A Comedy of Errors

Lifted today at the Colorado University Rec Center. This was rad, because they had a lot of stuff I don't usually get to use.

FRIDAY - DEADLIFT DAY

DL

89 x 5

133 x 5

177 x 5

199 x 3

265 x 5

300 x 5

285 x 5

You might notice that these weights look weird. I used the olympic lifting platform they had in their weight room, so I also had to use the bumper plates. They were in kgs, and I really fucked up my math. The set with 300 I thought was 255 or so, but when I noticed how heavy it seemed, I re-added the weights and realized how bad I am at math. 285 was supposed to be my 5+ set, but I didn't bother with the + this workout.

Trap Bar DL

135x10

225x10

225x10

275x10

I'm assuming the bar was 45 lbs. This was a bit different. Definitely involved my quads some more. It was weird having the weight out to my sides, but I liked it.

They also had a GHR at this gym, which I was really psyched to finally get to use. Unfortunately, I've never watched anyone actually perform a GHR, so the movement I ended up doing was actually a back raise. I knew I had to be doing it wrong, since it seemed much easier than Drew had told me it would be.

Back Raise

7 sets of 10

I did get a wicked low back pump though.

Box Jump

Penis Height Box x 10 x 2

Belly Button Height Box x Fail

I got one foot up, but it wasn't meant to be.

Hanging Leg Raise

15

Wrist Roller

4 sets w/10 lbs

1 set w/15 lbs

At this point, I had left Teresa walking alone on the treadmill for about an hour and a half, so I shut it down for the day. Shoulda done more ab stuff, but didn't really feel like it anyway. I'm on fucking vacation.

If It Is To Be, It Is Up To You

This was the slogan of the Genesis Health Club in Salina, Kansas where I got my lift on today.

THURSDAY - MILITARY PRESS DAY

MP

45x10

65x5

80x5

95x3

100x5

120x5

135x5+ (5)

Chins

10 sets of 5 (PR)

Reached my first chinup goal. Next is 5 sets of 10

Dips

12

12

12

12

14

DB Rows

90x10

This place had DBs that went up to 120, which surprised me. I tried to row that, but it wasn't happening. I did the one set with the 90s, then quit cause I felt like absolute asshole. I spent the whole workout with my heart beating out of my chest, being short of breath, and feeling like vomiting. This is entirely due to this dumb fucking energy drink that Drew got me, which I drank a quarter of before I lifted. Never fucking again.

What you do here, men, makes you extraordinary.

Today I went to the rec center gym to 1) get my deload lift in, and 2) go swimming because I'm tired of having my balls sit in a swamp of disgusting.

I had a plan going in that I would do 30 BB thrusters at 95, 115, and 135 each, going for time. Started out alright, but quickly found that I don't have the wrist flexibility to rack the weight on my shoulders for the front squat if I want them in close enough for the press. I tried to gut it out and got about halfway through with all my weights, but my wrist started feeling pretty shitty so I cut that short and spent the rest of the time dicking around.

Did some DB thrusters but by then my wrist was having some trouble stabilizing the weight so after a couple sets cut that out. Switched to seated DB overhead press which worked alright, got 3 sets of 10x65.

Mixing in with that I did some dips, and a little wrist stretching and rehab. Prob. most effective was grabbing a small 2 pound medball with my fingertips and rotating my wrist.

I'm also planning on submitting an entry for this month's Now You Try competition, so I did 4 or 5 sets of 10-12 pull-ups. I focused on dropping all the way down while trying to keep my shoulders tight, hoping to avoid bringing back my old shoulder injury which was mostly successful. Right now the number to beat is 21 in 2 minutes, which I think I should be able to do.

Clayton and I were talking the other day about how slow our squats were, and I've been doing some plyo coaching at St. X so I decided to go to the pool and throw together a little plyo leg workout.

Started with 3 sets of 10 underwater pushes against the wall, trying to max distance. That's a little high volume for plyo work, but I got ok rest swimming back between and getting reset, and my distances were pretty consistent through the sets. Also some old asshole with long hair and a bald spot kept walking/pushing his ugly wife in circles around the section with their faces uncomfortably close the whole time, so I'd have to wait for them to get out of my way.

I moved to the 4 1/2' section (to get away from the ugg couple and decrease resistance) and did a few sets of vertical jumps (though I stayed in the pool). I really want to try to jump out of a pool now, I'm p. sure I can do it.

After that I did a set of alternating single leg squat jumps, then went back and did another set of underwater pushes.

I probably looked like an idiot for most of this, but I give zero fucks. My legs actually feel pretty tired now, so I'll count it as a successful experiment.

While in the pool I also stretched a bit and relaxed, then hit the whirlpool and sauna.

Title is from the speech the head football coach gave the players the other day. Holy shit I wish I would've not been a bitch, got huge, and played football when in high school.

Break the Chain

MONDAY - SQUAT DAY

5/3/1 Cycle 4, Week 1

Squat

135x5

155x5

185x3

200x5

235x5

265x1+ (11)

Lunges - 60 lbs dbs + 1 chain

10/leg

10

6

6

6

GMs

185x6x3

Sean better get his work in this week.

Cry Havoc

WEDNESDAY - BENCH DAY

Bench

75 x 5

95 x 5

115 x 3

145 x 5

165 x 3

185 x 1+ (5)

Inverted Row (feet on bench)

BW x 10 x 7

BW x 12 x 3

I was able to do 50 of these with added weight last week, but this week I was having trouble touching my chest on my final reps, even on my first sets, so I left them unweighted.

Pushup (Neutral Grip)

20

20

20

20

17

Face Pull

70 x 10

80 x 6

60 x 15

70 x 12

The floor of my garage is slippery, and it becomes difficult to brace myself as the weight goes up on this, so I had trouble finding a weight that was heavy enough, where I could still balance myself.

Tate Press

40 x 8

40 x 8

Pull after every push. The uge.

This next week is supposed to be my deload week, but since I will be on vacation soon, I am skipping it and beginning my next cycle and splitting the first week up over the next two weeks. The net result will still be a reduction in net load and volume, so I don't think it will really matter.

"When you are born, you are set forth to die. The fact that you live or don't live between these two dates depends solely upon your own will, opportunities and desires. The weight exerciser, of course, indicates that he chooses to live." Joseph Curtis Hise

This quote is rad, as is the blog I stole it from.

I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD

KNEEL BEFORE ME AND PRAY

TUESDAY - DEADLIFT DAY

Deadlift

135x5

165x5

195x3

245x5

280x3

310x1+ (5)

365x1 (PR)

I obviously wasn't supposed to go for a PR today, but 365 was the weight from Sean's last set, and when I went to unload the bar, I wondered like any man with testosterone coursing through his veins, whether or not I could pick it up, so I tried. I was also interested in whether or not I could get it, since I have dutifully been adding 10 pounds to my working max each cycle, as Wendler says to do in 5/3/1, and 365 happened to be the weight my deadlift numbers were based on for this cycle. Turns out I actually have gotten stronger.

RDL

205x10x5

Lunges

60x10/sidex3

Ab Fallouts

BWx5x3

Our rings are homemade, and are not really adjustable. They hang a lot lower than the blast straps in this video, so at full extension, one's torso would only make about a 15 degree angle with the floor. This is tough, and I could only barely get to full extension on 1 or 2 reps. My entire last set was basically garbage.

Standing Cable Crunches

80x10x5

Plank w/feet in rings

1:00 x 2

Our Only Hope

IS VENGEANCE!

100th post.

MP/BENCH DAY

Warm Up:

Band Pull Aparts: I's, T's, Y's x 20 x 3

Static Stretching

Military Press:

45 x 10

45 x 10

65 x 8

85 x 5

95 x 5

95 x 5

115 x 3

135 x 2 -> 95 x 12 (quick drop set)

Pullups: (I found a dip/pullup belt amongst a box of stuff at Lexen)

Bodyweight x 10

+25 x 5

+25 x 5

+35 x 5

+45 x 5

+65 x 1

+80 x 1

+90 x 1

Btw, those are real pullups. All the way up, all the way down. No half rep, kicking my legs bullshit.

DB Bench:
55 x 15

60 x 15

65 x 10

Chest Supported Row: Using a monster mini band wrapped around the bar.

1 plate x 1o

2 plates x 10

2 plates x 10

The idea here is that you're maintaining tension at the top of the lift, which is a point on the CSR where the weight seems to taper off. So now you've got tension where before you didn't, at the most crucial part of the lift.

CSR w/ Monster Mini

JM Press:

95 x 8

115 x 8

135 x 6

Gripper:

2 plates x 30 +20 second hold

2 plates & 2 quarters x 10 +20 second hold

2 plates & 2 quarters x 10 +20 second hold

Cable Crunch:

90 x 15

100 x 10

100 x 10

Tomorrow will be my first day of Bjj/MMA since I've come back. I'm not exactly sure on how I'm going to organize my training / lifting schedule, so for now it's going to be a haphazard roll with the punches kind of thing until I get accustomed to the new routines. Probably going to a 3 day a week lifting routine, one lower body day, one upper body day , and one strongman/athletic day. We'll see.