Sept 23, 2017

Saturday morning stuff.

Axle 14″ Deadlifts (traded sets with others, straps, sock feet)

145 x 4
235 x 3
325 x 1
415 x 1
445 x 1
445 x 1

notes: I normally don’t do this first. bar was moving pretty slow

Deadlifts (medium rests, sock feet)

135 x 1
225 x 1
315 x 1
405 x 1
425 x 1
425 x 1

Snatch Grip Deadlifts (medium rest, straps)

335 x 4
335 x 5

notes: did these with the conventional bar this time. slow reps, stop below my knees, get some tension going

Widegrip Pulldowns (short rests)

120 x 15
120 x 15
120 x 15
120 x 15

notes: back work every damn day lol

DB shrugs (short rests)

100s x 10
100s x 10
100s x 10

notes: knurling on these was shredding my hands

After this I was going to go outside and do farmers and yoke… but I forgot my shoes with the arch supports, and my feet are too flat for heavy moving events these days. so that pretty much stopped my workout cold.

Sept 22, 2017

Took a bit of a break from posting, but had a request to start up again.  Still going to the gym, no big changes.

 

Busy week at work, snuck away on Friday afternoon for some bench

warmup work

Bench Press (medium rests)

125 x 8
150 x 6
175 x 5
*sleeves, wraps*
200 x 3
225 x 1
225 x 1
225 x 1
200 x 7
200 x 8

Seated Smith OHP (medium rests, elbow sleeves)

bar warmup
bar+90 x 3
bar+140 x 3
bar+160 x 3
bar+180 x 3

DB Flat Press (hammer grip, medium rests, sleeves)

70s x 10
80s x 8
90s x 6
100s x 4

V-Bar Cable Pushdowns (30 sec rests)

6 plates x 15
6p x 15
6p x 15
6p x 15

Dual Cable Wide Pulldowns (30 sec rest)

15 plates x 12
15p x 10

Widegrip Cable Rows (30 sec rests, elbows high)

10 plates x 15
10p x 15
10p x 15

Cable Face Pulls (30 sec rests)

2 plates x 20
2p x 20
2p x 20

post: 15 min LISS

27 Jan 2017

afternoon office workout. to switch it up a bit, I didn’t bring out the sleeves and wraps, and kept it totally raw

warmup: slow neg side raises, Cuban presses, shrugs

Closegrip Bench Press (medium rests)

bar x some
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 4
225 x 3
185 x 8

notes: the elbow sleeves help a lot apparently lol. so I dropped the weight and did a backoff set

Flat DB Bench (medium rests, hammer grip)

40s x 10
60s x 5
85s x 10
85s x 10
85s x 8

Smith Machine Seated OHP (short rests)

warmup with bar
bar+90 x 10
+90 x 9
+90 x 6
+70 x 10
+70 x 10

notes: kept the rests short so the shoulders would stay burning the whole time. another backoff set. I felt kinda weak today overall, so I decided to keep the assistance light and high rep

Free Cable Widegrip Pulldowns (very short rests)

7 plates x 15
8p x 15
9p x 15
10p x 15
11p x 15

Seated DB Hammer Curls (medium rests)

45s x 10
45s x 9
45s x 8
45s x 7

notes: never do these seated. felt much harder. had to stop each set when I started involuntarily shrugging them. I guess that was the fatigue point lol

24 Jan 2017

warmup: slow neg side raises, Cuban presses, shrugs

Bench Press (traded sets)

bar x many
135 x 5
185 x 3
*wraps, sleeves*
225 x 1
245 x 1
245 x 1
245 x 1

One Arm DB Row (traded sets)

50 x 10/side
80 x 10/side
100 x 10/side

Good Mornings (traded sets)

bar x 15
bar x 15
bar x 15

notes: this one was hard for them to figure out, but that’s ok. its a weird movement.

Lilly Shrugs (traded sets)

40s x 10
50s x 10
60s x 10

notes: I have never really done these before, but I thought it would help stretch their hams and lats a bit more. I like all types of shrugs, so its all good

21 Jan 2017

Saturday morning fun.

Deadlifts (traded sets with 2 other people, sock feet)

135 x 3 with lots of pauses (warmup)
225 x 3 with lots of pauses (warmup)
275 x 1
315 x 1
405 x 1
455 x 1
505 x FAIL

notes: ok, I decided to go for it. I have been so crap at going to the gym that I shouldn’t be surprised I couldn’t hit a PR. So, I broke off the ground, but it hovered underneath my knees, then back down. Maybe more below the knee pause DLs in my future.

I decided to move on, I did not have a lot of time in the gym this morning.

SSB Squats (Romaleos, knee sleeves, 2 min rests)

70 x 3
160 x 3
250 x 2
300 x 3
300 x 3
300 x 3
300 x 2
300 x 2

notes: I should have done more, but the reps were slow and I was starting to slouch, so meh

DB Flat Press (short rests, hammer grip)

40s x 10
65s x 5
85s x 10

notes: I was going to do more, but I was short on time, so I had to move on

Viking Press (very short rests, traded sets back and forth with another)

100 x 15
100 x 12
100 x 13

miscellaneous Strongman shenanigans

me and some of the other people in the gym held a sledgehammer at the far end of the handle (not by the hammer end), outstretched our arm out in front of us, and tried to turn our wrist in and out. as for me, for both arms, I could rotate it SLOWLYYYY to the outside and barely bring it back up, but when I rotated my wrist to the inside… nope, the hammer dropped.

then we goofed around with the Rolling Thunder a bit, but I mostly just taught it to others.

20 Jan 2017

Struggling with the motivation these days, so I resolved to go to the office gym and just do whatever I can. Baby steps.

warmup: slow neg side raises, Cuban presses, shrugs

Closegrip Bench Press (2 min rests)

135 x 5
185 x 3
*wraps, sleeves*
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5

notes: I inspired the other men in the gym, so they all wanted to bench 2 plates. With varying levels of success, complete with excuses (I just did chest yesterday bro). I know 2 plates isn’t much, nor is it a big deal for me, but it is a lightning rod for men’s hopes and dreams in the early stages of their fitness.

Snatch Grip Deadlift (short rests, wearing sneakers)

135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

notes: this was more to see how my grip felt. I am so used to sock feet that my knee felt a little twisted doing these. I was worried if I went heavy and dropped it, I would get lots of ugly stares. office gym woes.

cardo: 5 min LISS as cooldown

Mini workout, then back to my desk.

14 Jan 2017

Sleep the night before was good, but I had nothing in the house to eat, so I went to the gym on an empty stomach and picked up some chocolate milk on the way for an intra.

Log Clean and Press (medium rests, small diameter log)

120 x 1 (bigger log warmup)
80 x 3 (switched to the small log at this point)
124 x 1
164 x 1
*wraps, sleeves on*
199 x FAIL, no clean
199 x FAIL, no clean

notes: it had been a while since log, so I wanted to test it out. But other people had gotten there earlier and were using the main log, so I switched to the small one. The small diameter actually made it much harder, I couldn’t clean it properly. So when it got heavy, I just couldn’t do it. With it being so small, I can’t comfortably get it up against my body so I can roll it up my chest like I normally do. So it was now a few inches out from my body and like trying to power curl 200 pounds, which meant I didn’t get much vertical on it, and it landed just under my breast bone, which is not enough to go into a pressing motion. For this to work, I would have needed to either:
a. swing it in a wider arc like I would with a barbell (though I haven’t cleaned a BB that heavy I don’t think), or
b. drop my body low to get under it, like some Oly type stuff. Which I have no experience in.

So… I couldn’t clean the little log once it hits 200. Lesson learned.

Closegrip Bench Press (shared the bench with someone, so long rests)

135 x 5
185 x 5
*wraps, sleeves*
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5

DB Bench Press (short rest)

40s x 10
65s x 10

notes: at that point I decided that since I had done the same exercise just yesterday, I needed to switch it up

DB Flys (short rests, slow reps, pronated grip)

22.5s x 10
22.5s x 10
22.5s x 10

T Bar Row (short rests, elbows low)

1 plate + 1 quarter plate x 15
1 plate + 1 quarter plate x 15
1 plate + 1 quarter plate x 15
1 plate + 1 quarter plate x 15
1 plate + 1 quarter plate x 15

Superset: DB Hammer Curls & Band Pullaparts & Band Pushdowns (short rests)

40s x 12 / 15 pullaparts / 50 pushdowns
40s x 12 / 20 pullaparts / 50 pushdowns
40s x 12 / 20 pullaparts / 50 pushdowns

notes: the really high reps on the band work really made my body ache. my triceps were dying during the sets, but now, sitting here typing this, my rear delts are dead from the pullaparts

7 Jan 2017

Long time, no write!  I am back.

warmup: light leg extensions, light leg curls, TKEs, calf raises, dorsiflexions

Low Bar Squats (Romaleos, no sleeves, long rests)

135 x 2
225 x 2
315 x 1
*knee wraps on*
360 x 1
360 x 1
360 x 1

notes: I figured if I am squatting twice a week (or more) now, then I will try and conserve my knees a bit with wraps. Will see if that helps.

warmup: slow neg side raises, Cuban presses, shrugs

Closegrip Bench (medium rests)

bar x lots
135 x 5
185 x 3
*wrist wraps, elbow sleeves on*
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5

Snatch Grip Deadlift (short rests, sock feet, Figure 8s)

135 x 10
225 x 10
315 x 10

notes: I traded sets back and forth with a guy doing speed work DLs. I know my grip is the limiting factor in these and I needed to get my back work in so I used the straps.

Farmers Walks (sock feet, short rests)

130/hand for 55 feet
130/hand for 55 feet
130/hand for 55 feet
130/hand for 55 feet
130/hand for 55 feet
130/hand for 55 feet

notes: went six times, got my cardio in, plus gave my grip something to do. It was light, so I did more of them.

Cable Face Pulls (very short rests)

2 plates x 15
2 plates x 15
2 plates x 15
2 plates x 15
2 plates x 15

notes: I had to leave soon, so I picked a really quick exercise I could bang out pretty quick.

20 Dec 2017

afternoon workout in the office today.

warmup: slow neg side raises, Cuban presses, shrugs, benched the empty bar

Bench Press (varying rests)

135 x 8
160 x 6
190 x 5
*wraps, sleeves on; rest between sets is 60-90 sec*
215 x 3
215 x 3
215 x 3
215 x 3
215 x 3
*rest goes up to 2 min*
190 x 13
190 x 11

Flat DB Press (hammergrip, medium rests, sleeves but no wraps)

90s x 10
100s x 7
100s x 6
90s x 7

Incline DB Press (shallow incline, short rests, sleeves only)

40s x 20
40s x 20
40s x 20
40s x 20

notes: a bit light, but I wanted to work the cobwebs out of my shoulder

Smith Machine JM Press (very short rests)

bar + 50 x 15
bar + 50 x 15
bar + 50 x 15

Dual Handle Free Cable Widegrip Pulldowns (very short rests)

12 plates x 15
12 plates x 15
12 plates x 15

Overall, I am reducing the volume this week, so that I can slowly peak for a 1RM test. If I am going to get back on track, I want to relaunch a routine, and want to benchmark my lifts so I can rejig the percentages. But in order to gear up for that, I need some mildly intense low volume sessions to warm up this week. So a number of low assistance short sessions hopefully to follow this week.

17 Dec 2017

Being xmas lazy, slacking on the workouts!

Coooold morning strongman gym, kneedeep in snow. bleh

warmup: spilled my drink, mopped the floor, cleaned the gym, lol

Deadlifts (long rests, sock feet)

135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 3
405 x 3
405 x 3

Snatch Grip Deadlifts (sock feet, medium rest)

315 x 3
315 x 4

notes: I normally do block pulls first, but the blocks were being used. Still not using straps for these, and it cost me a bit of work, my grip was the first to go on both sets. I should probably strap up and save my grip for farmers/frame work.

Axle Deadlifts- 5 inch blocks (medium thick axle, medium rests, figure 8s, sock feet)

170 x 1
260 x 1
350 x 1
440 x 2
440 x 1

Frame Carry (medium rests, sock feet)

280 for 55 feet, drop, pick, return 55 feet
370 for 55 feet – SUPERSET – shrugs x 8
370 for 55 feet – SUPERSET – shrugs x 8
470 for 55 feet
470 for 55 feet

notes: thought I would combine my shrugs and frame carries. the iron handles get cold if you leave them alone too long, so a superset is less painful, haha. I didn’t bring the right shoes, so if I was going to do it in my sock feet, I figured a frame has nil chance of getting dropped on my feet… not that a sneaker will save my foot from a 470 pound frame… but I have a little more pushoff to get out of the way if I am wearing a new pair of sneakers.