2010-09-29 ME Upper

Feeling pretty good, yeah. Hip's doing a lot better, possibly because I roll it about 4 times a day now.

Warmup, Rolling, but no hip circles today
Bench: 45, 45, 95, 95, 135, 135
2-Board:
3x 135, 185, 185, 205, 225
The first 185 was nearly a disaster - Dustin gave me the liftoff and shoved it out a good inch too far. He's getting better, but it was still kinda scary.
Looking at 245 for 1 next week. Holy hell, I'm actually getting stronger.

Strict DB Press, Neutral Grip:
60s x 6, 3, 5, 5, 3
Getting 5x6 next week, from the looks of things.
I think I may be fast approaching the point at which I should start alternating 3 sets and 5 sets from week to week on my heavy accessories. Dunno, though, and it's not like I wasn't already doing that (albeit by feel rather than by design...which is what I shall continue to do, methinks).
Had some bad sensations in my shoulder on a few of these; not BAD bad, but bone collisions.

Lat Activation Pull-Down:
3x10 - 105lbs
Repeating next week for 5 sets.

Rear Delt Flyes:
3x10 - 22.5lbs
Repeating next week for 5 sets.

Muscle Snatch: 30lbs, 3x8
L-Laterals: 5lbs, 1x10
45-Deg Raise: 5lbs, 2x8
External Rotation: 2.5lbs, 2x8

Upping the weight on the muscle snatches in a few weeks. Might take it up 7.5s on the L-Laterals and 45s around the same time. May go up to a 5lb on the ERs around...like, Halloween.

2010-09-28 Sled Work

All the plates, including the 2.5s. Including the sled I think that works out to 120 or 125 (sled is between 20 and 25lbs based on package weight, iirc).

7 100ft trips, 30 seconds between, for forward/hamstring-heavy dragging.
3 100ft trips, 30 seconds between, for backwards/quad-heavy dragging.
Then did backwards to get it back to the house. I'm counting this as 2 trips with about a minute between.
Rolled my ankle on the way back down to the condo because I was distracted by my verbal re-enactment of Jack's encounter with the guards on the dock in PotC 1.

2010-09-26 SE Upper

Took Friday off almost completely (lots of rolling while everyone else lifted) because everything I would have been doing would have aggravated my glute.

Deficit Deads tomorrow for ME. I may or may not join in.

I didn't sleep much last night (just turned 20: cheat meal, followed by movies and sex, followed by SOME sleep, followed by more sex and then work on an empty stomach) and didn't eat THAT much today, so...yeah. I need to get my ass over to Costco and buy a length of ribeye.

Didn't bench today. Eric somehow managed to fail on his. Finally got around to telling Dustin to just do a linear program for the time being, so he's now doing what Rachel's doing and is only slightly stronger than her (except on the Bench).

Rachel got her 3x5x95 Squat today and we were all very pleased, particularly since she got about as much sleep as I did last night.

I'm going to stop blogging now and just give you the update. Huzzah.

Warmup + Asstons of glute rolling

Press: 45, 95
125lbs - 5, 5, 5, 5, 4
GUH.

DB Floor:
60s x 4
Then my shoulder started to hurt and I decided not to chance it.

2010-09-22 ME Upper

Pretty nice.

Warmup, Rolling

Floor Press - 45, 45, 95, 95
3x 135, 135, 165
1x 185, 185, 205, 225, 230, 210
Solid.

DB Military:
3x6 - 55lb DBs
Last rep of the last set was a tad dodgy.

Pulldowns:
5x10 - 90lbs
Good feeling in my lats.

Rear Delt Flyes:
3x8 - 22.5lb DBs
Going for 5x10 next week.

Prehab Stuff: 30lbs, 5lbs, 5lbs, 2.5lbs

2010-09-20 ME Lower

Deadlift: 135, 135, 185, 185, 225, 225
3x275
1x 315, 365, 405 PR, 365
Video upcoming.
I was at around competition-level psyche on this one.

Step-Up:
3x4ea - 55lbs
Just cut the volume and got this done.

45-Degree Hyper:
3x10 - 95lb DB
Didn't think I was going to get this.

My back feels like hell (muscularly). I'm going to be sore in the morning.

2010-09-20 SE Upper

Warmup, Rolling

Bench: 45, 45, 95, 100, 145
5x4 - 165lbs
These were all decent, some better than others. Very few that were great.

Press: 45
5x5 - 120lbs
Fucking FINALLY.
Pinkies on the rings grip now. I think this made a difference, and it should do a decent bit to keep me consistent with grip width.

DB Floor:
60s x 10, 10, 8, 7, 7
Shoulders not loving me over these.
I think this is more due to my not coming damn close to megadosing fish oil anymore, though. I need Greg's Costco card ASAP.

DB Row:
3x10ea - 50lb
My right lat is hilariously weaker than the left one.

Face Pull:
2x10 - 10lbs

2010-09-17 SE Lower

Got there late and took way too long. What I did went well, except for totally smashing my wrists into my hands while cleaning the bar up to the rack between deads and squats.

Warmup, Foam Rolling

Deadlift: 135, 185, 225
4x3 - 280
These just generally felt good. Which is odd, 'cause I felt like shit.

Squat: 135, 135, 185, 225
5x3 - 280
Sinking these to depth appears to be part of what got my glute whining at me. It also isn't doing nice things to my hip flexor.
I look forward to when I have enough money put away to go for some ART. For now, massage and contrast showers. And rolling. Loooots of rolling.

Rollout:
2x10

Had to cut things short because the gym closed. I'll start cracking down on duration soon.

2010-09-15 ME Upper

Rolling
Warmup

Floor Press: 45, 45, 45, 95, 95, 135, 135
3x 185
2x 210 (3F), 205
Failed the third on 210; I had a few technical issues on the first rep, but I doubt I would have gotten it anyway. Strong suspicion this has something to do with how stressed out I was last night and this morning - first anxiety attack I've had in ages. I DETEST these things and blame mental weakness and not taking enough fish oil. Going for 225 next week.

Strict DB Press:
6x 30s, 40s, 50s, 50s, 50s
Given how my shoulders felt after floor, it seemed like a bad idea to do Dips.
Roughly neutral grip on this one to help with my shoulders. Yay, I need active release technique.

Lat Activation Pulldowns:
4x10 - 90lbs
Decent.

Rear Delt Flyes:
4x10 - 20s
Form's getting sloppy here.

Cressey Rotator Cuff Circuit:
30lbs, 5lbs, 5lbs, 2.5lbs

2010-09-13 ME Lower

Big milestone.

Rollings (tennis ball not really necessary)
Warmup

Deadlift: 135, 185, 185
3x 225, 275, 315, 365
All with good back position. I really had to dig deep on the last one, but all of that highish-volume high-intensity pulling on Fridays has paid off - I knew exactly what to do to maximize my chances of getting it without fucking my back up, and the entire set went very well. 405 and a 1000 total next week. Psyched up reasonably hard for this one, though...well, actually came pretty naturally. I haven't had to force it for a while.
Saba got 295 for 3, which was a 1-rep improvement over his previous best. The sickness has taken its toll, x.x.
Eric and Dustin have agreed to switch entirely to my program, though Fridays (the one day they weren't with us anyway) will be a bit of an issue to schedule because they may have Church until 10pm, which is...well, odd to me, but something rather difficult to move around on both ends because the gym closes at 11pm and I can't train at all on Saturdays. If their church gets out at 9 it's still viable; later than that, we'll probably just have to move speed day to Thursday.

Step-Up:
3x6ea - 55s
Meh. Got my left glute complaining.
The left one is honestly more of a problem than the right.

45-Degree Hyper:
3x10 - 90lbs
Easy.

Rollouts:
3x10
Not so easy. Urgh.
Maybe get 5x10 next Monday and THEN add in a band. >.>

2010-09-12 SE Upper

Warmup (no tennis ball, forgot it in the car)

Bench: 45, 45, 95
6x4 - 160lbs
Decent.

Press: 45, 85
5x5 - 115lbs
Decent.

DB Floor Press:
5x10 - 55s
w00t.
Last rep of last set was a struggle.

Strict DB Row:
5x10ea - 45lbs
Love the fuck out of these.

Face Pulls:
1x10 - 10lbs

2010-09-10 SE Lower

Went fairly well.
Took fucking ages.

Deadlift: 135, 135, 185, 225, 275
5x2 - 330lbs
Very light and fast. Nice.

Squat: 135, 135, 135, 185, 225
4x4 - 275lbs
Got Rachel to call me on depth. I'm getting a better sense of what depth feels like, yay.

BB Hip Thrust:
3x5 - 225lbs
Easy

Kroc Row: 10x20lbs
50lbs - 12, 15
Good.

Rollouts:
3x10
Go back up to 5x10 and then add in a band.

2010-09-08 ME Upper

Benched 230. I only have to DL 405 to get my 1,000 total now. Yay.

Rolling (including forearms and infraspinatus).
Warmup

Bench: 45, 45, 95, 95
3x 135, 135
2x 185
1x 185, 205, 225, 230, 210
Videos exist and will be posted once I receive them.
Saba hit 200.
Eric hit 210.
Took us ages to max out. We need to get a little faster.
15lbs per cycle is asking a bit much on this, but even at 10lbs per I may very well be good for 275+ at March Madness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy1qMWm2mds

DB Bench:
75s - 6, 5, 5
Realized after the first set that we were supposed to Dip today.

Lat Activation Pulldown:
10x 70, 90, 90

Rear Delt Flyes:
3x10 - 17.5s
Need to gain weight by next week.

2010-09-06 ME Lower

Took it fairly easy today.

Olympic Squat: 45, 95, 135
3x 185, 225, 275, 315
Meh, easy enough.

Barbell Hip Thrust (black bench): 45
6x 135, 185, 225, 275, 245
Doing these as a test.
Probably putting them in in place of rack pulls for the DL-heavy SE Lower days, since I'll actually be able to do them.

45-Degree Hypers:
3x10 - 85lbs
These took waaaaay too much out of me.

Weird Stability Ball Plank Thing:
3x 20ct
I'm going to try doing rollouts with bands on Friday...thank god I can get a replacement license soon.

2010-09-05 SE Upper

Warmup, Foam Rolling

Bench: 45, 45, 95, 95
4x3 - 150lbs
Easy. Glute was only mildly upset.

Floor Press: 95, 95, 140
3x5 - 175lbs
Reducing the volume this week for the Bench on Wednesday. Switching to Press next week.

Blast Strap Push-Up:
10
w/ Feet Elevated (1 Aerobics Step):
10, 9

Strict DB Row:
3x10 - 40lbs
Done with an emphasis on lat activation (elbow further in).

Face Pulls: 3x10 - 10lbs
Plate Halo: 1x10 - 25lbs
Prone Internal Rotations: 2x10 - 5lb DBs

More foam rolling.

2010-09-03 SE Lower

Meh.

Progress pics are in my inbox. Whether or not I'll actually be able to do anything with them is another matter, because Comcast appear to be throttling my internet down to the single-digit KB/sec rate, possibly because they noticed I was actually taking advantage of my awesomely fast download speeds. I think I'm going to call them tomorrow and complain.

Or maybe it's because Jan torrented a pirated copy of Matlab. Either way.

Warmup

Deadlift: 135, 135, 225, 225, 275
7x2 - 320lbs
Glute felt pretty decent. Not 100% - still not maxing out next week. May do some accessory work.

Squat: 135, 135, 185, 190, 225
4x4 - 265lbs
Seems my squats are getting higher...so I've got Saba calling depth after each rep. Hopefully I'll be able to adjust properly.

Barbell Row:
5x10 - 90lbs

Straight Leg Raise - 10
Plank with Feet on flat side of Bosu Ball and arms on a mildly underinflated Swiss Ball: 3x 20sec, 1x 30sec
These were...quite interesting.

2010-09-02 ME Upper

I got myself pulled over for something I wasn't aware was actually a ticketable offense, so I wasn't quite here for this one...which makes it even cooler that I got the numbers I did. Fuck yeah.

On the minus side, desperately trying to figure out where the hell I put my driver's license after the cop decided not to give me the ticket. Which was nice of him (I think he could tell it was my first such encounter, lulz).

Warmup

Bench: 45, 45, 95, 95, 135, 135
3x 185, 205, 210
45 felt meh and it didn't seem like I was arching properly, but I went up anyway. Eric and Dustin joined us again and plan to keep doing so for upper days; Eric's still doing speed work for lower, and I guess he's dragging Dustin along with him. I wonder if I can get them to at least max out with us.
225 next week. I'll probably play it safe and not go for 230 unless 225 goes very smoothly (which it might - I came into this burned out somewhat due to my...encounter).

DB Bench:
3x5 - 75s
Muuuuch harder than 70s.

Pulldowns:
3x10 - 90lbs
Might want to use less weight next time and review the article beforehand, etc..

Seated DB Cleans:
5x10 - 20s

Muscle Snatch: 30lbs
L-Laterals: 7.5lbs each hand
45-Degree Raise: 7.5lbs
External Rotation: 3lbs
Did the Snatches VERY slowly this time, which was...different. In a good way. I think.