[quote]alexus wrote:
happy for you getting in some mat time 
[/quote]
It’s going to be a week of me getting my ass kicked. It’ll both suck and be awesome.
Lifting on Thursday was just so aimless, that I realized I need goals. I’m not made to just be able to wander into the weight room and do what strikes my fancy that day. That’s actually how I started doing BJJ, I needed a goal and someone suggested BJJ to me. While I absolutely love it, I can’t envelope myself in it right now. Judo, while fun isn’t clicking in the same way. So, I think I’m going to focus on looking good naked. (I’m actually pretty ok with the way I look naked, it’s semi dressed that I’d like to improve vastly. But, semi dressed just doesn’t have the same ring to it.)
I’ve done plenty of complaining about feeling fat and not being happy with how I look, but haven’t really made it my focus in a long time. The last time I cared about nutrition, mentioning a skipped meal was blasphemy and the V-diet was just something odd Shugs was doing in his log. So, I have a lot of reading to do to see what’s changed, but I’m doubting the fundamentals have. When I’m hungry, I’ll eat and I’ll make sure it’s something my grandmother could identify. Expect for maybe coffee, but a lack of coffee in India is not going to curtail my addiction.
Workout wise, I’ll put back in Alpha’s insert/extract idea so flank things with metabolically challenging activities. There are a few complexes I really like, and plenty of other things I really hate. Because I love them, I’ll keep heavy (for me) 5x5 guys in the middle, but I’d also like to finally master some BW stuff. I have been able to do pullups and chin ups in the past I should be able to do them now. I should probably be able to knock out a reasonable number of push ups, and the ability to do some pistols would be fucking awesome. Working out the form and building the neural connections for these things will be more than enough to keep me interested.
I’d prefer staying away from traditional running/elliptical/stairmill cardio, so I’m going to for as long as possible. I’m carrying enough pizza and beer weight that I think I can save them for plateaus, but what’d you guys think? Should I just for the mental challenge?
I did some embarrassing measurements, all in inches:
Neck: 14
Wrist: 6
Arm: 13
Boobs: 44
Smallest part of waist: 34
Largest part of waist: 39
Butt/Hips: 44
Thigh: 24.5
Calf: 15.5
Ankle: 8
Scale weight brings out the EDNOS in me, so I’m not dealing with that number. Before BJJ my butt/hip measurement was around 37. I’m just going to focus on that number since all the rest will follow suit. I tend to keep the same general ratios (thank god) so I’ll keep the hourglass, just be less jiggly (except for the boob part, I’m okay with that jiggle). Measurements are disheartening, so I’ll save the blow pictures present for later.
Friday Night
I love friday night at the gym! No one was there. I sang along with my ipod!
Also good news, my ankle ROM is back! I haven’t done a back squat, or anything ATG in ages because of it but I tried and it worked without much complaining.
Once again, and aimless contemplative workout.
Warm
I haven’t had spinal twisting motions in my warm ups for a while. I read they weren’t great, and it made sense that one’s spine is not meant to twist. But I’ve seen them popping up randomly in articles and logs lately. Any one have opinions on them? I tend to sound like bubble wrap as I relax into the poses, and never know if that’s a good or bad sign.
Ankle
Waiters walks 25x40 steps each side
Currently infatuated with the guys
OH Squats
Thank god I was the only one in the weight room. I started to overthink these, and ended up spending most of my time just standing there with a broomstick over my head trying to figure out how I was supposed to move. Retry after reading Alex’s links.
Back Squats
I played a lot. I had the rack to myself and no pressure so I spent a while dicking around. It took a while of playing with foot width and such before I just squatted with the bar, but I managed to get my hamstrings to touch my calves (that’s how we define atg, right?) Maybe not so surprisingly, but that pole dance class I did a few semesters ago really helped with keeping my spine in place the whole time. I was surprised to get that low and not feel like I had to worry about losing neutral spine. Then I just added 10lbs to the bar for 5 reps until I couldn’t
barx5
55x5
65x5
75x5
85x5
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x3
135x3
I really wanted that 135 x 5 but it just wasn’t happening. I tried 145 and couldn’t get back up. There were some ugly ones in there, and I have to bring back the how to squat knowledge, but I was really happy with 135 for any reps having not done a back squat in ages!
Look at that! Arachne was right, writing them all out makes it seem like I did a lot.
Awesome news on the ankle rom Pch and looking good half naked is a valid goal. It’s what I focused on in January before hitting bikini time.
135 x 3 when you haven’t done these in a while is good stuff!!!
I totally took pole dancing as well, but it has been a couple of years. For me it was both a humbling and outrageously fun experience. I agree that it is a propioceptive training activity. Who knew? Really impressive squat work especially considering your squat sabbatical.
Likin’ the squats and goals, time to get yoked!
wow, yes good work on the squats! 51 is quite a lot of squats
i reckon if you can squat with the bar overhead and not fall over you can’t be too far wrong.
[quote]nlmain wrote:
Awesome news on the ankle rom Pch and looking good half naked is a valid goal. It’s what I focused on in January before hitting bikini time.
135 x 3 when you haven’t done these in a while is good stuff!!![/quote]
So excited about the ankle. This means that by the time the snow clears I can pull out the heels! It was predominately a flats summer and winter. Very sad. I don’t know what my Spring go to shoe will be. I’ve been wear galoshes all the time lately, and have yet to figure out what to transition to. Suggestions? I do not wear tennis shoes (unless the gym makes me).
[quote]veggiestrong wrote:
I totally took pole dancing as well, but it has been a couple of years. For me it was both a humbling and outrageously fun experience. I agree that it is a propioceptive training activity. Who knew? Really impressive squat work especially considering your squat sabbatical.[/quote]
Humbling for sure, who knew pole dancers required so much strength, and control? The professionals are real athletes.
[quote]trav123456 wrote:
Likin’ the squats and goals, time to get yoked![/quote]
It’s some serious business.
[quote]alexus wrote:
wow, yes good work on the squats! 51 is quite a lot of squats [/quote]
Oh, my quads have been reminding me of just how much 51 is since Friday.
That’s actually kind of an interesting statement. I think the little bit of wrong that I could be will suck in the future if I don’t catch it now. Learning a new movement pattern is hard, correcting one learned wrong is even harder.
Learning a new movement pattern is hard, correcting one learned wrong is even harder.
Yes, thats true. And that was always my motto. I’m starting to rethink things a little now, though… Still haven’t come to a definite conclusion.
On one of the crossfit air squat videos they say that it takes about one year to develop a good air squat. I guess one strategy for developing that good air squat would be to practice air squatting for a year. Another strategy for developing a good air squat would be some trade-off between practicing air squatting and loading it up a little. While it does seem true that your technique doesn’t get any better when you add weight (well actually that might be controversial) it can also be the case that adding weight doesn’t result in it getting worse and adding weight can actually help the unweighted version be easier.
I think there might be degrees of technical competency:
- Don’t get injured.
- Try and do the movement so it will get stronger what the movement is supposed to get stronger.
- Being bloody perfect. I so wish I was…
Apparently overhead squats are a pretty wonderful movement in the sense that it is impossible to ‘cheat’ them. If you try and cheat you lose the bar. Of course there are degrees of ‘cheating’… I’m cheating a little in not recruiting my glutes properly. Still, one thing that seems to get the glutes to work properly is loading enough weight such that they either work or I bloody well miss…
I’ve had this song stuck in my head for the last day:
I have no real taste in music, whatever strikes my fancy that day is what I like. I could probably find a theme if I really tried, but eh who cares that much?
Day 1 of caring more, though still without a formal plan
BB complex
Just the bar
DL
SLDL
Bent Row
Hang Clean
Push Press
Squat
Pyramiding down from 8 reps of everything to 1. The push press has always been the limiting factor to these complexes, but next time I can do more then just the bar. I just always need an ease into it day.
25 pull overs with a 10lb plate just to wake up the lats
A1) BW Row 5x7
I think Frenchie called these fat man pullups
A2) Pushups using the Smith machine 5-10x5
I don’t know if I want to do easier versions in order to hit the reps I want or to just do normal push ups for as many as possible. Suggestions?
Lat Pull Down 1?? (numbers are all worn off) 5x5
I went as heavy as possible. It was hard.
The goal was something metabolic then stuff towards a pull up. I’ll come up with theme days soon.
That pole dancing vid is amazing. I need to get back to Australia again, none of the girls I saw there could do half that stuff.
[quote]inkaddict wrote:
That pole dancing vid is amazing. I need to get back to Australia again, none of the girls I saw there could do half that stuff.
[/quote]
I’m going to assume most girls in general can’t do anything like that. I’ve only been to one strip club, and most of them just held onto the pole and walked around it. It’s probably different in Vegas, but I assume most strippers don’t go into the club to practice their sport.
[quote]pch2 wrote:
[quote]inkaddict wrote:
That pole dancing vid is amazing. I need to get back to Australia again, none of the girls I saw there could do half that stuff.
[/quote]
I’m going to assume most girls in general can’t do anything like that. I’ve only been to one strip club, and most of them just held onto the pole and walked around it. It’s probably different in Vegas, but I assume most strippers don’t go into the club to practice their sport. [/quote]
I’ve seen a few interesting spins on a stripper pole at a strip club back in my day, but you’re right, for the most part the girls just don’t utilize it correctly.
[quote]pch2 wrote:
Friday Night
I love friday night at the gym! No one was there. I sang along with my ipod!
Also good news, my ankle ROM is back! I haven’t done a back squat, or anything ATG in ages because of it but I tried and it worked without much complaining.
Once again, and aimless contemplative workout.
Warm
I haven’t had spinal twisting motions in my warm ups for a while. I read they weren’t great, and it made sense that one’s spine is not meant to twist. But I’ve seen them popping up randomly in articles and logs lately. Any one have opinions on them? I tend to sound like bubble wrap as I relax into the poses, and never know if that’s a good or bad sign.
Ankle
Waiters walks 25x40 steps each side
Currently infatuated with the guys
OH Squats
Thank god I was the only one in the weight room. I started to overthink these, and ended up spending most of my time just standing there with a broomstick over my head trying to figure out how I was supposed to move. Retry after reading Alex’s links.
Back Squats
I played a lot. I had the rack to myself and no pressure so I spent a while dicking around. It took a while of playing with foot width and such before I just squatted with the bar, but I managed to get my hamstrings to touch my calves (that’s how we define atg, right?) Maybe not so surprisingly, but that pole dance class I did a few semesters ago really helped with keeping my spine in place the whole time. I was surprised to get that low and not feel like I had to worry about losing neutral spine. Then I just added 10lbs to the bar for 5 reps until I couldn’t
barx5
55x5
65x5
75x5
85x5
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x3
135x3
I really wanted that 135 x 5 but it just wasn’t happening. I tried 145 and couldn’t get back up. There were some ugly ones in there, and I have to bring back the how to squat knowledge, but I was really happy with 135 for any reps having not done a back squat in ages!
Look at that! Arachne was right, writing them all out makes it seem like I did a lot.
[/quote]
That really is a shitload of sets with tiny weight jumps you’re doing there, probably the reason for why you didn’t manage 5 with 135. I bet you could do it easy with a regular scheme.
If you can hit 135 for 3 in such a fatigued state, 145 should be possible for you if you warm up right and take enough rest between the heavier sets.
Right below the knee rack pulls 225x3!
Details to follow, but I’ve never moved that much. Other than of course yelling at it and it moving itself off the sofa.
Oh and foods for today, before I forget:
2 Cups of Milk
1 Banana
3 tbsp PB
2 or 3 cups granola
2 cups yogurt
2 whole eggs
1 tortilla
2 bowls of baby spinach leaves
Analysis will happen tmrw afternoon, unless someone wants to nit pick, then go for it. Keeping in mind this kid doesn’t eat the meats.
I like the rack pulls, I feel you on squats (you and I are at about the same squat weight – let’s get it up together!) and while I’ll let more experienced folks chime in on the nutritional value of your diet, to me it looks like no fun at all. If it were me, I’d miss the protein. (I spent a year as a vegetarian – discovered that cottage cheese is the protein-est cheese, black beans are the protein-est beans, and any day you can find tofu is a day to celebrate.)