a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[.V.]

02-08-2007

5x5 (light)

Squat.........105, 125, 145, 145
Dead.....135, 155, 175, 200, 225
OHP......................100x3x4
P/U.........................55x5
Cable Crunch............105x3x10

Today was light day and my legs were uncooperative. Hard to get deep enough, even with only 145 on the bar. Need to repeat pullups at least once more. That last rep is still difficult to get cleanly over the bar.

I may have reached the end of my progress with this training cycle. I definitely got a new PR on rows, maybe on bench (not going back to look). I'll finish out this week and see if I need to re-evaluate, do 3x3 for a while, or just deload a bit and keep going. Moving in the right direction, but my joints are feeling it and although I've gotten most of my strength back that I lost I don't want to push to the point of injury.

Maybe things just look rough because I'm sore from overdoing it yesterday and my ribs hurt from the falls.

[.V.]

02-10-2007

Squat.......70, 80, 90, 100, 115
Bench.....95, 110, 125, 145, 165
Row.......95, 110, 125, 145, 165
Cable Crunch.............110x4x8

Yep, just as I thought, I reached the end of my safe progression for now.

Just in time too. Night before last, after a couple of really good days, my right leg went all to hell on me. A lovely sensation of ice and scalding water simultaneously on the skin. Under the skin, above the muscle is a feeling of an electric fence being wound around my leg from my 2nd toe all the way up and around into the right flank and down the posterior of the right arm. The skin is hypersensitive to the lightest touch, but you can pinch the sh*t out of it and not feel anything.

Gotta love it.

I may have had another week in me before having to deload anyway, but I don't much wish to be trying to squat or row heavy with my legs not functioning like they should. So I started the deload today.

I put my current best 5RM, not heaviest, but best quality reps at week 4 and will be spending 4 weeks working up at 2.5% increases per week to get to this weight. After that, I'll be going for 2.5% increases each week hopefully to new PR's over time.

So it sucks to be benching and rowing more than I can squat. Such is life, at least I'm squatting. And at least I'm still moving closer to my end goal in life.

[minime]

Andy I am sorry to hear your leg is acting up on you. I think it is great that you have your kids workout with you : from your sig it looks like your daughter is already 'hardcore' lol.

Hope you feel better soon!

[.V.]

In some ways she is. Some ways she isn't. Training in one way or another since age 6. Now 11. She's lifted, trained martial arts, ran and biked, played all the sports. Being a Kid, I just encourage whatever she's interested in.

Squat till you puke is what she says when I'm in the gym. Deadlift till you bleed is what she said after seeing my shins.

[tim_mcf]

AAAAHHHGH! I just noticed you're in my closet! Get out of there, that's scary!

[.V.]

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

AAAAHHHGH! I just noticed you're in my closet! Get out of there, that's scary!

Done.

[.V.]

02-11-2007

Did way too much last cardio day. CNS couldn't handle it again. Legs weren't wanting to cooperate today.

Just walked 4 miles instead of anything more strenuous.

Originally Posted by a_welch503

Just walked 4 miles instead of anything more strenuous.

It's all good! Something is better than nothing.

[.V.]

02-12-2007

5x5 (light day)
Squat....................70, 80, 90, 90
Deadlift........125, 145, 165, 185, 210
OHP.............................100x3x5
Cable Crunch....................110x3x8
Pullup.....27.5, 32.5, 37.5, 42.5, 47.5

Seriously lazy and unmotivated today. Just tired and lazy all day long. Finally ate two meals by 4pm. To the gym by 4:30. Out by 5:00. I did eat again at 5:30 and am about to tie on the 6:30 feedbag. Not hungry, but it has to be done. Loss of appetite really sucks.

These less than challenging workouts are good for form, good to rest the muscles and CNS, hopefully priming me for new increases in a few weeks, but still feel like a waste of time.

Somehow, it seems that the pullups when done with less weight and five ramping sets instead of three heavier straight sets hit my lats a little better. I did get a nosebleed on the last set though which was NOT the goal. Done that on deadlifts and bench press before, but never pullups.

Deep squats seem to be a good thing though. I had to wear knee sleeves most of the day today. After squats, I didn't need them anymore. ??Arthritis loosening up after squatting??

The lighter weight is an excellent opportunity to work on perfection of technique, breathing, only using the necessary muscles, etc., etc., all that stuff we know. . . . blah, blah, blah.

If it is of comfort, I'm picking up the slack in your appetite with mine.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by pierini

If it is of comfort, I'm picking up the slack in your appetite with mine.

When you are through with my appetite, could I have it back please?

I really need to eat now more than ever.

[seraph]

you did that w/o in 30 mins? you must have plowed right through it. i agree w/ the lighter weights "theory" that you and pierini posted. it's nice to lighten it up and focus entirely on form. even increase the reps sometimes those tire me out more than the heavy days

[.V.]

The rest time needed isn't so much when one's heaviest set of squats is only 90lbs. No rest between squats and deads - just however long it took to add plates to the bar. 1 minute between crunches, 2 between pullups.

Hi Andy,

That's a refreshing and cool new avatar there you are sporting. I think I count a 6-pack!

[Klinger]

You're all ripped up in that pic. Quite impressive.