Push it up, pull you horizontal

Mar31
by Duf on March 31, 2016 at 5:26 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

hqdefault[1]It didn’t seem like I got that many movements in today although I was working consistently and didn’t have a lot of gab time.  I did some tucked front lever raises which will work your scalpula in a major way.  I also pressed 155 lbs overhead from a seated position which wasn’t bad.

 

 

 

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Seated barbell overhead press – 95lbs x 10, 115lbs x 8, 135lbs x 4, 155lbs x 1

Tuck front lever raises – 5 reps x 3 sets

Seated dumbbell shoulder shrugs – 80lbs x 10, 90lbs x 10, 100lbs x 8

Tuck front lever hold x 30 seconds

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Didn’t drop it

Mar29
by Duf on March 29, 2016 at 5:22 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Injuries

barbellsquat648__landscape__landscape[1]Today I did barbell squats for the first time in a long time.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it has been a couple months due to a combo of my lengthy illness and lack of squat rack availability when I am there.  As I would expect, I felt uncomfortable and awkward under the bar, which I always feel to some degree.  My body just is not made for squatting. I was conservative, going no higher than 185 pounds which will be plenty to activate a fresh round of lower body soreness this week.  I managed to keep all of the weight plates from hitting the floor today, a major win.

I really do not enjoy doing leg curl movements with higher amounts of weight.  The pad that is located right near the ankle causes intense burning sensations in my left leg/foot when I start trying to rep at bigger numbers.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Barbell squat – 135lbs x 10, 185lbs x 5, 185lbs x 5, 185lbs x 5

Seated leg extension  – 100lbs x 12, 130lbs x 10, 160lbs x 4

Seated leg curl – 100lbs x 10, 130lbs x 10, 145lbs x 5

Standing calf raise – 205lbs x 10, 250lbs x 10, 295lbs x 8

 

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My turn

Mar28
by Duf on March 28, 2016 at 5:37 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Failure

1414079931831_Image_galleryImage_Bench_Press_Fail_safety_b[1]So anyone that reads this blog knows that I often will offer commentary regarding the many silly and stupid things I see at my local gym on a regular basis.  Well today it was my turn to contribute to that list.

Today was bench press day and I was lucky to be able to have my lifting buddy there who I hadn’t seen in 3 weeks.  We worked our way up the ladder until we had 235 pounds on the bar.  My buddy went first and got his rep cleanly.  Even though I have felt weaker on the lift the last few weeks, today I felt better and pushed 225 and 230 off me pretty cleanly.

So I take the 235 pounds off the bar and as I start pushing upward I can feel my left arm start to sag which it often does to some degree.  Well in this instance it’s sagging combined with a very slippery bar resulted in the plates on the left side starting to slide outward.  It began an awful chain reaction.  As the weights move outward it makes that side disproportionately heavier which makes the sag even worse.  You can imagine what happens next.

I grunted something about the weights slipping to my buddy but by the time he realized what was happening it was too late.  The weight plates came crashing off the left side followed by an immediate reversal, dumping all of the plates on the right.  It was surely a spectacle everyone at the gym saw although I didn’t survey the space to see how many eyeballs were trained on me with a “what a dumbass” expression on their faces.

Some guy walked by and told me I should have collars on or a spotter.  I told him “I did”, with a thanks Captain Obvious tone.  My buddy of course felt bad as this is exactly the scenario he is there to help avoid.  He was focused on the bar movement in relation to my chest and had no idea the weights were moving.  I ripped some skin off my pinky during the crash but other than that my worst injury was probably to my ego.   I’ll probably keep collars on the bar for anything over 135 moving forward to avoid a repeat red face.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Barbell bench press – 135lbs x 10, 185lbs x 5, 225lbs x 1, 230lbs x 1, 235lbs x fall on floor, 225lbs x 1, 205lbs x 5, 205lbs x4, 185lbs x 8, 135lbs x 15

Dumbbell pull over – 60lbs x 12, 70lbs x 10, 80lbs x 8

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Good Full Friday

Mar25
by Duf on March 25, 2016 at 5:27 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

good-friday-300x225[1]The second I walked into the gym I noticed a lot more bodies than I was accustomed to.  Evidently Good Friday brings out the gym goers at almost the same level as the day before other holidays.

Since I was doing core today I luckily did not need access to much equipment.  I weaved in and out between the mixture of fit and not so fit people without much incident.

 

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

60 push ups

Hanging knee raises x 20

Ab wheel roll out x 10 (knees)

Standing dowel oblique rotations x 20

Ab wheel roll out x 10 (knees)

Standing dowel oblique rotations x 20

Ab wheel roll out x 10 (knees)

Hanging knee raises x 20

Standing oblique side raises + 45lbs x 10 (each side)

Hanging knee raises x 20

Roman chair back extensions – 15 reps x 3 sets

 

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Lift a lot a little

Mar24
by Duf on March 24, 2016 at 5:22 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

20130730162017-weighted-pull-ups_(3)[1]I had a good chunk of my workout time unexpectedly taken up by catching up with a gym buddy of mine that I had not seen in well over 6 months.  It was all good, I have known him since way back at my Powerhouse Gym days in the early 2000’s.  Our schedules don’t match up much anymore so it was good to see him.

With the limited time I had I decided to do some weighted pull ups, something I haven’t dusted off in awhile.  My numbers weren’t terrible as I maxed out with one pull with 70 pounds between my legs.  At the apex of my pulling strength I think the most I ever got was 85 or 90lbs for one.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

10 pull ups

Seated Cybex shoulder press – 90lbs x 12

Pull ups + 25lbs x 7

Seated Cybex shoulder press – 110lbs x 10

Pull ups + 45lbs x 4

Seated Cybex shoulder press – 130lbs x 8

Pull ups + 65lbs x 1

Standing behind the back Smith machine shoulder shrug – 225lbs x 10

Pull ups + 70lbs x 1

Standing behind the back Smith machine shoulder shrug – 275lbs x 8

10 pull ups

Standing behind the back Smith machine shoulder shrug – 315lbs x 5

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