Steve 'Mobster' Gardener keeps it nice n gritty training log

Saturday
Going off program, as it were, really put a knock on the later part of Saturday's workout (the plan had been 2HP* only) even though I set some titlebash.co.uk records. It also screwed Sunday's and to a lesser degree Mondays as well. Both left and right forearm have bone deep soreness. It wasn't helped by my missing a couple of movements from the Friday PM workout (pay attention!!).

The guys from www.titlebash.co.uk came down and I'd had my eye on the 75-kilos for reps on the Rolling Thunder challenge set by Rich Gorvin. I warmed up then loaded it up (was a little over) and in the 60-second time limit did 37 reps. Beating Rich by 29 reps (he managed . It was not so hard, or so I though baring in mind how sore they are now, on my forearms as my condition. I was proper huffing and puffing. When I got my breath back I then set one of my own and got a PB in the process: 21 reps with 90-kilos+ on the set up (old PB 20) and again in 60-seconds.

I then did some blob work and, as seems to be usual for me, because the camera came out got PB's right and left. The left I added weigh to and the right I worked to the 25-kilo (22. blob with 2.5-kilos added. I then showed off by blob lifting with my right hand the 20, 25 and then running over and pulling the baby Inch and Inch but failing the Millennium.

Later work two hand went to pot.

Sunday @ GN
Still sore from Saturday's session I tried some thick pinch but could only work to a single at 70mm with 98.6-kilos.

I used the GN set up for 2" V-bar and wasn't much better on that either (to about 260 or so).

Monday
Double over hand sumo-style deadlift
My lack of flexibility in the hip area combined with some disc issues in my back meant it was all about 'ass down' today. The aim is over the next 6-8 weeks or so get my thick bar d/o deadlift to 200-220-kilos. My best guess is that a winning amount in June will be around 500lbs. Grip strength is, as might be guessed, not really the issue. With that in mind:

bar x 8 reps, plus 40-kilos x 6 reps, plus 70-kilos x 4 reps, plus 80-kilos x 4 reps, plus 100-kilos x 4 reps, plus 120-kilos (140) x 3 x 1 reps (1st one I did not properly lock out), plus 140-kilos (160) x 1 rep, plus 160-kilos (180) x 2 missed reps (not quite ready just yet. I got them off the floor but then got real sloppy so stopped). Back to plus 140-kilos x 5 x 1 rep - form!!!!

Hip stretches x various.

Monday pm
Trained at my gym
Leg press
0-kilos x 10 reps@, 120-kilos x 8 reps, 240-kilos x 8 reps, 400-kilos x 8 reps, 690-kilos x 8 reps

Leg Extension
80-kilos x 8 reps, stack (140) x 8 reps, plus 25-kilos x 8 reps, plus 50-kilos (190kg/418lbs) x 6 reps

Leg Curl
25-kilos x 8 reps, 35-kilos x 8 reps, 45-kilos x 8 reps, 55-kilos x 5 reps (harder than other machine)

Tuesday
As I trained legs yesterday ahead of schedule I did Vulcan (due tomorrow) and 2HP (today).
Vulcan Gripper
B/H: L1 x 6 reps, L7 x 3 reps,
L/H: L10 x 1 rep, L12 x VVN, 1 reps, L13 x 0, 0 (piss poor sets), VVN, VN, N, miss
R/H: L12 x 1 rep, L14 x 1 rep, L15 x VN, 1 rep, L16 x VVN, VVN, VVN, VVN, VN, TnG, VN

2HP
having been so off Saturday and Sunday and STILL being a little sore I was pleasantly surprised to get some decent numbers today.
equ x 6 reps, plus 30-kilos x 3 reps, plus 50-kilos x 1 rep, plus 60-kilos x 1 rep, plus 70-kilos x 1 rep, plus 80-kilos x 1 rep, plus 82-kilos x 1 rep, plus 84-kilos, plus 85-kilos x 1 rep, plus 86-kilos (107.7) x 1 rep, plus 87-kilos (108.7) x 1 rep.

Video of the 90 kilo Rolling Thunder record up on titlebash: http://www.titlebash.co.uk/movietitle.php?id=274&rn=782999313&flv=49C005d5962E0

Video of the 75-kilo Rolling Thunder rehttp://www.titlebash.co.uk/movietitle.php?id=267&rn=472605227&flv=49C008B494b1ccord up on titlebash:

Wednesday
Rest day tomorrow
1 Hand Pinch
As per this is a strange one. I can faff around for a few minutes and then be rock solid for the next few.
B/H: the usual 2 x 15-kilo plates set up on a loading pin x both hands (2HP) x 6 reps, then negs only (one hand at a time) x 3 reps (2 hands up, one hand down), then 1 hand pinch x 2 x 1 reps
L/H: +1.25-kilos (weight on hands is about 32.5-kilos) x 1, 1, 1, 0 reps - all to one block height (see note), plus 2.5-kilos x 2 negs only
R/H: +1.25-kilos x 2 x 1 reps, plus 2.5-kilos x 1 rep, plus 3.75-kilos x 1 rep, plus 5-kilos x 1, 1, 1, 0 reps

Blobs
B/H: 20-kilo blob x a few to two block height (up with one hand, down with the other) by way of warming up.
L/H: 20-kilo blob x 3 x 1 reps (2 block height), +1.25-kilos (usual pain in the ass strapping it on) x 2 x 1 reps, tried +2.5-kilos x 0.
R/H: 25-kilo blob x 3 x 1 reps (2 block height), +2.5-kilos x 1, 1/2 rep, 1 rep (dropped down to one block height), +3.75-kilos x 2 negs only (hand was done).
B/H: dropped back to 20-kilo blob and lifted to exhaustion (wasn't a lot of reps).
'block' is about 10-12 inches tall so 2 is about 20-24 inches or so.

Session was, at best, ok. I feel like I can do a little more.

It could be your hands get better as they get warmer.

Makes sense.

You always have the longest training logs. . HAHA. Interesting reading for me, more so now that I am training to gain weight. Your training takes dedication but also your log keeping takes dedication. I sit here wondering. . . That must be all you do. . . . Traing, eat, sleep, and write traing logs, HAHA. Well thanks for doing so I enjoy reading and learning from it. I have a feeling everybody at the Woodall comp is in for a surprise.

I have a feeling everybody at the Woodall comp is in for a surprise.

If Steve gets his head in gear, and his A game on then definitely yes!!

cemery wrote:You always have the longest training logs. . HAHA. Interesting reading for me, more so now that I am training to gain weight. Your training takes dedication but also your log keeping takes dedication. I sit here wondering. . . That must be all you do. . . . Traing, eat, sleep, and write traing logs, HAHA. Well thanks for doing so I enjoy reading and learning from it. I have a feeling everybody at the Woodall comp is in for a surprise.

Some days it seems the same to me. The logs don't take that much time at all and for the most part I merely copy and paste from one site to the next. They might seem long because I do something in them more or less every day (sometimes more) so there's more to read. On the GB I started logging 5 plus years ago, there's been 2500+ posts and 40000 views.

David Horne wrote:

I have a feeling everybody at the Woodall comp is in for a surprise.

If Steve gets his head in gear, and his A game on then definitely yes!!

After the British I'll be able to cut my routine in half. As it stands most seem to think the event is, all things considered, between myself and Chad.

Slaps head. I have this fantastic training plan written down which took hours to write out... so I NEED TO READ IT PROPERLY!! I was down to do one thing in week 1... but it's week 2!! That said, for some strange reason, I still had a good session.

Friday
Seated Mch Press
1/2 stack x 8 reps, stack (hard as per) x 8 reps, plus 45-kilos x 6 reps, then remembered to put a 10-kilo plate under the lever arm so I was pushing from paralell (I'm too tall for the machine), plus 60-kilos x 6 reps, plus 75-kilos x 6 reps.

EZ Curls
bar x 8 reps, plus 20-kilos x 8 reps, plus 40-kilos x 8 reps, plus 50-kilos x 6-7 reps

TPD
stack x 8 reps, plus 25-kilos x 8 reps, plus 50-kilos x 8 reps, plus 60-kilos (PB I think) x 6 reps

s/s with

High pulley cable curls - one arm at a time
25lbs x 8 reps, x 8 reps, x 12 reps, x 15 reps (now it started to burn nice)

Friday (lunchtime)
In an attempt to bring me partly back on schedule
Torsion Grippers
B/H: usual warm ups
L/H: BBGM x 1 rep, CoC 3 x 1 rep, BBE x 1 solid rep, VVN, 1, 1, VVN, VVN, VVN, VVN, VVN
R/H: To MM7(dud) x 1 solid rep, VVN, TnG, TnG, VVN (poor set so not that bad), VVVN, VVN

IM 'Horn'
Weights only
B/H: 15-kilos x 1 rep @, 45-kilos x 1 rep @, 60-kilos x 1 rep @,
L/H: 73.75-kilos x 3 x 1 reps, 75-kilos x 1 rep, 76.25-kilos x 0 reps, 75-kilos x 1 and a 1/2 rep
R/H: 83.75-kilos x 3 x 1 reps, 85-kilos x 1 rep, 86.25-kilos x 1 rep, 87.5-kilos x 1/2 rep, back to 86.25-kilos x 1 rep

Friday pm
trained again... I probably should have given it a miss. I was soooo close to falling on my arse at one point. Proper staggering around dizzy as hell. This, as before when it happened, is a combo of 3x in one day (not clever), being bent over to huff n puff and all the usual stuff. The thumbs were fried as well.

I'll be chilling for 2 days and then getting back on schedule.
2HP*
equ x 6 reps, plus 30-kilos x 3 reps, plus 50-kilos x 1 rep, plus 60-kilos x 1 rep, plus 70-kilos x 1 rep, plus 80-kilos x 1 rep, plus 85-kilos x 0 reps. This was the same as the other day. First session I struggled... 2nd session no probs. First session off schedule, 2nd session back on. I dropped some weight and went: plus 81-kilos x 1 rep, plus 82-kilos x 1 rep, plus 83-kilos x 1 rep. I also adjusted my thumb position due to skin issues as per the other day and was getting the numbers. Another attempt at plus 85-kilos (missed) and then onto the special set up. Plus 85-kilos x 1 rep, plus 90-kilos x 1 rep, plus 98-kilos x 0 reps. Time to call it a day and feed!!

Steve, I know your gym is home to SM / grip training though the majority of your "full body" training is machine based?

Is grip your main focus?