A Bro's Crucible of Dwarven Engineering: Foundry of Guns & Herculean Inguinaligaments

[Tyciol]

Edit: oh yeah and I tried out BodyBlog but this format seems better for ongoing commentary and updates.

Just thought I should probably get around to making a work-out journal since various people have suggested it, so I guess this gives them a place to consolidate their negging/trolling and various things. This is probably a good habit for charting progress since whenever I write stuff down I usually lose it. Having people to tell me how weak I am and how unbalanced my program is will probably benefit improving it.

Thanks to J19 for reminding me about this place.

I put a lot of thought into the name, it fully represents many things I love and aim for in training, in mysterious ways.

So, to cap it off, I'm actually going to go do a brief workout and then write it:

*3 reps of rot-pulls (this is what I'm going to call the pull ups you do on the rotating handles that go on the perfect pull up bar that begins with pronated and ends with supinated at the top. I begin kneeling on the floor and am just able to reach them with straight arms, pull until the handle touches my chest and go down until kneels come into light contact with ground).

*6 reps of rot-pushes (using a rotating push up handle, feet not knees on ground, only bodyweight)

*20 rep goblet squat with 40lb dumbbell (heaviest I got without going to adjustibles which I don't want to hold sideways over my feet) breathing heavily.

*8 reps australin pull up without handles holding outside of black rubber thing, still not very wide, feel too much in biceps and not enough in back during these pulling moves. I can't touch me chest to bar using handles but without handles I can, so that's why I enjoy it so I know when the rep is over.

*20 knee push ups on flat palms, started out with diamond but switched to normal grip spacing after started to feel elbow pain and had to briefly rest weight on chest before being able to explode up.

*17 reps standing rows (with heels on doorframe like Perfect Online says to), I did it without the handles again, this time with a wider grip because I did not grip the black rubber middle but instead gripped the outside of the swing arms with my pinky actually on the outside of them. Kind of like this I think I could have managed more, but I find I get a weird sensation in the back of my neck when I do this movement so I wussed out. I think it's due to some combination of the traps working to pull the scapula back (or in this case, is it to push the torso up away from the scapula in these supine BW movements?) and the neck flexors working to hold the head up.

Come to think of it, if the upper traps are loading weight onto the head, I guess that would increase the work the front of the neck has to do to keep it from going into extension eh? That must make this all-around a great neck move.

Anyway, I should probably do another set tonight, or maybe go through this again tomorrow. I have the tools here to build an okay upper body at least, and aid in fat loss and stuff. All about regularity. Just typing out what I did between sets (comp next to workout area) made me end up doing more than I remember doing in a long while because I guess it looks empty and I don't want to be asked "is that all you did?" which I expect to get asked anyway, but like, yeah at least I did more than 1 or 2 things and quit this time.

Next time I'll try to remember to throw in some dumbbell stuff like rear delt flies and overhead presses. Plus barbell rows (narrow/heavy + wide/light) and maybe try some pull-overs with one of the 25lb plates I have around.

Should I have thrown in wall push ups at the end? I read in Convict Conditioning they are good to do for high reps as warm-up/finisher (I always forget to warm up, youth) but they seem so easy I sometimes wonder if it's worthwhile.

[-Lucifer]

Learn to pull with your elbows when doing any kind of rowing movement. That will help with the mind-muscle connection (MMC). I wouldn't do wall pushups, since that will become way to easy to perform after a few days.

[Ironlife]

This^^

In on this Tycoil son, your a good man i would have thought. Also u spelt australian wrong

[400Lb Gorilla]

in and subbed

i agree with Lu about pulling with the elbows more for better MMC with the lats. alos what kind of equipment do you have available to you?

[Tyciol]

Learn to pull with your elbows when doing any kind of rowing movement. That will help with the mind-muscle connection (MMC).

Yeah I forgot, easier to focus on this with barbell rows, feels weirder when you do it with BW rows or pull ups since the elbows aren't moving through space.

I wouldn't do wall pushups, since that will become way to easy to perform after a few days.

Lol yeah will just keep in mind for when I injure my pec/triceps. For an easier "finishing" exercise not sure what else to do, I guess overhead extensions. I did buy a super-EZ bar I could use for that.

u spelt australian wrong

=/

i agree with Lu about pulling with the elbows more for better MMC with the lats.

Will keep in mind for my elbows-in rows I guess.

what kind of equipment do you have available to you?

Dumbbell pairs: 1/1.5/2/2.5/3/4/5/7/8/10/15/20/25/30/35/40. I have adjustibles to make heavier ones though I have to share them with barbell-type things too so figure should focus on that for heavier stuff. No bench unfortunately.

5ft barbell is 3-piece wal-mart thing, actual gripping surface is only ~35 inches long though, which means inside of hands are probably 2 feet apart. This seems adequate for doing bent over wide grip rear delt rows with, I try to push my hands right against the plates, they actually tend to slip inward as I row, I'm not sure if that means my elbow muscles are taking over, probably. It's short enough though that I can actually grab the plates (using 10lbs as the biggest and loading lighter ones on the outside) and row that way with a neutral grip by fully supinating the forearm, it feels kinda weird but does mean I don't have to worry about my hands sliding together (though the plates do bend in a bit since you can't spin-lock very tightly) and it makes picking it up easier with these small plates since less bending over. Course it also means I have to keep my knees straighter because I need more space otherwise it'll hit the ground at the bottom of the rep.

Also have this very short barbell thing which is almost like a long dumbbell. The gripping surface is only 15 inches, can barely fit hands in to do a close-grip curl. Sometimes I clean it and try to front squat it but it's so short the plates actually hit my delts and I can't rest it on them. What I end up doing with this is, I have 35lb plates on it (heaviest you can get at Canadian Tire, 1inch, I don't have any 2inch plates) and they are the kind that have hole handles in them, so I actually grab those and do close-grip rows with a neutral/hammer grip. I think this might help in keeping the elbows in, sort of like doing a supinated row but probably easier on the biceps or something.

This actually makes it a lot like using a cambered bar, probably keeps the forearm more vertical or something since it's be hard on the wrist and more leverage on the elbow muscles if you were not. So anyway yeah I am not sure how many reps with 70lb row I should do until adding more. I guess the problem is I think my form is never good enough because I'm not bending over enough and should focus on that. I really should get a camera, then I can worry about that afterward.

There's also the Super-EZ thing that looks like this:


Um lesse, I also bought a pair of 6lb medicine ball-ish things and 2 12lb body bars because I did not have dumbbells which were at those weights.

Oh and I have a back extension type thing (called Dex II) and an inversion table which I should remember to do situps on...


Pull ups was doing on this guy:

(I hang on ab straps sometimes, should do more ab work I guess) When arm swings out you can do these:

[-Lucifer]

your a good man i would have thought. Also u spelt australian wrong

your

For an easier "finishing" exercise not sure what else to do

Do some star jumps. It'll act as a cardio/conditioning workout.

[Tyciol]

Oh, meant for chest/tris. Jumps are good, oh yeah forgot to add to list answer to Gorilla but I have some jump ropes I could try outside too.

[PeterGibbons316]

Subbed.

[PeterGibbons316]

Just got a chance to read through this now.....

I had to look up what an inguinal ligament was, and now that I know I tend to think you are just that much weirder for putting it in your journal title. Still, I like the title.

So what are your goals exactly? And are you following a set routine or schedule?

[-Lucifer]

So that's it? You're done? You post one workout, get your rep power up and then decide to bail on your journal?

[PeterGibbons316]

No kidding. Tyciol did you even sub your own journal???

[Tyciol]

Oh yeah but I forgot to do e-mail notify. Will try to remember Was trying to avoid nets and focus on more IRL things a bit, might be paying off.

Today I checked out a health club and tried out some of the machines there (weighted crunch and triceps, lateral raise, seated row, assisted pullup, lat pulldown, rear delt fly). I was in a rush and messing around so I didn't write anything down. It was a really nice feeling to do those things though. You get a surprising ab contraction on those triceps machines, probably like with a pressdown. I got 2 passes for return visits though they have an expiry so I should use them fast.

This one in particular is too far away for regularity (but has fun variety) so I'm going to try and grab some free visits at clubs closer by.

Also I did some interviews and might actually be able to afford a gym membership, plus if I get it it involves a lot of labour and walking so this should help in dropping the fat so I'm going to hit the pull ups hard so I hope I can maintain strength and get the reps up high. That way if I decide to hold off, I'll be in a decent range for using my dumbbells/plates to do weighted pull ups. The PPU is supposed to have a 300lb weight limit and I plan to get under 200 (I don't have enough muscle to be that weight while decently lean) and working up to 100lbs of added weight (I don't even know how to tether that much to myself) while training in a 10-20 rep range is going to take a while.

I feel bad for not recording anything when I tried out that gym so I'll do a little bit before bed. Kinda pooped as I've been scooping and deadlifting 60lb dog off the ground repetetively all day. Actually fell asleep during Christian's match with JoMo. But that's an excuse! So pyramid-ish time...

WARMUP 1
*Wall push up x 25
*Standing row x 25 (eugh even though I used a narrower grip, I used handles this time which made me less upright, was basically reaching failure at these reps, way more than warmup, clearly need to work on back endurance more)
(it is good to wear slippers while you do these as well as the australian pulls, frame is less rough on your feet and better traction to avoid sliding on carpet)
*Front Squats x 20 with 20lbs, felt rough on knees, perhaps due to using full depth or bad tracking

WARM 2
*More squats x 20 with 40lbs (2 20 hexs pushing together in front), remembering to push knees out, felt glutes working more, cracking shifted from knees to hips, prefer this
I feel some lactate in legs but the soreness is mostly in my lower back from doing this... heart is beating heavily and I was panting, and was breathing deeply while doing, not holding breathe, so I think this means work was done
*Knee push ups x10. Had to stop due to triceps fatigue, I guess that's good since more interested in growing them than chest ATM. Doing the close crip and not worrying about vertical forearms and making it skullcrusher-ish seems good for this. Though maybe I should worry about stuff like that after I get good at basics.
*10 reps almost-Australian pull up sans handles this time since I'm worried I won't pull high enough and want to touch chest to bar. Was not totally supine but much closer to Aus form than standing form, I stopped short to avoid swing arm hitting door. Pulled explosively so I could use momentum to touch the bar because I seemed to stall about an inch before touching it, which pissed me off.

Knees are kinda twinging now, I think I should have gone slower on the squats, was lazy and did eccentric too fast for fear of not completing decent reps. I think I was bouncing a bit. Patellar ligament/tendon is going to punish me for this I think. I think I could use a good night's sleep, will eat a bit of whey before bed. I want to do some bent-over row variations tomorrow if my erectors are feeling okay.

I guess that means I didn't get up to a working set Still I guess endurance-ish stuff if I can improve on it would be good for conditioning/recovery ability and fat loss. I think if I can hit the gym machines to build pull-up type endurance and get up to doing it decent reps with BW, it will become a passion.

[PeterGibbons316]

Do you have any specific goals? Drop to X% BF? Bulk to Y weight? Deadlift 2xBW? Do 20/30/40 continuous pullups?

If you can formulate some concrete goals and actually put them on paper (or in your journal here) it will go a long way toward keeping you motivated and for others to help you reach them.

[Tyciol]

I don't have an easy way of measuring bodyfat so putting a number goal doesn't make sense for me at the moment, not even sure where I am now. I'd like to lose or maintain weight to be honest, I've got a bunch of useless fat to drop. Heavy deadlifting is something I'd like to do some day but I either need a gym to train at or some sturdier equipment to do that lift. 40 continuous pull ups would rock, I'd have to be lighter or have a much stronger enduring back to do that and I have a bar so equipment isn't a problem. Making the pull up a central thing to build everything else around is really tempting.

That and I want to be able to do the entire stack some day on every rear delt fly (reverse pec deck) that I come across because the upper back area is the coolest muscle place I ever saw.

[-Lucifer]

This is for when you get stronger.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...09-mcd02.hydra

I want to be able to do the entire stack some day on every rear delt fly (reverse pec deck) that I come across because the upper back area is the coolest muscle place I ever saw.

LMAO!

[PeterGibbons316]

I'd like to lose or maintain weight to be honest, I've got a bunch of useless fat to drop.

This is more about your diet than anything. You checked out the nutrition forum? This is a good thread: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

Heavy deadlifting is something I'd like to do some day but I either need a gym to train at or some sturdier equipment to do that lift.

Sweet. Do you have a barbell and some plates? The deadlift is one of the easiest lifts to do from home. You can get a 300 lb. set for less than $200 which would keep you busy for a couple months probably..... http://www.google.com/products/catal...=0CJUBEPMCMAY#

40 continuous pull ups would rock, I'd have to be lighter or have a much stronger enduring back to do that and I have a bar so equipment isn't a problem. Making the pull up a central thing to build everything else around is really tempting.

I love pullups myself, there is a good program in my sig that you could follow. It only takes 15 miuntes/day 3 days/weeks, and you could do it outside of some other routine if you choose.

That and I want to be able to do the entire stack some day on every rear delt fly (reverse pec deck) that I come across because the upper back area is the coolest muscle place I ever saw.

Good luck with this one. Nevertheless, find a gym that has the equipment and start using it regularly.

Have you considered following a beginner routine. This thread has some good recommendations.....

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=115643271

[jason1903]

Subbed and in on first page.

This might be what you need to finally make some progress. Now if you feel like pussing out you know you will be held accountable. Also, lol at you putting the "red" thread in your sig. Repped.

[Tyciol]

Tried some pull ups again, seem to stall on 3rd rep, so maybe I should do many sets of 2 throughout the day? No idea how much time should rest between them.

This is more about your diet than anything. You checked out the nutrition forum? This is a good thread: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

I don't eat an excessive amount, I think it's mostly inactivity. 2 hours of walking a day + labouring 7-8ish is bound to reduce some calories, plus I'm only going to drink water or maybe bring an apple and maybe if I can find someone who sells protein pills to eat.

Sweet. Do you have a barbell and some plates? The deadlift is one of the easiest lifts to do from home. You can get a 300 lb. set for less than $200 which would keep you busy for a couple months probably..... http://www.google.com/products/catal...=0CJUBEPMCMAY#

I do but it's a flimsy one with 1-inch ends. This is something I'd rather practice at a gym.

[-Lucifer]

I don't eat an excessive amount, I think it's mostly inactivity. 2 hours of walking a day + labouring 7-8ish is bound to reduce some calories, plus I'm only going to drink water or maybe bring an apple and maybe if I can find someone who sells protein pills to eat.

Carry a steak or chicken sandwich with you. Do you have a job or are you still a full-time student?

[Tyciol]

I work full time atm and do part time schooling, should probably update that. Course, I only seem to be able to briefly hold down temp jobs before screwing up, so maybe will have more free time. I guess the plus is even if it thieves sleep and wrecks posture, being able to afford gym once I use up these free membership try-out weeks would be good.

I haven't done much lately but am planning to go to gym again sat or sun. I also bought a double chocolate whey from Wal-mart that came with a skull cap (it was the last one) and the new triple chocolate whey that comes with a t-shirt.

Gonna burn some muscle!

Edit: so I did end up going to the gym today, did a lot of work on the rear delt machine, triceps pushdowns, seated rows (I found lowering the seat made the elbows go up higher and better for rear delts) and tried out a massage chair and did counterweight assisted dips and pull ups with neutral grip. Definitely have to be careful if you get too much assistance though because when I pulled my traps into the parallel bars the stack kinda smacked down and don't want to be a nuisance like that.

I did a weight stack selectorized seated leg press, really felt it in my glutes. I guess that's good.

I'd really like regular access to these things, didn't bother writing numbers down since it was my last chance to try out that location. On to try some more in the following weeks. These tastes will educate and motivate me to work more, though I'd like to get something better than this min wage nonsense.

[-Lucifer]

So did you lift after the 6th?

[PeterGibbons316]

*crickets*

[jason1903]

Less research, more lifting.

[Tyciol]

Oh... yeah I did I just didn't write it down, which of course means record-keeping is fail. Hm... let's see *goes off*... (thanks for reminder PG)

2 pullups, froze halfway up during 3rd rep's concentric, held there for a few seconds, couldn't get higher, strength giving out, slow eccentric down.

40lbs rear delt bent-over barbell row with 1 second pause at top, 2 second lowering. 12 reps.
Drop to 35. 9 reps. Feel hands sliding together, can't hold bar at chest level anymore.
Drop to 30. 10 reps, was able to hold at chest briefly during initial reps.
Drop to 25. Got sick of pausing so just did a bunch of higher-speed reps, kind of a fast eccentric but did pause with locked arms at bottom. 25 reps.
The rest between sets is what it took to walk 8ft or so to come type this up and back.
Heart beating fast, just realized I'm probably not breathing properly during these, maybe holding breath while doing BoRs helps spine stability?
Can feel in back and also biceps.
Drop to 20, just the 10lb plates and bar now (I don't count that). 31 reps.

Thinking I should attach some metal plates under spin collars for next time (was stripping sand plates).
Also trying to think of how I could combine this with standing dumbbell rows (both sides at the same time).
*I have up to 40, probably better RoM but can't think how to tell when it's high enough or keep elbows wide enough.
I think I can feel my entire traps. Though I may be confusing lower trap with erector spinae. Hard to tell diff ATM.
Also trying to think of how to combine with bent-over flies and some yates-ish row with 35lb plate pair I have on tiny bar for hammer grip narrow.

Remembered to balance out with push: Push ups (plank) 9 (knees) 9. I should probably do some overhead pressing with DBs too.

I feel like jell-o, sweating. Back to watching anime about killing people with bread for now. I want to buy a high bench to see how I do on chest-supported rows.

[PeterGibbons316]

The fact that you were able to get 12 reps with 40 lbs, then 9 reps with 35, and 10 with 30 indicates that something is a little off with your rest periods.

You lifting again tomorrow? What are you going to do?

Keep working on those pullups man. If you can do them every other day just like you did today you will be banging out 10 and then 20 reps in no time!

[-Lucifer]

I want to buy a high bench to see how I do on chest-supported rows.

No. Buy more weights and stick to the basics (squat, bench, deadlift, press, row, chinup & dip).

[Tyciol]

The fact that you were able to get 12 reps with 40 lbs, then 9 reps with 35, and 10 with 30 indicates that something is a little off with your rest periods.

You're right, rambling is probably an excuse to rest longer That and am probably wussing out prematurely when there's more reps I could do.

You lifting again tomorrow? What are you going to do?

Maybe the same stuff, I should throw in some squats just to expend energy though to help with weight loss and stuff, burning some fat off is probably going to get me to doing more pull ups faster than throwing out 1-2 rep sets is.

Keep working on those pullups man. If you can do them every other day just like you did today you will be banging out 10 and then 20 reps in no time!

I think you're right, I'm not pushing hard enough regularly enough.

No. Buy more weights and stick to the basics (squat, bench, deadlift, press, row, chinup & dip).

I think maybe after I can't row a weight I will try to clean it and do high rep front squats with it. I don't have a squat rack so can't figure out any way to do a back squat. The bar I have is too flimsy to hold really big weights and I don't have any training in cleaning so I doubt I could safely get decent ones up there anyway. I guess working on reverse curls and shrugs and stiff-legged deadlifts could help build clean strength though. Bench will have to wait until I get a proper bench. That will add rowing options too, but I have no reasons not to row, the bent variations can sub for not having a deadlift station set p too (I'd at least like to get rubber plates to protect the floor, home deadlifting seems expensive). Been thinking of getting something like dip handles + cap chair. I know these come with pull up too called 'power tower' but those are too high, I have low ceiling so need to have dip/pullup stuff separate.
But I'm pissed because something like that's like 300, it's too ridiculous so just thinking of buying PVC and making my own dip bar and leave the cap chair a dream for later.

It's really confusing why that is more expensive than the power towers that come with the pull bar, I guess higher quality, wish there was a low-qual version of just the chair/grips.

Anyway I want to stay awake to watch Jersey Shore so exercise is a good way to do this. Going to try to push harder in each weight and not use drop set as excuse to wuss out.

back warmup with 25lbs on bar, 15 reps wide then 15 more narrow. PPU time.. and the 2nd rep stalls. At this point, I'm thinking I'm going to start training elbow curls for biceps/brachialis or something, because I don't feel tired in my lats at all, and sick of them holding me back. Let me try it without these distracting handles and use a narrow supine ('chin up' as people call it) grip. Except when I don't use the handles my head hits the ceiling just as my chin gets over bar. Kind of have to jut it forward a but since it's a tiny strip of air before top of door...

This is actually how I learned to do it to begin with, I should just get good at this again before I use prone grip or rotating handles and stuff. I'll switch to that later when reps are decent. Stupid handles have been making this move too complicated. New plan: do a series of rage-singles the rest of the and get piss. Rows some other day. Will squat a bit to pass time and expel weight via CO2 exhale while waiting for arm recharge.

[-Lucifer]

Dude, the Captain's chair is exactly what I use to perform the squat, bench press and OH press. I end up wasting more energy because I have to squat down pretty low to rack the bar, but it's worth it. To learn the clean, just clean. Forget about shrugs and SLDLs. Check out the Oly forum for videos/tips.

[Tyciol]

Damn, I didn't even think of using it to rack a barbell on. I think if I did that I'd put some pieces of wood on it or something just so it doesn't indent the leather. Now it's more appealing if it's a squat accessory. SLDL is something I want to remember to do mostly for hamstring flexibility and strength, need to do more of that.

Anyway I did several pull ups last night as I watched Snooki become a lesbian. Didn't count because I was tired. Doing some more today as I wait for Young Justice and Smackdown to come on. Oh and I forgot to mention, I vomited after the Sept 7 row drop sets. It was kind of hilarious. I had eaten a cob of corn so it's not like anything of value was lost. When I am going to force myself to do a lot of reps, I need to strip down to a wifebeater or maybe go shirtless to help dissapate the heat. I was wearing a long-sleeved thick shirt for some reason so I think that was part of the problem. Plus should exercise before eating, not after.

So just water is good, since mouth seems to get dry.

I find even though I might fail to be able to pull up when I have done the eccentric portion and am stretch at the bottom, if I let go and stand up, I can still do a partial concentric rep. When I stand under the bar my elbows are at about chin level, so I think it still involves over 50% of the RoM. I still do full RoM for the eccentric portion though. For just holding the bar, the top of the rep is just around when the chin touches the bottom of it because head hits ceiling. Will be able to do a more full RoM when I get the handles, but when I use them I can't actually get a full stretch on the bottom while just bending knees because knees touch floor, so in that case I have to bend at the hip too to keep the legs from touching. To build ab/hip flexor endurance for this I am also using my ab straps. Also I think hanging from the ab straps might be an isometric workout in the mid-range for the lats or something, so I really should do this more especially after grip/biceps give out for the sup-ups. Maybe if the lats get stronger that way I'll use them more in general.

[jason1903]

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