...tell Him what you know.
If you want to make God laugh, tell Him I went for a run.
I went for a run.
Saturday night I did 5 triplets of ab wheels interwoven with five sets of sledge hammer levers. I held a 10 lb sledge hammer about half a foot from the head and leveraged it up five times per side (towards and away from my head), twice per set. Good ache the next day.
Sunday night I jogged 2 miles in about 19 minutes. Amazing, right?
Monday night in the garage I warmed up and did two circuits of 2-minute exercises (from the double-end bag, to the heavy bag, to the jump rope), with 45 seconds of rest between each exercise. I ended with three sets of: 10 "sling V-ups" (like this but inverted in midair) followed by 250 hula hoop loops (yes!).
I've come into a fairly busy patch of work these days, but tomorrow I still think I shall "hit the gym". I will, however, replace back squats with front squats, supinated chinups with pronated wider-grip pullups, and will intersplice the final four exercises as I did last Friday. Stay tuned.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
Re-building notes... gains... rest is so important...
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
Ahnohld Three-Day Split, Day ___
60 min.
This was an abbreviated and more quickly done workout, which was fun, since I had to get my wife to a teacher function that evening. I drank two 500 mL bottles of Cytomax.
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
walking with double stroller
2 miles, 30 min.
Thursday, 18 December 2014
walking with double stroller
2.6 miles, 40 min.
Friday, 19 December 2014
Ahnohld Three-Day Split, Day ___
80 min.
I ended up talking for a few minutes with a couple guys about new exercises and programs they can try. I mentioned that I'll be doing a "high-intensity program" in the new year, and they said they wanted to try the same, "like Crossfit." Let's just say, though, that the HIT method I will be doing is much different from Crossfit/Insanity/PX-90-style intensity workouts. With my HIT goals, the maxim is, "Less is more", while those other intensity programs are driven by the idea that "more is never enough."
In any case, I felt much stronger on squats, and I was pleased to see my pullups and floor press improved. I once again drank two bottles of Cytomax. Originally I had planned to return on Thursday, but I wisely decided to give myself one more day of rest (and walking), which was a boon.
Next week I am partial to idea of going to the gym simply to do a baseline workout to prepare for my HIT program. That is, I will run through the exercises I'll be doing to establish roughly my 1RM for each, and then use a 75-80% "inroad" of that amount for the workouts themselves.
Then again, I realize that after a few days off, especially with the holidays looming, I may want to go for one more solid full-body workout and then use the first two weeks of the the HIT program to establish weights, rhythms, stations, etc. (which is kind of what Darden intends for the first two weeks, anyway).
I'm really itching to work in some grip training days again. Walking/Jogging with the kids will generally be my off-day activity for the foreseeable future.
Ahnohld Three-Day Split, Day ___
60 min.
warm-up: stretching, motions, etc.
SQ: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 225, 245, 265, 285 lbs.
leg curl: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90, 100
db floor press (with elevated feet): 12, 10, 8, 10 @ 65, 60, 70, 75
[An old-timer (sort of) saw me doing floor presses and suggested I throw-in leg raises while doing them, to activate my abdomen and destabilize my torso to enhance pectoral control. I like it. He then told me that he had a heart attack recently due, apparently, to a hypertrophic heart, after 36 years of heavy lifting. He said he is giving his doctor until the end of January to get things right, at which time, either way, he'll resume heavy training. Kind of creepy to get advice from a guy who might literally die under the bar in the next few weeks.]
PU (supinated): 14, 9, 7 @ bdw
db pullover-press: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 65, 70, 75
EZ bar curl: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 50, 60, 70, 80
This was an abbreviated and more quickly done workout, which was fun, since I had to get my wife to a teacher function that evening. I drank two 500 mL bottles of Cytomax.
+ + +
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
walking with double stroller
2 miles, 30 min.
+ + +
Thursday, 18 December 2014
walking with double stroller
2.6 miles, 40 min.
+ + +
Friday, 19 December 2014
Ahnohld Three-Day Split, Day ___
80 min.
SQ: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 230, 250, 270, 295 lbs.
leg curl: 10, 9, 8 @ 90, 100, 110
calf press: 18, 16, 15 @ 255 (?)
[I'm never really sure how to tally a leg press machine. I guess you don't count the board itself.]
db floor press (with elevated feet): 12, 10, 8, 8 @ 70, 75, 80, 85
[PU (supinated): 15, 9, 8 @ bdw
[and
[db MP: 12, 9, 6 @ 45, 50, 55
[In order to save time, I "intermeshed" one set of each exercise after the other.]
[EZ bar curl (narrowish grip): 12, 10, 8, 9 @ 50, 60, 70, 80
[and
[db tricep press (supine, two hands on one db): 12, 10, 10 @ 70, 75, 80
[Ditto.]
I ended up talking for a few minutes with a couple guys about new exercises and programs they can try. I mentioned that I'll be doing a "high-intensity program" in the new year, and they said they wanted to try the same, "like Crossfit." Let's just say, though, that the HIT method I will be doing is much different from Crossfit/Insanity/PX-90-style intensity workouts. With my HIT goals, the maxim is, "Less is more", while those other intensity programs are driven by the idea that "more is never enough."
In any case, I felt much stronger on squats, and I was pleased to see my pullups and floor press improved. I once again drank two bottles of Cytomax. Originally I had planned to return on Thursday, but I wisely decided to give myself one more day of rest (and walking), which was a boon.
Next week I am partial to idea of going to the gym simply to do a baseline workout to prepare for my HIT program. That is, I will run through the exercises I'll be doing to establish roughly my 1RM for each, and then use a 75-80% "inroad" of that amount for the workouts themselves.
Then again, I realize that after a few days off, especially with the holidays looming, I may want to go for one more solid full-body workout and then use the first two weeks of the the HIT program to establish weights, rhythms, stations, etc. (which is kind of what Darden intends for the first two weeks, anyway).
I'm really itching to work in some grip training days again. Walking/Jogging with the kids will generally be my off-day activity for the foreseeable future.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Rebuilding program notes... a watermark...
Ahnohld Three-Day Split
12/12/14 (Day 11)
80 min.
warm-up: motions, stretching, scorpions, etc.
SQ: 10, 6, 2, 3 @ 225, 260, 295, 335 lbs.
[I knew tonight was a big step on my rebuilding path, so I was mentally unsteady during my warm up sets, feeling skittish about my foot placement, etc. When it came down to it, the belt was a good call and I'm pleased with my form on these. {When I first squatted and posted this, I thought it was 325, but in fact I had 335 on my back. Nice!}]
leg curl: 10, 8, 8, 10 @ 80, 110, 100, 90
calf press: 15 x 4 @ 225, 255, 245, 235
db floor press: 10, 10, 7, 6 @ 75, 80, 85, 90
[I saw a video recently (by the buff guy who always wear a hat {Ducky or something?} and he pointed out that there's no need for your elbows to go below your chest as on a conventional bench press, and that doing so only puts your shoulder at risk. So I shall be doing floor presses henceforth.]
PU (supinated): 12, 8, 8 @ bdw
[Had a "mindblown" moment tonight. It was not until reading Ellington Darden's The New HIT Method that I gave supinated pullups much consideration. In my six years of crew, we exclusively used a wide, pronated grip. But Darden makes the case that a supinated grip gives a better lat stretch, so I have tried it out, and the difference did not blow me away until I was stretching between curl sets. My biceps were pumped and tight, so I tried a variety of hand widths and found that a wide grip really stretched the biceps, while a narrow, pronated grip really stretched my lats, and a supinated, narrow grip even more so!]
db pullover-press: 10, 8, 8 @ 70, 75, 80
[It's not hurting anymore, but I still wanted to give my elbow a break. Plus, I LOVE this exercise!!!]
EZ bar curl: 10, 6, 8, 11
[The warmup/pyramid-down rep scheme is gold. I tried it on other exercises, too.]
I have decided to do my Even Keel workout next week, which will effectively be like doing this Ahnohld workout on Tuesday and Thursday, instead of on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was feeling very un-amped tonight, so, as I head into the holy days, it's time to give myself more reps as I prepare to begin my six-month HIT regimen.
12/12/14 (Day 11)
80 min.
warm-up: motions, stretching, scorpions, etc.
SQ: 10, 6, 2, 3 @ 225, 260, 295, 335 lbs.
[I knew tonight was a big step on my rebuilding path, so I was mentally unsteady during my warm up sets, feeling skittish about my foot placement, etc. When it came down to it, the belt was a good call and I'm pleased with my form on these. {When I first squatted and posted this, I thought it was 325, but in fact I had 335 on my back. Nice!}]
leg curl: 10, 8, 8, 10 @ 80, 110, 100, 90
calf press: 15 x 4 @ 225, 255, 245, 235
db floor press: 10, 10, 7, 6 @ 75, 80, 85, 90
[I saw a video recently (by the buff guy who always wear a hat {Ducky or something?} and he pointed out that there's no need for your elbows to go below your chest as on a conventional bench press, and that doing so only puts your shoulder at risk. So I shall be doing floor presses henceforth.]
PU (supinated): 12, 8, 8 @ bdw
[Had a "mindblown" moment tonight. It was not until reading Ellington Darden's The New HIT Method that I gave supinated pullups much consideration. In my six years of crew, we exclusively used a wide, pronated grip. But Darden makes the case that a supinated grip gives a better lat stretch, so I have tried it out, and the difference did not blow me away until I was stretching between curl sets. My biceps were pumped and tight, so I tried a variety of hand widths and found that a wide grip really stretched the biceps, while a narrow, pronated grip really stretched my lats, and a supinated, narrow grip even more so!]
db pullover-press: 10, 8, 8 @ 70, 75, 80
[It's not hurting anymore, but I still wanted to give my elbow a break. Plus, I LOVE this exercise!!!]
EZ bar curl: 10, 6, 8, 11
[The warmup/pyramid-down rep scheme is gold. I tried it on other exercises, too.]
+ + +
I have decided to do my Even Keel workout next week, which will effectively be like doing this Ahnohld workout on Tuesday and Thursday, instead of on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was feeling very un-amped tonight, so, as I head into the holy days, it's time to give myself more reps as I prepare to begin my six-month HIT regimen.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Rebuilding program notes... getting there...
12/10/14
Ahnohld Three-Day Split (Day 10)
80 min.
SQ: 10, 8, 6, 6 @ 225, 255, 285, 305 lbs.
[Oddly, the first two sets felt a lot harder than the last two. Or not oddly: they were higher volume and I still needed them to find my groove. I will be going for 325 this Friday.]
leg curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 80, 90, 100
[Felt some pain in my hamstrings so I took it easy on these.]
calf press: 15 x 4 @ 235
[Movin' on up. Broken toe no longer much of a problem.]
db BP: 10, 9, 9, 10 @ 70, 85, 80, 75
[A tried a new rep scheme, which I much prefer. Instead of wearing myself out before the heaviest weight, I used one set as a warm-up and then hit the heavier weights while I was fresher.]
PU (supinated): 12, 10, 8 @ bdw
[Less Body English, but still not beastly.]
db MP (split-leg): 5/5, 4/4, 3/3 + 3 @ 55, 50, 45
[I was thinking, who stands straight under some object while it's on top of them? So, instead I staggered one foot in front of the other, and then switched stance halfwway through the set. Meh. Better for core?]
EZ bar curl: 9, 9, 10 @ 90, 80, 70
[Same deal as with the BP, only my biceps had already been warmed up: from heavier to lighter.]
EZ bar skull crusher: 5, 5, 5 @ 90, 80, 70
[I have had some pain in my right elbow, so I took it easy here.]
Ahnohld Three-Day Split (Day 10)
80 min.
[Yeah, so I ended up taking Monday off, and then because I cut off some of my thumb tip and had a day-long ordeal with my ISP, I also took Tuesday off.]
SQ: 10, 8, 6, 6 @ 225, 255, 285, 305 lbs.
[Oddly, the first two sets felt a lot harder than the last two. Or not oddly: they were higher volume and I still needed them to find my groove. I will be going for 325 this Friday.]
leg curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 80, 90, 100
[Felt some pain in my hamstrings so I took it easy on these.]
calf press: 15 x 4 @ 235
[Movin' on up. Broken toe no longer much of a problem.]
db BP: 10, 9, 9, 10 @ 70, 85, 80, 75
[A tried a new rep scheme, which I much prefer. Instead of wearing myself out before the heaviest weight, I used one set as a warm-up and then hit the heavier weights while I was fresher.]
PU (supinated): 12, 10, 8 @ bdw
[Less Body English, but still not beastly.]
db MP (split-leg): 5/5, 4/4, 3/3 + 3 @ 55, 50, 45
[I was thinking, who stands straight under some object while it's on top of them? So, instead I staggered one foot in front of the other, and then switched stance halfwway through the set. Meh. Better for core?]
EZ bar curl: 9, 9, 10 @ 90, 80, 70
[Same deal as with the BP, only my biceps had already been warmed up: from heavier to lighter.]
EZ bar skull crusher: 5, 5, 5 @ 90, 80, 70
[I have had some pain in my right elbow, so I took it easy here.]
Friday, December 5, 2014
Rebuilding program notes...
Ahnohld Three-Day Split - Day 9
5 December 2014 - 65 min.
warm-up: motions, stretching, scorpions
SQ: 10, 8, 6, 4 @ 225, 255, 285, 315 lbs.
[I'm pretty sure I could have gotten a 5th rep. But slow and steady and all that.]
leg curl: 10 x 3 @ 90
calf press: 15 x 4 @ 225
db BP: 10, 8, 6, 6 @ 70, 75, 80, 85
PU (supinated): 12, 7, 7 (?) @ bdw
[I forgot to do the db press. Meh.]
EZ bar skull crusher: 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90
EZ bar curl: 6, 8, 10, 12 @ 90, 80, 70, 60
[This is the way I should train my biceps and pecs! Start strong and work down to more volume.]
I believe I shall take next Monday off. I am feeling incipient "overtraining", which is easy to do on a full-body, three-day split... with little kids and night-owl tendencies.
Truth be told, I'm tempted to finish out the year with my own Even Keel regimen, but I figure it builds character, or something, if I just stick to the original program until the new year, as I originally planned.
5 December 2014 - 65 min.
warm-up: motions, stretching, scorpions
SQ: 10, 8, 6, 4 @ 225, 255, 285, 315 lbs.
[I'm pretty sure I could have gotten a 5th rep. But slow and steady and all that.]
calf press: 15 x 4 @ 225
db BP: 10, 8, 6, 6 @ 70, 75, 80, 85
PU (supinated): 12, 7, 7 (?) @ bdw
[I forgot to do the db press. Meh.]
EZ bar skull crusher: 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90
EZ bar curl: 6, 8, 10, 12 @ 90, 80, 70, 60
[This is the way I should train my biceps and pecs! Start strong and work down to more volume.]
+ + +
I believe I shall take next Monday off. I am feeling incipient "overtraining", which is easy to do on a full-body, three-day split... with little kids and night-owl tendencies.
Truth be told, I'm tempted to finish out the year with my own Even Keel regimen, but I figure it builds character, or something, if I just stick to the original program until the new year, as I originally planned.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Three-day rebuilding program notes...
Three-Day Ahnohld Split
Monday, 1 December 2014
Day 7, 70 min.
warm-up: motions, stretching, etc.
SQ: 10, 8, 6, 4 @ 215, 245, 275, 305 lbs.
leg curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 90, 100, 110
calf press: 15 x 4 @ 180, 190, 200, 210
[Gotta stretch the calf out on the eccentric. My small right toe now sits sideways basically, but at least it's not giving me much pain anymore.]
db BP: 10, 8, 8, 10 @ 70, 75, 80, 65
PU (supinated): 10, 8, 7, 5 @ bdw
unilateral db MP: 10/10, 8/8, 6/6 @ 40, 45, 50 (?)
[I think I did more, but I can't recall, so I'll assume I didn't.]
EZ bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 70, 80
EZ bar skull crusher: 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90
+
close grip EZ bar curl: 6 @ 90
[I transitioned right into these when I finished my skull crushers.]
Well, I achieved my goal: 300 lbs SQ by December. Pretty high volume, over all, too. 305 was not anywhere near my 1RM, then, it seems. I don't "go for" 1RM, so I will just keep focusing on the numbers. To wit, I think I will go for 315 on Friday.
This Wednesday, I will force myself to perform a "light" workout. No pump sets. No body English. No big numbers on my usual lifts. Like so [what I ended up doing - 3 December 2015]:
SQ: 10, 8, 6 @ 245, 265, 285 lbs.
leg curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 90, 100, 110
calf press: 15, 15, 14, 14 @ 225
db BP: 10, 8, 6 @ 75, 80, 85
PU: 10, 7, 7 @ bdw
db MP: 10, 8, 6 @ 45, 50, 55
EZ bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 70, 80
EZ bar skull crusher: 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90
+
close grip EZ bar curl: 6 @ 90
Monday, 1 December 2014
Day 7, 70 min.
warm-up: motions, stretching, etc.
SQ: 10, 8, 6, 4 @ 215, 245, 275, 305 lbs.
leg curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 90, 100, 110
calf press: 15 x 4 @ 180, 190, 200, 210
[Gotta stretch the calf out on the eccentric. My small right toe now sits sideways basically, but at least it's not giving me much pain anymore.]
db BP: 10, 8, 8, 10 @ 70, 75, 80, 65
PU (supinated): 10, 8, 7, 5 @ bdw
unilateral db MP: 10/10, 8/8, 6/6 @ 40, 45, 50 (?)
[I think I did more, but I can't recall, so I'll assume I didn't.]
EZ bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 70, 80
EZ bar skull crusher: 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90
+
close grip EZ bar curl: 6 @ 90
[I transitioned right into these when I finished my skull crushers.]
+ + +
Well, I achieved my goal: 300 lbs SQ by December. Pretty high volume, over all, too. 305 was not anywhere near my 1RM, then, it seems. I don't "go for" 1RM, so I will just keep focusing on the numbers. To wit, I think I will go for 315 on Friday.
This Wednesday, I will force myself to perform a "light" workout. No pump sets. No body English. No big numbers on my usual lifts. Like so [what I ended up doing - 3 December 2015]:
SQ: 10, 8, 6 @ 245, 265, 285 lbs.
leg curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 90, 100, 110
calf press: 15, 15, 14, 14 @ 225
db BP: 10, 8, 6 @ 75, 80, 85
PU: 10, 7, 7 @ bdw
db MP: 10, 8, 6 @ 45, 50, 55
EZ bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 70, 80
EZ bar skull crusher: 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90
+
close grip EZ bar curl: 6 @ 90
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