Smolov Jr, Day 0 -- Fri 30/11/2012

I call this Day 0, because evidently I overstimated my abilities. Three weeks off will do that.

I started out the session with getting my new Underground Elite lever belt fitted, whilst doing some bodyweight squats to warm up and check that it was at about the right amount of tightness. Did a set of 10 bodyweight squats and was reasonably satisfied that the belt was not too loose and not too tight. Did a couple sets of 8 pull ups, and got into the lifting.

Squats

5x20kg
5x40kg
3x60kg
1x80kg
3x6x95kg -- Form wasn't as neat and tidy as it has been. Quads were hating me. After the third set, I started thinking maybe the belt was too loose after all, so I moved the lever in one notch. I think this was too tight, because when I attempted the next set, I think it was a lack of oxygen rather than muscle fatigue that caused me to stop the set.
4x95kg -- 2 reps short. And I was reasonably convinced that I wasn't going to get any more quality work out of my squats. In hindsight, I probably should have dropped the weight down to 60kg and done a few more sets just to work on form and get some more practice in.

An Underground Elite lever belt. Same colour as mine.

Bench Press

2x5x20kg
5x32.5kg
3x42.5kg
1x52.5kg
3x6x62.5kg -- Form was much better than squats, but evidently the weight was still too high.
5x62.5kg -- I did get a 6th rep off my chest and back into the rack, but my right shoulder popped forward off the bench to do it (giving my deltoid the kind of work it hasn't experienced during the bench press in about 3 years) and I didn't lock out, so I'm not counting it.

So, on both the squat and the bench press, I only got in 4 sets, missing 1 or 2 reps on the 4th set, when I should have gotten 6 good sets. I did this session on Friday, and I'm typing this up on Saturday morning. I'm going to go back into the gym today and see if I can get 6x6 at 85kg/55kg, and work up over the next week from those numbers instead of the numbers I'd originally calculated.

I spent some time foam rolling my legs between sets of benching, and again after the assistance work, along with some stretching. I hate foam rolling, but I like the way I get to not be a complete and utter cripple the day after.

Assistance Work

RDL/Calf Raise/Seated Row (circuit)
2x10x60kg/12x200lb/8x50kg

These numbers are all short of what I could have done in a circuit 3 weeks ago, too. Lesson learned: even if you're doing 8 hours a day of physical work in your time off, you can still become rather deconditioned over a few short weeks.