Monday (2-21-2011)
AM:
bench 185 lb 5x5
barbell row 175 lb 5x5
hanging leg raise 3x15
PM:
squat 245 lb 5x5
hanging leg raise 2x15
cable pressdown 170 lb 5x5
EZ curl 70 lb 5, 8, 8

Wednesday
squat 250 lb 5, 5, 5, 4, 2
overhead press 110 lb 5, 5, 4, 2, 3
deadlift 305 1x5
chin-ups 9, 6, 5
prone bridges 60s, 60s, 60s

Friday
squat 250 lb 5, 5, 5
bench 190 lb 5, 5, 4
barbell row 180 lb 5x5
bench 205 lb 2, 2, 1
barbell row 180 lb 5x5
hanging leg raise 3x20

Weight (Friday): 186 lb

Notes: Monday's workout couldn't be completed as planned because all of the power racks were occupied when I arrived.  I did 5 min on a recumbent bike, but to no avail, so I jumped straight to bench press.  After all that, I tried a 250 lb squat and just had no gas in the tank, so I came back after work and did the "PM" list of exercises.  The rest of the week saw more failed reps, and I was pretty sure I'd exceeded my capacity to recover.  I'm taking the next week off.  Planning to start the following week with a 10% deload and a switch to 3x5 for all but deadlift (no reason to go lower than 1x5).

Posted by: leoncaruthers at 07:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Monday (2-14-2011):
squat 235 lb 5x5
overhead press 110 lb 5, 5, 5, 4, 4
deadlift 300 lb 1x5

Wednesday:
squat 240 lb 5x5
bench 185 lb 5x5*
barbell row 175 lb 5x5*

Friday:
squat 245 lb 5x5*
overhead press 110 lb 5, 4, 4, 3, 0
deadlift 305 4, 2, 2

Weight (Sunday): 185 lb

Notes:  Bad week on diet.  Too much milk and gluten-free beer.  Very tough week in the gym, too.  I got no assistance exercises in at all, I just had no time.  Squats are requiring 3 minutes between sets, and my form was suffering on Friday (thus the * after sets that I otherwise finished).  One more try on 110 lb for OHP, and then I'll have to reset again, might be time to switch to 3x5 for those.  I'm not sure how much more headway I can make before I'll need to do the same thing for the other lifts.

Posted by: leoncaruthers at 09:23 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Wednesday (2-9-2011):
squat 225 lb 5x5
overhead press 105 lb 5x5
deadlift 295 lb 1x5
chin-ups 10, 6, 6
prone bridges 60s, 60s, 60s

Friday:
squat 230 lb 5x5
bench 180 lb 5x5
barbell row 170 lb 5x5
hanging leg raise 3x20

Weight (Sunday): 184 lb

Notes: I ended up shoveling snow 2 more times after my last post and prior to Monday's scheduled workout, including digging under my neighbor's car by hand.  By Monday, my right shoulder was in serious pain, so I skipped the day and pushed the scheduled workout back to Wednesday.  Squats and deadlifts are getting hard, I'm not sure how much more progression I've got in either one before I stall.  Benches and rows seem okay.  Overhead press is iffy.  I might make 110 this week, I might not.

Posted by: leoncaruthers at 08:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Monday (1-31-2011):
squat 210 lb 5x5
bench 170 lb 5x5
barbell row 160 lb 5x5
kettle-bell swings 35 lb 5x15

Wednesday:
squat 215 lb 5x5
overhead press 100 lb 5x5
deadlift 290 lb 1x5
prone bridges 60s, 60s, 60s
CG cable pulldown 180 lb 5x5

Friday:
squat 220 lb 5x5
bench 175 lb 5x5
barbell row 165 lb 5x5
kettle-bell swings 35 lb 2x15
kettle-bell swings 40 lb 3x15

Weight (Friday): 184 lb

Notes: Solid on barbell work this week.  Solid on diet.  I took a pass on chin-ups on Wednesday because I spent upwards of an hour shoveling my driveway, sidewalk, porches, and portions of my street to make sure I could get my car in and out.  Anyhow, after all that, my arms were just a bit ragged, so I went for close-grip cable pulldowns instead of chins, mostly for the easier, wrist-neutral grip.  I realized today that between shoveling and my normal gym workload, I'd also run my shoulder joints a little ragged, and I could feel some inflammation in my right socket bursa after I finished with the kettlebell swings.  I may skip assistance work outright next week to compensate, or at least move it to another part of my day to spread out the loading.  I'm taking a glucosamine supplement now, but my pill habits have never been great, so I'm not sure if I'm taking it often enough to help.  I try to remember to get them all in with dinner, but I think I'm making that happen maybe 4 days out of 7.

If it seems like I'm over-analyzing my joints or over-reacting, well, maybe I am, but I've heard and overheard too many "I used to do those/that/what-have-you, but my back/shoulder/wrist/knees just aren't what they used to be" stories to not be just a little paranoid about my joint health.  Soft tissue injuries take forever to heal, and I've got at least one close relative with bursitis in her knees from Stairmastering, so I'm not taking any chances.  Better to lift less often or be slightly less strong now, and still be just as strong and mobile in 10 or 20 years.  I do not want to end up a rickety old man.

Posted by: leoncaruthers at 02:14 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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