Nick Tangi's training log

Richard wrote:

Nick Tangi wrote:
Oh well it's the risk you take, it looks like I'm going to probably sell it at some point. So it's back to the regular trapbar which is miles better anyway. Everything happens for a reason, maybe God's keeping me on track

I'd go with a bar over a machine any time Nick

Good news about the elbow.

I totally agree with you. I'm a free weight person but I have found some productive uses for machines. For example I was suprised at how the leverage overhead press carried over to my regular overhead press by strengthening the area from the sticking point to lockout. The start is easier but once I'd allowed time to accomodate to the barbell movement it became apparent that I had carried over a fair bit of strength. So now I use it as an alternative which allows for variety whilst also strengthening a different aspect of the same movement.

I'm thinking of selling the the squat/deadlift machine and getting a good bit of aerobic equipment like a rower or something. It works fine in terms of motion, in fact it's dead on like the trapbar lift but the start comes up against a great amount of resistance. To cut out the details, this was because they had several design issues to overcome and that was the best they could do. I'm sure it would improve my trapbar start but it's not what I wanted it for, I wanted to be able to do higher reps with it without having to worry about the bar drifting to far on those do or die reps. It was just meant as another option.

It's good news on the elbow but it's still sore. I've got to ice it and it should be right for monday but I might even wait until the following workout before I introduce the row.

14/09/09

Leverage Overhead Press - 108kg x 2 x 5, 108kg x 4
Trapbar lift - Worked up to 175 kg x 1
Row with special bar - 79kg x 3 x 5
Ab work


Notes: I decided to start the row today, my elbow felt a bit sore but I think that's just the fact that it's adjusting. I didn't go too heavy and it has a nice feel to it. It feels like holding dumbells.

Nice heavy pressing Nick.Its a shame the deadlift machine didnt workout, but im sure it was worth a try.
Have you tried powerball to help the elbow recover it has worked well for me
Mark

MarkR wrote:Nice heavy pressing Nick.Its a shame the deadlift machine didnt workout, but im sure it was worth a try.
Have you tried powerball to help the elbow recover it has worked well for me
Mark

I haven't but I'll give it some thought. It's still hurting but much less, to be honest it's getting me down. I just want to go after my goals.

17/09/09

Leverage Overhead Press - 108kg x 2 x 5, 108kg x 4
Trapbar lift - Worked up to 177 kg x 1
Ab work

Notes: I don't know how I didn't get the last rep on the last set of presses. I'm very confident I'll get it next time.
I have been thinking of doing squats on one day instead of the TB lift. I might still be forced to do nothing but squats until my elbow heals but I want to give it a bit more time. I think with a little bit of training I'll be able to squat a very decent weight.

21/9/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 178 kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - Worked up to 85kg x 1
Ab work

Notes: My elbow is still hurting so I didn't do any rows. It's not unbareable or anything but it causes discomfort. I might have to go back to the physio.

I've started the Seated Barbell Ovehead Press. The weight I worked up to was challenging but comfortable. After reviewing my goals I thought a more direct approach to strength training would be better. I've been reading a lot and as some people may know John McKean has had a great influence over how I train so I've incoroprated some of his ideas and philosophies into my training.

I'm thinking of now increasing my training days to 3 times a week. I will stick with the same weight in the press for 6-9 workouts and then up it by 2-2.5kgs and repeat the process. With the TB lift I'll possibly vary the intensity of the 3 workouts, one heavy day, one speed day and one medium day. I might just keep the TB lifts to twice a week as it is.

I like your minimal approach Nick. I agree some flavour of heavy/light/medium is a good way to split it if your going to train full body 3x a week. Funny, I know people who thrive on squatting & pulling singles every week but I couldn't pull heavy singles every session like you without getting burned out.

Richard wrote:I like your minimal approach Nick. I agree some flavour of heavy/light/medium is a good way to split it if your going to train full body 3x a week. Funny, I know people who thrive on squatting & pulling singles every week but I couldn't pull heavy singles every session like you without getting burned out.

Pulling really heavy singles in the trapbar lift can leave you burned out if you are going for a max all the time which in my experience only works for a short stint. The best I've ever got from pulling a max for several weeks was eventually the weight being lifted and a small surge in strength (several kgs) increase after that. However you can easily get burned out and injured using this approach.

Training the lift and focusing on form and technique, learning to pick up any small details on how to improve your form and just enjoying the feel of lifting a heavy weight is quite rewarding for me. I've never saw myself as a bodybuilder but more as a lifter. The nice thing is that it is giving me the kind of physique I want and luckily singles do build size for me but they also give the muscles a rock hard type of quality.

I've always cycled singles, often not in any kind of precise way but just by either staying at a weight which is heavy but at the same time I can always lift and just lifting that weight over several weeks, or because of the nature of the lift I sometimes cut back and build up to a peak weight and spend several workouts trying to better my PB's. I'm also open to experiment with other ideas like a heavy,medium,light system or even wave and step cycling.

24/9/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 179 kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - Worked up to 86.5kg x 1
Ab work

Notes: I upped the weight in the press because the 85kg felt a little light. 86.5kg feels about right. The Trapbar Lift felt much easier today.

The last workout I had was on 27/9/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 180kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - Worked up to 85kg x 1
Ab work


Notes: The TB Lift felt easy but the Press felt hard. To be honest I'm going through some tough times with my family at the moment because my brother-in-law isn't well so I've been giving every bit of support I can for some time now. I've also been spending lots of time with my niece and nephew. I'm just grateful to get a speedy workout in and that's where singles are useful.

My elbow still hurts and I'm getting that checked out tomorrow, but all in all I'm just feeling low. Even news I'm getting in general from friends isn't good be it direct or through the grapevine, either something isn't going right or I'm feeling really let down.

Anyway, I'll try and fit another workout in later. I'm going to visit my brother-in-law to see how he is doing then have something to eat and train after that.

The last workout I had was on 30/9/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 181kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - Worked up to 86.5kg x 1
Ab work

Notes: I had my elbow seen to, it turns out I do have tennis elbow. I was given a massage in that area and some accupuncture. There is no extreme pain but with tendons it takes a long time. The level of pain I have, we are looking at 4-6 weeks for recovery. Since the last time I went all I've been doing is the press and TB lift and I can say that the pain has diminished so it doesn't look like those exercises are making it worse or interfering with recovery at the moment.

The TB lift felt very straight forward, the Press was tough. I'm still feeling down. I haven't even been able to fit in cardio sessions and even though my weight is the same the effects of not doing any upper body pulling work is starting to show in the appearance of my upper body.

3/10/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 182kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - Worked up to 87kg x 1
Ab work

6/10/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 183kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - Worked up to 85kg x 1, 87.5 x missed it
Ab work

Notes: Dissappointed with the press, it wasn't that long ago I was doing 3x2 with 89kg, I'm sure I'll get there eventually, I might have to rethink my strategy. I'll probably stay with the 183kg in the TB lift for a bit, it's a nice training weight.

9/10/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 183kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - Worked up to 85kg x 1, 87.5 x missed it
Ab work

12/10/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 184kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - 80kg x 3 x 2
Ab work

Notes: The 184kg felt comfortable so I'll increase it by 1kg in the next workout. My strategy is to add weight when I feel it's easy enough. It's still very heavy but I'm always confident I'm going to lift it.

I decided to go with sets of 2 in the press. From experience my pressing muscles do better on sets of 2 than on singles.

My elbow is slowly getting better, I massage the tender areas until my eyeballs water and it seems to be doing the trick.

15/10/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 185kg x 1
Seated Barbell Overhead Press - Worked up to 80.5 x 3 x 2
Ab work

18/10/09

Trapbar lift - Worked up to 186kg x 1
Leverage Overhead Press - Worked up to 120kg x 1
Ab work

Notes: I changed the Seated Overhead Press with a Barbell to the Seated Leverage Overhead Press. The reason for this was the fact that just that bit of balancing was bringing a bit of discomfort to the elbow. I believe for now it's best to take out any balancing issues and the machine does that.

I also adjusted my grip to a wider one which is harder for me and takes some of the leverage and strength out but it feels much more comfortable on my elbow. My elbow in general is getting better slowly and in my next workout I think I will try some one arm rows but starting out light.

Nick work there Nick.Hows the elbow recovery coming along?