Ben becomes a Marine

[ClOVERGIRL]

Originally Posted by Phaedrus49er

Strength III, Workout C-3


--No stories from the girl. I guess she just needed to be seen semi-regularly for people to quit bugging her. She continues to improve forms and increase loads. I might have to start her training log for her I did find the website for the yahoos who comprise our personal trainer corps. Sad.

Im hoping that this is the case but who knows. I did notice that today that one of the more regular girls had made it to the free weight area today and began to be harassed by one of the trainers. I kinda felt bad for her but hey at least it wasnt me. oh and im working on starting that log some people dont have as much time to be on the computer as others

[gobbla]

Originally Posted by K-Court

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

I think Rob is hitting on you guys. Taking out his anger "on dat ass".

Situational awareness fellas. These Canadians lore you with their kindness and Eskimo stories and then WHAM...you're bent over a IHOP trashcan, pants around your knees with nothing but your tears and the smell of blueberry syrup to comfort you.

[Aoife]

That was an image I really did NOT need.

[K-Court]

Originally Posted by gobbla

I think Rob is hitting on you guys. Taking out his anger "on dat ass".

Situational awareness fellas. These Canadians lore you with their kindness and Eskimo stories and then WHAM...you're bent over a IHOP trashcan, pants around your knees with nothing but your tears and the smell of blueberry syrup to comfort you.

Sounds like you're speaking from personal experience there, Tony. I guess the Canadian military guys are giving the Yanks the what for on base ... so to speak.

[Phaedrus49er]

I used to like blueberry syrup...

[gobbla]

Originally Posted by K-Court

Sounds like you're speaking from personal experience there, Tony. I guess the Canadian military guys are giving the Yanks the what for on base ... so to speak.

Not so interesting observation:
Canadian Military Guys = Odd. Nice folk. Good at what they do. Just weird.

Canadian Military Girls = level of hardcore

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength III, Workout D-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:

--pull-up (3/2/1/3/2/1, 201, 240RI) - 3 @ BW+15, 2 @ BW+20, 1 @ BW+25, 3 @ BW+20, 2 @ BW+30, 1 @ BW+40

SUPERSET (full rest)
--BB Pendlay row (4/4/8, 201, 60RI) - 4 @ 155, 4 @ 155, 8 @ 115
--BB shoulder press (4/4/8, 201, 60RI) - 4 @ 135, 4 @ 135, 8 @ 95

--cable reverse woodchoppers* (8/8/8, 10X, 90RI) - 8 @ 80, 8 @ 100, 8 @ 120

* denotes double-pulley cable setup



Notes:
--Okay, so maybe there IS some plateauing after all. I talked about this with the girl today. With lower-body work, the gains are noticeable both on paper and in performance. That 315lb deadlift yesterday was a mental hurdle as well as a physical one, but I kept looking at the climbing numbers from previous workouts, and it was right in step with the progress I've been making. Same goes for squats. However, when it comes to upper-body work, namely pull-ups, I seem to get stuck a lot more often. My bench press is an exception this time only because I've said to hell with imbalance issues (which really aren't issues right now so long as I lift correctly) and pushed as hard as I can, but even that seems to have reached a speed bump the last week or two. When it comes to pull-ups, I can either do the weight or I can't--there just doesn't seem to be any half-reps, which leads me to think that the bottom position is my weakest position in the full ROM (similarly, the sticking point in my bench press is 4-6" off my chest on the concentric phase). Sounds like I need to work on some partial range stuff, which is included in the lower-body work in this program, but not the upper body. Sounds like a good reason to try Westside for my next strength cycle.
--The Pendlay rows progressed quickly up to this point and will do so more slowly now that I think I've caught up to where my strength can come into play following a familiarization period. I do like these rows a lot.
--These two shirts came in the mail yesterday:



I'm looking forward to wearing them next week, especially the second one on Monday since that's National Curl in the Squat Rack Day (every week, ya know).

[Phaedrus49er]

Rob, I never want to hear the phrase "giving the yanks" come from you again, okay?

[Deserve]

Originally Posted by gobbla

I think Rob is hitting on you guys. Taking out his anger "on dat ass".

Situational awareness fellas. These Canadians lore you with their kindness and Eskimo stories and then WHAM...you're bent over a IHOP trashcan, pants around your knees with nothing but your tears and the smell of blueberry syrup to comfort you.

That made me laugh.

[Phaedrus49er]

Work:
--2 rounds of front/left/right planks, 30sec each hold, no RI btwn holds, 60RI btwn rounds

SMR work (10 reps each)
--foam roller - back, glutes, IT bands, quads, chest
--medicine ball - hamstrings, calves

Stretching (Core Performance protocol using rope for assistance):
--calves, 15sec each
--hamstrings, 15sec each
--adductors, 15sec each
--IT band, 15sec each
--quads, 15sec each
--triceps, 15sec each
--up-and-over chest stretch, 10reps
--side-lying internal shoulder rotation, 15sec each
--90/90 core twist, 15sec each
--quadruped rocking, 10reps



Notes:
--Having a fat day--week, really. Diet's been slacking and so will be in check for the next two weeks approaching the summit. Gonna get me some RIPT ABZ
--Listening to the utter confusion and ineptitude among various law enforcement agencies while at work tonight, it's a wonder that general anarchy doesn't erupt at the drop of a hat (not to take anything away from rookie).
--People who invite themselves over to my house, especially this late at night, really piss me off, regardless of how high on my list of friends they are.

[Aoife]

Ah... see, that's when you open the door to announce "Here for the orgy then?" Surely that would make them run scared...

[Phaedrus49er]

Originally Posted by Aoife

Ah... see, that's when you open the door to announce "Here for the orgy then?" Surely that would make them run scared...

The scary thing is, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what they were getting at.

[Aoife]

*snicker*

[Phaedrus49er]

Just some semi-relevant odds and ends from yesterday:

--GPP = three 20-minute sprint/agility (for me) sessions with the dogs out in the yard (read: just a lot of running around keeping three dogs riled up and moving, and HOLY SH*T have they packed on some muscle in the past few weeks from all the running they've been doing, not to mention that Max is growing like a weed).
--I still haven't decided what my next training phase will be. I know I should probably take some time off from strength training, but dammit, I LIKE IT, plus I found a powerlifting gym semi-near Charlotte that I need to check out at some point. Regardless, I need to figure out a lower-carb diet that won't completely compromise strength gains, which seems possible after reading this thread (which also broke out into some great tangential discussion). It'll probably be a last-minute decision toward the end of my upcoming break.
--I suppose I should've mentioned that I started supplementing creatine back when I started that two-week GPP prep for the Marine event that never happened. I don't know if it's had much of an impact, but based on anecdotal evidence here as well as picking up on stuff in Essentials as I continue studying (yes, slowly but surely), I decided it had a good cost-benefit ratio. Five grams in my daily morning coffee.
--I'm starting to wonder if I have a broken finger. Using the following image for reference:



I noticed some pain in my left index PIPJ joint a week or two ago, like a knuckle wanting but unable to pop. The pressure kept building over a few days, but there was no pain unless I moved the finger to the ends of its ROM in any direction (flexion and extension made no difference). Whenever I tried to pop it, it hurt like a bitch (and of course wouldn't pop). After some poking and prodding the other day, I noticed some pain in the MCPJ joint and associated metacarpal (the proximal phalange was/is practically numb) as well as an odd grinding sensation in the MCPJ. Whether it's bone, ligament, or synovial fluid is unknown, so while my initial thought was an onset of arthritis, which wouldn't surprise me given how long I've popped my knuckles (bad, I know), I'm now thinking this is some kind of fracture, though I don't recall any recent trauma to the area, so maybe this is some sort of stress fracture? At any rate, it hasn't hindered my performance in the gym, just in the bathroom (a comment to make Michael, Rob, et al come up with something else ). I'll keep monitoring it, though this is my last week in the gym before a long-awaited, much-needed two-week break, so hopefully that'll give it some down time.

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength III, Workout A-4

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 @ 235, 2 @ 245, 1 @ 255, 3 @ 240, 2 @ 260, 1 @ 280

--quarter-squat (2/2/2), 201, 180RI) - 1 @ 325, 2 @ 315, 2 @ 315

--squat (6/12, 201, 90RI) - 6 @ 225, 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 @ 8lb, 8 @ 8lb



Notes:
--And so the squat portion of NROL Strength comes to a close. I'll address the numbers first as there's a rather lengthy "why" to the relatively heavier loads today. I 1RMed at 280lbs and probably could've added another 5-10lbs today, but I had no idea it was feel so light. I did fail my second quarter-squat rep--I guess I just got too greedy. I took it out on a heavier next-to-last full squat set as well as medicine ball throws (no additional load, but I could tell I was in much better form and focus). I will mention that I spent most of today reading as much as I could that's been written by Dave Tate, which has only swayed me back in the direction of Westside-style training rather than a keto-friendly regimen after the summit. This will end up being a very late decision. At any rate, one article he wrote talked about his approach and setup for a squat: his thought process, his form checklist, his upper-body progression. I used that today, and the below story aside, I think it helped a lot. I can't wait to get back under the bar.
--Now, for the "why." First, a not-to-scale diagram of the free weight area in my usual gym:



As you can see, nothing too terribly special, just another commericial gym layout. I was in the power rack today for my final structured squat session for probably three weeks. I was gunning for a PR, of course, so I was already geared up (literally--I had on my "If I owned a gym..." shirt). I couldn't've picked a better day for it because, if you'll recall, the last item on the list is: "Curls in the squat rack... F*** NO." I don't remember the last time I was in such a zone. As I plowed through the third set and re-loaded and waited for the fourth, Doughboy (30s, 6-0ish, 275ish, fat with toothpick arms) and Peri(winkle) (late 40s, bald, runner's shape with a LITTLE meat, light blue shirt) loaded up the squat rack for--you guessed it--curls. Okay, fine, whatever, happens all the time, and I picked a good day to wear my shirt. As I waited for my fourth set, which involved leaving one dime and one quarter on each side of the power rack (a total of two each), sitting on the pegs as per their intended use, without a word/glance/nod/grunt even though I'm standing halfway in the cage, Doughboy waddles over and grabs the dime on the right side of my rack, a dime I would need for my next set. I stared him back to the squat rack, caught Peri's eye (who quickly glanced down), threw my clipboard on the floor, and made a beeline for the plate tree to get another dime. On the way to and from, I kept my eyes locked on their station, looking away only to make sure I didn't skewer myself on a racked barbell somewhere. I nosily racked the dime on its former mate's peg and did my fourth set. Lo and behold, during the next rest interval, Doughboy returned the dime and grabbed the quarter just below it. As soon as he turned to go back to the squat rack, I took a step toward the squat rack and yelled across the room while pointing, "Hey, assholes, there's a plate tree behind that column!" No response, so I again made a beeline to the plate tree, grabbed a quarter, held it high and pointed at it until they looked at me, then repeated my dime-fetching return trip, threw the quarter on its peg, turned, took a step toward them, and stood with my hands on my hips, shoulders back a little more than usual so they could clearly read my shirt during their furtive glances in my direction. They didn't even return the quarter, but they did have the gumption to setup two benches over and do--of course--DB curls, which was pretty awesome because not only did I continue to stare a stream of molten lead through each one of them, but I also nailed that 280lb squat with room to spare, broke one of my own cardinal gym rules and slammed the bar on the pins, walked forward, and maintained my gaze on them any time I faced them until they left. Hell, even when I was logging my numbers, I made sure to face them with my shirt plainly visible. Too bad they didn't have cell phones in sight. (I passed them at the cable crossover station on the way out and, for a split second, thought of going up to them and thanking them for helping me with a PR, but then I figured they wouldn't know what I was talking about, which was fine since the fear in their eyes was more than enough reward for today.)
--I'll let the girl tell about the trainer-in-training if she feels so inclined; otherwise, I might tell it later. It's a decent vignette, but frankly, my hands are still shaking--over an hour later--from the combination of adrenaline, anger, and endorphins (I dunno how many times I've edited this post for typos, and I'm probably still missing some). I'm going to go find a beer.