Striking a Balance

October 15th


Warm-up: Internal rotation, air squats, pull-aparts, plate raise.

This week, I have been on a short getaway with mrs Doomy, so no exercise and in fact nothing healthy at all, these last few days. Time to get back on track. (He wrote while drinking from his can of IPA - it is Friday after all.)

Overhead press (C10W3)
22 x 5
58 x 5
61 x 3
64 x 5
68 x 1
71 x 1
74 x 0

My press PR are 72kg, so were mightily please to get to 71, especially as my feeling is that I have lost some strength. In fact, it went up relatively easily, so got adventurous, but that was not to be.

Chin-ups: 8,6,6

Barbell floor press: (C7W3)
79 x 5
83 x 3
88 x 5
100 x 3
105 x 2 (PR)
110 x 0

On Sunday I will meet up with the coach at the new gym with the goal of him making a programme for me. I have a feeling that it will be less strength & barbell oriented, so wanted to test where I am at on the press and floor press. Even though I failed it, I think the 110kg would have been within reach, had I been a little more fresh. But 105 is a lifetime best, so Iā€™ll take that.

Dumbbell rows, kroc style:
32 x 28
32 x 28
32 x 28

Keep progressing on the high rep rows, by just trying to add a rep or two each time. Sometimes keeping it simple is just best.

Push-ups: 30,30,40

Deadlift
78 x 5
118 x 5
118 x 5
118 x 5

Well, as I will start a new programme soon, I obviously will not finish my current second daily dose cycle. So just fooled around doing what felt intuitive, but not overdoing it.

Lateral dumbbell raise: 12x 12,12,12
SS Straight arm pull-downs: 12,12,12

This was the last session of my cobbled together of bits and pieces programme, at least for a while. A little sad as it has worked well for me, but time for something new.

7 Likes

Looks like youā€™re kicking things up a notch and more focused since you came out of the rabbit hole a few days back. good on ya.

1 Like

October 17th &19th


So, this is the first week of my new training regime. Sunday were a session with the coach, where we(he) made the program, while doing the exercises without worrying much about counting reps & sets. This was more about finding weights, correcting form and stuff like that.

On Tuesday, I did the first workout in this program.

Warm-up:
Air squats
Back lunges
Leg stretching

Floss voodoo:

  • Voodoo tendon twist/knead. (Basically just working the areas through with your hands)
  • Voodoo air squats
  • Kneeling voodoo quad stretch

This is something that I have now tried thrice and which seems to have an amazing effect. Basically you wrap the leg under and above the knee real tight in elastic bands (tight enough to hamper blood flow.) Then you do a little work while wrapped up to break stiff tissue / scar tissue inside the fibers.

Leg bar roll (Using a barbell as a foam roller to work the backside of the leg from ankle to ass.)
This hurt quite a bit, so guess I really need this.

The workout itself is focussed on building strength in the back chain, which should help the iffy leg, and no barbell work to spare my wrist which has also been an issue for quite a while.
The idea is that I basically do this with just a few variations for 6 weeks and then we will make a some changes.

Goblet squats, fast: 16kg x 15 x 2
SS Goblet squats, slow, paused at bottom 16kg x 10 x 2

Trapbar deadlift: wu, then 100kg x 8 x 4

WU for pressing: Cubans & pull-aparts

Arnold press: 12 x 8 x 4
SS 1 arm dumbbell bench press: 20 x 8 x 3, 16 x 8 x 1

This hurt my shoulder a lot - especially the one arm press. Really strange, but hopefully it is weakness leaving the body.

Wu for pulling: external rotation with dumbbells

Dumbbell rows: 30kg x20,15,12, 26kg x 15
Chin ups - rings: 3,3,2,2
BW inverted row (trx handles with feet on a platform): 8,6,6

The rep numbers on the chins is me being really generous when counting what substitutes a rep; I could barely do them, which was unexpected. This is an exercise which I know is hard for me, so have always programmed them at the start of a workout.

Push-ups: 35,25
(This was not in the program, but I barely felt the one arm stuff in my chest, so decided to stray from the program and throw a few in.)

Electric prowler: Did 60m @ 60kg x 2 & 40m @ 50kg
They do not have a prowler - but they do have two of the electric versions - basically a heavy duty threadmill that simulates pushing a prowler.
Now, I do not have any experience with a real prowler, but this was damn hard and had me gasping my lungs up at the end. Will make sure to do some work on this regularly, seems like it could add some of the conditioning, that I lack.

Thoughts so far:
It has been beneficial to have something go over my form and correcting various bits and pieces. While the coach was mostly happy, there were some corrections here and there that actually made the exercises a bit harder - hopefully they will also make them more effective.

And it has been really an eye-opener to discover how static and planned my workouts had become - and how hard stuff became when doing it differently (In particular the cutting rest times in half both in between sets and in between exercises took its toll. Somebody is in dire need of some conditioning methinks.)

Example: used to always do first chins, then some push, then another pull, then push, then legs etc - with 2min rest between sets and a few minutes pause between most excercises
Nice and comfy - and what I had learned made it possible reach my numbers for each.
Adding different exercises, done with less rest and switching the sequence up, made this unexpectedly hard.

6 Likes

October 22nd


The last two days I have been out with a stomach bug (probably something I ate), and thus missed yesterdays training. (Did not feel up to it and if there is one lesson learned from this covid mess, it is that one should not go around risking infecting others if feeling unwell. Did get a test yesterday and have gotten confirmation that it is not covid.)

Today I have kind of a busy day, so am just getting in what I have come to think of as the ā€œBalou wodā€ (yā€™know - just the bare necessities - stuff that needs to be done and a quick ā€œare we alive thereā€ shout out to the major muscle groups)

Warm-up: Voodoo floss sequence, some pull-aparts and internal hang

2 rounds done as a superset:
Frog crunches: 40
Sideplank w/twist: 20
reverse hypers: 30
X-walks: 15
Lazy hips: 20
Chin-ups: 7
Push-ups: 25
Goblets squats: 16x 15
Lateral dumbbell raise: 12x 12

6 Likes

October 24th


Warm-up: Air squats, back lunges, internal hang, cubans, pull-aparts

Corrective: Floss voodoo sequence left leg, bar roll massage

Goblet squats, fast: 16x 15,15
Goblet squats, slow, paused at bottom: 10, 10

1 arm Dumbbell bench press: 20x 8,8,8,8
Arnold press: 12x 8,8,8,8

Trapbar deadlift: 100x 8,8,8,8

Turned out the center closed at 6, which I did not know, so had to cut it short. Got the most important stuff in, so was ok.

Seems to be adapting a bit to the new training style, but am very winded throughout and for the heavier stuff, are not back to normal breathing after a one min rest.

6 Likes

October 26th


Busy day, so done at home.

Warm-up: Air squats, back lunges, internal hang, pull-aparts

Corrective: Floss voodoo sequence - left leg

Goblet squats, fast: 16x 15,15
Goblet squats, slow, paused at bottom: 10, 10

Chin-ups: 6,5,5,3

Dumbbell floor press: 22x 15,15,15,10

Arnold press: 12x 8,8,8,8

1arm dumbbell row: 32x 20,12,15,15
There is simply no way I can do meaningful work on this with only 60sec rests. Screw it, adjusted to 120 sec.

Deadlift: 58x5, 100x 8,8,8,8

7 Likes

It never fails to surprise me how much dumbbell rows tax the cardio system.

2 Likes

Yeah, had never really realized it, but they really do. But then again, it is actually two somewhat taxing sets right after each other. (first one, arm, then the other).

1 Like

October 28th


Warm-up: Air squats, back lunges

Corrective: Floss voodoo sequence - left leg

Goblet squats, fast: 16x 15,15
Goblet squats, slow, paused at bottom: 16x 10, 10

Chin-ups: 5,4,3,4
Switched this towards the start of the session, made a lot of difference. But rings seems a bit more difficult (or different anyway), than doing chins from a fixed bar.

1 arm Dumbbell bench press: 20x 10,10,10,8

Arnold press: 12x 10,10,8,8

1arm dumbbell row: 30x 18,18,16,16

Trapbar deadlift: 60x5, 100x 8,8,8,8

BW inverted row: 8,8,7
Push-ups: 35,25
Electric prowler: 50kg x 50m x 4

6 Likes

October 30th


I am generally happy with the new program - switching focus from building strength to conditioning and athleticism is probably a wise thing to do at this point in my journey.

But some basic stuff is missing, so I will try to do a fourth weekly workout focussing on core and assist stuff. And perhaps some bro stuff for good measure

Exercise Reps
Pull-aparts 20,30,40
Internal rotation Full (4 exercises)
External rotation Full (4 exercises)
Air squats 10
Frog crunches 40,40
Sideplank w/twist 20,20
Reverse hypers 30,30
V crunches 20,20
Band corkscrews 20,20
Banded good mornings 25,25
Band leg triple exercise (Hip/glute/quad) 25,25,25
Lazy hips 25,25,25
Dumbbell hammer curls 12x 25,25,15
Band triceps pull downs 25,25,25
Lateral dumbbell raises 12x 12,12,12

All done as a loose superset. Nothing heavy, so recovery for tomorrow should not be a problem. But got a sweat up and did some stuff that I have neglected, this felt good.

6 Likes

October 31st


Warm-up: Air squats, back lunges

Corrective: Floss voodoo sequence - left leg

Goblet squats, fast: 16x 15,15
Goblet squats, slow, paused at bottom: 16x 10, 10

Chin-ups: 5,4,3,3,3

1 arm Dumbbell bench press: 20x 10,10,10,10

Arnold press: 12x 10,10,10,8

1arm dumbbell row: 30x 18,18,16,12,10

Trapbar deadlift: 60x5, 100x 8,8,8,8

BW inverted row: 8,8,7
Push-ups: 35,25,20
Electric prowler: 50kg x 50m x 4

6 Likes

November 2nd


Warm-up: Air squats, Internal rotation / cubans, pull aparts
Corrective: Floss voodoo sequence - left leg

Goblet squats, fast: 16x 15,15
Goblet squats, slow, paused at bottom: 16x 10, 10

Chin-ups: 5,5,4,3,3

Dumbbell floor press: 22x 15,15,15,15

Arnold press: 12x 10,10,10,10

1 arm dumbbell rows: 32x 18,18,20

Deadlift: 60x5, 100x 8,8,8

I have more or less fallen into a routine, where Sunday+Thursday is the full program done at the gym, and Tuesday is what I can find time for in the morning, done at home. And with a few minor variations due to equipment and need for variety. Today it took roughly an hour.

6 Likes

November 4th


Warm-up: Air squats, Internal rotation / cubans, pull aparts
Corrective: Floss voodoo sequence - left leg

Goblet squats, fast: 16x 15,15
Goblet squats, slow, paused at bottom: 16x 10, 10

Chin-ups: 8,6,5,4,3

They finally got the cable tower installed, this came with some pull up handles, among these an angled / neutral, somewhat narrow grip, that seemed to work really well for me. Yah - a favourite new toy.

1 arm Dumbbell bench press: 20x 11,11,11,11

Arnold press: 12x 10,10,8,8

1 arm dumbbell rows:
40 x 10
38 x 12
36 x 10
34 x 10

Now that I am training in a gym, I can as well utilize all the toys for variation. For some reason they have fat grip dumbbells, which were kind a hard to grip for long at this weight. I think I will bring my straps next timeā€¦

Trapbar deadlift: 60x5, 100x 8,8,8,8

Lat pulldown, wide grip:
41 x 6
61 x 6
82 x 6
102 x 3
89 x 6
81 x 6

They have finally gotten their pull tower installed. Nice setup with 4 lat pull stations, two row stations and a cable flye station. But weights are lbs centered - making the kilos odd numbers. That is just annoying.

Push-ups: 30,30,20

Electric prowler: 50kg x 50m x 4

5 Likes

November 6th


Today a bit of core work at home:

Exercise Reps
Pull-aparts 25,35,50
Internal rotation Full (4 exercises)
External rotation Full (4 exercises)
Frog crunches 40,40
Sideplank w/twist 20,20
Reverse hypers 30,30
V crunches 20,20
Band corkscrews 20,25
Banded good mornings 25,25
Band leg triple exercise (Hip/glute/quad) 25,25,25
Lazy hips 25,25,25
Dumbbell hammer curls 12x 25, 25,25
Band triceps pull downs 25,25,25
Lateral dumbbell raises 12x 10,10,10
Ab wheel roll out 10,10
4 Likes

November 7th


Warm-up: Air squats, back lunges

Corrective: Floss voodoo sequence - left leg

Goblet squats, fast: 16x 15,15
Goblet squats, slow, paused at bottom: 16x 10, 10

Chin-ups: 8,5,3,3,3

1 arm Dumbbell bench press: 20x 12,12,11,11

Arnold press: 12x 10,8,8,8

1arm dumbbell row: 34x 15,15,15,15
Last time I really struggled with grip, as the dumbbells for some reason are all fat grip. Which is nice enough when pressing, but not so much when pulling. So today I brought my straps and that was really a game changer.

Trapbar deadlift: 60x5, 100x 8,8,8,8,10

BW inverted row: 10,8,8

Push-ups: 30

Did not feel like doing push-ups today. And during my first set, I spotted a shiny new toy, which I had never tried:

Landmine press (twohand):
15 x 10
30 x 10
45 x 10
45 x 8

Think this could become a staple, felt in my upper chest region, which I want to build up.

But can somebody anwer something for me: Normally I would include the bar in the total weight - but do one normally also do this for landmines? (while some of the weight of the bar is in play, it is not the whole weight.)

Electric prowler: 50kg x 50m x 5

7 Likes

I just log the plates. Or the plates with +

1 Like

What is an Electric prowler? Canā€™t even find that on google

Yeah, thatā€™s what I thought, thanks.

1 Like

Basically a heavy duty treadmill, that can also simulate the resistance of pushing a sled.

Like this

1 Like

Thatā€™s super coolā€¦ Not something i expect to see in the rural gyms i have access to in DK :smiley: