a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[threenorns]

oh, sheesh - and here you were sweating!

face it, andy - you're in the groove and lovin' it. welcome back!

[.V.]

I actually do feel pretty good about things today. I'm not concentrating on numbers at all right now - just working on doing it right. I've intentionally reduced numbers to work on actually getting it right. I was looking at numbers being put up by some folks with way bigger muscles than I've got and I was putting up more on some things than they were - way less on others. Definitely lifting more than my muscle mass should allow - that tells me that something wasn't doing right before. For example 240-250 sometimes on SLDL - no way my puny little hamstrings could pull that since I was only able to do an 80 lb leg curl. That tells me I was using too much back on that lift. Another was the BB curl - no way my little arms should be able to move 130-135. Although I wasn't leaning back at the end of the movement (the way to really cheat and curl 150), I noticed that I had started to dip my shoulders forward to get some leverage for the pull - hell, half the work was done by the time my back was straight - even though I was able to control the weight and lower it slowly - getting it up was NOT controlled.

My days of pushing for bigger numbers as quickly as possible are OVER. I will do what I'm doing now - just below the max ot set/rep range. When these are totally perfect and ready for an increase, I'll move up into the max ot set range of 3 instead of 2. Then I'll work on getting my reps up to 6, slowly, gradually, with the weight under absolute control - being muscled up and down, not leveraged. Then and only then will I increase the weight. Quality over quantity is how I'm going to have to train from now on.

Oh and thanks, it is great to be back.

[.V.]

01-15-2005

Shoulders
BB Mil Press.........100x2x4
Upright Row..........100x2x4
DB Shoulder Press.....40x2x4
Shrugs...............230x2x4

Back
CDL..................230x2x4
BOR..................150x2x4
Lat Pulldowns........150x2x4

Cardio
Don't know yet, to be edited in tonight. I'll probably go for a bike ride if I can get out. If not, I'll do the cardioglide here.

Using less weight for less sets seems to be working out for a good start. I've worked almost my whole body now (chest and abs are tomorrow) and I haven't gotten hurt yet. I've lost some strength, but still with the weights I'm using I have absolute control of the weight on the positive and the negative of EVERY rep. No cheating, no "loose" form.

I did lat pulldowns instead of pullups today. Why? I don't know, just felt like it. I just couldn't face doing 50 pullups today with bodyweight. Even with what I am doing now, each muscle is feeling really well worked. Interesting though, I can do BW pullups and I weigh 177lbs right now. But using the lat tower 150 was all I could pull without my butt coming up off of the seat.

[threenorns]

there's nothing at all wrong with dropping the intensity - i've done that a couple times, where i dropped the load and worked it back up over a few weeks and had great results.

i envy you your pullups - i'm on the assisted pullup machine at the moment (too much ballast to offload before i can do the real deal) and i enjoy it a lot more than pullups, which are one of my favourites.

[.V.]

Thanks 3N. Actually, since I did myself so badly before (pushing, pushing, pushing) considering the resulting losses the lower weight allows more intensity. To do my weights from a month ago I would have to cheat so bad that there would be no intensity at all. The only thing I'm really missing intensity wise is that last set on each exercise. And just as soon as I'm ready - it's coming back. I love max ot - but my sub-max ot is the best I can manage right now. Just finished my 4th meal of the day and have to go out and burn some brush now (the old fall getting ready for winter chores still have to be done). I'm just waiting for the shakes to go away. I may have to increase the amounts on my pre/post bracketing pretty soon, because I ended up with the shakes 30 minutes after my post workout feeding - good thing it was time for the 30 minute post workout feeding.

[threenorns]

lol - yah - i'm at the point where it's "ding! time to eat" and when i look at the clock, it's three hours almost to the minute.

why is my sister hovering behind my back no doubt waving bunny ears over my head?

[ajarvis]

Best way to tell time - time to eat again

Doing that many Pullups would be daunting if you didn't feel like doing them. There's a mental aspect there too. It's good to change it up.

[threenorns]

*that's* what i was going to ask before my sister started harassing me!

50 pullups is mind-blowing - i get bored halfway through a set of 20; i can't even imagine doing 50!

[.V.]

Originally Posted by threenorns

50 pullups is mind-blowing - i get bored halfway through a set of 20; i can't even imagine doing 50!

I couldn't possibly do 50 in one set. I do them to failure however many sets it takes to get to 50. That may even be 10 sets of 5. It's a max ot variation I got from the AST site. Works pretty good for wiping out the lats. Generally near the end, you are definitely doing sets in the 4-6 range. Sometimes in the 1-2 range.

[threenorns]

.... unh-hunh. you realize that would probably take up an entire day for me? <giggling>

[.V.]

hmmm, a whole day dedicated to making a totally a$$ kicking back with an amazing lat spread...what's wrong with that - if you have the time and inclination to spend the time.

Takes me a while when I do it too. The lat pulldowns were quick, not easy - just quick.

[threenorns]

i can think of more fun ways to spend three days (one day doing it, two stuck inside the house cause i can't left my arms over my head to pull on a shirt).....

[.V.]

Well shoot, no cardio today. Did get a lot of work done though. Lots of raking, dragging brush, burning brush, cut my grass twice, and had a great day with my kids. The good day with the kids was the best part. With school back in session that just doesn't get to happen enough. Worth missing a cardio session. I'll get one in tomorrow.

Looking forward to a good nights sleep and a good chest/ab day tomorrow.

[.V.]

10-16-2005

Abs
Cable Crunch............100x2x10
Crunch from decline.....100x2x10

Chest
Flat Bench...............150x2x4
Incline Bench............130x2x4
Decline Bench............140x2x4

Cardio - Walk - 4 miles.

Diet - Right on track - good protien, good fats, properly timed carbs. Feels good today.

Chest and ab work felt terriffic today. Every rep absolutely controlled, but hard to do. Already feeling it in my chest - not soreness, just awareness of the muscle. I never feel it in the abs until at least the next day, possibly two days later. The front tire on my bike is damaged, I guess I'll be walking tonight for cardio. Probably about 4 miles. Amazing how quickly one can get out of condition - right now, my resting heart rate is around 80 instead of 60. That should straighten out pretty quickly though if I can get consistant cardio.

Amazing how quickly one can get out of condition

We are only as good as our last workout.