Matt's Strength log

[Matt Jones]

My goals are as follows

To be Stronger than everyone else - And Drop a little bodyfat along the way
Nice & simple

Right -I'll strart with yesterdays Deadlift workout

1 set of 8 reps with 60k
1 set , 8 reps 100k
1 set , 5 reps 140k
1 set , 5 reps 180k
1 set ,3 reps 220k
Single 240k (VERY easy ! - so ......... )
Attempted Single with 260k FAILED :017:

Hmmm - the 240 was so easy that I would have put money on the 260 going up ... ah well , wish I had got a couple more reps with the 240 now

Anyway - I then got dragged into conversation and lost my groove (grrrr)
& went back to do some reps with 240 and they were only going up one at a time -which was a shame - because the first one would have been at least a double - possibly a triple

So I gave up and went for a protein Drink :030: :030: :030:


I was quite pleased - always nice to get a workout over in just over 30 reps !

[PikeKing]

Impressive Deads there mate. Try 250 next time, sounds like 260 is just messing with your head.

[Robert]

Yeah, ditto PikeKing.

[Man of Steel]

Are your max's raw?

[Matt Jones]

Are your max's raw?

Yes mate - a little chalk maybe , but that last workout was chalk free - as the strongman contingent had dissapeared with the chalk on sunday :011:

:041: my "all time" bests are :041:
Squat 260
Deadlift 292.5
Partial Deadlift (just below knee) 320k
Bench 190k

I have never used a Belt or straps (in anger :048: ) since I have been training for strength - I did when I first began training as a bodybuilder , but the way I saw it , was if I didn't use them they would always be there in reserve ( make sense? )

[Matt Jones]

Impressive Deads there mate. Try 250 next time, sounds like 260 is just messing with your head.


Cheers mate !
you are right - I think I will skip from 220 to 250 next time I go heavy , 260 can wait for a few weeks

[Matt Jones]

I took an extra day off yesterday to hopefully kick my benching up a notch

Unfortunatley - Tonight both the incline bench & the Dumbell bench were very occupied , I really wanted to move some weight tonight so I decided to use the smith machine (:021: Shut up haters ! the smith machine is my freind )

Warmed up with the cage ( about 30k)

Then 1 x 8 with 70k
1 x 8 with 110k
1 x 5 with 150k
1 x 3 with 170k ( :023: )

Then I felt ill - so I called it a night :078:

Good and bad really
on the plus side I moved more weight that I wanted to (as per the plan )
But on the downside ,it was on the smith machine , and I could have got more if I hadn't aborted - possibly 180k single ?
Also - I haven't felt well enough to eat anything since so the workout was largely a waste of time anyway :022:

[BengDogg]

Damn Matt! your one strong mofo! Nice raw numbers mate! I hate it when you know you can lift something like your dead and then it doesent come up.

[Matt Jones]

Damn Matt! your one strong mofo! Nice raw numbers mate! I hate it when you know you can lift something like your dead and then it doesent come up.

Cheers Dude ! Its kind of a double edged thing though , its annoying to miss the attempt, but Its nice to know that there is a little left in the tank so to speak
I'd rather be just missing out & knowing it is gonna happen than stuck at a "concrete" plateau , hopefully I have a few months of improvements before I get to that point though
Just looked at your pics Dogg - nice gym ! I showed it to my wife and she said "No" before I even said anything
:022:
Ah well .....

[BengDogg]

Hahhaa lol! The Mrs always takes some persuading, it's the way forward for me, my town hasnt got a gym.

[Matt Jones]

Leg Day !

A bit of a downer this one :confused:

I have always squatted as low as I can physically go - but today my depth was called into question
We concluded that I have "Glenn Ross Dubious lockout syndrome" i.e. my Big legs are making it hard to tell where exactly parallel is !
And although we eventually all agreed I was going to depth but that was after lots of "testing" and comparing - which is just as well as I couldn't go any lower even with no weight on the bar -
This creates a problem for this PL comp we have coming up - as The judges won't have time to go into the detail we have today and will just void my lift
Hopefully wearing shorts on the day instead of Baggies will make it easier to tell - other than giving the judges ultrasound gear to use on the day there is not much else I can do :(

Anway - back to business
As soon as I took the first 20k plate off the rack I knew it wasn't gonna be anything spectacular today - it felt like a 50 !

1 x 8 - 60k
1 x 6 - 140k - then my depth was questioned so.....
1 x 20 - 20k -while being watched , prodded and had bars held to check if my knees were higher than my hips - grrr
1 x 6 - 140k (again!)
1 x 4 -1 180k (starting to feel a bit "maximal" now !)
1 x 3 - 200k ( strangely easier than the last set , so...)
2 x 1 - 220k Very hard - but successful

So on the whole not too bad - but a bit pissed about the depth thing
Coz there is nothing I can do about it - I have always squatted to rock bottom since day one - surely the judges must have this problem with all fat bastards and therefore have some scope for judging these things ?

[Black Knight]

Fcukin 'ell Matt, I wish my 'bad leg' days were like that!
'Judges using ultra sound equipment'. Now thats made me smile after a hard day at the chalk face!

[Robert]

Fcukin 'ell Matt, I wish my 'bad leg' days were like that!
'Judges using ultra sound equipment'. Now thats made me smile after a hard day at the chalk face!
Kids lifting your skirt up again mate?

[Matt Jones]

Arms today - I prefer to do Bis & tris together because the pump puts an inch or so on my arms & makes me feel good ! - this is just for entertainment purposes really - I feel my arms get more than enough stimulation from my other workouts really

two heavy exercises -

Close Grip BP
3 sets 10 - 8 - 5
Hammer Curls
3 sets 10 - 8 - 4

Then lots of pumping with
Triceps pushdowns
Dumbell curls
Dumbell French press
Reverse grip barbell curls

4 sets of 15 reps with each exercise

Excellent !! Arm training with high reps is Poor mans Synthol


:038: :038: :038: :038: :038: :038: :038: :038: :038: :038: :038: :038:

[Matt Jones]

Now I should mention that my training is very instinctive - this is something I have always done and I think it makes for enjoyable workouts
So if it appears that I have no structure to my workout - or I do something stupid , like train legs - then a day off , then Deadlifts , then legs the following day - it is because my instincts tell me to !

Soo .... today

Shoulders -
Seated Military Press
8 x 20k
8 x 40k
5 x 80k
two sets 3 x 100k
Then over to -
Smith Machine MP
6 x 90k
6 x 110k
3 x 130k
two singles x 140k

About 6 sets 10-15 reps upright rows , weight not relevant !

Could have probably done a bit more weight on all exercises - but was not sure about my spotter on the first exercise & the singles felt quite easy on the smith - couldn't get a second rep ,but may have managed a few more kilos though

[Black Knight]

Why do you perform both forms of MP?

[Matt Jones]

I only used to do either Smith machine seated or Standing free bar OHP

When training strongman stylee I found the maximal overload I get with Smith machine pressing carried straight over onto my log lift - So I have always liked Smith machine OHP for that reason

The intergym PL comp we are having is having Seated military press as one of the lifts (Bizarre , I know) so I am making an effort to "learn" the lift on appropriate equipment - but having said that I knew I was capablle of a greater poundage on the smith , So I will take it as far as I can on the free bar and then switch over to the smith to get the maximum overload possible on my shoulders

Once we have done this comp I will prob just do Smith machine OHP & Log lift

[Matt Jones]

For todays deadlift workout see last weeks -





Right -I'll strart with yesterdays Deadlift workout

1 set of 8 reps with 60k
1 set , 8 reps 100k
1 set , 5 reps 140k
1 set , 5 reps 180k
1 set ,3 reps 220k
Single 240k (VERY easy ! - so ......... )
Attempted Single with 260k FAILED :017:



I started good - but started getting pains in the centre of my chest after every set :confused: :049: :confused: :088: :088:

So the workout got as far as 240k (got a double as opposed to a single last week ! - cool , but then called it a day to avoid heart failure (yes , I am a hypocondriac )
But looking at it more rationally I appear to have caught my little boys chest infection - chest has become rattley and I've been coughing up all manner of things since leaving the gym
Looks like a bit of a setback occouring :(

[Matt Jones]

The "chest infection" didn't seem to amount to anything

Chest :019:

Not very productive ! not going to go into detail because it was an embarrasment of a workout - the highlight of which was a set of 4 x 140k (incline) - I know 4 x 140k doesn't sound that bad - but trust me - it was a REAL struggle !

I just don't feel powerful or in control during chest workouts - Bench presses do not seem to be working for me the same way Squats & deads do , I have reccouring shoulder problem (which hasn't reared its head yet this time around) but I am wondering if I am subconsciously holding back because of this

Might give up Benching for a month and just do Pec dec ... :confused:

[BengDogg]

Pec dec could be worse for your shoulder, I have niggles and find db's better on my shoulder than bench, also when you bench are you doing it tucked or with wide flared arms? Not telling my granny how to suck eggs but just trying to help your shoulder cos they are a bitch when they go

[Matt Jones]

Pec dec could be worse for your shoulder, I have niggles and find db's better on my shoulder than bench, also when you bench are you doing it tucked or with wide flared arms? Not telling my granny how to suck eggs but just trying to help your shoulder cos they are a bitch when they go


All my benching tends to get done with a quite narrow grip - just slightly wider than shoulder width , I find if i go wider it aggravates the aforementioned shoulder more
As for the "Egg sucking" I am no fountain of knowledge on training ! the reason I am stronger than your average Joe is purely Genetic - so please keep the advice /critcism /suggestions coming - thats what forums are for !

:)

[Matt Jones]

I have missed a couple of workouts somehow - but they were pretty uneventful & I can't be bothered to recall the details

Tonights Leg workout was a bit of a disaster

As you know I have been criticised on my squat depth so I am making a point of going as deep as possible

To this end I got one of the judges for our comp to watch me as I squatted I got 200k relatively easy - as I had "just missed" on 220k the last couple of times (depthwise - the lift itself wasn't too difficult) I made a point of actually stopping in the bottom position and asking for confirmation - so I could go a bit lower if needed ..... This didn't turn out to be one of my better Ideas
I came up about 3 inches then everything stopped - so I did the sensible thing , and rolled it over my head - second bad Idea !

I now have a sore head ,neck, back,shoulder & arm - I think I have done the most damage to my bicep though :( very painful

I did the rep again within 5 minutes to try and avoid a mental barrier being forged - and got it , but I don't feel like celebrating much :(

Much pain - much pain

Now I'll have the "train safely" brigade lecturing me for the rest of my life ..... bah !

[Black Knight]

Sorry to hear that, Matt. You won't get any lectures from me-not with my track record of injuring myself!
Showed some guts squatting it again after that-good stuff!

[BengDogg]

If it helps mat, i feel your pain, i burnt my finger on a light builb quite badly tonight and dont know if i can dead lift tommorow now cos i may not have the grip for it :(

[Matt Jones]

Sorry to hear that, Matt. You won't get any lectures from me-not with my track record of injuring myself!
Showed some guts squatting it again after that-good stuff!


Cheers - I really didn't want to but I thought it would have given me a mental block if I didn't do it straight away

The pain seems to be getting worse ! Stupid,stupid thing to do

[Robert]

Are you the artist formerly known as Zoidberg? Or am I as confused as pikeking is about his sexuality?

[PikeKing]

Or am I as confused as pikeking is about his sexuality?
LMAO!! Cheeky Fcuker!!

[Matt Jones]

If it helps mat, i feel your pain, i burnt my finger on a light builb quite badly tonight and dont know if i can dead lift tommorow now cos i may not have the grip for it :(

Jeez - I'm sorry to hear that , try to stay positive

Just goes to show - theres always someone worse off !


BTW - Yes Robert - I was once known a Dr Zoidberg (still am over at MT)

[Matt Jones]

Journal is on hold due to a bad cold - normal service will be resumed as soon as I can breath again

[BengDogg]

Injuries ok from the bar incident?

[Matt Jones]

yes mate - no lasting damage done - Thanks for asking , Has that finger of yours healed yet ?

This cold I have just had was one of those where your whole body aches - I have a feeling it was beginning just after the midshap - so I think I thought my "injuries" were worse than they actually were !

I had a little go at Chest yesterday - just a generic , bodybuilder style workout to pump a little blood around - nothing heavy by any means

[BengDogg]

Yep but my knees are ****ed (temporary only) lol! We are a rough bunch of injured sods

[Matt Jones]

hooray -at last something positive to report !

Got back into training ( have had a couple of half arsed workouts since last post - but sort of "pumpy" going through the motions workouts )

But back to business today

Deadlift (started to use 50k & 25k plates instead of 20's - after my last dl session I have decided I spend too loing warming up / pyramiding )

So
70k x 5
120k x 5
170k x 5
220k x 3
240k x 1
242.5k x 1 ( was dertermined to have some increase on PB - but felt easy so )
250k x 1 ! - ( the string broke on my joggies - lol )

Excellent to make some progress ! I Know 250k is hardly a world record - but to get past that stupid 240k sticking point meant a lot to me - I feel invincible now ....Grrrrrr !

[BengDogg]

You think youve got more there still? 250kg ok or hard for u?

[Matt Jones]

Dont think I could have managed any more today - but it wasn't like I had to fight all the way up to get the rep or anything - I am confident I'll be up to 270 by Xmas - or long term 300 by spring - onwards and upwards !

[BengDogg]

Impressive!

[Matt Jones]

Impressive!


Will be when I get to 300 !

[DMPM]

You're a beast mate. That's an awesome deadlift.

[Matt Jones]

wahey !
Got another 10k on my deadlift today (260k now !) not bad considering I was hobbling around like a wounded duck on Saturday

Sorry I haven't been keeping the journal up - but been having some PC probs among other things
but should be all sorted now !

Heres how it went - the aim of the workout was to get as many reps as I could with 220k rather than go maximal - but the 220 seemed so light that I kept going

so -
5 x 60
5 x 100
5 x 140
5 x 180
5 x 220 ( amazed me! )
1 x 240
1 x 260 ( easy !! come on!! ) :042: :042: <buff> :029: :042: :042:

I am well happy with this - looks like my 300k is getting closer !