1st June: Week 2 Day 1

Squat
155x6
155x6
160x6
160x6

Bench Press
92.5x6
92.5x6
92.5x6
92.5x6
92.5x6

3ct pause bench
100x2
100x2

Facepulls
12x4

Another solid session. Squats feeling good so bumped it up.

38 Days Until Nationals

3rd June: Week 2 Day 2

TnG Bench Press
105x4
105x4
105x4
105x4
105x4
105x8 @8.5

overhead press
40x8
40x8
40x8
40x8

Bull bar squat
125x4
125x4
125x4
125x4

DB Flies
12.5x10
12.5x10
12.5x10
12.5x10

lat pulldown
60x10
60x10
60x10
60x10

rear delt flies
5x10
5x10
5x10
5x10

No WIM today. Luckily someone else turned up at the gym at the end of bench press or I'd have just gone home.

36 Days Until Nationals

You did the only lift that matters. Go home without shame imo

5th June: Week 2 Day 3

Deadlift
165x6
165x6
165x6
165x6

Bench Press
120x2
120x2
120x2
120x2
120x2

Pendlay Row
80x6
80x6
80x6

EZ Bar Curls
20x12
20x12
20x12

Ab Roller
12
12
12

Think those are both PRs at those rep ranges. Felt alright, kept rest to only 5 minutes for deadlifts which is lightning for me, slowed down for bench but wise I think given how heavy the first double felt.

34 Days Until Nationals

8th June: Week 3 Day 1

Squat
170x5
170x5
170x5
170x4

Bench Press
90x7
90x7
90x7
90x7
90x7

Facepull
15
15
15
15

Relatively short one today. Feeling a bit ****, slept funny on friday night and something in my right trap/shoulder area is really bothersome, especially when i try to turn my head to the right. Some work with a ball has loosened it up a bit, but still quite annoying. Squats are a bit funny looking, got a bit better on the third set when I opened up my legs a bit more but then I started losing the bar forward. Miscounted last set too.



31 Days Until Nationals

10th June: Week 3 Day 2

TnG Bench Press
102.5x5
102.5x5
102.5x5
102.5x5
102.5x5
102.5x8

Bull bar squat
110x6
110x6
110x6
110x6

Facepull
15
15
15
15

Band External Rotations
10
10
10
10

Probably a bit ******ed to go and lift, but plenty of mobbing and my neck/shoulder felt ok. Kept rest on bench press sets to 4:30, so very pleased with 8 reps on the amrap all things considered. Off to physio and then a massage.

30 Days Until Nationals

damn just saw pics and numbers for the first time

new jacked city, you are now on my radar since you're no longer one of those guys that noobdy would ever expect of lifting weights

elite hair genetics too

Just checked that site out and ended up spending a few hours going through articles. Great blog, I assumed there would be articles on fighting but never found them... So I'm starting to doubt that's what he means by banging.

Lolwut. Since when does banging mean fighting?

You fight your way, he'll fight his. Who are we to question the mores of NZ#278?

Khan is a euro, but i've definitely listened to my uncle's stories of banging fists outside the rugby club back in the day. The LRB guy has a bit of a background in krav maga, but I reckon the bang in his title is much more likely to be the reference saw and monte are referring to.

As for the blog, I really enjoyed it for a long while, but the hyper-masculinity got a bit annoying after a while. Still follow updates occasionally.

Shoulder update: some sort of inflammatory issue causing tightness through the trap/neck. Decent massage provided a bit of relief, still quite tender today. The physical therapist I saw first was very uncomplimentary of my posture: head forward, starting to develop a pronounced lump in cervical spine, well on way to dowager hump, limited T-spine mobility, right shoulder slops forward causing issues like what i've got now plus crunchy movement. Upper trap + rhomboid too dominant, lower trap and smaller muscles not very strong or active. Way too much poor computer posture, and slouching forward to read my ipad etc. Not enough proper technique when rowing, or rolling (I have been horrendously slack about my at-home SMR stuff).

Quite a wake up call.

Seeing him again to develop a plan going forward, but he seemed sympathetic to my competitive aspirations so at the moment the idea is damage limitation. Going to be working on Y's, T's and I's, strict DB rows, wall slides, scap pushups and external rotations. Also trying to be more aware of my posture the other 23.5 hours of the day. I guess I'll write up a short program so I stick to it.

pretty sure this is 99% of people

Not a wake up call. It's like that forever imo.

I dunno, probably. There's a noticeable left to right imbalance (right is awful), and when I maintain decent posture the pain reduces, so at least some incentive to improve the right side. I've done a lot of bench pressing over the last 6-8 months, so that is probably a contributor. Even if I don't see a postural change, maybe I'll be able to bench more with more stable shoulders.

gl with the shoulder stuff man

I just did some SMR for mid and upper back after reading your post Aidan. My god man I feel so unwound. It literally feels like weight off my shoulders.

My shoulder is definitely better, decent nights sleep yesterday and down to 1-2/10 on the pain scale. Being a bit more aware of my posture has definitely helped, but the struggle is real. More prehab today and I'll bench press if it's feeling good.

Good luck Aidan. I am hopeful your persistence will show the same results for rehab as it has for your lifting.

12th June: Week 3 Day 3

Deadlift
180x5
180x5
180x5
180x5

Bench Press
115x3
115x3
115x3
115x3
115x3

good morning
80x8
80x8
80x8
80x8

suitcase hold
60x3

Started off with a decent SMR sesh, then worked through prone cobras, scap wall slides, Y-T-W's and scap wall slides. This was very tough, definitely a lot needs working on.

Deadlifts were a slight tweak to turn my feet outwards more (after watching an Ed Coan vid), and I think it really helps get the hamstrings more engaged. So I think i'll continue with it and see how this cycle goes doing that more, can always revert if the bar starts to slow down too much. Also trying to incorporate cha's advice with head and hip positioning. A bit inconsistent, but I will persevere.

Bench was very nice, very pleased to hit a 3RM pr for five triples with a janky shoulder. No issues from it during bench press. Computer tasks still irritate it if I am lazy. Head forward in particular is the most bothersome.



28 Days Until Nationals

Cheers, dude. Think I can get on top of it, staying there is going to be the battle.

Deadlifts look pretty damn good. On a couple of reps the shoulders start barely too far in front of the bar so the bar drifts forward a fraction at the start.

Cheers man. Definitely felt some of the reps get away from me. When it's good it's pretty good though, just got to get the not good reps out.

That bench setup looks great. From the knees all the way to the lower-mid back looks like it's in the same plane and then the arch gets more pronounced through the thoracic upper back.

Do you do anything for thoracic mobility?