Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Giving the joints a vacation

Today I went in and did 4 x 275 DL. The right elbow-tricep tendon was complaining and afterwards the right knee. I had planned on going for a new PR today in the DL, but due to the joint pain decided to go play table tennis with Gyan and Rajiv.

I think I will give lifting an entire week off. Hopefully my joints will appreciate this gesture and come back the next week with some new enthusiasm. So until next year..... Happy Holidays!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Upper Back

Midrack Pulls: 8 x 135, 8 x 225, 6 x 405, 6 x 480
Pullups: 3 x 4 x bw
DB Shrugs: 3 x 8 x 65
DB Overhead Press: 3 x 8 x 65
Close Grip Pulldowns: 3 x 8 x 170
DB Lateral Raises: 3 x 10 x 35

Today's workout was good. I could feel that sensitive tricep tendons going into my elbow during the DB Overhead Press a little.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Biceps

Seated Preacher Curls: 12 x 75 slow! 4 x 10 x 75 w/chains, 4 x 75 w/chains + 15# DB hanging on each side
Standing Armblaster Curls: 8 x 75, 8 x 85, 8 x 95, 8 x 105, 8 x 115
Alternating DB Curls: 2 x 65, 4 x 60, 6 x 55, 8 x 50, 10 x 45, 12 x 40, 14 x 35
Cable Curls: 10 x 40, 10 x 50, 8 x 60, 8 x 70, 6 x 80 (fail)

It felt good today to start out with light weight. My joints lately, especially my tricep/elbow joints have been hurting lately. It felt good to isolate the biceps today instead of share tricep work with them. I'm going to give triceps a break for a couple weeks. Today's workout was good and I didn't slack.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Heavy Chest workout

I read today in this article that its probably best to do your hardest/heaviest lifts first so you aren't tired by the time you get to them so I started today with Incline Press.

Incline Bench: 3 x 4 x 225
Flat Bench: 5 x 4 x 295
DB Flys: 6 x 50, 3 x 4 x 55
Pushups: 50

For the first time in my life lifting alone, the weight came back down on me when I didn't have a spotter. I was on my first set of Incline Press. I finished my fourth rep and got one side back on the rack, but couldn't get my left one up on the rack. The rack was too high beyond my lockout and I couldn't arch my back enough to get it up and over the edge. I started to panic just a little and unracked the other side so I could bring it back down. I knew that because it was incline I could weasle it down my front and muscle it off my lap. I was at about 45 degree angle. I was so glad it wasn't more than 225. Scared me though cause I've never had a situation like that before.
I fixed the situation by using the small posts for the weight and then the long posts for a backup system which was just an inch below my chest so I could use that if I ever have that problem again.

I set up the rack similarly for the flat bench too since I've never worked with 295 as the main weight before. The 295 sets felt very heavy and several times the little wimpy voice in my head said to give up as the first rep was coming down, but I didn't heed. In fact I ended up doing the optional 5th set that I wrote down instead of the mandatory 4. I also made pushups optional which I did. 50 pushups isn't too bad after a heavy workout. The only thing is my gut hits the floor instead of my chest and I seem to not go as far down as a result. I haven't gained a whole lot of weight lately, but I remember when I was all gung ho over pushups when I was working security and didn't have half the gut that I do now.

After Cathi has the baby we have some serious goals to lose weight together. At that point I'm going to have to do some cardio and stick with it.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Late Afternoon Back Work

Good Mornings: 4 x 6 x 115
SLDL: 3 x 4 x 295
Crunches: 4 x 25 slow and deliberate

The Good Mornings were too easy and the SLDL were pushing it especially on the last set. Didn't take much of a lunch break today and I really wanted to lift since I took the vacation off (due to being sick). Ankle is not improving much. Still at about 85-90%.

Table Tennis Tournament Results

http://www.gordongridley.us/2006/12/results-of-my-table-tennis-tournament.html

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

New Raw DL PR

DL: 2 x 245, 1 x 315, 1 x 355 (PR), 4 x 275
100 crunches (Slow and deliberate)
Cable Good Mornings: 4 x 10 x 200

Felt some pretty strange twitches going on in my mid back on the 275's so I stopped at 4 and stopped the other set I had planned. Didn't want to risk an injury. I didn't vid the 355, but I know it wasn't the smoothest DL I've ever done. Wouldn't mind hooking up with Dave Edgell for some DL pointers. Will have to do that after I get back from Vegas. I'm heading down there tomorrow morning and will be there participating in the National Table Tennis Tournament. I'm taking Austin and we are going to have a blast.

Hoping that the Stratosphere has a decent weight room since I don't think I'll be playing table tennis a whole lot. Just when competing. My ankle is at about 90% when walking, but jumping off/onto is alot worse. I hope I'm not completely disappointed with my performance as a result of it. Austin though is at the top of his game so far and I have high hopes for that boy.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Repeat of PR

This morning I slept in and man did that feel great! I was half heartedly planning on lifting with Brandon and Wayne at 5:15, and planned on doing another 405.

So at lunchtime I was able to snag Duane Ralphs to spot me for 395 and a 405 bench. I was able to get both. The 405 started to shift a little to the left near the top of the press, but corrected it and got it straight up.

Next time I'll start at 405 and go for 415 since this is the second time I've gotton 405 and probably the 4th time for 395.

Here is what I did:

Bench: 1 x 225, 1 x 315
Shirted Bench: 1 x 365, 1 x 395, 1 x 405

Given that I lifted chest on Friday and also have a tournament later this week I decided not to push it and do more than this so I went to have lunch. Tomorrow I'd like to get a new PR on Deadlift. My ankle is doing great. I would say I'm at 80% now, hoping to get more improvement by Friday.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Second Bench workout for the week

4 Block Flat Bench: 8 x 275, 8 x 315, 3 x 365
No Block Flat Bench: 3 x 315, 10 x 225
LowerHalf Only Flat Bench: 6 x 10 x 225 w/chains
Speed Bench: 5 x 225, 5 x 135

Felt good about the amount of effort put into these. Ankle feeling better. Played TT last night with Austin. Should be ready for the National Tournament next week. I ordered new Mark V rubber for two Mark V blades and replaced them and reglued my WonderBlade. Awesome.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Back

SLDL: 4 x 4 x 275
Upright Rows: 4 x 4 x 145
Bent Over Rows: 4 x 135, 4 x 160, 2 x 4 x 185
Cable Crossovers: 4 x 4 x 30
Crunches (Slow and hold at top): 4 x 25

The ankle is still very tender, but it did not give me any problems with these lifts so that's good.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Arms

Dips: 12 x bw, 2 x 8 x bw + 45
Preacher Curls: 3 x 12 x 95
French Press: 3 x 8 x 95
One Handed Cable Curls: 12 x 20, 10 x 30, 8 x 40
Tate Press: 3 x 8 x 40

I think I need to take two Glucosamine tabs per night rather than one. The tendon that connects my Triceps to the back of my elbow gets really tender when doing heavy Tricep work. Need to strengthen that joint. Felt OK about this workout. Still taking my time with the sore ankle.

I skipped my Dr. Appointment today as I'm 100% sure it isn't broken. I can put weight on it without support and can walk on it with a limp. I put on three sock on the right side today to give extra support until I get my ankle brace which I got a couple days ago per Ryan Gubler's recommendation. I'm feeling very confident that I should be close to 100% (especially with the ankle brace) by this time next week. I'm getting better everyday.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Shoulders

Seated Military Press: 4 x 8 x 95 (Alternating between in-front and behind head)
Seated CG Cable Rows: 2 x 8 x stack (@200), 2 x 8 x stack + 2 sets of chains (@230)
DB Lateral Raises: 4 x 8 x 40
Widegrip Pulldowns: 2 x 6 x stack (@200), 2 x 6 x 190

Was hoping to do 135 on the Military press, but those were way too heavy. I've done that much weight before standing, but seated I guess forces better form and I must have cheated pretty bad when I did that much before. 95 was plenty easy, probably too easy. Should have gone for 105.

Took my time on this workout. It took about an hour to do, but with the slow moving leg it takes more time to load up and I generally feel disabled having to move slow and stuff. Felt OK about the effort and weight involved, not psyched though.

Today I went without the aircast as I felt like I was part robot. Ever see those machines in Alien 2 at the end that Sygourney climbs into to fight the Alien, or the Machine those guys in Matrix 3 use to fight with that have Gatling Guns for hands? With that air cast my leg was huge and bulky and made a huge thump when I walked. So I went without it today as I could walk on it very carefully. I'm reluctantly going to keep my appointment with the Orthopedic doctor tomorrow, but I would be floored if he said it needed a hard cast due to a break.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Floor Presses

Floor Press: 8 x 225, 6 x 275, 4 x 295, 2 x 315, 1 x 335
Static Press: 405 x 15 sec, 455 x 10 sec, 480 x 5 sec (New PR - All the weight Tomax has)
DB Floor Flys: 4 x 8 x 50
Crunches: 10 x 50

On the static holds the hardest part was AFTER the weight came down and rested. My joints in my wrists and elbows were like "What the heck was that!". My grip was also starting to slide outwards just a tad. Need to use chalk when I do that much weight again.

Felt good to work out even though I'm basically a cripple. Hobbling around like an old fart. Gotta keep the upper body up while the ankle heals.

Slip up

No point in duplicating this post. But I did have a slip up this weekend which will affect my deadlifting for the next little bit. Here are the details.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Biceps

I had to run an errand during lunch so I didn't get to do much lifting, but I did get a little:

Alternating DB Curls: 4 x 8 x 50
Synchronous DB Armblaster Curls: 4 x 8 x 50

Don't usually do 50's for curls for that number of reps. Guess I'm getting a little stronger. My upper back muscles are a little sore, not bad sore, just a little and it should affect my game tonight at the TT club.