That’s interesting I’ll take a look. Might be time to switch up the training plan anyways.
March 20
Pull 2
Football Bar Rows
245 X 6 (11kg)
245 X 6
245 X 6
Pull Over Machine One Arm
70 X 12 (31.5 kg)
70 X 12
70 X 12 + 70 X 10 with both arms
Some kind of Dumbbell Spider Curl thing
30 X 40 (13.5kg) Drop set
15 X 30 (6.5kg)
We had a meeting at Job #1 about the cornavirus. Without outright saying it, the consensus was that we are going to work unless the government will fine us for being open.
This is what I’ve heard. It’s a trip I’ve always intended to take, and maybe it’s the time (as soon as flights ramp back up a little). I assume summer is the time to visit? I’ve clearly done little research, but I’ll live through you for now
I wanted to go in the winter, but I really wanted to drive the F-Roads (unpaved roads in the highlands), so I spent 9 days in July there. There’s alot of tourists, in summer and no actual night time. If you like the dark, few people, and limited stores the winter is for you.
I went by myself, as is tradition at this point, and stayed in Reykjavik for three days and did all the touristy stuff, I skipped the Blue Lagoon after talking with some of the tour guides who all said that that it is just an over priced tourist trap. There’s better places all over that are less crowded and cheaper, or free.
I did do the Golden circle tour, but everyone does it so everything is a little crowded. The geysers (pronounced gay-seers for some reason) were the worst with people all bunched up waiting to see water come out of a hole, everything else everyone kept a good distance from each other and you can see everything else without feeling like you are on an assembly line shuffling off to the next thing. One of the tour guides I was talking too called up Hafthor’s gym and they invited me to train out there, but I didn’t have the time, I wish I would have stayed a few more days and gotten to, that would have been pretty cool. my only regret from the trip.
I camped for most of my trip. There’s no mosquitoes, no bad spiders and no snakes so I slept on the ground out in the open, and received a bunch of weird glances the entire time. The only time I was actually cold (Your experience may vary 
) was when I slept near the beach in Olafsvik on the north side of the island when it made it down to 34 degrees (~1C). the weather was cool highs in the 50’s up north and warmer on the two sunny days in the south where it stayed around 65 -70 during most of the day. Since I was up there in early July it was never actually dark.
Up on the F Roads I ran into two German architects who had broken down, I spent the day helping them out and ended up finding the best pools in the country up in the middle of nowhere surrounded by glaciers and silence, while the landscape looked like I was on the surface of the moon.
Akureyri was my favorite “city” I visited. It’s a lot like Reykjavik without as many people. Very picturesque, with a small town feel, with way less tourists than Reykjavik.
The people were all really nice and everyone speaks english, FYI blue jackets are the official costume of tourists, I didn’t get the memo and wore my brown hunting jacket, and everyone kept talking to me in Icelandic, of which I managed to pick up a tiny bit. They all have the Nordic Standoffishness, anyone will help you but you will have to ask (including waiters), which I really enjoyed, I didn’t have anyone asking to help me put my chair in my car, or offering to give me a push. I know people are just trying to be nice, but it does irritate me, so this was very welcome. I was the first person in a wheelchair in a lot of the places I went to according to the Park rangers and tour guides I talked to, I won’t ever know if it is true but its fun to believe. The people are very friendly and the landscape at least to wheelchairs is not, if I was to design a landscape to keep wheelchairs out it would look a lot like Iceland. 
The weather was amazing (to me) cool to cold, windy and wet, for the most part on the coasts. Which is where I spent a lot of time after the F-roads. The last two days the weather changed and it was all sunshine and warmth 
Everything is a little expensive, especially the food, and the good grocery store (Bonus) was only open from 11:00 to 15:00. The 24 hour ones are more expensive and the 10-11 (store name), were highway robbery so stick to the BONUS Store chain if you ever do go.
On the Golden circle tour I was talking to a retired couple from Wales, who took a cruise, they said it was the best way to see Iceland, you get to see all of the touristy stuff and still have access to cheap food and a bed, (if you’re not into sleeping on the grass) aboard the ship.
I actually ran into the same couple two days later and 400 miles away in Akureyri, they called my name while I was rolling down the side walk and we spent the day going around and seeing the town and the sights.
All in all I enjoyed every bit of it, I’d move there in a heartbeat if I didn’t have family over here. If you or anyone else has any questions let them fly and I’ll answer what I can.
4 Likes
What an incredible write-up! Thank you for the detail and the real insights. I’m definitely going to have to start doing some real exploration.
I’ve never done a cruise either; maybe I combine the two? Seems ambitious, but that’s how I like to do these things anyway.
I really appreciate you sharing your experience in such depth.
1 Like
March 22
Push 1
OHP
170 X 3 (77kg)
195 X 3 (88kg)
220 X 3 +0+1+1 (99.5kg) 30,40,60 sec between clusters. I missed the first one so I took a little longer between the other two
Incline Guillotine Press
205 X 13 - 90 sec rest (93kg)
205 X 7 - 90 sec rest
205 X 6
Dumbbell Overhead Extensions
100 X 22 - 60 sec rest (45kg)
100 X 12 - 60 sec rest
100 X 8
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March 23
Pull 1
America’s Strongest is officially postponed until Julyish. More time to train up if nothing else.
Football Bar Rows
205 X 14 (93 kg)
205 X 12
205 X 10
Pull over Machine
130 X 10 (58.5kg)
130 X 10
130 X 10
Preacher Curl
120 X 8 (54kg) - 45 sec rest
120 X 6 (2nd set PR) - 45 sec rest
120 X 4
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March 24
Rower
20 minutes 3435 meters
Avg 2:54.6 per 500 meters
1 mile stroll
March 25
Push 2
Bench Press
245 X 3 (111kg)
280 X 3 (127 kg)
315 X 3 +0+1 (142.5kg) Felt really heavy today
Close Grip Pin Press
245 X 6 (111kg)
265 X 6 (120 kg)
275 X 6 (124.5 kg)
275 X 6
Plate Front Raise SS w Dumbbell Press
(Lateral Raises bugged my shoulder today)
PFR - 35 (15.5kg) X 20 / DSP - 30 (13.5kg) X 15
PFR - 35 X 20 / DSP - 30 X 15
PFR - 35 X 20 / DSP - 30 X 15
I’m going to finish out this cycle next week and then drop to three days a week, still the same basic plan but do Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and pick back up where I left off on the following Sunday.
I have come to realize that I absolutely loathe Dumbbell Shoulder Press, not sure why but I hate it with a passion right now. I’m going to drop it for a while and mix a few of my other exercises up and see if anything changes strength wise.
1 Like
March 26
Pull 2
Football Bar Rows
245 X 7 (111kg)
245 X 6
245 X 6
245 X 5
Pull Over Machine
1 Arm
80 X 10 (36kg)- 60 sec rest
80 X 10 - 60 sec rest
Two arm
80 X 25
Dumbbell Curls Mechanical Drop set
Reverse Curl
30 X 15 (13.5 kg)
Regular Curl
30 X 12
Hammer Curl
30 X 12
Then no rest
Regular DB curls
15 X 50 (6.5 kg)
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March 28
Tabata on the Rower
Moved a pile of lumber from my house down a hill so it would be under storage. Pick up the wood throw it as far as I could (8 -16) feet and repeat until it was over to the driveway and I could drag it down the hill and stack it.
Pretty sure it was in the vicinity of a bazillion miles going up and down that hill.
March 29
Push 1
OHP
180 X 5 (81.5 kg)
205 X 3 (93 kg)
230 X 1 (104 kg) (Post Appendectomy PR)
I think 240 (108.5 kg) Was my best ever but I’ll have to go back through my journals to find out.
Incline Guillotine Press
205 X 14 (Rep PR) (93kg) - 90 sec rest
205 X 8 - 90 sec rest
205 X 6
Overhead Extensions
120 X 8 (54 kg) 60 sec rest
120 X 6 - 60 sec rest
120 X 4
Not sure what I’m going to do once I’m doing sets of 20 with this. 120 is all the fits on my dumbbell, and it barely clears my head anyways. Maybe rig up some kind of french press in my rack or set something up on a low pulley with a bench.
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Felt terrible on Monday, low grade fever and a general feeling of crappyness. Had a tiny infection and am feeling better now. Took the day off and slept.
March 31
20 minutes on the Rower 2:53.5 per 500 meters
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Plague or pollen? So exciting!
Keeps things interesting.
The only thing I am worried about with the virus is my mom, Shes older, diabetic and has had lung issues in the past, including pneumonia back in June. If she contracts it there is a good chance she might not make it out. I have to be very careful down at her place, meanwhile she doesn’t seem to care one way or the other which is frustrating.
I understand. I worry about my mom and my son. He is a big boy now (almost 15) but I have seen him on a ventilator once and have no desire to ever see that again, for any reason.
My mom is 78 so…
I have been staying home for them. I went town yesterday and these people are acting like fools. No social distancing whatsoever. 
April 1
Push 2
BP
265 X 5 (120 kg)
295 X 3 (133.5 kg)
315 X 1 (142.5 kg)
330 X 1 (149.5 kg)
340 X 1 - (154 kg) Still 15# (6.5 kg) short of my PR but I’m getting closer to where I was.
Pin Press
275 X 6 (124.5kg)
275 X 6
275 X 6
275 X 5
Behind the Neck Press
135 X 10 (61kg)
135 X 10
April 2
Pull 2
Football Bar Rows
245 X 7 (111 kg)
245 X 5
245 X 5
245 X 5
Machine Pullovers
100 X 22 (45 kg)
100 X 16
100 X 13
Preacher Curl
60 X 50 (27 kg)
My mom started coughing yesterday, have to see how that plays out.
There is a rumor at work that one of the new hires worked for a day and then was admitted to the hospital and died a few days later. All supposedly because of the coronavirus
They do the new hires orientation in a corner of my office, if it is true then he was hanging out in here for about 4 hours. I don’t remember anyone coughing or anything but I may have been concentration on my work and missed it. My brother is terrified, not because of the virus but if we shut down it’ll be two weeks of nonstop chores around the house. .
On a positive note, I have received most of my quotes back so I can build a house; one with a garage where I can put a gym and have a living room again. Planning on breaking ground in September and be moved in before Christmas this year.
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How is your mom doing?
She’s doing better I think… We all have become very good at hiding injuries and illnesses from each other, but she has been acting like she feels better.
I have one sister that will make a big fuss about any little thing. She cut the tip of her finger once and she called claiming she had cut off her finger. But the rest of us, you’ll see someone grimace or limp and have to drag what’s wrong or what happened out of them. My mom and my dad are both this way, and all but one of us seemed to have a took a double dose of it.
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April 4
Tabata on the Rower
1 Mile walk
April 5 (Starting three days a week for the next 8 weeks.)
Push 1
OHP
160 X 5 (72.5 kg)
185 X 5 (83.5 kg)
210 X 5 (95 kg) (Tie All time PR)
200 X 5 (90.5kg)
Incline Guillotine Press
205 X 14 (93kg) - 90 sec rest
205 X 8 - 90 sec rest
205 X 7
Overhead Extensions
120 X 10 (54 kg)
120 X 7
120 X 5