Walking on Walls

Nov21
by Duf on November 21, 2013 at 6:30 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

Yesterday during deadlifts it felt like I tweaked a tendon/ligament that goes across the top of my elbow, surely from holding 325 pounds for longer than I am accustomed to.  So anyway I wanted to avoid any pulling movements that involved elbow movement.  Here is what I came up with.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

3 L sits

60 second wall hand stand, normal hand placement

3 wall walks

60 second wall hand stand, wide, upside down Y hand placement

3 wall walks

60 second wall hand stand, narrow hand placement

3 wall walks

10 scalpula pull ups

20 trap dips

10 scalpula pull ups

20 trap dips

10 scalpula pull ups

20 trap dips

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325×5

Nov20
by Duf on November 20, 2013 at 6:39 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Lifting Heavy Things

Once again when I did squats I felt an odd, but less prominent sensation on the upper back of my left leg.  It kept my squat reps ridiculously small but I didn’t really care.  Dead lifts are the star of Wednesdays.

I had it in my head that I wanted to up my top end five rep sets to 325 pounds.  Last week I did 315 and the best I ever did 3×5 was 320 over a month ago.

On the first two sets at 325 I stopped after 4 reps.  The weight felt heavy and I felt a little unsure of myself.  Before the third set I got sidelined into a gym conversation so I had some extra rest.  I pulled the full five reps on the last set.

I really need to bring my phone with to video some of these high weight sets so I can get a better handle on how good/bad my form is when dealing with more weight.

Today’s Workout 

5 minutes cardio/stretching

15 prisoner squats

135 pound barbell squat – 12 reps

185 pound barbell squat – 5 reps

225 pound deadlift – 10 reps

275 pound deadlift – 5 reps

325 pound deadlift – 4 reps

325 pound deadlift – 4 reps

325 pound deadlift – 5 reps

Leg extension – 130 pounds x 12

Prone leg curl – 110 pounds x 10

Standing calf raise – 295 pounds x 8

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Busting biceps

Nov19
by Duf on November 19, 2013 at 6:18 pm
Posted In: Bar-barian Forum Monthly Challenges, Daily Workouts

So today I tried to rebound from my pathetic Rays Way attempt the day before.  It was bi/tri day.  I wanted to make sure I got at least 100 dips in, I racked 110 total.

Last night I did my first attempt at hard mode of the Punish Me challenge, which are sets of 5 pull ups and 5 push ups with no breaks in between.  I wasn’t thrilled with that performance either as I stalled out in the 5th round of pull ups after rep 4.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

30 dips

25 lb Fat Gripz dumbbell curls x 12

20 dips

40 lb Fat Gripz dumbbell curls x 10

20 dips

50 lb Fat Gripz dumbbell curls x 4

20 dips

50 lb Fat Gripz close grip standing curl x 12 (curl bar)

20 dips

70 lb Fat Gripz close grip standing curl x 12 (curl bar)

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Quincy Quitterson

Nov18
by Duf on November 18, 2013 at 6:52 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Failure, Ray's Way

Novack_2_Defeated_Boxer[1]So I went in today’s workout with my Iphone in hand, hoping to take a legit shot at a Ray’s Way at my next progression, 16 dips, 9 pull ups and 21 push ups.  I had done an untimed set last week and it felt like it went reasonably well.

Well this did not go reasonably well.  In fact it went shitty.  I cut the attempt at the knees after push up number SEVEN in ROUND THREE.  I didn’t even try to save face by completing the reps in an untimed manner.  I just said “fck it”, bailed on the attempt and went and did something else.

Ray’s Way is very much a mental test for me.  If my reps start feeling too tough, too early I find lately it just wrecks me mentally which of course leads to physical epic fails like today.  In this latest example, I came unraveled when I started one repping my dips in set 3 after doing the first 10 consecutively.

When I stopped after 7 push ups it wasn’t because I couldn’t go on, it was because mentally I felt I had no shot to complete all 5 rounds so I gave up.

This phenomena has been happening to me more often recently and I am not happy about it at all.  I can’t quite identify the reason for it.  Perhaps it is the big nasty full moon in the sky right now that likes to f with my moods on a monthly basis.  Maybe it is some left over fatigue from the 30 mile bike ride I did yesterday.

Or maybe, it is just my mental toughness isn’t quite so tough anymore.

After my Rays Way fail I just went back to the Smith machine and alternated between front and back lever holds with varying degrees of tuck and duration.  Big woop.

 

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Minus time? Add weight

Nov15
by Duf on November 15, 2013 at 6:38 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

Today I got a late start at the gym so I had about 10 minutes less than I normally would.  I decided to make up for that time deficit with a weight surplus, doing nothing but weighted reps for the lion share of the workout.  It felt effective.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

10 high pull ups

15 dips

45 pound weighted pull ups x 4

45 pound weighted dips x 10

45 pound weighted pull ups x 4

45 pound weighted dips x 10

45 pound weighted pull ups x 3

45 pound weighted dips x 8

45 pound weighted pull ups x 3

45 pound weighted dips x 8

45 pound weighted pull ups x 3

45 pound weighted dips x 8

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