1/30/17

Got behind posting workouts, then had a couple week lay-off due to moving into a new place, getting busy at work at a bad time (always happens like that, huh?) , etc.  I never used to allow lay-offs of any kind.  They suck.  I'd wager for nearly 10 years the longest I went without being in a gym was  10 days.  Now layoffs have become something almost normal every 2-3 months or so - I've had far too many in the past 18 months.  In any event, the new apartment will make getting to the gym absurdly easy (I literally live on top of it).  I also have a nice outdoor area I'm looking forward to doing some kettlebell conditioning, including loaded carries.

1/29/17

Squat
135x10
135x5
225x5
225x3
275x3

RDL
135x5
135x5

Bench
135x10
135x5
185x5
225x5

Facepulls
3 sets

Cable chops
4 sets (I forgot how to do these, need to re-learn).

12/14/16

Squat
275x5
275x5
275x5
225x8

Conventional Deadlift
315x3
315x3
315x3

Cardio
-Incline Walking
-20 mins
-2.5 mph
-10 degree Incline

Notes
Tried conventional tonight.  Actually felt pretty good.  Natural.  Going to work with it for a while.

12/12/16

Cardio

Incline Walking
-25 minutes
-10 deg. incline
-2.5mph
-Avg. HR 116 bpm

Notes
-Nothing noteworthy other than that my avg. heartrate is significantly lower if I do not lift directly before cardio.  I expect this delta to drop as my general fitness improves.

12/11/16

Upper/Lower

1. Squat
275x5
275x3
275x3
225x8
225x8

2. RDL
135x10
135x10
135x10

3a. Mid-Grip Incline (30 degrees)
135x12
135x14
135x16

3b,  DB Row
65x12
65x12
65x12

4a. Hyperextension (glute dominant.. I think)
12; 12

4b.  Cable Curls
40x12; 40x12


Cardio - Incline Walking
-35 Minutes
-2.5 mph
-10 degree incline
-Avg.  HR 131 bpm

Notes
Squat woes continue, but every session I'm relearning stuff I once had mastered.  In short, I need to get my glutes back in the game, and start using my core the way it was intended.  Out of everything, the most effective exercises of the day was the RDLs... I realized that if I was bracing correctly, my hamstrings weren't actually tight.  They are tight when my movement is cock-eyed.

On a boring note, the incline walking is feeling good.  Yes 2,5mph is incredibly slow, but the incline adds some flavor to it.  Going to continue this until I'm at 45 minutes, 3.0 mph, 10 degree incline, and with a heart rate under 135 bpm.

12/08/16

Upper - Strength


1. Bench
245x2 @ 7
260x2 @ 7
275x2 @ 8
225x8
185x8

2. Pendlay
185x5
185x5
135x10

3a. OHP
135x8
135x8

3b. Band Facepulls
2x12

Notes
-Feeling fine.  Will lowly ramp up volume over the next few weeks. Overall volume is  more important to me than weight on the bar right now.

12/06/16

Lower - Strength

45 minutes of warm-ups and mobility work

1. Squat
135x5; 135x5; 135x5
185x5; 185x5; 185x5; 185x5; 185x5
225x5; 225x5;225x5......................blah

2. 90/90 split squat
2/2; 2/2; 2/2

3.  Squat
225x3... I think 2 reps in there might have been an actual fucking squat. yay

4.  Back Extension (glute squeeze)
10; 10; 10

Notes
Frustrating session.  My left hip has been killing me just walking around.  It takes forever to "undo" my wretched poor posture and get into a decent position under the bar (hence the 45 minute warm-up).  So much work to do.  Once I am not totally fucked posture wise, I'll start loading the bar.  However, you can't undo a shit sedentary lifestyle with a few stretches and gym sessions a couple times a week.

This is going to be a long, painful process. Rebuild and activate core, regrain movement, unlock joints, etc. I'm not looking forward to it.  I'm still going to do it, I'd just rather be loading the bar and worrying about the simple stuff: strength and recovery.  Not whether its finally time to get an MRI on my hip.

12/04/16

Cardio

Incline Walking
-30 minutes
-2.2mph @ 10 degree incline

Notes
Got a new heart rate monitor/fitness tracker - Garmin Fenix 3 HR. It rocks.  My heart rate was barely breaking 115 during this "cardio" so its time to slowly increase speed and/or incline.  I'm doing incline walking for a number of reasons: 1) low impact; 2) almost entirely fat-burning; 3) easy; 4) little impact on recovery; and 5) re-training my walking gait.

The last one - "walking gait" - is important for me.  I've re-developed a very pronounced heel strike when walking around in dress shoes the past 3 years.  In law school, I spent a lot of time and effort building up to full runs/jogs with minimalist shoes using a more natural "forefoot" strike.  The incline treadmill helps a lot with this, because you naturally (or if you think about it) strike the tread with your forefoot, as opposed to your heel.  If I had a readily accessible grass hill, I would prefer to train on that.  In any event, the idea is to build up some calf/ankle stability through walking, and then transition into minimalist jogging.