Ben becomes a Marine

[RedLefty]

Originally Posted by Phaedrus49er

I guess I'm all alone on this habit-breaking journey

Yep. I haven't hit bottom yet.

[Deserve]

The worlds greatest challenge goes unanswered.

[Phaedrus49er]

Two points of information:

1. The endocrinology chapter in Essentials sucks, just plain sucks, and this is a non-debatable point. It's more technical than is practical (way beyond, I assume, what most CSCSs would need, but then, what do I know?), and it's written in a very ambiguous tone (lots of "could," "might," etc). I'll try to get through it again today.

2. Considering that my work schedule this week equates to professional ankle-grabbing, I'll be experimenting with beer-as-PWO today

[RedLefty]

Endocrinology is the chapter that made me finally say, "What the heck am I going to do with a CSCS anyway? Nothing."

Good luck!

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength II, Workout B-1

Warm-up - CP2:
--hip crossover (Alwyn calls it "lower-body Russian twist"), 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:

SUPERSET
--bent-over BB row (4/4/8/12, 201, 180RI) - 4 @ 155, 4 @ 155, 8 @ 135, 12 @ 115
--BB bench press (4/4/8/12, 201, 180RI) - 4 @ 185, 4 @ 185, 8 @ 155, 12 @ 135

SUPERSET
--chin-up (4/4/12, 211, 90RI) - 4 @ BW+20, 4 @ BW+10, 5 @ BW
--DB shoulder press (4/4/12, 211, 90RI) - 4 @ 60s, 3 @ 60s, 12 @ 25s

--Swiss ball Russian twist (2 x 6 each side, 202, 90RI) - 6 @ 25, 6 @ 25



Notes:
--My fingernails have nothing to worry about since I can barely lift my arms to type this out. Holy f*ck, that hurt. The first superset, okay. The second, good grief, did my chin-ups suck or what? I couldn't even begin to think about negatives on that last set. Plus, putting them later in the workout rather than first out of the gate (like in the first phase) is just evil. It didn't help that I ballooned on vacation
--I was pleasantly surprised at the weight I moved on the rows. I started the last phase doing 6 reps at 95lbs (slightly sandbagged) and ended with 6 reps @ 135lbs, so I guess this makes sense, but it was still nice to start out at that level (and with STELLAR form, I might add).
--It took this far into the post to kill one beer. I'm now on my second. Beer-as-PWO: an experiment in the name of training science. Actually, I have to be up at midnight for a 1a-9a shift (in arguably the highest-pressured job I've ever held), so I'm trying to double-whammy with PWO macros via carbonation and knock myself out by 6p (hopefully).
--Along those lines, I will attempt to finish a re-reading of the endocrinology chapter (second time through) on the way to la-la land, which is where I am anyway while actively reading that material. That's definitely going to be a brush-up chapter when I go back and take notes on stuff during the second pass-through of the whole book.
--I've been relatively tired going into the past two workouts but have performed surprisingly well. I must be all the beer I've had over the past week-plus (an alcohol-free night will be a story--note that I don't binge, only one or two drinks to, um, help with digestion... yeah... and make marginal women prettier ).
--Speaking of which, of course I was solo at the gym today, and very little eye candy, just a few missed pieces at the bottom of the jar, which was rather full yesterday. I could've filled the cup.
--St. Patty's was a muted celebration this year, but a celebration nonetheless since I totally missed last year (it is, after all, one of my favorite "holidays" of the year). I contend that March 18, like the Monday after the Super Bowl, be declared a national vacation day. FWIW, the very few pictures taken are posted to my Facebook and MySpace profiles (as are vacation and a few other pictures--I was bored at work the past couple mornings).
--Beer two gone.

[K-Court]

Therefore, during the lull before a coming storm today, I went outside and played with my pipe.

Is that legal?

What's that white bit at the end of one's fingernails? Never seen that before .... hmmm, what to do? what to do?

[Deserve]

Originally Posted by Phaedrus49er

--Speaking of which, of course I was solo at the gym today, and very little eye candy, just a few missed pieces at the bottom of the jar, which was rather full yesterday. I could've filled the cup.

This could be translated in so many ways.

[Phaedrus49er]

Regeneration day:

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
--Stick - glutes, hamstrings, calves, quads (inner, outer), IT band, chest
--tennis balls - spine

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:
--DOMS away! No, really *ow* Alwyn, I'm *ouch* sorry if it sounded *ick* like I was saying your program *oooowww* was easy. It's just that *eh* your programming has been *ouch* so effective with me that I *ow* guess I'm *ouch*--nevermind, just please *oof* make the pain go away.
--I fell asleep during the above workout. No, really, I did the planks and the rolling, was lying on my back right after finishing with the tennis balls, and knocked out for a couple minutes. Now, whether that was from all the SMR working on the DOMS, the fact that I'm still used to sleeping on a hard floor from vacation (I really have to look into just putting a thin mat on the floor and sleeping there), or my f*cked-up sleep schedule, or a combination of these is anyone's guess. It felt good, though.
--On a semi-related note, beer-as-PWO might have some merit. Carbs, calories, and carbonation all seem to be PWO-friendly, though the alcohol calories are questionable. I didn't go to sleep all that soon after consumption (two beers right after the gym, some food and a shower, then a glass of wine), but I got some deep sleep and felt somewhat human when I woke up a few minutes shy of midnight, considering I got about 5.5 hours of sleep. Mid-afternoon bedtime won't be a problem today.
--I did manage to finish the endocrinology chapter again last night, which likely helped in putting me to sleep. I think I'll skip reading today (and maybe tomorrow). Cardiovascular and respiratory systems up next.
--Trader Joe's is awesomely evil, especially as I'm finding time here and there to just meander the store. I went for a four-pack of buffalo burgers and two bottles of Two-Buck Chuck. I left with two four-packs of buffalo burgers, two bottles of Two-Buck Chuck, some chicken-and-veggie potstickers (and sauce), a small platter of baklava, and a wedge of beer cheese to begin satisfying a developing cheese fetish (no great purveyors within two hours, and those are just cheddar varieties, so why not try some good stuff from TJ's?).

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength II, Workout C-1

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:
--deadlift (4/4/4/12, 201, 180RI) - 4 @ 225, 4 @ 235, 4 @ 250, 12 @ 135

--quarter-squat (3/3/3)*, 201, 180RI) - 3 @ 255, 3 @ 255, 3 @ 255

SUPERSET
--Bulgarian split squat (2 x 8-10 each leg, 201, 90RI) - 10 @ BW, 10 @ BW+25
--back extension (2 x 8-10, 20X, 90RI) - 10 @ BW, 10 @ BW

--hanging leg raise (2 x 6, 222, 90RI) - 6 @ BW, 6 @ BW

* denotes rest-pauses during all three reps of all three sets (must use rails instead of hooks to rest the bar on next time)



Notes:
--Hooray for deadlift day! I'll save a long and stupid story for last, but it was a great day. I ended up using a chalkless chalk bag I got from REI last week. I think "chalkless" is a misnomer--it's more like clear chalk because there was definitely particulate in the air (sun was streaming through the windows where I was working out), and my eyes and nose dried up a bit as well, but that stuff works GREAT on my hands.
--Rack pulls are a bitch. I set the stops at just below my knees so they'd be slightly bent at the start of the movement (I assume these are just partial-range deadlifts and should mirror that portion of the lift). Yay or nay on that setting?
--BSSs seemed easier today, even with the added weight, but I also had a slightly lower back step since I had to MacGuyver a seated calf raise machine for the purpose (back extension apparatus right next to it and far far away from the aerobics steps). Awaiting DOMS.
--Most surprising today were the hanging leg raises. In addition to my grip actually holding out, I completed a full ROM fairly easily (not that they were easy, but I made it through the full ROM). Only at the end of the second set did I really start to fatigue. I have to wonder if my arms/shoulders weren't torquing my torso up rather than it being an abs-only movement. I'll have to concentrate more on ab contraction next time, though again, the extend of DOMS has yet to be seen.
--Only one day left of this godawful schedule. Looking ahead to tomorrow, I think I'll be on the cable lat pulldown rather than attempt bodyweight-plus pull-ups considering my chin-up performance the other day (and what's left of my grip after today).
--Finally, the long and stupid story: it was totally worth the fatigue of this week's schedule to get in there when I did today, stand five feet from the power cage, and wait and stare at the jackass bean-pole, red-dotter (call me racist if you want, but the guy was pissing me off) doing BB wrist curls at every conceivable angle. He got visibly agitated but continued, knowing I was waiting on him, so I set up just a few feet behind him and rather gaudily and obnoxiously did my first three deadlift sets, after which (yes, if you're counting, that's three minutes' rest between each set plus work time) he'd come back to the power cage for more wrist curls after (during my sets) sitting on a bench right beside the cage doing DB wrist curls. While he's doing his second round, I unload all my plates except two 45-pounders, walking right by him on each pass to rack the weights on the cage's pins. By the time I got back to my now-135lb bar and turned around to stare at him more, he left his bar loaded (55lbs) to go back to his bench. I guess he was on a multi-superset wrist curl program, but as soon as he moved away, I deadlifted my bar (which weighed more than he did), walked it over, and proceeded to do my final full-ROM set right at the cage, after which I took his bar off, replaced it with mine, put my rack pull weight on it, and stood inside the cage visibly staring at my stopwatch until time for my reps. Was my etiquette questionable? Of course, but for some reason today, I just didn't care--I was in a mood. Figures I didn't pick today to wear my "no curling in the squat rack" shirt.

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength II, Workout D-1

Warm-up - CP2:
--hip crossover (Alwyn calls it "lower-body Russian twist"), 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:

SUPERSET
--wide-grip pull-ups (4/4/8/12, 201, 180RI) - 4 @ BW, 4 @ BW, 5/3* @ BW, 4/8* @ BW
--BB push press (4/4/8/12, 201, 180RI) - 4 @ 155lbs, 4 @ 155lbs, 8 @ 135lbs, 12 @ 95lbs

SUPERSET
--wide-grip seated cable row (4/4/12, 211, 90RI) - 4 @ 220lbs, 4 @ 240lbs, 12 @ 180lbs (note: on double-pulley station)
--DB incline bench press (4/4/12, 211, 90RI) - 4 @ 60s, 4 @ 60s, 12 @ 40s

SB Russian twist (2x6, 202, 90RI) - 6 @ 25lbs, 6 @ 25lbs

* denotes BW pull-ups / assisted BW pull-ups (used push press bar in rack hooks with feet on floor for least-possible help)



Notes:
--The ankle-grabbing work week closes with a five-hour night of sleep and a larger midsection thanks to my body screaming at me over this schedule (hooray for cortisol). I went ahead and banged this out despite REALLY wanting to take a nap first.
--Like last phase, I switched up the exercise order to put pulling movements first.
--I opted to do "assisted" pull-ups rather than wide-grip lat pulldowns because of my gym's equipment set--I'd have to maintain possession of two stations on opposite ends of the facility for the lat pulldown/push press superset (as well as the second superset, to a lesser extent).
--Speaking of pull-ups, I did a LOT more of those than expected in general, lack of sleep notwithstanding. My grip was rock-solid, a big surprise after yesterday, but I have to say that using that quasi-chalk has made a HYOOGE difference in my grip.
--I'm about to max out the seated cable row stack, but there are no other free-motion options for this movement at my gym. There are two or three free weight-loaded machines that simulate this, but the paths of motion are fixed. No thanks. I may alter the tempo if I can't increase the weight.
--For those of you who've done or are doing Swiss ball Russian twists, are you laterally shifting your torso while rotating so as to maintain balance, or are you only rotating your torso without the shift? If the latter, I'd LOVE to know how you're doing it because when I try it, the ball rolls with me, and I get more intimate with the floor than I care to. Ya know, chaffage and all... *ahem*...
--While there's still a LONG way to go, I'm starting to see fingernails.
--Still no additional word on the May 3 event--registration was supposed to be available mid-March, but nothing so far. Not good.

[Phaedrus49er]

Regeneration day:

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
--Stick - hamstrings, calves, quads (inner, outer), IT band, chest

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:
--I managed to stay up until about 7:30pm last night, then had a friend call me around 9pm so I'd get up for a couple hours and get back on a semi-normal sleep schedule. No alarm this morning, so I got about ten hours' sleep overall.
--A mental regeneration day as well: with it being 75F and sunny, I blew through a quick-and-dirty run-through of tax write-offs so I could get on the Harley a little after lunchtime. Much needed.
--A friend commented that my fingernails look much better compared to the pictures I posted on here. I'll post progress pics in the next couple days.
--I forgot what it was like to have a Saturday completely off (wasn't that long ago that I had one, too).

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength II, Workout A-2

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 (4/4/4/12, 201, 180RI) - 4 @ 185, 4 @ 205, 3 @ 225, 12 @ 135

--quarter-squat (3/3/3), 201, 180RI) - 3 @ 225, 3 @ 250, 3 @ 275

SUPERSET
--good morning (2 x 8-10, 201, 90RI) - 10 @ 45, 10 @ 45
--dynamic lunge (2 x 8-10 each leg, 201, 90RI) - 10 @ 45, 10 @ 45

--Swiss ball crunch (2 x 6, 222, 90RI) - 6 @ 25, 6 @ 25



Notes:
--I was able to commandeer the power cage today and so felt much more comfortable going heavier with the rails in place, especially on the quarter-squats.
--Just for shits and giggles, I spent my intra-squat rest intervals hanging from the pull-up bar for time. One-handed. Granted, it wasn't more than a few seconds each, but my grip strength gains are apparent since I was able to hold the position for a few seconds rather than instantly starting to slip off the bar. Of course, I alternated hands *toss*
--The eye candy jar was full again today. In fact, I was asked by one piece in particular if I was done with the squat rack (I was), and she proceeded to squat ALMOST to parallel. Dammit. Then she went over to the squat rack (for whatever reason) and started doing Romanian deadlifts. SO CLOSE! My $20 is seriously in jeopardy
--I read through the cardiovascular/respiratory chapter yesterday and likely won't need a second immediate read since I actually remember all that stuff from school. Next up: the LONG chapter on general physiological responses to both aerobic and anaerobic training.
--Insurance coughed up well over what I was expecting to get from the car fire, so as soon as the check arrives Wednesday, I'm going car shopping. Maybe...
--...because on first pass-through of my taxes (note: I'm self-employed), I owe federal about $5300. Second pass-through came up with $3800 combined federal and state, which the insurance check could more than cover. I need to go digging much more deeply for write-offs than I have so far. My Harley may become my only means of transportation

[Phaedrus49er]

Strength II, Workout B-1

Warm-up - CP2:
--hip crossover (Alwyn calls it "lower-body Russian twist"), 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:

SUPERSET
--bent-over BB row (4/4/8/12, 201, 180RI) - 4 @ 155, 4 @ 160, 8 @ 140, 12 @ 120
--BB bench press (4/4/8/12, 201, 180RI) - 4 @ 185, 4 @ 185, 8 @ 155, 12 @ 135

SUPERSET
--chin-up (4/4/12, 211, 90RI) - 4 @ BW+15, 3.5 @ BW+15, 6 @ BW
--DB shoulder press (4/4/12, 211, 90RI) - 4 @ 60s, 3 @ 60s, 12 @ 25s

--Swiss ball Russian twist (2 x 6 each side, 202, 90RI) - 6 @ 25, 6 @ 25



Notes:
--I totally saw a hot chick at the gym today doing full-ROM deadlifts with an Olympic bar. Unfortunately for her, it was my girlfriend, and I was training her, so prompting was present, therefore no payout. Hell, she'll get that $20 in the end anyway.
--Looking back at last week about this time, I'm SO glad I don't have that schedule again/anymore.
--Fingernails are still here. I lost one or two today, but not all of them (this time).
--I managed to get my tax liability down to about $2300 today (at last check). This is good.
--I found a great truck to buy as well, but the owner seems obscenely slack in communication, which sucks because (pending anything undisclosed about its condition), it's a great deal and (almost) exactly what I want.

[RedLefty]

You've got a girlfriend and you use this log to talk about the fine "pieces" you see at the gym sometimes? Oh, that's gonna be fun when she finds out!