17.12.7

Clomb again today. Wasn't precisely inspiring, but it was way better than the last few times out. Before i hurt this finger, i was regularly flashing v3. Now i just can't seem to get back to strength. But today i was moderately strong. Hit a bunch of 2 and then strung three v3s in a row, although i'd already done 'em all. i think part of it is i'm hitting a mental block. i haven't felt 100% for a long while now, and i think i go in expecting not to feel strong. i think taking a coupl'a weeks off for travelling and then getting back in the regular gym some will be huge. i'm trying to learn more about periodizing and just how much rest i actually need. Never have been very good at that. Taking my big, chunky butt climbing at project intensity as often as Fred Nicole does just sho' ain't working for me.

8.12.7

Three weeks; three days-- who's counting? i clomb a coupl'a evenings ago with James for to avoid putting the gun in my mouth for a bit longer. And i do hafta say that three off days did me a lotta good. i'm still going to take some weeks off (starting hopefully now), but i was going insane and needed real bad to go pull the walls down. Had to take it kinda easy on my finger still, and i think i've probably gained 4 or 5 lbs. in my few days off, but i snagged a bunch o' routes for feeling like a sluggard. Very good workout in spite of the fact that i probably set back my healtime a little further. i'd bought a shiny new bottle of brandy on my way home frome school, and i was contemplating another evening of sitting here feeling tired and crappy in front of this damned monitor drinking, and when it all washed out, blowing out a finger tendon sounded healthier and more enjoyable. i am gonna start back in the irongym, but i've gotta be in the right frame of mind for it-- it's gonna be a li'l depressing till i've got a few weeks in it.

Hope yer meet has gone well.

3.12.7

i believe i've ushered in some serious weeks off from climbing with today's sub-mediocrity. Haven't actually succumbed to any serious new injuries (thank Heaven), but i've been stagnant for a while now. Keep taking a day or two off in between sessions thinking eventually i'll see another positive slope; but it ain't happening. Then today i glopped off of a v3 i've been projecting for several weeks, fell 4 or 5 times on the starting moves of a v2 i flashed a few days ago, got shut down on another v3 i've tried a few times, and finished the session off by falling off of a v1. The tendonitis in my right bicep is mostly gone, but has moved to my left arm instead. i think i'm gonna quit beating myself up for 3 or 4 weeks, and concentrate on getting my whole body strong again in the irongym. That might even leave me enough time to start up running and riding again. This kind of intense stagnation tends to break me and send me into self-destruction mode. i'm going to make some effort to avoid that this time 'round. Suggestions for a good workout?

29.11.07

i'm back in the climbgym finally. After basically two full weeks off, i went in on Tues. and again today. Very interesting sessions. The nagging pain in my finger is largely gone (although i'm still eschewing any locked-down finger nail crimps on my left hand) and the bicep tendonitis is gone insofar as i can tell. But i have about zero endurance. Very odd how it's going. i went in and sat under a v2 that'd thrown me maybe 5 times on tues., and i stared at it for a few seconds today. Sent it as soon as i could tighten my shoes without breathing hard. Then i spent some time and worked a v3 with a couple other guys and finally sent that; but i was outta juice by the third burn. Very odd, that. i sent cuz i wired it in my head and outclimbed the burn, but it was strange how fast the burn came. Then i got a couple of 2s i'd done before, and a new unrated that'll probably clock in at 2+ or 3-. i just haven't felt anywhere near 100% in a long time, and my head hasn't been totally there either. i feel a long way off of sending v5, but who knows?

Also i bought "King Lines" today, and i highly recommend it for some amazing climbing. It's inspired me to drop 20 or 30 lbs.

23.11.07

Little catchup here. Tonight i went in and climbed a bit. Mostly just to keep the joints warmed up. Felt kinda weak. Finger didn't bug me much, but i just didn't feel very great. Last night i went in to the irongym for one of the most uninspired workouts i've done in a long time. At any rate, i did some shrugs, rows, and bench. In fact, i'm kinda sore today, so i'm glad i took it real easy. i need to get back into it. Also got a couple of really good runs in the last week. i think i'll feel better if i can just ever catch up on sleep.

17.11.7 Downward Spiral

Done clumb on on thurs. evening, and it was kinda bad. Did snag a v3 and a "v2" that'd bucked me the previous 7 or 8 tries. That's a fun problem. But my right bicep is no longer resorting to vengeful sorties of tendonitis; she's threatening to secede from the union. i'm crimping in my right hand at about 50%, and the tendon pulley in my left middle finger didn't even like pumping up a blood pressure cuff yesterday. i'm going to take about two weeks off from anything like hard pulling, and see if that's enough time to heal. Presently, there ain't no way i'm gunna tag a 5 'fore January. If i can heal in two weeks back to nearly 100%, i think i can pull it off. As it is, i'm going further in the hole every time i climb. i'm hoping i can use the time productively and lose some weight on the bike and running. i went in and shopped Orbea bikes yesterday. Them's some pretty bicycles. Think i'm gonna go for an Ora. Anyhow, 15 Nov. is the last day i climbed. That means i'm off 'till about the 29th. It's the weight room and the trail for me.

13.11.7

Well. Two days after tearing it down like i've rarely torn it down, James talked me into squeezing a session in tonight. Didn't take much talking me into it; there are a lot o' problems i should'a ticked at the comp that i either screwed up cuz o' nerves, or else was just too fried to do by the time i tried 'em. Climbed through screaming tendonitis in my right bicep, and had to basically tape the tendons in my left middle finger to the bone so that it would sorta clutch things, but i sent a couple o' v3s, several 2s, and a whole bunch of 1s. Most of the climbs that just had points on 'em at the comp were rated tonight, and i had a good laugh. i was falling off of over-rated 1s and 0s 3/4 of the way through. Presently, i'm finishing up a glass of vin to wash down 600 of motrin. i'm not so confident about that v5 before Jan. as i've got about 1.5 mos. to do it in, and i really, really need about a month off to heal my tendons. i absolutely know i've already got the strength to send 5, but i'm gonna have to be close to 100%, and i don't have much time left to heal. If i can find something (non-destructive) to distract my dumb self with for two weeks or so, i might just pull it off.

Also, i did about an hour run earlier today.

11.11.7

Well, i had my comp yesterday. Gotta say that, number-wise for me, it was appalling. Totally fried myself trying to link up a v4, and then didn't have the juice left to score a handful of climbs i definitely should'a walked. Very angry at me was i. Other than that, however, it was a riot. You gotta do this thing next year. Good times. Lots of fun problems; huge number of folks from every ability level; lots of cheerleaders and beta-trading; free beer and barbeque afterward. And i won a chalk pot to boot.

i am sore in every muscle in my body, as i can honestly say that this was my first sustained four-hour v-hard climbing workout. i tore down some lesser constituent of my rotator cuff, my left finger (with the previous damage) is begging me for a month to heal, and i'm seriously having trouble typing just now. i will definitely have to find time to do that more often.

So very, very, very bad game plan notwithstanding, it was a helluva workout, and i see very clearly that i need to start lifting again (specially core and upper arms), doing more endurance work (i.e., dense, sustained moderates) and taking a bit more rest time (read: porter my fat ass out the do', and onto the track).

i will climb v5 before January. Oh yes, i will.

tues. 7.11.7 -taper

Weighed in at 202.6 yesterday, which is a two lb. loss from the week before. Last night James and i went for a last bouldering session 'fore the comp. i took two days off before yesterday, and i'll have three days off before sat. i'm hoping to be largely healed and strong. Took a long time to warm up yesterday, but i felt stronger than ever after i did. warmed up on a 2, then walked a 3 i'd done before. Then we went into the cave and started working a super contrived problem that this group of guys pieced together and was working: huge throw from underneath a roof to a pinch on the lip of it crimp ladder to the ceiling. The throw was the crux as you really need a 7ft. wingspan to hit it comfortably. But i snagged it second try (stretched to the absolute capacity of my li'l glenoids, with half a finger pad left on the start hold) for the f.a. and then sat and cheered them on for rest of the time. Probably goes at hard 2 for 6+footers and hard 3 for sub-sixers.

i'm afraid i'm gonna lose most of my projects to the comp, since they'll be clearing a lotta wall space for new routes, but that's ok. Need some fresh routes. Still, there'll be a couple i'll have bad dreams about. And James'll be leaving me in a few weeks. Bummed am i. But he'll surely be happier in a place that isn't here.

3/11/7

340 lbs.

Today i was jonesing for a workout, and wanted to see what the guns felt like after a whole off day. Definitely not back to 100 por ciento, pero fue quiza a 85ish. It made for a good workout actually. i'm not very disciplined, you see, so if i've got it in me, i climb the hardest things my li'l hands will hold on to and then go home every single time i go in. Today i started with a burn on the Nemesis v3, saw right off the bat that they wuz no way in hizzell i was gonna get that last hold, and i got on with climbing every v0 and v1 i came across. i concentrated on climbing as efficiently and easily as i could, for to stretch it out as long as i could; and when i got sloppy, i dropped off the route. It made for a white hot burn in my forearms that i haven't experienced in a long time. Also i'm sore in some very odd muscles (each of which my viscious chilluns discovered with eerie efficiency whereupon they'd mercilessly jam one of their bony appendages into it as if to exorcise it) including my left iliopsoas, which is presently preventing me from lifting that leg off the ground. Excellent workout.

Also i signed up fer th' Yank 'n' Yard today. Very excited am i.

And to answer your question 'bout the plyo, etc., i've been stretching rather extensively, and have recently added in some calf stretches to the routine, which has seemingly done a lot of good for that achilles tendon. Haven't put any twisting force on it to test it (and don't plan to), but i've noticed that it doesn't hurt me when i land now, even from some pretty big drops.

And if you decide at the last minute that making 700 C in one day maybe isn't the answer to your spiritual quest after all, you're still welcome to haul that up here and climb with me. My mother in law even said she wants to go watch it. Be a good time.

2.11.7

Today, on a whim, i clumb again. Wanted to see how i felt, and i wanted to move. Got one of the best workouts i've had in a while. And i only got the finish hold on one route, which i'd done before. The v3 that has vexed me for some weeks now came into view today. i don't know if this is the most sandbagged route i've yet tried (and i've gotten some concensus that it is fa' shizzle sandbagged) or if it just requires such a specific kind of strength, but it's hard. It's not extremely long-- maybe 7 moves-- but there isn't one positive hold on it; only big pinches and a sloper, and no rests. Plus it starts under a roof, and ends on a second roof. But today i established 4 times on penult pinch/sloper combo, which i hadn't even been able to touch before. It's just that when i'd get there i'm so scrunched that i can't let go for the last hold without sproinging to my doom. i think i can do it, but i'll hafta be able to forget about the fall.

Then i got way into another route that'll definitely be either 4 or 5. Made for a good day. Nice warm failure; no debilitating injuries.

31.10.7

Just before i went in to meet my destiny on my second chemistry exam (and just after cramming at starbucks for two hours) i popped in to the climbgym to clear the noggin. Gave my project v5 a burn, didn't establish on the crux hold, and nearly fell on one of the herd of heifers that decided to "work" the v0- six inches to the right of me. i gave 'er a look that asked, "Do flys and smelly beatles scoop you up with corn chips?" and then i stalked off to a cave. Whilst there, however, i snagged a v3 that'd eluded me for a week or two 'cuz i was too yeller to commit to the final off-balance deadpoint from some manky foot jibs with two meters of air under my shoes. But after getting psyched to go upside fatgirl's head, i found the zone and didn't think about my floppy ankle. Then i stacked another 3 on right after that one. Ended up being a very short, but decent session. i really need to start riding or running every day, and i need to let my finger heal completely. i have two weeks till the comp.

29.10.7 Haynuss Schloppings

2,000,005 lbs.

Today, in stark contrast to all of last week, i worked out. And it was pretty bad. Still ain't beat the tendonitis in the right bicep or the left finger-pulley. However, i did meet some guys i'll be competing with in the Yank 'n' Yard, and we pulled some stuff down together. That's fun stuff. And i got one move closer (the crux move, methinks) to hitting v5. It's fully doable; just gotta repair to 95% and it will fall. And losing 15 lbs. wouldn't hurt a durn thing either.

25.10.7

Yesterday i went with a friend to the climbgym. One of the worst workouts i've had in a long time, number-wise, but it was a good time nonetheless. i have some pretty foul tendonitis in my right bicep and forearm. Gonna hafta take some time off to heal that.

On a brighter note, the Yank 'n' Yard is coming up on Nov. 10 here. It's a bouldering comp. Beginner, intermediate, advanced divisions. 30 bucks gets you in, a tee-shirt, and part ownership of the keg afterwards. You should come here and enter with me. It'll be a good time.

21.10.7

Yesterday it was maybe 70 degrees. To celebrate, i called up m' bud and says, do let's get in a bike ride up this heinous hill. Shorts and tan weather, it was. But no; he says he has plans, and talks me into going to the climbgym instead, which i had theretofore resolutely set myself against, as my finger tendons were screaming for knitting time. So we went to the climgym, and after warming up on 2 or 300 problems (including a v1 i'd already done and ended up doing maybe three times in a row, which succesfully tore off two of my favorite callousess) i sent my second v4 (which i'm gonna conjecture ain't) and finally crushed the crux hold on a haunting li'l v3, which i've yet to send. Needless to say, i left pretty happy.

Today we went for the ride. It started out a balmy 50 degs. with a 30 m.p.h. wind that brought the chill to closer to 35, but by the time i found all my damned winter digs it was 5:00 pm. He borrowed Steph's bike and we set out to climb a very steep hill up the side of North Sandia. It snowed on us the entire climb. At the top we tapped knuckles and claimed First Tracks. Got some weird looks from cars on that climb. Couldn't feel m' hands by the time we got to the base, and it was full-on dark and we still had to ride nearly ten miles back to the house. i just recently got the feeling back in my thumbs, and it hurts to stand up quickly, but that was some fun crap: riding down a several mile long 12% grade with these huge wet snowflakes so thick around it was hard to see.

i'll chalk the weekend up to some decent workouts.

18.10.7 Happy Feet

Got m' shoes back from the resoler in Boulder today, so needless to say i also just got back from the gym. Odd li'l workout. Finger pulley's not really giving me much trouble now, and i didn't do any further damage to it. i did, in fact, manage to damage nothing at all as far as i can tell. That has become the benchmark of a good workout for me. Funny position tonight though. i bounced off of everything. Felt real strong, but my head wasn't there. Like, i walked a v3, but botched several 2s. Wasn't terribly motivated, but it sho' wuz nice to feel strong again. And once again it was driven home to me how fat i am, and how much better i'd be if i lost 20 lbs., and that a half-pound of hamburger meat is probably not the very best pre-workout meal.

The shoes look good though. Kudos to Rock 'n' Resole.

17.10.7 The Conquest

The Conquest is presently in a holding pattern at 20,000 ft. as my left middle finger tendon heals. i'm eschewing closed crimps, but yesterday i actually got two training seshes in. Went to the climbgym and pulled down all the v1s and 2s i could find. Made for a very nice burn without further damaging the finger. And i've been climbing in rental shoes as mine are still north, and frankly they suck. Little bit like climbing in ice skates. i have a new appreciation for my Katanas. Then i came home and went for a ride. i thought i'd pull down a hill that i use for hill training that i sometimes tack onto the end of my regular route. Only i couldn't shift to my littlest gear as i lost a bolt in my chainrings which threw my chain whenever i'd get it down low. So i'm climbing this heinous hill, half the time out of the saddle, and finally about halfway up, it occured that even i couldn't feel that fat. And sure enough i was riding on a flat front tire. stopped to fix it and my spare was cut. So i had to call Steph to come pick me up. Still worked out to be a pretty decent ride though: my legs were mighty sore that night. Today i secretly went and shopped new bikes. God allowing, i'm gonna race next year. That ought'a strip some ugly fat. Now i just need about 4,ooo bones...

14.10.7

Yesterday i got another good ride in. Today i was a sedentary slob. Shoes are off to the resoler in boulder, and i expect 'em back within the week. That'll hopefully give my left hand enough time to heal some more.

12.10.7

Yesterday i snuck in to the climbgym to see how the ol' tendons were knitting. Had me one of the worst (i.e. non-debilitating-injury) days of it i've seen in a long time. Couldn't find a happy place, couldn't get my head into it, couldn't get my hands motivated, and i think i ended up matching the damage in my left mid-finger pulley with equal damage to the same tendon on the right side. So i left with the understanding that it'll be a coupl'a weeks till i'm crimping on anything smaller than a 2x4. Also i weighed in at just over 204. However, i just got back from a very nice bike ride and i feel real good. Took just under an hour, but i was figuring it would take way longer at my turnabout point. Just felt good. Even turned some impressive wattage uphill into the wind on the last quarter, and had a few good yellow light sprints to boot. If i could get a few rides like that in before it gets super cold, i might be fit enough to have a habit of it.

6.10.7

Lessee here. i think i already posted a bike ride last week, which is all the cardio i've done. Went to the climbgym yesterday with Aeon, which basically means i didn't do a workout. so i went again today with daddy, and snagged another v3 on my ticklist--the one i almost got last week. Didn't think i was gonna get it, cuz m' forearms were squishing things at about 70%, and i'd already given the silly thing a couple of sad burns. Then i was shaking out and--lo and behold-- "Running to Stand Still" came on the speakers. That's my climbling song, and i took it as a sign that i should send, so i focussed and sent. i have one more v3 on my ticklist, and if this thing is really a 3, then nothing i've climbed so far has been. If i can get this one, i'm gonna feel good about moving to lots of 4s and start working some v5. i even have one picked out and've mentally done the moves. i desparately need to heal my finger tendons though, and i hate being outta the gym for a week or so. Maybe i can dig deep and find the motivation to lose some fat in a systematic fashion while sitting on my butt not climbing.

2.10.7

Yesterday i went back in to the rockgym with the singular purpose of sending the v3 that this partner and i kept falling off of last thurs. Gave it 'bout two pathetic burns before i realized how much damage i did to my tendons the week before: nothing permanent, but i sho' does need some down time from the crimping. Instead, i went in with 'im and had him try the v4 i hurt myself on, and he agreed with me that it was way easier than that 3 we'd been trying. He sailed that problem, but he couldn't get my high point on another v3 in the cave. i almost had that problem, and my foot slipped. i hung there for maybe five secs. crucified between two tiny crimps, crying for a foothold, and then i gave up and dropped-- one move from the end. that was a teeth-gritting moment. Did meet some nice guys though. Maybe i'll find someone to climb with regularly between the lot of 'em. If i can scrounge the change i'm gonna send my shoes to Boulder for a resole; that ought'a keep me outta the gym for a weekish. Maybe that'll force me to do some very necessary cross-training.

30.9.7 A word on the weekend

Yesterday i was still healing up the forearm pulleys, and was put off of running and riding by an impending thunderstorm, and was thus compelled to drag my caboose to the iron gym. Three things came of it. First, i weighed me. Turns out i got that v4 at around 205 lbs. i don't know whether to feel good about that, or fairly depressed. At least there's a lot of room for improvement. Second, i'm not as totally weak as i expected to be. i intentionally did some bench to see what my elbow thought of me for it, and it worked just fine. Kept getting a disconcerting twinge at a certan point in every rep, but no pain-- for which i was grateful. Did keep it pretty light though. Ended up doing an all around upper-body workout. Third, i am now sore in exactly every muscle in my body not directly related to climbing. Yesterday morning i was able to set my chin down on my straightened knees. After a handful sets of straight-leg deads i'm now able to touch my toes if i squat down and sit on my heels first. i'll take that as a sign that i should maybe hit the weights a li'l more often. i'm looking really forward to getting back into serviceable triathlon shape: i really mean to lose a lot of weight before the end of this year. All in all, i can't really complain at all about the workout or my strength level considering the evil i did to my elbow ligament. i deserved surgery after that, and i'm climbing harder than i ever have two months out. i'll take that as a mercy from God.

Addendum

An after-note: Bigfat cody will likely be taking the remainder of the week off from climbing, as bigfat cody fairly grossly underestimated the amount of damage him did to him's girly forearms. Them there stacked half-pad, two-finger pockets decimated our hero's pingers. It's a rigorous healing diet of Ibuprofen and beer for the chubby one for a few days. Maybe i'll get a bike in-- who knows?

26.9.7 :-)

This week's climbing is worth writing down, methinks. Went in on...was it sunday?... for a quick burn, and crushed a tweaky, super-thin v2 crimp ladder that'd been spitting me off for the previous coupla' sessions. Then i sent a v3 i'd been working on for a while. Nice feeling, but i had to take serious the tendonitis in the ol' R. bicep that i'd been theretofore trying studiously to deny the existence of. Finally gave it up to spare a li'l tendon. Today i shot in before chemistry just to keep the fingers limber, warmed up with a v3 flash (deja vu, i.e.), flashed another v3, and then sent a v4 on the third try. Think i coulda' flashed that too, but i got my foot sequence screwed up on the first two tries. Then i hooked up with this cat that was doing several of the same problems, and he asked me to help him work a 3. Didn't get that one (it involves twisting out of an overhang on a thumb-catch to a bad slopey pinch, and my thumb tol' me it'd already done quite enough suspension of my rotund abdomen, thank-you-very-much), but i did get an arm-intensive footless v1 roof traverse. i may not be able to straighten my arm tomorrow, and every tendon in my forearms creaks when i extend my wrists, but i just racked up one of my biggest number days yet, so i'll forgive me, and take some ibuprofen. Now if i could just get below 200lbs...

22.9.7 Extensive catchup

Lessee here: been a busy coupla' weeks since the last posting, but i'll give an overview as a time marker. Been to the climb gym 8 or 10 times since, and am climbing v2 pretty solid. Hope to start moving back into v3 soon. i fell off a high v2 and mildly twisted my ankle, but have since been back and finished that problem. i think i could climb a li'l harder than i've been, but since i retweaked my ankle, i've been climbing kinda scared. Little bit hard to concentrate on hard moves when i can't stop thinking about the landing. Been running maybe three times, including a 1 hr.+ run. That's felt superb. i think if i could actually find the motivation to get off my ass every day and coordinate some longish aerobic work with the climb/strength training, i could get pretty lean and (more important) light without even losing my family. Yesterday i did an ca. 1.5 hr bike ride. i'm way outta shape, and the ride really amounted to urethral reeducation, but i gotta say i don't feel quite as alive or like i belong anywhere as on the bike. Rush hour traffic and my huge gut in spandex notwithstanding, that was pure bliss. i hadn't been on the bicicletta in probably a year. Hopefully this has broken the standoff.

10.7.7

Well. After an extended length of hardcore deconditioning and basic self-destruction, i've worked out again. Fri. i went running for 45 mins. (which felt surprisingly good, all things considered), and then sat. i climbed at the gym. That didn't go so well, as i expected, but my arm didn't bug me really at all, except that there was strength of a well-developed toddler in it. Got a v1 or so, several v0s, and almost finished a v3 (that definitely wasn't 3) and did finish a v2 (that likewise was definitely not a 2). All in all, i'm dreadful fat, my crimpers have gone the way of the Wooly Mammoth, and i'm sick of both those conditions. On a positive note, i've started school, generally like it, and my crack-heads next door were evicted and the crack-house was condemned as unliveable by the city, whereat i felt my property value instantly pop upward by about 5K. :-)

Bleh

Yeah. Nuthin' to report but a week or two of sedentary slothfulness. Elbow's nominally better than last week this time. i'm gonna try to get on a bike soon. i'm getting fat(ter).

Program Modification

Yesterday i went to the climbgym. Had a pretty good workout. Finished by burning out on all the v1s i could find. Last one i did was a high-ish double traverse. Grabbed the last hold, but didn't get real secure on it before i popped. Fell fine, rolled backwards, and bent my left elbow the wrong way with this nasty tearing sound inside. Don't know what i did, but it sure hurts when i supinate, or try feeding myself. Can't really push or pull with it, so i pretty much can't do any kind of workout at all 'till it's better. Guess that's what i get for threatening to get into shape. That'll learn me.

6,8-9/7/7

Lessee here... been hanging pretty consistently at just over 200 lbs.



Friday i tore it down in the climbgym. Was one of those inspiring sorts of days wherein it all seems possible (precisely the opposite of today, it turns out). i hooked up with this feller i met a long time ago there. we climb at just about the same level, but he's gotten a tad better. He dragged me onto just about every v4 in the place, and as yet i do not climb v4. At any rate, i must'a' put up 100+ tries on some of 'em. Came pretty darn close on one or two. Since then, i've had this feeling of revelation, like, "Ahh, that's what it feels like!" and i've been wanting to get back in fresh and send some. So Friday's workout consisted of utterly teerashing my bitty forearms and most of the skin on m' hands. Very motivational.

Sat. was almost entirely dedicated to a kid's birthday party, followed by heavy drinking.

Sun. i did an o.k. upper body workout in the gym-of-metal-things. To classify it by the standard of Workouts With Metal Objects Past, i'd hafta say it was decidedly weak; but i didn't do a workout last weekend (we were in CO), and i didn't do it two weeks prior to that. So i've been averaging an upper body workout once every two weeks for a month or so. i truly believe i'd see some progress here if i stuck with it consistently-- and that is the plan. Here it wuz:

Pullups:

BW x 23 (neg. on the last 'un)

Narrow Cable Rows:

10 x 165
10 x 180
8 x 210
6 x 225
6 x 225

Last coupl'a sets i just melted down. Noticeable loss here.

Flat DB Bench:

Rehab with 2 sets of 14 with 25s

Incline DB Bench:

10 x 60s
10 x 60s

Felt kinda good to push a li'l weight again on these. i'm surely not so strong here, but my shoulder didn't tweak.

DB Shrugs:

14 x 90s
10 x 100s
10 x 100s
8 x 110s

Didn't do the next set of 8 as i was losing consciousness to hunger pangs.

Dips:

3 sets 10 x BW

Pec Deck:

Sundry weights. couldn't go as high this time.

Comments:

i sabotaged this workout cuz i didn't eat before i went in. i had forgotten how long it'd been since breakfast, and by the cable rows i was getting shaky. Pain tolerance was at ca. 50%, and i had no concentration. In spite of that, it was a good workout after having laid off for so long.

Monday (today) i actually woke up at 05:00 and went running in the foothills. That was kind'a nice. After work i went in for a hard seesion at the climbgym, but it was a wretched failure, and i left early. i wrote up my workout for the week, but it has a lot o' flaws-- one of which was scheduling a hard boulder workup the day after the upper body iron workout. i'll post my general plan (with some modifications) on here soon's i have time. it's amazing what having a written plan can do for the ol' motivation level.

5/7/7

The last week has basically consisted of slothful binge eating, mixed in with oversleeping and playing Flash games. Went to CO, and that was just bliss. Did get out to climb a coupl'a times at Cold Creek Canyon, and that was a shot in the arm. Needed that bad. Here're some pics of the kiddoes, and some of Annie climbing: http://kibitzthevoid.blogspot.com/2007/07/on-much-brighter-note.html

Had a 5.11(a-ish) within redpoint reach, but i didn't have time to point it. Did do all the moves on lead, though, and that's good for the head. Very doable. Wanna redpoint 12 before the year's over. v5-6 and and a 5.12: that's a reachable goal. Diet and aerobic program're gonna change though. Time to get back to work.

26/11/7

Lessee here.... believe it was Mon. morning, i went for a 40-45 min. hoof in ye olde foothills. That circuit's getting easier, and i'm glad. Every time i get terribly outta shape (i.e., every other year) and try to start up again, i'm sucking wind at a speed-walking pace, and i think, "OK, maybe this time i've actually gone past the point of no return." Shore do feel good when it quits hurting so much; or at least, when at the same level of pain i'm actually passing the morbidly obese, varicose-veined Lederehosen with trekking poles.

Last night, Annie and i went to the climb gym. i was about ready to shut 'er down after 15 mins. of falling off of v0 and being driven to distraction by MotorMouth. But then she talked me into going into a seriously overpopulated bouldering cave, where she almost instantly picked up a fan club of teenage girls, and i met some guys climbing at about my level. Then we both started getting serious about climbing when we had someone to show off for. She bouldered high enough that i had to think about her trajectory coming off the wall (although she ended up down-climbing like a pro), and i flashed a "v3" (that almost definitely went at easy v1), and then cleaned up several 2s and a real 3. It was a whole lotta fun to work stuff with some other guys that didn't care about how good they were or weren't. And it was a shot in the arm to pull the walls down with li'l rubbery people 2/3 my weight.

we're heading to C-Springs and Denver for the next few days, so i don't know if i'll be on. Take care.

23/6/7

200.75 lbs.

Upper body in the reg.gym today. i wanna get a li'l bit mo' scientific with this than i have been for the last few weeks, so i'll try to remember the numbers.

Pullups:

BW x 24 (cheated on the last one. Super burn.)

Narrow Cable Rows:

10 x 165
10 x 180
8 x 210
6 x 225
6 x 225

These felt really good. i'd like to start doing some one-arm negatives. That'll bring in the abs, and'll show me what i can and can't lock off with.

Did some rehab with the bar on flat bench--30 reps or so-- and then a set or two with really light BBs flat. shoulder still hurts, but it's better, and only hurts on flat bench.

Incline DB Bench:

one or two sets with 50s. These were experimental, and it turns out i could'a done more. Felt good.

Dips:

BW x 8
BW x 10

i need more tricep work. These felt fine, but i was starting to burn.

DB Shrugs:

14 x 90s
10 x 100
10 x 100s
8 x 110s
8 x 110s

TM Scissors:

Also experimental. Did 'em right this time. Almost. You hang from a pullup bar and with elbows straight, you pull your hands down to yer waist. i'm having to bend my knees to take some weight off, but i did several. Very hard. Probably better if i wasn't hanging from a 6" wide flat-topped power rack. Need a bar i can grip.

Pec Deck:

went up to a coupl'a sets of 6 with 225, which is all the weight on the machine. Felt fine.

Comments:

i was very happy to be down to under 201 lbs. plenty hydrated. Makes me think weight loss is a possibility. i am going to pull down v5 by the end of this summer. Going to.

21/6/7

Had a fine climbing session yesterday. Got a coupl'a friends in with me and that ups the amperage a li'l bit. Pulled down a lotta climbs. Got most of the way up an 11- on toprope, and i'm hoping i can go back in fresh tomorrow and send. That'd be a nice boost to the ol' psyche. Hands are getting stronger though, and that's a good feeling.

Li'l bit mo'

Got back in the climbgym this evening with a friend who'd ne'er climbed before. That was fun. Mostly did routes, but it was a nice endurance/ rehab day. Pulled down a v2 i'd already done, but it was nice that it was very easy this time. Hopefully i'll get the hangboard up tomorrow. i'm also hoping i'll get to do squats and some deads tomorrow so's m' legs don't just deteriorate and fall off.

6/19/7

<300 lbs.

Yesterday morning did some abs. Got in 3 sets of 25 hanging leg raises and three sets of 30 decline oblique twist thingies with a coupla' 10 lb. hand dumbells on. The hanging leg raises hurt me. It'd been a couple o' weeks since last i'd gotten in to do 'em, and i felt every minute of my laziness.

Today i did maybe 40 mins. +/- running in the foothills. That finished off something like fifteen days in a row of working without a day off. i don't work tomorrow, and i'm thankful. i feel a vacation coming on soon.

17/6/7

204.5 lbs. If you don't hafta round up, then neither do i.

Went in to the regular gym this morning for the first time in two weeks. Did upper body; kinda a generic workout. Got 22 pullups, which is a bump upward, and in my opinion ain't bad for a tubby guy. Worked up to 225 on cable rows. Did 3 sets of BW on dips. These felt worse than last time. Shoulder's still tweaking. Did some fairly heavy shrugs and finished off with the pec deck. The only thing i can definitely say is getting stronger consistently is my grip. Pulled my portly arse up on some mingy pinches that, frankly, i couldn't believe i could actually hold on to. That's kinda encouraging. If i could just lose 'bout 25 ugly pounds, i'd jump a few levels methinks. i've been running about once a week. That's not enough, but i haven't had time and it's starting to get really hot here after about 0800. Soon though, i won't have to mess with this sleep-flipping nonsense, and i can (hopefully) get on a regular schedule. One more week of it...

It's abs tomorrow if i can manage it. And i got me a hangboard for father's day. Happy father's day to me.

Thus far

Haven't made it back to the regular gym this week. Just finished working nine days in a row. i did go run 'bout 40mins. in the hills yesterday. Today i went to the climbgym real quick and pulled down my first v3 since getting back into it. i'd worked on this one a few times, but i felt like linking it up today, so i ran in and gorilla'd my way through it. Not too elegant, but i stuck the finish hold. That, at least, opens me up mentally to a new level of climbing. i wanna do a hard workout tomorrow. Also, i put in my 2 week notice at the hospital, which i consider by itself to be a huge investment in my health.

The last week

Well.

The last week has been a tad slow workout-wise. i did get in to the climbgym a coupl'a times. Finally got my project v2, which i'm saying was a li'l bit sandbagged, and i got another 2 i'd tried several weeks before, but couldn't hang on. That felt nice. Also worked the crux start on a v3, and i'm hoping to tag that after a bit o' rest. Haven't been to the regular gym since the last time i wrote, which just means i never managed to get in for leg work.

On a slightly perpendicular, but intimately related note, i started a new job this last week. After working this weekend through, i'll have worked 9 days in a row (which is why i didn't get back in to work legs), but it's a fun job and-- possibly more importantly-- it's a day job, so i should have a life of some sort again soon. i'm turning in my two weeks at this one on Mon. morning. Just the thought of getting to quit this hellish crap-hole of a job is physically exciting.

Well i hope you Jungs've had a fine time riding and sampling the libations, and maybe-- just maybe-- i'll actually get a vacation soon and can come down for a visit. i could sure use your prayers. Prost.

3-5/6/7

203 lbs. as of the 3rd.

Lessee...

Sun. i did abs. 3 sets of 25 on the hanging leg raises. Think i could shove another set in there now, then start upping the reps. Then 3 sets of thirty decline oblique twist thingies with--what?-- 8 lb weights. something like that. Wasn't bad, but it wasn't inspiring. my pain tolerence is sub-terran after being awake for 20 hours. i just couldn't make me go the extra mile on these.

Mon. (yesterday) i went running in the foothills. Did 40 or so mins. of mostly hills. This, on the other hand, was inspiring. No people, nice views, sunrise, no smog; just me, the bunnies, and the mt. lions. This could turn into a habit without too much trouble. Left ankle is shot, but i'm hoping that rehab will occur.

Today i'm planning to do legs and then go climb. i pulled up to the gym this morning after work, turned off the car, and fell asleep in the parking lot. When i woke up, i put 'er in reverse and went to my bed. i was s'posed to wake up before 8:00 to get the kids ready for Ouma to pick 'em up, but i woke up at 11:00 when momma called. Twilight Zone moment there. i'm like "What happened to my kids?!" Ouma'd had to get Annie to open the door for her and she came in and got 'em ready. i slept through the phone by my head, through the alarm, and through her stealing my children. Lemme just tell you, if yer gonna die in your sleep, that's how you wanna be sleeping when it happens.

2/6/7

203 lbs.

Lessee.. Thurs. we went climbing on real rock. That was an ego shattering travesty. Yesterday i did a session in the rock gym. Turns out the quarter bottle of Lagavulin and half a magnum of various wines, chased with five hours of sleep isn't the very best pre-exercise warmup. Did get a V2 that'd been eluding me for a few weeks, but i didn't get my project route. Or anything else for that matter. Ok workout; bad climbing sess. This morning, however, i had one very fine workout in the ol' regular gym.

Pullups:

22 x BW (gonna get this back up to 30 soon.)

Cable Rows:

10 x 165
10 x 180
8 x 195
6 x 225
6 x 225

These were all clean. i'll start doing some ME workups on these soon. wanna be able to lock off one-armed with my body weight and reach.

Dips:

3 sets of 10 with BW

i was very pleased with these. They didn't kill my shoulder like i thought they might.

DB Bench:

10 x 45s

These were kinda like being murdered with an axe by way of my left shoulder. They perfectly rely on the very specific strand of deltoid that is damaged. These hurt so bad, i thought i'd go do some pec deck.

Pec Deck:

12 x some weight
10 x more weight
10 x even more weight
8 x i dunno. went up in 30 lb. increments.
8 x the last + 30
6 x 220
6 x 220

That's all the weight on the li'l weight stack thingy. Man boobs or no, i like these things. They have a nice crossover value to the rock--i.e., squeezing like crazy. i'm pretty confident i'm not doing flys with 220 lbs., and i wish there was more weight on the stack. Interestingly, these didn't hurt my shoulder.

Comments:

i skipped legs this week, cuz i never could make it in to the gym when i had any energy. This workout, however, is fleshing out nicely. i did sundry other things (e.g. bench, incline, delt raises, etc.) with reeeal light weight just to get my shoulder moving and see what it could handle. biggest limiter at this point is my weight. If i could get some semblance of discipline in my diet and get back into a regular groove on the aerobics, i think this regimen would start showing some very nice results.

28-29/5/7

203ish lbs.

Did abs yesterday. Kept it pretty simple, cuz i want to see how strong i can get on hanging leg raises and see where that takes me. Experimented with some oblique work.

Hanging Leg Raises:

3 sets of 25

Failed at about 23 on the last set. These suck, but i felt like i did less permanent damage this week than last. Li'l bit better.

Decline Bench Oblique Twist Thingies:

3 sets of 30 with some hand weights.

These were experimental. Kept my hips static and basically shifted weight from one side to the other. Mostly an endurance exercise, but i liked it.

Today i went bouldering. Stuck the last hold on m' proj and fell matching for the top-out. Thurs. or Fri. it will be mine. Bought "Dosage Volume 4" which i heavily recommend if you wanna get psyched to climb. Hands are still thrashed from today, and i still went out and hung on my wall after it was over. They's some strong homies out there.

27/5/7

203 lbs.

Following your (G) suggestion to work something like an upper-body day and a lower-body day for two days a week in the regular gym, i went in this morning and did a general, pretty unstructured upper-body workout. See if i can remember how it went.

Pullups:

20 x BW

Cable Rows:

10 x 165
10 x 180
8 x 195
6 x 210
6 x 210

Finally got a cable row machine in. Happy am i.

DB Shrugs:

14 x 80
10 x 100
10 x 100

DB Bench:

2 sets 10 x 50

This showed me just how bad i hurt my shoulders. There was no weight, but my shoulders wouldn't let me do any more. Gonna take some rehab on these.

Pec Deck:

Few sets of some reps with some weight. Nearly popped my shoulders outta joint.

Comments:

i was very pleasantly surprised that my back hasn't lost any strength really. On the other hand, my chest and especially my ant. delts have gone the way of the wooly mammoth. It was fun to get back into it though, and putzing around non-commitally let me think outside the box a li'l bit. i'm getting some good training ideas. Also i've lost a coupla lbs. and that's kindof encouraging. At the moment i think i'm gonna split this workout up into 3 days: upper-body, abs, and low-back/ legs.

24/5/7

Went climbing last night. After a day of feeling mostly suicidal, we took the kids to the park and Annie made me play tag. Then i felt alive again for a li'l bit. So i went to the climb gym after we put them down. It's very nice at 8 or 9 at night. There's almost no one there, and the ones who are there are there to climb, and they're usually friendly. No rubbery high-schoolers trying to look cool: "C'mon, man! Get that shit! Stick it, brah." And no all-you-can-eat buffett tenants bouldering in their harnesses. At any rate, i felt good and unrushed. Went back and sent a V2 i'd done before, but hadn't been able to repeat. Worked all the moves on my proj' (also a V2), and-- come to think of it-- all the moves on another V2, although i missed the final throw. Just gotta go back in fresh and send and i'll call myself a V2 climber. Now i'm starting to feel secure about working some 3s. Tendonitis didn't flare up last night, and my hands are getting strong again. Just need to lose 15 or 20 lbs. now.

22/5/7

204 ish.

ME Squats:

Warmup
Bar x 20
135 x 5
225 x 3
245 x 3
265 x 1
285 x 1
305 x 1
325 x 1
325 x 1

Tried 325 for a 3rd go, but it folded me in half. Couldn't get focussed for it. i gotta say that the belt is a good motivation not to fail. Setting my face on my knees under 325 lbs. with a totally immovable belt under the rib cage was a less-than-pleasant experience. Once again, i didn't have time for deads.

21/5/7

Ran this morning for about an hour. That felt good. My ankles hurt, my knees hurt, and i'm allergic to the entire world, but it was sure good to move. Gonna have to do a lot more of that.

Yesterday, i did abs in the gym. Switched it all up. Did Hanging Leg Raises first and did more of 'em. 3 sets of 25 (although i had to stop and cry for a li'l bit at 20 on the last set). This was paradigmatic. i've never had my abs ripped apart like that, and at the same time felt like i was doing something functionally meaningful with 'em. If i can just get up to some sets of 1,000, i'll have some abs that i can take climbing with me. Finished the workout with some experimental oblique stuff. Decline MedBall Twists or something. Not bad.

19/5/7

Once again, i didn't work out today (as i meant to), but i did yesterday. Went to the climb gym. Only got the two climb workouts in last week, but i probably needed some rest. i left the gym pretty sure i had tendonitis in my biceps, triceps, and posterior forearm bundle. Wasn't a very good session, but i was real tired. On a brighter note, i did get my new throwing target put together today, and i applied for another job. Sanity has been preserved for a li'l longer. i think my workouts would improve dramatically if i slept. Ever. Seems like it to me anyhow.

17/5/7

2,000 lbs.

Haven't worked out today yet, but i did go to the climb gym yester's eve. Not so good. i was still utterly trashed from the squat workout. Like, the thought of laying my head down on my knee, or dropping a knee deep was outta the question. Need to start working back again. And i gotta start losing weight. i think i could pretty comfortably hang at 185ish-- without starving etc.-- and that's 20 lbs. away. My iron workouts are gonna have to be changed dramatically if they're gonna survive. i think i'd be way stronger than i otherwise would be on rock if i keep up the iron work, but i can't do what i've been doing. i can't recover in time to climb, and that's my sport. i wanna climb v6 and lead solid hard 11 by this time next year. i'm gonna start getting as technical with the climb workouts as i have been with weights. i've been real hodge-podge with climb training 'cuz i'm just getting back into it, but i'm starting to work v2 pretty well again, and i'm getting my weaknesses narrowed down to a managable number. cheers

15/5/7

204 lbs.

Squats:

20 x bar
8 x 205
8 x 225
8 x 245 (strapped the ol' belt on fer this'un)
8 x 255
6 x 265
6 x 265

Felt good-- as in, "That was even better than being run over by a train." This was a decent jump in weight from the last RE workout.

Comments:

Got to the gym late today 'cuz of work, and didn't get to do deads. Felt pretty good this morning so i decided to blow it out on squats. And i did. Think i gave me an aneurysm. Had a hard time both getting into my car and using any of the more meaningful pedals driving it. And i think i popped an eyeball. Still haven't been able to get in for back work when it wouldn't screw up a climbing session, and my shoulder's still bugging me on chest and delt work. i'm gunna hafta swallow the pride and just go in for some reeeal light rehab. That irritates deeply.

14/5/7

Went to the gym this morning after work and i was running on fumes. Did two sets of 50 Decline Crunches with a 10 lb. ball. Then i did three sets of 15 hanging straight leg raises. Then i went home. Couldn't find any motivation. Tomorrow should be better.

8/5/7

Lessee..

ME Squats:

Warm up
135 x 5
225 x 3
245 x 3
265 x 1
285 x 1
305 x 1
325 x 1 (new pr)

That was a 20 lb. jump, so i feel ok with that even though it's still under a quarter-ton.

Comments:

Spent the last few days in Amarillo-- mostly getting fat. i went to the climbing gym on Tues. 'fore i left, and i scored V2. That was a nice feeling. Went tonight after i got in and couldn't do the same climb. If ever you decide to go climbing after a beer, just lay down 'till the feeling passes. i had one stinking beer and i was climbing at about 15% motivation level. i did manage to tear most of the skin off of my pinky, so i felt better about that.

7/5/7

Went in for some chest today, did a short set of DB Bench and threw in the towel. Shoulders are still hurting on bench and i'm just too sleepy. Did climb again on friday though. Gotta get back into the regular gym; it's very hard to sort it all out and not be wasted. S'posed to go to Amarillo this week, so i don't know what the workout schedule'll look like. Maybe i can work out with mamma and daddy some. Don't feel too far off at any rate. Definitely stronger in the rock gym. Just gotta figure out how to mesh it all together.

1-2/5/7

i did get back in for some climbing yestereve. James (whom you met here) joined the climbing gym today. He and i went yesterday and today. He's got a broken foot, so we haven't done much bouldering; just routes. i have no endurance whatsoever. i've pulled down almost every 5.8 in the house, one hard 9 and almost got an easy 10 today. Then i got on several v0's to see if i had any juice left, and got 'em. Felt good. Pretty sure i've got tendonitis in almost every tendon in my arms, but it was a good workout. If we keep this up, i might actually lose this 30 lb. baby i've been carrying around for too long now, and get strong to boot. Didn't get in to the weights to work back today. i would'a had to eat the whole bottle of ibuprofen. Abs and a run tomorrow, hopefully.

1/5/7

206ish lbs.

Missed a bunch of workouts, and i need to switch up anyhow to fit it around climbing, so i wasn't sure of what to do today. Tossed about the idea of doing abs, but i wasn't feeling up to it. Figured heavy back work would screw up bouldering this evening. So we settled on legs. Plus i had that lovely belt demanding attention. i'm a lot like a li'l kid at christmas when it comes to new toys.

Squats:

10 x 135
8 x 205
8 x 225
8 x 235
8 x 245
6 x 255
6 x 255

This is not the same kind of workout with that thing on. i went up some in weight, but i could'a kept going. Legs and butt still got the full exposure, but there was no low back strain. Basically, the low back is relieved of strain almost linearly with how much gut-tension you can generate into the belt. Be interesting to break the physics down. Obviously, it's not moving the center of mass, but it seems like it shifts the point of torque forward. At any rate, legs and booty got a helluva workout.

S. L. Deads:

15 x bar
14 x 95
10 x 135
10 x 155
8 x 175

Left off the last set as i was pushing it to get home in time to let Steph out to work, and i wished not to incur her wrath. Did do that last set without the wrist hooks, unlike last week.

Needed more time, but it was a good workout. Hope to get in to boulder later.

30/4/7

Lessee... Sat. instead of doing deads and squats m'self, i just watched Glenn do a whole ton of weight. Then we repaired to the casa and drank him under the table. Sun. i woke up feeling like an 80 yr. old, and i finally left work halfway through the night with a 102.5 fever. i gotta get a new job. i feel way better today, but i'm usually halfway through my workout week by today, and i haven't done anything at all. At any rate, i probably needed the rest. My shoulder does feel better. Got the Inzer belt in, and i must say that it's a sexy piece of cowhide. One of these days i might even get to try it out. They put a system wall up at the climbing gym since my membership lapsed back around Jan. and that is one sick training tool. i'm kinda in limbo here with the workout thang, as climbing is my raison d'etre. i need to write up a workout that gets me skinny and strong as a gorilla. i think things will become clearer when i'm not so tired and groggy. Perhaps i will work on that now...

25/4/7

Today's an off day, but i thought i'd scribble down that i did a bouldering session last night. Not so good. i'm very fat, and my forearms are about the same girth as my daughter's. At least it was a workout. And i figured out how to get Moby off the iPod. That's a li'l bit of a breakthrough. i still have high hopes that the Inzer belt'll arrive this week. Oh and i switched sat. night with another cat, so i'll get to hang out; so don't bail on me or i'll be forced to drink heavily all by myself. Nastrovya.

24/4/7

204 lbs.

ME Bench:

i was feeling my oats today and wanted to max.

1,000,000 x Bar
5 x 135
3 x 165
3 x 175
1 x 185
1 x 195
1 x 205
1 x 215
1 x "225" (possibly a new PR)

Pushed out 215 clean again, and it felt not too bad, but my shoulder was hurting pretty good. So i asked this guy for a spot. Told 'im that it was a max and i hadn't done the weight before, but that i'd worked up to it and should be able to snag it. Lowered and shoved the bar up like it weighed 200 (which it probably did) and racked it. He goes, "Oh, are you done?" with this quizzical look on his face.

Comments:

i'm dreadful tired of stupid people. i'm tired of my shoulder hurting. i wish i'd remembered to pack the iPod in my pack last night. i'm glad i got 215 clean again, but i'm gonna change my chest work henceforth. Having to rely on other people for really anything at all sucks. i shall try to find a way around it. Plus i need to rehab the shoulder anyway.

23/4/7

204 lbs.

Medball Decline Crunches:

3 sets of 50 with a 10 lb. ball.

Straight Leg Raises:

3 sets of 15

Russian Twists:

12 x 25
10 x 35
10 x 35
10 x 35

Comments:

Didn't do the Axe Chops this time. Experimented with Oblique Hanging Leg Raises. Them's hard-- 'specially after the other hanging leg raises-- but i pulled off a few reps on each side. i think i'm gunna start doing those first, and see if i can get strong at 'em.

21/4/7

202 lbs.

Squats:

10 x 135
8 x 205
8 x 225
8 x 235
6 x 245 (The spirit of pushing really hard left me at this point.)
6 x 245 (This was a bit better)

Felt good starting out, but i got distracted on those last sets. Couldn't get focussed. Last set was good. i wanted to go up in weight, but i didn't have it. Next week, i think...

S.L. Deads:

15 x Bar
14 x 95
10 x 135
10 x 155 (earlier and more reps with this)
8 x 175 (New heavier weight here. )
8 x 175

These still weren't too gut wrenching. Couldn't hold the bar, though, after the climbing sesh. Forearms are torched to the bone. i'm just not too into the idear of taking straight leg deads to the hairy edge. This was a good workout.

State of the Onion

i took yesterday (usual chest day) off, trying to recupe my degenerating left a.c./glenohumeral joint. So i went climbing instead. i am mighty fat, and my hands have weakened by some negative exponent to approximating about the same strength they commanded when i was 3 or 4 days old. But it was fun. i did push down a "V1", which i'd amend to about a really hard V0-. i'll take it as a V1 anyway just for my otherwise smushed ego. Oh, and i got an iPod shuffle in the mail today, which improves the prognosis of my squat workouts rather dramatically. Couldn't say why, but i think i might just be able to push more to an angry electronic riff than to the Eagles. Thank you, O brutha of mine, for saving me from the throes of Phil Collins. Now i just gotta figure out how to turn the thing on...

17-18/4/7

1 Megaton

Just for the record i did a fairly skeletal back workout (RE on Pullups and Rows) on tues. and i ran for ca. an hour yesterday. Haven't had much time to post this week. my b-day was tues., steph's is today and Ian&Monica are coming tonight, so it's tight. Anyhow, i'm on m' way to the climbing gym with some birthday lucre to renew the ol' membership. i can already feel life getting better. It's always been the breaking strain on my iron workouts to try to integrate 'em with climbing or triathlon. Thing is, i know if i stuck with it and modified my workouts to fit, i'd get strong as atch-ee-double-hockey-sticks. So i could use some cheerleading. Or else, i need to be roundly abused and mocked if i bail. i do have that bleedin' Inzer belt coming in (hopefully this next week) and that should inspire me to get over the hump. It's amazing how motivational really expensive gear can be to go use it. Never fails to get me through a season.

16/4/7

204 lbs.

Decline Crunches:

With a ten lb. med. ball

2 x 50
1 x 40

went further on that second set than last week.

Hanging Straight Leg Raises:

3 sets of 15

These felt easier.

Axe Chops:

15 x 110
12 x 120
15 x 110

Russian Twists:

12 x 25
3 sets of 10 with 35

Comments:

Felt pretty strong in the abs. soon i wanna get a li'l more creative with this workout and i want to add some more angles. If i ever shed my blubber, maybe i'll have a six pack. Or i could just go buy one.

15/4/7

204 lbs.

Warmed up with sundry leg twitchings.

Squats:

10 x 135
8 x 205
8 x 225
8 x 235
6 x 245
6 x 245

Felt really good on squats today. Pushed out some reps i couldn't get last week. Had "Harper Valley PTA" cranking during my heavy sets, and i think that pushed me to a new depth.

Straight Leg Deads:

15 x Bar
14 x 95
10 x 135
10 x 135
8 x 155
8 x 155

i think i could'a gone a tad heavier here, but i was real tired after squats and i was sleepy and the music was making want to bleed outta my ears, so i kept it lightish to get out faster.

Comments:

i look forward to getting my belt in. i think trying to lift fairly heavy without it has made my back stronger and my form better, but i'd like to push heavier. i felt good today on squats and my form was excellent. This is the first time i haven't broken down and gotten pretty sloppy when i'm tired.

11/4/7

14.5 Stone

i haven't worked out today yet, but i'm logged in so i'll throw down that i did something active yesterday besides drinking beer. Ran for forty minutes. That felt good. i was a little surprised that my squidgy outta shape butt could still shift into fifth for that long, and i could'a gone longer, but as it was i made Steph late for work. Today it's chest. i feel a new PR coming on for the bench. i'm driven to scoring 225 so i'll feel better justified to camp for eternity on the only bench in the gym reading Dilbert during peak time. i think i'd feel more like a man that way. Anyway, now i've set myself up and i have to go work out.

10/4//7 Later, later

Went back in 'round 20:30 to finish.

Bent DB Rows:

This was an epiahany. i went facedown on an incline bench and did rows with DBs. Weights were all experimental, but i loved the movement. Really hit levator, the rhomboids and a trap vector that's generally hard to reach.

10 x 55s (light)
6 x 70s (very heavy, bad form on last 2)
8 x 60 (good weight; didn't lock on last rep)
8 x 60 (good)

DB Shrugs:

12 x 80s (good feeling; these are getting real light)
8 x 110s
8 x 110s (put on the hand hooks for this set; grip was torched)
8 x 120 (hard on last 2 reps)
6 x 120 (grip failed even with hooks)

Reverse BB Preacher Curls:

5 x 50
8 x 40
8 x 40
8 x 40

This isn't a bicep workout at all. Feels like i'm doing nothing, and then my hands are just opening. Amazing how fast that posterior forearm bundle disintegrates.

Heavy Finger Curls:

5 sets of 5 with 135 on a power rack

Hands were cooked Crockpot tender.

Reverse Flys:

Did a bunch of sets of post. delt rehab on the pec deck. Did get up to 100 for a real light set which was heavier than i'd gone before.

Comments:

Back work makes me happy. Think if i could shave 20 lbs off'n me lardpuff't ass i could take this to the climbing gym and rage. i look forward to climbing again.

10/4/7

205 lbs.

ME Pullups:

5 x BW
10 x BW
5 x +25
3 x +35
3 x +45
1 x +60
1 x +70
1 x +85
1 x +85 (didn't lock this out)
1 x +75

H.S. Rows:

10 x 230
10 x 230
8 x 260
8 x 260 (very hard on the last two reps; schloppy)

Wide Grip High Rows:

10 x 110
8 x 130
8 x 130 (very hard to finish)

Comments:

Ran outta time. Gotta go back later today and finish the workout. My shoulder's still buggin'. Feels like an AC separation. Sucketh, i'm here to tell ya. Must sleep.

9/4/7

205 lbs. Soy gordo.

Decline Crunches:

With 10 lb. med. ball

1 x 50
2 x 40

Hanging Straight Leg Raises:

3 sets of 15

Oblique Axe Chops:

15 x "110"
10 x "130"
15 x "110"

Russian Twists:

12 x 25
3 sets of 10 with 35

Comments:

Good workout. Abs are getting stronger; gut's getting more rotund. i'm 'bout to fall asleep on my keyboard.

7/4/7

202 lbs.

It was snowing today, so i didn't run to the gym. Bumbled on the treadmill for 10 mins. for a warmup.

Various Leg Motions:

Warmup.

Squats:

20 x the bar
10 x 135
8 x 205
8 x 225
6 x 245
5 x 245

i was gonna do a set of 8 @ 235, and then do a coupl'a sets of 4 with 245, but i wasn't all there and accidentally stuck 245 on the bar. Couldn't figure out why it felt so dang hard 'till i unracked it. Didn't feel like quite as big a wuss as i was planning on feeling like. Still wished i'd'a pushed 2 more on that set, but i couldn't get into it. Belt still ain't in. They weren't kidding when they said to allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

Straight Leg Deads:

15 x bar
14 x 95
10 x 135
10 x 135
8 x 155
8 x 155

Rope Tricep Presses:

25 x 50
12 x 110
6 x 120 (ow.)

Skull Crushers:

10 x 70
8 x 97ish
4 x 107ish

Went up a li'l on that second set.

Comments:

Having a spotter to yell at me would'a been real fine today. Not a bad workout, but i couldn't get amped for it. Even managed to ixnay the James Brown before my second set of squats.

4/5/7

203 lbs. Edging 204. Sitting on me arse a li'l much here of late.

ME Bench:

25 with the bar for a warmup.
5 x 135
3 x 165
3 x 175
1 x 185
1 x 195
1 x 205
1 x 215 (new PR)

Took these real gingerly. After the warmup, i wasn't sure what my shoulder was gonna let me do and so i decided to do an ME workup. Figured i'd take it in little increments and feel out the ceiling. Long about those last two pushes m' wee left anterior delt was talking some smack about just unravelling on me, but i yelled at him, and he did what he was supposed to do. Funny thing is that the weight wasn't all that hard; no gut-busting here. i think i could'a pushed more if my shoulder weren't tweaking so bad. Anyhow, this was a study in perfect form. Funny how efficient you get when you know that getting sloppy and failing is probably gonna cost you a month or so of rehab.

Incline DB Bench:

3 x 60s

Left shoulder up and filed for a divorce, and i just laughed and racked 'em. That was plenty.

Comments:

The music, it turns out, was more motivating tonight.

3/4/7 return

went back and did traps.

i experimented with some cable low rows, but when i got heavy enough it pulled me off balance. interesting though.

DB Shrugs:

12 x 80
10 x 100
8 x 110
8 x 110
8 x 110

DB Curls:

8 x 25
7 x 35
6 x 40
6 x 45

Reverse Flys:

3 sets of 10 with "80"

Comments:

just went back in after work to finish the last workout. Started off with some southern gospel. Lemme tell you how that gets yer blood pumping. It's like trying to work out at a funeral.

3/4/7 It was the summer of '69

203 lbs.

"...Gotta fever of a hundred and 3.
i'm hot blooded... hot blooded!"

--Foreigner

Then we chased that with some Bryan Adams.

"I got my first real six string
O, at the five-and-dime.
Played 'till my fingers bled..."

ME Wide-Grip High Rows:

5 x 100
3 x 130
3 x 150
1 x 170
1 x 180
1 x 190
1 x 190
1 x 190

Think i'm still not 100% after last weeks workout. i'm gunna switch the ME to something more fun next week and give it a full 7 days.

Pullups:

15 x BW
15 x BW
6 x BW+20 (failed before 8. pretty much confirmed that i wasn't here for this one.)

Hammer Strength Rows:

8 x 210 (li'l light)
8 x 210
8 x 230 (better starting point for next time)
8 x 230
6 x 260
8 x 260 (last 2 were very hard)

Found a position on this that felt almost natural and hit m' traps, rhomboids, etc. i liked this workout.

Comments:

Had to go home to let Steph go to work, so i didn't get shrugs yet or reverse flys. The music ate promiscuous, diseased sausage, but the teardown went well enough. The thought of climbing at Chamonix is obsessing me and i want a huge ripply back.

2/4/7

203 lbs. Motown Monday

Decline Crunches:

3 sets of 40 with a 10 lb. med. ball

Hanging Straight Leg Raises:

3 sets of 15

Oblique Axe Chops:

3 sets of 15 on each side with "110"

Russian Twists:

12 x 25
3 sets of 10 with 35

Comments:

Very tired today, but the 80's Motown helped. Nothing like some Lionel Richie or Sade to get a body amped. Tore some stomach down today; good workout.

31/3/7

202 lbs.

i ran to the gym today. i am one obese, outta shape guy. Felt good though, and was a good warmup for leg work.

Warmed up with various leg motions.

Squats:

8 x 135
8 x 205
8 x 215
8 x 225 (These were better than last week)
8 x 235 (Went a li'l heavier than last time, but i don't think i hit full depth on the last 2 reps)

These felt a million times better than last week. i think i'd have the confidence to push some weight if i had a belt. i look forward to getting that in.

Straight Leg Deads:

15 x bar
14 x 95
10 x 135
10 x 135
8 x 155
8 x 155

Went heavier than i'd gone before on these, and they felt good. Felt a ton stronger than the last time i'd done 'em.

Rope Tricep Presses:

20 x "100" (very hard)
12 x "110" (bleh)
6 x "120" (ugh)

Amazing how much harder the rope was than a straight bar. i hadn't done these with a rope in years. That movement at the end really brings in the lateral head of triceps, and mine are really weak.

Skull Crushers:

10 x 70
8 x 87ish (pretty easy)
4 x 107ish (failed 2 short of the 6)

It occured somewhere in the vicinity of that last set that i did chest two days ago.

Comments:

i didn't do dips or delt work cuz my shoulder's still tweakin' like a meth-head. Oddly, the run home exactly replicated the feeling of trying to do a half-marathon right after a 56 mi. ride. Felt like i was running on some fat chick's legs with ankle weights on. They just wouldn't work. All in all, i felt a little sexier running home, even though i probably looked like i was hoofing it drunk in oversized wooden clogs. i wanted to do a li'l more on triceps, but i needed to take the chiddlers to the park. It was a good workout.

29/3/7

203 lbs.

Today my shoulder is killing me, but i wanted to do some chest anyhow. Now i'm having quite a lot of trouble picking up this beer with my left arm.

DE Bench:

8 x 135 (slow as warmup)
6 x 105 (50%)
6 x 105
6 x 125 (60%)
6 x 125
6 x 150 (70%... somewhere along in here my shoulder started protesting loudly)
6 x 150

Incline DB Bench:

8 x 60
8 x 70 (shoulder tweakin' a tad)
7 x 65 (Weight wasn't bad, but i failed cuz my shoulder was trying to dislocate itself to a place where i would stop doing that to it.)

BB Curls:

10 x 60
8 x 70
8 x 70

Reverse Grip Preachers:

10 x 36ish
10 x 46ish
8 x 56ish (hard)
8 x 56ish (even harder)

i started out doing DB curls, and the ol' left delt wasn't having any of that, so i switched to preachers. That pretty effectively took the delt support out. Felt pretty good.

Machine Flys:

Sat me down at the pec deck and just the thought of actually getting that weight to move on that delt made me start laughing.

Comments:

My left shoulder (trap, ant. delt, and most of the rotator cuff) hurts. It is, in fact, now armored like a tank. So in lieu of mixing vanilla protein with this otherwise tasty IPA, i figured what i really need is some carb replenishment. At least they were cranking a steady stream of unintelligible growler bands tonight. That helped me push through the screwdriver-in-the-joint kind of pain to the status-post-nervectomy sort. i'm gonna have another pint and feel sorry for myself now.

28/3/7

203 lbs. Took a 4 lb. dump last night. Inspiring.

ME Wide-Grip High Rows:

5 x 130
3 x 150
1 x 170
1 x 190 (very hard)
1 x 200 (didn't get this all the way down)
1 x 170
1 x 170
1 x 180

Pullups:

15 x BW
15 x BW
8 x BW +20
6 x BW +30
6 x BW +30 (very hard on last few reps, but clean)

DB Rows:

10 x 80

Here i quit caring and left.

Comments:

Was supposed to do chest today, but my shoulder told me otherwise after the delt/ tri work a coupl'a days ago. So i switched with tomorrow's workout.

i could probably count on one hand the number of times i've actually been so fed up with a workout that i just left without finishing. This was one of those. we (the geriatrics and i) beat the demons back today with some Richard Marx and Foreigner. After my first (and only) set of rows, i sat down on the bench and fell asleep to "Beds Are Burning". Madonna woke me up and i got up and walked out wanting to hit someone--- i'd be damned if was gonna do another set to that crap. Maybe i'll go back later today to finish. Who knows? Maybe the afternoon crowd tears it down to some thumpin' hair bands.

mon. 26/3/7

207 lbs. Apparently i've gained 6 lbs. since yesterday. The trick is eating at Furr's. Saw some broads in there that must'a been packin' on 5 lbs./day. That's hardcore bodybuilding, that is.

Decline Crunches:

30
30
30 with a 5 lbs ball
30 with 5

i like these. Hadn't done 'em in a while.

Hanging Straight-Leg Raises:

3 sets of 15 c. no weight added

These were hard after the crunches.

Russian Twists:

12 x 25
10 x 35
10 x 35
10 x 35

Cable Axe Chops:

15 x "90"
15 x "100"
15 x "100"

i really like these. Form is the hard part, but you can really dig deep and make these hurt in full contraction and right where you want it to.

Comments:

Decent ab workout after a few weeks of laying off. Today the Boomers were workin' it to (seriously) like sitcom theme songs and motown hits. Took me a while to find my angry place. They exited and i made the woofers hurt to some Tiesto. Things got better then. Weird how music can screw with yer workout. i wanna get to where i can do some artistic, very long ab workouts. They're so complex, it's hard to work through all the planes of motion in one session with any contiguous muscle strands left intact. i felt pretty good about the whole thing being nearly debilitated by the squats on sat. i really could'a' used a walker yesterday.

24/3/7

202 lbs.

Warmed up with some hacks and extensions.

Squats:

10 x 135
8 x 225
8 x 225
8 x 205
8 x 205

Wasn't sure where to start on these. Long about rep 6 on each set i started getting penitent seeing black spots. (May have actually busted a blood vessel in my eyeball.) i think i managed to not blow any spinal springs, but i sho' nuff's gunna get me a belt. This reminded me of why i've faithfully avoided squats for a decade or so. On the last set i actually glanced in the mirror to see if anyone was watching so i could just rack the damn thing without losing cool points, but then i knew i'd hafta write it on here and i couldn't live with that. i mean, what's ambulatory capacity worth if you've got no self-respect?

Front Delt Raises:

12 x 25
10 x 30
6 x 35
6 x 35 (These were easier than last time, and i went up a li'l bit.)

Lateral Delt Raises:

12 x 15
12 x 15
10 x 20
6 x 25
6 x 25

These were better than last time. Could probably bump the weight up a tad.

Tricep Presses:

25 x "90" (Did these like a DE workout and it made for a nice warmup.)
12 x "130" (Still pretty light.)
6 x "180" (Ok for a warmup.)

Skull Crushers:

10 x 70
7 x 87ish (Went up on weight a bit and could'a kept going.)
8 x 97ish (This was gonna be a set of 6, but it wasn't heavy enough for that. Can go up next time. i'm stronger on these than last time.)

Dips:

8 x BW
10 x BW
10 x BW
8 x BW

Can start adding weight on these. These felt good.

Comments:

i forwent Deads or SL Deads as i suspected i might be needing a wheelchair tomorrow after the squats. If i'm still able to walk tomorrow, i might give 'em a go. i was also gonna do abs, but not being able to see outta my left eye was very distracting. i might start a modicum lighter on the squats next week. The rest of the workout felt super. i may have lucked onto the right period for chest vs. tris/delts here. it's been ca. 2 weeks since i last worked tris/delts. The last time i did, it screwed with my bench. But now i've gone up on both pretty significantly. So i might try staggering hard workouts on 'em back and forth every other week for a while and see how that goes.

22/3/7

201 lbs.

ME High Rows:

5 x 130
3 x 150 or so
3 x 170
1 x 180
1 x 190 (very hard)
1 x 200 (didn't get this all the way down)
1 x 190
1 x 180

Did these on the "lat pull-down" cable machine. i like the feel of these, but at ME it's hard to maintain body position-- hard to get enough leverage. And i don't think the weights are on. i weighed in at 201 today and i could swing from the bar and do pullups on "180 lbs." without pulling it down. Oh well.

DB Rows:

10 x 80
8 x 90
8 x 90
6 x 100
6 x 100

These got really hard toward the end, and i noticed i started twisting into the weight, but i was pleased that i could pull 100's clean for a li'l while at all.

DB Shrugs:

12 x 80
10 x 110
10 x 110

Hands were opening up. Had to use those gay li'l hook thingies on the last set. i felt defeated.

TM/SS Scissors:

10 x 50
8 x 60
8 x 50

i like these things. i felt weaker on 'em this time, but then we took the week off last week from back, and i think i deteriorated in the meantime.

Comments:

For deeply desiring to fall over unconscious in a puddle of drool, i felt like this went over pretty well. Got off schedule last week (for a good cause i guess) and now i don't know where to stick leg work. Might go back in later today for some abs if i can talk the woman into it. Switched the ME work to High Rows from Pullups this time, and i'm twitching now cuz i feel like i missed out on pullups. i wanna do some RE work on 'em in a few days and see how that works out.

20/3/7

201 lbs.

ME Bench:

5 x 135
3 x 165
3 x 175
1 x 185
1 x 195
1 x 205
1 x 210 (Hard but got it clean)

Rack Lock-Outs (+/-50%):

1 x 205
1 x 215

Couldn't repeat

Incline DB:

8 x 60
8 x 65
8 x 65
8 x 65

10 lb. Med Ball Crunches:

3 sets 10 with 10 sec. holds

Fell asleep doing these. Curls didn't go so well after these. No juice.

BB Curls:

10 x 60
2 x 8 x 70

DB Curls:

Bleh.

Machine Flys:

10 x 170
8 x 200 (Light)
8 x 210
8 x 220 (Hard on 7; neg. on 8)

These felt good.

Comments:

This felt good. i was glad i could break 200 on bench. Very encouraging. Also i felt reall good for the rest of the chest workout, cuz i didn't break it all down on bench. i don't know if mixing the RE with the ME on one day is the best, but it made for a good workout. i might could'a pushed 215 on bench, but i started tweakin' without a spotter. Sooon though...

15/3/7

202 lbs.

ME Pullups:

BW x 15
3 x +20
3 x +35
1 x +45
1 x +75
1 x +85
1 x +90 (with spot on lock-out)
1 x +90 (with spot again)

ME Squats:

Can't remember the weights anymore.
1 x 305 (PR)

ME Deadlift:

Can't remember lead up weights.
1 x 335 (PR)

13/3/7

202 lbs.

i wasn't gonna work out this morning, and i think i was supposed to do legs, but i picked up some road-rage on the way home from work and decided to go take it out on myself. Experimentally, i decided to work chest again. Maybe i'll get back in later today for legs.

DB Bench:

8 x 65
8 x 70
7.5 x 75 (squeezed some blood outta my eye sockets on that last one, but to no avail.)

Incline BB Bench:

4 sets of 8 x 135

These got hard toward the end, but i got 'em all. That was a dang nice feeling.

EZ Bar Curls:

12 x 50
10 x 60
8 x 70

i only did these to get pumped and watch my manly biceps ripple in the mirror.

Machine Flys:

10 x 180
8 x 200 (Neg. on the last 'un)
9 x 200 (Neg. on last three: penance)

Hammer Curls:

8 x 30
6 x 40
6 x 40

All clean with good form if you don't count my facial expression or internal dialogue.

Cable X:

10 x "60" (very easy)
8 x "80" (a creaky metallic voice in my sternum told me this would be the last set.)

Comments:

If i weren't so sleepy that i could hardly remember my own name, i probably wouldn't have done this workout, but i'm glad i did. It was psychologically cool to see how little damage the ME workout did yesterday. That'll help me schedule better henceforth. The bicep work might'a' been a bad idear, but i like 'em.

12/3/7

i haven't posted in a few days, but i have worked out a few times, so i'll just put the last three workouts on today.

Fri. 9/3/7 201 lbs.

Front Delt Raises:

12 x 25
10 x 30
6 x 35 (very hard)
6 x 30

Lateral Delt Raises:

12 x 15
12 x 15
10 x 20
6 x 25
6 x 25

i'm not strong enough on these yet to have a comfortable intermediate weight.

Tricep Pressdowns:

25 x "80"
12 x "110" (too light)
6 x "160"

Did these on a double pulley machine, and i couldn't figure out how much weight to use. Very light.

Skull Crushers:

10 x 60
6 x 80ish
6 x 90ish

Did the last 2 sets on a build-yer-own EZ curl bar ('cuz the gym's pre-builts only go up to 70lbs.) and-- seriously-- the bar weighs ca. 16.5 lbs. Very sensible. Good workout at any rate.

Dips:

4 sets of 8 @ BW.

These felt good. This is the first time i'd separated 'em from my chest workout in a long time, and i did all 4 sets clean.

Comments:

This was my first delt and tricep iso workout in a long time. i'd like a gym where they don't feel obliged to play 50's Bebop all the time, but the workout was good.



Sun. 11/3/7 202 lbs.

Medicine Ball Crunches:

4 sets of 10 held to a ten sec. count with a 10 lb. med. ball on my noggin. Have a li'l ten theme goin' on here.

Hanging Leg raises:

4 sets of 15, straight leg, no weight added

Russian Twists:

12 x 25
12 x 25
10 x 35
10 x 35

Comments:

i wanna add in some more ab workouts to this as i go, but they all hurt and i don't like pain, so i've decided to just drink heavily instead.

Mon. 12/3/7

ME Bench:

8 x 135
5 x 165
3 x 175
1 x 185
1 x 195

Here i went to the rack for Lock-outs, but didn't get 205 anyhow. My delts and tris are still about a day away from being back to 90%, so i left off the rest of the workout. i'm gonna hafta figure out how to mesh these workouts better. i did like the ME thang, and i know i could get 200 pretty easy, but my shoulders're barking. i think once i get used to the tri and delt iso i'll start healing faster and this'll fall into place.

8/3/7

201 lbs.

ME Pullups:

20 x BW
3 x BW +20
3 x +35
1 x +45
1 x +75
1 x +85 (Didn't lock this out all the way. i sent my corpse ahead of me to the gym tonight.)
1 x +75 <-(

DB Rows:

10 x 80
8 x 90
8 x 90
8 x 90

Form was better this week. The flesh was basically willing, but the spirit was still putzing about in outer space.

Wide Grip High Rows:

10 x 100
10 x 110
10 x 110

Same weight as last week, but i got it all clean this time. My mood improved at this point as the masochist couple sweatin' to the moody blues hit the road. Need to go up next week.

Reverse Flys:

Did these on machine starting from mid-frontal plane posteriorward.

4 sets 10 x "80"

DB Shrugs:

12 x 80
10 x 100
10 x 100

This's been a good work-up on traps, but i wanna start pushing more weight here.

TM/SS Scissors:

12 x 50
10 x 60 (neg. @ 8)
10 x 50 (neg. @ 10)

Comments:

i was too sleepy for this workout, but i went anyway. There's two other people in the gym when i get there, and they're playing some kinda blues/ oldies station. It was kinda like trying to get a pump while someone's tapping on yer teeth with little hammers. i worked out slowly and they finally left, but this old hispanic feller'd come in before they did. So i asked him if he'd mind me changing the station. He says sure... let's put it on some "latin pop." i'm thinking that anything would be better than the drinking music we had goin' on, so he changes it. Same damn thing, but in Spanish and with accordians. i just laughed. Can't win for losing. i beat my chest and clawed at my eyes for a bit, but then the workout improved. i don't have anything against geriatrics in particular, but i sure wouldn't mind a gym where "not dying of a heart-attack" isn't the popular long-term goal.

7/3/7

Off.

6/3/7

200 lbs.

Warmed up with some light Leg X, Ham Curls, and Hacks

Squats:

20 x 95
15 x 105 (mistake--should'a' been 115. very easy)
10 x 135
6 x 155 (easy)
6 x 175
6 x 175
1 x 1,050
1 x 1,150 (easy but the bar broke in half)

Straight Leg Deads:

14 x 95
12 x 115
10 x 135
10 x 135

Haven't gone up in weight on these in a while. These are getting lightish.

Comments:

Still have a fairly skeletal leg workout. i wanna start cycling and running again. Squats were way easier here in my second week, proving that neuromuscular reeducation works even for fat people. i liked them today. Still don't have much of a use for big honking legs, so that's kind'a demotivation. Maybe i should take up power lifting. Was super tired after work this morning, and i think i could'a' breathed better if i hadn't disarticulated several of my upper ribs from my sternum yesterday, but it was still a good workout.

5/3/7

200 lbs.

Bench:

10 x 135
8 x 165

This was a warm up

DB Bench:

8 x 70
8 x 75
7 x 70 (failed @ 8)
8 x 60

Incline Bench:

8 x 135
5 x 135 (failed)
8 x 125
8 x 125

Felt like doo-doo. i think the new "warm up" was a li'l excessive.

Machine Flys:

10 x 150
8 x 190 (ecc. on last 2)
6 x 200 (ecc. on last 1)
6 x 200 (ecc. on last 1)

Standing BB Curls:

12 x 50
10 x 60
8 x 70

Hammer Curls:

8 x 30
2 x 45 (meltdown)

i think i did this a li'l too close to m' back workout. Definitely not healed.

Comments:

Still haven't started the ME thang on my anterior surface. i ill never take having a regular spotter for granted again. The bench for a warm up killed off my chest as i went down significantly on what i could do from the week before. It was a nice warm up though. Still haven't done any tricep iso. Gotta figure out how i'm gonna fit it all in one week and heal fast enough if i don't do it on the same day.

Nutrition

It turns out that "Cookies 'n' Cream" protein mixed in apple juice has about the same medicinal effect as syrup of ipacac.

4/3/7

Today we tore it down to Hank, Willie, Waylon, and a medley with Dolly. At least it was just abs, and i didn't have a weighted bar o'er my throat. i might'a' used it.

Crunches:

These i did today with a ten lb. medicine ball. A rep is full contraction to a ten sec. count.
10 reps/ set x 4 sets.

Hanging Leg Raises:

3 sets x 15

Russian Twists:

10 x 25
10 x 25
10 x 35
10 x 35

These definitely hit the obliques, but it's a weird movement. It only works the muscle from full stretch to neutral; hafta find another movement to work from neutral to full contraction. And i think most of the ab isolation (and the obliques are almost never isolated) happens in the top 10-20 degrees up to neutral. In other words, you shift prime movers pretty dramatically through the full movement. --i guess that's not necessarily bad. Seems like it'd work better if you were hanging upside down. Also, it'd be hard to think of how it would correlate to any sort of natural movement because of where the weight is (in front). i'll have to play with this one some more. In the meantime, my abs'll hurt from it.

Also experimented with lateral leg raises from a hang. Them's hard.

2/3/7

198 lbs. i'm down four pounds from dehydration.

ME Pull-ups:

20 x BW (warm up)
3 x 20
3 x 35
1 x 45
1 x 75
1 x 75
1 x 75 (This one i didn't lock all the way out)

Prone DB Rows:

10 x 80
8 x 90
8 x 90
8 x 90 (Broke the horizontal plane with shoulders on the last two reps here.)

These were way easier than last week, but i had a longer rest cuz i didn't get to do 'em on schedule.

Wide Grip High Rows:

10 x 100
10 x 110
9 x 110 (Meltdown there)

DB Shrugs:

12 x 80
10 x 100
10 x 100

Teres Major/ Subscap Cable Scissors:

i'm doing these on a high cable machine one arm at a time. Also it's a double pulley machine, so it cuts the weight in half.

12 x "40" (very easy)
12 "50"
10 x "60" (failure)

i'd like to find a way to do these on a bar with body weight. The pulley on this machine's too high, but it's the closest i can get to the right angle.

Comments:

The PUs were way easier, but again i had more rest and i'm four lbs. lighter than at the beginning of the week. we ran outta water, so i've just been drinking coffee for four days now. Good workout, but i gotta get my schedule hammered down. Also i need to pick my workout and commit to it, 'stead of trying to cram everything in. Approaching failure on BW PUs is definitely bringing my ME weight down. i just can't let go of reps on PUs.

27/2/07

This week i started a new format, and'm back to four days a week. Gonna experiment with healing in time for the next workout. This is the first time i've done squats since, um, 199somethingish, so i kept it real skeletal. Did some warm-up extensions, and then squats and straight-leg deads.

Squat:

20 x 95
15 x 115
10 x 135
8 x 155

SL Deads:

14 x 95
12 x 115
2 x 10 x 135

Comments:

i hate squats. i haven't yet made it to the "post-exercise soreness" stage, and already my ass is letting me know that it was just fine with being a structural matrix for adipose. Problem is i can't figure out why i should work my legs very hard since having heavy legs is counter-productive to almost everything i want to do athletically, so i tend to work my legs with no goal just 'cuz it seems like the balanced thing to do. Maybe i'll take up yoga, as that would suck less than squats. i gotta say that this workout is a ghetto, thrown-together thing i had some years ago, and i don't like it. i wanna design something a little more specific.