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

It's a max pinch session on Sunday next with my next bench session (vol with either 147.5-kilos x 6 x 1 or 150 x the same) on Saturday. Regardless of the condition of my back, even if I have to crawl over the road, once I am in there it's on.

I'm using the TENs machine 2-4 x a day and while I do not get any relief per se yet I feel any rehab I can do has to be good. The moment I can I'll reintroduce stretching (nigh on impossible at the mo).

The aim is still to take the 2HP world record with a pull through of 117.5-kilos or so. I'm also, as per a chat with David, considering making 2010 my last competitive year and changing, even though it'll be very hard, my approach to the gym ie: more health and less competitive.

Steve,
It will be hard to give the competition feel up. I'm lucky in that I can change sports.

If you break my record, I will take it back, and very quickly. My training lifts right now are very strong.

Maybe I'll need to do that too. As for taking it back - no problem. One I'd be first there and two we're both Brits and we'd be kicking world ass LOL.

Friday
You can tell when I've done ok on pinch cos if I work grippers the next day they are always a little off. Also a little peed of cos the would be wanna be Marine never arrived. If he had, but late, I would have sent him home.

T/Grippers
B/H: usual warm ups
L/H: BBE x VVN, TnG, N, VN, 1, VVN, VVN. Sore spot still a small bother.
R/H: BBSE x 1, 3.5 x 1, BBSE x 1, 1, VVN, 1, VVN, 1, 1, Better.

Steve Gardener wrote: I'm also, as per a chat with David, considering making 2010 my last competitive year and changing, even though it'll be very hard, my approach to the gym ie: more health and less competitive.

That's some sad news mate! On the plus side taking a break from competition will allow you to work on the #4 cert, you'll kill it if you make it your main training goal.

All out war between you and David on the pinch would be great to see!!! Pay per view stuff for sure.

Off topic: I have a 'room to let' sign in my lounge window, it includes the weekly amount (inc of bills) and my number. One dick rang at 7.30am on Monday and I get a message asking me to call back on a mobile number because the caller has no credit. Not knowing what it's for I call and I'm off. 'You don't even have the where-with-all to call at a sensible time and I'm supposed to take on a lodger who can't even put credit on a phone!!'.

Just now a guy rings 'you have room to let?'. I say 'as per the sign'... he replies 'eh?' and I say 'that's what the sign says and so that's why you rang or are you taking the piss?'. He then asks 'how much' (baring in mind it says how much) and I go off on one. Morons!!

Just had the same guys sister on the phone (speaks better English) and having explained he doesn't speak it too well I point out that having to get her to call every time we want to get stuff done would be hard work. She says, perhaps with her foot in her mouth, that this is not a problem because he has had to do that every time. I pointy out that I live in the property and have no wish to need to call her to ask him to put the bog seat down and so on. Houston we cannot communicate. She asked where the room was... which was worrying so I asked her had she or he seen the sign and she says yes he's seen it in Hopewell Street and I say 'guess that's where it is then'. It went downhill from there. She put the phone down LOL

Saturday
Bench (speed)
bar x 8 reps, 60-kilos x 8 reps, 100-kilos x 6 reps, 140-kilos x 1 rep, 150-kilos x 1 (slowish),1 (good), 1 (slowish), 1 (ok), 1 (little slow), 1 (ok)

LPD
70-kilos x 8 reps, 110-kilos x 8 reps, 150-kilos x 2 x 6 reps

Low Row
2 handed: 60-kilos x 8 reps, 100-kilos x 8 reps,
1 handed: 65-kilos x 2 x 8 reps

Sunday
Waited until after the wreath laying part of Remembrance Sunday TV service (a habit my mum got my brothers and I into).
2HP max day
towel on: equ x 6 reps, +30-kilos x 3 reps, +50-kilos x 1 rep, +70-kilos x 1 rep,
towel off: +75-kilos x 1 rep, +80-kilos x 1, +85.5-kilos (107.2kg) x fail, back to +80-kilos x 1, 1 (poor - would have just about been ok in a comp - and skin at base of right thumb pulled), 1, 1 (shaking) back to +85-kilos x 1 (this time skin at base of left thumb ragged looking) and then 1 (just made it).

Monday
Shoulders n arms at GN
Seated Mch Press
was strong on these today
1/2 stack x 8 reps, stack x 8 reps, +40-kilos x 6 reps, +132.5-kilos x 6 reps, +160-kilos (all the machine will hold in 20's) x 6 reps (PB)

Curls
C/Curl
10-kilos @ x 12 reps @,
H/Curls
25-kilos x 8 reps @, 27.5-kilos x 8 reps @, 30-kilos x 8 reps @

TPD
stack x 8 reps, +20-kilos x 8 reps, +40-kilos x 8 reps, +55-kilos x 8 reps

Bwt (on GN scales) 291.5lbs so actual weight 287.5lbs (a half off)

Wednesday
Had to go to GN to pick up my latest copy of MD (left on Monday) and although I'm still doing an old man impression my back actually felt a little better. Indeed following training, which included some inversion boot work and a little stretching (for the first time in weeks) by back still feels right about 6-inches above my waist but as though it'll pop back soon.

Observed 2 minutes silence - esp for the passing of the WW1 veterans Harry Patch (111), Claude Choules (108) and Henry Allingham (113!! Now that's an age!!)

V/Gripper
B/H: L1 x 6 reps, L7 x 3 reps. Right hand felt 'tight' or off. Left on.
L/H: L10 x 1 rep, L113+b x 3 x 1 reps. Upped to L14 x VVN, N, VVN, VN
R/H: L16+b x n, dropped back to L16 x 1, L14 x 1, L15 x 1, L16 x VVN (slipped a tad), 1*, VN, TnG.

Inversion boot hang
*1min and another after. Also stretched during v/gripper work.

Thursday
CG Bench (max)
Bit of a mind job going on here as it's very close to my max weight for multiple singles and once I get past the next max session I'm into new territory. I also realized at reps 3 and 4 that I wasn't touching my chest.
bar x 8 reps, 60-kilos x 8 reps, 100-kilos x 6 reps, 140-kilos x 1 rep, 167.5-kilos x 5 x 1 reps (No 1 good, 2 slow, 3 poor, 4 missed chest, 5 good)

LPD
70-kilos x 8 reps, 110-kilos x 8 reps, 150-kilos x 3 x 8 reps (good)

L/Row
2handed: 60-kilos x 8 reps, 100-kilos x 8 reps, 1handed: 67.5-kilos x 6 reps, stopped last one before I got started as my lower back decided that was a good time to spasm. Laid down until it passed, moved, spasmed some more, got up went home.

Bwt 288lbs

Just did some double checking and my absolute best CG bench session last year (last one before the 190 TnG bench) was 60-kilos x 8 reps, 100-kilos x 6 reps, 140-kilos x 1 rep, 182.5-kilos x 4 x 1 reps. I also managed 2 x 8 with 160-kilos on the pulldowns. With that in mind I have some numbers to beat between now and the 19th of December.

Friday
Did some coaching of the wanna-be Marine Commando, Naz, today. Poor boy puked towards the end yet it wasn't full on. I got him to do 2 of the recommended exercises and 1 of ours as a giant set. So, for example, 1 set of bodyweight squats, 1 set of overhand pullups and then 1 set of dumbbell swings. He did 5 in total using different ones every time. Took an hour.

2HP - volume
T/on: equ x 6 reps, +30-kilos x 3 reps, +50-kilos x 1 rep, +70-kilos x 1 rep, +73.5-kilos x 2, 2, towel off (was slipping a tad), 2, 3, 3, 3 reps. The weight was back heavy (70+2.5 back and 1 front)

Saturday
Same as before, the day following pinch... not so good. Esp in my right hand.
T/Grippers
B/H: Usual
L/H: BBE x VVN, TnG, VVN, N, VVN, VVN, VVN
R/H: BBE x 1, CoC 3.5 x 1, TnG, TnG, BBSE x VVN, VVN, VVN, 3.5 x 1

Bwt: 290.6lbs

In spite of what is for me an off day my efforts in August at the Chad event have made me el numero uno on the calibrated gripper close list. Nice.