Brute's Book

Training
281

Man. I really miss all the PW. So so dead here.

Anyways. This week has been a stressful one. My job has decided to make some major cuts and bottom line is my hours have increased…and my days off decreased. However I also get to look forward to less pay and less dyas off… WOOPEE. Its way too long of a story to type out and not that its interesting to anyone but my long lasting work buddies…but ti just sucks big time. Huge slap in the face for things we techs had done nothing but improve. Management just has some issues managing.

So I’ve been bummed out since this all came down on tuesday. Its stressful to think of having to rearrange your life and maybe get a new job after such a long time at my place. Just sucks. There are good points too it sorta but nah…the main thing was how hard we worked to accomplish something 2 years ago and its been great and worked well for the hospital and pt care, our morale as a team, but they don’t give a shit–thats what’s kicking me in the teeth.

Lifts
Today
front squats 180, 200x4, 205x3, 210x3, 210x2, 205x3, 205x3, 215, 220, dumped 225
185x5 x 2 sets, 180x4, 180x2
full zerchers- but with the puspad I have tender elbows- 205x3 x 3 sets
anderson zerchers 220x3, 240
reverse alt lunge gm combo 95x 9 total

that’s all. I’m really bummed out. :{

282

Sorry to hear about your work stresses!!

I think about you whenever I squat now, I dunno why. I think it’s cause your legs are so crazy strong and I have been using everything BUt my leg muscles up until this point and now I am finally doing things semi-properly. I dunnooo, I want strong brute legs. SOMEDAY I WILL.

:smiley:

283

Awwww I’m sorry to hear all that Brute :frowning: Keep your chin up girl! Tho change can be super stressful sometimes it opens up bigger and better doors!
Take care!

And I also liked your chin vid! Way to go!

284

:)!!! Thanks SPOCK!! Well…I can’t say I’ll ever have a nice bench like you–EVER :D!! I do love leg stuff:)

Thanks Coyote…DAMN. It makes me way bummed out. And you’re absolutely right about bigger and better things. I am so emotionally invested in my team at work its like a family…ARGH. :{

This week I’ve eaten like shit. And have for the first time in a long time chapped lips–from whatever food I’ve mashed into my face. Just bummed. I think next week the militant angry phase will come in since its when my new phase of awful work starts. GRRRRAAHHHHHHH

D:<

285

DOUBLE POST: SO i’ll inject more anger.

MAHHHHHHHHHH

286

Sorry to hear about the work stress. I liked the story about the competition with your sister. Do I remember correctly that you are twins? I am a twin. We did not compete like that but had some great workouts.

Your workouts still look like they are kicking ass. I read your log and it motivates me to work harder.

I hope work gets better and does not mess with the holidays.

287

HKD!!! Its good to hear from you!! Thank you!! And yes indeed, I am a twin as well :)!

Today was actually pretty good. I’m pleased :slight_smile:

Deads 185, 245, 285, 295x4, 310x4, 315x3x 4 sets
added belt 315x3, 325, 325x2
ditched belt deficit deads 250x5, 270x5
big rom ssb gm’s x12 x 2 sets

288

New work scedule started this week so my lofting days are a bit off. Also I was QUITE sore from monday nights pull up party.

I am kinda free balling it for a while since I reached my goal of ten wild pull ups, now I am working on ten GOOD ones. SO I did lots of sets and misc reps for a total of 84. It felt good.

Tuesday was just cardio - treadmill stuff

Today
fs 180, 200x4, 210x2, 215x2, 220, 220, 220, 225, 205x3, 200 I bottomed out! ha!
anderson fs 135x5, 175x3 then I was over it.

Well I figured I am just pleased to get 225 again after these few weeks of whatever the hell has been up and making me miss lifts.

I did chest supported rows for the 2nd or 4th time in my life. Man, doing pull ups really opened up a part of me that is starting to like upper back work.

CS rows a very tiny amount of wt on thing. Sets of 10 to 5 with wt of 10 to 40 loaded on.
db benching 35’s x10, 40’x 10 x 2 sets

situps with a 45 x 40

289

[quote]brute_fury wrote:
situps with a 45 x 40
[/quote]

What?

290

[quote]csulli wrote:

[quote]brute_fury wrote:
situps with a 45 x 40
[/quote]

What?[/quote]

LOL! She is so humble about her core of steel…

291

JEEBUS! I would be beached :smiley:

292

:smiley: ha! Thanks guys!! :slight_smile: I will glady take all compliments…but I think the situps sound harder then they really are. :slight_smile:

Today I’m thinking I need to change up my scheme. I believe I have some lower back weakness. I need to get some work in there on extensions and gms and stuff. I’ve always thought I have a strong lower back but I think I’ve been mistaken.

FS 180, 200, 210x2, 215x2, 220x2 x 2 sets, 200x4x2 sets, 200x3

kept dropping way too low and I bombed number 4 of my last set of 200. Also glad to get a double of 220 again even thought it was a fight.
185x4, 185x4, 195x3
ss with big range of motion gm’s barx8, 115x8 x 2 sets

back extensions bw x 20 -I need to do these. It felt very good to do but I never do them. I need to do those high rep glute activation thingies too. All the things I say…but will I do them?? I’m getting old and lazy.

abbreviated speed walking incline for a mile since I was out of time.

293

Great work on the pull ups and weighted sit ups. Hope the work schedule is not too disruptive.

294

:D!! Thanks HKD! ugh…week one has been completed. I don’t know how long I can take it with this work schedule. And whoopie me, now Xmas week I work 6 days straight starting with xmas. :frowning: Chumps.

Through out the last few days I’ve done some pull ups at home after work. I can now do 11 in a set! I’m going to keep trying to complete the assignment I got from my pull up guru that I’ve STILL failed the last three weeks or so. Tonight might…I dunno. Its been a sticking point for me for all this time.

Today was ok
Deads 185, 245, 275, 300x4, 315 x3 x 4 sets, 315x2, popped on the belt 315x3, 325 didn’t go at all !
belt off 285x4 x 3 sets, 285 x 3 x 4 sets

ghr’s --MAN. The full range of motion ones kill my knee/quads. If I could get over the smashing squashing pain of my quads mashed against that stupid thing in a bad spot I’d be able to do more. As it was I did 5 then moved the feet back a slot for the rest of my sets. SO not full range of motion but not murdering my knee-quad area.

ghr’s 4 sets of 8
back ext on the ghr’s 3 sets of 10-15
ssb gm’s of lil wt misc pounds added for sets of 8, bar only 2 sets of 15 bigger rom

295

Today was just cardio and misc
speedwalking etc incline etc 2 miles
db benching 35’s x 12, 40’s x10, 45’x 8
chest supported rows --machine thing plus 35#x10 x 2 sets, 45# x 5 x 2 sets, 40# x8

and like 3 dips. total.

Last night I ended up failing AGAIN my pull up assignment but I got : 5 sets of 9, a set of 8, then about 8 sets of 5.

296

[quote]brute_fury wrote:
Last night I ended up failing AGAIN my pull up assignment but I got : 5 sets of 9, a set of 8, then about 8 sets of 5.[/quote]

Argy. I’d kill for that. I’m happy to hit one set of 7 and then drop a rep on each subsequent set. I’m wondering if you use the cue to pull your chest to the bar? Punnyguy in the O35 suggested I do that and I’ve found it really helps my form. Also, have you noticed any carryover to your bench? I think it might be helping me stay tighter and engage my back more in flat bench. Just curious if you’d noticed anything similar.

297

[quote]brute_fury wrote:
ghr’s --MAN. The full range of motion ones kill my knee/quads. If I could get over the smashing squashing pain of my quads mashed against that stupid thing in a bad spot I’d be able to do more. As it was I did 5 then moved the feet back a slot for the rest of my sets. SO not full range of motion but not murdering my knee-quad area.[/quote]

All GHR’s are not made equal. My gym has a really annoying one that stabs the crap out of your legs too.

298

[quote]cueball wrote:
Hey, Brute. Thought I’d chime in on your “2 part lift”. I have dealt with this issue for years and it’s always held back my squat progress. I get to a certain weight and either stall indefinitely or hurt myself trying to go higher.

Anyway, what I see in your squat is:

1)Your hips come up and back before your torso elevates.

2)To compensate for this you have to good-morning the weight the rest of the way.

I did this forever. The cues (well, really just one) that helped my get past this is to forget about moving the weight, and your hips, up. Think about throwing your hips forward. It’s hip hinging. Hips back, hips forward. Granted, you do drop down since you have to bend at the knees, but after you hit the bottom thrust you hips forward instead of trying to “stand up”.

The two best exercises I’ve found to help this is rack pulls and RDLs with a good hip pop or extension at the top. The rack pulls (a bit lighter weight for higher reps, like 6-8) will strengthen your lower back so you don’t “fold over” and the RDLs will help with the hinging and cueing your brain to throw your hips forward. I usually do one of these immediately AFTER squatting.

Keep in mind that throwing your hips forward will be difficult if your knees cave.

Nice work. Always good to see ladies throwing around weights like you do. Good luck!
[/quote]

Hell yeah. I like your ideas for corrections. Yo Brute, your hips ar moving first down, and first upwards… Hips first down and chest should be the first mover upwards, this one was key for me… Also, I changed foot placement more duck style, and really made an effort to push the knees and feet outwards. I’ll tell you, it feels a lot more like a 1 part lift. Your front squat is killer, when I made my change to more duck foot wide placement, I really felt the stress of the weight go from lumbar to hips, and pelvis/coccyx to an extent, leg stress stayed the same.

299

HEY SNAP!!! Why yes…I was given that chest tip too–to lead with your chest…and I told you that in your log as well! It suer has made a big difference !! As for carry over in bench…it might do if I actually benched. I don’t even pretend to bench anymore. At all.

I will say the pull ups have completely changed my upper body and given me more shape then I’d ever had before in my back.

HEy Csuli!! You know I think the same goes for reverse hyper machines. MY GOD. The one at my turbo gym…has got to be a mess up. Its just far to awkward.

Hey Severiano! Thanks for popping in! Yeap…yeap…I just. YeAH. One day I’ll readdress my back squat. ONE day. I’m not really even interest in it lately. I have a plan to increase my lower back strength for now, the squats I’ll be doing are ssb ones and fronties. I do appreciate the tips! And when the day comes when I want to back squat again I’ll have food for though!

300

Today
SSB squats and fronties
fronties 175, 195, 205, 215, 225 NOPE >:(

started ssb’s all bars being 45# rule for the wt’s. First few sets I did just ssb, then after a couple I started to ss with fs

ssb 135x3, 165x3, 185x3 x2 sets, 195x3 x 3 sets, 200x3, 175x5 x 2 sets
fs 185x3, 190x3, 195x3, 200x3, 205, 210, 215, 220

Strange “workout” . Not to jazzed about the continued stae of my fs. AH WELL.

ghr’s not full rom- bw x15 x 2 sets
45 degree back extensions bw x20
ghr abs x 20

That’s it. :{ HMM.

Well my new goal after seeing Rheta West ssb squat (while in an arm sling healing a shoulder injury) 335x2 I now want a nice ssb squat, max and a set of good looking reps. I don’t know if I’ve ever really PR’d or tested them for any max or whatever and is I did it wasn’t much. Its starting all from the bottom with those for me . Might be a bit of a way to boost my fs as well since form what I’ve learned its a similar dynamic.

While I’m at it I can say some goals for the new year. Of the top of my head

I’d like a set of 15 pull ups.
I’d like a front squat of 245. Or 250!
I’d like a 365 deadlift.
I’d like a 160 push press.

Status as of now for these goals is I can do 11 pull ups, my max fs was 230–only achieved ONCE, my max deadlift --which I’ve only gotten ONCE is 350, my max push press which I’ve achieved a couple times is 153.

Small yet for me Herculean goals.I know I do my own thing which probably limits my growth but I like it enough to keep it up… Those pull ups I admit to be my most prized! The deadlift will probably take me the longest, followed by the fs. We’ll see.

AS an update, last years goals were a 225 fs, a 350 deadlift, and a set of 10 pull ups. GOT EM! Maybe the first time I’ve achieved a lifting goal that I actually wrote out.