Wednesday, 8 Feb 2012
Even Keel CIRCUIT A
50 min., 96kg Squat 9, 6, 3 @ 70kg, 82.5kg, 100kg
Pullup 12, 9, 7 @ bdw, bdw + 5kg, bdw + 5kg
Bench press 9, 6, 3** @ 70kg, 80kg, 90kg
[Major spot for last 2 reps of set 3.]Snatch DL 8, 6, 4* @ 110kg, 110kg, 120kg
[Used straps for last 2 sets of set 3. They cut like razors, must buy my own!]Standing military press 9, 6, 4 @ 28kg, 42kg, 48kg
Bench EZ curl 9, 6, 4* @ 23kg, 28kg, 38kg
[Body cheat on rep 4 of set 3 and then a 10-second negative to finish.]+ + +
Happily enough, the gym (
台中美力健身房) was not very crowded when I arrived at 1830. However, the weather was miserable today, so fewer people than usual might have come today. I'll have to see what it's like next week, when the weather, hopefully, is nicer. I asked the owner and he said the busiest time is about 2000, since most people are just getting off work and/or eating dinner at 1830, so it looks like my after-work workout will work out, after all (!).
It's a small gym, which is probably its greatest defect, and I had minute flashes of annoyance as I got familiar with the equipment, navigating the passages, and handling the plates. It's all good: I'll just need to be patient and just improve my transitions. The gym is very well stocked and everyone there seems gym-savvy and courteous.
As I said, tonight's was a diagnostic workout, so, frankly, I was fully prepared to suck. Fortunately, though, I was surprised at how strong I seemed to be, even after half a year out of the gym. Indeed, after my first set of pullups, at least one person applauded and more than a couple time various people chatted openly about my power of gave me vigorous thumbs-up. There was one giant younger fellow there, whom I am fairly certain I trained against years ago in judo. He's an impressive specimen, though I note he worked his chest and abs, with some stair machine, for pretty much the entire duration of my workout, so he must be more of a bodybuilder and he's definitely a gym rat. I ain't got time for all that, alas!
Squatting felt good, and it's awesome to have a proper squat rack! (It was slanted from the wall a bit, though, which made foot placement a little confusing, but I will adjust it next time and hone my own perception, regardless.)
Evidently my rope pullups paid off, since I felt pretty strong on pullups tonight.
The biggest surprise was how strong I felt on the bench. A solid 90kg rep in my last set after half a year away, hooray!
The deadlift is probably my biggest disappointment, mainly because the rack at the gym is narrow and doesn't allow me to put the bar on the floor. This is because there are catch bars fixed about a foot above the floor, so not only can I not put the bar on the floor, but I also can't do a very wide snatch grip, unless, I suppose, I want to crush my fingers. The best solution I see for now is to stand on a couple flat plates to get my feet approximately level with the plates on the bar. As noted above, the straps at 美力 are narrow and really cut into my wrists. I'm afraid the owner won't like me using chalk, either, so I'll have to find a solution in due time. Meanwhile, I'll use my one good strap (no idea where the other went!) and cushion my other wrist with a sweat band.
I stunned a couple people with my standing press, which did feel good, but I've lost a good 10kg from where I left off last year. I like doing strict form, which means heels and toes 90°apart. I may have been overreaching tonight, since I let my lower back go concave a few times.
Finally, I was confused about how much to curl, so I'll have to keep experimenting to find the right weight.
