Karla - Thanks for stopping by the log. I appreciate your comments. I've read your log - amazing! Keep up hard work and enjoy your journey to 50 and beyond. Tom
When given the option, most of my coworkers choose to eat the healthy food first. The fruit and blueberry protein panckes are being wolfed done. Some of the bagels have been consumed, but most of the gut bombs remain untouched.
There was a big split by gender. My female coworkers immediately jumped on the clean foods and made comments. The guys tried some, but almost always topped it off with something from the other side of the table.
Friday 3/20 – Chest & Back – hypertrophy program complimenting the endurance program. I got to train with the DW. Since I was up and making breakfast for the office I rearranged my schedule to work out in the afternoon. The only new exercise here is incline pushups on cables – the gym has a chest cable machine with adjustable arms. You place the arms parallel to the floor, let the grips hang done. You put your hands on the grips and do a PU. It lets you hit a much larger range of motion.
Asst Pullups 3x8 (w 28 lbs asst 15% of BW)
Pushups – 4x12
Low cable row – 120x12x3
Flat bench BB press – 155x10x3
BB row – 115x12x1, 135x12x2
Incline bench DB press – 55x12x3
Lat pulldown – 100x3x12
Saturday 3/21 – Squat Club. Just a simple, straight forward workout w/ the DW. The only superset was calf raises (one set with slow 3 count lift, followed with a set with rapid pace lift). Two new exercises – goblet squats and hamstring holds (You kneel, your partner holds your legs, tighten hams and glutes and lower yourself to forward to floor).
Smith Machine squats – 190x12x4
RDL – 145x12x4
Seated Calf raises – 90x12x4 for both forms of the lift
Goblet Squat – 50x12x3
Partner Asst Hamstring holds – BWx8x3
Sunday 3/22 – Mental Health day. Scheduled an 80 minute sport massage for both me and the DW. After that I declared – CARB FEST - so we walked to a jazz club for a brunch that was not listed in any of our clean eating recipe books. The highlight was a great big ol’ greasy cheeseburger and two local draft beers. Oh well, enough of that!
Monday 3/23 – Back to the gym for endurance training. This is the second week of the new program. The program increase 10 reps per week. I did them all except for one set, where I just failed.
Decline DB bench press – 30(e)x40x3
Hammer T Bar row – 35x40x3
Flat DB bench press – 30(e)x40x2, 27x1 (failed here – chest not tri’s)
Hammer Unilateral Row – 35(e)x40x3
Incline DB bench press – 25(e)x40x3
Wide grip lat pulls – 70x40x3 – this was the hardest set to complete
Triceps V bar push downs – 40x40x3
Preacher Curls – 40x40x3 (Had to find a mental “happy place” to go to get thru set 3)
Finished with a 5 minute bike ride to cool down HR at 150.
This was a good workout. Staying under load for 40 reps is a strain, as is the mental part of getting to a high rep count. After doing so many sets at 4,6,8 - going back to high reps is more of a mind game than I considered. I find it easier if I just do them in sets of 10.
40 reps!!!! Yikes. I looked but did not see it. What program are you doing again? I haven't heard of the 40 rep one.
Also how freak'n cool that DW and you workout together.
Karla - When my PT presented me with the program last week, I was so surprised that I just started training and didn't ask questions. I'll find out who wrote it and post that info later this week.
Yes, it is great that I get to workout with the DW. She is my best friend. We started lifting together 3+ years ago when I decided to regain my lost fitness. I lost 40 pounds, she got ripped. We play golf together, we have run a half marathon together.
Here is my inspiration and why I can't slack off in the gym
You have to work hard when your training partner and DW is the hottest thing in the gym.
Wednesday 3/25 – Legs / Shoulder / Abs – endurance training. My PT surprised me this morning. I arrived thinking we would be doing the 40 rep sets for legs. Instead, he switched it to a series of giant sets and triple sets. [Background – the program called for the use of machines – smith – at this stage. He is not a fan of the smith and decided between that and protecting my bad hip, we would adjust here to another form]. The only new exercise for me was a muscle clean. All working sets were done with no rest between exercises and two minutes rest between sets.
Giant set – Squats / Muscle Clean / Crunch legs elevate don stability ball / Box step up agility drill
Squats – 185x12x4
Muscle clean – 70x12x4
Crunch – 20
Step up drill – 45 seconds
Giant Set – Lunges / DB Military Press / Oblique Crunch / Bench Vaults
Lunges - 25(e)x12(e)x4
DB Mil Press – 25(e)x12x4
Oblique Crunch – 20(e)x4
Bench Vaults – 12(e)x4
Triple Set – Hamstring Curls / Lateral raises / Step under
Ham Curls – 80x15x4
Lateral Raises – 15(e)x15x4
Step Under – 15(e)x4
This was a good, intense workout. It made my hair sweat! The change was probably a good one, there is no sense in pushing my bad hip by keeping it under load for a protracted period.
When given the option, most of my coworkers choose to eat the healthy food first. The fruit and blueberry protein panckes are being wolfed done. Some of the bagels have been consumed, but most of the gut bombs remain untouched.
There was a big split by gender. My female coworkers immediately jumped on the clean foods and made comments. The guys tried some, but almost always topped it off with something from the other side of the table.
Mmmmm protein pancakes..... the only thing better is protein belgian waffles, my particular specialty of the house.
Boston, eh? I'm going to my summer dermatology conference there (tentatively) in July. If you don't mind, I'll be hitting you up for local knowledge before then.
Boston, eh? I'm going to my summer dermatology conference there (tentatively) in July. If you don't mind, I'll be hitting you up for local knowledge before then.
Tina
Tina - just send me a PM or post into the log. We would be happy to help. Tom
Friday 3/27 – Chest & Back hypertrophy. This was not a great workout. However, I did have the DW as my training partner once again, so that was fun.
BB Flat Bench – 185x8x3
Rev grip lat pulls – 120x12x3
Triple Set – DB Incline bench / PU alt one hand on medicine ball / DB fly incline bench – all sets done without rest.
DB Inc BP – 55(e)x8x3
PU – 6(e)x3
DB fly – 25(e)x8x3
Cable low row – 140x12x3
BB Bent over row – 135x10x3
I feel like my bench should be better after the strength program. Meh. I'll just have to attack it next week.
Saturday - 3/22 - just a quick meeting of the squat club w/DW.
Warm up - jump rope
Squats 225x12x4
RDL - 155x12x4
Quad Ext - 115x12x3
Ham Curls - 95x12x3
KB Lat walk plie squats - 30kgx8(e)x3
The Dw is making progress on pull ups. She started the warm up by doing 2. After she got to the top on the second, she had this big grin, and just stayed up on the bar.
Sunday - This is supposed to be my rehab training day - an hour of Pilates. My bad hip feels great. The cost was my PT broke my abs, again! I gotta get tougher.
Thanks for the comments. The DW is someone who really enjoys fitness and treats the gym as her playground. She intends to continue to maintain the strength program. We will not do a cut or meal plan change for at least a month. If we do make a change, generally we do it together - a supportive partner has been the key to our success so far!
Monday – Chest & Back – endurance training week 3. Today was another variation on the theme of the high rep high intensity workout. The workout was based on triple sets, and then organized as mechanical advantage drop sets. No rest between exercises, 3 minutes rest between sets 1 &2 / 90 seconds for 3 & 4.
group 1 – Incline BB Bench Press / Flat BB Bench Press / Decline BB Bench Press
group 2 – Wide grip lat pulls / Neutral grip lat pulls / Reverse grip lat pulls
group 3 - Medicine ball throws / Medicine ball walk over pushups / Medicine ball close grip pushups
group 4 – BB rows / Cable Rows / Bent over high lat pulls
1 – 135x10x3 [failed on both sets 2 & 3]
2 – 110x1x3 [failed on last set of rev grip]
3 – BWx10x3 [failed on last set of close grip PU]
4 – 135x10x3 / 110x10x3 / 30x1x3
Cool down with 10 minutes on stationary bike. I kept my HR in zone of 135 – 150.
Well, I just got my ass kicked. It was a complete no nonsense workout that just blasted my chest and back. I was frustrated by the fact that I kept failing – then I looked at the weight and reps and realized my PT had designed this to max me out early and keep the load on for the full hour. I’m only three weeks into this endurance phase; it’s too early to think about strength training in mid May. My nutrition plan has been better in this phase. I’m back to 188 (from my high of 191) during the heavy lift cycle.
Tuesday 3/31 - Cardio. Late workout session. HIIT on cycle (45 seconds out of saddle / 1:15 on saddle) for 25 minutes. Then i did an easy jog for 15 minutes @ 7 mph.
Wednesday 4/15 – Legs / Shoulder / Abs – endurance training. Wow, so where did the first three months of the year go? Today was giant sets, limited rest and fun! The only new exercise was a muscle clean into a military press. All working sets were done with no rest between exercises and two minutes rest between sets.
Giant set 1 – Squats / Muscle Clean to Mil Press / Crunch legs elevated on stability ball / Box step up agility drill
Squats – 185x12x4 / Muscle Clean to Mil Press – 75x10x4 / Crunch – 15 / Step up drill – 45 seconds
Giant set 2 – Lunges / Seated Arnold DB Press / Plank /Step Under or Bike
Lunges - 25(e)x12(e)x4 / Arnold DB Mil Press – 25(e)x12x4 / Plank – 45 seconds / Step under 30 x2, Bike -60 seconds
Superset – Hamstring Curls and Lat raises
Ham Curls – 90x12x3 / Lateral Raises – 20(e)x10x3 (Failed at 11 on Ham curls set 3)
Once again, this was a good, intense workout. The gym wasn’t crowded, but apparently we were all working the same programs. Everyone was a regular and we were tripping over each other in the DB and bench area. But since it was all the regulars, everyone knew how to work around one another. It caused us to switch from step under to riding a studio bike for round 3 & 4 of the second giant set.
All in all, it was a great way to start my day.
Friday 4/3 - SNAFU - my work and training schedule are at odds this morning. Lots to do in prep for a business trip. This is my first travel of the year; I've been real lucky so far. I haven't had a 3 month - no travel window - in the last 5 years. But now, I'm back at it.
Time for something completely different - Tom's reflections on relationships!
Relationships are not static, if you are not working to improve it, it is not getting better
No joke is funny that comes at the expense of your partner
Be your partner’s number 1 cheerleader.
It is possible to buy flowers anytime and anywhere; an unanticipated $10 bunch from the local grocery store is worth more than a $50 bouquet on Valentine’s
A birthday / anniversary / holiday present doesn’t plug in….Just because someone really wants a new vacuum, timing light or blender doesn’t make it a good gift…presents and household chores don’t go together
Learn the difference between high maintenance and well maintained – avoid the former and strive to do the latter
Time for something completely different - Tom's reflections on relationships!
Relationships are not static, if you are not working to improve it, it is not getting better
No joke is funny that comes at the expense of your partner
Be your partner’s number 1 cheerleader.
It is possible to buy flowers anytime and anywhere; an unanticipated $10 bunch from the local grocery store is worth more than a $50 bouquet on Valentine’s
A birthday / anniversary / holiday present doesn’t plug in….Just because someone really wants a new vacuum, timing light or blender doesn’t make it a good gift…presents and household chores don’t go together
Learn the difference between high maintenance and well maintained – avoid the former and strive to do the latter
Nice! Okay, so your wife is lucky, too. If my bf ever gave me flowers I wouldn't know how to react. He gave them to me once on the day that we decided to officially start dating (11 years ago) and he told me at the door, don't expect this to become a habit. I keep hoping one day I'll come home from work and he'll suprise me by having cleaned the house. Actually, that fantasy died several years ago.
Saturday 4/4 – Full Body Workout. The DW and I mixed it up a bit to handle my work and upcoming travel schedule.
BB Bench Press – 165x10, 175x10, 185x7
Pull Ups – 6, then a ladder 1,2,3,1,2,3 (team work drill for the DW goals)
Incline DB Bench – 55x12x3
Low cable row – 120x12, 130x12, 140x12
Squat – 205x10x2, 225x12
RDL – 155x12x3
PU & Walking Lunge superset – 10 PU & 30(e)x10(e)x3
Quad Ext – 130x12x3
Ham Curls – 100x10x3
Braced Wall Squats w 20db(e) – 30, 45, 60 seconds
This was a good solid day of lifting. Now I have to get organized to travel – Vegas and Houston. My goal is to get in 2 workouts in the 4 days of road time. The DW is betting on the “under.”
Sunday 4/5 through Thursday 4/9 – 5 days of Rest! No workouts, no cardio, good sleeping schedule and a decent diet coupled with my time off from the gym. My business trip to Vegas went as well as I could have expected. However, the city of Vegas and the tourism businesses are really hurting – I never had to wait for a cab or need a reservation for a good dinner. I also had the chance to stop in Houston and visit with my youngest son; we went out to dinner to celebrate his acceptance at grad school
Friday 4/10 – Back in the gym! Today was chest & back training:
BB Flat bench – 135x10, 155x5, 175x5, 185x5x5
Wide grip lat pull down – 120x12x3
DB Incline bench – 50(e)x12x3
Narrow grip cable row – 140x8x3
Hammer Iso Press – 90(e)x10x3
Hammer Iso Pull – 90(e)x10x3
DB Incline Fly – 30(e)x12x3
DB unilateral row – 50x10x3(e)
This was a good workout; it felt fun to be back in the gym. I plan to maintain the hypertrophy / endurance split until mid May. The next cycle will revisit strength training – I still have my 2009 BP goal to achieve.
Wow Tom. Sounds like a fantastic rest week. I haven't been to Vegas in about 10 years. I am sorry to hear that it is hurting too. Nice post on your refections of relationships. Plugged in is bad but gas powered is cool. I once received a chainsaw from a guy I was dating. LOVE IT and still have it! LOL!
__________________
The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
Linear Mode
