Upper body training

Once in a lifetime:

I went through my routine as usual, warming up with pull-ups and then proceeded to deadlifts. As I gradually increased the weight my back pain began to surface and after two sets with 160 kg I was already limping. At this point there were three options, at least that's how I saw it. You either stop deadlifting all together, you do the smart thing which is to drop the weight and work on technique or you punish yourself. I chose the latter. I discarded two 10 kg plates and went back to 140 for what I planned to be 10 to 12 reps. It didn't happen like that. After squeezing 8 reps I told myself, just do 2,3 more. I remember reaching 20 and going absolutely insane. In that moment I was transported from a civilian gym on an ancient battlefield. I kept going, 22, 24, 27, 29. At 30 reps I puked in a nearby trash can. By this time I was wobbly on my feet, my vision was blurred, I was sweating profusely and my heart felt like it was about to explode any second. A few more reps, that's all I need, I thought to myself. Every rep after the 30 rep mark was grueling. At 40 reps I could taste blood in my mouth and it was clogging up my nose. Fuck, I knew it, I was about to faint soon. Get 50 reps in and then you can die, quick! For the first time in my life I had to hitch the last reps. When I made the last rep I felt so relieved that I didn't faint. It took me 10 minutes just to be able to walk properly. I drank about 1 litre of water and sat in my own pain. Every fucking rep was done properly, no bounce, no sumo and no fucking belt. As I sit and write this I have problems concentrating, horrible headaches, I hear things in slow motion, pain in my right ear, heartbeat through the roof, very dizzy. I feel like puking all the time. Gijs might be the alpha lion but I'm the hungry young lion who wants to take his place. I might not be as strong as he is but I'll bleed myself dry to outlast him in painful events. There's a line you cross from which you cannot return. After 9 years of lifting weights today I went there, I crossed the line. The closest I've been to death. It is a feeling of acknowledging your own mortality whereas before I was oblivious to it. Your body starts shutting down, limb by limb, brain cell by brain cell. It is a frightening process of total disintegration. I hope I will be alive in the morning for another chance to defy death, another chance to fight.  

Wide grip pull-ups:

4x8xBW

Deadlifts:

3x12x70 kg
8x100 kg
8x120 kg
8x140 kg
2x4x160 kg (back pain)
50x140 kg


Dumbbell shrugs:


12x38 kg
12x40 kg
4x10x52 kg

Close grip pull-downs:

12x68 kg
12x82 kg
12x91 kg
10x100 kg
8x100 kg

Face pulls:

12x36 kg
12x55 kg
2x20x59 kg

Incline bench presses:

12x60 kg
8x80 kg
8x100 kg
7x110 kg
8x100 kg
4x100 kg (with pause)

Prone ab bridges:

1x4 minutes
2x1x2 minutes

Hanging leg raises:

3x8xBW