a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[JDR3]

Nice work, is the back feeling better?

[.V.]

Hey thanks. It's feeling much better now - not 100% but getting close. Time to drop the squat weight and work on form again - I have to do that occasionally. I think with better form, the accident that put me off balance and got me hurt wouldn't have led to an injury.

[maverick]

I found that the easiest way to not have to pull back on squats and work on form is to go A2G. I finally decided on that a couple months ago and haven't looked back since. With a little luck, I'll be as strong as I was at parallel in just a couple months.

[.V.]

Ahhh, what I wouldn't trade to have a normal CNS and normal balance - I tip over backwards if I get too far below paralell. That's why i've got an old bench that is a few inches below my knees that I use for a "box", it helps me gauge how deep to go. If I try to go too deep I end up in a pile on the floor with the bar and the plates.

[maverick]

Excuses, excuses

[.V.]

If the guy at the welding shop ever gets back so I can pick up my cage I'll give ATG another shot - then when I fall, the safety bars can catch the weights for me. It's only been finished for a month and he went out of town and hasn't returned yet. Apparently old retired people have more free time to travel than the rest of us.

[.V.]

06-27-2006

Legs
Another wimpy recovery workout

Squat...........45x10
................95x10
...............115x10
...............135x10
...............155x10
................175x6
................195x4
................205x0
Got to 205 and when I felt the pressure on the sacro-ileal/lumbar area - I knew it wasn't going to happen so did some calf raises instead.

Calf Raise.....205x10
...............225x10
...............245x10
...............275x10
...............295x10
...............315x10
...............325x10
Slight twinge while re-racking the 325 so didn't increase for another set and moved on to GHRs

GHR...........BWx2x10 - all me.
..............BWx1x10 - assisted.
..............BWx1x10 - even more assisted, by the end they looked like girl pushups - time to stop.

Comments
Not too heavy today, light weights more reps for recovery work. Next week or week after I'll be back to heavier work and trying to gradually improve numbers again. Even with the baby weights today, my legs are really feeling it already. Being able to say "all me" for two sets of GHRs is a proud moment and definite improvement.

Note, the first 4 sets were actual ATF squats instead of using my bench for a box. I didn't even fall over this time. I made a video of one set of squats using the camera phone - it's jerky and twitchy - and only shows two of them...if I can figure out how to host it, I'll submit it for review to get pointers on improving my squat form...the reason for dropping weight is to improve form. It appears from the video that even though my "box" is a few inches below my knees, I'm not getting below paralell with it like I thought I was.

[.V.]

06-29-2006

Chest/Triceps
Flat Bench...........165x3x6
DB Bench..............55x9,8
Skull Crusher......95x11,8,8
Tricep Pushdown.....65x20,10

Comments
Finally got all my reps on the bench with 165, plus managed another set. Next week - up the weight. Still struggling with tricep work - these higher volume sets are tough. Nothing left for a few "bench lockouts" at the end. Had to have help mixing my shakes and changing shirts after the workout. It was a good one though. I've never puked from skull crushers before, squats - yes, deadlifts - yes, skullcrushers - this was a first.

I'm in the fifth week of my modified "sort of pinder plan". I'm doing next week on the same plan then switching for the next 6 weeks. I don't know if I'm going to stick with all higher volume stuff for a while or just switch to low volume, heavy weight training for 6 or 8 weeks. After that, I'll see if I've managed to man up enough to do the pinder plan for real, as designed.

[.V.]

07-01-2006

Back/Biceps
Deadlift......45x10
..............95x10
.............135x10
.............155x10
..............185x3
..............205x2
..............225x1
..............245x1
..............265x1
..............285x1
BOR.........185x2x6
P/U..........30x3x6
BB curl.....115x8,4
DB curl......50x6,4

Another pansy style low weight deadlift workout today. At least I was able to go through the motions of deadlifting. I knew at 135 that I wouldn't be able to do any heavy reps so I just worked my way up and stopped when my pelvis felt like it was going to come apart. I would have liked to have been able to do at least a couple of reps with 285 but there's always next week.

Other stuff all improved. I wasn't able to reach target reps on P/U, BOR, or Curls, but did increase weight and did an extra set on each to help get reps next time.

[CF-OC_gal]

................205x0

OK so this was my workout...

Deadlift: 110 x 0
135 x 0
160 x 0

You are doing fine Andy, just fine!

[.V.]

07-03-2006

Legs
Front Squat.....45x10
.....................95x10
Squat (atf).....115x10
....................135x10
......................155x3
...................185x3x6
Calf Raise.....165x10
...................185x10
....................225x10
...................275x10
....................295x10
....................315x10
...................235x2x10
GHR..............4x10

Got my days mixed up and did legs instead of shoulders. So after a feeding and some rest - went back out and did shoulders.

Shoulders
MP.....55x10
.........65x10
.........85x3
.........95x2
.........105x12,10
Shrug.....135x10
.............185x10
.............225x3
.............255x2
.............275x1
...........285x3x5
Rear Delt row.....85x1x12
.......................95x2x12
Cable Crunch.....50x10
.......................70x10
.......................90x10
......................100x10
.....................120x2x8

Grip problem with shrugs. Had to re-rack the bar and re-grip for #5 on the first two sets and for #3-5 on the third set. It was done quickly

[.V.]

07-03-2006

Legs
Front Squat.....45x10
................95x10
Squat (atf)....115x10
...............135x10
(box)...........155x3
(box).........185x3x6
Calf Raise.....165x10
...............185x10
...............225x10
...............275x10
...............295x10
...............315x10
.............235x2x10
GHR..............4x10

Front squats are hard and will take some practice to learn the form. On my regular squats, my form was better, but I'm still leaning forward a bit and it feels like my butt and hips are trying to lead the way up and moving before the upper body. This, I think is the mistake that leads me to get off balance and get hurt if something goes wrong. kept it light and still trying to improve form.

Got my days mixed up and did legs instead of shoulders. So after a feeding and some rest - went back out and did shoulders.

Shoulders
MP..................55x10
....................65x10
.....................85x3
.....................95x2
................105x12,10
Shrug..............135x10
...................185x10
....................225x3
....................255x2
....................275x1
..................285x3x5
Rear Delt row.....85x1x12
..................95x2x12
Cable Crunch........50x10
....................70x10
....................90x10
...................100x10
..................120x2x8

Rear Delt Rows done with BB from floor instead of machine. Took some practice to isolate the lats out of it as much as possible, when I got it right, I really felt it in the delts way better than with the machine.
Grip problem with shrugs. Had to re-rack the bar and re-grip for #5 on the first two sets and for #3-5 on the third set. It was done quickly so the timing was like one continuous set, but the tension wasn't because of the re-gripping. Otherwise, today was a good day.

[Maxgain]

Are cable crunches for abs?
Rear delt row and shrugs seem more like back work to me. It looks like you did just 2 direct shoulder work sets?????

Just enquiring have being fidgeting latelty with delts and shrugs between shoulder and back day

[.V.]

cable crunches are for abs.

Rear delt rows are for the rear delts. Done on a cable machine, you pull up to your neck or chin to keep lats out of the movement. Done with a bar, it's like the bent over row, but pulling to your neck or face to keep the lats out of it. I just can't get the movement with dumbells to do rear delt raises - it ends up being a tricep exercise when I do it. I know the traps are also part of the back - but since they are also the most visible part of the shoulders, I do my shrugs on trap day. On back day after deadlifts, I just don't have enough left in me to do traps then too.

[seraph]

wow thats a big day!! looks good though. andy how do yu like doing the squats on the box????

i've never tried those before :confused: