Sergey Brin

We knew that Google was going to get better every single day as we worked on it, and we knew that sooner or later, everyone was going to try it. So our feeling was that the later you tried it, the better it was for us because we’d make a better impression with better technology. So we were never in a big hurry to get you to use it today. Tomorrow would have been better.

Apparently said back in the days before Google’s IPO. Source.

Lifting Log 31 Jan

I’m really starting to hate Thursdays. All of the exercises I already do are simply variations of mondays, but I don’t seem to be making any progress in any of them. Meh. Anyway:

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press:

• 3×12 30kg
• 1×10 35kg
• 3×5 40kg

Balance issues are confirmed. I’m not even isolating the pectoral muscles at these weights – it’s all shoulder work because I need to pop my shoulder blades out to balance the frickin dumbbells. What a waste of time!

If I’m going to make progress here, I’ve really got three choices:

1. “Dumbass” option: Continue with the dumbbells and hope that my stabiliser muscles strengthen enough in time for me to eventually do the exercises with proper form (according to the advice from experts, this would be idiotic).
2. “Ego-at-home” option: Drop the weight way back to 20kg (or even less) and just concentrate on proper form.
3. Barbell option: Switch to barbell like I did with the flat bench press.

Third one looks best but maybe a combo of 2 and 3 would be better (eg start with barbell and then do the dumbbells). Will have a think about this one.

Shoulder Press (machine):

• 1×10 25kg
• 1×10 27.5kg
• 1×10 25kg
• 2×5 30kg
• 1×5 35kg

The 5 rep sets allow be to put the weight up so 35kg is a new high. Should have done another work set though.
Assisted Dips

• 1×12 MS11
• 1×10 MS9
• 1×10 MS8
• 1×6 MS7
• 1×5 MS6

Missed pull-ups like a wuss.

17 mins arc machine.

Squats and deadlifts tomorrow – sweet.

Log 30 Jan

30 mins HIIT on arc machine. The machine reckoned I burned through 683 calories, but that’s BS. It was probably more like 4-500.

Lifting Log 29 Jan

Pretty good day overall, apart from the fifteen minute wait for the douchebag doing frat curls in the squat rack.

Barbell Back Squat

• 1×12 30kg
• 1×12 50kg
• 1×10 55kg
• 1×8 60kg
• 1×5 65 kg
• 1×5 70kg
• 1×5 75kg

New 5 rep record! Pretty good form overall, though my stance was a little too wide on the final set. Something to be careful of. The 30kg warmup set was a waste of time. I did not use shoes either and this probably helped immensely.

Bent over Barbell Rows:

• 1×12 30kg
• 1×12 35kg
• 1×12 40kg
• 1×8 45kg
• 1×4 45kg

I used a deadlift stance this time, and “de-loaded” between reps by resting the bar on the ground. This deloading allowed me to keep my back straighter and parallel to the ground for the duration of each rep. Previously my entire back would move by as much as 30 degrees during the rep. Here’s a vid of what I’m aiming for:

Pulldowns:

• 1×12 40kg
• 1×12 45kg
• 1×10 50kg
• 1×8 55kg

Nice progress here.

Lifting Log 28 Jan

5 mins warmup.

Dumbbell Bench Press

• 1×12 40kg
• 1×12 40kg
• 1×8 45kg
• 1×4 45kg

No progress with the DBs, but I now know why. Here is that quote again:

The learning curve for the barbell is much smoother than for DBs. Picture a complete novice trying to do a bench press. The bar wobbles everywhere, it is lowered at a variable rate of speed, it is pressed crooked, the left side flops forward, the right side flops backward, etc. Very few things are as humorous as watching a complete newb try to perform a bench press.

Now…add the aspect of unilateral balance and symmetry to the equation, both of which are required for dumbbell use…both of which are completely lacking in the untrained athlete-to-be. Since the majority of people are either right OR left-hand dominant, they will not have unilateral balance and symmetry. As a result, trying to teach a novice to do the DB press is a train wreck in the making.

You could possibly spend weeks just trying to get the trainee to learn how to balance the DBs. Those precious few weeks are going to be when the trainee is most adept at adding muscle and strength. Better to spend it with weight progression, rather than spending it trying to iron out balance and symmetry issues.

Once you get a little knowledge from someone experienced it completely changes your view of things. The whole reason I’m not getting anywhere with the DB bench press is simply because of my inability to balance the dumb bells. It’s no wonder that the 45kg dumbbells are my sticking point, because the 45kg dumbbells at my gym are much bigger and bulkier than the 40kg dumbbells. They are incredibly difficult to balance properly – on my first rep my left arm flailed out wildly to the side and the rep was more of a dumbbell fly than a proper bench press. My stabiliser muscles are simply too weak to do a proper dumbbell bench press with good form.

I’m ditching any bench pressing with dumbbells and moving to the barbell…

Barbell Bench Press:

• 1×12 30kg
• 1×10 35kg
• 1×10 40kg

Much easier – was like a pushup in reverse. The barbell made for a much more stable lift, and I was also able to press my shoulder blades together throughout each set, something I’ve been unable to do with DBs. Because my form was better, I got a nice burn in the pectoral muscles afterwards. Never really got this with the DBs, so I can only conclude that my form was terrible.

Standing Shoulder Press (DBs):

• 1×12 25kg
• 1×10 25kg
• 1×10 30kg
• 1×6 30kg

I think I should also use a barbell for this, too. Will experiment next week.

Assisted Dips

• 1×12 MS11
• 1×12 MS9
• 1×12 MS8
• 1×6 MS6

Pushed myself to MS6 but it wasn’t meant to be. Will keep pushing for 12 at MS7, or I might just go for the 3×5 split like I’m doing with the squats. Did I mention I hate dips? No? I fucking HATE dips.

20mins HIIT on the arc machine afterwards.

Log 27 Jan

30 mins HIIT.

Lifting Log Jan 25

Heh. Today was a total contrast to yesterday’s train wreck. Lifted 65kg in the squat which felt easy, and really started to get into the deadlifts.

Barbell Stationary Lunge

• 1×12 30kg
• 1×12 35kg
• 1×12 35kg
• 1×10 40kg

Barbell Back Squat:

Decided to squat twice a week, thus making Friday a fully fledged “leg day” as opposed to the bits and pieces it was before.

• 1×12 40kg
• 1×12 50kg
• 1×8 55kg
• 2×5 60kg
• 1×5 65kg

I honestly felt like a million bucks after that last set. My form was pretty good too. The goal now is to do warmups around the 12-rep range before going for a 3×5 progression, could probably get to 75kg next week.

Romanian Deadlift:

• 1×12 30kg
• 1×12 40kg
• 1×12 45kg
• 1×10 50kg

I actually did Romanian deadlifts last week too, rather than stiff-leg ones as reported. Real nice exercise. I really concentrated on “lifting with the legs” this week, and I think my form was pretty good overall.
Standing Cable Row:

• 1×12 MS7
• 1×12 MS8
• 1×12 MS9
• 1×8 MS10

Not sure where this fits in the overall scheme of things. It is a strict back exercise, isolating the latissimus dorsi muscle, but I think I’d be better served with pull-ups (which I conveniently missed this week). I think I’ll stick with it for another 5 weeks and then either shift it or replace it when I redo my program.

Lifting Log 24 Jan

Just had one of the days where everything seemed twice as heavy and twice as hard. I had a combined total of seven hours sleep over the last two nights which is the main culprit.

5 mins running to warmup.

Incline Bench Press

• 1×12 35kg
• 1×12 40kg
• 1×10 40kg
• 1×8 35kg
• 1×8 35kg

I was hoping to progress to 45kg, but the third set at 40kg was so god damn hard I wussed out and went back to 35kg.

Seated Shoulder Press

• 1×10 20kg
• 1×10 25kg
• 1×10 22.5kg
• 1×8 22.5kg
• 1×4 22.5kg

Way down on last week.

Assisted Dips

• 1×12 MS11
• 1×12 MS9
• 1×12 MS7
• 1×6 MS8

Didn’t do any pullups.

25 mins on arc machine afterwards. Need to sleep better if I am to progress the weight!

Hmmm:

The learning curve for the barbell is much smoother than for DBs. Picture a complete novice trying to do a bench press. The bar wobbles everywhere, it is lowered at a variable rate of speed, it is pressed crooked, the left side flops forward, the right side flops backward, etc. Very few things are as humorous as watching a complete newb try to perform a bench press.

Now…add the aspect of unilateral balance and symmetry to the equation, both of which are required for dumbbell use…both of which are completely lacking in the untrained athlete-to-be. Since the majority of people are either right OR left-hand dominant, they will not have unilateral balance and symmetry. As a result, trying to teach a novice to do the DB press is a train wreck in the making.

You could possibly spend weeks just trying to get the trainee to learn how to balance the DBs. Those precious few weeks are going to be when the trainee is most adept at adding muscle and strength. Better to spend it with weight progression, rather than spending it trying to iron out balance and symmetry issues.

Log 23 Jan

No lifting. Did 25 mins HIIT running which absolutely OWNED me.

Lifting Log 22 Jan

Gym packed again. Seems like the new years resolution folks aren’t the lightweights they were made out to be.

5min warmup.

Barbell Back Squat:

• 2×12 (30kg)
• 2×12 (35 kg)
• 1×12 (40kg)

Brought the weight way down from previous weeks to concentrate on form. The plan is to increment by 2.5 kg each week. Next week I’ll start at 35kg through to 42.5kg. My future back and knees will love me for leaving the ego at home like this.

Bent Over Rows:

• 2×12 (20kg)
• 1×12 (25kg)
• 1×12 (30kg)

Form issues: back still too high. I’m still putting too much weight on before I can handle it. Next week I’ll keep it between 22.5kg and 27.5kg, aiming for proper form all the way. Also need to aim for a one second rest between each rep.

Pulldowns:

• 1×12 (30kg)
• 1×12 (40kg)
• 2×12 (35kg)

Pretty sure those are the correct weights I used. Didn’t really feel sore after these weights. 40kg through 45kg for next week, then just increment by 2.5kg per week like everything else.

Shoulder Press:

• 2×12 (20kg)

Extra set for confirming some form issues. Used correct form as discussed in the previous blog post and got much less pain as expected.