Payton's Lifting, Cardio, and Food Journal

[Payton1221]

Is that OHP with the bar or with dumbbells? Either way, it's mighty impressive. I'm still trying to break 4 reps at that weight!

That's with the bar. Perhaps I should highlight the fact that my DB's are done with a nearly 90 degree bench, so my back is supported. Incredible difference that makes:

* Standing oly bar with weights totaling 110 lbs: 11 reps
* Seated & back supported DBs (two 55's) totaling 110 lbs: 20 reps

The oly bar has the advantage of working my core/abs/etc, but I'm doing more volume and capable of higher weights with the DBs. So which is better? I don't know but I'll keep both in rotation (actually, this is a necessity as my wife's gym--I go as a guest--only has Smith machines so that's when/where I do my seated DB OHP).

TONIGHT'S EXPERIMENT: Standing DB OHP w/55's. I bet that I'm humbled in a big way. I know with the flat bench, one's collective weight with DB's is less than with the oly bar (perhaps due to the extra effort to stabilize the two DBs) and I suspect that'll be the case with the standing OHP. My 55's x 20 seated DB OHP may likely be 8-9 standing DB OHP

[Cantplankwell]

July 23, 2018 workout (2 days ago)
OHP
110 x 11
110 x 11
110 x 10

Chins
BW x 12 (RPE 8)
BW x 12 (RPE 8-1/2)

Inverted rows
BW x 25

Step-ups (18" box)
40's x 15/15 (rt/lt)
40's x 15/15*
*checked my heartrate at the end and it was ~135 (fairly high, fairly fast when you consider I probably started the set @ ~75 bpm)

Those presses are "impressive"! Good work there!

What is your resting heart rate?

[Payton1221]

What is your resting heart rate?

I don't know if it's an age-related phenomenon or not, but 15 years ago, my resting heartrate was low-60's when not doing cardio and low-50's when doing cardio. Today, it's usually ~70 with cardio (I've been continuously active for several years now, so I'm not sure what it might spike to if the cardio was dropped). You didn't ask for my max HR but I'll share that as well. I'm someone who the 220-AGE is a good estimate of my max. I'm 51, so the theoretical max is 169, and due to some killer hill rides with my bike, I just can't get my heart to beat any faster than ~165.

I want to thank you again for your assistance on the Prowler project. My son and I use it every week. He's gone from hating it to seeing it as a challenge. For giggles, I think I'm going to start referring to that Metcon/Crossfit type workout as "the pain cave"

We've been doing three sets of Prowler pushes to the end of my long driveway and back (this is about 60 seconds of pushing when we're both fresh) followed by 20 push-ups and 8 dead-hang pull-ups (I have rings suspended from my carport). We've been doing three sets of these with one resting while the other completes the three exercises. I'm going to time the next one from start-to-finish and will probably increase from three sets to four but I'm fairly well wiped out after three so my original goal of five sets may not become a reality

[Payton1221]

* Standing oly bar with weights totaling 110 lbs: 11 reps
* Seated & back supported DBs (two 55's) totaling 110 lbs: 20 reps

TONIGHT'S EXPERIMENT: Standing DB OHP w/55's. I bet that I'm humbled in a big way. I know with the flat bench, one's collective weight with DB's is less than with the oly bar (perhaps due to the extra effort to stabilize the two DBs) and I suspect that'll be the case with the standing OHP. My 55's x 20 seated DB OHP may likely be 8-9 standing DB OHP

July 26, 2018
Standing DB OHP
55's x 9

Smith Incline
185 x 10
185 x 8

Pull-ups
BW x 14 (MIGHT have even had another rep in me )
BW x 13
BW x 12

Leg Extension (rest-pause)*
110 x 15, 10, 8
110 x 15, 10, 8
* I need to check my journal, because my quads were sore doing these and I'm guessing that it's probably due to infrequency as I don't remember doing them in a while, and if so, what that means is that the leg extensions hit my quads just a little bit differently than the other leg/quad exercises that I've been doing.

Tonight's experiment is revealing but leads to questions too. Three similar exercises (Standing BB OHP, Standing DB OHP, and Seated DB OHP) result in radically different results with literally more than 2X the reps done with the DBs when seated versus standing. So . . . which are best--standing with more core activation or seated with less?

[Cantplankwell]

I don't know if it's an age-related phenomenon or not, but 15 years ago, my resting heartrate was low-60's when not doing cardio and low-50's when doing cardio. Today, it's usually ~70 with cardio (I've been continuously active for several years now, so I'm not sure what it might spike to if the cardio was dropped). You didn't ask for my max HR but I'll share that as well. I'm someone who the 220-AGE is a good estimate of my max. I'm 51, so the theoretical max is 169, and due to some killer hill rides with my bike, I just can't get my heart to beat any faster than ~165.

I want to thank you again for your assistance on the Prowler project. My son and I use it every week. He's gone from hating it to seeing it as a challenge. For giggles, I think I'm going to start referring to that Metcon/Crossfit type workout as "the pain cave"

We've been doing three sets of Prowler pushes to the end of my long driveway and back (this is about 60 seconds of pushing when we're both fresh) followed by 20 push-ups and 8 dead-hang pull-ups (I have rings suspended from my carport). We've been doing three sets of these with one resting while the other completes the three exercises. I'm going to time the next one from start-to-finish and will probably increase from three sets to four but I'm fairly well wiped out after three so my original goal of five sets may not become a reality

My laying in bed HR can be as low as 40s, sitting at my desk halfway through the day in the low 60s, I have never tested it doing a vigorous activity. I should check it right after squatting.

I am glad you are enjoying the prowler with your son! Partner WODs are a lot of fun, Glad to help. I have only used mine 2x I am sure it will jack the HR like nothing else. When I return to maintenance calories I am going to bring the prowler back into the rotation, possible warming up before squats with it, I heard it is good for glute activation.

[Payton1221]

My laying in bed HR can be as low as 40s, sitting at my desk halfway through the day in the low 60s, I have never tested it doing a vigorous activity.

It might be a genetic thing, or it might just mean that you have more/better endurance than I do, and based on your cycling, I think that's true.

With that noted I did just finish with an 11 mile ride. That takes my odometer to 604 miles so I'm still on track to log 1,000 this year.

[TM79]

Loving the pull-up numbers. To me that is more impressive than the OHP (which is still awesome, btw). Yeah, I'm with you, back supported does seem to help there. It requires a lot more energy to support your entire body while lifting something overhead. Keep up the great work in here my friend!

[Payton1221]

July 28, 2018
Inc DB Press
90's x 11
90's x 9
90's x 8

Ring Chins
BW x 12
BW x 12

Inverted Rows
BW x 25

Bulgarian Split Squats*
35's x 10/10
35's x 10/10
35's x 10/10

* I've mentioned this before, but there's no exercise that works my glutes like BSS. As I type this three days later, I'm VERY sore.


July 29, 2018
I did more cardio than I normally would, but I wanted to ride; my wife wanted to walk with me; and it was our day for my son and I to do our metcon workout so:

Bike Ride: 11 miles
Walk: 2 miles
Metcon: 3 rounds of prowler, 20 push-ups, and 8 pull-ups.


BTW, I weighed 177 this morning.

[TM79]

Holy incline DBs Batman! Then some BSS? That's what I call good ole fashioned insanity... Those are some serious numbers on incline DBs. No idea how you guys do anything that involves splitting. Forget working the glutes. For me it would be more like tearing the glutes. That's a heck of a bike ride and conditioning session afterwards too. Excellent work. Glad you were able to get some time in the wife as well. My wife just thinks everything I do is crazy...

BTW- Sorry to accidentally post my workout in here yesterday. I was replying to your journal between sets in the garage and I guess after the burpees I was out in la-la land and just posted it in here. My apologies...

[Payton1221]

Holy incline DBs Batman! Then some BSS? That's what I call good ole fashioned insanity... Those are some serious numbers on incline DBs. No idea how you guys do anything that involves splitting. Forget working the glutes. For me it would be more like tearing the glutes. That's a heck of a bike ride and conditioning session afterwards too. Excellent work. Glad you were able to get some time in the wife as well. My wife just thinks everything I do is crazy...

BTW- Sorry to accidentally post my workout in here yesterday. I was replying to your journal between sets in the garage and I guess after the burpees I was out in la-la land and just posted it in here. My apologies...

LOL on the double post. At least you posted a workout that I would be proud to call my own

I split my time between my home gym and my wife's gym (ahem, Planet Fitness ), but here's what I use to facilitate getting the bigger dumbbells into position--it's my own permanent version of PowerHooks that are sold:



Note: my viewer won't let me know if the photo is visible or not, but the following link should work: http://s1089.photobucket.com/user/mp...ml?sort=3&o=19

[TM79]

LOL on the double post. At least you posted a workout that I would be proud to call my own

I split my time between my home gym and my wife's gym (ahem, Planet Fitness ), but here's what I use to facilitate getting the bigger dumbbells into position--it's my own permanent version of PowerHooks that are sold:



Note: my viewer won't let me know if the photo is visible or not, but the following link should work: http://s1089.photobucket.com/user/mp...ml?sort=3&o=19

Man, I have never seen anything like those rings. Very cool! Did you make those yourself?

[Payton1221]

Man, I have never seen anything like those rings. Very cool! Did you make those yourself?

Yes. The hardest part was that you have drill and tap two holes in each dumbbell. I used either 5/16" or 3/8" eyebolts, and a put the very end of the eyebolt (the end that forms the "eye") into a vice and bent it "open" to form the hooks. Then I just threaded it into the holes that I created and tightened a nut to keep it from rotating.

Most of your inexpensive dumbbells typically use softer metal and, if you have a bench drill press, you can drill the holes without much trouble. With that said, I have a pair of very old 70's that I bought on Craigslist and one of them was super, super hard!!! I broke several drill bits and finally got the hole drilled with a glass/tile bit that was essentially "shot" after that one hole

The hooks make it so nice to just grab the dumbbells, lift, and then "hang" back on the bar. If I had to wrestle 80 or 90# dumbbells from the rack or floor, I think I could hurt my back in the process (100% serious).

Before I made mine, I bought a pair of the "power hooks" that you strap onto each dumbbell with a Velcro palm pad, but it wasn't nearly as nice as mine and had a tendency to rotate in my palms as I did my set causing the final "re-racking" difficult and maybe even dangerous. And if you have the drill bit for the hole and the UNC tap, mine cost probably less than $2.50/dumbbell.

[Samraiwise]

July 29, 2018
I did more cardio than I normally would, but I wanted to ride; my wife wanted to walk with me; and it was our day for my son and I to do our metcon workout so:

Bike Ride: 11 miles
Walk: 2 miles
Metcon: 3 rounds of prowler, 20 push-ups, and 8 pull-ups.


BTW, I weighed 177 this morning.

All the numbers sounds good and impressive, including HR!! It seems summer doesn't affect you a bit.

Always admire the variation of your physical activities.

My wife never wants to walk with me, I want to think it's Japanese thing....

Keep it up m'friend!!

[Payton1221]

My wife never wants to walk with me, I want to think it's Japanese thing....

I'm sorry to hear that. It's a great way to just shut-out the world and talk. With that noted, there was one time within the last six weeks where we left the driveway holding hands and returned 45 minutes so mad at one another that we couldn't talk (100% srs)

[TM79]

Yes. The hardest part was that you have drill and tap two holes in each dumbbell. I used either 5/16" or 3/8" eyebolts, and a put the very end of the eyebolt (the end that forms the "eye") into a vice and bent it "open" to form the hooks. Then I just threaded it into the holes that I created and tightened a nut to keep it from rotating.

Most of your inexpensive dumbbells typically use softer metal and, if you have a bench drill press, you can drill the holes without much trouble. With that said, I have a pair of very old 70's that I bought on Craigslist and one of them was super, super hard!!! I broke several drill bits and finally got the hole drilled with a glass/tile bit that was essentially "shot" after that one hole

The hooks make it so nice to just grab the dumbbells, lift, and then "hang" back on the bar. If I had to wrestle 80 or 90# dumbbells from the rack or floor, I think I could hurt my back in the process (100% serious).

Before I made mine, I bought a pair of the "power hooks" that you strap onto each dumbbell with a Velcro palm pad, but it wasn't nearly as nice as mine and had a tendency to rotate in my palms as I did my set causing the final "re-racking" difficult and maybe even dangerous. And if you have the drill bit for the hole and the UNC tap, mine cost probably less than $2.50/dumbbell.

Very cool and resourceful. I don’t have dumbbells that are that heavy but used to just kick them up for my knees back in the gym days. Awesome invention!

[ElrondHubbard]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's a great way to just shut-out the world and talk. With that noted, there was one time within the last six weeks where we left the driveway holding hands and returned 45 minutes so mad at one another that we couldn't talk (100% srs)

Walks like that are best kept short!

Very hard core gym setups and workouts: BTW, did you ever consider doing an ironman competition? Sounds like something you would do well.

[Payton1221]

BTW, did you ever consider doing an ironman competition? Sounds like something you would do well.

Thanks Dave. I've never been a good endurance athlete, but I've run at least on 10K and one 15K. The Olympic length triathlon has entered my mind before (1.5km swim, 40km bike, and 10km run), but I've never gotten serious enough to plan and start training for one.

[Payton1221]

I've got two (weight) workouts to log. FWIW, I weighed 173.8 this morning. I've not tracked macros in a while, but I've gotten in the bad habit of eating at a surplus on weekends and having to reel it in during the week.

July 30, 2018
Seated DB OHP
55's x 16
55's x 13
55's x 10

Pull-ups
BW x 12 (RPE ~8)
BW x 12
BW x 12

Leg Ext (Rest Pause)
110 x 16, 10, 8
110 x 16, 10, 8

July 31, 2018 and August 1, 2018
9 mile bike ride on Tues
11 mile bike ride on Wed

August 2, 2018
Inc DB Bench**
75's x 20
75's x 15
75's x 13
** I wanted to do Smith Incline tonight, but my shoulder said "NO WAY." I have my first ever chiropractor appointment on Aug 13. This office is known for ART which is what I'm wanting to try to hopefully allow me to barbell bench again. If I have to use DB's for the rest of my life, it's all good . . . at least I still have that Oh yeah, I got a "shout out" tonight by another older lifter tonight congratulating me on the 75's then asking how I'm able to get it into position without hurting my shoulder. I told him no prob on the DB, but I pointed out the aborted incline Smith moments earlier

Pull-ups
BW x 14
BW x 12
BW x 11

Leg Extension (Rest Pause)
110 x 16, 10, 10
110 x 16, 10, 10

[TM79]

Good looking last few sessions. Very jealous of the seated OHP numbers. Last week I squeezed out a measly 4 reps (I think?) reps at 60 lb on military DB press. Then a few sets of 12 pull-ups for good measure. The rest of us can dream. Glad to see some biking and then some monster incline DBs. Yeah, every time I do IB now I end up in terrible pain for a week or more so I don't even bother... Might try to do some dumbbells though at the YMCA though. Keep up the great work my friend!

[grouchyjarhead]

Some strong looking sessions lately. Great pressing.

[Payton1221]

Very jealous of the seated OHP numbers.

Some strong looking sessions lately. Great pressing.

Thanks guys. I worked out at home on Saturday, and due to a nagging arm issue, I thought I'd keep the weight low and the reps high: BB OHP using 75# x 20, 85# x 20, then 95# x 15.

I managed bike rides Fri, Sat, and Sun. Fri and Sunday was my short but hilly ride @ 35:00 each, and Saturday was my 11 mile loop. Topped Sunday's 35:00 bike ride off with a 2 mile walk with the wife.

It was incredibly humid this weekend. I was watching TV with my son after a bike ride, and I could feel the drip, drip, drip of sweat off my hair and onto my back

Going to Planet Fitness with the wife tonight, and you know what the first Monday of the month means: FREE PIZZA NIGHT! 100% serious, but I doubt I'll eat much, if any

[TM79]

So have you left Planet Fitness? Hopefully you're not taking a deload month.

[Payton1221]

So have you left Planet Fitness? Hopefully you're not taking a deload month.

LOL but no, still lifting. Just haven't journaled in a while.

OHP last night: 75x20, 95x15, 115x8. And got in a quick 35 minute bike ride down/up Blunk KNOB (read: small mountain ) and met my wife for a 40 minute walk afterwards. Bike's odometer reads ~730 miles since February.

Planet Fatness--I mean Fitness--tomorrow

[TM79]

LOL but no, still lifting. Just haven't journaled in a while.

OHP last night: 75x20, 95x15, 115x8. And got in a quick 35 minute bike ride down/up Blunk KNOB (read: small mountain ) and met my wife for a 40 minute walk afterwards. Bike's odometer reads ~730 miles since February.

Planet Fatness--I mean Fitness--tomorrow

There we go! Nice job on the OHP. I think I got 6 reps at 115 before fizzling out earlier this week. Glad to see the biking and walking as well. I always wonder how people stop journaling. To me, journaling is part of the reasons I stay so dedicated. It makes me feel like I'm being accountable, in a school project kind of way. Even though that is mostly imaginary I suppose... Whatever works, right?

[Payton1221]

I always wonder how people stop journaling. To me, journaling is part of the reasons I stay so dedicated. It makes me feel like I'm being accountable, in a school project kind of way. Even though that is mostly imaginary I suppose... Whatever works, right?

I'm glad that others journal, and I like to encourage and to exchange ideas. For me, my workouts are very static. With a wonky shoulder, I'm greatly limited to what I can do. My short season of incline barbell and flat barbell bench has come to an end as the issue that stopped me from doing them years ago returned So that leaves me with incline DB bench and either BB or DB OHP that I typically do in an A/B fashion. I just get tired of journaling the same weights and reps because there's little-to-no "growth" that's going to occur considering how long I've been at it UNLESS I wanted to go on a bulk but when I've done that: I am definitely somewhat stronger (and fatter) and when I diet off the chub I'm right back to where I was. So my weight fluctuates too little and my workouts vary too little to make it interesting enough for me to continue, it seems.

But I'm glad there are folks like you who not only are avid exercisers, but disciplined journalers too Keep at it!

[TM79]

I'm glad that others journal, and I like to encourage and to exchange ideas. For me, my workouts are very static. With a wonky shoulder, I'm greatly limited to what I can do. My short season of incline barbell and flat barbell bench has come to an end as the issue that stopped me from doing them years ago returned So that leaves me with incline DB bench and either BB or DB OHP that I typically do in an A/B fashion. I just get tired of journaling the same weights and reps because there's little-to-no "growth" that's going to occur considering how long I've been at it UNLESS I wanted to go on a bulk but when I've done that: I am definitely somewhat stronger (and fatter) and when I diet off the chub I'm right back to where I was. So my weight fluctuates too little and my workouts vary too little to make it interesting enough for me to continue, it seems.

But I'm glad there are folks like you who not only are avid exercisers, but disciplined journalers too Keep at it!

Ha ha, understandable. If it makes you feel any better, I pretty much do the same weights every "cycle." By cycle, I mean doing the same rep routines and mostly the same weight every 6 weeks while I try not to aggravate injuries... For me it is the conditioning and accessory work that are always changing and somehow, I still manage to make progress in that department. So I guess that's something to journal about. It does take time though, that's for sure. Here is a common interaction between my wife and I on Saturday mornings:

Me: "I'm going for a run."
Her: "How long is that going to take?"
Me: "I might do five miles so about 45 minutes."
Her: "Then you have to blog about it so about an hour."
Me: (roll eyes, think about making a smart a$$ comment but good judgment takes over and I just walk out the door)

It is funny to think of it. I have two Excel spreadsheets, each with about 20,000 lines of training records, dating back four years and if I died, I'd bet that nobody would ever go back through any of it. Who knows? If I had something like that that my Dad had written before he died I would certainly go back through it. Maybe not all 40,000 lines, but I would read through a majority of it. Oh well, it helps to keep me motivated if nothing else. Sorry to get off on a rant here. That's what missed flight connections and beers will do. Journal or not, I appreciate your comments in mine, as I'm sure others do.

[Payton1221]

Me: "I'm going for a run."
Her: "How long is that going to take?"
Me: "I might do five miles so about 45 minutes."

LOL but that took a different turn than I thought. When you run or bike the same locations, you can be fairly consistent with your times. Last night for example, I took the short (35 minute) ride and knew that I would walk with my wife. I set the timer on the microwave and said "when you hear it beep, come outside and I'll be pulling into the driveway."

I have two Excel spreadsheets, each with about 20,000 lines of training records, dating back four years

Same here. I have a written journal (that I still maintain) that goes back 5 years or so, and I have an Excel spreadsheet that I used when I tracked macros for ~five YEARS. I quit tracking macros about six months ago, but I know that I can do it again if I have desire to eat under maintenance for a few consecutive days. I also add miscellaneous comments about diet or exercise in that same spreadsheet in case--I mean WHEN--I forget I occasionally will use Cntl-F to find what I'm looking for.

[ElrondHubbard]

I'm glad that others journal, and I like to encourage and to exchange ideas. For me, my workouts are very static. With a wonky shoulder, I'm greatly limited to what I can do. My short season of incline barbell and flat barbell bench has come to an end as the issue that stopped me from doing them years ago returned So that leaves me with incline DB bench and either BB or DB OHP that I typically do in an A/B fashion. I just get tired of journaling the same weights and reps because there's little-to-no "growth" that's going to occur considering how long I've been at it UNLESS I wanted to go on a bulk but when I've done that: I am definitely somewhat stronger (and fatter) and when I diet off the chub I'm right back to where I was. So my weight fluctuates too little and my workouts vary too little to make it interesting enough for me to continue, it seems.

But I'm glad there are folks like you who not only are avid exercisers, but disciplined journalers too Keep at it!

I wonder if you were willing to get a little fatter, just for a while, if that cycle would break. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with being at maintenance when you're maintaining a good foundation. Eight reps on the OHP at 115 is more than I've ever done -- I merely aspire to it.

[Cantplankwell]

Your wrestling story (on my journal) made me laugh !!

I have twin sons, and years ago, say when they were 10 or 12 it began to get real hard to fight them both off at the same time....a real challenge. Good times.

Glad to see you are doing very well in here, a big variety of stuff....active living at its best when the whole family is involved.

[Samraiwise]

Wake up, soldier!! Your house on fire!! or rather it's been THREE weeks with no fire............