Press:
130 x 3
150 x 3
165 x 8
> Disappointing, but I've been really cutting the carbs this week, so not exactly unpredictable. I also think just doing pump-monkey exercises for assist work has been a factor. Luckily I found out this week that dumbbells don't hurt my shoulder so I can get back to pressing. Shoulder shockers just weren't doing enough.
Dumbbell military press with Fat Gripz (neutral grip):
60s x 10, 10, 10, 8, 6
Pull-ups:
55 x 8, 8, 5, 5, 5
Miniband EZ bar curls:
11, 9, 7
Deadlifts:
330 x 5
375 x 5
420 x 10
> Easy PR with chalk. It really makes me wonder how held back I've been. Was supposed to only do 3 reps for the first two sets, but forgot.
SSB good mornings:
170 x 3 x 10
Ab wheel:
5, 5, 5
Weighed 208 lbs this morning.
Bench press:
210 x 3
240 x 3
270 x 7
> I was so upset about this that I actually packed up my things to leave. Then I decided to wait a while and try again. Eventually cooler heads prevailed and I manned up to finish the rest of the workout. I ended up having a blast with some creative assistance work.
One-armed neutral-grip dumbbell press:
100 x 10, 8, 10
> I fucking love these, they've never done wrong. Amazingly, I can contract my shoulder as hard as I can and it still feels fine using dumbbells, after some slight pain on the bench press. Goodbye, extensions. I'm going to make these a staple.
Kroc rows:
135 x 20, 15, 12
Dumbbell pec squeezes:
3 reps, 10 second holds, 3 sets
> Between sets of rows.
EZ bar mini band curls:
8, 8
Boxing gym was closed tonight for no apparent reason. I hate this place, haha. When I was about to head over to the gym in the adjacent room (everything is in a community center) the counter lady stopped me and explained how they only lease out to the boxing gym owners and that I have to pay to use their gym, but she'll let me in for free this time. I was thinking "Fat chance" as she explained how much it would be to get a membership.
Cycled between skipping rope for two minutes and shadowboxing for two minutes for several rounds, then did 15 minutes on the ellipitical, then 5 minutes walking the treadmill.
I filmed my shadowboxing and I'm pleased with my form when I think to fully extend my shoulder. Often I'd have a short strike, though. Will work on that more. My shoulder felt superb and I let loose some very strong jabs. I've been taking glucosamine and it seems to be doing the trick - either that, or just my months of rehab.
My butt is so sore from split-squats that I can't sit down in a controlled ascent. I'm glad to do more single-leg exercises instead of doing front squats again.
Recent pic of me at 210 lbs, and for fun, 175 lbs eight years ago:
SSB squats:
265 x 5
300 x 3
340 x 5
> My squat isn't doing so well. Now that I'm only doing them once a week I really need to make up for it with assistance work. Core felt unstable and I kept pitching forward.
Bulgarian split-squats:
45s x 8, 8, 8, 10, 10
> Never done these before. A little awkward at first but it became easier as I got used to it.
Neck extensions super-set with ab wheel
> Making use of a great neck machine at the gym.
Overhead press:
120 x 5
140 x 5
155 x 11
Shoulder shockers
Front raises: 45 plate x 8, 8, 8
Lat raises: 25s x 8, 8, 8
Seated C&P: 25s x 8, 8, 4
Pull-ups:
30 lbs x 10, 9, 8, 8, 6
Deadlifted 400 x 12 while sick. Nothing but chalk (for the first time), which I'm wishing I'd had long, long ago. Though my recovery between even just the warm-up sets was terrible just from feeling ill, I'm astonished at how easy the actual set itself was, and I could have kept going if I really wanted to start grinding reps out.
Afterwards I tried to military press 85 lb dumbbells and just had nothing left in me. Came home, ate and rested, then went to the park to do decline push-ups (4 sets) super-set with neutral-grip pull-ups (7 sets).
On Thursday I was sick as well and only felt capable of squatting 325 for 5. Gotta listen to the body sometimes.
Skipped boxing entirely this week.
Felt shaky and glycogen-low again today. Here's the thing: when I walked in the gym, I was full and lethargic. That's how long my warming-up is, though my metabolism is also pretty fast if I go from bloated to starving in 25 minutes. Crazier still is I had almost entirely low GI carbs before training: wheat bread, milk, some almonds.
Still had a good session, but I felt shaky and depleted when benching. It was a weird sensation. The warm-up had my muscles feeling ready to lift a truck, but my blood sugar felt like an empty tank. Consequently I was explosive but wild and unsteady. I bet a 1RM attempt would have been through the roof.
Bench press:
195 x 5
225 x 5
255 x 11
Barbell skullcrushers:
135 x 8, 8, 5
Kroc rows:
130 dumbbell x 20, 12, 11, 10
1 20 second chin-up rep
Went on a 40 minute run this evening. According to my phone I covered 3.78 miles at a 5.6 mph pace. I would have gone longer but I started getting ravenously hungry and feeling glycogen-depleted. My VO2 felt incredible and I wasn't having any trouble keeping my breath. I think I'm going to institute these longer sessions once a month because I do like to run.
I've been eating lackadaisically lately, but hell, if this is what my new version of being dietarily lazy is, I'm doing pretty damn alright for myself. Lamb kabob, tons of fruit, rice, organic dark chocolate, local town hamburgers, steak, dolma, red wine - when I lived with my parents eating sloppy meant losing the motivation to eat and simply forcing down a crappy frozen dinner here and there throughout the day. I'm not feasting "dirty" so much as I am just taking in more carbs than I intend to for a cut. If I gain any pounds by accident, at least it'll make me stronger.
My pant size is now a 32.
Deload
Weighed in at 210.4 lbs. Groovy.
Also a got kickass 5/3/1 app for Android that makes calculations less annoying.
Press:
70, 90, 110 x 5
Shoulder shockers
Chin-ups:
17, 8, 5, 6, 5
Band pressdowns super-set with hammer curls
The definition of "punching the clock" today. Pretty boring.
Deload
Power clean practice (up to 135)
Deadlifts:
185 x 5 (Fat Gripz)
225 x 5 (Fat Gripz)
275 x 5
SSB box squats:
300 x 8, 8
Abs
Gripping the 225 with Gripz was the easiest it's ever been. Didn't have to readjust my hold or anything.
Deload
Bench press:
120 x 5
150 x 5
180 x 5
Skullcrushers:
50s x 8, 7, 3
40s x 10, 8
> First two sets were an improvement over last time, which seemed to cause my triceps to just completely die on the third set. Way back in my Westside days I used to use the 65s, but I'm going deeper now, to the point where my forearm is basically touching my bicep.
Dumbbell rows:
160s x 5 x 6
> Super-set with cable flyes. More for my shoulders feeling good than anything, though I could always use more inner pec development too.
Bilateral curls:
50s x 8, 8
40s x 10
Relaxing recovery day. The only thing I did was some mobility and shoulder exercises, and some minor ab and grip work. Also did neck bridges.
Deload is next week. I don't hate this phase as much as I used to.
