[Rich Ellis]

As Oscar said, get on over to the education section and spend some time doing some valuable learning from the bottom up. It will be incredibly valuable as a basis for your entire training journey

Whatever you choose, be prepared to stick with it for a significant period of time. Switching splits every few weeks isn’t going to yield the progress you desire. Consistently improve.

[Rich Ellis]

Calves and arms today, and it was a good one!

I’m very much looking forward to a full rest tomorrow, it’s been a good week, but I’m ready to make the most of my rest days when they come around

Looking forward to bumping the numbers next week, really feel in the groove

Calf raise
Incline DB curl
Cable ez Curl
Kennellys
Floor French Press

One meal left this evening, then a big sleep

Have a great Sunday team!!

[Rich Ellis]

What’s the specific question mate….?

[Rich Ellis]

Cant lie, but intensifiers are in my opinion key to lockdown training. Its extremely hard to progress using coventional methods in a home environment. Distractions, lack of weight/equipment, and just the fact it takes more effort and willpower to do the session in the first place. Intensifiers ensure you are getting a decent amount of stimulus in a short timeframe. In regards to how to progress a cluster set. THe first point of progression I tend to focus on with people, is improving the consistancy and maintaining good form as the sets go on. Often the latter sets, will experience a breakdown in form or tempo, so tidying that up is my first port of call, before increasing the weight

Agree they can be a valuable tool, just like in a normal training environment, and they can certainly come into their own for those with a restricted set-up, but there’s a lot of blanket assumptions here – remember there are plenty of people set up well enough, and still motivated/driven/excited enough to be able to operate with fundamental principles.

[Rich Ellis]

Legs it was!!!

Had a really good session, strength is linearly climbing , but it’s starting to take its toll on my knees which I feared may be the case

I’ll stick with the same movements, but shift rep ranges up to see if this helps.

Four work sets on each

Leg curl
Sissy squat
Machine squat
RDL

Calves and arms tomorrow…. and of course tge Conor fight !!

[Rich Ellis]

Hi mate

I personally wouldn’t see a cluster as a good variable shift on a rotation. You’re extending the set and creating more fatigue, not creating a point of difference

You’d be better having two very distinct rep ranges in my opinion, or even better, banding the movement where possible to give it a different resistance profile

To answer your question though, with a cluster, I would always use the first block of reps as tge performance reference point, so look to progress that as your primary objective

[Rich Ellis]

Hi mate

As Clare said, grip aids will be very useful here.

Straps will also help you focus more attention to on to pulling with your back than holding on for dear life and pulling with your arms.

Invest in a set of ironmind straps. They will literally last forever.

Please also just watch a tutorial on how to use them, it’s incredibly simple, yet people still get it wrong all of the time!

[Rich Ellis]

Rest day today – needed it after pull yesterday for sure.

Just watching last night’s UFC card to round off a busy day. One meal to go and then sleep ahead of training tomorrow

[Rich Ellis]

Hi mate

It’s good to get other people’s views, but a question like this…. none of us are you. You need to see how the machine works for you, how tge movement feels.

Have a play with your stance and see what feels and looks best

Take it from there mate. There’s no absolutes when it comes to movements

[Rich Ellis]

Good pull session this evening. Strength is really on the way back now which is so nice, there was a point a few weeks ago where I wondered whether I was ever going to be strong again – not there yet, but it’s coming quickly!!

Today looked like

Calf raise
Chest supported upper back row
Corner bar row
Barbell row
Stirrup Pulldown
Standing DB Curl (fwd lean)

Resting tomorrow before leg session on Friday.

Good time, then bed ??

[Rich Ellis]

Agree with Clare, there are a lot of bodily processes that require fats to optimally function

What does your diet look like?

[Rich Ellis]

Can you get some resistance bands if you can’t get more straight weight?

[Rich Ellis]

Rest day today guys.

Shoulders happily feeling good after yesterday’s pressing, but a prudent measure to keep this rest day in none tge less

Heavy pull session tomorrow, very much ready to roll with it. Nearly time for food and then resting up for the night

[Rich Ellis]

Felt really well rested for my session today, and that was complemented by the new STIM 2.0. If you like a “stimmy” pre, I urge you to try it!!

Recovery, frequency, movement selection…. it all feels in a good place at the moment, probably the best it has in recent memory.

Performance continues to improve session after session. Thts the main aim at the moment

Cable laterals
DB laterals
Overhead rope Tri ext
Parallel bar dips
DB shoulder press
Paused DB flat press

As I have been, and as things have been working nicely…. rest tomorrow to allow shoulders maximum opportunity to recover, then heavy pull on weds ??

[Rich Ellis]

Jump on the education section of the site mate. Work through the videos. Invest time in furthering your understanding of the underlying principles. It will be time well spent!!