10/28

OHP: 85x5x3 85x3x2
Deadlift: 170x5x2

After deadlifting, while I was re-racking the weight, I wasn't paying attention and herniated a disc that I had previously injured. As a result, I'm not going to be lifting (or moving) for ~a month. Sucks, but I guess it's a lesson that had to be learned. I should be thankful it wasn't with more weight, but I can't help but keep kicking myself as I just did 10 reps absolutely pain-free. So it was totally my fuck up. Ugh. It hasn't deterred me from lifting, probably the opposite actually. I just need to be 100% focused when I'm in the gym from now on.

I've learned over the years that when you're injured that you can't feel pain when watching Whose Line re-runs.

10/26

Push-ups: 1x20 1x14 1x9
Reverse crunches: 2x12 1x11 (8 lb medicine ball)
Bench: 120x5x4 120x3x1
Inverted rows: n/a

Don't want to talk about it.

10/24

OHP: 80x5x5
Deadlift: 165x5x2
Pull-ups: 1x5 1x3 (2 neg) 1x2 (2 neg) (95 lb assist)
Prone bridges: 1x49 sec 1x42 sec 1x35 sec

Heroic effort needed to get the last rep of my OHP today, but after I struggled through it I felt goddamn amazing the whole rest of my workout. Also, as a note to myself, I should probably invest in some long socks on deadlift days. My shins are scraped to shit. I don't even notice when I'm actually lifting, but it gets annoying on the drive home. Huge improvement today on prone bridges, but that may be because I had to switch up the order of my exercises today as someone was hogging the place I do deadlifts. He was doing 1/4 squats, super worthwhile.

I <3 British accents.

10/21

Bench: 115x5x5
Inverted rows: 1x26 1x24 1x18
Push-ups: 1x15 1x10 1x9
Reverse crunches: 1x10 2x9

Bench is starting to actually feel like I'm lifting something, so back to the plan of 5 lbs a workout. It'll probably be better for me in the long run anyways. Inverted rows are feeling stupid, I can do a ridiculous amount from my bar position, and if I move a little lower, my feet start slipping, and I have the potential to fall. At the same time, I still can't do a full one from the lowest position yet, so it's an awkward position to be in.

10/19

OHP: 75x5x5
Deadlift: 155x5x2
Chin-up: 1x5 (1 neg) 1x3 (2 neg) 1x3 (2 neg) (95 lb assist)
Prone bridges: 1x42 sec 2x35 sec

Woo, locked out on OHP and got past 75. Was much easier this time around. Also decided to add another set of deadlifts and see how that feels. The only reason 1 set was recommended was because of the heavy emphasis on squats for the program. And, seeing how I'm not squatting again yet, I figure I could stand to add up to 3 sets for that. I just need to take it slowly. Made a little more progress on chin-ups as well. Feels good to finally be able to do a few, even if I do need the assist.

I certainly do love a young Grace Slick.

10/17

Bench: 105x5x5
Inverted rows: 1x23 2x20
Push-ups: 1x15 1x14 1x11
Reverse crunches: 2x11 1x8 (8 lb assist)

Fuck doing close grip push-ups, that shit sucks. If I need to, I'll find some isolation exercise that hits my tris, but I'm going back to my standard form push-ups from now on. Also, I have achieved a .5xbw bench today, so I'm super pumped. Best part is that benching is still quite easy at this point. Not too shabby for someone who could barely do a single push-up a year and a half ago, and benching over 65 was a deal breaker.

Off to hit the books again. Hope I'm done by 10 so I can catch the new episode of Mad Men.

10/14

OHP: 75x5x4 75x4x1
Deadlift: 145x5x1
Pull-ups: 1x3 (2 neg) 1x2 (3 neg) 1x1 (4 neg) (95 lb assist)
Prone bridges: 3x35 sec

Finally legitimately failed at a lift. Felt bad, but it only makes me want to go to the gym more to overcome this one. I knew OHP was going to be the first one to stall, but I was still extremely pissed off when it actually happened. As a further note, I need to start breathing more often during reps. I think I almost overhead pressed myself into unconsciousness today and had a massive headache after going.

That's it for a few days thankfully, sadly I'll have to spend the next free days studying for my osteology test. :(

10/12

Bench: 95x5x5
Inverted rows: 1x17 1x16 1x13
Push-ups: 1x7 1x6 1x12 (I did the last set with a wide arm stance)
Reverse crunches: 2x12 1x8 (12 lb assist)

10/10

Prone bridges: 1x35 sec 1x32 sec 1x28 sec
OHP: 70x5x5
Deadlift: 135x1x5
Chin-ups: 1x4 (1 neg) 1x3 (2 neg) 1x3 (2 neg) (w/ 95 lb counterweight)

OHP was intense today, got a lot harder from the previous session. Almost failed on my last set but I managed to keep pushing and get it over my head. I actually felt like I had pretty good form today on all of my lifts. What I'm most proud of is actually progressing a little on chin-ups, because even with the counterweight they're still an extremely hard movement to complete.

Video is a sweet bike race that I saw on Ebaums the other day (though it's probably a lot older).

10/07

Bench: 85x5x5
Inverted row: 20x1 13x1 10x1
Push-ups: 10x1 6x1 5x1
Reverse crunches: 12x1 11x1 9x1 (w/ 10 lb medicine ball)

Still letting my legs recover, feeling a lot better, but I want to be 100% when I start again. Benching feels great, and it also the only lift that I can perform successfully 100% of the time, so that's good. Reverse crunches with a smaller counterweight really sucked, my abs feel like they got struck repeatedly.

Song is from a favorite movie of mine called Igby Goes Down.

10/05

OHP: 65x5x5
Pull-ups: 3x1 (2 neg) 1x1 (4 neg) 1x1 (4 neg)
Prone bridges: 3x30 sec

Well, I figured that my knee hurting so badly after the last workout was a bad sign, so I decided to pull squats for a week or two and see how I feel. Depresses me because squatting is the basic element to any weight lifting routine, but I know that when I feel fully better I can start again. There is a fine line between soreness and injury and I think I've hit it. On the plus side, my OHP is still going up every workout, and that was the exercise where I thought I would barely be able to do the bar on, so that's good at least.

Frank Yang is by far the coolest (and craziest) powerlifter I've ever seen.

10/03

Squat: 90x5x5
Bench: 75x5x5
Inverted rows: 1x16 1x10 1x8
Push-ups: 1x12 1x7 1x5
Reverse crunches: 3x12 (15 lb medicine ball)

So I think going up by 10 lbs every workout on my squat is a little too much, going to slow it down again. Knee hurt this time, same with my lower back, so I'm obviously performing something incorrectly. Bench felt great, don't think I'm going to peak for a good long time, so I'm still going to keep increasing by 10 lbs a workout. Inverted rows were easier today, I might lower the bar next time and see how that affects it. If I can still do 5+ per set then I'll keep it there. Sucks to have a two day rest and feel great then go in and feel like shit after squatting, it's a bummer.

Housey song from The Social Network (highly recommend seeing, btw).