Andy Bolton's Training Log

When reading this log please take note that everything is written in the following format: weight in kg's x reps x sets. My log will usually be updated monthly.

Saturday 20th February 2010

Cardio

Leg Ext for rehab

Leg Press for rehab

Elevated plank 20s x 2

Floor crunches 10 x 3

Machine crunches 10 x 3

Fat bar holds 10sec
100kg, 120kg, 140kg, 160kg, 2 sets, 160kg 30 sec (PR)

Thursday 18th February 2010: DE Bench

Speed Bench against doubled mini bands and 2 chains/side
60kg x 3 x 8, then 80kg x 1 x 5 (paused)

BB Floor press 100kg x 3 x 3, 120kg x 3 x 2

Steep Incline DB Press: 70lbs x 12 x 3

Seated Side Raises: 10kg x 15 x 2

Light pushdowns: 15 x 2

Rear Delt (on fly machine): 15 x 2

Barbell shrugs, thumbless grip: 10 x 3

Hammer rows: 10 x 3

Pulldowns: 10 x 3

Lat pushdowns: 10 x 3

Biceps: 10 x 3

Monday 15th February 2010: ME Bench

General warm up (Eliptical, stretching, mobility)

Reverse band Bench with 2 strong Jump Stretch bands/side; against 5 chains/side (shirted bench grip):
60kg x 5, 80kg x 5, 100kg x 3, 120kg x 2, 140kg x 1, 160kg x 1, 185kg x 1, 200kg x 1

3 Board Bench Press against doubled mini bands
140kg x 3, 160kg x 3, 170kg x 3, 175kg x 3

Overhead tricep ext 10 x 4

Pushdowns 10 x 4

Pec flys 15 x 2

Rotator cuff 20 x 2

Thursday 11th February 2010: DE Bench

Bench Press with pinky on ring: bar x 10 x 2, 40kg x 10 x 2, 60kg x 3 x 5, 80kg x 1 x 2, 100kg x 1, 120kg x 1 x 2 (very easy just grease the groove)

Seated DB Shoulder Press: 15 x 3

Seated DB Lateral Raises: 10kg x 15 x 3

Tricep Push Downs: 15 x 2 (light to pump)

Back assistance work and abs

Wednesday 10th February 2010

Eliptical x 5minutes, stretching and mobility work

Leg Extensions: 10 x 3 (rehab)

Single Leg, Leg Press: 60kg x 15/side x 3 (rehab)

Lying Leg Curl: 15 x 3

Seated Calf Raise: 12 x 3

Monday 8th February 2010

Warm up: Cross Trainer, Stretching and Mobility work

No Bench training today. After 3 weeks of heavy work I take a de-load week. This means ME Bench day is omitted and DE Bench day is much easier than usual.

Thursday 28th January 2010: DE Bench

Speed Bench against doubled Mini Bands and 4 chains/side: ring finger on ring: 50% x 3 x 7, then 5 moderate singles (paused)

Seated DB Shoulder Press: 15 x 3

Seated DB Lateral Raises: 10kg x 15 x 3

Tricep Push Downs: 15 x 2 (light to pump)

Back assistance work and abs

Wednesday 3rd February 2010

Eliptical x 5minutes, stretching and mobility work

Leg Extensions: 10 x 3 (rehab)

Single Leg, Leg Press: 60kg x 15/side x 3 (rehab)

Lying Leg Curl: 15 x 3

Seated Calf Raise: 12 x 3

Monday 1st February 2010

Warm up: Cross Trainer, Stretching and Mobility work

3 Board BP against doubled mini bands and 4 chains/side: worked up in triples to 147.5kg

4 Board Bench Press against Doubled mini bands: 3 hard sets of 5 reps
Doubled Mini Bands give around 40kg of tension at lockout

Lying, straight bar Skullcrushers: 8 x 4

V-Bar Pushdowns: 10 x 3

Flat Bench DB Flys: 10kg x 15 x 3

Thursday 28th January 2010: DE Bench

Speed Bench against doubled Mini Bands and 3 chains/side: ring finger on ring: 50% x 3 x 7, then 5 moderate singles (paused)

Seated DB Shoulder Press: 15 x 3

Seated DB Lateral Raises: 10kg x 15 x 3

Tricep Push Downs: 15 x 2 (light to pump)

Back assistance work and abs

Wednesday 27th January 2010

Eliptical x 5minutes, stretching and mobility work

Leg Extensions: 10 x 3 (rehab)

Single Leg, Leg Press: 60kg x 15/side x 3 (rehab)

Lying Leg Curl: 15 x 3

Seated Calf Raise: 12 x 3

Monday 25th January 2010

Warm up: Cross Trainer, Stretching and Mobility work

Future Method with 2 strong bands/side, against 5 chains/side: worked up in triples to 207.5kg

2 Board Bench Press against Doubled mini bands: 3 hard sets of 5 reps
Doubled Mini Bands give around 40kg of tension at lockout

Lying, straight bar Skullcrushers: 8 x 4

V-Bar Pushdowns: 10 x 3

Flat Bench DB Flys: 10kg x 15 x 3

Thursday 21st January 2010: DE Bench

Speed Bench against doubled Mini Bands and 2 chains/side: ring finger on ring: 50% x 3 x 8

Pushdowns: 20 x 3

Seated DB Shoulder Press: 17.5kg x 15 x 2 (10second rest between sets)

Seated Machine, Hammer rows 40kg x 10/side, 60kg x 10/side, 80kg x 10/side, 100kg x 10/side

Vbar pulldowns: 10 x 4 working up pretty heavy

Lat pushdowns (straight arm): 10 x 3 heavy again

Seated Preacher Curls: 15/side x 2

Wednesday 20th January 2010

Eliptical x 5minutes, stretching and mobility work

Leg Extensions: 10 x 3 (rehab)

Single Leg, Leg Press: 60kg x 15/side x 3 (rehab)

Lying Leg Curl: 15 x 3

Seated Calf Raise: 12 x 3

Monday 18th January 2010

Warm up: Cross Trainer, Stretching and Mobility work

Floor Press: 60kg plus 2 chains/side x 5, 60kg plus 4 chains/side x 5, 60kg plus 8 chains/side x 3, (all chains stay on for remaining sets), 80kg x 3, 100kg x 3, 120kg x 3, 130kg x 3, 135kg x 3 PB

3 Board Bench Press against Doubled mini bands: 60kg x 5, 100kg x 5, 120kg x 5, 140kg x 5, 145kg x 5 PB
Doubled Mini Bands give around 40kg of tension at lockout. This means my top set was around 190kg all together (bar/plate weight and band tension)

Lying, straight bar Skullcrushers: 8 x 4

V-Bar Pushdowns: 10 x 3

Flat Bench DB Flys: 10kg x 15 x 3

This is a new bench program for me. Less shirt work, 3 weeks hard, followed by 1 week easy. Lots of accomodating resistance (bands and chains)

Saturday 16th January 2010

Leg Extension: 15/side x 3 (rehab)

Single Leg, Leg Press: 60kg x 15/side x 3 (rehab)

Back Extensions: 15 x 2

Lying Leg Curls: 15 x 4

Thursday 14th January 2010

Speed Bench against doubled Mini Bands: ring finger or ring: 105kg x 3 x 8

Pushdowns: 20 x 3

Seated DB Shoulder Press: 17.5kg x 15 x 2 (10second rest between sets)

Seated Machine, Hammer rows 40kg x 10/side, 60kg x 10/side, 80kg x 10/side, 100kg x 10/side

Vbar pulldowns: 10 x 4 working up pretty heavy

Lat pushdowns (straight arm): 10 x 3 heavy again

Seated Preacher Curls: 15/side x 2

Wednesday 13th January 2010

Eliptical x 5minutes, stretching and mobility work

Leg Extensions: 10 x 3 (rehab)

Single Leg, Leg Press: 60kg x 15/side x 3 (rehab)

Lying Leg Curl: 15 x 3

Seated Calf Raise: 12 x 3

Monday 11th January 2010

Eliptical: 8 minutes, stretching and mobility work

Leg Extension: 15 x 3 (rehab)

Single Leg, Leg Press: 60kg x 15/side x 3 (rehab)

Raw bench (feet up): 60kg x 8, 80kg x 5, 100kg x 5, 120kg x 5,140kg x 5, 160kg x 5, 170kg x 3,182.5kg x 2 PB

Pushdowns: 12 x 4

Overhead Extensions: 12 x 4

Rear Delt Machine: 10 x 4

Ab Machine: 10 x 4 (with 1 second pause at top)

Band only External Rotation: Mini band x 12/side x 3

Saturday 9th January 2010

Leg ex for rehab: 15/side x 3

Unilateral leg press: 40kg x 15/side x 3

Plate Twists: 20kg x 20/side x 2

Supermans: 20 x 2

Leg raises: 20/side x 2

Wide leg crunches: bw x 10 x 3

Thursday 7th January 2010

Speed Bench against doubled mini bands: 80kg x 8 x 3 (1 minute 30 second rest between sets)

Pushdowns: 20 x 3

Skull crushers: 15 to 20 x 3

Machine Hammer rows: 40kg x 10/side, 60kg x 10/side, 80kg x 10/side, 100kg x 10/side

Vbar pulldowns: 10 x 4

Lat pushdowns: 10 x 3

Biceps: 15/side x 2

Hammer curls: 10 x 2

Wide leg crunches: bw x 10 x 3

Wednesday 6th January 2010

5 min Eliptical, followed by stretching and mobility drills

Leg ex rehab work

Single leg, leg press 40kg x 15/side x 3

Calfs 20 x 3

Monday 4th January 2010

5 min Eliptical, followed by stretching and mobility

Leg extension: rehab work, 15 x 3

Single Leg Press: 40kg x 15/side x 3

Raw bench feet up: 60kg x 8, 80kg x 5, 100kg x 5, 120kg x 5, 130kg x 5, 140kg x 5, 145kg x 5, 140kg x 8,

Pushdowns superset with rope attachment OH Extensions: 20 x 4 per movement

d/b shoulder press 45lb 12 x 3 (10seconds between sets)

d/b side delt 12 x 3

rear delt m/c 10 x 4

machine crunch 10 x 4

Band only external rotation: mini band x 12/side x 3

Saturday 12th December 2009

Leg Extension: knee rehab

Hack Squat: rehab knee

Side Lying Leg Raises:
10/side x 3

Wide leg crunches:
bw x 10 x 3

Thursday 10th December 2009

Leg Extension:
no weight to build up knee

Hack sqts:
15 x 2 no weight; for knee rehab

Pushdowns:
20 x 3

Rope Extensions:
20 x 3

Seated Machine Hammer rows:
50kg x 10/side, 60kg x 10/side, 70kg x 10/side

Vbar pulldowns:
10 x 3

Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns:
10 x 3

Machine Preacher Curl:
15 x 3

V-stance Curls: 10 x 3

Monday 7th December 2009

Raw bench feet up:
60kg x 8, 80kg x 5, 100kg x 5, 120kg x 5, 140kg x 5, 150kg x 5, 160kg x 2, 120kg x 10

DB shoulder press:
45lbs x 12 x 3

DB side delt:
12 x 3

Pushdowns:
20 x 3

OH Rope Extensions:
20 x 3

Rear Delt Machine:
10 x 4

Bicep Preacher Curl:
15 x 3

Ab Machine:
10 x 4

Band only External Rotations:
Mini x 12/side x 3

Saturday 5th December 2009: Log update

On Thursday 26th November 2009 I had key hole surgery on my knee. The surgeon found a small piece of tissue that had torn. He corrected the problem and I am now back training, planning to compete in March 2010. The past few months have been tough because until I had the surgery I had had ongoing knee problems that nobody could find the cause of. Luckily for me, it is now fixed!

I have benched with my feet up this week on Monday and Thursday. The reason for having my feet up is to avoid putting too much pressure on my knee, straight after surgery.

On Monday I worked up to 130kg x 8. On Thursday I took a close grip and worked up to 140kg x 5.

On Monday I followed Benching with tricep pushdowns, seated DB presses and mini band external rotations.

On Thursday I followed Close Grip Benching with tricep pushdowns (different grip to Monday), then Back and biceps.

As soon as I am back to benching with my feet down I will start recording my log in detail again. Thanks for reading!

Wednesday 4th November 2009: Squat/Deadlift

12 minutes on stationary bike
Stretching/Mobility work

Rope Pushdowns: 50 - 60lbs x 20 x 4
superset with:
OH Rope Extensions: 40 - 50lbs x 20 x 4

3 Back Exercises

Took it pretty easy today as I am shaking off a cold at the moment that is leaving me feeling slightly run down. Just went through the motions on Tricep and Back work.

I did help a disabled athlete called Paul Cartwright with his Benching. He is training with Elliot Newman and I on a Thursday. He is Bench only as he can not use his legs. Unfortunately, he has been turned away from many gyms in the past due to lack of disabled access. He has done three sessions with us so far and his technique is improving dramatically. The first week he worked up to a shaky single with 100kg. Today (his third session with Elliot and I) he did 110kg x 3! I'll keep you updated on Paul's progress. He has the genetics to bench big and has done so in the past, but has been inactive for years.

Wednesday 4th November 2009: Squat/Deadlift

10 minutes walking on Treadmill
Stretching/Mobility work

Hack Squats: 15 x 3

Leg Extensions: 20 x 3

Band TKE's: 20/side x 2

Stiff Leg DL from blocks: knee height: 20 x 5

Nothing major today as I am still rehabing my knee injury, hence the high reps.

Monday 2nd November 2009: Shirted Bench

10 minutes walking on Treadmill
Stretching/Mobility work

Bench Press (Raw): 60kg x 8, 90kg x 6, 120kg x 5, 150kg x 5, 170kg x 1, 185kg x 2
200kg x 1 (3 board), 210kg x 1 (4 board)

Add Bench Shirt: 260kg x 2 (3 board), 280kg x 2 (2 board), 295kg x 2 (2 board), 305kg x 2 (2 board)

CG Decline BP: 100kg x 5, 140kg x 5, 160kg x 5

Incline BP: 75kg x 10 x 2

Lateral Raises: 15kg x 10 x 2

Rear Delts on pec deck machine: 100lbs x 10 x 4

Saturday 31st October 2009: Assistance work

10 minutes on eliptical
Stretching/Mobility work

Band TKE's
Light Band x 20/side x 2

Back Extensions
bw x 20 x 2

BB Glute Bridge
60kg x 10, 100kg x 10, 140kg x 10 x 2

Seated Band Abduction
Mini Band x 20 x 2

Spread Eagle Sit Ups
bw x 10 x 3 (10seconds rest between sets)

Ab Machine
Full Stack x 10 x 3

Fat Bar Holds (these are performed on a 2.5 inch thick bar with no knurling. Today we added a T-shirt around the bar to make it really tough. We pick these up from around knee height, so it's like performing a partial deadlift with an extremely think bar. This is hard grip training).
100kg x 10 seconds, 120kg x 10 seconds, 140kg x 10 seconds, 160kg x 10 seconds, 170kg x 10 seconds, 180kg x 10 seconds

All done in just under an hour today.

Thursday 29th October 2009: Bench

10 minutes on eliptical
Stretching/Mobility work

Close Grip 4 Board Reverse Band Bench Press (using Strong/Blue Jump Stretch bands. These are hung from the top of the rack at 7 feet from the floor. At chest level they de-load the bar by around 155lbs).
100kg x 5, 140kg x 3, 180kg x 3, 210kg x 3, 230kg x 3, 250kg x 2

Rope Pushdowns supersetted with Overhead Rope Extensions
20 x 4 per movement

Seated machine Hammer Rows
10 x 3

Straight Arm Pull Downs
10 x 3

T-Bar Rows
10 x 3

Concentration Curls
15kg x 10/side x 2

Trained with two training partners today and took around an hour and 20 minutes to complete.

Monday 26th October 2009: Shirted Bench

10 minutes on eliptical
Stretching/Mobility work

Raw Bench:
60kg x 8, 90kg x 5, 120kg x 5, 150kg x 3, 180kg x 5

Add Bench Shirt: Inzer RageX
240kg x 2 (4 board), 270kg x 2 (4 board), 300kg x 2 (4 board), 260kg x 5 (2 board), 250kg x 3 (1 board)

I didn't do Decline Bench today as I felt run down with a cold.

Seated Pec Deck: 15 x 2

Rear Delts: 10 x 5

External Rotations with Mini Band 15/side x 3

Monday 19th October 2009: Shirted Bench

10 minutes on eliptical
Stretching/Mobility work

Raw Bench:
60kg x 10, 90kg x 8, 120kg x 5, 150kg x 3, 180kg x 1, 200kg x 1

Add Bench Shirt: Inzer RageX
240kg x 2 (4 board), 280kg x 2 (3 board), 295kg x 2 (3 board), 280kg x 2 (2 board), 270kg x 2 (1.5 board), 310kg x 2 (4 board)

Decline BP: Close Grip
100kg x 5, 140kg x 5, 160kg x 5

Rear Delt Machine
12 x 5

Band Only External Rotation
Mini band x 15/side x 3

This was my first proper training session back after the British Championships. I had a slight knee injury that prevented me from benching with my feet down. I have also changed my bench stance so that my feet are now flat. This has increased my ROM slightly but has made me much more stable.