BACK At It

     Monday is normally dead lifts but there was absolutely no way that was going to happen. This weekend was a bad time and even though I only did easy shit tonight, I'm still in agony. I've called the Chiropractor and I'm scheduled for Friday morning. Here's what got done tonight:

••••••••••

LAT PULL DOWNS:

(80lb x12) 4x

MACHINE ROWS:

85lb x8

55lb x15

*This is where things went sideways. That first set of rows caused intense pain in my hip and lower back. I tried lightening the weight, but it didn't make a difference.

SINGLE ARM LAT PULL DOWN: 

40lb x12 ea. side

45lb x12 ea. side

(35lb x20 ea. side) 2x

 

ASSISTED PULL UPS:

125lb x10

(110lb x10) 3x

LEG RAISES:

10x3

DEAD HANGS:

15 seconds

16.87 seconds

23.52 seconds

••••••••••

     Not as much as I wanted to get done, but I'm thankful I could finish that stuff. This is the first time we did the single arm lat pull downs and I like them! The dead hangs are pitiful but that's exactly why I need to do more. I've progressed on the leg raises to a full 3 sets of ten. I'm really pleased with that. My left leg is still shorter than my right lol.

     I'm really hoping that the doc can adjust me somehow and ease this friggin pain. It's awful. 

Tomorrow is bench and I'm hopeful I'll be able to do it. We'll have to wait and see I guess.

Fri-YAY!

     Today was arms and abs. Nothing earth shattering happened. I did find out that my left leg is about an inch shorter than my right. I guess my SI joint is certainly wigged out. I did some dead hangs, which I suck at because my grip strength is almost nonexistent. I'll just keep working at them to get better. This will be the last Friday that we do arms. Next Friday will be squats. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

Precor Preacher Curls:

(30lb x15) 2x

(35lb x15) 2x

SEATED DIPS:

60lb x15

(70lb x15) 3x

EZ CURL:

30lb x15

40lb x15

(50lb x5) 3x

30lb x25, x5

DOUBLE DB TRI. PULLOVER:

15lb x15

20lb x10

SINGLE DB TRI. PULLOVER:

(35lb x10) 2x

CABLE TRI. PULLDOWN:

30lb x15

35lb x12

40lb x5, x3, x2

CABLE CURLS:

(20lb x10) 2x

*I didn't like these, so I only did 2 sets.

CAPTAIN'S CHAIR LEG RAISE:

7 x4

*This is when I noticed, As my legs were raised in front of me, that my left leg is shorter. I remember that this happened before when my SI joint was out of alignment. If I can't sort it out on my own in the next few days, it'll be a job for Dr. LaFrance. 

DEAD HANGS:

10 seconds x3

*I know that's pitiful, but I don't care. At least I tried and next time, I'll go for 15 seconds.

ROTARY TORSO:

(80lb x10) 3x

MACHINE CRUNCH:

60lb x15

(60lb x8, x3, x4) 2x

*I felt a stretching pain in my right low back on these. It dissipated as I continued.

•••••••••••

     Not a bad night. We got in and got it done. Now we get the weekend off before hitting deads on Monday. I'm thinking I'll be keeping it at just sets of 135lb to see how that feels. Fingers crossed!

     If you're in my local area, and looking for a great chiropractor, Dr. LaFrance at Wareham Chiropractic & Wellness will get you feeling great again. Both Frank and I are very satisfied! Also, if you're local and looking for a gym, The Gleason Family YMCA has been nothing but good for us. Give them both a try.

Pain In The...

     Yesterday was squat day. It did not go well. I'm having issues with my low back and it's really starting to piss me off. If it's not my knees it's my damn back. I'm going to included yesterday's squats on today's blog because it was minimal. I couldn't finish. I couldn't even pedal the recumbent bike. We're rethinking our schedule now. We're not cutting things out, just rearranging the days to give me as much recovery time in between deads and squats. I'm also going to dial the weight way back on both and just add a few more sets at the lower weights. It's not exactly what's programmed, but I can't go on hurting myself just to stick to what's written on a piece of paper. 

     In happier news, I got a new belt to use; you know, when I actually squat enough to need it. Here's what got done over the past two days:

•••••••••••

WEDNESDAY:

BACK SQUATS:

65lb x10

95lb x5

115lb x5 ---> this is where my back went out

Bar x10 - wide ---> still no bueno.

From here, I just followed Frank around. There was too much discomfort to do anything else. 

 

THURSDAY:

STRICT PRESS:

(Bar x10) 2x

(55lb x6) 4x

REVERSE FLY:

(70lb x10) 2x

(70lb x5, x5) 2x

MACHINE PRESS:

40lb x12

45lb x10

50lb x10

DB LATERAL RAISE:

(15lb x8) 4x

SHOULDER PRESS FLY:

This is the kind of shoulder press machine that we were using

I have no idea what the empty weight on this thing is. I'm going to estimate that it was about 10lbs per arm. All of the weights I list will be based on this assumption. I'm also assuming everyone will realize the weight is PER ARM

Empty x10

(20lb x10) 2x

BACK RAISES:

(Body Weight x10)

These were done slowly and with a big stretch at the bottom to really open up my SI joint.

••••••••••

     And that was that. My back is still tight but nowhere near as sore as it was after those squats. My plan, like I said up top, is to drastically lighten the loads. I'm also going to throw in these back raises/stretches. on both deadlift and squat days. Our new plan of attack is to keep deads on Mondays, but move squats out to Friday. This will give me enough time to recover (hopefully). 

     I may end up having to go see the chiropractor for the 'ol SI joint issue, just like I did years ago, but we'll see if I can straighten it out on my own. Probably not, but I like to stubbornly keep myself in a state of pain for no good reason for a little while before I go seek competent professional help. It's kind of my thang. 

     

Chest Day Lived Up To Its Name

     Everything went well tonight. It was a quick in and out tonight but weight was moved. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

INCLINED BENCH:

(80lb x6) 4x

DECLINED BENCH:

(100lb x6) 4x

FLAT BENCH:

(100lb x5) 3x

MACHINE CHEST FLY:

(75lb x10) 2x

75lb x8

CONVERGING CHEST PRESS:

(40lb x10) 3x

••••••••••

     I had a slight "wardrobe malfunction" so we ended up leaving after the chest presses. Let's just say that straps aren't just for lifting weights and when one comes loose, bad things can happen. Appropriate, I suppose, for chest day. We'll just leave that there. We skipped the ab work but I'm OK with that.

     I'd like to add in a bit of variation and/or volume to the bench (as well as the other major lifts) but I don't want to kill myself either. While I can't say that I'm bored with what we're doing, there are days that I come away feeling like I should be doing more. I told Frank that my chest isn't even sore or tired. My gods, after legs, I can barely walk. After bench, I really don't feel that bad. Oh well, all I can do is follow this routine. It said it was a 10 week program. We've been at it for roughly 4 weeks. 6 more weeks to go and then...well, I don't know what. Maybe I'll be beastly and ripped. More likely I'll be 10 weeks older, slightly less doughy and more just as sore. woo. 👍

It's The Creatine!

     We went up North again this weekend, but we weren't slacking! We were cutting trees and brush and firewood so we were pretty tired when we got back to the gym tonight. I'm still having pain in my low back/right hip. I'm not sure what exactly is going on but it's extremely annoying. I've had this pain before when my SI joint was being a bastard. I don't want to have the chiropractor look at it though. I'll have to rethink some things.  Here's what got done:

••••••••••

DEADS:

135lb x10

155lb x8

175lb x6

155lb x1

*I just couldn't do anymore, the pain was too intense and I didn't want to cause anything really bad. I have no belt - the velcro one is dead - but even with a belt, I don't think I could've kept going. 

DB ROWS:

Bent Single Arm:

(25lb x15) 2x

Double Bent:

(25lb x12) 2x

LAT PULL DOWN:

(80lb x12) 4x

FACE PULLS:

45lb x15

50lb x15

(60lb x15) 2x

STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWN:

(60lb x15) 4x

MACHINE ROWS:

40lb per hand x10

35lb " " x12

30lb " " x13

25lb " " x15

••••••••••

     I've been taking creatine for a few weeks now. What really made the decision for me was I heard a doctor talking about how it was showing signs of promise not only in building muscle, but also with helping menopausal women with metabolism and brain function. I marched myself down to the local GNC, slapped my $25 on the counter and said "Give me some of that there creatine powder". OK, it was more like Frank drove me, I perused the shelving and politely cashed out up front. But I digress. 

     Last week, I could barely get 35lb on the straight arm pull downs, tonight I'm doing 60lb?? Same thing with the face pulls, from a max of one set at 40lb, to 4 full sets at 60lb? Awesome. I'm telling myself it's the creatine and ignoring the fact that it's more likely the machine we used tonight needed service, or I had crappy nutrition last week, or maybe because I actually got a good night's sleep last night.  Facts be damned - IT"S THE CREATINE!

Settle Down

     I think this is the last session of this week because we're heading north again. We ended on  a good note though! Last week, squats didn't happen for me. This week, I cleared my head, settled down on the platform and got it done. I went back to basics - to what I know - and the squats felt much more stable and smooth. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

BACK SQUATS:

Bar x10

This is where I worked out my form, to "realign" myself so to speak.

(95lb x6) 4x

45°LEG PRESS:

(210lb x10) 3x

PRONE LEG CURLS:

(70lb x15) 3x

*I find these more difficult than seated. I think I'll start switching between the two just to get a good balance.

LEG EXTENSIONS:

(80lb x15) 3x

INNER/OUTER THIGH:

Outer: (50lb x10) 3x

Inner: (50lb x10) 3x

BARBELL RDL:

(95lb x8) 4x

WALKING LUNGES:

(18lb per hand x8 ea. leg) 3x

••••••••••

     I was supposed to do calf raises but I forgot. I'll work them in more next week. Everything felt good except the RDL. For some reason, barbell RDL's just never feel right to me. I don't think that I'm doing them correctly. I can do DB RDL's and I feel it in my hams and glute, but barbell ones only ever seem to affect my low back, so I don't know what's going on there. I think next week I'll do some single leg and double leg DB RDL's just for shits and giggles. 

     I'm writing this on Thursday morning and I woke up sore as hell. My neck was tighter than a bull's ass in fly season (so the saying goes, I wouldn't know first hand), and my low back was in agony. 3 ibuprofen, a neck/head massage and some moving around and I feel human again. I was going to remove myself from the Bandaid Brigade, but I think it's too soon for that. Dammit. 

Breath

     Not too much to say about tonight except that I made improvements all around. I won't keep marking the specific improvements until I begin making PR's again. Here's what we got done tonight:

••••••••••

INCLINE BENCH:

(75lb x6) 5x

DECLINE BENCH:

(95lb x6) 4x

FLAT BENCH:

(95lb x6) 4x

MACHINE FLY:

(70lb x15) 3x

REAR DELT FLY:

(We added these in because Frankie said he likes them lol)

70lb x10

50lb x17

40lb x20

CAPTAIN'S CHAIR:

(3-way* Knee Raises x5) 3x

*front/left/right

(leg Raises x7) 3x

••••••••••

     It feels good to see numbers going up. I'm getting used to people being in the weight room. At first, it was a little unnerving and I felt as though everyone was watching me (I realize they were not). Now, I'm more comfortable, more settled and it's easier to focus on my work. The only thing that bothers me is the unsolicited advice of people. 

     I know that they mean well, and they think they're helping, however, I don't necessarily agree with their advice. Telling me to exhale while I'm moving weight, isn't helpful. I understand that for light weight, people will breathe through it and that's fine. But when I'm trying to move something heavy, it's not beneficial to me, and a load of other lifters to be honest, to exhale on the lift. In fact, not only is it not helpful, but it can cause me injury. Taking a big breath into my belly and bracing my core keeps me stable and solid and protects my back.  It's called the Valsalva Maneuver. Here's what AI has to say about it:

    

1. Core Engagement (Bracing):

• Tighten the core: Before the lift, tense your abdominal muscles as if preparing for a punch. 
• Expand the torso: Think of expanding your stomach and rib cage outwards, like a cylinder. 
• Maintain stability: Keep your core engaged throughout the entire rep to provide a stable base for the lift. 

2. Breathing:

• Deep breath: Inhale deeply into your abdomen before starting the rep. 
• Control the breath: Consider a controlled breath hold during the lift (Valsalva maneuver) for heavy lifts. 
• Exhale on the effort: Exhale during the concentric phase (lifting or pushing).
• Inhale on the descent: Inhale during the eccentric phase (lowering or pulling). 

3. The Benefits of Bracing and Breathing:

• Improved stability: A strong core and controlled breathing provide a stable base for lifting, reducing the risk of injury.
• Increased strength: Proper bracing and breathing can help you lift heavier weights safely.
• Protected spine: Bracing can help protect your spine by distributing weight more evenly. 

Important Considerations:

• Don't overdo it: Excessive holding of breath can lead to increased blood pressure and other issues.
• Practice: Practice proper bracing and breathing techniques with lighter weights before attempting heavier lifts. 
• Listen to your body: Pay attention to how your body feels and adjust your breathing and bracing accordingly. " 

     If you want to read more about it, check out this informative article from The Art of Manliness. Another good article from Breaking Muscle can be found here.  Let's not overlook one of my favorites Starting Strength. For a good video on the subject, check this one out.

     So while I can appreciate that for a lot of people in the gym, moving a few pounds, exhaling may be a good thing, it's not the best thing for some. And you certainly shouldn't tell me that I'm losing power by bracing my breath, that's just silly. Exhale on the press portion of the bench and tell me what happens....I'll wait. 

Bandaid Brigade Rides Again!

      My low back was still not 100% but I wasn't going to miss deadlift day. I brought my belt and was prepared for greatness, or at least something greater than failure. The belt gave out (cheap Velcro crap) and my back wasn't far behind but I got a decent amount done. Here's what I did:

••••••••••

DEADLIFTS:

135lb x10

155lb x5

185lb x3

185lb x2

(135lb x10) 2x

LAT PULLDOWNS:
70lb x12

(75lb x12) 3x

MACHINE ROWS:

(85lb x8) 4x

STRAIGHT ARM PULL DOWNS:

25lb x12

(30lb x12) 3x

FACE PULLS:

30lb x12

35lb x12

40lb x12

30lb x15

ROTARY TORSO:

(70lb x10) 4x

••••••••••

     Nothing earth shattering, to be sure, but I held my own tonight even though I'm broken. If my belt had held up, I'm sure I could've gotten the sets of 185, but maybe it's just as well. I shouldn't be in such a hurry to jump weight. I definitely need to get a prong belt. That crappy Velcro belt has lasted me a good many years though. I'd say I got my money's worth out of it. Everything else felt good. I wasn't going to do the rotary torso because I thought it would aggravate my back, but in a weird way, it kind of made it feel better. I got a few good cracks out of it while I was twisting away. I'm still looking forward to some ibuprofen and a heating pad though, I ain't even gonna lie.

Time to pull out the 'ol logo tonight....

Got To Keep Going

     We went to the gym early today because we have a ton of things that  need to be done. It was not a good time. We had decided on squats because we missed yesterday, but my back was slightly tweaked from deads on Monday. I didn't think it would be a big deal but even with a belt, I had zero power and more than zero pain. I quit and went out to my standby - the recumbent bike. For some reason, the bike lets me get out my frustration and gives me time to figuratively cool down, which I did. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

BACK SQUATS:
Bar x10 - just trying to figure out what felt good, trying to get the right form.

(95lb x6) 2x

This is when it just wasn't happening, so I quit.

RECUMBENT BIKE:

2 miles

45°LEG PRESS:

(190lb x10) 4x

Reps went down to 10, but sets went up to 4

SEATED LEG CURL:

(85lb x15) 3x

*5lb improvement over 8 days ago

LEG EXTENSIONS:

(85lb x15) 3x

*reps went down from last time, weight increased by 35lb

••••••••••

     And that's all she wrote, or more aptly, I wrote. I feel like today was a huge backslide for me. I know that at least we still got it done, but today still feels like a failure to me. So I went out to lunch, ate too much food and then had a candy bar. Now I'm not only disappointed in my performance but also in my choices and lack of discipline. It's no use beating myself up over it, all I can try to do is improve. It just sucks that a stupid thing - pulling a plate off of the bar, is what led to this. I tweaked my fucking back unloading a bar. It's not a major injury, it's just an annoyance. 

     If you find yourself not hitting your goals, here's some good reading for Burn The Fat Inner Circle

Numbers Are Up!

     We'll be missing 2 workouts this week because we're headed north again for some work on our cabin. Today was a must so we got it done. Here's what went down:

••••••••••

INCLINE BENCH:

(75lb x6) 4x

*10lb increase over last week

DECLINE BENCH:

(85lb x6)

(85lb x10) 4x

*10lb increase over last week

FLAT BENCH:

(75lb x12)2x

75lb x10

*10lb increase over last week, but lower reps

CHEST FLY:

(60lb x12) 3x

CAPTAIN'S CHAIR LEG RAISE:

10x3

ROTARY TORSO:

(75lb x10 ea. side) 3x

*5lb increase in weight, but lower reps

MACHINE CRUNCH:

75lb x10

60lb x5

••••••••••

     I didn't fair as well on the ab stuff as I did last week. I was absolutely gassed. I was friggin giving it may all, but those crunches just were not happening! I didn't eat nearly enough food today or drink enough water and it shows in these numbers. I am proud of increasing by 10lbs over last week though in the benches. It's a good feeling to see numbers going up. We were a little rushed because we needed to get home before Emily - she didn't have a key lol. So it was a bare minimum session tonight, but that's OK. It's looking like Thursday will be our next and last session for the week. Three days are better than none and we're still doing more than we were 2 months ago. We've been more consistent and disciplined than we've been in a very long time and that's the key to lasting changes!

Lifting Of The Dead

     Monday is here and that means DEADLIFTS! I went back through my training logs and the last time I did barbell deadlifts was September of 2023! I can't believe it's been that long. I kept my expectations low. Here's what got done tonight:

••••••••••

DEADLIFTS:

135lb x10

155lb x5

175lb x6

175lb x5

175lb x3

175lb x5

LAT PULLDOWN:

55lb x12

70lb x12

85lb x12

70lb x12

MACHINE CABLE ROW:

(70lb x10) 4x

ONE ARM MACHINE ROW:

40lb x12

45lb x12

50lb x12

STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWN:

30lb x15

35lb x15

ASSISTED PULLUPS:

(105lb x6) 2x

95lb x4.5

••••••••••

     I'm very pleased with the 175lb that I got on the deads. It was programmed for 6 reps, so I'll be keeping the weight the same until I get full sets of 6. I also was without my braces or my belt. My knees are quite tender at the moment, but that's to be expected. I have a little pain on my left hip, but nothing major. All in all, I think it went well. I'll be keeping the assisted pullups at 105lb because that's allowing me to really focus on the technique and form. They start relatively easy, but then get very difficult lol. 

     I'd like to take a minute to talk about gym culture. Not that I'm an expert or anything, but there's just some things that I've noticed and I'd like to speak about them.

     I've been seeing more gym memes and reels in my Facebook feed lately. I get a few good tips and tid-bits here and there, but most of it is pure nonsense. Something I've seen reels on a couple of times now is also something I saw echoed at the gym tonight. These reels are calling into question the act of asking if someone is using a piece of equipment. They joke that most people who do this are noobs, or annoying, or both and that you should just go use the equipment that you have your eye on. In our case, as we walked to the deadlift platform and half rack, there was a young man standing there. Frank asked if he was using it and he said no and stepped aside. No big deal. Some other guy went over to said young man and said something to the effect of 

     "If someone asks you if they can work in just say yeah and start doing some crazy shit."

What is the point of that? Since when did being a polite human become so bothersome to some people. I would rather have someone ask if I'm using something or ask if they can work in instead of just stepping in front of me and taking over the rack or whatever. That's a good way to piss someone off. 

      I'm not sure where this guy was coming from. I think he was probably just trying to be a smart ass or a wise guy, but it kind of stuck in my craw. The young man who had been standing on the platform turned out to be a new-comer himself and he was training with someone who was showing him the ropes. I'm not sure he paid too much attention to the bald dude, at least I hope he didn't; it was pretty bad advice that he received. 

     I don't want to be critical of the Y because I really like it there. Most people are polite and chill and are just people trying to be better. It's tough when you're a people watcher like I am because there's so much going on and just so much stuff that gets stuck in my mind. I'm sure there are far worse places to work out so I'm counting my blessings lol.