New PR

Plate Carries:
70lb ea hand 100' x2
80lb ea hand 100' x2
90lb ea hand 100' x2
105lb ea hand 100' x2
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Hip Thrusters:
115lb x10
125lb x8
135lb x6
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Minor PR's on the carries and thrusters. I have to bungee the plates together in order to carry them, and while this isn't the safest way, it gets the job done. It's a pain in the ass and it took longer to add/change weight than I would have liked which just added to my frustration and anger tonight.
 I could have pushed on the thrusters and done more,  but my heart wasn't in it tonight. I didn't want to skip the night though, so I managed something. I have plenty of excuses for not pushing harder, but none of them are acceptable or valid, so I won't list them. I will say this though, I truly hate working out by myself, and I hate having to "mickey mouse" everything that I need. Sigh...onwards and upwards....

Control

Life can makes us feel like we have no say in our own lives. Family members may act in ways we don't agree with, exes may do things that make us want to pull our hair out, and sometimes life just throws random shit at us that knocks us back a few paces. It's maddening. It's frustrating. It's beyond our control. That's a difficult thing to accept - that some things are simply beyond our control. We may be able to tell people how to treat us, but we can't force them to follow through. What we can do is control 100% how we react to this seemingly random bullshit. "Why is this on my lifting blog?", you may ask. Well I'll tell you. 
Lifting has been proven to increase serotonin and endorphin levels in our brain. This helps boost our mood and makes us feel happy and content. But another thing that lifting does is give you a huge sense of control. You don't step under a bar and think "well, whatever happens, happens." Oh hel no. You step under that bar and will it to move. I have internal dialogues with myself when I lift. I command myself to perform in certain ways because I will not accept waffling in the gym. Waffling gets you nothing but hurt. You have to be determined and steadfast with your movements. I know that the only energy in control is mine. Me. I'm in charge, and I'll be damned if I'll let an inanimate hunk of iron run the show. 
The results I see or don't see depend directly on the amount of control I've shown. If I've done the work, put in the effort then I'll see the gains. If the gains don't happen, guess who's to blame? This chick right here.
That very physical example of cause and effect has a profound impact on my mind and mood. I admit, it's probably something I need to pay more attention to when I get into some low spots. 
Family can do what they want, exes can act like assholes, it's not my show to run. Only my life is under my influence, my life is my show to run. I have the choice to make it a flop that's canceled in the first season, or a show of bad assery and awesomeness that gets renewed year after fucking year. 
Sit back, grab a beer and some snacks, 'cause the commercial break is over and shit's getting meaty. 

I think it's safe to say I killed it.

Box Squats w/Safety Squat Bar:
Bar x20 4 to 1 pause
85lb x10 4 to 1
115lb x10
135lb x10
155lb x10
165lb x10
175lb x10
135lb x20
115lb x20
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Deadlift/ Box squat combo with reactive hops:
65lb x5 / 20lb x20
65lb x5 / 35lb x20
65lb x5 / 45lb x20
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Mat Work:
Walking Lunges 20' / High Plank Leg Raise x10 ea / Reverse Walking Lunges 20' 
••••••••••
Plyometric lunge 20' / High Plank Knee to Elbow x10 ea / Jump Squat into Lunge 20'
••••••••••
Reactive toe hops (short and quick) 120'
Legs Raised Knees to Shoulders x20
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Very proud of the work today. 120 squats total with respectable weight. Had to belt up at the 175lb mark but didn't need knee sleeves at all. My back was cramped and tight from the beginning so that was annoying. I learned, however, that I can push through some pretty prominent pain. Now, I know that pain can be an indicator of issues and I don't advocate ignoring what your body is telling you. However, there is something within the strongest, most determined people that I see; something in the people that inspire me. That something is the ability to push through uncomfortable circumstances. To me, and to a lot of other people I know, the ability to hold your pain in check, look it in the eye and tell it to go to hel, is a beautiful thing. It's a trait that very few people possess.  Today, I learned that I just may have that trait.

Bench Tuesday

100lb (total) DB shrugs x30 
Band assist pull ups x10 
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Bar x10 4 to 1 / 35lb rows high & wide x5
65lb x3 4 to 1 / 35lb rows (tight) x6
85lb x3 (wide) / 35lb rows x6
105lb  (wide) x3 / 35lb rows x6
105lb  (mid) x2 / 35lb rows x6
105lb x2 /Band assist p.u. x5 ; 5x
●●●●●●●●●●
Swiss Bar work
Narrow Grip:
55lb clean x1 / Press x10 / Band assist chin up x5
Mid Grip:
55lb clean x1 / Press x8 / band assist c.u. x5
Wide Grip:
55lb clean x1 / Press x6 / band assist c.u. x5
Narrow Grip:
55lb clean & press x10
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Bench:
105lb s.s. x3 / 15 sec p.u. hold
85lb s.s. x3 / 20 sec.
65lb  s.s x3 / 20 sec.
65lb s.s  x23 (was trying for 30)
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3 Part plate press/o.h. tricep Ext / pullover:
25lb x10
35lb x8
45lb FAIL 
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5lb finishers:
Seated T raise/curl x12
Seated shrug/front raise x12
Seated shrug/tricep Ext x12
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Sitting on stability ball, squeeze a medium ball for 3 sec with one leg raised. Alternate legs. x20
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Certainly not a powerhouse showing by any means, but it was a showing. Felt weak tonight and drained, but still glad that I went and did what I could. The holiday has messed with the schedule so tomorrow is squat day. That means no time to think about what went wrong today. There's only time to eat a hood dinner and then rest for an early (for me) training session. 

No Other Choice

Shrugs:
45lb plate ea hand x50
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DEADLIFTS:
145lb x10
165lb x8 
175lb x6 
185lb x3, 5x
135lb x10, 3x
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HIP THRUSTERS / SIDE HOPS
55lb x10 / x10 ea leg
75lb x8 / x10 ea
95lb x6 / x10 ea
115lb x3 / x10 ea
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I managed one more set of 185lb on the deads than I did last week, so that's a little improvement and my back didn't feel as weak. Still doesn't feel great, but I'll take any bit of progress at this point.
I had to wear gloves tonight, not because of wear and tear on my hands but because the bar and weights were so cold. It's a drawback of an unheated garage. I think it messed with my grip because that felt weaker than normal. Or maybe, I was just weaker on that tonight.
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I was reading an article on lifting to help fight depression. I've not been to a shrink, no one's diagnosed me with their professional opinion, but I guarantee that I am. Life hasn't been easy or kind over the past couple of years. Hey, nobody said it would be right? I've been struggling  and so far, managed to keep my head above water. But this weekend the waves overtook me and things just suck. So anyhow, like I was saying, I read this article on the benefits of lifting. It said that in some cases the amount of endorphins released is as much a benefit as counseling. So I got off my depressed ass and lifted. I still ain't happy, and life is still in shambles but my mind was at least focused on something else for the hour that I was out there. 
I can't even think about how things are going to play out now and frankly, I don't want to; everything is uncertain and bleak. The only thing I do know is that I have no other choice but to keep going. If I stop, if I give in to the the side of me that keeps asking why bother, then I only give myself one more reason to be pissed at myself. Odin knows I have enough reasons already, why add to it?
So today is in the books and Tuesday's bench day can't come soon enough.

Morning Reflection

As I sit here watching the news and sipping some coffee I'm still smiling from my accomplishment yesterday. I know that I'm not unique. There are people in gyms all over the world pulling much more weight than I am. There are people with disabilities that are facing obstacles that I can't even begin to imagine. But I'm not in competition with them (for the most part). All I'm concerned with is me and this morning I'm proud of me.
     My trainer, Justin, and I were talking in between sets about this and that, and I told him that "people don't expect this of me". I don't think a lot of people I knew growing up, people that I work with now and even some gamily, would ever look at me and think I was capable of doing any of this lifting.  What he told me will be one of the things that gets ingrained in my mind. He just said, "prove them wrong with your actions". 
     Good gods, you can't get much simpler than that and you can get any more effective can you? You can flap your gums all damn day about what you're capable of, but words can always be refuted and disbelieved. Actions, though, actions are concrete. Either you did or you didn't, and by the gods if you did then all the hate in the world can't change that fact. 
     Last night and in truth for over a year now, I have been doing. I remember starting out with 12lb dumbbells and zero support for what I wanted to do. At that time, my only goal was to lose weight. And I did. Then I realized it was time to go for a dream that I had had since I was young. A dream I never told anyone about because it was so outlandish - I wanted to lift, and lift heavy. I wanted to be a strongwoman.  So I narrowed my focus. I'm not "there" yet. I have certain goals I want to hit and some I have but there are bigger ones on the horizon. But everyday, the accomplishment on a grander scale makes me happy and no one can tell me that I haven't done something.
     Physically I'm stronger.  Even I can't deny that. On the days I feel down, or stagnant all I have to do is look back through my notes and see my progress. No bullshit, no stories. Hard, cold, numbers; and they don't lie. Bigger even than that though, is the mental change. I'm able to push myself harder than I ever have. Trust me, there are days when my brain gives me every excuse not to try. It throws every "logical" reason it can at me to give up. I ignore it and push on. Why? Because I have things to do. Lifting has become a part of me, a way of life, and I love it! I feel like I've come home.
     In Asatru we have a saying: "we are our deeds". In essence, it's an ancient version of "prove them wrong with your actions." 

New PR!

55lb shrugs (110 total) x30
Reactive hops x100
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SQUATS:
Bar x10 (pause)
65lb x10
BOX SQUATS:
65lb x3
95lb x3
115lb x3 
135lb x3
155lb x2
165lb x2
175lb x1
185lb x1
200lb x1
100lb x26
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45lb goblet squat x10 / reactive hops x10
Completed 10 sets in 10:47
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Hang from reverse hyper table
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Passive core work w/med ball - knee squeeze x100
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Proud of myself tonight. Hit a new PR on box squats so I know my free squat must have gone up a bit too. My back seized up pretty good on the go let squats and I'm disappointed but not surprised. It's a matter of strengthening that too and I know I will. I took longer than I wanted on those goblets, and I could have quit. But I didn't and I won't.  Ever.

Some hunger is OK to lose

     I've said it before and I'll say it again - diet is my enemy. I struggle with eating the right things every day, however, this new method of the Warrior Diet is actually helping! 

     When I first started lifting, I increased my food intake by a bazillion and I was miserable. I felt like I was forcing myself to eat during the day, I was stressing over how many meals I had had, how far apart they were, blah, blah, blah. It was insanity, and the stress of it made me want to snack on shit. Constantly.

     I've gone to the method of "undereating" during the day and overeating after my training at night. I thought I would be starving. Quite the opposite has happened. I don't eat in the morning until I feel pangs of hunger and when I do eat, it's nowhere near the size of the breakfast I used to have. If I have a snack, it's something natural and whole and in turn, that fills me up wonderfully. On training days I have some protein with my lunch, noting heavy, and about an hour before I train I'll have a bit more. Then after training, I indulge in my "big meal". That's not to say I eat shitty junk food or greasy pizza. Again, it's good quality proteins, veggies, carbs and such.

     I don't feel nearly as hungry during the day, my energy is more stable and constant, and I don't have those urges to snack on junk. I haven't gotten on a scale so I don't know if I've lost any actual weight or not, and I suppose for me, that was secondary to getting my eating and urges under control. I feel like I'm finally starting to make headway with better food choices. For me that's a HIUGE HUGE HUGE step!

     So, onwards and upwards with life. I don't like to ever call myself a warrior but maybe I can look like one.....someday. ;)

Strong Bitch

Warm up stretches
15 minutes on treadmill, varying speeds/inclines holding 2, 8lb balls.
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BENCH:
Bar x10 slow and pause
65lb x10
35lb db row x5 ea side
95lb x10
105lb x3
105lb x5 (s.s. pad)
35lb row x5 ea side
115lb x3 s.s.
35lb row x5 ea side
135lb x3 s.s.
35lb row x5 ea side
135lb x6 s.s. pad and foam roller
●●●●●●●●●●
10lb 3 part press x10 / 10lb shrug and row x10
15lb x10 / x10 
20lb x10 / x10
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10lb bumper plate shoulder medley:
Plate raise, steering wheels, static hold, round the world,  rows (I think that was it).Total time was about 5 minutes???
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DB press (single arm) x2 / sit ups x5
20lb, 25lb,  30lb,  35lb,  40lb - FAIL 
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All of the following was timed, I'm not sure how long, I'm guessing 1 minute ea.
20lb DB press x10
FG pulls w/stability ball x9
Face pulls x? 
OH Tricep pulls x36
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Core work - stability on foam rollers 
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It felt pretty good tonight. Got some good weights and reps, so I'm pleased with that. But the best part of the night was having one of the guys in the weight room watching and commenting. To some, hearing the words "strong bitch" may be offensive,  but to me, it was a medal that I've worked hard to earn. It was pretty good. 

Disappointed

Warm up stretches, jumping jacks, blah blah
●●●●●●●●●●
DEADS:
145lb x10
165lb x8
175lb x6
185lb x3, 4x
135lb x15, x10,  x10 
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And that's all I got. I wasn't even going to go out there tonight, but some good hearted teasing and encouragement got me moving. So with my head pounding, I started, and didn't get very far.
I feel like I've lost strength. I feel like I'm aimless and floundering and nowhere near where I should be. Maybe it's just me being under the weather, I don't know. I'm definitely in a funk and I don't like it. All I can do is keep grinding as much as I can, I guess. Even doing one deadlift is better than doing none. 
I suppose everything waxes and wanes, motivation and enjoyment probably do it too. But drive doesn't.  Maybe I have drive because even if I'm slow, I keep going. I'm either driven, or too stupid to know when to quit. 
Whatever the case may be, I'm still disappointed.

Where Did I Go?

All body weight work tonight:
Squats x30
Burpees x10
Pike Pushup x10
Hip Ups x10 ea side
Leg Lifts x10
Crunches x20
I did 5 sets of that stuff, but I forgot to time myself.
I'm disappointed, to say the least. Let's go through the reasons.
First,  I wanted to do V-ups instead of leg lifts, but aside from my core being pathetic beyond belief, it made my lower back scream. So I had to resort to simple leg lifts. Even the hip ups were bothering that one disc in my back. I was reduced to tears by set 3 when even the squats were feeling like there was an ice pick in my spine. But I went on. Because I'm tired of feeling like a whiny asshole.
Secondly, I made the mistake of looking in the mirror and seeing a stomach that's almost back to where I started. I'm totally disgusted with how I've let myself go. That's not to say I'm not trying to reverse it (again), but I'm still disgusted.
Thirdly,  I'm simply pissed off with myself for letting myself backslide. I used to do 100 burpees in a day, now 10 is a struggle. There was a day I did 300 crunches as a challenge and now 20 feels like torture. I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't do and if I could kick my own ass I would. 
Now that I'm pissed off, saddened, frustrated and winded, I'm going to gave a dinner of tuna steak and rice.  I may be deflated, but I'm not defeated. 

Never Skip a Day

     Earlier in the day I was seriously considering not going to the gym tonight. I woke feeling rundown and completely wiped out. I spent the majority of the day giving myself excuses why I didn't have to go - I was tired and had the start of a headache, working out would only make it worsr, I could hurt myself because I wasn't focused enough, blah, blah, blah. 
     For some reason, though, the thought of "walking the walk" kept coming back to me today. In the belief of Asatru,  we have this notion that we are our deeds. This means that you can flap your gums all day long about what you may be able to do, but if you never do it, then all your words are empty. Being that I want my Gods proud of me, I couldn't very well skip squat day and not add to my deeds. So I went.   
     About 10 minutes in, I was glad I went. I was moving decent weight, sweating a good sweat and doing things that others only talk about. With each squat a little more stress got burned away and  having to focus on not killing myself actually gave my brain a much needed break. 
     There's a certain amount of pride in pushing yourself to do what you don't want. And there's even more pride in knowing you beat your brain at the mental game. I can be my worst enemy and biggest critic, but not today. Today I was the victor.

Like Buttah

Warm up:
Knees to armpits x50
Various stretches 
Foam rolling
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Squats:
Bar x10 (4 sec down, pause,  up)
65lb x10
95lb x5 (no pause)
115lb x3
115lb x3 wide box squats 2x
125lb x3     "   "
135lb x3     "   "  3x
95lb x25     "   "
(Started feeling tightness in my back)
●●●●●●●●●●
45lb goblet squat x8, 8x took 6 min. (Was allotted 8)
Hang from reverse hyper table 
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105lb 1 arm db dead x1 ea arm 2x (Justin didn't know I did those...sssshhhhh)
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40lb step ups/reverse lunge x5 ea leg
30lb       "                     "             x3 ea leg
30lb step ups x3 ea leg
20lb step ups x8 ea leg
15lb step ups x10 ea leg (24")
●●●●●●●●●●
Ball squeeze between leg / 20lb kb hold x30
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I had to nix the reverse lunges because they weren't doing my back any favors. It really pisses me off that I have to not do things because of my feckin back. It aggravates me when my back bothers me more from squats than my legs do. I feel like it's an excuse and I hate excuses. 
Other than that, the weight felt good. The 135lb went up easier than I thought it would and it is an awesome feeling when I see those 45's going onto the bar.

Perspective

I did this before/after picture last year sometime. It's one of my favorites. At times, we get bogged down in the struggle and we lose sight of the progress. Taking pictures along the way is good for giving yourself reality checks.

This next picture is of me in my "fat jeans". When I bought them, they were tight, I mean tight. Now, not so tight, although the legs are getting snug again and I think that's AWESOME!

I've actually put weight on since both of these photos were taken, but it's the right kind of weight. I'll take muscle weight over fat weight any day!

Tuesdays are for Benching

Warm up:
Treadmill w/20lb kb; speeds ranging from 2.5 - 5 m.p.h. and inclines ranging from 0-15, total of about 15 minutes (?)
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Bench Press:
Bar x10
Bar with band around arms x5
30lb rows (high & wide) x5 ea side
90lb total shrugs x30
65lb w/band x5
30lb rows x5
90lb total shrugs x30 (last set of shrugs)
Worked up to 115lb x3
30lb rows x5 ea side
120lb w/s.s. pad x3
115lb 
105lb 
95lb
85lb
Bar wide/mid/narrow
Rows:
Bar x10
65lb x8
85lb x6
105lb x3
110lb x3
115lb x3
Worked back down (speed sets) to empty bar in sets of 5 on ea weight
Empty bar, suppinated grip x26
●●●●●●●
20lb o.h. pulls/plank push up 
1-10 ladder
So, I forget some of the sets/wts. But you get the idea of what we did. Some periods of rest but we seemed to be moving a bit faster tonight. For some reason the technique on the rows was really screwing with me. I had trouble finding the right position; just need some more practice. 
Overall, I'm pleased with tonight's work. The treadmill sucked ass, F.Y.I. ;) 

I Am The Warrior

     I've been reading a book Called The Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler. I haven't finished it yet, I'm about 3/4 of the way through, but it's been a really interesting read. I've started making a switch as to what I eat and when and I think it's been a positive change. My diet has been the hardest part of changing my lifestyle. I have an easier time going into the gym and tearing muscle than I do resisting a cookie. 

     This diet basically consists of the idea of eating less food during the day and drinking plenty of water and fresh juices and then having your biggest meal at night. It's a cycle of undereating with fresh, live food and then overeating. It works out well for me because I do my training in the early evening, so after that is perfect timing for a large meal. During the day I focus on eating fruits, veggies, and on training days, some light protein. 

     What I've noticed is that even though I feel completely full by the ed of the evening meal, when I wake up in the morning I feel those gurgling hunger pains in my stomach. That tells me that my body is using that food that I'm putting into it. It makes me think that the fuel is being burned in a hopefully more efficient manner which in turn will burn some stubborn fat that's been hanging around. 

     Another thing I've noticed is that on the days that I neglect my water intake the feeling of water retention is insane. Just for shits and giggles I've weighed myself for the past three days. The weekends are notorious for going against my hydration. For whatever reason, When I'm not stuck at a desk with a gallon of water in front of me, I forget to drink. So Sunday I weighed in at 161.5. Monday was 162 and today was 164.  To me, that's a good illustration of what happens when you're not flushing your system (pun intended). I'm already 1/4 of the way into my gallon this morning so I expect to be relieving some of that water weight shortly, wink wink.

     What I really like about this new method of eating is that it's flexible enough to tweak for whatever training you do. If you're more active, you add to the amount of lean protein and carbs during the day. It also forces you to focus on how your body feels. It puts you directly in line with urges, cravings and instincts. 

      So I'm pleased, so far, with how it's evolving for me. It's a test of will to change this part of my life. I intend to ace this test.

Are You Ready?

Alrighty then, are we ready? Are we ready to start this adventure here; a new blog a new direction to move in? My hopes for this little venture are to not only track my progress, but to share some insight into the journey of a normal woman trying to get strong. 
I'm hoping that eventually, I'll get some followers sharing their feedback, speedbumps, and victories. I'd like to have a place where people can read the ramblings of an everyday schmoe, just trying to make some gains. And whether I give a good example, or a bad example, I'll be happy knowing that in each case it was an opportunity for someone to learn from what I've done.
So, without further ado,  let's begin! It took a couple of days, but all my training notes to this point (or the vast majority of them) have been uploaded.  I have to say, it's been good for me to see them all lumped together in front of my face. I've come a long way, but there's  a hell of a long way to go. I may need a nap first.

Pull & Thrust 11/07/15

Plate carry 45lb + 25lb ea hand 100' 

Block pulls: 

140lb x10 

165lb x8 

185lb x6 

205lb x2, 4x 

135lb x20 

Hip Thrusters: 

65lb x10 

75lb x6 

95lb x5 / side hops onto cement block x10 ea leg, 3x 

Hanging Knee Raises 

Lft/rt/center 

x10, x8, x8 

I need to get pipe insulation for my pipes to hang from, they're just too thin. My back is tight and sore, but not too bad and my knees and hips are bruised. My form on the pulls needs work.

Squats 11/05/15

KB swings (35lb?) x50 

Bar x5, 4x 

65lb x5 

85lb x5 

115lb x5, 4x 

95lb x20 

65lb front squat x12 / reactive hops x20, 3x 

45lb KB reverse lunge (raised) x8 ea leg / PVC shoulder mobility x10 , 3x 

Progressive box hops x4 

45lb progressive steps x10 

Side hop onto platform (land 1 leg) x5 ea leg 

Body band pulls x50 

I don't think I have ever been so sore as I was after that. My shoulders were totally cramped by the end. About 3 hours later, my entire body was in pain, but it was a good pain. I left it all on the floor that night, all of it. The next day my left knee was a little tender but not too bad, other than that general soreness.

Benched 11/03/15

Shrugs 90lb tot. x50 

Face pulls x20 

Empty bar x10 

65lb x5 

FP x10 

85lb x5 

FP x10 

95lb x10 (wrist wraps ) 

95lb x9 (s.s. pad) 

85lb x10 

75lb x 14 

65lb x 15 

Bar x19 (narrow ) 

Bar x20 (wide) 

FG pull ups (feet on ball) x10, x8, x8 8lb 

rear delt fly/shrug (fat gripz) x10, x10, x10 

20lb inclined DB press (fat gripz) x10 

20lb row (fat gripz) x10 high & wide 

3 minutes 12lb press on stability ball (got 67) 

25lb rows (fat gripz) x30 ea side (high & tight)

Going Up! 11/01/15

Saturday's endurance and stamina challenge: Run up a moderately steep hill, approx 100', jog down. Repeat until failure. I got 15 laps in 15:22. No stopping, no resting sprint up, jog down. One of my friends estimated the grade to be maybe 15 degrees.

I should add that I was nauseous and it was painful to breathe when I was done. The temp was about 36° and the cold air was really messing with me. I had a horrible cough and sensitive throat yesterday and even today it's a bit sketchy.

Left In The Zerch 10/29/15

Bar 10x pause 

65lb x3 

95lb x3 

115lb x3 / 5 hanging knee raises x5 did that 4 times 

115lb x6 NASCAR 95lb x11 

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Zercher Squats (starting from safety bars in rack) 

Bar x12 

65lb x10 

95lb x8 

115lb x6 

135lb x3 

145lb x3 

155lb X2 

165lb x1 

●●●●●●● 

DB squat 40lb total x3, 

20lb goblet x3, 

40lb calf raises x12, 

reactive hops x24 

50lb total, 25lb, 50lb 

60lb total, 30lb, 60 lb 

●●●●●● 

25lb plate squat, front lunge ea leg, squat, rear lunge ea leg x3 

●●●●●● 

Core work Hang from reverse hyper table Foam roll

 ●●●●●●● 

Very very pleased with the weights tonight. Didn't think I'd get that 165 off the bars but I did. I tried some leg lifts with a ball between my ankles but had to stop because my back started yelling. I'm a little disappointed in that.

Just Something 10/28/15

A very very quick workout tonight Air squats 10x 

Pushups 10x 

55lb KB Swing 10x 

35lb KB Press 5x ea side 

Hanging knee raises 10x 

Hanging shrugs 10x 

Did that all 5x 

●●●●●●● 

Didn't even feel like doing that measly bit, but I don't like to be stagnant. I managed to get some pipes up to do my hanging stuff, they're not perfect but they'll work for now. Happy to say that I can FINALLY bring my knees all the way to my chest.

New PR (I'm sensing a pattern here) 10/27/15

60lb DB shrugs 50x

 ••••••••• 

Empty bar: 

Over head, back over thighs, bench. Counts as 1 rep did 10x 

Bench / band pulls (overhead trap pulls) 10x 

65lb 3x 

75lb 3x 

85lb 3x 

95lb 3x 

100lb 3x 

115lb 3x 

125lb 3x 

135lb w/shoulder saver pad 1x 

135lb w/pad 4 sec. Down, pause on chest, then up 1x 

140lb w/pad " " 1x 

●●●●●●● 

25lb DB Row 5x ea side 

145lb w/pad 1x 

25lb rows 5x ea 

155lb w/pad 1x 

25lb rows 5x ea 

●●●●● 

Bar w/chains 9x 

7 p/u 

25lb rows 5x ea 

Bar w/chains 7x 

5 p/u 

25lb rows 5x ea

●●●●● 

Bar w/fat grips 10x 

Wide grip 10x

Narrow grip 10x 

●●●●●● 

15lb inclined presses 15x 

5lb inclined shrug/raise 15x 

Did that 3x 

Orange band assisted dips 6x 

Orange band tricep pull down 15x 

Did that 3x 

●●●●●● 

Core work: Pushup position on stability ball, wide feet, leg lifts 10x ea side 

Same thing on elbows 10x ea side 

Roll ball out (like an ab wheel) 10x 

●●●● 

Needless to say, I'm thrilled! And on those slow/pause presses he said he was going to assist in the lift, turns out he didn't and I did it by myself. :) score one for the Otter!

The Living Dead 10/26/15

Deadlifts 

135lb 10x 

160lb 8x 

185lb 6x all from dead stop (no touch and go) 

160lb 6x 

135lb 10x 

●●●●●●●●●● 

Reverse lunge w/toe touch 10x ea side 5 sets 

●●●●●●●●●● 

20lb Russian twist 20x / 20lb pullover 20x 5 sets 

●●●●●●●●●● 

Food: 2c coffee, 3 eggs, 3 bacon, date nut bread w/butter, chips, vanilla wafers, small amount of water, leftover chicken for dinner ●●●●●●●●● My food intake says it all. Ate like shit, performed like shit. I don't know why food is such an issue for me. It's disappointing. I have yogurt, and fruit in the fridge at work, yet I eat shit. Kind of pissed off with myself for that. Aside from that I've been sleeping horribly and dealing with some outside stressors. Bear on mind that these aren't excuses. I'm trying to illustrate how wrong things can go. Tomorrow is another day.

New PR! 10/22/15

Squats: 95lb pause 3x 

Jump into a pull up 3x 

105lb pause 3x 

Jump into pull up 3x 

115lb pause 2x (?) 

125lb 2x 

Hanging knee raises 5x 

135lb 1x 

Hanging knee raises 5x 

145lb 1x 

Hanging knee raises 5x 

155lb 1x 

Hanging knee raises 5x 

165lb 1x 

95lb 10x 

65lb 20x 

Calf raises 10x

65lb front squats 15x

Calf raises 10x 

65lb Zercher squat 15x 

Calf raises 10x 

Empty bar mobility Wide/mid/narrow stance. Multiples of each, switched when Justin told me to. I lost count. 

45lb KB box squat 3x 

45lb reactive hops 10x 

Reactive hops onto platform 10x 

Did that last group 3x 

Ankle weights with leg raises to cool down.

Run Otter, RUN! 10/21/15

Curling Bar carry 60lb 100' ea hand 

70lb dbl rack KB JOG 200' X2 

Plate JOG 55lb ea hand 200' X2

Plate carry 55lb ea hand 100' w/shrugs 

DB carry 50lb ea hand 100' w/shrugs 

Curling bar carry 60lb 100' ea hand.

Wanted to keep things light because a little birdie told me to leave my legs alone. I'm surely lagging with my conditioning, so some jogging was in order.

Back To The Bench (for reals) 10/20/15

Warm up stuff 

●●●●●●●●●●● 

50lb DB shrugs 50x 

●●●●●●●●●●● 

Bench: 

Open bar 2 quick lifts, rerack 10x 

25lb paused rows 5x ea side 

95lb 3x 

Rows 5x ea 

100lb 2x, 

rows 5x ea 

I think 5 sets 

●●●●●●●●●●●● 

Inclined DB press / rear felt flies 

20lb 22x / 10lb 10x 

25lb 5x / 10lb 10x 

30lb 5x (some assistance) / 10lb 10x 

Lowered bench a bit 

35lb 5x (assistance) / 10lb 10x 

20lb 23x / 10lb 24x 

●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 

Dips with band assist / FG Pull ups 

7x / 12x 3 sets 

Wide dip static hold about 30 sec (I guess, I didn't count) 

FG pull up static hold, top position about 20sec. 

●●●●●●●●●●●● 

Core work: Pushup position on 2 foam rollers and walk them 20' x 2

Up Up Upper Body 10/18/15

Cement block over hand carry 200' 

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 

FLOOR PRESS: 

75lb 10x 

85lb 8x 

95lb 6x 

105lb 2x 

95lb max reps - 10x 

85lb 10x (leg drive last 3 reps) 

75lb 10x (leg drive last 2 reps) 

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 

MAX REPS: Open Bar, normal grip: 50x 

Wide Grip: 25x 

Mid Grip: 25x 

Narrow Grip: 20x 

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 

CHEST FLIES (stability ball) 10lb 30x 3

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 

DB T's & Y's : 10lb 10x ea 3 

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 

I kept the weight very low on the chest flies because that movement bothers my shoulders the most. However, today it didn't feel so bad so I'll bump the weight up the next time.

Home Sweet Home 10/15/15

As usual, forgive me if I don't remember everything. Ahh...just like old times eh? Reverse hypers 20x 

Hanging twists 

45lb db shrug/row 10x 

Squats: Bar 12x 

Wt? 10x 

Wt? 6x 

115lb 3x 

120lb 9x 

10x (working down in wt) / 45lb kb wide stance box squats 4 sets

 Empty bar wide, mid, narrow stance 1-3 ladder alternate with reactive hops 20x Some core work to finish. 

So...Justin ended up putting me in sleeves and a belt (Chuck will be thrilled). I felt strong, and good. It felt great to be back in that rack, not having to start my squats out in the hole. Nowhere to go but up baby. We be getting beastly!

Warriors Don't Rest 10/14/15

Bar Medley: Press, Front Squat, RDL, RDL with row 1-5 ladder 

empty bar 1-5 ladder 55lb 

Walking Lunges 20lb total 40 

Pushups 20x 

Reverse lunge w/toe touch 10x ea leg 

Pushups 20x 

Reverse lunge w/t.t. 10x ea leg 

55lb 1 arm dead 1x ea 

95lb 1 arm dead 1x ea 

115lb 1 arm dead 3x ea 

35lb KB Press 5x ea arm 

35lb plate raise 10x/mtn climber 10x ea leg - set of 3 

20lb ball slam 20x 2

Easy Night 10/08/15

Plate carries 55lb each hand 100' 1x, 200' 1x 

Waiter's carry 35lb ea hand 200' ea side 

Dbl rack kb carry 35lb ea hand 300' 2x 

105lb RDL 10x 2 

105lb single arm dead 1 ea side 

105lb RDL 10x 

105lb single arm dead 1 ea side 

105lb RDL 10x 

105lb single arm dead 1 ea side 

Calf raises 50lb total 20x

I was just kind of messing around tonight, my thighs were toast from the 200 squats last night. But I did something I never thought I could do. I lifted 105lb with one hand. I impressed myself tonight.

Wingin' It 10/07/15

4 minutes of 15lb hammer curls and bicep curls to the song "mother fucker" 

Body squats to "Sail" 100 total 

50 pushups 

25lb plate pullovers 50x

Did that stuff twice 

Standing knee to elbow 10x ea side, 5x 

I forgot to count the curls, and I had to guess where the halfway point of the song was to change. The squats were slow and deliberate, the second set I switched it up by shifting weight from leg to leg. I managed not to have to stop so I think I did more than 100 that time.

My Log Missed Me 10/06/15

Plate carries/shrugs 45lb +10lb plate ea hand 100' 30 shrugs, 2x 

~~~~~~~~~ 

55lb KB swings 15x5 

120lb bag lift/drop 5x2, 4.5x, 

100' jog 2x, 100' 1x 

55lb squats 5x5 

Log Flip 10x 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Plate carry same as before, no shrugs 

~~~~~~~~~ 

It's obvious I've let my sandbag lifts fall by the wayside, that fucker weighed a ton. So, some more tweaking here and there to add it back in. And some breathing so I don't overthink :)

Shit Gets Done 10/04/15

Squats: 75lb 3x 

95lb 3x 

120lb 5x5 

Cement block carry: Overhand 100' Underhand 100' 

I needed to bring them in for the floor press so I figured a little bit further and work my grip lol. Floor Press: 

75lb 3x 

95lb 3x 

105lb 4x5 +1 

100lb 4x 

BB Row 

65lb 3x 

75lb 3x 

85lb 5x5 

I raised the saw horses for the squats. I wanted to see if the pain would be less not starting so deep in the hole, and it was. Plus, I tweaked my form a bit and finished them with no major pain. The only thing that worries me is I felt that sharp pain lifting the bar for the rows, so I'm worried about deads. We'll cross that bridge on Tuesday. Tomorrow - back to conditioning.

Conditioning 10/02/15

Warm up: Hammer curls/Bicep Curls/ Tricep Ext. 20lbs on all 5x10 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Squats 

Pushups into plank raise 

Calf raises (40lb total) 

Situps 

Walking lunges 

Reverse Crunches 

Reverse lunge with toe touch 

Step ups (2 cement blocks) 

Standing cross body knee to elbow 

50 0f each. 

(Step ups were 50 on each leg, reverse lunge was 25 on each leg ) 

Time on the sets of 50 was about 32 minutes.