Sunday, March 16, 2008

Entry #585

I was getting ready to bench when a group of high schoolers walked over to the area next to me (that elevated portion of the floor where I deadlifted yesterday) and started doing cleans, although they didn't really know how. One of them (I believe he actually works at the front desk) then asked me, "Hey, aren't you Alex's brother?"
"No. I don't have any siblings. I killed them all."
"Uh..."
"Yeah, I am."
"Weren't you, like, using four 45s on each end of the bar yesterday?"
"Yeah. I was doing 430. Those were deadlifts."
"Jesus..."

These guys need to raise their standards. There are skinny kids deadlifting 405 all over YouTube. When I'm at 600, then maybe I'll warrant praise.

Nah.

ME upper

Bench press:
4 x 3     135, 185, 225, 275 lbs.
4 x 1     310, 315, 315, 315 lbs.
> First three of 310, 315, and 315 were incredibly easy. Excellent lat recruitment on the concentric. Could distinctly feel my back spread as my arms pushed up. Bar rose smoothly.
> By the last set, my triceps had a dull soreness running through them. The final was an ugly, uneven set. I almost fell off the side of the bench. Still, I got it up. Should have rested longer before it.

Overhead tricep extensions:
1 x 12   50 lbs. of plates
3 x 8     60, 75, 75 lbs. of plates
1 x 7     75 lbs. of plates
> Wanted to do something different from the usual skullcrushers. Had to experiment a bit. Two plates was too easy, but three was too cumbersome to grip, so I tied them together with a strap and held on to two of them while the third hung down at my back. On the last, I only held one while two dangled. Hell on my grip. I like this set-up.

Front raises:
2 x 16   45 lb. dumbbells
1 x 12   45 lb. dumbbells
> Could have done 16 on the last, but I was beginning to sway too much, bringing my back into the movement. Down, boy.

Cable rows:
4 x 8     150 lbs.
> Surprisingly heavy after the pulling motion of the front raisees, coupled with the short rest times (gym was about to close). My grip was even taxed by this.

Hammer curls:
1 x 10   50 lb. dumbbells
2 x 8     50 lb. dumbbells
> Wanted to use the 55s, but I had to rush to leave before closing time. Extremely short rests.