Never Give Up

     Another positive thing about the gym is the air conditioning. If I had to work out at home in this heat I probably wouldn't have been able to do half of what I did tonight. Good things happened. Here's what got done:

•••••••••

INCLINED BENCH:

65lb x10

(85lb x5) 3x

(95lb x3)

DECLINED BENCH:

95lb x10

115lb x4

115lb x3

115lb x4

FLAT BENCH:

65lb x15

95lb x7

115lb x3

115lb x4

65lb, 1.5 reps x10

85lb 3 Board x10

85lb 3 Board x7

MACHINE FLY:

(80lb x7) 4x

MACHINE CHEST PRESS:

50lb Mid Grip x10

50lb Wide Grip x6

50lb Narrow Grip x6

ROTARY TORSO:

(80lb x10) 2x

70lb x12

MACHINE CRUNCH:

70lb x15

(70lb x10) 2x

••••••••••

     I am super pleased that I was able to hit the 95lb on incline. I wasn't even going to try, but I felt like I had a little something left in me. Plus I knew I had Frankie there to spot me so I wasn't going to kill myself. I may have only gotten 3 reps, but it made me feel good. 

     I'm please, actually, all the way around. The numbers have gone up nicely and there's no denying that is progress. Now that we've been at it for a few months now, I'm starting to throw in more of the variations of each lift to hit weak areas, etc. Plus, it adds that variety that keeps the fun there. 

     I am far from fit and strong, but there is still that pride that comes from being a woman in the weight room. I know that nobody is really watching, but I feel like I owe it to myself to work hard and earn my place there. That may sound stupid and a little grandiose to some, but pride is important to me. If people are allowed to proud of being gay - something that they have no control over, than I can be proud of pushing myself to both my physical and mental limits. I never wanted to settle for ordinary and I suppose I shouldn't start now. Frank ribs me and gives me a razzing over me saying that I'm fed up and that I want to quit, but he knows that I won't. I already spent too much time being a lazy potato. Now is time to be an active potato.

Inching Closer

     Goods things happened at the gym tonight. I'm still frustrated with progress and nutrition, but I'm still plugging along. Frank asked me, and I'm paraphrasing here, "What are you gonna do, just give up and be like every one else?" Of course, I cannot do that, so here's what got done tonight:

••••••••••

DEADLIFTS:

89lb x10

177lb x10

(221lb x1) 2x

177lb x5

BB RDL:

89lb x10

111lb x10

111lb x8

111lb x6

LAT PULLDOWN:

85lb x10

(90lb x8) 3x

*We try to switch up the different bars & attachments for the cable machines. Variety is the spice of life, after all. This is the bar we used tonight

LAT PRAYER:

25lb x15

(30lb x12) 3x

MACHINE ROWS:

20lb x12

(30lb x12) 2x

SINGLE ARM MACHINE ROWS:

(25lb x15) 3x

••••••••••

     The deads went super well tonight. I had no intention of doing heavy singles, but it felt like the thing to do. I'm happy to say that I'm only 10lbs away from my old PR. It gives me a teeny, tiny glimmer of hope that I am indeed heading in a good direction and at least on deads, I should be hitting some PR's pretty soon! My grip definitely needs to get stronger but that's to be expected. That's why I like the barbell and the dumbbells over the cable machine. I don't feel like my grip gets worked as well on the cable machines. 

     There's lots of areas to improve in and lots of progress to be made. I just hope that I'm doing it correctly. There are days when I feel like I'm floundering and moving in circles. Today felt like I moved forward so I'm taking the w. It's a little w, but it still counts. 

Where is the Progress?

     I'm a date late updating my training notes. Here's what we did yesterday:

••••••••••

BACK SQUATS:

95lb x10

115lb x8

(145lb x5) 3x

95lb x10

ZERCHER SQUATS:

     These weren't programmed and I wasn't even going to included them in my notes. We were talking about them and so I just wanted to screw around and see if I could still do them. It's been years since I've tried.

Bar x10

95lb x4

45° LEG PRESS:

190lb x10

(280lb x5) 2x

STANDING CALF RAISE:

(Machine Weight x12) 2x

(+45lb x7) 2x

SEATED LEG CURLS:

(100lb x15) 4x

LEG EXTENSIONS:

(95lb x12) 4x

ADDUCTER/ABDUCTER:

(40lb x10 ea.) 3x

••••••••••

     It wasn't a bed time. Everything felt OK. My right knee was pissed off and very sore when I got home but it felt fine today; a little stiff, but not bad. It all seems to be going along well so I don't want to jinx it by talking it up too much. What isn't going well is my nutrition.

     I've been macro tracking for about a week or so now and I'm driving myself crazy. I'm not eating enough according to what I figured my base calories should be. I either get way too many carbs, or not nearly enough, and I haven't gotten enough protein on any day since I've started. My weight neither goes up or down, and nobody has even noticed any physical changes to my body. So why the hell am I killing myself? Why am I spending all this mental energy trying to nail down macros when apparently, I have no idea what I'm doing? Why am I working my ass off when it doesn't seem to be making any difference. 

     My mood is low and there doesn't seem to be any light at the end of this tunnel. Oh well.

Dialing It In

     No joy in Mud Ville tonight. I got some stuff done, but my energy was very low. I think it's because I didn't plan enough carbs into my lunch which is my pre-workout meal. So by the time I got to the gym after work, my tank was already low. Oh well, adapt and overcome. I don't have a lot of life left in my battery right now - me or my laptop, so I'm going to make this quick. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

INCLINED BENCH:

65lb x10

75lb x10

90lb x3

65lb x3

65lb, 4 second down x7

65lb 4 second down x3

65lb x4

DECLINED BENCH:

65lb x10

85lb x10

(100lb x6) 4x

FLAT BENCH:

65lb x10

(95lb x5) 3x

55lb wide/mid/narrow x10 ea.

MACHINE CRUNCH:

65lb x20

65lb x15

65lb x10

••••••••••

     That was it - short and not so sweet. I do have to mention that the schedule is a little tweaked this week because I took my daughter and her friend to Six Flags yesterday so there was no gym. We bumped the bench to today. I think tomorrow I'll keep as shoulders.

Mishy, Why??

     Monday is a dead day. Everything felt OK except I bonked my knee cap with the bar. That didn't feel too good. We tried a couple new accessories. They were... meh. Aside from that, it was OK. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

DEADS:

135lb x10

155lb x10

(175lb x6) 4x

CABLE REVERSE FLY:

20lb x10

(15lb x12) 3x

I was a little shocked at how difficult these were. I'm also not sure I was doing them correctly.

KNEELING CABLE SINGLE ARM CROSSOVER:

20lb x12

30lb x12

I did a couple sets but didn't care for the kneeling - bad knees and all that. We wen out to the other machines and did the rest seated.

30lb x12

40lb x12

STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWN:

30lb x12

40lb x5

35lb x5

(30lb x12) 2x

ASSISTED PULLUPS:

(90lb x6) 3x

60lb x3

••••••••••

     I don't honestly know how many more weeks we're supposed to have of this "program". I do know I'm getting kind of bored with the same accessories week after week so I may be switching them up a little. I'm good with the main lifts the way they are, I just need some variety. 

     I've been tracking my food for a few days now and I'm 100% disgusted and discouraged with myself. I've tracked before and gotten my diet on point when I wasn't lifting. SO why can I not friggin do it while I'm lifting? It's the same thing with lifting and being fit in general. Why could I do it before but now it's like a totally new concept for me. I have got to be the most inconsistent person I know. I'm tired of it. I'm also literally tired and sleep deprived so I may be ranting a little here. It's time to go rest my brain. 

     I'm taking my daughter and her friend to Six Flags tomorrow. I'm not even holding onto the illusion that there will be any good choices to be made, but I'll try. I know I need more protein, more fiber, a little more fat, and fewer carbs. I just want to be better.

Tracking Time

     This heat and humidity beat us down so we skipped overhead press on Thursday. We did not, however, skip leg day. Yesterday was Friday and that meant squats. We did really well. Here's what got done:

•••••••••••

BACK SQUATS:

65lb x10

95lb x10

(135lb x5) 4x

Bar:

wide/mid/narrow x10 each

45° LEG PRESS:

(210lb x10) 4x

SEATED LEG CURL:

(95lb x10) 4x

SEATED LEG EXTENSIONS:

(85lb x15) 4x

ADDUCTER/ABDUCTER:

(40lb x10 ea.) 4x

••••••••••

     I was absolute toast after that. I had only eaten a bowl of oatmeal all day so about 45 minutes before we went to the gym I sucked down a protein shake. I was running on fumes the entire time but I was able to push through and get it done. We went directly to the grocery store after that and bought some steak, went home and feasted. I got a nutrition log book from Amazon so today I'm officially tracking. I've done it before so I know I can do it again. It's a huge PITA, but worth it to get myself back on track. I was just going to use a notebook, but this little book is all orderly and makes my ordered brain happy. If you're interested in it, you can find it here. I also have a google sheet that I made with a bunch of nutritional values from the most common foods that I eat. If you're tracking, you may find it helpful. You can find that sheet here. 

     Tracking is not the most fun thing but it does get results. I can get a little anal about it so I'm going to try to ease up a bit. As long as I can get my macros in order, I know I'll see the results. 

Tri To Get Bi

     Another day is in the books. It was sort of an easy day today, nothing crazy. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

CABLE TRI EXTENSION:

15lb x10

20lb x10

(15lb x10) 2x

CABLE TRI PULLDOWN:

(15lb x12) 2x

(20lb x12) 2x

EZ BAR CRUSHERS:

I did a few variations of the skull crushers. Each one has a different range of motion. One goes to the throat, one goes to the nose and the other goes past the head. If you'd like to try them out, you can check out the video below.

THROAT CRUSHER:

20lb x15

3-WAY (throat/nose/over head)

(30lb x5 ea.) 3x

DB SPIDER CURL:

(25lb x8) 4x

SEATED HAMMER CURL:

15lb x10

GLADIATOR CURLS:

15lb x10

ZOTTMAN CURLS:

15lb x10

••••••••••

     I threw in a couple of preacher curls before we left because I was waiting for Frankie, but I'm not counting them; they were just for funsies. I feel pretty good and I feel as though I'm less sore after a workout. I still get some muscle soreness, obviously, but it's not nearly as bad as it was a couple of months ago when we first started. April 25 was our first workout and we've been going religiously since then. I'm proud of us. 

     What I'm not proud of, and this should not be a surprise, is my diet. I thought I had it under control, but I'm seeing absolutely no results. No weight loss, no real shape transformation, nothing. So I'm going back to tracking my macros and nailing down some solid numbers for what I need. I'm tired of looking like crap. I've done it before, and I guess I can do it again. 

Turn Up The Volume

     I don't have a lot to say about tonight. I'm tired and I'm sore. We had been doing 4 sets of each bench version. Tonight we did 6 of each. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

INCLINED BENCH:

65lb x10

75lb x6

(90lb x3) 2x

(90lb x5) 2x

DECLINE BENCH:

65lb x10

95lb x8

(100lb x6) 4x

FLAT BENCH:

65lb x10

95lb x6

(100lb x6) 2x

(100lb x4) 2x

MACHINE FLY:

(70lb x10) 4x

ROTARY TORSO:

(70lb x10 ea. side) 3x

MACHINE CRUNCH:

(60lb x20) 3x

••••••••••

     That's all she wrote. The weights didn't go up a whole hell of a lot, but that extra volume is definitely being felt. Now I'm going to sit here and suck down some ice water because it's hotter than hades here and humid. I'm zapped.

Why The Hell Are They Metric?

     Nothing earth-shattering tonight, just another deadlift Monday. In case you were wondering why the weights are a little odd, blame the rest of the world. We've been deadlifting at the back of the weight room and that's where all the bumper plates are. In case you didn't know, because I didn't know, the bumper plates are metric. They're marked with the large numbers being KG and then the little numbers are the LBS. The reason for this is because bumpers are mostly used in Olympic weightlifting. Olympic weightlifting is governed by the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) and they mandate that everything be measured in KG. It's actually easier to do math when everything is based on 10, but as Americans, we like to be difficult so we use LBS.

 Here's what got done tonight:

••••••••••

DEADLIFTS:

(110lb x10) 2x

(154lb x6) 4x

MACHINE ROWS:

(80lb x10) 4x

STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWN:

(35lb x8) 4x

LAT PULLDOWN:

(85lb x8) 2x

(70lb x10) 2x

FACE PULLS:

(30lb x15) 4x

HYPEREXTENSIONS:

Body Weight x10

(10lb x10) 2x

••••••••••

     Seeing as how I don't have too much to say on a personal note, let's talk about some of the bullshit I see daily on social media, shall we? FB reels have seemingly become quite the thing. Short videos that are meant to grab your attention and keep you locked in a continuous scroll. I've been getting more gym related ones, thank you algorithm, and while some of them actually have some valuable content, more and more of them are pure trash. 

     I'm not an influencer. I don't want to be. I have shit that I do and I share it through this medium. I think I have about 9 people that read this blog and that's fine with me. But there is a metric shit ton (keeping with the metric theme) of people who are desperate to influence people and present themselves as experts at this that and the other. They're the ones putting out videos telling people to stop doing it this way and do it my way instead. I'm not talking about legit instructional videos showing you proper form for a basic movement. Let me give you a for instance. 

     There's some dude, I won't mention his name (even if I did remember it), that jumps around cussing and swearing, smacking parts of his body as he tells people to "fucking unlearn it". He has some good points, but on one of his squat videos, he tells people to take a certain stance to do squats. That's it. One stance, no deviations. Fucking unlearn it. What? There's all sorts of squats and to tell people that you should take one certain position and use that is insane. Front Squat, Low Bar, High Bar, Sumo - they're all slightly different. There is no one set stance for those. My guy, you're going to get someone hurt. 

     The other types of reels that are making the rounds are insulting and arrogant. They're the ones that make fun of certain types of people, usually people new to the gym. I saw one today in which some hoodie-wearing guy was having to wait while some chick benched 65lbs. He was obviously a jacked bad-ass as evidenced by the hoodie and hunched-back seated position (insert massive eye-roll) and he was so put out, having to wait to do his record breaking sets while this woman did her 65lb sets. How dare she?

     I hate this attitude. Everyone in the gym started out benching pussy weight; everyone. Some people go to the gym to get animal strong and to move massive weights. Some people go to the gym to rehab and can't move but 5lbs. Everyone of them belongs there. I hate bullies; whether they're in real life or online. 

     Social media has made a lot of people think that they're experts when they're nothing more than a jackass with a phone and access to millions of people that just don't know better. Do your research. Watch videos from real experts that have been in this business for a lengthy amount of time and who've had success. If you have a trainer that says their way is the only way - drop them like a dirty dumbbell. And if anyone tries to bully you while you're in the gym, go grab literally anyone else in there to give you some back up. I guarantee you, most people in the gym don't want asshats like that around. 

     That's my rant for tonight. ✌

I Know I said I Wouldn't, But...

     I said I wouldn't do it. I said I was going to keep it light and just rep shit out. You know I couldn't leave well enough alone. I was determined to not go over 95lbs on my squats so I would avoid getting hurt again. Well, I didn't keep it under 95lbs and I DIDN"T GET HURT AGAIN! Great things (for me) happened at the gym tonight. Here's the notes:

••••••••••

BACK SQUATS:

55lb x10

65lb x10

95lb x10

100lb x6

135lb x3

135lb x4

SEATED LEG CURL:

(90lb x15) 4x

LEG EXTENSION:

(75lb x15) 4x

INNER/OUTER THIGH:

(40lb x15) 4x

SEATED LEG PRESS:

(100lb x20) 4x

••••••••••

     I'm back in the plate club!!!! I can't even believe it. Those squats felt so good and so smooth that there was no way I couldn't go for the heavier weight. I'm so proud of myself, seriously. The feeling of being able to move that weight again is awesome, and to move it without pain makes it even sweeter! 

     Everything actually felt really good. We were toasted by the end of this session, but in a good way. The normal 45° leg press was taken, so we did the seated leg press machine instead. The only thing I noticed was on the leg extensions, there was a little bit of knee pain. I'm guessing it's because of the heavier squats, so I ended up having to cut the weight back a little. No big deal though. 

     I'm excited for things to come. I think this was the confidence boost that I needed. Frank told me to stop doubting myself and I know he's right. I can talk myself down and make myself believe that I'm weaker than what I am. I'm starting to feel like I belong in that weight room again. 

Po-tay-toh - Po-tah-toh

     It was shoulder day today! Everything went smoothly so let's get right into it. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

O.H. PRESS:

Bar x10 STRICT

55lb x10 STRICT

(60lb x6) 4x Most were strict, there were some push presses in there.

MACHINE REAR DELT FLY:

(60lb x10) 4x

MACHINE PRESS:

(45lb x10) 2x

(50lb x10) 2x

2 sets @ ea. weight with pronated

2 sets @ ea. weight with neutral

DB T & Y:

(10lb x5 ea. movement) 4x

DB REAR DELT FLY:

(10lb x10) 4x

ISOLATERAL SHOULDER PRESS MACHINE:

Look back to my notes from June 19th on this machine and how I list the weights.

20lb per arm x3

15lb per arm x5

15lb per arm x5 - one arm at a time

DEAD HANGS:

29.77 seconds

29 seconds

11 seconds

17 seconds

••••••••••

     OK, I was feeling really bummed about those dead hangs. That was until I looked back at the last time I did them and saw that I originally started with three sets of only 10 seconds. I guess I have improved. I've also increased in weight and sets on the press, but for some reason, went backwards on the machine rear fly. The machine press got better and the isolateral press kinda stayed the same.

     Overall, I can see that obviously things are improving - numbers don't lie. But I still feel like an old potato. Frank said I look strong, but I think he would say that to make me feel better. I don't think he would ever agree that I look like a potato. 

     In any case, tomorrow is squat day so of course I'm nervous. My knee sleeves will be on, my back belt will be at the ready and I am DETERMINED to squat capably and without pain. I have no delusions of going over 95lbs. We'll just hold it there and see how I can rep it out. We shall see what we shall see.

Quickie

     Our schedules were screwed up today so this time it was Frank's fault we didn't get to the gym lol. I didn't want to not do anything though so I figured I would do a quick and dirty KB session. It sounded good until I tried to locate my smaller bell in the mess formally known as my basement. It wasn't happening. Instead, I grabbed a pair of 10lb DB and went with a quick mix of nonsense. I admit, there really was no rhyme or reason, but it least it got me moving a little. It was also 81° and about the same humidity. Nastiness all around. Here's the little bit that I got done before I melted onto the hallway floor :

•••••••••••

DB THRUSTERS / REVERSE LUNGE:

*Done with a PAIR of 10lb DB

(x10 / x5 ea. leg) 3x

CURL INTO ARNOLD PRESS / DB RDL:

*Done with a PAIR of 10lb DB

(x10 / x10) 2x

FRONT HAMMER RAISE / SINGLE LEG RDL:

*Raises were a PAIR of DB, RDL was SINGLE DB

(x10) 2x / x10 ea. leg

LATERAL RAISE / SINGLE LEG RDL:

(x10) 2x / x10 ea. leg

REAR DELT FLY:

(x10) 2x

•••••••••••

     This was, by no means, a really effective session. Like I said, it kept me moving and not sedentary. I didn't bother to throw on my knee sleeves so I didn't overtax my knees with anything. I haven't squatted since I tweaked my back so this was a good intro to our next squat session which I believe will be Friday. 

     I'm struggling with my food (as usual). I don't feel as though I'm eating enough protein so I will be focusing on changing that. Breakfast seems to be the toughest meal for me. That's goal number one: get a better breakfast! Right now, I'm going to get some dinner - I'm starving. 

Pain Free (FINALLY)

     I am, dare I say, back to feeling good! I know, I'm shocked too. My back is feeling normal and my brain didn't feel like it was going to explode. Without further ado, here's what got done tonight:

••••••••••

DEADLIFTS:

89lbs x10

(155lb x6) 4x

LAT PULLDOWNS:

(85lb x10) 4x

MACHINE LOW ROW:

75lb x10

(60lb x15) 4x

SINGLE ARM LAT PULLDOWN:

35lb x10

40lb x10

(30lb x15) 2x

FACE PULLS:

(35lb x10) 2x

(30lb x12) 2x

MACHINE CRUNCH:

(40lb x20) 3x

ROTARY TORSO:

(60lb x20) 3x

••••••••••

     We did the deadlifts at the back of the gym with the bumper plates. My plan was to keep it very light but I didn't want to use the small plates and have to deal with that extra depth. So bumpers it was. I have to admit, I wasn't intending on jumping from the 89lbs to the 155lbs, but the bumpers were in KG and it screwed me up lol. It worked out fine though and I was pleasantly surprised. That 155lb moved really well and I had absolutely no pain. I used my new belt and that also felt really good. I was tempted to go higher, but I didn't want to set myself back again so I kept my ego in check and kept it light. 

     Keeping it light was my game plan for the whole night. I only felt a small amount of cramping at the back of my neck/head while I was doing the lat pulldowns. I had a slight headache going into tonight, but the heat and humidity may have had a role in that. As I sit here now, typing these notes, I can't say I don't have any pain. My neck is tight and I'll be using the massage gun on it in a bit and probably taking some preemptive pain meds, but that's it. No crippling back spasms, no unbearable migraine. I feel damn good.

     I won't be training tomorrow because the child has an orthodontist appointment. We'll be back at it on Wednesday and I'm looking forward to it. 

And Then This Happened

     Wednesday started off well. We went to the gym with the intent for bi's & tri's. I kicked it off with some EZ Curl Skull Crushers and quickly ended up in a massive amount of pain. On y last set, I felt a weird "balling up" feeling in the back of my neck, right at the base of my skull. That was followed by pain in the back of my head. We moved to Tri pull downs then seated dips where the pain ramped up to migraine level at a speed I had never experienced in my life (and I'm no stranger to migraines). I had to leave after a 3rd set. By the time I got to the truck I was in both agony and tears and Frank was debating taking me to the ER. We got home, I went directly to a cold shower because I was overheating and then I sucked down 3 ibuprofen and put an icepack to my head. I went to bed and slept for about an hour or so and woke up feeling like a functional human again, although not totally pain free. I took my last ibuprofen and headed back to bed.

     I feel much better this morning, but the headache is still lingering. I'm out of drugs so I'll be making a trip to the store in a few to stock up. I cannot begin to tell you how sick of all this I am. If it's not pain in my knees, it's pain in my back. If it's not pain in my back, it's this new, instantaneous migraine. Awesome. I mean, what the actual hell? I spent some time with Dr. Google this morning and I'm fairly confident this was an exertion headache, so I'm not horribly worried. Frank was leaning more towards aneurism, but I'd be dead by now so I'm ruling that out. My honest thoughts? I'm probably dehydrated, depleted of electrolytes, and not eating enough or appropriately. I'm headed to GNC today to get a multivitamin because that certainly can't hurt. 

     I also may need to rethink my training. I like going everyday but I think the intensity may be too much? I don't know. We'll see how it goes as I make adjustments to diet/nutrition and the multivitamins. I've also found another recipe for a homemade electrolyte drink. I'm not giving up. I can't allow myself to do that. I don't know if I'll go to the gym tonight or not. If I can't shake this headache, then I'm staying put and working in my garden. It's going to have to be one of those "let's see how it plays out" sort of things. 

     In any case, here's what I got done last night before my head almost exploded:

••••••••••

EZ CURL SKULL CRUSHER:

(aptly named for what happened, I suppose)

(30lb x15) 4x

TRI PULL DOWNS:

35lb x8

30lb x8

(25lb x8) 2x

SEATED DIPS:

70lb x12

80lb x10

80lb x8

•••••••••••

     I'm determined to plough my way through all of this. I want to be fit, to be strong, and to be healthy. 

Healed And Ready To Go

     I've been away from the gym for one week. I never posted last Tuesday's bench session so I'll post that a little further down. That bench session did my back in totally and I couldn't deny it any longer - I needed my chiropractor. I went to see Dr. Lafrance last Friday and it was awful. I think it was the most pain I've ever experienced at the chiropractor. He started by using his Pulsar system. It's like a high tech massage gun but it makes adjustments to the spine, etc. He worked on my low back and SI joint and i jumped more than once but at least I didn't yell or anything. Then he moved on the releasing the muscles in my hip and around my SI joint that had tightened significantly because everything was misaligned. That's where it was almost unbearable. That pain was...just the worst. Then he moved on to manually adjusting my SI joints. Again, pain. Then he yanked on my leg to get it back where it needed to be - I did yell out a little on that one. And yes, all of that did make my eyes water. I stayed fairly inactive over the weekend and by Monday afternoon when I went back for a follow up, I was significantly better. The relief of having all that pain and those muscle spasms gone is indescribable. I'm not yet back to 100%, but I'm not sure I'm ever at 100! I'd say I'm running about 85-90% right now and it feels pretty darn good. 

     Tonight I went back to it and we started with where we left off - bench. Below you'll find last week's and this week's training notes. Enjoy!

••••••••••

TUESDAY June 24:

INCLINE BENCH:

(85lb x6) 4x

DECLINE BENCH:

(105lb x6) 2x

(95lb x6) 2x

FLAT BENCH:

(100lb x6) 2x

95lb x6

95lb x5

DB FLY:

(20lb x10) 4x

MACHINE FLY:

(60lb x15) 3x

*I did these as "palm only" meaning I didn't grip the handholds. I just pushed with my palms.

CRUNCH:

60lb x15

••••••••••

     I was in absolute agony after that. My lower back was tight and cramping. That was one week ago. Here are today's notes:

••••••••••

TUESDAY July 1

DECLINE BENCH:

95lb x6

(100lb x6) 3x

INCLINED DB PRESS:

25lb x12

30lb x6

(35lb x6) 2x

DB BENCH:

25lb x12

30lb x8

(35lb x6) 2x

MACHINE FLY:

60lb x15

80lb x10

90lb x6

90lb x8

MACHINE CHEST PRESS:

(50lb x6) 3x

60lb x6

*I played with the starting position on these. I began with the furthest back (hardest) and worked my way to the easiest.

HALF KNEELING KB WOODCHOPPER:

25lb x10 each side

KB AROUND THE WORLD STOPS:

25lb x10 each side

*These did give my back a wee bit of a wakeup but nothing too crazy. I'm glad I didn't try to go heavier though because that probably would've gone bad.

KB HIP TO HIP HALO:

25lb x10 each side

••••••••••

     I feel so much better tonight! I'm tired, but it's a normal tired and not painful. I enjoyed the kettlebell core work to finish out the night. That 25lb kicked my ass lol. If you're interested in the KB stuff, you watch the video here. 

     The last thing I want to address is this - what's with people not wiping the equipment when they're done? Nasty.