Great work Cav.
Hope you and your family have a great new year.
Dude, I’m guessing something I ate made me feel blah. Heaven only knows what all I shoved down my throat at the buffet.
Sen Say, thanks, the same to you!
Whew, exhausted. Still preparing syllabus and lesson plans for next semester, the one class seems like I’ll never get it all done.
Begin deload week! Go to gym and play. Do some arm curls. Some leg extensions. Some donkey calf. Some this, some that, anything that’s not strenuous. Anything not in the program. Side bends. Incline bench. Rear delt. You name it. Feeling good.
OK, news. I got the teaching job at the other school. Will have to juggle the classes with classes at the current place, but should work out. They made it clear the new job is a one time thing, I don’t have the degree they like for a full time, but I have the professional experience so they’ll waive the degree thing for this semester. Will keep me busy, I’ll see how to bend workouts around it.
Second day of deload. Play time. Machines! Leg extension, arm curl, “bench” machine, leg press, you name it. Hmm, strange . . . is it normal to set weight at half the stack and it still feels like warmup? Kept pumping out the reps until got bored.
That’s a good start to the new year! I have a feeling about 2014.
Sounds like your off to a good un. I made a goal for the New Year (I’m sucha Bastid) anytime I here someone stretching the truth I am simple going to say “you know that’s simple not so” or “I heard it another way” I don’t care who you are I am calling yah out. Just heard way to much BS last year.
On the job you landed, all I am going to say is you sell yourself short a lot Cav. Its awesome; now shumooze em, take them to the gym and make yourself generally indispensable.
Congrats on getting the gig!
Thanks, Techno. Year’s starting out nicely.
Dude, you may be stepping on a lot of toes at TNation! Seriously, thanks about the job. I must admit they need me badly enough to bend the rules bringing me in, waiving the degree requirement due to my pro experience. It’s quite a drive, though. Good news: a gym in my chain near the school
Thanks, Goat!
OK, deload week is over. I’m feeling good, virtually no aches or pains at all. Fully recovered. Now that I know what classes I’m teaching, I’ve worked out the schedule for the next few months. Still doing 5 x 5, but moving Bill Star’s Friday to Sunday. Will do Sunday, Wed, and Fri. Today’s Sunday, so repeat the last workout 8 days ago. Will I be stronger?
Squat
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 3 not bad, could have done 5
115 x 8 got those up fast
Bench
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5 these were so easy my form went to shit
105 x 5
130 x 3 a little easier than a week ago, yay
85 x 8 whipped these puppies so fast the plates rattled
Seated row
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5
90 x 5
110 + 2.5 plate x 3
80 x 8
Cybex leg curl
65 x 8
65 x 8
Dip
-70 x 7
-70 x 7 could have done 8, but want to give self an incentive not to increase weight too fast
Chin
-90 x 9
-90 x 9 OK, no retching this time, these were easier.
All in all, a very good deload.
Another saying, the falling apart of the old gives way to the new. And well your last “play area” literally nearly made your body fall apart.
“I’ve worked out the schedule for the next few months” that’s always the fun part for me and gets one into a nice routine.
Well, Techno, my schedule is built around my teaching jobs, so I couldn’t set it until just a few days ago. But I do like to get in a routine, new stuff always throws me. (Cue scene from “Rain Man”: Dustin Hoffman can’t watch his TV show on time and freaks out.)
Wouldn’t you know. Guess which Batman episode the rerun channel decided to show? Yep - Mr Freeze with George Sanders. 50 degrees below zero! The Caped Crusaders frozen into ice cubes! “Is the air freezing in your lungs, Batman? Does the cold feel like a thousand needles on your skin?”
And for all you Canadians saying “Ha ha, you think this is cold?” . . . go away.
Been run ragged trying to get the syllabi and course stuff put together before classes start, took a break for the gym. Good news: they stopped the stupid fans. Bad news: there is NO heat in that place. I kept expecting to see my breath fog up.
Squat
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
sure is fun to shove and watch the weight keep going up without my body tearing to pieces.
Bench
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
130 x 5
weight is modest, but have a good sense of control I haven’t felt before
Seated Row
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5
90 x 5
110 + 2.5 plate x 5
Cybex Leg Curl
65 x 9
65 x 9
could have done more, but want to give something to shoot for next time
Cybex Ab
95 x 10
95 x 10
why did I ever think this was hard?
Eat, then back to syllabus hell.
Nice session Cav!
I like the way you’re training is looking, Cav. Wishing you lots of progress on it.
Thanks, guys. It does feel strange to be gentle to my body yet watch it get stronger.
Hmm, I’ve kinda messed up the program. Last time was supposed to be hypers and situps, didn’t do them. I’ve been completely scatterbrained lately, new classes, another teaching job, stress, confusion . . . seriously. Amazing I can go outside without wandering into traffic. Did I mention my car suddenly wouldn’t start? Visions of massive repair bills, missed work days . . . had it towed to the shop, they checked it all over . . . and couldn’t find anything wrong. I paid the bills, put in the key, and it started right up. Now I’m really paranoid.
Squat
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
115 x 5
OH press
45 x 5
55 x 5
65 x 5
90 x 5 rough, but PR nonetheless. Weird - my left arm is just weaker. Right arm extends fine, but really have to put effort into left. Bar was tilting like crazy. Got it up, but messy.
Deadlift sumo
95 x 5
125 x 5
155 x 5
210 x 5 still increasing weight. Whew, glad only have to do these once a week.
Cybex ab
100 x 7
100 x 7
Its not being gentle its training smart! stay steady be patient and good things will continue to happen in your training…On the OH press than stay with 90 until you own it … great stuff Cav…
Could just be the other side isn’t as stable some where, not necessarily not strong, I’m very lopsided myself.
Well if you are always feeling like you are being too gentle on the body, you could walk into a few walls, if I understand correctly that would not affect any muscle growth/strength but still give you that satisfying ouch & an extra bonus of bruises.
You’re brain will settle down soon once you get into your schedule.
Good work above , make sure you get enough rest Cav. With the extra stress its easy to get derailed.
Thanks, everyone.
Goat, definitely staying at 90 for a while, I like the feeling of succeeding at every lift and don’t want to rush it.
Techno, my scoliosis definitely makes me lopsided. Pinched nerve? Hidden injury? Working theory is left side is just weaker, left delt is very slightly smaller than right. Always had problem with left.
Dude, very true.
OK, time in the program to kick up weight. Let’s see how it goes:
Squat
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
170 x 3 not bad at all
115 x 8
Bench
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 3 good. of course, have done 135 before, but nice feeling of control, not the gut-busting feeling of before
105 x 8 wait a minute - program says should have been 85. I’m totally whacked out these days. Anyway, each rep paused very briefly then shoot up. Wrists straight, everything tight.
Seated row
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5
90 x 5
110 + 5 lb plate * 3 no problem
80 x 8
Dip
-70 x 10
-70 x 10 always been so crappy at dip, surprising how these things keep moving along
Chin
-90 x 10
-90 x 10
So strange to have workouts where every set the weight just keeps moving. It’s gentle but tough at the same time - very odd.
hey cav, the 5x5 seems to be treating you well. its always treated me well and makes me wonder why i do anything else?
i know what you mean about one side weaker than the other, i have a stronger right arm, but in the rest of my body my left side is stronger… its weird i don’t know why, anyways all the best to you in the new year!
(and hex plates are sooo annoying for deadlift!)
Thanks, Zenon. This is the first time I’ve done extended training of never going to failure, always lift within limits, and it seems to be working. The past year of training of Matt Wenning’s place, they were obsessive about driving me into the ground every workout- how do you argue with world class people?
You caught the bit about the hex plates! Annoying, but seem to be making progress, so not bad.
Good advice given and nice work in here.