Sam's training

For grippers try multiple singles with a gripper you can close. Have you got a #2.5, if the #3 is maximal for you the #2.5 would be an ideal gripper, maybe a #2 with the left hand. Throw in some high rep sessions now and again. Concentrate on explosiveness and overcrushing the handles.

Before i certifed on the #3 i was doing 12 singles per session credit card set with my #3, overcrushing every rep.

Cheers Sam, yes i have a 2.5, I will start giving that a go few times a week.

Uni gym today.

CG bench
60kgx10
100kgx5
120kgx1 paused
140kgx1 paused
145kgx5x1 all paused

After my first 145kg single (done without a lift off and paused) one of the girls working at the gym came over to ask me a little bit about my training - a sort of 'What do ya train for' thing - and to tell me that this was the biggest bench she had seen since she got a job there. A little ego boost now and again is always good. It makes a nice change for a 'fitness chick' to take a genuine interest in heavy lifting! She was extremely relaxed about the use of chalk to boot.

Paused bench off pins (2-3'' off chest)
140kgx3x1
100kgx10 CG bench after this to flush some blood.

DB seated shoulder press
40kgx2x10

Tate press
40kgx8
30kgx3x12 supersetted with hammer curls 20kgx2x15

Tricep Pushdowns
Stackx2x10 then a dropset.

Arms measured 21.5''. Sweet.

Smoked all the bench singles today. Speed bench/lat work on Sat, then up to 147.5kg paused for a planned 6 singles next week.

Get back in the fridge Sam, too much fanny distraction

'After my first 145kg single (done without a lift off and paused) one of the girls working at the gym came over to ask me a little bit about my training - a sort of 'What do ya train for' thing - and to tell me that this was the biggest bench she had seen since she got a job there. A little ego boost now and again is always good. It makes a nice change for a 'fitness chick' to take a genuine interest in heavy lifting! She was extremely relaxed about the use of chalk to boot. '

Great lifting as usual mate. Loads of power on the close grips. I was going to make a childish comment about the underlined part of that but I won't

Haha Mark well spotted! Good point Aaron, i like benching when i have access to spotters (recently this has been with my mate at uni) , i'd never squat in the uni gym though!

Arrived at the fridge today to find 2 young lads training curls there (preacher curls, assisted, with 20kg, while listening to radio 1. JLS of all things was playing followed by some pikey chavvy shit. This got me worked up, and combined with the fact the fridge looked like a fucking bomb had gone off in there i was pissed off before starting. Plates everywhere, shit left lying around on the floor, dumbells near the door and so on, 2 fucking gay scarfs those kids were wearing draped over the rack. As if it's even that cold i've been in shorts all day. Skinnies.... So, first thing i did was chucked their shit off the rack and changed the CD to some good old iron maiden and motorhead.

Front squats
no belt or wraps.
60kgx5
100kgx5
140kgx1
160kgx1
180kgx1
190kgx1 (PR for no belt)
200kgxfail.
No excuses, other my ego is stronger than my core. First time front squatting since i ditched my belt, and even though my back squat is back up to non gay levels my front squat has taken a hammering. Had no planned numbers going into this session , just wanted to see where i was completely raw.
140kgx2 paused on the pins (andersons)
Tried back squatting but my rib/intercostal started playing up so i called it a day.

DO axle deadlifts
75kgx3
115kgx1
135kgx1
155kgx1
170kgx2x1
155kgx4x1 3 shrugs at the top of each rep.

DO axle rows
135kgx4x2 stop go row. Hard on the grip.

2 sets of pullthroughs. More stretching.

At this point, i discovered a disturbed CD lying around while tidying up - all the best tracks on it, down with the sickness, stricken, meaning of life etc... Turned the volume right up on this before hitting the pinch.

euro pinch, 49mm
93kgx12x1 (high pulled the last couple)

Supersets of reverse barbell curls and reverse barbell wirst curls 20kgx25, 20kgx20

Had a little tidy up afterwards. Put all the plates back where they should go and so on.

Long session today. Good though.

CG speed bench
Usual warmups.
130kgx8x1 (varying the grip, again strongest/most explosive with the index on smooth!)

Seated DB shoulder press
38kgx6
60kgx2 (messed up the first attempt completely, second set i asked will and mark to hand me them and i got a whole 2 reps out, but didn't bring them down as far as my shoulders, on the 3rd rep i locked out the left one but the weak right arm bitched out, and i tweaked my upper back again in the process!)
38kgx2x8 pausing the bells on the shoulders.

Upper back stuff
Face pulls, band pullaparts, face pulls with cable stack, rear delt raises, band rear delts

Tate press
25kgx12
38kgx2x8
25kgx20

High rep bicep stuff
barbell curlx50, hammer curls 12.5kgx2x20

Pin press - CG
Paused 2'' off chest, 100kgx3x8

Finished off with a few smashes of the #3 after realising i haven't done grippers in weeks.

Swept and tidied up for active recovery

Nice work on the dumbbell shoulder press Sam 60k per dumbbell is alot of weight

Cheers mate the DBs are not very big so to touch the shoulders with them would be a very deep press , i still bought them to way below parallel though!

front squat
60kgx6
100kgx3
140kgx3
180kgx2 bar rolled off half way up on the 3rd
180kgx2
180kgx2
180kgx1,1,1 (trying to keep more upright so as to not lose the bar)
100kgx10

axle double overhand deads
Worked up to 167.5kg and it felt heavy so i stopped. The plan was to do 5-6 singles with this weight but it wasn't happening today.

2 hand pinch, 49mm
Usual warmups , then
100kgx6x1 (all were solid)
103kgxhalf way up twice

Finished up with some hub lifting (did a 20kg plate and then curled a 15kg one by the hub for a few reps!) and thick DB lifting with Kye!

Strong work on the front squats Sam, just about to start doing front squats, never done them before.

2HP, good work Sam!!

Thanks! It's about time i hit an official 100kg+ pinch!

Uni gym for bench/upper assistance today,

CG bench
barx10
60kgx5
100kgx5 paused
120kgx1 paused
140kgx1 paused
145kgx1 paused
147.5kgx4x1 (first paused, others touch 'n' go)
140kgx5x1 (varying grips from 2 fingers on smooth to hands on knurl, all paused)
pin press for tris 100kgx2x6 paused
The touch and go lifts with 147.5kg were very easy, especially the last 2 (had a lift off on these)

Lat pulldowns
100kgx10 wide grip
120kgx8 v-bar
140kgx12 v-bar
100kgx12 wide grip

Tate press
30kgx10
40kgx15
40kgx8

Prone Narc DB pulls
30kgx3x8 varying the incline of the bench

When i got back to paignton i did the following at the fridge:

DO axle deadlifts
Worked up to 155kgx2x2

Euro Pinch, 49mm
53kgx5
73kgx2
93kgx1
101.75kgx5x1 all solid (front loaded by 1.25kg)
93kgx2,2 holds at top
78kgx3 83kgx3 (5kg back loaded) - This back loading targets where i am weak on my pinch. I am going to do this a lot more often. I also had the extra 2x2.5kg on right by the collars so the bulk of the weight was further away from the centre, this further enhanced the 'back load' effect. This way any forward tilt was impossible.

Pinching tonight was great, especially considering the damp / amount of rain coming down tonight.

Great pinching Sam, looks like i've got some work to do.

Nice work Sam