Week 10 Day 2
Paused bench
45-10
95-3
103-3x5
Bench blox
115-4
120-2x3
Incline bench
75-2x8
80-5
Squat
45-10
145-4x5
More climbing and stuff.
I was going to take Friday off work. I still have 9 days to use before the end of the year. 30 minutes after I asked my boss, I got two more requests for quotes on large sites; 40 blocks. So much for a day off. I’m getting kind of tired and worn out.
Ah, the joys of working, I vaguely remember them. 
Looks like your really getting into the climbing.
The extra working is wearing me out. I’m not super motivated by money so my boss telling me we’ll all be making more just gives me stress. There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch; more money means more work. I’m very type A and work hard to do a good job. I stress and lose sleep. I have modified my life so that I don’t need a lot of money because I enjoy my life more calm and balanced. I really hope it doesn’t reach a tipping point where I feel the need to leave as I’ve been there 15 years.
Week 10 day 3
Sumo deadlift
135-2x5
225-2
255-1 add belt
275-1
300-1
275-3x1
SSB squat
45-5
145-4x5
Bench
45-10
95-3
105-2
115-2
120-1
Climbing. I figured out how to make the transition from the stairs to hanging hand holds. It took a bit of thinking, When you are on the top stair and move one hand to the hand holds, your arm is bent. If you try to swing the other arm to take the second one, the arm straightening while trying to swing is too much stress on the grip so I just compromised by moving both hands to one hand hold and then reaching for the other. The next step is swinging to the next set of grips.
If this sounds confusing, the video shows it. Plus it was a blast just swinging. I felt like a little kid. As an adult you don’t get much opportunity to do full body swings.
I hope you can get a break from all the work. That’s not much fun.
The climbing looks amazing! Too fun!
Week 11 Day 1
Squat
45-10
135-2x3
165-3
190-2x3
205-2x2
175-6
Swiss bar bench
45-5
90-4x4
RDL
135-10
155-10
165-10
Climbing and such.
Squats felt pretty solid considering I’ve got a cold and spent much of the time at the gym blowing my nose and clearing my head.
I won’t be competing in provincials this year. Thinking about driving to Ottawa and all the rigamarole is more than I want to do right now. I think I will do an open meet in Toronto the first weekend in December and have adjust my training accordingly.
Week 11 Day 2
My new Sabo squat shoes came in yesterday. Frank got some too. We both purchased ‘Embrace the Grind’ T-shirts. Although we both wore the same shoes and knee sleeves, I resisted the urge to wear the t-shirt, like his, so we wouldn’t look like complete tools; just partial tools.
Pause bench
45-10
95-3
105-2
110-3x3
Bench blox
115-5
120-2x3
125-2
Incline bench
45-5
80-2x8, 1x7
Squat
45-10
150-4x5
Climby, swingy…
Week 11 Day 3
Sumo Deadlift
135-2x5
225-2
255-5x2 add belt
225-10
SSB squat
45-5
135-3
150-4x5
Bench
45-10
95-3
105-2
115-3x2
More climbing and stuff.
We used some pre-workout today and it hit me wrong. My stomach was flippy and gross. I may or may not have farted during deadlift. Hopefully no one heard.
If I use it again, it will be half the strength I tried today.
Week 1 Day 1
My next meet is December 1 so this is a ramp up for that.
Squat
45-10
135-2x3
165-3
190-5x3
I used elbow sleeves for the first time in a long time. I have a close grip for squats and it’s really giving me pain when I squat. The sleeves helped quite a bit.
We ended up training at home because the gym was closed for Thanksgiving.
Swiss bar bench
50-10
85-3x5
85-10
It’s nice training on my own bench. Having said that though, we renewed our membership at the gym for another 3 months. We’re both really enjoying the family atmosphere and know quite a few people when we go in. Frank says it’s like Cheers at the gym.
Reverse Hyper
150-3x30
Ring leg raises
3x10
My foolish dog injured herself on the weekend. She jumped off our deck chasing a cat and injured her cruciate ligament. She’s injured it in the past. We took her to the vet ER and they prescribed tramodal. Interestingly this is one of the few human opioids that can also be used with dogs. She was not happy. The injury seemed much less traumatic than having to swallow a pill
Week 1 Day 2
Pause bench
45-10
95-3
105-4x3
We forgot to bring the bands with us. The benches are slippery AF and we wrap a couple of our bands from top to bottom to prevent sliding. I felt like we were adding an extra element of difficulty like a wobble bar or something.
Incline bench
45-5
80-2x8
80-7
DB Bench
35-3x10
I haven’t done these in ages and they lit up my triceps like crazy
Squat
135-5x6
I’m still fighting off the tail end of a cold and am pretty achy. My elbows, in particular, are giving me grief and make sleeping fun. Every time someone says age is just a number, I want to punch them but I’m afraid of injuring a shoulder, elbow or hand 
Doctor friend tells me drugs used for animals and also for humans are exactly the same -makes sense, right? Pro tip -buying it for “your animal” would be much cheaper LOL.
Generally I’d agree but because both Frank and I have benefits, we rarely pay anything for our drugs. The trick now is to declare the dog a dependent
In the meantime, we got a dog equivalent of naproxen from the vet that we’ve used on her in the past that’s a liquid and she’s much better about taking.
Week 1 Day 3
Sumo deadlift
135-2x5
225-2
255-1 add belt
275-2x1 these were harder than they should have been for this weight. I’ve started a low key cut since my weight has drifted up a bit over the summer due to excessive drinking and the eating like an asshole that inevitably goes with drinking for me. I wouldn’t have thought there’d be an impact and maybe it was just an off day. I figure it won’t take more than a couple of weeks to finalize my ‘course correction’. I’ve been sitting around 127-128 rather than 125 so not a big deal but I’d rather deal with it before it is.
Bench
45-10
95-3
105-2
115-1
115-2x2
SSB squat
45-10
125-5x5
Climbing etc. I’m getting much more confident and consistent with what I can do. I also find the day after hanging and swinging It definitely hits my core; my abs are lit up. It’s also affecting my hands. I had to take off my wedding ring. I’m getting calluses on the backs of my fingers and it was getting hard to pull my ring off. However, when I stored my ring [for the time being] I pulled out some old rings and none of them fit me. They wouldn’t go over my knuckles. I suppose 11 years of lifting has made my knuckles bigger.
Week 2 Day 1
Squat
45-10
135-2x3
165-2
195-5x3
Swiss bar bench
45-5
90-4x4
GHR+35
3x10
Things for me were okay but both Frank and Dani are out of sorts.
In other news, tomorrow weed is legal in Canada. First distribution is via mail only. I believe we are one of only a few countries to take this step nationally. It was originally supposed to launch in July but infrastructure and administration had to catch up. It’s been interesting to watch the money jockey. Initially it was meant to be distributed in the lcbo (Liquor control board Ontario) in Ontario but that is changing. One of the pre-eminent bidders for distribution rights is Shoppers Drug Mart. They are owned by Lablaws/Weston Foods; one of the largest grocery store owners in the country. Apparently marketing will be towards 35-55 year olds which isn’t surprising. We have the money.
Wow! Nationwide weed legalization is a big deal! I wonder why this not on the news stateside that I’ve seen ?
It was a big deal here in Colorado a few years ago when it was legalized for recreational use. You just have to be 21 and can get it at a shop. And you can grow it at your house. No mail order though!
Now it’s normal to smell weed a ton, or see eddibles very often. Now as well instead of feigning ignorance, owners of dogs who come in stoned at my job from getting into the owners pot, admit to having it in the house instead of blaiming a neighbor.
I don’t do any type of drugs so my view is way out of touch with weed culture. The potheads I know tend to think everyone moves to Colorado for the legal weed. I guess if your that into it you might see it as a plus.
To be honest, it’s smelled like bong water locally for quite a while. Maybe it’s just my neighbourhood. Dispensaries have been selling quite openly prior to legalization. Many of them have now closed due to applying for distribution licenses legally. For a while I’ve seen one called Georgia Peach launch what look like franchises and I’m not sure whether they have closed or whether they have an ‘in’ with respect to legal distribution.
Here you have to be 19, same as alcohol.
If I recall correctly, there has been a bit of kick back in the states as now, every province that borders the U.S. has legal weed and I gather there may be tighter measures at the border.
Week 2 Day 2
Paused bench
45-10
95-3
105-4x4
95-5 I tried widening my grip a bit on this set; middle fingers on the rings but don’t like it much
Bench blox
115-5
120-2x3
Incline bench
80-3x8
Squat
45-10
140-5x5
I played with my grip width on this too. My elbows have been giving me grief and @MarkKO linked an article on @Spock81 log. My belief was that I had narrowed my grip to maintain back tightness. I don’t think that’s the case really. My grip used to be a bit wider but I also had the bar higher. When I squat low bar I feel more secure with a narrow grip because having my arms tight into my sides creates a more secure support for the weight. When I move my grip out, I have to push my elbows back to support the weight and that puts a lot of strain on my wrists.
I think I may move back to a slightly higher bar squat like I did for years and I can’t recall why I got away from it. There is much less stress and pressure on my elbows and wrists and I can move my hands wider.
I think tomorrow is the last day for my short term, low key cut. I hit 124 this morning. It was pretty painless.
Week 2 Day 3
Sumo deadlift
135-2x5
225-2
235-5x2
SSB squat
45-5
135-5x5 may have been 6 sets. We lost track.
Bench
45-10
95-3
105-2
115-2x3
120-2
125-1
Climbing etc. My cut is finished. I’m now down to 123.5. Today is wings for dinner.
Week 3 Day 1
Squat
45-10
135-2x3
175-3
200-4x3
All beltless. I’m still playing with bar height and hand width. I find that by the time I hit my third rep, the bar has moved down my back a bit.
Swiss bar bench
45-5
85-4x5
GHR
3x10 +35lb plate.
I’m a bit put out with my gym at the moment. Last summer they had a squat challenge which I participated in. It was a lot of fun and led me to joining the gym for the time being. On Saturday they are doing a bench challenge. I’m not participating because… bench . Regardless, we offered to help out. However, last week they advertised prizes for the event. Last time it was supplements which was cool. This time it’s cash prizes plus supplements. Should be cool right? First place for men is $400, second is $200 and third is $100. The piss off is that women’s prizes are first place $200, second $100 and third $50. It’s nice to know that that’s what the owner thinks of his female members. I mentioned this to one staff member, who, to be fair, had nothing to do with prizing. Her take on it is that the men lift more. What bullshit. I’m very disappointed in this and won’t be returning in the new year.
Week 3 Day 2
Paused bench
45-10
95-3
105-3x5
Bench blox
115-5
120-4
125-3
Plate raise
25-3x12
superset with flies
5-3x12
I was intending to do some dumb bell over head presses but my right shoulder and elbow said no way.
Squat
45-10
145-5x5
We trained at home today and it was nice being on our bench. The one at the gym is narrow and very slippery. I’m much stronger on a competition width bench because I can pin my shoulders back and keep them like that.