Back on the bench

Jul17
by Duf on July 17, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Lifting Heavy Things

After sticking to safe cardio the last two days at the gym due to back pain, I awoke today feeling better.  The lower back pain was gone and I only felt some mild discomfort in my upper back where I pulled it originally.  I kept the workout on the safe side although I did start it with testing my max bench press reps at my current body weight of 185lbs.  The most I have done since my return to bench pressing has been 10 reps although I felt like I could do more.  I proved that hunch was accurate today as I barely squeezed out a 12th rep.  I was happy with the effort.  I don’t think I ever benched 185 more than 15 times so I am in the ballpark.

The rest of the workout was pull ups, push ups and wall handstand holds, all with conservative numbers to protect the back.  With the pull ups I was very conscious of keeping my chin pointed forward instead of craned up, which is poor form anyway.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Barbell bench press – 135lbs x 10, 185lbs x 12

10 pull ups

60 second wall handstand

25 push ups

10 pull ups

60 second wall handstand

25 push ups

10 pull ups

60 second wall handstand

25 push ups

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Turn that shit down, Keep moving

Jul16
by Duf on July 16, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Today at the Gym

rj4QU[1]So for some reason at the gym today they were playing horrible techno music.  It was bad enough that they would be playing that shit in a gym that is filled with members well past retirement age.  What made it worse was the volume they were playing it at.  In the main gym area it was BLARING.  I felt like I needed to find someone to mosh up against. It was ridiculous.

I saw one old guy complain about it as he was leaving but I think he did it with too much smile on his face and joke in his tone of voice.  The gym staff just laughed and carried on.  Well on my way out I made a point to stick my head in the managers office to let him know the music they were playing today was “awful” and much too loud, with no smile or hint of joking in my voice.  I could tolerate that shit if it was played at a volume that allowed it to fall into background noise but when it is loud enough that I have to yell, that vaults over the line.  As I walked out the door they at least turned it down.  Do I care if it makes them view me as an old fart complainer? Nope, not one bit.  That is one of the few advantages of being an old fart, you stop caring about that sort of stuff.

On Monday evening at home I managed to somehow injure my back doing pull ups.  I was on rep 49 of 50 and was straining to get to the bar with my chin.  I felt a stabbing pain in my upper left back and since then have been dealing with some pretty serious pain not only in that area but also my neck and lower right back for some reason.  Both yesterday and today I was relegated to cardio only sessions at the gym.  I did 30 minutes on the cross trainer yesterday and 30 minutes on the stationary bike today.

The pain today is still there but less than what I was dealing with yesterday.  I am hoping by the time tomorrow rolls around I can start trying some weighted and calisthenics exercise.

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Push a PR with no net

Jul14
by Duf on July 14, 2014 at 5:48 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

10565885-standard[1]For some reason at the gym today I was in the groove with my push strength, getting 235 pounds cleanly down and up without even a hiccup.  Neither of my regular spotters were present making the attempt more surprising.  As if things weren’t good enough, setting a this decade PR, I followed up with repping 225lbs twice on the way down.

I continued the good numbers repping 185 10 times and then 175lbs 12 on the way down.  It’s odd that today would be the day I set a PR as I did not feel particularly strong or energetic entering the gym.  You just never know. This was my best bench press performance in probably 7-8 years.

I spent the entire gym session on the bench.  I prefer to have more variety in my exercise plan so hopefully I can supplement days like this with extra work at home during the evening.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Barbell bench press – 135lbs x 10, 185lbs x 5, 225lbs x 1, 235lbs x 1, 225lbs x 2, 185lbs x 10, 175lbs x 12, 135lbs x 15

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No repeat Thursdays

Jul11
by Duf on July 11, 2014 at 12:03 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

triceps-diamond-pushups[1]Yesterday at the gym I  decided I wasn’t going to do more than one set of any exercise as I hit movements that worked bi’s, tri’s back, chest and shoulders.  It kept things interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

15 pull ups

30 push ups

15 dips

10 reps seated bicep alternating dumbbell curls 40lbs

20 diamond push ups

10 chin ups

60 second wall handstand hold

30 bench dips

10 reps standing alternating straight arm front/side lateral raises 20lbs

8 reps standing curls with ez curl bar 90lbs

12 reps one arm shoulder shrugs on cable machine 100lbs

3 minutes A2G hold

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Proof

Jul09
by Duf on July 9, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Lifting Heavy Things

I finally brought my phone to the gym per Jeremy’s request to document my current squat and deadlift levels.  The form in there isn’t great but it isn’t horrid either.  There is a reason you don’t see many giraffes squatting and deadlifting after all.  I tried a hook grip for the first time with my 225 lb deadlift.  The grip felt secure, unfortunately it also felt like a great way to rip the skin off my thumb.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Barbell squat – 135lbs x 10, 185lbs x 8, 225lbs x 3

Deadlift – 225lbs x 10, 315lbs x 5, 365lbs x 1

Bench press – 185lbs x 10

 

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