Cinqo de Mayo – Session XXIV, the penultimate session of X-ZACT (Xtreme Zombie Apocalypse Combat Training) is over and I’m going back to the Ruggedness theme; we’ll call this Ruggedness II, like a movie sequel, but I don’t want to give too much away, or get ahead of myself. I’ve still got the next 14 days – which by the way there’s no training at Temple, so I can either do my own thing or vegge for two weeks. I think I should probably run, jog or walk down the parkway whenever I can, or maybe through the woods – I think I’d prefer the woods; less people.
I’ve been debating on whether or not to add 10 pounds to the squats. I can’t decide whether to set the increase-the-weight mark at 50 or 100 (total), or whether I should have both a total reps and a single set goal. Last time under the 225 my first set was 15 reps and my total was 55. The weight was manageable but didn’t feel light. I want 225 to feel like 135, which is probably a lot to ask. More than likely I will add the weight; two 5 lb plates won’t make that much of a difference.
Also anticipating more park work this session. I need to get back to the playground, particularly to climb swing poles, but I have to do it when there are not a lot of kids around. They always want to work out with me and it gets their parents uptight, most of the times
50513 (Sunday #317) AM work – Backroom sessions planned – as much variety as often as I can manage.
Pull ups: 6 – 6- 6- 8
Pushups: 10 – 13 – 10 – 10 (suspension)
Dips: 8 -8 -8 – 5 – 6 – ouch (high elevation suspension)
Triceps push down – 12 – 12 – 15 – 16 (bands)
WB shrugs (2) – 12 – 12 – 20 – 10 water bottles
WB Standing press: 10 – 11 – 10
“Game day” blue pre- work chills & sweats, but maybe it’s wasn’t this stuff.
Wake 191 – wake up session, drink water – stack-
125 Squats – 40 bridges – 20-20-20-20 alt str8 leg and knee lifts
Stretch etc.
Drink breakfast – tasted good.
Park Workout;
Calisthenics were lame. I am slow and have low endurance. This will be the new focus, maintaining squats & occasional lift therapy. Cals = rollups, walking pushups and roll. Cross run w/ kbell, kbell chain swings, jacks, plank jacks w/ boots and wt gloves. (Solidly lame in this area, but much room and time to improve.)
Rope work, upper body and abs (video) – not much jumping today.
Recovery stack & the other half of breakfast (vegge, fruit, creatine & protein) and tea. Catfish & red & black beans for dinner. Headed to work. Thinking bands & bells for light muscle work… shoulders and arms.)
50613 (Monday #318) am – work
Light stuff – 1 arm wall push outs, 10 lb db curls, triceps extensions and kickbacks, shoulder laterals and front raises.
I’m stuck on the Y, but I should run/jog-walk thru the woods – priority is speed and endurance, those will help with the lift… bodyweight will make the body stronger – that and squats.
Wake 188 22% BF 54%H2O better numbers – diet probably. Is this sustainable?
125 wide squats (mat width) keep it here for a while and go deeper.
50 push ups – keep it here, go lower
40 bridges – go for 50. Don’t know if the pelvic/low back area is any more flexible. It may take a while longer.
Stretches, seated toe touches.
Working with my cuz (Lacey) today. (Climbed a swing pole, woo hoo!!) Generally trying to move faster, even, esp walking.
Chicken (thigh) soup for dinner w/ shrooms, 4 thighs devoured!!! Lunch tomorrow at Temple.
No work-out, no workout stack. Iced left knee.
**At some point I noticed if I walked down the steps with my back more erect, shoulders back, with better posture, my joints didn’t hurt, particularly the knee. I think this is significant.
50713 (Tuesday #319); wake 189 (14.5% BF and 191 before bed. Haven’t been this low in a while.)
Looks like leg therapy today at the Y. Wonder if I can do squats tomorrow in addition? One day at a time. I can sleep without knowing how I’ll exercise the next day, but I know I will exercise.
LEG THERAPY DONE
Leg Press (no cable) 4 sets plus calf press 6 plates then 8
Straight Leg deadlift – 235 3 sets low reps
Shin flex – 65lbs – high reps 3 sets.
Leg extensions 195 (4 x12) I can increase this now.
Leg curl 165 (3 x 10)
Recovery stack and Pizza slice.
50813 (Wednesday #320) 188 Woke strong. No wake X. big, too big breakfast, double turkey burger, bread cheese, etc. went back to sleep and couldn’t get up (too sleepy). Rain, etc.
Next Round – woke up, veggie drink, off to the Y for squats, maybe some lift therapy or cardio… should be cardio.
YMCA SQUATS
235 lbs 40 total, max reps 12 (last set) let’s move this to 250 next time.
30 minute speed intervals (treadmill) Max hR 172 ave. 142
Wall stand pushups 3, hammies are tight, but a different kind of tight.
Casein before bed.
50913 (Thursday #321) Wake 188 – up and out. Wake stack h2o grapes, lunch at nook, dentist. To train before gx or not to/? Maybe some squats or pushups?
Felt energetic after the dentist, not sure why. Wasn’t hungry. Had tea. Took pre-workout stack – NO powder drink, supps – packed some t-mix, ready for the Y.
I should add intervals weekly. Increase leg ex to 215, increase squats to 250, leg curl to 180. More pull ups and/or climbing. Decent gx, left knee hurt during hoops, but not too bad. Butt & hammies tight from squats yesterday.
51013 (Friday #322) AM – work … bands & pull ups (low)
Deep squat pulls
Low hang pull ups l-style
Triceps extensions
Forearm pulls
Standing pull overs
Rev grip triceps pull
Not gonna count sets or reps, just intermittent mostly pull ups.
Wake 188 – double. This looks like rock bottom for now. Still in good shape though.
PARK WORK 6
Ran the short park path, then walked backwards up snake hill and back down (fwd) ran back, then 125 squats on a manhole cover. Then some rope work from a tree, -video-. Then rope assisted squats and pistols, pistols off the bench. Innovated some single leg moves w/ rope assist. Upper body rope work , elevated pushups attempted 1 leg plange pushups but realized I’ll need a stronger core for this, just to hold the pose before I even get to the pushups. Stretching, yoga in the grass, backwards uphill and recovery.
Running the path felt easier, maybe go a bit further next time, til I can make the whole path – about 2 miles -
Later 25 push ups + 10 on fists neutral wrists. Shoulder work with 10 lb db.
**Note, I can get into last summer’s trousers… those 2 centimeters make a difference. Still tight around the legs, but that’s all muscle.
There’s a good bit of fat on my back, I noticed today. I can definitely drop 10 – 20 lbs of blubber. It’s not all Big Chunky!
51113 (Saturday #323) – AM –work: A few chin ups and one legged (balancing) shoulder laterals [10 lbs] but mostly chillin’. May lift [upper body] at the Y later. I deserve a good chest workout. Maybe follow with intervals?
Wake 190?? Yes 190!! Good BF & H2O tho…
HOME WORK – CHEST
Pre-work stack, CR & B-A drink. FIRST DAY BACK TO THIS.
Flat dumbbell press [ 50 lbs] – 12 – 16 – 14 – 10 = 52
Dumbbell Flies [20 lbs warm up 10 reps] – [30 lbs negs] 6 – 7 – 8 – 10 = 31 Open slow, close up quickly.
Incline press [ 40 lbs] 15 – 10 – 12 – 12 = 49
Done in 30 minutes – Casein smoothie & recovery stack. Got the B-A stingle.
Dinner, salmon, spaghetti – sweat after… off to work. Thinking duck tonight.
51213 (Sunday #324) AM – work second half of session 23 –
Suspension pushups today* – 10 - 10 – 12
One armed push-outs – 8s – 10 [nose to the wall] – 12
Push up bars [neutral] 10 – 10
*suspension feet elevated. A bit awkward – muscle memory needs to kick back in. right triceps – shoulder area sore [again or still?] Duck tonight!!!!
Wake 191 – 23 BF – 53% H2O decent numbers. No exercise, no shake. Mothers’ Day with Mom.
Casein before work. Bars & bands tonight (well, tomorrow.)
51313 (Monday #325) Am – work: Low bar pull ups – Over bar push ups [need this] – Band curls [this also works the leg that’s keeping the band on the floor]. No counts. This is tiring. Added a hang at some point. 3 rounds total.
Strengthen the body more – 100 punches.
Wake 191.5 drank breakfast – water – wake stack. YMCA Squats – Intervals
YMCA
Squats – 250 lbs 30 total in 5 sets. Got pretty deep too.
Intervals 2.5 incline, started with 7 mph intervals but couldn’t maintain, adjusted accordingly both time and speed. Incline remained constant. This is the setting until I beat it. [this kicked my add].
Hanging ab work, stretch – go home. Finish protein drink, burger with Xave.
51413 (Tuesday #326) wake 190
100 bow squats – water & stack
30 squats [10 slow 20 fast, practicing this pattern]
Punches 200 – 300 over 3 sets. [I just do this when I think about it or get bored. Helps keep my shoulders strong and used to keeping my arms up.]
Drank lunch – maybe train today. Maybe not. Home work or Y? Haircut today?? Pix??
HOME WORK – CHEST
Flat bench [50 lbs] – 20 – 15 – 18 – 18 = 71
Flies [30 lbs] – 12 – 14 – 15 – 12 = 53
Triceps ext. tandem [30 lbs] - 8 – 8 – 8 – 7 = 31 – struggled with these.
Incline press [50 lbs] – 10 – 8 – 8 – 10 = 36 rough, fatigued at this point.
Seated shrugs [50 lbs.] 50 – 25 – 30 – 16 – 10 [last two sets very slow with chin down.]
Done – recovery BCAA & BY. Beneficial, casein before bed.
51513 (Wednesday #327) – Wake 190 – these 2 lbs seem solid. Ate breakfast, veggie patty and fixins.
About 5 hours sleep woke before alarm, maybe leg therapy today? Got to be at the Y anyway. Looks like rain so no park today.
HOME WORK (leg therapy didn’t happen)
Some exotic experimental homework.
Cross legged squats – figure 4 one legged squats – downward dog push ups one leg extended on bar, neutral – power curl [negatives] 50 lbs. This basically involves muscling the dumbbell to the top position and lowering it as slowly as possible. I’m working towards a solid 50 lb curl.
Cod & lentils for dinner. Casein veggie smoothie before work.
51613 (Thursday #328) AM – work
BACKROOM WORKOUT
 |
| Strange pattern this time around. As usual I'm thinking and indicators are suggesting this is a muscle and not fat weight gain, but i could also be food & water! |
Dead hang pull ups – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 [YO, I felt the hell outta this, must do more. I think this will make me strong!!!] In “L” too.
Hanging single leg raises 2 sets of 8 ea. [from a hanging position kick one leg straight up and lower it]
One arm push outs [off the wall] 12 – 12 – 12 (each)
Standing band upper rows [16 – 12]
WB rows 10 ea. 8 ea. Slow.
Just a bit – cool stuff – go further, get stronger. Y-GX later today. ACV before bed.
Wake 190 21.5 BF 54 H2O – double/ wake stack, no wake up exercise, drank breakfast.
Very good Y-GX today. Good breath and joints. Recovery BCAA & BY.
Sore throat started today with thickness in the back of the tongue.
51713 (Friday # 329) AM - work
Suspension –
Pushups – 10 – 12 – 10 [not back to full counts yet, and haven’t reached 20 reps]
Dips – 8 – 10 [this bothers the rt shoulder triceps area, still]
Shoulder laterals [balance] r-8; l-10 – r-10 ; l-12 – both 10 last set. 10 lbs.
Tandem front raises – 8 – 10
Military press [dumbbells] – 16 – 10 – negs.
One challenge I encounter is not wanting to over train, I take a break which lasts too long. My arms are sore. Better to do as many sets within an hour as possible instead of waiting. I’ll probably get more done.
Wake 190 – took extra sleep and slowly got ready for YMCA Lift therapy. My body is beautifully sore and more impressively sculpted than ever [in my memory] although there is still a lot, [too much for me anyway] of fat around my torso and on my back. My legs are jacked and strong and enviably veined with thick strong visible blood vessels around my ankles and feet. This is important for circulation, which I believe I had problems with in the past and don’t want in the future.
LIFT THERAPY – YMCA
This was a GREAT SESSION – especially the bench press – closing in on 50 total reps and increasing the weight.
These are all done back to back
Leg press – [360 – 400 lbs/ 8 plates] 55 reps in 4 sets
Calf press [same weight] 4 x 25 – 100 reps
Deep assisted squats [no wt.] 4 x 10
Weight less calf raises – 4 x 25
Bent Barbell Row reverse grip [135 lbs] 4 x 8
Shin flex – 70 lbs 4 x 25
Leg extensions – 215 lbs 40 reps in 4 sets
Leg curls [seated, 180 lbs] 4 sets of 6 reps. Increased the weights on these machines as scheduled.
Bench press was extremely satisfying – little to no right shoulder struggle! This made my day. Shooting for 50+ total reps before adding wt. looking to get a 20 rep push as well.
Thinking to add 30 – 50 lbs to the leg press [inverted on smith machine, I have footage of this]. 50 rep totals signal wt. increase. When can do squats this week?? Wednesday perhaps. Hair’s short so back to the pool, no more excuses. When can I work this in??
51813 (Saturday #330) AM – work – just a few sets of bar-ups [half of the muscle up]. I like the way these feel, may help me with a full muscle up.
Sore throat escalating into cough, bringing up phlegm here and there. Been gargling, taking tea and honey. Staying strong and ready for a fight!!!
Wake 192 – last day of SESSION – rain will keep me out of the park… but I can catch up on some house work. Weight’s up four lbs since the session began. This is when I make sure I still fit into my pants and the weight’s not showing up on my belly. Next measuring day is probably not until the end of the BootCamp year [June 18th].
No comments:
Post a Comment