Ironwill2008 V3.0

[Domicron]

Thanks, Raymond; I had a good day. I want to get my Front dsquat back up to 2 plates, but I'm not in a hurry to do so.

I think being in a hurry is a problem a lot of people have. enjoying the ride there is more fun. after all, once you get to 2 plates, then you'll just have to raise your goals again...

Both teams (Steelers and Chiefs) have some holes to fill during this upcoming off-season.

Yeah it's a shame because our Defense has been so strong for so long; it's been frustrating to see people try to convince themselves that our offense is on the up and up...every year it's the same thing. while i hate to rag on Alex Smith; we know what's he's capable of and what he's not capable of...and that's beating a championship caliber defense in the playoffs.

My wife's handiwork is on display with today's Post-WorkOut meal of a cheese omelette, bacon, fried spuds, toast, and a glass of milk.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/Yr0SoXs.jpg[img]

that's a good looking omelet. how many eggs is that?

[ironwill2008]

very sad in many ways

That group has endured one tragedy after another over the years.

I think being in a hurry is a problem a lot of people have. enjoying the ride there is more fun. after all, once you get to 2 plates, then you'll just have to raise your goals again...

Yep; that's how it works!

Last time I had Fronts in here (about a year ago, IIRC), I managed to get to 240x5. Right now, 225 looks pretty good.

Yeah it's a shame because our Defense has been so strong for so long; it's been frustrating to see people try to convince themselves that our offense is on the up and up...every year it's the same thing. while i hate to rag on Alex Smith; we know what's he's capable of and what he's not capable of...and that's beating a championship caliber defense in the playoffs.

Since Free Agency, it's been very difficult for any one team to build itself into a dynasty. The usual deal is to have one side of the ball strong, but the other side a bit questionable. It's rare these days to see a team with no glaring weaknesses year after year; about the only organization that seems to be able to pull it off is the Patriots. I have to credit their owner, their staff, and especially their head coach for always doing what's best for their team, even if it means making difficult personnel decisions (they'll cut a guy in a heartbeat, regardless of his team "status," if it's deemed a good move for the team). And experienced players who have had problems with other teams always seem to do well with the Pats; that's all about effective coaching.

While I'm not a big fan of Belichick's personality (what little he seems to have) and his total lack of forthrightness in his news "conferences" (if that's what you can call it when reporters ask legitimate questions, and Belichick stares blankly into space and then maybe offers a one-word "answer"), IMO he's the best NFL coach ever. No other coaching staff has been able to do what he's done, and continues to do---keep winning, no matter what. I thought he was brilliant way back when he got his first head coaching gig with the original Cleveland Browns (didn't have a winning record there, but I give that blame to the sketchy owner of the team at the time), and I thought they were nuts when they fired him.

that's a good looking omelet. how many eggs is that?

Four 'jumbo' eggs, and three kinds of cheese.

[storm1507]

Nice work Bill.

Looking at the workouts w/ front squats & lunges is making me dread the quad DOMS that I will be feeling.....one of these days.

[ironwill2008]

Solid session today to close out the training for this week. Was able to maintain previous gains, and that's always a good thing. Today's training was:

Romanian Deadlift
bar x10 W/U
bar x10 W/U
95x5 W/U
135x3
185x3
225x3
275x3
355x1 heh-vee, but didn't kill me

Alternate Dumbbell Curl
20x10 W/U
45x10
45x10
45x7

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

Worked my way through in an hour on the nose. I've been commenting on how much more work I needed to do to get my current 335x2 RDL back up to a couple of reps @365. I decided to see if that was going to be somewhere within reach, so I added a pair of dimes to my previous top-set load to bring it to 355, and got a solid single with it. And while it felt like I was lifting a '56 Buick, it didn't feel like it was killing me either, so I'll drop back to 335 next week, and redouble my efforts to gradually work up to 365.

I was able to keep that 7th rep I picked up on DB Curls last go-around, and was pleased to be able to do so. Still working these to 3x10.

I managed to get my 3x8 again on Dips even though my wrists were squawking mightily. Gonna keep these in here for as long as I'm able to tolerate them.

Well, that's all for this week. I'll rest over the weekend (no football for the first weekend since last August ), then get back to Fronts, Leg Presses, Chins, and Seated Presses next Monday.

Post-WorkOut meal was a beef and veggie stir fry accompanied by a glass of cold milk.

[ironwill2008]

Good start to the week's training with a solid session today. Had some give-and-take, but overall, a productive workout. Today's training was:

Front Squat
bar x10 W/U
95x8 W/U
135x8
165x8
185x8
200x8

Leg Press PWO
400x12 W/U
580x12
670x12
810x11

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

Smith Machine Seated Press
95x10
160x6
160x6
160x6

Worked my way through here in an hour and a quarter. I bumped Fronts up by a nickel and still met my reps-across, so I'll bump again next week. On my way to a 2-plater for 4-6 reps.

Lost a tough rep on Leg Press. I managed to just reach reps-across last week, but didn't think adding more weight today would have been a good idea, and that was borne out. Gotta get a solid 12 on the top set for at least a couple of weeks before adding any more weight here.

Met previous numbers on Chins, and I'm good with that.

Finally broke through to 3x6 on Seated Press after being stuck below that mark for ages. Not going to add more weight though until I can repeat it a few weeks in a row.

No more to report for this one. I'll rest tomorrow, then work on Lunges, Cable Rows, and Incline Press on Wednesday.

Post-WorkOut feast was turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (!), limas, and a glass of milk.

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

limas look delicious
did you cook them in any way, or were they straight out of the can?

[ironwill2008]

limas look delicious
did you cook them in any way, or were they straight out of the can?

Thanks, NoC. Those were from frozen; I put them in a covered dish with a few TBs of water, some salt and a pinch of thyme, and nuke 'em on high power for about 4 minutes. They always come out perfect.

[ironwill2008]

Kept the week's momentum going with a solid session; made some progress and enjoyed the work. Today's training was:

Barbell Lunge
bar x10 W/U
95x5 W/U
135x3
185x3
225x3
265x3

V-Grip Seated Rpw PWO
90x10 W/U
175x10
175x10
175x8

Smith Machine Incline Press
95x10
135x10
165x10
205x7

The session took right at an hour to complete. I got my 3rd rep on Lunges, bringing me to reps-across, but I'll stay at this same load for another week to see if I can duplicate the reps again before bumping up.

Cable Rows provided a great upper-back pump while the numbers remained as last week. I need to get these to 3x10 before considering adding more weight.

Bumped Inclines by a nickel and managed 7 decent reps. It's always interesting to me how adding just a little bit of weight makes the load seem so much heavier, and coasts a relatively large number of reps. Working these to 3x10. It would be nice to get this lift to 2 plates for a couple of reps, but that's quite a ways off at this time. Obviously, a lot more work will be needed to get there.

That all for this one. After resting tomorrow, I'll work on moving forward with RDLs, Curls, and Dips.

Post-WorkOut meal was a 4 oz crab cake, fries, a really good salad that included kalamata olives (geez, these are good), and a glass of milk.

[Payton1221]

Bill,

I stumbled across an article from Glenn Pendlay explaining how the Texas Method came to be and thought you might find it interesting: http://www.otpbooks.com/glenn-pendlay-the-texas-method/

Mark

[ironwill2008]

Bill,

I stumbled across an article from Glenn Pendlay explaining how the Texas Method came to be and thought you might find it interesting: http://www.otpbooks.com/glenn-pendlay-the-texas-method/

Mark

Thanks, Mark; that was a good read. I had forgotten the fact that Glenn Pendlay was associated with Wichita Falls Weightlifting. Some of the very best strength programs that will ever be written came out of there, all based on the early work of Bill Starr.

[Payton1221]

Thanks, Mark; that was a good read.

I can just hear the bros now "sandbagging" their Wednesday workouts in anticipation of setting a 1x5 PR on Friday. It's to Glenn's credit that he recognized it to be superior to how they had originally programmed it.

Bill Starr has certainly been a major influence!!!

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

Hi Bill.
I just love love love your home gym.
Your selection of dumbbells alone...
Wow.
Love it!

[ironwill2008]

I can just hear the bros now "sandbagging" their Wednesday workouts in anticipation of setting a 1x5 PR on Friday. It's to Glenn's credit that he recognized it to be superior to how they had originally programmed it.

Bill Starr has certainly been a major influence!!!

Starr wrote his original "5x5" in 1976 (IIRC) in his first book,“The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football” based on his 'heavy/light/medium' system. Since that time, every "5x5" variant used today pays homage to that program. He was truly an innovator; there will never be another one like him.

Hi Bill.
I just love love love your home gym.
Your selection of dumbbells alone...
Wow.
Love it!

Thanks. I first got started "training" with a cheap bench and some vinyl DP "plates" and a hollow "barbell." That gave way to an Impex bench and a standard 1" bar and weight plates. After about 8-10 months of that, I could no longer work my legs effectively without a power rack, so I joined my first commercial gym, the owner of which was a younger amateur bodybuilder who also had a kinesiology degree. I trained under his supervision for the next year and a half or so, until he closed the gym and moved out of state. I went from one commercial gym to another for the next year and finally landed at a place that was the closest thing to a hardcore gym I'd found to that point. I trained there for about the next 3 years, making the best progress of my life, but my last year there, three successive ownership changes ruined the vibe and once again, I was cast out into the masses of knuckleheads wandering aimlessly around in the local "fitness" centers. At that point, a local fitness equipment store opened nearby, and they had a power rack displayed in the window. I passed by there every day on my way home from work, and after a week or two, I stopped in. I had a big, then-unused room on the first floor of my house, and the following weekend, they delivered that rack, a bench, and an Olympic barbell set. Over the next year or so, I added the rest of the stuff you see in the gym pics.

[OT2000]

We are potentially moving to NC and looking for homes. I will be looking for one with a spacious basement to have a nice home gym like yours Bill. I could of done that here but the extra bedroom became the kids playroom. I may buy them here on Offer Up or CL as you can find all home equipment insanely cheap since home gyms are abundant here. Then ship with the moving truck.

[Bo_Flecks]

I trained there for about the next 3 years, making the best progress of my life, but my last year there, three successive ownership changes ruined the vibe and once again, I was cast out into the masses of knuckleheads wandering aimlessly around in the local "fitness" centers.

I've been out of the home gym atmosphere for going on 3 years now, and part of me wants to get back in.

Due to several (too boring to mention) circumstances, I am training in two separate gyms now. One is decent and I have it to myself most of the time. The other is really nice, but due to my own error, acquired some fanboys that want to talk to me a lot and take up way too much of my time.

It would be nice just to slip down into my basement, turn the music up and train alone again.

[ironwill2008]

We are potentially moving to NC and looking for homes. I will be looking for one with a spacious basement to have a nice home gym like yours Bill. I could of done that here but the extra bedroom became the kids playroom. I may buy them here on Offer Up or CL as you can find all home equipment insanely cheap since home gyms are abundant here. Then ship with the moving truck.

You're fortunate to live in a large-market area; most will have just about any equipment you might want/need at often very low prices.

These days, obtaining good-quality equipment is no problem; most often, the bigger impediment to building a good home gym is in having enough square footage in which to set it all up.

I've been out of the home gym atmosphere for going on 3 years now, and part of me wants to get back in.

Due to several (too boring to mention) circumstances, I am training in two separate gyms now. One is decent and I have it to myself most of the time. The other is really nice, but due to my own error, acquired some fanboys that want to talk to me a lot and take up way too much of my time.

It would be nice just to slip down into my basement, turn the music up and train alone again.

Dealing with all the issues presented to serious trainees in a 'fitness center' environment was a real hassle 18 years ago when I left; I can't imagine that it's any better in this day and age.

[Bo_Flecks]

I can't imagine that it's any better in this day and age.

My biggest issue is of my own doing. I agreed to be interviewed by a local publication. I talked about overcoming my heart issue, periodically dealing with my old military injury, and my competition history. They ran the photo that I use for my avi, so people recognize me.

Anyway, because of it, I had a lot of folks who saw the article talk to me about it after it ran. Now a lot of them feel like they need to visit with me whenever I'm in the gym. I don't discourage it due to the circumstances. But it makes my time in the gym longer than I would like.

[ironwill2008]

My biggest issue is of my own doing. I agreed to be interviewed by a local publication. I talked about overcoming my heart issue, periodically dealing with my old military injury, and my competition history. They ran the photo that I use for my avi, so people recognize me.

Anyway, because of it, I had a lot of folks who saw the article talk to me about it after it ran. Now a lot of them feel like they need to visit with me whenever I'm in the gym. I don't discourage it due to the circumstances. But it makes my time in the gym longer than I would like.

At the least, you can use it as an ongoing opportunity to be an ambassador for the sport as well as an example of what can be overcome with effort and dedication.

[ironwill2008]

Wanted to close out the training week on a high note and was able to accomplish that goal. Today's training was:

Romanian Deadlift
bar x10 W/U
bar x10 W/U
95x5 W/U
135x3
185x3
225x3
275x3
335x3

Alternate Dumbbell Curl
20x10 W/U
45x10
45x10
45x7

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

Completed the work in an hour on the nose. I reached reps-across on Romanians but will stick with the same weight for another week to solidify the gain. Still eyeballing 365 bfor these. From a distance.

Met last week's numbers on DB Curls, and since that was a 1-rep increase from where the lift had been stuck for a while, I'm good with it for today.

Was once again able to get my 3x8 on Dips, and this time with minimal hand/wrist issues. It was cold in the gym, but that didn't seem to bother me today. Still can't figure out why some days my wrists will squawk from Dips and some days they won't. I had assumed it had something to do with the temperature, but that doesn't seem to be the case, at least not consistently. I'll just keep on Dipping as long as I'm able.

That's all I have for today and this week. Looking forward to a competitive Super Bowl on Sunday evening, then stepping back in the gym on Monday to work hard to move forward on Front Squats, Leg Press, Chins, and Seated Press.

Post-WorkOut meal was a baked chicken breast, Yukon Gold spuds with green beans, and a glass of milk.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Your form always looks so solid on the Romanian Deadlifts Bill. Good work. I'm still trying to get more upper back tightness consistently.

[ironwill2008]

Your form always looks so solid on the Romanian Deadlifts Bill. Good work. I'm still trying to get more upper back tightness consistently.

Hey Robert, thanks. I've found that the key to maintaining good form for me is to lock the arch in my back at the start of the rep, and initiate the movement only at the hip while sticking my butt out and keeping the bar tight to my legs at all times. After a while, the motion pattern just becomes ingrained, and form doesn't break as long as I'm working within my progression scheme. I really like the way Romanians feel; I can feel the pull from my glutes all the way down to my heels.

[ironwill2008]

Got the week of training off to a good start; it was bright and sunny outside, and that helped my energy level. Today's training was:

Front Squat
bar x10 W/U
95x8 W/U
135x8
165x8
185x8
205x7

Leg Press PWO
400x12 W/U
580x12
670x12
810x12

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

Smith Machine Seated Press
95x10 W/U
160x6
160x6
160x6

Completed this session in an hour and twenty minutes. Bumped Fronts up by a nickel, and just missed reps-across with 7 on the top set.

I managed to regain that lost 12th Leg Press rep today, bringing me back up to reps-across, but I'm going to stay at that load for another week to see if I can hit it more than once in a while before considering adding more weight.

Chins remained as they were last week, and that's okay with me, at least for now.

I was again able to hit 3x6 on Seated Press, but will stay at this same load for another go-around as it took me weeks to get here. Form and reps are more important than adding more weight.

A rest day tomorrow will be followed with a shot at Lunges, Rows, and Inclines on Wednesday.

Post-WorkOut meal was a slice of egg-cheese-veggie-potato casserole and a glass of milk.

[ironwill2008]

Despite a rain/snow forecast, it was bright and sunny today, no doubt adding to my energy level. Had a good session overall. Today's training was:

Barbell Lunge
bar x10 W/U
95x8 W/U
135x3
185x3
225x3
265x2

V-Grip Seated Row PWO
90x10 W/U
175x10
175x10
175x8

Smith Machine Incline Press
95x10 W/U
135x10
165x10
205x8

Burned about an hour on this session. I'm working hard to build some momentum to carry me into and through deload week next week, but dropped a rep on the top set of Lunges. I had expected to repeat my 265x3 from last week and thus allow me to bump the weight after deload, but I didn't have quite enough jam to get that 3rd rep. I'll go after it again after deload.

Met previous numbers on Cable Rows as I work to get up to 3x10 and the opportunity to add some weight.

Added a tough rep on Incline Press. I'm close to limit on these, and am a ways off from my goal of a few good reps @ 2plates. More work needs done here.

Don't have anything else of interest to relate. I'll rest tomorrow, possibly by shoveling snow, then get back in the gym on Friday for my best effort to move RDLs, Curls, and Dips forward.

A quick Post-WorkOut meal was comprised of a half-dozen eggs, bacon, Texas toast, and a glass of cold milk.

[Payton1221]

A quick Post-WorkOut meal was comprised of a half-dozen eggs, bacon, Texas toast, and a glass of cold milk.

THUMBS_UP.jpg

[ironwill2008]

THUMBS_UP.jpg

Thanks, Mark. I'll pass the compliment on to my wife; she preps most of the egg meals I post.

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

came in here to see some tasty dishes
it appears that photobucket is not the only service that will occasionally stall...
are you using imgur?

[ironwill2008]

came in here to see some tasty dishes
it appears that photobucket is not the only service that will occasionally stall...
are you using imgur?

Yes to IMGUR.




Let me tell you about "photobucket:"


I originally used a photobucket account when I first started posting journal pics, but after about a year, began having problems with uploading pics to their site. Also began having problems just logging into my account, and site functions becoming increasingly slower and slower until nothing would work at all. They didn't even have a customer service email to which to seek a fix, only a "FAQ" which, of course, didn't address any of the problems I was having. I sent a couple of emails to their advertising department (the only listed email address they had posted at that time) complaining of the poor functionality and their complete lack of customer service or even any way to contact them. I got a lame reply back that implied that the problem was not on their end but mine. I replied back that that was an odd answer, since I had already moved on to another image hosting site (IMGUR), and that I had no problems at all using their site. I also suggested that maybe photobucket's problem, other than their lack of concern for customer service, was that they ran so many pop-up ads and vids trying to sell me additional "services" from photobucket that there was inadequate bandwidth left over for site usability. I also stated that if their 'free' service was so piss-poor, anyone would be stupid to pay for any services from them. I got another lame form-letter reply, which didn't answer any of my concerns; I replied back to tell them to quit bothering me; I was done with them and their useless site, and would be sure to let others know about it. That was a couple of years ago. In that time, I've seen reports of their entire site crashing for days or weeks at a time, and on more than one occasion.


I had one minor issue with IMGUR about 6 months ago, when they were doing an upgrade. They, unlike Photobull****, have an actual customer service staff. One of their people contacted me back almost immediately, explained they were dealing with some known issues due to the upgrade, and that things should be working normally by the next day. And that's what happened. The guy even emailed me back, out of the blue, a week later to make sure I was no longer having problems.

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

Yeah, photobucket has crashed 3-4 times in the last 5 years I've had it. A couple times, the crash lasted for days. The other times, it was a few hours.

I've been using it without any major problems for years, both for different forums and for a few websites I run.

It was just a bit weird to see Imgur crash this week, after all the hype about how bad Photobucket is.

I guess I'd have to really look inside an account to be able to really tell the difference between the two.

Glad it's back on now

[ironwill2008]

Yeah, photobucket has crashed 3-4 times in the last 5 years I've had it. A couple times, the crash lasted for days. The other times, it was a few hours.

I've been using it without any major problems for years, both for different forums and for a few websites I run.

It was just a bit weird to see Imgur crash this week, after all the hype about how bad Photobucket is.

I guess I'd have to really look inside an account to be able to really tell the difference between the two.

Glad it's back on now

I was unaware that IMGUR crashed; as I mentioned, I've only ever had one minor problem with their site.

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

I was unaware that IMGUR crashed; as I mentioned, I've only ever had one minor problem with their site.

It went in and out this whole week.
Your photos are not showing right now.

I'm sure they'll fix it soon.
I need to see your food