9/19/2021
90 minute soccer game
Notes: It’s a 28-and-over league in the Bay Area, and I can still compete pretty well with this age group. We lost to a really strong team. I had 2 goals and an assist, so gotta be happy with that. Really fun to play again.
9/20/2021
Midday (after my class)
DJ Minimalist workout:
4x10 BSQ: 115, 155, 205, 255 lbs
4x10 BP: 115, 135, 185, 215 lbs
Pull ups: didn’t have the ability to weight them, so just plenty of them
OHP: 10-5-10 reps at: 65, 95, 125 lbs
Curls: 10-5-10 reps with DB pairs of: 27.5, 37.5, 45 lbs
Trip push downs: 10-5-10 just ramping it up each time
Hanging leg raises: 10-5-10 making the variation a bit tougher each time:
Face pulls, prying goblet squats, KB halos as well.
Notes: First time back in the University gym to do a real workout since the pandemic. Full of students, which made it tougher to get the station I needed. They tend to defer to me, which is nice. Feels like normal times again, minus the face masks on everyone.
So, is this a good thing then?
Overall I’d say yes. While the garage is great, there’s still something about being around a vibrant gym. My plan it so work out there 2x a week after my class, and then use my garage the rest of my training days.
I LOVE the Uni gym.
Pre-covid, I went first thing and there’s a really consistent crew with some really smart ppl (an MBA student, an English grad student and three of us undergrads). The conversations were awesome, but sometimes it felt like there’s a tradeoff between workout efficiency and learning.
Once, I took two hours to finish the workout because the MBA guy essentially gave a 45min lecture about managing taxes and retirement accounts
Now bc COVID, the gym has a 1hr time limit and less ppl go, so this sort of thing doesn’t happen anymore. I miss it
You definitely need to find the balance of saying “hello, how’s it going?” vs “What are your thoughts on Biden’s policies?” in a busy gym. I have no interest in long gym conversations or losing too much time between sets. Because I’m a professor and one of the few in the gym, the students don’t really try to engage me in long dialogue which I’m good with.
I do get the “I’ve never seen a professor lift so much” comments fairly regularly. I’m not doing anything crazy by the standards of those on this forum, but loading up a second or third plate and cranking out clean reps out will really impress the skinny college kids.
9/21/2021
AM work:
wearing a 30# vest:
2 miles on Airdyne
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
2 miles on Airdyne
Took about 43 minutes
Notes: This will probably be the extent of my workout today (except for biking to work and home) so wanted a solid effort. Gonna try to keep WV work front and center in my training for the foreseeable future, just take some schedule adjustments now that I’m back full time in the classroom and labs.
I imagine you’re putting a few of these young stags to shame
Wait till you unleash the burpees
I actually think my thumb may be handle them now. It’s my brain that needs convincing.
9/23/2021
Some quick AM work
Wearing a 30# vest
1 mile Airdyne
50 reps OHP @ 95 lbs
50 pull ups
50 KB snatches
1 mile Airdyne
Notes: Have a midday soccer game, so wanted to keep this brief and not-to-taxing. Still exploring ways to fit in my scheduled training between my now fairly rigid work schedule and the start up of soccer and getting into mountain biking. I found Jim Wendler’s article on how he trains with weight vests these days to be really conducive to my approach.
Here’s what I have come up for now:
Dan John’s Minimalist Strength program (2x a week of barbell-focused training)
Weight vest work with Airdyne (3x a week, often on the same day as soccer or mountain biking)
Soccer/mountain biking/conditioning (2-3x a week)
I’d like to get in a sprinting session 1x per week, but some weeks I have a hard time finding where/when to fit in.
9/23/2021
Midday
1 hour of soccer
Notes: 4 on 4 on astroturf. Man, I thought I was in shape but getting back to playing sports uses different muscles.
Also note: I need to start eating more! I’m down to 170 lbs, which is about 5 lbs lighter than I like to be. I made a second lunch, but need to be putting more food away.
9/24/2021
AM (had to get this in before work)
DL: work up in doubles to 325 lbs (was gonna go more, but decided this was adequate)
BP: 4x10 (ramping up from 115, 155, 185, 215 lbs)
Barbell shrugs: 10x155; 5x205; 10x255 lbs
Ab roll outs: 10x on knees; 5x standing but with a wall to help up; 10x standing
1x20 SLDL with KBs
3x25 calf raises
100 KB shrugs
Notes: Even though I got started early (7 am) it was still tough to get this in and get to my office in time. My usual plan is to workout at the University gym, but I just won’t have time today with classes and meetings. Glad I got it in.
The workout is based on the Dan John Minimalist workout (lower body-focused day) with some modifications.
9/25/2021
75 min of mountain biking
Notes: Super fun way to get in some conditioning. I’m a bit crazy and ride a single speed, rigid mountain bike. I have never seen anyone else on the trail with either of these, let alone both. But to me it really adds to the fun and challenge.
9/26/2021
Soccer game
Notes: I was going to work out later in the day, but no chance of that. I was pretty sore from the game the rest of the day. Being in “gym” shape is a lot different than running and cutting and all the lateral moves and contact of a game.
9/27/2021
AM work:
DJ workout:
BSQ (in sets of 10): 115, 155, 205, 255 lbs
BP (in sets of 10): 115, 155, 185, 215 lbs
Pull ups: 10, 5 + 35 lb; 11 + 50 lbs added
OHP: 10 reps at 75; 5 reps at 95; 12 reps at 115 lbs
DB curls: 10 reps with 25’s; 5 reps with 35’s; 15 reps with 45’s (I remember when getting 10 here was tough for me)
Tricep push downs: yes, did some
Side bends: 10 with 50 lbs; 5 with 65 lbs; 10 with 85 lb
100 KB shrugs
Notes: Got it in before work. The warm up took longer to get me loose, but I feel much better for having done it.
I like these workouts, but hate logging them. Too much to write.
9/27/2021
Quick PM work:
Plate raises with 45 lb plate: 20. 15, 10 reps
Supersetted with lat raises with 12 lb DBs: 15, 12, 10 reps
Notes: Feeling good!
9/28/2021
AM work
wearing a 30# vest:
2 miles on Airdyne
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
2 miles on Airdyne
Notes: To me, this is the “one workout to rule them all”. A great blend of strength and conditioning all wrapped up into one. Doing 100 pull ups with 30 lbs extra is no joke. I try to do explosive push ups, and the squats are really more of an endurance/mobility undertaking. I keep toying with goin all-in on this like Jim Wendler recently outlined on his website, but I do like my barbell work.
9/30/2021
AM work
wearing a 30# vest:
1 mile on Airdyne
50 pull ups
50 reps OHP @95 lbs
50 KB snatches @ 18kg
1 mile on Airdyne
Notes: Midday soccer, so this was a shorter session.
9/30/2021
Soccer was canceled, so went to the Uni at lunch and cranked out the following:
1 mile on treadmill
100 push ups
100 face rows
100 Russian twists
1 mile on treadmill
Notes: Working out with a mask on sucks. At least the gym was relatively empty, and I was able to do my thing without interruption. Also, I forgot how much I hate treadmills. Enough complaining, at least I got some extra work in today.
10/01/2021
AM work
DL: work up in doubles to 345 lbs
BP: 4x10 (ramping up from 115, 155, 185, 215 lbs)
Barbell shrugs: 10x155; 5x205; 15x255 lbs
Ab roll outs: 10x on knees; 5x standing but with a wall to help up; 10x standing
1x20 SLDL with KBs
3x25 calf raises
100 KB shrugs
Notes: Might run this one more week, or switch it up starting next week. The structure is very doable mentally, and the longer list of exercises is a change for me.