Madcows - Week 5, Day 2

SQUAT

Barx10

40kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

85kgx5

85kgx5

NOTES: Tight and fast.

OVERHEAD PRESS

Barx10

40kgx5

45kgx5

52.5kgx5

59kgx5

NOTES: Really easily actually, the last two workouts of OHP I've felt like I had a really strong base to press from. 

DEADLIFT

60kgx5

80kgx5

100kgx5

115kgx5

132.5kgx5

NOTES: Hands were sweaty as fuck, made this harder than I'd like. Better be reading for 135kg next week. 

DB ROWS

36kgx8

36kgx8

36kgx14 PR

NOTES: These were good, should have done another set all the same.

WORKOUT NOTES: Worked out with Phil, this went really well. Ended up only taking an hour to do this workout which is pretty good time considering there were two of us. Going to do Day 3 on Tuesday night, then repeat Day 3 next week after I get back from a 1 week trip to Birdsville for work.

Madcows - Week 5, Day 1

SQUAT

Barx15

40kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

85kgx5

95kgx5

105kgx6 

NOTES: Easy as pie, this was a great start to the workout. Descent was controlled and all my angles were good. Did an extra rep just to remind myself that there's a whole lot of improvement to come.

BENCH

Barx12

40kgx5

50kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

82.5kgx5

NOTES: This is technically a PR because my current PR is 85kgx5 @80kg and this was done at just under 74kg. These were tough but I have more in me. 

PENDLAY ROW

40kgx5

50kgx5

60kgx5

67.5kgx5

75kgx5 PR

NOTES: Strong, the 5th rep felt much better than the 3rd rep the other night.

DIPS

BW+20kgx5

BW+20kgx5

BW+20kgx5

BW+20kgx5

BW+20kgx10 PR

NOTES: Haven't done dips in months and these felt awesome. Literally felt like I could have had 10 sets of 5.

WORKOUT NOTES: Best workout so far of Madcows, once again. Killed it with the squats and continued with that. Need to sort my bench out before I stupidly stall, so maybe some active release tomorrow. The row PRs keep coming, just need to use the same form I used last night in coming weeks, controlled but with a fast pull. And well, the dips speak for themselves, so easy (until the last set). Deadlifts, OHP and DB rows tomorrow.

Madcows - Week 4, Day 3

SQUAT

Barx10

40kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

85kgx5

95kgx5

105kgx3

85kgx8

NOTES: 85kg was slow but the sets after that were locked in and easy, need to focus on keeping that right knee in check.

BENCH

Barx15

40kgx5

50kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

82.5kgx3

60kgx8

NOTES: These were all over the place, rushed through the sets and didn't get a strong bar path. Need to keep cueing myself that the bar is a wall.

PENDLAY ROW

40kgx5

50kgx5

60kgx5

67.5kgx5

75kgx3 PR

60kgx8

NOTES: Poor effort, I need more rest between sets to be able to smash them out properly with good speed.

INCLINE DB BENCH

28.5kgx10 PR

28.5kgx10 PR

28.5kgx10 PR

NOTES: These were really tough, first set wasn't bad but the last set was a struggle from rep 4. Managed to grind it out, good improvement on these since I started at 28.5kgx6 just a few weeks ago.

WORKOUT NOTES: This was a successful workout that could have gone much smoother if I had a tad more energy and didn't rush it. I'm a little worried about how hard benching was, but I also tend to think I was just didn't approach it in the right way and so it messed with my strength. The golden advice from this workout is to rest more I think, I run through the warm up sets on most exercises in under 10 minutes, and only resting 2 minutes before top sets. Need to eat a lot today and tomorrow and smash the 'heavy' day on Thursday. 

Madcows - Week 4, Day 2

SQUAT

Barx15

40kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

80kgx5

80kgx5

NOTES: These didn't go as fast nor as 'groovy' as I would have liked, I'll need to focus better for next workout and 105kgx3.

OVERHEAD PRESS

Barx10

40kgx5

45kgx5

50kgx5

57.5kgx5

NOTES: Not a problem, I was worried I was in for a tough day when 45kg felt slow, but 50kg went up really fast and 57.5kgx5 was money; had another in me and maybe even another if I hadn't paced myself for 5 reps.

DEADLIFT

60kgx5

80kgx5

100kgx5

115kgx5

130kgx5

NOTES: Absolute cake. I had another 3 reps in me I think, form was tight and the bar was moving fast off the floor. I was worried about this weight but I don't know why, 115kg felt like 100kg.

DB ROWS

36kgx8

36kgx8

NOTES: Not enough time to do too many sets, but these were feeling good regardless.

WORKOUT NOTES: Best workout so far of Madcows, everything after squats were fast, in the groove and explosive. I will need to be ready for the next workout, which is 105kgx3 squats, 82.5kgx3 bench and 75kgx3 rows. AW YEAH WEIGHTS YEA

Madcows - Week 3, Day 3

SQUAT

Barx15

40kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

80kgx5

90kgx5

102.5kgx3

NOTES: Easy money, everything was feeling good. I was getting a bit of ropiness in my left hamstring during the warm ups and it felt like it might get twingey, so I rolled out the outside of the hamstring and it fixed it right up. Bruises all over my hamstrings this morning from rolling, the wife was not impressed by my masochism. Took a slightly wider stance and pushed knees out more than usual.

BENCH

Barx15

40kgx5

50kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

80kgx3

NOTES: Easy stuff, last rep was on the road to being grinding but only because my right wrist position was for shit. Overall I see a lot of potential improvement here, my mental cues for the lift are improving and it’s showing through in the speed of the reps.

PENDLAY ROW

40kgx5

50kgx5

57.5kgx5

65kgx5

72.5kgx5

NOTES: Last two reps were annoyingly hard, I should have rested more. I did all these sets in around 8 minutes, which is ridiculous now I think about it. Just need to remember to set my back and keep my forearms loose before the initial pull.

INCLINE DB BENCH

28.5kgx8

28.5kgx8

28.5kgx9 PR

NOTES: This was great, last time I could only get 7 and this time I exceeded my goal of 8. Reps were super controlled with no lockout at the top, I think next time I should go for 2x10 and 1xAMRAP if it’s feeling good. 

WORKOUT NOTES: This was a strange workout. I finished it in 38 minutes, which is good; but I forgot the 1x8 back off sets on every exercise as well as doing 5 reps instead of 3 on pendlay rows. Oh well, I’ll do the same amount of reps next workout with the back off set included.

Apart from that weirdness it went swimmingly, with everything feeling pretty solid. It has definitely helped now I’ve started upping my carbs again, which I think will have to continue in a big way to get through the next 2 months or so of the program. 

Madcows - Week 3, Day 2

SQUAT

Barx10

40kgx5

60kgx5

70kgx5

80kgx5

80kgx5

NOTES: These felt like shit the first few sets, still really sore from 7 games of ultimate last Saturday. The 70 and 80kg sets felt great, nice and slow but strong. I like these recovery squat sets.

OVERHEAD PRESS

Barx10

35kgx5

42.5kgx5

50kgx5

55kgx5

DEADLIFT

60kgx5 

NOPE

NOTES: 50kgx5 was tougher than it should have been, but 55kgx5 was simple enough (probably had another 1-2 reps in me). Really good form today even though strength wasn't the best.

STANDING DB PRESS

22kgx5 PR

16kgx10

16kgx8

16kgx8

NOTES: These messed me up something good. Need to remember to not fully lockout and keep tension on the lateral delts, as well as not instinctively push me chest up as I would in regular OHP.

DB ROWS

36kgx8

38.5kgx6

38.5kgx6

38.5kgx10 PR

NOTES: These feel more locked in every time, the last set was touch and go until rep 8, great mind-muscle connection on these with my lats; now just need to engage my traps more.

WORKOUT NOTES: I wasn't feeling very strong because my hamstrings were sore from ultimate. The right one felt terrible just warming up for deadlifts, so I didn't see the point in attempting 130kgx5 and hurting myself. 

Actually most exercises went well, the standing DB press needs some form work but apart from that squats were smooth, OHP was solid and I went quite heavy on the rows and still smashed it so a good day overall. 

Time to start eating more carbs and stop this recomp silliness.