Doug's Long Yet Distinguished Log

Training Training Logs
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[quote]analog_kid wrote:
Nice work, Doug. If all the training logs looked like this I would live on this forum.[/quote]

Thanks a_k! Since my numbers aren’t all that (yet), I’ve had to be a little more creative writing-wise than the average bear.

Speaking of that…

09/04: Stuffing 10 Pounds Of Shit In A 5 Pound Bag

Shoulder Warmup- 3x10 with 3 different exercises

A1. One Arm DB Push Press (right arm only): 60x6, 70x5,5,4, 60x6,6
A2. One Arm DB Rows (both arms): 70x15,15,15,15, 60x15,15
B1. Regular Ol’ Pushups, Super Slow and Controlled: 4x10
B2. EZ Bar Reverse Curls: 60x8,8,8,7

Yeah, no overhead pressing for the not-quite-as-gimpy left shoulder. I figured giving it the day off, plus the lighter volume next week will make it good and ready for heavier work the following week. Besides, when both arms/shoulders are feeling good, my right side is weaker pressing anyway so it can use the extra work.

I wanted to shoehorn as much work as I could into very little time, because I also have a bunch of junk to do tonight. Tomorrow and the weekend are big- my friend and I are wrapping up the 2nd unit photography for an indie movie I’m producing.

It’s already making me pull my hair out, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll try to get a couple photos pf me running on a treadmill in front of the green screen. :slight_smile:

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The picture is from the green screen studio where I spent most of Friday. Saturday was a washout due to that douche Hanna, but Sunday was glorious and other than a few nothing shots, we’re done with shooting footage. FINALLY! Back to regularly scheduled programming…

09/09: Back In The Saddle Again

After a whole 4 days off, and I use “off” loosely, I made it back to the gym. It was one of those canned program deload weeks, which to me means slack off and look for any excuse to not work. I know we all need back off weeks, but it always seems on these weeks my drive to train just goes in the shitter. Anyway, here’s what I did.

A. Trap Bar Deadlifts: 225x5, 245x5,5,5,5
B. Walking DB Lunges: 40sx6/side,6/side
C. Lying Leg Curls: 3x8 w/ 45
D. Standing Cable Abs: 40x20, 50x?

All the racks were taken so I went with my good ol’ standby lower body movement. I figured do 5 sets with that and forget about the squats and RDLS. Standing cable crunches are weird, but I didn’t want to do kneeling ones because I rashed the shit out of my knee wiping out on the treadmill at the studio Friday. You never know how much you rely on the treadmill handrails until they’re not there. Ow…

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09/10: The Bar Is Heavier, I Know It Is…

A. Bench: 205x3,3,3
B. One Arm DB Floor Presses: 75x6/side, 80x6/side
C. Cable Row: 125x8,8,8
D1. Prone Shrugs: 35sx11,10,12
D2. Prone Ys: 2.5sx12/side,12,12
D3. Prone Internal Rotations: 3x10

20 minutes on incline treadmill

All the weights were intentionally light for this deload stuff, but that bench felt much tougher than what it should. I’m blaming it on those 1 inch Bird Dogs described in today’s article. I had more trouble controlling my body than I thought I would, and I think it may have affected me. Oh yeah, I used a different barbell than normal which I think is heavier than the others. Yeah, that was totally it. Really that weight was closer to 240…eh, more like 280. Yeah, that’s it.

I’m trying to bump up the cardio a bit because that 39" waist measurement is really messing with my head. At my strength and size, there’s no excuse for my waist to be that big. I’m going to do more cardio, and cut back on the carbie carbs at night after lifting. I know post workout is when “insulin sensitivity is at its highest” and yada yada yada, but since I lift in the evening, and I’m kind of skinny fat as it is, a bunch of starchy carbs may not be the best thing. I’ll try the lower carb approach for awhile and see how it goes.

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9/12: Meh…

A. Front Squats: 135x6,6,6
B. Rack Pulls From Knees: 245x7,7
C. Pallof Presses: 70x8/side,8,8
D. One Leg Back Extensions: 2x8/side

I got nothin’. Back to the gym in a few hours…

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9/13: Bull Durham Edition

“You lollygag to the outfield! You lollygag to first base! You lollygag back to the dugout! What does that make you? Lollygaggers!”

That’s what I was telling myself about halfway through the session.

A1. One Arm DB Push Presses: r.)60x6,6,6 l.)50x6,6,6
A2. Chins: 3x6
B1. One Arm DB Row: 70x8/side,8,8
B2. Pushups: 3x8
C1. BB Curls: 60x8,8,8
C2. YTWLs: 3x8

My left shoulder hasn’t improved as much as I wanted it to, but since I won’t be doing vertical pressing for awhile that may help it get better. I’ll also be changing a few things in order to lean up and get in better shape, while hopefully still getting stronger.

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09/15: There Are No Rules In Thunderdome!

On the fly today, I decided to implement the idea I had a month ago- to try full body training 3-4 times per week to get in better shape and take a breather from heavy(ish) lifting. It’s weird because I want to get stronger, but the urge to actually get in there and lift the weight isn’t there right now. I figured taking a break to try something different for a month or two will get my juices flowing again. Anyhoo, here’s what I did today.

A1. Pushups 3x15
A2. BW Squats 3x15
A3. Cable Rows 3x15 w/ 80
A4. Cable Pullthroughs 3x15 w/ 50
A5. Pallof Presses 3x15/side w/40

B1. Pushups 3x15
B2. Reverse Lunges 15/side, 12/side, 10/side
B3. Lat Pulldowns 3x15 w/50
B4. Leg Curls 3x15 w/35
B5. Side Bends 3x15/side w/25

C. Call paramedics, because the only rest periods, intended at least, were between circuits A and B. I had to take rest on the last round of circuit B because I would’ve lost my cookies if I didn’t. There was supposed to be a “vanity” circuit after the B side, but all I could do was hop on an eliptical machine and convince myself not to die.

Since I seem woefully out of shape, this shifting gears may be a good idea. I think I’ll work the vanity stuff on a separate day, along with some shoulder rehab and activation exercises.

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Hey man

Awesome circuits. They can actually be pretty fun :slight_smile:

Also, I’m going to have to reuse the word awesome, because that is an awesome avatar.

The Devil May Cry series is amazing.

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[quote]Flow wrote:
Hey man

Awesome circuits. They can actually be pretty fun :slight_smile:

Also, I’m going to have to reuse the word awesome, because that is an awesome avatar.

The Devil May Cry series is amazing.[/quote]

Haha! Thanks. I finally played DMC4 all the way through this past weekend, and Dante has very quickly become one of my favorite characters. He’s like a demon Spiderman, with cool weapons.

Ok, on to training today

09/17: T-Minus 24 Hours

A1. BW Squats: 3x15
A2. Pushups: 3x15
A3. Swiss Ball Leg Curl: 3x12
A4. Reverse Crunch: 3x12
A5. Cable Row: 3x15 w/ 50

B1. BW Squats: 3x15
B2. Pushups: 3x15
B3. 45 Degree Back Extensions: 3x15
B4. Side Bends: 3x15/side w/25
B5. Lat Pulldown: 3x15 w/ 90

C. 22 minutes cardio on incline treadmill

The feeling of death wasn’t as strong this time around, so I have that going for me. I think I figured out how I’m going to progress on this. I’m going to add in a vanity and shoulder rehab day on Saturdays, but eventually I want to take parts from those days and work them into these sessions. Once that becomes somewhat easy, I’ll work in two heavier lifting sessions per week, along with two of these days. It’ll be pretty similiar to Coach Thibaudeau’s Destroying Fat routine.

Oh yeah, set your TVs for FX tomorrow night because season 4 of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia starts. If you haven’t seen it, start. Now.

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09/20: Just Like Spicoli

What happened Thursday and Friday? Just couldn’t make it in man. Worked double shifts Tuesday and Thursday so those days were out, and I was out of gas yesterday. The only thing I had energy for was to watch a rough edit of my movie, which was awesome to say the least.

Here’s today’s stuff:

A1. Pushups: 3x15
A2. BW Squats: 3x15
A3. Cable Rows: 3x15 w/80
A4. Pullthroughs: 3x15 w/50
A5. Pallof Presses: 3x15/side w/40

B1. Pushups: 3x15
B2. Walking Lunges: 3x12/side
B3. Pulldowns: 3x15 w/ 50
B4. Lying Leg Curl: 3x15 w/ 35
B5. Side Bends: 3x15 w/ 25

C. 22 minutes on incline treadmill

I wasn’t as gassed as the first time I tried this circuit, but it was still way tough. Tomorrow it’s the gun show, shoulder crap, and intervals.

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09/21: You Got To Use Your Peripherals

A1. DB External Rotations: 3x15 w/ 5s
A2. Miniband Pullaparts: 3x15
A3. Miniband Dislocates: 3x15
A4. Miniband Pullaparts Behind Neck: 3x15

B1. Hammer Curls: 3x15 w/ 30s
B2. Seated Calf Raise: 3x15 w/ 80
B3. Cable Pushdown: 3x15 w/ whatever
B4. Prone Bridge: 3x60sec
B5. Prone Shrugs: 3x15 w/ 35s

C1. Scott Curls: 50x10,5,6
C2. Standing Calf Raise: 3x15 w/ whatever

D. BB Reverse Curls: 60x8, 50xsometin’

E. 22 minutes incline treadmill

Now, after getting that done, my weekly cooking done, and laundry done, I’m going to ingest a couple chilled adult beverages and watch the Ravens for the first time this year.

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09/24: Switchin’ Gears A Bit

A1. Swiss Ball Pushups: 5 sets
A2. Kneeling Hip Mobilization: 4x8
B1. Pushups: 4 sets
B2. Supine Shoulder Internal Rotations: 3x10/side
C1. One Arm Miniband Pushdowns: 3 or 4 sets
C2. Reverse Crunches: 4 sets
D. Pushup Holds: 3x30sec
E. Dip Machine: 3x10 w/ 90
F. 12 minutes incline treadmill

After reading a lot of the threads on the training of T-Cell Alpha members, it’s becoming pretty clear that in order to really break out of the beginner/intermediate level, I need to do way more work. With that in mind, I’m going to try an upper push, upper pull, leg split.

Since my shoulder still isn’t 100%, my push days are going to be pushup variations and different kinds of pushdowns. To make the upper pull days even harder, I’m going to include a deadlift varation along with pullups and some gun show work. Leg day will be front squats, lots of lunges, some posterior chain movement, and calves. Abs will be either superset with other lifts during the session, or near the end.

This will be higher volume than I’m used to, and the plan is to take at least one set of each movement to failure. Too often I’ve cut sets short because I did a predetermined number of reps and I’ve shortchanged myself. I can’t keep doing that if I expect to make real improvement.

Why am I breaking up the upper days? Because when done together I’m always pressing first, which is wearing me out before I even start doing back work. I don’t want to start those days with back work because I’m paranoid about not being stable on the pressing lifts.

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09/25: Back Attack

A1. Pullups: 5,5,5,4,4
A2. Dip Holds: 4x20-30sec
B. Rack Pulls From Kneecaps: 225x10, 245x10,6
C. Fat Man Rows: 8,6,8
D. One Arm DB Rows: 70xa few sets
E. Concentration Curls 30x6,5,5,and I think another 5

On those dip holds, I just held on at full extension for the determined amount of time. I wasn’t feeling as much soreness as I wanted in my triceps from the day before, so that’s why I did them. I definitely wanted to do more rack pulls, but one guy who supposedly pulled 825 back in the day kept giving me advice.

While I appreciated him talking to me, at the same time I was getting out of the zone. I think on the fat man rows I’m going to hold the full contraction for time instead of doing reps. And I forgot how cool concentration curls are, so I’ll be doing them for awhile.

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09/27: Medic!

It was raining like crazy this morning and the motivation to go to the gym wasn’t there. So, rather than hydroplane around in my car, I decided to lift at home.

A1. Side to side leg hops: 4x8/side
A2. Static miniband neck holds: 3x20secx4 positions

After that semi-structured set, it became a series of whatever I felt like doing which included:

Sandbag Front Squats x 16
BW Squats x15
Med Ball Slams x 30
Lunges x 10/side
Stair jog/run x 130 steps up and down
Swiss Ball Leg Curls x 20
BW One Leg Calf Raises x 20/side
Green Band TKEs x 20/side
Pick up sandbag/ lower sandbag x 2/side
BW Squats x ? (really running out of gas here)
Med Ball Slams x a few more than 50

There may have been one or two more things I did, but I can’t remember. What I do remember was huffing and puffing a good 30 minutes after I was done.

Oh, I measured the ol’ gut this morning and it’s down to 38". Looks like the lower carb approach is paying off.

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09/28: It’s Never Sunny In Baltimore

For fuck sake, when is the sun coming back to my fair town?!? This week long stretch of rain is bullshit! Anyway…

A1. Swiss Ball Pushups: 5 sets, 3 more total reps than last time
A2. Kneeling Hip Mobilization: 4x8
B1. Pushups: 4 sets, 3 more total reps than last time
B2. Supine Shoulder Internal Rotations: 3x10/side w/5
C1. Pushup Holds: 3x30sec
C2. Reverse Crunch: 15,15,12ish,10ish
D. Pushup Hold @ Full Extension: 1x60sec
E. Dip Machine: 140x15,17
F1. 1 Arm Reverse Grip Cable Pushdowns: 30x10,12
F2. Pallof Press Holds: 5x10sec/side
G. 16 minutes incline treadmill

Quite the nice little pumpy pump after this session. Now it’s time to watch da foozball.

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09/29: The Un-Terrible Towel Edition

A. Pullups: 5,5,5,5,4
B. Rack Pulls: 225x10, 245x11, 8(pause)3, 5
C. Fat Man Rows: 9,8, 1 slow negative (I’ll be doing more of those negatives)
D. One Arm Rows: 70x12,11,8/side
E1. Concentration Curls: 30x6,6,5,5
E2. Seated DB Ext. Rotation: 3x12 w/ 5
F. 20 minutes incline treadmill

Someone please explain to me how the Stillers’ terrible towel is terrible? It’s yellow for cryin’ out loud!

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Nice log, Doug. I was particularly interested to read your 11-T results. I have some on ice that I’m going to use once I get healthy myself. I initially bought it because, like you, I think my cortisol is out of control and thought the 11-T would help.

I apologize if you’ve answered this before, but I didn’t really see it answered in the log. You mentioned having a gimpy shoulder and I’ve seen you doing should rehab in the log. What exactly did you do to your shoulder?

Are there any other nagging issues or injuries you are working through?

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[quote]AngryVader wrote:
Nice log, Doug. I was particularly interested to read your 11-T results. I have some on ice that I’m going to use once I get healthy myself. I initially bought it because, like you, I think my cortisol is out of control and thought the 11-T would help.

I apologize if you’ve answered this before, but I didn’t really see it answered in the log. You mentioned having a gimpy shoulder and I’ve seen you doing should rehab in the log. What exactly did you do to your shoulder?

Are there any other nagging issues or injuries you are working through?[/quote]

The shoulder thing is mostly a chronic movement pattern issue that turned into full blown pain. The external rotation ROM on my left shoulder has always been way less than my right. It’s been like that for awhile, but I didn’t pay much attention because it never hurt. In fact, it was my right shoulder that gave me more trouble.

But, after all the pressing I was doing the issue took center stage a month or so ago. So now I have to do some more external rotation work (I do the “no money” drill Tony G. has talked about in his blog here), and way more soft tissue work on my pec minor, lats, and traps. I actually just did this a few minutes ago, leaning on a lacrosse ball up against a wall. My left pec minor felt like a golf ball was stuck in it.

My left knee gives me trouble sometimes, and that’s also due to sitting all the time. My hip flexors are really stiff and if I don’t warmup correctly or pay strict attention to my form, the knee will start hurting right behind the kneecap. Not good times.

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10/01: You Won’t Like Me When I’m Angry…

Forgot the trusty gym shorts today, so it was back to the house for another round o’ leg work.

A1. Side to side leg hops: 4x8/side
A2. Miniband Neck Static Holds: 3x20secx4 positions
A3. “No Money” Shoulder Drill: 4x10 (see Tony Gentilcore’s log for info on that one.

Then came a terrible mistake
B1. Sandbag Pickups: 1x10
And my bum shoulder HATED me after doing these. I’ve been trying to stretch out a bit and I got some range of motion back, but it’s not happy one bit.

So I switched to

B1a. Sandbag Zercher Squats: 10,17
B2. BW Squats: couple sets of 10-15. Can’t really remember.

C1. Stair runs: 130 steps up and down
C2. Med Ball Slams: 80

Med ball slams weren’t done at the same ferocity as last time due to my shoulder feeling bad.

D1. Swiss Ball Leg Curls: 20,12
D2. One Leg Standing Calf Raises: 2x20/side

Donezo.

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10/02: Heed! Move! Now!

Not really anything to note training wise, just a ton of foam rolling and stretching for my lats, traps, and pecs. This seemed to really help ease the pain in my creaky shoulder, so much so it’s going to have to be a nightly routine.

Oh yeah, I got cardio in by mowing my rain forest of a lawn.

Earlier in the day, I discovered a habit that may be contributing to my shoulder woes. At my desk I have two monitors and I keep the more important stuff on my left monitor. I noticed when doing that, I’m always tilting my head down and to the left a little bit. Doing that for 8+ hours per day can’t be good for my neck and shoulders. Now I move everything to the right monitor, which seems to make it easier to look straight ahead. Hopefully this helps make the pain go away.

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[quote]Doug Adams wrote:
10/02: Heed! Move! Now!

Not really anything to note training wise, just a ton of foam rolling and stretching for my lats, traps, and pecs. This seemed to really help ease the pain in my creaky shoulder, so much so it’s going to have to be a nightly routine.

Oh yeah, I got cardio in by mowing my rain forest of a lawn.

Earlier in the day, I discovered a habit that may be contributing to my shoulder woes. At my desk I have two monitors and I keep the more important stuff on my left monitor. I noticed when doing that, I’m always tilting my head down and to the left a little bit. Doing that for 8+ hours per day can’t be good for my neck and shoulders. Now I move everything to the right monitor, which seems to make it easier to look straight ahead. Hopefully this helps make the pain go away.[/quote]

Does your company have an ‘ergonomic guy’? My upper back and neck would get sore all the time from sitting at my desk all day. After the ergonomic guy came by he totally changed my setup and now I don’t have any neck or upper back soreness. A lot of it was just simple shit, like my chair was too high and my monitors were too low, but it made a huge difference.