a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[.V.]

Went out to lift this morning - after eating my good pre-workout breakfast including the nasty oatmeal. Was totally disgusted with what I was able to do - Started with BB curls like always and I noticed on the light warmup set that it felt kind of heavy. Then when I got acclimated and was ready to do my 115x3x5 that I had planned on - I couldn't get even 1 clean rep. So dropped to 110 - same thing. Had to do 100x3x5. I was so disgusted with myself that I left the weights sitting in the middle of the floor and walked away. I will go back out after lunch and see if I can do better.

[cursor]

I know the feeling. Perhaps you need to back off for a day or two. Have you been eating well enough to fuel your workout?

[.V.]

Cursor - I sure hope I am eating enough, I don't think I could possible hold any more food. During my time off from lifting I didn't feel much like eating, but when I started back I suddenly got really hungry. I don't go hungry - if I feel the need to eat, I eat. Because of the chest injury (I got another x-ray at work 3 nights ago and it showed that the rib was broken and the lung is still contused) - I have been really guarding the chest in all movements - this has led to a little SI strain. That means a trip to the chiropractor sometime today. After lunch I just could not lift - so I will try again tonight - hopefully the adjustment will help. I've been too lazy to move my gym inside yet - so it will be an outdoor workout without much light - but I'm going to keep it outside to enjoy this warm weather for as long as it lasts (as good an excuse as any).

[cursor]

Well, good luck this evening then.

[SurfinAmy]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

I've been too lazy

You? Not hardly...........

Happy Thanksgiving Andy

-Amy

[.V.]

11-25-2004

Chest/Shoulders

Press...................100x3x5
Upright Row.............120x3x6
Bench Press...150x1x5, 1x4, 1x3
DB Bench Press...........55x3x6
Shrugs-Front............220x3x4
Shrugs-Back.............220x3x4

Had to take another day off from lifting yesterday. The same problem that interfered with the last arm workout was still there - my lower back still hurt too much to get a good workout so I skipped another day. Today it feels MUCH better and the chest doesn't hurt too bad either. Got a decent chest/shoulder workout. Increased reps on military press, DB press(really happy with these they were almost easy), and bench press - still can't get my full workout with 150 bench presses. Increased weight on shrugs. Will increase weight on upright row and DB press next time and keep working on reps for the others. I decided to try something different on the bench press since I'm having trouble getting the full workout on it I had planned. After today's workout was over - waited about 10 minutes then got my wife and daughter to spot for me and did singles in hopes of getting my bench press stronger. I feel pretty good - if my back feels better tomorrow like it did today - I expect to have a good arm/ab workout tomorrow. I plan to move the weights out to the building tomorrow - It was pretty cold out there this morning - I've enjoyed the outdoor workouts - but it is no fun with snow blowing on me.

I expected to end up cheating today for thanksgiving....It didn't happen. I started cooking at 8am and we ate at 5. I made turkey, dressing, green beans, broccoli casserole, mashed potatos, gravy, rolls, slaw, tomato slices, creamed corn, deviled eggs, chocolate pie, and pumpkin pie. The pies were made with splenda and lower carb crusts - topped with merangue. I only ate turkey, green beans, slaw, tomato, eggs and chocolate pie. ALL allowed on MY diet. This was in addition to my usual breakfast and a steak for lunch (skipped the salad to save room for thanksgiving dinner). All the food I ate was on my controlled carbohydrate plan and even though the portions were a little bigger than I am used to - I think it will be ok because I'm off work tonight - expect to sleep good and then be able to lift like hell tomorrow (after a good breakfast including my crapmean - I mean oatmeal).

[.V.]

11-26-2004

Arms/Abs

BB Curls..........115x3x5, 120x1, 125x1
Skull Crushers............95x3x5, 100x1
DB Curls.........................50x3x5
Tate Press.......................50x3x6
Crunches...........................3x40
Leg Raises.........................3x40
Tricep Pressdown.................95x3x4

Satisfied with today's workout - it was the first full arms/abs day I've had since nov 2 when I broke the rib. The chest is still a little sore - but not enough to interfere with anything. The lower back is much better - I believe cursor was right - a couple of extra days off did me some good. Last arm day, I couldn't even get 105 for one rep. Today was MUCH better.

I tried singles after my BB curls and Skull crushers adding 5 lb each time until I could not get the weight up. It didn't take long to get to that point. I'm doing this in hopes of actually making some strength in the biceps and triceps. I sort of suspect this will work because I did it yesterday on the flat bench press and today I feel stuff in my chest that I didn't even know I had. I can actually feel soreness in the individual bundles of muscle fibers (not just the muscle as a whole). I think I will do this for each body part and see how it goes - not each exercise - just on one exercise for each body part. This may or may not be a good idea - I should know in a couple of weeks. The dumbell curls and the tate press both went good today. This was surprising considering how slack my arm/ab days have been lately.

I am only doing unweighted ab exercises right now - I'm still not ready to put any weight on my chest for at least a couple of more weeks. 120 crunches total wipes the abs out about as good as doing them weighted - it won't make much strength, but it will work the muscle anyway. I still hate doing leg raises - with weight/without weight - no matter, still hate them - they must be going to work then.

[.V.]

11-29-2004

Legs/Back
Pull Ups................35x3x6
Squats.................210x3x6
SLDL...................210x3x6
CDL....................240x3x5
Calf Raises............260x3x6
Bent Over Row..........160x3x6

I missed this workout yesterday so now I am a day behind schedule. I had a 48 hour shift from hell and there was no time to get it until today. I guess still recovering from the broken rib and the back pain - it's OK, but I don't like to get behind. I had planned to double up today and do legs/back and chest/shoulders - but this workout took all I had in me - nothing left over to do the other workout with. I suppose this means that I did today's workout right. I was out of oatmeal this morning (boo hoo) so I just ate my old breakfast of sausage and eggs. But before I lifted I ate two 20g protein bars. I'm cooking my lunch now - it is a little late - but this workout went long - I had to rest a little extra to get all my sets in today. I met all the goals I had for today except for the conventional deadlift - I was supposed to get 3x6 and could only get 3x5, I kept failing on the way up for #6 on each set at a little over 3/4 of the way up. Oh well, I still have a goal for next time.

[SurfinAmy]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

11-25-2004

I started cooking at 8am...turkey, dressing, green beans, broccoli casserole, mashed potatos, gravy, rolls, slaw, tomato slices, creamed corn, deviled eggs, chocolate pie, and pumpkin pie. The pies were made with splenda and lower carb crusts - topped with merangue

Am I hallucinating here???? We have a man cooking the entire Thanksgiving feast

What did you mean singles. You just do one rep, add 5 pounds, do another rep, etc. until you reach max then?
That sounds like a good idea to do things different a while.

Also, I think you are stronger than you think you are on some of the exercises where you say you failed. Its actually that you are always working, your sleep patterns get messed up.

I think you guys all need to go to Maui for a couple of weeks, get away from all that snow, sleep in every morning too - then come home and you will be surprised at how you do....

-Amy

[.V.]

Originally Posted by SurfinAmy

Am I hallucinating here???? We have a man cooking the entire Thanksgiving feast

What did you mean singles. You just do one rep, add 5 pounds, do another rep, etc. until you reach max then?

I think you guys all need to go to Maui for a couple of weeks, get away from all that snow, sleep in every morning too - then come home and you will be surprised at how you do....

-Amy

I do all the cooking at my house. I also clean and sew - and no I'm not gay - my mother taught me these things as a child because she said I'm too difficult to get along with and I would probably never be able to have a wife to take care of me - so I had to learn to fend for myself. Now I have a wife and kids that are most happy to let me do these things for them.

The singles - yes that is exactly what I mean.

Maui - Can't handle he heat - hot weather just drains me too much - maybe a trip to Alaska would be a good idea .

[.V.]

11-30-2004

Started my improved (I hope) plan today - just took the same old workout and spread it a little further apart so that I can concentrate on the body part I'm working that day with a little more intensity.

Chest
Bench Press.............150x3x6
DB Bench Press......60x2x6, 1x5

Bench Press Singles - 155, 160, 165, 1/2 way up with 170 then got pinned.

Happy with today's workout - I've been struggling with the 150 and the 55 for quite some time. Since I was not worn out from working shoulders I was able to do more than I thought I would today. Tomorrow will be either off or abs before work. Then legs the next day. I finally got one down to under an hour - this one took a little over 30 min.

[.V.]

12-02-2004

Legs

Squats..........220x2x4, 1x6
SLDL............220x2x4, 1x6
Calf Raises..........270x3x6

It seems by dedicating a whole workout to only one body part instead of sharing it with two - there is energy to give complete intensity to the part being worked. There is a serious problem with this new plan though. I will have to add more weight to calf raises next time - and I'm out of weight. I guess when I go shopping tomorrow, I will have to reward myself with a couple of new 25's. I expect that on my next leg day, I will be getting 3x6 on squats and sldl.

I had to skip abs yesterday - my lats and chest were trashed from the chest workout the previous day. I've never had that happen before. I couldn't bear the thought of doing a single crunch or leg raise. I guess as I acclimate to the new way of doing things it will get better.

[Klinger]

Looking good, man. I think this will work out for you. I think it's easier to go b@lls out when you know you're just doing 10-12 sets.

You've got some really good balance, too. Your SLDL and your squat are the same, which means your hams and quads are of equal strength.

[.V.]

12-3-2004

BB Curls....................120x3x4
Skull Crushers.....95x1x6, 1x5, 1x6
DB Curls.....................50x3x6
Cable Pressdown..............95x3x6

Singles
BB Curls...................125, 130
Skull Crushers..................100

Did better today than I had planned on BB curls - was supposed to do 115 but felt strong and tried 120 - and got 3x4. The skull crushers did not improve as hoped - but eventually they will. The Cable pressdown was OK, got all I had planned to do it was easier than I thought it would be.

On the singles - failed twice on 135lb with bb curls and failed on 105 twice with the skull crushers. I think the 120 took more out of me than I thought it would - but I'm still satisfied with today's workout.

[.V.]

12-04-2004

Shoulders

Military Press.........100x1x6, 2x5
Seated DB Press.........30x2x6, 1x4
Front Shrugs................220x3x6
Rear Shrugs.................220x3x6
Upright Rows...........120x1x4, 2x5

I've never done the seated DB Press before - I'm not sure if that is the right name for it or not. It is the one that is basically a military press - but done with dumbells and in front of the head instead of behind the neck and pushing up from the chest instead of the traps. I hear this is a good overall shoulder exercise and is specifically good for the deltoids. I didn't know how much weight to use so I played with it for a while with light weights to get a feel for the form - 20 reps with 20 lb. 12 with 25 then settled on 30 because I could get no more than 6. I expect next time to get 3x6 and then be able to increase the weight. Shrugs went better than expected - I will be increasing the weight sooner than planned - I now plan to do 230 next time. I was also happy with the upright row - I got 2 more reps overall than I had planned on.