Sometimes We Fail

     No gym today or for the rest of the week because it's closed for yearly maintenance. I still haven't tried that body weight stuff I found but maybe this will be the week that I get 'round to it. Here's what got done last night on the bench:

••••••••••

INCLINE BENCH:

65lb x10

85lb x8

(90lb x4) 4x

DECLINE BENCH:

95lb x10

(115lb x4) 4x

FLAT BENCH:

75lb x12

95lb x8

135lb FAIL, 115lb x1, 95lb x4

95lb x8

DB FLY:

(20lb x8) 3x

DB STANDING TRI EXT.:

(10lb x10) 3x

DB NARROW BENCH PRESS:

25lb x8

(25lb x10) 2x

DB PULLOVER:

35lb x10

40lb x8

••••••••••

     OK, let's talk about that failure at 135lb. The last time I tried for 135lb I got it. This time, I knew as soon as I unracked the bar it wasn't going to happen. I made it halfway back up and just stalled out. I'm disappointed but not hugely surprised. Trying for a max lift after all of that incline and decline is kind of a dumb idea, but I'm never really short on dumb ideas. I know that I'm getting stronger, and going by just the numbers I can figure out what my max lifts probably are, but there is something hugely satisfying about actually doing it. I mean, that's why we're in the gym - to lift heavy things. I told Frank that next Tuesday, we're working up to our maxes, but doing it the right way. We're starting with the flat bench that way we're fresh and ready to go. Appropriate sets, reps and rests. I know with all of those steps in place, that 135lb has to move. It has to.

     The bench failure brought disappointment, but not shame. If there is one thing that being in the gym teaches you, it's that there is no shame in trying. We are all there (with maybe a few small exceptions) trying to better ourselves in some way. Pushing ourselves to our max and beyond is the goal and failure is naturally going to be part of that. Unless you're doing something insanely stupid, never hang your head after a failed lift. Be proud that you had the balls to go for it, take some weight off and finish your set. Some of the times we fail, but not all of the times. If you keep plugging steadily along, taking small steps, you'll look back one day and see just how far you've truly gone.

I Can't Math

     I took a few days off last week because I just didn't have it in me to go. Depleted is what I was. Then today rolled around and while I can't say that I was feeling fresh, I did get some OK sleep this weekend and I felt a tad more rested. Mondays are for deadlifts, so here's what got done:

••••••••••

DEADLIFTS:

133lb x10

221lb x1

177lb x6

199lb x3, x2

199lb x2

     Let's get into why I unintentionally maxed out on that one rep. You know why I maxed out there? Because I can't friggin count, that's why. I thought I had 177lb on there. I lifted it, nearly blowing out both eyeballs and dropping my colon on the floor and wondered why the hell 177lbs felt so damned heavy. Then I took a second look at the bar and my brain shifted into gear and realized - hey dumbass, those are kilos, not pounds. So there ya go. 221lbs. I was gassed after that though, so I didn't get as many reps as I wanted at the 199lbs. Frank found much humor in all of this.

BARBELL RDL:

(133lb x5) x4

LAT PULLDOWNS:

(weird grip bar, not straight bar)

115lb x5

105lb x5

85lb x10

     I just wasn't feeling these tonight. I don't particularly care for the weird bar. I don't feel it in my back, I end up feeling it more in my biceps than anything else. I gave up and went over to the single arm lat pulldowns - I like those better.

SINGLE ARM LAT PULLDOWN:

(40lb x10 ea. arm) x3

(50lb x5 ea. arm) x1

ASSISTED PULLUPS:

(85lb x5) x3

HKR:

(x7) x2

MULTI HIP MACHINE:

Kickbacks: (41lb x15 ea. leg) x3

Hip Flexor: (23lb x10 ea. leg) x2

••••••••••

     I'm fairly pleased with tonight, except those stinking pulldowns. I don't know what my issues was with them tonight, but it was irritating me. I like the plain 'ol straight bar; I'm not a fancy person. 

     I guess it was kind of funny about the deadlifts. I'll tell you what though, I tried lifting it a second time, and my body was like, Hell no we're not. It's good to know I'm not dead yet and that I still have some grit left in me. We were talking with a guy that we see in there all the time. He does a lot of body weight stuff and light weights. He said he was 77 and I have to say he looked pretty damn good for his age. He agreed that you have to keep moving and doing what you can. When you stop moving, you're done for. 

     I said in the beginning that I took a few days off because I felt depleted. I think it actually did me a bit of good to not try and push through it all. You do need to keep moving, but you also need rest and recovery. Let's face it, I'm not as young as I used to be and my body is a little worse for wear. I can't go all out and expect to not feel the effects of that. A few days rest did me good. Now I'm back at it and feeling OK. 

     The sleep thing was really getting to me. I'm still not sleeping deeply or for as long as I probably should but the cooler weather and lower humidity seem to be helping me out a bit. I'd say, over this past weekend,  I've been getting a good 3 or 4 hours before I wake up. I've forgotten what it's like to sleep for more than 4 hours straight. I contemplated trying some Benadryl, but I don't want the after effects of it. I'd rather try some natural stuff. 

     I'm also a big ball of tension and nerves. I drive myself crazy, I honestly don't know how Frank puts up with me but I'm so thankful that he does. My friend put me onto some spiritual reading so I'm going to delve into that and maybe find some relief. I know it's out there, I just have to find the path to it. 

    Welp, I think you all should be caught up now. I have no idea what to make for dinner. Probably some scrambled eggs or something. Peace out. ✌

Two-Fer

     We missed Monday's session because we had some house stuff to do but we made it right back yesterday and today. I forgot to upload yesterday's session so you guys get a two-fer tonight! I know, the excitement is palpable. Try to contain yourselves and check out what we did:

••••••••••

TUESDAY 8/19

DB INCLINE BENCH:

20lb x15

30lb x10

(35lb x6) x4

DB FLAT BENCH:

25lb x12

35lb x9

(40lb x6) x4

DB CHEST FLY:

20lb x10

20lb x9

20lb x5

CABLE CHEST FLY:

(80lb x10) x4

MACHINE CRUNCH:

70lb x20

(70lb x10) x4

(70lb x5) x4

WEDNESDAY 8/20:

SPIDER CURLS:

20lb x10

30lb x10

40lb x10

DB PULLOVER:

(single DB)

30lb x12

35lb x10

40lb x8

DB SKULLCRUSHER:

10lb x15

15lb x5

20lb x5

BENCH DIPS:

x6

(x8) x2

CURLS:

Zottman - 15lb x10

Gladiator - 25lb x10

Standard (alternating) - 25lb x10

SEATED DIPS:

80lb x10

90lb x10

(100lb x5) x2

••••••••••

     There's your 2 days worth of notes that I know you were all pining for. To all 9 of you that regularly read this blog, I want to say thanks.

 I know there are at least 9 people out there that can deal with my nonsense. 9's actually a pretty good number (IYKYK).

     I'm feeling OK, still no movement in either direction on the scale, which I'm continually baffled by, but it is what it is. I did notice that pizza makes my joints absolutely ache. I'm not sure if it's the fat, or something to do with gluten or what. I just know that we indulged in some pie and then I was in agony. I think crappy food, coupled with falling temps was the perfect store for achy knees. They've otherwise been fine. One more food added to the "banned" list lol.

     So now that you're all caught up, I'm going to enjoy this cool, rainy weather and have a hot cuppa tea. This is my weather!

Runnin' On E

     Last night's sleep was awful, just awful. I need to find some relief because I'm exhausted. I make it through every day and get shit done, but I am beyond running on fumes. My nutrition today was pure shit as well so how I even managed to get this work done tonight is beyond me. Needless to say, there was no monumental weight moved, but at least it moved! Here's what got done:

••••••••••

BACK SQUAT / HANGING KNEE RAISES:

95lb x12 / no knee raises

115lb x8 / 10 HKR

(135lb x5 / 10 HKR) 4x

45° LEG PRESS:

(280lb x6) 4x

STANDING CALF RAISES:

(+50lbs x10) 3x

LEG EXTENSIONS:

(105lb x12) 4x

LEG CURLS:

(105lb x12) 4x

MULTI HIP MACHINE:

 STANDING ADDUCTERS:

(35lb x10) 3x ea. leg

••••••••••

     I know I should have done more but I had nothing left in me. It was warmer than usual in the gym too. I think the kid said the AC was on but that air was swampy and stagnant. Aside from that, because that's not really an excuse, I simply was wrung out. I was done.

     We have an engagement tomorrow but if we get home early enough, I'd like to start the mobility stuff that I found. If I can't begin Saturday, I'll aim for Sunday. I'm actually kind of excited about it lol. 

     With that, I'm going to get some water or maybe iced tea, and then I'm headed to bed. Hopefully to sleep and not just lie awake all night. 

I "Tri-d"

     Being that we've done the 10 weeks, we're trying to find some new lifts / accessories to add into our basic plan. We also may add in a rest day on Wednesdays because Frank is feeling a little beat up and to be honest, so am I. We're both not as young as we used to be. We skipped arms yesterday and decided to add in some bi's and tri's in with the shoulder stuff that is already programmed for today. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

SMITH MACHINE SEATED PRESS:

65lb x8

75lb x8

95lb x5

DB LAT RAISE / CHEST SUPPORTED REAR FLY:

(10lb x15 / 15lb x15) 3x

DB CLOSE GRIP O.H. PRESS:

(15lb x10) 2x

15lb x7

10lb x3

DB CLOSE GRIP BENCH / CLOSE GRIP CURL:

(25lb x15 / 25lb x10) 2x

CABLE TRI PUSHDOWN:

40lb x12

(45lb x12) 2x

CABLE BICEP CURL:

35lb x12

*I had to stop doing these because the bar was squealing against the collar of the cable and it was driving me nuts. I moved over and did preacher curls instead.

PREACHER CURLS:

(40lb x10) 2x

40lb x8

HANGING KNEE RAISES:

x10

x12

x7

••••••••••

     I'm not unhappy with tonight's work, but there are some things that I'll definitely be throwing to the side. Frank said tonight's work sucked. I can't speak for Frank, but I'll give you my feedback.

     The first thing that I didn't care for was the Smith Machine. This was the first time that I've ever used one. Maybe it's something that you need to get used to to enjoy, but I just did not like it. I didn't like that there's no balancing involved with it. I would much rather do seated presses with a regular bar so from now on, that's how I'll be doing them, when I do them.

     Secondly, I don't feel like there was nearly enough triceps work. I based tonight's workout on one that I found from YouTube and I'm not really feeling it; literally. I did forget to do the kickbacks but even the close grip bench presses didn't seem to hit my tris. 

     Lastly, I'm not happy with the hanging knee raises. I should've been able to do way more than that, but my grip was slipping on the bar. I know I need better grip strength, but the bar we were using is slick as hell. We should've used the bar out by the cable machines, but instead we used one of the monkey bars in the Octagon Rack - not a good choice. 

     Even with all of the things that seemed to go wrong, or not feel "right", I'm still glad I did it. I got my sweat on, I exerted myself and gave good effort and I do feel it in my shoulders at least. 

     I've been looking for stuff to do on the days that we don't train at the gym. I was leaning towards yoga because we both need the flexibility and it's a little easier on our joints. I was having trouble finding something good though. A lot of the yoga stuff out there seems to be purely stretching with very little strength work involved, but today I think I found it! It's a channel on YouTube called Leo Moves and you can find it here. It looks interesting, fun and effective without beating me up too much. I think it will be great for the off days, although Frank, of course, isn't sold on it. Like I said, to each their own. I don't know if I can convince him to try it, but I'm going to. Look for those training notes to start showing up too. 

     

Plated

     Good things happened today at the bench! Let's jump right into it. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

INCLINED BENCH:

65lb x10

85lb x5

(90lb x5) 4x

DECLINE BENCH:

95lb x10

115lb x4

(115lb x5) 3x

FLAT BENCH:

(65lb 4 sec. down / 2 sec. pause) 10x

85lb x10

(105lb x5) 2x

135lb x1

Bar wide/mid/narrow x10 ea. (no rest between)

PEC FLY:

(80lb x8) 4x

CHEST PRESS:

40lb x10

40lb x8 (wide)

40lb x9

MACHINE CRUNCH:

(70lb x15) 3x

••••••••••

     I cannot believe I benched 135lb tonight! I was doing the 105lb and a little voice in my head told me to go for it. So I did. It was definitely a grind, and my ass was not flat on the bench, but damn it all, I got that 135!

     I dropped back in weight by 5lbs on the incline. I looked back through my notes and saw that I had previously done a max of 95lb x3, but tonight I only got to 90lb for 5. That being said, the presses tonight felt much more stable and not as much of a struggle. I think I was trying to go too heavy, too soon. 

    I'm beat, I'm hungry but I'm also satisfied and happy. I'm really proud of myself tonight. I know it'll be a bit before I'm repping that weight, but I showed myself that it's possible and not really all that far off. I'm coming for all those PR's. 

Trapped

     Today is our 10 week "deadline" for the 5 day split that we've been following. I'm proud of us for following a program for 10 weeks. We've made progress and both of us have gotten stronger, regardless of whether or not we see any physical changes. Today was also Monday and that means deadlifts, but we switched it up and did some trap bar deads. Neither of us have done them before so we thought we'd give it a go. Here's what got done tonight:

••••••••••

TRAP BAR DEADS:

148lb x10

(181lb x5) 4x

TRAP BAR DEADS / FARMERS CARRY:

(148lb x5, 15' carry 148lb x5) 3x

*There is a caveat on these deads - I'm not sure of the exact weight of the bar itself. We guesstimated it to be about 60lb.

WIDE CABLE ROW:

(70lb x12) 3x

65lb x9, x3

SINGLE ARM LAT PULLDOWN:

30lb x10

35lb x10

40lb x10

45lb x10

ASSISTED PULL UPS:

105lb x10

(95lb x6) 2x

BACK EXTENSIONS:

10lb x10

25lb x6

45lb x5

••••••••••

     I really enjoyed the trap deads and I especially loved doing the farmers carries. It's been quite some time since I did carries of any sort and I've missed them! Frank said he'd like to switch between conventional and trap deads from now on and I'm totally on board.

     I did the back extensions because I feel as though I've been focusing on the upper / mid back but neglecting the lower back. I've always liked the back extensions but I have to say that I'm not a fan of the location of the bench itself in the gym. They have it facing the mirror, but that means that the entire gym gets to look at my derriere while I'm working. It's a good thing I have Frank there with me - I make him stand in back of me lol.

    All told, I'm happy with tonight. Everything felt good, no pain anywhere and no injuries. What more could I ask for?

I Lied

     I said, just yesterday, that I was not going to go up in weight on my squats. I even set out today with the intention of keeping things light and fudging around with some Anderson squats. I used to do them back in the day and they helped get me stronger. Well, you know, I got into the power rack and put the rails down and tried one. It seemed OK, but, I dunno, it wasn't feeling "right". So I got aggravated and just went heavier on regular squats. Which makes me a liar but I don't care. Here's what got done:

••••••••••

BACK SQUATS:

65lb x8

*These were the Anderson squats. I wasn't feeling them, so I just went with regular 'ol squats from here on out.

115lb x10

135lb x6

155lb x5

155lb x2

135lb x6

135lb x8

*I thought this last set was only 6, but Frank said it was 8.

45° LEG PRESS/CALF RAISES:

190lb x15

(280lb x5 / +50lb x10) 3x

LEG CURL:

50lb x6

60lb x6

70lb x6

80lb x6

90lb x6

100lb x6

110lb x6

LEG EXTENSIONS:

50lb x6

60lb x6

70lb x6

80lb x6

90lb x6

100lb x6

110lb x6

INNER/OUTER:

(50lb x10 ea.) 2x

(40lb x15 ea.) 2x

MULTI HIP MACHINE KICKBACK:

(wt. ? x10 ea. leg) 3x

*I forgot to look at the chart to see how much the machine was set for. If I had to guess, I'd say it was probably around 30lbs.

••••••••••

     That was it. I feel like I should have done more even though I am absolutely zonked. I feel good that I hit 155lb on squats and Frank is happy that I finally "manned up" and put 4 plates on the leg press. My knees are holding up well, although I did have some pain on those Anderson squats. I'm not sure if it was the lift or just that I needed to work my knees a little first. The pain went away and I had no issues with anything else. My back also feels good and I'm loving my new belt! I'm not sure I ever shared it, but there's a picture of it below. You can click on the link below the picture to view it on amazon.

RDX Weightlifting Belt

     All in all, I'm pleased with today. I didn't eat before we went so I am starving at the moment and need to go eat something. My diet is in shambles, as usual. I'm just trying to eat as clean and as healthy as I can. I just can't seem to eat enough. There are days that I'm forcing myself to eat and that's not like me at all. The scale shows no progress, and my eyes aren't seeing any changes. I'm obviously getting stronger, so I don't know what the deal is. At least I'm never bored trying to figure it out.

On Deck

     We didn't make it to the gym yesterday and I got a text today saying they were closed today for unexpected maintenance. I didn't want to go two days in a row without doing anything, so I grabbed some of the weights that weren't buried in the basement and did some stuff out on the deck. Here's what I managed to get done:

••••••••••

KB O.H. PRESS (SINGLE):

(20lb x10 ea. side) 2x

(35lb x10 ea. side) 2x

DB CURL TO PRESS (DOUBLE):

(10lb x10) 3x

DB REAR FLY:

(10lb x10) 3x

SUPERSET

HAMMER/GLADIATOR/ZOTTMAN:

(10lb x10 ea.) 2x

*no rest between curls

DB KICKBACK:

(10lb x10) 3x

DB LAT RAISE:

(10lb x10) 3x

DB FRONT RAISE/KNEE RAISE:

(10lb x5 ea. side) 3x

KB AROUND THE WORLD UPPERCUT:

(x10 ea. side) 3x

KB WOODCHOPPERS:

(x10 ea. side) 2x

••••••••••

     Not a bad little medley. Today would have been shoulders at the gym and I figured I could get most of the same stuff done here. I threw in a little bi's & tri's because I missed that on Wednesday. I could've done with a little more stuff for the tri's, but I'm not worried about it. I don't really stress about targeting biceps and triceps because I feel like I can hit them on bench day and overhead press day, but Frank likes arm day; I think it's a guy thing lol.  Anyhow, I'm glad I did something to stay active today and I actually got a sweet little pump in my shoulders.

     Tomorrow is squat day. I hope the gym is open because just like Frank lives for arm day, I live for the squats. I'm not planning on going any heavier than I did last week because they didn't feel as strong as they could have. But who know. Maybe I'll get in the rack and feel like superwoman and get that squat up to 155lb. If I remember correctly, I was squatting that for reps when I was at Real Strength all those years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago. I figure if I haven't catastrophically injured myself yet, there's a good chance I can surpass where I was before. I may be a decade or so older with the extra pounds to match, but my spirit is still burning. 

Bro Time

     Today is Frank's birthday, but that was no excuse no to go to the gym. It was, however, an excuse to eat Chinese food and cake with ice cream. Come at me, I don't care.

     We got to the gym a little early but the weight room was packed with boys. Boys hanging out on benches, boys bunched up in front of the dumbbell rack on their phones, boys everywhere in the way. Needless to say, what I had planned didn't go as planned, but we still got shit done. Here's what we did (when the boys weren't in the way):

••••••••••

MACHINE CHEST FLYS:

60lb x15

(70lb x12) 3x

INCLINE BENCH:

(65lb x10) 2x

75lb x1

75lb x6

DECLINE BENCH:

95lb x10

95lb x6, re-rack x1

(75lb x12) 2x

STANDING CABLE FLY:

(35lb x10) 2x

35lb x12

40lb x8

ASSISTED DIPS:

60lb x6

105lb x10

90lb x7

105lb x10

SEATED CHEST PRESS:

50lb x5 wide

50lb x8  mid

50lb x6 narrow

••••••••••

     I wanted to do the incline and the flat bench with dumbbells, but all the benches were "in use". As it was, we had to evict some kid sitting on the decline bench while he watched his buddies do chest flys. I know the place can get crowded, and I'm all for young people working out and being healthy. What I cannot stand is people just taking up space and getting in the way. I hate to say it and sound like an old curmudgeon, but there is a noticeable difference between the generations at the gym. All you have to do is look around you and see who is staring at their phones after every 5 reps and who is actually breathing, resting, and then getting after it. I'm there because I enjoy working hard and exerting myself. I'm not there to socialize and look pretty. Tonight was just extremely annoying.  The cake and ice cream made me feel better.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRANKIE!!!!!

Is This A New PR?

     My training notes here took a bit of a hit over the past few days. I've been going to the gym as usual, except last Wednesday & Friday, but I haven't been keeping up with the blogging. I've been gassed and overwhelmed with stuff to do. I'm going to be posting today's deadlift session as well as last Thursday's shoulder stuff. Let's dive in:

••••••••••

THURSDAY 7/31:

OVERHEAD PUSH/PRESS:

(65lb x10) 2x

(75lb x5) 3x

Bar x10 (strict)

DB LATERAL RAISE / L RAISE / L RAISE EXTENSION: 

10lb x10 / x10 / x10

PRESS/HOLD:

(10lb x10 ea. side) 3x

UNDERHAND FRONT RAISE:

(10lb x10) 3x

O.H. DB RAISE / KNEE RAISE:

10lb x5 ea. side

10lb x10 ea. side

DB WOODCHOPPERS:

(20lb x5 ea. side) 2x

••••••••••

MONDAY 8/4:

DEADS:

133lb x10

177lb x9

(197lb x3) 3x

RACK PULLS:

133lb x10

177lb x5

197lb x3

MEADOWS ROWS:

Bar x12

*At this point, Frank loaded the bar with his weight and it was much too heavy for me. I switched to KB rows because it was easier than trying to take weight off and on for our different needs. 

KB BENT ROWS:

35lb x10

50lb x5

ISOLATERAL CABLE ROWS:

35lb x10

20lb x15 (wide)

40lb x10 (narrow)

45lb x8

LAT PULLDOWN:

105lb x5

105lb x7

105lb x5

75lb x15

MACHINE CRUNCH:

(80lb x10) 2x

(60lb x15) 2x

••••••••••

     Now we're up to date. I'm still plugging along, still trying to be better and still falling short. I'm better than I was, but not where I could be and should be. No excuses, just acknowledgement and moving on. 

     In a bit of good news, I do believe that I hit a new PR for reps in the deadlift tonight. I'm not going to go all the way back through the years, but I don't believe I've ever done 197lbs for any sort of reps. So I got that going for me anyway.