5x7 DB Press 26kg
3x12 Shrug 100kg
3x3 Power Clean 75
3x6/8 Preacher Curl 50/Hammer Curl 16
3x8/10 Skullcrushers/Clise grip Press 45kg

Did the session with 60-90sec rests. Enjoyed getting through it all quicker

5x10 45 degree leg press 200kg
4x6 Deadlift 130kg
3x7 RDL 80kg
3x15 each leg alternating leg extension

am really enjoying the shorter rests between sets - 60-75 secs today

Press 3x6-50, 3x8-45kg
Seated Press machine 3x11-47
Close Grip Row 4x10-80kg
Wide Grip Row 4x9-67kg

Pretty consistent week after that hard of a weekend!

others might call it heroic

tbh, bro sessions at the gym require zero intestinal fortitude IMO. I still won’t do any training within 48 hours of a chems escapade but I could do them every day without rest days I reckon and definitely 6 days straight

I’ve still had no urge to jump on an erg. I’m keeping open minded to the possibility of a paddle on Sunday but I suspect I’ll find a way to avoid it

Sat morning bro work

DB Bench, 3x5 34kg, 3x11 29kg
Flye 3x8-24kg
Preacher/Hammer ss 3x7/8-47.5kg
ezy bar Skullcrusher/close Grip Press ss 3x10/10-45kg

strength a little down on the pressing...maybe because I did overhead work about 16 hours earlier.

Day off Sun, enjoyable lower body day today

3x4 Front Squat 60kg
4x11 45 degree Leg Press 220kg
3x5 Deadlift 140kg
2x8 RDL 90kg
4x12 alternating single leg extension 36kg

random wake up at 4.26am. So went to the gym at 5.30 to get it out the way

DB seated Press 7x6-26kg
Seated Row 4x10-77kg
Seated hammer wide Grip row 4x7-160
DB Shrug 3x8-40kg DB

not ideal from a sleep POV and it's hard for my old bones to warm up at this time, but I get to feel smug all day knowing I've trained, had a swim in the ocean and am at my desk with a coffee by 7am

today's wake up was 3.40. Wife coming back home from rehab today so a ton on my mind

bro session again. It's both boring and enjoyable. I'm not really aiming for anything, it's very samey and I feel a little 'empty' just doing weights. But against that, it's keeping me going 5-6 days per week, I do enjoy it and feel good afterwards and I can definitely see some physique improvements from doing more lifting. Plus I definitely don't have the mental strength for any hard cardio right now.

I haven't managed to drop any weight this week which is annoying. I definitely look
a ton better with the 10 ish lbs off that I dropped and I would snap take this weight as what I'll weight in at/look like for the next decade. And I definitely enjoy/respond bette to less food in general, less carbs and less rubbish consumed. But I don't enjoy being so focused on it all the time

Still...hoping to lose another 5lbs and then maintain at that...and maybe I'll become a committed bro session guy. Or maybe I can find a lifting or other goal that will focus me and keep me interested

DB Bench 6x6 32kg
Flye 3x9-24kg
Preacher/Hammer super set 3x8/10-45/16kg
Tricep Push down/Extension 2x10/12-35/25kg

1k row as a warm up
3x5 Front Squat 65kg
3x8 Leg Press 240kg
4x5 Deadlift 140kg
2x6 RDL 90kg, 1x10 60kg
3x10 each leg single leg extension 33kg

75secs max between sets which I’m really enjoying

Hope things are at least tolerable and that you can move towards an acceptable resolution with a minimum of fuss.

I need to get on the weight loss train too but consistency is hard. We'll see I suppose.

re weight loss...I have to be in the right mindset and it's rare that I can get into it and get through the first weekend. Which is why I'm generally 10-15lbs heavier than I should be. So when I do manage to get into week 2 and get into the groove, I need to stick with it for as long as possible

but surely you're ;pretty lean if you've just run a marathon??

re wife, thanks and we'll see. We haven't had a 'talk' since she came back which we need to do. She seems to want to get back together and keeps asking me to do things together...walk the dog, go shopping etc. And made a comment about how we shouldn't sell the house this year. This has the potential to turn into a very difficult situation, so I need to strike a balance between being kind and nice, which I want to do for humanity reasons and for the kids (and also because we're likely living together for another 6 months or sth) and making it clear that we need to go through with it

40 min body surf this morning with two of my kids was A1 ****ing awesome

bro session at the gym was tough at 11am when still fasted (I'm fasting til midday 3 times a week now)

seated DB Press 6x7-26kg
barbell shrug 3x12-100kg
seated close grip row 3x10-77kg
wide grip pull down 4x12-67kg


I had more I wanted to do today but a client of mine was in the gym and we ended up talking for 7/8 mins while I was doing the close grip row and I totally lost my mojo

having a drink this pm for the first time in a while...I feel like it's what Jesus would have wanted?

quick Sunday morning session with son

DB Bench 6,6,5,4-34kg,2x10-30kg
Preacher Hammer ss 3x10/7-35,16kg
Tricep Push Down/Extension ss 3x10/10-37.5/27.5
Did some pull ups for the first time in ages - 8,7.
and some abs

struggled through a late morning lower body session at the end of a 20 hour fast today

1km row
front squat 3x4-65kg
RDL 3x9-80kg
Deadlift 4x5-130
leg extension 5x12 each side single leg extension 33kg

the leg press machine was basically never available so didn't do it

early am, always takes me a while to warm myself up

seated DB Press 3x6-26kg, 3x11-22kg
barbell shrug 4x13-90kg
Wide Grip Pull Downs 4x10-67kg
Seated Hammer wide grip row 4x8-140kg
Close Grip Pull Down 4x8-77kg

all fine. I feel like i need another shoulder exercise to supplement DB Press. Barbell Push Press is the best option I guess, albeit I always think it's really a quad, glute, hip exercise as much as anything else.
I'm a little judgmental on lat raises and front raises but maybe I shouldn't be.
Or maybe I could do Barbell Press into DB Press?

DB Bench 3x3-36kg,3x9-30kg
Flye 3x10-24kg
Barbell Curl 3x10-40kg
Hammer Curl 3x9-16kg
Dips 3x13

Amazing how moving up 2kg from 34 to 36kg takes the reps from 7 to 3 and the third was a huge struggle

early am again and every set felt difficult

1km row
3x5 front squat 65kg
4x8 Leg Press 220kg
3x5 Deadlift 130kg
4x10 each leg alternating leg extension 33kg

Barbell Press 3x7-50kg, 3x8-45kg
Hammer seated wide grip row 4x10-140kg
Wide Grip Pull Downs 4x10-67kg

about all I was good for.

hmm, looks like I did the wrong split today...should have been shoulders and back but did chest and guns. thought the benching felt a little sore

DB Bench 4x7-32, 3x9-28
Preacher/Hammer ss 4x8/10-45/16
Skullcrusher/Close Grip Press ss 3x7/15-45kg
also did some abs

Barbell Press 3x5-50
seated DB Press 4x8-24kg

Pull ups ss with seated Hammer wide grip row 11,9,9 3x10-140kg
Bent over DB rows 4x8-36kg
Close grip row 1x11-67,1x10-77kg

early morning lower body session....not sure it's to be recommended for the over 50s operating at a calorie deficiency

1k row
4x4 Front squat 67.5
4x8 leg press 210
5,6,7,8 deadlift at 110kg
3x10 leg extensions 33kg each leg alternating

DB Bench 4x5-34kg, 3x10-28kg
Flye 3x10-24kg
Preacher Curl 3x10-45kg
Hammer Curl 3x8-16kg
Skullcrusher/close grip press 3x8/20-45kg
Pull Ups 11

11 seems to be the deadhang limit right now. Not bad for 52 but I’d like more. I might do a 3-4 week program to improve them.

Im 83.5kg now. It’s a weird thing about losing weight - that’s 7kg I’ve lost now and I still think I could drop another 2-3, whereas I would have been delighted to drop 5 when I started

1 hour later I played 40 mins tough rugby game for the Dads against our sons’ under 14 team. We won 7-2!

I can confirm the magic is still there. 2 tries, 2 assists. But my God I’m sore already

I ate about 500mg of magnesium last night but am still sore everywhere, particularly the reconstructed knee, my right groin and both hamstrings.

Gym this morning was a huge challenge and I did more stretching than lifting. Also kept the weight lower so I could just get some movement back and speed up recovery

did a load of very slow, very painful bodyweight squats
stretched my back out/did mobility work after every set

seated DB Press 5x10-22kg
barbell push press 4x6-50
wide grip pull downs 4x10-57

Sat am lower body session

Legs and groin still struggling after Weds night rugby. Took me 15 mins + to get to my first working set. Took front squat very easy as hip flexors are still particularly stiff and sore

Deadlift 4x4-140
Front squat 4x4-70
Leg Press 5x8-220
Leg Extension 3x9 -33 (single legs)

I also started my pull up quest with what is called ‘greasing the groove’. Hugh volume of easy to do sets to get body used to them again

15x3 deadhangs…after every working set above and then a set of 10 at the end

I think my PR is 17 or 18. I reckon that’s achievable if I can drop another kg or two and add pull ups into every/most session