MAIN LIFT

SNATCH GRIP DEAD LIFT:

135lb x8

155lb x5

185lb x2

185lb x1

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

RACK PULLS:

135lb x10

205lb x6

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

DONKEY KICKS /PULSE:

(10lb x10 / x10) 3x

FIRE HYDRANTS:

(10lb x10) 3x

••••••••••

I am a ball of anxiety tonight. It was a busy day and my normal schedule got blown all to hell, I'm dreading the next couple of days and I feel like shit. But I didn't want to miss a day...blah blah blah. So I went downstairs and tried these snatch grip deadlifts. I don't particularly care for them. It's probably because I've never done them before. My back was hurting a tiny bit but I probably could have pushed for more; probably should have. My grip was also feeling weak on these which, from what I've learned, is normal. I dunno, it just was not a positive day.

MAIN LIFT

60° INCLINE BENCH:

Bar x8

65lb x5

75lb x3

80lb x1

85lb x1

75lb x3

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

DB INCLINE BENCH:

(25lb x10) 2x

25lb x8, x2

25lb x10

25lb x8, x4

CHEST FLYS:

(15lb x10) 3x

(25lb x6) 2x

DB BENCH:

15lb x12

25lb x10

30lb x8

50lb x3

25lb x12

••••••••••

Last week got a little screwed up because of the holiday but I was back at it today; aggravation aside and a slightly better attitude. Christmas was ok but I'm glad it's over and now we can get on without all the goodies. I'm glad to have benched the 50 pounders tonight. I only got three, but it was a mental boost. The mental training is always harder than the physical one, at least for me anyhow. Other than that, I really don't have too much to say. I'm just hungry.

Nothing To Say

WARM UP

BENCH:

55lb x10

55lb 1.5 x6

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

BENCH:

65lb x8

80lb x5

95lb x5

115lb x1

125lb x1

135lb x1

145lb x1

155lb FAIL

155lb FAIL

135lb x2

135lb x1

•••••••••

ACCESSORIES

DB FLOOR PRESS:

25lb x12

30lb x10

50lb x3

30lb x10

25lb x12

••••••••••

I'm disgusted. 7 weeks and I have gained exactly ZERO pounds on my bench. I have nothing to say.

Halfway Mark

WARM UP

PAUSED SQUATS:

65lb x10 ***ATG, 5 second pause, no bounce to get back up***

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

BACK SQUAT:

(145lb x2) 8x

45 second rest between sets

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

DEADS:

(145lb x2) 8x

20 second rest between sets

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

BB REVERSE LUNGE:

Bar x10

65lb x10

***Knees were feeling wonky even with sleeves on. Switched to something else***

DONKEY KICK / PULSE:

(10lb x10 / x10 ea leg) 3x

FIRE HYDRANT:

(10lb x10 ea leg) 3x

••••••••••

Technical stuff out of the way first. Everything felt OK, not great, but OK. My form felt a little off on both the squats and the deads and overall I felt a smidge weak and washed out. My knees were achy on the lunges and I attribute that to the friggin weather and the fact that I'm old enough to be negatively affected by the friggin weather. I would say that the majority of my issues both mental and physical could be mitigated by a better diet. I'm not even going to get into that right now. I can't even....

Now, for the nontechnical stuff. Finishing up today means that I have officially reached the halfway point in this 12 week program. I'm disappointed in some respects and pleased in others. I'm disappointed that I have not lost any weight. Not one goddamned pound. In fact, depending on when I step on my scale, I've actually gained 3 pounds. Again, diet may be playing more than a small role here and my refusal to address it is a classic case of deliberate avoidance of responsibility. So moving right along...

What I am pleased with is that I've maintained a training program for 6 weeks, 4 days per week (minus that one day that I was laid up). I've wanted to quit more than once because I was depressed and disappointed. All that would have done is made me even more depressed and disappointed. I've been in that cycle before and it was ugly. I figured I might as well stick to the plan and then I'd at least have one less thing to be depressed and disappointed about. I suppose that's worked because there are still things that are bothering me but quitting isn't one of them. 

Seriously, I know that I need to get my eating habits under control. I've been fighting that battle for my entire life and I was in the win column at one time. Then life happened and I slid back; way back. When I look at how I've mustered the discipline to train regularly, it gives me hope that I can do the same sort of thing with food. There's truly no logical reason why I can't. We'll see. Tomorrow is a new day and the start of 6 new weeks.

Almost

MAIN LIFT

BENCH PRESS:

(115lb x3) 8x

30 second rest between sets

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

SEATED DB PRESS:

(25lb x5) 3x

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

DB BENCH:

15lb x12

25lb x8

30lb x6

DB KICKBACKS:

(15lb x10) 5x

BUSDRIVERS:

(25lb plate x6) 4x

10lb plate x30

••••••••••

I think the snow messed with my mood today. Maybe the air pressure affected my brain. Or maybe the roller coaster hormone ride I'm on lately is to blame. It's probably the hormones and I probably owe Frank and Emily an apology. That being said, guess my mood going into tonight's training. I won't wait for the answer. 

I got it done. I'm glad it's over. What I will say is this - The past few days my schedule has taken a hit. I don't like it. I'm a creature of habit and I'm O.K. with that. It takes me so long to create good habits that I'm covetous of them. So when the universe conspires against me and throws my regime into a tailspin, it pisses me off and makes me want to quit. But I haven't. I've somehow managed to grow enough discipline within myself that I adapt and overcome. Can't work out in the morning? A couple of months ago I would have said screw it and skipped that day. But not now. Now I force myself to train in the evening. Having a shitty day with a shitty attitude? Not too long ago I would have caved and told myself to take the day off. Not now. Now, I tell myself to suck it up and go work it off downstairs.

I'm almost proud of myself. Almost.

Night Shift

WARM UP

HIGH KNEES x10

AIR SQUATS x10

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

RACK PULLS:

105lb x8

125lb x5

145lb x3

165lb x1

185lb x1

205lb x1

215lb x1

225lb x1

235lb x1

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

RDL:

(95lb x10) 2x

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

BANDED SQUATS:

(40lb band x20) 3x

••••••••••

I know I said I wasn't going to work out at night, but I gave it one more go so I could train with Frank. It went OK tonight. I still prefer morning training but I miss working out with my honey. 

With that being said, I hit an OK number tonight. I feel like I'm getting incrementally stronger and I suppose that's better than nothing. I missed yesterday because I threw my back and neck out walking the dog (long story). Tuesday was just not going to happen. I woke up this morning after resting on Tuesday and I felt fine so I got back at it. Tomorrow will be the same as always - dynamic bench. It's supposed to be a snowstorm, so that'll be a good time to hang out in the basement!

Glad It's Done

MAIN LIFT

FLOOR PRESS:

65lb x8

80lb x5

95lb x3

115lb x1

125lb x1

135lb x1

145lb x1

135lb x1

135lb x2

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

INCLINED SHRUGGED LAT RAISE / FRONT RAISE:

15lb x10 / x10

PLATE PRESS / PULLOVER:

25lb x12

35lb x12

45lb x12

DB LAT RAISE / FRONT RAISE:

15lb x10 / x10

25lb x5 / x5 (partial ROM)

30lb x5 / x5 (partial ROM)

••••••••••

I missed last Friday's leg day and that just sucks. It broke my momentum and mentally, set me back. I told Frank I would wait for him to come home so we could work out together. I have determined that I cannot wait till the end of the day. I've gotten used to working out in the mornings; it feels good. It's the time of day when I have the most energy and when I'm most prepared. When Frank gets home, I'm done with the day. I'm tired and not enthused about working out at all. It's also a pain because the dog is hyped up because daddy's home. So he's down in the basement raising hell and getting in the way. I can't deal with that and it just pisses me off. I feel bad because I miss working out with Frank. But I just cannot do evening workouts at home anymore. Tonight was a lousy showing. There was no enthusiasm, no energy, no enjoyment. It was just getting shit done and not even doing it well. I messed up the accessory sets but I don't even care at this point. I feel like I'm friggin starting all over again. *sigh*

Oh well. Monday is done and I'm glad about it.

Brought To You By The Letter ZZZzzzzzzz

WARM UP

DB SHRUGS:

50lb x50

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

BENCH PRESS:

(100lbs x3) 10x

20 second rest between sets

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

SEATED OH:

75lb x3

(75lb x2) 2x

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

LYING REVERSE FLY / BENT DB ROW / UPRIGHT DB ROW

(15lb x12 / 30lb x12 / 25lb x8) 5x

••••••••••

I'm still struggling with that 75lb on the seated overhead. The day I can get past that I'm having cake! Everything else felt really good. I'm tired and drained but otherwise OK. There are days that I feel like I'm improving and days when I don't. Obviously from the numbers, I'm making some progress, but mentally, I don't feel it. I'm just feeling tired. Oh well. On to pursuits other than physical - I have crafts to make. 

Boxin' Up A New PR

WARM UP

BACK SQUATS:

65lb wide/mid/narrow x10 each

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

BOX SQUATS:

100lb x8

110lb x5

125lb x3

135lb x1

135lb x1

155lb x1

165lb x1

175lb x1

185lb x1

190lb x1

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

GOOD MORNINGS:

(75lb x10) 2x

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

BANDED (40lb) SQUATS:

BW x15

20lb KB x15

35lb KB x15

••••••••••

I did some youtubing  before my session this morning. Box squats have always felt odd to me, as if I'm doing something wrong or cheating them somehow. I watched, took it all in, and applied what I saw. They felt pretty damn good and obviously something sunk in because I got myself a sweet little PR at 190lb. I had no pain in my back or knees either, so that's always a plus. I did have  my belt and knee sleeves on, but I've resigned myself to the fact that they are a necessary evil at times.

I was feeling a little less than enthusiastic about today. I slept like dog shit last night and this morning I was feeling tired and draggy and meh. I pushed all that aside and got under that bar and did what I needed to do. Now I need to rest and have some fruit or something. I may just go wrap up in a blankie and take a nap. I feel way more tired than usual today.

Banded Knee Squats

On A Roll(er)

WARM UP

BENCH:

55lb wide/mid/narrow x10 each

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

ROLLER PRESS:

65lb x8

80lb x5

105lb x3

125lb x1

135lb x1

155lb x1

160lb FAIL

140lb x4

**My foam roller is 6" in diameter**

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

FACE PULL / CUBAN PRESS / TRI. BAND PULL DOWNS:

(80lb x10 / 15lb x10 / 40lb band x15) 3x

(60lb x10 / 15lb x10 / 40lb band x15) 2x

••••••••••

So this week's bench was supposed to be a specialty bar bench. I had planned on being able to get a cambered bar, but they are entirely out of my price range at the moment. So I went with board presses. Only, I don't have any boards, so I substituted my foam roller. Same concept, different tools. 

I had to wait to. train until Frank got home because I needed a spotter and someone to hold the roller. I can tell you that I have much more energy in the morning than in the afternoon. That is reflected in the not-so-heavy weight that I managed to push. I really was hoping for at least 160lb. I'll take the 155lb because it's 5lbs over my standard bench, but I'm not going to say that I'm happy with it. I think if I know that I'm going to be lifting in the afternoon, I need to do a much better job at planning my food and water throughout the day to keep my energy up. I was pretty sapped by the time this workout rolled around. Not an excuse, just an observation. I know that in a couple of weeks I'll be retesting my standard bench max, and I know that's going to have to be in the afternoon, it's something I'll need to be cognizant of.

I'm loving those Cuban presses! I don't want to get stuck in a rut with them, but I enjoy doing them. The band pull downs are, shall we say, less than strenuous with the 40lb band, but it's all that I have at the moment. Today, I'm ordering a set of heavier, flat bands that I'll get a lot more use and work out of. I saw some online that were relatively inexpensive, but got good reviews. 

All in all, an OK workout that showed me weak points. That gives me a clear picture of where I need to work.

Shaking My Tambourine

WARM UP

JUMPING JACKS:

x50

BACK SQUAT:

65lb Slow paused x10

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

BACK SQUAT:

(125lb x2) 12x

20 seconds between sets

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

DEADS:

(125lb x2) 6x

10-15seconds between sets

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

BB REVERSE LUNGE:

Bar x15

55lb x10

65lb x10

BIRD DOG:

30 seconds each side

DEAD BUG:

30 seconds each side

••••••••••

It's been such a long week that I thought yesterday was Friday! Nope, that is today. Today is the end of week 4. I still hold the opinion that this has been the toughest week so far! I threw in some core work at the end today because I feel I need it. Even though the squats and a good deal of the accessories work the sides, back, stomach, etc., I feel that I could definitely benefit from some extra targeted work. Just to drive home the point that this week has sucked, on the last dead bug hold I set the timer and held my position. I waited. And waited. And shook, then trembled, then got nauseous. I lifted my head to look at the timer, thinking "what in the actual hell is going on here?", and I saw that I had never actually set it. Give me a break. I called myself an asshole, packed up my stuff and called it a day. 

I don't have any instructional videos to post today, so I'll share a video instead of my general vibe today.

"Black Tambourine"

I Like It 'Cause I Hate It

WARM UP

BENCH:

55lb 1.5 rep (top) x10

55lb x10

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

BENCH:

(95lb x3) 12x

20-30 second rest between sets

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

SEATED DB PRESS:

(25lb x5) 3x

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

BENCH DIP/FACE PULL/CUBAN PRESS:

(BW x12/80lb x10/15lb x6) 5x

••••••••••

I tried out Cuban presses for the first time today. They look so simple and fun. Yeah, fun. They were much more challenging than I thought they would be - they're a keeper! There's a video below for reference. 

Week 4 has come to a close. I will say that this was the toughest week so far. Not physically, but mentally, I had the hardest time getting through this week. I don't know what it was, but there wasn't one day this week that I wanted to do. But I did all 4 days and put in legit effort each day. At this point, I'm not willing to give up the few gains that I've made just to sit on the couch and be lazy. I was thinking I should probably start keeping track of my measurements. I can't rely on the scale to accurately reflect any progress so the tape measure is truly all I have. I think I'm more intimidated by the tape measure than the scale. I can make excuses for the scale being off - heavier winter clothes, weak battery, uneven floor, blah, blah, blah. There are no excuses for the tape. You're either getting bigger, smaller, or usually both depending on the body part. Maybe this weekend I'll bite the bullet and take some numbers. Maybe. I'm not making any promises.

Dumbbell Cuban Press

SUMO PR!

WARM UP

bird dog

dead bug

fire hydrant

***I did some variations of these based on the ones I saw in Stefi Cohen's sumo video. The video is at the bottom of the post.***

••••••••••

MAIN LIFT

SUMO DEADS:

135lb x5

***Made some adjustments to form, put shoes on***

135lb x5

145lb x3

165lb x1

185lb x1

205lb x1

215lb x1

215lb x1 (I thought I had loaded 225lb)

225lb x1

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFT

RACK PULLS (knee height):

(185lb x10) 2x

••••••••••

ACCESSORIES

BARBELL REVERSE LUNGE:

Bar x10 ea leg

55lb x8 each

65lb x6 each

••••••••••

A sweet little PR to boost my mood today! I'm not terribly familiar with sumo; I've only done it a handful of times. I know that it's easier on my low back, but I was worried that I wouldn't have a lot of power through my hips. I'm pleased with how they felt today. I watched some videos on technique and I'm almost certain that's why they never felt quite "right" to me - my stance was simply too wide. I played around with the form for the first 10 reps and found a solid position that seemed to offer the most power for me. I had intended going barefoot (as I usually do), however, that stinking red carpet makes a wide stance slippery. I trudged back upstairs, got my Vans, and laced up. It was fine from there on out. 

I watched a video the other day on the barbell reverse lunge and decided I would start throwing that in. I opted for no knee sleeves, but I think next time they'll have to be worn. The weight was fairly light today; any heavier and things are going to get ugly there. 

There are a myriad of different videos for sumo and most are more than adequate for nailing your form. I've embedded the Stefi Cohen video because, number one, she's a beast, and number two, it shows the warm ups. 

SUMO TECHNIQUE WITH STEFI COHEN