Cal's Big Log

Training
361

Combat Cal… You didn’t watch Games World did you? o_O

I got some good advice from Maraudermeat over on the Over 35 forum so yeah, I’m aware about the elbow thing. I’ve switched to front squats for the time being, for various reason.

As far as the toe-knee thing goes, I have large Q angles, particularly on the right leg. My right knee does not track over my foot (the left one does just about). Short of radical surgery I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about that. In terms of squatting, though, I physically cannot get to parallel without turning my feet out. I have very poor hip and ankle mobility. I’m working on this.

It is frustrating because my legs are naturally quite strong - I should be able to squat a house. But until I fix the mechanics, that’s not going to happen. I just have to exercise patience.

So on to today.

Week 3: Day 1

I didn’t sleep well last night - bed at 11pm, woke up at 3.30am then couldn’t get back to sleep. Ended up getting up at 4.30, playing Dragon Age and then hitting the gym around 6.45.

Bench Press:

Bar x 20, 30kg x 20, 40kg x 10, (working sets) 47.5kg x 5, 52.5kg x 3, 62.5kg x 5

I was up on my tippy toes a bit on the final set (137.5lbs if you’re interested) but I got 'em done without breaking anything.

Accessory work:

Body Rows (on locked Smith Machine)

10, 8, 6, 8

Dunno what happened with set 3 - I just ran out of steam. I’m persevering with these despite the fact I am lame at them.

Rack Pulls:

New this week! I set the pins pretty high (just above knee height) and concentrated on form - making sure I sit back rather than bending over and pulling, and also keeping my scaps retracted as much as poss.

Bar x 10, 40kg x 5, 50kg x 5, 60kg x 5, 70kg x 5, 80kg x 5, 90kg x 5

(90kg = 198lbs)

Was surprised I can keep reasonably good form even on the 90kg set. My deadlift problem is very obviously down to hip mobility, or lack thereof, so shortening the ROM fixes this. I’ll keep working the rack pulls until I can sort the hip problem - they allow me to continue heaving heavy iron without messing my back. I feel quite heartened by this as I was starting to lose confidence in myself.

Aside from 60 hyperextensions and some vigorous stretching, that was all I had time for today.

362

as if 60 hypers are anything to scoff at!

Impressive bench!!

And I hear ya on the rack pulls…I’m going to add those myself…it gives you the sense of ‘pulling back,’ and not pulling up…

363

exactly what MIM said, yeesh!

Now I’m off to look up rack pulls.

ps. legs that are strong enough to squat a house - heh

364

[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
Combat Cal… You didn’t watch Games World did you? o_O[/quote]

Not really. I was more of a PC geek, but “Cal” and “Games journo” did fire my few remaining memory cells.

[quote]I got some good advice from Maraudermeat over on the Over 35 forum so yeah, I’m aware about the elbow thing. I’ve switched to front squats for the time being, for various reason.
[/quote]

What Meat Says Goes. Period.

TQB

365

Yeah I worked on PC Review from 1993 - 1995, ComputerLife for about six months (stop-gap) and then PC Gaming World form 1996 - 2000. Did bits and bobs of freelance here and there as well, but nothing significant.

366

Lovely rack pulls. I’d love to try these myself, but I don’t have access to a squat rack with movable pins. I could, however, set up two steps with appropriate risers. Hmmm…

367

Not much to add today.

Week 3: Day 3

Front Squat:

Bar x 5, Bar x 5, Bar x 5, (working sets) 25kg x 5, 30kg x 3, 32.5kg x 6

Actually I can’t remember if it was 6 reps or 8 on the last set. I know I was tired in a whole body sort of way. (It’s kind of embarrassing that I can get exhausted squatting a weight I can easily push over my head but oh well).

Accessory work:

Leg Press:

40kg x 10
80kg x 10
80kg x 10

Haven’t used the leg press in years. It’s one of the 45 degree sleds which you add plates to. My ROM is very short on these - I can’t get my legs back very far towards my torso. Undecided on whether these are worth persisting with.

Reason I’m trying them is that my thighs don’t seem to get much stimulation from squatting - I get tired (as in my heart starts hammering and I get winded) but the quads don’t seem to get much out of it. I know it’s more of a hormonal/full body stimulator but I want to build up my sweep to help balance out my knock-kneed appearance.

Hip Thrusts:

3 x 60kg x 10 reps

Same as last week. Actually I’m finding I much prefer to do three sets of something than four or five, unless it’s a big exercise like bench of deadlifts. I have limited gym time in the mornings so it allows me to do more variety of exercises.

Leg Curls:

10 x 15kg
8 x 20kg
8 x 25kg

These are the single leg, bent over kneeling on a pad-type curls. I find them quite good.

Leg Abduction:

10kg/5kg: 10/10

Only did one set per leg so made it a breakdown (10 reps, then drop the weight and crank out 10 more).

Wanted to leave enough time to stretch, since that’s what I need the most.

368

your leg curls are lying leg curls then? we don’t have that, just seated leg curl machine (and extension) i had a bench with that ability at home, but gave it away. i always rememberd it being a great exercise for my hammies. i hope the leg press fires up your thighs.

how about walking lunges? ooooh, the buns and thighs get it good that way. u trying to get your quads, too, i just re-read. i know the leg extension machine gets a bad rap, but it sure seems to fire up the quads good. thoughts??

369

I second T’s suggestion of walking lunges. That is one thing that really burns up my quads, and how.

The leg press does nothing for me. So, so easy to cheat the ROM.

370

Walking lunges are difficult for me because it’s painful to land on my duff ankle that way. Static lunges may work though.

T - not lying. The machine is pretty much like this (but a different brand): http://stayfitwichita.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/100_1043.14592735.JPG

You kneel on the pad and curl with your other leg, then swap. In the photo, both pads are locked in up position, but you unlock the one on your curling side to allow your leg to hang straight. The curl pad can be swivelled from left to right depending on which leg you are training. It’s not a bad piece of kit.

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interesting piece, and if it works, all the better! we have sorta lying, donkey kick kinda thing that is part of the “30 min circuit” of silly equipment downstairs. i’ve used it here and there. it’s right next to the “yes/no” thigh equipment.

my heel spur is the reason i stopped lunges, so i feel ya on the ankle issue. we also have 2 variations on leg press. i actually feel it pretty good in the buns on the one that has cable-stack of weights, about 45 incline. i haven’t used the one where you are practically lying on floor and throw plates on it. i’d like to see some of the dudes pressing 360 do one squat at half of that weight…not likely.

man, i never noticed how many MEN do QUARTER squats in the rack until i started using it. let us know if you feel the burn tomorrow or the next day. :slight_smile: hope so!

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Ha ha, it’s true. I’ve seen a few men squat properly but there are more than a few quarter squat offenders too. And it’s not just squats. There’s a guy who comes in - a 20 something - who does half-preacher curls followed by some sort of bench press on the Smith Machine where he saws the weight up and down for long sets. I just have to shake my head.

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Week 4: Day 1

Deload week. On the one hand, I’m wondering what the point is as the weights on the main exercises seem ridiculously low, but on the other, Aunt Flo just turned up and I was quite glad of lighter workout as I had full-blown cramps going to the gym. Yay for me.
Decided that I will use my deload week (Monday to Friday only) to do a quick PSMF to shock my body into dropping some of its fat. Today and tomorrow, though. I’m eating up what’s in the fridge.

Military Press:

5 x Bar x 5

My deload was supposed to be less than the bar weighs (20kg) but I can’t exactly strip it down any further so I just went with this. The bar itself is easy anyway and totally unchallenging so I just concentrated on keeping form as perfect as I can manage.

Accessory work:

Rack Pulls:

40kg x 10
50kg x 20
60kg x 10
70kg x 5
80kg x 5
90kg x 5

Again, did these just above the knee and concentrated on keeping scaps retracted (I have a tendency to really round my back during deadlift which is obviously not good. Not good at all).
I can now understand how you heavy lifting ladies get those big bruises on your thighs. I was making a point of sitting back while pulling so I’m pretty much dragging the bar up my thighs but I think the ROM was too short to do much damage. I’m thinking of slowly lowering the pins each week as I improve, rather than upping the weight. I’m really hoping the ART session on Monday will free up my hips a little.

3 x Superset:

12kg Kettlebell swings x 20
Push-ups (feet elevated) x 10

Took my light KB to the gym. Purpose of this superset was basically to work up a sweat and also for hip mobility as swings are good for that.

Kettlebell Snatches:

3 x 10 (alternating arms)

12kg is not challenging for me (well, it’s deload week after all) so I aim to do these as fast and explosively as possible. They are fucking knackering.

By this point I was tired, crampy and hungry so I went home (via the supermarket) and am now chomping my way through a mackerel stir-fry. I will do some foam rolling later.

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Lots of great stuff going on here, Cal.

I’m still unsure why, but I quite like high reps, low sets. I think its because I feel I have to max out exertion on the last reps when I do high volume?

I’m with you, I feel like I have strong legs too and its frustrating when you think you have the potential to lift heavier but are hindered by form or mobility issues. I feel like my hip flexors are so tight that it inhibits of lot of my leg work, and of course, I have serious problems with form. The stretching/rolling will do wonders for the both of us I’m sure.

It sounds like you have the extra challenge of working around injuries, etc. I’ve never worked out on machines, but it makes sense that you would do this.

Deloading around Aunt Flo is perfect timing. I actually always tried to schedule deloads around this! I’m just incredibly tired and it makes lifting both mentally and physically challenging.

I’m taking a class in kettle bells next week! I’m stoked and jealous that you own your freaking KBs!

375

I wanna take a kb class!!

I brought up the idea for me to get certified in it and teach it at my gym, but the manager just laughed! kb’s are ex$pen$ive!!

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[quote]Cal Jones wrote:

Decided that I will use my deload week (Monday to Friday only) to do a quick PSMF to shock my body into dropping some of its fat. [/quote]

PSMF?

[quote] I’m thinking of slowly lowering the pins each week as I improve, rather than upping the weight.
[/quote]

That sounds like a really good idea.

BTW, the only kettlebell I own is a 12 kg. and I think its damn heavy to be slinging around!

377

um, yes, what is PSMF?

flo + deload = perfect timing. i want another kettlebell. i only have a 15 LB<<<<hee heee. i actually have a great little massive super-set of a bunch of exercises combined with jumping rope and i happen to think it is a great little metabolic wrkout.

enjoy the deload and work on your hips girlie!

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Protein sparing modified fast. Or in this instance, protein shake diet. I did 4 weeks on the V-Diet last year - lost 6lbs in the first week but only a pound each the following three weeks, so seemed very much a case of diminishing returns. I reckon five days of that will kick my fat burning mechanism in the arse but I’ll be back onto solids in time for my next cycle of 5/3/1. (Must admit when I read PSMF I think of PSML, heh).]

I have a set of three kettlebells, 12, 16 and 20kg. I can swing and snatch the 16 but I haven’t dared use the 20 yet, heh. I’m working up to that bad boy.

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[quote]talenaah wrote:

i actually have a great little massive super-set of a bunch of exercises combined with jumping rope and i happen to think it is a great little metabolic wrkout.

[/quote]

Please share! I need more of these and I don’t like to think :slight_smile:

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basically i just combine all the kettlebell moves i know and do one super set. (about 15 reps for each exercise) then jump rope for a min or 2. that is one set. repeat til you are ready to puke. just kidding…

i think i would do 6 sets? haven’t done em since Oct. i mentioned i missed jumping…i had to stop in the summer cause of heel spur. so i would ride the recumbent bike instead of jumping. not as good but still effective.

i don’t know all the names, did em at times in boot camp. start with your standard swing between the legs, then alternating arm swing (where you ‘squat’/hip thrust whatever) and switch bell between hands at the top, clean and snatch, walking side to side swings, etc. seems like there was one more. do all of them in a row. then jump rope…yeee haw!