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W/C 14th September 2026
14 September
Nordic Curls – 2 x 4
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 15 x 55kg (3030 tempo)
Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 15 x 80kg (3030 tempo)
Stir The Pot – 2 x 30 secsBack at it! Glutes are fine, quads are very sore from the RFESS. I set up in the rack for seated calf raise and placed a plank of wood across my knees before manoeuvring the barbell in place. I thought it worked really well so I’m excited to progress in weight. Stir the pot was very easy, though my Swiss ball needs inflating.
15 September
Bike Tempo – 111,111,111 (160W)
DB Row – 2 x 8 x 35kg
DB Incline Press – 2 x 8 x 25kg
Skull Crushers – 2 x 8 x 31kg
BB OHP – 2 x 8 x 42.5kg
TRX Face Pulls – 2 x 10
Abs – 3 minsAlmost back to normal, a very simple session so I will look to start progressing these from now on, with real training starting on the 21st.
16 September
Rest
Quite excited for tomorrow!
17 September
Warm Up 1
MB Throws – 5 x 3
CMJ Series – 2 x 3
Build Ups – 3 x 30m (to 70%)
Back Squat – 2 x 8 x 85kg
Hip Thrust – 2 x 8 x 90kg
Nordic Curls – 2 x 4
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 15 x 60kg (3030 tempo)
Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 15 x 90kg (3030 tempo)
Suitcase DB Hold – 2 x 45 secs x 25kgAn enjoyable first session 🙂 I thought it was a bit dramatic to attempt such a measly build up series but I could feel my legs aching for what was a lower intensity than I usually start my tempo runs with. The gym was tough but manageable, hip thrusts were definitely easier than back squats so maybe 100kg. Really pleased with the seated calf raise, I switched to a wider, flatter piece of wood with a gym mat on top and rested that on my knees under the bar. Suitcase holds aren’t challenging, I will need to either increase the weight or continue on to 55-60 secs.
18 September
Warm Up 2
Hurdle Mobility 1 – 3 sets (4kg MB walk overs, over/unders)
Tempo – 111,111,111 in avg 17.9 secs
Unilateral wall sit – 15 secs
Lunge ISO – 15 secs
Hip Flexor ISO – 10 secs x 3kg
Pillar – 10 reps (4:51)19 September
Rest
20 September
Rest
I feel in a good place heading into the main season and excited to start ramping up the volume and intensity.
W/C 7th September 2026
7 September
Rest
More resting, I tried some light stretching but it really doesn’t like me bending over so I can’t handle anything in the gym.
8 September
DB Incline Press – 2 x 8 x 25kg
DB Row – 2 x 8 x 35kg
Skull Crushers – 2 x 8 x 31kg
BB OHP – 2 x 8 x 42.5kg
TRX Face Pulls – 2 x 10
Abs – 2 mins
Bike Tempo – 111,111,111 (160W)Finally some respite from the lower back soreness. As I warmed up everything got progressively easier and I wasn’t really troubled by it even during the overhead press. Tomorrow is high volume bodyweight lunges and I’m ready to go.
9 September
BW Lunges – 22 x 26 (13 per leg) w 2 mins rest
Penultimate YouTube exercise and this is the one I’m quietly worried about resulting in 6-8 day DOMS. I was feeling it in the final 3-4 sets and my left knee was playing up a bit too.
The final exercise is a RFESS so I can’t really go into that carrying a lot of DOMS, and I want to wrap up filming this week.
10 September
Rest
Surprisingly not that much soreness.
11 September
Tempo Runs – 8 x 100m (19 secs)
Very chilled tempo on the track, I felt quite fresh and had to consciously slow down to hit 19 second reps.
12 September
RLESS – 12 x 10 x 30kg
OHP – 2 x 8 x 42.5kg
TRX Face Pulls – 2 x 10
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 15 x 55kg (3030 tempo)
Suitcase DB Hold – 2 x 35 secs x 25kgThe final exercise for my YouTube video is now done! I expect some soreness in the next 72 hours then I can crack on with the winter season. It was actually most demanding on my breathing and I still felt gassed afterwards, so had to skip a few exercises. Pleased to have done heavy calf raises and the suitcase DB hold.
13 September
Rest
Glutes and quads are tender, might be even worse tomorrow.
W/C 24th August 2026
24 August
Back Squat – 10 x 10 x 65kg
Nordic Curls – 2 x 4
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 12 x 55kg
SL Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 12 x 42.5kgThe seated calf raise is getting silly, so I will try the smith machine next time. I needed to do 10 x 10 squats for a video and I was only planning to do 4 x 10 as a tester but I just went for it and handled it really well. That’s not to say I won’t get a lot of DOMS tomorrow! Nordics feel strong and the standing calf raise was too easy so I’ll have to go up again on Thursday.
25 August
Burpees – 10 x 10 (no jump or push up)
Pull Ups – 5 x 5
OHP – 10,8,6,5 x 40kg
DB Row – 10,10,10,10,9 x 27.5kg
Bench Press – 10 x 10 x 50kg
DB Suitcase Holds – 3 x 25kg x 35 secsMore YouTube stuff but quite aligned with what I’d normally do in this session. The bench press started off with 60 seconds rest and ended up with 2 minutes due to fatigue.
26 August
Rest
27 August
Warm Up 1
CMJ Series – 3 x 3 (75/90/105cm)
Bike Accels – 2 x 2 x 8 secs
BB Quarter Squats – 10 x 90kg, 10 x 100kg, 14 x 100kg
Hip Thrusts – 10 x 10 x 70kg
DB Incline Press – 10,10,10,10,10,9 x 20kg
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 12 x 60kg
SL Seated Smith Machine Calf Raise – 3 x 12 x 40kgI cut the accels to 8 seconds and that made a huge difference to effort levels as I tend to fade in the last few seconds. The main weights session was more YouTube stuff, surprisingly easy to smash out 100 reps of hip thrusts. I tried seated calf raises on the smith machine and it really wasn’t working for me so back to the drawing board.
28 August
Rest
29 August
BW Lunges – 5 x 10 per leg, 2 x 13 per leg
I’m doing high rep lunges in the next few weeks and wanted to break myself in with lower volume. I had written down 100 total reps but that was too easy so I did another 50 total.
30 August
Calf Raises – 6 x 50
Yet again, some YouTube stuff in the off season. I used a 1020 tempo and 2 minutes rest but I needed to break the final set into 25,15 and 10. My legs were trembling on the eccentric portion of the movement for most of the final set and for the last 15-25 reps of the two penultimate sets. I’m still confident I can achieve my target of 515 reps in a few days time without causing too much soreness.
Ending this log here as the next two weeks are more accurately attributed to the lead in to winter training.
W/C 17th August 2026
17 August
Oscillating Squat – 3 x 12 x 40kg
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 12 x 50kg (slow)
Unilateral Wall Sit – 3 x 25 secs
Nordic Curls – 2 x 4
Seated DB Calf Raise – 3 x 12 x 37.5kg (slow)The calf raise was just right by the third set, will bump it next week though given how quickly I’m progressing. The wall sit was a good challenge and I had written 30 seconds but didn’t want to push it. Still not feeling fully challenged by the seated version, the limiting factor might end up being how heavy a dumbbell I can position on my knee.
18 August
Warm Up 2
Bike Tempo – 111,212,212,111 [180W/160W]
Bent Over Row – 3 x 8 x 67.5kg
Bench Press – 3 x 8 x 72.5kg
BB OHP – 3 x 8 x 42.5kg
Pull Ups – 3 x 8
DB Suitcase Holds – 3 x 25kg x 30 secsGood session, I had to drop the tempo for the “200 metre” rep (90 secs) right down to 160W as it was hard to maintain anything more. I think I can progress the suitcase holds in time for the next session.
19 August
Rest
20 August
Warm Up 1
CMJ series – 3 x 3 (75cm, 90cm, 105cm)
Bike Accels – 2 x 2 x 10 secs (?? Watts)
SLRDL – 3 x 12 x 10kg
SL Glute March – 2 x 6 per leg w 5 sec ISO
Nordic Eccentrics – 2 x 4
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 12 x 52.5kg
SL Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 12 x 40kgMy adductors are still tender from what I can only trace back to unilateral wall sits. I was untroubled by 105cm in the jump series and confirmed that the exercise bike displays only top out at 465W. SLRDL was much easier, should maybe have bumped that. The standing calf raise was a little light too, and for the seated raise I was actively pushing down with my hands on some reps to get enough tension.
21 August
Warm Up 2
Bike Tempo – 111,121,121,111 [180W/160W]
Bent Over Row – 3 x 8 x 70kg
Bench Press – 3 x 8 x 72.5kg
BB OHP – 3 x 8 x 42.5kg
Pull Ups – 3 x 9
DB Suitcase Holds – 3 x 25kg x 35 secsAnother good session, nice to increase the suitcase holds, and the overhead press was already easier in the final reps.
22 August
Overhead DB Tricep Extension – 2 x 10 x 10kg
Doing something for a YouTube video, otherwise rested.
23 August
DB Hammer Curl – 4 x 10 x 10kg
Push Ups – 10 x 10, 25
BW Squats – 5 x 20Another bit of exercise for a video.
W/C 10th August 2026
10 August
Oscillating Squat – 3 x 12 x 40kg
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 15 x 40kg (slow)
Wall Sit – 3 x 60 secs
Nordic Curls – 2 x 4
Seated Calf Raise – 1 x 15 x 40kg, 2 x 15 x 50kg (slow)My body could do with a break but I don’t want to do nothing, so I’ve settled on a 4 day split with the focus being on calf work to protect my Achilles.
11 August
Warm Up 2
Bike Tempo – 3 x 6 x 45 on 15 off (60 secs) [175W]
Bench Press – 3 x 8 x 70kg
Bent Over Row – 3 x 8 x 60kg
BB OHP – 3 x 8 x 40kg
Pull Ups – 3 x 8
DB Holds – 25kg x 45 secs, 30 secsA good first bike session, I got quite sweaty so I will wear a vest next time. I picked a starting weight for each exercise and only the rows were too light.
I finished with some dumbbell holds to improve my grip. I only gave myself 60 secs rest as I was short on time and it wasn’t enough to repeat the 45 second effort.
12 August
Rest
13 August
Warm Up 1
CMJ series – 3 x 3 (75cm, 90cm, 105cm)
Bike Accels – 2 x 2 x 10 secs (465W?)
SLRDL – 3 x 12 x 10kg
SL Glute March – 2 x 8 per leg w 5 sec ISO
Nordic Eccentrics – 2 x 4
Standing Calf Raise – 15 x 42.5kg, 15 x 45kg, 15 x 47.5kg
SL Seated Calf Raise – 15 x 27.5kg, 15 x 30kg, 15 x 35kgReally nice workout. I saw plyo boxes in the corner of the gym so I realised I could do my jumps series. I did a pause with no arms to 75cm, countermovement to 90cm then with a run in to 105cm, finishing with a nice single at 120cm which I was pleased to land.
The bike was weird, I went flat out and it said 465W, then I went up a level and it still said 465W. I’m capable of 650W at home so I wondered if that’s all it can show.
The calf raises were a bit scrappy, purely because I had progressed so much since the session three days ago. The first weight on both was nothing and even the final set had a rep or two in the tank. I’m supposed to move to 12RM next week which I’ll still do, because I’ll probably end up selecting a weight that’s really my 15RM.
14 August
Warm Up 2
Bike Tempo – 3 x 5 x 45 on 15 off (60 secs) [175W]
Bench Press – 3 x 8 x 72.5kg
Bent Over Row – 3 x 8 x 65kg
BB OHP – 3 x 8 x 42.5kg
Pull Ups – 3 x 8
DB Suitcase Holds – 3 x 25kg x 30 secsI took a rep off each set of bike tempo and I plan to replace it with my more traditional rep scheme next week. I added a bit of weight here and there, OHP was only just possible so that stays as is. I think bent over rows have the biggest room to move up.
Very pleased to realise I could combine an ab exercise with a grip hold in the form of suitcase holds. It started off very manageable but off a minute rest I found it just right by the final set.
Looking forward to my two days off!
15-16 August
Rest
