training 10.22.2013

Partly cloudy, blustery, and a little cooler today.  Love this kind of weather.

I went by the gym on the 19th and 21st and couldn't even get close to it -- overflowing with stupid, so much so that the parking lot was beyond full.  People were parked in illegal spots, just to share in the stupid.  I guess I'm not that, well, stupid.

Went north back to the old hood to see if the microscopic 24hr Fatness there was a) any less full of stupid, and b) capable of sustaining one of my sessions.  I seemed to remember that they had a rack (they don't anymore), lots of dumbbells that are ALWAYS in the storage racks (bet it's the only commie gym in America that can make that boast), and a smattering of ways to inflict pain.  It'll do, at least for the most part.

I had downed Ndure and did a bunch of dynamic work for shoulders.  I had decided to mix it up a bit, particularly since I was venturing into this largely unknown space.  So today was a chest and shoulders day.

Incline Press: I did 3 warm-up sets of 10 to get up to a work weight and did 4 work sets of 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps.  I wanted each to be close to failure, so heavy, and with a good stretch at the bottom.  Had to use a machine for this in this gym, which was fine.  I had a few reps left in the tank, but it was still pretty tough.

Incline DB press, very low angle: 2 sets of 6 to pyramid up to a heavy weight; then 2x8 at work weight, deep stretch at the bottom.  I was getting a little toasty at this point.

Bench press, 2x15 with relatively light weight, no pause and no lock -- touch chest, partial, 15 reps.  Ouch.

Meadows stretch pushups, 2 x failure: used DBs on end to stretch way deep, hardly got any reps at all on these, did ten banded over-and-backs after each set.  Wow.

Heavy side laterals, 4x8: used a weight that was right at my limit, requiring a little swing to get the weight going

Machine rear delts, 4 work sets: 30 reps on the first set, 120s rest, 25 reps, 120s, 20 reps, 120s, 15 reps; weight was fairly mild, and this was absolutely brutal

Wide grip barbell presses: technically this is military press, but the hands are way out at the bar ends, so it ends up being from just below the chin to the top of the head with light weight.  3 sets of 12 reps, right to failure.

My shoulders felt okay when I left, but now I'm having trouble doing simple things.  Just turning the steering wheel to drive out of the parking lot was difficult, and now I'm cooked.  I'm gonna be sore.  Can't wait for legs.

I think tomorrow is back.  I'll eat a ton tonight.  Yesterday was our anniversary, and I couldn't be any happier with that part of life.  Nothing new on the job front.

Thanks for checking in.