Cbear,
My balance actually sucks quite a bit for a martial artist. I have spindly little colt ankles and work them as much as possible!
My three favorites are deadlift, chinups, and renegade rows. Those things make me pant and my whole core just got rock hard from doing those and planks for just a day or two. Awesome!
Your breath is sweet. xxoo.
11/11/09 update
Squats and Deadlifts and planks and not much to say about it all.
Squats: 1x5 45, 55, 65, 75 and 1x2 85 lb < all to that aerobic step/wood block combo that ensures below parallel.
Deads 1x10 45 1x5 95, 115 1x4 135 1x1 145 < not too good.
1x75 sec plank
Today I’m going to Bozeman for business so no gym. I’m thinking of doing some sets of planks, chinups, and pushups and calling it an upper body day.
Cheers!
That’s exactly what I would do if away from the gym - bodyweight stuff.
If your form on the squats and deads is improving and you are feeling more comfortable with the million cues we have to remember, then it was still a good day. Its a marathon, not a sprint.
[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
Its a marathon, not a sprint.[/quote]
x2
11/12/09
Squat 1x5 45, 55, 65, 75 1x3 85 lbs. < I noticed my left butt cheek tends to hit the box more and sooner than the right. Is this a problem? Should I pay attention to it as an imbalance that will bite me later?
BB lunge 1x5 45 2x5 55 lb < I did a lot more weight last week but I noticed I was shortening up my distance so I stayed steady and really pushed off.
Deadlift 1x5 55-105-125 lb < I sure do love these. It makes me really happy to pull even these small numbers and have them be so easy now. :)
kimba and cbear, you guys are awesome! It is a marathon indeed.
Cheers!
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
9/12/09
Squat 1x5 45, 55, 65, 75 1x3 85 lbs. < I noticed my left butt cheek tends to hit the box more and sooner than the right. Is this a problem? Should I pay attention to it as an imbalance that will bite me later?[/quote]
I would LOVE it to be 9/12/09 (ah, the return of warm temps!) but alas, I must suggest a typo.
My left butt cheek hits first too on alot of reps, but this is a bit of an overcompensation on my part for my weaker left side. I KNOW where my imbalance is, and its not on the left. If the butt cheeks should hit square on, I hope someone will tell us.
[quote]Deadlift 1x5 55-105-125 lb < I sure do love these. It makes me really happy to pull even these small numbers and have them be so easy now. :)
kimba and cbear, you guys are awesome! It is a marathon indeed.
Cheers!
[/quote]
Deadlifts RULE! It wasn’t that long ago for me that a 100# deadlift was a challenge. Now that would be easy speed work. BTW, speed work? That leads to bruised shins and knees, but its still worth it.
I don’t know but to me it suggests a pelvic tilt. Have either of you been checked out for hip alignment issues?
soldog: I have not. I think I’ve been to a chiro once in my life. I’ll look into it, and maybe do some yoga to feel it out. Thanks!
Friday the 13th update
DB rows 1x5 20, 25, 30, 35 1x3 45 < this was good because it means I didn’t lose much strength since I was sick.
Bench 1x5 45, 55, 65, 75 1x2 85 95 fail < this is bad because my 1 RM was 100 before I got sick, and 95 is my December goal. So, now I have to catch up again.
Chinups 1x4 with the 8lb db < working back up steadily
1 pullup with hands outside the support bars. These are nearly impossible but I understand they are essential for a strong uppper back.
DB military press 1x5 20, 25 lb < I needed a tiny assist on the right side for the last 2 reps. Previous 1RM was 30 which I was unable to achieve today.
Plank 1x 75 seconds.
So, it looks like I’m anywhere from 70 - 90% of my max strength. I think I can get caught up again by December. I’m going to go ahead and re-state my goals for December, and let’s say, by Dec 31st, I want all these goals caught on video and posted.
Deadlift 170 lb < previously hit it. current max 155
Squat 130 lb < current max 100
Military press 65 lb < previously hit it. current max unknown
Bench 95 lb < previously hit 100. current max 85
Chinups 5 bw+25 lbs. < current max 1x4 bw + 8
Happy lifting everyone!
Caught up to you on the DB rows. Finally something! 
As for my hip alignment, it is certainly possible that one hip is higher than the other. I don’t look crooked on the video, though.
Lady, rock on with the chin-ups and the pistols.
Badass.
Do you do weight with the pistols? I swear I cannot even balance on one leg, let alone squat on it.
You are my pistol hero.
I believe a good chiro is a godsend but when I tried one I felt as though I’d been mugged. There was always a line of people waiting, so even though I turned up on time I was kept waiting for quite some time past my appointment.
He then spent 10 minutes or so kicking me in the arse and treating my neck like a Rubik’s cube before charging me a lot of money. I felt like I’d been mugged. I went three times and then decided I’d had enough.
My physio was a lot better and actually treated the injuries I had rather than some nebulous issue with my spine.
As for pistols, no chance in hell I can do these, so respect!
[quote]shaunar25 wrote:
Lady, rock on with the chin-ups and the pistols.
Badass.
Do you do weight with the pistols? I swear I cannot even balance on one leg, let alone squat on it.
You are my pistol hero.[/quote]
Thanks! My sensei says it’s actually easier if you hold a weight out in front of you, as it counter-balances. I worked my ass off to accomplish pistols. I started by holding a door jamb.
Im pretty proud of them
i’ll add to the cheering for pistols…very nice!
i would suggest a good massage therapist over chiropractor…the hard part is finding a good one at either job. i went to chiros off and on for years…i find that the adjustments only lasted for a short time and then i have to keep going back to “put things back in place” and i was going for hip/pelvic issues that caused pain in my low back (got smashed between 2 cars years ago…seriously did some damage)
I’m slowly but surely making it through your journal – you’ve got me beat in just about everything. I wanna do rows with 45 lbs! And we both know that my squat is only hearsay til I prove it with evidence.
Are pistols similar to single-leg squats? How low down do you squat?
Wow on the pistols.
[quote]sweatnotglisten wrote:
I’m slowly but surely making it through your journal – you’ve got me beat in just about everything. I wanna do rows with 45 lbs! And we both know that my squat is only hearsay til I prove it with evidence.
Are pistols similar to single-leg squats? How low down do you squat?[/quote]
Hi, nice to see you here. Pistols are squats all the way to the bottom with your other leg held straight out in front of you, basically sitting on your heel, and you can’t go up on your toes.
www.beastskills.com/pistol.htm
Thanks Alisa and Talenaah
11/16/09
Awesome weekend snowboarding but my left hip and neck are sore. I’ll have to find an exercise to prep for those motions.
I wanted to see where my max is for all the dumbbell presses today.
DB incline bench 1x5 12, 15, 20, 25 and a fail at 30 lb. < I bet I could do one of these if I was fresh. I did this whole set of pushes one after the other. Until then, 1RM must remain 25.
DB decline bench 1x5 12, 15, 20, 25 1x1 at 30 lb. This must be my 1RM since it’s the first time I tried it.
DB military press 1x5 12, 15, 20, 25 and a fail at 30 lb. < ditto I bet I could do one of these if I was fresh. 1 RM is 30.
DB flat bench 1x5 12, 15, 20, 25 and 1x1 at 30 lb. <1 RM dumbbell is 35.
Weighted chinup 1x5 8lbs, 1x3 12 lbs. < getting there again, yay! 1RM is 25.
Wishing everyone great lifting today!
I just checked out the pistol website. I bow down to your bad-assness. And am adding it to the list of things to do.
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
11/16/09
Awesome weekend snowboarding but my left hip and neck are sore. I’ll have to find an exercise to prep for those motions.
I wanted to see where my max is for all the dumbbell presses today.
DB incline bench 1x5 12, 15, 20, 25 and a fail at 30 lb. < I bet I could do one of these if I was fresh. I did this whole set of pushes one after the other. Until then, 1RM must remain 25.
DB decline bench 1x5 12, 15, 20, 25 1x1 at 30 lb. This must be my 1RM since it’s the first time I tried it.
DB military press 1x5 12, 15, 20, 25 and a fail at 30 lb. < ditto I bet I could do one of these if I was fresh. 1 RM is 30.
DB flat bench 1x5 12, 15, 20, 25 and 1x1 at 30 lb. <1 RM dumbbell is 35.
Weighted chinup 1x5 8lbs, 1x3 12 lbs. < getting there again, yay! 1RM is 25.
Wishing everyone great lifting today!
[/quote]
i bet that was a fun workout…going for your maxes…and hell yeeeah you could hit those 30’s if you were fresh, easy peasy. and first time i did decline bench, it surprised me on the difficulty. great job! i’m a big fan of the DB work…
and i’ve sworn to try snoboarding this year…never skied or boarded…crap, i had to look up the spelling for past tense of ski…still looks funny…