Into the Deep End

Training Over 35 Lifter
41

Good point 63, I’d thought the same way…but…big news! Forget whatever I said. Just heard about a reunion (of sorts) old and dear freinds whom I’ve not seen in, jeez…6 years now? Sad but true. Going back to my high school home the first week of October. Friends, kids, probably some guys and girls circa “1985”…WOW.

So let the T-Nation spirit run wild, Vanity and some good-natured cockiness boil over, and let me train and sleep and eat and arrive even more hard and muscular and ripped than they remember and let me drink with the men and lust among the women and run with the kids at the water park until they call out for funnel cakes and when the sun goes down and the T-Nation brings me alive I shall thrive on the edge of the night until myself and my company have been satisfied once again.

Now that’s what I call a plan.
“Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

42

What the hell?..anyway, I just want to look pretty (as Mr. Shugart might say). You know, “pretty”, like rock hard and cut, I wanna go to my 25th and spend the night with girls at their 10th, is that so wrong? I think not.

So I shall put all my best together for one month. Eat, sleep, train (and work i suppose). Should be fun. Goodmorning and god speed to all.

43

Sounds like a plan to me.

44

Just rent a sports car and wear really expensive cloths. And lie a lot. You’ll get to hang out with the girls without the pain.

45

[quote]ecogenx wrote:
Just rent a sports car and wear really expensive cloths. And lie a lot. You’ll get to hang out with the girls without the pain.[/quote]

SOO TRRUEE, SOO TRRUEE.

46

Ain’t got no fancy sport’in car, not shiney clothes neither…

Where did Friday go? slept thought it.
Saturday? screwed up deadlifting day…warmed up poorly, started pulling, did 2x5 @ 225 then went 5x3 @ 275…this was good for me, last time my grip was weak, I would get one rep, maybe a second(usually not) and that was it. Pretty happy with this session. High pulls, hyper Xs, face pulls, hang cleans…Nothing crazy, after the deads and high pulls, my forearms (grip) was pretty well done for. Ab work and I’m outta there.
Sunday off and thankfully, back to my regular work schedule. Crank up some lower body Monday, push tuesday…

For the record, not sure the car and clothes would really help…I’m going to DesMoines, Iowa! And my high school town is even smaller than that. Maybe a nice John Deer…?

47

To much time on my hands.
After falling off the carb wagon, I’ve gone 6 days of zero “dry” carbs in a row. Just meat(and powder), veggies, and fruit. The other carb source is about a 75 gram sport drink with a magic powder after my lifting. I know that this is a short time, the six days, but dam if I can’t see a difference! My scale weight remains the same, my strengh has built up here and there, and I just look leaner and harder than a week ago. As I type this, I am wanting to put on lean muscle mass(surprise!), but It’s become very obvious,over the last few months, that carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes ect.) and I cannot not share our lives together as we have in the past. Is it age? Have I become more sensitive over time? Am I fine except for the occasional OCD outbreak? The office next door to me had popcorn today…before lunch…kettlecorn to be exact, and the lingering smell is giving me a headache.

Is this what my life has become?
Steak with a walnut red sauce for breakfast?
Spinch,broccoli, almond,oregano and olive oil salad with garlic chicken for, well…anytime I want?
I feel a nightmare coming on.
Legs and abs monday.
God bless our southern neighbors.

48

HAHA. I was down to 189 and I got the bright idea to up my protein. Went from 1 - 2 shakes a day to 4 - 5. I wasnt thinking of them as weight gainers ( duh ). In 3 weeks I gained 10 pounds! Now it will take FOREVER to get back down.

49

4-5 shakes a day? Did you get tired of actually eating? I’m kidding of course 63G, but sounds like you put on more fat than muscle right (based on your comments)? You can burn that stuff right off brother. I wonder what your carbs where like during those weeks, they’re the killer for me that’s for sure.

Change of plans, Push and abs today, a wicked pump for chest,shoulders, tri’s…best I’ve had in awhile. And of course, I changed it a bit. Gonna refine/re-structure and get my next rotation figured out. Let’s take a look shall we?

Incline fly 10each @ 20
w/ press 10 " @ 30
2x 8 " @ 40

Low Incline 8@135
Pin press 5@ 155
5@ 175
5@ 155
3x4@ 175

Push Press 2x10 @ 95
3x3 @ 135
alt. with
Dips 5x6 w/25lbs. on chain

Ab Slider 2x15

Close grip press 2x12 @ 95
2x6 @ 135
Alt. with
Flat fly 4x8 @ 40

Ab slider 2x 15

This took 90 min. Written out, it doesn’t look like much. But, after the press/dip combo? my shoulders and tri’s where crazy pumped. I’d like to work that 175 pin press up to a 5x5…I keep wanting to roll up to 195 again, but I know that’s not the most productive thing to do (maybe next time, sshhh). Anyhoo, Felt good, legs tomarrow, pull the next day…Groovy

50

Well Im not sure how much was one or the other but I can tell you that I tried to stop them kinda cold turkey and it was a mistake. I started CRAVING sweets. I mean bad. I had mentioned that I had stopped the protein to an old time power lifter. I didnt tell him about the cravings and the first thing he said was watch out youll be craving sweets! Soo Im going to taper my self off a little more slowly.

Great work goin on there.

51

tuesday legs and abs…nothing crazy but, I rolled up to do 5x3 at a 175lbs. front squat. That’s an improvement. As I read some of my other workouts, I’ve gotten stuck at 5x5 for awhile, even pushing the weight up here and there. With deads, if gone to a 5x3 finish at about a 90% max load. I think that will be my next real goal. Pushing 90% max for all big movements (yes, i did just read that recent article about it!).

Deadlifted today, 5x3 @ 275 to finish, grip is very much improved, did hang-cleans and ran out of time, I’m gonna do the rest of my pull thursday, maybe some more direct arm work (don’t ever do much), and abs…feeling good, not sleeping well so, may as well beat myself up a bit in the gym. Cause F**K it that’s why!

52

[quote]zildjianman wrote:
4-5 shakes a day? Did you get tired of actually eating? I’m kidding of course 63G, but sounds like you put on more fat than muscle right (based on your comments)? You can burn that stuff right off brother.

I wonder what your carbs where like during those weeks, they’re the killer for me that’s for sure.

Change of plans, Push and abs today, a wicked pump for chest,shoulders, tri’s…best I’ve had in awhile. And of course, I changed it a bit. Gonna refine/re-structure and get my next rotation figured out. Let’s take a look shall we?

Incline fly 10each @ 20
w/ press 10 " @ 30
2x 8 " @ 40

Low Incline 8@135
Pin press 5@ 155
5@ 175
5@ 155
3x4@ 175

Push Press 2x10 @ 95
3x3 @ 135
alt. with
Dips 5x6 w/25lbs. on chain

Ab Slider 2x15

Close grip press 2x12 @ 95
2x6 @ 135
Alt. with
Flat fly 4x8 @ 40

Ab slider 2x 15

This took 90 min. Written out, it doesn’t look like much. But, after the press/dip combo? my shoulders and tri’s where crazy pumped.

I’d like to work that 175 pin press up to a 5x5…I keep wanting to roll up to 195 again, but I know that’s not the most productive thing to do (maybe next time, sshhh). Anyhoo, Felt good, legs tomarrow, pull the next day…Groovy[/quote]

you’re one hard workin guy. Nice job on the pin presses. You balancing the push with an equal volume of pull?

53

Speaking of pulling, I did wensday before work(like always). Couldn’t sleep, dicked around the house, cooking for a couple days and just starting at the walls…went to train. This is where the problems started, so I thought.

Misc. warm-up: face pulls, high pulls, rear delt fly, woodchopper, all in a big circut, just jumping around to Faith No More, alone like always…

Hang snatch 4x12 @ 90 alt. with
over-head squat 4x12 @ 90lbs.
Still a bit of a warm-up

Deadlift: 12@135 (quick but tight)
2x5 @225 (quick, still tight)
2x3 @275 (not quick, tight)
Just pull 305 one time? Got it, groovy
Not quick but smooth, I pulled 315 awhile back and looked bad doing it. This was much better. Then the trouble started.

   315? Got it.  Did  4x1 @ 315 with 3 or 4 minutes in between.  Not ideal maybe, but after the first one, I just didn't give a dam!  And once again,  I'd never really felt anything like it.  My whole body was tramatized !  I rest 5 min. and proceed.

Abs: slide-outs 2x15
standing crunch 2x8 @ 62.5(cable)

chin-ups 4x8 alt. with
floor cleans 4x6 @ 135 (not great with these)…At this point, my whole body is shaking, sweating and panting, not feeling well at all. I turn the music off, the lights off, and laid on the floor for TWENTY minutes!

The lights come on, and I look up to a doctor friend standing over me with an odd look on his face. I said hello, he did the same, and reminded me that I had to work in about 30 minutes…did I say twenty minutes?

I meant to say that I fell asleep for almost 90 min…! I basically passed the F**K out, on the floor with a towel over my head! Funny thing though, when I was in the shower, I got pissed cause I really only did half my pulling!

But, when I woke up today, and could barely move? I let myself off the hook! Sitting here, I feel fairly decent. Let’s see what tomarrow brings shall we.

Oh, I almost forgot. Yes, I do fancy some pulling now and then!
God Speed.

54

What the hell am I thinking…I re-posted(kinda) my other workout, out of order. And now just posted the correct one for yesterday? Dumb Ass. This I know is up to date. The deadlifting singles? Not very smart. Or productive really. Just kinda stupid all the way around. The last two hours I’ve spent sitting or standing in place and I’m starting to get VERY stiff indeed. This may prove to have been a very bad idea!
Nice going F**K WEED.

55

The only time I’ve felt like that is when I’ve drank to many power drinks before I workout.

56

The way I count it you got 9 sets on your low back alone! No wonder you were shaking. Thats way more than I get. 6 sets is the norm for me. I will say strong pull though.

57

I threw up BSN no-xplode once…gave the rest away! Felt great after, worked out strong, but not willing to puke everytime! No thanks.

Iv’e been trying to catch up with my workout diary. In doing so, I screw up and post out of order ect…which in turn makes my schedule look ridiculous. Before that last pull, I had done two other lifts leading up to that 4x1 at my P.R…Feeling strong, eating more, actually training less, and finally sleeping better (for now). Gonna keep driving it until my vacation Oct. 3-10. Probably wont lift at all while I’m gone.

One of my neices trains/helps coach at the West Des Moines gym that produced Miss Shawn Johnson (perhaps you’ve heard of her?). Yes, that’s a shameless plug of sorts! Maybe I’ll get to play on the giant trampoline or something? Alright then, back to it.

58

A moment to vent has arrived. Just so I know that this really did just happen…

Training alone, like always, nobody else in the gym. I’m sore and doing supersets of some of my favorite combos…dips and overhead press, flat hammer press w/ bent rows, hang snatch to a full over head squat…high reps, little rest…and to be fair, obviously lower weight. Fine.

This is my anti-machine cardio workout! Now, I’m huffing and puffing, sweating hard, but getting through it. I’m joined in the gym by a familiar (but un-known) face.

As I’m resting, this guy comes right up to my with the following opening line…"you know, I see you in here a lot, why don’t you do any cardio? I was sure that I didn’t hear him so I said "I’m sorry? Didn’t hear you? "

The machines man, that’s where it’s at!"…and he walks away. Now, I’m just entering the “Grinding” stage of my workout. You know that point where your locked in cause if you weren’t, you’d fall over? I finish, not strong, but I finish, rest, and do some quick ab stuff.

My Cardio Mentor is sloshing along on an eliptical machine. I say sloshing because he looks like he’s walking in three feet of water. Am I making fun of him now? Yes I am. I finish up at about 70 min. sweating hard and just fired up all over.

He puts in 25 min.(approx.) and is done. As I walk into the locker room, I’m greeted with the following comment, "now that was a workout!). I’m trying, trying very hard, but,I,just,can’t,help…“what the hell are you talking about”.

It just comes out. He looks almost hurt, and yes I know, I’m being a bit of an ass. I continue, “if you really want a workout, stop wasting your time and really get yourself moving”. I’m not even exactly sure what I meant, but he seemed to.

That was the end of our conversation. I may have cursed at him, or in general. To be fair, I was very cranked up after my workout. He was shaking his head, thinking about it, as I walked out. In a more positive personal moment, I would have talked to him, tried to help him see the light, or at least, some of my light.

But as it was, I just didn’t have the energy. Next time I see him, I’ll keep on eye on his workout, a curious eye indeed. At first his opening comment pissed me off, “what the f**k was he thinking”? I remember I thought that…it was harmless though, truly. Oh my what will the next day bring.

59

Opinions are like arm pits: Every one has at least a couple and most of the time they stink. Thats what I like to say anyway. Man is that ever true in the gym. Theres always the guy who thinks hes got it together cause he read it in a magazine.

Most men today get their fitness info from the female dominant diet industry or latest research from Dr. Eplutamus Fluffyhead. Either way they have never tried to pump enough iron to sweat, little own gasp for air.

Most likely didnt know what he was trying to say. To be sure he probly meant it harmlessly, but it did kinda insult you. Ever so slightly. Now if I were there Id have insulted you properly ( LOL ).

60

[quote]63Galaxie wrote:
Opinions are like arm pits: Every one has at least a couple and most of the time they stink. That is what I like to say anyway. Man is that ever true in the gym. There is always the guy who thinks hes got it together cause he read it in a magazine.

Most men today get their fitness info from the female dominant diet industry or latest research from Dr. Eplutamus Fluffyhead. Either way they have never tried to pump enough iron to sweat, little own gasp for air.

Most likely didn’t know what he was trying to say. To be sure he probably meant it harmlessly, but it did kinda insult you. Ever so slightly. Now if I were there Id have insulted you properly ( LOL ).[/quote]

Isn’t that the truth. And they want to talk to you just as you are trying to grind the last rep out on a PR lift.

Ah well, maybe the guy learned something from seeing the sweat.