Gym regimen - January 2011

SMR 5a of 18
MONDAY: 45 mins
98.5kg, BMI 27.5

This afternoon… 

Warmup: Spin bike, calisthenics, stretching

Squat: 10, 10, 10 @ 70kg, 105kg, 110kg

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

Pullups (alternate grip): 16, 14, 14
[Kipping and negatives on last couple-three reps of last set or two.]

Dips: 14, 12, 12
[Used weighted assist for last couple reps of 2nd and 3rd sets.]

Salute and X-planking:
[Got these ideas from this article, "Situps are dead."]

Foot-raised crunches: 50

Tonight…

I went to a nearby park and played on the jungle gym for nearly an hour: Indian club movements, dips, abdominal planking, bear crawls, one-arm chain hoists, pullups (various gips), dumbbell lasso twists, calf raises on chain netting, etc. I love plyometrics and bodyweight exercises!

+ + +
An incomplete session wasn't satisfying enough, so I went to blow off some steam at the park. An odd thing is that lately my lower calves (esp. soleus) has been much sorer than my quads or hams, or any other muscle, really. Maybe I need to squat narrower? I've had a cold this week so I decided to go halfway with SMR today. 3 sets of 10 squats was a good challenge, but my body still needs to get over this cold and I'll be up for 112.5kg next week.

Gym regimen - January 2011

SMR 4a of 18
MONDAY: 45+ mins
98.5kg, BMI 27.5

Warmup: Spin bike, calisthenics, stretching, squats

20-rep Squat: 20 @ 107.5kg

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

Pullups (alternate grip): 14, 12, 10

Dips: 14, 12, 10

Decline situps (with obliques): 26, 24, 22

+ + +
I had a sloppy, busy weekend, due to the schedule shift I made last week and some substantial social commitments. I also have not been sleeping well, largely due to my cat being in heat and yowling late into the night. She's getting spayed tonight! My body was not really recharged so I decided to retread my steps on SMR by doing my 4th session at 107.5kg again today (hence, 4a) and my 5th session at 110kg again Wednesday (5a).

Today's workout really kicked my butt. I had an exertion headache after the squats and had to trudge through my three circuits. It helped that I was under the gun to get to work on time, so I didn't dally. I'll need a good night of sleep tonight and tomorrow and 110kg should not be too awful. 107.5kg was very grueling... but more manageable than before, so I suspect 110kg will feel the same. I have put on another kilogram or so.

I will not consider my 6th session of SMR to take place until Friday, when I get where I should have been last Friday, or at least last Saturday. It's been hard lately to keep my will really strong, partly due to having more free time, partly due to wanting to read more, partly due to the looming challenge of heavier and heavier squats.

Gym regimen - January 2011

SMR 5 of 18
THURSDAY: 50 mins
98kg, BMI 27.5

Warmup: Spin bike, calisthenics, stretching, squats

20-rep Squat: 20 @ 110kg

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

Pullups (alternate grip): 16, 14, 14
[Generous cases of kipping and negatives on the last couple-few reps.]

Dips: 14, 12, 12
[Some negatives in there too.]

Crunches & Decline situps (with obliques): 15/15, 15/20, 20/20

Spin bike: 2 mins, 2 mins, 2 mins

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

+ + +
This 20-rep set was absolutely brutal. Took me a full three minutes and lots of focused breathing. The first ten reps were hard but I felt competent. I had a stupid night Tuesday so I didn't workout Wednesday and I think my body is still a bit lagged out. Happily I got to bed at a reasonable hour last night and woke up at a respectable hour this morning. I knew I could do 110kg, since I could do 107.5kg, but, holy mackerel, it was at least 70% mental exertion. My feet were getting numb and my lower half was shaking a bit between reps near the end. Good stuff! I only started really groaning and grunting the last 6 reps or so. I'll do 112.5kg on Saturday, hopefully before lunch, so I have the weekend to recover for 115kg on Monday. God help me! This shit is real!

Gym regimen - January 2011

SMR 4 of 18
MONDAY: 50 mins
98kg, BMI 27.5

This afternoon… 

Warmup: Spin bike, calisthenics, stretching, squats

20-rep Squat: 20 @ 107.5kg

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

Pullups (alternate grip): 14, 12

Dips: 15

Decline situps (with obliques): 27

This evening…

Warmup: Spin bike, stretching

Squat: 12, 6 @ 50kg, 100kg

Pullups (alternate grip): 12, 12

Dips: 14, 13

Decline situps: 25, 25

+ + +
My workout was interrupted by a call from my school: my schedule was changed again for a week and I had remembered incorrectly.

Anyway…

I felt a lot more confidence today with the 20 reps. I had an epiphany last week the evening after doing 105kg: if I could 20 reps at Xkg, I can certainly do 20 reps two days later at X+2.5kg! Two tiny plates is I add each time! I can do this! So today for 107.5kg, while it was very rough on the last 5–6 reps, I also knew it was just a matter of time and I just focused on breathing and a high chest. I need to improve on exhaling a bit in the whole, so as to reduce "Valsalva maneuver" pressure.

110kg this Wednesday!

Gym regimen - January 2011

SMR 3 of 18
FRIDAY, 50 mins
97.5kg, BMI 27

Warmup: Spin bike, calisthenics, stretching, squats

20-rep Squat: 20 @ 105kg

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

Pullups (alternate grip): 14, 12, 12
[Used kipping and negatives on the last rep or three of every set. Trusty ol' invisible spotter.]

Dips: 15, 12, 11
[Used kipping/negatives on last rep or two.]

Decline situps (with obliques): 26, 25, 24

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

+ + +
Well, I vaulted past 100kg and went for 105kg. The description in this article of how the 20 reps should feel didn't match my experience, so I realized I have been going too light on the squat. Plus, my quads haven't really been sore since I started SMR, so I knew I should dig deeper. Today, boys and girls, matched the article's description to a crucifying T! By 7 or 8 I did think, "Oh, this is a bad idea." By 10 I honestly wondered if I would be able to finish all 20 reps. My friend helped me keep count, as I thought rep 14 was 15. I think I didn't go totally atg on the 16th rep, but otherwise I did go into the hole, focused on breathing, elevating my chest, driving from the heels, and locking up my nether regions. Rep 20 was a true "deep dig" and it was awesome. My back felt totally blossomed and pumped. I really had to focus and will to finish the pullovers. Felt mildly stronger on the circuits. Next Monday is 107.5kg. Stay tuned.

Gym regimen - January 2011

SMR 2 of 18
WEDNESDAY, 50+ mins
97kg, BMI 27

Warmup: Spin bike, step machine, calisthenics, stretching

20-rep Squat: 21 @ 97.5kg

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

Pullups (alternate grip): 14, 12, 12
[Used kipping and negatives on the last rep or three of every set. Trusty ol' invisible spotter.]

Dips: 15, 11, 10
[Used negatives on last reps.]

Decline situps (with obliques): 26, 25, 25

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

+ + +
That's right, 21 reps. I miscounted around 15 or 16, so I threw in an extra rep at the end. Even if I undercounted, the 21st rep gave me 20 reps, and if I overcounted, I might have done 22. Either way, it was a good "deep dig" at the end. That 'sudden' extra rep harks back to a habit I developed in high school. If I told myself I'd do 50 pushups, right at the end of the countdown I would "surprise myself" by doing a 0th rep, sometimes even a -1st rep. It was a way of pushing myself beyond a mental limit.

Next time will be 100kg. 92.5kg felt too light on Monday, so 97.5kg felt more like how these "widowmakers" ought to feel. A friend agreed to watch/spot me Friday, so it should be fun. Truth is, I'm enjoying this SMR so much, and I've been preparing for so long, that I'm of half a mind to add 1 or 2 weeks extra. Granted, that half-brained half of my mind may cower and retreat after 6 weeks of SMR, but we'll have to see. I sure had to psych myself up before the squat today. Lots of imaging, last-minute "runs", butterflies, etc. Good stuff. It was cold and rainy today, so I spent plenty of time warming up, and between sets I did jumping jacks. My legs looked muscular today as I did jumping jacks in front of the mirror, so it's nice to see I'm getting back to my "columns of steel" look from high school and college.

Stay tuned.

Gym regimen - January 2011

SMR 1 of 18
MONDAY, 45 mins
97kg, BMI 27

Warmup: Spin bike, step machine, calisthenics, stretching

20-rep Squat: 20 @ 92.5kg

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

Pullups (alternate grip): 14, 12, 10
[Used kipping and negatives on the last rep or three of every set. I don't care, since bodyweight exercises are about *moving your body*. I consider it like using an invisible spotter.]

Dips: 13, 10, 10
[Again, used negatives on last reps.]

Decline situps (with obliques): 12/12, 12/10, 10/10

Dumbbell pullover: 20 @ 18kg

+ + +
So, when it came down to it, I went for 92.5kg. I watched a video by Lee Hayward this weekend about the 20-Rep Squat program, which not only gave me the idea for alternating my grip on the pullups, but also convinced me to start modestly so I have room to build over the next 6 weeks. 92.5kg felt just about right. I had to do a good bit of focused breathing, but didn't feel in need of a spotter. I was pretty drained during the first set of pullovers as I "recovered" from the squats, and the pullups, dips, and situps kind of kicked my butt, but that's all good. It was nice to get such an intense workout done in under an hour. Now it's about eating hearty and healthy, getting plenty of sleep, and keeping the mental focus for the each set each week.

+ + +
Of course, after reading this, I will jump to 97.5kg next time. Quote:

Pushing a heavy weight for 20 reps is something that your body is going to reject. You will hurt. You will get dizzy. You will feel faint. You will want to vomit. Your body may shut down completely and leave you on the safety pins (pins or a competent, alert spotter are an absolute MUST for this program!).

Be prepared for all of that. In order to stop the pain and torture, the body will start reacting, shutting down the pain. 90% of this will be mental. The mind is going to scream STOP! The mind will go before the body unless you are prepared to silence it.

Then, and only then, will you reap the rewards of the 20-rep squats. Focus or fail. The only thing that should stop you ever getting 20 reps is going down and being physically unable to stand back up. This WILL happen. You will get into the hole and your legs will simply stop working. That is fine. The next workout you simply load the bar to the same weight and go to battle again.

I didn't feel like that today so I want eradicate (!) the feeling of selling myself short next time.

Gym regimen - January 2011

A1: Quads and Biceps
(MONDAY): 60 mins
97kg, BMI 27.5

Warmup: Exercise bike, step machine, lunges, stretching, squats

CIRCUIT:

Leg extension: 10, 8, 6 @ 45kg, 47.5kg, 50kg

Squat: 12, 12, 12* @ 90kg, 100kg, 110kg
[Spotter helped on last 2 reps of 3rd set.]

CIRCUIT:

Hyper-supinated dumbbell curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 18kg, 20kg, 22kg
[These felt great. Good pump.]

Step machine: 1 min, 1 min, 1 min

CIRCUIT:

EZ bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 40kg, 45kg, 50kg
[Pain!]

Lunges: 16, 14, 12 @ 15kg, 20kg, 25kg

CIRCUIT:

Overhand cable curl: 12, 9, 6 @ 15kg, 20kg, 25kg

High knees: 60, 80, 100

+ + +
Well, I finally got a taste of what I think SMR will really be like: Great googly moogly!

By rep 6 or 7 of the 3rd set, my hands wanted to widen out and release the bar, my traps were sore, and even my lats were beginning to sizzle. I paid a lot of attention to my breathing: exhale a bit on the way up and be sure to inhale on the way down. And standing between reps I took in a lot of air. Had to. My back felt enormous as I walked away from the rack to cool down. Oh yes: the 20-rep squat will bloom the body.

I think I will "compromise" and begin at 95kg next week, since I need to think about the longterm toil of SMR. A light warmup and one set of 20 reps at 100kg would be doable, but then I'd be at 102.5kg on Wednesday and 105kg on Friday! Another thing to keep in mind is that, in a metric-based gym, I have to add 5.5lb every workout (since the smallest plates are 1.25kg [2.75lb] each), while the regimen only calls for 5lb gains per workout. Ideally, by the end of the six weeks (Feb. 18), I'll be doing my last 20-rep at 140kg. Fortunately, this coincides perfectly with a break in my work schedule, so I will have enough time to rest. God be with me!

Gym regimen - January 2011

A4: Tris, Shoulders, Traps
SUNDAY: 60 mins
97kg, BMI 27.5

Warmup: Step machine, calisthenics, stretching

CIRCUIT:

Cable lateral raise: 12, 9, 3/6 @ 13.5kg, 18.5kg, 18.5kg/22.5kg

Cable reverse raise: 10, 8, 6 @ 13.5kg, 16kg, 18.5kg

Hise shrug: 16, 16, 16 @ 80kg, 90kg, 100kg [LINK, scroll down]
[It's true: these weren't very comfortable, especially after coming off a set of rear delt flyes. Next time I should do more reps and "clench" the shrug at the top longer.]

Standing barbell military press: 10, 8, 6 @ 40kg, 45kg, 50kg
[Tight form on these. Improvement!]

Elbows-out dumbbell extension: 10, 8, 6 @ 18kg, 22kg, 26kg

Cable pushdown: 12, 9, 6 @ 30kg, 32.5kg, 35kg

Shrug: 12, 9, 8 @ 100kg, 110kg, 120kg

Rope skip: 110, 120, 150

CIRCUIT:

Alternating ab cable pulldown: 32, 30, 26 @ 30kg, 35kg

Step machine: 1 min, 1 min, 1 min

Incline alternating situp: 18, 18, 18

+ + +
Great workout tonight. I felt very pumped and focused when I got there and did my sets quickly. I lost some time, however, helping my friend join the gym and fielding his occasional questions.

Next week I will do A1 on Monday, take Tuesday and Wednesday off, then do A3 and A4 on Thursday and Friday. No back or hamstrings next, since that's such a heavy workout I think it will leave me depleted for the start of SMR. Speaking of which, my goal for tomorrow night is to do 12 reps each at 90kg, 100kg, 110kg.

Gym regimen - January 2011

A3: Back and Hamstrings
SATURDAY: 60 mins
96.5kg, BMI 27.5

WARMUP: spin bike, standing leg extensions, pullups, deadlifts, stretching

Deadlift: 10, 8, 6, 4 @ 100kg, 110kg, 125kg, 135kg

CIRCUIT:

Leg curl: 12, 9, 6 @ 45kg, 50kg, 55kg

Pullup: 14, 10*, 10*
[10th rep of 2nd set was a "skip-kip" and the last 4 reps of 3rd set were negatives.]

CIRCUIT:

Stiff-leg deadlift: 10, 8, 6 @ 85kg, 90kg, 95kg

Lever bench row: 10, 8, 8 @ 80kg, 90kg, 110kg

CIRCUIT:

Standing glute extension: 14, 12, 10 @ 55kg, 60kg, 65kg

Ab cable pulldown: 36, 32, 28 @ 30kg, 32.5kg, 35kg

+ + +
Felt a slight kink in my left lumbar on the tail-end of the 3rd set of deadlifts. I was cautious the rest of the workout and fortunately no pain came of it. I felt very strong on the lever row (obviously?). I was exhausted Thursday and Friday, so I made sure to get good sleep. Thus I further shifted my already shifted routine to the weekend. Tomorrow I will do A4 and will go ahead with A1 on Monday. I want to give my legs a full week of recovery before I start SMR.

Odd admission: I wonder if the weightlifting is making me more aggressive, more "edgy". I've heard of "roid rage". Mind you, I'm not on anabolic steroids!––but physical stress does release testosterone and natural growth hormones. There is also certainly something to the mythic muscle/anger issues in the Hulk comic book. I think part of it is also that I usually have coffee before I work out, as a "stim", and I know caffeine can make me edgy. Another factor is the inveterate pride of my flesh.

Two things were really annoying me today. First, this skinny "pud" kept walking around with a "trainer" while the trainer went on and on about which exercises train which muscles. “少話，多功！”was all I could hear in my mind ("Less talk, more effort!"). Second, another waif was walking around with a weight belt on, but he wasn't lifting anything near what would require a belt. "Poser, poser!" was the refrain for that annoyance. He was at the gym before I arrived and still there "working out" when I left. Inefficient. Aimless. At one point he was doing bent-over barbell rows while I was doing the lever row. He never increased his weight or adjusted his rep count. Just going through the motions. It drove me nuts to have him next to me. But I did my best to focus my attention on my own body, my own weakness, my own regimen.

Why did I want to smack these guys? Probably because I felt they were ruining the atmosphere for me––the steady flow of Japanese pop songs didn't help, either. You either use fellow gym monkeys to spur you on as models to catch up with, or, in my case today, as galling examples to avoid: "I don't want to be like that guy. Here I am, busting my ass on heavy lifts, while he's just carving his bamboo-thin frame with confused motions and chit-chat." I've written before how the competitive edge––and thus edginess––is endemic to sports, so I'm not too worried about my aggression today. I confess it to God, release it, and just treat it as a function of my "pumped" self at various moments. It ain't me otherwise, don't worry! I loves all God's chillun!

Stay tuned.

Note to self…

SMR will start on Monday, January 10, and I will add dumbbell flyes to the routine.

CIRCUIT A (1X):

20-rep squat

Pullovers
2 min rest

CIRCUIT B (3X):

Dips
1 min rest

Pullups
1 min rest

Flyes
1 min rest

Incline situps
2 min rest

Train grip on off days.

Gym regimen - December 2010

A1: Quads and Biceps
(MONDAY): 60 mins
96.5kg, BMI 27.5

Warmup: Exercise bike, stretching, curls, squats

CIRCUIT:

Leg extension: 10, 9, 8, 6 @ 45kg, 50kg, 55kg, 60kg

Squat: 12, 9, 6*, 12 @ 100kg, 110kg, 120kg, 90kg
[Last 3 reps of 3rd set were with a spotter, fairly big time.]

CIRCUIT:

EZ bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 40kg, 45kg, 50kg

Hyper-supinated dumbbell curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 18kg, 18kg, 20kg

Lunge: 16, 16, 16 @ 15kg (plate)

CIRCUIT:

Rope cable curl: 10, 8, 8 @ 30kg, 27.5kg, 30kg

Spin bike: 2 min, 2 min, 2 min

+ + +
I had been prepping myself for a heavy squat session all day, thinking about it, visualizing, rehearsing my form. I was disappointed I couldn't do 6 reps at 120kg without a spot, but, then again, starting at 100kg for 12 reps, then 9 reps at 110kg, is not too shabby. Made sure to go "atg." I also made a point of breathing deeply and driving from my heels. I also kept the bar low on my traps, elbows tight and back. Having established that 70kg is too light, I also feel like 100kg for 20 reps seems a bit insane… but… that's the thing about SMR: it's a periodic "rite of passage", so if it's not tough, it's not really SMR. I finally decided to do a "cooldown" set of 12 reps at 90kg, partially to steel myself for what SMR will feel like, but also to assess if 100kg is too much. I'd say that completing 12 reps at 90kg without much difficulty, after what I'd already done, puts me in a good position to start at 100kg. Oh well, I'll shoot for the same thing next week––12, 9, 6 at 100–120kg––and then start SMR the following Monday, God willing.

Stay tuned.

P.S. My deadlift stalker is proud of his leg strength, saw me doing real work on the squat, asked me as we left the gym, "How much did you do on the squat?", heard my answer, and made his high-pitched little grunt of critical curiosity. Great, now is he going to "try me" on the squat too?

Gym regimen - December 2010

SMR simulation (MONDAY)
45 mins
96.5kg, BMI 27.5

[I had an unexpectedly draining Christmas weekend and decided I should shift my A-routine one day into the week. I then decided to "simulate" the SMR routine I want to start in January, but at low intensity. I figured doing A1 when my body's still tired from the weekend would just risk an injury.]

WARMUP: Spin bike, assisted dips and pullups, incline situps, squats, stretching

Squat: 20 @ 70kg

Pullover: 20 @ 15kg (plate)

Dips: 10, 10, 12 @ bdw - 20kg

Pullups: 10, 10, 10 @ bdw - 20kg

Alternating incline situps: 24, 24, 24

Pullover: 20 @ 15kg (plate)

Spin bike: 3 mins

+ + +
It was nice to confirm that my initial plan of starting SMR at 70kg would have been way too light. So, while 100kg might be slightly overly ambitious, I think I just need to man up and treat 100kg as my 10-rep max and go from there. One thing I read recently which added to my anticipation of SMR, is how the sheer efort of holding the bar on your traps for the duration of the set, and taking big breaths between clumps of reps strengthens your entire torso. I can detect a definite thickness in my lower back which has come from standing up under the bar. It hit me last week why the squat is so primal, and also so intimidating: it is a parable for "the human difference". We are a species of Homo erectus, so it is our birthright to stand up against the crushing burdens that may beset us. The deadlift is raw and effective because it works the whole body, but the squat is even more elemental because it literally pits you against the ancient risk of being crushed by a heavy object, and triggers every nerve and hormone in you to get the weight up so you can assert your erect spine. The will it takes to stand up is a quintessentially human act; the deadlift partake of that 'dignity' but not as purely as the squat.

It's been a while since I did plain ol' incline sitsups––and they were satisfyingly tough.

I intend to do A1 and A2 Tuesday and Wendesday, respectively, and finish A3 and A4 Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Perhaps the nicest thing about tonight is that I forced myself to be humble and 'scientific'. As 'awkward' as may have felt to do assisted dips and pullups and train everything under my capabilities, I knew I was doing it as part of a longer term strategy, so self-consciousness or ego coudl get bent.

Stay tuned.

SMR!

Cool article on the "20 rep squat" routine:

'Ball Busters', Widow-Makers, Man Breakers. These are words used to describe the 20 rep squat. But back in the golden age of bodybuilding, before expensive supplements and better living through chemistry, this is how the old school weight lifters got BIG. If you can suffer though the 6 weeks that it takes to get through this routine you will grow bigger legs and even bigger balls. Mark Rippetoe says, "Trust me, if you do an honest 20 rep program, at some point Jesus will talk to you. On the last day of the program, he asked if he could work in." Don't say I didn't warn you.

My version of the routine is apparently the "metabolic conditioning" regimen: squat, pullovers, and circuits of dips, pullovers and abs.

A related article by Randall Strossen has it:

It builds real muscle, increases one's strength enormously, and gives the cardiovascular system something more than a tickle in the process. About the only drawback to following this routine is that you will outgrow your clothes.

The nucleus of this venerable program is one set of squats - twenty reps in the set, to be sure, but just one set. Additional exercises are incidental, two or three sets of several other basic exercises at most, and the general caution is to err on the side of doing too few additional exercises rather than too many.

Amen!

Two things I've learned from recent research: 1) I'll do the SMR for 6 weeks, not 8, since there's no need to overtrain when the gains should already be adequate under 2 months. 2) I think I'll start with 100kg, since the consensus seems to be to start with 10-rep max. I can do 12 reps at 90kg fairly comfortably for my first set. 18 workouts in 6 weeks with a 2.5kg gain per workout means I'm shooting for 20 reps at 145kg by the end of it! Insane? Impossible? We shall see!

Gym regimen - December 2010

A4: Tris, Shoulders, Traps
FRIDAY: 50+ mins
96kg, BMI 27.5

Warmup: Spin bike, stretching, delt flyes, tricep extensions

CIRCUIT:

Cable lateral raise 10, 8, 8 @ 9.5kg, 13.5kg, 16kg [LINK]

Cable reverse raise: 10, 8, 8 @ 9.5kg, 13.5kg, 16kg [LINK]

Standing barbell military press: 10, 8, 6 @ 40kg, 45kg, 50kg

Elbows-out dumbbell extension: 10, 8, 6 @ 18kg, 22kg, 26kg

Cable pushdown: 25kg, 30kg, 35kg @ 10, 8, 6

Lever bench press: 16, 15, 14 @ 60kg, 65kg, 70kg

Spin bike: 2+ mins, 2+ mins, 2+ mins

CIRCUIT:

Barbell shrug: 12, 9, 6 @ 100kg, 110kg, 120kg

CIRCUIT:

Alternating ab cable pulldown: 36, 32, 28 @ 30kg, 32.5kg, 35kg

+ + +
I had it in mind to do this A4 Saturday, but by Friday afternoon I was "itching" so much that I just left the cram school during a long break and worked out in my undershirt and pants. Then I went home to shower and "fuel up" and returned to the cram school for class. It felt good to work my shoulders again: my right shoulder is only mildly stiff and I felt no pain in the joint yesterday or today. It was also great to do shrugs again! I admit I was stunned at how big my sholders looked in the mirror when I did them. I have taken to working out in sweatshirts the last few weeks, but yesterday I was wearing a "wifebeater", so I got a chance to see some of my own gains. I prefer working out in long-sleeve shirts, first, because I like my muscles to be very warm when I train and, second, I like the psychological edge they give me. In more "modest" clothing, I'm not distracted by glances at my muscles in the mirro,r and even less distracted by other guys sizing me up. Call it the "gym burqa" mentality, but I prefer to focus on the feel of the exercise rather than my looks. Come summer time, however, when I am all but forced into cooler clothing, I can see the gains I made while my muscles "hibernated" in more concealing clothes.

My back is very sore from A3 this week and my forearms (inner) are extremely sore. That's what one day of deadlift, pullups, lever rows, followed by heavy shrugs, will do! The pain is all for the better, as I want to keep gaining grip strength. When I commence SMR in January––but, oh, how hard it is to part with my beloved 4-day split!––, I want to train my wrists/hands on off-days (say, Wednesday and Saturday). I've got one more week of A1–A4, which means SMR will begin Monday, January 7––God willing.

Stay tuned.