Hoarders, Past the pain

Mar22
by Duf on March 22, 2017 at 5:36 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Injuries, Today at the Gym

One of the more annoying things you see at a gym are weight hoarders.  Those are the people that think it’s no big deal to collect and keep multiple sets of dumbbells/barbells with them.  Today was especially bad because there were three different people doing this, the worst offender being a young woman that had no less than four dumbbells and a barbell at her flat bench the entire time I was there.

I struggle to understand this behavior.  Is the reason to save you the arduous five step walk to and from the weight rack to retrieve or put back the weights?  Does having multiple dumbbells around portray the image of someone very serious about your workout?  Or maybe you are just an inconsiderate dummy?  Personally I lean towards option three.

I missed the gym yesterday because of work meaning I happily omitted leg day for this week.  My lower body is pretty beat up as is from my latest quest to learn how to ride my electric unicycle backwards.  Instead I did a standard bi and tri day.  For the first time in awhile I did bodyweight dips.  With my left shoulder issues, the movement has been painful to attempt.  It was painful again for several reps but eventually the pain dulled to the point where I could continue.  Dull pain is a win nowadays.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Strict pull ups x 15

Seated bicep curl 35lbs x 8

Bodyweight dip x 15

Seated bicep curl 45lbs x6

Bodyweight dip x 15

Seated bicep curl 50lbs x 4

Bodyweight dip x 15

Seated Cybex preacher curl – 70lbs x 10

Standing tricep push down – 75lbs x 10

Seated Cybex preacher curl – 70lbs x 10

Standing tricep push down – 90lbs x 8

Seated Cybex preacher curl – 90lbs x 8

Standing tricep push down – 105lbs x 4

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Secret smoker, best this decade

Mar20
by Duf on March 20, 2017 at 5:31 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Lifting Heavy Things

Last week a younger kid started up a conversation with me regarding the Tough Mudder since  he saw I was wearing one of the shirts from the three events I did.  In addition to the Mudder we talked about triathlons as the kid did his first one this past year.  Every gym session he starts out with a run on the treadmill and he is fast, very fast.  I am sure he can complete a 5K in less than 20 minutes.  So anyway we have talked off and on since last week.

I happened to notice he has a very odd habit.  As soon as he is done with his run on the treadmill he immediately goes outside and sucks down a cigarette.  After finishing it he is back in the gym doing his weight resistance portion of his workout.  I get the distinct feeling he is embarrassed by the habit.  Twice now, including today, he was out in the lot smoking while I was coming out.  As soon as he saw me he took a turn in an opposite direction, perhaps hoping I wouldn’t spot him with his cancer stick.  I thought this was odd as I have no stake in the game.  Sure, I think smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your body but it’s your life, if it doesn’t affect me, why should I care?

So today I continued my unexplainable surge in pushing power, geting 245 pounds off my chest for the first time this decade without assistance.  Albeit this is on decline bench instead of flat bench but I NEVER have gotten 245 pounds up in decline, ever.  My bench press buddy showed up just as I was ready to attempt 245.  It wasn’t easy but the bar never stopped moving.  I hope to ride this wave hopefully to a 250 pound one rep max, a goal we both set three or more years ago.

Despite setting a new 1RM max, my numbers on the downside of the pyramid matched last week as well.  Also in the past, when I would be going for a 1RM, I would hardly do any reps outside of a few light warm up sets, wanting to keep my power reserves full.  Today I gradually went up with 5 sets before going for 245.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Decline barbell bench press – 135lbs x 10, 185lbs x 5, 205lbs x 3, 225lbs x 1, 235lbs x 1, 245lbs x 1, 225lbs x 4, 205lbs x 6, 185lbs x 10, 135lbs x 15

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Sometimes negative is positive

Mar17
by Duf on March 17, 2017 at 5:35 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

Today for the hardest part of my core work out I decided to do full body ab wheel roll outs.  I often do the variety where you stay on your knees instead of your toes.  With my gorilla length arms, even doing that movement is very challenging.  I normally don’t do them on my toes because, I can’t.

So today I decided the next best thing was to do negatives of the movement where I descend as far as I can into the hold before failure, which results in crashing to my knees.  I did sets of three negatives at a time.  It felt like I got down pretty far but I had no mirror in sight to confirm the depth.

When failure comes it originates from my lower back.  It just feels like there is tremendous torque being generated across that area.  I try to hold a hollow back position to off set the strain but I just can’t hold it.  I’m hoping if I keep doing the negatives eventually what is now weak and failing will toughen up to hold me above the floor with only two points of contact roughly eight feet apart.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Strict pull ups x 15

Push ups x 50

Hanging knee raise x 20

Ab wheel roll out negative x 3

Standing dowel oblique rotation x 20

Ab wheel roll out negative x 3

Standing dowel oblique rotation x 20

Ab wheel roll out negative x 3

Standing dowel oblique rotation x 20

Hanging knee raise x 20

Standing one arm oblique side raises – 45lbs x 10

Dip bar knee raise x 20

Standing one arm oblique side raises – 65lbs x 10

 

 

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Next door neighbor

Mar16
by Duf on March 16, 2017 at 5:28 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

Today next to the cardio machine I normally warm up on was the older man that I assume has terets.  For a brief second I considered warming up on another machine but I decided against it.  The guy can’t control himself and me acting like he had a communicable disease would be stupid and unnecessarily draw attention where it wasn’t needed.  Like I said the other day, I feel badly for the man as it has had to make getting through life very challenging.

His chatter today had some differences.  There were no countdowns but he still made popping and buzzing noises every few seconds.  The rest of his words are very hard to make out and he seems to oscillate between mumbling, moaning, and singing.  The couple things I could make out was him saying “this fcking machine” a couple times and “hands a clapping” a bunch.

He had been on the cardio machine for almost 25 minutes.  Shortly after I completed my warm up he finished and was back in the free weight area bit doing a few exercises.  I wonder if people that suffer from this condition have minds that are constantly manic like the uncontrollable speech pattern is or if the two things are exclusive of each other.

Today my back and shoulder routine had some low rep high weight sets in there.  I tried to full stack the lat pull down machine which was probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 pounds.  I moved the bar down about 8 or 9 inches before gravity took over.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Strict pull ups x 15

Seated Cybex plate loaded shoulder press – 200 x 10

Lat pull down – 150lbs x 10

Seated Cybex plate loaded shoulder press – 250 x 7

Lat pull down – 165lbs x 10

Seated Cybex plate loaded shoulder press – 290 x 3

Lat pull down – 180lbs x 8

Standing behind the back Smith shoulder shrug – 200lbs x 10

Seated row – 130lbs x 10

Standing behind the back Smith shoulder shrug – 250lbs x 8

Seated row – 190lbs x 8

Standing behind the back Smith shoulder shrug – 290lbs x 5

 

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Drop dead

Mar15
by Duf on March 15, 2017 at 5:21 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

Today as part of my arms day I did barbell curl drop sets, something I have not done for years and years.  Basically you start at whatever weight you can get 10 reps at.  After those 10 reps you IMMEDIATELY grab the next weight down and do another 10 reps and continue this pattern till you finish with a measly 20 pound barbell.  The funny thing is by that last set even 20 pounds is enough to make your biceps burn.    I was conservative, starting at 60 pounds since I had already done three sets of standing dumbbell curls prior.  Even so, my arms were burning up by the end.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Strict pull ups x 15

Standing alternating dumbbell curl – 30lbs x 10

Seated one arm overhead dumbbell tricep extension – 20lbs x 12

Standing alternating dumbbell curl – 40lbs x 8

Seated one arm overhead dumbbell tricep extension – 25lbs x 12

Standing alternating dumbbell curl – 50lbs x 3

Seated one arm overhead dumbbell tricep extension – 35lbs x 5

Standing barbell drop set curl – 60lbs x 10, 50lbs x 10, 40lbs x 10, 30lbs x 10, 20lbs x 10

Tricep dumbbell kick backs – 15lbs x 10

Seated dumbbell hammer curl – 25lbs x 10

Tricep dumbbell kick backs – 20lbs x 8

Seated dumbbell hammer curl – 35lbs x 6

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