Coming Back From the Dead

Ten days since my last squat day. Should be good and recovered . Better be, feeling depressed today.

Squats
75 x 10
95 x 8 ever notice how light weights are miserable? need heavier stuff to see if you’re getting anywhere
125 x 3
155 x 5 now this was easier than I expected, just up and down
165 x 5 ooh, last rep was almost a grinder. Guy next to me said “Good one! You making us look bad!”

concentrate. if I focus right, I can make the next one easier

165 x 5 it worked! tough, but no grinders

Cybex leg curl
75 x 10
75 x 12
better than last time

felt a little better leaving the gym

Got very good student evals on the class I taught at the new school. Then the boss reminded me I was hired on a fluke and don’t expect to teach any more classes there. Mixed messages.

Ten days since my last bench. Still continuing on my abbreviated routine. Must focus on . . .

Bench
45 x 12
75 x 8
95 x 8 easy
125 x 5 whuff, not so easy. Concentrate . . .
125 x 5 better
125 x 5 almost easy

strange thing, I always arch my back in PL fashion, but this time my back arched itself - I just snapped into position lying down. Weird. But very gratifying.

Bar curl
55 x 8
55 x 8 tough, but good
55 x 10 wow - really felt good on this one

was planning to end the workout there. But was feeling good. Feeling “can’t I do a little more?” So . . .

Rope pulldown
70 x 12
80 x 8
80 x 8 good
80 x 8 last couple tough, but made it

Still wanted more . . .

DB lat raises
10 x 10
12 x 6
12 x 6
12 x 6

with pauses at the top.

OK, finally left . . . but felt better than when I walked in . . . which is noteworthy.

[quote]cavalier wrote:
Must focus on . . .

Bench
45 x 12
75 x 8
95 x 8 easy
125 x 5 whuff, not so easy. Concentrate . . .
125 x 5 better
125 x 5 almost easy

[/quote]

you know i’ve had a similar thing lately, i’ve been doing 5 sets of 5 for bench and often i think i’m not going to make the next set, and then it ends up being easier and faster than the last set! Weird.

Old tendons and joints take a while to get moving but that advanced strength still likes to show up and take the day. Happens to me frequently.

I’m wondering if it’s something CNS. The sets train you to put out max effort. Not something you do in everyday life (well, not mine), so need the first sets to get ready for the good one. It does seem that I have to concentrate on it to make it happen.

Probably the big flaw in the “one set to failure”, one set just isn’t enough to kick it in. That, and going to failure.

[quote]cavalier wrote:
I’m wondering if it’s something CNS. The sets train you to put out max effort. Not something you do in everyday life (well, not mine), so need the first sets to get ready for the good one. It does seem that I have to concentrate on it to make it happen.

Probably the big flaw in the “one set to failure”, one set just isn’t enough to kick it in. That, and going to failure.[/quote]

i personally believe that one set to failure only works for really really strong or advanced bodybuilders. by then they are doing so many warm up sets its not really one set to failure anymore anyways.

[quote]zenontheterrible wrote:

[quote]cavalier wrote:
I’m wondering if it’s something CNS. The sets train you to put out max effort. Not something you do in everyday life (well, not mine), so need the first sets to get ready for the good one. It does seem that I have to concentrate on it to make it happen.

Probably the big flaw in the “one set to failure”, one set just isn’t enough to kick it in. That, and going to failure.[/quote]

i personally believe that one set to failure only works for really really strong or advanced bodybuilders. by then they are doing so many warm up sets its not really one set to failure anymore anyways.
[/quote]

And I was doing one set to failure for years when I first started out - the last thing I needed. I remember how surprised I was when the ortho doc had me doing multiple sets of rehab stuff each day, and it actually worked. (To help my scoliosis.) Hey, how could I argue with Mike Mentzer and Ellington Darden?

Yeah! i also followed Dardens stuff religiously for about a year. My bench press was stuck at about 125 for almost that entire year, despite always going way beyond failure (negative reps) and benching 2-3 times a week! I was continually sick end exhausted from leg presses to failure and beyond. I was shocked when i switched to a Chad Waterbury routine (the 25 method) and hit a 185 bench within 6 weeks, and didn’t feel like shit all the time. Anyways that was along time ago now.

I’m a much slower learner, sad to say.

OK. Don’t know if I’ve posted this, but I’ve lost weight. Quite a bit. Ten months ago I was around 212 - 215. Had been like that for years. Then I got it through my head I was a fat fuck and should do something about it. So did some fasted cardio off and on for a few months. Got bodyweight down by 5 pounds . . . then 10 pounds.

I was still eating pretty solid at this point. Didn’t do anymore cardio the spring semester, so busy, but walking around so much kept the weight off. Recently doing the new routine, which seems to be going very well. Sonofagun . . . still losing! Just got down to 198 today. First time in years I got back under 200. Strength still good - maybe better. Eating well, but not quite as hungry. Looks like I’m leaning up. Yay.

Deadlift (sumo)
95 x 10
135 x 8
175 x 3
205 x 5 good
215 x 5 better!
225 x 5 great!

I’m standing a bit further away from the bar, which just goes right up. Still had something in the tank.

Cybex crunch
110 x 10
115 x forget it
90 x 6 hold and sqeeze
90 x 8 hold and squeeze - god that hurts

hmm. Deads do a number on lower back, and work traps - but lats? There’s an interesting lat machine?

Flite pulldown
50 x 12
90 x 10 pause at bottom
90 x 10 pause

good workout

Semester started. Also started: bills from hospital. How do I pay this shit?

Squat day. Was really hoping to hit 175 for my working sets. Well . . .

Squat
75 x 10 got really low, s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d nicely, felt so good. But did it ruin me for the rest?
95 x 8 low also, but seemed a little harder
135 x 3 regular, good
165 x 5 ugh. REALLY hard, hope next one is easier
165 x 5 a little easier, but still tough
165 x 5 took all my will power for this one

Cybex leg curl
75 x 10 a little more ROM, stretched a bit at the bottom
75 x 8 figures, this was tough
75 x 6 stretch and squeeze at top. well, if you’re stricter in form, you gotta expect to croak faster

Leg press - kinda PO’d at my squatting, want to punish legs
90 x 10 stretch all the way down, then explode up
90 x 10 stretch and explode
90 x 10 stretch and, well, up

pretty stressful. Good dinner, nap.

Happy Birthday to me . . .

OK, turning 58. Bleah. Now that I have the wisdom, no young body to use it on. What’s the saying - youth is wasted on the young. Oh well, onwards . . .

Decided squats would had gone better if more days since deadlifts. So will put bench between them.

Bench
45 x 12
65 x 8
85 x 6
95 x 5
125 x 5 damn, that seemed tough, almost hit failure . . . but I just can’t stay at this weight. Gotta take the risk and go up.
130 x 5 whew! did it!
130 x 5

Arm curl
55 x 10
60 x 5
60 x 5 hmm, these are going well

Rope pulldown - really want to put tension on tris
70 x 12
80 x 9
85 x 6
90 x 6 good stuff

DB lat raise
12 x 8
15 x 4
15 x 4
15 x 4
all done with brief pause at top

Happy Birthday, Cav! You should see some positive results from putting bench between squats and deads.

Happy birthday! I hope it’s the start of a great year.

Happy Birthday! Not sure if I want to go through the learning curve of youth again, but would be nice if gravity was a bit kinder.

[quote]hawkcapt1912 wrote:
Happy Birthday, Cav! You should see some positive results from putting bench between squats and deads.
[/quote]

Thanks, Hawkman! I think I will - once I get tons of rest and recovery, things start working.

Thanks, Snap. Funny thing about birthdays - they really let you know time is running out. I’m determined to reach my goals!

Thanks, Techno. To be honest, I wouldn’t want to go through my boyhood again unless it was with different parents - let’s leave it at that.

My apartment had a yard sale Saturday, so I spent all day outside trying to get rid of stuff. So I put off gym to the next day.

Deads today. Feeling really refreshed.

Deadlifts
95 x 8
125 x 6
155 x 4
195 x 3 feeling good
225 x 5 very good
230 x 5 hmm. last one a bit shaky. Seem to be running out of steam, better pyramid down
195 x 7 could have done a couple more, but decided to quit while ahead

Deads really take a lot out of you (and in other news, water is wet). Gotta be careful not to burn out. However, felt very good and strong.

Rope pulldown crunch
This was done on double pulley machine - the kind that makes the weights too light.
60 x 10 too easy
80 x 10 too easy
110 x 100 COME ON, WHERE’S THE CHALLENGE??
150 x 12 that’s the whole weight stack and it just started to get tough
150 x 12 sqeeze, pause, whatever to make it a good set

Hyper extension
25 x 8
25 x 8
That’s a 25 lb plate. Got a little tough, but wanted to work glutes, Hmm, seemed to work back more.

Great workout! My back was TOAST.

Happy BDay albeit a touch late!

yeah, happy belated! and your weight loss is impressive, keep up the good work!

Happy Belated Bday!

Thanks, everyone! Better late than never!