Project: garage to man cave

UKRob

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Also looking for garage flooring but tough enough for car parking rather than gym flooring, I was thinking of the rubber flooring with the small circles that you often see in some offices or staircases, I think this may be suitable for being stuck down. Something I can wash down if it is needed.
Costco usually have that in stock and at a reasonable price. I used it in a large shed with a concrete base where it seemed to keep the damp at bay. It’s extremely hard wearing and although, as someone pointed out, you may not want to let water get underneath, because it comes as a large sheet, you can easily keep it clean using liquid as it’s not permeable.
 

Burgundy

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Right-oh. I figure I’m basically a newbie again so I’m running a four-day beginners’ programme consisting of squats, deadlifts, bench, power cleans, presses and chins with a focus on form and progressive overload. I’ll definitely keep a day of relaxed jogging (I have a few 3-5 mile cross country routes) - and perhaps add in another for pissing about with anything that’s not a barbell ‘metcon’ - but not ruin myself on either day.

I’ll definitely be doing a lot of stretching and flexibility exercises. Ankle mobility seems to be my main casualty since I last lifted several years ago but, now being the wrong side of 30, I can definitely feel the need for warming up and warming down in a way that I never had to before. Getting my squat depth consistently below parallel will take some work, for example.

I’ll try to run this until I’m happy with my form and regained strength and mobility until April at the earliest...
 

Burgundy

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The side is working out well so far.

The area around the rack has spot on enough room for compound lifts - I’m glad I went for a full power cage rather than a half or quarter rack although, if I had less space, I’d investigate the folding rack options. Further in there’s plenty of space for flinging kettlebells and slam balls, burpees etcs.

Next on my list is weight plate storage. I’m toying with the more expensive option of finding a welder to fabricate a toast-style rack but might try something cheaper first. I spotted furniture legs in Screwfix that - with a bit of lateral thinking - I could wall mount. With some good concrete fixings I reckon the only thing that would go wrong is the weld.

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Working sets today were:

Front squat: 3x5
Bench press: 3x5
Barbell row: 3x5
RDL: 3x8
 

Burgundy

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There was some condensation the other morning when the weather suddenly turned from Baltic to spring-like overnight. But, since then, it’s been reassuringly dry despite the weather.

Working sets:

Press 3x5
Deadlift 3x5
Chins 3x8

I found myself using some leg drive in the final set of the overhead press so I’m going to keep the weight the same when I next work it and concentrate on getting them strict before moving up. I shouldn’t be too surprised since I’m running a calorie deficit. Deadlift is working nicely though.

Keeping an eye on the weather for tomorrow’s weekly trail run. After breakfast looks good.
 

Burgundy

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Ran that beginners’ routine for 2 months and felt good for it. My pressing and squatting numbers started to lag - mainly because I’m not eating enough, partly because I didn’t have enough in the tank on weeknights to be adding plates each time on 3x5.

So I took a deload last week and planned some changes. I’ve switched to a Jim Wendler 5/3/1 style of programming which I’ll run for seven weeks (two cycles plus a deload week). As a philosophy, 5/3/1 feels sustainable which - given we’ll have a toddler and a newborn in the impending future - is a priority.

Wendler’s written an updated book recently which I’ve found a used copy of his more up-to-date ideas on eBay so will flick through that and work out what I want to do next with it. I probably ought to roughly track what I’m eating but, y’know, life’s too short.
 
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Burgundy

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I’ve been struggling to stay in a routine since the newborn’s arrival. I’ve even been considering working out in the early mornings while everyone else is in bed but the toddler, with a sadistic sense of timing, has recently decided that 5.30am is an appropriate time to wake up for the day.

There’s only really two gaps in the weekday evenings: 1) if I come home from work early I can get a workout in before nursery pick-up, or 2) if the toddler goes down to bed easily I can squeeze a short one in between bedtime routine and dinner.

Keeping expectations of myself low for the time being… but I really want that time to myself!
 

Nishy

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Staff member
I’ve been struggling to stay in a routine since the newborn’s arrival. I’ve even been considering working out in the early mornings while everyone else is in bed but the toddler, with a sadistic sense of timing, has recently decided that 5.30am is an appropriate time to wake up for the day.

There’s only really two gaps in the weekday evenings: 1) if I come home from work early I can get a workout in before nursery pick-up, or 2) if the toddler goes down to bed easily I can squeeze a short one in between bedtime routine and dinner.

Keeping expectations of myself low for the time being… but I really want that time to myself!
My brother who has young twins (almost 3) now completes HIT training at around 5am in the garage with the twins joining in ad hoc. Quite a sight to behold. Followed by piano practice in the same garage, followed by surgery at work. Insane but the guys a genius.
I hadn't visited this thread for a long time but the garage/gym looks like it's coming on very well :)
 
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