worrying. Think my squat issue the other day was just stuff glutes

I've concluded that I loose and gain weight by it taking a reasonably big jump in a few days then staying for a little bit then another sudden drop then repeat. I'm managing around 2000-2200 calories, 150g protein and being a bit more on it with moving more but not totally there yet. So diet has proper started but might need fine tuned

Now off to climbing circuits. It will likely kick my ass cause I barely slept