got in the gym today for a little tricep and lat destruction. a good easy training day. had some good discussion with some of the other dudes in the gym about keeping the joints healthy. recommended  one guy buy some rehband and horse liniment. i swear by both! the other dude got my discourse on yoga...yes i do it and it does help.

i have noticed that my joints are not the best they have been. part is abuse and the other is age. it happens... but we have to take care of them. as i mentioned stretching or yoga is a great way to help along with proper care. i have used my rehband sleeves for a long time now. they help keep my joints warm when training. also the horse liniment works wonders in that department. supplements like glucosamine and cissus can be beneficial also, but i have not had great results with those.

so here is todays training, might not seem like much but it is effective.

rolling extensions
25x8, 30x7, 35x6, 40x5, 45x4, 50x2, 60 7 singles

pushdowns
100x8 7 sets

1 arm rope extension
40x8 7 sets

face pulls
120x10 5 sets

neutral grip pulldowns
150x8 5 sets

treadmill 45 minutes
---trying to get more cardio in, but i hate it so much!

i think i pulled something

i have to say that i enjoy the looks all the tools and toolettes give me in the gym. i don't lift like everyone else and i certainly could care less to... i do what i want for my own reasons and that is to as strong as possible. but what really gets me is some crossfit moron giving me dirty looks as i lift. serious? you are push pressing less than 100lbs...i don't even warmup with that.

enough of me bitching...i have set out to push press 300lbs this year. and what a better place to do it than at a comp where i can break a record. in september there will be a record breakers comp in davenport, florida. the masters record is what i am going after. the current masters HW record is 300lbs. maybe if i diet i can break the LW masters record which is 280. if only they would have stones, the record has been in the books since 2003 at the first comp i ever competed in.



Romanian Deads on smith
315x3, 365x3, 405x3, 455x1---too light went up a bit 505x1 5 sets

band pulls on smith from mid shin to mid thigh
315 plus purple band 3 reps 7 sets

bar end holds 135, 180, 225, 270, 250, 225---10seconds and 5 seconds

holds in shrug machine 540 3 seconds 2x---that sucked! 450 10 seconds 2x

just one of those days

i just needed to dig out the lil jon...






i can certainly feel the old me coming back: a little attitude and a whole lot of stupid. other than a sore lower back i have been feeling good. think i need a new bed... excited to see a comp added in july, now if i can make it there. since i am trying to get my feet under me again i am just happy to train, but i have a feeling next year will be mine. the goal is to qualify and make it to nationals. there are some personal goals i have thrown in but i will keep those to myself for now.

machine press 140x5, 180x5, 205x5 2 sets, 230 5x5, 220x5 2 sets, 200x5 the next sets were drop sets 180x5, 140x9, 90x10

split press barx5, 95x3, 135x2, 155, 180x2

jumped on the elliptical for some HIIT cardio and then the treadmill totaled about 25 minutes.

that was it! an easy day in the gym. 

Counting

Always counting sets, reps, pounds...but what does it mean? Are we just idiot savants or chronic OCD counters? What makes the counting worthwhile is the end result.



Press lockout in smith
315 7 singles

Machine rows
320 5x5

Pushdowns
120 10x7

Cable curls
100x25

Treadmill
45 minutes

it's deadliftin time!

2 enormously insane days of work have left me frustrated. my work isn't physically demanding but it is mentally draining, deadlifts were the much needed cure. so after work i headed over to the gym. was not sure how it would go since my back acted up on me...

deadlifts off 2" box
315x3, 365x2, 415x1, 445x2 singles --- went for a third but got it halfway.

deads off floor
445x1, 415x1, 365x1, 315x5

really happy with this training. the deads exploded off the floor for me. on my way home i could feel my back tightening up..such a great feeling. i think 600 will be easy this year.

so done with this

it way i am feeling song and quite appropriate for the way i am feeling. done with the crappy feeling and sorry attitude. time to make some shit happen. of course the 14 hours of sleep i just got helped too. headed to the gym with a lift or die mentality today.

push press 1x5x145, 1x4x175, 1x3x205, 5x2x225

squat machine 5x10 360

machine press --- my math skills were shot at this point, what i thought was 150 was really 240! anyone want me to balance their checkbook?
1x5x240, 5x5x250, then i did drops, which i will keep in the program 230x2, 180x3, 90x10

hopped on the treadmill for 20 minutes, add in the ride and i did 40 minutes total of cardio.

weight is about 253-4

some days

some days you just feel like saying "fuck it" that has been my thought for the past few. don't know what it is...but i just have been feeling mentally crushed and physically exhausted. both of those have taken their toll on me.

physically i feel like i am rundown and run over. i have hit good training when i have gone into the gym but after i have just been empty. eating has not been a problem, sleeping either. i have been getting plenty of both.  i also have really cleaned up my eating. sticking to food i have to cook and staying away from fast food.

mentally i'm not in it anymore...motivation and concentration are out the door. i would prefer to sit here and do nothing than even try something. i have been anxious about work and tired of the mean rude individuals that call. don't get me started on the downright dumbasses... i can sense that part of the issue here is the lack of competitions in my area. nothing scheduled till september which leaves me with a lot of idle time to question my reasons for doing this. also i have no one left to challenge me in the gym or in training. i have set goals but have not been able to focus on them.





solutions, besides a heavy dose of slayer. well physically i have rested which has helped the aches and pains go away. i have tested out a supplement which is supposed to help repair the damage done and get me going again. also i have begun stretching every morning...yoga... one other thing i did was to fast for a few days to get the nastiness out of my system. can say i have felt better after doing that.  mentally i have had the most challenges...after i do my yoga i meditate. very tough to do...i also have been reading some decent books which have helped me focus on more than me.



and let me add that you can sometimes find motivation in the strangest of places. was watching ken burn's baseball, part where they talk about the return of the yankees to greatness. no i  have not become a follower of the evil empire but was in awe of the story of their manager, joe torre. he played for years never getting the chance to win or make it to the big game. he had shining moments but never the champion. as a manager he was fired from several teams, but steinbrenner took a chance on him, a chance that paid off with 6 championships....

Coming Alive

So after resting my low back for 2 weeks and mulling why I put myself through this pain, I hit the gym. Just like the song title I am "Coming Alive" Must be the combination of watching the Arnold last night and just sheer insanity but I really want to get in and kill it. My personal goals still stands...300lb overhead this year.
So here is what I did:

Push press  1x5x135, 2x4x165, 2x2x190, 5x1x205
Squat machine 5x5x630 facing in/out totaled 10 sets
Seated press 140x5, 190x5, 5x5x250
Treadmill 30 minutes
Weight 253

Started over with the Sheiko program but only focusing on pressing this time. Will be doing leg and back work but nothing like the program calls for. Also upping the cardio. I expect to get in 2-4 hours on my bike per week along with 90 minutes treadmill work in the gym.

Nothing else too exciting going on...I did find out I am permanent at my job, nice feeling after the last year I had. Hope I get a raise...