Memoirs of a Tough Old Bastard: the Resurrection of MHL

[Stncldsnake]

Awesome session MH!

[mharrislove]

Yeah, it is pretty amazing. Sometimes they have bands play there also.

I believe it...just, wow.

Getting the work done while on vacation... champion.

I'm workin' it out, Boom - hard to stay away for too long.

Nice to see you taking a break, those weights certainly weren't going anywhere...

Still...it's always fun imagining one yelling to the group, "HIDE!!!!"

Ha! I like to imagine it going that way too!

No way bro! you are a beast and would have that gone in a day anyway..

I'm back on task!

[cmoore]

I'm back on task!

Amen.

[mharrislove]

Quads, Biceps, and Forearms

Hit your mark...

warm up:

• standing DB presses, 1 x 15
• DB squats, 1 x 10
• DB RDLs, 1 x 10
• standing DB curls, 1 x 10
• pull ups, 1 x 10
• dips, 1 x 10
• hyperextensions, 1 x 10
• knee extensions, 1 x 15
• lying leg curls, 1 x 10

QUADS

Front squats (with belt, no wraps; in rack)
bar x 10 wu
135 x 10
185 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 8
185 x 17


Adapted leg presses (narrow stance; using hip sled machine; stack weight)
330 x 15
330 x 15
330 x 15


Leg extensions
140 x 15
140 x 12
140 x 12







BICEPS/FOREARMS

Reverse BB curls SS w/standard BB curls
50/70 x 10
70/85 x 10
80/100 x 8


DB Hammer curls on Preacher bench
35 x 10
35 x 10
35 x 8


Machine Preacher curls (stack weight)
100 x 10
90 x 10
90 x 10


Behind the back BB wrist curls
135 x 15
185 x 12
205 x 10


The "Take that you lazy bastard!!!" High Frequency Sets
_____________________________________________

DB front raises
30 x 10
35 x 8
40 x 6

_____________________________________________







Impressions:

[Sillybubba]

Tremendous workout production, post anniversary. This thread is fatal to me. Being an avid bbq'er, loving the that smoked pork butt.

[mharrislove]

haha that is so my brain too!

Uh huh, I thought so!

Finally a leg pic YEA!

I like eating chicken legs, not standing on them. The beatings will continue until morale (and mass) improves...

Awesome session MH!

Thanks, man; starting to get into a rhythm again...

Amen.

Indeed.

Tremendous workout production, post anniversary. This thread is fatal to me. Being an avid bbq'er, loving the that smoked pork butt.

Hey, bro. Yeah, that dish was on point - I learned a lot with that first attempt. I'll do it again for Thanksgiving this year.

[bamazav]

Me to a T!

[Raigs]

Food Pics looks awesome! I mean I would see my waistline growing if I had that stuff served to me.

Like the 15 anniversary written on the plate so much better than a card or singing group :P

Oh and nice training session as well. nice front squats and really nice arm work in there at the end. DB Hammer on a preacher bench is a great way to switch it up

[Vytis]

Thanks for sharing all the pics.

That apple fritter....I could down a dozen right about now. Just give me a jug of milk and a pot of coffee and I would be in heaven...

[mharrislove]

Me to a T!

Yeah, we may have some serious selection bias for that trait in this thread!

Like the 15 anniversary written on the plate so much better than a card or singing group :P

Absolutely!

Oh and nice training session as well. nice front squats and really nice arm work in there at the end. DB Hammer on a preacher bench is a great way to switch it up

Thanks, man; it was a fun workout all around.

Thanks for sharing all the pics.

That apple fritter....I could down a dozen right about now. Just give me a jug of milk and a pot of coffee and I would be in heaven...

You paid a visit at the right time, my friend. Out of all of the O35 posters, you are the one that can appreciate what went into that bakery masterpiece.

[mharrislove]

Delts w/calves
* yesterday's work *

warm up:

• standing DB presses, 1 x 15
• DB squats, 1 x 10
• DB RDLs, 1 x 10
• standing DB curls, 1 x 10
• pull ups, 1 x 10
• dips, 1 x 10
• hyperextensions, 1 x 10
• leg extensions, 1 x 15
• lying leg curls, 1 x 10

DELTS

Standing BB military presses
bar x 10
100 x 8
135 x 8
155 x 8
160 x 8
160 x 8


Seated DB presses
50 x 10
60 x 10
70 x 10
80 x 8


Seated laterals SS w/standing BNPs
35 x 10 / 85 x 12
35 x 10 / 85 x 12
35 x 10 / 85 x 10


Behind the back BB shrugs
135 x 20
225 x 15
315 x 10


The "Take that you lazy bastard!!!" High Frequency Sets
________________________________

Pec deck
130 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 8

All reps with 2 sec hold at peak contraction

________________________________


CALVES

Standing heel raises
2 plates x 12
2 plates x 15
3 plates x 12

Outta' time...





Impressions:
Closed out the Endurance Phase with this session; first time doing seated DB presses in a while. The return was good, I definitely gained some strength on my modified program after the back minor back trouble a few months ago. The lift is not quite up to the standards of 2011, but it's at a level where really productive work can be accomplished. I haven't decided if I will keep them in, or revert back to the DB clean & press - we'll see.

Reflecting on the previous work accomplished during the Endurance Phase, I feel good about the volume/loads for chest and quad work this week. But I feel like my inadvertent decrease in overall training frequency lately (due to my work schedule) has hindered my DL work capacity. So, I need to keep my eye on that situation as I roll into the next training phase.

[Payton1221]

Standing BB military presses
160 x 8
160 x 8

Seated DB presses
80 x 8

I loved the F. Scott Fitzgerald quote, and if you're on ********, you know that just about everyone on this site is way ahead of the curve compared to yesteryear's classmates when it comes to the physical aspect!

Also, I'm mirin' these presses. My understanding is that DB work can be 10-20% "harder" than similarly weighted barbell work, so the 80x8 is even more impressive.

I credit YOU for communicating to me that training should be priority-based and our lifts can ebb and flow based on what we've priortized atm. You live that out in your journal.

[llahhsoj]

I loved the F. Scott Fitzgerald quote, and if you're on ********, you know that just about everyone on this site is way ahead of the curve compared to yesteryear's classmates when it comes to the physical aspect!

Also, I'm mirin' these presses. My understanding is that DB work can be 10-20% "harder" than similarly weighted barbell work, so the 80x8 is even more impressive.

.

I never heard that about the dumbells.

Do you have big fitness plans for the weekend Mr. Harris?

[Stncldsnake]

Strong work MH, glad to hear the DB presses felt good and the numbers are great, also glad to hear your back issue is no more..

[mharrislove]

I loved the F. Scott Fitzgerald quote, and if you're on ********, you know that just about everyone on this site is way ahead of the curve compared to yesteryear's classmates when it comes to the physical aspect!

Yeah, that one resonated immediately.

Also, I'm mirin' these presses. My understanding is that DB work can be 10-20% "harder" than similarly weighted barbell work, so the 80x8 is even more impressive.

Again, I'm behind my own curve on that lift, and I know that it's a warm up to a lot of the guys around here. But considering what my body has gone through to get back up to that level - and my own general weaknesses - I'm very happy with the strides that I made this month.

I credit YOU for communicating to me that training should be priority-based and our lifts can ebb and flow based on what we've priortized atm. You live that out in your journal.

Thanks for the props, man.

Do you have big fitness plans for the weekend Mr. Harris?

Yes. My favorite type of training, a mix of higher rep/lower rep work, is up for the next lifting cycle. The new periodization phase of training gets started tomorrow.

Strong work MH, glad to hear the DB presses felt good and the numbers are great, also glad to hear your back issue is no more..

Well, I wouldn't say it's "no issue", but it's under control so I'm good to go.

[Raigs]

Good work and hitting those db presses I mean 80# is strong. I like those db clean and presses. Very interesting exercise IMO.

I'll be watching and seeing if you can get back into the gym more and crush the weights.

[mharrislove]

Hams and Back

Stick to it...

Was out of the game for a couple of days due to headaches and just feeling lousy. I could've gone in and done something to be all hardcorz, but I generally don't favor crappy workouts just for the sake of working out. I rather get in there when I know that I can push hard...




warm up:

• standing DB presses, 1 x 15
• DB squats, 1 x 10
• DB RDLs, 1 x 10
• standing DB curls, 1 x 10
• pull ups/chin ups, 2 x 10
• bench dips, 1 x 10
• hyperextensions, 1 x 10
• knee extensions, 1 x 15
• lying leg curls, 1 x 12

HAMS

Sumo deads (from platform; belt; Vgrips on top sets)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
365 x 4
405 x 3
425 x 2

Everything was heavy today, but that was not unexpected given the FUBAR periodization schedule as of late. I just held ground this week, which was fine by me. Things will move again in due time...I'm not worried.


Gym experiment - low bar back squats (posterior chain focus)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 2

These were "gas left in the tank" reps; I stopped before failure on everything - just working on getting used to loads on my back with this grip style and working on form.


Standing leg curls
70 x 10
80 x 10
90 x 10


Glute/ham machine
60 x 12
70 x 12
70 x 10



BACK

Chin ups
BW x 10
BW + 45 x 5
BW + 70 x 5
BW + 70 x 5


Bentover BB rows
bar x 10
135 x 10
225 x 10
275 x 6
300 x 3



The "Take that you lazy bastard!!!" High Frequency Sets
_______________________________________________

Reverse BB curls
70 x 12
80 x 10
90 x 10


Seated DB presses
70 x 10
70 x 10
70 x 10


_______________________________________________








Impressions:











Is This Real Life?




Congrats to one of my virtual training partners, SteBo, on his recent accomplishment!

You have me inspired for my next run, my friend...

[mharrislove]

Good work and hitting those db presses I mean 80# is strong. I like those db clean and presses. Very interesting exercise IMO.

I'll be watching and seeing if you can get back into the gym more and crush the weights.

Well, it's the start of the new periodization cycle, so I hope to have a clean run over the next 4 phases of training; last month was certainly NOT ideal.

The diet has been progressively getting tighter over the the past week or so - not that there was anywhere to go, but up, given my recent travels. So, the midsection is a little sharper this week, and my joints and stuff feel pretty good as of right now.

Of course, my work deadlines aren't going away anytime soon. But neither is my will.

I need to have ironclad consistency from here on out, because I know the training disruptions on the horizon with family travel during the winter holidays.

[cmoore]

SteBo ftw! IN for details on your next run

[Raigs]

Of course, my work deadlines aren't going away anytime soon. But neither is my will.

That right there is the way to think!

Nice Sumos 425 anytime is good. Well if that felt heavy next week should be lighter

[VoxExMachina]

Gym experiment - low bar back squats (posterior chain focus)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 2

That's some pretty respectable weight for just "experimenting" and having plenty of gas left in the tank.

[FlaIronMind]

Excellent sessions of late my brother. Which comes as no surprise at all really. Nevertheless, it always needs to be said - outstanding effort all around.

Spot-on quotes and pics as well, particularly the Fitzgerald quote. All the more poignant given he having to endure Zelda, not to mention the tendencies of his own. Side bar, strong Alabama - Maryland connection is strong.

[Sillybubba]

Well, it's the start of the new periodization cycle, so I hope to have a clean run over the next 4 phases of training; last month was certainly NOT ideal.

The diet has been progressively getting tighter over the the past week or so - not that there was anywhere to go, but up, given my recent travels. So, the midsection is a little sharper this week, and my joints and stuff feel pretty good as of right now.

Of course, my work deadlines aren't going away anytime soon. But neither is my will.

I need to have ironclad consistency from here on out, because I know the training disruptions on the horizon with family travel during the winter holidays.

Curious to know how you tightened out. I feel ya regarding wanting to go at your workout full-steam instead of something mediocre with no real stimulus to change.

[Stncldsnake]

Awesome session all around MH!

[mharrislove]

SteBo ftw! IN for details on your next run

Your message prompted me to check my notes again. I wish that the details were more concrete - trust me...

The plan was to fire things up in April. However, with > 1 week-long family travel stints in Dec and in Feb, I am facing some major hurdles to getting in a halfway decent contest prep for the spring shows. I have another option in the summer, but I loathe the "one-and-done" approach to contest planning; if I'm going to be in shape, then I like to have about 3 shows that I can hit within 6 weeks or so. Finally, there are the fall shows, but the main show at that time is a really big comp that I feel I should earn the right to do. I had hoped to win a spring show before even thinking about the big fall show - although off-season training until late spring has some appeal.

So, it's hard to say. As of right now, I'm still of the mind to complete phase I/II dieting and just see where I'm sitting by Dec/Jan. I absolutely need to know what I'm going to do by mid-January (and I have to be within striking distance of conditioning too, or self-sabotage will make the decision for me).

That right there is the way to think!

Nice Sumos 425 anytime is good. Well if that felt heavy next week should be lighter

We'll see, I'll just be happy to be back in the groove - today, both the deads and the squats felt like distant relatives - not close friends.

That's some pretty respectable weight for just "experimenting" and having plenty of gas left in the tank.

Thanks, I have made some strides with the new grip/bar placement experiment. Even though today felt like one step back, the reality is that I have made about 3 steps forward when you consider where I started from.

Excellent sessions of late my brother. Which comes as no surprise at all really. Nevertheless, it always needs to be said - outstanding effort all around.

Hey, that complement has lost no currency around here!

Spot-on quotes and pics as well, particularly the Fitzgerald quote. All the more poignant given he having to endure Zelda, not to mention the tendencies of his own.

Thanks, man. Yeah, I thought twice about posting that quote since that kinda' thing can be misconstrued as a complete endorsement of the person in question. But anyone who has read his most famous tome and seen my AVI in color would know that such an endorsement is simply not possible. But at that time, and in that moment, the guy was as right as rain with those words.

Side bar, strong Alabama - Maryland connection is strong.

Indeed, my friend, indeed!

Curious to know how you tightened out.

Well, it's not super rigid yet, so it loses a lot in translation. Phase I is always a basic clean up - uhm, in this case, no more Cap'n Crunch French Toast with the wife, for instance! (I think that you get the idea...) Now I'm on to Phase II where my mid-day and afternoon meals are predictable staples; no need to macro count just yet, the basic protein count is easy with standard meals. Evening meals are whatever I want while with the wife and kid (life is just less complicated that way, and at this BF% level, I can still make progress with this strategy); the morning meal is just BCAAs since I run a virtual fast right into early morning training.

After I establish my habits and reset my palate over the next week or two, I'll roll out Phase III; I'll break out the Excel chart again and dust off the food scale - things will really start to move then.

Family life doesn't get complicated due to the diet until the cal deficit gets real and all macros are counted...

Awesome session all around MH!

Thanks, bro!

[ironwill2008]

Impressions:

I suspect ^^^^ this may be a somewhat common trait among bodybuilders.

Gym experiment - low bar back squats (posterior chain focus)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 2

These were "gas left in the tank" reps; I stopped before failure on everything - just working on getting used to loads on my back with this grip style and working on form.

Nice work for an experiment, MH. 365 is no small 'taters.

Chin ups
BW x 10
BW + 45 x 5
BW + 70 x 5
BW + 70 x 5

I see what you did here. I'm watching!

Is This Real Life?




Congrats to one of my virtual training partners, SteBo, on his recent accomplishment!

Co-signed.

[llahhsoj]

Hams and Back

Stick to it...

Was out of the game for a couple of days due to headaches and just feeling lousy. I could've gone in and done something to be all hardcorz, but I generally don't favor crappy workouts just for the sake of working out. I rather get in there when I know that I can push hard...




warm up:

• standing DB presses, 1 x 15
• DB squats, 1 x 10
• DB RDLs, 1 x 10
• standing DB curls, 1 x 10
• pull ups/chin ups, 2 x 10
• bench dips, 1 x 10
• hyperextensions, 1 x 10
• knee extensions, 1 x 15
• lying leg curls, 1 x 12

HAMS

Sumo deads (from platform; belt; Vgrips on top sets)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
365 x 4
405 x 3
425 x 2

Everything was heavy today, but that was not unexpected given the FUBAR periodization schedule as of late. I just held ground this week, which was fine by me. Things will move again in due time...I'm not worried.


Gym experiment - low bar back squats (posterior chain focus)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 2

These were "gas left in the tank" reps; I stopped before failure on everything - just working on getting used to loads on my back with this grip style and working on form.


Standing leg curls
70 x 10
80 x 10
90 x 10


Glute/ham machine
60 x 12
70 x 12
70 x 10



BACK

Chin ups
BW x 10
BW + 45 x 5
BW + 70 x 5
BW + 70 x 5


Bentover BB rows
bar x 10
135 x 10
225 x 10
275 x 6
300 x 3



The "Take that you lazy bastard!!!" High Frequency Sets
_______________________________________________

Reverse BB curls
70 x 12
80 x 10
90 x 10


Seated DB presses
70 x 10
70 x 10
70 x 10


_______________________________________________








Impressions:











Is This Real Life?




Congrats to one of my virtual training partners, SteBo, on his recent accomplishment!

You have me inspired for my next run, my friend...

Good session! Not bad squats for doing them in a different style. Did you find that is is harder to get depth in PL style?

[Boomer29]

Good job mhl!

In to see what you decide. Doubt self sabotage is common for you.

[Vytis]

You're thinking of competing soon? I'm in!

[mharrislove]

Chest w/triceps + calves

Connecting the dots

warm up:

• standing Oly bar presses, 1 x 10
• push ups, 1 x 10
• bench dips, 1 x 10
• pull ups, 1 x 10
• chin ups, 1 x 5

CHEST/TRICEPS

Flat BB bench press - phase II shoulder rehab
bar x 10
--------- two doubled red bands, high tension
45 - 135 x 5
100 - 190 x 5
135 - 225 x 5
155 - 245 x 5
185 - 275 x 5


Flat BB bench press, Pt 2 - phase III shoulder rehab
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
--------- shoulder test
250 x 1
260 x 1
270 x 1

I took a similar tact to these sets like the low bar squats yesterday; I used a weight around the 3 to 5 rep max, but used single reps to garner textbook reps and test the joints without working right at the margins.


CGBP
225 x 7
225 x 7
185 x 12







Gironda presses
--------- two doubled red bands, high tension
45 - 135 x 10
100 - 190 x 10
135 - 225 x 10

I'm real happy with the pressing this week. While I still have a ways to go, I have to recognize that I am benching without pain and making bodybuilding gains. I'm on the right path.


Dips
BW + 45 x 10
BW + 55 x 10
BW + 65 x 10


Seated machine flyes (with 2-3 sec holds at peak contraction)
170 x 10
190 x 10
210 x 10 --- with machine work over BW, just staying on the seat is a challenge!


Tricep pressdowns
140 x 10
140 x 10
140 x 8



The "Take that you lazy bastard!!!" High Frequency Sets
_________________________________________

Front raises
30 x 10
35 x 8
40 x 6

_________________________________________



CALVES

Recumbent heel raises (stack weight)
170 x 15
190 x 15
210 x 12
210 x 10






Impressions: