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September check-in: the bench finally moved
Posted in Darren's Progress. 1 minute read.
102.5 for a single. It has been a long summer.
Bench back past 100, bodyweight still dropping slowly, and a squat PR I did not expect.
Latest posts
Training when the kids have been up all night
Posted in Training. 1 minute read.
Go anyway. Just go lighter.
My rule for bad sleep days: show up, do the main lift at a lower weight, and go home.
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Bracing, explained like you are at the bar
Posted in Technique. 1 minute read.
Big breath, belly out, hold it. That is most of it.
The simplest way I have found to explain bracing, and why it made my squat feel lighter the same day.
Protein without the shakes
Posted in Food. 1 minute read.
I have nothing against shakes. I just keep forgetting to drink them.
Five boring foods that do most of the work, and how I keep them in the house without a separate shopping list.
The warm-up I do in eight minutes
Posted in Training. 1 minute read.
Long enough to feel ready. Short enough that I actually do it.
Two minutes on the bike, a few drills, then build up to the working weight. That is the whole thing.
Film your squat from the side, not the front
Posted in Technique. 1 minute read.
The front angle looks good on TikTok. The side angle tells you what is going wrong.
Where to put your phone, what to look for, and the two faults I spot most often in my own squat.
Read the rest of Film your squat from the side, not the front
Twelve weeks in: the honest numbers
Posted in Darren's Progress. 1 minute read.
Some went up. One went down. Here are all of them.
Bodyweight, the big lifts and the bits I would rather not admit, after twelve weeks on three days a week.
What I actually eat on a work day
Posted in Food. 1 minute read.
No meal prep boxes. Just a plan that survives a Tuesday.
Breakfast to bedtime on a normal office day, with rough protein numbers and the shortcuts I use when it falls apart.
Why my deadlift stalled at 180
Posted in Technique. 1 minute read.
Turns out it was my shoes. Mostly.
Six weeks stuck at 180 kg. Here is what was wrong, and the three small changes that got it moving again.
Three days a week is enough for a dad with a job
Posted in Training. 1 minute read.
I used to think I needed five sessions. I was wrong, and I was knackered.
How I set up a full body week that fits round work, school runs and broken sleep, and still adds weight to the bar.
Read the rest of Three days a week is enough for a dad with a job