Week #9 chest and tris done - quitting is not an option

Everyone once in a while, you get to hit or exceed a target in weightlifting that has either elluded you or has otherwise remained unreachable. Next week, I get to shatter one of my biggest goals: I get to bench 200lbs for reps. Chest day is officially done! Let's put this in context:

• I'm 33 years old, and my weightlifting journey, especially over the last 10 years, has been hit-and-miss - up until 2 years ago.
• My bodyweight has wavered between 175lbs and 205lbs in the last 10 years. It's currently ~192lbs.
• My bodyfat composition has fluctuated massively, being anywhere between 8% (briefly) and about 15-16%. It's currently about 9-9.5%.
• My bench press capability has generally never exceeded about 150lbs. Last night I benched 190lbs for 12 reps.
• A key factor has also been my underdeveloped triceps. Last night I did 95lbs overhead dumbell extensions for 10 reps, 165lbs tricep pushdowns for 12 reps (more progression next week) as my opening sets for each exercise and then finished with 10 weighted dips (with 45lbs slung under me).

Add that all together and what do you get? Solid, steady and positive progression in all muscle groups over the last 2 years - particularly in the last year as I've torched most of my body fat as by that point and the rest of the work just slabs on muscle.

I also want to take a second (again) to thank everyone who has come up to me in the last couple of weeks with their comments - they've been nothing but positive! I'll always happily accept constructive criticism, but it's a nice ego boost when everyone seems to follow the same vein - "nice work!" or "I had no idea your arms were that bg!". My response to all is the same - I sincerely thank you for your kind words and support. If this is something that intrigues you, or even just getting in better shape is more what you want, then you owe it to yourself to check out Mark McManus's MuscleHack website.

The training that I'm doing every day follows all of the free advice and programs available from Mark's site. Nothing more, nothing less. If you can wrap your brain around the fact that most of our daily habits are formed by big business and mass media, if you can resign yourself to the fact that you MUST change your habits in order to change yourself for the better and if you can wholeheartedly put your best effort into this change - you're set. Your only limit is the one you impose upon yourself.

Have a great weekend folks, I'm still in catch-up mode. But I will catch-up. :)

Adam