Deadlift: worked up to 485x5+1+2+1
Front Squat: worked up to 245x6+2+2+2
Leg Press Calf Raises: 4.5 plates x6+2+2+2
Bar Curls: 115x6+2+2+2
Bar Rollouts: 3x12
It's been mad long since I've done front squats and they are going to be kicking my ass (and quads) come tomorrow. It's a good thing there aren't any stairs at NX Level or I would for sure be falling down them. Deadlift I went a little too heavy and it turned into an epic fail. I was kind of embarrassed, but no one really knew I didn't get the reps that I wanted to. Either way, it's a good place to start at. Live and learn. I just hope I can walk and bend my knees to some degree tomorrow.
Song of the Day:
“Deliver me from Swedish furniture.
Deliver me from clever art...
...May I never be complete.
May I never be content.
May I never be perfect.”
-Chuck Palahniuk
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday- Upper Body
I'm going to be switching directions in a few weeks after my diet is over. I want to slowly add weight to my frame without adding a lot of fat. I'm going to be playing around with some different strategies and seeing which way I want to go. At the end of the day, all of the different ways that have been proposed over the years to add muscle are all effective to a degree. It's all about progressively adding weight to the bar and/or doing more reps with that weight. Effort and consistency are two intangibles that if not present, nothing will work.
For my first go at it I'm going to try cluster sets. The premise of this program is to work up to a 6RM and then do three cluster sets of 2. If you're unfamiliar with cluster sets I'll explain. On military press, for instance, I worked up to a weight that I could do six times and no more. I then rack the weight, wait 30 seconds, then do another set of two. I do this two more times and I'm done. Each workout on this program has 5 different body parts/movements with all of them ending with a cluster set. Here is my workout from yesterday.
Military Press: worked up to 150x6+2+2+2
Cable Chest Press: worked up to 16 platesx6+2+2+2
Weighted Chin-Up: worked up to 35x6+2+2+2
Chest Supported Row: worked up to 85x6+2+2+2
Close Grip Bench: worked up to 205x6+2+2+2
Each time I repeat the workout it would be my goal to increase the weight used for the cluster set. This won't happen, but over time there will be an upward trend in not only strength, but also size.
It's Wednesday as I type this and I'm not really all that sore. In my hard copy log I wrote in how hard I perceived each exercise to be. I'm pretty sure I have room to go up on almost all of the lifts. Either way I'm liking it so far. It's an intense heavy workout and it doesn't take more than 90 minutes to complete. Always a plus.
Song of the Day:
“Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
For my first go at it I'm going to try cluster sets. The premise of this program is to work up to a 6RM and then do three cluster sets of 2. If you're unfamiliar with cluster sets I'll explain. On military press, for instance, I worked up to a weight that I could do six times and no more. I then rack the weight, wait 30 seconds, then do another set of two. I do this two more times and I'm done. Each workout on this program has 5 different body parts/movements with all of them ending with a cluster set. Here is my workout from yesterday.
Military Press: worked up to 150x6+2+2+2
Cable Chest Press: worked up to 16 platesx6+2+2+2
Weighted Chin-Up: worked up to 35x6+2+2+2
Chest Supported Row: worked up to 85x6+2+2+2
Close Grip Bench: worked up to 205x6+2+2+2
Each time I repeat the workout it would be my goal to increase the weight used for the cluster set. This won't happen, but over time there will be an upward trend in not only strength, but also size.
It's Wednesday as I type this and I'm not really all that sore. In my hard copy log I wrote in how hard I perceived each exercise to be. I'm pretty sure I have room to go up on almost all of the lifts. Either way I'm liking it so far. It's an intense heavy workout and it doesn't take more than 90 minutes to complete. Always a plus.
Song of the Day:
“Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!
I want to wish all the mothers out there a wonderful and happy Mother's Day. Today is the day we recognize and thank our mothers for all they've done for us. From bringing us into this world, cautioning that they can take us out of it, and everything in between, they do it all.
My own mother Cindy has bent over backwards for my sister and I in the past. I'm sure I'm not even cognizant of all the things she's done for us. She's driven us, challenged us, and loved us unconditionally no matter what happens. I couldn't have asked for a better mother than her. Love you Mom.
Seeing as how I forgot to post my training from yesterday here is what I did.
Squat: 325x5, 375x5, 425x5
Good Mornings: 4x10
GH Hypers: 3x10
w/ Weighted Bridge Holds: 3x:30
Everything felt heavy today. Not really sure why. I wasn't up super early, I had a decent amount of carbs in my system, and my mind wasn't elsewhere. Just one of those days I guess. I was just happy to get the weights on squat, hit some auxiliary and some abs and go on and git.
Song of the Day:
“A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary” -Dorothy Canfield Fisher
My own mother Cindy has bent over backwards for my sister and I in the past. I'm sure I'm not even cognizant of all the things she's done for us. She's driven us, challenged us, and loved us unconditionally no matter what happens. I couldn't have asked for a better mother than her. Love you Mom.
Seeing as how I forgot to post my training from yesterday here is what I did.
Squat: 325x5, 375x5, 425x5
Good Mornings: 4x10
GH Hypers: 3x10
w/ Weighted Bridge Holds: 3x:30
Everything felt heavy today. Not really sure why. I wasn't up super early, I had a decent amount of carbs in my system, and my mind wasn't elsewhere. Just one of those days I guess. I was just happy to get the weights on squat, hit some auxiliary and some abs and go on and git.
Song of the Day:
“A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary” -Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Friday, May 7, 2010
Friday
Since I had my first client at 7am reschedule on me I decided to get some training in. When life gives me lemons you best believe I'm making some bomb-ass Lemonade. Tons of sugar.
Cybex: 30 minutes of intervals
Barbell Shrugs: 3x15
w/ Reverse Hypers: 3x12
Face Pulls: 3x12
w 2 Up 1 Down Leg Curls: 3x6 each leg
Incline Treadmill: 15 minutes
I'll probably hit up another 30 minutes of cardio and some abs later this afternoon. Nothing fancy, just doing what I got to do to be a champion. There are exactly three weeks left in our competition. Even though I feel I'm comfortably in the lead I still want to see what I am capable of in these last couple of weeks. No letting off the gas. Time to get serious.
Song of the Day:
Song starts at about :28
“The doer alone learneth.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
Cybex: 30 minutes of intervals
Barbell Shrugs: 3x15
w/ Reverse Hypers: 3x12
Face Pulls: 3x12
w 2 Up 1 Down Leg Curls: 3x6 each leg
Incline Treadmill: 15 minutes
I'll probably hit up another 30 minutes of cardio and some abs later this afternoon. Nothing fancy, just doing what I got to do to be a champion. There are exactly three weeks left in our competition. Even though I feel I'm comfortably in the lead I still want to see what I am capable of in these last couple of weeks. No letting off the gas. Time to get serious.
Song of the Day:
Song starts at about :28
“The doer alone learneth.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Thursday- Bench
Bench: worked up to 230x10
Dips: 3x10 w 35#
Rope Chin Ups: 3x10 @ BW
Heavy Bag Rope Pull/ Carry: x4
I was pleasantly surprised by the bench today. Just another example that I feel I'm going about this weight loss the right way. Not a whole lot else going on in my world. My truck is running, my house is standing, and today the sun is shining. No complaints from this guy.
Song of the Day:
“Behind this face that appears so impassive Hell's tides continually run” -Walt Whitman
Dips: 3x10 w 35#
Rope Chin Ups: 3x10 @ BW
Heavy Bag Rope Pull/ Carry: x4
I was pleasantly surprised by the bench today. Just another example that I feel I'm going about this weight loss the right way. Not a whole lot else going on in my world. My truck is running, my house is standing, and today the sun is shining. No complaints from this guy.
Song of the Day:
“Behind this face that appears so impassive Hell's tides continually run” -Walt Whitman
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tuesday- DL
DL: worked up to 452x10
GH Hyper: 3x10
Abs: 3 sets
Prowler
I was not expecting to get ten reps on my last set of deadlifts. I set out to get the set reps of five but ended up going for broke and got ten. This a very good sign along with my bench numbers that I'm still retaining my strength. Currently I'm down about 8 pounds and I feel that most, if not all, of it is fat. I lost a little bit of water at the beginning, but thats to be expected. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing until progress stops and then change it. We've got about 3.5 weeks left and I think I'm comfortably in the lead. I'm pretty sure both Nic and Matt have gained weight. We shall see May 28th.
Song of the Day:
“If you start to take Vienna - take Vienna” -Napoleon Bonaparte
GH Hyper: 3x10
Abs: 3 sets
Prowler
I was not expecting to get ten reps on my last set of deadlifts. I set out to get the set reps of five but ended up going for broke and got ten. This a very good sign along with my bench numbers that I'm still retaining my strength. Currently I'm down about 8 pounds and I feel that most, if not all, of it is fat. I lost a little bit of water at the beginning, but thats to be expected. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing until progress stops and then change it. We've got about 3.5 weeks left and I think I'm comfortably in the lead. I'm pretty sure both Nic and Matt have gained weight. We shall see May 28th.
Song of the Day:
“If you start to take Vienna - take Vienna” -Napoleon Bonaparte
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Weekend Recap
This weekend was a very bittersweet one. Friday I drove up to Wausau for my great aunt Arlyle's funeral. She passed last week from cancer. Although I saw her rather infrequently I always remember her with a smile on her face. She and my great uncle Violis were always very welcoming and kind people. The service was a very nice celebration of a life well lived. She will definitely be missed.
Thursday and Saturday bookended the weekend with punk rock shows. Thursday Lance, Eric, and I went to see NOFX. Opening for them was Teenage Bottle Rocket. I haven't listened to much TBR but from what I heard they are a really good band. NOFX put on an awesome show. They played a lot of stuff that you would find on a greatest hits album and even The Decline in its 18 minute entirety. Right when we got there Eric went straight to the pit. Two minutes later he comes rushing back with some kid in his arms who is bleeding profusely from the head. Apparently the kid fell and cracked his skull and Eric helped him to the back of the venue to get medical treatment. Eric is an all-American hero ladies and gentlemen.
Saturday I trained before I headed down to Illinois. It was the last day of my deload week. The only thing worth mentioning is I worked up to 275x5 on squat. Other than that, very low key.
Saturday's concert was in Chicago at a club called the Beat Kitchen. It's a small rock club connected to a bar. It's also a sweet place to see a punk show. We went to see The Cobra Skulls with The Reaganomics and Dear Landlord opening. All three bands kicked ass. I would highly recommend all of them, especially The Cobra Skulls. The best part of the night was after the show when Paddy from Dillinger Four took shots with us at the bar. We also had a few beers with the guys from The Reaganomics. Paddy is a punk rock legend for those in the know. Dillinger Four is based out of Minneapolis and are one of the best punk bands around today. All of them are very nice guys. There's a certain camaraderie in punk rock that you don't really see in other types of music. For the most part the guys in the bands just like to party and play music while pretty much all the fans like to party and listen to music. It's a perfect match.
Song of the Day:
“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
-Jack London
Thursday and Saturday bookended the weekend with punk rock shows. Thursday Lance, Eric, and I went to see NOFX. Opening for them was Teenage Bottle Rocket. I haven't listened to much TBR but from what I heard they are a really good band. NOFX put on an awesome show. They played a lot of stuff that you would find on a greatest hits album and even The Decline in its 18 minute entirety. Right when we got there Eric went straight to the pit. Two minutes later he comes rushing back with some kid in his arms who is bleeding profusely from the head. Apparently the kid fell and cracked his skull and Eric helped him to the back of the venue to get medical treatment. Eric is an all-American hero ladies and gentlemen.
Saturday I trained before I headed down to Illinois. It was the last day of my deload week. The only thing worth mentioning is I worked up to 275x5 on squat. Other than that, very low key.
Saturday's concert was in Chicago at a club called the Beat Kitchen. It's a small rock club connected to a bar. It's also a sweet place to see a punk show. We went to see The Cobra Skulls with The Reaganomics and Dear Landlord opening. All three bands kicked ass. I would highly recommend all of them, especially The Cobra Skulls. The best part of the night was after the show when Paddy from Dillinger Four took shots with us at the bar. We also had a few beers with the guys from The Reaganomics. Paddy is a punk rock legend for those in the know. Dillinger Four is based out of Minneapolis and are one of the best punk bands around today. All of them are very nice guys. There's a certain camaraderie in punk rock that you don't really see in other types of music. For the most part the guys in the bands just like to party and play music while pretty much all the fans like to party and listen to music. It's a perfect match.
Song of the Day:
“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
-Jack London
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