Arachne - I’m using an old step with six risers. Aim is to reduce the risers. At the moment I have the hip mobility of a pensioner. Not good.
Chrysalis - your daughter sounds like a tough woman! Although a clumsy one, if she keeps cutting herself open.
Today’s workout was a bit short (got to the gym a bit later than usual):
Rack Pulls
1 x 10 x 60kg (132lbs)
1 x 5 x 80kg (176lbs)
1 x 5 x 90kg (198lbs)
1 x 4 x 100kg (220lbs) <— 2 more reps than last week
I also had the pins one hole lower than last week.
I did not go for a heavier single this time (going for heavy singles every workout is how I screwed up my right rotator cuff when I was young and stupid). My back’s been niggling slightly so I left it at that.
Power cleans (from floor)
1 x naked Oly bar, warm up
3 x 5 x 40kg (88lbs)
Hypers with a 5kg medicine ball
1 x 15
2 x 12 (back on fire by this point!)
Planks
3 x 45 seconds
So, nothing wildly impressive here but I was a bit shot of time. I’m aiming to get at least one good workout in at the weekend.
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
Arachne - I’m using an old step with six risers. Aim is to reduce the risers. At the moment I have the hip mobility of a pensioner. Not good.[/quote]
“pensioner”. I am so working that word into party conversation.
Woke up with a bit of a sore throat. Felt fairly energetic so went to the gym anyway.
Bench:
1 x 20 x bar
1 x 10 x 40kg (88lbs)
1 x 10 x 50kg (110lbs)
1 x 5 x 60kg (132lbs)
1 x 4 x 60kg (132lbs)
1 x 2 x 70kg (154lbs) (used a spotter - I let the weight drop a bit fast on the first rep so he helped a bit, but second rep was better)
1 x 3 x 70kg (154lbs) (much better - used more leg drive and first rep flew up. Small amount of help on the third rep).
OH press:
1 x 10 x bar
1 x 6 x 30kg (66lbs)
Push press:
1 x 5 x 35kg (77lbs)
1 x 2 x 40kg (88lbs)
1 x 1 x 45kg (99lbs)
Failed on 47.5kg (104.5lbs)
(Mentally not quite there - I’m not being as aggressive as I should be as I’m concerned about putting too much stress on my bum ankle. Lower back was also still a bit pissy from the rack pulls I did on Thursday. Not too displeased with the 45kg though.)
Dips
3 x 8
First time I’ve done dips for a while due to the left shoulder issue but they didn’t feel too bad. Will add range and reps and then invest in a dipping belt when I need it.
Chins
1 x 3
Pull-ups
5 x 2
Was very pleased with this - I’ve never been able to get more than one pull-up before. Left shoulder didn’t seem to mind, which is good as I can start working these in earnest. nb these were kipping-style, not strict.
T-bar rows
1 x 10 x 20kg (44lbs) prone grip
1 x 10 x 20kg (44lbs) parallell grip
1 x 8 x 25kg (55lbs)
Back was getting grumpy at this point so called it a day and went home for bacon and eggs and a cuppa.
seems you have a rather persnikity back. I’d suggest alternating heat and ice, with a beer or two to compliment your bacon and eggs.
sounds like everything else is coming right along!
another nice bench day!!! damn ur strong.
[quote]CBear84 wrote:
I’d suggest alternating heat and ice, with a beer or two to compliment your bacon and eggs. [/quote]
swoon
My back’s not too bad - just old and grumpy like me. Main problem is 20+ years of hunching over a computer has given me almost zero mobility in the t-spine, so the lumber vertebrae take up the slack. I’m working on mobilising the former and strengthening the latter but it’s not something that can be done overnight. (Unfortunately, because I don’t have a lot of patience).
I’ve got a TENS machine around somewhere. I need to dig it out and apply it to my sore bits. Now where the hell did I hide it?
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
My back’s not too bad - just old and grumpy like me. Main problem is 20+ years of hunching over a computer has given me almost zero mobility in the t-spine, so the lumber vertebrae take up the slack. I’m working on mobilising the former and strengthening the latter but it’s not something that can be done overnight. (Unfortunately, because I don’t have a lot of patience).
I’ve got a TENS machine around somewhere. I need to dig it out and apply it to my sore bits. Now where the hell did I hide it?[/quote]
hey cal-what’s a TENS machine? where abouts in england are you? i had the good fortune of visiting london in early '02. i freakin loved it over there…must return
stayed in Wenchmore Hill …love that name as well!
Here you go: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation - Wikipedia
Mine’s a fairly cheap unit I bought from Boots. I’ve had TENS at a physio and that unit was a lot stronger. Mine’s more of a gadget really, but it’s pretty useful.
I’m also in London. I haven’t heard of Wenchmore Hill, though, but then London’s a big place.
Hauled my big fat 16kg kettlebell to the gym for today’s round of pain.
Box Squats:
Removed one of the risers so I’m down to 5 now. This is now parallel.
1 x bar x 15
1 x 30kg (66lbs) x 10
3 x 40kg (88lbs) x 10
Shit these were hard without that sixth riser. I got 'em done though, even if the last couple of reps were a bit dodgy. I had to focus very hard on pushing my hips forward and knees out. I am a bit concerned that, once I remove the box, if I try to squat to that depth I will fall back on my arse. I have a big arse like a shire horse and it makes for an impressive counterweight.
Still, one step at a time (no pun intended).
Cal’s triset of death:
Chins: 5, 4, 3 (actually getting better at these)
Elevated push-ups (feet on box): 12, 12, 12
16kg (35lb) kettlebell swings: 15, 15, 15
I’m always knackered after a set of these and end up collapsing onto the box and leaving a nice sweaty arse print.
3 x Superset:
20 x Hip thrusts (feet on box) with the kettlebell balanced precariously on my groin
20 x Overhead squats with a 5kg bodybar
I am not sure what the other guys in the weight room thought about the strange woman trying to hump her kettlebell, but screw 'em. I felt it in my glutes so that’s all that matters.
Kettlebell snatches
3 x 6 (6 per side, alternating - one set is 12 reps)
My form was a bit shit on the right hand side - I guess I was a bit tired by this point. Got 'em done though.
2 x Superset:
8 x 30kg (66kg) straight arm pulldown
15 x kettlebell swings
(I like to superset these as swinging the kettlebell up is pretty much the opposite of pressing the bar down. This one always knackers as well, hence only the two sets this time. I was pooped).
Did a couple of kettlebell windmill stretches and then some leg/ass/groin stretches to finish off. Damn I’m tight (but actually the back felt better than yesterday).
Home for brunch (2 eggs fried in butter and 2 grilled mackerel fillets - no beer I’m afraid, CBear, just my usual cuppa).
Right, I’m done.
Cal - just finished reading your log… luckily it’s only 2 pages now… glad I went ahead and caught up when I did…! My attention span doesn’t last that long! (oh, and my retention is SH*T, so please forgive me if I ask questions you have answered throughout the thread…)
I think I need to see pics of the arse in question because in your profile pictures you look LEAN LEAN LEAN! =D
There’s a reason they’re shot from the waist up! I’ll try to get some full length ones when I next visit my bloke (which may be in a couple of weeks).
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
Here you go: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation - Wikipedia
Mine’s a fairly cheap unit I bought from Boots. I’ve had TENS at a physio and that unit was a lot stronger. Mine’s more of a gadget really, but it’s pretty useful.
I’m also in London. I haven’t heard of Wenchmore Hill, though, but then London’s a big place.[/quote]
um-after seeing molly’s post-i agree…where is this alleged big arse??? i wasn’t expecting those pics after some of your comments-you look good girl! i will challenge you to the big arse contest any day!
wenchmore hill was about a 40 min train ride out of london. lots of ‘kings/queens head’ pubs around. i suspect that might be a popular name though…
oh, yes the TENS. had that done years ago at chiro visits. thanks for the link. btw-nice f’n kettlebell work. i swing a baby 15 lb around at home for a metabolic circuit (not emphasis on strength, just ‘cardio’)
i could use a TENS on my ass right now. freakin hips are so tight it’s really pissing me off.
sigh OK. I had my bloke take this photo last year so I could look at what was wrong with my squat mechanics (turns out: everything). The arse is pretty much in evidence here. (And this is why I also have to do box squats).
I hope I’ve improved a bit since then.
As for today, skipped the gym as I still haven’t recovered from Sunday’s kettlebell hell. My deltoids are completely fried, as are my hams. I’ll make up for it tomorrow.
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
sigh OK. I had my bloke take this photo last year so I could look at what was wrong with my squat mechanics (turns out: everything). The arse is pretty much in evidence here. (And this is why I also have to do box squats).
I hope I’ve improved a bit since then.
As for today, skipped the gym as I still haven’t recovered from Sunday’s kettlebell hell. My deltoids are completely fried, as are my hams. I’ll make up for it tomorrow.
[/quote]
I’ll bet you’ve improved your squat form alot since then. Have your bloke take another picture. Or better yet, figure out the self-timer mode on your camera!
You know I’m not sure it has a timer. I’ll have to check the manual.
I’ve tweaked my damn neck again (basically my trap - can feel it from my neck down to between my shoulder blades and along to my right shoulders) so I didn’t do any upper body stuff today. I’ve done this before - it gets pissy occassionally but will sort itself in a few days. It’s a bad sleeping position thing rather than a training thing.
So, by default, it was squats again. I decided to add some weight.
Box squats (5 risers)
1 x 20 x bar
1 x 10 x 40kg (88lbs)
3 x 6 x 45kg (99lbs)
Those were hard and there was a bit of forward leaning going on, but it wasn’t too bad. I’ll keep working the form and flexibility stuff.
Followed this with three sets of cable leg abductions, air humping and glute ham raises and a fuck load of stretching before I ran out of time.
Silly foot didn’t much care for the squatting and was noticeably grumbly afterwards. But it can STFU because, turns out, it’s not fractured (phoned the doctors and was told the x-ray showed nothing untoward). I guess I just have to be patient and let it heal but it’s a damned nuisance that I can’t run on it. Doesn’t help that that area of the food has a poor blood supply.
Right, I need food.
While you’ve got that manual out, check to see if that camera has got video. Even if you never want to post a vid of your squats for critique, I’ve found that there is NOTHING like film for truthfully evaluating form. Sometimes I’ll feel like a set has sucked total ass, but on film it looks OK. And vice versa.
I’ve currently got something similar to your sleep injury going on: a tweaked chest muscle from – of all thing – sneezing. Seriously!!! Luckily it doesn’t bother me in the gym, but I feel it when I breathe. Crazy.
It does have video. I’ll try shoot something soon.
I’ll preface this by saying I’m ultra low carbing it this week so right now my energy has taken a nosedive. I toughed my way through my workout but I was getting some epic fails where normally there would be reps.
Chins: 3 reps (warm-up of sorts)
Superset:
Pull-ups: 3, 3, 1 (epic fail!), 2
Push-ups (feet on a box): 12, 10, 10, 10
I was actually pretty pleased with the pull-ups. Getting 3 is a record for me. I’ve done 5 chins before but never managed to get more than one pull-up until last week.
Superset:
50kg (110lb) bench press: 10, 8, 8
20kg (44lb) T-bar row: 10, 10, 10
The bench was a bit crap - I can get up to 12 reps with that weight on a good day, but I’ll cut myself some slack due to the low carb and the fact it wasn’t my first exercise. I use a relatively narrow grip due to fucked up shoulders, and found my triceps were the weak link today.
Superset:
18kg Incline dumbell press: 8, 8, 7
26kg Dumbell rows: 8, 8, 8
Superset:
Hypers: 20, 20
Planks: 1 minute, 45 secs
And that was me done.