ELLIOTT’S FITNESS PPR

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

Hi folks,

 

I’m going to be using this thread as an online journal for my training over the winter now that I am returning to proper strength training. Feel free to voyeur and watch my progress or comment your support 👌

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

Each session I will post my main compound lifts and the sets reps etc. It will look like this:

 

setsXrepsXweight

 

for example:

 

1x5@127.5kg

means 1 set of 5 reps using 127.5kg of weight.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 16th November 2020

SESSION: Week 1 Day 1

CALORIES: 2790kcals

SESSION:

 

Main compounds:

Squats 1x5@130kg

Squats 2x8@110kg

Overhead Press 3x8@55kg

 

FEELINGS: 

First session back went really well. Nothing too heavy and plenty more in the tank. It's lovely to get some battle bites on the back again from the squats. Calories were a bit shy of my goal of 3000kcals but you can only do what you can do!

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

 

DATE: 18th November 2020

SESSION: Week 1 Day 2

CALORIES: 2900kcals

SESSION:

 

Main compounds:

Deadlifts 3x4@160kg

Bench Press 1x3@110kg

Bench Press 2x10@85kg

 

FEELINGS: 

Deadlifts make you real humble, real fast. My hands are so soft from all this god dam hand washing we have been doing and I have really good lifting bars, the knurling on my deadlift bar is like a razorblades so holding on for 4 reps was killer! Still, it felt really good and looking forward to getting back up to some decent numbers again. Loving the bench press, it's my big goal for the next 10 weeks, I want to crack 150kg, ambitious but with good programming and nutrition I should be able to get close.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 20th November 2020

SESSION: Week 1 Day 3

CALORIES: 2890kcals

SESSION:

 

Main compounds:

Squats 3x4@130kg

Floor press 3x8@60kg

 

FEELINGS: 

The end of the week is always hard for me but today’s session was really good. My squats moved really well and I had no knee pain (the constant barrier I face until I can get surgery). It was lovely getting a visit in the gym from Maddie just before she went to bed.

Floor press was great and I could have put quite a bit more on but I really wanted to focus on exploding off the floor to fire up those triceps. Did some lovely accessories after all that too and got a nice pump. Now for some lovely rib eye steak and an episode of the mandalorian!

[Diddums 4,346]

Good to see you back on form dude! Always interesting seeing the sort of commitment it takes to do this, and how quickly it all turns to crud when you stop. Crack on, keep those updates coming 😎

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

1 hour ago, Diddums said:

Good to see you back on form dude! Always interesting seeing the sort of commitment it takes to do this, and how quickly it all turns to crud when you stop. Crack on, keep those updates coming 😎

It’s amazing how quickly I’ve lost my strength levels, it’s also amazing how quickly it can come back. It certainly is lovely being a proper program again rather than just going in the gym and limping through sessions you make up as you go

[Diddums 4,346]

1 hour ago, Middle Class Caveman said:

It’s amazing how quickly I’ve lost my strength levels, it’s also amazing how quickly it can come back. It certainly is lovely being a proper program again rather than just going in the gym and limping through sessions you make up as you go

 

As you'll have guessed from my questions before, the reason I'm not in to fitness is for that exact reason, I've no clue what I'm doing and no targets / goals. I think if I had something to work towards I'd be a lot more motivated to get stuck in. Hopefully this rona bollocks will fuck off soon and I can give it another go, but this time I'll hire a PT and do it properly. 

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

5 hours ago, Diddums said:

 

As you'll have guessed from my questions before, the reason I'm not in to fitness is for that exact reason, I've no clue what I'm doing and no targets / goals. I think if I had something to work towards I'd be a lot more motivated to get stuck in. Hopefully this rona bollocks will fuck off soon and I can give it another go, but this time I'll hire a PT and do it properly. 

I would highly recommend getting some proper professional advice as it’s the difference between winning and losing. You’re always welcome at my place mate. Come over on the weekend, bring Kyla, we will throw some dead cow on the BBQ and give you a run through in the gym 💪

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 21st November 2020

SESSION: Week 1 Day 4

CALORIES: 3600kcals

SESSION:

 

Main compounds:

 

3 Second Pause Deadlifts 4x2@150kg

2 Second Pause Bench Press 3x5@95kg

 

FEELINGS: 

 

4th and final session of the week. Calories were high today thanks to some nice treats from the wife, made for a fun session as there’s nothing quite like a carbed up body ready to roar.

 

Deadlifts were tricky as 3 seconds is a long time to hold onto a weight at any point of the lift, let alone 2” off the ground (my weak spot). You have to really dig deep not to cheat and to hold onto your form.

 

Bench was great fun, pause is my favourite variation as it really allows me to wind up tight and drive from my heels, hips and lats. Watch the video, you can see my whole pelvis twitch as I power it off my chest. Sexual. 

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

END OF WEEK 1

 

BODYWEIGHT: 105kg (forgot to weigh myself last Sunday sorry!)

 

FEELINGS:

A great start to this 10 week program. Hit all my numbers, kept my calories some what consistent. I’m going to sneak in an extra little session today to do some pump work (arms, shoulders and core) as these are my areas of development.

 

NEXT WEEKS GOALS:

 

1. Drink 2.5litres of water a day

3. Consistently eat more than 3000kcals a day

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 23rd November 2020

SESSION: Week 2 Day 1

CALORIES: 2900kcsls

SESSION:

 

Main compounds:

 

Deadlifts 3x3@160kg

Sumo Box Squats 3x6@105kg

 

FEELINGS: 

 

I swear that god is out to stop me getting strong. Today was a pig of a day at work, which has made getting food in hard, drinking water hard etc. The session went ok, the deadlifts felt heavier than they should but that’s what happens when you’re up at 6am and train at 7pm after a full on day at work.

 

What doesn’t break you, builds you. We go again. Here’s a video of me doing calf raises...

[G_dub52 559]

Nailing it dude! awesome to see the dedication! keep it going man 👍

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

4 minutes ago, G_dub52 said:

Nailing it dude! awesome to see the dedication! keep it going man 👍

Thanks dude, it is so much harder now I’m a dad in terms of energy levels and poor sleep but you just have to align your expectations with reality and get done what you can. Especially at my age too

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 25th November 2020

SESSION: Week 2 Day 2

CALORIES: 3400kcals

SESSION:

 

Main compounds:

 

Bench press 1x2@115kg

Bench press 3x6@100kg

Overhead press 3x4@65kg

 

FEELINGS: 

 

I really enjoyed my session tonight, I came home to a dirty burger and chips the wife ordered as she didn’t want to cook so that went down a treat and fuelled some great bench press. I’m still holding back, it is rather tedious if I’m honest but you just have to trust the process and ease into it. The top set on bench 115kgx2 was super easy, I will put the video up and you will see how fast it moves. This was supposed to be RPE 8, which means I should only have another 2 reps left in the tank after my set. To be honest I had another 4 or 5 at that weight. 

 

Slowly, slowly. 

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

 

DATE: 27th November 2020

SESSION: Week 2 Day 3

CALORIES: unknown

SESSION:

 

Main compounds:

 

Squat 3x6@125kg

 

FEELINGS:

 

Days like today are the reason I won’t ever be back in the same shape I was in my 20s. No water, no breakfast, poor food choices, lots of sugar, lots of caffeine. Feel like actual death right now, only myself to blame. My squats went well though and managed a few accessories before the kid pooped all over herself and I was summoned back indoors. Still, we got our session in. Tomorrow is Saturday, a day I can control. We go again.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 28th November 2020

SESSION: Week 2 Day 4

CALORIES: 2670kcal

SESSION:

 

Main compounds:

 

Close Grip Bench Press 3x12@80kg

Pendlay Row 3x10@60kg

 

FEELINGS:

 

Saturdays are always great fun as I can train when it’s still light, be somewhat not tired and train with my friends (fuck you lockdown, we do what we want in Elliotts Gym). Some great work today, this session is mostly accessory style work to help bring up the main lifts. We played some loud music, measured our biceps (the lads didn’t believe I had the biggest arms, I do, 18” baby!) and paid our dues to the iron messiah.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 30th November 2020

SESSION: Week 3 Day 1

CALORIES: 3100kcal

SESSION:

 

Squats 1x8@125kg

Squats 2x6@120kg

Overhead Press 3x8@58kg

 

FEELINGS:

 

I love starting the week strong, they say never miss a Monday and there is definitely some truth in that. Squats went well, I’ve actually just treated myself to some proper compression massage leggings, expensive tech - I will show some pictures when it arrives. Hopefully this will help with my bad knee. Overall, a good day.

[GazzaGarratt 11,049]

Loving the updates mate. Did you feel like you have to give yourself extra motivation before you start a Monday's fitness regime @Middle Class Caveman ?

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

17 minutes ago, GazzaGarratt said:

Loving the updates mate. Did you feel like you have to give yourself extra motivation before you start a Monday's fitness regime @Middle Class Caveman ?

Motivation is a tricky one, when you’ve done something for so long it’s more of a habit so you just do it because you’ve always done it - if that makes sense? 
 

some habits are easy to keep, others hard. Having my gym 4 steps from my house make it real easy to just go out there, going to a cool gym would also make it nice and easy. So I think rather than motivation, we just need to make the environment for hard work to happen, happen.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 2nd December 2020

SESSION: Week 3 Day 2

CALORIES: 3089kcal

SESSION:

 

Deadlifts 4x2@170kg

Bench Press 1x6@100kg

Bench Press 2x8@90kg

 

 

FEELINGS:

 

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been able to so weighted pull ups, let along on the rings (these make pull ups much more difficult). In the video I’m not super happy with how high I went so I made sure to really pull on the other 2 sets. Still 3 sets of 4 reps with an additional 10kg (10%ish of my body weight) is a good place to start. 

 

Deadlifts went good, bench moved well. All in all, a solid session.

[GazzaGarratt 11,049]

On 12/1/2020 at 3:36 PM, Middle Class Caveman said:

Motivation is a tricky one, when you’ve done something for so long it’s more of a habit so you just do it because you’ve always done it - if that makes sense? 
 

some habits are easy to keep, others hard. Having my gym 4 steps from my house make it real easy to just go out there, going to a cool gym would also make it nice and easy. So I think rather than motivation, we just need to make the environment for hard work to happen, happen.

 

Yep, I hear you on that. Force of habit is a kicker for most things life, even this place.

 

How big your home gym? I think this will be the way for me to get more exercise, via an outbuilding that we can use within seconds. I'd probably get up earlier each day to do something as I can't go to gyms or many external runs cos of getting kids ready and sorting dogs out, etc.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

1 hour ago, GazzaGarratt said:

 

Yep, I hear you on that. Force of habit is a kicker for most things life, even this place.

 

How big your home gym? I think this will be the way for me to get more exercise, via an outbuilding that we can use within seconds. I'd probably get up earlier each day to do something as I can't go to gyms or many external runs cos of getting kids ready and sorting dogs out, etc.

It’s 12ft by 18ft but you really don’t need a massive building like that. I coach clients so a bit of movement in there is key. A simple garden shed can get you going! 

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 5th December 2020

SESSION: Week 3 Day 3

CALORIES: 3089kcal

SESSION:

 

Squat 4x4@128kg

2 Second Paused Bench Press 4x5@95kg

 

 

 

FEELINGS:

 

Well this week didn’t go to plan and I missed my Friday session. Fortunately I was still able to mix my two sessions and get most of the work done. Not a great week, some emotional shit surfacing again but I got my work in and hit my numbers.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

DATE: 7th December 2020

SESSION: Week 4 Day 1

CALORIES: 3100kcal

SESSION:

 

Deadlift 2x2@200kg

Deadlift 3x3@170kg

Box squat 4x4@60kg

 

FEELINGS:

 

Today was so weird, so many emotional extremes in one day and then training at 7pm....I don’t know why but I just shut down my brain and moved some weight, so much so that I actually pulled a serious amount of weight, twice.

 

Tonight’s session called for 1x2 on deadlift @175kg but the RPE was supposed to be a 9. RPE is Rate of Perceived Exertion. Essentially, how hard you need to work. RPE9 is when you only have 1 more rep left in the tank after finishing the set. I pulled 170kg for 2 and I had LOADS more in the tank. So on went 200kg for the easiest double I’ve ever done. I think I had 210kg in me today to be honest but I wanted to get some really good sets and reps in after. 3x3 with 170kg is nothing to be sniffed at!

 

A great session!