Wednesday, 30 May 2007

Incline bench press:
185 lbs. 1 x 6
205 lbs. 1 x 3
225 lbs. 1 x 2

Tricep pushdowns (straight bar):
150 lbs. 1 x 10
180 lbs. 1 x 7
200 lbs. 1 x 6

Rear delt machine:
90 lbs. 1 x 8
100 lbs. 2 x 6

Straight-arm lat pulldowns:
120 lbs. 1 x 10
130 lbs. 1 x 7
140 lbs. 1 x 6

Comments: Not too bad for a guy with a gimpy back. No, I kid. I think it’s almost back to status quo. We’ll see how the squats and stuff Friday affect it.

On a totally unrelated note, we’re in a bit of a drought at the moment (around 15 inches below normal, I think) in addition to the heat, and the taste of the water at the drinking fountain at the gym is starting to reflect that. I’m hoping these burritos that I’m sacrificing to him will get Thor to bring us some rain. The grass is becoming crunchy.

05272007

The back is still “wonky,” or maybe a bit more so, so I’m going to reluctantly let discretion be the better part of valour and skip a day or two (maybe four?) of lifting while on the mend. I’ve been at the gym for over three months, and that’s usually how long I wait between breaks, so it may be time for a week off anyway. WE SHALL SEE.

In other news, it’s been in the mid-nineties (around 35 Celsius) for the past… uh… as long as I can remember at the moment, so I’m ready for winter again. If it’s this hot during May, I can just imagine August being a little slice of hell. Thanks to the drought, at least it’s a dry heat?

05262007

Back is still decidedly “wonky as fuck,” so I’m popping pills like there’s no tomorrow, spending a good amount of time in the recliner (it seems to work as some sort of traction, decompressing the lower spine), and walking like there’s a stick shoved up my ass. Yet I’m still going out with some friends tonight. We’ll see how that turns out.

I’d like to know what I did wrong, so that I could possibly avoid doing it again.

Friday, 25 May 2007

“Box” squats:
185 lbs. 6 x 2
225 lbs. 1 x 2
250 lbs. 1 x 2

Hyperextensions:
3 x 10

Barbell shrugs:
225 lbs. 3 x 7

Lat pulldowns:
150 lbs. 1 x 7
170 lbs. 1 x 7 (reverse/chin grip)
190 lbs. 1 x 7 (neutral grip)

Comments: My back is a tiny bit… “wonky” at the moment, and I’m hoping a night’s rest and some painkillers will help. Also, if Matt sends it to me, and if I decide that I’m not too ashamed, I’ll post the video of me doing the “box” squat and demonstrate how my dwarven legs dictate how badly we need an actual box.

EDIT: Here it is:

Wednesday, 23 May 2007

Narrow-grip board presses:
185 lbs. 3 x 5
250 lbs. 1 x 1

Tricep rope extensions:
150 lbs. 1 x 10
170 lbs. 3 x 7

Rear delt machine:
90 lbs. 1 x 8
100 lbs. 1 x 7
110 lbs. 1 x 6

Straight-arm pulldowns:
120 lbs. 1 x 10
140 lbs. 1 x 6
140 lbs. 1 x 5

Comments: Directly afterward, we went to Waffle King for a post-workout meal. Mine included a bacon double cheeseburger and a double order of hashbrowns… and a Diet Coke (I’m fucking healthy). There’s nothing like a north Georgia diner at 1:30 in the morning.

Also, my keycard didn’t work when I tried it. I’ll have to discuss that with Heather in the very near future in case I decide, for whatever reason, to lift alone sometime.

Monday, 21 May 2007

Zercher squats (last fucking sets of these for several weeks, w00t):
135 lbs. 1 x 7
185 lbs. 1 x 3
210 lbs. 1 x 1 (could’ve done another rep, but decided to save the energy for…)
225 lbs. 1 x 1

Hyperextensions:
3 x 10

Stiff-legged deadlift:
135 lbs. 3 x 10

Lat pulldowns:
150 lbs. 1 x 10
170 lbs. 1 x 7
190 lbs. 1 x 5

Comments: On his last set of Zerchers, Matthew seemingly pulled something in his back. It remains to be seen how serious the damage is and if it will keep him out of the gym for any amount of time.

My left shoulder has begun aching a bit, and I’m not sure if it’s the shoulder itself, or where the trapezius is inserted. If the latter, I’d blame it on the heavy shrugs I’ve been doing, but if not, things could be a bit more worthy of attention. I need to eventually get some kind of insurance so I can pay a visit to a medical professional (preferably corrupt and/or a weight lifter so I can get certain prescriptions from him – but you didn’t hear/read that)!

Sunday, 20 May 2007

Bench:
185 lbs. 7 x 3
215 lbs. 1 x 2

Skullcrushers:
75 lbs. 3 x 10

Seated DB clean:
30 lb. dumbbells 3 x 8

Rear delt machine:
80 lbs. 1 x 10
100 lbs. 1 x 7
110 lbs. 1 x 6

Standing cable row:
150 lbs. 1 x 9
170 lbs. 2 x 5

Situps:
1 x 15

Comments: Not a good session. Though, in my defense, I imbibed COPIOUS amounts of alcohol last night and am still quite dehydrated. Excuses, excuses…

Friday, 18 May 2007

“Box” squat:
185 lbs. 1 x 3 (oops, only supposed to be two reps)
185 lbs. 2 x 2
205 lbs. 3 x 2
225 lbs. 1 x 2
245 lbs. 1 x 2

Hyperextension:
3 x 10

Barbell shrug:
225 lbs. 1 x 10
275 lbs. 1 x 9
315 lbs. 1 x 6

Pullthrough:
150 lbs. 1 x 10
160 lbs. 1 x 10
190 lbs. 1 x 10

Comments: No comments about the lifting other than getting pissed off when this tiny dude decided to use the cable station for bicep curls and pullups (and taking his damn time) while Matt and I were resting between sets.

Oh, and thanks to the size of my legs, I’ve apparently got to squat as far as I physically can before it’s considered “parallel” and therefore legal in a powerlifting meet.

Wednesday, 16 May 2007

I forgot my notebook on the way to the gym, so I’m doing this from memory, and it may be a bit off (on the low side, given my self-deprecating manner).

Narrow-grip board presses:
185 lbs. 3 x 4
230 lbs. 1 x 1
245 lbs. 1 x 1

Cable tricep pushdowns:
200 lbs. 1 x 6
220 lbs. 1 x 6.5
220 lbs. 1 x 7
220 lbs. 1 x 6

Rear delt machine:
90 lbs. 1 x 7
100 lbs. 1 x 6
110 lbs. 1 x 3, immediately followed by
100 lbs. 1 x 3

Straight-armed pulldowns:
120 lbs. 1 x 10
150 lbs. 1 x 6
140 lbs. 1 x 7

Comments: In addition to forgetting my notebook, I was distracted by a rather large-bosomed young lass on the treadmill (and later the rear delt machine, only using it as a pec deck), prominently displaying her “assets” for all to admire. I think I admired them a bit too blatantly, for she kept glancing toward Matt and me.

Monday, 14 May 2007

Zercher squats:
135 lbs. 1 x 3 (I was confused as to whether it was max or speed day, and by the time I figured it out, I needed to put the weight back down )
155 lbs. 1 x 5
185 lbs. 1 x 3
205 lbs. 1 x 2
210 lbs. 1 x 1

Hyperextensions:
3 x 10 (I’ll need to add some weight to these sometime soon…)

Concentric stiff-legged deadlift:
135 lbs. 1 x 5
135 lbs. 1 x 6
135 lbs. 1 x 7

Lat pulldowns:
160 lbs. 1 x 8
180 lbs. 1 x 7
190 lbs. 1 x 5

Comments: Again, it doesn’t look like much on paper (on screen?), but good lord, it feels like a fuckload.

While cleaning my room earlier, I found a pair of 42″ jeans in excellent condition. I haven’t been 42″ since middle school, maybe 9th grade. I’ve got some work to do (and that work may involve copious amounts of stimulants).