BLAB Log: Week 3.Day 3

Simple-6

Chin-Ups - Band-Asst.(Foot)X10X2, BA (Knee)X5, BWX4, BWX3, BA (Knee)X5, BA (Foot)X10

Pull-Down (Neutral Grip) - 70X23, 70X18
super-set with
DB Standing Presses (Neutral) - 30'sX18, 30'sX12

Cable Rear Delt Raise - 30X10, 25X10X3

"Run the Rack" DB Curls - (30, 20, 15, 8, 5) X8

Core Circuit X 2

Timed Pushups - 50X4:25

Crap session.  -10% as Paul Carter might say.  Some possible progress on the chin-ups.  Not in reps, obviously, but in technique.  I really tried to go all out on the band-assisted sets instead of treating them as warm-ups/downs and I felt it a lot more in my lats so I'll be sure to get after every chin-set no matter what going forward.  I really, really want to progress to weighted chins. 

On a hopefully related note, I was able to jump up 10 lbs. on the pull-downs pretty easily.  Initially I thought that was due to the grip change, but since the DB presses didn't get a similar benefit I'm hoping that's real progress on back strength.


Bent over cable raises were very nostalgic.  The sets went well, but it was disconcerting because I kept flashing back to my mid-twenties when I used to do a lot of body-building style weight lifting, so-called "bro-splits," etc.  Nevertheless, it was kind of fun.  I had just watched some of the Indigo-3G training videos, and picked up some possible form tips for laterals from Christian Thibaudeau.  He didn't say this explicitly, but when I was doing the reps, rather than think about bringing the weight up in an arc, I though more about throwing the weight sideways.  I actually picked a target in my peripheral vision that was on the same plane as my shoulders, and threw the weight towards that target without letting go.  I believe I was able to take my traps and back out of the peak contraction portion of the movement in this way.  Little bit of an ego-check on the weight to do this, but I think it was right.

Started off too light on the curls, and had way more reps in the tank on the lower weights.  Have to go up 5-10 lbs. next week.  Even if I have to muscle up the last few sets of the opening weight, I think the final reps on the lower weights will be under more fatigue.

I continue to suck at direct ab work.  No strength or endurance there at all.  Had to pull back from all the prescribed reps as my abs were starting to cramp half way through the 2nd movement of the first set.  Likewise, the push-ups actually LOST time from last week.  This really sucks because I looked at the program this morning, and realized the timed push-ups are over, and I never actually got to the prescribed hundred.  I don't feel okay about this.  For those of you (imaginary) that are keeping track, the list of things I suck at and now feel compelled to keep in a program no matter what are: chins, push-ups, direct ab work, and single-leg squat variations.  Looking at that list, I realize probably anything where body-weight makes up a significant portion of the overall load may be lagging for me.  Except for dips.  For whatever reason those were going fine when I worked them into WS4SB prior to starting BLAB.  I even started strapping on weight with a dip-belt.  Maybe I've got good dip genes or something.  Anyway, I like chins and single-leg squat stuff is growing on me, but I hate the push-ups and the ab work.  That tells me I HAVE to make sure to keep it in future programs.  When I start 531 this fall, I've got to remember to find where this stuff plugs-in.  I know Wendler uses hanging-ab raises with the feet coming all the way up as ab work, but I'm wodering if I shouldn't take the ab circuit progressions out of BLAB and put them on my 531 schedule.  Food for thought.

Speaking of food, I started with protein supplements yesterday.  It was just to damn hard to try and get all the protein in from food, and attempting to do so was screwing up my cooking.  The wife was never totally pleased that I kept substituting additional meats for carbs whenever I cooked big portions of things.  Hopefully now I can feel more comfortable churning out rice and starchy vegetable sides.

BLAB Log: Week 2.Day 3

Chin-ups, band-assisted - under footX10, under kneeX5, no bandX3, no bandX2, under kneeX8, under footX10

Wide-grip lat pulldowns - 60X20, 60X20
superset with
Standing DB shoulder-press -60X20, 60X14

DB lying triceps extension - 60X8X5 (full stop behind head)
superset with
Seated Hammer curls -60X8X5 (full stop at bottom)

Core-circuit X 2

50 pushups - 4:20

This day continues to be humble pie.  I discovered a month or so back that I could only do one or two strict chin-ups.  The program calls for one set of max reps plus 50 - 60%, but I think the authors envisioned someone that could a few more than me.  Luckily the new gym has bands, and I think warming-up and doing back-off sets with them  are yielding positive results.  My goal is to get up to 12+ unassisted, and then I'll start loading the work sets.  Probably won't get there on this cycle of this progrm, but hopefully while I'm on 531, this winter.

Also, that damn push-up test.  The program calls for 100 push-ups for time.  When I tried to set my base time last week, I was horrified to have to stop at 50.  At 5:48.  I gave myself a much longer rest this week, before starting the test and that helped.  I got 50 in under 5.  Next week I will try for the hundo.  I'm sure I could do them fresh, but the program has them at the end of the session for a reason.  My lock-out just goes in the toilet after the DB OHPs and the triceps extensions.

For Searchers

Because I've had so much difficulty searching google for logs of the programs I'm interested in, I thought it would be fair to throw out a post explicitly saying what program I'm logging here:

Currently I'm doing Joe DeFranco's (god help me) Built Like a Badass program.

There.  Now if anyone is interested in the training progress of a mid-thirties weakling, they will be lavishly rewarded. 

Assuming I keep posting about it.

And if they don't get turned off by posts about theatre and cooking.

Assuming I ever START posting about that.

BLAB Log: Week 2.Day2

Yesterday:

DB Squat Jumps - 50X6, 60X6, 70X6, 80X6

BB Squats - Warm Up (Bar, 95, 135) 155X7, 165X6, 175X3

Back Extensions - 25X12X3
superset with
Weighted Twists, feet-up - 25X15X3

1 Mile Run - 9:54

It's been two weeks since I threw my back out, and squats are still making me nervous. And yet I got the prescribed %'s with no pain. Still, my back felt tight all day beforehand just like the day I hurt myself. I tried to make it release by rolling an MB up and down between it and a wall, and maybe that helped. (However the wall turned out to be the back of some un-anchored lockers than I pushed over. Luckily no one was in the "women's dressing room" when that happened. Owner says I'm the third person to do that. The gym has been open for 40 years. Great.) My back felt tight all morning today, but now it's on the left side. Hopefully this is just some imbalances working themselves out, but I'm going to do more light-weight warm up sets anyway and really try to make sure my form is locked-in before I do my work-sets.

I forgot to write down my time for the 1-mile run last week. I was supposed to beat it this week. All I know is that it was over 10 minutes, so I busted my ass and got it done in 9:54. So woo-hoo, except last week I had my gym bag on with that giant hard-back of the new Game of Thrones book inside. Obviously I should be able to beat that time without the extra weight. Nevertheless, the workout really took it out of me, and I have felt run-down all day today.

Anyway. This is my first post on the blog that was supposed to be about theatre and cooking, and this post is about the 5th session of a 12-week weight training program. Guess you gotta start somewhere.