Leg Bashing

Squat (belt only, no suit, no wraps)

(reps x sets)

8x2 @ bar
8x2 @40kg
6x2 @60kg
5x5 @ 80kg (176lb for those who dont do metric) (90second rest between)

Deadlift (belt only)

8x2 @ 80kg
3x8 @110kg (242lb) (90sec rest between)


Doesn't sound like much, but I was shaking by 2nd last set of deadlifts and had given myself a massive headache. Sweated buckets! Absolutely knackered - Dirk commented that I looked quite pale as I was leaving the gym. Quads and glutes tender today. Could not move out of the recliner last night - slept like a rock.

No training tonight.

Texas Holdem Poker Pro

Well, what a fun 45 minutes that was. And I wasnt the first of the Oracle team to go out, that honor went to James, followed by Adriana (right) then me. Bloody glad it wasnt my own money, tho' I did manage to win one hand. Team Oracle had two players go on into the 2nd round the next day - dont know how they fared as yet.


Got paged all weekend - worked some long hours :-( Still found time to get outside and spray roundup on the weeds and found a little critter in the drive way - a blue tongue lizard (left), a good 30 cm long.



Leg training tonight - squats and deads in the same session - lets see how this works out.

Cool hand Luke....

Corporate Games today - Kickoff? at 4pm Crown Casino. My debut as a poker champion (LOL) I am to be allocated $1500 in chips - more than I thought - perhaps I will last more than 10 minutes.......

Deadlift training last night:

Conventional pulls - 60kgx10 x 2 sets, 80kg x8 x2sets, 90kg x6 x 6 sets - RAW RAW - no belt.

Hypers with a 15kg plate 4 sets of 15 reps.

Shrugs - 35lb dumbells 4 sets of 12 reps


Crap weekend ahead, apart from the Federal Election tomorrow, I'm oncall - yuck.

Physio all clear

Had my final visit to the physio this morning and got the all clear. Stuart is happy with my progress and I have 60 degree movement in the joint. Need to keep up the mobilization work at home at least until Christmas. He noted that I had quite a build up on the scar in a couple of places, in particular near the toe joint. To prevent further scar build up and to reduce the existing scar Stuart has taped along the scar. I am to keep the scar covered 23 hours a day for the next 2 - 3 months, only removing the tape to massages the scar and then shower. I have another appointment with the surgeon, Mark Blackney, next week.

Deadlifts last week were again very strong. with a max lift of 120kg conventional and 130kg sumo.

Monday night squatting.

Squat: warm up - bar 12 reps, 40kg 8 reps x2, 60kg 8 reps x2, 80kg 6 reps, 90kg 4 reps, 100kg 3 reps x 2, 110kg 2 reps.

At 110 I had my old, larger, squat suit on with the straps down.

Per last week I worked on driving up under the bar. Set the bar on the low cross rails - just below parallel when under the bar and 40kg total.

Drive ups: 6 reps easy. Added another 10kg and struggled to move it, managed 1 rep finally. Dropped 5kg (45kg) and drove up another 3 sets of 6reps.

Leg press: 100kg 12 reps, added another 50kg but found this was putting too much pressure on the ball of my big toe and so dropped back to 100kg again and pushed out 3 sets of 12 reps, wide stance, knees to ears.

Quads were quite touchy on Tuesday! Just how I like 'em!

Tuesday night benching.

Yay, got into the gym a little earlier than usual and was able to snaffle the bench.

Bench Press: warm up - bar 12 reps x2, 40kg 5reps x2,50kg 5 reps x2, 55kg 5 reps, 60kg 5 reps x2 & 4 reps x2

Next week I'll drop back to 50kg and go for 8 sets of 8.

Over head tricep press: warmups then 4 sets or 12 reps at 100

Lying dumbell press: 30kg 4 sets of 6

Rope/face pulls: 70 4 sets 10 10

Tonight - rest...... maybe........ maybe not........ maybe shoulders and biceps.....

Training news

Friday night deadlift - remembered to pack the talc AND wear shorts. Warmed up 60kg, 90kg, 110kg all conventional style - Raw (belt only). Bumped the bar to 130kg - wouldn't budge... Set up in sumo stance - up it went like picking daisies! 3 more singles at 130kg in sumo stance (all successful) interleaved with conventional attempts (all failed) hmmmm......




Monday night squat - knee wraps in the bag and wearing shorts (I'm so glad the weather is getting warmer) Warmed up: bar, 60kg 2sets, Belt on & 80kg 2sets, knee wraps on & 100kg 4 singles, wraps off back to 60kg for a final set of 8.

Followed up with some explosive work that Leigh had shown me earlier in the year - put the bar on the low crossbars, 40kg only, climb under the bar and starting from the squat position, explode up. 3 sets of 6reps. Finished with llight leg press 100kg 4 sets of 10 reps (mindfull that this puts a lot of pressure on my toe joint. Legs were quite shaky by the time I had finished.


Other news
CAPO Victoria is in disarray with both the state president (Webby) and treasurer (James) resigning over the weekend. Starting surfing the net looking at the other powerlifting federations here - Powerlifting Australia being the main one and checking out some powerlifting clubs like Southern Powerlifting Not that I want to leave CAPO but I'm just not sure of its future here in Victoria.

Bench night

Dumbell press - 30lb x12, 40lb x10, 50lb x8, 55lb x6, 45lb x10
Bench press - 40kg 2 sets of 8, 50kg 2 sets of 6, 60kg 2 sets of 3, 65 kg 2 singles.
Overhead rope press - 70 x12, 90 x12, 100 x10 x3sets
Rope pulls - 70 x12, 90 x12, 100 x10 x3sets
Seated rear delt flyes - 15lb dumbells 4 sets of 8 reps

*** New pics uploaded to AMG ***

Incy Wincy Spider....

Squat work Monday evening.

Donned the squat boots in the gym (never wear them outside.... too precious)

Squats - Warmup 40kg 10 reps, 60kg 8 reps x 2 sets, 80kg (belt on) 6 reps x 3 sets, loaded 100kg then realized I did not have my knee wraps.... down to 90kg for 4 singles with just the belt on.... and gym wear... no this is NOT neked powerlifting ;-)

Sumo dumbell squats - 55kg 4 sets of 8 - eowww tight inner thighs.
Good mornings - 40kg 4 sets of 8. Again ouch..!
Incline side twists - 10lb dumbell 4 sets of 8
Side planks - 3 sets of 8

Sat on the floor in the boxing room after doing the side planks and removed my boots...... F*&K... there's a massive spider sitting on top of my right foot - actually I was too scared to scream and just shook my foot wildly - didnt see where the spider went, looked under the black box I was using for side planks... nope... perhaps I was hallucinating? Started to put on my runners.... one... then the next and as I moved my leg there was the spider, under my leg.... Arrrghhhh..... Ever seen anyone scoot backwards on their bum? I would have won the Melbourne cup!!

Leigh suggested I have a spider tattooed on my foot... hmmm , ok poll time.... Hell - I cant believe the damn thing didn't bite me after being in my boot while I squatted....

Gym tonight - benching. Will check my equipment thoroughly!

Photo time

Yes, at last, some new pics.... Some of which I'll be sending to Andy at AMG later in the week.

Crap - I hope this chair doesn't break

Just me

Do my triceps look big in this top?

Friday night drinks after work.... Interesting conversation with the manager in Education, any time I'm interested in joining them..... Plus Darren has asked me to send my resume when he gets back from Singapore - his first assignment working for SUN. Not sure I'm ready to make the quantum leap out of Oracle just yet. I'm still to travel around Europe on my long service leave!


Weekend alone, Leah and Andrew went camping and got drowned in the heavy downpour and Madi has gone to Philip Island with Fiona and her parents. Went wandering around the shops on Saturday afternoon and picked up this new top. What do you think?

Working hard at home

Working from home today, on pager... same tomorrow for the public holiday for Melbourne Cup. Makes it a little easier to get to training early - tonight -> squats.

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Reply to comment:
Casually_me - good point, some grip training wouldnt go astray!

Deadlifts - Off the floor!

Conventional deadlift - Warmed up with 60kg for 10 reps
80x8, 100x6 (3 sets) 120kg x 2 (1 conventional and 1 sumo), 100kg x 6 (3 sets)
Barbell Hypers - 30kg 4 sets of 8 - Needed Reece to hand the bar over for each set.
Bicep curls - 20lb x12, 25lbx10 (2 sets) 30lb x8 (2 sets)

My hands have become so soft. Gripping the bar for the deadlifts was hard, I need to develop the callouses again, I could feel the ridges on the bar ripping my hands....

Out for a few drinks tonights at Cafe Equesta - just across the road from work. 2 colleagues are leaving - Darren, whom I mentored years back.... and Claudia. Must keep in touch with them. (Particularly Darren as he's going to work for Sun Microsystems.... I wouldn't mind working there myself..... hehehe)

Of note too across the road (and down a bit...) is the Victoria Police Headquarters.... Yummmm. Nice lot of eye candy out the front there other day whist I was on the tram heading into the city..... Ahhh such is my fetish for men in uniform. ;-)

Boyfriend is away this weekend and so I'll use this time to catchup a few things that have been on my 'to do' list for some time. I really want to do another spring clean of the house and chuck out some stuff thats just been jammed in the cupboards. If the weather picks up at all there's a little bit of gardnening to be done (weeding etc) and both the new car and truck need a wash. I also want to indulge in some 'me' time - read my book, watch some video's etc maybe even take time to get some new photo's for the blog.....

P1 pager next week - yuck!