I Am Back... And Weaker And Fatter Than Ever

DUDE!

I’m with Cav. You’re strong as f##k.

And I heartily endorse the bronzer, the shaving, and the pursuit of the six pack (in either form).

Apparently my posting will be of the weekly variety rather than daily. I figured I would post this tonight just in case tomorrow really is the end of the world.

Highlights of the week-

Physical therapy x 3 at the VA this week, therapist is attempting to take away my cane, I for one don’t think she is tough enough to make that happen. I have ended each session in a full body sweat with my ass actually “quivering” like a scared baby rabbit.

Chiropractor x 1- as bad as PT made me feel as an active participant, the chiro made me feel worse as a passive victim. On the plus side I can turn my head almost 360 degrees after his “adjustments”.

Lowlights- I worked out

5/16

Bench- w/ups- 315x3, 345x3, 365x3, 385x2, 405x1x1 (all pauses)
Dips- 15,12,12
Flyes- 65’s x 12x12x14
BBell Rows- 255x5x5x5
OHP- w/ups- 185x3, 225x3, 255x3, 265x2

5/17

Front Squats- w/ups- 225x5, 245x3x3
Stiff Legged Deads- 225x8, 275x5, 315x5
Leg Curls- weightx 12x12x9
Leg ext- weightx 15x18x15
Curls- 65’s x 5, 75’s x5x5
Abs-25,22

5/18

Bench- w/ups- 315x3 x 8sets fast as possible
Incline BBell- w/ups- 225x8, 245x5, 275x3x3
CG Bench- 225x12, 275x8x8x5
OHP DBell- 80’s x 8x8x6
Pulldowns- weights x10x10

5/19

Deadlifts-w/ups- 315x2, 365x2, 405x2, 445x2, 475x2 (felt really heavy)
Squats- w/ups- 275x3, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 425x1
Abs-25

5/20

Bench w/ups- 315x3, 345x3, 375x3, 405x1, 225x20
Flyes-50’s x 15x15x15
OHP- 135x15x15x15
Dips- 18,15
BBell Rows- 225x8x8x8

All in all not a bad week, lots of volume, some more weight, lots of professional repair work done etc. I am pretty pleased with my rehab to this point, I am hoping that the watchful eye(s) of all these professional healers will keep me injury free for the foreseeable future.

5/22

decided to mix it up today, got to the gym and did the same thing I always do. I made the mistake of listening to another lifter that looked strong, wasted 15 minutes while he broke down the secrets to getting stronger then watched him attempt suicide via weights. I chalked it up to a life lesson and then proceeded to underwhelm myself.

Bench- W/ups- 315x3, 350x3, 375x 1 and then 1 on my forehead, got out of the groove and had to put the bar in lowest rack, scraped my forehead doing it. Karma for laughing at the other guy. 315x9
Dips-15,12,12
BBell Rows- 245x3x3x3
Machine Flyes- weightx 12, 10,10
Curls-70’s x 5x5x5
OHP Seated- w/ups-225x5x3x3x3 (I know when I am beaten)

There are huge numbers in here. Inspiring.

All this PT / chiro talk has me thinking. I do a fair amount of foam rolling and stretching but I`m always tight. Maybe I need to find a quality meat tenderizer to loosen me up.

Thats some badass pressing Brian.

Joe,

Ty, you must have missed the part where I dropped rep#2 on my noggin.

Mon 5/23/11

Still no Apocalypse which means today is…

Deadlifts- w/ups- 315x3, 365x3, 405x2, 445x2, 475x1, 500x1x1 (5 plates and a 2.5 for good luck) Hip was yelling so I called it there.
Cleans- 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 245x3x2
Box Squats- W/ups- 275x3, 315x3, 365x3 More hip ouches.
Good Mornings- 225x5x5x5
Shrugs (to build yoke : ) ) 365x8, 405 x8, 455x5
Back Extensions w/45 lb plate-15,15,12
Abs- scared to count

Done. That was harder than it looked on paper, but you live and learn, my hip is on fire. By far the best part of the workout is leaning my cane against the rack for squats, I look like a proper English gentleman rather than a fat pseudo-cripple, I then pick it up and hobble to the fountain for water banging into shit the whole way.

Amazing how much weight you move considering your disabilities at the moment. Leaning your cane against the cage in order to DL 500 lb. and box squat 3 x 365. Shit.

x2 on what snapper said.

Thanks Pete and Snapper, I like to think of the cane as an affectation…that stops me from falling over. My injuries don’t make me weak so much as clumsy, I can squat down to grab a bar but walking creates an interesting set of challenges as far as balance/stability etc.

Today
5/24/11

Bench- w/ups- 315x3, 365x3, 405x2 (take that 375 face plant), 315x8, 275x12
Incline DBells- 105x5, 110x8x6
Dips-20,18,11
BBell Rows-255x3x3x3
DBell Flyes- 70x8x8x12
Curls-70x5, 75x5, 80x5
RC W/Band- 20,20,20
Tanning- 8 minutes (Going on a vacation, want to get cancer before I go)

Felt good today, and fairly motivated, weighed 302 had lots of gray hair, went motorcycle shopping today I feel a midlife crisis coming on.

5/27

Mix it up day High Reps/Low Weights/Short Rests (60-90 Secs)

Bench-W/Ups- 225x25 x20 x16

OHP- 135x28 x19 x19

Deadlifts- 275x 23 x 15 x 11

Cleans- W/Ups- 225 x 13 (Bad Idea) 185 x21 x 18

BBell Curls- 105 x26 x 14

Shrugs- 275x 22 x 20 x 14

Feel like hammered shit, but somehow proud of doing more reps today than the rest of the year combined. Two hours (and two showers) later and I still can’t stop sweating.

Started Bill Starrs 5x5 madcow today, still sore from the high rep workout but since tomorrow my gym is closed I figure today would be a good way to get started and then hit day 2 on Wednesday (because I am soft).

Squat- 185x5, 235x5, 285x5, 335x5, 375x5

Bench- 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 365x5

Rows- 115x5, 150x5, 185x5, 210x5, 235x5

Weighted Hypers- 45 x10x10

weighted Sit-ups- 45 x20 x20 x18 x15

Simple and to the point.

Thank you Madcow.

[quote]BrianHanson wrote:
5/27

Mix it up day High Reps/Low Weights/Short Rests (60-90 Secs)

Bench-W/Ups- 225x25 x20 x16

OHP- 135x28 x19 x19

Deadlifts- 275x 23 x 15 x 11

Cleans- W/Ups- 225 x 13 (Bad Idea) 185 x21 x 18

BBell Curls- 105 x26 x 14

Shrugs- 275x 22 x 20 x 14

Feel like hammered shit, but somehow proud of doing more reps today than the rest of the year combined. Two hours (and two showers) later and I still can’t stop sweating.

[/quote]

Cripes!!! That’s a lot of volume.

There’s nothing quite like a rep change for a bit of variety. Going from 3’s to mid 20’s?, you don’t do things by halves do you?

Insane.

So I finally bought the “5/3/1 for Powerlifting” E-book, read it and realized that there is more to it than the workout templates, so since I start and stop programs all the time (since they beat me up and I am a frail little bitch) I decided to start it this week on monday.

6/6/11 Based off of a working max of 265 (10% or so off max)
Military- 175x5, 200x5, 225x9 (PR of sorts, I’ve never actually tried repping out on this)
BBell Rows- 245x8, 265x5 225x12
Dips- 21, 20, 18
BBell Curls- 115x14, 135x8, 155x4 (first time not using DBells in years)

6/7/11 Based off of a working max of 480 (10% off max)
Deadlift- 315x5, 360x5, 410x11 (had a few left, probably a rep PR because I am lazy)
Good Mornings- 245x10x5 sets
BBell Rollouts- 15,15,15,12,9

Wed-Off

6/9/11 Based off of a 415 working bench max (10% off actual max)

Bench- 270x5, 315x5, 355x7 (decided against pauses probably had 1-2 left in the tank)
Incline Bench- 245x8, 265x8, 285x8
Dips- 24, 20, 17
Pushdowns- weights x 100 Reps over 5 or 6 (or 7) sets I lost count

I know it’s early but the % and the volume seems to agree with my aching bones, for squatting I will be doing sets of 2 since my body doesn’t deal well with reps in that particular exercise, plus again I am lazy.

6/10 (also my 16th wedding anniversary, found out regret doesn’t make you stronger)

Squats Moderate Width- W/Ups- 365x2, 405x2, 425x2, 445x2 x2 x2
Front Squats- 225x2, 245x2, 265x2x2 (will invest in padding as I am frail and it hurt)
Box Squats Wide- 315x2, 365x2, 405 x2, 425x0 (just fell forward with the weight into the rack)
BBell Curls- 95x20 x20 x14

As I wrote earlier I can’t (won’t?) do “high” reps on squats simply because of my ankle flexibility issue, so I have decided to stick with 2’s for now

6/12/11
Military- W/Ups- 185x3, 215x3, 240x5 (probably had 1 more maybe 2, probably 1 though)
BBell Rows- 225x8, 245x8, 255x7
PullDowns- Weights x 12 x 14 x 10
BBell Curls- 95x10, 115x10, 135x6

6/13/11
Deads- W/ups- 335x3, 385x3, 430x6
GoodMornings- 245x8, 265x5, 285x5, 225x14
Hanging Leg Raises- 15, 15, 15, 15 (did this in front of a mirror, I need a tan)

Since I really didn’t track rep PR’s I am just saying that most of the top end weights are rep pr’s and trying to go up from there.

So you’re doing 5/3/1 for all lifts except for 2s on squats? Looks like you’re moving some really good weight. Glad the program is agreeing with you thus far.

And the comment about your wedding anniversary?

Snap,

Yeah I’m going to follow 5/3/1 (sans the squat days) as long as it works so hopefully it will be as useful as I have heard. The “regret” comment is because my wife checks my log every now and then and I like to fire her up.

6/18/11

Missed a few days due to a wake in New Jersey, came back to find my early fathers day present, the Slingshot from Mark Bell.

Bench- W/Ups- 290x3, 335x3, 375x5 (maybe 1 or 2 left)

This is where it gets silly:

Slingshot Bench- 315x16, 365x10, 405x7, 425x4

Push-ups w/Slingshot- 71, 68, 60 (felt like I was back in the Army)

I also got some bands from EFS because my kids love me, red bands and grey (or white?) bands, which I can’t wait to use on squat days. The Slingshot work really does what it says, my chest and tris’ are smoked, my elbows and shoulders feel great (for me anyway). Now I just have to figure out a way to get stronger using it.

Very cool on the slingshot. I’ve never thought of doing pushups in one. Not that I have one. That would really be silly.

7/13/11

Took a break (I do this a lot) went to the Outer Banks with my wife and kids for 10 days, then spent 5 days at home cleaning sand out of my crack and looking for homes in Rodanthe, got back to the gym today.

Bench- w/ups- 315x5, 345x3, 365x3, 405x3, 365x5, 315x10, 275x12, 225x15
Incline- 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 275x8, 225x10
Push-Ups- 40,40,33
Dips- 15, 15, 15
OHP- 135x5, 185x5, 205x3, 225x3

Done for the day.