Samurai, Without Ever Having Felt Sorry For Itself

[Samraiwise]

About Myself

Thank you for visiting my journal. I am Samraiwise, my real name is Kazuo Nobuhara.

I live with my wife and 17 year-old daughter, just ourside of Tokyo, an hour ride to our company office in Tokyo. I've been working for a Japanese bookstore company in the past twenty-odd years.

Although I used to do Karate, Judo, Kendo(swordsmanship) from age 14-32 (during age 25 to 32 I did basic weight training also as a part of martial arts training), after fifteen years of hibernation, currently my focus is on achieving my strength gain using free weights.

Aside from pumping iron, I love reading books (novels), watching DVDs (movies) , and Star Trek. I also want to be your good company for those topics.

How I re-started free weights

Eearly Summer 2006 I went to a dentist's office my wife recommended and met a pleasant young lady behind the reception counter. After a few visits to the dentist's we became good friends. One day she told me that her father (the dentist) had used to go to gym taking his doctor's advice and then his sciatica was gone. I've been suffering my own sciatica (and still do, getting a little better though), so I told her I would think about trying it myself. Later back at home I tried pushup, I was shocked to find out that I barely managed to do 10 pushups. I decided I wouldn't see my dentist until I could do 50 pushups. I was afraid my wife might ask me why I stopped to see the dentist and instead started pushup, but fortunately she didn't. (Not that I had any romantic fantasy with the lady. I was just satisfying a healthy men's ego. Besides my wife usually doesn't care about what I do.) 10 days later when I finally did 50 pushup I went to the dentist's and tell the young lady I could do 50 pushups. Again the young lady told me that her father had used to do 100kg( 220lbs ) bench press for reps. After hearing that I completely forgot that I came there to fix my teeth, hurried home and blew the dust off my old equipment and got started to lift, murmuring, "Aim high but start low....".

Since then everytime I made a new gain, I continued to go to the dentist's and report to her what I had just accomplished. It took almost a year for the dentist to finish fixing my teeth, but I didn't blame him for that. Unfortunately my wife thought otherwise, had doubt about his skill and decided to see other dentist. I felt a little sorry for him.

The young lady finally quit assisting her father's office to get married to a nice young man I had introduced to her while ago. Now you can see why I'm here. Since the only person who has listened my progress so far was gone, I have to find someone else to whom I could report my progress.
Are you interested? I truly hope so.

[jtroster]

Welcome.

[Samraiwise]

9-14-2007 Fri
39min
* kg(lbs) ♥=new personal record

Dead Lift
70(154) x 5
85(187) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
90(198) x 1
95(209) x 1
100(220) x 1
92(203) x 7
93(205) x 6
93(205) x 4

Partial Btm3rd
90(198) x 6

Weighted Chin-up
+15(33) x 5
+20(44) x 5
+30(66) x 5
+40(88) x 4 ♥
+40(88) x 3
+32.5(72) x 5

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 20

See my past training log since July 2006

[Samraiwise]

Originally Posted by jtroster

Welcome.

jtroster, thank you for the encouragement, sir.
This means a lot to me. Please call me Kaz.

[Samraiwise]

Support at Home

Both my wife and daughter don't approve any excessive muscle on a male body. (Neither they like fat, They leaves me not much choice, skeleton?) They both love Brad Pitt but abhor Arnold's body. ( they like Arnold's acting though.) Basically they don't say nice things about whatever I like or do. One typical example of their non-supportive attitudes is our deigital scale's setting. The scale has a memory for two people, allowing it to be used by everyone but me without re-entering the data every time. Also up until now my PC time for BB.com has been limited since I don't have my own at home so I have had to use my company PC at break. My daughter refuse to let me use her PC, which ironically I bought for her. Even I had to buy a new one for myself to write this journal. My family is definitely out. I have to find someone else to report my progress.

Train at Home

I train at home, alone, therefore I don't have any gym-buddy here in Tokyo. I moved to here from Nagoya 10 years ago, where all of my old dojo-buddy lives.

I spent most of my time in my study-cum-training room when I am at home. A six-mat* space which is roughly nine feet by twelve feet, where hundreds of books, hundreds of DVDs(movie), TV, my new PC( newly bought to write this journal ) and my training equipment are struggling to find a way to coexist. *a Japanese tatami mat (1.82m?; 37.6 in by 75.2 in)

However my old training equipment became dusty, rusty and crusty one, which I collected over 23 years ago, ( I still can't believe how I could have been living like this without even using it for 15 years ), a bench with a leg attachment, a cable pulley system for plates, a pull-up bar stand with built-in hooks for squat, various bars and plates are my old friends.

Everytime before starting my workout, I have to rearrange my equipment, other knicks and knacks. It usually takes 5 mins. Everytime after my workout, I have to rearrange back my equipment, other tchotchke and chachka. It usually takes more than 5 mins.

Like many traditional Japanese, I customarilly take off our shoes before entering a house and sit on the carpet or tatami-mat at home. Naturally I train with my bare feet on the carpet. They say, "Better the foot slip than the tongue."But I don't think it is the case when you are doing bench press. It hasn't happened to me yet but someday it might. I shoud have bought a good pair of shoes a long time ago.

There's one more thing about training at home alone, I made a thread while back. If you are interested, please enjoy it.

Doing bench-press alone at home, what would you do if....

[Samraiwise]

9-15-2007 Sat
39min
* kg(lbs)

Dead Lift
75(165) x 5
85(187) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
88(194) x 1
93(205) x 1
98(216) x 1
100(220) x 4
105(231) x 2
110(242) x 1
90(198) x 6

Weighted Chin-up
+15(33) x 5
+20(44) x 5
+30(66) x 8
+25(55) x 8
+25(55) x 8

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 20

See my past training log since July 2006

[Samraiwise]

More Frequency and Less Volume

I train primarily for strength. Of course, nice hypertrophy won't hurt but the first thing I want is strength and always will be. I'm 48, considering my age and the coming years, I think I'd have a better chance of gaining strength than of gaining mass. So my logic suggests that my focus should be on workout frequency than its volume. My ideal training schedule would be three days on and one day off, then two days on and one day off each respective week.

What's "Everyday Bench"?

Doing bench press training on consecutive days, as long as your body and mind could take. Sounds crazy I know, but it isn't. Let me explain a little, once used to the idea, it's no longer as crazy as people imagine. Actually, I don't have to train bench literally "everyday" I can always take a day off whenever I feel it's necessary.

Here in Japan, many Bench Pressers and Power Lifters do "everyday bench" and actually they are doing really good. Taking advantage of their relatively shorter ROM, many can lift incredible poundages. With BW under 180lbs, lifting over 440lbs Bench is not uncommon among them. Of course, I am not at their level, well I'd say not yet. Even though I never intend to do bench with deliberately shortened ROM with extreme arch like that, I do can understand their method of training. Also when not preparing for contests, they do train bench press with more proper and admirable form. Thus I switched my program to this "everyday bench"last November. Comparing to leg exercises, upper body compounds use not much CNS reserves so I decided to try this approach also with my Weighted-Chin-up.

"Everyday bench" not only provides me enough frequency for strength gain but also alleviates my pre-workout anxiety, since even if I fail the lift, I could try the same lift the next day... if I want to.

The day one, the day two...as the "everyday bench" progress until a day off, my performance agreeably degrades day by day, so I have to keep trying each day's best. I think it like a short cycle. The next day of "rest day" I consider as the peak of the cycle. I often set a new record for poundage/rep gain on holidays. I know I could get a good quality sleep on weekends and that always helps my CNS recovery. If I could schedule my "rest day" just before a holiday, the chances I set a new record on that holiday ought to be quite high.

With my degrading performance when proceeding "everyday bench" on weekday without a rest day, in order to measure my progress I usually compare the performance with that of the same day of the previous week, not of the previous session's. I also use fractional plates, sets of 500g (1.1lbs). This way I could get more chances than just using standard plates (minimum 1.25kg each), to measure my progress as poundage/rep gains

What I have learned from my experiences of "everyday bench" are,

1) It's effective for fast uppper-body strength gain
2) Only effective for compounds, no more isolation work for smaller muscles
3) I have to control the volume of each session accordingly
4) I must know the difference between muscle sourness and other connective tissue pains.
5) I must accept as a fact, my performance will keep degrading until my next rest day.
6) I better just try the day's best
7) I should not dwell on the same rep range or same RM( rep max )
8) No more intentional "go to failure"
9) I should do only ascending or straight sets, no descending sets, no forced reps and no negatives.
10) I must treasure my CNS reserve, sleep well and more for effective CNS recovery
11) I must never miss my post workout meal especially carbs.

If I am doing it right, strength output progress would be something like this, "Down-down-down, gain after a rest"



To some of you, this may sounds rediculous.
If so, just think about mine as an experiment, enjoy it vicariously.

DOMS

I usually don't worry about DOMS too much. a few well focussed proper warm-up sets always take care of it, well...most of the time, provided I could tell the difference between the connective tissue pains and muscle sourness.

[Samraiwise]

9-17-2007 Mon*Japanese holiday
48min
* kg(lbs)

Dead Lift
70(154) x 5
80(176) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
90(198) x 1
95(209) x 1
98(216) x 6 regain?
99(218) x 4
105(231) x 1
110(242) x 1
90(198) x 7
Partial Btm3rd
80(176) x 8

Weighted Chin-up
+15(33) x 5
+20(44) x 5
+30(66) x 8
+35(77) x 5
+35(77) x 4
+35(77) x 3

Leg Extension
75(165) x 7
75(165) x 5
Leg Curl
45(99) x 10

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 15

See my past training log since July 2006

[IronIc]

Hi Samariwise! Welcome The wo's are lookin' good!

[Samraiwise]

Superset: Bench with Weighted Chin-up

I also started supersetting Bench and Weighted Chin-up. Rest intervals between each exercise is just the time needed for plates' change. I believe this antagonistic supersets could temporarily boost strength output of both major muscles involved, and for me it has worked quite well so far.

Bench has been the one which always got my full attention and effort while chin-up got almost nil. While I always have pre-workout anxiety about my bench because I already have a clear image of what the failed bench session is, I've never had it about my weighted chin-up probably because I've never cared about it therefore never defined once what should be the failed chin-up session like. I suppose the fact my adding plates for chin-up remained the same no matter how hard I tried, made me learn not to be disappointed by it too much. But what I didn't realized was that my body weight increased 10kg(22lbs) since I re-started my workout. Without my knowledge and without adding any plates, the load for my weighted chin-up had managed to increase during those months. I didn't realized this until my body weight increase fainally stopped and I actually started adding plates to weighted chin-up. You could say that my bench is like a spoiled child and my chin-up is like a neglected child. In this case for some reason, the neglected child has grown stronger and bigger than the spoiled one.

I'd give it a more thought later.

[Samraiwise]

Originally Posted by IronIc

Hi Samariwise! Welcome The wo's are lookin' good!

IronIc, thanks!!
Here in Japan, everyone's asleep...but I'm no longer feeling alone. Please call me Kaz.

[Samraiwise]

9-18-2007 Tue
41min
* kg(lbs)

Dead Lift
70(154) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
85(187) x 1
90(198) x 1
93(205) x 7 +failure
93(205) x 6
91(200) x 5

Partial Btm3rd
85(187) x 6

Weighted Chin-up
+15(33) x 5
+20(44) x 5
+30(66) x 6
+30(66) x 6
+30(66) x 6

Leg Extension
75(165) x 5
75(165) x 5
Leg Curl
45(99) x 10

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 15

See my past training log since July 2006

[Hibiscus09]

Hi Kaz! Welcome to journaling land. I sort of had someone I barely knew start me out on lifting also. It was a lady in a clothing store who invited me to her gym after I complained about my hips getting wider. It's amazing how just a little encouragement from someone has led me to something I love so much. It was actually a combination of her encouragement and my own vanity --but whatever -- it worked!

Your lifts are looking great! You're moving right along. Journaling will probably be a great asset to you if you enjoy encouragement from people who share your passion.

I've been to Tokyo once. We came to Japan (me and my hubby) for the Nagano Olympics. We had a great time!

Take care!

[Samraiwise]

Exercises

My glute and legs have been disproportionately thick, strong and responsive. If I give my lower body the same share of my devotion my glute and legs would end up to devour most of what little resouses my body has. Because of that and also knowing that my Dead Lift and Squat always exceeds my Bench Press, currently I focused on my upper body training. My main exercises are therefore Bench Press and Weighted Chin-up antagonistic superset. The other exercises are for warm-up or cool-down.

*Dead Lift : as a warming up exercise 60-85kg(143-187lbs) x 5

*Bench Press : a main exercise
(the recent pattern)
65kg(143lbs) x 5 *warm-up
75kg(165lbs) x 5 *warm-up
88-100kg(194-220lbs) x 1rep x 2-3sets *acclimation
4RM-7RM x max
(4RM-7RM) +1kg(2.2lbs) x max
1RM> ???kg(lbs) >2RM x 1
5RM-8RM x max

*Partial Rep Bottom 3rd and CG Bench Press : as cooling down exercises

*Weighted Chin-up : a main exercise
(the recent pattern)
+15kg(33lbs) x 5
+20kg(44lbs) x 5
+5RM-8RM x max
+4RM-8RM x 3-5
+8RM-10RM x 5reps x 2-3sets

*Barbell Bentover Row, Leg Extension, Leg curl and Cable Crunch : as a cooling down exercises
*Hammer Curl with Tricep Bar : as a rehabilitation for brachialis tendonosis( not tendonitis )

My goal

My short time goals, by age 50 (*in the next two years),

1) Bench Press 1RM : 135kg(300lbs)
2) Weighted Chin-up 1RM : BW 82kg(180lbs) + 70kg(154lbs) = total *152(334lbs)

[Mark1T]

Hi Big Kaz. Great to see you started a journal and glad that you are integrating well, since you are a valued member of this forum.

Watch out for the ninjas

All the best

[Samraiwise]

Originally Posted by Hibiscus09

Hi Kaz! Welcome to journaling land. I sort of had someone I barely knew start me out on lifting also. It was a lady in a clothing store who invited me to her gym after I complained about my hips getting wider. It's amazing how just a little encouragement from someone has led me to something I love so much. It was actually a combination of her encouragement and my own vanity --but whatever -- it worked!

Your lifts are looking great! You're moving right along. Journaling will probably be a great asset to you if you enjoy encouragement from people who share your passion.

I've been to Tokyo once. We came to Japan (me and my hubby) for the Nagano Olympics. We had a great time!

Take care!

Hibby, thank you m'lady. I'm honored!!

My true progress came with my joining here BB.com.
Knowing kind and nice people like you and "you know who", is the best prize I have ever had.

And glad so you and your better half have seen our beautiful winter in Nagano. Next time, I'll show you two around wonderful places in Tokyo.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[Samraiwise]

Originally Posted by Mark1T

Hi Big Kaz. Great to see you started a journal and glad that you are integrating well, since you are a valued member of this forum.

Mark, my friend!! Com'in, sit and have a...beer's OK?

Things would have been different if you weren't here and always encouraging me. How could I pay my debt of honor to you?

Originally Posted by Mark1T

Watch out for the ninjas

Don't worry about me, I'll cover your six!!

[Samraiwise]

9-19-2007 Wed
38min
* kg(lbs) ♥=new personal record

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
88(194) x 1
93(205) x 1
96(212) x 6
97(214) x 4
91(200) x 6

Partial Btm3rd
87(192) x 6
60(132) x 25

Weighted Chin-up
+15(33) x 5
+20(44) x 5
+30(66) x 8
+40(88) x 3
+40(88) x 3
+45(99) x 2 ♥
+35(77) x 4

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 15

See my past training log since July 2006

[Samraiwise]

9-20-2007 Thu
42min
* kg(lbs)

Dead Lift
60(132) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
90(198) x 1
95(209) x 1
100(220) x 1
103(227) x 1
106(233) x 1
109(240) x 1
93(205) x 6 +failure
90(198) x 6
80(176) x 9

Weighted Chin-up
+15(33) x 5
+20(44) x 5
+32.5(72) x 8
+27.5(61) x 7
+27.5(61) x 6

Barbell Bent Row
60(132) x 10

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 20

See my past training log since July 2006

[Mark1T]

Originally Posted by Samraiwise

Mark, my friend!! Com'in, sit and have a...beer's OK?

Things would have been different if you weren't here and always encouraging me. How could I pay my debt of honor to you?


Don't worry about me, I'll cover your six!!

There is no debt, friend. And, thanks for covering my six. I'll do the same BTW, great workouts!!

[Samraiwise]

9-22-2007 Sat
45min
* kg(lbs)

Dead Lift
70(154) x 5
85(187) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
88(194) x 1
93(205) x 1
97(214) x 1
99(218) x 5
100(220) x 4
95(209) x 5
Partial Btm3rd
90(198) x 5
65(143) x 10
65(143) x 10

Weighted Chin-up
+15(33) x 5
+20(44) x 5
+35(77) x 5
+35(77) x 5
+35(77) x 4
+35(77) x 4

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 20

See my past training log since July 2006

[IronIc]

Kaz, holy cow on the volume! Great job You're pumpin' it!

[Samraiwise]

Originally Posted by IronIc

Kaz, holy cow on the volume! Great job You're pumpin' it!

Thanks, m'lady. Your kindness helps me greatly. *blush*

As you've already noticed, currently I don't do serious Squat and Dead Lift, unlike many people do. That enables me to focus just on upper body.

[Samraiwise]

9-24-2007 Mon*holiday
43min
* kg(lbs) ♥=new personal record

Dead Lift
65(143) x 5
85(187) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
90(198) x 1
96(212) x 1
102(225) x 1
105(231) x 3 ♥
107(236) x 2 ♥
110(242) x 1
95(209) x 5
85(187) x 7

Weighted Chin-up
+10(22) x 5
+15(33) x 5
+30(66) x 9 ♥
+35(77) x 5
+30(66) x 6
+30(66) x 5

Leg Extension
75(165) x 7
75(165) x 5
Leg Curl
50(110) x 6
50(110) x 4

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 20

See my past training log since July 2006

[Samraiwise]

Overreaching and Deloading

I've been deloading since the end of the last month. I cut a) my total reps of weighted chin-up from around 40 to 30, 2) most of partial-rep bench sets and 3) -this is my favorite- the heaviest single-rep bench set*. I am hoping now this would be the new beginning. If so, I'd say it took a month to recover from my overreaching and this is the fourth time since last July.

Ideally I should always control the volume of each workout to save my CNS for the next day's working sets. That's supposed to be the first rule of "everyday bench". But in reality, I often let myself gradually increase the volume as I get used to the load in a hope some hypertrophy could occur during this period. Eventually, -usually after 6 weeks to two months- my gain finally stops and overreaching sets in.

I'm not sure at this point whether I've recovered fully or not from my latest overreaching. To be so, I have to see the next few workout with patience.

[Samraiwise]

9-25-2007 Tue
37min
* kg(lbs)

Dead Lift
75(165) x 5
85(187) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
88(194) x 1
93(205) x 1
95(209) x 6 +failure
95(209) x 5
90(198) x 6

Partial Btm3rd
85(187) x 7

Weighted Chin-up
+10(22) x 5
+15(33) x 5
32.5(72) x 7
32.5(72) x 5
32.5(72) x 5
25(55) x 7

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 20

See my past training log since July 2006

[Samraiwise]

9-26-2007 Wed
32min
* kg(lbs) ♥=new personal record

Dead Lift
65(143) x 5

Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
90(198) x 1
95(209) x 1
100(220) x 1
91(200) x 8 ♥
92(203) x 7

Partial Btm3rd
90(198) x 5
80(176) x 10

Weighted Chin-up
+10(22) x 5
+15(33) x 5
+37.5(83) x 5
+40(88) x 4
+40(88) x 3
+30(66) x 6

Cable Crunch
55(121) x 20

See my past training log since July 2006

[Samraiwise]

9-27-2007 Thu
51min
* kg(lbs)

Dead Lift
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
90(198) x 5
[b]Bench Press
65(143) x 5
75(165) x 5
88(194) x 1
93(205) x 1
98(216) x 1
100(220) x 5
100(220) x 4
106(233) x 1
95(209) x 5

Partial Btm3rd
90(198) x 5

Weighted Chin-up
+10(22) x 5
+15(33) x 5
+32.5(72) x 8
+35(77) x 5
+35(77) x 4
+30(66) x 6

Barbell Bent Row
65(143) x 10

Leg Extension
80(176) x 6
80(176) x 5
Leg Curl
50(110) x 8+2
Cable Crunch
55(121) x 20

Now I am sure, my escape from overreaching was successful. This is the second time I was able to bench 100kg(220lbs) x 5 reps on weekday after work. So all I have to do is be confident tomorrow but not to push my luck too soon!! I want to thank you all for the encouragement and kindness. *bow*

See my past training log since July 2006

[chrisbute]

Originally Posted by Samraiwise

Support at Home[indent]Both my wife and daughter don't approve any excessive muscle on a male body. (Neither they like fat, They leaves me not much choice, skeleton?) They both love Brad Pitt but abhor Arnold's body.

Welcome! The dreaded "catch 22" situation in your home as well. I always tell my wife that there is NO WAY I could ever attain Arnold's body (I don't want to either) since I don't have the genetics he has.

Brad Pitt does have a great body - but he is very cut which makes his muscles look bigger than they really are. I would love to have his abs (Fight Club) but this takes strict dedication to your diet as well.

In any event - It is great to visit your journal. I'm a big fan of martial arts films (Shaw Brothers Studio's in particular). It is always refreshing to see someone from another country participate in these journals.

[joed]

Hi Kaz, glad to see you started a journal. I look forward to following your progress, and enjoying your sense of humor with the icons in your posts.