Ben becomes a Marine

[Bytsi]

A bit of an ego boost last night as I was getting dressed to DJ a party: my dress shirts no longer fit, as in the sleeves have gotten just a hair too short

Just gotta ask... did the lifting make your arms LONGER too?

Stopping in to check out your log... LOVE the tshirt!

[Phaedrus49er]

Originally Posted by Bytsi

Just gotta ask... did the lifting make your arms LONGER too?

Yeah, RedLefty's got nothing on me now

[RedLefty]

He could use longer arms. Dude's built like a bald T-Rex.

[Phaedrus49er]

As opposed to a hairy one?

[RedLefty]

Exactly. Scientists think that the T-Rex was scaly and had no hair, but that was before they discovered the similarity between most dinosaur species and current bird species.

To settle the debate, I just asked K-Court and he remembered from his childhood that the neighborhood T-Rexes did indeed have hair.

[Phaedrus49er]

It's a good thing I have supplemental back extension work scheduled for today. That is all.

[Phaedrus49er]

Originally Posted by RedLefty

Exactly. Scientists think that the T-Rex was scaly and had no hair, but that was before they discovered the similarity between most dinosaur species and current bird species.

To settle the debate, I just asked K-Court and he remembered from his childhood that the neighborhood T-Rexes did indeed have hair.

He seems like a guy in the know. Just look at him:



That just reeks of dino-smarts.

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength III, Workout A-3

Warm-up - CP1:
--forearm-to-instep lunge with rockback heel stretch, 5 reps each leg
--backward lunge with twist, 5 reps each leg
--calf stretch, 10 reps (2sec hold)
--forward inchworm, 5 reps
--inverted hamstring touches, 5 reps each leg

Work:
--squat (3/2/1/3/2/1, 201, 240RI) - 3 @ 230, 2 @ 240, 1 @ 250, 3 @ 235, 2 @ 245, 1 @ 260

--quarter-squat (2/2/2), 201, 180RI) - 2 @ 315, 2 @ 315, 2 @ 315

--squat (6/12, 201, 90RI) - 6 @ 205, 12 @ 135

--seated good morning (6-8/6-8, 211, 90RI) - 8 @ 65, 8 @ 75

--Swiss ball crunch w/ medicine ball throw (4/4/4/4, 10X, 90RI) - 8 @ 8, 8 @ 8



Notes:
--I dunno what happened. I walked in feeling iffy. The first set of squats felt very iffy. The third set was surprisingly easy. The last set pissed me off because, after I racked the bar, I felt like I could've easily gone up another 15-20lbs. It was lights out after that, including my first-ever back squat loading of three 45lb plates. Granted, it was just for quarter-squats, but I blew through those, too. Plateau? What plateau?
--I condensed the medicine ball throws today--four set of four reps at 90RI is just too long. Had the gym been a little less crowded, I would've supersetted those and the good mornings.
--The thing that sucks about a high turnover rate with trainers at a gym is that, with the steady stream of new faces, none of them knows who's already been approached by a trainer before, so of course, the girl is prime meat (I look perpetually pissed off, which I usually am to a degree, so I don't get bothered, even on days like today when I don't have on earphones). A n00b, who was obviously a n00b because he was shadowing, I kid you not, another n00b, sidles up to the girl during her step-ups today and says something like, "You sure are punishing those legs today. I saw you in the squat rack. Just make sure you go home and feed them right." Now, there's a possibility that he was being sincere, but the way my mind works, I instantly figured that was just one step away from "just make sure you go home and get someone to rub them out right." So goes my thought process. Basedow2 was around but too busy looking too important to even make himself visible to the girl (or maybe she just visually tuned him out--I know how he feels). Old Man George--he's been mentioned before as the elder trainer who seems to be the only one whose been there longer than I have--said hey as he's wont to do and told the girl, who was doing her Swiss ball knee tucks, "You make me want to join up and work harder." Opposite of my assumption about the n00b(s), I figure he was both kidding and somewhat mocking Tiny (same post as the above link).

[ClOVERGIRL]

I have come to the conclusion that its just not going to be a day at the gym unless i have somebody make a stupid comment to me. Hey whatever dude you are the one looking like a retard. On a positive note i kicked a$$ on my squats today.

[Phaedrus49er]

Originally Posted by ClOVERGIRL

I have come to the conclusion that its just not going to be a day at the gym unless i have somebody make a stupid comment to me. Hey whatever dude you are the one looking like a retard. On a positive note i kicked a$$ on my squats today.

True. First full set of squats I've seen without a knee flaring out. Now about that gas... we're going to have to work on your Valsalva maneuver, especially when I'm spotting you. Dear god...

[K-Court]

You both will pay dearly for that in LR, boys!

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength III, Workout B-3

Warm-up - CP2:
--hip crossover, 5 reps each side
--scorpion twist, 5 reps each side
--lateral lunge, 5 reps each leg
--crossover lunge, 5 reps each leg
--sumo squat-to-stand, 5 reps

Work:

--BB bench press (3/2/1/3/2/1, 201, 240RI) - 3 @ 195, 2 @ 205, 1 @ 215, 3 @ 200, 2 @ 210, 1 @ 220**

SUPERSET (full rest)
--BB Pendlay row (4/4/8, 201, 60RI) - 4 @ 155, 4 @ 155, 8 @ 115
--BB push press (4/4/8, 201, 60RI) - 4 @ 165, 4 @ 165, 8 @ 135

--cable woodchoppers* (8/8/8, 10X, 90RI) - 8 @ 100, 8 @ 110, 8 @ 120

* denotes double-pulley cable setup



Notes:
--For the life of me, I can't remember the article I saw within the past couple days, but it was talking about some Westside variations including a bench press tweak where you grip with slightly rotated (outwardly) hands rather than parallel. This makes another associated tweak easier: in the top quarter of the full ROM, rotate your elbows out (keep them tucked through the rest of the ROM). Instant power increase near/at the lockout, just like the article mentioned. I'm guessing that's because you recruit your anterior deltoids more relative to when you keep hands parallel and tucked; at least, that's how it felt with me. I still technically failed the final 1RM attempt, but the girl got a crash course in spotting the bench press today, so she, um... well... helped me get it up.
--Pendlay rows continue to improve, mainly from familiarization. I still get a couple less-than-ideal reps in there, but I can tell a difference in the recruitment pattern in my back; I'm lifting comparable weight compared to standard bent-over BB rows and still have some room for significantly increased loading.
--No drama today, oddly enough. I guess the don't-f*ck-with-us memo made the rounds. The girl has been playing with hanging (from hands, not slings) leg raises the last few workouts, and those, her deadlifts, and her squats have all reached near-ideal form. I told her that I fully expect her to be deadlifting 135lbs by the end of NROL4W. She doesn't think it'll happen. It'll happen.

[Deserve]

Way to throw Rob under the bus!

[Lost Dog]

Originally Posted by Phaedrus49er

--The thing that sucks about a high turnover rate with trainers at a gym is that, with the steady stream of new faces, none of them knows who's already been approached by a trainer before, so of course, the girl is prime meat (I look perpetually pissed off, which I usually am to a degree, so I don't get bothered, even on days like today when I don't have on earphones).

There's a shirt for you, too!

Originally Posted by K-Court

You both will pay dearly for that in LR, boys!

Originally Posted by Deserve

Way to throw Rob under the bus!

I know! Bathhouse retribution is brutal and ugly. Don't he know?

[RedLefty]

Uh oh! If I see him get that glint in his eye while he drinks his Metamucil, I'll run away with my young legs.

I'm so dead.

[Phaedrus49er]

I'm kinda looking forward to Texas and North Carolina playing ping-pong with Canada in person. This is gonna be a hoot