Once again, glad to find I’m not alone here—the end of 2023 and so far this deep into 2024 have been rough.
A deliberate change in perspective could go a long way, though.
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I’m sorry to hear it! I confess and apologize I haven’t been keeping up. Are you doing ok?
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Good news Friday: my mother had a parotidectomy Monday for a tumor. Pathology just came back and it was benign and she’s all good. Just keeping it positive in here (well, negative, but that’s a positive)!
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That’s outstanding news! What a relief.
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How’s your stretching?
Reframing your reframe: “I’ve earned my way into doing only what serves me well.” You could even go to “learned my way into…”
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Sorry, I got all excited and responded without reading everything, and now I’m out of time, but I’m glad your mom is good!
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It’s Lite, so you’re good. lol
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Did a push workout today. Kept it pretty light with slow eccentrics. Just wanted to get some blood in there and a pump and get my joints feeling better. Started with some explosive work.
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Vertical Jumps
Warmups, then 2 x 5 with resets -
Knee tuck Jumps
Same -
Bench Plyo Pushups
Same -
Low Incline DB
4s eccentrics - tough!
45/ 15
75/12
80/7
80/6
60/10 -
Machine Flye
2s stretch and flex
3 x 8 -
Bench
3s eccentrics
135/6 close grip + 4 regular + 4 wide -
Seated DB OHP
4s eccentrics
40/8 x 3 -
Dips
5s eccentric
6 + 3 + 2 -
Incline DB Lateral
2s holds at top
15/ 8 x 3 -
Rope Pushdown
Slow reps
3 x 8
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Another super light, slow eccentric day. I’m not sure if I mentioned this above, but I’m finding when I don’t sleep a couple nights in a row, that’s an indicator I’m getting pretty deep into a recovery ditch. That one actually hits slightly before my body feels awful, so that’s one to pay attention to.
These are simple workouts, but it’s all muscle, it’s quick, and it’s restorative. If nothing else, I’m definitely cleaning up my rep execution.
Legs
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Leg Press
4s eccentrics, really low each rep
2pps/ 8
4pps/12
4.25pps/10
5pps/8
3pps/12 -
Leg Extension
2s flex and stretch
3 x 8 -
Front Squat + Back Squat
Warmups
Still deep, slow reps with light weight - feeling way better on my joints (go figure)
185/6 + 6 -
RDL
4s eccentric
135/8
155/8 x 2
Got a butt cramp! -
Seated Leg Curl
2s flex and stretch
3 x 8 -
Standing Calf
5s negatives
150/6 + 4 + 3
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Nice work mate. Can you comment on my log, stupid 6 post rule means i’m locked out again.
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I am in a fantastic hotel gym for the next couple days: hammer strength machines, smith machine, heavy dumbbells, just fantastic!
Did chest and shoulders today. Stuck with really focused reps, pause at the bottom, all that jazz.
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HS Incline Press
.25pps/8
1pps/8
2pps/8 x 4 -
DB Incline
65/8
75/8
80/8 + 50/8 + 40/8ish
It’s my left side that kills me on these. The whole side is wanting to roll toward my right lately. I’m forcing it to act right -
Smith Low Incline
135/8
155/8
175/8
195/6 -
Pronated DB Incline Flye
20/10 x 3 -
Cable Rear Delt
4 x 20 -
DB Side Raise
20/8 x 4
45s between sets
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Could do these alternating, one side at a time.
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I might try it. I’ve done it in the past. It ends up reminding me to get tight all around, so it’s not a bad call at all
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Yer they really make you tighten up for sure, first time I tried these I fell of the bench, even with the dumbbell in the non lifting hand at the bottom I still couldn’t balance. LOL
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That’s pretty funny. I usually hate doing stuff like that, because it feels like a waste of time, but probably wise as a corrective
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Yes I am not sure how much benefit they have for mass building as you need to use lighter weight, but only thought of it as you sounded like you had some sort if imbalance thing going on. We always recommend lots of single leg work but rarely single press work, I wonder why ?
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Nice!
It’s also another way to keep the weights down without keeping the Effort down. You could do something like that for a month, then when you get bored do slow eccentrics for a month. That way you’ve made 2 months of progress, with less abuse on the body, before you even start to train “normal.”
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I like that. Would you dudes do these with holding a dumbbell in the non-working hand or not?
Did back again in the awesome hotel gym. Quick one this morning. Followed all the “secondary workout” rules (short rests, full reps, peak contractions, etc)
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HS Pulldown
1pps/8 x 2
2pps/10 x 3 -
Smith BO Row
135/6
185/8 x 3 -
DB Shrug
3s hold at top
100/10 x 3 -
Hypers
3 x 15 -
Cable Crunch
4 sets -
Leg Press Calf Raise
4 x 15
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