The Third Session

I've got one problem with this blog. What do I call each new post?

Yesterday (Saturday 19th January) was my third deadlifting session. I had started doing overhead presses the previous Saturday, and Saturdays will henceforth be my "alternative compounds" day. (A compound exercise is one which uses a number of different muscle groups. As opposed to an isolation arm curl, for example, which primarily uses one muscle group.)

I started the session with overheads, and then moved to deadlifting. After finding my maximum lift over the two previous sessions, I had a "proper" powerlifting session today. I eased my way up to 92.5 kilos (204 pounds) and did five sets of three reps, then finished off with a set of five on 80 kilos and a set of ten with 50.

The first two sets were really hard. Back-breakingly so, in fact. But then the technique got better and the fifth set was the best of the lot.

The reason for doing 92.5? Well I wanted to work with 80% - 85% of my 1RM (one rep max - the most I can lift) and 92.5 fits the bill in that respect. But it's also exactly half what I need to be able to lift to qualify for the British Championships and I thought that would be a good starting point on an emotional level as well.

The trick in powerlifting is slow and steady progression with good form. Lifters who keep going for 1RMs rarely progress, and lifters who abandon form in the quest for higher short term numbers invariably end up spending more time on the oesteopath's table than in the gym.

Another key to any success I've had is that I go into the gym knowing exactly what my intended programme for that session is. Those who do what they feel like doing never challenge themselves as much as those who find a way to get through what they have to do.

My deadlifting plan is simple. Next time I do five sets of four with 92.5, the time after that I do five sets of five.

Once I've achieved five fives, the weight will go up to 100 kilos and I'll start with five threes and work my way up to five fives with 100. Then I'll test my 1RM to see how much it has improved.

I'll calculate 85% of that new 1RM, and start doing five threes with that, gradually move it up to five fives, add 7.5 kilos, go back to five threes, work that up to five fives, and then test my 1RM again.

It's not rocket science. It's not even particularly about talent or genetics. It's about what you have between the ears and how committed you are to achieving your goals. For the proof of that, just look at this project! A guy with a bad knee, thigh, hip and back is trying to get a British Over 50s title and record. And if I get it, will it be because of "talent" and genetics? Or will it be because of desire, belief, hard goal-orientated work, and sheer bloody-mindedness? Talent takes you to the party, but doesn't take you to the top table.

I've just mapped out my next eight sessions, or more. Now all I've got to do is take the theory and put it into practice.

And the overhead presses? I might as well record them as well if I'm doing them in the same workout.

Last week, I did three sets of five with 50 kilos (ignoring warm-ups and down sets). The weight feels really heavy at the start position and I'm very inflexible in the wrists and shoulders, which doesn't help. Yesterday I did three sets of five with 52.5. Next Saturday, I'll try for three sets of five with 55. Once I can do three fives with a weight I'll move it up 2.5 kilos next session.

I have no particular target in mind for overheads. I don't intend to do them competitively. But long term, 100 would be nice! Principally, I want to get my shoulders stronger, hit my arms from a different angle, and hope that my bench strength improves.

My bench is going really well at the moment. I pressed 198 kilos off a 2.5 inch board last Monday - my best ever. What's a bench? What's a board? The subject of another post, sometime soon...