Ironwill2008 V2.0

[ntrllftr]

Who you taking Bill???? 'Bama or LSU?

Hope the hammy heals itself up. hang in there.

Negs for even questioning!!!!



RTR!!!

[Hibiscus09]

Hi Bill! Happy 2012!

I'm sorry about Sherman. How odd. Luke comes up and hits my leg with his paw wanting to go out and not always just when he wants to go potty. I get hit regularly now for meals, walks, going potty, just wanting to go play ball, etc. lol I guess that's normal dog behavior. It does sound like something spooked Sherman. Ghosties? Luke used to freak me out when he was younger because he would just bark and growl at nothing but open space in the house. I started wondering if he was seeing something I didn't. He finally stopped doing it.

[rpaul11]

We're having a behavior problem with Sherman that started a couple of weeks ago; he'll demand to be put outside, and then I have to practically drag him back inside. It's as if he's afraid of something in the house. Nothing (that we can tell, anyway) has changed, and we had a thorough physical done on him last week (including a full panel of blood work) to rule out anything physical.

We (me, my wife, and our vet) are presently stumped, and are working to try to figure it out. I thought I was pretty good at dog psychology, but this has me scratching my head.

I've also been corresponding via e-mail with another vet in Columbus, someone who's very familiar with Cockers. So far, dead ends.

If we can't find the answer in a week or so, I'm going to contact Ohio State's Veterinary School.

Molly is getting to be a bit hard headed herself. She is wanting to go out multiple times a night....then she will sit there and not come in when you call. More so for my wife than me, but with both of us at times. She will just sit on the hill looking out over the street and neighbors house and ignore us...

[mharrislove]

Hey, Bill. Just catching up in here to see how things are going. It's been informative to read about your small adjustments here and there regarding how to progress the loads or when to step back regarding volume on certain exercises. In a way, it helps to validates the approach that I have started to take with my program when the algorithm calls for a 10 lb increase, but I know that bumping it up 5 lbs will keep things challenging in some situations.

Anyway, good luck as you continue to press forward while staying healthy and keep us posted on how things work out with your dog.

[wedjim]

Big plate or small breasts? Looks good though, specially with that mac and cheese on there.

Mirin' those +60lb pull ups, nice.

[pcaracer]

My dog will go through phases like that where she will stay out, not listen etc... I had to change how we fed her. We use to have the routine of feeding her then putting her out after dark then bed. With a full belly she was good to go and wanted to stay up and "protect " the house from all the dangerous critters
We fixed this by not feeding her until she comes back in from her evening. Couple nights with out from not coming back in fixed that problem. She's now mostly perfect. No sitting out barking all night.

[Bo_Flecks]

Still can't figure out why that issue has all of a sudden made it's appearance on Lunge day; it's not like I've never done them before.

I will have that happen sometimes, and I can always trace it back to something I did outside of the gym. The biggest part of my aches and pains in the gym stem from non-lifting related activities. It sure is aggravating.

[ironwill2008]

Monday's training, bumped from the previous page;

Had a productive session today. Moved everything up on schedule. today's training was:

Barbell Squat
bar x15 W/U
95x5 W/U
135x5
185x5
225x5
245x5
275x5

Chinup
bw x5 W/U
bw x5 W/U
bw +60x5
bw +60x5
bw +60x5

Smith Machine Seated Press
95x10 W/U
147.5x5
147.5x5
147.5x5

I finished of this session in about 60 minutes. Managed to get all my reps on Squats, so I'll add a dime next week. I was pleased with my form; depth was okay, and there was no GMing the bar out of the hole.

Just like last Monday's work, I just got my reps-across on chins. Again, I feel like the tank is still not empty; I'll add a nickel to these next week.

I decided to cut the sets on Seated Presses back to 3 from my previous 5 for here on out. I'm right at my limit on these, and am not interested in hitting any failure, or any shoulder problems. So it'll be 3x5 the rest of the way on these. When they really get hard to get my 5 reps, I'll consider bumping the weight up enough to start working for triples, providing I think my shoulders will be able to handle the load. That'll be down the road a bit.

That's all for today; challenges met, and new ones in place. I'll rest tomorrow, then work Lunges, Rows, and Inclines on Wednesday.

Post-Workout meal was a high-calorie mix of 2 small chicken breasts, some home-made mac and cheese, a bowl of green bean casserole, and a glass of milk.

[ironwill2008]

Who knows. Could be so many different things. At least its heading in the right direction, and your listening to your body. Hopefully it doesn't bother you anymore. Sounds like a good reason to splurge for a deep tissue massage.

Good looking set today as well.

Thanks, Tony. I had a good day; everything felt really solid. I am addicted to the feel of the bar across my back, and the way it feels to pull straight back up out of the bottom of a rep. There's just something about Squats that really attracts me, the coordination, the muscles contracting, something, that I just love.

I'd go for a massage but have no idea whom to contact. A former fitness competitor whom I used to train legs with was (is?) a masseuse, but I lost contact with her years ago.

Post workout meal looks heavenly. Chins and squats are looking great.

Thanks, Tiff. That session went well.

I put several extra handfuls of cheddar in the pan to make that mac n cheese; I needed a boatload of calories, and I figured that was the best way to get 'em!

Very solid work on those squats and chins today.

Homemade mac and cheese looks good

Thanks, Mike. Everything felt good. I'm just now starting to get into some Squat poundage that will really challenge me. It'll be interesting to see how far I can take them this year. Last winter, I got to 315x5 good reps, and topped out at 325x2, IIRC.

Not sure if I'll mess with any singles, but it would be nice to chart 335 for a nice, deep rep. Any shot at that's down the road a ways though.

Mac & Cheese is really high-cal (the way I make it!), and I have to trim other foods out of the day's menu in order to fit it in there, but once in a while, it's really worth it.

Nice height on those chins.

Thanks, Jim. I won't count a rep unless I get my chin over the bar; I'm looking right into the mirror at the top of every rep, so it's easy to judge whether or not it qualifies.

PWO Meal looked a little light, though.

LOL! I was stuffed at the end of that meal, and stayed that way for a couple of hours!

Who you taking Bill???? 'Bama or LSU?

The truth? I didn't have a favorite in that game, Gale. IMO, both were great teams with excellent coaches. I was expecting a low-scoring affair, but didn't expect LSU to get completely shut out. I think 'Bama learned a thing or three from their earlier meeting this season with The Tigers; it seemed like they knew LSU's playbook as good as LSU.

Hope the hammy heals itself up. hang in there.

Thanks. It was a non-issue yesterday while Squatting, but tomorrow's Lunge work will really tell the tale.

Negs for even questioning!!!!



RTR!!!

LOL! All I was looking for was a good game. I'd have liked the score to have been closer, but it was what it was.

Hi Bill! Happy 2012!

Hi, Diane! Happy New Year to you too!

I'm sorry about Sherman. How odd.

Indeed, his behavior is very unusual. Something is spooking him for sure. It's way past just regular disobedience or common male Cocker stubbornness.

We'll continue to work with him until we figure it out.

Molly is getting to be a bit hard headed herself. She is wanting to go out multiple times a night....then she will sit there and not come in when you call. More so for my wife than me, but with both of us at times. She will just sit on the hill looking out over the street and neighbors house and ignore us...

Sherman will do something similar, except that when I go out to bring him back in, he'll start to shake, like he dreads going inside, and will continue, once I drag him back inside, to shake and then pant, until he finally gets so exhausted that he goes to sleep. And what's stranger is this doesn't happen all the time; there are times when he'll go out, take care of business, then come back to the door to be let in as he always used to.

[Getsum]

I am seriously mirin those chins! Good grief, I'd be incredibly happy if I could get your two warm up sets done. It's going to happen this year! My pair of 1.25# Oly plates came in the mail yesterday so maybe I'll shot for:

bw +1.25x5

Great job Bill!

[ironwill2008]

Hey, Bill. Just catching up in here to see how things are going. It's been informative to read about your small adjustments here and there regarding how to progress the loads or when to step back regarding volume on certain exercises. In a way, it helps to validates the approach that I have started to take with my program when the algorithm calls for a 10 lb increase, but I know that bumping it up 5 lbs will keep things challenging in some situations.

I'm trying to stick as close as possible (without micro-managing everything) to what I know I'll be able to recover from and be able to move forward the following week. I'm going strictly by feel and by how I know I recover from past sessions.

I'm not a fan of hitting failure except by accident; I believe more-steady progress can be made by just coming up behind it, recovering, and then adding a little bit of weight the next time. And I don't give a hoot if it's 2 1/2 pounds or 20 that I add.

Anyway, good luck as you continue to press forward while staying healthy and keep us posted on how things work out with your dog.

Thanks, MH. The training isn't nearly as puzzling to figure out as Sherman's recent issue is becoming.

Big plate or small breasts? Looks good though, specially with that mac and cheese on there.

With the breasts, it's a little of both! That must have been a remarkably small chicken!

Mirin' those +60lb pull ups, nice.

Thanks. Chins have pretty much always been a good lift for me. Almost from day 1, I had good MMC with them, much better than with the equivalent Cable Pulldown, so I mostly stuck with Chins over the years.

My dog will go through phases like that where she will stay out, not listen etc... I had to change how we fed her. We use to have the routine of feeding her then putting her out after dark then bed. With a full belly she was good to go and wanted to stay up and "protect " the house from all the dangerous critters
We fixed this by not feeding her until she comes back in from her evening. Couple nights with out from not coming back in fixed that problem. She's now mostly perfect. No sitting out barking all night.

We can't allow Sherman to stay out at night, so he must come back inside, one way or the other. Last night he was acting normally; my wife let him out at about 10 PM, he did his business, and then promptly returned to the door to be let back in.

Very puzzling, to say the least.

I will have that happen sometimes, and I can always trace it back to something I did outside of the gym. The biggest part of my aches and pains in the gym stem from non-lifting related activities. It sure is aggravating.

I'm sure that's my deal too, Steve, but for me, I think it's what I haven't been doing outside the gym. Recent bad weather had been keeping me relatively inactive (other than training, and that's just not good enough), and I suspect that's at the root of my problem. The last couple of days I've been stepping up my outdoor activity--walking, etc. It's bound to help.

[ironwill2008]

I am seriously mirin those chins! Good grief, I'd be incredibly happy if I could get your two warm up sets done. It's going to happen this year! My pair of 1.25# Oly plates came in the mail yesterday so maybe I'll shot for:

bw +1.25x5

Great job Bill!

Thanks, G.

As above, I've been Chinning since my first day of training, so I have a history with them.

My best advice is to just start working on them; one rep leads to two, leads to three, and eventually enough that you feel you can start adding weight. Nothin' to it but to do it.

Good deal on the micro-plates. Hands down, they're the best way I know of to keep a tough lift moving forward.

[Bo_Flecks]

I'm sure that's my deal too, Steve, but for me, I think it's what I haven't been doing outside the gym. Recent bad weather had been keeping me relatively inactive (other than training, and that's just not good enough), and I suspect that's at the root of my problem. The last couple of days I've been stepping up my outdoor activity--walking, etc. It's bound to help.

I completely know where you are coming from.

Sometimes I've gotten caught up in the thought process that no cardio is better for overall gains. I'll stop doing my cardio, and pay for it somehow. Starting last spring and through the summer, I did no "organized" cardio what so ever. I had my blood work done in the fall, and my cholesterol was up. The doc told me that my outsides looked great, but my insides were not as good and to get back onto some scheduled cardio. Within a couple of weeks, I felt an improvement in the gym as well.

Lesson learned. Gotta' train the "whole" body.

[ironwill2008]

I completely know where you are coming from.

Sometimes I've gotten caught up in the thought process that no cardio is better for overall gains. I'll stop doing my cardio, and pay for it somehow. Starting last spring and through the summer, I did no "organized" cardio what so ever. I had my blood work done in the fall, and my cholesterol was up. The doc told me that my outsides looked great, but my insides were not as good and to get back onto some scheduled cardio. Within a couple of weeks, I felt an improvement in the gym as well.

Lesson learned. Gotta' train the "whole" body.

Absolutely true, Steve.

There's a constant undercurrent of opinion in the open forums that somehow CV exercise will limit someone's ability to build muscle mass. And while this is probably true for a guy who runs 5 miles a day every day, 2 or 3 sessions of LISS cardio for 30 minutes a session is a far cry from such an extreme, and will go a long way to making the innards look as good as the outards.

How's a heart attack going to affect someone's ability to build muscle? Or simply being so winded during a set of Squats that a guy has to rack the bar a half-dozen reps away from his legs' ability to lift the weight because he's wheezing so hard he's ready to hurl?

There's more to bodybuilding than just looking good in the mirror, or at least there should be, IMO.

[proud_polack]

There's more to bodybuilding than just looking good in the mirror, or at least there should be, IMO.

This
People have developed strange opinions on bodybuilding stemming from lack of knowledge and it's lead to a close-minded approach to the lifestyle by many. Cardio is very under appreciated. I don't do much since I walk a few miles throughout the day at UNI, but I warm up with 5 minutes of the elliptical on upper body days

[ironwill2008]

People have developed strange opinions on bodybuilding stemming from lack of knowledge and it's lead to a close-minded approach to the lifestyle by many.

That's true. I blame it partly on the lay media's view of the sport, and partly on some bodybuilders themselves. This site is rife with misinformation about the general health aspects of bodybuilding.

[tnthudson]

I am seriously mirin those chins! Good grief, I'd be incredibly happy if I could get your two warm up sets done. It's going to happen this year! My pair of 1.25# Oly plates came in the mail yesterday so maybe I'll shot for:

bw +1.25x5

Great job Bill!

Hahaha, I ordered two 1.25's a few months ago, I was SURPRISED how much we use them (they're helpful on the cable stuff, but I even used them to edge up my seated MP). Guess that's the progression Bill's always admonishing!

[tnthudson]

How's a heart attack going to affect someone's ability to build muscle? Or simply being so winded during a set of Squats that a guy has to rack the bar a half-dozen reps away from his legs' ability to lift the weight because he's wheezing so hard he's ready to hurl?

There's more to bodybuilding than just looking good in the mirror, or at least there should be, IMO.

Big time message for me right there, Bill. I just picked up some good shoes from a local running shop, and I know that spending the money will be motivation to use 'em. Cardio made a big difference in keeping me off teh cholesterol meds a few years ago, and I slacked off last year. Good reminder for all of us.

[ironwill2008]

Hahaha, I ordered two 1.25's a few months ago, I was SURPRISED how much we use them (they're helpful on the cable stuff, but I even used them to edge up my seated MP). Guess that's the progression Bill's always admonishing!

Good deal, Todd. I've said it many times, but it always bears repeating--progress, no matter the size of the increment, is still progress. Small steps add up over time.

Big time message for me right there, Bill. I just picked up some good shoes from a local running shop, and I know that spending the money will be motivation to use 'em. Cardio made a big difference in keeping me off teh cholesterol meds a few years ago, and I slacked off last year. Good reminder for all of us.

It's something we all need to keep in mind.

Being able to step away from a scrip med and all it's side-effects, is (or at least it should be!) a great motivator to do what's necessary to improve our health.

[ironwill2008]

Had a very good session today. Got past my hamstring issue (at least today!) and made progress overall. Today's training was:

Barbell Lunge
bar x5 W/U
bar x5 W/U
95x5
145x3
175x3
195x3
225x3

barbell Row
bar x10 W/U
95x5
135x5
165x5
185x5
220x5

Smith Machine Incline Press
95x10 W/U
135x5
155x5
165x5
175x5
205x5

I completd this session in 65 minutes. I took some extra time warming up on the stationary bike, and did some hamstring stretches before and between every set of Lunges. I could feel my hams today, but got through with no pulls. I'll keep the load the same on these next week, just to make sure my ham problems are "behind" me.

Got my reps-across on Rows, but am at my limit as far as load vs. good form. I will bump them a little next week, moving all the intermediate sets up as well. I don't expect to move the top set much higher than 2 plates for several weeks, and will, instead of moving that one set up, work with heavier ramped sets. For me, form is everything with these, and they will try to get away from me if I go just a hair too heavy.

Just got my reps-across on Inclines, but I still feel I can move them up a bit more and still hit my 5x5, so I'll add a nickel next week and see what I can do with it.

That's all for today. I'm really pleased to have been able to get past the hamstring pulls that have pestered me for the last several weeks. I'll rest tomorrow, and then work to advance Deadlifts, Curls, and Flat Presses on Friday.

Post-Workout eats were a plate of scrambled eggs with a liberal douse of hot sauce, some fried red skin potatoes, a pair of canned biscuits, a bowl of grits with butter, and a glass of milk.

[proud_polack]

Excellent session and food. Lunges are incredibly strong.

Any idea what caused the hamstring problems?

[2nd_chance]

Glad the hamstring is clearing up for you Bill. The lunges always stand out in your log. I think this program will do you really well.

Should be some good playoff games this weekend. I like the matchups and I'm looking for some upsets. Namely, the Packers going down. I'd love to see the Pats get Tebowed but it's improbable.

[storm1507]

Enjoy the rest day Bill.

I'm still skimming through your thread most days, just not posting as much.

[ironwill2008]

Excellent session and food. Lunges are incredibly strong.

Any idea what caused the hamstring problems?

Thanks, Mike. I cook "breakfast" in the evenings fairly frequently, at least a couple of times a week. My wife doesn't eat red meat, so I'm always looking to get a good source of protein in a meal for her. Eggs fills the bill pretty well; she can't always eat chicken or turkey.

I was really happy, and relieved, to get my Lunges in without any problems.

I know exactly why I was pulling my hamstrings; a reduction in training volume with this new routine coupled with my lack of outside-the-gym activity due to crappy weather. I proved that out yesterday by bumping up my warmup and adding some stretches. The weather is not going to get any better here for the next week--freezing rain, high wind, and snow are on the table 'til Sunday or Monday.

Glad the hamstring is clearing up for you Bill. The lunges always stand out in your log. I think this program will do you really well.

Hey, David! Thanks; I'm glad I got it figured out.

So far, I'm having a great time just trying to meet the challenge of bumping up all the basic exercises. I was really getting run down on my old routine and a change was necessary.

Should be some good playoff games this weekend. I like the matchups and I'm looking for some upsets. Namely, the Packers going down. I'd love to see the Pats get Tebowed but it's improbable.

This is THE BEST time of year for football fans; I LOVE the Playoffs! Wanna find out just how good a team really is? Put 'em in a situation where their season is over if they lose.

(sigh)....I have to agree about the Packers; as much as I like Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy, I think the recent tragedy concerning their OC is going to weigh heavily on the team.

No doubt the Broncos are the Cinderella team this year; I too would love to see them take it to the house. It would be a great story! I think that kid (Tebow) has moxie; anyone with the guts to stand up for his beliefs like he does is okay in my book. More power to him.

Enjoy the rest day Bill.

I'm still skimming through your thread most days, just not posting as much.

Hey, Will; I appreciate your support.

According to teh weathermanz, we've (you and I) got a big ol' Winter storm headed our way. Time to batten down the hatches!

[pcaracer]

My favorite evening meal is commonly breakfast type foods. Egg beater scramble with turkey or ham sprinkled with cheddar over a piece of lavash bread. Yum.

My wife Doesent eat much meat as well but loves her eggs.

I see the work continues in here.

[ironwill2008]

My favorite evening meal is commonly breakfast type foods. Egg beater scramble with turkey or ham sprinkled with cheddar over a piece of lavash bread. Yum.

Sounds good to me! Besides the opportunity to get a lot of protein into one meal, 'breakfast-type' meals also provide an opportunity to take in a lot of calories, if that's what's needed at that time. Hard to discount the enjoyment factor of such a meal as well. Like I always say, If you hate your food, you're doing it wrong. Eggs are one protein food that just about everyone likes.

I see the work continues in here.

I'm working to continue to move forward, Jeff.

[emp1acur]

Good deal, Todd. I've said it many times, but it always bears repeating--progress, no matter the size of the increment, is still progress. Small steps add up over time.

The word "progress" is one of those very important things I have learned from visiting your journal. For quite some time I would see you mention quite often to go by your logbook as one of those measures of progress. I confess it took me awhile to start one, because I typically wrote down what I did on a printed spreadsheet, but they'd pile up and eventually I'd toss em out. At the end of the summer, it finally clicked and I bought a book and started writing everything in it.

That was an important decision as I then felt like I was truly tracking progress from workout to workout. Every extra rep and extra pound gives me a clear view, and being able to flip pages to look back while working out really helps put it into perspective. I'm involved in technology for my career, but somehow going to a more manual process in this case just seems to work better for me.

Take care of that hamstring....sounds like you've got it under control.

[ironwill2008]

The word "progress" is one of those very important things I have learned from visiting your journal. For quite some time I would see you mention quite often to go by your logbook as one of those measures of progress. I confess it took me awhile to start one, because I typically wrote down what I did on a printed spreadsheet, but they'd pile up and eventually I'd toss em out. At the end of the summer, it finally clicked and I bought a book and started writing everything in it.

That was an important decision as I then felt like I was truly tracking progress from workout to workout. Every extra rep and extra pound gives me a clear view, and being able to flip pages to look back while working out really helps put it into perspective. I'm involved in technology for my career, but somehow going to a more manual process in this case just seems to work better for me.

Take care of that hamstring....sounds like you've got it under control.

I don't think there's a more important tool for a weight trainee than a simple, hand-written log. It doesn't need to be at all complicated, and can have as much or as little detail as the trainee sees fit to include.

Something, and I'm not exactly sure what it was (maybe just my systematic approach to everything I've ever done), told me to start writing it down from day 1, and that's what I've done. I have every workout for the past 18 years logged in a stack of notebooks. It's proven vastly helpful at times to be able to go back to a routine/exercise/ scheme I used a long time ago to reach a certain goal.



I figured out what was going on with the hams, thanks. Just plain old inactivity will bite you on the butt (literally!) every time!

[mharrislove]

Glad that the hams held during the lunges. Also, good insights shared regarding control of the lift during BB rows and the value of your log books. (I didn't realize that your collection was so extensive!)

[Meatpants]

Glad to see the train continuing down the tracks. I can't decide if your nickname should be Timex, or Duracell.

I have to echo what David said. Good to see you continue on the mend, and the lunges are always a highlight in here.