Strength / Weight Training

... and there's a free app called Bootcamp

Ah, this turned out to be a really good tip. And I am surprised at how much they give you for free. For anyone else interested it's called *Boostcamp

I've not had the time to really get my head around what I want to do in terms of optional exercises for the Candito and GZCL programs. So instead I am jumping straight into something called PHUL mainly as it was four days a week and had the easiest to use interface.

That being said, if I could find the time to sit down and have a good think about how to tweak the T3 area of GZCL then that would probably be the best program.
There is supposedly a squat and bench only version of GZCL floating around the internets but the spreadsheets I could find just melted my brain.

4 day a week texas method

Do you have a spreadsheet or app for this? Couldn't find anything on it the 4 day variety.

https://www.andybaker.com/3-or-4-day-texas-method-why-not-both/

Here you go, as long as your recovery is decent I found this to work very well, it just takes the standard texas method and splits it across 4 days rather than 3 so you don't end up spending 2+ hours on volume days.

Pretty sure I typed in Boostcamp and it autocorrected 🙄 anyway, yeah it's an excellent UI considering it's free.

In other news I tested my 1rm for deadlifts this morning and pulled a single at 140kg.
Surprised myself as it's 30kg more than I've done before. I'm really glad I posted a form video here a couple of weeks ago, it's definitely given me more confidence and the generally tension throughout my body is much higher, especially around the traps and lats.

Anyway, now have to re-evaluate my deadlift goal for next year as my goal was going to be 1rm at 140kg......

I have based any goals on body weight. Not sure if that is sensible or not. But 2xbw for deadlift was a previous goal.

That's pretty much what I was going to aim for.
Which brings me neatly to:
2 plate bench
3 plate squat
4 plate deadlift

By about this time next year.

2 plate bench
3 plate squat
4 plate deadlift

For the symmetry

This was my goal this year (with a 1 plate OHP though I never do singles of OHP really). Surpassed squat and DL, still not there on the bench (in fairness it is the lift I have the least practice with, and the least carryover from other stuff I've done in the past). Got a 95kg bench single a while ago, still gunning for 100 by year end tho. I'm gonna be in america over xmas/ny tho so if I hit these it will be in freedom units so who knows.

Have put on enough chonk that these are not great in terms of BW ratio tho, 100 won't even be 90% BW now.

squat and DL

These are by far my weakest lifts. Not sure what I'm doing wrong cause it nails my lower back everytime. I did a measly 100kg squat on Thursday and struggled to drive on Sunday cause my lower back kept spasming. I think my form is OK as I've had the PT check it...

Cant really do any pulling exercises because of my finger (puts huge pressure on the damaged part). So no back or deadlifts... Meh.

Gonna do more until my lower back leaves the building so I can get on a lift moar!

I'm currently hitting all these targets - i'm using 10kg plates but that's just semantics

I’ve had bad lower back pain before and it now correlates almost entirely with how well I breath and brace on lifts. I thought I was doing it right for around five years but had an epiphany one day and, when I actually got it right, back tightness basically disappeared overnight (until I take it for granted and get sloppy again).

Obviously everyone’s different but this might be low hanging fruit for you. Hope it heals up quick!

Anyone got a recommendation for a weightlifting belt? Loads of them on Amazon and I can't really see any differences.

I bought this one and have had no issues. As with everything, there is a lot of theory about sizes and composition etc. I have a nylon, Velcro one too which worked for a time - leather is more durable and doesn’t shift when on.

RDX Powerlifting Belt for Weight Lifting Approved By IPL and USPA Double Prong Gym Training Leather Belt 10mm Thick 4 inches Lumbar Back Support - Great for Strongman, Bodybuilding, Deadlifts, Squats https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006LZNY4C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_D4T155G77QSHX6RZCXJS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

RDX Powerlifting Belt for Weight Lifting

I have the same brand but with the quick release buckle thing

I find when I've done lifting all I want to do is BREATHE but conventional pin buckles take too long and too much effort to undo. I feel suffocated

I agree re. Suffocation 😂😂😂

Thanks guys, all I need to measure now is my belly

Takes mass to move mass, therefore I find it more useful (for comparison) to talk in terms of % of bodyweight.

Lifting 100kg when you are 200kg isn't quite the achievement that it is if you weigh 50kg.

Take note on how to wear it and how to get it on and off. Sounds mad but you need to do this.

Will do 👍

I think the book Starting Strength has info on belts. It covers almost everything and is worth purchasing, if you haven’t already done so.

It’s a bit more complex than just %BW
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilks_coefficient
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_coefficient

https://titansupport.com/product/longhorn-suede-lever-belt/

Was one of the only IPF legal lever belts when it bought it, seems there’s a lot more choice now. It is high quality AF tho.
Although I don’t wear a belt at the moment, I’d be keen to try a 3 inch belt, mine seems a touch wide for my average stature.

True - i'm happy enough after 5 weeks back given the limited time, but I still really want the bar to be bending like a motherfucker when i'm putting some effort in

At my current bulking-up-for-hibernation weight: squat - 123%, bench - 93%, ohp - 67%, row - 93%, deadlift - 113% (only had a couple of sets of dl - working my way back in). All 5x5 except 1x5 deadlifts - all exercises are starting to feel decidedly heavy now, have started alternating the heavy days with lighter / more reps to mix it up as suggested by @zooeyzooey so we'll see how that goes.

Gonna get me a sweatband and a belt next

That's more maffs than I can deal with for a gym spreadsheet - does it mean that in my diminuitive stature i'm shifting "more" that some monster that weighs twice what I do lifting 2x?

Hmm... I don't doubt the math behind it, but from a motivation point of view you have put in a a lot of work to see your numbers shift much. Compared to measuring against BW which, to me at least, makes each increment gained feel like a bigger deal.

Anyways; here's me:
DL -> (m) 110.00KG@70.00KG BW = 82.43
Squat -> (m) 70.00KG@70.00KG BW = 52.46

https://wilkscalculator.com/