4/12: Chimp Mode.
Spent the morning prepping concrete, picking up a 140 lb metal cellar door at Lowes, placing it as a mock up for the masonry/carpentry piece.
Felt decent so just went with the flow. Ended up having the best full body (or any split) session in awhile.
Simply rocked out quality, medium heavy reps/sets on: cable upright row, T bar variant, PJR tricep, high incline press, and wrapped it up with habilitative-hypertrophy on the legs (leg extension +hamstring curl). Pretty much everything was traditional rest-pause a la DC training.
Nice.
4 Likes
4/14: Not a full body…full body
Spider curls: 1 high rep set-pump
Incline dumbell curl: 3 sets, fixed weigh-tension
Medium-grip bench: ramp up, 1 set of 6 then clusters.
Slight Decline Dumbell pullover: started at 20 then 40, 50, 60, 70
Prone incline shrug-row: fixed weight, 3 standard sets
This was another banger of a session. Just started with biceps and from there, let my body tell me what was ready. Knees and back are cranky (beyond) from masonry, carpentry all weekend.
Likely emphasize the lower body next time. I think a leg extension/hammy curl superset before Zerchers or Bulgarians is where I need to go with these old man knees.
I remember John Meadows saying once: the best body part split is the one where you hit what’s ready to train on that given day.
This has some major “yeah, buts…” and so forth (don’t turn every day into guns and pecs day for example).
But if you are experienced, know recovery rates…it’s liberating.
3 Likes
4/16: I started with…
High rep pump set of hamstring curls+leg extension
Zercher squats sans knee sleeves: didn’t go great. 5 triples with a pathetically light weight. Lesson learned.
Dumbell row: strict, zero english. 2 sets.
Slight Incline dumbell press: same as above.
JM press: rest-pause.
DB lateral: half assed pump set.
Notes:
I think new allergy med is making me feel off.
Going by feel in these sessions. I generally can tell what is ready to train and what needs a break. More cellar door work this weekend. Have to get the mud out too.
Enjoying "mandatory " walks with my wife after work and training. I miss the days when could get in 5 miles just walking to and from work.
Getting 30 minute mid-day walk instead of compulsively trying to keep up on patient charting. Fuck that at the expense of my mental/physical health.
3 Likes
4/17: Extra
Did some extra bicep stuff while dinner was cooking. We got in a long walk after work. Gorgeous spring day.
Notes:
I’m finally developing a mind-muscle connection with my biceps. This is encouraging and entertaining. 32-33 years of lifting and direct bicep work was only my first few years.
It’s amazing how long we cling to identity. “I’m a powerlifter!” OR whatever, long past our competitive years and even more so the internal delusion of being XYZ when we never really did something professionally.
I train to be strong and as I age, not a broken pile of grisly tissue. And have fun. It’s kinda cool seeing muscles stand out that were previously weak points. Strong ass biceps are quite “functional”, but I, ironically, drank the KoolAid of "functional strength " that was a mental circle jerk all along.
3 Likes
4/19: Here’s what’s going on…
Bad back pain which is so rare for me it’s both shocking and surprising. But I’m 99% sure of the “why”. And it ain’t the lifting.
Did the following:
Cable upright row: hit a PR first work set. Nice. Love this movement.
Slight decline DB pullover: worked up to a measly 60 lbs from 20 lbs. Stiff on this movement so exercised caution.
Medium-grip Bench: rest-pause set. Really milked every rep on this. Phenomenal stretch in the pecs.
Prone incline row: this is another keeper. Hits all that other stuff more lat focused movements don’t nail quite as much. I think "gorilla muscles ": upper back, traps, etc.
Habilitative hypertrophy: 1 high rep set each of hammy curl, leg extension.
It’s amazing. Literally couldn’t put my socks on in the morning then I start lifting and things feel great. An hour later? I’m all seized up.
Since this is a catch up recording, marginally better on the pain. Do some dead hangs and rolling around later.
3 Likes
4/21
Back is 50% better. Up late “rescuing” my son and his friend well past bedtime. Car problems. Then proceeded to have my guts FUBAR’d for 24 hours by eating too many homemade cookies. Dysfunctional gallbladder. Reminds me…I need to call the scheduler back.
Just got quality work on the following because I feel like a dried up turd on a rough stretch of highway:
High incline press
Strict barbell curl
Seated cable J row
Cable push down
Just quality mix of standard, cluster, and rest-pause depending how I felt on the first work set. Felt good. Wanted to do some pulls but let the fire in the back chill.
3 Likes
4/23: Same but different…
Back feels better. Had to call in to work yesterday. Severe nausea, GI stuff. I fully suspect that gallbladder is just begging to be plucked. Just sipped on a quadruple scoop protein drink throughout the day.
Got in solid work on:
Standing cable lateral
Cable curl
Medium grip bench
Incline dumbell row
Hammy curl+DB stiff leg rep out.
2 Likes
4/25: Literally watching paint dry so…
Set of spider curls followed by a set of incline curls. Pump and stretch. Figured I should log it.
2 Likes