a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[.V.]

6-15-04

Pretty weak today. Had to reduce the weight I was using on BB curls. Less weight is better than no weight though. Everything else was harder but, NO WEIGHT REDUCTION.

Standing BB curls 4x6 - 69.2 lb. Skull Crushers 4x6 - 59.2 lb. Concentration Curls 4x6 - 32 lb. One Arm Tricep Extension 4X6 - 20 lb.

I like the skull crushers, Hard, but feel like they will work good. Glad I read about them here. I think I'm doing them right. I'm not sure after reading the debate about elbow position and hand position. I'll keep my hands about head width apart and elbows out. As I get stronger, I'll move it all closer together.

[.V.]

6-17-04

Legs/Back

Pull ups 4x6 body weight. Squats 4x6 - 100 lb. Deadlifts 4x6 - 100 lb. Calf raises 4x6 - 100 lb. Bent Over Row 4x6 - 100 lb. This is the first time I've done this in 16 days. Had to use low weight to avoid injury. But It will build up again.

[SurfinAmy]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

Pull ups 4x6 body weight.

This is one of my long term goals. I'm still working on it, tried again last night on new bar that was installed. A sad attempt, I'm soooooo far from this goal right about now....today my shoulders are absolutely killing me....
-Amy

[.V.]

SurfinAmy, Keep at it, you will get there. When I started, I could not even do one pull up. Then When I could do one, I worked up to 3 sets of one, four sets of one, then 3x1 and 1x2 and so on until I got to this. My goal is to be able to do 20 without stopping. Someday...IF I keep at it.

[.V.]

06-19-2004

Today I was stronger on Chest and shoulders than last time. I'm not back to where I was, but not as bad as before.

Military press 1x5 - 82.6 lb. then 1x6, 1x5, and 1x3 with 75.2lb. Upright row 4x6 - 75.2 lb. Bench Press 4x6 - 100 lb. Shrugs 4x6 - 100 lb. 2 in front and 2 in back.
Push Ups - 0. That sucked becuase I was up to 4x20 with the push ups in may. I started in the up position, and on the way down, my left arm collapsed each time helping me to do a nice face plant into the floor. I will have to talk to the doc about this. I may have to do another run of decadron.

[.V.]

6-21-04

Stanidng BB Curls 4x6 - 75.2 lb. Skull Crushers 4x6 - 65.2 lb. Concentration Curls 4x6 - 32 lb. One arm Tricep Extension 4x6 - 20 lb. No cruches, no Leg lifts.

Left arm still weak. I had to "pinky spot" myself using a finger from my right hand to finish the concentration curls and tricep extensions with the left arm. Back still hurting, unable to do crunches or leg lifts still - not released by MD yet.


06-25-04

Pull ups - 4x6 body weight. Squats 4x6 - 120 lb. Deadlifts 4x6 - 120 lb. Calf raises 4x6 - 120 lb. Bent over row 4x6 - 100 lb.

Pull ups were good - finished all with good clearance, no kicking, very slow. Got the rack built squats are easy now - no more hurting my back trying to get the weight from the floor to my shoulders. Made it too wide for my bar, had to load the bar and then lift it onto rack, so narrowed it to fit the bar. Now it is a little narrow for my shoulders to fit into it, but it will work for now, I can put the bar on it and load the bar, time to start building some legs now. The bent over row is still a little weak - able to use good form, but only with 100 lbs. Tried 106, and had to jerk the weight, not good for the back, 100 pounds = good form, easy for 4 of 6 reps, then really hard, then nearly impossible - very slow and using good form. Did 4 sets of everything.

I have figured out that the weakness is concentrated in my left deltoid muscle. I discussed this with my doctor, she said that a sudden weakness in one particular dermatome is common with ms. I will have to just keep doing what I am doing and live with it until the CNS allows the muscle to work like it should.

06-26-04

Military Press 1x6, 1x5, 1x4, 1x3 - 75.2 lb. Damn that deltoid. Upright row 4x6 - 75.2 lb. Bench press 4x6 - 110 lb. Shrugs 4x6 -110 lb. Push Ups - 4x20.

OOOH yes, finished my push ups today, had to take 3-4 minutes rest between sets, but I got them done. Not one face plant into the floor this time. Had to do them very slow, but I think that is how it's supposed to be done.

[SurfinAmy]

Hey, how's it going...congrats on the push-ups. Ya, it seems like slower would give more benefit too. As for the elbows, I always do my lifts in whatever position feels most comfortable, everyone seems to have their own style. The longer I lift, the more I seem to focus on form and safety as opposed to upping the weight. I'm sooo envious of the pull-ups......
-Amy

[.V.]

06-27-2004

Standing BB curls 4x6 - 75.2 lb. Skull Crushers 4x6 - 65.2 lb. Concentration Curls 4x6 - 32 lb. One Arm Tricep Extension 4x6 - 20 lb. Weighted Crunches 4x6 - 32 lb. Leg Raises - 4x20.

Back to doing leg raises today. Back pain not too bad. The leg raises actually seemed to help it. Can't believe after a month without them I was able to do all 4x20.

[.V.]

06-29-2004

Pull ups 4x6 body weight. Squats 4x6 - 132 lb. Deadlifts 4x6 - 132 lb. Calf Raises 4x6 132 lb. Bent Over Row 4x6 100 lb.

Now that I have my rack built, Squats are easier to do without hurting myself. I increased the weight. I should go more, but this is all I have. The bent over row, I'm not sure about. It is getting a little easier to get 4x6, but I can't get past #6. Should I pull the bar to the intramammary line, the diaphragm, or the umbillicus? Since I don't know where, I do one set to each place and my last set to where ever I can get it to, usually the diaphragm.

Today was a good workout day, Looking forward to tomorrow instead of dreading it. I need to go buy some protein, I have run out of protein shakes and bars. I'll have to go early tomorrow, or just eat a steak after I work out. The steak sounds good.

[.V.]

06-30-2004

Military press 3x6, 1x5 - 75.2 lb. Upright Row 4x6 - 75.2 lb. Bench Press 4x6 - 110 lb. Shrugs 4x6 - 132 lb. Push ups 4x20

Still weaker in the left arm, but it is getting better. I can almost do 4x6 on the mil press again. When I get back up to this, I will work on getting the weight back up. I plan to increase the weight on the upright row on the next workout. I have been reading about donkey calf raises on some peoples posts. I had completely forgotton about them. I have been doing standing calf raises with a BB. I think on the next leg day, I will do donkey calf raises. Glad I read about them here - I do remember now how well they work.

Time to increase weight on squats, deads, shrugs. Sadly, I am out of weight. I never thought I would get to say that. It sucks to be out of weight, but is pretty cool too - to have reached that point. Sucks and cool at the same time -- odd.

[.V.]

07-01-2004

BB Curls 4x6 - 75.2 lb. Skull Crushers 3x6, 1x7 - 65.2 lb. DB curls 4x6 - 32 lb. One arm tricep extension 4x6 - 20 lb. Weighted crunches 4x6 32 lb. Leg raises 4x20.

Skull crushers were better today, Kept a close grip except on the last set, had to move them apart a little to finish. Still having to spot myself on the Left arm with the DB curls and the One arm Tricep extension - but not as much. The left arm is VERY slowly catching up.

[SurfinAmy]

So you built your own squat rack then? I think that's so cool! I don't see how the heck you even made it w/out one! No spotter on squats? Do you work out by yourself? (That is a bummer if you do....)
Hey, bittersweet indeed that you're out of weights! Congrats Welch!
-Amy

[.V.]

Yeah, I had to build the rack, I could not find one without driving over 100 miles. It was pretty easy, just cut out the parts and put them together. I got by without one by lifting light weights that I could get from the floor to my shoulders. Yeah, I have to work out alone. No one to work out with. And no gym in this town. Sometimes my 8 year old works out with me, that kind of gets in the way, but I hope it is setting her on the road to a life of fitness instead of fatness like I started with. My 14 year old, sorry 15 year old - 7/2 BD - said she will start working out if I will get her a machine instead of free weights. We are going to go get it today I think. I will buy some more plates to fit my bar while we are there.

[.V.]

Logging yesterday's workout today. Too busy to get online yesterday. My swimming pool fell in, one side just collapsed, spent all day trying to save it. Oh well, so much for the post workout cool off in the water this summer.

7-03-04 workout:

Pull ups 4x8 - body weight. #7 and #8 were tough on each set. On the 4th set, #8 got no negative, I got my chin above the bar, then my grip gave out and I fell off. Does that one count? I'm not sure, so I took a 15 second rest and did 2 extras.

Squats 4x8 - 132 lb. Too easy. Must buy more weight today.

Deadlifts 4x8 - 132 lb. See above.

Calf raises 4x8 - 132 lb. Could not get anyone to sit on my back to do donkey calf raises. The kids kept giggling and falling off. My wife is too short to get up there. I'm 6'1", she is 5'0". So I did the usual standing calf raises using the bar.

Bent over row 4x8 - 100 lb. Not easy. If it was easy, why bother doing it.

[LifterMike]

Man that sucks, im really sorry about your pool!

But it looks like your making some real progress on squats and deadlifts way to go :