How sytennison un-plateaued himself [Archive]

Stenn

01-04-2007, 10:17 AM

I got out the tape measure on new-year's day to determine where I'm starting at this year and got some surprises. Over the months of Sept - Dec, here's what has happened to my body and performance:

Thighs: +1" (22.5 to 23.5)
Waist: +1" (34 to 35)
Weight: +2.5 lb (170 to 172.5)
%BF: +3 (16 to 19) (measured by Navy method)
All other body parts: +0

Squat: 155 lb to 185 lb
Deadlift: 185 lb to 285 lb

I'm pretty happy with the bigger thighs and I'm pretty sure they're not just getting fatter. I'm real happy that my enthusiasm for deadlifts is paying off. But, I'm worried about the waist line and the % body fat. I knew that I'd gain some gut while bulking, but being new to this stuff, I'm not sure if I've made enough progress to justify the +1" to the waist and the +3% body fat. Is it possible that my additional girth is due to my deadlifts (larger spinal erectors) and weighted situps (larger abs), or is that just wishful thinking? I think I look a little fatter than I was at 16%, but not 3% fatter. The fact that I've made almost no progress in most of my other body measurements speaks for itself.

So, I'm making a new commitment to my lifting. Areas where I need improvement are lifting consistanty and eating properly. My lifting inconsistancy hasn't been entirely avoidable. During the past four months, I've been injured and ill numerous times and, of course, the holidays threw in a monkey wrench as well. I can't always control stuff like that, but what I can control is my tendancy to hop from one workout routine to another too quickly to get the benefit of any particular program. With that in mind, I intend to stick with my current Rippetoe workout routine until I get to 200 lb squats and 300 lb deadlifts. The Rippetoe program is all about gaining strength and makes no promise to deliver bodybuilder-style hypertrophy, which is what I want in the long run. For now, I'm happy with the raw strength gains because I feel that they'll help me to grow the way I want to grow while minimizing the risk of injury. I've read too many stories of guys with great torsos and arms whose backs self-destruct while doing the simplest of things. So, my plan is to make my back and legs as tough as posts before moving on to the sexier task of growing pecs, biceps, and other fun stuff. Once I choose a hypertrophy routine, I plan to stick with it long enough to achieve results. No more plan changing due to boredom!

In the book, Scrawny to Brawny, the author makes the case that there are no hard gainers, just people who don't eat enough to grow. That's me. I've never been a big eater so you can imagine my trepidation when faced with a food plan that includes 6-8 meals a day and 3000+ calories. I was able to do it for a while when I was following the Scrawny to Brawny meal plan and logging my calories in Calorie King. But, once I stopped logging my food and eating whatever, I slowly went back to bird's rations. As a result, I've made almost no weight gain.

So, here's the plan to get myself off this stinking plateau:
1. Stick with Rippetoe three days a week till I can squat 3 sets of 5 reps at 200 lb and deadlift 1 set of 5 reps at 300 lb. After that, I'll choose a hypertrophy focused routine, probably some kind of split set thingy with lifts to failure.
2. Create a new meal plan and track my eating with Calorie King.

The Meal Plan
I will follow the Scrawny to Brawny plan for eating. By my calculations, I need to eat 3000 calories on off days and 3700 calories on work days. I've found that a 1/2 gallon of fat free milk is about 700 calories. So, I'll eat the same thing every day except that on work days I'll add a 1/2 gallon of fat free milk. That's a glass of milk with each meal. I'll re-evaluate my calorie intake every time I gain 5 pounds asuming I'm making progress in my lifts and not turning into the Michelin Man.

In this journal, I'll be logging my lifts, of course, but I'll also put in a lot of food info as well. I know, food is not much fun to read or write about, but that's where I'm hurting the worst so that's where I need to confess my sins and successes the most.

As a point of reference, here's where I'm at now:
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 172.5 lb
Bodyfat: 19% (by Navy method)
Chest: 40.5"
Arms: 13"
Waist: 35"
Thighs: 23.5"
Calves: 14.5"
Forearms: 11.5"
Shoulders: 46"

Squat: 185 lb
Deadlift: 285 lb

I'll be expecting to see some progress by early next month or else I'm off to the doctor to have my testosterone levels checked.

Stenn

01-04-2007, 11:07 AM

Squats and deadlifts in the same day, what fun! I was at my regular gym at the University of Houston yesterday to teach my wife how to squat. The gym is finaly open again after the holiday break, but the place smells like the inside of a chemical factory. I think they resurfaced the basketball courts or something. So, I took advantage of the last day on my week pass at the Houston Gym.

Part of my Scrawny to Brawny diet has me drinking pre, during, and post workout drinks. These drinks are 60g of simple carbs, 30g of whey isolate, and 3-5g BCAA. I use dextrose for my simple carb. The drinks taste like liquid cotton candy and are so sweet they make my teeth hurt. Still, I must admit that I had plenty of energy throughout my workout, and was less prone to fainting even after a new personal best on deadlifts. I guess those S2B guys know what they're talking about.

After the workout, my left elbow hurt like the bajeezus. Again, I don't know what I did to piss it off. I just strapped on an ice pack and now it feels better.

Time In: 9:30 am
BB Squat: 45x8, 95x5,5, 135x5, 175x5,5,5
DB Bench Press: 30x5, 40x5, 65x5,5,5
BB Deadlift: 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 295x3
Weighted Dip: BW+15x8,8
Time Out: 10:45 am

I felt very good with my squats today. My form was dead on and I cranked through my reps like a machine. I didn't do any cardio warm up, so I warmed up in the squat rack instead. Four wam up sets seemed like plenty. Next time, I'll do a working weight of 185 lb and that will put me back where I was before I read Rippetoe's book and completely changed my squat form (and saved my lower back from certain destruction.)

I did two warm-up sets on the DB press before moving on to the 65 lb dumbells. Dang those things looked big on the rack! I lugged them back to my bench one at a time like a weenie. My right pec is much smaller than my left pec so I was expecting it to fatigue first, but that wasn't the case. Although my pecs are asymetric, my strength isn't. Strange... Maybe my pecs are the same size but different shapes.

I went to do deadlifts in the power rack and two guys were there already doing bicep curls. Morons... Fortunately, the squat rack was free and that allowed me to load the bar at a reasonable height before lowering it to the floor. I quickly ramped the weight up to my working weight because I was already plenty warm. At 295 lb, the bar came up very, very slowly. It was all I could do just to keep my momentum. The next couple of reps were easier, but the bar was slippery and I couldn't keep my grip for a 4th and 5th rep. I don't think I needed straps. What I needed was chalk. I've yet to see chalk at any gym I've been in so I may need to start bringing in my own till I get yelled at. Next time, I'm doing 295 lb again, with chalk, for 5 reps. I wonder how much chalk weighs? ;)

Not much to write about with the dips. I got all my reps and they hurt my collar bones as usual. Next time, I'll do BW+20 lb.

namtrag

01-04-2007, 11:20 AM

sy

great workout today. I do deads and squats the same day too. Nothing like getting all the pain and misery over with in one session.

Your waist could be thickening from muscle. Squats, I have heard, can do that.

Stenn

01-04-2007, 11:30 AM

Your waist could be thickening from muscle. Squats, I have heard, can do that.

That's EXACTLY what I was hoping to hear. Thanks for making my day! :)

Stenn

01-04-2007, 11:59 AM

3000 calories on rest days.
3700 calories on work days.

What follows is a rough template of what I plan to eat on rest days. It's based on the Scrawny to Brawny diet. On work days, I'll eat the same but with fat free milk at each meal totaling 1/2 gallon of milk for the day. That'll give me an extra 700 calories and 70 g of protien on work days.

On work days, I reserve the right to substitute the meal following the workout (usualy my 2nd breakfast) with a 500 calorie gainer shake taken immediatly after the workout. Before and during the workout, I'll drink a mixture of 60 g simple carbs, 30 g whey protien, and 3-5g BCAA. Creatine will get thrown in there somewhere too. My favorite creatine also includes glutamine and taurine so I don't have to worry about those.

My computer is in the shop right now. When I get it back (today I hope), I'll use Calorie King to set the portion sizes for my meals so that they are about 500 calories each. I have yet to decide on a macronutrient ratio, but it's sure to be heavy on the protien side.

1st Breakfast
Egg Whites
2 Whole Eggs
Oatmeal
Prunes
Turkey Bacon
Multivitamin, Fish Oil, Glucosamine

2nd Breakfast
Whole Milk Yogert
Almonds
Whey Protien

1st Lunch
Lean Meat
Cheese
Salad w/ Flax Oil and Soy Sauce
Multivitamin, Fish Oil

2nd Lunch
Lean Meat
Salad w/ Flax Oil and Soy Sauce
Almonds

1st Diner
Lean Meat
Salad w/ Flax Oil and Soy Sauce
Fruit
Rice or Potato
Fish Oil

2nd Diner
Egg Whites w/ Salsa
Fruit
Oats

namtrag

01-04-2007, 12:04 PM

Stenn

01-04-2007, 12:13 PM

There's no word to rhyme with brawny when you are trying to go at it from the other direction is there?

Scrawny to Brawny is so clever, Teddy to Shreddy doesn't have the same ring!

Maybe we will meet in the middle somewhere. I have gone from 234.5 on Labor Day to about 209 now. Trying to get to 190 by March 31.

LOL - I love it! You should write your own book just so you can use that title.

"Scrawny to Brawny - The Complete Guide to Building Muscle the Natural Way"
"Teddy to Shreddy - The Complete Guide to Losing Fat and Building Muscle the Natural Way"

I'm headed for 185 lb. See you there!

ChocoChick

01-04-2007, 12:23 PM

Stenn

01-04-2007, 12:39 PM

Deadlifts can thicken you around the middle. What sort of BF increase do you get if you hold the waist measurement steady?

Here's some good info on bulking: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1268956

More good news! Thanks!

I think I see what you're getting at. If my extra waist is due to added muscle, I should use my old waist size to determine %BF. I guess this make sense. After all, I added 100 lb to my deadlift. That's gotta do something to a person's body, eh?

If I hold my waist measurement at 34", my %BF goes down to 17% which is only a 1% increase from my 16% of 4 months ago. 16% and 17% may as well be the same number considering how inaccurate BF measurement tends to be. Cool.

Thanks for the link on bulking. I can't read it right now cuz I gotta go shopping and buy myself a crate of tunafish.

Thanks,
Steve

jmc53

01-04-2007, 02:24 PM

Stenn

01-04-2007, 04:09 PM

G;day Steve,
Welcome to journaling.
From my personal experience I don't believe your increases in thigh and waist size gel with only a 2.5 lb. weight gain. I think there's probably some intermittent water retention or other issues throwing your stats out. I seem to recall you had a digital bodyfat caliper - trouble getting a consistant reading?

I HAD a digital body fat caliper but the thing died on me. While it still lived, I compared its slowly increasing readings with the Navy method and always got within 1%. So, when the calipers crapped out, I just switched to the Navy method. I figured that since all over-the-counter BF reading devices are wildly inacurate, the Navy method was as good as anything and quite a bit cheaper.

However, dbflgirl is now sowing seeds of doubt on the Navy method. If I'm truely getting thicker from deadlifts developing my core, then the Navy method's claim that I'm getting fatter just because my waist is 1" larger doesn't make sense. Is it time that I stopped worrying about BF measurements and started relying on my mirror instead? Hmmmm.....

The plan sounds solid, except that I'd be incliuned to reconsider the last two meals. I don't think potato is a viable option (although sweet potato is OK), and most guys looking to add mass while limiting bf try to limit carb intake in the evenings, specially simple carbs such as in fruit.
If it were me, I'd swap the fruit in the evening with the nuts earlier in the day, and completely drop the oats in the last meal.

Sweet potatos are what I had in mind although I didn't know there was a difference. I like sweet potatos because I can eat them with absolutely nothing on them whereas regular potatos cry out for slabs of butter.

Thanks for the reminder about carbs in the evening. I recall from a recent Empresscat post that the evening meal should be just protein and fat. I'll have to think a bit about what a protein + fat meal looks like. I guess a cheese omlet or tuna with olives and feta cheese would fit the bill.

What's in the salad's? If your using mainly lettuce, I'd think this would leave complex carbs on the low side for the day - but spinach salads with a mix of added veggies would be excellent.
Good luck with your goals.
Jason.

My salads tend to be whatever comes pre-made in a plastic bag to which I add some spinach and baby carrots. Sometimes I just do spinach and baby carrots. It's all the same to me (rabbit food) so I guess I'll just switch to spinach and carrots.

Thanks a bunch for your help, Jason!

BurritoMan

01-04-2007, 04:45 PM

Hey man, glad to see you start a journal. Good luck!

Stenn

01-04-2007, 05:18 PM

Hey man, glad to see you start a journal. Good luck!

Thanks senor frijoles! It's good to be logging my progress here rather than in my BodyBlog. I've been here less than a day and have already received more good feedback than I got during months of blogging. Clearly, this is where the action is.

dartol

01-04-2007, 06:45 PM

Hey cool journal! Yeah this is where the action is. I have even gotten some feedback here myself. Mike and I are keeping an eye on each other's dip and pullup progress. LOL

It's cool to see another Houston are person on. How about all that freakin rain today huh? I wish this weather would decide what it is going to do. LOL

I almost replied to your post in IdahoViking's thread about your wife on the treadmill after your daughter goes to bed. I know what you mean, my wife and I have a similar situation. We only get about an hour to relax after our 2-year old goes to bed... and we both have to update blogs and catch up on Tivo... *sigh*

Anyway, enough rambing. Looking forward to reading your thread here!

Darren

SR800

01-04-2007, 06:53 PM

BurritoMan

01-04-2007, 07:29 PM

Thanks senor frijoles!

Hey, no need for the formality, you can call me mas.

Clearly, this is where the action is.

Si, si.

(My Spanish is pretty good, huh? I also know the word for less: menos, as in menos aros, and I can say "?Que paso" convincingly.)

BurritoMan

01-04-2007, 07:31 PM

It's cool to see another Houston are person on.

I lived in Houston for about one year. Friendly people there! I liked it.

Stenn

01-04-2007, 07:34 PM

IR45N

01-04-2007, 08:01 PM

Stenn

01-04-2007, 08:02 PM

Good luck with the journal I look forward to following your progress. That is a lot of calories for a LBM of around 142lbs. My LBM is about 138lbs at 147 total body weight. I am making good solid LBM gains on 2800 calories and I do almost 4 hrs of total cardio a week. 3000 is pushing it 3700 seems exceptionally high.

I agree, 3000 and 3700 do seem high, but those are the numbers that popped out when I did all the calculations in the Scrawny to Brawny book. I just read the bulking article recommended above by dbflgirl. It has a chart that shows my recommended caloric intake on a "normal activity" day to be 2800 calories. (I presume that calories on a working day would be higher.) That seems like it's in the same ballpark as my S2B estimate. But, I have no idea how my body will respond to all that intake. If I put on more than a few pounds per month and start to balloon, I'll certainly cut back and you can be the first to tell me, "I told you so!" :)

Stenn

01-04-2007, 08:06 PM

(My Spanish is pretty good, huh? I also know the word for less: menos, as in menos aros, and I can say "?Que paso" convincingly.)

As an Anglo Texan, my Spanish is abysmal. I like to say that I know just enough Spanish to get myself beaten up in a bar.

Stenn

01-04-2007, 08:22 PM

Impressive detailed journal & I think we share the same fast metabolism. But no doubt with the squats & deads that will help with mass building; they say it does & that's my aim too. I don't plan on getting on the scale til the end of the month; I think the mirror is kinder in respect lol. Keep the progressing! The plateau can ......go!

Oy, don't get my started about my metabolism. A couple of weeks ago, I was touring a large apartment complex with about 20 other people. It was a cold day and everyone was wearing jackets except for me. I was comfortable in a t-shirt. All day, people kept asking me, "Aren't you cold?" Also, medications that say, "May cause excitability in young children" give me the jitters.

So, you do squats and deadlifts too? I agree that squats and deads are great. Folks claim they raise testosterone and growth hormone levels as well as beeing good old-fashioned butt-kicking exercises. That's why I love 'em. I'm curious, how did you first learn how to do these exercises properly? The best I could do was to read about them in a book.

IR45N

01-05-2007, 04:17 AM

So, you do squats and deadlifts too? I agree that squats and deads are great. Folks claim they raise testosterone and growth hormone levels as well as beeing good old-fashioned butt-kicking exercises. That's why I love 'em. I'm curious, how did you first learn how to do these exercises properly? The best I could do was to read about them in a book.

Makes me sound like I've been doing them regularly. Nope, just started; make that just started doing them sensibly with light weights getting the feel of technique and feeling comfortable. So far, the measly weights have been butt kicking enough (though good); total annihilation can come later.

I've known how to do them correctly for years; reading, observation etc. but was always too d**n stupid to add weight gradually. Made some small changes; like hands clear to the collars on squats & seem to prefer sumo style deads to regular but intend to do both.

ChocoChick

01-05-2007, 04:37 AM

Also, medications that say, "May cause excitability in young children" give me the jitters.

Hahaha! I can relate. So does that mean that medications that say they may make you drowsy, never do? :D

ChocoChick

01-05-2007, 05:56 AM

I agree, 3000 and 3700 do seem high, but those are the numbers that popped out when I did all the calculations in the Scrawny to Brawny book. I just read the bulking article recommended above by dbflgirl. It has a chart that shows my recommended caloric intake on a "normal activity" day to be 2800 calories. (I presume that calories on a working day would be higher.)

I went back and re-read the t-nation article. My take is that the caloric amount he is recommending for "normal activity" assumes weight training (based on the fact that he says that the calorie level is designed to allow you to gain 2-3 pounds per month), but if you had a really physical job, you might need to up it. I don't see anything to suggest that you would increase calories on training days, as I think they are built into the chart. YMMV, of course, but I think you'd be better off increasing slowly and seeing how you go than trying to scale back later.

dartol

01-05-2007, 06:56 AM

*grumble* 3000+ calories... I am stuck on ~1800 to get rid of the fat, I wish I could eat that much! LOL

Darren

namtrag

01-05-2007, 11:32 AM

your spanish isn't so good: si, si without accents mean if, if

hehehehehehehe

Stenn

01-05-2007, 05:08 PM

Makes me sound like I've been doing them regularly. Nope, just started; make that just started doing them sensibly with light weights getting the feel of technique and feeling comfortable. So far, the measly weights have been butt kicking enough (though good); total annihilation can come later.

I've known how to do them correctly for years; reading, observation etc. but was always too d**n stupid to add weight gradually. Made some small changes; like hands clear to the collars on squats & seem to prefer sumo style deads to regular but intend to do both.

Sounds like you and me are both self-made deadlifters. Have fun getting that weight up!

BurritoMan

01-05-2007, 05:15 PM

I like to say that I know just enough Spanish to get myself beaten up in a bar.

I know just enough Spanish to get my self s******ed at in a taceria. I just say "no crema por favor" or "mucho queso" and the counter staff will start smirking at each other like it's the funniest thing they ever heard. Must be my delivery.

BurritoMan

01-05-2007, 05:17 PM

hehehehehehehe

^^^^^ see what I mean?

Mark1T

01-05-2007, 05:19 PM

Stenn

01-05-2007, 05:43 PM

Hahaha! I can relate. So does that mean that medications that say they may make you drowsy, never do? :D

Sometimes. There are some cold medications that say they'll make you drowsy and that they may cause excitability in young children. I end up getting excited. Go figure...

I went back and re-read the t-nation article. My take is that the caloric amount he is recommending for "normal activity" assumes weight training (based on the fact that he says that the calorie level is designed to allow you to gain 2-3 pounds per month), but if you had a really physical job, you might need to up it. I don't see anything to suggest that you would increase calories on training days, as I think they are built into the chart. YMMV, of course, but I think you'd be better off increasing slowly and seeing how you go than trying to scale back later.

The T-Nation article wasn't very detailed in their caloric recomendations other than the chart and their recommendation to avoid fat gain. The Scrawny to Brawny equations delivered what seemed like well thought out numbers based on fat-free mass, thermic effect of food, activity level, and exercise intensity. But, I have to admit that ramping up the calories makes more sense than suddenly going to 3000+ and then seeing what happens.

I sure wish I had kept track of my calories up till now. It would be good to know what average caloric intake resulted in almost no weight gain over four months so that I could start ramping up from there.

I have an idea. I can go ahead with my 3000,3700 diet and rather than checking myself in a month to see if I've gained more than a few pounds, I can check my weight once a week and if I gain more than a few pounds before a month is up, I'll know to cut back right away.

Thanks for getting me to think about this a little more! I'm going to look around for more opinions on calorie recommendations for skinny old guys buffing up.

namtrag

01-05-2007, 06:14 PM

Stenn

01-05-2007, 07:15 PM

*grumble* 3000+ calories... I am stuck on ~1800 to get rid of the fat, I wish I could eat that much! LOL

Darren

You sound like my wife. She's trying to lose weight and wants to kill me every time it gets near bed time and I whine about not getting enough calories for the day. :)

Stenn

01-05-2007, 07:30 PM

Steve, congratulations on your accomplishments. You are definately gaining muscle. It is a slow, but very worthwhile process. The better you get, you gain more and more momentum and results come even more on a regular basis. Nothing is better for motivation than to see results.

Thanks Mark1T. I agree about the power of seeing results. I saw results very quickly when I first started lifting and was hooked. Then things came to a grinding halt and I'm pretty sure the culprit has been my diet which has been fairly clean but just too darn small. That's about to change.

Mark1T

01-05-2007, 07:34 PM

Thanks Mark1T. I agree about the power of seeing results. I saw results very quickly when I first started lifting and was hooked. Then things came to a grinding halt and I'm pretty sure the culprit has been my diet which has been fairly clean but just too darn small. That's about to change.

Exactly, Steve. I have been there many times. Trying to eat enough good calories has been the biggest challenge. That and consuming enough protein.

Great to see you using intelligence for gains - brains make gains :)

Stenn

01-05-2007, 07:40 PM

Hey S

Man you are lucky, eating almost twice as much as me! I hate people that can do that! Not really, but I am little jealous. Keep up the deads and squats, even if it does make you thicker. Who cares, you will be so much stronger and more muscular.

The sad thing is that I'd honestly rather be eating much less than I currently do. I'm just not that big a fan of eating. As a kid I wished that I could take some kind of pill that would provide all my necesary nutrition so I wouldn't have to eat.

There's no way I'm gonna give up deadlifts any time soon. Being able to lift all that weight is just too big an ego rush for me. Even when I switch to a split routine, I'll keep deadlifts in there somewhere. They've become a major benchmark of my progress.

Stenn

01-05-2007, 07:55 PM

Exactly, Steve. I have been there many times. Trying to eat enough good calories has been the biggest challenge. That and consuming enough protein.

Great to see you using intelligence for gains - brains make gains :)

"Brains make gains" I like that! Say, I noticed from your BodySpace page that you're my height and grew up as a skinny kid like me. Perhaps we have similar body types. Do you happen to remember how many calories you were consuming when you were about my size?

Stenn

01-05-2007, 10:01 PM

My wife and I have decided to make it our custom to get out to the gym on a MWF morning schedule after we drop our girl off at school. But, this Friday I ended up going on a multi-family real estate road-trip. I spent the morning listening to a guy lecture about an apartment complex that he's re-habbing and spent the afternoon out at the apartment admiring the sheetrock and laundry rooms. The road trip was followed by drinks at a local Mexican watering hole which was followed by diner at a sushi joint with one of my business partners. Needless to say, real estate road trips blow my exercise and diet routine completely out of the water.

I got no exercise, of course, but here's how the food fell out (so to speak).

1st Breakfast
4 slices turkey bacon
2 whole eggs + 1/2 carton egg whites
1/2 cup oats + 3 prunes
glass of fat free milk
glucosamine, multi-vitamin, salmon oil

2st Breakfast
Skipped!

1st Lunch
Thai Buffet with chicken, tofu, rice, spring rolls, coconut mushroom soup

2nd Lunch
Clif Bar

1st Diner
Chicken Fajitas
Pinto Beans
Frozen Margarita (no salt)
3 chips with salsa

2nd Diner
Salmon Sashimi
Miso Soup

I don't know how many calories that adds up to, but I'm betting that I'm low because as I type this I'm STARVING! The main thing that bugs me about this day's intake is the lack of fluids and the missed meal. What I like is how I managed to eat Mexican without getting too much fat by not ordering a cheezy entre and by showing restraint with the chips. I'm also real happy with the sashimi. That was a GREAT last meal of just protien + good fat.

The margarita will be our little secret, OK? :)

jmc53

01-05-2007, 10:48 PM

The margarita will be our little secret, OK? :)

We'll keep the margaritas a secret

dartol

01-06-2007, 04:41 AM

What I like is how I managed to eat Mexican without getting too much fat by not ordering a cheezy entre and by showing restraint with the chips.

Good job! When I was first losing weight, I used to eat Mexican quite a bit. I got a few tips from the dietician on that. Sounds like you did great though. One big tip: corn tortillias are much better for you than the flour ones. The flour ones are made with lard. :eek:

One margarita won't kill ya... hehe

I went out for Mexican (Mamacita's) with friends last weekend. I totally avoided the chips! I ordered beef fajitas 'low carb'. I really didn't know what that would mean, so I gave it a shot. Get this... they put 4 strips of BACON on top! ROFL. And they still brought RICE as a side. WTF? :confused:

Darren

ChocoChick

01-06-2007, 05:14 AM

I went out for Mexican (Mamacita's) with friends last weekend. I totally avoided the chips! I ordered beef fajitas 'low carb'. I really didn't know what that would mean, so I gave it a shot. Get this... they put 4 strips of BACON on top! ROFL. And they still brought RICE as a side. WTF? :confused:

Ooooh.... yum! I didn't notice until just now that you are from Houston. I used to go there all the time on business.

After reading about all this food, I need breakfast!

Stenn

01-06-2007, 08:09 AM

We'll keep the margaritas a secret

I guess I set myself up for that one, eh?

Good job! When I was first losing weight, I used to eat Mexican quite a bit. I got a few tips from the dietician on that. Sounds like you did great though. One big tip: corn tortillias are much better for you than the flour ones. The flour ones are made with lard. :eek:

One margarita won't kill ya... hehe

I went out for Mexican (Mamacita's) with friends last weekend. I totally avoided the chips! I ordered beef fajitas 'low carb'. I really didn't know what that would mean, so I gave it a shot. Get this... they put 4 strips of BACON on top! ROFL. And they still brought RICE as a side. WTF? :confused:

Darren

Thanks for the tip on corn tortillias. I'll try that next time. And congratulations on avoiding the chips. Most folks find them to be irresistable.

I love Mexican food, but it's tough stuff to eat when you're trying to go clean. I've found that the best thing to do is to order fajitas and then avoid all the stuff that looks evil such as: the tortillias, the cheese, Pappasita's infamous garlic butter dip, etc. I end up with just a plate of grilled chicken, some veggies, rice and beans and wondering why I paid $13.95 for it.

Ooooh.... yum! I didn't notice until just now that you are from Houston. I used to go there all the time on business.

After rading about all this food, I need breakfast!

Yup, Houston, the town with a Mexican resaurant, taqueria, or taco wagon on every street corner.

Stenn

01-06-2007, 12:43 PM

My regular gym is finaly open after the holidays but the child care facility will be closed for a couple more weeks. So, my wife and I didn't get to work out together today as we had planned.

There weren't too many resolutionist at the gym today. Just enough to make things interesting. Of course, there were un-racked plates everywhere. :mad: Then, there was the guy who needed lifting gloves to run around the track and another who needed a big leather lifting belt to do his stretches. :rolleyes:

Time In: 1:00 pm
BB Squat: 45x8, 95x5, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5,5,5
DB Military Press: 30x5, 35x5, 45x5,5,5
BB Bent Over Row: 45x10, 95x5, 145x5,5,5
Chin Up: BWx8,8
Hammer Strength Calf Machine: 90x30, 180x12, 270x12, 360x12, 270x12, 180x12, 90x??
Time Out: 2:00 pm

The squats went splendidly. No problems with form. I think I'm getting better at exerting myself as well as getting stronger. Next time I'm gonna do 195 lb. My business partner gave me crap last night for not being able to do 200 lb squats. Thanks for the motivation, Brad!

I don't know why I was having so much trouble with my presses before. They went up like hot air balloons today, calm, quiet, and smooth. I noticed that my elbows hurt when lifting the dumbells off the floor and putting them back down. Could this be the source of my elbow trouble? It could be that I need to keep my elbows slightly bent when man-handling the weights. Next time, I'll get bent and try the 50 lb dumbells.

When I did my rows, my elbows were ablaze with pain. Clearly another source of my elbow pain. I'm going to switch to DB rows next time since they don't seem to bother my elbows as much. Besides, they're more fun.

I felt strong during my chin ups and got through both sets with ease. Next time, I'm strapping on 5 lb to see what happens.

Not content to get through all my planned sets and reps with ease, I decided it had been too long since I did calves and sat down on the dreaded calf machine. I started with 90 lb, ramped up to 360 lb, and then ramped back down to 90 lb. The last time I tried this it completely kicked my ass. This time, I quit out of boredom. I need to find a new way to torture my calves. I have a few ideas...

Mark1T

01-06-2007, 12:55 PM

"Brains make gains" I like that! Say, I noticed from your BodySpace page that you're my height and grew up as a skinny kid like me. Perhaps we have similar body types. Do you happen to remember how many calories you were consuming when you were about my size?

Sorry for te delay, Steve. Just saw this. Honestly, I don't know, but I do know that if I had more knowledge and did increase my calories and protein at an earlier age, I would be bigger.

I am sure we have similar body types. One semi-secret I have been doing, besides training very hard, is using a similar product to Vitargo, which is Cyto-Gainer. Great tasting, but it is low or no sugar, the right kind of carbs and protein. It is also one of the most reasonably priced, at about $36 for a 6lbs jug. Just because something costs more, doesn't make it better. Like anything else, these products fall under price perception. Anyway, it is almost half the cost of similar products and VERY popular because it works, not because of the price.

I honestly don't have time to count calories. I just eat as much as I can, but fairly cleanly and keep up the protein. For skinny guys like me, that is what I recommend.

dartol

01-06-2007, 12:57 PM

When I did my rows, my elbows were ablaze with pain. Clearly another source of my elbow pain. I'm going to switch to DB rows next time since they don't seem to bother my elbows as much. Besides, they're more fun.

Careful with those elbows! I had tennis elbow a couple of years ago. I went to physical therapy for it... took a year to get pain free. Handshakes were killer when it was flared up.

Stenn

01-06-2007, 01:16 PM

I am sure we have similar body types. One semi-secret I have been doing, besides training very hard, is using a similar product to Vitargo, which is Cyto-Gainer. Great tasting, but it is low or no sugar, the right kind of carbs and protein. It is also one of the most reasonably priced, at about $36 for a 6lbs jug. Just because something costs more, doesn't make it better. Like anything else, these products fall under price perception. Anyway, it is almost half the cost of similar products and VERY popular because it works, not because of the price.

I honestly don't have time to count calories. I just eat as much as I can, but fairly cleanly and keep up the protein. For skinny guys like me, that is what I recommend.

Thanks for the tip. I'll look into Cyto-Gainer and see if it looks right for me and fits my budget. I can compare it to my current el cheapo gainer powder, Muscle Juice from Ultimate Nutrition.

It's great that you don't have to count calories. When I try that, my caloric intake goes through the floor. I have to go back to calorie countnig to re-train myself to eat enough.

Careful with those elbows! I had tennis elbow a couple of years ago. I went to physical therapy for it... took a year to get pain free. Handshakes were killer when it was flared up.

Thanks for the warning. I am trying to be more careful. I've already had one cortizone shot and would like to avoid another if I can. To ease the inflamation, I have purchased numerous ice packs and a large bottle of Alieve.

dartol

01-06-2007, 05:58 PM

Oh and stretch it a lot throughout the day. Stick your arm out straight in front of you and pull your hand down with the other hand. Mine felt better if I added a twist to that motion too.

I had to wear a wrist brace like you see for carpal tunnel when I was on the computer... turns out that the muscles in the forearm attached to the tendons that get sore at the elbow joint also move the hand around on the other end. :(

Darren

Stenn

01-06-2007, 08:04 PM

Oh and stretch it a lot throughout the day. Stick your arm out straight in front of you and pull your hand down with the other hand. Mine felt better if I added a twist to that motion too.

Interesting... I've been doing that stretch for years since a friend of my who does Aikido showed it to me. I had no idea it was good for tendonitis. I'll try doing that a few times a day and see if it helps. Thanks!

Stenn

01-08-2007, 01:24 PM

Got into the gym today with my wife, Margot. I started by coaching her through four sets of body squats for a minute each. She's still pretty awkward, but getting much better. I look forward to getting her under a bar. After I was done coaching Margot, she took off for the cardio machines and I sauntered over to the squat rack...

Time In: 9:30 am
BB Squat: 45x8, 45x10, 25x5, 135x5, 195x5,3,1
DB Bench Press: 50x5, 60x5, 70x4,4,0
BB Deadlift: 135x5, 225x5, 295x0, 225x5
Weighted Dip: BW+20x8,8
Time Out: 10:30 am

195 lb was a new personal best for me on squats so I'm happy about that. However, my form was all over the place. During the second set, I suddenly lunged forward and almost lost the bar and then failed on the 4th set. The last set was good for just a single rep. Not too bad a showing for my first time at 195 lb. I'll do better next time.

It's starting to get tricky getting the dumbells up for my presses. With the 70 pounders, I kinda kicked them up with my knees, leaned back, and then weasled them up my abdomen and chest and finally got them off to the side where the belonged. Hey, at least I didn't drop them! All reps were slow, slow, slow. 70 lb was a new personal best for me, but I think I may be at 70 lb for a while before moving on.

So, after having done squats to failure and presses to failure, it was time for my deadlifts. Boy, did I suck. I just didn't have it in me today. I tried 295 lb twice, only got 2" off the floor, and gave up. I kicked the bar out of frustration because I was able to get 295 lb up for multiple reps just last week. Kicking the bar wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was more socialy acceptable than yelling "F*CK YOU!" at the weights. Grrrr.... I backed off to 225 lb and did one more set before moving on.

The dips were a breeze. Whatever I lacked for deadlifts, it wasn't chest and triceps. Next time, I'll try 25 lb.

jmc53

01-08-2007, 03:55 PM

Stenn

01-08-2007, 05:36 PM

Workouts are looking good Steve.
It might be worth considering an extra warm-up set of squats between 135 and your working sets. Some programs call for "weight acclimatization - it's a way of making the working weight less of a shock to the system.
As the gap between 135 and your working weight increases, the need for an intermediate set (of some kind) increases.
Some guys do an extra set (e.g. 165 x 5), others like DBX use the Max OT warm-up method - have a peak at his journal to get an idea.

You're absolutely right. Thanks for pointing that out to me. 135 to 195 is a pretty big jump. That could be why my form got screwy during my work sets. The same applies to my deadlifts where I jumped from 225 to 295. What was I thinking?

Looking back at Rippetoe's book, I see that he recommends a warm up progression that looks like this:

Squats
45x5, 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225x5,5,5

Deadlifts
135x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x2, 315x5,5,5

I'll shoot for something similar next time I'm in the gym.

Stenn

01-10-2007, 10:12 AM

I got out of bed this morning and my calves were sore, my quads were sore, my elbows were sore, I was stiff all over and my lower back didn't feel quite right because of the bad form I put it through last workout (see above). I might have skipped today's workout if it hadn't been for my wife. We're working out together and I'm supposed to be teaching her how to squat. I got up reluctantly and decided to make today a "brain day". I planned to do my regular workout, but I was going to focus completely on my form and not worry at all about weight. The problem with my last workout was that it didn't have enough brain in it. I was too hyped up about getting closer to my goals of 200 lb and 300 lb on squats and deads and ended up paying for it with a tweaked lower back.

Time In: 9:30 am
BB Squat: 45x8,8 95x5 135x5 165x5 195x5,1,1
DB Shoulder Press: 25x5 30x5 40x5 50x5,5,4
DB Bent Over Row: 40x5 50x5 60x5 70x5,5,5
Weighted Chin Up: BW+5x8,8
Lat Pull-Down: Messing Around
Time Out: 11:00 am

The main things I was focusing on in my squats were to keep my core tight and my knees back and out to match the angle of my feet. I also slowed down my rep rate so I could collect my wits before each rep. Finally, at the recommendation of jmc53, I fixed up my warm up sets. I ended up doing only two fewer reps than last time when my form sucked. Unfortunately, the low bar grip that Rippetoe recommends aggrivated my left elbow. It probably would have been fine if hadn't been sore to begin with. From here on in, the elbow just got more and more cranky and no amount of stretching and massaging would appease it.

So, all along I've been doing dumbell shoulder presses and calling them dumbell military presses and no one told me? Sheesh! How embarrasing. :rolleyes: But, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. :) All my reps were slow, solid, and with textbook form. Sadly, I missed my last rep so it'll be 50 lb again next time.

I switched from barbell rows to dumbell rows because the former were killing my elbows. I had a surprise coming with dumbell rows, though. They killed not my lifting elbow, but the elbow that was braced on the bench. My non-working elbow was fine as I lifted, but as soon as I took my weight off it, YEOW! Should I move on to t-bar rows? I am so confused...

I was too lazy to go get my dip belt for weighted chins, so I grabbed a 5 lb dumbell and put it near my feet. I'd suspend myself from the bar, grab the dumbell with my feet, and start my reps. All went well and I'll move up to 10 lb next time.

By this time, my wife had already hit the showers so I messed around on the lat pull-down machine as I awaited her return. I started at 70 lb and was up to 120 lb by the time my wife finaly rescued me from myself.

Stenn

01-12-2007, 09:20 AM

It was a good day in the gym for sytennison. I made progress on all lifts except one. I tried not to worry about the weights I was lifting and just kept repeating to myself, "Keep your mind on your form, let the weight worry about itself!"

Time In: 9:00 am
BB Squat: 45x5,5 95x5 135x5 165x3 195x5,5,5
DB Bench Press: 40x5 50x5 60x3 70x1,4,2
BB Deadlift: 135x5,5 185x5 225x5 265x2 295x5,5,5
Weighted Dip: BW+25x8,8
Time Out: 10:15 am

I got in plenty of warm up sets for squats and tried tapering the reps down as I got closer to my work sets. During my work sets, I would sometimes stoop forward a just little to get myself unstuck. I'm not sure how that works, but it does. I think it happens when I think of driving my hips up. In my first set, I got stuck in the hole and gave it a second try. This usually doesn't work, but it did this time. :) Next time I do squats, it'll be at my goal weight of 200 lb. Yippie!

I was a dead trout on the bench for presses today. My warm ups went well, but before I started my 1st working set a sweet, young woman in short shorts sat down on the bench next to me and started clinking away with her little weights. So much for keeping my mind on my form. :rolleyes: When she left I was able to get back to work on my 2nd and 3rd sets.

I figured out why I wasn't able to get 295 lb up last time on deadlifts. My ass was too high in the air at the start of the lift. This time, I kept my ass down, broke the bar free with my legs, and grunted my way to victory. I didn't even need straps. My business partner called just before my working set. I let him leave a message and sent a text message that said, "About to do 295 lb deads. Will call later if not dead." When I called him back, the first thing he asked was, "How'd it go?" I told him, "Mission acomplished!" Next time, I'll be lifting my goal weight of 300 lb.

I'm starting to think seriously about using a belt on my working sets of deads. When I'm lifting heavy, my brain gets very fuzzy. I kept my form throughout my reps, but I can easily see myself flaking out and losing it. The belt can act as my backup. (No pun intended.)

The dips were a non-event. Got 'em done. Went home.

tlambert

01-14-2007, 09:58 PM

jmc53

01-15-2007, 01:09 AM

Nice workout there Steve. Impressive lifts throughout.
I use a belt for working sets of squats and deads - the support may be partly mental, but then so am I! :)

Stenn

01-15-2007, 08:09 AM

good article-there goes my plan

Yeah, that article flies in the face of the Oreo cookie method of bulking that was recently discussed in the >35 forum. Too bad, though. I really like Oreos...

Welcome to my journal, tlambert. It looks like we're in almost the same boat. You're the same height and weight as me and almost the same age. I look forward to hearing about how you get to the next level.

Take care,
Steve

Stenn

01-15-2007, 08:15 AM

Nice workout there Steve. Impressive lifts throughout.
I use a belt for working sets of squats and deads - the support may be partly mental, but then so am I! :)

Thanks jmc, and thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to post. I read about your recent trials in your journal and you have my sympathy. I hope that your dog is feeling better soon.

I just ordered the belt. It's in the mail and should arrive just AFTER my next workout with deadlifts on Wednesday. Oh well...

Stenn

01-15-2007, 08:47 AM

My laptop computer is back from the repair shop and I've loaded all my apps and data back onto it. What a chore! now I can use Calorie King to track my eating and that's made a big difference on the diet front of my battle to progress. Here are some obersvations I've made so far.

As usual, getting enough calories has been a challenge. I'm getting between 2800 and 3000. I've seen almost no weight gain lately so I need to pump up the volume to the 3000 to 3700 that I mentioned earlier. Is it time for Oreos?

My fat intake is off the chart, literally. I plugged my macronutrient ratios of 45,35,20 (C,P,F) into Calorie King and my little Fat-For-The-Day graph keeps getting clobbered. My fat mainly comes from bison meat, turkey bacon, yogurt, flax seed oil, and olive oil. So, I'm going to ditch the buffalo, cut back on the turkey bacon, and switch to low fat or fat free yogurt.

My carb intake has been too low, but I intend to fill that dietary void with a sweet potato.

My protein has been good. I've gotten between 210 and 290g per day which is 1.2 to 1.7g per pound of body weight.

My water intake has been low lately. I've found that if I remove the top of my water bottle, I drink much more water. So, unless I'm traveling, I'll go topless. :)

SR800

01-15-2007, 09:48 AM

If you are having any shoulder or elbow problems I would avoid the dumbbells, the injury happens with picking up and putting down or moving them into place.

Stenn

01-15-2007, 10:02 AM

If you are having any shoulder or elbow problems I would avoid the dumbbells, the injury happens with picking up and putting down or moving them into place.

You're right about dumbells and elbows not playing well together. However, the one exercise that absolutely kills my elbows every time is barbell rows. Go figure...

To make dumbells safer for my elbows, I try not to lock out my elbows when lifting or lowering them. I also avoid yanking them off the rack. Instead, I gently lift them off the rack with both hands like a weenie. It seems to help.

namtrag

01-15-2007, 10:50 AM

I ordered some hooks to put on dumbells so I can hang them on the olympic bar, lie down, then start pressing. I will let you know if those work.

Lots of people say they are for wimps, but I am old and don't have time to injure myself and miss weeks of workouts because I tried to hoist a db into place.

Stenn

01-15-2007, 02:49 PM

Stenn

01-15-2007, 03:22 PM

I got in one last workout before the ice storm is due to hit Houston. Sadly, the new and returning students are starting to flood into the gym. It wasn't too crowded when I went in, but by the time I left it was a zoo. I saw 1/4 squats, a guy wearing a lifting belt while bench pressing, and knit stocking caps seem to be fasionable gym wear these days. :rolleyes:

Time In: 3:00pm
Treadmill: 5 minutes, fast walk
BB Squat: 45x5,5 95x5 135x5 185x3 200x5,5,5
DB Shoulder Press: 30x5 35x5 40x3 50x3,2,1
T-Bar Row: 45x8 90x5 135x5,5,5
Weighted Chin Up: BW+10x8,8
Calf Machine: Messing around
Time Out: 4:00pm

It was time to go for my goal weight on squats. I did my usual warm up sets, put 200 lb on the bar, and went for it. I kept my mind on my form the whole time and managed to squeeze out all of my reps and sets. Victory is mine! Time to set a new goal...

Before my last work set, a couple of guys came over, stood about two feet from the squat rack, and start talking and windmilling their arms doing some sort of exotic warm up ritual. I waited for them to leave my field of view before getting to work, but they weren't budging. I asked, "You waiting for the squat rack?"
"Huh?" they replied.
"You guys waiting for the squat rack?"
"No, we're from Azerbijan." one said, pointing at the flag on his t-shirt.
All I can guess is that they mis-interpreted my Texan accent and thought I was asking them if they were from Iraq. Squat rack ryhymes with Iraq, right? Other than the communication problem, they seemed like nice guys.

My presses were pretty lame except that I managed to keep from aggrivating my elbows when man-handling the dumbells. I'm getting good at kicking those suckers up with my legs to take the pressure off of my arm joints.

I'm back to doing T-bar rows and loving them. I wasn't able to do barbell or dumbell bent over rows because of my elbows, but T-bar rows worked great and I could really feel them working my middle back. I was a little worried, though, because my worst back injury in the gym happened during a set of heavy T-bar rows. I hope I'm smart enough now to keep that from happening again.

The weighted chins were a piece of cake.

I did a few quick sets on the calf machine just because I hadn't hit calves in a while. I forget how many reps or sets I did, but my working weights were 270 and 360 lb.

dartol

01-16-2007, 06:50 AM

Squat rack ryhymes with Iraq, right?

ROFL!

Looks like a good workout to me, 'specially with the elbow deal going on. At least you are paying attention to it and taking care of it. I think the dumbell hooks are a great idea.

And where's the storm this morning? I was all prepared to work from home today but no storm. Had to go in to work... *sigh* LOL
My truck showed 37 degrees at my house in League City...

Darren

Stenn

01-17-2007, 11:54 AM

Last night I started a new Karate class and was the only atendee. Sensei taught me several kicks, punches, stances, and blocks and then started in on my first kata. I picked up everything pretty quickly because of my former Tae Kwon Do training. My biggest challenge at the moment is Japanese vocabulary.

My workout this morning got delayed due to the aleged Houston ice storm. There were accidents and road closures all over the city, but no ice as far as I could tell. Go figure. I guess even the mere thought of ice sends Houstonians into a panic.

My wife worked out with me again today. I did my squats while she did her cardio. Then I coached her through a few sets of squats before resuming my workout. She's getting better at squatting, but flexibility is a major issue for her. It will be a while before I can get her under a bar.

Time In: 10:30am
Karate Practice: 10 minutes, 1st part of Kensho Kata
BB Squat: 45x5,5 95x5 135x5 185x3 200x5,4,4
DB Bench Press: 40x5 50x5 60x5 70x5,5,3
BB Deadlift: 135x5 185x5 225x5 275x3 325x0 300x2
Weighted Dip: BW+30x8,8
Time Out: 11:30am

Since it was in the 30's outside and I had a long walk in from the parking lot, I decided to do some Karate to get warmed up before lifting.

I didn't increase my weight from the last time I squatted, but failed to get all my reps anyway, which was a little dissapointing. Still, squatting to failure builds character so all was not lost.

I felt much better at my presses today, but still didn't get all my reps. Maybe next time.

You might be wondering why I jumped from 295 lb from my last deadlift session to 325 lb this session. Am I nuts? No, I just intended to add 25 lb to the bar at 275 lb and ended up adding 25 lb to BOTH sides of the bar by mistake. It could happen ot anybody, right? Come on, confess! Anyway, I managed to break the bar free of the ground at 325 lb, but my lower back wouldn't stay put so I had to bail out. Confused, I re-checked my weight and noticed my error. After getting the bar back down to 300 lb, I didn't feel much smarter, but I felt a lot stronger. I got two reps at 300 lb for a new personal best. Yippie! :)

My weighted dips gave me the usual pain in the collar bones and I think I know why. I tend to let my shoulders ride up when I dip. I think if I keep them down I won't aggrivate my collar bones. I'll give that a try next time.

Stenn

01-19-2007, 11:46 AM

I got my new lifting belt in the mail yesterday and just had to wear it around the house for a while. My 5-year old daughter thought it looked cool, and that's good enough for me. The belt is as plain as can be. It's black suede with a leather core, 4" wide all the way around with a double buckle. It's almost too small for me. When I have it on max snug, the buckle pins go through the next to last set of holes. In width it's just right. The belt fits just below my ribs and just above my hips. When I'm wearing I get the impression of what a well packed sasuage must feel like, but I can still breath comfortably. The belt didn't come with instructions, so I looked around on the internet for info on how tight it should be and didn't find much to go on. The best advice I got was, "Make the belt as tight as you can get it by yourself."

Going into the gym I felt very under-motivated. My legs and back are begining to feel overtrained. Fortunately, after today I get my two-day break. I decided to take it easy, try out the new belt, and get my ass out of the gym alive.

Time In: 9:30 am
BB Squat: 45x5,5 95x5 135x5 175x3 200x5,5,5
BB Press: 45x5,5 65x5 75x5 65x5,5
T-Bar Row: 35x5,5 70x5 105x5 140x5,5,5
Weighted Chin: BW+15x8,4
Time Out: 10:30 am

I didn't get all my 200 lb squats last time, but with the belt I felt stronger and safer, got all my reps, and probably could have done more. I only used the belt on my working sets and took it off between sets. Next time, I'm doing 210 lb and soon I'll be up to four whole plates. Woo-hoo!

I recently read Rippetoe's chapter on presses and decided to do BB presses instead of the DB shoulder presses I had been doing. I remember reading that you're supposed to start with the bar resting on the anterior deltoids, but all I could think when doing my reps was, "Anterior deltoids, my ass!" Either I'm missing some vital part of the proper form, or my anterior deltoids don't stick out enough to hold the bar. Instead, the bar rested on my collar bones, which was not very comfortable at all. I gotta go back and re-read that chapter.

I switched from 45 lb plates to 35 lb plates for my t-bar rows to get more range of motion. It seemed to work well and allowed me to make a slight increase from my last weight to 140 lb this time. Why is it that I always end up with at least one personal best on days when I plan to take it easy? :)

Edit: Actually, I was doing 180 lb t-bar rows back in October when I injured my back. So, today's 140 lb wasn't a personal best after all. :(

I ran out of gas on my weighted chins. Better luck next time.

ChocoChick

01-19-2007, 11:51 AM

LOL at your deadlift mistake. I think we've all done that (or something similar) at least once and learned that we can usually handle more weight than we thought. ;)

pastorgbc

01-19-2007, 11:54 AM

The workouts look great. Good luck with Kensho. What style are you studying? I have a Nidan in Shotokan.

Ray

Stenn

01-19-2007, 12:03 PM

LOL at your deadlift mistake. I think we've all done that (or something similar) at least once and learned that we can usually handle more weight than we thought. ;)

I wish that had been the case for me and I had lifted the 325 lb thinking it was 300 lb. But, when I unknowingly tried to lift 325 lb, my grip was good, my legs were willing, but my back would not stay straight. I think a lot of my early progress in deadlifting was due to my brain catching up with my actual capabilities. But that one failed deadlift at 325 lb taught me that I'm now running into a physical limitaion and if I want to lift more I have to grow more. Now that I'm at the edge of my ability, deadlifts are taking on a new character for me. They're turning into the "brutal" exercise that Rippetoe refers to in his book.

Stenn

01-19-2007, 12:20 PM

The workouts look great. Good luck with Kensho. What style are you studying? I have a Nidan in Shotokan.

Ray

Howdy Ray,

Wow, Nidan, that's cool. Do you teach yet?

I'm not that sure about the style of Karate I'm studying and I don't much care. The oportunity I've been presented with is so good, I would have taken it no matter what style was taught. I started as an assistant (sempai) for my daughter's youth Karate class and in return for the favor, Sensei offered to teach me a little Karate on the side. I happily accepted and later found that my new teacher was Joseph Rempel, 8th degree black belt and founder of the Amateur Karate Foundation (www.akfkarate.com). I now train with Sensei Rempel two hours a week for free in return for being sempai of the kid's class. Not a bad deal, eh?

Steve

pastorgbc

01-19-2007, 12:35 PM

Howdy Ray,

Wow, Nidan, that's cool. Do you teach yet?

I'm not that sure about the style of Karate I'm studying and I don't much care. The oportunity I've been presented with is so good, I would have taken it no matter what style was taught. I started as an assistant (sempai) for my daughter's youth Karate class and in return for the favor, Sensei offered to teach me a little Karate on the side. I happily accepted and later found that my new teacher was Joseph Rempel, 8th degree black belt and founder of the Amateur Karate Foundation (www.akfkarate.com). I now train with Sensei Rempel two hours a week for free in return for being sempai of the kid's class. Not a bad deal, eh?

Steve
Since I have gotten into the ministry full time (about 6 years ago), I pretty much stopped going to dojo. However, I studied the martial arts for about 25 years and I have done my share of teaching. I agree with you concerning styles. I have travelled much and lived in different parts of the world, and rather than lock into a single style, I looked for teachers I could learn from. Although I do not spar or train with groups any longer, I still perform all of my kata to keep myself somewhat trained.

It sounds like you are in a nice school. I hope you enjoy it.

Ray

BurritoMan

01-19-2007, 01:02 PM

Stenn

01-19-2007, 01:25 PM

You are getting very strong for your weight and how little time you've been doing this for, I'd say. You are doing very well in my opinion.

I think you should only wear the belt for your top lift but not for your other working sets.

Thanks compliment Mas. Yeah, that's my strategy for belt usage. I only plan to use it for my heaviest sets of deads and squats. It's during those sets, when I'm pushing myself to new limits, that I felt I could use a little backup just in case I losen my form in my enthusiasm to achieve a new personal best. If you ever see me with my belt on during bicep curls, feel free to slap me.

Stenn

01-19-2007, 01:30 PM

Since I have gotten into the ministry full time (about 6 years ago), I pretty much stopped going to dojo. However, I studied the martial arts for about 25 years and I have done my share of teaching. I agree with you concerning styles. I have travelled much and lived in different parts of the world, and rather than lock into a single style, I looked for teachers I could learn from. Although I do not spar or train with groups any longer, I still perform all of my kata to keep myself somewhat trained.

It sounds like you are in a nice school. I hope you enjoy it.

Ray

Maybe some day you'll have the opportunity to teach a youth Karate class as part of your church's youth ministry. After all, a lot of Karate is overcoming fear and the opposite of fear is faith. It would be a neat way to integrate your two disciplines. Just a thought...

SR800

01-19-2007, 05:01 PM

I think you use of the belt is advised. As we get older the injuries take longer to heal. I had been stubborn and not using for my heaviest lifts but after some tweeks lately I am back to the belt for all heavy sets.

Yeah when you are near your max on deads all the initial fun is definately gone. LOL

dbx

01-19-2007, 05:32 PM

Stenn

01-19-2007, 06:03 PM

Nice work going on in here, Sytennison. I didn't go back far enough to look, but it appears you're squatting 3 days apart? I did that for a long time last year and it worked well. However, I got to a point where I knew it was time to add more space between hitting the same group. If you're feeling over-trained, you might want to consider changing things ups a bit, and giving yourself more time between hitting the same muscle group. You can always go back to this program, but you need to change every now and then.

Thanks for the encouragement dbx. Yup, under Rippetoe, I squat three days a week and deadlift either once or twice a week. Now that the honeymoon is over and I'm getting into some real effort, I'm feeling my body start to bog down. I had planned to keep this program up until I was able to squat 200 lb for three sets of 5 reps (been there, done that) and deadlift 300 lb for one set of five reps (been there, done two reps). Then I plan to switch to a different program, probably a 3-day split thingy where I'll do squats on legs day and deadlifts on back day. I've really fallen in love with these two exercises, but I'm getting kind of tired of doing them so freekin' often.

Stenn

01-19-2007, 06:06 PM

Yeah when you are near your max on deads all the initial fun is definately gone. LOL

Or, one could say that the fun has just begun. I get a twisted sort of pleasure from being able to complete a deadlift that takes five or more seconds to lock out. :)

BurritoMan

01-19-2007, 06:09 PM

If you ever see me with my belt on during bicep curls, feel free to slap me.

I know someone who herniated a disc doing bicep barbell curls, from leaning back too far at the top.

namtrag

01-19-2007, 06:14 PM

Stenn

01-19-2007, 06:36 PM

Commonly referred to as "trying to f a Clydesdale", probably not a worry unless you go real heavy. I was definitely doing that particular move a couple of weeks ago when I was trying to ez bar curl 120lbs 10 times.

Sounds like I should steer clear of the clydesdales. But if I do encounter one, I'll don the belt before mounting. :)

Hmmm... Now that I think of it, I did manage to ding my back once while doing ez bar curls. I'm hoping that I'm much smarter now than I was back then and can do curls without a belt. We'll see...

namtrag

01-19-2007, 06:38 PM

just don't pile on too much weight.

SR800

01-20-2007, 07:44 AM

I actually wore mine friday while doing ez-curls(kind of an oxymoron like civil war) but did not have it cinched down super tight, just enough to remind myself to keep everything aligned, it is sad that it always takes a little tweek to remind me to keep everything solid during the heat of battle but I am so damned competitive and unwilling to not progress that my mind can ignore my body, I read that someone else was wearing theirs loose to remind themselve to keep the core tight and that may not be a bad idea for the dark side of 40 LOL

Stenn

01-20-2007, 11:20 AM

I actually wore mine friday while doing ez-curls...

...I read that someone else was wearing theirs loose to remind themselve to keep the core tight and that may not be a bad idea for the dark side of 40 LOL

Huh. It sounds like wearing a belt during bicep curls isn't as goofy an idea as I had first imagined. If my elbows will ever allow bicep curls again, I may give the belt a try.

I believe it was dbx that mentioned wearing a loose belt as a reminder to keep the core tight. Whatever works, I say. It certainly beats the heck out of using shooting pains in the lower back as a reminder. :)

widebody195

01-22-2007, 12:54 AM

Just joined your log. Great work and your motivation and determination are inspiring!

I do EZ bar curls with my back against a wall; it forces good form and prevents you from swinging back lest you clock the back of your head against concrete (a good motivator, in my book)

I was also squatting 3X per week on the intermediate 5X5 program. It got to be too much and I had to back off to 2x per week. You can probably sustain 3x per week heavy squats for about a month (depending on your recovery ability) but eventually it will tax your CNS.

Stenn

01-22-2007, 11:00 AM

Just joined your log. Great work and your motivation and determination are inspiring!

Thanks Widebody! I was hoping to see you here some day. You're one of my favorite formery skinny people.

I do EZ bar curls with my back against a wall; it forces good form and prevents you from swinging back lest you clock the back of your head against concrete (a good motivator, in my book)

Great idea, and I know just the wall I can use at my gym.

I was also squatting 3X per week on the intermediate 5X5 program. It got to be too much and I had to back off to 2x per week. You can probably sustain 3x per week heavy squats for about a month (depending on your recovery ability) but eventually it will tax your CNS.

Yeah, squatting 3x a week is really starting to bug me. I'm dreading my workouts the day before. Not good... I just accomplished my goals today that I set for myself while doing the Rippetoe workout (200 lb squats, 300 lb deadlifts), so my squat frequency is about to change as I adopt a new workout routine.

Stenn

01-22-2007, 03:00 PM

I awoke this morning with a sense of impending doom knowing that I had to do deadlifts again. My upper back and neck have been sore lately. Not from lifting. It's just a manifestation of stress that I get from time to time. Still, that didn't make me any happier about the prospect of executing record-breaking (for me) deadlifts.

Time In: 9:30 am
BB Squat: 45x5,5 95x5 135x5 185x3 210x3,4,3
DB Bench Press: 40x5,5 50x5 60x4 70x5,4,3
BB Deadlift: 135x5 185x5 225x5 275x3 300x5
Weighted Dip: BW+30x8,6
Time Out: 10:30 am

I decided to go for a little more weight on my squats today and was rewarded with three working sets to failure. That's a tuff way to start a workout.

I felt very good during my DB presses. I kept the wieghts under control at all times and didn't upset my elbows. Since my left elbow is the most sensitive these days, I'd pull the left DB up onto my left leg with both hands and then pull the right DB up onto my right leg with just my right hand. That seemed to work well. I put a lot of effort into my reps, but still went to failure on the 2nd and 3rd sets. Bummer...

So, I went to failure on five of my previous six working sets and now I'm supposed to do 300 lb deadlifts? Yikes! But, somehow I managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat and got all my reps at 300 lb. This amazing feat completed the goals I had set for myself of being able to get all my reps and sets for squats at 200 lb and deadlifts at 300 lb. Victory is mine! :D

Deadlifting 300 lb for 5 reps was interesting, to say the least. It was the first time I got to deadlift with my new lifting belt. I set it for one setting looser than I had used for squats and that turned out to be a bad idea. The belt bound in the front and rode up in the back but once I got started, I didn't notice it. My first rep was painfuly slow. The subsequent reps were faster and just seemed to happen on automatic pilot. It's as if my brain turned off to give my legs and back more energy to lift. Without the brain, I didn't have to think about how heavy the bar was or when to give up. I just kept going till I got my reps and then looked around in a panic for a bench to collapse onto while clawing at my belt buckle like an animal trying to free itself from a trap. That and the profuse spitting and grunting between reps made this a quality deadlifting experience. Fun stuff!

Honestly, after finally getting all of my 300 lb deadlifts, who really cares about dips. Yawn! I almost forgot to do them. :)

namtrag

01-22-2007, 03:04 PM

ChocoChick

01-22-2007, 03:38 PM

Congrats on the deadlifts!

Stenn

01-22-2007, 03:41 PM

All that in one hour, amazing, my friend. I am surprised you don't blow a gasket. I typically take about 1:45 to do 4 exercises of 5 sets each, plus 40 minutes of cardio. One of is probably resting too much between sets (me), and the other one (you) may be resting too little, especially on leg day.

More power to you if you can do it.

I try to limit my rest times to about two minutes. Sometimes I rest less, especially between light warm-up sets. Sometimes I rest more. If you use two minute rests between all of my sets for the day, that comes to about 45 minutes of rest and 15 minutes of actually doing something. It's hard to believe that a person can make any progress doing less than an hour of actual lifting a week, but that's what's going on. Neat, eh? Weight lifting is like concentrated exercise. A little dab will do 'ya!

No, I don't blow a gasket (not often anyway). I'm just the sweatiest guy in the gym. :)

Congrats on the 300lb deadlift! Someday I will do that

I'm sure that you will. I look forward to it!

Stenn

01-22-2007, 04:12 PM

Congrats on the deadlifts!

Thank you! It's too bad I don't have my own cheering section at the gym, but you guys more than make up for it. :)

widebody195

01-22-2007, 09:54 PM

Congratulations on the 300 lb deadlift! You're an animal!

You've now blown right past me on deadlift PR (not that I'm being competitive or anything). Great work.

Stenn

01-23-2007, 07:11 PM

You've now blown right past me on deadlift PR (not that I'm being competitive or anything).

Don't sweat it. You can still absolutely destroy me in the squat rack... for now anyway. :)

dbx

01-23-2007, 07:19 PM

Did I hear some applause in here? :)

Congrats on the 300! Upward and onward!!!

Stenn

01-23-2007, 07:24 PM

I've been pretty good about keeping my calories between 3000 and 3700 for this month and I've been getting between 200 and 300g of protien a day.

I've had only one major cheat day when my family ordered pizza from Star Pizza (the best pizza in Houston). My wife asked what kind of pizza we wanted and I had her order a medium margherita on a thin whole wheat crust with added chicken (to aleviate my guilt). What I didn't realize is that I was the only one who was going to be eating the pizza. I finished it off over two days and watched my fat intake go through the roof. The real killer was that all that damn cheese gave me a mild case of constipation. With all the food I've been eating these days, I sure as hell didn't need that!

The last time I got on the bathroom scale, it pronounced me to be a whopping 175 lb which is only about three pounds heavier than I was when I started this crazy diet. (Actually, I hit 177 lb when constipated but that doesn't count. I was just full of crap.) I've only got one more week of this nonsense to go before I pass judgement on my new diet and caloric intake, but so far I'm thinking that I'm right on track. The scale says so, and I say so because I'm still happy with what I'm seeing in the mirror.

Stenn

01-23-2007, 08:08 PM

Did I hear some applause in here? :)

Congrats on the 300! Upward and onward!!!

Thank you. I'm now thinking that a lift of six whole plates would look good on my resume. :)

jmc53

01-23-2007, 10:12 PM

Mr. Tennison,
Congratulations.
Your membership application for the 300 club has been approved. We meet regularly in a gym near you. We have abolished the secret handshake, members usually recognise one another.
May we expect your application to the 400 club sometime during 2008?

Stenn

01-24-2007, 06:49 AM

May we expect your application to the 400 club sometime during 2008?

Yeow! 400 lb by 2008 seems a bit daunting. How about 315 by the end of February? Hmmm.... Wait a minute...

Jan 300
Feb 310
Mar 320
Apr 330
May 340
Jun 350
Jul 360
Aug 370
Sep 380
Oct 390
Nov 400

Ok, it's a deal!

Stenn

01-24-2007, 06:56 AM

Well, it's been rainy and nasty for days now in Houston and I've been feeling over-trained for a couple of weeks but didn't want to slow down because I was so close to my goals. I got my goals but, as a reasonable person might expect, I feel sore everywhere and I feel like I'm coming down with a cold. I just sent my wife to the gym without me this morning. I'm going to skip Friday's workout too. I need some rest. I'll be back in the gym on Saturday with my new routine. I promise!

Stenn

01-25-2007, 06:30 PM

This whole Karate business is turning into quite an ordeal. Not only do I help Sensei teach the kid's class on Saturday, but I'm also attending adult classes on Tuesday and Thursday. In addition to that, Sensei has offered to teach me privately after one of the regular classes. That's between 3 and 4 hours of Karate per week. The kid's class is pretty light, but still involves a lot of running, jumping, stretching, and other kid-friendly exercise during warm-up. The adult classes involve a lot of cardio. Sensei paces the classes so that he'll teach a little, inflict some cardio on the class, teach a little, cardio, etc. The cardio involves kicking, punching, or whatever we're learning that day along with some running and push-ups. It's a very good work-out and I always leave good and sweaty. After the class when we practiced about a gazillion front snap kicks, I actually got DOMS in my hamstrings which almost never happens even when doing squats and deadlifts. I think this whole Karate thing is going to be very good for me even if I don't learn a damn thing about martial arts. :)

dartol

01-25-2007, 06:35 PM

That sounds cool, I would like to learn a martial art sometime. Maybe when my daughter gets bigger, we'll just all join together or something. Sounds like a great workout! And you will learn something grasshoppah! (sorry, couldn't resist... LOL)

Oh and how about that SUNSHINE today! It was 67 when I got home, I took my bike out for a spin!

Darren

dbx

01-25-2007, 06:43 PM

I think this whole Karate thing is going to be very good for me even if I don't learn a damn thing about martial arts. :)

My boys took it when they were younger. I took it when I was a teen (mix of several disciplines). It is a lot of fun.

Hey, if you're feeling over-trained you should REALLY back off. This is when injuries occur. Also, if you're feeling fatigued, your body is trying to tell you to chill.

Stenn

01-25-2007, 07:14 PM

That sounds cool, I would like to learn a martial art sometime. Maybe when my daughter gets bigger, we'll just all join together or something. Sounds like a great workout! And you will learn something grasshoppah! (sorry, couldn't resist... LOL)

I highly recommend it, especially for your young'uns. But, you gotta watch out or someday your kid will end up snatching the pebbles from your hand. :)

Oh and how about that SUNSHINE today! It was 67 when I got home, I took my bike out for a spin!

Oh man, it was great today! I hope this keeps up. I'll be looking at a few apartment complexes tomorrow and I hate doing that stuff in lousy weather.

Stenn

01-25-2007, 07:25 PM

My boys took it when they were younger. I took it when I was a teen (mix of several disciplines). It is a lot of fun.

I agree, it's been a blast. I took a couple of years of Tae Kwon Do about ten years ago and Karate doesn't seem all that different except for the names of stuff and how to count to 10. What's really fun is that I'm about twice the age of the other students in the adult classes and yet I'm in as good of shape as any of them. :)

Hey, if you're feeling over-trained you should REALLY back off. This is when injuries occur. Also, if you're feeling fatigued, your body is trying to tell you to chill.

Yeah, I totally agree. It was taking me 10-15 minutes to get out of bed in the morning and I actually took a nap in the middle of the day yesterday. I probably should have taken a break sooner, but I had my eyes on the prize and didn't want to quit till I achieved my goals. I'm lucky I didn't injure myself. I'm feeling better already having skipped one workout. I hope to be ready to rock and roll again by Saturday. We'll see.

dbx

01-25-2007, 07:30 PM

Yeah, I totally agree. It was taking me 10-15 minutes to get out of bed in the morning and I actually took a nap in the middle of the day yesterday. I probably should have taken a break sooner, but I had my eyes on the prize and didn't want to quit till I achieved my goals. I'm lucky I didn't injure myself. I'm feeling better already having skipped one workout. I hope to be ready to rock and roll again by Saturday. We'll see.

Hmmm...your body needs more than skipping a session or two. I know how you feel, as I've been gaining and close to new heights I wanted to reach, but my body told me to chill. Of course, I kept pushing, just like you want to do, but you'll likely find that you need a full recharge. Trust me, you can pick up where you left off. Just take at least 4-5 days, if not a week, off.

Stenn

01-25-2007, 08:43 PM

Just take at least 4-5 days, if not a week, off.

Hmmm... 4-7 days of doing nothing. I guess I can handle that. :)

jmc53

01-26-2007, 02:56 AM

IR45N

01-26-2007, 04:38 AM

Hmmm...your body needs more than skipping a session or two. I know how you feel, as I've been gaining and close to new heights I wanted to reach, but my body told me to chill. Of course, I kept pushing, just like you want to do, but you'll likely find that you need a full recharge. Trust me, you can pick up where you left off. Just take at least 4-5 days, if not a week, off.

Agreed & yeah, the time off can drive you up the wall but it does help.

dartol

01-26-2007, 06:27 AM

Some guys actually experience a little growth spurt during a week's rest. That happened to me once, but not the during the two subsequent rest weeks, but I didn't lose any strength during the second two rest weeks either. I'm sure you wont either.

Yeah I have noticed that I tend to come back and bump up all my weights after taking a few days off too.

Darren

Stenn

01-26-2007, 04:23 PM

Wow, this rest stuff is starting to sound downright usefull. How often do y'all take a week off?

dartol

01-26-2007, 06:29 PM

Only when life makes me... LOL

Stenn

01-27-2007, 01:51 PM

I finaly had some spare time to design my post-Rippetoe workout. Feel free to comment on the routine or my mental state while designing it. It's a 3-day split based on advice jmc53 gave in another thread. Each day starts out with one of the classic compound lifts. These will be my progress benchmarks. The other lifts fill in for whatever I'm supposed to be working on that day. I like simple routines so there's only four or five exercises per day.

Day 1 - Chest, Shoulder, Tricep
DB Flat Press - For a manly chest! No spotter required.
BB Press - All-around great shoulder exercise.
SM Flat Press - Exhaust the chest without killing myself.
Tricep Push-Down - Exhaust the triceps.

Day 2 - Legs, Abs
BB Squat - Best leg exercise, ever!
Leg Press - Go deep. Like squats but safer, so GO HEAVY.
Sissy Squat - Finishes off quads and starts on abs.
Standing Calf Raise - Finishes off legs.
Decl. Wtd. Sit Up - Will twist on these to hit more stuff.

Day 3 - Back, Bicep
BB Deadlift - My favorite!
Wtd. Pull Up - Hits lats, middle back, starts on biceps.
Standing BB Curl - Standard bicep building exercise.
Wtd. Hyper - Want to exhaust lower back AFTER standing curls.
Concentration Curl - Exhaust the biceps.

I plan to start on Monday and spend the first week getting my initial weights dialed in. Except for the squats and deads, I haven't done any of these exercises in over a month.

Stenn

01-29-2007, 01:18 PM

My week of rest is over and I'm back in the gym with my new routine. I'm through with Rippetoe for now and the new goal is hypertrophy, in the chest and biceps to be particular. I read a recent thread about the benefits of slow reps and decided to give that a try. It's a bit of an ego deflater to have to go slow and light, but the work is much more challening and, hopefully, more fruitful. We'll see...

I left the gym with a significant pump in my triceps, but not so much in my chest, which is typical for me. I'm wondering if my triceps are much weaker than my chest. Perhaps they're keeping my chest from getting a decent workout.

This workout seemed too short and too easy. I was done in 45 minutes and didn't feel near as drained as I would after a Rippetoe workout. I barely broke a sweat. I guess not starting every workout with squats will do that, eh? More likely, it's just because I didn't do multiple work sets on any one exercise. I just ramped up to failure and then moved on to the next exercise.

Being new to this workout and slow reps, I didn't know what weights to work with. So, I just ramped the weight up on each exercise until I started having trouble. The weights listed below are where I plan to start at next time and are at or a little below my failure weights from this time.

Time In: 9:15 am
DB Bench Press: 60 lb
BB Press: 90 lb
SM Bench Press: 90 lb
Tricep Push-Down: 60 lb
Time Out: 10:00 am

My DB bench presses felt good. I started at 40 lb and worked my way up to 60 lb in 5 lb increments. I found that failure during slow reps is different than failure at normal speed reps. I could feel my right side fatigue before my left which makes sense because my right pec is smaller than the left. Hopefully, working with dumbells will fix that.

I did better with presses than last time I tried them. I was able to rest the bar on my anterior deltoids between reps. The only problem I face now is some limited range of motion in my right wrist that makes holding the bar uncomfortable in the low position. I thought about going to DB presses, but I think that's a trap because some day I'd have a devil of a time getting heavy dumbells into position and would have to switch back to a bar (and a rack) anyway. So, I'm sticking with BB presses unless my wrist snaps in two.

I don't like smith machines, but I don't like BB bench presses without a spotter even more. I think I'll switch to a Hammer Strength bench press machine instead. I like the HS machines because they allow independant use of the arms.

So, why was I doing tricep push-downs when I could have been doing dips? I guess it was so I could do a nice drop set at the end of my workout. Other than that, I'd rather be doing dips.

Stenn

01-29-2007, 01:40 PM

And now for something completely different...

I've been trying to teach my wife, Margot, how to do body squats for a couple of weeks now. She's getting stronger, but still lacks the flexibility to get down into a full squat position without her heals coming up and/or falling over backwards. She also has a problem with her knees not being aligned with her legs as she goes down which is bad for the knee joint. Part of the problem is that when she goes down and her heels come up, the angle of her feet changes for the worse.

What a mess!

Fortunately, our gym has a low wall that over-looks the basketball courts and it has a rail across the top. I had Margot put her toes up against the 2" wide trim at the bottom of the wall and hold on to the rail. Between her feet, I placed a 35 lb plate. The combination of the wall and the plate kept her heels from moving (other than up and down). The wall forced her to keep her knees out and in line with her feet. The rail gave her something to hang on to when she started to pitch backward. It also allowed her to do self-assists when she got tired.

In this configuration, Margot was able to do several sets of squats. We don't count reps per set. Instead, I just have Margot do however many squats she can manage in one minute. I haven't counted, but she probably does about a dozen reps per set. Not bad for a somewhat over-weight woman of 45, eh?

Margot wears a heart rate monitor while she works out. Mostly it's for cardio and keeping her heart rate in the fat burning zone. The watch beeps slowly when her heart rate is below the zone and it beeps quickly when her heart rate is above the zone. In the zone, the watch is quiet. To pace the sets of squats, I have Margot wait till her watch beeps slowly before starting a set. About 45 seconds into the set, the watch starts beeping quickly as her heart rate goes zooming out of the zone. This has turned out to be a pretty good way for her to pace her squat workouts.

Stenn

01-30-2007, 06:26 PM

I woke up this morning with plenty of DOMS in my chest, shoulders, and triceps so I must have done something right yesterday. Those slow reps are amazing.

I got to the gym early and did about 15 minutes of bag work before class. It was about half and half of punching and kicking. In the end, I got in a half-dozen flying side kicks. I'm trying to kick the bag off the wall, literally. I've told the staff about five times that the bracket for the heavy bag is broken and is about to fall down. They keep not fixing it. I suspect they'll finally do something about the problem when the bag and bracket are laying in a heap on the floor. :)

Karate class was good. Sensei had us do lots of punching and kicking drills along with a healthy dose of stretching and push ups. I was soaked with sweat by the end and felt happy to have survived in good form. Sensei described the workout as, "light". :(

jaguarr

01-30-2007, 07:48 PM

Good work going on in here, man! Keep up the hard work! :cool:

jag

Stenn

01-30-2007, 08:00 PM

Good work going on in here, man! Keep up the hard work! :cool:

Thanks Jag.

After the workout I told Sensei that I probably shouldn't have worked out on the heavy bag before class. He just said, "Why not?" and then went into his "you only live once" speech. I felt a little stupid and now I'm wondering, what am I saving my strength for? Why do I hold back? no matter how hard I work, I can always work a little harder... maybe even a lot harder.

jmc53

01-30-2007, 08:41 PM

G'day Steve,
Lots of stuff in here since I last visited.
I like the look of the workout, (not sure about S&M bench press) ;)
You asked about how often some of us take a week off?
In the past, about every 8 weeks, I've always had what I used to call a "back off week" (it was something I thought I invented intuitively :)), I've recently learnt this is called deloading and is common. Typically, if you are doing say 5 x 5 @ 250 on an exercises, during a deloading phase you might do 3 x 3 @ the same weight. (And you might only do half of your back-up exercises per bodypart for that week). It's a way of taking it slightly easy for a week, but you trick your muscles into thinking they are still working hard by not backing off the weight. It gives the central nervous system a rest, and it's something professional power athletes do a lot to avoid burn out. (It's also similar in principal to what endurance athletes do as a "taper" before competing.
Then after another 8 weeks I usually take six days off (lift Friday - start back the following Friday).
EDIT: This thread below about deloading has some good stuff.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=971751&highlight=deloading

Stenn

01-30-2007, 09:19 PM

G'day Steve,
Lots of stuff in here since I last visited.
I like the look of the workout, (not sure about S&M bench press) ;)
Howdy Jason,

Thanks for taking a look at the workout. The one I've posted is obsolete already as I keep fiddling with it every time I see it. I'll re-post it when it settles down. Reading your thread, I remembered how much I like dumbell pull-overs. I gotta work those in there somewhere...

S&M bench press. Isn't that when you have your buddy add 10 lb plates to the bar one at a time during your set? ;)

You asked about how often some of us take a week off?...

Thanks for the good info. This is stuff I need to start thinking about seriously. My training tempo so far has been to go as hard and heavy as I could until I got interrupted by an injury. Not cool... I'll follow your link when I have the time to give it proper consideration.

Stenn

01-31-2007, 04:08 PM

I was still sore in the triceps today but looking forward to my workout anyway. Sensei's workout last night, although tough, had no lingering effect on me. It's been a while since I've done an all-legs workout. I forgot how taxing they can be. I left the gym in a wobbly, nauseous daze, picked up my daughter from school, and just wanted to pull over and take a nap the whole drive home. Once home I asked my 5-year old daughter, "Honey, can you please play quietly while I take a nap?" She replied, "No". I crawled into bed anyway and she left me alone, God bless her.

Like my last workout, I wasn't paying too much attention to weights, sets, and reps. I just ramped the weights up until I felt like I was at a good working weight for next time, which I've listed below. Also, I kept all my reps slow and deep.

Why is it that I can do 450 lb leg presses, 322 lb leg extensions, 300 lb deadlifts, but only 200 lb squats? Hmmm.....

Time In: 2:00 pm
BB Squat: 200 lb
Leg Press: 450 lb
Leg Extension: 322 lb
Standing Calf Raise: 180 lb
Decl. Wtd. Sit-Up w/ Twist: 40 lb
Time Out: 3:00 pm

I didn't notice all that much of a difference between doing my regular, bounce at the bottom ATG squats and slow, pause at the bottom squats. Go figure. It felt like more effort, but the weight I could lift was about the same. I got up to 205 lb.

I hadn't been on a leg press machine in many, many months. I surprised myself by being able to do multiple sets at 450 lb. That's over twice my best squat weight. I even did a toes-out stance on the press plate to simulate squats as much as possible and went way deep. Lots of grunting here.

I maxed out the leg extension machine again. I thought I wouldn't after having done squats and presses. I need to find a beefier leg extension machine or I'll have to figure out how to hang an extra plate on the weight stack. I've seen this done in a Ronnie Coleman workout video. In fact, he did it for leg extensions. :) "Light weight, baby! Ain't nuthin' but a peanut!"

First time back at the standing calf machine in a while. There was a guy there already and I thought we had worked out a deal to work together. But, after I did my set, he was long gone. I think I may have chased him away. Oops... I'm not real fond of this machine because my feet keep slipping off the edge of the platform. I may switch to seated calf raises.

The decline situp bench was occuppied by a couple of women who were doing some kind of nifty drill with a medicine ball. I didn't want to interrupt so I grabbed a decline press bench instead. I got up to 50 lb on my sit ups, but couldn't do more than five of them. So, I'm gonna go for 40 lb next time. That's a stack of 10 lb plates that I hold as high up on my chest as I do my situps. I twist my sit ups so that at the top my right elbow is outside my left knee and vice versa. I managed to turn quite a few heads while doing these. I guess folks in my gym aren't used to seeing someone struggle to do situps. Lots of grunting here too. :D

namtrag

01-31-2007, 04:12 PM

Squats are tough, I can do a lot more on the leg press for reps, more than twice my body weight, but I can't do squats at my body weight for reps yet. It's a lot harder on squats because you have to keep the weight from falling over to either side or to the back.

Funny on the sit ups! Next time sit in the up postion and hold a 25lb plate with both hands and make figure 8's with it to the right and to the left. Then you will really be grunting!

dartol

01-31-2007, 06:13 PM

Why is it that I can do 450 lb leg presses, 322 lb leg extensions, 300 lb deadlifts, but only 200 lb squats? Hmmm.....

Well, remember you are also lifting most of your body weight with a squat. Well, I guess you are with deadlifts too though. But that is a big chunk of it. With squats you also have to recruit all of your stabilizing muscles to stay balanced and upright. I wish I could post numbers like those though. I'll work on that. LOL :)

I learned this lesson one day on the calf raise. I was doing 200 but it was bugging my shoulders a bit, so (not thinking) I dropped it to 100 and did one leg. ~300 lbs on one foot, when I was used to 400 on two feet... Didn't get but a few reps... Humm, my foot started hurting after that. I think I might have created a stress fracture. Kinda etched the math in my mind. LOL

Darren

dbx

01-31-2007, 07:43 PM

I just ramped the weights up until I felt like I was at a good working weight for next time, which I've listed below. Also, I kept all my reps slow and deep.

Why is it that I can do 450 lb leg presses, 322 lb leg extensions, 300 lb deadlifts, but only 200 lb squats? Hmmm.....

BB Squat: 200 lb
Leg Press: 450 lb
Leg Extension: 322 lb

Nice workout, Steve. Are you saying these are all working weights...or 1RM? I thought you just hit 300 on deads for a 1RM last week? Anyhow, awesome work there. Man, 322 on leg ext is incredible! Your squat weight will come up fast enough!

Stenn

01-31-2007, 08:24 PM

Squats are tough, I can do a lot more on the leg press for reps, more than twice my body weight, but I can't do squats at my body weight for reps yet.

Sounds like you and me are in the same boat with a press weight that's twice our squate weight. Maybe that's the norm.

Well, remember you are also lifting most of your body weight with a squat. Well, I guess you are with deadlifts too though. But that is a big chunk of it. With squats you also have to recruit all of your stabilizing muscles to stay balanced and upright. I wish I could post numbers like those though. I'll work on that. LOL :)

I guess the short answer is that squats are a more complex exercise than any of the others and that's why they're harder.

Keep up the good work you're already doing, Darren, and you can get around to posting any numbers you want. :)

Nice workout, Steve. Are you saying these are all working weights...or 1RM? I thought you just hit 300 on deads for a 1RM last week? Anyhow, awesome work there. Man, 322 on leg ext is incredible! Your squat weight will come up fast enough!

Thanks dbx. The numbers I posted today were working weights, not 1RM. I've never tried to do a 1RM on any exercise. That just seems like asking for trouble to me. Today I was trying to dial in starting weights for a new workout routine so I started low on each exercise and ramped up the weight till I got to a place where I could do multiple reps (5-8) and multiple sets (2-3). The 300 lb deadlifts I did recently were one set of five.

I keep surprising myself on the leg extension machine. Sometimes I wonder if the thing is broken. ;)

Stenn

02-01-2007, 01:56 PM

It's been a month now on the new diet so it's time to check how things have progressed. Did I get fat, lean, or go nowhere? You may recall that my plan was to get 3000 calories on rest days and 3700 calories on work days. I planed to get 45% of my calories from carbs, 35% from protein, and 20% from fat. So, how'd I do? (Drum roll please....)

Over the last 20 days during which I've tracked my food intake with Calorie King, I have consumed an average of 3400 calories per day. I got 42% of those calories from carbs, 33% from protein, and 23% from fat. I've been averaging 285 grams of protein per day. So, I've done a pretty good job of sticking within my dietary constraints.

Body Weigt: +3.5 lb (172.5 to 176)
Chest: -0.5" (40.5 to 40)
Arms: no change
Waist: +0.5" (35 to 35.5)
Thighs: no change
Calves: no change
Forearms: -0.5" (11.5 to 11)
Shoulders: +1.0" (46 to 47)

If you disregard the 0.5" changes as noise, then all I've managed to do over the past month is to gain 3.5 lb of body weight and 1" in the shoulders.

Now I just gotta ask, does this look like progress to anyone out there? I know that this amount of change falls well short of my warped, late-night infomercial desire for instant gratification. :) But if someone out there can claim that these results are within the realm of normal, then I'll be a happy man. Otherwise, I'll have to admit that I'm still on the same plateau that I started this thread to break. :(

The one thing that I can crow about without reservation is that during this month my squats have gone from 185 lb to 210 lb and my deadlifts have gone from 285 lb to 300 lb. Now THAT's progress! :D

jaguarr

02-01-2007, 02:00 PM

You're getting bigger and stronger. YES that's progress! This stuff happens over time with results like yours coming month after month. Keep doing what you're doing. It's working! http://forum.bodybuilding.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

jag

namtrag

02-01-2007, 03:18 PM

ditto to jag

brick by brick....

You are strong for your size.

Stenn

02-01-2007, 08:29 PM

Thanks guys, that's what I needed to hear. I guess there are no big victories in bodybuilding (unless you win a contest, that is) just lots of little victories that slowly add up to the body of your dreams. Sign me up for another month of heavy lifting and boring eating!

Stenn

02-01-2007, 08:43 PM

Karate today was fairly light. There were some exercise drills that included push ups and sit ups, but not enough to really push me. A good thing too, because I was feeling some DOMS in my legs and abs from my workout yesterday.

Today's class was mostly self-defense stuff. Other than Sensei and me, all the other folks were young women who were having some trouble putting much intensity into the lessons. Sensei and I have some ideas about how to fire up the women in the class, including bringing in Sensei's wife who is a 3rd degree black belt. That should spice things up a bit. :)

tlambert

02-02-2007, 06:41 AM

This is one of the most entertaining WO Journals. Pretty funny stuff.

ChocoChick

02-02-2007, 06:45 AM

I'd recommend taking pictures as well as using the tape. When you put up a side-by-side shot, it's pretty easy to see whether there's been progress or not. The tape measure is trickier as you've noticed -- you can get "noise" from not measuring in exactly the same spot, etc. Especially if you are gaining weight, I think you want to know if it's fat or muscle.

Stenn

02-03-2007, 02:38 PM

This is one of the most entertaining WO Journals. Pretty funny stuff.

Thanks, I'm glad you like it in here. I enjoy writing and I figure, if you can't feel my pain, you can at least get a chuckle out of reading about it. :)

I'd recommend taking pictures as well as using the tape.

Thanks for the advice, dbflgirl, and I agree with you. I've been thinking about getting a new picture up here soon. I just haven't gotten off my lazy butt to do it yet. :(

Stenn

02-03-2007, 02:56 PM

I help teach a kid's Karate class on Saturdays and today I though I'd get in a little early and do some work on the heavy bag. Much to my surprise, there were already two kids there for the class. I also had my daughter, Jerilyn, with me so I decided to pay attention to the kids and skip the bag workout. We ran around a lot playing tag and I gave Jerilyn the tickling of a lifetime.

Sensei showed up with padded shields so that the kids could practice punching and kicking with moving targets. I had introduced the kids to kicking and punching at their last class and was proud and relieved to see that they all seemed to remember their stuff.

I'm not sure how much this class counts as exercise for myself. I did a lot of running around and, as usual, and ended up sweating like a pig. I started the class with lots of streatching, more for myself than for the kids. They don't seem to need it. My quads got a good workout because when you teach Karate to short people, you spend a lot of time in a half-squat position.

Stenn

02-03-2007, 03:10 PM

That "wooshing" sound you heard yesterday was me missing my Friday workout. I was on a real estate road trip which means I was out driving from apartment complex to apartment complex, listening to owners crow about how well they're doing, and spending lots of time on the cell phone with my business partners. It also means a day of bad eating and no exercise. I got about 3400 calories consisting of twice my budgeted fat intake, half the protein, two extra enchiladas (chicken, of course) and two extra margaritas. I was able to avoid starvation and dehydration during the day by carrying around a bag of Clif bars and my gigantic 64 oz water bottle.

Stenn

02-05-2007, 09:51 AM

If I had worked out on Friday, that would have put my deadlifts within 48 hours of my legs workout. Putting a weekend betwen those two workouts seems much smarter. Too bad I only thought of it by accident. :)

I didn't get all the way through today's workout. Sensei was due at my house at 10:30am to pick up a bicycle trailer and I also had to help my wife with her squats. Fortunately, the only heavy pair of dumbells I have at home are just the right weight for my concentration curls so the only thing I missed were the hypers.

All reps were slow and controlled except for the deadlifts. I have no plans to do my deads any slower than I already do them.

Time In: 9:00am
BB Deadlift: 135x5,5 185x5 225x5 275x3 300x5
Weighted Pull Up: BW+10x5,4,2
BB Curl: 45x10 55x5 60x5 55x5
Hyperextension: None
Time Out: 10:00am
DB Conc Curls: 25x5,5,3

I was a little worried about the deads because I hadn't done them since getting my 300 lb personal best a couple of weeks ago. But, my form was good today and I cruised right up to my working weight and got all five reps again although my shoulders were badly rounded on my last rep. I didn't feel nearly as pooped as I felt the last time I did 300 lb but that's probably because I used to do my deads in the middle of my workout, not at the begining like today.

Pull ups just seemed so anti-climatic after doing deads. :( I decided to use straps but I couldn't tell if they helped or not. Grip was not my problem today.

My wife showed up so I got her started doing body squats. During her rest breaks I'd do BB curls with a nearby olympic bar. I was supposed to use an ez-bar, but the oly bar was just too convenient. My right elbow felt fine during the curls, but the left was painful enough to be distracting. I tried both thumbs-over and thumbs-under grips. I'm getting close to having my doc give me a cortisone shot in my left elbow to match the one in my right.

I had to leave the gym, so no hypers. Oh well...

After taking care of things at home, I cranked through a few sets of concentration curls. These felt much better in my elbows than the BB curls. Maybe I should ditch BB curls altogether and stick with dumbells.

BurritoMan

02-05-2007, 01:35 PM

and two extra margaritas.

I don't feel quite so bad about what I did Saturday evening now...

If I had worked out on Friday, that would have put my deadlifts within 48 hours of my legs workout. Putting a weekend betwen those two workouts seems much smarter.

Know what you mean. I do my deadlifts on lower body day which means they are 48 hours away from a back workout. As I start to move up in weight I wonder if this will become a problem.

Curious, where do you feel the most sore after doing deadlifts, lower back or where?

Stenn

02-05-2007, 01:54 PM

I don't feel quite so bad about what I did Saturday evening now...

Do tell! :)

Know what you mean. I do my deadlifts on lower body day which means they are 48 hours away from a back workout. As I start to move up in weight I wonder if this will become a problem.

It might. See below...

Curious, where do you feel the most sore after doing deadlifts, lower back or where?

I've never gotten a full-blown case of DOMS from dead lifting although I have felt it some in my lower back. I get more of a mild, run-over-by-truck feeling all over the body. I just ache everywhere. But, because of how they make my back feel, I decided to do my deads on back day.

BurritoMan

02-05-2007, 05:13 PM

Do tell! :)

There's just something about fire and cooking meat that makes me run to the fridge... opened the first beer right before I lit the mesquite and by the time the steaks were done I was getting to the end of my 2nd 22ouncer of IPA. Strong stuff too. You could say my Irish genes were expressing themselves Sat eve :D ... oh well I am very good most of the time. These days.

Stenn

02-07-2007, 12:22 PM

The light head cold that I've had for the last week has finally turned into a monster. I'm all stuffed up, which isn't that bad, but I'm also losing lots of sleep, which is bad. My diet is also in the toilet. For me, that doesn't mean that I'm eating crap, it just means that I'm not eating enough. I'd guess that I'm about 1000 calories shy of my desired intake.

I skipped yesterday's karate class and this morning's workout. I hope to make it to tomorrow's karate class. We'll see...

Stenn

02-07-2007, 12:25 PM

oh well I am very good most of the time. These days.

I think that's the way to do it. Eat well most of the time and have fun every now and then. Heck, this dieting stuff ain't rocket science and little diversions every now and then aren't gonna bring the world to an end.

jmc53

02-07-2007, 01:24 PM

After taking care of things at home, I cranked through a few sets of concentration curls. These felt much better in my elbows than the BB curls. Maybe I should ditch BB curls altogether and stick with dumbells.
Try this Steve.
Stand facing a mirror, with your arms hanging loosely by your side.
Now turn your palms facing forwards to the mirror.
If your hands are still close to your body - barbell curls are OK for you.
If your hands stick out somewhat from your sides, use an EZ bar - do NOT use a straight bar for curls.
If your hands stick out at an extreme angle from your sides, you are not designed for barbell or EZ bar curls and should exclusively use dumbells. (If this is you, then chin-ups are also a possible problem for the elbows).

Stenn

02-07-2007, 02:33 PM

It looks like I'm in the "hands stick out somewhat from your sides" catagory. I've never had a problem with chin ups. So EZ-bar curls it is. Thanks Jason, that's a neat trick!

dartol

02-08-2007, 06:21 AM

How are ya feeling? Get over the crud yet? That junk put me off for a week, but I finally got rid of it.

Darren

BurritoMan

02-08-2007, 03:16 PM

Try this Steve.
Stand facing a mirror, with your arms hanging loosely by your side.
Now turn your palms facing forwards to the mirror.
If your hands are still close to your body - barbell curls are OK for you.
If your hands stick out somewhat from your sides, use an EZ bar - do NOT use a straight bar for curls.
If your hands stick out at an extreme angle from your sides, you are not designed for barbell or EZ bar curls and should exclusively use dumbells. (If this is you, then chin-ups are also a possible problem for the elbows).

Interesting, how did you find that out? Mine stick out about like the angle of a capital A.

I've never even done a BB or EZ-bar curl (newbie).

Stenn

02-08-2007, 04:52 PM

How are ya feeling? Get over the crud yet? That junk put me off for a week, but I finally got rid of it.

Darren

Nope, I'm not over it yet. I spent most of today at the local teahouse drinking tapioca green tea with ginsing and orange/carrot juice while hammering on a deal that me and a partner are trying to get under contract. I ended up skipping karate again. I almost went in spite of my illness, but got an important call right before I was to leave and just said, "screw it"! Oh well, it's probably for the best. Sure, those karate outfits have nice long sleeves for nose-wiping, but I'd probalby have a hard time getting anyone to practice with me. :)

Stenn

02-08-2007, 04:58 PM

Interesting, how did you find that out? Mine stick out about like the angle of a capital A.

I must admit, I was also curious where you found this trick, Jason, but I didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. But, since Mas brought it up... :)

SR800

02-08-2007, 05:38 PM

Well I also fit into the hands stick out crowd and the ez curl bar has taken almost all of the stress off of my elbows. I also now start my back day with pullups instead of chins and it has also made a big difference with elbow issues.

BurritoMan

02-08-2007, 05:59 PM

I also now start my back day with pullups instead of chins and it has also made a big difference with elbow issues.

When I aggravated my elbow a month back it was the close grip chins that did it. I'm hoping the elbow will be ok when I go back to pullups in a month or two and I'll stay away from chins even though they're easier.

Stenn

02-08-2007, 07:09 PM

Interesting, I've never had a problem with chins. In fact, I started doing chins as my sole bicep exercise when curls were giving me too much grief.

BurritoMan

02-08-2007, 10:37 PM

Interesting, I've never had a problem with chins. In fact, I started doing chins as my sole bicep exercise when curls were giving me too much grief.

Yours is the forearm tendon near the bony lump on the inside of the elbow, golfer's elbow?

If I do any bicep DB curls the more I rotate the hand toward hammer grip the less it bothers it which I think matches what Jason said. Even 10 degrees from horizontal/supine helps.

Stenn

02-08-2007, 11:28 PM

Yours is the forearm tendon near the bony lump on the inside of the elbow, golfer's elbow?
Nope, my pain is in the bony lump on the outside of the elbow where I can whack it on doorways and other stuff as I walk by. :(

If I do any bicep DB curls the more I rotate the hand toward hammer grip the less it bothers it which I think matches what Jason said. Even 10 degrees from horizontal/supine helps.
Yeah, intuitively, that makes sense. I recall trying hammer curls a while back and they hurt like hell, but that may have been after my tendons were already inflamed and everything hurt from curls to picking my nose.

If I let my arms hang loose at my side and then bring my forearms up to horizontal, I have a strong tendency to keep my hands with palms facing one another. Trying to turn my palms to face up (like when doing BB curls) takes some effort. I figure that's yet another symptom pointing me in the direction of the ez-curl bar and maybe hammer curls too.

BurritoMan

02-08-2007, 11:59 PM

Nope, my pain is in the bony lump on the outside of the elbow where I can whack it on doorways and other stuff as I walk by. :(

OK we have a different elbow tendon thing then. I think Jason has the same one I have. Is yours what they call tennis elbow then?

Mine is starting to feel like the cortisone may be finally doing something. I was starting to think it wasn't going to work.

If I let my arms hang loose at my side and then bring my forearms up to horizontal, I have a strong tendency to keep my hands with palms facing one another.

That's why hammer grip is also called neutral grip.

Stenn

02-09-2007, 09:10 AM

Is yours what they call tennis elbow then?Yep, that's what the doctor called it. I'm glad to hear that your cortisone shot is kicking in for you.

Stenn

02-09-2007, 12:29 PM

I hadn't worked out since Monday because of my cold. I felt well enough to get into the gym today and I got my business partners to stop calling me for an hour or so. I still felt a bit sick, but at least my nose wasn't running.

I only got through my squats, presses, and part of my extensions when the fire alarm went off and the staff started shooing everyone out of the gym. I had the good sense to grab my bag on the way out and went home. I wasn't keen on the idea of standing around outside in the 50 degree temperature waiting for the staff to let me back into the gym.

Time In: 11:00am
BB Squat: 45x10 95x5 135x5 185x3 200x5,5,5
Leg Press: 90x10 180x5 270x5 360x4 450x5,4,5
Leg Extension: 100x5 50x5 100x5 150x5
Time Out: 11:50am

The squats felt pretty good considering I was under the weather. I'm still finding that I can put a little more oomph into the bar when I'm desperate by leaning over just a little. I don't know why this works, but it does.

Before my last set of squats, a woman approached the Smith machine with a saff person. Aparently, the woman wanted the staff person to show her how the machine worked. The staff person didn't have a clue and stared looking around desperately for another staff person, like that would have helped. :rolleyes: When the staff person keyed her walkie-talkie to call for help, I couldn't take it any more and decided to intervene. (I'm such a boyscout.) I gave the woman a two-minute introduction to Smith machine squats and watched her do her first set. She did great! I gave her a little more advice on her grip and then went back to my rack and banged out my last set.

The leg presses were hard, but uneventful. I noticed that the back rest had two settings and tried the more up-right one. That made my 2nd set MUCH harder and put uncomfortable pressure on my lower back so I went back to the more laid-back setting for my last set.

I started out on the Magnum leg extension machine. I had to bug the staff to get a missing pin for the fractional plates. I did one warm-up set and then decided to ditch the Magnum machine since A) it was busted and B) I've already maxed out this machine many times. I found a Hammer Strength leg extension machine, loaded on some 25's and got busy. The Hammer Strength machine has a MUCH different (ie harder) feel than the Magnum machine.

Then, the alarm went off...

I didn't get my last two sets of extensions and, for the first time ever, I walked away from a machine without re-racking the plates. I didn't get to bust my calves, and my abs will have to wait till later. It's probably for the best. After all, I was still stick. :)

dartol

02-09-2007, 01:05 PM

Stenn

02-09-2007, 05:04 PM

Glad you are at least back enough to work out some... and the weather changed again today, just what we needed to fuel the 'crud' around Houston.

My daughter has had a fever so I am home with her today. Hopefully my wife will get home in time so I can go work out. I need it, work has been stressful the last couple of days.

Darren

Thanks Darren. I hope your daughter's feeling better soon and that you can get in a workout. This week has been stressful for me too. It seems that I got sick just as the stuff was hitting the fan.

dartol

02-09-2007, 06:55 PM

That's the way it usually happens isn't it? I did get in the workout, which really let me blow off some steam at least.

Hope ya feel better soon!

Darren

widebody195

02-12-2007, 12:51 AM

Stenn

02-12-2007, 10:40 AM

I really, really, really didn't want to work out today. I'm still coffing up lots of awful wet stuff from my lungs and I dnd't get a full night's sleep last night. But, I needed to take my daughter to school in the morning and the gym is just around the corner from the school. So, I decided that I may as well get into the gym and flounder around as best as I could.

I walked into the gym, went to the bathroom, and started waking back to the deadlift area... and my cell phone rang. It was my business partner wanting to talk about a deal we're working on. I mentioned to him that I was at the gym, but he didn't take the hint. :mad: So, I ended up talking on my cell phone for an hour before finally getting around to my deadlifts. By then, it had been two hours since beakfast, an hour and a half since taking my creatine, and I was starting to feel a little hungry. Not an ideal way to start a workout.

For the past year, I've only ever seen two people do deadlifts at my gym. One of those people is me and the other was a fellow bb.com user. Today, there were two new people doing deadlifts. One was a fat guy with lifting gloves who was using bumper plates. I think he was only lifting 95 lb, but it sure looked impressive with those bumper plates on. :rolleyes: The other deadlifter was this skinny Asian guy who looked like he weighed about 125 lb. At one point, I saw him staring at what looked like a 250 lb bar sitting there on the floor. I thought, "No freeking way!" and then stood in awe as this guy executed a textbook form deadlift. Granted, he only did one rep and was shaking like a leaf, but the bar must have been 2x his weight. Amazing! I wanted to catch his eye and give him a big thumbs up, but it wasn't to be. I'm sure that after that lift all he was seeing was spots and birdies. :)

Time In: 10:00 am
BB Deadlift: 135x5,5 185x5, 225x5, 275x3, 305x0,0 285x4
Weighted Pull Up: BW+10x5,3,2
EZ Bar Curl: 60x5,5,5 (Slow Reps)
Weighted Hyperextensions: BWx5, 25x5, 35x8, 45x8, 50x8, 60x8 (Slow Reps)
Concentration Curls: 25x5,4,2 (Slow Reps)
Time Out: 11:15 am

Like an idiot, I tried to get a PB on my deadlifts today, of all days. In the past I've been able to come in on days of low motivation and pull off some neat tricks, but not today. I couldn't get 305 lb more than a couple of inches off the floor. I backed off to 285 lb and was lucky to get 4 reps. :( I hate failing on deads although I learned today that If I slowly un-load my back it's not as bad a shock as just dropping everything. When I let go too quickly, I feel it in my lower back.

The weighted pull ups were no fun after the deads. I have a hard time taking them seriously after my epic battle with the bar. I'd like to replace them with something else, but I don't think my elbow will allow it.

Man, has it been a long time since I did EZ bar curls. They aggravated my elbow, but not enough to make me stop. My elbow seemed to like the narrow grip better than the wide grip. I'll have to keep experimenting with this one.

Back hyperextensions are another exercise I haven't done in a long time. I'm doing them to hit my lower back to make it stronger for my deads. I didn't know where to start on my weight, so I just ramped up till things got serious. 60 lb seemed serious enough.

I think concentration curls are going to be good for me. I feel like I've learned how to exert myself while doing squats and deads, but I've never quite got the hang of pushing myself while doing curls. Again, my elbow bothered me, but not enough to call it quits.

In the middle of my first set of curls while staring at my bicep, I heard a young woman ask someone, "Is this an exercise?" to which a young man replied, "Uh, I'm not sure." I couldn't help myself. In mid-rep I looked up and replied, "Yes, that's an exercise, it works the triceps." "Is that this muscle?" she asked, pointing to her tricep. "Yes." I replied and went back to work without missing a beat.

dartol

02-12-2007, 11:07 AM

Sorry you still have the crud there. And just in time, the weather is changing again. High 69 today, 62 tomorrow, and 47 on Wednesday. Ugh.

Hope ya kick that crap soon!

Darren

Stenn

02-12-2007, 11:34 AM

Good for you showing up at the gym even when you're sick. It shows true guts and determination. I personally think going in for a light workout helps speed recovery; even if you're energy level is not there, you feel much better at least temporarily.

Personally, I'm of the beached-walrus-in-bed school of illness recovery. Unfortunately, life keeps rolling me out of the bed. :) I must admit, though, that that first workout after being away for a while sure felt good.

Stenn

02-12-2007, 11:35 AM

Hope ya kick that crap soon! I keep kicking, but it won't go! :(

ChocoChick

02-12-2007, 11:38 AM

Hope you feel better soon. Love the new sig. :)

jmc53

02-12-2007, 01:25 PM

G'day Steve, workouts look good, and hope you get over the bug soon.
I've been the proud owner of both golfers and tennis elbows in the past, and neither are much fun, but I found tennis elbow the worst. At one point I, quite literally, could not curl a cup of coffee up to my mouth with my right hand.

Stenn

02-12-2007, 02:07 PM

Hope you feel better soon. Love the new sig. :)

I think the cold is on its way out. I just need for my sinuses and lungs to dry out a bit.

Yeah, I love the new sig too. It made me laugh out loud when I thought of it. Hmm... Isn't that a symptom of insanity? That you can crack yourself up with your own jokes? :)

Stenn

02-12-2007, 02:11 PM

I've been the proud owner of both golfers and tennis elbows in the past, and neither are much fun, but I found tennis elbow the worst.

Since you're talking about these ailments in the past tense, I'll presume that there's hope for my recovery some day. Did you do anything to get over the problem or did it finaly go away on its own?

jmc53

02-12-2007, 05:18 PM

Since you're talking about these ailments in the past tense, I'll presume that there's hope for my recovery some day. Did you do anything to get over the problem or did it finaly go away on its own?
Cortisone shots.
I have also had this weird thing the doctor described to me as like "tennis elbow of the toe joint" - cortisone shots into the base of the toe are agony, elbow shots quite mild by comparison. Last time I had cortisone for golfers elbow I rested 48 hours and it was 100%.
When I had it for tennis elbow, the doc kept sticking the needle in and asking me the pain level from 1 to 10 - and only when he found a 9 or 10 spot did he inject. Terrific fun!

Stenn

02-12-2007, 05:22 PM

Cortisone shots.
That's it! I'm calling the doc tomorrow to get me a shot!

I have also had this weird thing the doctor described to me as like "tennis elbow of the toe joint" - cortisone shots into the base of the toe are agony, elbow shots quite mild by comparison. Last time I had cortisone for golfers elbow I rested 48 hours and it was 100%.
When I had it for tennis elbow, the doc kept sticking the needle in and asking me the pain level from 1 to 10 - and only when he found a 9 or 10 spot did he inject. Terrific fun!
Or, maybe not...

dbx

02-12-2007, 05:59 PM

dartol

02-12-2007, 07:24 PM

My tennis elbow went away after physical therapy. Well, at least that got it started to recovery. It took like a year to be completely pain free. :(

Darren

Stenn

02-12-2007, 07:43 PM

Nice job on pushing through the workout, sytennison. I workout at home and have a home office, so I can feel your pain on the interruption. I try to sneak my workouts in during the normal world's "lunch" time, but I feel compelled to answer the phone when it rings. The only time I won't is when I'm breathing so hard, that it would be hard to explain. I've actually used "Oh, I was just rearranging some office furniture." :)

Thanks dbx. Ordinarily, I'd let a caller leave voice mail when I'm in the middle of a workout. This time, the call came just before I started so I went ahead and took it. It's sad to say, but when money calls, I'm inclined to pick up the damn phone.

I like the "moving office furniture" line. I'd use that myself if there wasn't the constant booming sound of basketball in the background at my gym. :)

My tennis elbow went away after physical therapy. Well, at least that got it started to recovery. It took like a year to be completely pain free. :(

A year, eh? That's a long time... My current strategy is to keep using my bum elbow untill it's screaming with pain so that it won't be a big deal when I finally go in and get a cortisone shot. Hmm... I wonder if anyone has ever died of tenis elbow...

Stenn

02-13-2007, 08:49 PM

I'm feeling plenty sore in the biceps today. It competes well with the soreness in my elbow. I didn't mention it in my log, but after I exhausted my biceps doing concentration curls, I started using my non-working hand to pull the dumbells back up so that I could keep doing negatives. I think that might have something to do with the soreness. :)

I'm also feeling quite sore in the back (in a good way) and in my hamstrings. I almost never get sore hamstrings and I got them this time from the deadlifts. I must be doing something right. :) I'm looking forward to tomorow's chest and tricep workout. If I can just manage to get a decent night's sleep for a change, I'll probably do great.

ChocoChick

02-14-2007, 05:38 AM

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_68/11516878400chQVG.jpg

Happy Valentine's Day!

Stenn

02-14-2007, 09:28 AM

Happy Valentine's Day!
Thank you sweetie! Happy Valentine's day to you too!

IdahoViking

02-14-2007, 09:39 AM

My tennis elbow went away after physical therapy. Well, at least that got it started to recovery. It took like a year to be completely pain free. :(

Darren
I've been fighting the same thing since Oct/Nov. It was really a nuisance until I went to the chiro, and he popped things around a bit. It still a little achy from time to time, but I whole lot better than it was. It no longer interferes with life or lifting.

Stenn

02-14-2007, 10:17 AM

What better day than Valentine's day to go to the gym and get yourself a nice chest pump? :) I still didn't sleep well last night and I still have a cough. The spirit was willing, but the body was kinda iffy.

I saw lots of serious weightlifting behavior at the gym today. I saw one guy doing 90 lb lunges, another doing cleans like a machine, and another doing weighted dips. I think the resolutionists have finally left my gym and the survivors are into some pretty serious stuff.

All exercises below done with slow reps.

Time In: 9:00 am
DB Flat Press: 30x8 35x5 40x5 45x5 50x5 55x4 60x5,5,5
BB Press: 45x8 65x5 85x5 95x4,4,2
DB Incline Press: 25x5 35x5 40x5 45x5
Weighted Dip: 25x4 15x4,4
DB Pullover: 30x8 40x8 50x8
Bench Press Machine: Dropsets from 150 lb
Tricep Pushdown: Dropsets from 60 lb
Time Out: 10:20 am

I'm getting to like DB presses and was looking forward to them today. I started out very light and slowly ramped up to my working weight since this was my 1st exercise of the day and I didn't want to wreck anything. 60 lb felt good even with slow, deep reps so I'm going to 65 lb next time.

The presses felt much more natural this time. I think I'm getting used to them. However, I felt some angry feelings in my upper back during a couple of reps and I have no idea what might have caused them. I couldn't do 5 reps on any of my working sets, but now that I think of it, I was supposed to be working at 90 lb, not 95 lb. Ooops! I'll try 90 lb next time.

I just added the incline presses to this workout and I think I'm going to keep them. I had to fish around for my working weight and got up to 45 lb on one set, but I think I'll do 40 lb for my working sets next time.

I strapped 25 lb onto my dip belt, hoisted myself onto the bars, kicked my feet out, and fell like a stone to the floor. How embarrasing. :rolleyes: I tried 15 lb and didn't do much better. I'm thinking that this workout doesn't need dips since I'm apparently hitting my upper body plenty hard with just the DB presses. Instead, I think I'll add old-fashioned push ups and superset them with my incline presses. I'm getting tired of leaving the gym on chest day and not feeling it in my chest. I'm guessing that wide push ups will fix that.

After the discouraging dips, I decided to play a bit. I did some pull overs which I haven't done in about a year. They felt good although I'm not sure if I want to add them to my regular routine.

In an attempt to blast my pecs, I tried the bench machine that has the foot pedal that helps to push the bar. I wanted to do drop sets with assist. But, the foot pedal wasn't set up right and bottomed out too soon to provide a proper assist. Still, I got in a half-decent drop set.

I finally got back to my regular routine with the tricep push downs except that instead of regular sets, I did drop sets from 60 lb. When the weight got too light, I switch grip from overhand to underhand and kept going. I don't know why, but I love destroying my triceps this way.

namtrag

02-14-2007, 10:45 AM

I have gone back to bodyweight on the dips, I am doing decline, incline and flat bench on chest day, sort of like you. I think you are right about the chest being exhausted. Maybe you could just do bw dips as a finishing exercise.

Great work on the tri's, they are the key to big arms

IdahoViking

02-14-2007, 10:53 AM

Stenn

02-14-2007, 12:45 PM

Maybe you could just do bw dips as a finishing exercise.

Great work on the tri's, they are the key to big arms

I considered bw dips but decided against them. I've had dips in my routines for a while now and I'm starting to get tired of them. I'll come back to dips in the future, but for now I'm putting them on the shelf.

I thought squats were [they key to big arms]. :p

Squats make everything grow, including chest hair and testicles. :D

ChocoChick

02-14-2007, 12:53 PM

Squats make everything grow, including chest hair and testicles. :D

:eek:

I can't say I have noticed these effects. Thank goodness! :D

Stenn

02-14-2007, 04:14 PM

:eek:

I can't say I have noticed these effects. Thank goodness! :D

Well, as they say, your milage may vary. :D

dartol

02-14-2007, 04:50 PM

Then you are definately going to need a Bodygroom... LOL

I'll have to test that thory now that I am doing squats. Should I measure that too? LOL

I do Bi's after chest and Tri's after back, so I have more left for them.

Darren

Stenn

02-14-2007, 06:08 PM

Then you are definately going to need a Bodygroom... LOL
:D

I'll have to test that thory now that I am doing squats. Should I measure that too? LOL
Yes, but don't go by weight alone. Make sure you take before and after measurements and check your progress in the mirror.

I do Bi's after chest and Tri's after back, so I have more left for them.
Yeah, that follows the rule of doing big muscles before little ones. It probably also follows the rule about doing compound exercises before isolation.

dbx

02-14-2007, 06:51 PM

I strapped 25 lb onto my dip belt, hoisted myself onto the bars, kicked my feet out, and fell like a stone to the floor. How embarrasing. :rolleyes: I tried 15 lb and didn't do much better. I'm thinking that this workout doesn't need dips since I'm apparently hitting my upper body plenty hard with just the DB presses.

LOL. Thanks for sharing that. Hey, don't quit dips just because doing them weighted is rough. When I first got my tower I started doing them BW only, and then quickly loaded some weight. I was up to 50# and felt great. Then..... I switched to a new program, and when I went to them in the new routine? I'm suddenly lucky to pump 3x8 at BW :confused: There are a lot of variables thaat can cause issues. For me, the added weight stressed my shoulders badly. At first...no problem...and then by a few weeks they hurt.

Keep doing them. Just do BW for a while.

Stenn

02-14-2007, 07:34 PM

LOL. Thanks for sharing that. Hey, don't quit dips just because doing them weighted is rough. <stuff deleted>

Keep doing them. Just do BW for a while.

Grrrr.... I hate it when you're right. :mad:

I went back and re-read a little about the benefits of dips and realized I'd be a fool to kick them out of my routine. Heck, this is supposed to be my chest, shoulder, and tricep day and what are dips good for? Chest, shoulders, and triceps! Still, I'm feeling pretty sick of dips. So, to make things interesting, I'm gonna do them on the assisted dip machine and do drop sets starting at body weight. That way, no targeted body part will leave the gym un-exhausted.

Like yourself, I was having shoulder troubles with weighted dips which is one of the reasons I was trying to sweep them under the rug. :rolleyes: My guess is that things go wrong when my shoulders creep up toward my ears. Doing them at body weight will allow me to improve my form so that maybe weighted dips won't hurt so much.

Thanks dbx!

Original Poster

02-14-2007, 07:59 PM

Definately keep dips in your routine.
LIke dbx said stick with BW for now and go up weight slowly when you start doing weighted dips. So many people just pile on the added weight and yes.....their shoulders aren't ready for that big increase.

Nice WO's you have put up lately.
Keep up the great work !

Stenn

02-14-2007, 08:49 PM

Definately keep dips in your routine.

Nice WO's you have put up lately.
Keep up the great work !

Thanks for the encouragement, Chi_town. Today, I had a crisis of faith with respect to dips. You and dbx have brought me back to the faith. Dips are much more interesting when endorsed by the likes of y'all.

p.s. I like the new avatar. Does that outfit come with a vine to swing on? :)

jmc53

02-14-2007, 11:59 PM

Add me to the dip fan club Steve.
Lots of bang for your buck!

Stenn

02-15-2007, 07:27 AM

Add me to the dip fan club Steve.
Lots of bang for your buck!

Wow, a fan club! Is there a secret handshake? :)

OK, if I add dips back into my chest/shoulder/tri routine, it'll look like this:

DB Flat Press
BB Press
DB Incline Press supper-setted with Push Ups
Dips
Tricep Push Down

I probably won't have much left in me to devote to dips, but if I use the assisted dip machine and bring along my dip belt, I'll have plenty of options to make them work one way or another. If I drop-set the dips, I may not even need the push downs. I guess it depends on what fatigues first during the dips. We'll see...

Golly, I can't wait till next Wednesday to try this stuff out. :D

Stenn

02-15-2007, 07:48 AM

I got my latest supplement shipment from bb.com to refresh my supplies of vitamins, BCAA, joint drugs, and gainer shake. I also got some AAKG just for fun. As a bonus, I got Disc 3 of Bob Cicherillo's World Class Physique. This episode covered biceps and I learned something new and potentially very important.

I've been complaining about elbow pain from bicep curls since Day 1 and have received good advice from y'all about form, equipment, and remedies. But, Bob stressed something that I had never heard before about the angle of the wrists. I always thought they should be held straight just like you might hold them during presses. Bob said, in effect, to let the wrists fall back as you curl up so that if you were to open your hands at the top of the rep, your palms would face the ceiling. His claim was that this form took the forearm out of the exercise and that trying to keep the wrists straight could lead to elbow trouble. This resonates with what my doctor told me which was that tennis elbow has more to do with the wrists than the elbows.

I plan to try out the bent wrist form this Monday on back/bicep day. I'll let y'all know how it works out.

BurritoMan

02-15-2007, 06:21 PM

Squats make everything grow, including chest hair and testicles. :D

Oh crap that's the last thing I need! Never thought I was all that hairy till I saw all the pics of all the baby's-backside-smooth people around here...

Know what you mean about not feeling sore enough after chest day. Months back I used to feel sore for days all across the pec minor and now I hardly feel it afterwards even though I'm pushing more weight.

So, did you feel sore afterwards?

Stenn

02-15-2007, 06:29 PM

When you practice martial arts, you're supposed to break boards, not feet. Some day, I'll get that right....

Karate was very taxing today. Sensei had us doing lots of drills with kicks, punches, knee attacks, and elbow attacks. We worked our way up to a combination that involved all four attacks and then started drills with padded shields. The final drill involved four people with pads attacking one person who was supposed to defend and repell the attackers with knees and elbows. I was the last one to participate in this drill. By this time, I was exhausted near unto puking. But, jacked up on adrenaline, I got in there and started kicking some ass. At one point, I landed badly on my left foot, heard a "crack" and went to the floor. I got right back up and finished my round, but didn't feel too good after that. I participated in some of the cool-down exercises, but as the adrenaline wore off, I felt worse and worse. The walk to my car and drive home were miserable. I've been keeping ice on my foot, took two Aleve, and called my doctor's answering service to see what can be done. And tomorow was supposed to be legs day... :(

Original Poster

02-15-2007, 06:33 PM

Thanks for the encouragement, Chi_town. Today, I had a crisis of faith with respect to dips. You and dbx have brought me back to the faith. Dips are much more interesting when endorsed by the likes of y'all.

p.s. I like the new avatar. Does that outfit come with a vine to swing on? :)

You won't be sorry you kept dips in your routine.

Thanks on the avatar. LOL
If it came with a vine, I'd harvest the grapes and make wine. LOL
No vine, but I was hoping for a Jane.
I am hoping to find her at the Arnold. :p
I am staying in the Jungle Room. :)

ChocoChick

02-15-2007, 06:54 PM

Ack! I hope your foot is ok.

IR45N

02-15-2007, 07:30 PM

!!! Hope you can get into the Dr. early! Hope the Aleve helps tonight & it isn't real serious.

dartol

02-16-2007, 06:15 AM

Dangit dude, I hope it is nothing serious! Cracks usually aren't a good sign though. :(

Stenn

02-16-2007, 08:59 AM

Thanks for the suppport, Y'all. I just got back from a visit to my general practitioner. X-rays show two breaks in the fifth metatarsal of the left foot. It doesn't look that bad. Everything is still in place. I have a date with a foot specialist at 1:30pm today and he'll decide how to proceed. In the mean time, two of my business partners have offered to loan crutches to me and Sensei has offerd his help as well. I've also called my wife to let her know I want to trade cars with her. Hers is an automatic and mine is standard. Shifting gears is a bitch right now. :(

I've been thinking about what I'm gonna do on legs day for the next few weeks. Squats, deads, presses, and calf raises are out of the question. I should be able to get away with curls and extensions on the machines. I think focusing on the upper body will be the way to go. Hmmm... How about an all-dip workout routine. :)

Stenn

02-16-2007, 12:59 PM

Well, I'm back from the bone doctor. He said, "Yup, it's broken all right!" That and a couple of Ace bandages cost me a $30 co-pay. God only know what my insurance company had to pay... He offered me a hard cast, but I declined. I like to shower un-hindered. At least I know that there's nothing unusual about my break and that it should heal up just fine in the usual six weeks.

jmc53

02-16-2007, 01:33 PM

Bad luck with the break Steve, I hope it heals quickly for you.

dartol

02-18-2007, 05:23 AM

Sorry to hear about that man! A good friend of mine just broke his 5th metatarsal while running a few weeks ago. He was on a paved surface and his foot rolled off the edge. He just has the boot that velcros on too... but he can't put any weight on it.

Wish you a quick and painless recovery.

Darren

Stenn

02-18-2007, 10:46 AM

Bad luck with the break Steve, I hope it heals quickly for you.

Thanks, I hope it heals quick too. The novelty of being crippled is already starting to wear thin.

Sorry to hear about that man! A good friend of mine just broke his 5th metatarsal while running a few weeks ago. He was on a paved surface and his foot rolled off the edge. He just has the boot that velcros on too... but he can't put any weight on it.

Wish you a quick and painless recovery.

Darren

My break happened when I was totally exausted and trying to spar with four other folks. I put my left foot down little toe first. The little toe curled under and the bone broke to keep me from spraining my ankle. Kinda like a $300 picture tube blowing to save a 10-cent fuse.

I didn't get anything from the doctor other than a couple of Ace bandages. I've found that an Ace bandage and a Converse high-top shoe make an excellent medical support garment. I'm also finding that crutches are not much fun for people with larger than normal pecs and lats. They are, however, good for exercising arms, shoulders, and (oddly enough) abs. Perhaps once I get used to bodyweight crutching, I'll start using them with my dip belt. :D

Monday will be my first post-injury trip to the gym. I don't plan to do anything special. I just want to see if I can get around and try a few things without killing myself or anyone else. :)

IR45N

02-18-2007, 02:50 PM

Sorry it turned out to be a break but one that will heal. You probably can put together a good results inducing all around upper body program for the healing period but 'all dips'?...uhn uh:D

Stenn

02-19-2007, 09:55 AM

I got out to the gym for my first post-injury workout on crutches. Boy, the walk from the parking lot to the lifting area sure gets long when you're on crutches. I'm guessing it's about 1/4 of a mile. No kidding! I should have had the doc issue me a temporary handicap parking permit, but then I woudn't be getting such a good warm-up with the crutches before my workouts. :) So, every cloud has a sliver lining. But, after the upper-body workout there was no silver lining, just a long crutch-hop-shuffle back to the car. I just wanted someone to stack me onto a dolly and wheel me out to my car. :(

Other than mobility difficulties, this was a great workout. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do on back day and legs day. I'll think of something.

Time In: 10:00am
DB Flat Press: 40x10, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5, 65x5,5,5
DB Shoulder Press: 25x5, 30x5, 35x5, 40x5,5,5
DB Incline Press: 40x5,5,5
Push Up: 10,10,5
Dip: Drop Sets from BW to BW-120
Tricep Push Down: Drop Sets from 70
Time Out: 11:00am

I was worried about how to get dumbells to my bench, but found that I could just put them on the floor and roll them one at a time. I got all my reps at 65 lb so it's on to 70 lb next time.

I decided to switch from standing BB presses to seated DB shoulder presses so I wouldn't have to stand. Also, this change allowed me to stay in the DB area rather than having to hobble across the gym to a rack. I was at 85 lb with BB presses so I went for 40 lb on the DB presses and got all my reps. I'll do 45 lb next time.

No warm ups for the inclinde presses. I just didn't see the point. I decided to do my incline presses at a lower angle than last time based on some discussion I read earlier. I was at about 45 degrees. Now I'm at 30. I also added wide push ups between sets of presses to make a superset. I plan to go to exhaustion or 10 reps, whichever comes first. I got all my press reps, but only got 5 push ups on my last superset. I don't care, I'm going for 45 lb on the incline presses next time.

I started out at bodyweight on my dips. When I got exhausted, I added some assist weight and kept going. I kept this maddness up till I was at 120 lb of assist weight which is a teeny-weeny 55 lb dip. I think I'm gonna like drop setted dips, but they make it real hard to operate my crutches afterwards...

I also drop setted my tricep push downs starting at 70 lb. I kept changing my grip from pronated to supinated, narrow to wide, leaning over and not. I think I hit my triceps just about every way possible. After that, I more or less drug my crutches back to my locker and hobbled off to the lobby for a rest and a gainer shake before the long and arduous journey back to the car.

ChocoChick

02-19-2007, 10:12 AM

Sorry to hear about your foot.

SR800

02-19-2007, 10:38 AM

The foot thing sucks but you have been hitting your legs pretty hard so I imagine the extensions and the curls should prevent any significant losses. I wonder if you could add swimming as cardio, that would appear to be some good safe leg work as well.

Stenn

02-19-2007, 02:41 PM

Sorry it turned out to be a break but one that will heal. You probably can put together a good results inducing all around upper body program for the healing period but 'all dips'?...uhn uh:D
Don't like the all-dip workout, eh? Too bad, it would only take me about 10 minutes and I could do it at home. ;)

Sorry to hear about your foot.
Thanks dbflgirl.

The foot thing sucks but you have been hitting your legs pretty hard so I imagine the extensions and the curls should prevent any significant losses.
That's what I'm hoping.

I wonder if you could add swimming as cardio, that would appear to be some good safe leg work as well.
Yeah, maybe. My concern would be that I'd have no foot support while swimming. No Ace bandage, no shoe, nuthin but me and a Speedo. Maybe after a couple of weeks I'll feel brave enough for that (the lack of protection, not the Speedo). :D

jmc53

02-19-2007, 05:44 PM

jspirate

02-19-2007, 06:49 PM

Grrrr.... I hate it when you're right. :mad:

I went back and re-read a little about the benefits of dips and realized I'd be a fool to kick them out of my routine. Heck, this is supposed to be my chest, shoulder, and tricep day and what are dips good for? Chest, shoulders, and triceps! Still, I'm feeling pretty sick of dips. So, to make things interesting, I'm gonna do them on the assisted dip machine and do drop sets starting at body weight. That way, no targeted body part will leave the gym un-exhausted.

Like yourself, I was having shoulder troubles with weighted dips which is one of the reasons I was trying to sweep them under the rug. :rolleyes: My guess is that things go wrong when my shoulders creep up toward my ears. Doing them at body weight will allow me to improve my form so that maybe weighted dips won't hurt so much.

Thanks dbx!

Hey, becarful with those shoulders. Although my shoulder problem was pre-existing, doing dips and inclined DB curls were what got me where I am now (which is on my way to surgery to fix a labrum tear, tomorrow in fact).

Its a shame though because I personally think that dips might just be the best chest and tri workout for me. Dips coupled with CGB gave me some nice results. I will do them again someday, but it will be with extreme caution.

Stenn

02-19-2007, 08:37 PM

Nice workout with the crutches Steve.
I discovered, when I had a broken ankle, that the hardest thing to do with crutches is to carry food and coffee from the kitchen to the couch! I lined up a row of dining chairs across the living room from the kitchen bench to the couch; take one step, move coffee to the next chair, take another step, move the coffee again, etc....

Thanks Jason. Yeah, necessity is the mother of invention. I've had the same trouble with crutches. They render the hands useless. I like your solution. Very creative. This evening I discovered that my rolling office chair makes a nice wheelchair. I think I'm gonna put a lot of miles on that sucker over the next few weeks.

Stenn

02-19-2007, 08:46 PM

Hey, becarful with those shoulders. Although my shoulder problem was pre-existing, doing dips and inclined DB curls were what got me where I am now (which is on my way to surgery to fix a labrum tear, tomorrow in fact).
Yikes! Good luck with the surgery. I haven't had much trouble with my shoulders once I got over my climbing injury. But I'll certainly pay attention if they start to give me any sustained trouble again. So far, they only complain when I do heavy weighted dips.

Its a shame though because I personally think that dips might just be the best chest and tri workout for me. Dips coupled with CGB gave me some nice results. I will do them again someday, but it will be with extreme caution.
I haven't tried close-grip bench presses, but I hear they're great. I tend to avoid barbells on the bench since I don't usually have a spotter and I'm a weenie who hates getting caught under the bar. I've been doing dumbells instead. So, to tear up my triceps, I resort to dips and push-downs. That seems to do the trick because I'm always sore as hell the next day.

dartol

02-20-2007, 04:01 PM

Hey, becarful with those shoulders. Although my shoulder problem was pre-existing, doing dips and inclined DB curls were what got me where I am now (which is on my way to surgery to fix a labrum tear, tomorrow in fact).

Its a shame though because I personally think that dips might just be the best chest and tri workout for me. Dips coupled with CGB gave me some nice results. I will do them again someday, but it will be with extreme caution.

Dips and incline DB curls are two things I am really working on... :eek:

Darren

dartol

02-20-2007, 04:05 PM

Hey I am glad you are finding out how to manage workouts with the crutches. They are a real pain I know. When I had my knee surgeries, I dropped down to one crutch as fast as I could. :) That is a little better anyway. But that requires being able to put some weight down.

Darren

Stenn

02-22-2007, 06:06 PM

When I had my knee surgeries, I dropped down to one crutch as fast as I could. :) That is a little better anyway. But that requires being able to put some weight down.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've started using one crutch now and then. I can't scoot along as fast as I can with two crutches, but I can carry stuff and that's cool. :)

Stenn

02-22-2007, 07:06 PM

Here's my new broken-foot workout for back and bicep.

Time In: 9:30 am
Crutch Cardio: 5 minutes, brisk pace
DB Row: 40x8, 50x5, 60x5, 70x5, 80x5, 90x5,5,5
Machine Shrug: 90x8, 140x8, 180x8, 230x8,8,8
Weighted Hyperextension: 60x8,8,8
Concentration Curl: 25x8,7,4
DB Curl: Drop Set from 25 lb to 10 lb
Time Out: 10:45 am

Another long haul from the parking lot to the gym on crutches. Sure does get a person warmed up.

I hadn't done DB rows in a while. Last time I tried them, they aggrivated my left elbow. Not this time. I think 90 lb may be a PB for me, but I'm too lazy to check. Sadly, my reps were of crappy form at 90 lb so no reason to increase the wight just yet.

Shrugs on a machine aren't my favorite, but that's what the foot would allow.

The weighted hypers felt good. I felt them in my hams and glutes as well as my lower back. I'm going to try for 70 lb next time. I hope the Roman chair doesn't flip over...

I felt kind of weak on the concentration curls. My form was goofy becuse I was following a suggestion I had heard about not keeping the wrists straight. It felt very strange.

After the lame concentration curls, I started grabbing dumbells left and right and got in a nice drop set. I got a good pump, but must have looked like a fool straining like mad to get 10 lb up.

Stenn

02-22-2007, 07:14 PM

What kind of fool would lift weights and attend karate class on the same day a mere week after breaking his foot? This kind! :D

Sensei was accomodating to my condition. We did lots of punching exercises using padded mits as targets. Several of the drills involved laying on the back and puncing upward or delivering several punches after sitting up. So, I got a decent abs workout. Later, we worked on our first kata and I sucked at this because I couldn't do the stances correctly. Oh well.

Stenn

02-24-2007, 10:19 PM

I suited up and helped Sensei teach today's karate class for 5-8 year olds. It was the first time I did this since breaking the foot. I managed to get through it well enough and broke a decent sweat in the process. That's not saying much, though. I can break a sweat drinking a glass of cool water.

Oh, ok. That was an exaggeration. But it was a good one! :)

The foot is feeling much better although it still has some ghastly bruises. I'm wondering if maybe the bruises are from wrapping my Ace bandage too tight. Can that happen? I'm still trying to stay off my foot for the most part and have an appointment on Monday with the bone doctor.

dartol

02-25-2007, 05:47 AM

Not bad for a guy with a broken foot! ;)

My friend's broken foot also bruised up, I think that just goes with the territory, probably not from wrapping it.

Hope you are healing quickly! I'm glad to see you are able to keep some workouts going.

Watch out for those 5-8 year olds, they just might steal your crutches and kick your butt. LOL

Darren

Stenn

02-25-2007, 07:46 AM

Watch out for those 5-8 year olds, they just might steal your crutches and kick your butt. LOL

Indeed! I was very nervous about helping out with the youth karate class. Adults will see an Ace bandage and cut you some slack. Kids will see the bandage and kick your ass anyway.

Stenn

02-27-2007, 09:17 AM

I've been feeling pretty crappy lately in addition to the broken foot. My sleep is off and so is my appitite. Early in my healing, I barfed up my breakfast. I thought this had to do with a new joint support supplement I was taking, but I dropped the supp and my appetite still sucks so I'm now wondering if my broken bone has something to do with it. And, of course, all the above has me in a pretty crabby mood. :( But, in spite of it all, I got out today for a workout. Here it is. The reps I've recorded are estimates since my brain cell level today was insufficient to support proper logging. The weights are correct except for the lat pull-down.

Time In: 8:40am
Leg Extension: 100x12, 150x12, 200x12, 250x12, 300x10, Drop-sets back down.
Seated Leg Curl: 50x12, 100x12, 150x12, Drop-sets back down.
Declinded Weighted Sit Up: 40x10,7,8
Lat Pull-Down: 25x12, 50x12, 75x12, 100x10
Time Out: 9:40am

I should be using the Hammer Strength leg extension machine, but I didn't want to fiddle with plates so I jumped on the Magnum machine instead. Those stacked plate machines are very convenient for us cripples.

I had never tried the seated leg curl machine and found that I like it a lot. It allowed me to put a lot of effort right where I wanted it, in my hamstrings. This machine also has the benefit of being right next to the leg extension machine. I'm all for walking less on legs day with crutches. Now if only there was a drinking fountain between the two...

The sit-ups were a pain. I usually like these. I suspect a motivtion problem.

After the sit-ups I saw that I was still ten minutes short of an hour and decided to hit the lat pull down machine on the way out. I hate to put in a short workout when it takes so much mental and physical effort just to get to the gym. So, I plopped down and started ramping the weight up till I was no longer able to get 10-12 reps with good form.

Stenn

03-04-2007, 03:00 PM

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted here in a while. Don't worry, I didn't get run over by a poultry delivery truck. My business partners and I signed a purchase contract to buy a 175-unit apartment complex and we're in our due-dilligence period during which a lot has to get done in a short time. That and the busted foot has me thinking that it's time for an extended break. I'm still eating farily cleanly and have trottled back on the calorie intake so that I don't get too fat. I've also stopped all supplements except for the multi-vitamin and fish oil. I hope to get back to work on my body in a couple of weeks. Heck, maybe by then my left elbow will no longer feel like crap.

dartol

03-04-2007, 03:32 PM

Well I am glad you didn't get hit by a poultry delivery truck! LOL I was afraid it might have been a burrito lunch truck though.

Well the break might do you good anyway. Keep stretching to help that elbow pain! Ice it too. Actually try heat->stretch->ice. I have been doing some of that too... it seems the chinups are bothing mine a bit.

Darren

jmc53

03-08-2007, 10:33 PM

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted here in a while.
We noticed mate, we noticed.
Are you going to paint each of those apartments a different color?

Stenn

03-14-2007, 03:28 PM

Keep stretching to help that elbow pain! Ice it too. Actually try heat->stretch->ice.

I was expecting my elbow pain to subside during my break, but it has gotten worse instead. I think my problem all along has not been weight training but rather the countless hours I spend per day on the cell phone.

You may laugh at this theory, but I recall a while back a discussion of people messing up their shoulders by using a computer mouse with improper posture. My cell phone is one of those phone/pda combos and weighs in at a heafty 7.25 oz. I usualy hold my phone in my left hand and after an hour-long conversation my left elbow feels sore and stiff. I'm looking into getting a new phone that will work with a bluetooth headset so that I don't have to hold the damn phone up to my head all day.

Are you going to paint each of those apartments a different color?

Oh, heck no. Most owners use as few colors of paint as possible so that paint can be purchased in large quantities to obtain price discounts. However, I do know of one owner who lets the tenants of his predominanty Hispanic apartment complex pick a single, bright color for their front door when they move in. He claims this is a very popular amenity among his clientele.

Stenn

03-14-2007, 04:03 PM

Activity for the apartment acquisition seemed to be slowing down so I thought I'd try to get in a workout. I got to the gym, went to the men's room for a pre-workout crap, and received voice mail from two of my partners before I even left the stall. :mad: So, I found an empty aerobics room and took care of business for a half-hour before finally getting to the iron. It's times like these when I envy dbx's home office/gym combo. :)

My foot is feeling much better. I don't need crutches. I just limp along very slowly and carefuly. I'm still sticking with my cripple workout which means no squats, leg presses, calf raises, deadlifts, or any other lift that involves standing.

Time In: 10:00 am
Machine Leg Extension: 50x12, 100x8, 150x8, 200x8, 250x8, 300x5,5,5
Machine Leg Curl: 50x8, 100x8, 150x5,5,5
Weighted, Decline, Sit-up: 20x10,10,10
Lat Pull-Down: 25x8, 50x8, 75x8, 100x10,8,7
Time Out: 11:00 am

I started out very light on the extensions since I hadn't been in the gym in a while. For the lighter weights, I poped the weight up as fast as I could and then let it down nice and slow. At 250 and 300 lb, popping was replaced with grunting. :)

The 150 lb leg curls felt like a good challenge. I found that I arch my back a lot during heavy leg curls. I'm not sure if that's a problem or not. I seem to have gotten away with it.

I actually tried to do 40 lb sit-ups initially becasue that was the weight I left off at last time. But, last time I was using 35 and 5 lb plates whereas I used four 10 lb plates this time and held them up under my chin. After two reps, the extra leverage made me feel like I was going to split in half at my navel. So, I dropped down to two plates and carried on. I couldn't believe how painful these were, but I got all my sets and reps anyway.

Lat pull-downs... yawn... Not much to say except that my lats were twitchy afterwards. I must have done something right.

ChocoChick

03-14-2007, 05:15 PM

Hey there. Are you doing super slow sets?

Stenn

03-14-2007, 06:29 PM

Hey there. Are you doing super slow sets?

Hey there yourself!

I didn't do slow reps this workout although I have in the past. I hadn't been in the gym in a while so I didn't have any particular goals in mind other than to work up a sweat and get back into my routine. Also, I just plain forgot about slow reps. :rolleyes: Thanks for the reminder! :D

Stenn

03-16-2007, 11:32 AM

My wife and I got out to the gym together this time, which was nice. I did my thing while she headed over to cardio-land. Toward the end of my workout she dropped by to see how things were going in iron-land and I immediately put her to work doing body squats while I finished up with my bicep curls. I got all the way through my routine without getting any calls but as soon as I was done with the last rep of my last set, the phone rang. Good timing! :)

All reps below were nice and slow thanks to dbflgirl.

Time In: 10:00am
DB Row: 40x8, 50x5, 60x5, 70x5, 80x3, 90x5,5,5
Machine Shrug: 90x8, 140x5, 180x5, 230x8,8,8
Weighted Hyperextensions: BWx8, 35x8, 70x8,8,8
DB Curl: 25x8,7,4 Dropsets down to 15 lb
Time Out: 11:00am

All of my rows were brisk on the way up and then slow, slow, slow on the way down. I felt mighty proud of myself hauling the 90-pounder off the rack for my working sets. But, I was only able to do good, clean reps for first two or three while the rest were desperate, weenie, 1/2 reps.

I'm not that fond of machine shrugs, but they're easy on my broken foot. I think I'll try sitting down on the end of a bench and doing dumbell shrugs next time. I'm fairly certain that my back is strong enough to get the 100-pounders off the floor from that position. We'll see...

The weighted hypers were a pain in the ass, literally. It seems that the more weight I use for these, the more they exercise my legs and glutes. Go figure. I'm gonna go for 80 lb next time.

I wish I didn't suck so bad on curls. I guess that means I should keep doing them, eh? :)

dartol

03-16-2007, 04:57 PM

Stenn

03-16-2007, 08:24 PM

Hey man, glad to hear that you are still getting some workouts in. And that the foot is getting better. How much longer before you're free again? My buddy that broke his is just getting the boot off today.

Darren

Thanks Darren. My foot is feeling much better. My limping is less pronounced and I can hobble along a little faster now. I have another doctor's apointment this Monday which will be about four weeks after the break. I'm hoping the latest x-rays show significant healing. I don't know when I'll start using the foot again. I re-broke a bone before it was fully healed once before and I definately don't want that to happen again. The one thing worse than waiting 6 weeks for a bone to heal is having to wait 12 weeks for it to heal twice. I'm definatly ready to be over this ordeal, though. The other day I weighed myself and was shocked to see that I had lost six pounds. I want to get back to my squats and deads before I turn back into a skinny computer geek again. :)

IR45N

03-20-2007, 07:08 AM

Still hurts thinking about your foot. The 12 weeks will fly by. You'll find enough ways to keep in shape around it!

Stenn

03-20-2007, 10:50 AM

Still hurts thinking about your foot. The 12 weeks will fly by. You'll find enough ways to keep in shape around it!

Thanks, man. Sorry my foot hurts you so much. :)

I had my doctor's appointment yesterday. The first time I met the doc he said, "Sometimes these things heal on their own, sometimes they don't." I'd remember those words every time I accidently kicked something or attended karate class against my better judgement. This time, the doc slapped my latest x-rays up on the window of his office, gestured with a finger, and said, "Looks like it's healing up just fine. Sometimes they don't."

I asked him when I could start testing my foot and put more pressure on it. He said to give it four more weeks. I have another apointment in about a month to get one more round of x-rays (my foot will never have children again). I'll try to take it easy till then, except for tonight's karate class. :D

Stenn

03-20-2007, 11:19 AM

Oops, forgot to log yesterday's workout...

To celebrate my doctor's good news about my foot, I headed straight from his office to the gym. I had my usual 1/4 mile hobble from the parking lot to the gym. Oh, why did I not hit the doc up for a temporary handicap parking permit. Why, why, why? :(

All reps were slow and controled, even the dips.

Time In: 9:30 am
DB Flat Press: 40x8, 50x5, 60x5, 70x5,2,2
DB Press: 25x5, 35x5, 45x2, 40x3,3
DB Incl. Press: 40x5,4,3
Assisted Dip: Drop Sets from BW
Tricep Push-Down: Drop Sets from 60 lb
Time Out: 10:30 am

I was dissapointed in my flat press performance until I realized that it's been exactly 1 month since I'd done this workout and back then I was at 65 lb. I feel much better now.

I tried 45 lb on my shoulder presses and got humbled. I dropped back to 40 lb and managed to squeeze out a few reps with lots of back arching to cheat 'em up there.

No warm up on the incline presses. I was feeling plenty warm already.

I started out at body weight on the assisted dip machine and just kept increasing the counter-weight every time I reached exaustion. My last few sets were very slow reps with lots of funny faces and grunting.

More drop sets on the push-downs. When the weight got too light, I switched to a palm-up grip to keep things challenging.

Since I did this workout yesterday, I'm able to report today that I'm terribly sore everywhere between my neck and nipples and my triceps wish I hadn't left the bed this morning. :D

Stenn

03-20-2007, 08:56 PM

I just swiped this off JMC53's thread. It looked like fun.

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? Steve
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My middle name is from the side of my family that is related to Sgt. York.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? I think about six years ago when my wife and I lost our fisrt pregnancy. I was depressed for a whole year.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? My handwriting got so bad that I gave it up and went back to printing.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Turkey Bacon
6. KIDS? Just one, but she's plenty.
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Definately.
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? You're reading it.
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes, probably more than I should.
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Sure, why not?
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Oatmeal.
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Only if I must.
14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Ben and Jerry's Heath Bar Crunch.
15. SHOE SIZE? 10 1/2 although left foot is 1/4" smaller. Makes it hard to buy shoes.
16. FAVORITE COLOR? Blue.
17. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My inability to remember people's names.
18. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My men's reading group in Rochester, NY.
20. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Listening.
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue pants, no shoes.
22. LAST THING YOU ATE? Chicken enchiladas.
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The wind rustling through the bamboo outside my window.
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue.
25. FAVORITE SMELL? Hazelnut cream coffee.
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My business partner.
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? A friendly face.
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Margarita. It's limeaide with a buzz.
31. EYE COLOR? Brown.
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Not since the lasik surgery.
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy endings. I hate scary movies.
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIE THEATER? Aurthur and the Invisibles (because my daughter want to see it).
37. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer.
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs.
44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Haven't used a mouse pad since I got the laptop. Before then, I used a miniature oriental rug. Very classy...
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I don't waste my time on TV. (I waste it here instead.)
46. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Drums. The bigger the better.
47. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Never got into either, but Beatles more than the other.
48. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Toronto.
50. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I swiped it from JMC53.
51. FAVORITE NEW SONG? Whateve my daughter makes up.
52. FAVORITE TV SHOW? Seriously, I dont' watch TV. However, I've been downloading eipisodes of HBO's Rome lately. Oh, and Star Trek is good too, but only the original series.

Stenn

03-21-2007, 01:15 PM

WARNING: Lots of griping below. Skip the next 5 paragraphs if you're not into it.

What a frustrating day at the gym! I got too little sleep last night for starters. Had my usual 1/4 mile trek from the parking lot, threw my crap in a locker, turned around, and the fire alarm went off. I got my stuff back out of the locker and hobbled out of the building toward my car because the last time this happened, it took forever for the gym to re-open. By the time I got to the parking lot, I looked back and saw that they were letting people back in so I turned and limped all the way back.

The only leg exercises I do with my broken foot are leg extensions and hamstring curls. I had to hunt around for the pin for the leg extension machine and the back rest for the curl machine was busted so I had to improvise. At least the staff didn't yell at me for using a machine with an "Out of Order" sign on it.

I went to do my decline situps and found that some irresponsible person (which is a nice way of saying, "d!ckhead") had left an ez-curl bar loaded with plates under the decline bench. I grabbed the bar with one hand to put it somewhere more appropriate and got surprised when the plates slid off one end, and then then off the other. Apparently, Mr/Mrs Irresponsible also doesn't believe in collars.

At the end of my workout, I limped over to the elevator which is very convenient for guys with broken feet on legs day. The elevator was out of order, probably because of the fire alarm an hour earlier. I informed one of the staff about the elevator. He mumbled that he'd look into it in a "Why are you bothering me with this?" sort of way.

As a final aggrivation, the staff chose the middle of the day to block the main entrance of the gym to clean and polish the floor. Don't normal people typically do this sort of thing after hours? I limped over to a side exit and began my longer than ever trek back to the car.

On a more positive note (finally!), my workout went well, I exerted myself to my fullest, and there was an unusually high number of fabulously cute young women in the gym to keep me distracted from my foul mood.

Time In: 9:30 am
Leg Extension: 100x12, 150x8, 200x8, 250x5, 310x5,5,7
Hamstring Curl: 50x12, 100x8, 155x5,5,5
Decline, Weighted Sit Up: 25x10,10,7
Lat Pull-Down: 50x12, 75x8, 108x10,10,7
Time Out: 10:30 am

Clearly, I need to up the weight on the extensions, but the thing only goes to 322 lb. I'll do 322 lb next time. After that, I'll have to experiment with hanging an extra plate off of the weight pin.

Since the back rest was broken on the ham curl machine, I improvised by hanging onto the bar in front of me that held my legs down while I curled. That seemed to make the curls easier, but I'm not sure why. I'll give 165 lb a try next time.

The situps were downright painful, especially at the begining. The bad feeling was somewhere just below the navel. Going to exhaustion on the 3rd set was no fun at all.

The lat pull-downs were pretty uneventful. I kept my grip as wide as possible and tried to pull the bar down to my sternum but I'd settle for chin-height if that's all I could get.

Stenn

03-26-2007, 10:01 AM

Yesterday was interesting. My daughter ran her hand through the glass of one of our doors so we got to spend some family time at the emergency room. She's fine now and I cringe at how active she is with her stitched-up hand. It seems that kids are indestructible whereas us adults tend to fall apart.

All reps were brisk on the way up and slow on the way down.

Time In: 9:00am
DB Row: 50x8, 60x5, 70x5, 80x5, 90x5,5,4
DB Shrug: 80x8, 90x8, 100x8,8,8
Weighted Hyperextension: 35x8, 70x8,8,8
DB Curl: 25x8,8,4 Dropsets down to 8 lb
Time Out: 10:00am

No progress on the rows. I'm still struggling with the 90 pounders doing two or three good reps and then two or three desperate weenie reps.

I was doing 230 lb shrugs on the machine before switching to two 100 lb dumbells. The 100 pounders felt like plenty. I guess there's a leverage difference between the machine and the dubells. I like the dumbells better and will try 105 or 110 lb next time depending on what they have. It'll be the first time I've ever used anything from the 100+ rack. It'll be like finally swimming in the deep end of the pool. :)

The weighted hypers really took a lot out of me. I can only barely feel these in my lower back because of how strongly they affect my glutes, hams, and calves. Go figure... I'm gonna try 80 lb next time and see if I don't blow a gasket.

I want to make some quick progress on my curls. I have a set of 25 lb dumbells at home. I think I'll starting doing curls every other day and see if that gets me anywhere fast.

Stenn

03-28-2007, 08:47 AM

Today's workout was a lesson in the importance of carbohydrate intake before working out. I was in a hurry this morning and only got my eggs and turkey bacon but not my oatmeal. I'll never underestimate the importance of oatmeal again. :)

Time In: 9:00 am
DB Flat Press: 40x8, 50x5, 60x5, 70x1,1,1
DB Press: 30x5, 35x5, 40x3,2,2
DB Incl Press w/ Pushup: 40x5, 10, 40x5, 9, 40x4, 4
Machine Dip: Drop sets from body weight
Tricep Push-Down: Drop sets from 60 lb
Time Out: 10:00 am

Didn't I do, like, 9 reps at 70 lb on the flat press last time? Sheesh! :rolleyes:

Not quite so bad on the presses.

I finally got into my groove with the incline presses and felt good enough to superset them with pushups. Good stuff!

The dips and push-downs weren't that exciting. My energy was gone by this point and I just wanted to go home and do three sets of five naps.

jmc53

03-28-2007, 03:30 PM

My energy was gone by this point and I just wanted to go home and do three sets of five naps.
I superset my naps with reading chapters of a book.

Stenn

03-31-2007, 12:13 PM

I superset my naps with reading chapters of a book.

Dude, that's hard core! :) Actually, I've been known to do this myself. I'm currently reading Barbara W. Tuchman's, "A Distant Mirror" which is all about 14th century France during the plague years. After a chapter of that, I nap pretty hard and then hit the showers.

Stenn

04-02-2007, 09:08 AM

I weighed myself on the bathroom scale the other day and noticed that I'm down to 171 lb from 176. I guess since I haven't been doing any deadlifts, squats, or other serious leg work that I should consider myself lucky that I've only lost a few pounds. I'd like to get back into serious leg work, but my foot is still healing. It has been aching more these days. I think it's because it's healing and as the break becomes more solid and rigid it also becomes less tolerant of flexing. I got nuthin to do for it but to keep on keeping off it.

Time In: 9:00 am
Leg Extension Machine: 100x10, 150x8, 200x8, 250x8, 300x5, 322x5,5,8
BB Squat: 45x12, 95x12
Leg Curl Machine: 50x10, 100x8, 150x5, 165x5,5,5
Decline Weighted Situp: 25x10,10,7
DB Curl: 25x10, Dropsets from 30 lb down to 10 lb, 25x4
Time Out: 10:00 am

I'm back to max weight on the leg extension machine so next time I'll see if I can hang an extra plate off the pin. If not, I'll just go to 3 sets of 8 reps at 322 lb.

I finally got up the nerve to try squats with my broken foot. I started with just the bar and did slooooow ATG squats. I'd sit in the hole till I stopped bouncing before driving back up while trying to avoid putting any weight on the broken side of my foot. It felt GREAT. So, I slapped on a couple of 25 lb plates and tried again. On one rep, I instinctively shifted weight and ended up putting stress on my bum bone. Ouch! Not good. Still, I felt safe enough that I think I'll keep the squats in my routine for now while I'm still healing. I may look like a weenie squating <100 lb, but it feels great to be squatting at all.

I'm getting real tired of the leg curl machine being broken. It's getting hard to keep good form with the seat back busted. If it is still busted next legs workout, I'll have to yell at someone.

The situps felt great. I made sure to twist each one of them to get a little extra goodness out of them.

Ordinarily I'd do lat pull-downs now but decided to do bicep curls instead. My biceps haven't been getting enough attention lately whereas my lats are fine.

Stenn

04-09-2007, 09:34 PM

I got to my first karate class in quite a while last week and ended up doing something stupid to my foot. It felt so good to be back in class that I must have performed beyond what my broken foot would allow. So, my limp is a little more pronounced now and I'm back to spending more time with my foot up. Oh well. At least I can still do my cripple workout at the gym!

Time In: 9:00am
DB Row: 60x8, 70x5, 80x4, 90x4,3,3
DB Shrug: 85x8, 95x8, 105x8,8,8
Weighted Hyperextension: 75x8,8,8
DB Curl: 25x8,8,6 Dropsets down to 15 lb
BB Squat: 45x10, 95x8,8
Time Out: 10:00am

I don't seem to be getting anywhere with my DB rows. That's what I get for working out so infrequently lately. Dang...

The shrugs felt good even at the new weight of 105 lb. It was my first time messing with the 100+ lb dumbells. Made me feel like a real man except that I had to carry them one at a time using both hands. :rolleyes: I did my reps very slowly and squeezed for a few seconds at the top. Man, that sucked, but in a good way. :)

First time at the new weight on hypers. Actually, I was supposed to do 80 lb but it was just too convenient to grab three 25 lb plates. Next time I'll do 80 lb, I promise. It'll either be two 35's and a 10 or I'll just drag a dumbell over to the Roman chair.

The curls were curls. I still suck at them and they're making my elbows hurt again. It seems to help if I don't try to keep my wrists straight.

I just had to get under the squat bar a little to re-inflate my ego after the curls. I did my reps super slow, ass to the grass, and with no bounce at the bottom. Gotta love it! I can't wait till the foot's all better so I can start getting my squat weight back up.

jmc53

04-10-2007, 04:05 AM

Nice workout Steve - considering you're probably using the disabled carparking space at the gym these days :)

Stenn

04-10-2007, 07:50 AM

Nice workout Steve - considering you're probably using the disabled carparking space at the gym these days :)

I wish. It didn't occurr to me to ask about a temporary handicap parking permit until I was driving home from my last doctor's appointment. But, thanks for the encouragment anyway.

By the way, I like your new avatar picture. You have lots of good stuff going on in your back.

dartol

04-10-2007, 07:03 PM

Handicap parking permit? :eek:
Hang in there man, take care and get it well!

Darren

Stenn

04-11-2007, 08:24 PM

Handicap parking permit? :eek:
Hang in there man, take care and get it well!

Darren

Thanks Darren. Funny thing... Last Tuesday's karate class left me with my foot feeling awful. This Tuesday's class seems to have made it feel beter. Will wonders never cease?

Stenn

04-11-2007, 09:00 PM

Another day, another workout. I'm getting myself back on a more regular MWF schedule. We'll see how long it lasts with my current workload. Work has me really distracted from my routine right now. Don't you hate when that happens? :)

Although it wasn't legs day, I decided to visit my friends the leg extension and leg curl machines to see if they had been repaired yet. The leg extension machine hadn't been touched and the leg curl machine was completely torn apart. I lodged a complaint with a staff person who predictably blamed the problem on someone else. Friday is legs day. Wish me luck!

Time In: 9:15 am
DB Flat Press: 40x8, 50x5, 60x5, 70x1, 65x1,1,3
DB Press: 25x5, 30x5, 35x5, 40x5,5,4
DB Incline Press w/ Pushup: 40x5, 10, 40x5, 5, 40x4, 4
Dip: Drop sets from BW
Tricep Push-Down: Drop sets from 60 lb.
Time Out: 10:15 am

I need to admit temporary defeat on the 70 lb DB flat presses for now. As it is, I'm not getting enough volume at my working weight to make any progress. I retreated to 65 lb this time. I may try 60 next time.

The shoulder presses went much better. Almost got all my reps!

The incline presses and pushups were good too. I very badly wanted that last rep. I even yelled something like, "Get it up!" but to no avail.

I've been getting evil with my dips lately. Sure, they're just machine dips on the assist machine, but if you do them verrrrry slowly in both directions they start to feel like real work.

I did the usual with the push-downs. When the weight got too light, I switched to a palm-up grip. Mmmm-Mmmm good!

Stenn

04-13-2007, 05:54 PM

I've been getting back into karate class lately including yesterday. I hadn't been in a while and everybody, including the absolute newbies, all knew the latest kata MUCH better than I knew it. How embarassing. My foot stood up well under the workout. It only gave me real trouble when kicking with the other foot. A broken foot makes for a lousy base. But, in spite of that, I finished the workout drenched in sweat so I guess that counts as cardio for the day. :)

Today, I have a nasty bruise on the inside of my right elbow. I think I got it from one of the drills Sensei had us doing. We started out by laying down on the floor. On Sensei's command, we'd jump up, throw a sequence of four kicks, and then fall back to the floor. Fun stuff, but apparently hard on the elbows. :D

Stenn

04-13-2007, 06:22 PM

Oh boy, legs day! I checked the leg extension machine... still broken but functional. I checked the leg curl machine... it was still a wreck. So, I decided to drop the leg curls form my workout routine. Who needs that stoopid old leg curl machine anyway. Phooey! I replaced the curls with squats and I'm a happier man for it.

Time In: 9:05am
Leg Extension: 100x10, 150x10, 200x8, 250x8, 300x5, 332x5,5,10
BB Squat: 45x10, 95x8, 115x5, 135x5
Decline Weighted Sit Up: 25x10,10,10
DB Curl: 25x8,8,9 Two dropsets from 25 lb down to 10 lb
Time Out: 10:05am

My favorite leg extesion machine only goes up to 322 lb so I had to do the trick where you hang a plate off the weight stack using an extra pin. I'd never tried that before, but it worked great. There was even an extra pin laying nearby. I got 10 reps on my last working set so clearly I gotta go for more next time. How about 322+25=347 lb?

What? The guy with the broken foot is doing squats? Yes indeed! :D As long as I keep my stance a little wide and my reps very slow with no bounce I can get away with doing squats. Man, that felt good! I can't wait to get back and do 'em again!

I blasted through my sit ups. Time to up the weight! Next time, I'll do 30 lb.

I blasted through my bicep curls too. Wow, was it something I ate this morning? Time to grab the 30's!

Actually, this was the first time in a while that I've had a pre-workout drink. It consisted of 2 tsp dextrose, 2 tsp maltodextrin, and 1 tsp BCAA. It might as well have been rocket fuel. :D

After the workout, I caught sight of myself in the men's room mirror and struck a double bicep pose. Lo and behold, for the first time ever, I saw the split in my biceps. What a great day! :)

widebody195

04-15-2007, 07:52 PM

Stenn

04-16-2007, 09:54 AM

Hey Steve,

Just catching up again. Sorry to hear about your foot, but your attitude about it is superb! Sounds like nothing (not even broken bones) will keep you from working out, and not whining about it either.

Howdy! Thanks for the encouragement. I wouldn't say that I haven't been whining about my foot. In fact, I've whined about it quite a bit. However, I try to keep things in perspective. If I wanted to quit weight lifting, I'd just quit and not blame my quitting on any exertnal factor like a broken foot. If I take responsabiliy for my decisions, then I'm the one in control of my world. If I let external factors make my decisions for me, then I end up letting external factors control my world and I become a victim. So, I've chosen to continue working out with my borken foot, and to whine about it too. :)

Actually, my foot has been feeling pretty good lately. I forget how long it's been. Maybe 6 or 7 weeks. Today, my walk to the gym was downright comfortable and I hardly limped at all.