July 11, 2012 Sprinting

• 300m Sprint: 1
• 200m Sprint: 4

Whelp this is it, the hardest sprinting session I've ever had.  I intended to do a 400 but by the time I came around the bend and crossed 200m I was running out of gas and by the time I crossed 300 I felt like my legs were shutting down.  So I figured I'd do another 300 after that...didn't happen, got 200 and almost shut down.  Did another 200, then another and thought I was going to die in a puddle of vomit.  Still hard to believe I got that 4th 200, I was leaning over a gate after it because I couldn't stand and I honestly thought I might die on the track. Good times.  I've noticed something odd; when I get tired at the end of the workouts it's my traps and shoulders that feel it the most, maybe from pumping my arms while running, but still...my legs are doing most of the work. 

July 10, 20132

• Deadlift: 410*3 430*2 450*1
• Bench Press: 300*3 310*2 295*4
• BB Underhand Rows: 225*9 255*5
• Paloffs: 60*12 70*12

Hmmm, interesting workout. I didn't go yesterday as I have an ear infection in my right ear that was causing me to not be able to balance, plus I had a coworkers going away party.  I combined deadlifting & benching this workout on account of that.  I wasn't sure how it would work out but it went pretty well. If I ever switch in the future from an upper/lower heavy/light split I may do something like a two day split of deadlifting/benching and squatting/pullups with a couple conditioning days thrown in. I haven't ruled out doing that in the future, and this only bolsters that idea.  

This workout went well; I'm not going above 90% of my max on deadlifting for a while, it really just wears me out as I've said in past posts.  The weights actually moved easier here after sticking to the 'lighter' weights for the last couple weeks. Everything felt smoother.   Benching went well, weight felt very light.   Paloffs went well too.  Good workout

July 6, 2012 Lower Body

• Low Box Squats: 235*5 255*5 280*5 305*1
• Hanging Power Snatch: 145*3 155*3 165*X

Really enjoy low box squats; the box I'm using gets me to about 1.5-2" above olympic depth.  Having that pause on the bottom too has really helped me get out of the parallel or sub-parallel position on them, should help with regular squats when I go back to them in a couple weeks.  Hanging power snatches went well, up to the 165.  I got 155 EASILY.  I should've gotten 165. Tried 3 times never got close.  Lost one actually crashed down onto my neck, pushed me over and forced me to do a good morning out.  Neck hurts.  Not good times.  No idea why 165 is proving so hard for me; I think it's psychological, it just feels so much heavier than 155, and my grip starts to feel less secure by the time I get to those higher weights as well. 

July 5, 2012 Upper Body

• Pullups: 75*3 75*3 75*3 70*3 70*3
• Incline Bench: 260*3 250*3 240*3
• Standing Press: 135*5 145*4 155*3

Everything feels back to normal.  Definitely like moving pullups to my 2nd upper body day and leading off with them, it's let me add a lot more weight than I was doing, and hasn't hurt the incline benching.  May start getting up a tad earlier and incline walking in the morning to round out the cut. 

July 4, 2012

• 200m Sprint: 2
• 100m Sprint: 5
•  60 m Sprint: 2

Happy 4th! Did this early before going to barbeque/fireworks later on.  Another absolutely soupy disgusting day. I love it!  Was about 90-93 degrees, humidity must've been in the 90s, and the dewpoint disgusting because it felt like I was breathing soup.  The harder it is though the greater the reward.  1020 meters total; we'll see how the weather is next week and if I can do even more.  I'm thinking of starting with a 400; I'll basically be almost running in place for that last 100m or so I'll be so beat, but I may just do it.  

July 03, 2012

• Deadlift: 410*2 430*2 450*1
• Hanging Power Cleans: 135*5 165*5 185*3 210*1
• Unilateral Deadlifts: 225*3 245*1
• Plate-Transfer Planks: 10*8
• Bird-Dogs: 10

Deadlifting went well, staying around 85-90% of my 1RM for the rest of the summer, and honestly probably permanently, other then when I go to break my record. Constantly pulling around 95-97% of my 1RM was wearing me out, and really doesn't accomplish much.  Hanging power cleans went very well here.  Unilteral deadlifts are much better suited to this day than squat day; I already have the patterning down by the time I do them. Also lower reps makes much more sense, as I tired on the 5th rep of sets previously my form went to shit anyway. Bird-Dogs were surprisingly taxing, probably all the deadlifting prior.  Also of note, I had some shoulder soreness, knee soreness, lower back soreness, and hip soreness last couple weeks.  That all seems to be passing now. Shoulder feels almost 100%, knee is all better, hips are fine.  Lower back on the left side is a little tight, going to schedule a massage soon.  

July 02, 2012

• Bench Press: 285*1 300*2 285*3 275*3
• BB Underhand Rows: 215*10 235*8 255*5
• Push Press: 215*2 225*1 240*X

Sorry for lack of updates, I'm publishing this 8 days after it happened, just been busy.  Session went well, I think underhand rows might be better suited to higher reps, since on the highest set my grip starts to fail, may use chalk on those high sets from now on.  ALMOST had 240 on the push press. Very close.  

July 01, 2012 Nutrition Update

So here's how I'm going to be eating from now on during the cut.  I added in some carrots, took out a couple ounces of the brown rice.  I figure there's not a huge need for complex carbs, my workouts just aren't that long typically. From the time of my first warm up set to my final rep on my last working set is maybe an hour, 65 minutes.  I noticed in Fitday however that I'm not getting much Vitamin E, basically about a third of what I should be...I'm also a bit low on B-12 & Iron as well, since I don't eat red meat more than maybe once per month.  Not too concerned about that part honestly. The Vitamin E concerns me though..may look into supplementing. 

June 29, 2012 Lower

• Low Box Squats: 225*5 250*5 275*4 300*2 315*hit safety bars.
• Hanging Power Snatch: 140*3 150*3 160*3

Decided to lower the box since I've been doing medium box squats.  Went well.  I'm about 3" below parallel on the low box.  Would've had 315, but I had moved the bars up one spot on the rack before doing that set, set them too high.  Such is life.  Snatches went well.   

June 28, 2012 Upper

• Pullups: 75*3 75*3 75*3 70*3 70*3
• Incline Bench  Press: 260*3 250*3 240*3
• Long Pullup: 46 seconds
• Trap-3 Raises: 15*8 10*10
• Decline Pushups: 23

Weight going up steadily on pullups...incline went well, doesn't seem to be hurt by putting incline bench first.  Tried to do an extremely slow pullup, got to 46 seconds, want to slow it down even more and do a 60 second one.  Trap 3 raises I got from a Lee Boyce article:

I'm hoping to continue to strengthen my back and make sure my posture doesn't go to crap as I get older.