[Zerocrew1984]

sherdog has been sucking lately. nice workouts

[ThinkGreen]

Nice lifting man, making some good progress for sure. Keep it up

[theNuge]

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

RE Upper Body

General Notes: I decided to do push-ups today since every time I bench press lately I feel something tweak in my back. They were a lot harder than I thought they would be and I wonder if it had something to do with doing them in the Shirley Machine (great use for that by the way). Doing them on a bar so your chest touches the bar seems like the range of motion increased.

Push-Ups on Bar in Shirley Machine
-------------------------------------------------------
Notes: I didn't exactly know how I should warm up for these.
3 reps
3 reps
5 reps
5 reps
7 reps
15 reps
14 reps
12 reps

Total Max Rep Sets: 41

DB Floor Presses
---------------------------
50's x 10
50's x 10
50's x 10
50's x 10

Pull-Ups
-------------
3 w/ Light band and 5 w/ Average Band
3 w/ Light band and 5 w/ Average Band
2 w/ Light band and 3 w/ Average Band
1 w/ Light band and 3 w/ Average Band

Barbell Shrugs
-----------------------
135x10
155x10
185x10
205x10
225x10

Hammer Curls
----------------------
30's x 8
25's x 10
25's x 10

Abs
-------
1. Regular Swissball Crunches 20 reps
DB Side Bends 50x13
2. Regular Swissball Crunches 20 reps
DB Side Bends 50x10
3. Regular Swissball Crunches 20 reps
DB Side Bends 45x10
4. Regular Swissball Crunches 20 reps
DB Side Bends 45x10

[theNuge]

Thanks for the support guys.

I think tomorrow I'm going to do a Dynamic Lower Body day. I think some box squat doubles and high-rep deadlifts are in order. Since I'm going on vacation on Tuesday and I won't be able to lift for a week or so I'm not worried about this ruining my lifting for next week.

[theNuge]

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

ME Upper Body

General Notes: I did not feel strong today at all. I also read the Press and Push Press section in Starting Strength and I realized I haven't been doing those lifts correctly. I think this resulted in a big FAIL today on the Push Press and on my max attempt for SOHP. After the FAIL I think I overdid it on my pulls by adding a few sets of band-assisted pull-ups .

SOHP into Push Press
------------------------------------
* SOHP *
45x5
65x5
85x3
95x3
105x3
115x3
125x1 --> was trying for three reps
* Push Press *
125x3
135x2 -->
* SOHP *
115x3
115x2 -->

Mini Band Push-Ups
--------------------------------
Notes: It was hard to keep the band under my arms. However, they were still hard and in my opinion useful.
6 reps
6 reps
6 reps
6 reps

Average Band Pull-Ups
-------------------------------------
8 reps
8 reps
8 reps
8 reps

DB BOR's
----------------
50x10 (each arm)
60x10 (each arm)
65x10 (each arm)
65x10 (each arm)

Light Band Face Pulls with Neutral Grip
------------------------------------------------------------
12 reps
12 reps
12 reps

Low Pulley Swissball Crunches
------------------------------------------------
70x6
50x10
60x10
60x7

[theNuge]

I'm going on vacation for a week and I won't be able to lift. I'm thinking this isn't a bad thing. My body could use a break. The sciatica in my left leg has been going strong for a good two months now. People keep saying it's not a herniated disk but I don't know...

When I get back I'm going to add some sets of Hyperextensions, high-rep Deadlifts, and 45-Degree Hyperextensions. I want to try and add some muscle mass to lower back and maybe that will get rid of the sciatica...

[ThinkGreen]

I would suggest doing some GM's as well

[theNuge]

Originally Posted by ThinkGreen

I would suggest doing some GM's as well

I think you're right. I'll have to add those as well.

I'm starting to think I need to design my own program based on what I think works for me...

[theNuge]

God, I need to post this in my log because if I don't I feel I'll be in jail for the murder of two morons.

There are two guys that go to my gym who I can only describe as metro life partners. I've seen these morons do two leg exercises in the five months I've been lifting at my gym. And I don't mean I've seen them do two types of leg exercises on numerous occasions. I've only seen them do one set of leg presses and one set of calf raises. This isn't too surprising given the whole community of curl monkeys out there. However, every time I see them I just want to end them because of what they possess. They possess what's best described by Leonardo Dicaprio in The Departed: "... a scumbag sense of entitlement." I swear to God everytime I do a squat, box squat, deadlift, SOHP, BB BOR, etc. they look at me like I'm a moron and go on banging out their sets of DB front raises, bench press sets, tricep pulldowns, skull crushers, etc.

OK, I feel better. I don't have to murder them now .

/RANT

[theNuge]

Friday, June 13th, 2008

General Notes: I wanted to get some lifting in before I started my program again on Sunday since I've been on vacation and not lifting for twelve days. I figured I would do a dynamic effort lower body day since I've never done one before and I'm going to be doing upper body on Sunday. Joe Defranco and Elite Fitness recommended NOT using bands if you're a novice lifter. I took that advice and man am I glad I did. I was supposed to do 12 doubles and I was only able to do 10 because my hamstrings threatened to cramp on me. I can't imagine what it would have been like if I would have used bands.

Box Squats
-------------------
45x10
65x7
85x3
115x3
* 45-60 seconds rest between the following sets *
155x2
155x2
155x2
155x2
155x2
155x2
155x2
155x2
155x2
155x2

Hyperextensions
--------------------------
10x8
25x8
25x8
25x8

DB Side Bends
------------------------
50x12
50x12
50x12

GHR's with Strong Band Assist and Catching Myself
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: I did these using a bench and the power rack. Good grief these were so hard. I couldn't believe it. I started with an average band and my legs nearly cramped. I think it had something to do with my never doing them before. I'll have to try them again on Tuesday.
5 reps
8 reps
8 reps