Session 33

Monday, August 27th

Warmup:
Quad Foam Roll
Hip Flexor Pidgeon Stretch
VersaClimber 300 feet (slow steps)

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Full Body Cable Swings - 5lbs - 2sets, 15 reps, 7lbs, 1 set, 15 reps
Farmer's Lift - (135lbs) - 20ft walk and back (1 set). (175lbs) - 20 fet and back (2 sets).
Floor Bench Press - Bar (10 reps), Bar (+40) - 10 reps, 115lbs - 8 reps. 135lbs 4 reps (couldn't do any more properly).
Front Squat with Rope/Bar - Bar - 10 reps, Bar + 40lbs (10 reps), Bar + 50lbs (10 reps).
Kettle Bell row - 30lbs - 3 sets 10 reps (done in between the front squat  exercise)
Forward Seated Arnold Press - 25lb dumbbells - 3 sets x 10 reps.
Tricep Pulldown with Metal Holder - 35lbs - 10 reps, 40lbs 10 reps, 45lbs 10 reps.
Elbow Plank - 1 minute hold. 1 minute break. then 45 second hold.

George said he was happy at the improvement in this workout. Also said my face was a little thinner. Progress? maybe.
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Leg Band stretch 30 seconds
Four point stretch 30 seconds
Foam rolled back
IT band stretch 30 seconds each side

Cardio session

Tuesday, August 21st

Full set of back stretches

Plank - 3 sets of 30 second reps

Row Machine - 2000m: 1st 1000m, I completed with no breaks in 4:40 (close to George's 4:30 goal). After 1000m, I was gassed, gasping for air. I took a minute break to try and catch my breath, but the next 1000m, I needed to take a few gaps here and there for me to finish it. The last 400m, I did with no break. Total time was 11:00 flat.

AirDyne Interval training: 13 minutes, with 1 minute at 30-40RPM, then 20 seconds at 80+ RPM. Repeat. Felt so exhausted after this. And drenched.

Versa Climber - Mustered up energy to do 200 feet on this. I wanted to 350 since it was cardio day, but I didnt have any energy left.

Stretched out Hip Flexors with Pidgeon stretch.

Dead tired.

Session 32

Monday, August 20th

Warmup:
Back stretches with foam roller both with foam roller horizontal and vertical (along whole spine)

Goblet Squats - 40lbs - 3 sets, 15 reps
Arnold Dumbell Curls - 20lbs, 3 sets, 12 reps.
RDLs - 27.5lbs dumbell each arm - 3 sets, 10 reps.
Single Arm Dumbbell Press on Flat Bench - 35lbs, 3 sets, 10 reps each arm - my alternate hip flexors were firing so much when I did this...and George said it was due to lack of core strength =(

(No break up to that point, all one after another --- was fairly out of breath)

Single Leg Incline Leg Press - no weights (80lbs machine resistance), 1 set, 15 reps each leg
Dual Leg Incline Leg Press - +45 - 2 sets, 15 reps
Single arm Kneeling Cable Row - 40lbs - 3 sets, 10 reps each arm
Tricep Extension Machine- 80lbs - 3 sets, 10 reps
Dumbell Curls - 25lbs - 2 sets, 8 reps each arm, alternating. 30lbs 1 set, 8 reps each arm.

Full set of stretches:

Foam rolled: Back, quads, IT bands
Stretched legs with bands (30 seconds)
Four point stretch (30 sec)
IT Band stretch on wall (30 sec)
Pidgeon stretch each leg (30 seconds)

Session 31

Friday, August 17th

Warmup:  Versa Climber (fast steps speed) 300 feet

2 ft step-up box with alternate knee kick- 2 sets, 10 reps each leg.
Sumo Dead Lift with Kettle Bell - 80lbs - 3 sets, 12 reps
Single Arm Kettle Bell swing - 20lbs - 2 sets, 12 reps each arm. 30lbs (3rd set) (Lower back started to hurt a lot after 2nd set).
Single Arm Row - (50lbs) - 3 sets, 10 reps each arm
Chest Press - Pyramid Set - 15 reps (bar), 10 reps (bar + 50), 8 reps (bar + 70)
Dumbbell Rack Clean - 30lbs (8), 25lbs (10), 20lbs (12), 15lbs (15), 10lbs (20) > SHOULDERS AND DELTOIDS were in so much pain after this
2 sets of lunges (8 steps back and 8 steps front) with 10lbs weight held straight over head
Lateral cable raise - 4lbs - 3 sets-  10 reps each arm.

What makes us fat?

Good Science Times article: http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/26/modern-lazy-people-burn-as-many-calories-as-hunter-gatherers-so-what-makes-us-fat/?iid=obnetwork

"We all know why Americans are so fat, right? We too much junk and we sit on our duffs all day.

Perhaps not, a team of international researchers now says. Their new study, examining energy expenditure among one of the world’s last remaining hunter-gatherer populations, seems to debunk our conventional wisdom — at least in part.

While we’ve always assumed that humans’ ancient ancestors must have been more active than today’s modern Westerners — with our office jobs, our cars and our TV sets to keep us sedentary — new measurements of actual energy expenditure are surprising. They show that people in traditional foraging societies do indeed participate in more physical activity, but that their total energy output is almost identical to that of today’s pudgy Westerners. This counterintuitive finding is explained by the foragers’ lower basal metabolic rate: they expend less energy while at rest, even when we compare people of the same size and age."

Independent workout

Such a long fucking day of work.

Motivated myself to get to the gym since I did not go on my own yesterday:

Versa Climber - 350 feet (did it in competition mode where I compete with a CPU climber. Beat the CPU by 60 feet.

Row Machine, Resistance of 4 (out of 12). 1000m -- had to stop to take two extended 10 second breaks because I was so out of breath. Finished 1000m in 5:30. George wants me to get that down to 4:30....that is so hard....my entire body gets tired.

My hamstrings were so fatigued after I got up from that machine.

Then I took a break from Cardio and wanted to go do a chest exercise because I feel my bench press is so pathetic. So, I went to the

Iso Hammer Chest Press machine - 140lbs - 1 set, 10 reps, then 90lbs, 2 sets, 10 reps. (sort of a drop set).

I wanted to finish the day off with AirDyne Bike interval training, but I started to yawn because I was so tired just from the day, didnt sleep well last night...couldn't fall asleep early enough and then got to work early...so I just hit the showers and left.

Happy that I got to 350ft on Versa without being winded like I did the first time. I couldve probably done 100ft more. I think I need to work more on row machine for cardio.

Also, as a random note, I still can't last beyond 30 seconds (pause) in Elbow Planks.

Session 30

So I missed blogging about 3 sessions because of lack of time and lazyness...but before I forget what I did on Monday....let me blog.

Prior to 8/13, had a gym session with George on 8/6 and then before that, on 7/30 (I think).

Had a 1 week "break" because I was in Florida. I made it to the hotel gym one day and did 1 mile of incline speed walking on treadmill. Took about 18 minutes. Didn't do anything else =/

Monday August 13, 2012

Step Under Bar, 5 feet, wide steps, 1 set, 20 reps (10 left/right)
Step Under Bar, 4.5 feet, wide steps, 2 sets, 20 reps (10 left/right)
Box Squat with just bar, 3 foot box, 1 set 10 reps
Box squat, bar + 60lbs, 2 sets, 8 reps
Stretched shoulders and back with broom. But the weight of the bar on my upper back, just it resting there really hurts. Maybe because not really a lot of muscle definition, and mostly fat there.
Then, removed weights, Box squat with just bar, 2 sets, 12 reps.
Seated Leg Curl - 90lbs, 3 sets, 12 reps
Bench Press, Bar, 1 set, 10 reps
Bench Press, Bar + 60lbs, 2 sets, 8 reps
Lateral Shoulder Cable Extension - 4lbs, 3 sets, 12 reps each arm
Closed Grip, angled pushups - 3 sets 10 reps
Bar Bicep Curl, 2 sets, 10 reps

Fiinshed all of that off with running up stairs, 2 sets of up and down, 3 reps each.

I literally couldn't breathe after that...I needed to sit down in the lounge to catch my breath and felt like I was going to fall asleep because I was that tired.

SS Month 4: November Part 1

The saga continues. Halfway into the fourth month of my first real attempt at following a lifting program. Weighed in on 11/9/11 at 173 lbs, about 15 lbs in 4 months. Started microloading my squat weight, going up in 2.5 lb increments instead of 5 lb increments. Struggling with the shoulder press, but that's no surprise given it's the smallest muscle group.

Wednesday 11/2/11
Barbell Squat: 235 lbs 5, 5, 5
Barbell Shoulder Press: 100 lbs 5, 5, 5
Power Clean: 120 lbs 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Notes:

Rested about 7.5 hours, took creatine. Rested 4.5 after warmups. 1st set was okay, head came up on 3rd rep, felt knees come in a little bit, but bar speed okay, no back tweak as I kept back nice and tight. Resting 6. Good 2nd set, kept head down, back tight. Knees didn't go farther in than natural.
No back pain, good explosion upwards on last reps. Resting 7 to ensure full recovery. Great final set, good upwards explosion throughout, kept head down and back tight and took less time between reps. Back to 5 lb jump on Friday. Back fatigued but not in pain. Resting 4.5 after press setup.
Resting 4 after warmups. Last warmup felt a bit heavy, make sure to keep tight from ground up and squeeze everything. First set was passable, bar path was crazy, speed was slow. Had to take a step forward on last rep to get it up. Resting 450. 2nd set was much better,
but really feeling sore and muscles feel jello-y. Rest 6 to ensure full recovery. Good final set, really had to fight last rep up there. Starting to really notice layback, make sure not to let it get excessive. Try 2.5 lb jump next time. Rested 4 after power clean setup. Resting 315 after warmups.
Make sure to keep bar close to you on jump. Good first set, 1st 2 reps were ok but lacked stomp, but last rep was near ideal, good racking throughout. Resting 3. Good 2nd set: quick, explosive, and excellent racking. Brews more stomp noise though. Resting 3. 3rd set showed improvement.
Last 2 reps, bar really flew up and I felt full extension. Need to have a session where all reps are like that. Repeat weight next session. Resting 315. Okay 4th set, stomped and racked okay, but felt rushed. Resting 3.5. Nice final set, good last rep, really felt triple extension. Repeat weight.

Friday 11/4/11
Barbell Squat: 240 lbs 5, 5, 5
Barbell Bench Press: 130 lbs 5, 5, 5
Barbell Deadlift: 260 lbs 4, 1

Notes:

Rested a little less than 7 hours, took half scoop of assault. Rested about 4.5 after warmups. Nice first set, first rep was a little slow but got into a good rhythm and had good form rest of the way. Resting 7 with piss. Great 2nd set, cutting off squats at just below parallel and...
really utilizing rebound to power back up. Took almost no rest between reps. Resting 6.5. Still no back tweaks, doing a good job with proper execution. Good final set, rested a tad before final rep, still great overall execution. Resting 4 after bench setup. Resting 4 after warmups.
Ok 1st set, grazed the safety bars on two reps, bar speed slowed, but bat path decent. Rest 4.5. Better 2nd set, only hit right safety bar on 2nd rep. Resting 515. Final set was best one, no safety touches, decent speed and vertical bar path. Resting 4 after deadlift setup. Resting 5 after warmups.
Supinating right hand. Got 4 before getting too fatigued. Glutes really feel tired, good sign that I'm using proper form for both squat and deadlift. Rested 1 minute and got last rep. Repeat weight next time. Squat goes up 5, bench 2.5.

Monday 11/7/11
Barbell Squat: 245 lbs 5, 5, 5
Barbell Shoulder Press: 102.5 lbs 4, 3, 4
Power Clean: 120 lbs 3, 3, 3, 3, 3



Notes:

Rested under 6 hours. Not the best weekend in terms of rest. Took near full scoop of assault. Resting 5 after warmups. Good first set, kept head down, back tight. Took a slight pause before last rep. Knees stayed in natural alignment, moved in but not excessively. Resting 6.5.
2nd set was okay, first rep was asymmetrical, left knee caved in. Rest of reps were better, kept weight on heels, back still good. Resting 7.5. Final set was strongest. Cut squats off right below parallel. 5 lb jump next session. Back still feels good and prime movers hips and ass feel fatigued.
Resting 4.5 after press setup. Resting 415 after warmups. Bailed on last rep in first set. Bar path was what really prevented set completion. Used too much energy correcting it on way up and on way down. Resting 7.5 with piss. Bailed on 4th rep.
I think press is affected by recovery deficit more than any other movement. Resting 5. Last set felt best, didn't try last rep. Repeat weight Friday. Resting 315 after warmups. Nice first set, racking was great, good stomps. Resting 245. 2nd set was good as well...
Could improve stomp and triple extension, but racking is good. Resting 255. Good 3rd set, felt triple extension on last rep even though stomp was not very loud. Racking still very good. Try not to split legs too wide on landing. Resting 305. Workmanlike 4th set. Still could improve extension...
but could be fatigue related from recovery deficit. Resting 310.

Wednesday 11/9/11
Barbell Squat: 250 lbs 5, 5, 5
Barbell Bench Press: 132.5 lbs 4, 4, 3
Barbell Deadlift: 260 lbs 5

Notes:

Rested about 7.5. Took half scoop assault. Rested 7 after warmups with shit. Good first set, bar speed decent, no back tweak, took a little time before last rep. Knees didn't cave in excessively. Resting 715. Ok 2nd set, left leg moved in on last rep, but rest of reps were good.
God job of sitting back and using ass to move weight. Back still good. Good job keeping head down. Resting 8. Strong final set, great job keeping proper form, took a pause before last rep but still got it. Resting 5.5 after bench setup. Resting 5.5 after warmups with piss. Tough 1st set...
Had to bail on last rep. Resting 6.5 with reset. Bar path was less than vertical, used a lot of energy correcting path. 2nd set started off feeling stronger than 1st, but burnt out in middle of 4th rep. Had to rack 4th rep directly without locking it out. Resting 5.5. Only got 3 on last set,
Dropped 4th rep on safety bars. Resting 4 after deadlift setup. Resting 515 after warmups, supinating left hand. Difficult but strong work set. Was fatigued after 4 reps, but managed a very strong and satisfying 5th rep. Felt almost wiped out after. Start micro loading squat and deadlift...
Repeat bench weight.

Friday 11/11/11
Barbell Squat: 252.5 lbs 5, 5, 5
Barbell Shoulder Press: 102.5 lbs 3, 4, 4
Power Clean: 122.5 lbs 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Notes:

Rested a bit over 8 hours after sleeping less than 6 night before. Full scoop of assault. Resting 5 after warmups. Good first set, 4th rep almost made me look up, but kept it together. Bar speed slowed, but back still good. Resting 7.5 with piss. Good 2nd set, doing a good job...
keeping head down, sitting back, and leading with hips. Careful not to let left leg cave in beyond natural. Resting 7.5. Super final set, almost perfect, stronger then first two sets, left leg came in a bit on 4th rep but otherwise, everything was spot on. Resting 5 after press setup.
Resting 4.5 after warmups. Only got 3 reps, bailed on fourth. Form felt good, but just didn't have the strength. Could be mental our could need reset. Resting 4. Managed a solid 4 reps in 2nd set, didn't try 5th rep. Bar park and form was solid. Resting 5. Got another strong 4, didn't try 5th.
Repeat weight. Resting 4 after power clean setup. Resting 345 after warmups. Decent first set, stomp is lacking but racking is good. Resting 255. Will definitely repeat weight next time to nail down form. 2nd set was comparable, maybe slightly better stomp, but last rack could've been better.
Resting 305. Slowly improving, better 3rd set, stomping a little better, racking still solid. Resting 310. A little fatigue in 4th set, racking still good, stomp a tad less noticeable. Resting 320.

Monday 11/14/11
Barbell Squat: 255 lbs 5, 5, 5
Barbell Bench Press: 132.5 lbs 5, 3, 4
Barbell Deadlift: 265 lbs 3, 2

Notes:

Rested just under 7.5 hours, half scoop of assault. Bout of the sniffles. Resting 4.5 after warmups. 1st set was rock solid, no pauses between trips, form was textbook, bar speed good. Only prime movers feel used. Resting 645 Wonder if compression pants are helping. 2nd set was very good as well.
Resting 8 with piss. Solid third set, a bit more difficult compared to other two, but excellent three sets overall. Proceed with 2.5 jump. Starting next week, proceed with 5, 2.5, 2.5 m w f. Resting 4.5 after bench setup. Resting 4.5 after warmups. Super tough 1st set. Barely got last rep.
Resting 5.5. Bailed on 4th rep, burned a ton of energy correcting bar path on first 3 reps. Resting 7 with reset. Got last rep halfway before bailing. Last try at this weight on Friday. Resting 4 after deadlift setup. Resting 5 after warmups, left elbow tweaked. Supinating right hand.
Got fatigued after 3 reps, could have possibly muscled up 4th rep but felt form would have been compromised. Rested 2 min before finishing set. Last rep was difficult even with 2 min rest. Repeat weight Friday.

Wednesday 11/16/11
Barbell Squat: 257.5 lbs 5, 5, 5
Barbell Shoulder Press: 102.5 lbs 5, 4, 4
Power Clean: 122.5 lbs 3, 3, 3, 2, 1; 115 lbs 2


Notes:

Slept 7.5 hours, half scoop of assault. Rested 5 after warmups. Good first set, but doing close to parallel, need to make sure to go a little below parallel. Resting 6.5. Better 2nd set, all reps below parallel. Accidentally expelled air before I wanted to on 1st rep. Form still solid.
Back supported throughout. Took some time between 4th and 5th trip in both sets. Resting 8 before last set. Good final set, felt something right above my tailbone on the right side. Lower back area felt tired and kind of tight, but not in pain. Resting 5.5 with piss after press setup.
Resting 445 after warmups. Very tough 1st set, last rep was the most difficult rep on any exercise in recent memory. Last rep was stuck just above my forehead fire what seemed like an eternity. Resting 5. Couldn't get last rep in 2nd set. Time to reset. Resting 515 before last set.
Got 4 in final set, didn't try last rep. Resting 3.5 after power clean setup. Resting 245 after warmups. Okay first set, didn't really get good stomp until last rep. Racking was fine in all reps. Ok 2nd set. Still not getting the stomp I want, but racking and deadlift portion are both good.
Resting 255. Distracted 3rd set, 2nd rep rack almost bent right wrist, 3rd rep need a small step back with right foot. Resting 310. Mental lapse in 4th set, couldn't rack last rep. Resting 3.5. Rough last set, only got one, lowered weight to 115 to get last two reps.
I think longer rest periods would have allowed me to get all reps. Repeat weight Monday.