Veni, vidi, levavi, BenM Blathers

[KarlM]

Working out early is so hard for me. I’d probably skip over half of my workouts if I had to get them in early.

[BenM]

Working out early is so hard for me. I’d probably skip over half of my workouts if I had to get them in early.

Yeah that's understandable. I have been a late to bed, late to rise guy for most of my life, but once I started training early and got in the habit I didn't find it that hard, so long as I stayed disciplined about going to bed early (like aiming for 9pm early). And it's good to walk out of the gym knowing you've achieved something before you've even had breakfast.

Trouble is I got out of the habit a few months ago, and bedtime got later and later... it didn't help that the last few weeks I discovered The Orville so had to keep ploughing through that each night. Finished all 3 seasons now, but the wife and I just started watching something else last night, and I've missed staying up and watching stuff with her. I'd like to find an alternative but just can't see where it'd fit. When I WFH I can sometimes take a long lunch break to get a training session in, but it isn't guaranteed. After work I lack energy and again I'd miss family time, and it also affects my sleep. So I guess I'll have to keep trying for a couple of morning sessions a week and deal with being tired.

[DCR]

I'm fortunate to work for myself and able to lift in the afternoon. If I had to do it early or late, I'm reasonably sure that I wouldn't do it at all and would return to the bodyweight work that I did for a few years. I used to just get up 45 minutes early and take care of it right there in my bedroom. Mayyyyyybe I'd do some real minimalist lifting with three or four movements, one of which definitely would be barbell curls.

Huge credit to you, @BenM, for getting up to hit the weights.

[BenM]

Ahh well... I failed again this morning. So I don't deserve too much credit at the moment.

[BenM]

Sat 10/02/24: Something Light

AM BW: 91.4kg

Background Noise: Random Stuff

Deadlift:
6x120kg
6x120kg
5x150kg
2x180kg
2x205kg
5x175kg
5x175kg
6x175kg
3 minute rests

Paused Single Leg Leg Extension:
15x15kg
15x15kg
15x15kg
No rests, just leg to leg to leg

Hamstring Curl:
8x45kg
8x45kg @ 8
10x40kg @ 8.5
2.5 minute rests

Low Incline Pause Dumbbell Bench:
12x55lb / hand
12x55lb / hand
15x55lb / hand @ 7.5
3 minute rests

Footage:


Nutrition/Health/Life Stuff:

• Was intending to deadlift early Thursday but since I didn't get out of bed, decided to do that today. Did some house chores in the morning then had a case of the maybe laters, but managed to unstick myself from the couch about 3pm and get out to the gym.

Training Notes:

• Wanted to hit a top single or double today, was pretty happy to get a double with 205kg without busting myself since this is the first time I've done any proper (straight bar) deadlifts since September last year. Back off work wasn't terribly hard either, even felt good enough to add a rep at the end, and had 2 or 3 in the tank I reckon.
• Wasn't sure I could do leg extensions but picked a really light weight and found I could do this without it hurting, at least for the first set and a bit. My knee started getting a bit clicky and uncomfortable for the second half but didn't actually develop into actual pain so will see how it pulls up. Had a bit of a quad burn for sure.
• Hamstring curls after that, decided to start a bit heavier today. Last set was pretty hard.
• Just some dumbbell bench to finish, was kinda running out of time. These all moved pretty well. No shoulder issues or wrist clicks today, and pushed the last set a bit longer to finish.
• All done - 53 minutes.

[DCR]

^ So a nice pull and no pain anywhere. Glad you unstuck yourself.

[BenM]

^ So a nice pull and no pain anywhere. Glad you unstuck yourself.

That's about the size of it. Not sure I'm unstuck exactly, but we'll see....

[BenM]

Sun 11/02/24: Something Light

AM BW: 90.9kg

Background Noise: Random Google Music

Medium Grip Pause Bench:
10x20kg
10x20kg
8x70kg
2x92.5kg
5x105kg
5x105kg
5x100kg
5x100kg
About 3 minutes rest after the first work set, then 2.5 minute rests after that

Pause Lat Pulldown:
8x60kg
8x60kg
8x60kg @ 8
2 minute rests

Spanish Squat:
12xBW+20kg
12xBW+20kg
2.5 minutes rest

Incline Dumbbell Curl:
6x32.5lb / hand
6x32.5lb / hand @ 10
8x27.5lb / hand
8x27.5lb / hand @ 9.5
2 minute rests

Footage:


Nutrition/Health/Life Stuff:

• Had a decent sleep last night, washed the car this morning, made it out late morning for a pre-lunch session.

Training Notes:

• Tried for 105kg with the narrower grip today and was happy enough to get a couple of sets of five although I lost my groove pretty badly in the second, then dropped to an even hundred and did two more sets. This is probably the heaviest bench session I've done in months, at least in terms of work sets.
• Some back work which was pretty unremarkable, and some squats which actually got pretty hard and I'd had enough after two.
• Finished off with some curls, worked pretty hard at times, especially the second set which was a max for my weaker left arm and a bit cheaty.
• 48 minutes all told.

[augeleven]

Nice bench work!

[Renascent]

Spanish Squat:

I like this setup. Never occurred to me to consider bands. I always see those standalone units (usually labelled as "sissy squat stations" or whatever), but this seems way more feasible for my situation.

[BenM]

Nice bench work!

Cheers... I am grateful that my shoulder seems to be holding up. Still probably couldn't bench my old (mediocre) numbers, but maybe I'll get back somewhere near them.

Spanish Squat:

I like this setup. Never occurred to me to consider bands. I always see those standalone units (usually labelled as "sissy squat stations" or whatever), but this seems way more feasible for my situation.

Yeah, it's an interesting variation. I think it's used in rehab settings for people with knee issues, which is where I found it since my right knee hurts and it's aggravated by too much forward knee travel in a squat - leaning back against the bands helps keep your shins vertical. I've been wanting to try one of those sissy squat stations but I'm not willing to pay full price for one - I imagine they'd work the same or better since your ankles should be pretty well locked in place.

[MarkKO]

Ab slings or whatever you call them work a treat for this.

[platypus]

Nice bench work!

Cheers... I am grateful that my shoulder seems to be holding up. Still probably couldn't bench my old (mediocre) numbers, but maybe I'll get back somewhere near them.

Don't let the home gym and internet access fool you: if you bench 105kgx5 in a commercial gym there will be people watching in admiration.

[BenM]

Ab slings or whatever you call them work a treat for this.

How would you use them in a squat? Trying to picture it and my brain isn't working

Nice bench work!

Cheers... I am grateful that my shoulder seems to be holding up. Still probably couldn't bench my old (mediocre) numbers, but maybe I'll get back somewhere near them.

Don't let the home gym and internet access fool you: if you bench 105kgx5 in a commercial gym there will be people watching in admiration.

Thanks. It's easy to lose perspective when all you see is dudes who can bench 3 plates for reps. I've never even been able to bench that for a single, although I did hit 137.5kg so I was within touching distance. Hoping that's still achievable, but since the injury who knows.

[MarkKO]

Ab slings or whatever you call them work a treat for this.

How would you use them in a squat? Trying to picture it and my brain isn't working

Nice bench work!

Cheers... I am grateful that my shoulder seems to be holding up. Still probably couldn't bench my old (mediocre) numbers, but maybe I'll get back somewhere near them.

Don't let the home gym and internet access fool you: if you bench 105kgx5 in a commercial gym there will be people watching in admiration.

Thanks. It's easy to lose perspective when all you see is dudes who can bench 3 plates for reps. I've never even been able to bench that for a single, although I did hit 137.5kg so I was within touching distance. Hoping that's still achievable, but since the injury who knows.

Same as you use the band. I go one loop behind each knee, and hook the other end onto the rack or something fixed. The advantage is that there's no give at all so you can put all your weight (and faith, assuming you have any left because I sure don't) into the straps.

[DCR]

It's easy to lose perspective when all you see is dudes who can bench 3 plates for reps.

That’s the internet for you. I lift at two gyms. In the one, a niche spot, a few dudes can do that. All are actual competitors and are “assisted.” The other spot is a commercial gym. A few dudes there can do it. They are enormous - elite genetics - and also assisted. (To be fair, a few of them no doubt could do it sans assistance.)

[BenM]

Same as you use the band. I go one loop behind each knee, and hook the other end onto the rack or something fixed. The advantage is that there's no give at all so you can put all your weight (and faith, assuming you have any left because I sure don't) into the straps.

Ahh... so simple, my brain was thinking you'd somehow use the ab slings in the traditional way (hanging from the rack) to support yourself and remain upright while squatting? Me so silly. Sounds like it'd work well and maybe be more comfortable than the bands by themselves (minor chafing behind the knees, but I could mitigate that easily enough).

[BenM]

Tue 13/02/24: Something Light

AM BW: 91.8kg

Background Noise: Random Stuff

High Bar Pin Squat:
10x20kg
10x20kg
8x70kg
6x95kg
6x95kg
6x95kg
6x95kg
2 minute rests

Dumbbell RDL:
12x70lb / hand
12x70lb / hand
12x70lb / hand
2 minute rests

Pause Single Leg Leg Extension:
12x20kg
12x20kg
No rest

Deficit Push Up w/Feet on Bench:
10xBW+20kg
10xBW+20kg @ 7
10xBW+20kg @ 9.5
2.5 minute rests

Triceps Pushdown w/Rope:
8x17.5kg @ 7.5
10x15kg @ 7
10x15kg @ 8.5
2 minute rests

Nutrition/Health/Life Stuff:

• Didn't get out of bed this morning again. Just feeling exhausted. But started work pretty early and had a pretty productive day, so walked out at 4pm and got some work done.

Training Notes:

• Lower back was a bit tight and sore today. Got some light squatting in, just enough to get the hip stretched out a bit really. I could probably stand to go quite a bit heavier with these but I'm dreading them enough as it is.
• Left the barbell RDLs alone today and just did some light dumbbell work to save my back; these were really easy.
• Added a bit of weight to the leg extensions, and they were crunching and annoying my knee a bit from the start. But there was no soreness after last time so I think they're useful.
• Was going to bench but decided it'd be quicker just to do some deficit push ups with a plate on my back. Last set was pretty hard, I am out of practice at these.
• Finished with some triceps work, got a lot less reps than I expected out of the first set, figured the push ups affected them. Dropped a little weight and finished them off.
• Just 48 minutes. Good enough.

[BenM]

Thu 15/02/24: Something Light

AM BW: 91.7kg

Background Noise: Random Stuff

Comp Bench:
10x20kg
10x20kg
8x70kg
2x95kg
1x115kg @ 8.5
8x100kg @ 10
6x95kg
6x95kg
6x95kg @ 9.5
3 minute rests

Barbell Row:
8x85kg
8x85kg
8x85kg
8x85kg @ 9
2 minute rests

EZ Bar Curl:
8x32.5kg @ 7.5
6x32.5kg @ 8.5
8x27.5kg
8x27.5kg @ 8.5
2.5 minute rests

Footage:


Nutrition/Health/Life Stuff:

• Managed to get up early and do this for a change, helps that it was an upper focussed day. Drank some Monster, I'm very tired - sleeping badly and it's been a crappy week.

Training Notes:

• Planned on hitting a heavyish top single today then an AMRAP with 100kg. The single moved ok despite a pretty average unrack. Got eight reps with 100kg but didn't have anything left - this equals an old PR although I had one in the tank last time I did it. Did a few back off off sets until the bar almost stopped right at the end, and called it. It occurs to me that my medium grip bench is probably stronger than my comp bench at this point.
• Lower back is still tight, and I was probably a bit upright for the first set of rows. But I got some work in anyway, was getting pretty tired by the end.
• Started curls a little heavier, and thougth I could get a second set of eight so didn't drop load but nope, not happening today. Got a bit of work into the arms too and pulled the pin there.
• Only 3 lifts but took 49 minutes. Enough for one morning.

[slowmotion]

I'm impressed with your ability to lift so early in the morning, Ben.