A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Swears

You always here me talk about keeping a notebook with your progress, well I took a picture of mine from last night. Not so much just to show I keep one, but to show the emotion that can be captured in the moment.

I went in to the gym scattered and angry and not really knowing what I wanted to do. I decided on the way in that I would try box squats (I had read an article), but I hadn't gone over it in my head like I normally do. It was horrible. I can't say much about it except that. I'm not really someone who likes to wing it in the gym. Maybe this is a lesson that I need to learn how to do that a little more, but it's also a lesson that I need to settle my mind before I get under that bar. On nights like this, when I had so much playing through my mind, I needed structure and I didn't have it. I got some movement in, but I won't even dignify it by calling it training.

Anyhow, after class started I got in a little bit of shoulder and core. Here's what I did:

O.H. Tri. Ext. 15lb x10, 25lb x8, 30lb x6, 30lb x3

T&Y 10lb x10, x8, x6, x3 

Front Raise/Squeeze 10lb x10, x8, x6, x3 

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3 Sets of the following:

Side plank 30 sec right side

Side plank 30 sec left side

Mountain Climbers 30 sec

Front plank 30 sec

Shoulder scarecrow (2.5lb ea hand) 30 sec.

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And that was it. I k ow I won't get a full workout during class, maybe as people advance I can work my sets in as well, but right now, I do most of my stuff before and or after class.

All in all, I'm not happy with my performance, but Friday is my next scheduled training day and I intend on being much more regimented than yesterday. 

Lifting is Hard. Math Is Harder

BENCH:
Bar x10
65lb x3
95lb x3
125lb x1
115lb x1
105lb x3
[105lb x5] 4x
••••••••••
BARBELL ROW:
Bar x10
55lb x3
[65lb x5] 5x
••••••••••
FRONT SQUATS:
[65lb x5] 5x
••••••••••
So, yeah, apparently I have issues adding plates up on the fly! That accounts for that 125lb bench, but hey, at least I know I can do  it without a spot. :)
I wanted to do squats but there jusyt is not any room to set up sawhorses in the basement so I went with a quick set of front squats. I kept it light for two reasons: 1) I need to be able to clean the bar to my shoulders and 2) after the rows, I didn't want to stress my back too much. All that being what it is, that weight felt easyand it all went well. I wanted to get 110lb on the bench, but I kept it at 105lb to be on the safe side because that 115 felt a little iffy. Wednesday I'll get my back squats in before class and maybe some presses as well. 

Plain and Simple

     I'm back in a rut. Seems I'm there a lot lately. I had tried getting into a good pattern of training at home in the basement and it was going OK, not great, but OK. But for some reason, it fell to shit. I'm definitely tired of dragging saw horses and weights outside to do presses and squats so I know that's playing into it. But it's more than that, and I'm not quite sure what. I have a plan to make a squat rack for outside. I found two large beams with feet that will serve as the supports then I just need to get some pipe and clamps and pipe nipples for the remaining parts. It should work well for us. It still means dragging weights outside, but that's OK. Eventually I"d like to get a squat rack in the weight room, but presses can't happen because the ceiling is too low. Bummer
     We also need to really get cracking on clearing out the basement and organizing the weights and bars and machines. Some stuff may need to go or maybe be put in a corner and dragged out when and if we need it. The main issue is the frickin carpet the stinks like mildew and needs to come out. 
     Both of those projects - squat rack and basement - are perfectly doable, so why haven't I started? I have a tendency to put things off. I don't know why. Am I lazy? I don't think so because I'm always doing something. Maybe I'm scared. Because if I get the obstacles out of the way, I have no excuses. No reason not to start busting my ass. I miss training every day, even though time is at a premium, if things get organized, it's not so much of a chore to do it. As it stands now, to train at home requires the 45-60 minutes of training plus additional time to clear shit out of the way, lug things in and out, yadda yadda yadda. I want it to be set up so that both Frank and I can just go down there, hit what we need to and be done. 
     I love teaching at the gym once a week and I get my own training in because I get there an hour early. It's a serious squeeze on my time plus wear and tear on my car, extra gas money driving back and forth and lost time with Frank and Em, but in the end, I think it's going to be worth all the hassle. I'm trying to start a bigger life, a more fulfilling life and that's not going to come easily or without sacrifice on my part. All I know is that when I'm in the gym, I feel like I'm hanging out at home. That says a lot because I hate being most places that aren't my home. 
     I'm tired, weary and pinched for time - constantly, and I have no shortage of projects that need to be completed and goals that need to be hit. Even with all that, I have no doubt that I can and will make this happen. It's not even a choice for me. I just need to get off my ass, face my reservations and fears and get this shit done. Plain and Simple.
     

All By Myself

Orange Band Face Pulls x30
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BENCH:
Bar 4/1 x10
65lb x3 / face pulls x10
85lb x3 / FP x10
[105lb x5 /FP x10] 5x 
85lb x3 
65lb x3 
Bar wide x20
Bar mid x20
Bar narr. X20
●●●●●●●●●●
PLATE PULLOVER / PRESS
25lb x20
35lb x10
45lb x5
●●●●●●●●●●
Situs on GHR table x20
Back Raises x20
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BENT ROWS:
50lb x5 ea 
55lb x5 ea 
60lb x5 ea 
●●●●●●●●●●
DEADS:
105lb x3 
135lb x3
165lb x3 
195lb FAILED
185lb x1
165lb x5
165lb x2
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My lesson for tonight was very clear. If I plan on doing 2major.movements for the 5x5, skip all the minor accessory work and just hit the big stuff. Accessory can wait for the end. By the time I got to the deads, my tank was empty. I'm disappointed I couldn't even get a full set with the 185lb which went up easy before. But there's always tomorrow.

Stepping it Up

I'm a little late posting this. These notes were for Wednesday 9/14
SHRUGS:
50lb DB x50
●●●●●●●●●●
PRESS:
Bar x10
65lb x5
75lb x3
[80lb x5] 5x 
●●●●●●●●●●
BENT ROWS:
50lb x5 ea
55lb x5 ea 
It got a little hectic in class and I forgot to do 60lb.
●●●●●●●●●●
SQUATS:
Bar x10 
75lb x3
115lb x3
[135lb x5] 5x 
●●●●●●●●●●
Good night! This was my 2nd night teaching and I didn't get to the gym as early as I wanted. That means I had  tried squeezing in my presses with everyone. It worked OK, but I squatted after everyone left.
I'm really pleased with the way things are progressing both personally and professionally. I love teaching the class and it semi like the people enjoy it as well. It's cool seeing people doing things they didn't think they could and seeing them trying new things.
I'm still pain free in all my lifts, just usual soreness, of course. Even with the presses, they used to bring a horribly weird "decompression" pain, but not any more!
I took a video of my squats and it's proven to be a good tool for me. It's super helpful to see how I'm moving under the bar, and I have to say, it looks better than I thought. If I can upload it at some point I will, but my phone is tricky with videos. You can always catch it on the White Knuckle Facebook page.

I Do Believe It Went Well

SQUATS:
Bar x10
65lb x3
85lb x3 
115lb x3
[130lb x5] 5x alternating with 1 jumping chin up between sets.
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PRESSES:
Bar x10
65lb x5
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That's as far as I got before people started showing up for class. Tonight was my first barbell class and it went well.  More people than I expected showed up and everyone did a really great job. It was a little chaotic, but I think that will settle down as I work into a groove.
So, yeah, I'm pleased. 
As well as being pleased with my 130lb squat.