HIT Basic - week 4 - Good workout! Hurray for rowing!

Monday, 26 January 2015 
230 lbs., 15 min + 30 min. 
well hydrated; focused; steady, tight form

[I made a serious effort to maintain a 3-1-4-0 cadence on all repetitions (as in, 3 seconds concentric, 1 second static, 4 seconds eccentric, and smooth turnaround, though it just dawned on me that I should have made it a 3-1-4-1 cadence. God willing, I'll do that next time and on Friday, though Wednesday will be a NqTF (Not quite To Failure) workout.]

warmup: elliptical machine, stretching-ish, motions

leg curl: 100 lbs. x 10c 

leg extension: 100 x 12c 

leg press: 225 x 15c 

calf raise: 230 x 12c 

Hammer press: 200 x 11e 

Pendlay row: 125 x 9c

pullover: 90 x 8c

cable curl (rope handle): 70 x 11e

Nautilus MP: 80 (?) x 10c 
[Was not really sure what the plates amounted to, but in the right ballpark it felt like 80 lbs.]

farmer carry: 85/85 x 81 steps 

tricep cable extension (rope handle): 70 x 10e

+ + +

A very good workout this evening. More controlled than last workout, though actually stronger in some exercises.

Today was also my first day as an assistant rowing coach at my old high school. I'll be helping with the middle schoolers. We did a baseline fitness assessment today, involving a circuit of a flexibility test, a timed run, jumpies, burpees, and planking. Some students remarked, with shock, "You're so quick! You're so flexible!" Funny to think that I'm in better shape than a bunch of healthy, young people, but, hey, I've got experience and obsession on my side.

It feels amazing to be back on my old stomping grounds. Rowing is "a part of me" on a deep, existential level. Even now I'm getting goose bumps thinking about what it meant and means to me. However, I need to keep reminding myself to observe (the other coaches, the existing boathouse culture, etc.), not only so I can refresh my rowing savvy after two decades off the water, but also so I don't come across (even moreso!) as a blowhard and/or know-it-all. Should be fun. :)

Patience... Humility... Confidence... Intensity... Progress...

New HIT regimen - Basic Week 2

Wednesday, 14 January 2015 
HIT Basic Week 2.2 
38 minutes, 224 lbs. 

warm-up: elliptical machine, stretching

leg curl: 90 lbs x 16c

leg extension: 90 x 15e

leg press: 200 x 19e

db pullover: 80 x 12e

db BP: 70 x 12e

T-row: 130 x 2 / 115 x 9c

db MP: 35 x 13e

bb curl: 70 x 11e

db tricep extension: 50 x 14e

farmer carry: 80 x 80 steps (left hand), 82 steps (right hand)

standing calf raise: 240 x 13e

+ + +

The "e" and "c" in the above notes refers to when I "failed": c refers to the concentric phase, in which I could no longer overcome the resistance, and e refers to the eccentric phase, in which I could no longer control the resistance "on the way down" (as it were). Also, failing on "e" means that the concentric phase involved a spotter or body English.

I took an average of a minute of rest between each exercise, which made each effort a little less ragged (compared to last time).

I enjoyed the 2c/4e cadence of this workout and the T-row was a nice change.

On Friday I will add a two-handed farmer carry after the unilateral carries. It's such a great exercise. I would love to work in some "trap days" but I don't want to undermine my progress by giving short shrift to rest.

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.

Rebuilding program notes... getting there...

12/10/14 
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.]

Three-day split rebuilding notes...

Monday, 24 November 2014 
Three-Day Ahnohld Split 
75 min. 

[You'll notice that I added a few more sets in most exercises. I think I will stick to the original, lighter scheme on Wednesday, lest I overtrain. But then again....]

warm-up: motions, stretching, etc.

SQ: 10, 8, 6, 6, 8 @ 185, 205, 225, 245, 215 lbs.

seated leg curls: 10, 8, 6, 10 @ 70, 90, 110, 80 lbs.

standing calf raises: 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 80 lbs.

BP: 10, 8, 6, 8 @ 185, 195, 205, 185 lbs.

PU (supinated): 12, 8, 6, 3/1
[Had to make the final rep a negative. Chinup grip is really hard on my hand bones, but I think it might actually give a better stretch to my lats. Work dem bi's!]

db MP: 10, 8, 6, 6 @ 40, 45, 50, 40 lbs.

EZ bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 70, 80 lbs.

skull crushers: 10, 8, 5/1 @ 60, 70, 80 lbs.
[I failed on the final rep so I did a press up and a negative.]

Grip training...

Tuesday, 26 August 2014 
60 min. 

[An interesting workout. Once again, training my grip as a power exercise makes all the difference. I had a sloppy palm set-up on sets 2 and 3 for the CoC #2. Over all, it's progress from last time, even in the kb swings!]

warm-up:
- kettlebell twists, shakes, catches
- space mace: 30 sec./30 sec. x 2
- ghetto gripper : 8 closes L, 10 closes R
- CoC #1.5 : 6 closes
- stretching

CoC #2 :
1 close L, 1 close R, rest
1 rep L, 1 close R, rest
1 rep L, 1 close R, rest
1 close L, 1 close R, rest
1 close L, 1 close R, rest
1 close L, 1 close R, rest
1 close L, 1 close R, rest
1 close L, 1 close R, rest

CoC #1.5 : 10 closes L, 8 closes R

CoC #1.5 : 8 closes L, 6 closes R

COC #2 : 1 close L / CoC #1.5 : 4 closes R

15+35 lb. KB swing: 30 L, rest 30 sec., 30 R, rest 30 sec. x 5

Fitness update... Tires, Sledges, Rings, Oh My!

Friday, 22 August 2014 

10 lb. sledge hammer on Ferdinand big tire: 
sagittal sledge hits: 10/10
rest 30 sec.
frontal sledge hits: 10/10
rest 30 sec. 
low lateral sledge hits: 5/5/5/5
rest 30 sec. 
box jumps: 10
rest 30 sec. 
jump-outs: 10
rest 1 min. 
x 4
---
5 min. vigorous walk

[A very tough workout, but I could tell I was applying more power each time than in previous workouts, so that is progress. 

My wife wondered why I would find a workout so tough if I've done it before, to which I replied that getting stronger just means I train harder, which means the workout gets more demanding as I improve. My core was blasted by the last few sets of lateral sledge hits. 

I think I'll get a 6 lb. sledge hammer and see how these moves feel. I think it will feel fun to sling a lighter hammer around with even higher intensity.]

-

Saturday, 23 August 2014 

mid-air rows: 6, 8, 10, 12
mid-air decline pushups: 6, 8, 10, 12
eagle-loop pullups: 6, 7, 7/1, 4/1/1/1/1/1
ring dips: 5, 6, 6/1, 4/1/1/1/1
assisted pistol squats: 6/6, 7/7, 8/8, 10/10
L-sit: 10 sec., 10 sec., 10 sec., 10 sec.

[A very exhausting workout, but the reps show progress. Ring dips are still so, so strenuous, but this evening I realized that it is crucial to tighten my core and pry my chest/head upward on the way up. 

L-sits are also surprisingly tough, perhaps especially because they are the last exercise I do each set. Around lunch time I did a few 5-rep sets of the ab rollout wheel. Ouch--it's been too long!  I'll need to throw more of those into my day. 

The slash-reps for pullups and dips indicate that I used body English or did one rep after a short "reset" pause until I completed the desired number of reps. 

I may go for a jog-with-skipping tomorrow night, we'll see.

Oh, and, since it may not be obvious, by "mid-air" exercises, I meant that all four limbs are suspended by slings, which adds an amazing for the core and lower back.]

Gym regimen - 2 June 2014 ("the abomination of de-elevation")

Monday, 2 June 2014 
Quasi-Even Keel 
65 min., 226 lb.
MOOD: eager, confident, focused, although I did have a dip in energy on the way to the gym; wanted to get a Cytomax or something, but I didn't 

warm-up: squats, stretching, scorpions, etc.

dead SQ*: 8, 8, 6, 4, 3, 3 @ 145, 195, 235, 285, 305 lb.  

incline db flye: 15, 12, 10, 8, 8, 12 @ 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 50 lb.

EZ bar spider curl: 15, 12, 10, 8, 10, 10 @ 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 lb.

* Last night I saw a video of a guy doing what he called an "abomination" squat, so I wanted to try them out. The trainer I ran into at the gym called them "dead squats," which makes more sense, and is a less stupid name, too. When you reach the bottom of your squat, just pause for a couple seconds, and then drive up. As with deadlifts, there is no momentum to bounce you back up, hence the name, dead squats. Very good stuff!

I think I shall train grip tomorrow, and then do a squat + Shurg Rush on Wednesday, some squats + chest + press on Thursday, and then SDL + back + bi's on Friday. Nothing too heavy all this week. I want to give my lower back plenty of days to recover from my deadlift PR last week.

Even Keel (sort of) update - 16 May 2014

Friday, 14 May 2014 
Even Keel A (sort of) 
70 min., 225 lb. 
MOOD: Felt stoked about working out, but also felt a bit insecure on the squat. It's a while since I did back squats on a regular basis, so I was tweaking a lot of little variables (foot width, toe angle, bar height, hinge vs. legs, etc.), trying for an Olympic squat but wanting a little more posterior chain support. 

SQ: 15, 12, 8, 6, 4, 3, 3, 2 @ 105, 145, 235, 255, 275, 305, 325, 345 lb.

db press: 10, 9, 7*, 11 @ 80, 85, 90, 70 lb.
[A little spotter help and a final negative on the third set.]

spider curl: 12, 12, 12, 9 @ 70, 80, 90, 100 lb.

pullover: 15, 15, 12 @ 70, 75, 80 lb.
[These left my triceps and forearms SWOLE and FRIED. I love old school lifting.]

+ + +

I'm pretty sure that 345 lb. is a squat PR, but, honestly, I didn't get very jazzed about it. Reading Perryman's Squat Every Day has, probably forever, changed my entire perspective on squatting. It's not a special challenge; it's a given. In so far as squatting heavy on a regular basis is a given for me now, it stands to reason that I will have that many more "good squat days". But still, a PR is a PR! I feel like I might have squatted around that weight back when I was in Taiwan, but a perusal of my records indicates I might never have gotten to 300 lb. So that's real progress, and not just on SQ but on all my major lifts.

However, whilst perusing, I see that my original FSQ goal was to get 285 lb. x 4 (how quickly we forget), so I'm not out of the woods yet. Summer break is almost here, so let's hope I can make some more real progress by being able to get some proper, full nights of sleep for a change!

Even Keel update - 3 May 2014

Even Keel 1B
75 min (?), 222 lb
MOOD: I felt run down last week and took Friday off from the gym to get some sleep. I also irritated my neck a bit with too much neck bridging a few days ago, so I was trepidatious about this workout. Yet again, however, "how you feel is a lie."

warm-up: movements, scorpions, toe touches, etc.

DL: 6, 4, 2, 1, 1*/1 @ 285, 305, 355, 375, 400, 400
[I used an overhand grip for all reps, and only used chalk once I hit 375. I didn't manage to lock out the penultimate rep, so I set it back down, shook myself out for a few seconds, and then used a hook grip to pull 400 lb.* A new PR. I think I could have gone heavier. But all good things in time....]

twisting db DBP: 8, 7*, 6* @ 80, 85, 90 lb.
[Spotter on 7th rep of 2nd set. Did a negative on 6th rep of last set.]

HSQ: 9, 6, 6 @ 195, 45, 265 lb.
[Blast them quads!]

unilateral bp MP: 9, 7, 5 @ 55, 60, 65 lb.

Kroc row: 8, 6, 8 @ 85, 90, 95 lb.

lying cable curl: 12, 9, 7 @ 100, 110, 120 lb.
[Killer exertion! Wonderful for targeting the biceps long head.]

* {The opening video is a joke about how, for once, I could actually feel the discomfort some people complain about using the hook grip: "That really hurt!" Well, sort of. It was indeed "unpleasant" for a few moments, but you gotta do what you gotta do.}

Funniest explanation I've ever heard! (And it's funny because it's true!)

"The bar is litr'ally hanging from your head."

AYCE notes...

Wednesday, 9 April 2014 
48 min., 227 lbs.
MOOD: a little distracted, drained feeling 

Warm-up (8 min.) - OHS, movements, stretching

FSQ: 5x5 @ 225 lbs

Guillotine: 14, 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 115, 125, 135, 155, 165 lbs

Pendlay row: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 135, 155, 145, 165 lbs 

PNF: [forgot! did this at home in the evening]

+ + +

My prediction turned out to be correct. Yesterday's workout felt great, and I realized that one reason for that is because I worked out later than I normally do. I try to get to the gym by 3 or 3:30 after work, but yesterday, due to some errands, I started my workout closer to 6. This gave me a couple extra hours of recovery from the previous workout. As for today, I began a little after 3:30, which meant I did a second workout in less than 24 hours. Not a crisis, of course, but it was interesting to feel that adjustment. I only thought of it because Perryman noted the timing issue in Squat Every Day.

Of course, lest I seem too clever by half, another factor in today's less than "amped" workout is that I received some very good news yesterday, and decided to celebrate with some tasty beverages and a documentary. I woke up feeling less rested than usual, but, hey, "how you feel is a lie," and today's workout came out Oh-Kay.

Except for one snag.

A "big guy" (I believe he's a trucker) was using the power rack for seated bb presses, and when I returned to the squat rack for my rows, he introduced himself with a handshake. "Elliot, huh? You must be one of those genius types, right?" (Apparently, genius is mimed by waving your fingers around your forehead and rolling your eyes to the ceiling, mouth agape.) I endured a chat, during which he told me that he sees a lot of "young guys" doing stuff, and he just exhaled and shook his head. I grimaced ever so slightly, since, one, I'm a young(ish) guy, and, two, one of the motions he shook his head at was "bending over to, just, pick up the weight."

Did I mention I was about to do Pendlay rows?

Yeah. Awkward. And annoying.

Then, when I finished my third set, he asked me, "Elliot, why don't you wear a belt?" I said I felt no need, whereupon I then learned "a little secret" about how this fellow had lost three lower vertebral discs in a car accident at the age of 18. Yada yada yada. I told him I've got a belt in my car I've been thinking about bringing in, mainly for military presses. "And that's another thing. I see some guys doing military presses standing up!" Did I mention that I do standing presses?

Thing is, I'm not opposed to a belt, and I guess it's time for me to wear one for my big lifts. At the same time, I know that weak spots only get stronger is you strengthen them, like how the Pendlay row, good mornings, RDL's, back extensions, and the like strengthen the infamous lower back. So now I'm dreading running into this guy when I'm doing verboten maneuvers. A big guy with a big mouth. I appreciate his help, but he's pretty clearly projecting his decades of back problems onto others.

P.S. I think I need to add in some grip training.

P.P.S. To remind myself:

Monday: heavy DL (5x5) + Guillotine (15, 12, 9, 6) + ZSQ (15, 10, 9, 6)
Tuesday: heavy BP (5x5) + HSQ (15, 12, 9, 6) + PU (slow reps)
Wednesday: heavy FSQ (5x5) + dips/guillotine/db press/pullover-press/flye-aways (15, 12, 9, 6) + PU/row (15, 12, 9, 6) 
Thursday: BP (5x4) + SQ (7, 5, 3, 3, 3) + PU/row (slow reps)
Friday: FSQ (7, 5, 3, 3, 3) + CLP (5x4) 

AYCE notes... HI-TECH EDITION!

Friday, 4 April 2014 
44 min., 225 lbs. 

Warm-up (9 min.) - shaking, stretching, OHS

FSQ: 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2 @ 225, 235, 245, 255, 265, 275 lbs.

CL: 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 @ 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185 lbs.

Abs (3 min.) - V-sits, Lateral crunches, hip crunches, bird dog

+ + + 

"How you feel is a lie."

I experienced this maxim today.

Today was the end of the third school quarter, so my stress levels were mildly higher than normal (I hate entering and verifying grades). Plus, it's tax season. I got home and felt pretty winded. Thought about taking a nap, but my wife's enthusiasm about some kb and core exercises I showed her, plus a little coffee, plus, really, the unblinking awareness that "I'm going to the gym," all gave me a second wind.

Or did it?

Even as I arrived at the gym, I felt a bit run down.

Meh.

"Gotta get it done."

Despite some aches and pains and the usual inertia, I ended up PR'ing on my FSQ, and felt satisfied for the first time that I'm doing the CL with basically correct form.

In other words, how I felt was a lie.





I'll be taking the weekend fairly easy; it's supposed to rain all weekend, so I might even get some reading done. Honestly, though, I feel a kb session in me, for Saturday, just to blow off some steam and grease the groove. "Healthy addiction," anyone?

Despite all this, I admit I felt a bit lost last night, pondering if I'm really grasping and following Perryman's ideas. I kept (and keep) wondering how to program AYCE better. I really like my... how should I say? Progress? No, it's more like putting on a nicely "broken in" pairs of shoes. I feel comfortable keeping up these daily sessions, don't feel dangerously run down, not at all--in fact, I feel very springy and vibrant. Yet, I still feel like I'm doing it wrong. My instincts have always been to do circuits of 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, but I know that if I don't keep a tight rein on my accessory exercises after DLing and (F)Sqing, I'll run myself into the ground. At the very least, as Perryman does warn, I need some time to get accustomed to such an increase in frequency; I need time to get, to recall my favorite expression in Perryman's book, "fatigue-hardened".

So, as I was trying to get the big picture of my goals, and not simply turn "Squat Every Day" into a random fetish (which Perryman would completely reject, of course), I tried seeing my year cut up into three phases:

power (low volume, high frequency - "AYCE" from, say, January to April);

bodybuilding (high volume, lower frequency - "Even Keel" from April to August);

and calisthenic/bodyweight/boxing/kettlebell conditioning (high intensity, high frequency - "Met-Con" from August to December)

Obviously, I'm off-track with this idea, as I have been doing bulking, Even Keel, and now AYCE, since January--and summer is looming. "They say that" summer is the time to cut and winter is the time to bulk, so.... Either way, for now, my primary goal is to hit a FSQ of 285 x 4, at which point I'll bring back back SQ (heheh).

Last night I also realized that the DL is too important a lift to marginalize. Be bold! Don't hide behind "overtraining" in order to gild your cravings for the cool shade of mediocrity. Thus, as I continue to explore AYCE, here's the forecast: squatty with a burst of deadlift.

Monday: DL, DBP, abs
Tuesday: HSQ, Guillotine
Wednesday: FSQ, PU, abs
Thursday: FSQ, Dips/MP
Friday: FSQ, CL, abs
weekend: rest, foam roll, stretch, kb, etc.

When I step back and look at my progress over the past 4 years, I realize I'm more interested in strength and power than in "getting ripped" or "looking huge." My goals are more like a powerlifter's than a bodybuilder's, so I need to filter the noise through those standards:

SQ of 405 lbs
DL of 485 lbs
BP of 315 lbs

Wish me luck! Meanwhile, I love being the antithesis of a weekend warrior!

AYCE notes... (updated)

[4/1/14 - Projections for this workout....]  

Here's what I actually ended up doing:

AYCE Power 
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
50 min, 226 lbs. 

Warm-up (9 min.) - stretching, shaking, OHS

DBP: 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4* @ 225, 235, 245, 250, 255, 260 lbs. [* My spotter urged me to go past two, but they turned out to be forced/helped reps, anyway. Seeee?!]

FSQ: 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2 @ 235, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265 lbs.

DL: 4, 3, 2, 2, 1* @ 285, 305, 315, 325, 335 lbs. [* With chalk and hook grip.]

+ + + 

A number of factors (from Perryman, Pavel, a buff Catholic dude at the gym, etc.) have combined to show me the advantage of doing a power/auxiliary split, which means that I'll do heavier lifts (BP/DBP, SQ/FSQ, DL/SDL/RDL) every other day, broken up by lighter "dynamically parallel" lifts, or even "just" kb or boxing on days I need a break from the gym. This does not mean I will do the DL every other day, of course! I'm not suicidal. I think doing the DL every fourth workout is a good policy until I discover otherwise. I may sometimes replace the DBP with db presses, flyes, or dips. On auxiliary days I'll do things like HSQ/OSQ/ZSQ/GSQ, CL, rows/PU, and presses.

SMILES: Going heavy on the DL was nice. Once I got home and ate, I nearly drifted off to sleep a few times, but I've got my second wind until bedtime. Also, DBP felt very good; a slightly wider grip works better.

FROWNS: I sometimes had trouble keeping my elbows high and tight on the FSQ.

AYCE notes...

AYCE Posterior
Tuesday, 1 April 2014 
40 min, 225 lbs

[I have no idea what's up with my weight. I've just taken too many inconsistent weighings over the past few months. I guess I should ratchet all my estimates down by 8 lbs. I don't even know. I was over 230 in February, but I drop weight very easily, and the body always tends to its natural functional weight. On the bright side, this means I'm that much closer to cleaning my bodyweight and that much closer to a double-bodyweight back squat! I got pretty close to a double-bodyweight deadlift back in Taiwan, if I did not in fact hit it. And then if I used straps...!] 

Warm-up (6 min.): motions, stretching, shaking

CL: 5, 4, 3, 2, 2 @ 155, 175, 185, 190, 190 lbs

MP: 5, 4, 3, 2, 2 @ 135, 140, 145, 150, 155 lbs

Pendlay row: 5, 4, 3, 2, 2 @ 155, 175, 195, 205, 215 lbs

CLSQSQ: 5 @ 135 lbs

+ + +

Compared to my projections from yesterday, I did one set less volume. I think next time I will do six sets via 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2 reps. "Large and low." I felt a bit distracted when I got started. Maybe I'd had too much coffee and vitamin B. Setting good form on the clean, however, is a great way to get focused. Posterior chain to the rescue! The "CLSQSQ" was something I threw on at the end, for kicks. I really liked the speed of banging out two FSQ after a CL.

SMILES: Felt good to go heavier on the row. I may have gotten a PR for the standing press. Meh.

FROWNS: I still struggled with getting my hips forward quickly enough on the CL. My years of rowing experience are helping me, though, since a clean is basically a vertical rowing stroke. Starting slowly from the floor actually helps (good video, great music). I was annoyed to find that no bar at the gym has freely rotating sleeves. That makes the plates stick and totter at times. I think I'll need to curtail my urge for MOAR WEIGHT in order to focus on speed and tight hip-extension.

AYCE notes...

AYCE Light
26 March 2014, 50 min. 

Warm-up:
-
i) MP: 5, 3, 1, 11 @ 115, 130, 145, 105 lbs
-
ii) CL: 5, 3, 1, 1 @ 135, 155, 185, 195 lbs
-
iii) Gironda neck press: 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 95, 115, 135, 155 lbs 
-
iv) Pendlay row: 6, 4, 1/1 @ 135, 185, 205 lbs

Today's workout was a little longer than I liked, since, mea culpa, I got caught up in a little chatting. I was also more circumspect with some moves (the press and the clean), as I am still not 100% technically confident (plus, they're hard!). Weirdly, I kept bumping into things today. I went barefoot on the press and the clean. It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow. Not that it matters too terribly much, since "how you feel is a lie", because, sometimes, more really is more.

SMILES: I loved the Gironda neck press! Glad I brought it back into the mix. It was nice to do some heavy rows for one. That's the one thing I disliked about Mass Made Simple: very little back work. 

FROWNS: My clean form is dumpy. This was especially clear on the last rep at 195 lbs, when I could almost feel the bar stop around chest height. I simply did not pop my hips forward with enough speed.

I did some foam rolling while watching a documentary tonight. Here's to ZMA, milk, and sleep.

That was fun... (UPDATE)

I'm back from my "free day" workout. It turned out to be exactly the workout I was hoping for. I didn't train lackadaisically, but I also didn't feel rushed in the least. It's nice to know that a workout I thunk up pretty much spontaneously turned out to fit my intensity and time parameters like a glove. That shows me that I've accrued enough instincts to know what ingredients should go into a solid workout. This is not a boast, mind you, but rather a reminder, to myself: Confidence, Persistence, Patience, Humility. The key is to stick with what works... and to keep on sticking:

A natural-law argument for the virtue of weightlifting? HT to Elliott H. via Elliot B.

Since I'm sure you're dying to know, here's what I did:

17 March, 2014
"Carpe Ferrum" workout
230 lbs., < 60 min.

Overhead Squat:
8 @ 45 lbs.
8 @ 95 lbs.
7 @ 115 lbs.

[I had to get out from under the bar on rep 8 of the last set. Interestingly (right?), I set the bar from a hang clean, rather than from a back squat. I didn't use the Smith machine, but it is an option, "if you must."]

Farmer walk:
30 sec. @ 90 lbs. x 3

FSQ:
135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205, 215, 225 lbs. x 3

[The idea here was to do triplets until my form started to deteriorate. In my earlier post about this workout, I said that I can front-squat about 65% of my back-squat, but apparently that was a low calculation. I based it on the fact that I most recently back-squatted 315 lbs x 4, and a few days later front-squatted 205 x 4. But, as I mentioned in my notes about that latter workout, I was feeling fatigued, and, what's more, ended a tough workout with FSQ. I was pleased, but not "stoked", to realize that I capped off a set of 30 front squats at 225 lbs. My guess is that I could crank out four good FSQ at 250 lbs. or so, which means I can actually front-squat about 80% of my back squat. Granted, if I went for a four-rep max on the back squat, I could probably do 350 lbs. or more, so the ratios are still pretty tentative. (I just don't like 1RM's for some reason.) In any case, I will continue with FSQ until I can do 90% of my 315x4 back squat (285 lbs. x 4). In udda woids, a ways to go!]

EZ-bar curls:
8, 8, 8 @ 70, 80, 90 lbs.

db pullovers:
10, 10, 10 @ 50, 60, 70 lbs.

+ + +

Today wasn't too intense, and I have a feeling that I'll be back in the gym for Even Keel B on Wednesday. Fun times. Now I'm going to drink it up for St. Patrick's Day with a range of fine micro-brews, and, despite a twinge in my conscience, some obligatory Guinness.

Mass Made Simple - Time to reassess...

Week 7 of Mass Made Simple is for assessing one's progress and recalibrating one's goals and methods going forward. By the end of MMS (Mass Made Simple), my immune system and sleep were getting a little buggy, Lenten fasting threw my nutrition routine off, and then I mildly strained my knee Thursday night doing some double-KB "recharge" work. (In fact, I had been doing KB drills since Tuesday. KB bench press rocks!) Basically, I hit a wall, and it's time to restrategize.

From early January till now I've been hitting the weights pretty hard and have put on a good 20 lbs of lean body mass, so the quest has hardly been a failure. Did I reach 240 lbs? No, but I am not done bulking. I am simply releasing myself from the accelerated pace at which I've been bulking for almost two months. Weight training itself (as opposed to "augmenting athletic training with weight resistance") is a mega-marathon type sport. Some of the savvier gurus on YouTube, for example, have been weight-training-itself for 15-20 years. I've been doing weight training for less than four years, with a fairly significant hiatus in year three. I've learned a lot and I've gained 50 lbs since I began, and have enjoyed very satisfying gains in the major lifts (MMS helped my otherwise always lousy bench press quite a lot). Now it is simply a time to learn more, and build on a plateau.

I know what movements I want to train, so it's just a question (as always) of effective programming. Each person must adapt successful principles to his own needs. For me, for instance, I need a lot of volume for my chest, whereas I need a lot of power for my back and legs. I also do not enjoy losing whole-body mobility and agility by letting weight training crowd out calisthenic and gymnastic training.

OHS: overhead squat
FSQ: front squat
SQ: (back) squat
DL: deadlift
SDL: snatch deadlift
CX: complexes
MP: military press
OAP: one-arm press
DBP/db-P: decline bench press OR flat dumbbell press
DIP: dips
PU: pullups
CL/SQ: clean/into-front-squat

The above are the motions I prefer and which I believe research will bear out as the most efficient. However, given the demands of the DL, I will only do it every other workout.

So, what will I try today, mainly to get my mind back in the game and climb over the wall of stalled motivation that I ran into last week? Depending how my knee responds....

DBP: 2-3-5 x 2 @ 235 lbs
CX: 8-6-4 [CL/MP/FSQ] @ 115 lbs
PU: bdw for reps
SQ: [will report after workout]
db-P: 10 x 3 @ 70 lbs

For now I’m in a free-flow mode, discerning which program I want to pursue next. I’ve been interested in the 5-3-1 program for a while, so we’ll see. One thing that I do want to restore, is my grip training regimen, with a strong bodyweight dimension to all my training. This video was very "moving" ;) to me when I watched it last night. Enjoy!

Fitness and gym update – April 2013

Monday 22 April 2013 work out
50 min.

Speed bag - 3 min.
Double end bag - 3 min.
Jump rope - 3 min.
Speed bag - 3 min.
Double end bag - 3 min.
Jump rope - 4 min.
Continuous kb movements - 3 min.
[I've wanted to try this for a while: just keep the kb moving for a fixed amount of time; once one motion becomes too tiresome, switch to another; very acrobatic.]
--------------------------------
Rest between sets to gear up, hydrate, stretch

+ + + 

This is the first time in several weeks (four? six?) that I've been able to jump rope without any pain or debilitation from my ingrown toe! Apparently my boxing, kettlebell/mace conditioning, and weightlifting has kept me in good shape, too. I was able to jump longer than I used to, with less soleus/shin pain, and, though it's nothing spectacular, a four-minute streak is a personal record for at least the past three years. My pulse was easily at 180 bpm while jumping, and just as high for the three-minute kettlebell "loop" I did at the end. I think working past my shin splints from a few months ago, and doing foam roller massages every couple days, had really restored my lower legs. Now I'm tempted to buy a unicycle, since I sold my bicycle a while back.


Wednesday, 24 April 2013 
50 min., 217 lbs.

warm-up: motions, stretching

SQ: 5 x 5 @ 205, 210, 215, 220, 225 lbs.
BP: 5 x 5 @ 195, 185, 185, 185, 185 lbs.
PU: 5 x 5 @ bdw+35, +25, +15, +10, +5 lbs.
"box squat" db curls: 5 x 5 @ 80 lbs.
[I think I made these up. Begin seated, stand up, curl, lower the db, sit down, repeat. Really liked them. Will try them with a bb next time.]

Gym regimen - November 2012

Tuesday, 27 November 2012 
Even Keel "B"
50-60 min., 223 lbs.

Warm-up 
motions, stretching, imaging

Circuit 1 
FSQ : 9, 6, 3 @ 175, 200, 230 lbs.
Dips : 12, 11, 11
DL : 9, 6, 3 @ 275, 300, 330 lbs.

Circuit 2
Cable flye-away : 9, 9, 8 @ 120 lbs.
T-bar row : 9, 6, 4 @ 145, 155, 165 lbs.
Spider curl : 9, 9, 12 @ 70 lbs.

Finish 
N/A