Fitness Log - Back - Week 7

Deadlifts . - 75kg (up to 75 77.5 75)
6,6,6
Used a good bar this time, so no rotating bar issues this time. My grip isn't quite there yet, so I put on gloves on the last set which helped a tonne. Think I can up the weight to a 75 pyra, as I don't wanna rush it and want to develop my grip strength

Crunches - 60
Lol, was tired/lazy today and did only 60 reps.

Lat pull downs - 54kg
6,6,4
I actually did all 6 reps on the last set, but it was not continuous and I had to stand and sit. I think I will stay at this weight, so I can focus on strict form and pull my elbows all the way back.

Bent over DB rows - 15kg
6,6,6
This was too easy. Shall up the weight to 17.5, or 8 reps. Very tricky to maintain strict form, have to be very conscious of my arm upward trajectory.

Suspended Leg Raises 
2 sets of 10 reps
Threw this in for fun. Not sure how much it's really hitting my abs, felt more of a core exercise.

Assisted chinups
50kg assist, 6reps
I really want to add chinups to my back workout, but I'm always so tired from deadlifts that I can barely do one normal one! I will start with doing assisted, and work on hitting 8 reps for that assisted amount, and slowly wean off the assists.

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I kinda wanna add more rows to this... the gombak gym has this nice standing row machine, but mount faber safra doesn't have. I tried the barbell row but it felt weird on my back so decided not to. Maybe I should just lower the weight. Hmm. Think will try to add it in next time, doesn't feel like im working my back enough.

Fitness Log - Back - Week 6

Deadlift - previous: 72.5kg . now: FAIL
Reps: 5 5 5 
Wow this was SO bad today. The bar I was using was very loose, so the centre portion would rotate inwards when I lifted the weight, meaning I would be hanging on to 75kg with my fingers. It was very bad. Only lifted about 3-4, then dropped to 70, then decided to close off with 60 which was fairly light so I could grip them without letting the bar roll.

Afterward I went to test the rest of the barbells in the gym... and realised my bar was the worst D: damn it. You can literally spin the ends and it spins a few rounds before stopping. Have to try 75 straight again next time... with a tight bar.

Crunches 
Reps : 70
Woo. 70 again. I think I may add another ab exercise to up my game.

Lat pull downs - previous 50kg, now 50kg
Reps: 6 6 6
Did this fairly comfortably, but could be because I'm slightly cheating on Rep 1 of each set by using my body weight. Time to up the weight! Been staying at this weight for too long.

One-handed bent DB rows - 15kg 
Reps: 6 6 6
Ok, think I managed to target my back a bit more, though my arms/shoulders on my left hand felt the most burnt in the last set. The key is to pull my elbow straight up as far back as I can, and hold it there for a sec. Really burns heh.

Fitness Log - Back - Week 5

Deadlift - previous: 70kg. now: 72.5kg
Reps: 5 5 5 (next time do 75 straight)
Think my grip strength is failing me a bit, for each rep from 2nd set onwards I had to lower the weight very quickly as I felt like I was going to drop the weight. On the 3rd set I was dropping the weight a little too hard and the bastard gym staff came to scold me in a rude way. What a bitch. Anyway, have to work on controlling my downwards motion more which will work my back more anyway. Thus will try to stay at 75 next time! Or drop to 72.5 for the last set when I'm tired. 

Crunches 
Reps : 70
I hit 70 fairly easily today, think I can do more, or maybe add a different abs exercise with some resistance.

Lat pull downs - previous 50kg, now 50kg
Reps: 6 6 5
Struggled a bit with this exercise, but I was focusing hard on really pulling my elbows down and back and working the lats fully. I have to remind myself that I'm working out more for a body than to pull heavy weights, thus I have to execute with strict form, rather than keep pushing progression in weight. Will stay at 50kg for this exercise.

One-handed bent DB rows - 15kg 
Reps: 6 6 6
I'm not sure how effective this exercise is in working my back... feels like the strain is on my shoulders. Think I need to work on the form, so will stay at 15kg and mastering the form before increasing weight (does feel like I can go up more weight)

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I kinda dropped chinups because i am unable to do them after the deadlift. Quite bad, I want to be able to do more chinups as I find they work the back really well. I may throw them in with my shoulder routine tomorrow, we'll see how. Maybe once I can do 10 chinups I can work it back into my back routine.

Fitness Log - Back / Shoulders - Week 4

Today was a special day, as I will be overseas on Thurs/Fri this week, thus will miss my back/shoulders workout, so I skipped arms day and did back AND shoulders. I may end up phasing out arms day, because I don't really feel any benefits from it, plus it's hurting my wrists.

Deadlifts - Previous : 70kg straight. Now: 70kg prog (up)
555
I was pleasantly surprised by this. I can pull 75kg now! Albeit the last rep I took 2 tries lol. Didn't get a good grip nor braced myself enough to lift on the first try. Gonna keep going up!

Military Press - Previous: 35kg. Now: 37.5kg (up)
665 (prog)
Woot! I think I would have been able to squeeze out the last rep if I had taken a good breath and really pushed it hard, but I failed out on my first try and didn't try again. Will up it to 40kg from the start next time yay 10kg plates!

Lat Pull downs - previous: 45kg. Now: 50kg
666
Back at SAFRA, so the machine was in kilograms. I find this quite tough though, don't think my lats are very strong. Maybe I should do more chinups rather than skip them (I skipped them today because I wanted to focus on deadlifts)

seated shoulder DB press - previous 16kg. Now: 17.5kg
666
At the gombak gym, there is no 18kg, so there's no natural progression from 16kg apart from increasing reps. Here at SAFRA I got to do 17.5kg, so it was good. Didn't have much difficulty finishing it, love this exercise can really dig deep and push through.

Crunches - previous 60. now: 70
Lol, surprised myself here. I do this till failure, so I guess I've to aim for 80 next time.

Fitness Log - Back - Week 3

I realized it's pointless keeping track of the # of Fitness log, so just gonna omit that from now on.

Chin ups
Reps: previous: 6. now: 4
LOL couldn't do more than 4, cos my grip slipped and I was doing finger pullups for 2 reps. Maybe I should try wearing gloves the next time I try chinups.

Deadlift - previous: 70kg. now: 70kg (up to 70 72.5 72.5)
Reps: 5 5 5
Did 70 for straight sets, struggled abit on the last rep of the last set, but managed to pull through. I love deadlifts... must be my favourite exercise together with seated shoulder press and bench press. Gonna try to up a bit next time, but I'll miss this exercise for a week because I'm going overseas :S Not sure whether to progress up or to keep at 70. Think I'll try to progress, but if it doesn't feel right I'll be patient.

Crunches 
Reps : 60
I kinda love this now... it gives me such a burn. I basically do till failure, which is usually a set number I have before I start. I wonder what my real failure rep count is. Maybe 70.

Lat pull downs - previous 45kg. now 100, 110, 110lbs
Reps: 6 6 6
Hmm the machine at Gombak uses pounds instead of KG. so I did 110lbs today? Lol. struggled quite a bit with last set, think need to take it easy on the progression to maximise the gains as I"m cheating and swinging alot on the last set so abit no point.

Fitness Log #7 - Back - Week 2

Chin ups
Reps: 6 (previous: 5)
Quite surprised with this steady increment every week. (It was 4 the previous time). I usually just do one set so I don't tire myself out before deadlifts, and go for max. Maybe 7 next week? lolol.

Deadlift - previous: 70kg. now: 70kg (go for 5 5 5 next on 70 progressive load)
Reps: 6 5 3
Woa, this was a tough exercise today. Not sure why I struggled more than usual, could be because I did 60kg as a warmup set of 6 instead of my usual 40 or 50 (i was lazy to load other plates... lol). I had to switch alternate grips for the 1st set after rep 3, and even then still struggled. 2nd set I had to rest after 3rd rep and rest between 4th and 5th. On last set couldn't even lift a 4th after a brief rest.
I think doing 6 6 6 is largely different from 5 5 5. I think I will try out a progressive load from 70 at 3x5 next, but do a lighter warmup set of 40kg. 

[Progressive load is a term I coined myself to refer to increasing the weight by 2.5 every time I do all the reps of the set. E.g. 5 reps for 1st set, I'll do 72.5 next, and if I do 5 again I'll do 75 for the last set]

Crunches 
Reps : 60
Did this flat on the floor which was slightly easier than having my legs tucked into the slight incline bench. Think could have gone higher than 60 but... haha lazy.

Lat pull downs - previous 50kg. Now: 45
Reps: 6 6 6
SAFRA Mt Faber replaced a few of their machines, this being one of them. The new lat machine is a bit weird, the range of motion is such that it starts narrow, but at the peak of extension it gets wide (i.e. pulls outwards)
With this new machine, I couldn't even get the 50kg down lol. I think lat machines at SAFRA are all poorly designed, they should put the starting position much lower! 
Anyway, only could do 45 albeit it felt very horrible in form as I had to use my body weight to sit down and start the exercise. Will up to 47.5 next time.

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Seemed to have plateaued for deadlifts, not sure if it's cos my warmup set was too heavy or because I did my workout too late after my previous meal. It's ok, safety over ego! Steady progression is still progression! Need to be patient and have the big picture in mind.

Fitness Log #3 - Back - Week 1

Chin ups
Reps: 5 (previous : 4)
Chin-ups were never my strong suit, but it's one of the best back/compound exercises! Works the arms, shoulders, back, all at once! Thus I try to do it. Hope to push it up to 10 within the next few months (the last time I did 10 was when I was in army)

Deadlift - 70kg (up to 666 reps)
Reps: 5 5 5
I have a love/hate relationship with deadlifts. There's something about lifting something heavy that feels good... but i'm getting some serious callouses on my hands. Think it's because my grip isn't very strong, so the bar slips a little as I lift. I would like to stay on the current weight to improve my form too, I'm arching my back a little for some reps.

Crunches 
Reps : 50
I basically do till failure, with a rough target in mind. My core was burning at around 30 reps but I pushed to 50.. I would like to aim for 55 next, but the burn...

Lat pull downs - 50kg (up)
Reps: 6 6 5
The lat pull down machine at SAFRA Mount Faber is a bit odd as it requires you to stand up to complete a rep (the bar is really high up). I went up one weight with every set, and didn't really finish the last set.

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Back day is quite awesome, because deadlift is my top 2 fav exercises (tog with bench press). My lower back is hella sore the day after though. Ugh.