Ok can you step through what you did with the mixed grip again? I’m a little slow as usual especially since I’ve never bothered with mixed, always hook for both. You’re old way was better?
Goat, that’s the nice thing about the program, you need the discipline not to pile on weight too fast. Definitely helping my confidence.
Sen, I’ll believe it when I see it. (Worst blizzard I saw in my life happened on Apr 1 . . . in Oklahoma.)
Techno, here goes. I’m right handed. So officially mixed grip should be right overhand (cuz it’s stronger) and left underhand (it’s weaker). However, years ago, I got the impression that doing right under and left over, it helped twist my body against the scoliosis. Didn’t take xrays or anything, it just looked that way in the gym mirrors. The Ludus Magnus guys made me do it the traditional way (right over, left under). Then again, I didn’t make much of any progress with them, so they apparently don’t know too much. So I started the set doing right over, left under as they taught me, but seemed tougher than it should have, so switched in mid set and sailed right through.
Felt really torn up by last workout. Ate plenty, fish oil, slept, vitamins, mobility stuff. Felt better, but still got some aches, will they interfere with the workout? Surprisingly, no!
Squat
85 x 5
105 x 5 whoa, that was easy
135 x 5
155 x 5
190 x 3 ** PR **
135 x 8
wow, feels heavy on shoulders, but legs just kept pushing it up
Bench
55 x 5
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
140 x 4
95 x 8
had good control on 140, will stay there for the week
Bar row
45 x 5
65 x 5
95 x 5
105 x 5
125 x 3
125 easier this time, could have done 5, but will stick to program
Dips - OK. am I ready to wean myself off the assistance machine and do plain, ordinary dips? Have done those in the past, but always straining and squirming
0 x 5
0 x 5
0 x 5
not bad, had decent control
Bar curl
60 x 6
60 x 6
feeling pretty good.
Cav, congrats on the MP PR. It’s that old marathon v. sprint thing. I’m tired of winter, too. We’re one day closer to spring and I promise not to bitch about the heat & humidity no matter how bad it gets this summer.
Hawkman, everytime I’m scraping the ice off the car, I keep saying “Are you sure you don’t like summer? Are you SURE???”
I’m a little touchy about the “marathon / sprint” thing since I’ve already put about 40 years of training in this. How much of a marathon do I need? OK, I can see what I did wrong for much of that time. But . . . I’ve never had strength . . . I’m glad to be making progress now, but does seem to be whacking my body . . . would things have been easier 30 years ago . . . what can I hope for at this age. I see teenagers benching the same amount I deadlift, I know I have a long ways to go. Is it possible?
OK. Last workout left me really beat up, wondered if I’d have to take off a couple of weeks. Mobility, lots of it. Sleep, sleep, sleep. Vitamins, food. Tricky since I’m driving all over town to 2 jobs (and gotta make lesson plans, grade projects . . .) Hit some buffets, did serious damage to the salad and seafood bars. Today feel just fine, so hit the gym. Can I do 5 reps on my new squat weight?
Squat
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 5 hmm, just bouncing up and down with these
155 x 5
190 x 5 ** PR **
Bench
55 x 5
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
140 x 5
felt fairly good, last rep a bit slow, think I can go up next time
Bar Row
45 x 5
65 x 5
95 x 5
105 x 5
125 x 5
no problem
Sit up w DB
50 x 5
50 x 5
could have done more reps, but want to take time advancing
Cybex Back Ext
155 x 12
155 x 12
Not a good workout. I’ve notice for several weeks that deadlifts kept getting a little harder as I went up. Thought I just needed to push harder through them. Well, hit the wall today.
Squat
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
OH Press
45 x 5
70 x 5
85 x 5
100 x 2 . these were absolute grinders. even 85 was tough, bar was listing about. Hit the wall, overhead just isn’t going up. Will have to step back.
Deadlift
105 x 5
135 x 5
195 x 5
240 x 4 . FAILURE
You should have seen me, straining, shaking. Five or six years ago, doing 225 for 5 damn near killed me. Today, almost no improvement whatever. THIS ISN’T SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING.
Cybex Ab
115 x 8
115 x 8 . hmmph, maybe getting stronger on this
Cybex Leg Curl
80 x 5
80 x 5
That is some impressive work Cav . PR’s and the dips at body weight these are some big steps, the DL thing I would chalk it up to you concentrating on other facets of lifting. Again impressive work brother.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the deadlift … You’ve got two squat prs recently. I always need extra recovery and my other lifts suffer when I’m pushing the envelope on squats
Well, first of all, I’m always in a poor mood a day or two after a very stressful workout, and deads to failure is definitely stressful. Second, it’s a fact that I did 225 for 5 reps about 6 years ago, they were all grinders, and I should be able to see more progress since then than 235 x 5. I keep reading posts by so many guys about how 2 or 3 years of training got them lifting 400 pounds, so - where’s mine? When I see everyone else in the gym benching more than I DL, I’m convinced I have a long ways to go.
Very stressed, so starting week of deload. go to gym, play around, use lights weights.
Enjoy and be happy in the Deload brother.
Too late, Dude. I was the gym today for so more deload. So goddamn depressed I could barely do anything. Tried this, tried that, finally gave up and went home. Lots of stress - two jobs, bank account imploding, car needs more repairs, digging through snow and ice. Also hard to eat regularly. Hitting buffets which help, but can’t be the whole diet. Been sleeping like crazy, not sure if it’s helping.
Hmm, strange. Even though I barely did anything Wednesday, had some DOMS the next day. Did some chest flies, rarely do anything direct for pecs, and some tri exercises for 20 or so reps. Sore the next day in pecs and tris, of all things. Not bad, though, but surprising.
Didn’t want to go to the trouble of the gym today, so came home after work and just played around. Stretching, bodyweight squats, one hand pushups against the wall, arm curls, pull apart the band. Interesting - a little bit stronger in everything. Not by much, but definite. I may have to rework how often I go up in weight.
Next week back to regular program. Whoops, no go. Gotta take the car in the shop, and mysterious meeting with the boss. That takes out Wednesday. Whatever.
Been drinking enough water? I have noticed when my water intake slacks I usher in the DOMS…Cav I have been staying at the same weight on a lot of stuff trying to get faster and more explosive…sometimes for as long as 6 weeks…I like it. good luck with your meeting…and car
Good point, Goat. I tend to dehydrate during class, talking for 1, 2, or 3 hours without taking a sip. Water fountains just aren’t enough. I should watch it closer.
Take a gallon jug of water to class. You’ll look bad ass and you get to do strip sets of biceps curls as you empty the jug. Bad ass.
Sorry, Crushed, but school doesn’t allow food / drink in the labs. I’ll think of something.
Damn. Bastard educational institutions. Hide a Camelbak under your jacket. http://shop.camelbak.com/dart/d/50234_c_1300_cl_3831
Interesting about the doms.
Nice idea, Crushed, but I wear business casual, not a suit. Outgrew my suits (sleeves don’t fit arms anymore).
Dude - that I got them or that they weren’t severe? Did some hi rep stuff, guess the negatives zapped them.
Back from deload, regular program:
Squat
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
190 x 3 that went fine, tough but got it.
Bench
55 x 5
75 x 5
95 x 5
125 x 5
145 x 3
I’ve done 145 before, but straining and shaking, this seemed to have some control on it.
Bar row
65 x 5
75 x 5
95 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 3 really, really wanted to do 135 instead of 130, and it worked
Dip, no assistance
x 7
x 5 got pretty low at one point, almost didn’t get back up
x 6
will stay at this for a while until feel confident. Plan to add weight . . . eventually.
Bar curl
60 x 8
60 x 8
60 x 8
DOMS- for me they tell me I way overdid it. Sometimes they can be attributed to something physiologic. Either way its important to understand the why in this case and address it.