A Little Better

BENCH:
2 part bench (press / forward) x10 
Bar 4/1 x10
65lb x3 
85lb x3 
95lb x3 
[ 105lb x5 ] 5x 
95lb x3 
75lb x3 
Bar x30 (max)
●●●●●●●●●●
Rear Pull downs:
(Machine).
18.5lbs x20
31lbs x20
43.5lbs x10
56lbs x5
Standing front pull downs
18.5lbs x20
31lbs x20
●●●●●●●●●●
Tonight was a bit better than last. The dog stayed out of the way and I was able to concentrate on what I was doing. While it's not a marathon session, I got in a solid 5x5 on bench with a couple extras thrown in. As long as I can get my main lifts in, I'm satisfied. I'll take the accessories as they come. 
Tomorrow is Wednesday and that means it's class night. It's back around to overhead presses and squats tomorrow. I double up because I have extra time on Wednesdays. 
Tomorrow will also make 3 days in a row for training. I'm happy with that because it feels like forever since I was on any sort of regular routine. My discipline has sucked lately. I let my attention wander and let my willpower dwindle. I can't accept that for a number of reasons so I'm changing it. Period.

There's An Entire House

RACK PULLS:
95lb x10 
135lb x3 (belt)
155lb x3 
185lb x3 
[20lbs x5] 2x 
Pain in left hip/back
●●●●●●●●●●
Hung from pull up bar
[Hanging knee raises x10] 5x 
●●●●●●●●●●
Hamstring Curls
50lb x18
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And that's when my pissed off levels reached their limit. Between nearly hitting the dog during the rack pulls, smelling his nasty ass gas emissions, nearly hitting him again during g the hamstring curls and listening g to my daughter yell at the dog, I was done. Granted, she was trying to help, but it had the opposite effect.
There's an entire fucking house for everyone to utilize but they all choose the basement when  I need to train. 
I hate interruptions, idle chit chat and obstacles while I'm working out. We don't have a lot of space down there as it is and to have a 6 year old trying to shoo an 85lb dog out of the scant 6 square feet that I need is just too much. 
So tonight, I am done. In more ways than one. I'll try again tomorrow. As for that push up challenge...yeah, no. Not tonight.

Sometimes We Fail

"Bring Sally Up" pushup challenge - FAIL. 1:07
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SQUATS:
65lb x10 
75lb x3 
95lb x3 
115lb x3 
[140lb x5] 5x 
●●●●●●●●●●
SPLIT SQUATS:
B.W. x15 ea. Leg
20lb x10 ea.
30lb x5 ea.
●●●●●●●●●●
CURL MEDLEY:
[20lb Hammer x12 / 15lb Spartan x12 / 10lb bicep x12] 4x
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Lots of thoughts going through my head right now, none of which I want to put life too. So there's my training notes for the night. 

NEW PR!!!

SQUATS:
Bar x10
95lb x3
105lb x3
125lb x3
[135lb x5] 5x
Bar wide/mid/narrow (paused for 3 count @ bottom) x10 ea
•••••••••••
60lb DB shrugs x30

PRESS:
65lb x3
75lb x3
95lb x3
105lb x2
110lb x1

DB ROWS:
50lb x10 ea
55lb x8 ea
60lb x6 ea

STEP UPS W/CURL:
24" 15lb x10 ea
24" 20lb x8 ea.
12" 35lb x6 ea
12" 40lb x4 ea
•••••••••••
[15lb Renegade rows x5 ea / Mountain Climbers x10] 3x
•••••••••••
I didn't get to do as many squats as I wanted because some people showed up early for class, but at least I got a solid 5x5 in . I felt quite a "pinch" in my left hip when I did the first 95lb squat. I was worried that it was going to end the night. I stretched for a minute and then jumped up to the pullup bar on the squat rack. I let my weight drop "forcefully" and I felt a lovely clunk in my low back that seemed to put everything back in line. I don't really recommend just dropping your weight like that, but it's what seems to work for me, so I'm good with that. 
I was going to do a strict 5x5 on presses, but by that time, everyone was in class and I didn't want to hold things up, so I figured I would try for a max (which I haven't done in quite some time). I'm super pleased to have hit a PR of 110lb! I haven't had a PR on anything in what seems like forever, so this made me feel great! I actually felt like I had a little more in me, but we'll save that for next time (wink wink).
Justin gave me an earful last week about not having a program to follow. So I made the effort to jump back into my 5x5. I'm recommitting myself to it and its structure and I'm also nailing down more time at home to get it done. Frank has surprised me with a squat rack so once that shows up and we maneuver it into the basement I'll be squatting like a maniac! (I hope).
So, anyhow....yup. New PR. hehehehe

I Hate You

FRONT SQUATS:
Bar x10
55lb x3
65lb x3
[80lb x5] 5x
••••••••••
HAMSTRING CURLS:
30lb x20
40lb x15
50lb x10
60lb x8
70lb x6
••••••••••
LEG EXTENSIONS:
(NASCAR Drop Sets)
70lb x6
60lb x8
50lb x10
40lb x15
30lb x20
••••••••••
BARBELL RDL:
55lb x20
75lb x10
95lb x8
115lb x6
135lb x3
••••••••••
I hate you, front squats. I hate you. Plain and simple. Which is precisely why I will keep doing you until I kill you. I had my trusty videographer film me for technique. Ugh....may I say that I also hate this video. My knees are caving in, my stance is a little too wide and I'm leaning too far forward (as usual). I slowed down and tried to correct somethings. I know it will get better as I get stronger. I'm embarrassed at the measley amount of weight on the bar, but that embarrassment will drive me to get stronger. 
I'm happy that at least I got in another day of training. I'm already feeling the benefits of the increased activity.

Welp, The Ball Is Rolling

BENCH:
Bar 4/1 x10
3 part bench x10 (press, back, forward)
65lb x3 
95lb x3 
[105lb x5] x2
115lb x5
120lb x1
120lb x1
●●●●●●●●●●
SEATED SHOULDER PRESS:
[Behind the neck x10 /  front press x10] 2x 
●●●●●●●●●●
FRANK'S BENCH PRESS WORK:
95lb x10 
175lb x10
185lb x10
195lb x10 
205lb x10
Seated presss:
Behind the neck 65lb x10 / front press 65lb x10
Behind the neck 75lb x10 / front press 75lb x10
●●●●●●●●●●
While I didn't do any formal training yesterday, I did spend a couple of hours covering cars and snowmobiles during the rain/snow and then shoveling a fair chunk of said wet snow.  Needless to say, my back was sore. Tonight I did some upper body to give it some rest. It went ok. I'm sort of glad to get up to 120lb for 2 sets of 1. I need to increase my training. There's just no doubt about it. There's also no doubt that other areas of my life are going to "suffer". That may be a but of a dramatic statement, after aall, suffering is relative. But it means that dinners will be a bit later, the dishes may not get done before dinner and I'll need to seriously change my prepping game. 
It's a challenge, to be sure, but I've always been fond of a challenge.

Dead Inside

DEADS:
135lb x10
155lb x5
175lb x3
185lb x3
200lb x4
200lb x1
185lb x1

And that was it. I had planned on breaking to go make dinner and then go downstairs again to do some back accessory work, but, well....it never happened. However, I am pleased that I made 4 reps at 200lbs. I had my daughter take a video so I could see my form, and it's not bad. I'm still moving my weight out over my toes too much so that's telling me that I still need to strengthen my hamstrings and posterior chain, but other than that it didn't go too badly. I was going to try for another set of 4, but I got one more and my back started to feel wiggy and tight. so I dropped the weight.  It still felt like it was going to get angry with me so I stopped. I'm learning to listen to my back, it usually knows what it's talking about. I was going to wait and do dead lifts at the gym, but I think I'll get some squats in tonight and do all the accessory work that I didn't get to last night - back and legs. I'm still moving slowly, but still moving. Now all I need to do is pick up some momentum and I'll be golden. 

BAGS!

Shrugs:
2, 60lb DB x30
••••••••••
[Bulgarian bag (75lbs) squat x10 / Bulgarian bag calf raises x20] 3x
Bulgarian bag squats wide/mid/narrow x10 ea
Baulgarian bag calf raises x60
••••••••••
[Medium sandbag lifts x5 / bag squats x5] 3x
••••••••••
[KB 1 arm swing x10 / KB thrusters x3] x2 @ 20lb, x2 @ 35lb
••••••••••
Reverse hyper x10
Back raises +8lb x4, body weight x4
••••••••••
DB Bench:
20lb x3
25lb x3
30lb x3
[40lb x5] 5x
30lb x3
25lb x3
20lb x3
20lb x10 4/1
••••••••••
DB Chest Flys:
20lb x20
25lb x15
30lb x10
35lb x5
••••••••••
Plate Pullovers:
25lb x20
35lb x15
45lb x10
(all done with bumper plates)
••••••••••
Goblet squat x10 / goblet squat w/rotation x5 ea side / renegade rows x5 ea side
15lb, 20lb, 25lb 
No rest between weight changes
••••••••••
I don't know what the exact weight on the m
"medium" sandbag was. It felt heavier than the bulgarian bag, but not by much. If I had to guess I'd say about 90lbs. Justin has a lovely way of not knowing how much the stuff actually weighs which drives my obsessive brain into total dysfunction. 
I had fun last night! I felt like I was back in a happy place, not just grinding out a chore. The lifts felt good and the weight was easy. I love sandbag lifts because you truly use your ENTIRE body. From your calves to your thighs, to your trunk and shoulders - everything gets involved in hoisting that bag up to your chest. It's great!
I also felt good with the DB bench presses. I was actually surprised that I got the 40lbs up for the entire working set. I can't wait to see what I'll be able to overhead press. I also am excited to maybe get under that new yoke at the gym and give it a whirl. I've never done yoke carries before, but I want to. I'm curious to see how much weight I'll be able to move. This is where my heart is, this is where I belong even if my back yells at me from time to time. I like powerlifting too, but strongman is my choice. 
I want to keep this feeling going. I didn't want to go to the gym at all last night. I was dreading it, to be honest. But I knew that I NEEDED it. I worked sensibly through the frustrations of my day, worked steadily through aggravation and negative feelings and I left feeling better, more relaxed and more focused. I enjoy the high that lifting brings me, it's like nothing else.