Done a back workout yesterday (7th March) but went light with super strict form as my lower back was feeling tight and slightly sore. Not sure why it keeps doing this, I think I will try some specific core work once a week i.e. planks, crunches etc + more lower back stretching and see if that helps.

Also I naused my left elbow up doing tricep pushdowns with the v-bar the other night - I never use a v-bar, now I know why. It hurts when I my elbow goes to full extension, so assume that I over extended my left arm doing them. I'm hoping that it can't be that bad as I didn't feel anything whilst doing them.

Not really sure how much benefit I get from going light as today my muscles feel really fresh with no DOMS (muscle aches) what so ever. Oh my grip still sucks, tried to do some dumbbell rows without straps and only managed 8 reps, then again I didn't expect anything else as I haven't been doing any grip training.

Still not sure about the weight on these cable machines (lat pulldown & low cable row), I am pretty certain it is in the region of 300lbs but the weight isn't evenly distributed i.e. first 9 plates are a lot smaller than the final 10 plates.

Also threw in some token arms at the end - I still hate doing biceps!

Bent over rows
60kg x 10
80kg x 6
100kg x 16

DB Rows
50kg x 8 (no straps)
50kg x 15

Cable rows
6/19 x 8
10/19 x 8
13/19 x 8

Wide grip pulldowns
8/19 x 10
13/19 x 7

Cable pullovers with rope
25kg x 8
50kg x 10
40kg x 10
30kg x 12 (drop set)

Face pulls
35kg x 10
50kg x 12

Dumbbell curls
10kg x 12
17.5kg x 12

At the moment I have averaged 4 hours sleep a night over the last 5 nights, we are trying a new bed time routine with the kids and it is proving difficult. I'm really knackered, I think I am going slightly mental with sleep deprivation!!! Being a dad isn't easy.

Only just managed to haul myself to the gym after work today and here is the workout. On a positive note, I had Nandos for lunch (half chicken - spice level hot, fries, spicy rice and wings). I haven't eaten there for ages and forgot how decent it is and as a double bonus I didn't have to pay - life doesn't get much better than that eh?

Plate loaded chest press
40kg x 12

Dips (bodyweight in clothes 107kg)
Bodyweight x 8
Bodyweight + 20kg x 6
Bodyweight + 45kg x 6,5

DB Incline flyes
22.5kg x 8
32.5kg x 12, 8

Lying DB extensions
15kg x 8
25kg x 8

Seated lateral raises
12.5kg x 8
20kg x 8
15kg x 8 (drop set)
10kg x 10 (drop set)

Seated DB front raises
12.5kg x 6
20kg x 10

V-bar pushdowns
55kg x 8
85kg x 13

Exercise bike
10mins average h.r 146 - luckily no sweaty b*stard training next to me tonight

Legs day. Back still sore when doing the leg presses but on a positive it isn't as sore as what it was, I think the stiff deads are helping.

After I done legs I done some cardio and this dude next to me on the exercise bike was sweating like a pig. It was seriously bad, so bad it put me off my cardio (not that it takes much to do that). I ain't joking but sweat was pouring off his head and nose, there was literally a puddle of sweat on the floor and the bike was covered in it. I think he was trying to impress a girl that was working out on a bike near him. Don't know what planet the guy was on if he thought this was impressive. These people should be banned as it just ain't hygenic, forget dropping a barbell after a set of heavy deads, this kind of stuff to me is the worse gym etiquette. He could wipe himself down with a towel every now and then or train with a hoody or hat to absorb some of that sh*t.

Anyways enough ranting, here is the workout, still not at 100% but strength seems to be going in the right direction at last, although stll feel weak.

Legpress (proper full range reps)
50kg x 12
100kg x 8
150kg x 6
200kg x 6
250kg x 6
300kg x 5
350kg x 6
200kg x 20

Stiff deads with 10kg plates for greater range of motion
40kg x 10
60kg x 6
80kg x 6
100kg x 6
125kg x 8

Exercise bike
10mins average h.r 147

5mins stretching

Change of plans, was planning to do legs today but my knee is slightly gouty so have switched to chest. As my bench well and truly sucks big time at the moment, I am moving onto some weighted dips. I can't remember the last time I did these but hopefully I can get my bench back up off the back of these. The rest of the workout was fairly easy i.e. machines or isolation workout. Trying not to overtrain at the moment (maybe doing the drop sets were a bad idea?)

Plate loaded chest press
40kg x 15

Dips (bodyweight in clothes 107kg)
Bodyweight x 8
Bodyweight + 20kg x 6
Bodyweight + 40kg x 7

Plate loaded Incline chest press
40kg x 6
80kg x 5
110kg x 3
80kg x 5 (drop set)
60kg x 6 (drop set)
40kg x 10 (drop set)

DB Incline flyes
20kg x 8
32.5kg x 9

Dips
Bodyweight x 9

Lying DB extensions
12.5kg x 10
22.5kg x 9

Rope pushdowns
35kg x 8
65kg x 13

Tried to up the weight a bit tonight but still nothing there? Being weak sucks!

A bit weird but I decided to throw some dumbbell shoulder presses in, as I haven't done them in ages, I didn't do too badly on these all things considering - so at least that is a plus.

DB shoulder presses
20kg x 10
30kg x 6
40kg x 9

Bent Rows
60kg x 10
80kg x 6
100kg x 6
130kg x 4
100kg x 10

Cable rows (not sure what weight the stack is, I think it is a 300lb stack)
8/19 x 8
10/19 x 8
13/19 x 8

Wide grip pulldowns (not sure what weight the stack is, I think it is a 250lb stack)
8/19 x 8
10/19 x 8
13/19 x 10

Cable pullovers with rope
35kg x 10
50kg x 10

Face pulls
35kg x 10
60kg x 9

Plate loaded pulldowns
50kg x 8
100kg x 10

Legs today, my lower back is still hurting. I get a pain when I do stuff like walking up and down stairs and standing up from a seated position. I done some leg press but felt it quite bad, it is when I push with my legs I get a sharp pain in the right side of my lower lumbar region. I decided to do some stiff legged deadlifts afterwards with the theory of kill or cure, the stretch seems to have helped a bit, so will try that for a while. I can't wait for the pain to go, so I can start training legs properly.

The weird thing is, I had no pain at all doing the stiff deads but I could really feel it on the leg press. You would think it would be the other way round? I suppose with the stiffs I am not doing any pushing with my quads.

Legpress (proper full range reps)
50kg x 12
100kg x 8
150kg x 6
200kg x 6
250kg x 6
300kg x 5
340kg x 6

Single leg - legpress (proper full range reps)
50kg x 20

Stiff deads with 10kg plates for greater range of motion
40kg x 10
60kg x 6
80kg x 6
100kg x 6
120kg x 8

Plate loaded kick back machine
60kg x 6
85kg x 6
110kg x 6
135kg x 13

Exercise bike
10mins average h.r 142

Done some chest today and I am getting weaker by the day???

My last chest session I managed 125kg for 3 reps which is shit and the session before I managed 130kg for 2 reps, followed by 125kg for 3 reps (still dirt). Today I only managed 125kg for 2 reps!!!

I really don't know what is wrong with me, I have come up with some theories:

1. Not fully recovered from being sick
2. Chest is overtrained
3. Immune system boosting supplementation has naused my hormones up
4. Not sleeping enough
5. Change of protein powder to Reflex Natural Whey from Muscle form VX pro concentrate
6. Getting old

To try and solve this problem:

1. I won't train chest for at least 10days, apart from maybe some really light dumbbell work for high reps and low sets to deload.
2. The extra 10 days will mean an extra 10 days of sickness recovery.
3. I am cutting down on immune system booster supplementation
4. Can't really do much about sleep
5. I have 7kg of this powder left and economically can't just switch back
6. Not much I can do about this

If this doesn't work, then I am f*cked and will probably be benching 60kg for 2 reps in a years time!

Below is todays crap workout

Flat benchpress
20kg x 12
60kg x 8
80kg x 6
100kg x 3
125kg x 2

Incline DB flyes
20kg x 10
32.5kg x 12

Plate loaded Incline press
40kg x 6
80kg x 6
110kg x 4
80kg x 4 (drop set)
60kg x 10 (drop set)

Rope pushdowns
35kg x 10
50kg x 8
75kg x 10
55kg x 4 (drop set)
40kg x 6, 4, 4 (drop set then rest pause reps)

Standing DB laterals
10kg x 10
15kg x 8
17.5kg x 12
15kg x 8 (drop set)

Single arm DB laterals
10kg x 15, 12