This warmup was going well but he usually began to reduce the rep count at this stage. Not on purpose of course, the weight and muscle fatigue decided that number, but he expected it to start around now. He would squeeze out around 6 or 8 reps on this and then it would reduce to maybe 3 or 4 reps at 160.

One rep at 180kg was his best ever but he’d had Moe spot him then as he didn’t want to get stuck under the bar.

He lifts the bar and lowers it to his chest. The reps are slow and steady and as he rests the bar back on the forks he grows curious. That seemed to be almost easier than normal. Was he that rested? That well fed?

He slides another two smaller 10kg plates onto the bar taking it to 160kg and, lying