I have the intention of keeping a training log here… Possible a food log as well. First a little bit about me…
I am 5’9 - 5’10 In that area, every time I get measured its different. I weigh around 207 pounds (I seem to fluctuate between 205 and 208 for the past month and half). I weigh myself once a week. I am around 20% bodyfat, but that is more a guess. The person whom I had use the caliper things on me was far from a pro at it (it was there second time doing it). So my body fat # is probable off, but it gives me a rough starting point.
Some past history on why certain exercises will be so weak… I have had alot of knee problems in the past 10 years. I am now 27 (will be this sunday at least) and have had my right knee operated on 4 times. 2 ACL tares and 3 meniscus tares. My left knee has had 1 meniscus tare and 1 ACL tare. Needless to say I am a little paranoid when it comes to my legs and have lost ALOT of strength because of the surgeries and the paranoia.
On top of that I never learned to squat properly until this past year. When I was in high school I thought my football coachs new what they were talking about… I was wrong. (Thanks to a Dan John video I now feel like I squat correctly) So re-building my leg strength is a work in progress for me. Well now lets get onto the today’s workout…
Today I was feeling REALLLLY unmotivated, but I forced myself to go to the gym… I am glad I did, because I feel LOADS better now. WOOHOOO!
Circuits: 5
Reps: 8
Load: Medium
rest: 45 - 60 s
Standing Military Presses–> 125lbs
Sitting Rows–> 140 lbs
DRDL → 70 lbs (each hand)
Front Squats–> 125 lbs
1A–> 1 armed Pull down → Stack + 10 *
1B–> Front Squat → 155
2A–> Romanian DeadLift → 255
2B–> Flat Bench → 225**
= I don’t no what the weight of the stack is… It says it is 160lbs but I feel it is wrong… The equipment is from around 1975 (or so it seems). I wanted to do wide grip pull downs, but it is hard to get a weight heavy enough for that machine to actually be usefull…
** = I wanted to do decline dumbell bench, but I after getting to my work gym I realized that we don’t actually have a decline bench there… Any suggestions for a substitution? We also don’t have a pull-up bar or dip station…
1A) Push-Up with feet elevated ++
1B) Good Mornings → 95 lbs ++
2A) Barbell Row w\ Palm up -->95 lbs ++
2B) Step-Ups (alternate legs each rep) 16 each leg → Body weight… In Hindsite I did this wrong, think I was suppose to do 8 each leg. ++
I lift barefoot and there were other people in the gym (for the first time) and they were looking at me funny. Oh well, I like my barefoot lifting.
Oh yea ++ is just a marker for me… means to go up in weight.
My form is horrendous in the single legged deadlift… I think I am going to up the weight next time and do two legged deadlifts until I get better balance / form.
1A) Pushups → Feet inclined and w/ sets 2 and 3 I had my hands holding 35 lb weights so I had a longer range of motion
1B) Good Mornings → 115 lbs I will go up in weight next time
2A) Row w/ Palms up → Set 1 was at 120 lbs. This i struggled with alot so i went down to 110 for the next two sets. I still struggled with this but was doable.
2B) Step Ups → 25 lbs each hand. Alternating legs each rep
I could of gone higher on the deadlift but I felt tired and it seemed like my form was having issues when I went higher. So proper form > heavier weight.
I had every intentions of exercising yesterday… I just never made it to the gym. It is okay though, instead I go a workout helping my father. I loaded a cart with 56 cement thingys (a great core workout, alot of trunk twisting in a squatting position). Then I moved the cart, which had a broken wheel… So it was sort of like a partial sled pull. This by the way is GREAT for leg / core strength,
Then helped him (father) load the truck. Now the actual putting down of the cement blocks, he did that. I was more or less just there to help move stuff. ANYWAY, onto today’s workout!
I started with the a complex of the following excercises done for 4 sets at 12 reps with 95 pounds…
Clean → Front Squat → Push Press
After those 4 sets I went into:
3 sets, 12 reps
Dumbell Pull overs → 50 lbs I will have to increase this weight next time
2 sets of 12 reps of the following exercises. These were done 1 after the other with no rest between exercises. about a 60 second rest between sets
After thinking about that workout I did today a little. I think I should do the complex of Clean → Front Squat → Push press for 8 to 10 and not 12. Maybe go a little heavier in weight. It seemed my form went go bad about that point. The weight didn’t feel heavy, but my cardio is the suck.
[quote]bibby wrote:
After thinking about that workout I did today a little. I think I should do the complex of Clean → Front Squat → Push press for 8 to 10 and not 12. Maybe go a little heavier in weight. It seemed my form went go bad about that point. The weight didn’t feel heavy, but my cardio is the suck.[/quote]
this is actually a really good idea stick to 8 reps.
I’ve looked over the past log entries and I must say its lookin very nice so far!
Core day!!!
Wheel Roll outs x 5
V-Ups x 15
Russian Twists x 10 (per side) w\ 10 lb medicine ball
back Extensions (last set had a 25 lb plate)
High rep chinnies
Did this circuit for 4 sets.
Then did 15 mins Steady State cardio on an ellipticle.
Followed by 10 mins HIIT on a stepper (2 mins slow 1 fast)
Lastly 5 mins on a Treadmill at 3.5 MPH and 4 Degrees incline.
For the HIIT I did 120 seconds slow followed by 40 seconds fast for most of it. Towards the end I had to change it up to get and did a few rounds of 80 120 slow 80 fast 80 slow 40 fast…
10 - JUNE - 2009
28 minutes cardio. Did the “Fat Loss” program on the ellipticle
Last set of cleans my grip went after 6 reps. My forearms were on files… Should make for an interesting rest of workout.
Deadlifts were MUCH harder with a toasted grip… Forearms are dead
Bulgarian Split squats are a killer… My legs feel exhausted. Good stuff
Ran out of time and have to get back to work. didn’t complete workout because of this. Tomorrow I will have to work Chest, Bi’s, Tri’s, Calves. Todays workout was just to have Chest and calves in it, but might as well add the Tri’s and Bi’s…
3rd set of cleans only got 6 before it felt like my form was going bad… I moved the weight down to 135 for the last set. My forearms were also on fire.
Only did 6 on the last set of cleans… My form was fine, but my grip was giving out.
I definitely need to work on my grip strength and endurance
24 - JUNE - 2009
I needed a change in workout, felt tired and unexcited about the workout I have been doing. I also feel like I am getting sick, though I am hoping a hard workout will cure me of that. ANYWHO…
1A) Bench → 6 sets → 3 reps → 225* (see notes on weight change)
1B) Back Squat → 6 sets → 3 reps → 225* (see notes on weight change)
3A) 1-arm lat pull downs → 2 sets → 10 reps → Unknown… The machine said 160 but I doubt it was that much
3B) Feet incline pushups → 2 sets → AMRAP
NOTES:
Did a warmup set of squat and bench at 135 lbs
Did my first set of squat and bench for 6 reps at 205 lbs… Had a mental error of what workout I was doing.
At the 4th set of squat and bench I adjusted the weight. Bench went to 235 whie Squat went to 275. I think I am going low enough on the squat, but I will have to work on my hip flexibility and video myself doing the squat to get input from others and so I can see it.
Last set of bench I put the weight back down to 225… Lack of a spotter and I was questioning whether I would be able to get it for a set of 3 again…
)