Memoirs of a Tough Old Bastard: the Resurrection of MHL

[QUOTE=mharrislove;988020623]
[U]Single-arm DB clean & press[/U]
60 x 5 / 60 x 5
65 x 4 / 65 x 4
65 x 4 / 65 x 4[/QUOTE]

Now there's one I haven't seen listed anywhere in a while. One of the young guys whose journal I used to follow here (he no longer posts) used to do these seated. I always said I was gonna give 'em a try, but have yet to get around to them.




[QUOTE]
[B]WTF? Gym Moment of the Day:[/B]


Today's winner?

A lady on the treadmill that fell on her ass...

...while being spotted by a personal trainer.


Lordy...[/QUOTE]

*facepalm.jpeg*

It is my sincere hope that the lady in question was able to break her fall by landing on the PT.

[B]Delts w/calves[/B]
[I]* yesterday's work *[/I]





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[IMG]http://media-cache0.pinterest.com/upload/269441990175753041_njx0Guuh_c.jpg[/IMG]



[size=+3][B]Getting back into the swing of things[/B][/size]

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[I]warm up:[/I][list][*]standing DB presses, 1 x 15[*]DB squats, 1 x 10[*]DB RDLs, 1 x 10[*]standing DB curls, 1 x 10[*]leg extensions, 1 x 15[*]lying leg curls, 1 x 10[*]pull ups, 1 x 10[*]dips, 1 x 10[*]hyperextensions, 1 x 10[/list]


Each time that the last two workout cycles got derailed by work stuff, the Day 5 workout for delts kept getting kicked to the curb. So, this workout was long over due. Strength was predictably down, but I gotta' tell you - it all felt pretty damn good...



DELTS/TRAPS/CALVES

[U]Standing BB OHPs[/U]
bar x 10 wu
95 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 3
155 x 5


[U]Single-arm DB clean & press[/U]
60 x 5 / 60 x 5
65 x 4 / 65 x 4
65 x 4 / 65 x 4


[U]Seated laterals SS w/standing BB BNP[/U]
35 x 10 / 85 x 10
35 x 10 / 85 x 10
35 x 10 / 85 x 8


[U]Behind the back shrugs[/U]
135 x 20
225 x 15
315 x 10


[U]Recumbant heel raises SS w/standing cable front raises[/U]
170 x 15 / 30 x 10
190 x 12 / 35 x 10
210 x 12 / 40 x 10


[U]Seated heel raises SS w/standing free plate front raises[/U]
2 plates x 20 / 25 x 10
2 plates x 20 / 25 x 10
2 plates x 20 / 25 x 10


[color=crimson][B]The "Take that you lazy bastard!!!" High Frequency Sets[/B] [/color]
[color=crimson][B]____________________________________________[/B] [/color]


[U]Seated machine flyes[/U]
130 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 8

All flye work with 2 sec holds at peak contraction


[U]Seated machine dips[/U]
175 x 12
190 x 10
190 x 10


[color=crimson][B]____________________________________________[/B] [/color]









[B]Impressions:[/B]

[img]http://media-cache-ec4.pinterest.com/upload/193091902743279627_RxTTvCnU_c.jpg[/img]










[B]WTF? Gym Moment of the Day:[/B]

[IMG]http://media-cache-ec3.pinterest.com/upload/211247038742238253_dfTTg5iC_c.jpg[/IMG]


Today's winner?

A lady on the treadmill that fell on her ass...

...while being spotted by a personal trainer.


Lordy...

[QUOTE=-=FLEX=-;988140333]Looked pretty good, especially this:[/QUOTE]

Thanks, man...apparently there's still vestiges of contractile tissue beneath the lard.

[QUOTE=Raigs;988187213]Looking like its going strong in here. Strong Delt work today![/QUOTE]

Gotta' stay on top of 'em!

[QUOTE=SteveR40;988206173]Howdy sir, still haven't missed a beat. ^^^^^^^ whoa.[/QUOTE]

Hey, good to hear from you! I hope that you are doing well and having a great off-season.

[QUOTE=Vytis;988297653]Too bad you didn't get that WTF gym moment on tape - would have been amusing to say the least...[/QUOTE]

It was kinda' crazy; just when you think that you've seen it all, something like that goes down.

(PS: nice AVI work, man)

[QUOTE=ironwill2008;988308373]Now there's one I haven't seen listed anywhere in a while. One of the young guys whose journal I used to follow here (he no longer posts) used to do these seated. I always said I was gonna give 'em a try, but have yet to get around to them. [/quote]

A worthwhile change-up, to be sure.

[quote]
*facepalm.jpeg*[/quote]

Well...uhm...yeah.

[quote]
It is my sincere hope that the lady in question was able to break her fall by landing on the PT.[/QUOTE]

No doubt! I wasn't paying them any mind before all of the commotion; I sincerely hope that guy wasn't ********ing on his phone or looking a some girl's ass before his client flew off the treadmill belt. That's just ridiculous...

[QUOTE=mharrislove;991010933]

A lady on the treadmill that fell on her ass...

...while being spotted by a personal trainer.


Lordy...[/QUOTE]

I guess I shouldn't laugh at this. I was squatting the other day and after racking the bar, I tripped myself and almost face planted. But I laughed then, and I laughed now.

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[size=7][b]RE-ENTRY: DAY 1[/b][/size]

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The queen is dead, the fat lady has sung, however you want to put it - the end-of-the-year work project(s) is pretty much wrapped up.

That's not to say that I'm outta' the woods yet; there's still essential administrative loose ends to deal with on Monday, and I still have to give the kids a Final Exam at the end of the week. But the 60-80 hour work weeks, the sleeping 2 to 4 hours a night, the unscheduled gym breaks, etc. - THAT part is OVER. My stuff is turned in, so staying up all night won't help anything now. It's all pretty much out of my hands (which is fine by me).

Real life re-entry happened after I dragged my tired ass home late Friday night. It's all coming back pretty easily: rake the leaves, walk the dog, small talk with the butcher and bring home some carnage, take the kid to the museum, pick up the clutter, pull out that old jazz album and give it a spin, and oh yeah...move some #@$%^&* iron.

----------

[B]HAMS/BACK/BASTARDology[/B]

No need to get into training minutiae with neutered workouts. That would just make me too competitive with myself and tempt me to bust a sprocket or something. But this is the gist of it today:

Ham training was fine; working at about 75% of typical volume by design.
Deads were done with moderate loads, as I'm thinking more about work capacity rather than sheer loads at the moment.
Lower back and other joints felt fine, but form was a little out of sync. Today was still a good start. Low bar squats went surprisingly well with the 3-plater sets. Accessory work was OK.

Back work will be evolving over the next few weeks; placing more emphasis on what I need as opposed to what is conventional.
I took rows just to the mid-200s; domination ensued - I'm now convinced that I'll probably die with a pretty good set of lats no matter what. No issues to report here. Mid-back work and rear delt work was serviceable - a prelude of what's to come.

Bastard work: delts, biceps, chest (fairly light on the chest, since that part is up next)...

Feelin' good.





[B]Impressions:[/B]

[img]http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/upload/245094404690605330_vfJPvKTr_c.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Akudela;991025013]I guess I shouldn't laugh at this. I was squatting the other day and after racking the bar, I tripped myself and almost face planted. But I laughed then, and I laughed now.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it's two sides to that sort of thing. You have to be able to find the humor in some of this stuff. On the other hand, it's a reminder that freak accidents can affect even the most seasoned lifters.

[B]Impressions:[/B]

[img]http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/upload/245094404690605330_vfJPvKTr_c.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]

This is right on target. Good luck getting back into the swing of a somewhat normal life.

I understand the readjustment. I'm wrapping up the finals I was gifted and am trying to build back up to some sort of respectable strength, long lost from too-tame sessions at the Kennesaw gym. I'm going to hit some powerlifting hybrid style work for a bit before committing to the routine I wanted because I can't put up the weight like I need to for it to be effective. The numbers in my log just weren't going where they needed.

Mindset; indolent

I have to flip the intensity switch back to volatile.

[QUOTE=hazto;991031353][B]Impressions:[/B]

[img]http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/upload/245094404690605330_vfJPvKTr_c.jpg[img]

This is right on target. Good luck getting back into the swing of a somewhat normal life.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, my friend.

[youtube]aBaYVo89mmY[/youtube]

[QUOTE=Akudela;991034343]I understand the readjustment. I'm wrapping up the finals I was gifted and am trying to build back up to some sort of respectable strength, long lost from too-tame sessions at the Kennesaw gym. I'm going to hit some powerlifting hybrid style work for a bit before committing to the routine I wanted because I can't put up the weight like I need to for it to be effective. The numbers in my log just weren't going where they needed.

Mindset; indolent

I have to flip the intensity switch back to volatile.[/QUOTE]

Hey, you say "indolent", I say "self-preservation."

I get what you mean, though. I feel like I need to be at a certain "set point" as far as the lifts go to really make progress. But when you know that training consistency will not be there due to real life conflicts, then in some ways it's good to have the "volatile" switch set to the OFF position. I think that you need to be well-trained, and machine-like in your dedication to really flip that switch ON. Turning it on during a long stretch of sub-par training is a road towards Injury City, IMO. Sub-par training has it's place - it keeps you in the game when it's the best that you can do. And you're much better off when it comes to ramping back up to beastmode status when the time comes.

Twenty years ago, I would have done just the opposite thing upon facing IRL challenges: I would have stopped training due to the "all-or-nothing" mindset, and I would have tried to rip a hole in the time-space continuum the moment I finally stepped back into the gym. And I would have torn a muscle or ripped something out of place in the process.

But I am an old man now...and a wiser one, too. [img]http://assets.bodybuilding.com/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif[/img]

[QUOTE=mharrislove;991071113]Hey, you say "indolent", I say "self-preservation."

I get what you mean, though. I feel like I need to be at a certain "set point" as far as the lifts go to really make progress. But when you know that training consistency will not be there due to real life conflicts, then in some ways it's good to have the "volatile" switch set to the OFF position. I think that you need to be well-trained, and machine-like in your dedication to really flip that switch ON. Turning it on during a long stretch of sub-par training is a road towards Injury City, IMO. Sub-par training has it's place - it keeps you in the game when it's the best that you can do. And you're much better off when it comes to ramping back up to beastmode status when the time comes.

Twenty years ago, I would have done just the opposite thing upon facing IRL challenges: I would have stopped training due to the "all-or-nothing" mindset, and I would have tried to rip a hole in the time-space continuum the moment I finally stepped back into the gym. And I would have torn a muscle or ripped something out of place in the process.

But I am an old man now...and a wiser one, too. [img]http://assets.bodybuilding.com/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif[/img][/QUOTE]

It most definitely has it's place. I was just saying that I was in a state of sub-par work, but now I get to flip it back to the beast mode. I was in the gym just to keep what I built, but now its time to earn a bit more. That said, you are much wiser than I.

Welcome back to earth. Upon reentry you will find that nothing has really changed, just gotten a little older, slightly rusty but still in working condition. Be patient as you re-acclimate but know that soon, you will be back in the normal groove. In the mean time, sit back and enjoy.

[youtube]rkY_zTKzPCY[/youtube]

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[img]http://media-cache0.pinterest.com/upload/218987600602829014_5q3R0rpS_c.jpg[/img]


[size=7][b]RE-ENTRY: DAY 2[/b][/size]

[/center]


Whoa...two workouts in a row.

This is something new and exciting (FML...sarcasm detector on "10")...


----------

[B]CHEST/TRICEPS/CALVES/BASTARDology[/B]

Back on the bench press today. I still suck - some things never change. But the quest for Double-D status continues, so I gave it everything that I had, short of plastic surgery.

Triceps were overdue for a pounding, and I more or less got their attention. Standard exercises were done for both chest and tris; I'll have to make some kind of a decision about dips in the routine. Regular weighted dips are all hardcorz, but I may get a better feel - with less shoulder strain - on the machine version. We'll see...

Calf work? Not exciting, but required. My strategy over the past year has been about the same: don't stress out about 'em, just keep doing your job. So far I'm no worse off than if I had planned some kind of lower leg blitz, so it's all good. Consistency, consistency, consistency...

[U]Bastard work[/U]
front delts (supersetted with calf work)

[U]In da' works[/U]
winter diet stuff, and planning travel workouts ([I]sigh...[/I])




[B]Impressions:[/B]

[img]http://media-cache0.pinterest.com/upload/167125836142269569_N2cPO28k_c.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Akudela;991090313]It most definitely has it's place. I was just saying that I was in a state of sub-par work, but now I get to flip it back to the beast mode. I was in the gym just to keep what I built, but now its time to earn a bit more. [/QUOTE]

But of course...I have no worries about you, my man. Looking forward to seeing what you create in 2013. (srs)

[QUOTE=bamazav;991204553]Welcome back to earth. Upon reentry you will find that nothing has really changed, just gotten a little older, slightly rusty but still in working condition. Be patient as you re-acclimate but know that soon, you will be back in the normal groove. In the mean time, sit back and enjoy.[/quote]

That advice is sound. But with something as visceral as weight lifting, I have to remind myself of that each time out. For now, I'm not focused on "numbers" too much (other than an arbiter of my current training status), but rather trying to key in on consistency, form, and conditioning.

Effort, volume, and intensity, are being phased in over the next couple of weeks.

[quote][youtube]rkY_zTKzPCY[youtube][/QUOTE]

^^^Awesome. An old fave, and perfect for a rainy Sunday in the heart of DC (which away from the media and political drama, is really a working-class, soul, jazz, R&B, and indie rock kinda' town - but I digress).

Glad you got in there and smashed those triceps with the chest :D

[QUOTE=Raigs;991247233]Glad you got in there and smashed those triceps with the chest :D[/QUOTE]

They got what was comin' to them... [img]http://assets.bodybuilding.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif[/img]

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrsqefV8021qlzduwo1_500.gif[/img]

Nice to have your back man!

[QUOTE=llahhsoj;991458723]
Nice to have your back man![/QUOTE]

Thanks, Josh!

Glad to see you back in action, MHL.

[QUOTE=mharrislove;991450323]They got what was comin' to them... [img]http://assets.bodybuilding.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif[/img][/QUOTE]

Good to hear!

Missed it in here

[QUOTE=mharrislove;991026003] But the 60-80 hour work weeks, the sleeping 2 to 4 hours a night, the unscheduled gym breaks, etc. - THAT part is OVER. My stuff is turned in, so staying up all night won't help anything now. It's all pretty much out of my hands (which is fine by me).
[/QUOTE]

Good deal. Humans are creatures of habit, and humans who bodybuild are much more so.

When I was working, it was always a PITA when bad weather or other schedule-related stuff would cause me to have to work lots of mandatory overtime. Gotta do what's gotta be done though.

Glad to see you back and killing some workouts MH!!

Welcome home.

YES!!! My motivation is back! :)

Glad to see that the eagle has landed safely. I am back in for the lessons.

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[size=7][b]RE-ENTRY: DAY 3 & 4[/b][/size]

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[U]YESTERDAY[/U]

AM: 35 min cardio, treadmill (DVD = Foo Fighters, "Greatest Hits")

PM: 35 min, cardio, treadmill (DVD = RHCP, "Live at Slane Castle")


----------


[U]TODAY[/U]


[B]QUADS/BICEPS/BASTARDology[/B]

Finally...back in the squat rack! Front squats were up. Working the 5x5 @ 250; feeling pretty solid, but a little fatigued at the tail end. Pushed the 15 rep protocol on the adapted leg press and the extensions. Just what the doctor ordered.

Used the horizontally-challenged, preset, straight-BB for curls, then off to a brief Preacher-Hammer and Preacher machine combo. Keeping the volume in check by design since I almost disabled myself with DOMS after the last biceps workout.

That old feeling of intensity is seeping into my bones again.


[U]Bastard work[/U]
front delts








[B]Impressions:[/B]

[img]http://media-cache-ec4.pinterest.com/upload/6262886951731495_UuFhoPMW_c.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=VoxExMachina;991713173]Glad to see you back in action, MHL.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Vox - it's good to be back where I belong.

[QUOTE=Raigs;991732293]Good to hear!

Missed it in here[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it's been been weird not being able to talk shop with the gang around here - nobody else IRL really gives a damn as far training goes!

[QUOTE=ironwill2008;991737093]Good deal. Humans are creatures of habit, and humans who bodybuild are much more so.

When I was working, it was always a PITA when bad weather or other schedule-related stuff would cause me to have to work lots of mandatory overtime. Gotta do what's gotta be done though.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I think Flex posted something about the order of his priorities. His post was right on the money, IMO.

[QUOTE=Stncldsnake;991797903]Glad to see you back and killing some workouts MH!![/QUOTE]

I've got a ton of work to do...

[QUOTE=ArchAngel'73;991819303]Welcome home.[/QUOTE]

My soul was always here, but now the mind and body are back for more.

[QUOTE=Boomer29;991822743]YES!!! My motivation is back! :)[/QUOTE]

From a fat, short, guy with glasses..? Impossible...

[QUOTE=SteveR40;991931353]Glad to see that the eagle has landed safely. I am back in for the lessons.[/QUOTE]

Well, these days I'm more of an example of what NOT to do, but things can change quickly!

[QUOTE=mharrislove;992519753]



That old feeling of intensity is seeping into my bones again.
[/QUOTE]

I am not so sure it ever left your bones sir. :)

[QUOTE=SteveR40;992937353]I am not so sure it ever left your bones sir. :)[/QUOTE]

^^^Good point.

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[size=7][b]RE-ENTRY: DAY 5[/b][/size]

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@#$%&* delts, 'bout time..!



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[B]DELT/CALVES/BASTARDology[/B]

The usual suspects were on deck. OHPs, while not earth shattering, had snap to 'em at the top of the movement. Definitely something to build on. DB C&Ps and laterals w/BNPs were all good. Behind-the-back shrugs were a welcome addition after falling off of the face of the earth for a while. The cuff, shoulder labrum, and AC joint feel good - that may be the only aspect of my bod that benefited from the extra time off. I'll take it.

Calves are gonna' calve - no surprises here. Work, work, work.


[U]Bastard work[/U]
seated machine flyes


[U]IRL Stuff[/U]
- Big work projects are wrapping up; just need to check a few budgets, proof this and that, do some mild prep work for early next year stuff, and ride off into the sunset.

- Putting the final touches on my final exam while brining/braising pork chops now (will proctor the exam tomorrow) - and, hopefully, be able to take Friday off...

- Planning a few family outings for the weekend and slowly coming back to life.








[B]Impressions:[/B]

[img]http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/upload/266275396688289785_Eo6309cL_c.jpg[/img]

Glad you are back my brother and very glad things are returning to a somewhat neutral state once more. You indeed have been missed.

FWIW, I sense a theme with all those "Re-Entry" pics...and, I know the feeling. ;)