I'll admit it, I took a very long break from lifting. I just didn't do it. However, I can't say I regret it, because I found other forms of exercise that have gotten me into the best shape of my life. Previously, I had gotten up to a chunky 200 pounds. I was not happy. Through various forms of exercise and cleaning up my diet, I was able to get down to a lean 185. From there, I have put on 5 pounds - this time without all the fat. I'm lean and doing great.
Had my yearly physical today and my doctor noted the I "got big." I told him that I hadn't grown any taller (still at 5'11") and had actually lost 10 pounds since last year. So, while my stats say I'm "this" big, my physique and posture say I'm alot bigger. Good.
With all that being said, I have started lifting again. I have lost some of my strength, as I found out my first couple times back into deadlifting and squatting. I have noticed that after a few sessions, I'm getting back into the groove, but there is definitely ground to make up. I am once again using EC's The Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual. I'm currently doing the spring proficient template. I finished phase I, and will begin this log starting with Phase II.
So, here it goes
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
Monday, September 17, 2007
Lower Body - Max Strength
A) Wide Stance Box Squats: 3RM test + 3x3 @ 155 (3RM); 135,135,135
My 3RM for this is most likely not my actual 3RM. Not having squatted in ages, I know that my form was off and I did not want to be stupid and hurt myself in the first workout back. During the backoff sets, I realized I had set up too narrow and didn't push out my knees enough to engage the PC. Next week.
B) Barbell Reverse Lung: 4x6/side @ 45, 65, 75,75
Balance on these things is a pain. Really focused on form, so the weights stayed lower.
C) Stiff-Legged Deadlifts: 4x6 @ 135, 135, 155, 155
Felt pretty good. Form felt really solid. The quality of the tissue in my hamstrings has GREATLY improved since I start foam rolling over a year ago. That really helped as I was able to keep my back flat.
D1) Lying Scissors: 3x12
D2) DB Windmills: 3x8/side @ 25
Scissors were relatively easy. Will probably up the reps in weeks to come. DB windmills were alright. I have to refresh my memory some more on the proper form, but I'm pretty sure I knew what I was doing. :p
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
Yea, I got away from the site (and the internet in general) after I had to hand in my school laptop for reformatting over the summer. It was good because it broke my habit of spending hours in front of a computer screen. Everything's been going good. Things got crazy with college research and visits and it still is pretty hectic with Early Action deadlines quickly approaching, but I'm hanging in there. Looking forward to getting back to lifting regularly and improving my numbers.
How's everything by you? APs go well? Hows the college search going?
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
A) Thick Bar Bench Press: 3RM test + 3x3 @ 140; 120, 120, 120
Wrapped a towel around the bar until it got to be about double the normal width after gripping. Worked out great. I really liked these for some reason.
B1) Alternating Incline DB Press 4x6 @ 42.5
B2) One-Arm DB Row: 4x6/side @42.5
Nothing much to say about these except I really felt 'um. :p
C1) Neutral Grip Seated Row: 3x10 @ one band wrapped double
C2) Woodchop: 3x10 @ one band.
Wrapped a band around the post of my bench, then wrapped it around again for the seated rows. For the chops, I choked it to an iron bar (I installed it for chinups/pullups) I have running between the beams of my basement and hacked away.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
Dropped the push jerks for today because I don't have any room to do overhead movements and I just read Tony G. :"Simple answer: decide what they should NOT be doing, and go from there. A great example would be baseball players. The vast majority do not need to be performing overhead movements, and we tend to exclude any overhead pressing (more specifically any BARBELL pressing) into their programming." Next week, I will get outside and do these with DBs.
Dropped the Prone Internal Rotation because I shouldn't be doing internal rotation work while playing baseball. I need to focus more on external rotation to counteract the stress of throwing.
While I should feel pretty fried today between the two workouts, mowing the lawn and working on two cars with temps in the 80s, I still feel fresh and good to go, which is another benefit of getting back into shape. I'm grateful I took the time to clean up my diet and found other ways to exercise to get into shape. I'm also glad I had the break from lifting, as it gave me time to recharge. I'm looking forward now to getting bigger at a very gradual pace.
My goal is to be at 205 (+15#) by graduation in the beginning of June. With 8-9 months, I have no doubt that I'll be able to accomplish this with minimal fat gain. As for #s, I'm setting the bar at: 400 deadlift, 275 squat, and 200 bench. I don't know where I stand with those right now, and I don't plan on testing them until the end of Phase III in 7 weeks. Then, I'll have my deloading week and will start up with the Static-Proficient templates.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
I hear you, all the college stuff is crazy right now, on top of school and extracurriculars.
Everythings going well, pulled 5s on all APs . I think I;m going ED to Cornell, and EA to UChicago.
Notre Dame (despite its horrific football team this year :p), Boston College, Villanova, Georgetown, St. Joes in Philly, and Northeastern for EA. Then I'll try UPenn for regular decision because I don't want to do Early Decision there and not be able to do Early Action for the other schools.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
those are some good schools..
One of my good friends is actually applying to Georgetown EA, I think he's probably the first person every to apply there from my school haha.
and I'm also applying to Upenn RD(along with every other smart kid in my class). Not too confident about that, as the the top 2 kids from last years class applied there, and were rejected/waitlisted. And, they were the kinds of kid who had perfect grades, extracurriculars, and recommendations(not amazing scores, though)
Notre Dame (despite its horrific football team this year :p), Boston College, Villanova, Georgetown, St. Joes in Philly, and Northeastern for EA. Then I'll try UPenn for regular decision because I don't want to do Early Decision there and not be able to do Early Action for the other schools.
i live in the same town as notre dame. let me know if you get in there.
__________________ True Protein 5% off discount code: ZHS099 www.trueprotein.com
Hey welcome back, Kevin. Good to have you back in the JPF community. And congrats on the "getting big" thing.
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
Felt nice getting the weight back up a bit higher. Form felt really, really good. Theres a few keys that, when done right, make everything click.
B) Barbell Reverse Lunge - Front Foot Elevated (4.5") 3x5/side @ 55, 75, 95
Started out a bit lower on the weight to see how the elevation would affect it. My best set was the last. I really felt the lunges and my form was steadier with the heavier weight.
C) Stiff-Legged Deadlifts 3x6 @ 155, 185, 185
Same old, same old
D) Med Ball Floor Rotations 3x til it hurt
I don't know if I have the name right for these. Sit on the floor, raise your feet so they're a few inches off the ground, grab a med ball and touch it from one side to another, picking up speed. These are fun, until you smash a finger in between the med ball and the concrete floor. That's happened in the past, and I've been ever wary of them since. :p
Nixed the DB Windmills because my right tricep is feeling funky. 3x6 of an accessory lift is not enough to risk screwing something up. I'll see how it feels in a few days.
Peace out for now
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
A) Thick Bar Bench Press 6x1 @ 135, 140, 150, 160, 165, 165
Felt pretty good. I like the thick bar work. I really wish I had a spotter so I could be more aggressive with my singles. I'll have to see if I can grab a buddy and lift at the school gym for PR days.
B1) Alternating Incline DB Press 3x6 @ 45
B2) One Arm DB Rows 3x6 @45
I might have to start changing DBs for this one or see if I can pick up a couple more DB handles. I can row MUCH more but to change the weights back and forth would be a PITA. I should probably just suck it up and do it, but I'll see if I can steal Doug's handles :p
I quadrupled the band for the rows. Works pretty good.
I really should look to lift at school on these days. I could grab a spot for the heavy stuff and have access to a cable machine for real seated rows and woodchops. I'll have to investigate the practicality of it. The other days, I can pretty much get by on my own with what I have. I really want to push myself on the upper body max strength stuff, especially the bench, but I'm not going to risk getting hurt without a spotter. Up to 165 went nice and smooth, but I feel that I'm being held back a bit by not being able to really push it with the low rep stuff due to safety concerns. I'm trying to overcome that by doing more heavy stuff with DBs. Where there's a will, theres a way.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
These are from the mybodycomp.com chart. Some good gains, some not so much gains. Can't complain when I really didn't stick to a lifting plan consistently for a while. I'm really looking to change that and get into the habit where lifting becomes a part of my every day (or 4x/week) life. I know that with dedicated lifting and smart eating , I will be able to reach my goals, both for getting bigger and my PR goals.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
Thanks for stopping by Paul. I got a ways to go to catch up to you! :p I'll get there eventually.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
I will foam roll every day, focusing on my quads especially. I will go through the movement prep from Core Performance daily. I will put aside 10% of all the money that I come across from now on until I have enough to buy Inside Out and Magnificent Mobility.
That is all.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
How the hell did I miss this? Hey, Kevin. Great to see you posting and lifting again. Sounds like you are a lean machiine. I'll be sure to look in on your training.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
Pretty simple workout. Nothing fancy. Getting the job done.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
Just wasn't feeling it today. These past two days have been jam-packed with stuff and I'm wiped. Had a soccer game to ref last night then ran to my Scouts meeting. Add to that a bunch of homework and college essays. Today, I have a meeting for my Eagle Scout project in about half an hour and then a teen panel about drugs and alcohol tonight. I really wanted to get in a workout because I missed yesterday.
The plan was to do yesterday's today. Got down to the basement and it just wasn't there. The plan calls for switching it up to snatch grip deadlifts this week, but the box squats felt so good last week I was looking forward to more singles. Nothing really clicked like it did last week, but I got up to 200. For 155 and up I did a box squat rep, then a normal squat using the box to gauge depth. So I did a box squat, then just went down until I just felt the box then went right back up, no bounce and no stop.
Good to know that I can hit 200 for a couple reps on a really shitty day. I'm pissed that I didn't go for more last week when everything was feeling so good.
Whatever, just one of those days. I'll get it back tomorrow.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
Your last sentence says it all. We all have days like this, Kevin. And you've been pretty damned busy. Just put it behind you and come back stronger tomorrow.
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
Nice to see you back Kevin. You are always an inspiration. Congratulations on the muscle growth and I know you'll "get back to it tomorrow." You always do.
These felt good. Was able to hit a 10# PR and its the first time I've hit 170+. That felt good. I settled the things that were affecting me for the past couple of days and went into this workout feeling refreshed. The bench has been coming along lately, not really sure what it is in particular but its coming along. FWIW, the program calls for Floor Presses here but I was feeling really good with the thick bar bench and I don't really know how I'd set up the floor press, so I just stuck with these. Ended up hitting a PR going into a mini-deload next week.
B1) Alternating Incline DB Press 4x6 @ 45
B2) One-Arm DB Row 4x6 @65
These felt great. I could have bumped up the DB presses to 50 with no problem. Good decision to change the plates for the rows, they were actually challenging now.
C1) Neutral Grip Seated Row 4x10 @ band quadrupled
C2) Woodchop 3x10/side @ band
These I feel weren't really effective, only because I don't have the set up to do them. I'll probably ditch them next week during the low volume and in the future with stuff like this I'll find alternatives.
Overall, a very good workout. I'm liking the progress with the benching, both with the barbell and the DBs. The rows felt good and hit the back nice as well. Time for a nice contrast shower , homework , and college essays.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
Felt good. I was more explosive than I was last week.
B) Speed Deadlift 10x2 @165
Kept the rest periods very shorts (~20-30secs) just to make it challenging. Speed was good. Form was solid.
C) Walking DB Lunge 5 x 5 @ 55, 60 (x4)
First set was 55, went up to 60s for the next four. Damn you Eric! These things hit the whole body. Great grip work as well carrying the DBs for that long and the core work to keep everything stable. My legs hurt and I was sweating a whole lot.
D1) Pull Through 3x10@band
D2) Bar Rollout - Knees 4" 3x10
These were tough as I was still catching my breath from the lunges :p
Very good workout but a real asskicker. Low volume next week =
SATs tomorrow so I'll be reading The Wall Street Journal and my new book Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's and catching a bit of the Sox game before getting a good night's sleep.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
OK, so I'm really feeling the last workout in my entire lower body :p SATs today so I was just drained. I'll do the workout later this morning after sleep. Got a soccer game to ref as well, so hopefully the legs are feeling better by then.
That's it.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
I'm Back! TUOSTL Take 2
. I think I;m going ED to Cornell, and EA to UChicago.
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