Iron Menace: HoosierHardGain's 2013 Iron Pumping Journal

[HoosierHardGain]

I ama huge fan of super sets for the time factor. I try and incorporate them whenever possible.

I need to make better use of them on my upper body days. I have 7 movements, so there's ample space to use them.

Sessions are looking great hoosier, good to see you back in the swing of things.

Hey, thanks man. The bad thing is not sure how long it'll last. This trial membership runs out around April 10th. I'll probably try to get a week trial at another place. Not sure if my old place will be up by then or not, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Tmax55]

I don't know how you survived that long without a gym. I can't workout without one. You are a better person than I am.

[HoosierHardGain]

Well, a full week of workouts is in the books! Today was lower body training and it went pretty well. No real issues with my knee, so hopefully it's going to cooperate a bit more.

Today's work:

BB HACK SQUAT

4 x 10

GOOD MORNINGS

4 x 12

CYBEX LEG EXT

3 x 12

CYBEX SEATED LEG CURL

3 x 10

CALF PRESS

3 x 10

SEATED CALF RAISE

3 x 10

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That's how the first week back ended! This gym doesn't have a lot of equipment, but it's enough to get me back into the game for now. Good to be back!

I don't know how you survived that long without a gym. I can't workout without one. You are a better person than I am.

lol I wouldn't say I'm a better person. It just how it was for a few months. I wasn't willing to start committing to another place without seeing how the timeline was with my old gym, but them dragging their heels forced my hand.

[HoosierHardGain]

Happy Monday, y'all! It was a crisp morning at 5am, around 34 degrees. Actually felt kinda good as it smacks you in the face and wakes you up on your way to the gym!

In the gym early, as always, and I had some weekend excess to work off. Yeah, yeah, I know. It doesn't really work that way. But hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?

Today's work:

SMITH BENCH

3 x 4

Upped the weight 10lbs the last set, which will set the stage for using that weight for most of the sets next week.

DB INCLINE BENCH

4 x 8

got a couple of extra total reps over last week.

BB ROW

3 x 6
1 x 8

These had really been bothering my forearms, even before I had to take a forced gym break. The owner of the current gym I'm using told me to make sure I was gripping more with my finger tips instead of my palms. I tried it and it did seem to take some of the pressure off.

ASSISTED PULLUPS

2 x 8
1 x 6
1 x 5

Upped the resistance the last 2 sets.

CYBEX OHP

3 x 8

EZ CURL

3 x 7

OVERHEAD TRI EXT

3 x 8

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I got up a little late, but still managed to get the whole session in. The weight or reps moved up across the board, so I was really happy with the output!

[mirroroferised]

Interesting tip on the bb row.

[erinlee01]

Nice job, Hoos! I wish I could get the energy back to do 5 am workouts. I used to love that!

[HoosierHardGain]

Interesting tip on the bb row.

It's something I actually remembered from playing baseball. You're supposed to grip the bat with your fingertips, not the palm. It makes your hands and wrists more flexible and not as riged.

Nice job, Hoos! I wish I could get the energy back to do 5 am workouts. I used to love that!

After being away from them for a few months, it wasn't easy getting back up for them. In the grand scheme, I am sure it is not the best time to train but it is the time I can do it.

[erinlee01]

It's something I actually remembered from playing baseball. You're supposed to grip the bat with your fingertips, not the palm. It makes your hands and wrists more flexible and not as riged.



After being away from them for a few months, it wasn't easy getting back up for them. In the grand scheme, I am sure it is not the best time to train but it is the time I can do it.

I dunno, I felt I was at my most consistent when I was doing it at that time. Which is how you get the best results. Life tends to get in the way otherwise. I never had an issue going without breakfast, though. I know some do.

[Hibiscus09]

I've been taught somewhere along the way to grip the bar like your hands are hooks before Hoosier. I can't remember who told me that, but Dave Draper describes it a bit here:

I prefer the thumb free grip, as it lessens the contribution of the bicep and the forearms. Also, it helps you to "pull with the lats." Imagine your arms to be gaff hooks...retract your shoulder blades and pull with the lats and mid back muscles, your hands merely being hooks to hold the barbell. The feeling is hard to cultivate but worth the effort, otherwise it is possible to turn bent over rows into just another bicep exercise.

I know my trainer, Pam, is the one who taught me how to engage the lats/mid back muscles and eliminate the arms (mostly) when doing rows, pull-ups, and pulldowns.

I don't use a thumbless grip, but I do try to focus on engaging and not pulling with my arms.

Nice job on your workout! Have you considered using straps when your rows get extra heavy? I believe I've done that before when going heavier on rows.

[GirlOnAMission]

Hey Hoosier! Thought I would come in and see how your workouts are going...I'm glad you found another gym...hope it's workout out for you!

[kimm4]

Hey, all. So if you remember, I have been without a gym since about Thanksgiving. They gym I had been going to was in the midst of moving locations and had given a time table of opening somewhere between middle of January and first of February. Well, that now is being extended to the first part of April. At this point, I'm in a "I'll believe it when I see it" mode. Because of the low price I was paying for membership, I am not yet ready to just tell them to forget about ever having me back.

I've been training using resistance bands, and they've been providing a reasonably good workout. Nothing I'd call training, but ok. But I went and signed up for a 1 month trial membership at a chain fitness facility not far from my house, and I made my first trek there this morning.

The place isn't the ideal bodybuilding type place. There's no squat rack, but there is a smith machine. And no bench for doing barbell benching, but the do have an oly bar. They have Cybex machines, which seem ok, but not as good as my previous place.

So all in all, I can get a better training experience compared to resistance bands. For a month, it should be fine. This morning I went in and did a chest workout. I walked up to the facility and it was dead empty, so I was happy with that

The workout:

DB BENCH

3 x 6

SMITH MACHINE INCLINE BENCH

3 x 6

CYBEX FLY'S

2 x 20

Hated this machine. The right side was heavier than the left, so next time I'll switch to db flyes.

CYBEX AB MACHINE

2 x 15

Won't use this again, either. The range of motion was very limited. Didn't feel anything in my abs

Nice to see you back at it. Looks good in here!

[HoosierHardGain]

Good morning all. The scheduled lower body work from yesterday got moved to today due to the weather totally f'ing with my allergies. That's the real problem with change of weather time, it messes with me something awful. But I know the drill: adjust and get it done.

Good session this morning. Still not back anywhere near where I was strength wise, but I'm patient.

Today's work:

BB HACK SQUAT

3 x 4

This is really the first time I've gone this heavy, in terms of number of reps, with bb hacks. I'm liking how deep I can get.

DEADS

3 x 3

CYBEX LEG PRESS

3 x 12

I had thought I was going to use the leg press for my heavy movement, but that wasn't realistic. The machine doesn't go heavy enough to do it.

CYBEX SEATED LEG CURL

4 x 8

Total weight lifted increase over last week.

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I decided not to do the calf press movement. The program calls for that movement today, then 2 calf movements later in the week. I just didn't see the need to perform 3 calf movements in total. I felt the work I put in was solid, plus leaving plenty of room to improve.

I dunno, I felt I was at my most consistent when I was doing it at that time. Which is how you get the best results. Life tends to get in the way otherwise. I never had an issue going without breakfast, though. I know some do.

I totally agree. Long, long time ago when I would train over lunch, there was always something coming up preventing me from getting into the gym. I find early morning the only thing that would ever get in my way is wanting to sleep lol

I've been taught somewhere along the way to grip the bar like your hands are hooks before Hoosier. I can't remember who told me that, but Dave Draper describes it a bit here:



I know my trainer, Pam, is the one who taught me how to engage the lats/mid back muscles and eliminate the arms (mostly) when doing rows, pull-ups, and pulldowns.

I don't use a thumbless grip, but I do try to focus on engaging and not pulling with my arms.

Nice job on your workout! Have you considered using straps when your rows get extra heavy? I believe I've done that before when going heavier on rows.

Hey, Hibby. I don't use a thumbless grip, either. It feels too unnatural. I was basically putting the bar deep into my palm, then gripping it tightly before lifting. I think that was what was causing my issues. If I am being totally honest, I'd admit that it probably would be worth my time to find a good coach to work with me on proper gripping.

Hey Hoosier! Thought I would come in and see how your workouts are going...I'm glad you found another gym...hope it's workout out for you!

Well hey there, welcome back into the forums! The new gym is pretty bare-bones. Definitely nothing a really hardcore lifter would want. But the positives for me is that it's close to my home, very sparsely populated in the early morning, and available 24 hours.

Nice to see you back at it. Looks good in here!

Thanks, Kim. I cannot tell you how much I missed being out of the gym! I thought I made a good compromise using the resistance tubes, but it really wasn't the same thing.

[HoosierHardGain]

Good morning, everyone. I had to make up for a missed training session from yesterday. My allergies got the best of me and there wasn't much chance of me getting up early. So, that means I had to compensate this morning.

What I did was basically combine what I would have done yesterday with what I would do today. I discarded the accessory work and just concentrated on the bigger movements for the most part.

Today's work:

SMITH MACHINE FRONT SQUAT

3 x 8
1 x 10

I added this movement this week. I really concentrated on form, especially my knee placement. I focused on not letting my knees flair out so much, which I think was contributing to some of the knee issues I had been having. It seemed to work as I didn't experience any additional discomfort in my knee.

SMITH MACHINE INCLINE BENCH

4 x 9

added reps across the board over last week.

CABLE ROW

3 x 9
1 x 10

I supersetted this with the incline bench. I also added reps on each set over the previous week.

GOOD MORNINGS

4 x 12

Bumped the weight up 5 lbs.

CYBEX LAT RAISE

4 x 12

CALF RAISE

3 x 10
1 x 11

In and done in just over an hour. My heart was pumping nicely, and I liked getting winded on the bigger movements. Good way to end the week.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

[HoosierHardGain]

Hey, good morning all. Allergies be damned, I still got up and waded my way to the gym this morning. This after a weekend full of the firestorm that's been circling the state I live in. Holy sh*t, politicians are stupid!

Still got a solid heavy upper body training session in today. Pushing myself a little more as I get back into a routine.

I left my log book in my car, so I am writing this from memory:

SMITH BENCH

2 x 3
1 x 1

not sure if the last set was too heavy or an offday. I'll see next week. History tells me it was too heavy.

DB INCLINE

4 x 9

Was able to add a rep on each set.

BB ROW

4 x 8

upped the weight the last two sets. I think lol

ASSISTED PULLUP MACHINE

3 x 5

Decreased the assistance the last set.

CYBEX OHP

3 x 6

[mirroroferised]

Good to see you pushed your way through man. Allergies are brutal.

[erinlee01]

Allergies suck. I'm sure once it stops snowing here, mine will kick in.

[HoosierHardGain]

Good Wednesday morning, peeps. It's a very nice looking morning here, temps up in the 50's with a lot of sunshine. Kinda wish I could bottle it

Solid workout this morning. Performed deads and hacks and moved the weight up in both. Feels good getting into a solid rhythm. Still having trouble getting the diet in order, however

Today's work:

DEADS

2 x 3
1 x 4

heaviest weight yet at this gym, but still got a long way to go.

BB HACKS

2 x 3
1 x 5

I think I can start pushing the weight up even more next week.

CYBEX LEG PRESS

4 x 12

SEATED CALF RAISE

2 x 8
2 x 9

CYBEX LEG CURL

4 x 8

Good to see you pushed your way through man. Allergies are brutal.

That's just my reality come this time of the year. Really any season. Weather change always plays havoc on me.

Allergies suck. I'm sure once it stops snowing here, mine will kick in.

They do, and nothing over the counter really does anything for me.

[erinlee01]

Looks like you'll be sending those warmer temps our way. It's 40 today and it's supposed to be 60 tomorrow. I cannot wait! I am tired of freezing my ass of when I leave my house. Not to mention i now hate all my winter clothes/shoes!

I'm still struggling with diet as well. I was doing well, then Girl Scout cookies were delivered.

[SeaSiren]

Looking Good! Sorry to hear about your allergies though

[HoosierHardGain]

Good afternoon, everyone. A bit of a hectic day here, hence why I am late to the game posting my training. I was going to work from home today because my daughter had a presentation at school today, and I was going to go see it then go back home and work the rest of the day. Well, my work laptop had other plans. Some of the software on it became corrupted, which kept me from logging into work. I still went and say my daughters presentation, but then drove to work to get the anti-virus software on my laptop reinstalled.

The training was good this morning. I felt strong on the pump session, and hit some good reps.

The work:

SMITH INCLINE BENCH

2 x 9
2 x 10

added 2 total reps over the previous week. I'll go for 10's on all 4 sets next week then consider upping the weight.

DB FLY

3 x 10

fewer reps this week because I upped the poundage by 5lbs in each hand.

CABLE ROW

4 x 10

3 total rep increase over last week.

LAT PULLDOWN

2 x 12
1 x 13

TRI PRESSDOWN

3 x 12

ALT DB CURL

3 x 10

FACE PULLS

2 x 10
1 x 11

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In and done in about an hour. In for lower body higher rep work tomorrow!

Looks like you'll be sending those warmer temps our way. It's 40 today and it's supposed to be 60 tomorrow. I cannot wait! I am tired of freezing my ass of when I leave my house. Not to mention i now hate all my winter clothes/shoes!

I'm still struggling with diet as well. I was doing well, then Girl Scout cookies were delivered.

lol Gotta love the Girl Scout cookies! We always buy a few boxes and freeze all but one box so we aren't plowing through them.

Looking Good! Sorry to hear about your allergies though

Thanks, Denise! Allergies are just a fact of life for me, especially this time of the year.

[Lou1se]

Hey Hoose! It must be a relief to be experiencing warmer weather finally and this is despite the allergies. Cooler weather tends to encourage hunger pangs. Start drinking lots of water and make sure you rest well. Our autumn days are just lovely. I'm really enjoying the sunsets atm, they can be spectacular at this time of year

A quick read of the last couple of workouts shows you're inching your way up on reps and weights here and there. Good to see!

Have a wonderful Easter!

[HoosierHardGain]

Good morning, all! Hope everyone is ready for the weekend. It's Final Four weekend, of course the event is held here in Indy so it'll be kind of chaotic here.

Good session this morning. Felt strong and the weight felt good, no issues with any movement. I even added a tab bit of cardio at the end for good measure.

The work:

SMITH FRONT SQUATS

2 x 9
2 x 10

These keep feeling more comfortable

CYBEX LEG EXTENSION

2 x 13
1 x 14

GOOD MORNINGS

2 x 12
1 x 13

CYBEX LEG CURL

3 x 13

LISS CARDIO

15 minutes incline walking on treadmill

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And that wrapped up the training week. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Hey Hoose! It must be a relief to be experiencing warmer weather finally and this is despite the allergies. Cooler weather tends to encourage hunger pangs. Start drinking lots of water and make sure you rest well. Our autumn days are just lovely. I'm really enjoying the sunsets atm, they can be spectacular at this time of year

A quick read of the last couple of workouts shows you're inching your way up on reps and weights here and there. Good to see!

Have a wonderful Easter!

Well look! A Lou1se sighting!! Good to see you, and hope all is great. I'm really glad to have the warmer temps around, as the cold winter like weather was really wearing thin.

[HoosierHardGain]

Good morning everyone. A bit behind posting training sessions for the week, so going to post the two I've gotten in.

Monday, 4/6: Heavy Upper Body

SMITH BENCH

3 x 3

ASSISTED PULLUPS

2 x 5
1 x 6

BB ROW

3 x 6

DB INCLINE BENCH

2 x 9
2 x 10

CYBEX OHP

3 x 8


Wednesday, 4/8: Heavy Lower Body

DEADLIFTS

2 x 3
1 x 4

BB HACKS

2 x 3
1 x 4

CYBEX LEG PRESS

3 x 10
1 x 12

CYBEX SEATED LEG CURL

4 x 9

[HoosierHardGain]

Good morning, all! Hope the week has been going smoothly for everyone.

Last week my trial membership ran out at the facility I had been using. This week I had a 3 day trial membership to another place that I tried out. Basically, when you consider where I live, I have 3 choices if I want to get back into a gym:

1) Use the Snap Fitness facility that I did a month trial with. Pro: It's close to my house, available 24 hours, and not really busy at all in the morning. Con: It's much more expensive than I have been using and there isn't a lot of choice on equipment. They don't even have a regulation oly bar.

2) Use the LA Fitness that I had just done a 3 day trial with. Pro: It's also close, has all the equipment I need, and it's cheaper than Snap, and no contract. Con: They do have an initiation fee, which I have negotiated down some, they're busier than I am use to even in the early morning, and they don't offer 24 hour access.

3) Wait for my old place to open their new location. Honestly, I have little confidence they will open at this point.


So that is where I am. On the plus side, I have dropped a couple of more lbs the last week or so, mostly by concentrating on my diet. When I did lift this week, I concentrated on going heavy to support that goal.

[mirroroferised]

imho la fitness. It's close and has all the equipment you need. You'll get used to the crowd I would guess.

[HoosierHardGain]

imho la fitness. It's close and has all the equipment you need. You'll get used to the crowd I would guess.

I'd say you're right.

[erinlee01]

My gym is closed for renos until the end of this week. Your gym has been closed so long I'm worried they were being overly optimistic when they only said they'd be shut down for a week!

[HoosierHardGain]

Well, sometimes the universe aligns just right to keep my from starting/continuing a program. Hey, just life. So last week, I was pretty down with allergy issues, so I never really got my program off the ground. I should be able to get my full compliment of work in this week, but next week is looking a bit iffy.

Why? We're getting a new puppy this weekend. He'll be about 9 weeks old when we get him this weekend, so we'll be going through the whole house breaking stage of needing to take him outside quite a bit until he learns to let us know when he needs to go, etc. I'll be playing it by ear training wise next week.

But, I got my 5/3/1 deadlifting in this morning. The work:

DEADS

165 x 5
190 x 5
220 x 5

Obviously starting quite a bit lower than where I was last year, the result of being away from a strict program for 5 months.

SQUATS

135 x 8
135 x 8
135 x 8
135 x 8
135 x 8

this showed how much my endurance was down. My legs were more than strong enough, just didn't have the energy lol

LEG PRESS

PWO

270 x 8
270 x 9
270 x 9

I hate not knowing how heavy the sled is

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Decent enough session. I didn't get around to throw any cardio in, which I'm wanting to do at the end of each session, but I still hold the lifting portion as the most critical.

[HoosierHardGain]

Good morning, everyone. Great looking morning here, so far. Sunny, no wind. Of course the day started off with a good session in the gym.

Overhead press was the heavy 5/3/1 movement. I hit all my weights, but didn't go to failure. I still want to make sure my shoulder holds up with the heavy weights. Everything felt great, no issues.

The work:

OHP

85 x 5
100 x 5
115 x 5

I'm behind the numbers I was putting up last year, which is to be expected when I have the layoff I have had.

BB ROW

135 x 8
135 x 8
135 x 8
135 x 9
135 x 10

BBB calls for 5 x 10, but I prefer to start a bit heavier and work up to 10 reps.

BENCH

125 x 8
125 x 8
125 x 8
125 x 8
125 x 9

CARDIO

15 minutes incline walking on the dreadmill, 130 cals. Yeah, I know, the calories these machines show as used are usually suspect.

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Good session, I felt great. Moving to a bigger commercial gym I was concerned about getting time in the squat/power racks, but that hasn't been an issue so far.

[erinlee01]

You need to post pics of the puppy!!!!!! Your kids must be excited. But I'll warn you that no matter how many times they tell you they will walk and feed it, they won't!

Have you settled your gym situation?