Happy 20th anniversary to this training log! It was the 9/19, so even though I'm typing this on 9/20 the workout was done on the actual day. That's a long time. So far, my arms are well short of the 30-inch biceps I should have with this amount of lifting. For the next 20 years, my goal will be much more realistic: 40" biceps to signify 40 years of training.

Squats (high bar)

325 x 15

Incline bench press

185 x 10, 10, 7, 8

Super-set with lying dumbbell rows

115s x 4 x 8

Spider curls

50s x 3 x 12

Drove a lot for work today and back was feeling stiff. I had plans to reach 315 x 18, but adding reps really tests my back stability so I opted to lower it down to 15 and increase the weight instead. I was feeling tired and just a few reps in I felt ready to shut it down if my back started hurting, but as usual, I was able to keep going.

My left shoulder has been hurting a little so I reset the bench weight down to 185 to go for higher reps and an extra set. I've been doing Turkish get-ups with 15 lbs that I haven't been recording and they've been helping, but I should do dead hangs more consistently.

Monday:

Press

190 x 3

135 x 4 x 10

Pull-ups

Bw x 10

50 x 3 x 10

1-minute chin-up

20 axle curls (30 lbs) for elbow rehab

5 lb increase on that top set. Slowly getting stronger. Despite the increase in carbs, the scale says I haven't gained any weight. We'll see what these rib and ground beef Costco lasagnas have to say about that. I'm looking to gain for fall, but more slowly and with less sugar than last year. Whereas before I was eating 2 eggs in egg whites and bone broth for breakfast first thing in the morning and then 3 eggs in the same concoction for a mid-morning meal, today I had 5 eggs first thing and eggs mid-morning at the office. Thank goodness for Costco.

Tuesday boxing:

Noticed one bigger guy being very intense during shadowboxing and throwing hard punches, so I asked him to partner up during drills. One person would stay against the wall and defend while the striker throws any 4 shots, pivots to either side, and throws a hook. After some variations on this, we held mitts and donned the shield. Dude had great power but slowed down very dramatically. Credit to him for not being one of those people who stop to catch their breath, though. 

Afterwards he goes "Not gonna lie, your punches made my shoulders hurt from holding for you" and I told him "You say it, I'll say it: mine too!" We had a laugh and he asked me how I "get veins to show", which is something people fixate on far more than arm size.

 This update is basically going to cover the work week.

Returned to the boxing gym on Tuesday after a 1-week hiatus. After 3 rounds of shadowboxing, we partnered up for several drills. The one I remember: 1 person throws jabs, other defends and occasionally counters with a 1-2, original striker responds with 1-2-3 when that happens. I partnered with someone I have a good rapport with and has a powerful right hand. This hyped me up to really blast the mitts and later the shield when it was my turn. Felt tired but didn't slow down. 

Returned for Wednesday's class, which was shadowboxing, rounds on the bag, and a fitness circuit including battle ropes, med ball slams, kettlebell squats, and more. No partner work.

Felt surprisingly sore in my hamstrings from those 100 kb swings earlier in the week. Back has also been hurting this week, but as of Friday it's feeling a lot better.

Despite back pain, I was able to squat without issue last night.

Squats (high bar)

315 x 17

Kb pullovers

25 x 20

Incline bench press

200 x 7, 8, 7

Pull-ups

Bodyweight x 12

50 x 8, 8

Spider curls

50s x 3 x 12, 12, 10

Rewatched the Muhammad Ali documentary When We Were Kings afterwards before bed. Old favorite.

Also got some training stuff in the mail: 2 new bands and a couple of 3 lb hand weights for shadowboxing.

 Ended up having a total rest day yesterday except in the morning before work: 50 band pull-aparts and 5 Turkish get-ups. Also did some yoga and banded reverse hypers using the couch as an anchor for an exercise band in the evening. Just felt like I needed to rest and recuperate. I trained hard Friday night and Saturday morning, got little sleep over the weekend due to my internal clock not allowing me to sleep past 8am, and I've been experiencing headaches in the back of my skull as a result. 

Went to bed early last night and got very good sleep, then went out in the gym at about 6:40 am.

1-minute dead hang

100 swings with 50 lb kettlebell

10 ab wheel reps (5 lying, 5 standing)

Feeling refreshed and ready for boxing.

2-board press

360 x 1

Swiss bar incline bench press 

195x3x7, 1x6

Lying dumbbell rows 

115s x 4 x 9

Incline skullcrushers 

50s x 2 x 7

35s x 10

Spider curls

50s x 4 x 10

Pressing 360 was easy. I've been eating more carbs so I figured I've gained some weight this past week, but the scale says I'm the same. I haven't been slacking on the cardio and it's only been a week, but the strength gains are noticeable. 

Back to the boxing gym next week. For today, I'm about to hit the beach to end the weekend.

 Damn, what a night. Was on my feet at work all day and was feeling tired, so I half-heartedly got set-up to squat at 8pm ready to post-pone it until the next day but the lure of the iron won out tonight.

Squats
440 x 3
Drop-down to 405 x 3, 315 x 8, 225 x 8, 135 x 8

This felt so much easier than 430 x 3 last time. Used low bar for the top set and high bar for everything else. Very interesting experience. Felt like I was going to fall forward when I switched to high bar. Low bar felt more secure than last time (no sensation of the bar about to fall off my back), but elbow still hurts when I walk the bar back and unrack. Trying really hard not to press my hands into the weight, which feels like the problem for my elbow, but to pull the bar down into me instead. Haven't got it 100% yet. High bar gives my elbow a total break.

Very happy to be getting stronger in the squat again.

Mat pulls (3 mats)

500 x 5

Romanian deadlifts 

315 x 2 x 8

Bulgarian split-squats

80 x 3 x 10

Barbell shrugs

315 x 20

Reverse hyper

200 x 3 x 12

Russian twists

25 x 3 x 20

15 hanging leg raises

Deadlifted in the garage for the first time. The flat ground made it feel like I was cheating. Still capping reps at 5 to keep my back feeling healthy, but I had more in me.

Going to be spending more time today cleaning the space and working on my hybrid indoor/outdoor set-up.

Bench press 

225 x 3

275 x 3

300 x 3

Close-grip bench press 

235 x 8, 8, 8

Meadows rows

90 x 10, 10, 10, 10

Incline dumbbell press 

80s x 10, 10

Keg curls

160 x 12, 12

 

I'm at a point where I really know my body well and am picking loads that I know for a fact I can hit. 300 was the perfect amount for where I'm at right now. I wanted to go with 315 but reasoned I haven't earned that yet and the way to get there is work back up. 

Still feeling under-the-weather. Was in San Francisco with family yesterday for my cousin's wedding party and I opted to cancel my desire to go out around town afterwards because of my congestion and head pressure. Ate so much high calorie junk food. When we arrived, I scarfed down pizza and Chinese food. People were laughing at how badly my paper plate was sagging from the weight of my portions. Afterwards, we stopped and got steak burritos.

Post-workout shot. Those shorts used to be tight on me.