12 May 2016

Relatively easy night planned.

warmup: prone spinal twists

Trap Bar Deadlifts

265 x 4
315 x 3
355 x 3
*straps*
405 x 3
455 x 3
*belt on*
455 x 3

notes: I tried one heavy set without belt, which went ok.

then some knee rehab shit

leg extensions

90 x 15
90 x 15
120 x 15

KB Swings

24 kg KB for 100 total swings

Superset BW Glute Bridges and Leg Raises

100 total bridges and 50 total raises

Intensity not super high tonight, just couldn’t get too worked up. Did some trap DLs and that was most of my GAF factor right there, haha

3 May 2016

Afternoon office gym work. This particular office gym doesn’t have a leg press or a leg extension station, so my quads were going to have to eat shit today. If you don’t like it quads, write an angry letter to my knees.

warmup: foam rolled IT bands, adductors (ouch!), piriformis

KB Swings

50 lb’er for 100 swings, as many sets as it took (it ended up being 4 sets of around 25 each)

I worked a good glute squeeze into the snap at the top… my butt was dying in between sets…

Good Mornings

75 x 15
75 x 15
75 x 15

notes: work that stretch reflex

Prone Leg Curls

90 x 12
90 x 12
90 x 12

Smith Machine Weighted Glute Bridges

1PPS for 50 reps total (about 4 sets)

Superset BW Glute Bridges & Leg Raises

3 sets of that, high reps

notes: may as well do some core

post: cardio… got about 10 min of LISS done before my knee started to hurt… don’t think it liked that machine

26 April 2016

So the plan for lower body days for now is to test out what hurts the knee and what doesn’t hurt, and to spend more time on the fundamentals. Work them glutes.

Late morning office workout of sadness.

warmup: cried over no more squats, for a while… for a while

Superset: Smith Machine Squats & Prone Leg Curls (knee sleeves)

2 plate squats x 6 / 90 x 12
4 plates x 5 / 90 x 12

notes: at this point, the knee hurt, so screw you smith machine

Superset: KB Swings & Good Mornings & BW Glute Bridges

30 x 20 / bar x 10 / 20 bridges
30 x 20 / bar x 10 / 20 bridges
30 x 20 / bar x 10 / 20 bridges
30 x 20 / bar x 10 / 20 bridges
30 x 20 / bar x 10 / 20 bridges

It wasn’t a workout, but I like the idea of the fundamentals: 100 KB swings & some kind of glute movement at least 100 times. Food for thought for the future. The low weight GMs were just to stretch the hams while keeping the core active.

After that I headed back to work.

Jan 3, 2016

More squats tonight. Almost hitting legs 3 times a week lately, it feels like.

warmup: rumble rolled IT bands, adductors, piriformis; dorsiflexions, TKEs, ham warmups

High Bar Squats (2-3 min rests, shoes, knee sleeves)

bar x 5
135 x 4
185 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 1
*belt on*
290 x 5
290 x 5
290 x 5
290 x 5

Low Bar Lo Pause Squats (2-3 min rests, shoes, knee sleeves, belt)

290 x 5
290 x 5
290 x 5

Barbell Hip Thrusts (off the floor, 2 min rests)

135 x 8
225 x 8
225 x 8
225 x 8

notes: I think I bruised my bladder – these hurt, lol. I even put a wussy pad on the bar. There MUST be a better way to do these!

July 27, 2015

AM Workout

warmup: foam rolled upper back, lats, armpits; static stretch lats

Widegrip Cable Rows (elbows high, 30 sec rests)

4 plates x 15
5p x 15
6p x 15
7p x 15
8p x 15
9p x 15
10p x 15
11p x 15

Prone Leg Curls (30 sec rests)

5p x 20
6p x 20
7p x 20
8p x 9

Smith Machine Glute Bridges (30 sec rests)

bar + 140 x 20
+140 x 20

post: 15 min LISS

PM workout Strongman stuff

warmup: foam rolled IT bands, adductors, piriformis; dorsiflexions; TKEs; straight leg heel raises; side planks

High Bat CAT Squats (2 min rests)

150 x 5
190 x 5
*belt on*
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5

notes: yar, 2 days of squatting in a row

Prowler Work: push 20 metres, then drag it back with a rope 20m; 2 min rest b/w sets

6 sets with 170 loaded on the prowler

notes: the parking lot is getting worse, but I am learning where all the dips are and avoiding them. The owners of the neighbour businesses came out to see what the Frick I was doing, then cheered me on, lol. Old guy running a textiles shop, and about 5 young African dudes smoking and on their cell phones who were patronizing an African grill next door. I have to say, the smell of grilling meat was making me hungry

Kroc Rows (60 sec rests)

95 x 20/20
95 x 11/11
95 x 10/10

notes: 60 sec rests still kick my ass. At least I hit 20 reps with the 95.

Pallof Press (30 sec rests)

Resistance Band: 20 reps per side. 3 sets

July 14, 2015

OK, all this hypertrophy stuff has been fun, but let’s get back to some strongman stuff Gonna be folding events back in, on the daily now!

AM Workout

warmup: foam rolled upper back, individual lats, armpits; shoulder capsule stetch; static lat stretch

Widegrip Lat Pulldowns (30 sec rests)

4 plates x 15
5p x 15
6p x 15
7p x 15
8p x 15
9p x 15
10p x 15
11p x 12

Prone Leg Curls (30 sec rests)

4 plates x 20
5p x 20
6p x 20

Smith Machine Glute Bridges (30 sec rest)

bar + 140 x 15
+ 140 x 12

notes: my butt hurt! so tired, much lactic butt acid.

post: 15 min LISS cardio

then a full day of work.

PM Workout

forgot to take my pwo! sheeeee-ittttt

High Bar CAT Squats (2 min rests, Romaleos, SBDs)

bar x 5
140 x 5
190 x 5
*belt on*
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5

Sled Sprint/Drag Medley (2 min rests between sets; each set is sprint forward 10m, drag it back 10m, forward 10m, drag back 10m)

sled 10m/10m/10m/10m (practice)
sled + 1 plate 10m/10m/10m/10m
sled + 2 plates 10m/10m/10m/10m
sled + 3 plates 10m/10m/10m/10m
sled + 3 plates 10m/10m/10m/10m
sled + 3 plates 10m/10m/10m/10m

notes: I was going to do a bunch more sets, and go heavier… when the strongman gym needed to show prospective clients around, and they were standing on my track. After 5 min of waiting, I got impatient, and moved on to the next exercise.

Still…. felt like FKIN cardio to me! lol better than regular cardio though, HIIT chit.

Kroc Rows (60 sec rests)

50 x 8/8
80 x 8/8
105 x 10/10
95 x 14/14
95 x 8/8

notes: just wasn’t strong enough today! maybe the earlier workout tired me out, plus dragging the sled tired me out… but on a good day I can bust out 20 reps with a 100 pounder… so who knows. Next week Kroc Rows! *shakes fist*

Pallof Press (heavy resistance band, 30 sec rest)

20/20
20/20

June 22, 2015

Time for an experiment. Going to increase my frequency to a 2-a-day, 5 days per week scenario. Light stuff in the morning, mostly isolation and burn sets, real work in the evening. Need to stay disciplined with my warmup and mobility work as well, prioritize my naps and eat lots of food.

So yea, gonna turn up the juice and see what shakes loose. Who knows, I might not even make it through one week of this. We will see.

AM Workout

pre: foam rolled IT bands, adductors, piriformis, foam rolled armpits, upper and mid back, stretched my shoulder capsules

Prone Leg Curls (60 sec rests)
60 x 12
90 x 12
105 x 12

Widegrip Lat Pulldowns (30 sec rest)
85 x 15
85 x 15
85 x 15

notes: nice and strict, no lean. Felt some residual tightness in my shoulders.

Smith Machine Glute Bridges (45 sec rest)

bar + 90 x 20
+ 90 x 20

post: 15 min LISS

Did a full day of work. Came home and passed out on the couch for 90 min. Not off to a good start! Rushed to the gym, but now it was late, so I had no time to warmup, and had to keep my rests short, even for the compound stuff. Shit. Right into it.

PM Workout

CAT High Bar Squats (Romaleos, SBDs, 60 sec rest)
150 x 5
190 x 5
*belt on*
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5

notes: Tried to keep my back tight by pulling the bar down into my traps. I wasn’t well warmed up, so these didn’t feel as explosive as I wanted.

Leg Press (feet high and wide, toes out, 60 sec rests)

8 plates x 20
x 20
x 20

Glute Ham Raise (30 sec rests)

6, 10, 9

notes: pretty sucky at these, but at least my form is improving

Assisted Neutral Grip Chinups (assisted for 1/3 BW, 30 sec rests)

8, 7, 5

notes: felt rather weak on these

Loaded Carry: Frame (60 sec rests, walk 50m/164ft, with 2 x 180 degree turns)

200 x 50m
200 x 50m
200 x 50m
200 x 50m
200 x 50m
200 x 50m

notes: a 60 sec rest was the sweet spot for me on these. 2 min rest last week seemed too easy, but with 60 seconds, I could barely get through them without dropping it. Cool.

Mar 12, 2015

My legs have been sore as hell ALL week. Still sore today, just not as crippling, so decided to get a little more lower body work in. It was only part of my other workout, kind of a scaled-down version. An appetizer.

Glute Bridges (shoulders crosswise against bench, 60 sec rest)

175 x 10
175 x 10
175 x 10
175 x 10
175 x 10

notes: Gotta build that bum. Apparently.

I decided I was a big puhssy and opted out of lunges and SLDL, and did a prone leg curl cannonball set. Just to try it out… and to wrap it up ASAP lol.

Prone Leg Curl (Cannonball Set, zero rest)

60 x 8
75 x 8
90 x 8
105 x 8
120 x 2
60 x 8
75 x 8
90 x 7
105 x 1
60 x 8
75 x 7
90 x 3
60 x 8
75 x 4
60 x 8
75 x 3

notes: 99 Reps! Jay-Z joke! Gretzky joke! My Hams felt burnt, but felt ok 5 min later. Shoulda done more heavy work first. Oh well. Duly noted.

post-workout: LISS elliptical

Feb 16, 2015

Bum Day after work.

Glute Bridges (barbell, off the floor, short rest)

165 x 10
165 x 10
165 x 10
165 x 10
165 x 10

notes: trainer is experimenting with where I push off of. not a fan of the floor. easier to get into position though

Stepback Lunge (60 sec rest)

30 lb DBs x 8 per leg
30s x 8
30s x 8
30s x 8

SLDL (60 sec rest)

155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10
135 x 10

hyperextensions (30 sec rest)

12, 12, 12

notes: did lots of slow reps

post-workout cardio 2.1 mile LISS on the elliptical

Feb 11, 2015

Double workout day!

AM Glutes/Hams

Got into the office gym in the AM to wreck my bum.

Glute Bridges (barbell, crosswise against bench, 30-60 sec rest)

155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10

notes: Still getting comfortable with the MMC on these. For now, I keep focusing on trying to impregnate the ceiling.

Stepback Lunge (60 sec rest)

15 per leg
15
15
15

notes: no weight, just wanted to pump blood in there

Prone Leg Curls (60 sec rest)

120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10

notes: Haven’t done these in a while, felt good, felt challenging.

Prone Leg Raises (30 sec rest)

16, 20, 12

notes: my hams and bum felt wrecked, so these were harder than usual.

post-workout cardio 1 mile LISS on the elliptical

then back to work. Not sure if I felt a ham pump… but it was hard walking up the stairs, lol! So maybe it was a pump or maybe I just smashed my bum to pieces.

PM Back

After work, I headed to another gym for more work.

Assisted Chinups (assist for 1/3 BW, rest varied between 30-90 sec)

10 hammergrip
2 widegrip… 3 hammergrip
9 hammer
7 hammer
8 hammer
8 hammer
6 hammer

notes: I had to share the machine with another dude, so the rest varied. I tried to do widegrip again… NOPE. My shoulder wasn’t having it, if I drop down past a certain point, it is no bueno. Rehabbin it slowly but surely.

1 Arm DB Row (60 sec rest)

100 x 6/6
100 x 8/8
100 x 8/8
100 x 2/2
100 x 5/5
100 x 8/8

notes: busy gym, had to move spots a few times. I started out with the weak side, and just matched the reps on my strong side. on set 4, I folded over a callus and crushed it, so that hurt like a bitch and I stopped.

Pulldowns (grip varied, 60 sec rest)

120 x 10 widegrip
120 x 10 closegrip
120 x 10 wide
120 x 10 close
120 x 10 wide
120 x 10 close

notes: felt some pump going on in my back! woohoo!

hyperextensions (30 sec rest)

15, 15, 15

notes: my low back was done for the day, so these hurt like a bitch.

After that, I took 10 min to stretch and release my low back: waterfall, spinal twists, “square” seated pose (yoga terms, don’t know how else to describe them)

post-workout: 1 mile LISS