good for you for keeping uo the program despite the holidays and I believe it’s a well documented fact that champagne makes everything easier - except maybe dips. Man you seriously rock those.
I just bought a few bottles of champagne! Mmmm…
[quote]nlmain wrote:
good for you for keeping uo the program despite the holidays and I believe it’s a well documented fact that champagne makes everything easier - except maybe dips. Man you seriously rock those.[/quote]
Yeah, I’m much fonder of training than I am of the holidays!
[quote]rcfromdb wrote:
I just bought a few bottles of champagne! Mmmm…[/quote]
Perhaps tomorrow’s training will consist of bubbly-glass-curls. 
I figure that all this holiday eating is put to good use when paired with a few sessions of serious lifting.
hi kimba! i’ve been reading but little time to comment. your video looks great. i tried just squatting to a chair BW, to see what my body does. my hips are severely limiting. i need to fix that situation if i ever hope to improve my squats. you are my inspiration for the quest for proper form, because i know how hard you’ve been working to get them ‘right.’
enjoy your bubbly curls, grinch! and happy cooking.
I’m probably the biggest grinch - I didn’t celebrate Christmas last year or this. But I will be eating plenty. I just managed to score a half-price salmon wellington in the local Waitrose, plus some cheap been mince and chicken fillets. I don’t know if I can eat the whole salmon wellington on my own but I’ll give it a damned good try.
[quote]nlmain wrote:
I figure that all this holiday eating is put to good use when paired with a few sessions of serious lifting. [/quote]
I am gonna seriously eat today – scale still says a half-pound down. The menu is roast beef, cheesy potatoes, some crazy corn side dish recipe from Paula Deen (so you know its bad for you), salad, roasted squash with balsamic glaze, cranberry apple crisp, almond cake, rice pudding and danish Christmas cookies.
Then tomorrow when the gym is closed, I’m gunning for some barbell complexes with my brand new sparkling Oly Bar!
[quote]talenaah wrote:
hi kimba! i’ve been reading but little time to comment. your video looks great. i tried just squatting to a chair BW, to see what my body does. my hips are severely limiting. i need to fix that situation if i ever hope to improve my squats. you are my inspiration for the quest for proper form, because i know how hard you’ve been working to get them ‘right.’
enjoy your bubbly curls, grinch! and happy cooking. :)[/quote]
T, thanks for the kind words. It way easier to make progress when we all are working hard and supporting one another.
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
I’m probably the biggest grinch - I didn’t celebrate Christmas last year or this. But I will be eating plenty. I just managed to score a half-price salmon wellington in the local Waitrose, plus some cheap been mince and chicken fillets. I don’t know if I can eat the whole salmon wellington on my own but I’ll give it a damned good try.[/quote]
Alright, you beat me out for the coveted title, Biggest Grinch. Eat up now, but 5/3/1 in January awaits!!
I’ll have you know that Paula Dean is a good Southern lady and nothing she makes would be bad for you. Its just meant for bulking is all.
Merry Christmas, counselor, hope you have a great one. Enjoy the bubbly, you have earned it.
Jack
Merry Christmas, and may you get everything you want.
Joe and Jack, thanks for the holiday wishes!
I highly recommend this Paula Deen recipe…as Joe says – for bulking:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corn-casserole-recipe/index.html
Unbelievably delicious, and completely devoured so that there were no leftovers. The bubbly was good too.
Gym was closed today but considering the above, an at-home training was necessary.
Cosgrove Barbell Complex (DL/RDL/bent over row/power clean/front squat/push press/back squat/GM
Bar 6/5/4/3/2/4 reps, 90 sec. rest.
The push press is the hardest part of this complex for me, which limits the weight I could put on the bar. Instead of lowering the reps as Rxed, next time I could and should tough out 6 sets of 6 reps of each exercise with less rest. Then I should add weight.
Sumo Deadlifts
65# 3 x 10
This is all the plates I currently have – 4 5# plates. I set the bar up on shoe boxes for a little less deficit considering the tiny plates, and worked on a nice back arch and sitting back.
Chin ups
BW 3 x 5
Plate slides
Foam rolling & stretching
I was pretty happy with the range of exercises I managed to cobble together at home. Forgot the kettlebell swings, though. Damn.
so glad u got a workout in on christmas!!
Hardcore! Best I managed was some foam rolling. Still ate like a champ though. And boy are my intestines letting me know it today.
Cbear, training keeps me sane. I’d rather not contemplate the consequences of missed workouts.
Cal, championship eating has its place. But I’d imagine you’ll be cleaning that up before too long.
Today’s training: 1 hour of XC ski-skating on a soft snow surface, making this a helluva lot of work. Have already worked up from the mere 30 minutes I managed last weekend. Yeah!
Back in the gym for Sunday AM training, but I totally did not feel like it should be deadlift day. Dragging ass a bit from XC skating yesterday, I thought squats would be a better choice today.
Neutral grip pull-ups
BW 1 x 4, 2 x 3
Back squats to 3 risers plus step
Bar 1 x 10 warmup
70# 1 x 5
95# 1 x 5
105# 1 x 5 <–rep PR +2, but last rep was ugly
110# 1 x 3 ← PR + 5lbs.
75# 3 x 10
I keep thinking that 110# shouldn’t be this difficult, but the lower step is really kicking my ass.
Barbell Hip Thrusts (shoulders on bench)
135# 1 x 5
155# 1 x 5
175# 1 x 10 <–Rep PR +3, but the last 2 reps weren’t quite locked out. Do over next time.
As I was slithering under the bar to start my first set at my warmup weight of 135#, a very earnest-looking dude asked me if I need help with the weight. Ummmm…no thanks. Cracked me right up, did that.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
25s 1 x 4
22.5s 2 x 5
dumbbells are even harder than the damned bar! Who knew???
Dips (full ROM)
10# weight between thighs 1 x 11, 1 x 10, 1 x 8 ← failed on 9
Weak effort today, probably because I hadn’t recovered from my big ski outing of yesterday.
Time for a little rest and recovery.
The squats looked pretty solid - not much arch but you weren’t rounding your back either, so that’s good. And nice and low. We are squatting about the same but you weight 50lbs less than I do, which makes me feel a bit pathetic, lol. Good going. Enjoy the RnR.
Agreed with Cal!
And yes, dbs are harder…do you do em singly? Is that a word? lol
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
The squats looked pretty solid - not much arch but you weren’t rounding your back either, so that’s good. And nice and low. We are squatting about the same but you weight 50lbs less than I do, which makes me feel a bit pathetic, lol. Good going. Enjoy the RnR.[/quote]
Hey, considering my crappy posture generally this is a WIN! I do covet a pretty back arch in my squats and deads, though. Always something on which to work…
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
Agreed with Cal!
And yes, dbs are harder…do you do em singly? Is that a word? lol[/quote]
I say “singly” is a word. Never thought of doing DB presses one at a time. I’ve been heaving them both overhead at once. I decided to switch to dumbbells for pressing for awhile to see if working MPs differently would cause me to make a bit of progress. Got the idea from Arachne.
I am considering committing to starting 5/3/1 on the two-day-per-week program. Doing squats and bench plus accessory on one day, and deads and MP plus accessory on the other. I played with this template a bit the last couple of months, but didn’t stick to it.
So jealous of your ski outing! That is sure to get the legs aching. Such a great workout!
Kimba,
I can’t see videos at work, but I have to say that a half inch makes a huge! difference in the difficulty. I failed at 130 today because of a tiny sink in depth.
I’m so interested to read about your experience with db presses. Wait til you go back to the bar! Also jealous… how do you have a 22.5lb? I’m having a hard time getting to 30s on the press, and I could use an intermediate. Do you have a chain or something?