a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[.V.]

Originally Posted by SurfinAmy

That sucks that you don't have spotter, seems like it would really limit your progress, maybe have your wife spot you on the ones you need it? You sure need a w/out partner!!!!

-Amy

She can't. She broke her back 4 years ago and is just now recovered enough to begin lifting and trying to build some strength back. If she tried to spot for me now, she would get hurt.

Her recovery is more important than my progress.

At least now she is willing to try weight training instead of being completeley against it like she was for a long time.

[.V.]

07-15-2004

Legs/Back

Pull ups - moved grip to widest 4x6. Squats 4x6 - 158 lb. Deadlifts 4x6 - 158 lb. Calf raises 4x6 - 158 lb. Bent Over Row 4x8 - 108 lb.

Got the new weights today standard size 1" hole instead of olympic so I could still use the same dumbells and the old 5 1/2 ft bar. Also bought a 5' standard bar and a curling bar. I'm not sure of the point of the curling bar yet, but everyone else that lifts around here has one so what the heck. Now all I have to do is weigh the new bars tomorrow. I would have liked to get the olympic 45 lb bar, but I don't have room for a 7' bar. There is an adapter to make this bar into an olympic bar available if I ever get more room.

[SurfinAmy]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

She can't. She broke her back 4 years ago and is just now recovered enough to begin lifting and trying to build some strength back. If she tried to spot for me now, she would get hurt.

Her recovery is more important than my progress.

At least now she is willing to try weight training instead of being completeley against it like she was for a long time.

That is terrible! But glad to hear she is making progress. My neighbor used to be a personal trainer, then he also broke his back, went through a lot, after talking to him really appreciate his progress....hats off to your wife for all her hard work....
-Amy

[.V.]

07-19-2004

7-16 & 7-17, too much fatigue to work out, busy during the day and just too tired when the evening came to lift. So I was lazy and skipped chest/shoulders & arms/abs for those days.

Today's Workout:
Pull ups 5x6 very wide grip - body weight. Squats 4x6 - 160 lb. Calf Raise 4x6 - 160 lb. Dead lifts 2x6 then 1x3 - 160 lb. The weight felt reasonably light, but I am planning to increase gradually so that I don't get an injury. Good thing I was doing that because today during the deadlifts at the top of #3, I got a muscle spasm on both sides of my lower back and had to stop lifting. I was unable to finish or move on to the bent over rows. I forgot to take my baclofen yesterday and today and if I don't take that damn stuff, I get muscle spasms. I took it after the spasm started. If the spasm releases, I will go finish the workout. If not, I will just stop for the day. I don't want to get a back injury and miss another month of lifting and get behind again.

Maybe I should go get a lift belt. I don't like them because I believe they cause you to not use the stabilizer muscles correctly and eventually lead to injuries, but if I use one for the first time with a new weight, then as I get used to the new weight, don't use it, that might prevent injury. Just a thought, might be a dumb thought, but probably worth a try.

[SurfinAmy]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

07-19-2004
Maybe I should go get a lift belt. I don't like them because I believe they cause you to not use the stabilizer muscles correctly and eventually lead to injuries, but if I use one for the first time with a new weight, then as I get used to the new weight, don't use it, that might prevent injury. Just a thought, might be a dumb thought, but probably worth a try.

I don't think its dumb, I think its smart. Anything to prevent injury is smart IMO......also, one time I pulled my back out of whack on a day I went heavy on squats and also tried DL's for the first time.
The chiropractor told me to wear the belt for the heavy squats....
-Amy

[.V.]

Due to pain from 7-19 skipped 7-20 but made up for it today.

Did the 7-20 workout, took a 30 min break then did today's 7-21 workout.

7-21 Chest / Shoulders
Mil press 1x6, 1x5, 1x4, 1x3 - 80 lb. Upright row 4x6 - 80 lb. Bench press 4x6 - 115 lb. Shrugs 4x6 Front and Back - 150 lb. Butterfly 4x8 - 60 lb.

7-21 Arms / Abs
BB curls 4x6 - 80 lb. Skull crushers 4x6 - 70 lb. DB curls 4x6 right, 4x8 left - 32 lb. DB tricep press 4x6 right, 4x8 left - 20 lb. Leg raises - 4x25. Crunches 4x6 - 50 lb. Tricep pressdown 4x8 - 50 lb.

I will be counting the bar as 10 pounds. I took everything to a correctly calibrated scale and weighed it. The bars weight 12.5 lb. each. The new metal plates actually weigh what they say they weigh. The old weights (plastic and cement) do not - they are all slightly lighter than they are supposed to be. So each weight is actually 2.5 pounds heavier than I am posting. But, to keep it simple, I will round the weight of the bar down that way I think 150, 160, and so on - not 152.5 or whatever.

Now I have to go cut the grass and trim the weeds. I have about 3 acres of yard. It will take a while 3 hours to mow and 4-5 hours to run the trimmer. If I have anything left in me in the evening, I will go do my 4 or 5 miles, if not, I will go to sleep.

Made 4 miles on the cardio. No running - not back up to that yet. But I will get back there if I keep at it.

[.V.]

7-23-2004
To prevent injury, I went a little lighter, I guess a 30 pound jump on legs/back day was too much. I dropped down to 150 lb. I will work up from there. Did legs/back with no problem.

Here is what I did:
Pull ups - 2x6 then 2x8 wide grip body weight - soon I will be adding weight to these.
Squats 4x6 - 150 lb. Deadlifts 4x6 - 150 lb. Calf raises 4x6 - 150 lb. Bent Over row 4x6 115 lb.

[SurfinAmy]

Hey, what's going on......I think that mowing is a w/out in itself.... ya, 30 lbs is a HUGE jump....
-Amy

[.V.]

No cardio yesterday or today, cut the grass and did the trimming 6 hours yesterday, 5 1/2 today. No energy left for cardio. I did my lifting in the am while I was rested. I think tonight I will lay out by the pool for a while.

07-24-2004 Chest/Shoulders

Mil Press 3x6 then 1x5 - 80 lb. Upright row 4x8 - 80 lb. Bench press 4x6 - 115 lb. Shrugs 4x6 front then 4x6 back - 150 lb. Butterflies 4x6 - 70 lb.

I used 150 instead of 160 for the squats/deadlifts yesterday - It felt a little light, but today, I am not injured so I guess the plan to work my way up is a good one.

[.V.]

Workout from 07-25-2004

Arms/Abs

BB curls 4x6 - 80 lb. Skull Crushers 4x6 - 70 lb. DB curls 4x6 right 4x8 left 32 lb. Tate press 4x8 - 20 lb. Weighted crunches 4x6 - 50 lb. Leg raises 4x25. Tricep pressdowns 4x6 - 60 lb.

I was going backwards with the tricep extension pressup I have been doing. So I tried the tate press. It is difficult, but I think I will do better with it. The progress on the DB curls is almost imperceptable, the right arm is still ready to move on, my left one is VERY slowly trying to catch up.

[.V.]

07-27-2004

Pull ups 4x8 - vwg BW. Squats 4x8 - 150 lb. Deadlifts 4x8 - 150 lb. Calf Raises 4x8 - 150 lb. Bent Over row 4x6 - 115 lb.

[.V.]

07-28-2004

Chest / Shoulders

Today was a terrible, weak, wimpy workout.

Military press 2x6 then 1x3 - 80 lb. Then 1x5 - 75 lb. Upright Row 4x8 - 80 lb. Bench Press 1x7 then 1x5 then 2x4 - 115 lb. Shrugs 4x8 - 150 lb. Butterflies 4x6 - 70 lb.

I thought I might improve on Mil press and bench press today. But I actually was weaker. I had to decrease reps on the bench and even had to decrease the weight on the Military press. How disgusting. It is in the left side, left deltoid, pectoral, tricep, and bicep are all getting weaker - much worse today. The upright row and the butterflies were a struggle, more than last time, but I did manage to do them without reducing the weight. The shrugs were the only good exercise. I will be able to increase the weight next time unless the weakness worsens and moves to the traps.

This really bites.

[.V.]

I haven't posted in a while. I took some time off on the doc's advice to let the CNS recover to see if I could get some of the lost strength back that way.

Then had computer problems and did not get online.

Here is what I've done most recently:

8-01-2004

Pull ups 4x8, Squats 4x6 - 155 lb. Deadlifts 4x6 - 155 lb. Calf raises 4x6 - 155 lb. Bent over row 4x6 - 155 lb.

Mil press 4x6 - 80 lb. upright row 4x8 - 80 lb. bench press 4x6 - 115 lb. B Flyes 4x6 - 70 lb. Shrugs 4x6 front & back - 155 lb.


8-5-2004

Pull ups 4x8, Squats 4x6 - 155 lb. Deadlifts 4x6 - 155 lb. Calf raises 4x6 - 155 lb. Bent over row 4x6 155 lb.

Mil press 4x6 - 80 lb. Upright row 4x8 - 80 lb. Bench press 4x6 - 115 lb. B Flyes 4x8 - 70 lb. Shrugs 4x6 front&back - 155 lb.

No arms for the last 8 days. I start back with them tomorrow, I will see if the time off plan will help them.

[Andrea]

Glad to see your back!! Nice work-outs.

[.V.]

Thanks Andrea, I keep doing what I can - they aren't nice yet, but they will be.