[endlessscott]

I got kinda bored earlier tonight, so I went to hit the bag again.

Bas Rutten Tapes
5 x 2 minute Boxing rounds

It felt good to hit the bag. I'm dying from the complexes earlier, but in that good way.

[endlessscott]

Double

[endlessscott]

I didn't train today, but something happened and I thought I should write about it. A friend from high school died in a car accident. I haven't talked to him in years, but his death upsets me. It takes me to a place I am trying to escape. A place of complacency and avoidance. We were never the greatest friends, but we grew up playing sports together and had many of the same classes in school. Our senior year of high school, we played a lot of basketball together, but that was really the last we'd spoken. Sure, we were Facebook friends and such, but we never talked or anything after that.

I wish now we had kept in touch, at least just a little bit. Perhaps a phone call or an email wouldn't have hurt. I'll never talk to him again. Perhaps I wouldn't have anyway had he not passed on, but the fact remains he's gone forever. I don't want the complacency of a comfortable life anymore. I don't want to run away from things, or to avoid things because it's easier. I know people grow older and grow apart, but we don't have to forget everything that isn't in front of our faces.

I'm trying to take positivity away from this. Shit can change overnight. I don't want to take life fore granted (sp?). I want to live hungry for life, because in a way, death stares us all in the face. I suppose everyday is only as much of a challenge as you make it out to be. I'd like to think of every day as more of an opportunity though, an opportunity to make the most out of life as possible. Not everyday can be a life-changing experience, but everyday is a fraction of your life. I don't want to be caught up in the dumbass drama of my life lately, because that shit is so much smaller comparatively to what happened to a family I knew this weekend, or what happened to thousands in China yesterday.

Lift weights because you fucking can. We're able-bodied. Use it. Push life to its threshold, both physically and mentally. Pick up as much weight as you can off the floor. Study something you don't understand until you do. Be a pinnacle of what a human can be. When you say you're living life, really mean it.

I'm sorry Tim.

[endlessscott]

Good lift today. I keep hitting PR's everytime I work out, so I think one of these days I'm going to just figure out my true maxes.

Squat
5 x 185
5 x 225
5 x 275 (new PR)
4 x 300 (PR)

Bench
10 x 135
5 x 185
5 x 185
10 x 135

I've toned down on the weight, trying to get to a solid 5 x 5 on 185 before I move up. When I get to the 200 mark, nothing moves very well. I've been studying up on form tips lately, so I'm trying to put it all together.

Close Grip Bench
8 x 135
6 x 145
10 x 135

Bent Over Rows
5 x 135
5 x 155
5 x 155
5 x 155
5 x 155

This was a pretty good day in the gym. I'm happy about the squat numbers, though I think sometime this week I'm going for one rep maxes on squat and deadlifts. I might go hit the bag or something, though I need to get ready for my friend's wake soon.

[endlessscott]

Okay, so I've been more concerned with drinking all the time instead of lifting. Lame, I know. I'm going to get back on track either tonight or tomorrow, depending on when I get over this hangover.

I have been active, playing some basketball, golfing, and doing yard work, but there's no excuse other than I had an awesome time drinking heavily four nights in a row.

Yesterday I did a little lifting, I was just showing a friend my squat rack and how to squat and deadlift. He's a scrawny guy with a lot more power than you'd think, and he might come up to lift every now and then. He seems interested, so we'll see.

I did a few sets just to show him, then he wanted me to do something heavy, so I did (for me, anyway):

Squat
5 x 135
5 x 275
3 x 300 (old PR)
1 x 325 (PR)

Man, it's a great weight for me. It was the fist squat I've done that truly tested my mettle. It was rough coming back up, but I got the rep. I think I'm getting closer to a 1rm, which I'll probably look to find later in this week. One day, I'm just going to do single reps and move up 5 o 10 lbs. until I find my max, and then base workouts off of it.

Deadlift
1 x 135
1 x 225
1 x 275
1 x 325 (PR)

I was surprised at how easy I pulled 325. It's a PR for me, but it didn't really feel much different than when I pull 275 or 300. I'll be working for a 1rm later this week on this, too. I think I'm just going to take a day to only deadlift, going up 10 lbs. at a time until I fail. I'm thinking I'll be able to get near 400 lbs. soon, though who knows what sticking points await.

It's nice to constantly move up in weights, but I want to find my maxes soon. I want to base workouts off of my own numbers, and I'd also like to be able to judge a nice safety zone to know where I'm comfortable.

I'll get something else up here soon, maybe a heavy bag round too. Boy wanted to do the barbell complex again today, but it's too wet outside, and I'm not up for being winded like that with all the binge drinking I've been doing.

[endlessscott]

Greatest lift I'd had in a while today. After I fought the hangover off, and napped a bit, Boy and I hit the iron hard.

Squat
5 x 225
5 x 275
5 x 325 (old PR)
3 x 345 (PR)

345 felt really good. The last rep pushed me to the edge, but I got it down and up.

Deadlift
1 x 225
1 x 275
1 x 325 (old PR)
1 x 345 (PR)

Pulling 345 was so much heavier than 325. I thought my feet were going through the floor.

Shrugs
10 x 275
10 x 275
5 x 325
10 x 275

We decided to throw in a couple of supplemental exercises at the end of our sets, so I did curls (dun dun dun).

Curls (with some random assortment of weight, probably about 70 lbs.)
15
15
15

Pushups
10
8
5 (slipped off the handle on push up bars)

This was an excellent workout. We really pushed ourselves, and Boy did everything I did. He's probably stronger than I am, but he hasn't been doing DL or squats for terribly long, so he's come a long way.

I decided to give up alcohol during the week, so I can put more energy into working out. I need to start hitting the bag again too.

[endlessscott]

My elbow is killing me right now, from falling off the push up bar yesterday. It was ok all day, but I went down to the basement try out some new things and the elbow starting acting up.

Bas Rutten Boxing
2 x 3 minute rounds

I made it through two rounds, but the elbow started giving out. The wind wasn't there either, but that will change.

I did some new core-type stuff. I draped elastic bands around a pole downstairs and did makeshift sledge swings until I get a tire and sledge. Nice little core workout though.

I might have to wait a day more on the elbow to lift again. I hope not, though.

[endlessscott]

It's been a few days. Oh well.

Power Cleans
5 x 135 and 5 x 135 buddy combo
5 x 135 and 5 x 135 buddy combo

Boy and I did two complexes of them, switching off quickly.

Bent Over Row
5 x 135
5 x 155
5 x 155
5 x 155

Hanging Cleans
0 x 135 (fail)
5 x 95
5 x 105
5 x 115
5 x 115

Hanging Row
5 x 95
5 x 95
5 x 95

This was a nice shakeup lift. I bought Amazon.com: Men's Health Power Training: Build Bigger, Stronger Muscles with through Performance-based Conditioning: Robert dos Remedios, Michael Boyle: Books, so I think I might shake it up a bit. I've only skimmed so far, but it seems it has a lot of good info.

Bas Rutten Tapes
8 x 2 minute boxing

This was absolutely cathartic. I was dogging a bit after 3 rounds, but I wanted to hit 5 rounds. Once I got to the fifth round, I decided for six. Somewhere in that round, the mind disappeared and I became a primal beast. I started shouting and grunting instead of exhaling on my punches. I'd yell at the bag, and curse it, tell it to fuck itself between rounds, and keep hitting for a few seconds after Bas told me to stop. It was fucking beautiful. I wanted blood, I'm built to kill.

[endlessscott]

Got one in today. My elbow was hurtin' again, so I cut it a little short to ensure I could do my heavy bag rounds (which, surprisingly, didn't hurt at all on the elbow)

Squat
5 x 225
5 x 275
5 x 295
5 x 295

I've been hitting the BBQ and beer a lot the last few days, so the strength just wasn't there. I guess I can't go for PR's every time out.

Bench
10 x 135
10 x 145
8 x 155
4 x 145 (fail)

The elbow started to give way on the last set. Lame.

Elastic Band Core Complex (sounds so gay)
10 x fake sledge swings - right shoulder
10 x fake sledge swings - left shoulder
10 x overhead rotations
repeat 3 times

I don't know what the names of these things are, but they feel good on the core.

Bas Rutten Tapes
4 x 2 minute boxing

I've been getting nice workouts since I started letting the bag swing more and moving to follow it.

I decided I'm sticking with the somewhat random routine I've been doing for a few weeks now until I hit 405 on my squat and deadlift (bench can suck it). Then I'd like to implement some of the stuff in the book I bought.

[endlessscott]

I am a golden god. Hahahahaha.

Deadlift
1 x 225
1 x 275
1 x 325
1 x 355 (couldn't lock it out)
1 x 365 (new PR)
1 x 375
1 x 390 (PR)

This felt amazing. I'll hit that 405 soon, maybe next week. The 800 lbs. contest has kind of pushed me a bit. I need to buy more weight now, though. I switched to an over/under grip after I failed 355, and it made the difference. I'm pretty happy with myself.

Pullups (off the floor)
5
7
7

I want to do a pull up, so I draped a bar across the rack and did some from the ground.

Buddy Curls
1, 3, 5, 7, 9

I felt left out, Boy and his friend were doing them.

Bas Rutten Tapes
3 x 2 minute Boxing

I only got through three rounds, but after my deadlifting I don't give a fuck about anything else. Time for beer and wings.