Thursday, December 31, 2009

Military press

One of my dogs got me up at 2:00 last night to pee. She's the rescued racing greyhound and is a real princess, so she won't go out until she's gonna pop. The little stinker. Anyway, I took her out and felt fine; when I got up at 5:30, my SI joint was screaming. Not sure what I did between 2:00 and 5:30, but it was bad.

So between my aching elbow and my SI joint, I'm still whining. I also cut the chins from today's workout -- my arm already wants to fall off.

So back to the microlactin in force today, and I may add circumin and definitely Advil. Vike may be called for before I'm done.

So I started with SWF and AtLarge Results, APT Convict elbow sleeves, and Metal wrist wraps. I warmed up methodically under the bar and the elbow felt ok.

Military:

120 kilos x 5 easy. No real elbow pain while lifting, but I feel it when tension dissipates. Weird.
135 kilos x 3 Still easy lifting, though now I feel the elbow under tension.
155 kilos x 1 Got 10 reps, which is a PR for weight and reps, I think. I'll have to check.

90 kilos x 5 x 10 Very easy, though elbow is barking loudly by this point. I need to raise this weight once the elbow calms down.

No superset.

I need to find a way to take it easy on the elbow for a while and heal it up. This stinks. Golf yesterday exacerbated it pretty badly, I know, so maybe just regular movement will be ok. We'll see. In the meantime, I ache.

Sorry about the bitching.

Off to dynamic work for the SI joint -- at least if it moves I'll feel relief -- and try to keep the right arm from falling off.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Squat day

Got a house full of boys playing on my X360, so took the chance to get in some gym time. Beautiful warm day today, feeling good (except for my crapped-up elbow), and ready for heavy work.

Started with Ace briefs. Couldn't find any of the pairs of compression shorts I usually wear under my briefs, so I had to go with a cotton pair. I hate that. Just got me off kilter right off the bat. Whine, bitch, moan. What a baby. Everyone else is hurt and I'm pissing over my shorts.

Started over with Results, SWF, dynamic work, and a lot of warm-up sets. Kickin' tunes and on to the weight.

Squat:

330 kilos x 3 pretty good, despite shorts up my crack
360 kilos x 3 went up fine, depth was ok -- not great, but ok
380 kilos x 3 got five reps. Not bad. No sense for depth besides clanking on the safety pins, which should be right at parallel. I'll have to film to verify, because the monster 8 I got at 380 a couple of weeks ago is seriously in question until I can verify depth.

220 kilos plus a bunch of chains 5 x 8 depth still just ok

superset with

med ball ab twists 5 x 10

My head isn't too bad for some reason today. Maybe I didn't push hard enough. Who knows. BP low? Whatever. Weight went up pretty easily, hormones seem to be stable in a good place, and things are still progressing. Thankfully it didn't occur to me that the 380 was the same weight I grunted up for eight reps three weeks ago; I might have gacked on it otherwise, particularly as fragile as my mood was over my shorts. Again, can't say anything about depth, but it seemed low. We'll see.

Think I found my video camera cable, so I should be youtubing very soon. Hope so.

Great day.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Bench day

My bench sucks. I'm not happy with it. It's not moving the way I'd like, and I'm patiently trying a few things to make it move. Not much more I can do, I guess.

Yesterday I threw a baseball well over 80 and likely closer to 85 or 90 on an outfield play to the plate; I'm a stronger hurler now than I was in college. But I didn't warm up enough for a guy of my age and my elbow felt it. Still sore today, so I was a bit kinder in the gym than I would have been, particularly given my distaste for my bench total.

Started with Results and SWF, elbow sleeves, Metal wrist wraps, and warm-ups with the bar.

Bench:
200 kilos x 3
210 kilos x 3
220 kilos x 3 None were too hard, though I felt the elbow

130 kilos with a black Elite shorty band and an orange Elite shorty. No idea what that adds at the top.

5 x 10

Fat db rows with 70 kilos on the bars: 5 x 10

The rows went really well, though my right elbow while resting on my knee hurt a little. Funny how that stability move made it hurt while rowing and benching didn't.

The band work was hard on my triceps, which was the point. I kept the grip wide to keep everything in play. We'll see how it sorts out.

Might ice the elbow today. If I throw with the little man, I'll likely use the sleeve for support.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Deadlift day

Gorgeous day today. I've had parties and in-laws for weeks now, so training has been more sparse than I wanted. Kinda bums me out, honestly, so I took it out on some iron today.

Started with Results and Surge Workout Fuel. Used my Viking briefs for security and a Spud deadlift belt. Warmed up dynamic and bar fairly thoroughly before getting into the heavy stuff.

Deadlift:

260 kilos x 3 easy
275 kilos x 3 easy
290 kilos x 3 Got 5 reps pretty easily, with anger

170 kilos x 5 x 8 with shorty black Elite bands (easy beezy)

superset with

Heavy GM with SSB and something like 110 kilos added to the bar 5 x 5 heavy, heavy
Medicine ball twists off the bench

I downed another SWF dose during. Got pretty hot in there, really, and I worked ardently. Now I have a splitting headache and need a shower and lunch.

Everybody have a great Christmas.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Military press

I had to get through the workout quickly today -- too much to do today. I had to get the workout in, though, after this week and the certain stress of next week.

So rather than skimp on each rep or set, I took no rest time between sets. Suck wind, I did.

It was a cool morning to start but warmed quickly. By the time I was done, it was downright hot. I thought briefly of Paul Stagg back East in the snow and of Strongman Bob up in Ohio and appreciated the warm air. Started with the heater, Results, SWF, elbow sleeves, and lots of chalk.

I did the usual warm-ups and took my time getting through them.

Military:

130 kilos x 3 easy
140 kilos x 3 still quite easy
150 kilos x 3 pushed up 8 reps and had one or two left

90 kilos x 5 x 10 super easy -- probably need to go up

superset with

chins to fail x 5

I alternated chins and pull-ups, all fairly wide grip. My wide grip is edge-to-edge on the rack, so as wide as I can make it. My biceps were not happy, but I went with it anyway. I didn't feel nearly as good this week on these, but struggled through them. Last set I died at seven reps, waited about ten seconds, and pulled off five more. I'll call it rest/pause.

All in all, a productive start to the day. No records set, but pretty good. Shoulders feel great -- Mike Robertson and Inside/Out should get all the credit.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Squat day

Long day, long week. Went to my gym even though it was getting dark quickly -- I had to turn on the lamp, casting a weak ochre light over the iron. With the thin rust on the bars, the whole room takes on an orange glaze. Pretty cool.

It's a cool evening, so I started with the heater to cut a quick sweat. Started with Results and SWF and wore my Ace briefs. I probably should have stuck with the Vikings, as this is a 5-rep day and the weights are not heavy enough early to reach a good depth. You could argue that I never did reach depth on that last 5/3/1 day where I hit 5 at suspected max. I was probably a couple of inches high on every rep, but without film there's no way to know.

Anyway, warmed up with the bar and turned on the fan.

Squat:

320 kilos x 5
340 kilos x 5
360 kilos x 5

They all felt sluggo today -- everything was an effort, even though nothing felt heavy.

Hit 210 kilos x 5 x 10 with the shirt off. I love the feel of the bar on the back. These all went up easily, though I probably sold the last set short because my right knee hurt a little. I suspect I was flaring badly, because I felt like I was all over the place all day today.

I did some hammie curls with bands as a superset. Nothing to shout about.

No pain, everything went up, and I still have time to wine and dine my wife. Great day.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Bench day

My love/hate thing with the bench continues. It's a beautiful day here after raining for several days. Nice temp, sun's out, great day.

I started with Results and SWF; I just didn't have it in me to go through the Anaconda thing. I won't give it up, but I figure a supp has to absolutely rock beyond coincidence for me to use it if it's a pain to use. The stuff's a royal pain and I haven't been on it long enough to tell if it's any better than anything else. I'll give it a full tub to find out, but today was an off day for Anaconda.

Usual warm-up under the bar. Had the heater on to start and turned the fan on shortly after I started a good sweat. Used Convict sleeves and Metal wrist wraps.

Bench:

190 kilos x 5 felt tough for some reason
200 kilos x 5 not too bad
210 kilos x 5 tough, didn't try for more

Reverse band bench with lots of chains and 290 kilos (+/-) on the bar

5 sets of 5 superset with

Fat DB Kroc rows with 120# on the DB 5 sets of 12

The rvs band benches were not bad, though my triceps were barking by the end of the workout. That's what I wanted, so good. No idea how much weight in chains were there.

The Kroc rows won't earn Kroc's respect any time soon, but they're assistance work and I try to keep them tough without busting my butt over them.

I was just dragging a little today for some reason. Whatever the case, it went ok. Looking pretty thick these days, but still want to add another 20 solid pounds without (too much) lard.

Lots of Bender, Thornley, Corrosion of Conformity, Blackline, Deftones, Prong, Seether, and the like on the Shuffle. Great stuff for keeping me moving.

Wonder if I can find enough solitude for a nap this afternoon. Ha. As if.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

DL day

This has been a week and a half. I was due to DL days ago, but I had an unreal work week (which is a good thing) and had to chaperon a bunch of fifth graders on an overnight on the oldest working sailing ship in the world. Day after the overnight, I had to ad lib a presentation to hundreds from the healthcare and political community. Needless to say, I was dopey tired for most of the week and didn't get it all done until today.

For whatever reason, I went into my gym feeling good. Got a great night's sleep last night (Z-12 rocks) and was abuzz, ready to go. Not enough to eat today, but otherwise in good sorts.

Second day on Anaconda. Still not sure about this crap. Pegg swears by it, but I'm unconvinced. I'll give it to the end of the tub. Also used Metal Viking briefs and a Spud DL belt and a lot of chalk.

To it:

Dynamic warmup, lots of bar-time, etc. Got warm this time.

Deadlift:

245 kilos x 5 super easy
260 kilos x 5 also really easy
275 kilos x 5 Hit 8 reps easy, had more. Really easy.

Put a bench down and loaded the SSB with about 100 pounds, I guess. Maybe more. I did a deep backward lunge and stepped up onto the bench. Ten reps per leg, lunge to step-up. Pretty hard on my glutes.

Loaded up the SSB with 160 kilos and did Good Mornings in sets of 5. Did a bunch. Someday I'll catch up to Ano (ok, not likely).

Left feeling good, though my head is going to split open. Things are getting better in the gym. Love this feeling.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Military press

Ok, so I pretty much skipped my deload week. Work and life got in the way of putzing in the gym (which is what deload is to me...), so I went right back to it today.

It was a cold day today for SD. I feel for all you guys in real cold, because the bars were stinkin' cold. I know, I'm whining. Turned on the heater, wore long sleeves, and got to it.

Skipped the Results and SWF today for my first day trying Anaconda. I missed the beta-alanine tingles.

Anaconda is pretty highly regarded by the Elite set, so I figured I'd give it a roll. Following the directions is important -- don't shake it. Stir. Use the flavorings and tinker with them until you find your sweet spot for taste -- to me they're really sour or way too sweet. I got berry and orange; orange was cloying and berry tasted like cranberries -- sour. Maybe I'll get used to them.

Anyway, 40 ounces is a lot, no matter how you slice it. Downing the first 20 was pretty easy, but the second was tough, particularly because they want you to down it all in 30 minutes. So I felt bloated and vomitous pretty much the whole time. Great. No supplement is any good if you can't tolerate it, no matter how effective it is. We'll have to work this out. Now I just need to yack or belch a monster.

To the weight:

Military:
120 kg x 5 easy beezy
130 kg x 5 super easy
140 kg x 5(8) used the fat bar here, which oddly made it harder -- my hands tingled in my fourth and fifth fingers up to the butt of my hand. Odd. I got 8 reps before I stopped.

90 kg x 5 x 10 superset with

chins 5 x 12 clean, wide, fat bar
choppers 3 x 8 with a 45 had a little right shoulder twinge
posterior fly 3 x 12 with whatever was on the small DBs

All in all a good day. Got a little headache afterward -- probably the Anaconda. Still have to choke down about 5 ounces. We'll see if I like what it does, or it'll be back to Results in a NY minute.

Feeling strong and tight. Got a lot to do today and feel good about it. Carry on.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Squat day

I love squat day. Love it. Used to hate it, now I love it. Not sure why things changed for me except that I started to believe I could lift more and the lifts started to climb. That and Magnificent Mobility made it possible for me to squat and DL pain-free. Can't tell you what a difference that makes.

Anyway, I was a little intimidated going into today's squat day. I've been hitting PRs this week and paying for them -- I've been anything but Mr. Excitement around the house on the evenings after my workouts. And I was in a hurry, as the Little Man is heading home with a buddy to put lights on the Christmas tree. Being in a hurry is a bad idea when piling weight on the shoulders.

So I resolved to warm up carefully and stop when I had to. Sometimes good sense wins out.

Dynamic warm-up and slow progression under the bar. Started with AtLarge Results, Biotest SWF, Metal Ace briefs, and loud music.

Squat:

300 kg (660#) x 5 Fairly easy
340 kg (748#) x 3 Ok. Easier than I thought it would be, but still saw stars

big break (several minutes) farting around with stuff

380 kg (836#) x 5 Massive PR. First over 800 and multiple reps. Huge.

200 kg x 5 x 10 superset with
leg curls as long as my attention would allow

I may have to stop posting weights after this, at least until I can get the video camera going and post some proof. Otherwise this is just a load. Either that or find a nearby comp sometime soon. Bad timing for that.

Just a huge week for me. Deload next week will be awful -- I may have to cheat and do the deload days back to back to get them over faster. At least until I start to wear down.

Squat and military both came up hard this week -- now to figure out my bench issues. Maybe I need a technique consult...

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Bench day

Woke up to rain -- first in over half a year. I love rainy mornings, and it pushed me over the edge into the rumpus room for some serious lifting. Or at least I hoped it would be serious.

I'm due for a bench day. I love bench day -- used to hate it with a passion -- even though I haven't moved up in weight in a long time. At all. As in I've been about to bust out my partial plates (quarter kilo and whatnot) just so I could feel like I was gaining ground. I took on heavy military pressing in hopes of hitting the sweet spot that would raise my bench. I can squat almost 800 pounds in briefs but can't get close to a 600 pound bench. Doesn't seem right, even though I have 40-something shoulders and elbows. Bitch, moan, complain, complain.

Elbow sleeves, Results, SWF, Metal 3-stripe wrist wraps. Decent warm-up and to the heavy stuff:

Bench:
180 kg x 5 not too bad
210 kg x 3 tougher, but not too bad
230 kg x 1 Got four reps -- rep PR

210 was tough enough I wanted two on 230. For whatever reason, I was through two before I noticed and the third was going up. Four was tough -- don't know if I had a fifth in me or not, so probably not (between the ears, at least).

All my heavies were with the fat bar. All that follow were on the Texas power bar.

245 kg x 5 x 10 with narrow grip and average reverse band (about 80# at bottom)

superset with

fat DB rows with 100# 5 x 12

The narrow grip sets made my right shoulder ache low, as in low on my anterior deltoid attachment. Strange place to ache. It was fairly deep, too, but not bad enough to stress over. I suspect it's just overuse on a heavy week. I was surprised how well I did with the narrows, because I thought my triceps would complain more than they did. Maybe my chest is the weak sister. Hmmm...

The Kroc rows were Kroc-ish -- I got 'em done. I think I need to shake this up too, as I've been doing them to do them and need to yoke up more. Maybe seated db cleans or something to hit shoulders and upper back hard. Need to do something.

All in all a good day. Got sweaty after a while, hit a rep PR fairly easily, feel pretty well worked but not crapped out. Got stuff to do today, so a good day.

Still working on cables for the vid camera. Gotta get evidence or be relegated to troll status forever. May just have to buy new cables -- no telling where my wife hid them.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Deadlift day

Beautiful day. After my military press day, I hoped for a great deadlift day. I expected something tougher, and for my sins I got it.

Usual warm-up (seldom enough, I'm afraid). Wore elbow sleeves to keep the biceps warm, used Results and SWF before and during. Wore loose Viking Pro briefs for support.

Deadlift:

250 kg x 5 tough
280 kg x 3 saw stars
310 kg x 1 Pulled three clean reps and had another (my story and I'm sticking to it)

180 kg x 5 x 8

with

leg raises x 5 x 12
hammer curls with a fat db, 50# 5 x 8

Tough, tough, tough. Most I've pulled in a long time, though not sure if it's a PR. Scared the neighbors with the grunting (ok, shouting) in the ME set.

I'm off to open up my splitting head. Maybe self-trepanate...

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Military press

11/25

Had time to do it right today, and I took it. Still feeling pretty good, so went in expecting big things. I wouldn't be disappointed.

Warmed up fairly carefully. Started with AtLarge Results alone (just lazy) and wore APT elbow sleeves from the beginning. After a few sets, put on some Elite wrist wraps -- the white ones with black stripes, 18 inch, I think. Not too tight -- just a security blanket. Sometimes my head is a little soft that way.

Used Biotest Surge Workout Fuel during. Still using AtLarge ETS morning and night -- just awesome results from this stuff. Aches and pains are gone, practically.

All military presses were seated, still. I'm still gaining that way and my shoulders are reacting well, plus I don't leave with low-back pain. So I've declared them a success and rolled with it.

Military press:
110 kg x 5 Very easy, no shoulder pain, elbows good
130 kg x 3 Still easy. Getting excited.
140 kg x 1 Ripped off 12 reps - a PR for weight and reps. 308# with my stepson cheering me on. Awesome.

80 kg x 5 x 10

superset with

chins 5 x fail
choppers 5 x 8 with 35# plate [these tend to be hard on my shoulders if I swing, and I took it conservative. After all else, they clobbered me]
posterior delt flies with 40# fat dbs

Everything felt fantastic. I was flying high after hitting that PR so easily, and I worked hard for the rest. I was pretty obliterated at the end and a sluggo on the couch all night. My wife and stepson had a 5k run this morning at 8, so we all went to bed a little earlier than we would have otherwise.

All in all, another great day. I may deadlift today just to bring myself back to humility. So, if my military press is doing so well, why is my bench stagnant?

Hang tough, have a great Turkey Day, eat way too much. That's an order.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Squat day

I was due to squat a couple of days ago and started itching to get it done. Sometimes life gets in the way of things that have to get done. So I got up this morning and hit the weight. It was a cool morning, so I took a heater in there with me.

Warm up suffered and my right patella feels it -- sharp pain underneath started just about at the end of the day, so no sweat. Part of getting older. It'll pass.

Some dynamic warm-up. Wore Ace briefs and used my usual cocktail before the workout. My stepson came out and watched, which hampered the tunes a little. But I'll take that any day.

On to my favorite day:

Squat:
320 kg x 3
340 kg x 3
360 kg x 3 all came up very easily. Surprisingly so. Some torso instability -- a belt adjustment and valsalva adjustment and all was well.

210 kg x 5 x 10

superset w/

strong band leg curls

I looked like some kinda chick with the donkey-kick leg curls against a band. But until I get a GHR in the gym, that's it along with GMs and the like. So it goes.

Everything moved well today, which is surprising given the hour and abbreviated warm-up. All in all, I'm pleased with the way things went. Coulda been a disaster.

Great day. That's an order.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Bench day

I love bench day even though I've sucked at benching now for a couple of years. I don't think I've gained more than a handful of measly pounds in all that time. Frustrating. I still love the movement and the way it feels and makes me feel. The situation used to be reversed with deadlift, but I'm gaining slowly there. Oh well.

Beautiful day here. Just gorgeous. Looking forward to getting some stuff done. First, to get stuff done in my weight room.

Started with AtLarge Results, Surge Workout Fuel, and a breakfast of eggs and sweet potato hash browns. Fabulous. Thanks, Mom, for making a decent cook of me. My wife thanks you too.

Felt oddly energetic today. I was inspired by Tate's 1100 pound abs article this week and decided to rededicate my ab work towards squat gains. Figured I'd start on bench day (huh?). Why not?

To it:

warm-ups
Bench:
200 kilos x 3 easy beezy
210 kilos x 3 right shoulder twinged, but ok
220 kilos x 3 pretty easy, really. Felt a little heavy. I could have gotten a fourth and maybe a fifth.

130 kilos x 5 x 10 reps

superset with

Fat DB rows with 100# 5 x 10
Band abs with a couple of strong bands x 5 x 10
Grappler swings with an old beat-down barbell and 30 kilos on the business end 5 x 10

The grapplers kicked my butt a lot more than I thought they would. The band crunches didn't hurt much at all, which also surprised the crap out of me. My left arm was a lot weaker than right on the Kroc rows, which also surprised me.

The day was full of surprises. After all is done, I feel great. Just wish that bench total would go up.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Deadlift day

In a hurry today -- long, complicated day. So I'm sneaking my workout in in the morning before heading off to face the stress.

Wore my elbow sleeves because my biceps always seem to hurt after DLing. Wore Metal Viking Pro briefs and started with AtLarge ETS, Results, Biotest Surge Workout Fuel, and some circumin.

Warm-up had a little dynamic work and a fair amount of bar work.

Deadlift:
260kg x 3 bitch heavy
280kg x 3 still a bitch
290kg x 3 more of a bitch. Nuts.

170kg x 5 x 8

supersetted with

SSB Good Mornings with about 100# on the bar 5 x 10

The supersets felt great, which was annoying after the heavy sets kicked my butt royally. I have to admit that I did a bunch of curls prior to the whole workout to warm up my biceps. I'm embarrassed to admit that I started a workout with curls, but at least I didn't end it that way too. Maybe Nate will forgive it. Maybe I care.

Everything felt like it was about to cramp today. Even my fingers. I woke up with bad shoulder pain -- think I partially dislocated it last night sleeping on it oddly. As a result I had fairly annoying subscapular spasm. What a whiner. I need to drink more water today, I guess. I have nothing to complain about.

Off to act like I know what I'm doing.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Military press

For those who wanted to know who Strongman Bob was, go here: http://thethinkingstrongman.blogspot.com/

Bob and I are essentially the same age, so I follow his exploits with interest. Gotta hold up my brother and fellow old fart.

Started today with APT Convict sleeves, no wrist wraps, AtLarge Results, and Surge Workout Fuel. I love this cocktail. I'll down some AtLarge ETS in a little while, both because I want to see what a microlactin is all about and because my hips are horribly sore from some extra work I did (that I didn't tell anyone about). I'm walking like a geezer, I'm so sore. Got to coach a baseball game tomorrow, too, with this soreness. Nuts.

Fairly quick warm-up and to it:

Military:
Seated, fat bar, drop to collar:
120 kg x 3 not bad
130 kg x 3 still not bad
140 kig x 3 really pretty easy, though I moved it slow to make it easier on my shoulders

90 kg x 5 x 10 w/ same arrangement

supersetted with

Chins, fat straight bar, widest grip possible, 5 sets to failure

I got a lot. Surprised myself with how many chins I got. I like my strength on the wide chins, though they're a little hard on my left bicep for some reason. I suppose I should do some curls before to warm up the biceps, but I didn't today.

Cool afternoon, good work, think I've got PRs coming in this cycle. I'm pumped. Now to get my bench and DL moving up again...

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Squat day

I love squat day. There's just nothing like it -- deadlift day doesn't compare. Not sure why, but squat day fills me with anticipation, eagerness, desire... it's just a day apart.

I got started fairly late, knowing it would go dark on me. I took a desk lamp into the gym with me so I could see to schlep weight, but I kinda liked the darkness.

I started with a dynamic warmup -- a little extra today, because I knew today would hurt. I downed AtLarge Results and Biotest SWF before and SWF during. No wraps or sleeves, but I wore my Metal Ace briefs for support.

After the warm-up:

Squat:
300 kg x 5 felt quite heavy. Made me a little concerned for the next two sets.
320 kg x 5 felt worse. Starting to worry. Just felt bitch heavy, even on the shoulders. The walk-out was a bit of a cha-cha.
340 kg x 5 Walk-out was fine and weight jumped up. Go figure. This is my pattern. 748# felt smooth and depth was passable.

200 kg x 5 x 10

supersetted with

Ham curls using bands x 10
Woodchoppers with strong bands x 10
Posterior deltoid work with light dumbbells x 12

Everything felt great. I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, particularly after reading Strongman Bob's log and hearing of all his structural troubles. Getting old is relentless, and I'm feeling it. But less than I used to.

And yes, my head is going to split open. Wouldn't be a squat day without a searing headache afterward.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Bench day

Really excited to finally get to bench day -- #2 behind squat day. Had a great night's sleep last night after a weekend of not sleeping (Scouting madness camping trip) and was up for a heavy day finally.

Used AtLarge Results and Biotest SWF before and SWF during. APT Convict elbow sleeves and neoprene wrist wraps. Relatively quick warmup (too quick) and to it:

Bench:
180 kg x 5 bastard heavy -- huh?
200 kg x 5 even a dirtier bastid
220 kg x 5 a little easier -- need more warmup that's not a heavy set

on to:
fat bar bench 120 kg x 5 sets of 10 ugly

superset with:

db kroc rows with fat dbs and 100# 5 sets of 10

Cool evening -- beautiful outside. Great tunes on the Shuffle, elbows felt good, shoulders weren't too bad, but still not my best night. First two heavy sets were met with twinges in my left shoulder, which is a bit odd (usually the right that hurts, if either). Didn't hurt in the later sets.

Anyway, everything felt heavy today. Go figure. Maybe lunch wasn't big enough.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Deadlift day

Heading out of town to chaperon a bunch of little Cub Scouts. So I had to rush to squeeze this one in this morning.

Pretty good warm up -- dynamic and on the bar. I never detail my warm-ups, but can if anyone is interested. Used Results and SWF before, SWF during. Spud Inc. DL belt.

Deadlift:
250 kg x 5 oddly tough
260 kg x 5 still tough. What a wimp.
280 kg x 5 oddly easy once in the air. Thought I might burst a few things getting it moving on the first rep, but all the others came up easy. Go figure. Sported a blistering headache when done, though.

160 kg x 5 x 8 reps

superset with

Good mornings with a bunch on the SSB

The 160s and GMs were nothing but easy. Everything moved well, no odd pains, no muss, no fuss. Pounded it all out and now I'm off to shower and Costco, headache and all.

Have a great day.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Military press

Back at it today. I'm getting ready for hosting and playing in a pick-up baseball game for guys who played -- you have to have played in college, minors, or bigs. I'm very excited and it's coming together fabulously (lots of interest/players), but it means getting my old bod in the playing groove. So I've been taking lots of cuts (at least 50 balls a day) and throwing as often as I can, and my shoulders and elbows are feeling it.

So today's military day is important on several levels.

Used AtLarge Results and Surge Workout Fuel before. Elbow sleeves and chalk, but little else. Been taking Circumin day and night; not sure how many to take, but am keeping it around 1000mg per drop.

Quick warm-up.

Military press:
110kg x 5 very easy -- felt really strong, tight
120kg x 5 still a breeze
130 kg x 9 could have pushed ten, but left some in the tank

75kg 5x10 supersetted with
chins 5 x fail

Everything felt strong today. I breezed through the workout and took about 70 cuts with a 30 ounce bamboo bat at regulation minor league balls. Feel good, though my right shoulder is aching just a little bit (not bad at all) and I have a slight headache. Nothing worth whining about.

Everything felt good enough that I wondered what's going on. Maybe I should move up the weight. We'll see after the 5/3/1 day.

Off to watch the ballgame -- whether the Yankees end it tonight or not is largely irrelevant, just because the series has been so good.

Have a great night, all.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Deload squat day

The air is still a bit cool in San Diego, which suits me just fine. My little man and wife are off buying pumpkins and I'm trying to get my old butt into the gym for a squat day. As anyone who's followed knows, I was out almost a month with the flu and in-laws (difference? kidding) and have lifted strictly deload weight this week in an effort to avoid incapacitation by DOMS.

I wore my Metal Viking briefs because they're a little looser than my Ace briefs and I wanted to work everything with the lighter weight. Boy did I. I also used AtLarge Results and Biotest SWF before and during. I used my leather Elite belt old-school, adding it when I got over about 60%.

Squat:
225 kg x 5 easy
245 kg x 5 still easy
265 kg x 5 still easy, though low back was tender

I concentrated on depth, really pushing down. With the briefs and lower weight, I may have tilted forward a little. At least that's what I'm gonna blame the tenderness on even though I've had some SI pain this week. Maybe I'm just getting old.

Superset:
190 kg squat 5 x 10
lunge SSB (Crepinsek) w/ 50kg 5x 10ea long and deep lunges

I'm pretty meticulous about my lunges and these kicked my butt, literally. I was cramping in my glutes by the fourth set, which made the squats a bit tough. Oh well. Hips seem good, got the glutes going, got a good pump up, and the weight moved easily. All in all, I'm happy with it. I won't be too happy with a sore butt all weekend, but that's life.

Sunday will be back to normal 5/3/1 routines.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Deload bench day

Beautiful cool day in Sandy Eggo, which means it was in the 60s rather than the 70s. Diegans are huge weather wimps.

It is so good to be back under the bar. I can't tell you how good it feels to hurt by choice. Well,... you know what I mean.

Bench day with deload weight.

Wore APT elbow sleeves and used AtLarge Results and Surge Workout Fuel before and during. Love this stuff.

Used fat bar for bench until the last two sets of 120s.

Bench:
140 kilos x 5 right shoulder twinged a little
150 kilos x 5 right shoulder still not happy -- otherwise going up fine
170 kilos x 5 went ok. Less shoulder ugliness, though I can tell I'm protecting it

120 kilos x 5 x 10 supersetted w/
fat DB rows w/ 50 kilos

The DB rows aren't going to scare Kroc anytime soon (or anyone else, for that matter), but I loved them. I dropped the last set and picked up a 30kg set to do posterior delt fly movement. Felt great.

My benches were unsettled by the shoulder issue. I just didn't feel strong, and I felt like I was protecting the right shoulder the whole way. I don't think I descended the bar the same way on the right and left sides even. Not happy with that. Should get back to dynamic shoulder warmup rather than the slam-bam way I did it today, huh?

Going to add a squat day with deload weight, which I never do. I usually go right back into the cycle, but want the work on my legs before getting back into serious grunt. We'll see.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Deadlift deload

Because I was out for a while with the flu, I'm still using deload weight until I've got a week under my belt. Everything feels good but I'm pretty sore on day 2, so I'm content to continue this way.

Today, as usual, I used AtLarge Results beforehand and Biotest Surge Workout Fuel during. I wore my Metal Viking briefs and Spud, Inc. DL belt. Gotta have my security blanket.

Dynamic warmup today. Been struggling the past couple of nights with SI dysfunction. Saw a fantastic video on youtube that gave me a couple of ways of treating myself, sort of to re-situate my pelvis. Seems to have worked reasonably well last night, as I slept very comfortably. Along with the SI work I've been rolling on a lacrosse ball for soft tissue work. As my dad said when I was a nipper, getting old is tough business.


Deadlift:
195 kg x 5 came up fine
215 kg x 5 even better
230 kg x 5 felt these. Not bitterly tough, but low-back said hello.

Superset:
160 kilo deadlift 5 sets of 8 reps

with

leg raises to hands on chin bar. I pretty much loathe these, but they help. They weren't helping my back and the belt made them tough when I forgot to loosen it. So it goes.

Had a bit of a headache afterward, but what else can I expect?

Still thrilled to be back at it. Now to put on some mass...

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Military press

Today I started back after battling back from flu and in-laws -- it's been close to a month. Nuts.

Boy, it sure felt good to be back. I decided to go straight to deload to get back into the swing of things. I used Biotest SWF during and AtLarge Results before. I used my APT Convict elbow sleeves as well.

Mil:
90 kg x 5 very easy, used the fat bar
95 kg x 5 still easy
100kg x 5 nicely easy. Maybe I'm not so far out.

75kg x 5 x 10 still w/ fat bar

Supersetted with:
Chins 5 x 12 or to failure
Gironda swings for three sets of 12 with about 20 pounds

Felt great all around -- glad to be back.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Bench day

Got started late -- just lazy. Still fighting lethargy. One of my employees tested positive today for swine flu, so I wonder if maybe I haven't been fighting it for a while. Whatever the case, I finally got moving.

AtLarge Results before and Biotest Surge Workout Fuel during. Probably chocolate milk after.

Lots of chalk, ATP elbow sleeves, and neo wrist wraps. I did a fair amount of warmup prior to getting into it.

Bench:
180 kilos x 5 easy
200 kilos x 3 still pretty easy -- great setup this time
230 kilos x 1 kind of heavy

Superset:
bench: 130 kilos x 5 x 10 a breeze
db rows: 30 kilos or so x 5 x 12 too easy -- need to go up

I used a 4" PVC pipe behind my back to measure my arch and force pushing into my lats. No problem there.

There was something unfortunate going on between my ears today, as that 506 pounder was bad from the minute I lifted off. I got the lift, but I should have gotten three reps at least. I took it off thinking I was going to drop it, which just isn't good. Oh well. Next time.

Weather was lovely, I felt good -- just not a perfect day.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Deadlift day

Not terribly hot today -- beautiful morning. Lots of fog when I got started, but it had burned off by completion.

Big deadlift day today. Not sure why, but I seem to be regressing on my DL a little bit. Not at all sure why, though it's probably between my ears. Squat is climbing, but DL gets tougher by the workout. I seem to be stuck just short of 700 pounds (682), which is frustrating. Last DL max workout I pulled four reps at 310 kilos, but today managed only one. Whatever.

To the weight:

Warmed up carefully, starting with thorough dynamic work -- foam rolling, lacrosse ball, the works. I downed some AtLarge Results and Surge WF during. Wore Metal Viking briefs for the whole workout.

DL:
265 kilos x 5 not bad
275 kilos x 3 pretty easy
310 kilos x 1 life-sucking bastard kind of hard. Saw stars and scared the neighbors yelling it up. nuts.

Superset:
170 kilo DL x 5 x 8
110 kilo Good morning on SSB real slow

Used my Spud Inc. DL belt throughout. Love that belt. Lots of grunt -- got a hideous headache now. Need food, Advil, and an ice pack on my head.

Have a great day.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Military press

A Santa Ana has blown into San Diego today -- the temp rose literally 20 degrees in an hour at one point. The wind is blowing a steady 15-20 mph from the east, and it's a seriously hot wind. It reached 90 on the beach today, so inland was blistering.

Thankfully, my home gym was just fine. Thank Heaven for my fan.

Today was a military press day. I didn't have a lot of time or patience for warm-ups, so like an idiot I cut them a little shorter than I might have otherwise. I wore APT Convict elbow sleeves -- I love those things. No wrist wraps today for some reason. Just didn't feel like it.

Mil:
110kg x 5 went up scary easy
120kg x 3 still very easy
130kg x 12 rep PR -- a breeze

Superset:
Military 80kg x 5 x 10
Chins 5 x fail
Krocs 5 x 15 reps w/ 100#

Felt super strong today for some reason. Shoulders were great, right bicep bothered me a bit, but all else was super. Just a great day. Went in with horrible lethargy, so I thought it would suck. Sometimes it's good to be wrong.

AtLarge Results before and Biotest Surge Workout Fuel during.

Great day.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Squat day

Hot day and started with a headache. Another Santa Ana is blowing through San Diego and has the temp way up for this time of year. Doesn't help my head on a hard weight day like this.

So much for complaining.

Used AtLarge Results (love that stuff) before and Surge Workout Fuel during. I'm a lot more skeptical of Biotest than I used to be, but I still think the SWF works well. Can't wait to try Anaconda when it finally comes out. Now I need aspirin. Also slathered Biofreeze on my low-back before getting dressed.

Wore wrestling shoes and Metal Ace briefs. Love those briefs. Love them, even more than the full suit. I bought them rather loose, but I've gained enough now that it takes me at least 350 pounds to hit depth in them. Anything less and I finish high.

Anyway, to it:


Usual warm-up, including dynamic work. Hips were a little crampy before I even started, but I decided not to dwell on it.

Squat:
300 kilos x 3 super easy
320 kg x 3 still easy
340 kg x 3 walkout was a bitch, but the weight came up easy and fast

190kg x 5 x 10 reps super-setted with lunges (SSB w/ 200# on it).

200 pounds on the lunges was too much, but I struggled through them. I did them in the back yard in the sun (wearing black) and thought I'd pass out. Uffda. Hips still a little crampy, but not too bad. Think I was just pushing out a lot against the Ace briefs.

Did some curls for vanity and called it a day. Now to lunch...

Saturday, September 12, 2009

DL Day

It was supposed to be deadlift day, but I hadn't been in the gym in several days and felt guilty. So I combined DL and bench day, flogged myself fairly well, and Spiked up to make through the rest of the day.

I've been sleeping very badly this week -- not at all sure why. As a result, or in combination with other things, I've been about as lethargic as I can be and still be upright. Next week is a tough work week, so I need to get over this in a hurry.

Anyway, to the iron:

Warm-ups included foam-rolling and what not, AtLarge Results, Metal Viking briefs, APT Convict elbow sleeves, and wrist wrap security blankets.

Deadlift:
260 kilos x 3 Heavy as stink -- thought I'd bust something, saw stars, etc.
275 kilos x 3 Worse
290 kilos x 3 Oddly, not as bad, though still bad

Bench
190 kilos x 3 easy, beezy, Japaneezy
200 kilos x 3 lemon squeezy
220 kilos x 3 tough as hell. Huh? No idea why. This was a bitch.

130 kilos x 5 x 10 changed grips a few times, and all were easy

Penlay rows from a deficit with 70 kilos on the bar. These were hideously tough today for some reason (I've done twice the weight pretty easily).

I'm a slug. I think I need to back off the DL weight precipitously and take it a bit easier for a little while. I can flog with the bench and squat in the meantime.

Nuts.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Overhead day

Suffering bad lethargy -- think it's day-off-itis, because there are no other good reasons.

Coached my boy's baseball game yesterday alone, which took it out of me. Try coaching ten-year-old boys by yourself: making line-up cards on the fly, watching everybody screw up and trying to be helpful, dealing with batting orders, etc. It was tough. Plus I baked in the sun and had to go play nice at a stupid cookout afterward. Thankfully, all the people we love to hate were already gone by the time we got there and we had a nice time until it was totally dark. Nice night, really.

Anyway, to it:

Seated military press:
110kg x 3 easy, beezy
120kg x 3 still oddly easy
130kg x 3 had tons left in the tank. Not sure why.
80kg x 5 x 10 reps No sweat at all. Got a good swole on.

Supersetted the 80 kilo sets with chins (5 x 12) and YTWs (10# x 20 each direction). The shoulder work is humbling, no way around it.

Feel great. No headache, not as hot around here, doing great. Just sleepy.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Squat day

Feels like it's been forever -- I knew it would hurt. It's hot as stink here, at least by San Diego standards, largely because the humidity is high. In other words, it's like every day in Atlanta/Nashville/Richmond in the summertime. Still, it's hot to me.

AtLarge Results before and Biotest SWF during. Wore Metal Viking briefs with nothing on the knees. I was in a bit of a hurry because I owe the wifey a date night and had to get done.

So to it:

Squat:
280 kilos x 5 easy
300 kilos x 5 oddly hard
320 kilos x 5 really, really hard -- saw stars, thought I'd bleed, etc. Nuts.

180 kilos x 5 x 10 reps supersetted with

Reverse lunges with 60 kilos on a SSB.

Still sweating, headache, feel pretty fabulous for my date.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Bench day

Warm day and in a hurry to get to my boy's baseball practice (I'm an assistant coach), so I didn't warm up properly. Some day that's going to cause me a world of hurt, but not today.

Still, everything felt heavier than it should have at the start.

To it:

Bench:
180 kg x 5
190 kg x 5
200 kg x 5

120 kg x 5 sets x 10 supersetted with

Reverse rows with chains around my neck like bandoleers. Ole'.

Struggled with some lethargy, but it went well. Nothing hurt, shoulders felt great, weight went up ok, and a good pump was had by all. Then went and sweat like a pig chasing ten year olds around a ball field.

One kid told Coach, "No" when told to do something twice. I had a moment I thought I might see a child killed. I was shocked. I later told mine he'd live a longer life if he never did that. I still can't get over it. I had to pull the kid aside and point out that Coach owed him no playing time and he might just ride the bench for the rest of his natural life. Not sure if he really got it.

Kids.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Deadlift day

It's still pretty hot around here, but the fan was on high and everything was fine in the home gym. Finally back to some real weight, it was deadlift day.

AtLarge Results and finishing off some Biotest SWF before and during. Feeling fat, so I'll likely decrease calories this cycle and tries to lose some lard. Tired of feeling jiggly.

Wore Metal Viking briefs and a Spud DL belt with wrestling shoes.

To it:
Deadlift:
- 240kilos x 5 felt kinda tough, though not sure why
- 270kilos x 5 still felt tough
- 290kilos x 5 saw stars. A little confused why this felt so heavy today.

- 160kilos x 5 x 8 breezed up

supersetted with:

Good mornings w/ Safety Squat Bar and 50 kilos on the bar 5 x 10 very easy

Also did some curls for fun, though not in the squat rack: fat DB w/ 60 pounds, 5x10

All in all, a good day. Not sure why the heavy DLs felt so heavy -- they should have raced up. Maybe I need to video a workout and get some advice.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Overhead day

8/28

Temp is up in the high-90s, which is rather unusual for the area. Santa Ana blowing through.

Wore APT Convict elbow sleeves and used AtLarge Results and Biotest SWF. I honestly think the SWF works well for me, but only if I mix four scoops in 20 oz, which brings the cup to about $5, I think. Nuts. AL Results are a different matter, since it's primarily beta alanine and creatine; it works and isn't several dollars a cup.

Starting a new 5/3/1 cycle -- let's get to it:

Seated military press:
110 kg x 5 super easy
120 kg x 5 yup
130 kg x 5 again, easy

Supersetted 100kg sets of 10 with anterior/medial/posterior shoulder sets with ten pound dumbells (yeah, yeah) in sets of 20 reps per movement. So each should set is 60 reps, Very humbling. Also supersetted chins in there.

Hot. Good work, though shoulders crunchy on anterior lifts. Time to get serious about Inside/Out now that Mike Robinson sent me a copy -- no excuses anymore.

Great day, everyone.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Deload bench day

This marks the end of another deload week, and I have to say I'm glad. I find deloads deadly boring and not progressive, which I know intellectually is a mistake. But it doesn't change my desire to whine about it.

I technically lifted yesterday, August 21, and am just getting around to posting. I wore APT Convict elbow sleeves and APT solid wrist wrap bands -- the sleeves because I value my old elbows and the wraps because they're a security blanket.

Bench:
140kg x 5
160kg x 5
170kg x 5
120kg x 5 x 10 + a bunch of chains set to just leave the floor at extension

2" fat DB rows w/ 60kg 5 x 10

Nothing fancy. Used AtLarge Results and Biotest Workout Fuel during and after. At a big sushi dinner with the wifey about an hour later and made a pig of myself. Also had half a Kirin draft and a carafe of some really good sake and don't feel a bit of guilt.

Have a great day and thanks for looking.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Overhead deload day

8/17

It's deload week, which translates to boring. But things have been progressing well, so I shouldn't complain.

Right to it.

Military:
80 kilos x 5
90 kilos x 5
100 kilos x 5
70 kilos x 5 x 10

Wore APT Convict elbow sleeves (always do with arm movements) and light wrist wraps. Very easy.

Chins: 5 sets to failure unassisted.

Called it a day.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Pic from squat day


I never realized how bulbous my butt looked in those Ace briefs.

Anyway, on the way down -- bar is still bouncy. This was rep two.

I need some knee sleeves.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Squat day

Started late for a weekend, but still before lunch. Feel good today.

It's a bit warmer today, so it was a bit hot in the gym. Good thing I had the fan.

For whatever reason, I forgot my dynamic warmup work today. Couldn't tell you why, since it's part of every squat and deadlift day. Just got out of routine and blew it.

Today was a max effort day and the last 5/3/1 week before deload.

Metal Ace briefs throughout.

Squat:
warm-up sets
275kg x 5 very easy; it's funny how heavy the walkout felt when the weight came up so easily
310kg x 5 also easy; only was supposed to do 3 reps, but had 5 before I thought about something besides form
350kg x 5 banged out 5 reps without much fuss -- the first several were easy and I left a couple in the tank

I think this is a PR, certainly for reps. I'll have to search through back logs, but I'm pretty sure that's a PR for weight and reps.

190kg x 5 x 10 just getting it done

Pendlay rows: 140 kilos on an ez-curl bar (weight includes the bar) 5 x 5 For some reason these felt really hard today.

Head's pretty unhappy right now, but that seems to come with the territory.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Bench day

Good day today. Feel pretty good, nothing hurts too much, and everything's still working (as far as I can tell.) Great day.

Bench day. Never really do enough dynamic warm-up. I need to buy Robertson's Inside-Out and live it or my shoulders are going to revolt, I suspect.

Bench:
180kg x 5 First set always seems hard.
205kg x 3 Easier.
230kg x 3 Hard, no matter how you slice it. I think this is a PR for a triple.

130kg x 5 x 10 Easy until the last set -- I was getting fried by then.

Fat DB rows with 60kg. Good pump if nothing else. Took these slow.

A few sets of a few flies with some chains. Nothing too serious. Just looking to move blood around.

My low-back hurt getting off the bench every time. It's structural and I'm sure my round of golff Saturday exacerbated it. Late holes hurt over short irons and wedges -- bending over was misery after my DL day last week. So it goes. Welcome to middle-age.

I wore APT Convict sleeves throughout and wraps on heavier sets. No other support.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Deadlift day

Warm evening here, though a nice breeze is blowing. I've started the hard week of the cycle, so some weight is moving.

Dynamic warm-up and usual warm-up sets.

DL:
245kg x 5 This hurt for some reason. Bad form, I guess.
275kg x 3 This was surprisingly easy.
310kg x 4 PR, I think. This flew up.

175kg x 5 x 5 Just getting them done.

Supersetted the last 5x5 with SSB Good Mornings with 50 kilos and a bunch of chains. These are getting better, though I'm not sure I want to do a max test.

My head is going to explode. Good sense tells me not to take Advil, but my splitting head is begging for as many as my liver and kidneys will tolerate. Wish I knew how to avoid this part.

The weight is flying up these days. Whether I'm just doing something right or 5.3.1 suits me, I'm making huge gains. I still want about 20 pounds on my frame and would like to drop some BF, but it's hardly a perfect world.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Overhead

Great day. Not so hot, had a good breeze, wife's feeling better, and the weight was flying up.

Standing military press:
100kg x 3
120kg x 3
130kg x 3

Seated military:
60kilos on the bar with a lot of chains 5 x 10 Just felt great, actually.

Chins: 5 x 12 Easy, but I still hate 'em.
Ab roll-outs 5 x 10

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Squat day

I haven't eaten enough today, but couldn't wait to squat. Aside from the obvious need, I've got too much to do this afternoon.

Hot day again, though nothing like it has been. Having a fan in the room has made a huge difference. Still, heavy valsalva has ruptured several capillaries in my eyes and my head is splitting open as I type. What a whiner.

The usual warm-up with insufficient dynamic work. I've got to get on that.

Squat:
290kilos x 3 very easy
310kg x 3 easier -- getting warm and my Ace briefs are starting to catch me at the bottom
330kg x 3 still easy. I'll get a PR this cycle. The walkout was tough for some reason, but the weight flew up.

190kg x 5 x 10 super easy.

Pendlay rows x 3 x 8 w/ 120 kilos on the bar. These were hard.
Some hammer curls and Hise shrugs.

All in all, great day.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Bench day

After several Sheiko cycles and Westside templates, 5/3/1 feels like a lot less work. Funny thing is, it's working -- the weights keep getting easier and the total keeps going up. I have to say, I'm loving this.

Usual bench warm-up (translate: not nearly enough) and w-u sets.

Bench:
190 kilos x 3 felt kinda heavy, actually -- start to worry
200 kilos x 3 super easy -- stop worrying
220 kilos x 3 easy, beezy, Japanezie, though my butt came up on the last rep

130 kilos x 5 x 10 felt good, though right shoulder started aching a little toward the end

fat (2") db rows, Kroc-stylee, 5 x 10 w/ 50 kilos too easy, need to go up
skull-crushers 70kg on an ez-bar, did a bunch without much heart in it

Called it a day with a lot left in the tank. I feel really good about today. Head doesn't hurt much, feel ok, lifted (and finished) strong. Good stuff.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Sunday Deadlift Day

Finally got a fan for the gym -- what a wonderful thing. So, yeah, still hot, but much better.

I swear I must grimace and grunt the whole workout, because DL and squat days leave me with vicious headaches. My head is going to explode.

Anyway, on to it:

dynamic warm-up and usual w-u sets

DL:
260kg x 3 felt heavy
275kg x 3 felt heavier
290kg x 3 thought I'd pop

I did pop my Spud DL belt open and had to reseat and start over. Nuts. Think I popped some capillaries in my eyes on this set, for some reason. Not a PR by any stretch, but just felt heavy.

SSB Good mornings with 50kilos and a bunch of chains: 5 sets of 8 Felt easy. Go figure. Took them slow and worked the tightness in my hammies. I just love the way that feels.

Reverse lunges from a 6" box

All in all a pretty good day. Got started early enough that it wasn't too hot -- thanks to the wifey for kicking me to get on with it. Felt good even though the DLs felt heavy. If I can shake the headache, I should have a decent day.

Still need a Swiss bar and El Gordo. Gotta go sell something to fund them...

Friday, July 24, 2009

Military press

I got a late start and really just wanted a nap, so I can't say it was an inspired day of work in the gym. Nonetheless, I worked.

Military:
110kg x 3
120kg x 3
130kg x 3
90kg x 5 x 10

Chins: 5 x fail
ab work
other stuff

Still hot. I'm getting a fan for the gym tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Squat day

Still hot around here, at least for what passes as hot around here.

Usual warm-up after dynamic w-u, foam rolling, etc.

squat:
275kg x 5 not bad
290kg x 5 pretty easy
310kg x 5 easier
180kg x 5 x 8

Hise shrugs
Pendlay rows w/ 70kg on the bar super-setted with the 180kg squats too easy -- need to go up

All in all, a good day. Everything seems to be working right now, so it's time to get careful.

Played around with the video camera for checking depth (which was a lot better this time). I'll try to get one of them up on the youtube channel asap.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Bench

Still hot around here, inasmuch as it ever gets hot around here. SoCal has nothing on Arizona/east Washington State/anywhere in the Southeast for heat. But I cooked in my home gym again today.

Usual warm-up stuff with extra for shoulders.

Bench:
180kg x 5
190kg x 5
200kg x 5
120kg + a bunch of chains x 5 x 10

Fat db rows 50 kg x 3 x 10 Backed down to 30kg x 2 x 10 and think I get more from it. I'll back down for good for a while, I think.

Skull-crushers to nose 60kg x 5 x 8

I felt really strong today. Things were working for some reason, even though it's the beginning of this 5/3/1 cycle. Still, I'm quite happy with the way the day felt. No headache afterward, for whatever reason -- must be about straining, I guess, and I wasn't at the beginning of this cycle.

Right shoulder still a little crunchy, but no pain today.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Deadlift day

Lifted yesterday, but just getting around to posting now.

Standard DL day. Hot as stink in the room -- need a big fan in a bad way.

245kg x 5 sumo
260kg x 5 sumo
275kg x 5 sumo
170kg x 5 x 8 mixed

Reverse lunges from a 6" deficit with weight 3 x 10 each
Fat(2") db clean and press 30kg x 2 x 10ea; 50kg x 1 x 10ea (felt heavy)

Lots felt heavy today, though I think it was just the heat. Maybe I'm becoming a wuss.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Military press

Saturday, 7/11. Hot as stink, but back to the weight again.

Military:
100 kg x 5
110 kg x 5
120 kg x 5
100 kg x 5 x 10

Chins x 5 x 10, bw
ab roll-outs x 5 x 10

Did I mention I hate chins? And the air up there is a good five degrees hotter than at the floor. Whining, I know.

Weight went up ok, though my left shoulder was a bit crunchy still. Felt funny below the shoulder toward the back, but no real pain. Just odd -- getting old, I guess.

Sunday the 12th I unloaded a storage unit I've had since 2003. Decided it was time I quit paying to house a bunch of stuff I never see. Craigslist and eBay will be my friend, I have a feeling.

Still, it was several hundred pounds of deadlifting, essentially. Since my next workout is to be deadlift, I will wait until tomorrow (Tuesday) to do the workout.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Deload day 3 -- bench

My shoulders always have a tougher time with deload days, though I'm not sure why. I suspect I don't warm up as diligently or thoroughly, and my lifts may be a bit more ballistic. Whatever the case, my upper hinges feel crunchier on light days.

Bench:
140 kilos x 5
160 kilos x 5
180 kilos x 5

120kg x 5 x 10

Really concentrated on pulling the bar apart, which helps the shoulders a lot under load.

Kroc rows 80# x 5 x 10 each

Tried some of Smitty's Grappler Presses with 70# on a fat EZ curl bar. I like them, but I'll have to play with the load to get it right for form and difficulty.

Did some curls with the ez curl while it was loaded, but not in the squat rack. Promise.

No headache today. Hot -- no breeze, but a fair day.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Deload day 2 -- deadlift

Hot as stink in my home gym today. I really need a fan.

Supposed to be a deload day, so I kept the weights down. But I tried a couple of new things and they pretty much clobbered me. We'll see if I pay later.

Usual dynamic warm-up and warm-up sets.

180kg x 5 silly easy
200kg x 5 still silly
220kg x 5 no different
160kg x 5 x 8

Super-setted the 160kg DLs with SSB reverse lunges from a 5" deficit with 100kg on the bar. The bar's 60#, more or less, so it was about 275#. These pretty much kicked my butt sideways and dragged it around the room. 4 sets of 8 on each leg.

Some Pendlay rows once I'd stripped the DL setup down to 50 kilos on the bar, but my right elbow hurt oddly and letting it warm up didn't help. So I bagged them after a few.

SSB GMs, playing around more than anything. I used the bar with 100 kilos, but I didn't take them very seriously. I'd had enough by then.

My head is going to split open. I wish I knew why, because I'm not executing a constant valsalva maneuver and I'm not taking anything that consistently causes it. But every DL day sports a fresh, new headache. We all have our cross to bear.

AtLarge Results prior to, Surge Workout Fuel during/after, and some protein in my near future.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Deload day 1 -- Military

Hot for Sandy Eggo today, or at least I am. I am a large space heater after all. Thought I was going to puke and still feel queasy, which will make it hard to get my lunch down.

Today's the start of deload week and a military press day.

Mil:
80kg x 5
90kg x 5
100kg x 5
70kg x 5 x 10

chins and reverse rows: 5 x 12 bw
fat db clean and press: 3 x 10 w/ 70# Not a lot of weight -- just to move a bit
ab roll-outs: 5 x 10 ouch, ouch, ouch

Been an awesome weekend. Went to the beach yesterday and swam a little in the freezing water; walked with my wife a while on the beach and watched the throngs of sunburned people (actually, it wasn't as packed as I thought it would be). Went shopping for dinner and cooked sauteed/glazed scallops with a Caprese salad using tomatoes and basil from the yard and mozzarella from pastured local buffalo. Awesome stuff. Started Slumdog and went to bed halfway through -- will finish tonight. She's off playing tennis and I'm sweating on my keyboard.

Everyone be sure to check out the MotoGP from Laguna Seca today -- go Rossi.

Hope everyone had a great, safe Fourth.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Squat day

Had a date night with my gorgeous wifey last night. Lots of fun, but didn't eat enough, had a glass of wine and a cocktail, and generally could have done better. So what? I lived.

Big, heavy squat day today. While my bench progress has slowed, my squat keeps getting better.

Usual dynamic warm-up and warm-up sets for lots. It was a cool morning, which was nice, and I'd only had a small protein shake before lifting. Just didn't feel like a big feed before squatting, as yacking in the yard wasn't an inviting prospect. So a little protein (40g or so), AtLarge Results, and Surge/Surge WOF mix and off.

265kgx5 super easy -- gonna be a big day
310kgx3 again, went up fast
350kgx6 PR. Walkout was easy, reps were pretty easy, torso was tight. Depth was ok (filmed it to verify) but not perfect on all -- need to set my pins one slot lower or get a training partner.

But a big result. 350 kilos six times -- that's big. After the first rep came up fast I knew it'd be big. I probably had another rep in me but don't like to go to failure and particularly with 700 pounds on my back (and alone).

Supersetted Hise shrugs with lunges. Used the same bar with 100kilos loaded; just didn't put it down. The lunges were deep, but I was tiring out by the end.

Hise/lunges 100kgx5x10

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Bench day

Long day at work, so I got started lifting a little later than I like.

Usual warm-up sets.
Flat bench 175kgx5
200kgx3
225kgx2
130kgx5x10

Fat db rows 5x12 @ 100# Felt strong today -- go figure

Little Man and wife came home, so I cut short any additional assistance work.

My bench is stuck and it sucks. Everything else I'm making steady gains, but my bench has stagnated. I may have to kick up for a Smolov cycle or something to get it back in gear. Not sure. I'm open to ideas.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Sunday

Didn't crash yesterday, but back was super-tired all day. Some discomfort. Had a couple over for dinner and he's a home-brewer, so diet got the double-whammy. Add in that my sister-in-law is in town and we celebrated, and you have more sugar and booze than I should have had -- the cheat meal had an extra oomph to it.

So I'm feeling soft this morning. Still hovering between 12% and 15% bf. Need to lean out a bit, but am making good gains in the weight room and don't want to lose strength. Classic dilemma. Maybe I'll hire Shelby Starnes, and maybe I'll just suck it up and do what needs to be done without being told. Maybe.

Not likely I'll lift today, since my back is still tender. Some soft tissue work would be wise. I need a new foam roller from EliteFTS, as mine is starting to break down a little.

My stepson has try-outs for a baseball travel team today, so there will be a lot of standing and throwing today. Hope my back holds up. Hope he does well.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Deadlift day

Had to work it in early this morning because of the weekend schedule -- it's unlikely I'll get another chance. So maybe not as studly as I'd have liked.

Warm up as usual.
Deadlift from 3" deficit:
240kg x 5 (x2)
270kg x 3
300kg x 4

200kg x 5 x 8
Not bad -- pretty easy, really. Worked on firing hips into the bar. First three sets sumo, last 5 conventional.

fat bar db clean/press 80# x 5 x lots -- felt weak for some reason

standing abs 5x15 with heavy bands, holding at the bottom for 2-count

The Little Man joined me today and I taught him DL form in between sets. Tried to keep it fun for him, doing exercises he might like. I need some medicine balls and sandbags if I'm going to keep him interested.

It was hot this morning in my home gym -- no air moving. Felt ok.

lots to do today; hope I don't crash.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

So it begins...

This essentially is an accountability log and overall method for tracking progress.

I will post regular workouts when I can get to it. Editorializing on my part is expected, on yours permitted. As mentioned in the overview, all weights are in kilos unless otherwise noted. I will try to add past workouts within reason.

Thanks for looking.