OK, Yesterday was roll morning and night and stretch in the middle of the day.

Today. Lower body day. 50KG Squat jump test was at 95.4% of my best. So Speed Day.

1. Speed Box Squat - Parallel. 310lbs, speed between .66 and .76 mps as per the test last week. I ended up doing 21 sets of 2 with 1 min of rest between sets. Felt like I was squatting forever. My fastest sets were #16 & #17. Set #21 was the first set that was below 90% for the day.

2. GHR - 3 sets 10 reps with black monster mini band.
3. KB Abs Rolley Thingy - 3 sets 10 reps

4. Reverse Hype - 3 sets 10 reps 100 lbs. I usually swing it a little because the loaded traction makes my back feel like a million bucks. Today I took out the swing and held for a second at the top. Lots of glute here.
5. Russian Twists Hangin' Off The GHR - 3 sets 10 reps
6. Shrugs - 3 sets 20 reps. I do not know the weight. Whatever was on the shruggy thing.

Today was interesting. I did not expect to be able to do that many sets of squat. Some of the guys in the gym helped tweak my form and I started putting a little more separation between the reps as well. That turned out to be a big deal.

I wondered about how I should figure the amount of work after that many sets of squats. I just did the usual. If anyone has any ideas about adjusting load after a higher volume first exercise please post. I will be looking for a solution to this.

PWO - The Usual

Gym Conversation -

1. Nobody wants to know my first name. Last name is cooler.

2. Rule #7 - Have a recovery plan. We came up with this when we were talking about how much planning people do for their workouts, with absolutely no planning for recovery. (eating and taking a day off is not a plan)

3. We retested my squat jump after the 21 sets and found that I only had lost 5% of my total power output. Maybe this can be used to plan load for the rest of the workout? (did not come up with good answer yet)

4. Does the retest even matter since the test at the beginning of the next workout will tell me where my body is at anyway? (did not come up with good answer yet)

you always make me want to go and find the heaviest thing in the room and lift it

Hey thanks. Everyone should like picking up heavy stuff.

Went to the pool this evening. Stretch / ROM stuff. Marching, leg / hamstring work. Light Swim.

You got one of the best journals, I like the conversations. Good work.

Hey thanks. I like to think there is some entertainment value there.

On to the workout.

Foam Roller.

Upper Body day. Med ball test said 109% of my best. So, power day.

1. Speed Press with Fat Bar - Used 225, sets of 3. After that I did fast singles up to 315. That actually felt pretty fast. Definitely 1 sec for the rep.

I really have trouble with the bench press. Feels like there is something off with technique. Has been this way since I can remember. I think I could be a lot better at it. Need some assistance here.

2. Standing Overhead Press - Strict form here. No Leg Drive at all. Sets of 10.

1. 40kg
2. 50kg
3. 60kg
4. 70kg

This felt really good. I needed a boost after the bench. The weight was a little easier than I thought it would be.

3. Purple Band DB Hammer Skulls - 4 sets 10 reps. 40 lbs
4. DB Curls - 4 sets 10 reps. 40 lbs.

5. Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets 10 reps. 150lbs
6. Shrugs - 3 sets 20 reps. Whatever weight was on the shruggy thingy.
7. Reverse Flys - 3 sets 15 reps. 12.5 lbs.

Today felt pretty good. I need to come up with something to help my bench press. Will do some homework over the weekend. I still think things are heading in the right direction.

PWO - SunMing Chinese food. Wings, steak kabobs, ribs, rice, lots of water. Friday is when all the guys go out for lunch. It is fun.

Gym Conversation -

1. They thought I looked bigger, I stood on the scale, I am bigger. I have put on 12 lbs since I started training again. We figured that to be about .5lbs per workout. Not bad. I am holding water like a freak, (which is a very good thing) I think that is where most of the weight is.

2. They got an ice bath at the gym. I will start using that after workouts on monday. Ice bath is sweet.

3. Music (I brought this up because of another thread in this forum) - It should not matter what the music is. I will set a new record while you are getting teary eyed listening to Celine Dieon. The truly hardcore get it done no matter what the musical interference.

Tired today. Spent both days this weekend cleaning and starting the move in process for the new house. We hand washed all of the wood floors (I am married to the queen of clean) I am so glad that we did not end up doing wood throughout the whole house. That really would have been a pain. It still covers everything but the bedrooms and bathrooms, so there is a lot. And kneeling on it for extended amounts of time is rough on the 'ol knees.

Also nutrition is off as a result. 3 meals a day, all takeout. Will be the same now till Wednesday when the fridge gets delivered.

Still, we are ready and excited to be back in a house. Been in an apartment since the move to SC.

50kg Squat jump had me at 88%. So, work capacity day.

Sled pull, 150lbs. 30 min of all kinds of different stuff. Working on areas that were sore. I really felt good at the end though. A lot less sore and tired.

Gym Conversation - Lots of banter today.

1. Talked about a guy that made a football helmet with a spinner on top that he attached a 12lb bowling ball to for neck training. That is hardcore. The guy had a 24" neck.

2. Finalized the 10 rules of the gym today. I am short on time so I will post them at a later time.

3. Ridicules banter. Pick any really stupid subject and we covered it.

I will be off the map for the next couple of days. No internet till Thursday. (I think) I will not have a workout again till Thursday. Moving day is Tuesday. Movers will be here at 9:00 am. Wednesday is when we wait for all of the delivery people and cable people and other people to show up and set things up.

This weekend I will be picking out the new grill. That is a big decision. Really the most important part of any house. We had a gas line run out to the back yard so we would never have to change a tank again.

That is all for now. Be back Thursday.

EXACTLY.

The only time you would rely soley on music is when you're just trying to get through the session. When you're on your game, nothing should phase you.


Also, I wish I was at your gym.

looking forward to the top ten list

I believe it's Friday where you are.

SALLY.

Ok. I am back. We moved into a new neighborhood. We are actually the first people in the hood and UPS could not find us. We had to go to the UPS place to pick up the dsl router.

Aside from that we are moved in and everything is supersweet. I am designing a custom brick BBQ for the back yard so that, well...... I take my BBQ pretty serious.

I actually got back to training this past Monday, so I will give the short version to get to now and then starting tomorrow everything will be back to normal.

Monday, June 14.

50KG squat jump said 96%. So power day.

1. Speed Box Squat - 305lbs. Sets of 2. 22 friggin' sets. again my fastest sets were in the high teens. I guess do what your body can at the time.

2. Strap around my traps Good Mornings - 275 lbs, 4 sets 8 reps

3. Single leg Squats - 3 sets 10 reps. 40 lbs in each hand.

4. Reverse Hype - 3 sets 10 reps. Don't remember the weight.

5. Ab Wheel - 3 sets 10 reps
6. Shrugs - 3 sets 20 reps with whatever was on the shrug thing.

Tuesday, June 12

7 kg Chest pass said 103%. Speed day

1. Speed Bench - 225lbs sets of 3. This was the best feeling bench day I have had since I started training again.

2. Log Push Press - 4 sets 3 reps. 236lbs. Again, this felt great. Everything was tight and smooth.

3. Log Row - 4 sets 10 reps. Don't remember exactly. Worked up to 250lbs.

4. Fat Bar Floor Triceps Ext - 3 sets 10 reps 75lbs
5. Fat Bar Curls - 3 sets 10 reps 75lbs
6. Uneven Side Bends - Loaded the bar wit a 45lb plate on one side. Unracked it like a squat, and did side bends. 3 sets 10 reps each side.

7. Green Band Abs on GHR - 3 sets 10 reps
8. Shrugs - 3 sets 20 reps, whatever weight. Rotated with fatter and smaller handles.

Today, Thursday, June 14

50kg squat jump test said 92% so, max day.

1. Buffalo Bar Box Squat - Box Set to parallel. 525lbs. Smoked this weight pretty easily. I left it since it is the first time over 500 since I started training again.

I felt like I needed to do some work today.

2. Zercher Squat with 120lb ball. Lifting to opposite shoulder each rep. 4 sets 10 reps

3. Squat with 120lb ball on shoulder - 10 reps one side 10 reps other side. 3 sets.

That stuff got me breathin' Core is sore. Goooooood.

4. Reverse Hype - 3 sets 10 reps with whatever weight was on it.

5. Shrugs - 3 sets 10 reps with whatever weight was on it. (10 reps today because there was more weight than usual.)

Sled Drag. Used the Ironmind Eagle Talons (I think that is what they are called) for everything

1. Face Pulls
2. Backwards Walk
3. Reverse Fly
4. Backwards Walk
5. Forwards Walk
6. Backwards Walk
7. Cornholios

Everything has gone really well this week.

Gym Conversation - (This is just from today.)

1. Injuries we have seen - (these are from everyone)
Powerlifting meet. Guy trys to squat 1200lbs. Passes out on the way down. Of course spotters do not catch 1200lbs. He was lucky he was not crushed.

The house of weakness - Guy tries to leg press all the plates that can fit plus 4 people, unracks weight, both tibias snap. Bent to 90 degree angle.

School Rec Center - guy trys to incline bench the 100's. The left side starts to drift out, he tries to stop it, bad idea, tears pec completely off of sternum.

Whew. That seemed like a lot of typing. Will be back to normal tomorrow.

I'm in pain just from reading that.

Congrats on the new house

I'm moving to SC to come train with you.

If you are ever in the area let me know. There is always room for more training partners.

OK. Back to normalnosity.

Foam Roll - lats, back, IT, Quads. (Sore from the ball squats and stuff yesterday.)

7kg Chest pass test said 98%. Power day.

1. Fat Bar Speed Bench - 225lbs. sets of 3. This was the fastest and tightest I have been. Broke all Records for speed at this weight. Even produced over 700 watts of power on some of the reps.
Followed that up with some singles up to 335lbs.

2. Band Hanging KB SA Bench Press - 3 sets 10 reps 60lbs

3. Band Hanging KB SA OHP - 3 sets 10 reps 50 lbs

4. On The Floor Ball Bench Press - 3 sets 15 - 20 reps. 120lb ball

5. Ball OHP - 3 sets 10 - 15 reps. 60lb ball.

6. Fat Bar Pull-Ups - 3 sets. 7, 5, 5 reps

7. Shrugs on the Shrug Thing - 3 sets 10 reps. Whatever weight
8. DB Curls - 3 sets 10 reps 40lbs
9. External Rotations - 3 sets 10 reps 12.5lbs
10. Reverse Flys - 3 sets 10 reps 12.5lbs
11. Banded GHR Abs W/ Rotation - 3 sets 10 reps each side. Purple Band.

Good workout. No sled today. Rain.

PWO - The Usual. I started adding Scitec Nutrition's Attack to my Kool-Aid

Gym Conversation -

1. Pace of the workout. Most people rest too much. The above workout took me under 1 hour. One if the major things we have noticed about great lifters and athletes is that they do a lot of work in shorter amounts of time.

2. Preventing shoulder problems during the bench press. Tons of stability work, Back and external rotation. Bringing the bar low on the chest. Using fat, parallel, and wavy bars. All really reduce the chance of injury, and aggravation.

3. PETA is lobbying to get a $.10 per pound tax on meat, As well as looking for tax breaks for vegetarians. A$$HOLES!!!!!

Got into the gym this morning and warmed up with some foam roller and ROM stuff.

50kg squat jump said 94% so max day. (I am going to write this post as my mood went throughout the workout. The Gym Conversations will be spread throughout the post as well.)

1. Deadlift. Worked up to 450lbs. MY DEADLIFT F@$#ING SUCKS AND IT ALWAYS PI$$E$ ME OFF. RAGING INFERNO ANGRY. MY FORM IS ALWAYS CRAPPY AND THIS IS ALWAYS A SOURCE OF EXTREME ANGER AND FRUSTRATION.

We got to a powwow about form. I need to learn to round my upper back more and drive my hips forward. Deadlift is a backward forward move and not an up and down move. Regular deadlift is very different from the Olympic lifting that I have so ingrained into my head.

The other thing I need to work on is getting into the mindset of standing up like I have a string pulling me up from my head. We decided that practice was needed.

SO

2. Deadlift - 310lbs. 101 reps. Done as singles with enough rest between to mark the rep so I can keep track and that is it. 3 of the guys watched so that I could get feedback and hear different perspectives. (this was 31,310lbs of total load for just one exercise )

After the first 30 reps or so I took my shoes of and lifted in my socks. This made all of the difference in the world. By the end my reps were getting really good and everything was clicking and feelin' good.

We discussed the difference in form needed for people of different heights as well as people with different arm lengths. (I have short arms. Great for pressing. Not deadlifting) Specifically what needed to happen for me was to get my back in a better position to lift bigger weight.

Basically I need to focus on pulling my arms down and my head pointing down some as well. This shortens my range of motion and allows me to have my back in a stronger (and less injury prone) position.

3. Reverse Hype - 3 sets 10 reps with whatever weight was there.
4. Straight Leg Raise - 3 sets 10 reps

5. GHR Band Abs - Tried a new way to wrap the band. A lot tighter now. 3 sets 10 reps.
6. Fat Handle Shrugs - 3 sets 10 reps with whatever weight was there.

All in all the day ended up good. I am very happy about how everything turned out and that balanced out the anger from the beginning of the workout.

PWO - New Usual

Gym Conversation -

1. Importance of grip. My hands did not fatigue much at all over the time with all of the deadlifting. Smaller muscle groups recover faster than larger groups. Grip muscles, and forearms can recover as fast as 12 hours. Therefore grip can be trained fairly often.

One of the guys here has been invited to go and talk to pro football teams about the importance of grip.

2. You have to do an exercise with good form at least 10,000 times before the proper form is truly learned. If you have a bad rep in the middle you have to start over at 1.