CD's Training Log

[cdkrug]

And the wheels fall off my deadlift

Not such a great day. Felt fine, but had trouble hitting my rests and had to keep resetting in Deadlift. Other movements went okay, as far is it goes.

NROL Hypertrophy I B6

3x15 w/ 30s rest, 311 tempo

Squats
Squats 145x15x2, 135x15x1

Here's where I first noticed a problem

Deadlift Shrug
145x15, 135x15x2

And these didn't go well at all. Had to keep regripping and pausing, and my rest periods were nowhere near that short.

Bulgarian Split Squats Superset w/ Step-ups
Bulgarian Split Squat (Bodyweight)x15x3
Step-ups (2x10)x15x3

Not exactly bad, but nothing to write home about either.

Reverse Crunch (Bodyweight)x15x3

Thoughts/Adjustments?

Guess yesterdays max session took more out of me than I thought. Keep it all right here. I'm noticing a consistent pattern that high rep legs just TRASHES me.

[Viknord]

I've had similar problems with my DL's. Are you chalking up? I have noticed that by chalking up I can hold my grip a bit longer (or just long enough ).

[cdkrug]

Originally Posted by Viknord

I've had similar problems with my DL's. Are you chalking up? I have noticed that by chalking up I can hold my grip a bit longer (or just long enough ).

No chalk. Something else I should add to the mix, I know, but haven't yet. It's a bit weird, making good progress on the low-rep days, but dying horribly on the high rep. Guess I'm Mr. Fast Twitch.

Four Weeks into Hypertrophy I

My cloths are kinder to me than my scale and my tape. Bought some smaller pants based on my waist measurement. The Good News is that, though they felt fine new, they feel loose now.

The Bad News is that my measurements and weight seem to have stagnated for the last four weeks. Time for a diet tweak.

I'm following Adam's diet and started having a sandwich for lunch–usually my only daily starch. That may have to go away if I'm to keep losing abdomen.

Otherwise, I'm happy with the strength gains I'm seeing, and getting just a bit anxious to achieve the elusive pullup. Chalk may help there too.

Even better news, my wife has decided to join me in this whole, "Eating to drop fat" stuff and is listening when I tell her that a brisk walk would be (for her) quite an intense interval, though I doubt she'll post her weight and BF for all to see. Just a guess.

[cdkrug]

6-3-2007

Four weeks of Hypertrophy I down, four to go. I'm going to stick with Adam's Diet, but eliminate the daily starch allowance to see if that kickstarts my fat loss.

Warmups warmups warmups
5min general warmup
400m Run (2:05.13)
Gasp for air.
50 Air Squats (35+15)
Side Lunge w/ Opposite Hand Touch (slow) 5/side
Ball Bridge w/ Upper Body Russian Twist (30s, 6/side 15lb)
Inchworms, 6
No pushups as it's upper body day and I had a rough weekend

NROL Hypertrophy I A7

5x5 with 90s rest, 311 pace.

Db Incline Press Superset w/ Cable Seated Row
Db Incline Press (2x50)x100x5 (+5ea)
Cable Seated Row 250x5x2, 262.5x5x2, 275x5

The 50s are the heaviest dumbs I have. Last set was ugly. So I guess I can keep that weight. That last set was a 37.5lb increase. I've suddenly learned how to pull. Or maybe all that deadlifting is helping.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Superset w/ Wide Grip Assisted Chinups
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (2x40)x5x5
Wide-grip Assisted Pullups (Small)x5x5

Best I've ever done the shoulder press. It can move up. Those pullups are small band with no jumping reps and no band changes.

Dumbbell Elbows-In Bench Press superset w/ Dumbbell High Pulls
Dumbbell Elbows-in Bench Press (2x40)x5x5 (+5lb ea)
Dumbbell High Pull (2x40)x5x5 (+5lb ea)

Took four weeks, but it looks like I'm learning how to pull.

Situps
Air Force Style (Bodyweight)x21, x15
Swiss Ball Crunch (25lb Plate)x15

Thoughts/Adjustments

–Added a single 400m effort to lifting days. Today it was in the warmup. Might more typically be over lunch with lifting in the evenings.
–I seem to have suddenly learned how my lats work. Much better all around on rows and high pulls movements. I've marked both for increases next time.
–I'm not quite ready for bodyweight attempts at pullups yet. For next time, I'll try to be stricter about the negative

[cdkrug]

6-4-2007

Non-lifting day Interval set

2x400m, rest equal to the previous run
1. 2.03.73 (-8.23)
2. 2.09.47 (-6.92)

Overall, including rests: 6:16.06 (-24.25)

n.b. that I trust my work timings further than I trust my rest timing. That becomes more important as I work through this program adding rounds.

[cdkrug]

6-5-2007

Today's Lunchtime Lifting Day Sprint actually took place after work
400m 1:56.25 (-8.88 from Sunday)

I think the improvement I'm seeing are from technique, I hope it's working for conditioning too with the longer efforts.

Random Stuff Warmup
Pose exercises
Aforementioned 400m
Suck Wind
Ball Bridge w/ Upper Body Russian Twist, 30s, 12 (Total)
Inchworms 6
Some other stuff I can't remember and should have written down but I didn't.

*insert rude joke here*
Worked on the snatch today. Couple dozen broomstick lifts until I got the move down, then about six with the empty bar until it started to fall apart.

It's fun, but I bet the downstairs neighbor doesn't much like it.


NROL Hypertrophy I, B7

4x10 with 1min rest (abs 3x15) 311 tempo. Good news today.

Squat

Front Squat 45x5
Front Squat 95x4
Rear Squat 135x3

Rear Squats 175x10x4 (+5lb)

Doing warmup sets as front squats. With a barbell is a new challenge for me.

Deadlift Shrug
Deadlift Shrugs 155x10x4

MUCH better with my rest periods today. I missed on the last set, but the other two rests were spot-on.

Bulgarian Split Squat superset w/ Step Ups
Bulgarian Split Squat (2x10)x10x4
Step Ups (2x20)x10x4

Bulgarians didn't go badly. Marked as ready to increase. I had some stability problems on the step ups, but they went well otherwise.

Reverse Crunches (bodyweight)x15x3

Hit the rest periods and tempo on these, though I botched the first set, stopping at 10 and hitting my rest period watch.

Thoughts Adjustments

I can do more on squats. 'Course I know that NOW. I have no feasible way to dump on a lift, so I hold back on these intentionally.

High rep deads suck. Gimme singles any day. The sets went better though.

No knee pain during lunge movements today. Joy. I'll try adding back warmup lunges and see how it goes.

I do have some aches on the inside of my calf, about a handbreadth above my ankle. Hopefully it'll foam roll out.

[cdkrug]

6-6-2007

More alleged running. Using a watch without lap counting, so my math may be off and only to the second. Compare to 6-4-2007

1. 2:09 (+6)
2. 2:04 (+5)

Calves are hurting in a place I've never hurt before. May do something else for conditioning the next few days if I can't foam roll it out.

[cdkrug]

6-6-2007 ni

Karate. Short, hard session with lots of contact conditioning.

Afterward, we had a going away party for a training mate moving to Okinawa. About 1/4 cu cooked rice and some dessert involving sweet potatoes and chocolate in the "Off the Diet" department. No sugar rush/crash, so I have to guess that it was within the PWO window.

If you're in the GR area, PM and I'll get you the name of a good caterer.

[cdkrug]

6-7-2007

Substitute Cardio. Instead of doing a 400m in 2-min lifting day.

Air Squats 38x1, 20x1
Dumbbell Swings ala Mistress Krista, to eyelevel 36lbx38x1

Both of these were to form breakdown. Time was about 5min. I didn't get the "SHEESH I WANNA PUKE" intensity, but after my HR went down, I felt comparable.

[cdkrug]

6-8-2007 Did I say Lifting Day?

End of School event, so no lifting yesterday. Bumped it back to today. Meanwhile, lunchtime Alternative Effort continues. Left ankle is fine, right ankle is still a bit swollen.

Air Squats 1x50

Almost but not quite a solid set. Gotta just LOVE the lactic Acid.

[Victoria]

cd, your workouts are really looking good. Glad to see your pulls are really improving!

[cdkrug]

Thanks Victoria. I still hate high-rep deads.

Family stuff made me miss a workout.

Got our daughter a new bike, then took the kids to the park so they could get used to riding again.

Did a few headstands, none too well. Foolishly tried to teach my wife a shoulder roll.

[cdkrug]

Sunday Morning Weigh-in 6-10-2007

227.0 (-4.1 since 4/29)

I've been remiss and haven't logged a weight since before I started H1. Sunday mornings have been busy lately, though I was frustrated that my midweek weight hadn't seemed to budge in a few weeks. I know I know . . weighing myself too often is a recipe for frustration

Anyway . . diet tweaks seem to have worked. If you're keeping track, I dropped Adam's daily starch allowance and been more diligent about my midtime feedings. I'm pretty sure that if this week didn't include our monthly microbrewery outing, I'd have dropped a couple more.

I don't feel like I'm anywhere near ketosis–my left big toe starts to get grumpy when I get there–and have had no midafternoon energy problems.

Now to resist the temptation to obsess over my measurements for the next month.

[cdkrug]

If I lay on my side and rolled, how much faster would I be?

Pose Warmups (Pose through Traveling Pony)
Hip Mobility work

Cascade Park Mile Loop

This is a mile paved trail marked in quarters. I've not RUN a mile since HS. For about a year I did Metabolic Overdrive intervals, usually totaling about a mile. More recently, I've been doing 400m efforts on grass at about a 2min/400m pace.

Q1: 2:05.23
Q2: 2:02.41
1/2 mi: 4:07.64
Q3: 2:17.53
Q4: 2:27.95
Mile: 8:52.12

And?

I was expecting a new adventure in pain and vomiting. I was wrong about the vomiting, and the pain is about the same as my 400m on grass Day After Pain.

Frankly, I wasn't sure I could run a mile under 10min, let alone under 9. Could I do 8? Eh . . maybe if I vomit. Guessing under 8:30 is probably attainable–that's 2:07.5 on a quarter, if I figure out how to pace myself properly.

Wife: You should have told us. We'd have met you at the park.
Me: No thank you. I prefer to vomit alone.

[cdkrug]

6-10-2007 Part Deuz

Nope. Running WASN'T enough. Must be an upper body day.

NROL Hypertrophy I, A8

3x15 on 30s rest, 311 Tempo. Abs as noted.

Db Incline Bench Press Superset w/ Cable Seated Row
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press (2.30)x15x2, x9, (2x25)x6
Cable Seated Row 225x15x2, 212.5x12

Ugh. Shoulda taken more rest after the run maybe? Not hideous for high reps, just not great.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Superset w/ Wide-grip Assisted Pullups
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (2x25)x15x3
Wide-Grip Assisted Pullups (Large Band)x15x2, x7 x5 x3

First time I got all the reps on the large band. Slow improvement, but it's improvement.

DB Elbows In Bench Press Superset w/ Dumbbell High Pulls
Dumbbell Elbows-In Bench Press (2x25)x15x3
Dumbbell High Pulls (2x25)x15x3

Nominal. These come late in the workout and are just plain TOUGH at that point.

Air Force Situps (For Reps, 60s rest) 18, 15, 7, 5

Not especially pretty, but I got all 45 reps in.

Thoughts
This is a TOUGH workout for me on the best days. Even without the upcoming mile. All I can say is that pullups are getting better.

[cdkrug]

6-11-1007

Yesterday I did a mile, so no running today. Tomorrow I'll either do 1x or 3x, depending on how my legs feel.

Karate night.

[cdkrug]

6-12-2007

Or zero. Ankle is still wonky when I walk on it, so I'm giving it the day off. No running.

NROL Hypertrophy II, B8

5x5 at 311 pace, 90s rest, abs on 60s rest

Squats
45x5 (Front)
95x4 (Front)
135x3
185x2

Worksets
215x5x5 (+10)

Nice!

Deadlift Shrugs
215x5x5 (+10)

Eh . . . okay. Hit my timings and reps. Was happier with my hip extension, but my grip still needs work.

Bulgarian Split Squat Superset with Step Ups
Bulgarian Split Squat (2x15)x5x5 (each leg)
Step Ups (2x25)x5x5 (each leg)

Reverse Crunch (bodyweight)x15x3

Thoughts?

Nice progress on the squat. The DL Shrug wasn't pretty but I got through it. Need to remember to wear longs. I drew blood from my bar's knurling. Used reverse grip after the first set.

Balance was a little off on the split movements.

[cdkrug]

6-13-2007

Off-day Running.

Ankle felt okay this morning. Woke up a bit when I went through my Pose exercises, but was fine throughout the run, except for the bit when I ran down the sidewalk rather than alongside.

Lightly achy after, but not massively tight like on Sunday after the mile.

Pose Exercises
Pose through Foot Tapping.

I'm getting too much antagonist action on the tapping. Keep at it.

3x400m, rest equal to previous run

Was intentionally tentative today, both because of my ankle and to allow my sloth-like reflexes to work the pattern.

1. 2:06.03
2. 2:07.54
3. 2:02.98

[cdkrug]

6-13-2007

Karate night. Got some weird rotation thing going on with my arms. When my fist is properly horizontal with my arm extended, my elbow points out. Not sure what's going on, but both arms are doing the same thing.