Gym regimen - February 2012

Sunday, 19 Feb 2012
Even Keel 2 (CIRCUIT B)
50 min., 96.5kg

Front squat (FSQ): 9, 6, 3 @ 70kg, 80kg, 90kg

Dumbbell (db) incline bench: 9, 9, 6 @ 18kg, 22kg, 25kg (per arm)

Seated hyper-supinated db curl: 9, 6, 10 @ 13.5kg, 18kg, 20kg

Snatch deadlift (SDL): 9, 8, 6 @ 50kg, 60kg, 80kg

db tricep extension: 12, 10, 12 (per arm) @ 8kg, 10kg, 13.5kg

Pulldown row: 9, 6, 9 @ 80kg, 85kg 95kg

+ + +

Thanks to hula hooping, strtching, some medicinal adhesive pads, and massage, my left lumbar is feeling a lot better. I did play it safe, however, on the SDL tonight. I felt like dying my first set of FSQ, but my last set was a just-right challenge. It felt good to go for higher reps on other exercises, like curls, extensions, and the incline press. I still felt sore Saturday, plus I went to my friend's birthday party, so I delayed this workout till tonight (Sunday).

I am happy to report I finally witnessed someone else using the SQ rack! He was a young Taiwanese guy, and I guess tonight was his SQ night, since in the span of 40 minutes I saw him do several sets of 6-10 reps ranging from 70-100kg. Since I tried a new pair of shoes tonight, I noticed the shoes he was wearing, and cringed. He had on a pair of squishy heeled Nike-somethings. I paid close attention to his ankles, and, sure enough, I noticed small wobbling in them due to the softness of his soles' (not to say the softness of his soul).

My new shoes are an experiment, since they are just a NT$450 pair of flat, airless rubber-soled, laterally velcroed shoes, from which I also removed the liners, so now the soles are as flat as can be. I can't say I felt much of a difference, but I think I will be able to tell more on the SQ later this week. For all I know, though, the shoes might have helped me finish all three sets of FSQ as well as I managed to do.

I also tried some knee sleeves tonight, and rubbed in some muscle warmer before donning them. I figure increased circulation is all for the good, but again I can't say I felt a substantial difference with them on versus with them off. Maybe I can try some sets with and without them, but having them on tonight felt good.

Another small victory is that I decided to move my DLs to the bar on the floor across from the SQ rack. It usually just lies there, but last week I used it for military presses, and it dawned on me I could use it for DLs straight from the floor. Success!

The main achievement of this workout is that I went heavier on all lifts except for those which I needed to protect my lumbar on. My weight has also gone up to 96.5kg. High five. Stay tuned.