In a rare turn of events I've been sick and took two days off. Got back in the gym yesterday still feeling a bit under the weather and did a super short workout.
SSB box squats against Monster minis:
240 x 3 x 5
Overhead dumbbell press:
Right - 85 x 6, 6, 5
Javelin press:
Left - 45 x 11, 12
On the days I simply could not eat I'd spoon whey in my mouth and let it dissolve.
SSB squats:
325 x 3 x 5
> Fucking love this gym. Screamed, loud. As I increase the weight it feels more and more like the bar is pitching me forward, but my back is holding strong.
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right - 127.5 x 3, 5, 5
Left - 75 x 3 x 10
> Misgrooved on the first set but once I focused on power breathing and staying tight the weight shot up.
Face pulls:
25 reps
Pendlay rows:
205 x 5, 5, 8
> Last set felt the best. Lift more explosively, that's the point of pulling from the ground.
Band pressdowns:
2 minis x 18, 12, 12
Super-set with:
Bilateral dumbbell curls with Fat Gripz:
40s x 10, 8, 8
My shoulder is feeling great. I feel like I can go back to bilateral pressing really soon, but honestly, I'm really liking this incremental progression of working up to heavier dumbbells for it. I set it up so that my right arm is progressing at 2.5 intervals (necessary due to how much heavier I'm going) and my left is moving up at 5, so eventually it'll catch up. Once that happens and after a period of doing Turkish get-ups with my new kettlebell I think I'll be ready. Good shit. Can't ever let an injury demotivate; there's too much to do.
Got a 25 lb kettlebell and did Turkish get-ups with it for five reps before doing my usual cardio circuit, but this time with the addition of kettlebell swings. So convenient to have this at home. At first I wanted to bring it and leave at the gym, but I'd rather have it here for convenience.
Broke up my workout into two days due to time restraints.
Tuesday
SSB box squats against bands:
240 x 3 x 5
Wednesday
Deadlifts:
365 x 5
405 x 5
445 x 4
One-armed standing dumbbell press:
Right arm - 85 x 3 x 5
Javelin press: 45 x 3 x 10
Pull-ups:
12, 10, 6
> Did these in-between press sets.
Have been doing HIIT, circuits, and hungry walks regularly on off-days. Also in the process of getting things together to do Turkish get-ups at home for recovering shoulder.
Really weird thing to note: when sneezing, keep head straight. If I turn my head my shoulder feels it.
SSB squats:
320 x 3 x 5
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right arm - 125 x 3 x 5
Left arm - 70 x 3 x 10
Lying band pulls (mini and Monster mini stacked):
20, 20
Barbell rows:
135 x 2 x 10
Didn't leave feeling happy about lat exercises. I had the intention of doing lying bilateral dumbbell rows but the bench width forced my arms too wide out. Should just stick with heavy barbell rows next time I want to pull horizontally, shoulder felt fine doing them.
Really impressed with how easy 5 lb gains are coming every single week, though. Wonder how long I can surf this wave.
SSB squats:
315 x 3 x 5
> Wow. Felt so much stronger. I really think I've settled into a winning formula here.
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right arm - 122.5 x 3 x 5
Left arm - 65 x 20, 15, 12
Pull-ups:
12, 8, 10
> Stopped whenever shoulder started to hurt.
Planks
SSB box squats against monster minis:
240 lbs x 3 x 5
> Left knee was bothering me a little bit, so today I really went to extremes with band tension in terms of forcing me to lean back. Upon scrutiny, though, the monster bands seemed chaffed! Bits of the surface was peeling off and there were more stretch marks than a pregnant hillbilly at a chili cook-off. Wtf. This was my first time using them.
I may be overdoing it. This is supposed to be my back-off day, but the bands made it feel almost as heavy as when I squat max effort. I should find a way to elevate the dumbbells that they're anchored to a tad, or maybe just use weaker and more elastic bands.
Savickas press:
45 lbs x 2 x 10
Standing one-armed overhead dumbbell press:
Right arm - 85 lbs x 3 x 5
Javelin press:
Left arm - 45 lbs x 10, 8, 7
> My overhead pressing is getting frightening. This was easier than it should have been.
Good mornings against minis:
150 x 3 x 5
Pull-ups:
45 lbs x 3 x 5
> Very happy I can pull with weight again. This felt incredibly easy, too, probably from all the bodyweight pull-ups I've been doing.
Dumbbell curls with Fat Gripz:
45s x 2 x 5
SSB squats:
315 x 5, 4, 3
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right arm - 120 x 3 x 5
Left arm - 60 x 20, 15, 15
Deadlifts:
315 x 5
405 x 3, 5
> Just testing the waters here, but these ended up being heavier on my back than I expected them to be after the SSB squats. Shoulder felt great.
Pull-ups:
10, 8, 6
> Stopped whenever shoulder started to hurt.
SSB squats:
310 x 5, 5, 4
> Knees bowed a little on the last set, watch that.
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right arm - 120 x 4, 5, 4
Left arm: 55 x 20, 16, 16
Pull-ups:
12, 8, 8, 6, 6
> Terminated each set once I felt my recovering shoulder start to strain.
Did a really kick-ass press warm-up by bench pressing the bar with a band wrapped around my arms, thereby forcing me to grip the bar as if I'm pulling it apart.
I've put on a bit of fat, but it was a necessary evil to eat a lot after my injury. Started getting my shit together today again. Did an intense 6 minute cardio circuit in the afternoon comprised of burpees, mountain climbers, squat jumps, rotary kicks, and light shadowboxing, each interval'd out after 15 seconds. Later on in the late evening I went on an hour walk. Diet was high in protein and fat, but low in carbs. Let's do this.
SSB box squats with bands:
240 lbs x 5 x 5
> I'm using the short bands so the added resistance was a helluva lot.
Scarecrows:
5 lb dumbbells x 5
Savickas press:
45 lbs x 2 x 8
> Just a warm-up, but already I could tell how effective this exercise is at hammering the core.
Standing one-armed overhead dumbbell press:
Right arm - 80 lbs x 5, 5, 7
Javelin press:
Left arm - 35 lbs (EZ bar) x 5
45 lbs (Olympic barbell) x 6, 5
Snatch-grip deadlifts:
225 lbs x 5 x 3
> First rep of each set was with Fat Gripz, and after that was just a super-wide grip on the bar. I think I'm finally ready to start deadlifting heavy.
Pull-ups:
8, 8, 8
Band pressdowns super-setted with band curls
Feasted at Hometown Buffet after. Must have eaten close to 2,000 calories.
Scored a pair of both short mini and monster mini bands, along with new Fat Gripz. Plan on using them with the SSB and box tomorrow.
My numbers seem rock-solid consistent on climbing week-to-week, especially my pressing. I plan on picking up my bench press right where I left off once I'm healed and get it up to 365 for my next competition.
Had a kick-ass job going for me with a demolition crew. Basically I got paid $10 an hour to break shit with a sledgehammer. When I got there and was told what to do I practically had joyful tears welling up in my eyes as I picked up my weapon and laid waste to my ordered enemy: building. I bonded with a sledgehammer that day.
Then I got laid off 8 hours later because they found out I was injured two weeks ago, even though I'm pain-free now and can do the work no problem. PUSSIES.
Decided to drown out my sorrows with squats.
SSB squats:
305 lbs x 3 x 5
Scarecrows:
8s x 5
One-armed dumbbell press:
115 lbs x 3 x 5 - right arm
50 lbs x 20, 15 - 15; left arm
3-board press:
135 lbs x 5
> Still too much ROM for that kind of weight. Shoulder hurt. Going to ditch this.
NG pull-ups:
3 x 10
Able to do pull-ups now, no pain.
Face pulls:
20 reps
