Making Tracks To Strongville USA

     We got off of our normal schedule due to snowstorms but we're back on track - I think. Last night we went to Bench Town and tonight the track brought us to Squatsville. Here's what got done over the past two days:

••••••••••

THURSDAY 1/29

BENCH:

85lb x10

95lb x10

115lb x6

(125lb x3) 5x

DB INCLINE PRESS:

25lb x10

30lb x8

40lb x4

40lb x5

40lb x3

DB FLY:

20lb x5

*I did this first set and then decided I wanted to add something in with it.

DB NARROW PRESS / FLY:

(20lb x10 / x5) 2x

SEATED CABLE FLY:

(No grip - palms only)

(70lb x10) 3x

ASSISTED DIPS:

60lb x5

60lb x4

60lb x3

SEATED DIPS:

(90lb x10) 3x

FRIDAY 1/30

OUTER THIGH:

SQUAT POSITION (not seated)

50lb x10

80lb x10

100lb x5

SEATED - LOW FEET

70lb x10

MID FEET

70lb x10

HIGH FEET

60lb x10

INNER THIGH:

(50lb x10) 2x

50lb x8

BACK SQUAT:

65lb x10 wide

95lb x10 normal

135lb x4

Bar 1.5 reps x10

65lb 1.5 reps x8

85lb 1.5 reps x4

45° LEG PRESS:

CALF RAISES

(190lb x10) 3x

LEG PRESS:

190lb x10

280lb x7

370lb x1

BULGARIAN BAG WALKING LUNGES:

(26lb x3 ea. Leg) 4x

••••••••••

     I'm inching my way closer to going up in weight on the bench. I got a solid 5 sets of 3. Next week I should be able to get 3 sets of 5. I'm also very happy with the inclines at 40lb a hand. Getting stronger makes me happy. The squats though, well, I'm not so happy with. This cold weather is just wrecking my knees. They ache constantly. I was feeling just OK when I started but the 135lb proved too much for my left knee and it protested loudly. SO I decided to lighten it up and do reps instead. I'm surprised I even got that one rep at 380lb on the leg press. One was enough though!

Chat GPT has me unevenly loaded!

   I think we should be good to go for a regular schedule next week. We're supposed to get another storm this weekend but not nearly as bad as last week - only about 3" this go 'round instead of 20". Here's to hoping my knees hold out. They're beginning to make me worry. 

It's Been A Decade Since I Did This

     It's my favorite day of the week and I didn't miss it! I got some good stuff done. Take a look:

••••••••••

BACK SQUAT:

Bar x10

95lb x10

135lb x8

155lb x4

155lb x5

155lb x3

(135lb x5) 2x

LEG EXTENSIONS / BACK RAISE W/TWIST:

(90lb x10 (slow) / x10) 3x

*I had initially started with 120lbs and got 5 reps, but my right knee was beginning to protest. I lightened the weight substantially and did slow, deliberate reps instead.

LAYING HAMSTRING CURLS:

(80lb x10) 3x

CALF RAISES (SEATED LEG PRESS MACHINE):

(100lb x10) 3x

*I also was going to do some leg presses, but decided against it after feeling some pain. 

MULTI HIP MACHINE:

INNER:

29lb x12 ea.

35lb x10 ea.

41lb x8 ea.

OUTER:

(35lb x8) 3x ea.

••••••••••

     It has been 10 years since I've done that weight for reps. I may not have gotten a full 3 sets of 5, but I'm so proud of what I did get! They felt good, and stable. The last couple were a little shaky, but I'll still take it. Now, that being said, my right knee is a wee bit upset. I'll baby it this weekend and it should be good to go.

     We will probably be missing Monday's session because a big snow storm is expected for Sunday through Monday. We're looking at about 20" and I LOVE IT! In any case, it'll give me and extra day to rest my knee lol.

Smoldering Shoulders

     My goal tonight was to hit my shoulders and show them who's boss. Here's how I tried to do it:

••••••••••

DB SEATED O.H. PRESS:

25lb x10

30lb x7

35lb x2

(30lb x5) 3x

EZ BAR SKULL CRUSHERS:

30lb x10

(40lb x8) 2x

DB PULLOVER:

(35lb x10) 3x

     The idea for the next two exercises came from a video that I found today. You can watch it below.

SUPER ROM REAR FLY:

20lb x5

(15lb x10) 3x

SUPER ROM FIZED BAR FRONT RAISE:

(20lb x10) 3x

ISOLATERAL SHOULDER PRESS:

(+10lb x8) 2x

REVERSE PEC DEC:
60lb x10

60lb x8

60lb x5

••••••••••

     I was toasted by those last flys. I was going to do the cross body cable Y that was in that video as well, but I just didn't have it in me. Nothing earth-shattering tonight, but I'm pleased; I guess.

     We went out for sushi last night to celebrate our anniversary, I didn't overeat but I know that it totally busted my macros. Then we had a cupcake for dessert. I'm not beating myself up for it - it was our anniversary for God's sake. I got back on the macro train today but the ride sucked and I want to complain to the owner of the railroad. I'm not able to hit the targets, I'm just not. I'm starting to really hate this even though I know it's what I should be doing. I'm hoping this is just a speed bump that I'll get over soon. 

     The gym was super busy when we got there and then all of a sudden -poof! All of the people cleared out. I swear, people seem to be doing like, 5 reps and calling it a night. Maybe they're right and I'm doing too much? I dunno. I might be, but I find it enjoyable so I like to do a lot. 

     Tomorrow is squat day. Here's to hoping my knees hold out. 

No Irritation

     The gym was busy tonight with a lot of new people. I hope they stick with their new routines, I know how hard it can be. For us, it wasn't too difficult to get some benching done. Here's what we did:

••••••••••

INCLINED BENCH:

55lb x12

65lb x8

(95lb x3) 3x

DECLINED BENCH:

95lb x10

FLAT BENCH:

95lb x10

115lb x3

(125lb x5 w/4.5" block) 3x

135lb x3 w/4.5" block

145lb x3 w/4.5" block

*My plan was to start with flat bench to try and get a full 3 dets of 5 with the 125lb. All the benches were taken though, forcing us to start with incline. By the time a bench opened up, I was already tired and I knew I wouldn't be able to hit the 125lb. That's why I threw the block on there. 

ISOLATERAL SEATED ROWS:

30lb x12

40lb x12

(50lb x5) 3x

SINGLE ARM:

30lb x12

35lb x8

LAT PRAYERS:

35lb x12

(45lb x5) 3x

SEATED CHEST FLYS:

90lb x10

100lb x5

SINGLE ARM:

60lb x12 ea.

••••••••••

     There was a time, in the not so distant past, that any disruption to my scheduled session would've sent me over the edge. I'm happy to say, that it didn't really affect me tonight. It started to. I was kind of irritated that I had basically worn myself out before my working sets and that I wasn't going to be able to hit my target. I took a minute and realized that progress was still happening, I was just going about it differently. Next week, I'll try again for those elusive 3 sets of 5 at 125lb. I have a good feeling that I just may make them.

     There's still lots of new people in the gym. I get that it's frustrating to have more people milling about and using equipment that we need to use, but I realize that I was one of those newbies last April. I hope that they all stick with it, actually. I hope they grind through the hard times and I hope they succeed. Although, I wouldn't complain if they found a way to do it at a different time of day. 

     That's about all for tonight. Tomorrow is not only my rest day, but our anniversary! A happy ten years to us! Who knows, I may even go wild and allow myself a cupcake. 

All Mixed Up

     I missed last Friday (more on that later) so tonight was a must-do. Deadlifts went down tonight, or should I say, they went up? Either way, here's what went in the log books:

••••••••••

DEADLIFTS:

111lb x10

155lb x8

199lb x6

221lb x1.75 - I completed 1, went for the second but didn't lock out because my grip was gibing out. 

221lb x1

At this point, I decided to bite the bullet and switch to mixed grip.

221lb x3

Feeling emboldened by the ease of those three, I decided a smart thing to do was add 67lbs.

287lb FAIL - who could've seen that coming?

265lb FAIL

199lb x3

BARBELL RDL:

155lb x3 - Grip was really weak and I was worried I couldn't get more.

(155lb x5) 2x

LEG EXTENSIONS:

(120lb x10) 3x

SEATED HAMSTRING CURLS:

(120lb x10) 2x

80lb x10

••••••••••

     Last Friday was not a good day. I was feeding our stray cat, Patchy and I was crouched down putting her food in her house. As I stood up, there was a sharp, tearing-type pain under my right knee cap. I yelled, probably something profane and not worth repeating and scared the hell out of poor Patchy, but after I managed to get upright, there really was no lingering pain.

     A little later on, whilst scrubbing the toilet in a similar crouched position, the same thing happened. Only, the cat that heard me scream profanities this time around was our housecat, Dottie and this time, I couldn't get up. I had to scootch myself on my behind over to the door frame and pull myself up. Yet again, in an upright position - no lingering pain.

     Fast forward a couple of hours later and as I was sitting no the couch, my right knee started throbbing and burning and just hurting something awful. It was the same type of pain that I had the time that I hurt my knee out in the garden. I had Emily get me the ace bandage, I wrapped the friggin thing, swallowed some ibuprofen and figured I'd call the doc on Monday, but knew there was no way in hell I could go squat.

     I never needed to call though because when I woke up on Saturday, I was 100% pain free. I mean, crouching, standing, sitting - no pain at all. The thing I figure is that my frickin knee cap must have gotten slightly off track and then got pushed back in when I wrapped it. It was fine all weekend and today it was OK as well. With all that being put behind me, I trotted myself to the gym this evening and hit a new PR of 221lb for 3 reps. I was, of course, sleeved up because I wasn't taking any chances. The knees seemed to hold up and are only a little sore at the moment. So that's good. 

     Let's talk about the deads though! I was struggling with the 221lb. I was getting them, but my hands were failing, big time. Frank suggested mixed grip which I've never really utilized. It always felt weird to me so I just always went conventional grip and figured I would get stronger. He gave me the look, so I tried it. Wouldn't cha know that weight went up like it was nuthin! Was it stupid to try those heavier weights? Yes, we all know it was but stupid never stopped me before. This has given me some new energy though. Next week, I'm going for a deadlift max with a mixed grip. I'm curious to see how far I can get. Honestly, that weight didn't feel all that bad which makes me believe my legs are not my limiting factor. I'm not going to do all the lifts with mixed grip, obviously. My hands still need to get stronger and they will. I'll switch it up when I feel them starting to go. Right now, that seems to be 199lb. I'm kind of excited. 

     Finally, a word on nutrition. Still tracking, still a little frustrated, still plugging along. My numbers are getting better; getting closer to hitting the target numbers as I dial in the foods that work. Egg whites have helped a lot. I do 3 egg whites and one whole egg and that seems to work fairly well as an omelet with veggies. Low fat cottage cheese used as a salad dressing has also worked well. My weight is down 8lbs as well. Now if I could find a way to sleep better, I'd be happy as a pig in poo. 

      I'm exhausted and there's a cup of tea and some trash T.V. calling my name. 

Reset

     I was totally bummed yesterday and tried over and over to put together a post to reflect all of my frustration. It just never came together and I deleted everything and gave up. Tonight was much better and shoulder night went down fairly well. Here's the low down:

••••••••••

O.H. PRESS:

STRICT:

55lb x12

65lb x6

(77lb x3) 3x

PUSH:

89lb x5

99lb x3

109lb x1

111lb x1

KB PUSH PRESS:

20lb x10 ea.

35lb x8 ea.

45lb x3 ea.

DB RAISES:

LAT / FRONT / REAR FLY

(12lb x8/x8/x8) 3x

ISOLATERAL PRESS:

(+10lb x10) 3x

SEATED REAR FLY:

(70lb x10) 3x

••••••••••

     I don't want to say it's for certain, but that may have been a PR on the push press. It's been so long since I've gone heavy on those that I'm not really sure. I'll hold back on the celebration for now. I did belt up for the heavier presses because last week my back was a little wigged out with the presses. It seemed to help tonight and as of right now, there's no pain or discomfort. I felt a huge pump on my shoulders tonight, they were tight and hard as rocks so there's no room for complaints or regerts (yes, I meant that typo).

     Last night, my mood sucked. I was over it, all of it - the tracking, the figuring out what to eat, what not to eat, the scale going back up 5lbs, the body not changing as fast as I want or in the ways that I want. It was all too much and came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks. I went to bed sullen and as wrung out as yesterday's wash cloth. I didn't sleep very well (as usual) but what little rest I did get must have been a good reset. I can't say that I woke up feeling refreshed but I was definitely adjusted and accepting of reality. Am I where I want to be in the gym? Of course not. But when I look back at my training notes, there's undeniable proof that I'm getting stronger. Those numbers just don't lie. As far as nutrition, well, it's not what it should be and the only way to deal with that is to make better choices - more clean foods, lower fat foods, better quality protein. At the same time, I have to realize that it's not realistic to hit the exact macro numbers; it's just not. They're guide posts to keep me on the right path, not jail cell walls that I'm never allowed to leave. I still eat better than most of the people I know. 

And for that damn scale, it can go all the way to hell and back. I had to remind myself that the goal was to lose 1lb per week. I've been doing this for about 2 weeks so I should only be down to 198lb. When I got on the scale this morning, it may have reflected just that. I'm not positive on it because I can't read the damn lines. Again, reality check Michelle. It's not realistic to be losing 5lbs a week and as one of my friends pointed out, if I did lose that, it was probably water.

     Anyhow, tonight I'm in a much better headspace. I'm pleased with the training, kinda pleased with my progress and most of all pleased that I have not given up. I thought I'd bring back my old motivational quote

That will never not get to me. Now it's tea time.

No PR's Were Harmed In Tonight's Session

     I took a mental health day from work today. I also took some mental health time and went to the gym. It was bench day today. Here's what I accomplished:

••••••••••

BENCH:

65lb x10

95lb x8

115lb x6

(125lb x5) 2x

125lb x4

(95lb 1.5 reps x3) 3x

INCLINED BENCH / DB UNDERHAND FLY:

(65lb x5 / 14lb x5) 3x

DECLINE:

115lb x5

(115lb x4) 2x

DB BENCH:

35lb x8

(45lb x3) 2x

*I was pretty gassed at this point

DB CHEST FLY:

15lb x6

(15lb x10) 2x

ASSISTED DIPS:

50lb x5

50lb x4

50lb x3

••••••••••

     Nothing earth-shattering happened tonight but I gave it everything that I had. I still wasn't able to complete 3 full sets at 125lb which was a little aggravating, but I know next Tuesday I'll probably get it. I did progress a wee bit on the assisted dips so that was good.

     My nutrition was about the same today - I was 11 grams over on my fat and everything else was under. I give up. I'm not really hungry right now. If I do eat, I know it will send my fat grams even higher but at this point I don't really give a damn. I'm too tired to give a damn. Between stressing over food, not sleeping and being frustrated with my day job, I'm on the edge of just throwing my hands up and giving up. I probably won't, but that's what I feel like. Constantly swimming against the tide is tiresome. Just once I'd like to float for a bit.