Ironwill2008 V3.0

[Marius_Ursus]

I think that for those who at least took the time and effort to join this site and post a thread----for non-trolls anyway; and they're easy to sniff out----it might not be excuses, but rather just not having any idea of how consistently hard one must work while sticking to a proper nutrition plan, in order to build muscle/strength. Just the other day, a guy posting in the O35 about his lack of progress stated he'd been training for 3 years, and said he worked harder than most others he saw in his gym, yet when asked about his lifts, he was only Squatting a plate, and Deadlifting not much more than that. After three years.

And the threads by noobs who state they eat "clean," or who post a menu when asked about their calorie/macro intake are seen almost by the minute. There's just a general lack of understanding of what's required to build a decent physique, and this is brought on by a vast number of reasons, from TV knuckleads to youtube idiots, to morons posting right here on this site---a few who are regulars in the O35 who couldn't find their own ass with both hands in the dark. Most beginners show up here already having been bombarded with the idea they can build muscle by jumping around in their living room with a pair of pink dumbbells "only 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week," and buying a jug of some goofy pills or powder for $69.95/month----automatic order renew, of course.


It's very difficult to try to persuade most of these people that their preconceived notions are totally wrong; that puts lots of beginners off, but the truth is the truth. There is the occasional beginner posting here who takes good advice, applies it religiously, and then gets it figured out, but that guy is few and far between. Mostly, such posters never return after that first thread.

I know what you're saying. There are some people who are impatient and have no idea how important consistency over an extended period is to go along with putting in greater and greater effort. It's like those folks on the obesity TV shows who say, "We've tried everything, and nothing works."

That can't be true. Maybe they try something for a day or two or maybe even a week...

I had the problem of not knowing when I started, too. I bought my first bench and had no idea about squatting and deadlifting. After a month of doing endless bench press and biceps curls and leg extensions with about 95 pounds (the extent of my plates), I thought I must be missing something, so I started reading magazines, then books...learned about progressive load, joined a gym and asked the biggest guy in there how he got so strong. He filled me in on the basics of "big" movements, and that was all she wrote.

So true. A lot of people, beginner especially, just don't realize factors like a.) they're eating too little, or b.) they're eating too much, or c.) they aren't training hard or consistent enough etc etc. People tend to really believe that they are doing things right, and rather than research more and try different things, they'll spin their wheels doing the same things day in and day out without success until finally they give up.

That's exactly what my problem was.

[ironwill2008]

So true. A lot of people, beginner especially, just don't realize factors like a.) they're eating too little, or b.) they're eating too much, or c.) they aren't training hard or consistent enough etc etc. People tend to really believe that they are doing things right, and rather than research more and try different things, they'll spin their wheels doing the same things day in and day out without success until finally they give up.

I find an interesting dichotomy among the teen beginner posters and O35 beginners. The kids want to go WAY overboard in their training, many of them posting 'critique my routine' threads having them lifting weights 6 and sometimes 7 days a week; some want to do that and train twice a day. Their nutrition ideas are usually skewed to an extreme, one way or the other, with them either listing huge amounts of calories and supplements, or else starving themselves in an effort to get "abs."


The majority of O35 noobs seem to go the other way, listing routines that don't have leg exercises or Deadlifts, and very few other compound lifts. Most list their nutrition as little more than "I try to eat clean," or they post a menu, or that they limit one or two specific food items thinking that's all that's required. And while building muscle and strength or losing body fat isn't exactly rocket science, at least some measure of detail and accuracy is required.

I know what you're saying. There are some people who are impatient and have no idea how important consistency over an extended period is to go along with putting in greater and greater effort. It's like those folks on the obesity TV shows who say, "We've tried everything, and nothing works."

That can't be true. Maybe they try something for a day or two or maybe even a week...

Consistency is, by far, the most important factor in making significant change in one's body composition/physique. EVERYTHING branches off of consistency.

The 'losing fat' forum (easily the worst forum on this site, based on beginners' preconceived notions of what is required of them to make change) sees that sentiment ("I've tried everything!) posted almost by the minute. And invariably, the problem of those posters is just as you said; they can't muster the discipline to stick with anything for more than a week. And these people almost always want to know which diet 'pill' they need to buy.

I moderate that forum (among others), but some days I have to just force myself to go in there; it's that bad. And I mostly blame mass media for all the nonsense that beginners are burdened with when they post.



Kid just posted in there that he's 'cutting' by eating only 1000 calories a day, and there will be at least a half-dozen more posts just like that one in an hour or two. I weep for the future of humanity.

I had the problem of not knowing when I started, too. I bought my first bench and had no idea about squatting and deadlifting. After a month of doing endless bench press and biceps curls and leg extensions with about 95 pounds (the extent of my plates), I thought I must be missing something, so I started reading magazines, then books...learned about progressive load, joined a gym and asked the biggest guy in there how he got so strong. He filled me in on the basics of "big" movements, and that was all she wrote.

We had parallel paths as beginners. With no internet (maybe not such a bad thing, now that I think about it for a few seconds), I was forced to do my initial research in the public library, and then the muscle mags. The magazines at least made me realize I needed to join a gym with a squat rack, but they also got me into spending vast amounts of $$$ on what I eventually came to realize were pretty much worthless supplements. If I hadn't joined a gym owned by my future mentor (a younger amateur bodybuilder who also held a degree in kinesiology), I'm not sure where I would have ended up. Not very likely I'd still be training today nor posting in this journal.

[Jammer02xd]

So true. A lot of people, beginner especially, just don't realize factors like a.) they're eating too little, or b.) they're eating too much, or c.) they aren't training hard or consistent enough etc etc. People tend to really believe that they are doing things right, and rather than research more and try different things, they'll spin their wheels doing the same things day in and day out without success until finally they give up.

Consistency is, by far, the most important factor in making significant change in one's body composition/physique. EVERYTHING branches off of consistency.

The 'losing fat' forum (easily the worst forum on this site, based on beginners' preconceived notions of what is required of them to make change) sees that sentiment ("I've tried everything!) posted almost by the minute. And invariably, the problem of those posters is just as you said; they can't muster the discipline to stick with anything for more than a week. And these people almost always want to know which diet 'pill' they need to buy.

Kid just posted in there that he's 'cutting' by eating only 1000 calories a day, and there will be at least a half-dozen more posts just like that one in an hour or two. I weep for the future of humanity.

I saw that post and quickly reported it. I'd be lying if I didn't say I've ever cut on something so extreme since I did the PSMF diet but at least I've had some time to learn what my body handles and reacts to different things before doing it, and I only did it for 10days as prescribed in the book.

I believe as you said that there's just too much crap out there and people have just been brain washed into thinking they need a magic pill or something special to lose weight. I'm part of a fitness enthusiast group on FB and used to regularly try to help people by telling them the truth they don't want to hear. Most of the people there believe that eating clean is magical and as long as you do that you should be losing weight, and as soon as I started pointing out flawed logic I start getting called a troll. Same with people and their body fat assumptions... had one guy legitimately arguing with me that he was 10% bf when he had no semblance of abdominal....

But I digress, I wish there was a way to better educate people.

[BenBlue]

I find an interesting dichotomy among the teen beginner posters and O35 beginners. The kids want to go WAY overboard in their training, many of them posting 'critique my routine' threads having them lifting weights 6 and sometimes 7 days a week; some want to do that and train twice a day. Their nutrition ideas are usually skewed to an extreme, one way or the other, with them either listing huge amounts of calories and supplements, or else starving themselves in an effort to get "abs."


The majority of O35 noobs seem to go the other way, listing routines that don't have leg exercises or Deadlifts, and very few other compound lifts. Most list their nutrition as little more than "I try to eat clean," or they post a menu, or that they limit one or two specific food items thinking that's all that's required. And while building muscle and strength or losing body fat isn't exactly rocket science, at least some measure of detail and accuracy is required.

Very true, and I can say that bc I was once one of those guys. I was doing things all wrong for a while. No steady nutrition and wrong ideas of what I should or shouldn't be eating, I over trained big time but never trained the big 3; was in the gym 7 days a week doing 1-1.5 hour lifting sessions with 30-60 minutes of steady state cardio after every session. While my heart and lungs were in great shape, I struggled so much with body composition. Never made the muscular gains I wanted and never saw the fat loss I wanted. Knees were always in pain from all the running. I had zero focus and even less knowledge. It wasn't till I started joining online communities and using the internet to research that I finally got it together, and i'll never look back.

[BenBlue]

I saw that post and quickly reported it. I'd be lying if I didn't say I've ever cut on something so extreme since I did the PSMF diet but at least I've had some time to learn what my body handles and reacts to different things before doing it, and I only did it for 10days as prescribed in the book.

I believe as you said that there's just too much crap out there and people have just been brain washed into thinking they need a magic pill or something special to lose weight. I'm part of a fitness enthusiast group on FB and used to regularly try to help people by telling them the truth they don't want to hear. Most of the people there believe that eating clean is magical and as long as you do that you should be losing weight, and as soon as I started pointing out flawed logic I start getting called a troll. Same with people and their body fat assumptions... had one guy legitimately arguing with me that he was 10% bf when he had no semblance of abdominal....

But I digress, I wish there was a way to better educate people.

Good that your reported that, hopefully the kid get's some solid advice. That's scary stuff.

[Payton1221]

Consistency is, by far, the most important factor in making significant change in one's body composition/physique. EVERYTHING branches off of consistency.

Well said. I liked a response that you sent to one recent poster whose goal was to QUICKLY get to ___ lbs and 10% BF and you indicated a better goal would be to make sure that he's still lifting (consistency!) one year from now.

[Marius_Ursus]

But I digress, I wish there was a way to better educate people.

There is the primary problem with the human condition. The teacher can only show you the door. You have to be the one to walk through it.

If you had the most effective, 100% guaranteed way to get it into someone's head the proper way to train and eat, the comforting lie they tell themselves will still win.

[Jammer02xd]

There is the primary problem with the human condition. The teacher can only show you the door. You have to be the one to walk through it.

If you had the most effective, 100% guaranteed way to get it into someone's head the proper way to train and eat, the comforting lie they tell themselves will still win.

True, goes back to that old adage about fishing:

"give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". If people learn to seek out their own knowledge it will go further than someone giving it to them.

[ironwill2008]

I saw that post and quickly reported it. I'd be lying if I didn't say I've ever cut on something so extreme since I did the PSMF diet but at least I've had some time to learn what my body handles and reacts to different things before doing it, and I only did it for 10days as prescribed in the book.

That's the thing though, at least on this site; experienced vs. beginners who are clueless. I see you posting frequently in the 'lf' forum, so I know you see the same stuff in there that I do---mostly skinny kids asking how to lose fat (that they don't have) or how to "get abs." Most don't know nor care about the pitfalls of eating disorders or just limiting their normal physical development by restricted calorie intake. The other side of that coin is overweight noobs who think the path to a decent physique is to "eat clean," or some other vague scheme.

I believe as you said that there's just too much crap out there and people have just been brain washed into thinking they need a magic pill or something special to lose weight. I'm part of a fitness enthusiast group on FB and used to regularly try to help people by telling them the truth they don't want to hear. Most of the people there believe that eating clean is magical and as long as you do that you should be losing weight, and as soon as I started pointing out flawed logic I start getting called a troll. Same with people and their body fat assumptions... had one guy legitimately arguing with me that he was 10% bf when he had no semblance of abdominal....

Mass media has done a very thorough job of misinforming the public concerning nutrition and exercise. Nonsense and outright scams are seen everywhere, and couple those with peoples' now-skewed idea of what they "should" look like, and you have a recipe for disappointment and exploitation. And even this site isn't without issue; some of the worst broscience about muscle gain/fat loss can be found right on bbdotcom's 'front page' section. Some of the stuff I see there makes me smh.........

One of the former Admins here and I had some discussion about this a few years ago, before I became a moderator; it didn't prove fruitful in making any changes.

But I digress, I wish there was a way to better educate people.

I share your frustration, but for myself, I figured out a long time ago that 99% of those who actually ask for advice aren't going to take it; they, as you mention, only want affirmation of what they think they already know. There's nothing you nor I can do about that other than to simply continue to post what we know to be the truth and what we know by not only science but also RL experience to be what actually works.


Past that, it's on them to take the advice or not.

Very true, and I can say that bc I was once one of those guys. I was doing things all wrong for a while. No steady nutrition and wrong ideas of what I should or shouldn't be eating, I over trained big time but never trained the big 3; was in the gym 7 days a week doing 1-1.5 hour lifting sessions with 30-60 minutes of steady state cardio after every session. While my heart and lungs were in great shape, I struggled so much with body composition. Never made the muscular gains I wanted and never saw the fat loss I wanted. Knees were always in pain from all the running. I had zero focus and even less knowledge. It wasn't till I started joining online communities and using the internet to research that I finally got it together, and i'll never look back.

My early mistakes were mostly in the nutrition end of things as well; I started training in '93, right at the height of mass media's touting of "low fat-" everything. Knowing nothing, I followed that mantra for my first 10 months, banishing every gram of fat from my foods that I could. Needless to say, that didn't go well, especially when coupled with my first "routine" that I cobbled together from library books and muscle mags which included 45+ sets of mostly upper-body stuff, done 6---and often 7---days a week. I fairly quickly ground my 130-pound frame into dust. How I ever managed to gain 10 pounds of muscle that first year was a miracle.


I didn't actually come to realize just how fortunate I was in finding a RL mentor after my first year of "training" (fumbling around in the dark)until I joined this website and started reading about other beginners' issues with trying to find the right path.

Well said. I liked a response that you sent to one recent poster whose goal was to QUICKLY get to ___ lbs and 10% BF and you indicated a better goal would be to make sure that he's still lifting (consistency!) one year from now.

Mostly, the youngsters want everything RIGHT NOW; a 17-year-old kid doesn't have much of a concept of the 'future,' and he's not interested in hearing about taking a moderate approach, concentrating on progression, and eating to see a moderate change in his body weight each month. You know as well as I about the attrition rate among beginners of all ages---over 90% will quit within the first month, and many of those are gone after just a week.

There is the primary problem with the human condition. The teacher can only show you the door. You have to be the one to walk through it.

If you had the most effective, 100% guaranteed way to get it into someone's head the proper way to train and eat, the comforting lie they tell themselves will still win.

QFT. It's unfortunate, but it's the way it is.

[Jammer02xd]

That's the thing though, at least on this site; experienced vs. beginners who are clueless. I see you posting frequently in the 'lf' forum, so I know you see the same stuff in there that I do---mostly skinny kids asking how to lose fat (that they don't have) or how to "get abs." Most don't know nor care about the pitfalls of eating disorders or just limiting their normal physical development by restricted calorie intake. The other side of that coin is overweight noobs who think the path to a decent physique is to "eat clean," or some other vague scheme.

The bolded drives me absolutely nuts to see, and I see it daily in the FB group. There is no eating "clean" or eating "dirty" but there is certainly a right and a wrong way to eat for your goals. People there get frustrated that they can't lose weight because they are eating chicken/brown rice for every meal.... well guess what? You can still be overeating!

[ironwill2008]

The bolded drives me absolutely nuts to see, and I see it daily in the FB group. There is no eating "clean" or eating "dirty" but there is certainly a right and a wrong way to eat for your goals. People there get frustrated that they can't lose weight because they are eating chicken/brown rice for every meal.... well guess what? You can still be overeating!

Apparently, there is some alternate universe where chicken, rice, and brocc o l i have zero calories when consumed together.

It's really easy for a beginner (and for some more-experienced trainees who should know better) to get hung up on the 'names' of foods rather than their calorie/macro/micro content. A cheeseburger or pizza are usually tops on the list of vilified foods, but if you break each down into their component parts, and place those individual ingredients on a plate, you'd call it a balanced meal.

[BenBlue]

My early mistakes were mostly in the nutrition end of things as well; I started training in '93, right at the height of mass media's touting of "low fat-" everything. Knowing nothing, I followed that mantra for my first 10 months, banishing every gram of fat from my foods that I could. Needless to say, that didn't go well, especially when coupled with my first "routine" that I cobbled together from library books and muscle mags which included 45+ sets of mostly upper-body stuff, done 6---and often 7---days a week. I fairly quickly ground my 130-pound frame into dust. How I ever managed to gain 10 pounds of muscle that first year was a miracle.

Early 90's were a BAD time for nutrition knowledge, that's for sure

[Jammer02xd]

Apparently, there is some alternate universe where chicken, rice, and brocc o l i have zero calories when consumed together.

It's really easy for a beginner (and for some more-experienced trainees who should know better) to get hung up on the 'names' of foods rather than their calorie/macro/micro content. A cheeseburger or pizza are usually tops on the list of vilified foods, but if you break each down into their component parts, and place those individual ingredients on a plate, you'd call it a balanced meal.

Just as an aside, why is broc**** a cuss word here? Any idea?

Some people are just mind blown that I can eat pizza/bacon cheeseburgers and still lose weight. I've been told that I'm lucky that I have a fast metabolism. No.... I track what I eat and if I'm going to eat stuff like that I give myself an allowance for it so I don't go over my calories. It's that simple. Hell, my dinner the other night after the gym was a double turkey cheese burger with two slices of bacon. Didn't exceed 1,700 calories for the day either!

[ironwill2008]

My Friday closeout session went well; I was able to eke out an extra rep on bicpez, and held my own on the other two lifts. Today's training was:

Romanian Deadlift
bar x10 W/U
bar x10 W/U
95x5 W/U
135x3
185x3
225x3
275x3
350x2 heh-vee

EZ Bar Curl
45x10 W/U
90x10
90x10
90x9

Dip
bw +50x8
bw +50x8
bw +50x8

Worked my way through in an hour on the nose. RDLs felt like a ton today, so I was happy just to have been able to meet my previous double on the top set. My 365 goal still seems like a mile away, but I'll keep grinding.

Added a solid rep to Curls; don't know where that came from (I'm pretty much at limit on this lift), but I'll take it. I'm interested to see if I can keep it next week.

And again, my wrist/hand issues remained relatively silent today, allowing me to get my 3x8 at the Dip bars.

That's about it. I'm looking forward to the next two days of rest; besides my training, I've been very busy working to knock down a long list of projects around the house and in the garage. I'll get back to that list, and the gym on Monday with front Squats, leg Presses, Chins, and Seated Presses.

Post WorkOut meal was a feast of broiled chicken, store-bought fresh 3-cheese tortellini with homemade marinara, not one but two salads---spinach and slivered almond and a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella and fresh-from-the-garden basil. A glass of cold milk accompanied. I absolutely demolished this meal; everything was excellent.

[HoosierHardGain]

What? No beat root?? Come on, Bill!

Excellent work as always. And the eats look tasty!

[ironwill2008]

Early 90's were a BAD time for nutrition knowledge, that's for sure

I'm beginning to think that there never was a good time for nutrition knowledge.

Just as an aside, why is broc**** a cuss word here? Any idea?

A couple of months ago, an epidemic of questionable links to a website whose url contained those last four letters began appearing in the misc. The easiest way to rid the forums of such trash is to simply include the word into the autocensor.

Some people are just mind blown that I can eat pizza/bacon cheeseburgers and still lose weight. I've been told that I'm lucky that I have a fast metabolism. No.... I track what I eat and if I'm going to eat stuff like that I give myself an allowance for it so I don't go over my calories. It's that simple. Hell, my dinner the other night after the gym was a double turkey cheese burger with two slices of bacon. Didn't exceed 1,700 calories for the day either!

Indeed, it is that simple, but apparently, many people simply fail to see the value in such simplicity. It goes back to Alan's quote I carry in my signature.

[OT2000]

Reading through this page, the caprese salad caught my attention the most lol Plus, its good nutrition

I take everything relative to nutrition mainstream with a grain of salt. Reminds me of a certain Woody Allen movie

[mirroroferised]

I was just about to post ^^^ that as well about that salad!!! We love that one here as well, especially when the tomatoes are right from the garden.


Really enjoyed the read in here this morning. Helped wake me up while I try and convince myself to head down to the gym before work Always a good discussion going on in here it seems!

[ironwill2008]

What? No beat root?? Come on, Bill!

Excellent work as always. And the eats look tasty!

Thanks, Hoos. Gotta keep pushing forward.

Lulz @ beetroot. One of the more-recent mass-media buzzword 'miracle' foods.

Reading through this page, the caprese salad caught my attention the most lol Plus, its good nutrition

I take everything relative to nutrition mainstream with a grain of salt. Reminds me of a certain Woody Allen movie

Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil are pretty darn hard to beat.

When someone posts a news blurb that mentions the latest "study" (and they're never actual clinical studies, but rather just a repeated blurb from some other unsubstantiated source ) about some new "superfood," there's always at least one or two posters who buy right into the nonsense. But most times, thankfully, one of the more-experienced forum members will point out the (usually multiple) fallacies and shortcomings in the report.


It's just not that hard to spend a few minutes on PubMed or JISSN to get the real lowdown.

I was just about to post ^^^ that as well about that salad!!! We love that one here as well, especially when the tomatoes are right from the garden.

We have that one on the table as often as possible, Dave. It's hard to beat both for it's simplicity and ease of prep, as well as it's nutritional value. Not even to mention how tasty it is.

Really enjoyed the read in here this morning. Helped wake me up while I try and convince myself to head down to the gym before work Always a good discussion going on in here it seems!

I'm always up to discuss just about anything here; I always learn something new, and it's my hope that others in here will do the same.

[HoosierHardGain]

Thanks, Hoos. Gotta keep pushing forward.

Lulz @ beetroot. One of the more-recent mass-media buzzword 'miracle' foods.

I was wanting to borrow your old face palm pic that you like to post for idiots. On Instagram over the weekend, I saw a post by a couple who are both really fit, and one has essentially washboard abs. Someone asked what the secret was, and the reply was "ab workout, 6 days a week."

I was wanting to scream lol.

[ironwill2008]

I was wanting to borrow your old face palm pic that you like to post for idiots. On Instagram over the weekend, I saw a post by a couple who are both really fit, and one has essentially washboard abs.

Someone asked what the secret was, and the reply was "ab workout, 6 days a week."

I was wanting to scream lol.

He ya go, Hoos:




...and that Instagram post would certainly qualify.

[HoosierHardGain]

He ya go, Hoos:




...and that Instagram post would certainly qualify.

heheheheh thanks, buddy.

[OT2000]

Crying at that face palm! Lol I have never seen that. Quite fitting for many posts on here

[ironwill2008]

Crying at that face palm! Lol I have never seen that. Quite fitting for many posts on here

Lulz. I think I first posted it 2-3 years ago. I try to use it only very sparingly---for 'special' posts---but such threads/posts seem to be becoming increasingly common.


I try not to be demeaning to any posters on this site, but a few of them------geez; I don't know how some of them are able to even just accomplish such simple daily tasks as feeding and clothing themselves. Logic and common sense are increasingly illogical and uncommon.

[Bo_Flecks]

...and that Instagram post would certainly qualify.

A dude at the pool this week asked me how many sit ups a day I did. I told him "none". I could tell he thought I was lying.

[ironwill2008]

A dude at the pool this week asked me how many sit ups a day I did. I told him "none". I could tell he thought I was lying.

LOL @ 'situps.' That would merit the above, 'facepalm' pic-post if it weren't already on this page.

[ironwill2008]

Had an energetic and enjoyable session today despite the numbers not budging upward. Sometimes just keeping up is plenty good enough. Today's training was:

Front Squat
bar x10 W/U
95x8 W/U
135x8
165x8
185x8
225x5

Leg Press PWO
580x12 W/U
670x12
760x12
850x9

Chinup
bw +55x6
bw +55x6
bw +55x4

Smith Machine Seated Press
95x10 W/U
165x6
165x5
165x4

Worked my way through here in an hour and a quarter. Fronts felt good, but 5 reps was all I had for today. I need to work these to 8-across before I think about adding any more weight.

Leg Presses were a grind just to meet last week's numbers, and I'm pleased to have been able to do so. That last set had me huffing and puffing from the built-up oxygen debt.

Met previous numbers on Chins, and I consider that a victory. Going to keep these in here regardless of the numbers I manage on them until I just can't do them at all.

Seated Press caused my right wrist to be a bit squawky today, but I managed previous reps without any further problem.

Good session, but I'm glad it's in the books. A rest day tomorrow will include some yard work and some work on my truck. I'll follow that up on Wednesday with a shot at Lunges, Cable Rows, and Inclines.

Post-WorkOut meal was a quick and simple beef and brocco li stir-fry and a glass of milk.

[banjoman23]

Always motivating to check in here. May you live forever Bill.

[ironwill2008]

Kept things rolling with a solid session today. Was able to move things forward and enjoy the process. Today's training was:

Barbell Lunge
bar x10 W/U
95x5 W/U
135x3
185x3
225x3
275x2 heh-vee

V-Grip Seated Row PWO
90x10 W/U
180x10
180x10
180x9

Smith machine Incline Press
95x10 W/U
135x10
165x10
210x7

Took right at an hour to complete this work. I managed a shaky 2nd rep on Lunges, but I got the bar back to the liftoffs, so I'm counting it. Getting a 3rd is going to be a challenge, but I feel like I'm up for it. Time will tell.

Picked up a good rep on Cable Rows. I'm keeping these in here until I can get 3x10 with the two plates; at that time, I'll swap out cables for either a barbell or dumbbells.

Inclines didn't advance, but I was happy just to repeat last week's numbers.

Overall, a very productive session. After a rest day tomorrow, I'll work to move RDLs, Curls, and Dips forward on Friday before heading into the weekend.

Post-WorkOut meal was my wife's excellent version of huevos rancheros, accompanied by a glass of milk.

[ironwill2008]

Always motivating to check in here.

Hey, thanks! While progress is slow these days, the satisfaction from meeting the challenge remains the same.

May you live forever Bill.

Lulz. I'm not quite sure I'd want to!