m00se

After approximately six months or so gone dark I have returned. I haven't lifted in 6 months and have become puny and weak, largely because of developing a hernia and having it repaired. My old workout log seems to have disappeared but I look forward to starting over. I have signed up for the Yorkshire 2013 Tough Mudder and will be nailing it to the wall. In celebration of my re-found lifting passion, I present my new toys. Away with you, normal bar and buckets of cement with 2x4s in! Welcome, new power cage and Olympic set! Really looking forward to seeing faces old and new. Let the fun begin! Again! :-) Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

5 June Bench --------- 10/30/50 x 8 72 x 3 x 8 finally! Hopefully that was just a mental thing... Row ------ Volume time! 40 x 5 x 10 PF ---- 12ea x 5 x 10 BC ---- 12ea x 5 x 10 LR ---- 6ea x 5 x 10 Shrug -------- 74 x 5 x 10 Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

3 June OHP ------ 10/30 x 8 52 x 3 x 8 raaar! BC ---- Trying something random. Volume overload time! 10ea x 5 x 10 Ow. PF ---- 10ea x 8 x 10 Fucking. Ow. Shrug -------- 70 x 7 x 10 Yrrrghhhh! LR ---- 4ea x 5 x 10 Grip Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

1 June Bench --------- 10/30/50 x 8 72 x 8/8/7 raaaaaargh! Row ------ 30/50 x 8 72 x 3 x 8 Shrug -------- 50/70/90 x 8 110 x 3 x 8 PF ---- 16ea x 3 x 8 Up next time. Scaled back a bit as i was losing the grip last time. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

27 May OHP ------ 10/30 x 8 52 x 7/87 So close! Pullup --------- Raw x 3 x 8 IPF ----- 16ea x 3 x 8 FR --- 10ea x RFlye ------- 10ea x 3 x 8 BC ---- 16ea x 3 x 8 Shrug -------- 122 x 3 x 8 Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

That was certainly the plan, and that's what I've done On a side note, you appear to have had a lightsaber shoved sideways through your face. Might wanna see someone about that.

You all know what I mean. You go out to lift, and for whatever reason you perform much, much worse than the last time you went out. Example: Last time I went out to lift (Wednesday) I was aiming for overhead press, pullup, and some isolation (I'm getting back on my squats today, as my knee seems to be a bit better now). The previous time I'd OHP'd I put up 52kg x 7/6/4 (aiming for 3x8). Wednesday I hit 7/4/2. I had previously managed 3x8 pullups and this time I only managed 6/4/2. Something was badly wrong (although I think I might be coming down with something). Either way, I wondered...is a bad day's lifting actually worth anything? If you're not showing any sort of progression at all, are you still achieving anything or is it a total waste of time? My guess is that since I was still working out to failure then I was still benefitting something, but I don't know. Any thoughts? Thanks P.S. I've been quiet for a while, but I'm still here, lurking! Life got busy with the little one...! I miss you guys.

23rd May OHP ---- 10/30/50 x 8 52 x 7/4/2 The hell. Pullup ------ Raw x 6/4/3 Seriously. Half-hearted isolation to finish off with. Sigh.

20 May Bench --------- 10/30/50 x 8 72 x 8/8/6 Rargh! Close! Pullup --------- Raw x 3 x 8 Back on it! PF ---- 16ea x 3 x 8 BBBC -------- 16ea x 3 x 8 Shrug -------- 114 x 3 x 8 Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

18 May OHP ------ 10/30 x 8 52 x 7/6/4 Row ------ 10/30/50 x 8 70 x 3 x 8 PF ---- 16ea x 3 x 8 LR ---- 10ea x 3 x 8 DBBC -------- 16ea x 3 x 8 Shrug -------- 110 x 3 x 8 Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Have done a bunch of workouts in the latlst few weeks but was lazy and didn't write them down got my ohp up to 50 though. Still working on the bench at 72. That comes today. Bench -------- 10/30/50 x 8 72 x 8/7/4 Pitiful. Clearly doing something wrong. Will keep trying. Refuse to be beaten! Pullup --------- Raw x 8/6/6 Just obviously not my day Knee seems to be getting worse not better. Sigh. Part of me misses squats. ISO and AWR to finish off. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

26 April Bench --------- 10/30/50 x 8 72 x 8/8/7 aaaaaaaargh Snatch ---------- 10/30 x 5 54 x 5 Knee still sore so skipping the squats again. Shrugs ---------- 90 x 3 x 8 (2 front 1 back) Bicep curl -------------- 32 x 3 x 8 Lateral raise ----------------- 8kg(each) x 3 x 8 Ab wheel rollout ----------------------- 3 x 8 Mrargh! Snack time! Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

22 April OHP ------ 10/30 x 8 46 x 3 x 8 Yay! Chins -------- 3 x 8 Definitely easier. Weight next time (sob) Dumbbell squats ----------------------- These seem to be easier on my knee. Weird. Anyway, who cares why. Also switching back to 5 reps on these because my legs are already big enough lol! 10/30/50/70 x 5 84 x 5 x 5 Much nicer than barbell squats. Also prefer 5 x 5 it seems. ISO to finish: Shrugs 84kg x 3 x 8 Bicep curl 30kg x 3 x 8 Bring the size! Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

20 April Bench --------- 10/30/50 x 8 72 x 8/8/6 bah so close. Chins -------- 3 x 8 Definitely getting easier, but still tough. Skipped squats today because my knee hurts and barbell squats seem to be worsening it. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

14th April OHP ------ 10/30 x 8 46 x 8 46 x 7 46 x 6 Mrgh. Next time. Squat -------- 10/30/50 x 8 74 x 3 x 8 Seriously tough. Long slow grind on the last two. Made it though! Chins -------- Raw x 3 x 8 Getting a bit easier...time to add weight soon I think... Ab wheel rollout 5 x 5 Done. Feel a bit sick. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Another week off as i was away over Easter. Feel week. Still, you've got to take time out when it comes along haven't you? 12 April Bench -------- 10/30/50 x 8 70 x 8 70 x 7 70 x 6 Bah. Snatch --------- 10/30x 5 52 x 5 Dead ------- 10/30/50/70/90/110 x 5 132 x 5 Ab wheel rollout 5x5. Done. Been doing a lot of reading and it seems the difference in muscle gain between 5x5 and 3x8 is negligible so may switch back to 5x5 again. I was progressing much better on that. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

2 April Warmed up with a brisk mile walk to get my son to sleep in his pushchair. Bench --------- 10/30/50 x 8 70 x 8 70 x 7 mrrrgh 70 x 5 Next time. Ffs. Snatch (yay!) ----------------- 30 x 5 50 x 5 Im counting this as my upper body pull. I totally love this exercise. Dead ------- 30/50/70/90/110 x 5 130 x 5 Booyah! Shrug (to finish) ---------------------- 70 x 8 90 x 8 Rawrrr! Done. Pooped. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

30th March OHP ------ 10/30 x 8 44 x 3 x 8 Struggled, but done. Felt awesome. Squat -------- 10/30/50 x 8 72 x 8 Really tough. Amazing how it's so much harder going really low. Felt good though. Chins -------- Raw x 3 x 8 Still hate. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

As far as i can tell, two main benefits: explosive power and strength, and its just a whole lot of fun Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Jokes aside, I started doing them this week, and I'm totally addicted. It's like a combination of deadlift plus power clean plus overhead lockout plus squat. In fact that's pretty much exactly what it is. Plus the added and very real risk of killing yourself if you screw it up and drop it on your head. I'm not sure lifts get more awesome. Just wanted to share my happiness at finding my new favourite lift Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Yes, move up in weight. Keep moving up until you can't do all your sets. At some stage you will fail to complete all 25. This then becomes your working weight until you CAN complete all 25, at which point you up the weight and so on and so on. Its the agony and ecstasy of weightlifting im afraid. When you hit all 25 you celebrate because you got stronger, but simultaneously you know you are moving on to another weight that you can't so them all with yet. It's a good feeling Keep lifting heavy things dude! Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Tuesday 27 March Warmed up sawing down seven unwanted trees, dragging the timber 50 yards up the garden to the bonfire, stacking it all, then changing my mind and dragging it all the way back to relocate the bonfire. Bench --------- 10/30/50 x 8 70 x 6 70 x 6 70 x 4 Eek. Have definitely got a lot weaker in the bench. Disappointed. :/ Need to work on this. Snatch ---------- Something different. Thought I'd try my hand at the snatch. 30 x 2 x 5 Interesting. Feels pretty badass. 40 x 5 Nice to have a bit of variation. Plus now I can tweet snatch jokes Front Squat ---------------- Came to the realization over my night shifts while watching form videos that I was going nowhere near low enough on either back or front squats. Now doing fully ass to grass squats with lower weight and working back up. 10/30/50 x 8 70 x 8 Yeahhhhh! Rows -------- 10/30/50 x 8 60 x 8 Done. Awesome. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Had some more nights after the last lot so only got back to lifting on Sunday. Boo. Scaled the lifts back a touch just in case. Sunday 25 March OHP ------- 10 x 8 30 x 8 42 x 3 x 8 Rawrrr. Felt awesome. Chins -------- Raw x 3 x 8 Still hate them with the grip reversed... Dead ------- 10/30/50/70/90 x 5 110 x 5 Boom! Shrugs ---------- 50/70/90 x 8 Ow. Awesome though. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Thanks again everyone for the kind words The tattoo is a design tweaked by me from things I found on the internet and is a tribal inverse kokopelli design. First one, too. Go big or go home, right? I have analysed my diet and eating patterns recently and have come to a couple of conclusions. First, I think that I was, without really realizing it, calorie zigzagging already. I tend to eat just a load more on my lifting days overall in calorie terms, mostly because im just so much more hungry. Secondly, I have found that I've been eating much less in the way of carbs than I maybe should have. In line with what etfnerd and yourself have both said, I think i need to be eating more starchy carbs to grow in size. Im not really hardcore primal because things like grains don't actually disagree with me that much, but they definitely slow me down and make me feel sluggish if i have loads of them. Still, eating a lot of potatoes and rice is easy for me to do. Time to embrace the dark side to add mass! *hums imperial march* Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Thanks everyone. Been away on nights for a bit :/ I like the analysis aj. I only gained 5lb of muscle in 4 months though: that's fairly shoddy progress. Which takes me back to my original post. Am I really not eating enough? I shovel at least 4000 calories down me every day, and about 1.50-2g/lb lbw of protein. Lifting heavy 3 times a week and eating like this only seems to be melting fat rather than adding muscle.