Today sucked.

“Week 2”

• 3 reps – Squat (working max: 260#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x5x135
  • 1x3x160
  • 1x3x185 (work)
  • 1x3x210
  • 1x6x235
• Asst. #1 – Leg Press
  • 5 x 10 x 315
• Asst. #2 – Leg Curls
  • 4 x 10 x 85
  • 1 x 9 x 80
• GPP – Elliptical
  • 15 minutes, 130-ish strides per minute, 10 incline, 12 resistance

Today was not good. No idea why, but things just didn’t come together. Squats went ok, but I felt wobbly the entire time, lots of leaning forward but from balance, not a weight-shifting trying to get the weight up sort of thing. Then on curls geez, what happened? I was just pooped and couldn’t get the reps, even had to drop weight at the end and still couldn’t get the reps.

No idea what’s up.

Heck, I didn’t realize until just now that I totally forgot to foam roll.

Oh well. Shit happens. On to week 3!

A good day.

“Week 2”

• 3 reps – Bench Press (working max: 220#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x135
  • 1x3x155 (work)
  • 1x3x180
  • 1x7x200
• Asst. #1 – Bench Press
  • 5 x 10 x 135
• Asst. #2 – 1-Arm Dumbbell Rows
  • 5 x 10 x 60
• GPP – Elliptical
  • 15 minutes, steady pace around 130 strides per minute, incline “10”, resistance “12”
• Foam rolling

Today was kinda interesting. I wasn’t there mentally, but again, just felt strong. 7 reps with 200 was most acceptable, and I wasn’t even dialed in mentally or even physically! The assistance work was just a breeze, and I even did 5x1xbw chins after each set of assistance benching. I’ll take today.

I did realize that with the GPP, I just have to change it up. “Aerobics” have always been boring to me. I hate running, I hate walking. It’s all boring boring boring. The GPP routine of the “tabata” stuff was fine, but on the machine just bored the dickens out of me. So I figure well, something is better than nothing else I’ll totally fall off the wagon. So if I want to change it up, fine. Today was just a steady but fair pace. Whatever it takes to keep me on the wagon, y’know?

Oh, and I finally bought a foam roller for the house. Now I can roll whenever I want to. It’s just too good to do. Even Wife and Kiddos found it pleasant and relaxing to use.

I pick things up and put them down.

“Week 2”

• 3 reps – Deadlift (working max: 315#)
  • 1x5x135 (warmup)
  • 1x5x160
  • 1x3x190
  • 1x3x225 (work)
  • 1x3x255
  • 1x9x285
• Asst. #1 – Good Mornings
  • 5 x 10 x 75
• Asst. #2 – Hanging LegHip Raise
  • 5 x 6 x BW
• Foam rolling
• Grip
  • 3x10xT, 2 sec. hold between reps
  • 3x3x1, 2 sec. hold between reps, 10 sec. hold on the last rep

Nothing to write home about today.

I picked things up, I put them down.

I hate good mornings. 🙂 I also hate the elliptical. It’s boooooring. I skipped it today because I had to get home, but I’m starting to fear I’m finding ways to skip it because I don’t want to do it. I did drive today because of the rain, but it had tapered off when I got home so I briskly walked around the block a few times.

Cute thing… my dog saw me through the front window and was all happy I was home. But then… daddy walked away. Kiddos got worried because they never hear the dog wimper. Apparently pup was sad that big daddy didn’t come in to see her. Awww…. 🙂 Explains why she was extra happy to see me when I got home.

Holy crap! I can do chin-ups! 🙂

“Week “

• 3 reps – Press (working max: 150#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x60
  • 1x5x75
  • 1x3x90
  • 1x3x105 (work)
  • 1x3x120
  • 1x7x135
• Asst. #1 – Press
  • 5 x 10 x 75
  • Supersetted with chin-ups, 5x1xbw
• Asst. #2 – Supinated Close-grip Pulldowns
  • 4 x 10 x 140
  • 1 x 10/3/3 x 140 (rest-pause set)

Holy crap, Beavis! I did chin-ups today. 🙂

I just haven’t been able to do chin-ups (supinated grip, palms facing you). I’m not strong enough, I’m heavy. The (Wendler) recommended thing is to do chin/pull-ups in between each set of pressing movements. Well, lacking the ability to do them I haven’t worked them in, and much of my work has been towards being able to do them. I started doing this supersetting last cycle but then forgot to keep doing it. When I did it then, the goal was to do at least 1 chin after each set of assistance pressing, and if I couldn’t do a chin then make it a negative. Last time I did it I got 2×1 then had to do 3×1-negatives.

Well today… it was pretty simple straight 5×1 across. My bodyweight hasn’t changed much, so I’ve apparently gotten stronger. 🙂

I was quite thrilled. The first chin I did was so easy. And this isn’t some sort of “chin-over” where you stick your chin into the air and attempt to throw it just barely over the top of the bar. No, I want to go full, all the way up, bar coming to the chest/clavicle area. No swinging nor kipping (the debate about kipping pull-ups will rage elsewhere). I didn’t go 100% full range of motion tho, because a true dead-hang causes too much stress on my shoulder socket, so I need to keep tension and I’m probably 5-10 degrees already pulling into the motion… so it’s almost all the way, as close as I can get to all the way without removing tension. Maybe that contributed to my success today, I don’t know. But I was thrilled. The chins came easy, and only had a slight effect on the pulldowns. Next workout I’ll start going for 5×2 across and see how it goes. Slow but sure. 🙂 This has been a long time in coming, and I’m happy to finally be here.

In other news….

I actually didn’t feel all that with it today. Mentally I just did not feel strong. My warm-up press sets felt heavy. But once I started hitting the work set, while my mind may not have been there my body sure was. Cranking out 7 reps with 135 is good progress. That may have kicked me in the pants, because I sure felt strong the rest of the workout, as you can read above.

I did forget to do the last set of assistance pressing rest-pause. Oh well.

I didn’t do any GPP or rolling today. I had to get home because a Time-Warner Cable tech is supposedly coming “between 8 AM and noon” to finally fix my broken Internet connection. I knew if I didn’t hustle to be home by 8, he’d show up at 8; if I actually am ready for him at 8, he’ll show up at 1. Of course. 😉

But today was good. I’m still smiling about the chin-ups.

Had to cut today short. Too many things on the agenda.

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Squat (working max: 260#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x5x135
  • 1x3x160
  • 1x5x170 (work)
  • 1x5x195
  • 1x7x225
• Asst. #1 – Leg Press
  • 3 x 10 x 315
• Asst. #2 – Leg Curls
  • 3 x 10 x 85

I’m tight on time today. Thought about doing a “jack shit” but couldn’t bring myself to it. So I just did 3 (instead of 5) sets of assistance work and supersetted them. Good enough.

In out done.

Squats felt good tho. I found myself doing something with unracking the bar that seemed to help. Get fully prepped under the bar, normal breathing, no tensing. As soon as I know everything is in place, deep breath and hold, fully tense up, unrack the bar. As soon as I unrack, maintain tension but exhale and inhale… allow myself to breathe. Back up into position, settle, then squat. The key? To keep tension AND to keep breathing. I just can’t hold my breath so much else it doesn’t bode well for me. That really helped. Every set felt really good, tho I started thinking about things too much on the last set and only got 7 reps… would have been happier with 8, but good enough.

Started strong, ended… meh

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Bench Press (working max: 220#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x135
  • 1x5x145 (work)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x9x190
• Asst. #1 – Bench Press
  • 5 x 10 x 135
• Asst. #2 – 1-Arm Dumbbell Rows
  • 5 x 10 x 60
• GPP – Elliptical
  • 6 minutes steady at 120 spm, 10 incline, 14 resistance

As in other exercises, I’m modifying the weights on the warmups just slightly. The weights will be just under some plate threshold and gee, it’s just a warmup weight so who cares. If it makes it easier to (un)load the bar, fine. Thus why 95 instead of 90 on the warmups set. But… whatever.

Worked my way up to 190×9. I felt good, especially in my form. Getting the whole body tight and into the press, improving form over past workouts. So, good thing. I didn’t feel on the work set like suddenly everything went shaky — it was just another set. Doing the numbers it didn’t feel like a strength increase, but that’s ok. I think the improved form and over the course of this cycle I’ll still perform just fine.

On assistance bench pressing, I should have gone to 130, but again it was a plate thing. Going to 135 keeps it simple. And 5# does make a difference. It worked me well, the last couple reps of the last set were a bit of a struggle but not much. So it was good to have bumped things up a bit. You know what else? There was a nice ego stroke here. I remember when I couldn’t bench 135 at all. I remember when I broke the 135 barrier. Now it’s just light assistance work for me. I am pleased.

Speaking of light, going to 60 on rows felt really light today for some reason. But here’s a place I’m not going to crank it up. I think I could get away with 65, but let’s just be slow and steady.

Then came time for the GPP work, and I just did NOT feel it today. I just did a few minutes of steady pace stuff. Lame, I know.

I need to buy a foam roller to have at the house. Makes my back feel so good.

I’ll take today.

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Deadlift (working max: 315#)
  • 1x5x135 (warmup)
  • 1x5x160
  • 1x3x190
  • 1x5x205 (work)
  • 1x5x240
  • 1x10x270
• Asst. #1 – Good Mornings
  • 5 x 10 x 75
• Asst. #2 – Hanging LegHip Raise
  • 5 x 5 x BW
• GPP – Elliptical
  • Tabata style (20 sec. 160-ish strides per min., 10 sec. 100-ish strides per min)
  • 2 minutes slow (warmup)
  • 1 Tabata set
  • 2 minutes slow (cooldown)
• Foam rolling
• Grip
  • 3x10xT, 2 sec. hold between reps
  • 3x3x1, 2 sec. hold between reps, 10 sec. hold on the last rep

I can take today.

Deadleft felt fine. I ended up stopping at 10 reps because I was just out of breath… the brain was saying “stop damnit! I need oxygen!” Sure I breathe properly, but still, it’s a lot of exertion. My body felt like it could have done maybe 5 more if I let it. But fine, this is no problem. I’m nicely on track to break 300.

On the raises I opted to keep low reps. I’m working to keep my shoulders tight and “in socket” instead of a total dead hang, which was killing my shoulders. It’s having a nice side-effect of making things more strict and involving a lot more of the body, so this is cool. 5×5 was alright so I can probably go to 5×6 next workout and just slowly work myself up and see how things go. I’m also finding a good “ritual” when coming up to the bar to ensure my shoulders stay happy. I’d rather take 2 steps back and have a healthy shoulder than plow ahead and regret it someday.

On grip… I dunno… off day? or just already pretty exhausted? But I had a hell of a time on the grippers, couldn’t hold the 10 seconds… forearms just said “hell no”. 🙂

All in all, felt alright.

Starting off cycle 6, and it wasn’t a good day, tho it got better.

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Press (working max: 150#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x60
  • 1x5x75
  • 1x3x90
  • 1x5x100 (work)
  • 1x5x115
  • 1x5x130
• Asst. #1 – Press
  • 4 x 10 x 75
  • 1 x 12/6/4 x 75 (rest-pause set)
• Asst. #2 – Supinated Close-grip Pulldowns
  • 4 x 10 x 140
  • 1 x 10/4/3 x 140 (rest-pause set)
• GPP – Elliptical
  • Tabata style (20 sec. 160-ish strides per min., 10 sec. 100-ish strides per min)
  • 2 minutes slow (warmup)
  • 1 Tabata set
  • 2 minutes slow (cooldown)

First, I’m starting on cycle 6. I haven’t changed much compared to cycle 5. Cycle 5 was a bigger change to things and so I’m sticking with it for a bit, just letting the groove settle. I am trying to up the weights on assistance work and just push harder with things.

So the work pressing. Bleah. I only got the prescribed reps. I’m not totally sure why. I was just not there. This past weekend drained me with the medical training on Saturday, long-ass naps on Sunday, and then not eating/drinking like I should be doing. I also unracked the bar on that last set, felt light-headed, held the bar for a bit while I tried to regain things, but that did me in. Drained me too much, took away my focus, and I just couldn’t get that 6th rep out. Next time I should just rack the bar, wait a minute, collect myself, then try again. Live and learn.

Assistance pressing was fine. On rest-pause sets I’m fixing things to push myself… the first iteration isn’t just 10 reps but “to failure”. Push myself. But I was feeling better here. In fact, as I’ve been working to get the full body more into pressing (e.g. clench the butt), it’s been hard because when I try to just do that it feels unnatural and gets in the way. On the last couple sets here I found myself clenching naturally and my whole body getting tight and behind the lift. I need to pay more attention to when this happens and work to replicate that setup and feeling. Furthermore, don’t totally sweat it if the body doesn’t get into it… it will when it needs to.

Pulldowns. I opted to jump 10# from last cycle and was figuring that would take me to 5×8 across. Then last minute I changed my mind and figured to just do 10 reps and if it doesn’t happen my body will obviously tell me. It didn’t. 10 reps worked just fine. I’ll keep upping it as we go along. The intent is to get myself doing chins and get away from doing pulldowns, so I’m wanting my pulldowns to use heavier weight and start to go into the 5-8 rep range. I also realized that I have been forgetting to do chins between my assistance pressing sets. I adjusted my templated in my iPhone tracking app to help me remember to do that next time.

On the elliptical, I opted to bump the resistance setting from 12 to 14, and the strides per minute from 150’s th 160’s. That seems to have been just enough to push me, because I felt good and nauseous afterwards. 🙂 I want to keep upping my threshold. Before I start adding more “reps” I want to ensure the reps I’m doing now are as intense as I can make them.

Then on the walk home, my left calf cramped up horribly. I haven’t had a calf cramp in a few years, so this points to 1. that I worked things hard, 2. that there’s some nutritional issues from the past weekend. I’ll fix that.

On to the deadlift! I can’t wait… this cycle will have me break 300# in my work weight. Cool milestone.