Mines in China and Ukraine are about the worst for safety. Stories at least a few years ago came in the papers all the time. Canada is a mining country, although I don’t know of too many accident stories. Really a lot of the danger is with methane in the coal operations, a spark then boom.
OG - I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve always thought of fishing (like golf) as an “old man” activity, sorry! I guess I just don’t feel decrepit enough to do it yet. I’ll probably get into fishing one day, but right now if I have free time I’d rather go out hillwalking or get on my bike.
DK - It’s a dangerous business that’s for sure. This mine where the accident happened was a private mine and the pictures they showed on the news showed tunnels propped up with what looked like old rotten bits of 2 by 4. Maybe private mines don’t come under the same safety regulations as big commercial ones, IDK.
19/09/2011
New complex x 132 lbs
Push press x 5
Power cleans x 5
Front Squats x 5
Back Squats x 10
Pendlay Rows x 5
RDLs x 10
Deadlift x 10
1st circuit - as above
2nd circuit - only 5 reps on deads, massive lower back pump
3rd & 4th circuit - 5 reps on everything
Ab Rollouts (off knees) 5 x 10 reps
I’ve found the complexes I’ve done so far very taxing on the shoulders and a bit easy for the legs, so I upped the leg reps to try and get a bit of leg fatigue. The transition between exercises was not great, but the order of exercises was good so that by the end the weight was fairly challenging even for the deads. The transition between front and back squats when knackered was interesting too. Almost scalped myself on one go. Just shrugged the bar off my back to go from back squats to rows. Bumpers are great aren’t they?
3rd time through took 2 and a half minutes and that was doing 5 reps on everything. The first circuit took over 3 and a half minutes!
4 circuits took 27 minutes in total including rest intervals.
Did have another circuit of push ups, chins, dips and ab rollouts written out, but that wasn’t going to happen. I was spent already. I put a big cross through that.
Sucks about the miners. We had our own problems with the Massey disaster year or 2 ago.
Everybody’s doing complexes! Do they really help your conditioning?
[quote]cavalier wrote:
Everybody’s doing complexes! Do they really help your conditioning?[/quote]
I think that cardio fitness, even more than strength, is really specific to the particular activity you are doing. While I feel pretty fit on my bike and doing hill sprints, I’m finding these complexes really tough because they’re so different.
Too early to say if they’re getting me fitter in general, but they’re getting me better at doing complexes.
Tuesday 20/03/2011
Intervals on indoor bike
1 min work/30 seconds rest x 10
Slightly over did it on the complexes or rollouts yesterday and did something to my lower back. I don’t know what the bit is called. Not my erectors, the fleshy bit to the side near your love handles, doesn’t feel as if there is any real muscle there. Doesn’t hurt when I bend, just feels a bit tender as if it’s bruised. Could it be transverse abdominis from the rollouts? Feel it most if I tense my abdomen. IDK.
Wednesday 21/09/2011
Wide Squat
132 lbs x w/u
220 lbs x 3
264 lbs x 3
308 lbs x 3
330 lbs x 3
352 lbs x 3
Band Pullaparts and Dislocates x some (w/u)
CGBP @ 187 lbs x 6-6
Standing DB Press @ 63.5 lb’ers x 7-7
Pull Ups @ bw x 8-6
Pendlay Rows @ 187 lbs x 6-6
Pushdowns @ 121 lbs x 10-10
Ez Curls @ 99 lbs x 8-6
Ab Rollouts x 15-15-15
Really starting to enjoy the wider squats. I even widened my grip to little fingers on rings, the same width as my bench press, which lowered the bar on my back slightly. Much tougher on the wrists though, I can see why you guys use wrist wraps.
I’m weaker wide stance than narrow still, but the same weight for same reps feels less taxing wide than narrow if that makes any sense or can be possible. And they’re easier on my knees too.
Was good for a few more reps on pull ups, but I bailed, my chin up bar has some really seriously sharp knurling and my callouses were painful and felt like they were ripping off (what a wimp).
You are one strong dude. When I grow up I want to be you.
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
[quote]cavalier wrote:
Everybody’s doing complexes! Do they really help your conditioning?[/quote]
I think that cardio fitness, even more than strength, is really specific to the particular activity you are doing. While I feel pretty fit on my bike and doing hill sprints, I’m finding these complexes really tough because they’re so different.
Too early to say if they’re getting me fitter in general, but they’re getting me better at doing complexes.
Tuesday 20/03/2011
Intervals on indoor bike
1 min work/30 seconds rest x 10
Slightly over did it on the complexes or rollouts yesterday and did something to my lower back. I don’t know what the bit is called. Not my erectors, the fleshy bit to the side near your love handles, doesn’t feel as if there is any real muscle there. Doesn’t hurt when I bend, just feels a bit tender as if it’s bruised. Could it be transverse abdominis from the rollouts? Feel it most if I tense my abdomen. IDK.
Ab Rollouts x 15-15-15
[/quote]
So you decided to do more?
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
I don’t know what the bit is called. Not my erectors, the fleshy bit to the side near your love handles, doesn’t feel as if there is any real muscle there. Doesn’t hurt when I bend, just feels a bit tender as if it’s bruised. Could it be transverse abdominis from the rollouts? Feel it most if I tense my abdomen. IDK.
[/quote]
There’s lots of muscles there, more than you would guess. Don’t know what’s giving you trouble, but I have one which barks at me. Because of scoliosis, I’ve learned to bend my back around to sort of correct it, which puts undue stress on some of the muscles on one side. One gets sore from time to time right in that area.
[quote]UpScale wrote:
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
Slightly over did it on the complexes or rollouts yesterday and did something to my lower back. I don’t know what the bit is called. Not my erectors, the fleshy bit to the side near your love handles, doesn’t feel as if there is any real muscle there. Doesn’t hurt when I bend, just feels a bit tender as if it’s bruised. Could it be transverse abdominis from the rollouts? Feel it most if I tense my abdomen. IDK.
Ab Rollouts x 15-15-15
[/quote]
So you decided to do more?
[/quote]
Ha ha ha. Well spotted. There’s no flies on you Up.
In my defence, I never said I was smart.
My back is fine now, I think it was more likely the complexes now.
Joe - Thanks, but right now I’d gladly swap places with you. You seem to be making great continual progress while I seem to be stagnating.
Cav - Can’t have been anything serious because it’s fine now. Just one of those weird 24 hr twinges we lifters get from time to time.
Thursday 22/09/2011
Intervals on indoor bike.
60 secs on / 30 secs off x 10 (13th gear)
Face Pulls 3 x 20 x 50 lbs (supersetted with)
DB Scaptions 3 x 11 x 22 lb’ers
Had to start using my indoor bike, just can’t seem to get outside to bike or run these days. Been raining here for what seems like forever, the summer has been a complete washout again. It’s been the coldest one for 18 years.
well, despite the shitty weather, I can see that you continue to kick major ass. well done.
Complexes are the work of the devil…high rep squats send you to heaven!!! Nice work Brett…
Damn!
That sort of work capacity workouts would kill me!
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
Joe - Thanks, but right now I’d gladly swap places with you. You seem to be making great continual progress while I seem to be stagnating.
Cav - Can’t have been anything serious because it’s fine now. Just one of those weird 24 hr twinges we lifters get from time to time.
Had to start using my indoor bike, just can’t seem to get outside to bike or run these days. Been raining here for what seems like forever, the summer has been a complete washout again. It’s been the coldest one for 18 years. [/quote]
Hasn’t it ever !!, only thing that has kept us sane has been escaping to france for some sunshine.
Summer…schmummer…
Great work. Glad to hear the low bar squats are feeling good and my sentiments completely echo your own. Do you find you’re less explosive with the low bar?
james
Nice work FB. Just catching up on your log. As always, looking VERY strong my friend. These complexes seem interesting. Are you finding any benefit in doing them with relation to your overall strength?
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
[quote]UpScale wrote:
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
Slightly over did it on the complexes or rollouts yesterday and did something to my lower back. I don’t know what the bit is called. Not my erectors, the fleshy bit to the side near your love handles, doesn’t feel as if there is any real muscle there. Doesn’t hurt when I bend, just feels a bit tender as if it’s bruised. Could it be transverse abdominis from the rollouts? Feel it most if I tense my abdomen. IDK.
Ab Rollouts x 15-15-15
[/quote]
So you decided to do more?
[/quote]
Ha ha ha. Well spotted. There’s no flies on you Up.
In my defence, I never said I was smart.
My back is fine now, I think it was more likely the complexes now.
[/quote]
phew! ha, nope to flies, not yet anyway!
Glad to hear it was nothin.
MJ, OG, Upscale - Thanks.
Late - Bit early to say if they help strength, I’m doing them mainly for conditioning which I’ve been slack on of late. They’re good for a bit of variety.
James - Yep definitely less explosive on them. No rebound effect I guess and I’m trying to do a much slower negative as well.
BN - Forecast says Indian summer next week. WOO HOO! We’re planning a spur of the moment trip to Devon and Cornwall in the van.
Null - RUBBISH!! Don’t forget, as another “high torque cyclist” I know how fit you must be to do the rides you do. You’d cope easily.
Bad start to the day. While dismantling a bed I sold on Ebay (barefoot) I managed to hit the bedframe on the end of my big toe and rip off most of the nail. YOOOWWWWWWW! Blood everywhere. Doesn’t hurt as bad as it looks, but walking is a bit uncomfortable.
Friday 23/03/2011
Box Squats (wide stance)
132 lbs x 3
220 lbs x 3
286 lbs x 3
330 lbs x 2
352 lbs x 2
374 lbs x 1
396 lbs x 1
RDLs
286 lbs x 3 sets of 10
Ab Rollouts (off knees) 2 x 20 reps (PR)
Great workout. Really happy. Despite still lifting consistently, I’ve been lacking something recently. I’ve just been sluggishly going through the motions. Well tonight I got my “mojo” back.
Looking back it seemed to go pear shaped when I stopped being regular with my cardio. Now I’ve added it back in I seem to have much more energy and am attacking my workouts with more venom. I know they say that GPP aids recovery between workouts, but I didn’t think it would be that noticeable. Anyway…
Vid of box squats. Only 11 lbs difference between wide and narrow already.
That last set was sweet! You must be the only person I know who’s form DOES NOT DEGREADE as the weights get heavy.
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
I had my blood pressure checked yesterday (as part of my annual Asthma check-up) and it was fine 110 over 70 and my RHR is high forties so I know I’m in fairly good shape[/quote]
Understatement of the year. High forties? Seriously?
Nice Box Squatting bro, I think I may do less reps on my warmups to save my strength, may follow your protocol