Keeping a log book

The benefits of logging your workouts are countless. They aid in keeping you accountable within your training, so you can't be excused for lowering intensity for unnecessary means, especially when training solo. And tracking and beating numbers, in terms of technique improvements, more weight used, or more reps performed, is the basis of progressive overload, therefore creating an optimal climate for muscle growth I started logging sessions in 2017, and have just finished my fourth log book. I will gradually upload the workouts from the most recent full book, from July 2020-2021. I believe the log book is an invaluable tool, which is why when you sign up for a block of PT sessions, you will be given a BBB exclusive hard-back note-book. So you will not only be able to quantitatively measure how much you are progressing. But you will also be able to take it away with you to use the sessions as templates in your own future training. HB
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Pull-ups

BODYWEIGHT PLANS

Legs

  1.  Squats
    1. Aim for 50-100 reps in as few sets as possible
    2. Can change foot placement and work on improving depth throughout
  2. Lunges
    1. At least two sets of 12 reps per leg, aka 24 total steps if walking lunges
    2. E.g., walking lunges, step forward/backwards, up/down box
  3. Alternating mountain climbers
    1. Two sets of 20 reps each leg minimum
    2. Harder as lower to the floor, from press-up position on hands, to elbows on bench, then floor
  4. Hip thrusts
    1. 3 sets of 8-12 reps
    2. Vary through back on floor vs on raised on back, or single vs dual leg
  5. Box jumps
    1. 20 in as few sets as possible
    2. Can add reps, and increase box height. Try jumping from single vs dual leg

Core

  1. Superset 1- no rest between
    1. Mountain climbers- 20 reps per leg
    2. Plank- as long as possible
  2. Handing knee raise
    1. Two-three sets of 6-10 reps twice a week ideal
    2. Ideally keeping legs bent at 90º throughout
  3. Russian twist
    1. Bum is only point of contact with floor- raise feet also if possible
  4. Lying straight leg raise
    1. Sit on hands if need aid

Upper

  1. Dips- 3x10+
    1. E.g., off the end of sofa
  2. Wide-grip flat press-ups- 2x8-10
    1. Can perform on knees if too tough
  3. Close-grip press-ups- 2x8+
    1. Hands up on bench or counter to make easier
  4. Ideally pull-up bar/make-shift inverted row
    1. Dante Trudel specialty-https://tinyurl.com/4s8fcse9
    2. Can place general pole between two chairs etc to make similar set-up
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Upper session (18/09/21)

Today's upper body session went as follows: Started with lower body physio to warm-
  1. SL calf raise (upper half only)- 0x6, 0x12
  2. SL hamstring banded iso's- Red x45s, Rx70s
  3. Hanging knee raises (knees bent 90º throughout)- 6, 6
Upper work:
  1. Arm warm
    1. SA banded tricep pushdown- Rx10, Rx12
    2. SA banded bicep curl- Rx12, Rx15
  2. Deadlift- 60x10, 80x10
    1. Working my way back up from hamstring injury, so currently focusing on the concentric.
  3. Smith shoulder press- 50x9, 40x12
  4. Lying DB external rotation- 5x10, 5x7x10s iso
  5. Dips w/ band- Black x11
    1. I've broken my right eblow and had 3 subsequent surgeries to repair bone, muscle and nerve damage, and as a result dips have never been possible. The reverse band has been a great tool for reducing the strain in my elbows
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Recovering injured ankle

Six years ago I rolled my ankle in a football match and tore some ligaments. Combined with the surgical repair the following year, I was left with a lot of scar tissue, stiffness, and instability. To combat this, I always start my workouts with a calf movement. My upper sessions start with a calf move emphasising the contraction, and mind-muscle connection. Then my leg days start with a stretch-focused calf move. One upper session I will perform a single leg calf exercise, to help with balance and control at the lockout. Then I stretch them separately after the exercise. On the alternate upper session I do a bilateral calf move, but again focus on the top half only. I'm trying to keeping good alignment, not letting my ankle them roll out or knee twist in. Again, still stretching after. Leg days are when I perform heavier calf exercises emphasising the full stretch, which are more hypertrophy focused, rather than injury rehab and mobility management.
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Range of motion

After working on my hamstring rehab, to the point where it felt safe and stable through full ranges and long (90s+) iso holds, I removed the safety bars from squats, and worked on getting deeper into the stretch.  I completely reset weights, with first session barely hitting 40kg for 10 reps on a safety squat bar (SSB), but with hamstrings to calves depth. About 6 sessions later I'm back over 100kg for reps, but still maintaining focus on form and control through full range over anything.  I alternate these with squats in the smith machine on another leg day, again allowing me to get my knee fully flexed and stretch the quads as much as possible.  Even with these sub-maximal loads, compared heavier but higher pin-squats in previous phase, the growth in my legs has been much greater now, training through full ROM, compounding the info many of the industry’s best coaches are preaching.  As a result I went through a similar process with all other major compound moves, resetting form to focus on loading in the stretch above all else! Once you find those exercises that line up well with your body, allowing you to go through full ROM, then the strength and size will come.
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Recovering injured hamstring

Late last year I had a small tear of my hamstring. This severely hindered my training, preventing major hip-hinge movements, like deadlifts, and even as a stabiliser in certain pull-down/cable row machines. I adapted my leg training to work around this, doing a phase of pin-squats, stopping the bar at a height that prevented my hamstring from going into a full stretch deep at the bottom.  To rehab the injury itself, hamstring physio was a puzzle to work out. Stretching too frequently made the symptoms worse, essentially persistently re-opening a cut. Conversely, doing nothing and resting also made it worse, becoming too tight and feeling ‘sticky’. I found a nice middle-ground doing some banded isometrics twice weekly. This way I could easily moderate the resistance going through the injured muscle. The band allowed me to reduce tension in the stretch where I was most sensitive to re-injury, whilst still getting a lot of tension at the contraction. Photo of the set-up is above.
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Legs: deadlift x smith squat (16.09.21)

Today's leg workout was as follows: Warm-up
  • Banded walks- black band around ankles, 12 paces left then right
  • Hanging knee raises- 2 sets of 6 reps
  • Spin bike- 3-5 mins
  1. Single arm bicep curl- 2x12
    1. Mainly aiming to combat some bicep tendonitis, so 2 sets of 12 light curls, focusing on contraction
  2. Single leg lying hamstring curl- 2x45-60s holds
    1. Again recovering from previous hamstring tear. 2 sets of isometric holds, with knee bent to 90 degrees.
  3. Barbell deadlift- 4x6-8
    1. Pyramid up adding weight each set, reaching heavy and high effort top set
  4. Smith machine calf raise- 3x8-12
    1. 3s pauses in full stretch, trying to increase ankle mobility and dorsiflexion before squatting
  5. Smith machine squats- 1x8, 1x20
    1. Warm up to something heavy, then 1 top set aiming for 8 reps, and one back-off (less weight) set for 20 reps.
  6. EXTRA?
    1. You could add a single leg pistol squat/walking lunges, for extra pump and blood flow to finish.
Stretching
  • Quads- heel to bum, 2x30s
  • Glutes- newspaper stretch (seated on bench, ankle on opposite knee), 2x30s
  • Hamstrings- 60s hold of light barbell in stiff-leg deadlift position
  • Calves- stretched in exercise (4)
HB :)
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Diet update- 220lbs – 186lbs (16.09.21)

Currently around 8 weeks into my diet. Started mid July at a high bodyweight of 100kg/220lbs. Today hit a new low of 186lbs. I want to get under 180lbs, before then rebounding hard and pushing to new highs over this coming winter. This diet has been mainly with the goal of priming the body ready to then grow again. I had been pushing food and bodyweight up for at least 18 months before dieting, which was getting very monotonous and my body less responsive. Hoping to hit sub-180 by end of September, trying my best to maintain strength along the way, to maintain as much muscle as possible. HB
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Full body physio session (18/08/21)

  1. SL hamstring banded iso's- Rx40s, Rx60s
  2. Superset a (one exercise straight into the next)
    1. Cable lying Y-raise- 10x6, 10x6
    2. Incline Y-raise (hold at top with thumbs up to sky)-6, 10
  3. Superset b
    1. SA kneeling landmine BB press- bar x10, 10x6, 15x8
    2. SA banded tricep pushdown- Rx10, Rx12, Rx10
  4. Meadow's rows- bar x8, 10x8, 15x10
  5. Decline DB press (neutral grip)- 16x8, 24x8
  6. Incline DB fly- 5x8, 5x7
Notes
  • Aiming to increase hamstring iso time each session
  • Tried a cable Y-raise as seen by John Jewett
  • Banded pushdown great for tricep tendinitis
  • Landmine single arm shoulder press helps shoulder stability and serratus strength
  • Exercises 5 + 6 mainly aimed at stretching chest
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