SP's on/off-season log

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 231


I'm not sure if anyone would remember, but I had some horrible gut issues in late 2015/early 2016 and subsequently ended up with a referral to an allergist

So I went to the university to see her today, and unsurprisingly (based on my more recent research) I'm not allergic to anything...

Of course that doesn't mean I'm not intolerant to some foods as is obvious from all the shit (pardon the pun) that I had to deal with in nov/dec/early january

Unfortunately she said that an elimination diet (that I've already been doing properly, according to her) is the best science can do for food intolerances at this point in time

On that note, I did get some pure new zealand cold filtered isolate and it seems to be just fine on the ol' guts...so here's hoping it was just the shitty concentrates


Longer day than usual at work because I didn't want to have to make up time later for that appointment, then mrs.SP met me at the gym for a relatively moderate leg day


Mon - legs (annihilation wave wk12)

warmup - indoor track

seated leg curl - four warmup sets, then four working sets of 10...nothing fancy but really full ROM/stretch at the start/end of each rep then a full contraction

HSPL incline leg press - did sets of 8 pyramiding up on each one
8 x 4 plates per side (360lbs)
8 x 5 plates (450)
8 x 6
8 x 7
8 x 8...started feeling heavy-ish here, calling it the first work set
8 x 9 plates a side (810lbs)
8 x 10 (900)...pretty heavy: https://youtu.be/sCxeZbj89Uk
8 x 11 (990)...heavier: https://youtu.be/WSn9g49spB0
8 x 12 (1080)...topped out here for the day: https://youtu.be/7aCeLupaQP8

walking lunges - used kettlebells today, did 15 reps per leg (30 paces) per set...a lap around the track in between and four total working sets

BB SLDL - three sets of 12, full ROM with a hard glute flex this time rather than the shortened/constant tension...as always using a bunch of 25lbs plates instead of 45s to achieve a deeper stretch

cooldown on the track, no cardio since it's leg day...I will say I'm really damn hungry though - maybe from being in an extra deficit yesterday...

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 231

Had to go to a client site ~1hr away today, I made the sales guy drive so I could sleep & clocked a solid 150mins of paid nap time

My brother in law met me after work then mrs.SP showed up too and did some cardio while we finished delts

Early day tomorrow dropping the car off at the dealership, both window regulators were going but the drivers' one finally broke

I used to get paid to change them, when I was in university working as a glazier but can't be fucked to do one on my own car...

Honestly though it's not out of laziness, all my tools are stored at my parents' place right now and audi's are a massive PITA to work on


Tue - chest/delts/abs/calves (annihilation wave wk12)

warmup - indoor track

slight-incline DB press - sets of 8, increasing weight until I could barely get 8 (actually I just ran out of DBs)
8 x 50
8 x 70
8 x 85
8 x 100
8 x 110
8 x 120
2 x 8 x 125...heaviest DBs at the rec centre so I did two sets before moving on

unsupported hanging leg raise - four sets of 16/17/18/20 reps respectively

incline BB press - one feeder set, then three working sets of 8 reps....2sec pause about 1-2" off the chest, then 3/4 extension (no lockout)

HSPL chest press - three sets of 8 reps, nothing too fancy just a hard lockout/flex for 1-2sec on every rep

seated calf raise - four sets of 15 full reps, 15 partial reps and a 15 sec hard stretch
+++
superset dorsiflexion - bodyweight to failure after each set of calf raises, approximately 70/60/55/50 reps

chest dips - bodyweight to failure, just two sets here going really slow and deep...approximately 12 then 15 reps

bent over rear DB lateral raise - three sets of 35 reps, killer burn/pump from these

side lateral DB raise - four sets of 8 reps, really heavy on these while keeping decent form (for me, at least...used 50/55/60/60lbs per arm)

rear delt/reverse pec dec - three sets of 30 reps to finish things off


cardio - more walking on the indoor track, 30mins postWO...approximately 130bpm

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 232

Day went about how I expected, dealership is never cheap but the door glass rolls up and down properly

They confirmed a foglight is burned out (thanks tips...fucking 8 other people have told me that and the giant bomb symbol on my dashboard helps too)

The loaner Q3 was kind of nice, I took mrs.SP for a spin in case we decide to upgrade her SUV anytime soon...


Wed - back/abs (annihilation wave wk12)

warmup - indoor track

one-arm DB row - three warmup sets, pyramiding weight up then three working sets of 10 reps per arm

seated low cable row - three sets of 12 reps, heavy but with good form (minimal lower back involvement)

DB pullover - three sets of 10, short ROM for constant tension on the lats as usual

wide-grip pullup - bodyweight for 10 reps per set, four working sets
+++
superset regular/floor crunches - four sets of 30 reps

hyperextension - bodyweight to failure, three sets of these to finish off


cardio - 15-20mins on the indoor track postWO, quick pace but HR is staying pretty low so it'll be time to introduce either an incline treadmill or probably the stair mill soon if I want anything useful to come out of 'cardio'

 

[Milton]

Great progress, well done!

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 230

Kind of annoying, the dealership managed to trigger the airbag light which has stayed on so I'll plug my ODBII scanner in and see what it says...

Short day at work because all the other days have been long, looking more and more like I'll be shipping off to Qatar here in the next few weeks to oversee a deployment =\

I missed arms day last week, so I'm decided to catch up on the program and will have an extra 'programmed' arms day during my do-whatever-week next week


Thu - arms/abs/calves (annihilation wave wk11)

warmup - indoor track

rope tricep pushdown - three high-rep sets to get warmed up, 15-25 reps each
+++
superset unsupported hanging leg raise - four sets of 15 reps
+++
superduperset rope crunches - 15 reps with a forced exhale and mini-vaccum at the bottom of each rep, after each set of leg raises

v-bar pushdown - five heavy working sets, pyramiding weight...20 reps (feeder) then 15/12/10/8/6 reps per set, respectively...I haven't done these in a long time, I was surprised how strong I've become on them

overhead rope extension - three sets of 15 reps, no lockout but a deep/forced stretch on every rep
+++
superset seated calf raise - five sets of 12-16 full reps, 12-16 partials from the stretch position and then 12-16 sec forced stretch...pyramided weight up on each set and lost a rep or two consequently

decline skullcrusher - three sets of 15 reps to finish off the triceps

standing DB curl - both arms at the same time, three sets of 8 reps with a 3sec eccentric on every rep

ez-bar curl - four sets of 8 reps, only 45sec rest in between sets...great pump from the short rest periods here

reverse-grip ez-bar curl - three sets of 25 reps to finish the biceps, brachialis and brachioradialis


cardio - 15mins postWO on the track, then another 15mins on the stair mill to ratchet the intensity up a little

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 229

Stat holiday so no work-work, just some errands, work on one of my motorcycles, lunch then met my brother in law at the gym


Fri - legs (optional/volume)

warmup - indoor track

prone hamstring curl - all sets were 12 reps except for the final dropset...approximately three warmup sets and three straight working sets, pyramiding weight on each then a final dropset of 12 + 10 + 8 reps
+++
superset adductor machine - one warmup and three working sets of 15 reps, full stack here as usual

HSPL incline leg press - my brother in law didn't want to aggravate his neck squatting so we did leg press again (same as monday), this time ascending in sets of 10 reps
10 reps x 5 plates per side (450)
10 x 6 (540)
10 x 7 (630)
10 x 8 (720)
10 x 9 (810)...started feeling heavy here already
10 x 10 (900)
10 x 11 (990)
10 x 12 (1080)..this was pretty tough, called it after that set
+++
superset hard quad stretching - 30 sec after each of the last four sets

platz-style 1.25 hack squat - four sets of 8 reps, each consisting of a quarter rep, back down then a full rep (not quite locking out)
+++
superset kneeling hamstring curl - four sets of 8 reps per leg with a 5sec eccentric on each

BB SLDL - four sets of 15-20 reps, not quite locking out to keep constant tension on the hamstrings
+++
superset hard hamstring stretches - 30 sec toe grabs with locked knees after each set of SLDLs

cooldown - indoor track, no real cardio just a 10min moderate walk with a bit of stretching

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 226

It was TOUGH waking up to get to the gym this morning...dragged my ass then had to really push it between sets

We're actually supposed to be on the road to calgary for easter right now so I thought I had a pretty tight timeline

Turns out our ride (my sister and her fiance) are running behind so I'm posting this up while we wait...


Sat - chest/delts/abs/calves (optional/volume)

warmup - indoor track

rear delts/reverse pec dec - four sets of 30, medium tempo to get a pump going

hammer chest press machine - four sets of 12, pyramiding weight up doing sets of 12, slow reps with no lockout at the top

incline smith chest press - five sets, pyramiding weight up...always a 2 sec pause just above the chest on each set, 15/12/10/8/8 reps per set respectively

high cable flye - three sets of 12, heavy with a slight pause+hard squeeze at full contraction on every rep
+++
superset chest dip - bodyweight to failure after each set of flyes

side lateral DB raise - one easy warmup and four working sets with clean form...pyramiding weight up, 15x40, 12x45, 10x50 and 8x55
+++
superset unsupported hanging leg raise - four sets, 16/17/18/20 reps per set, respectively

front BB raise - one rest/pause set to failure to finish off the delts


cooldown/cardio - moderate pace on the indoor track postWO, 15-20mins worth before I had to head out

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 228

Met my buddy for a workout at powerhouse, normally we do chest on saturdays but because of easter it was sunday/back day


Sun - back/abs (optional/volume)

no warmup today

pullup - wide grip/pronated, bodyweight for 12 reps per set...four working sets

seated low cable row - four sets of 8 with a 1-2sec flex/squeeze on each rep

HSPL chest-supported row - one feeder set then three working sets of 10-12 reps with a hard flex/squeeze on each rep again

one-arm DB row - went (maybe too-) heavy on these, 12/10/8/8 reps per set respectively (feels like I may have tweaked my lower back)

rear delt/cable pull-apart - three sets of 15 reps with a 1-2sec flex/hold on every rep
+++
superset rope crunch - four sets of 20, quite heavy

wide/neutral-grip behind-the-neck pulldown - moderate weight on these, full stretch then a careful behind-the-neck pulldown for 12 reps x 3 work sets


posing - 5 or 10 mins running through the mandatories, working on the back shots especially


weekly progress shots - actually got mrs.SP out of bed this morning to snap some AM pics, un-flattering angle but it shows me how I'll need to tweak things to adjust to the judges' perspective, actually: Mar27/2016 - 13 weeks out - Album on Imgur

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 227

I woke up, excited to start the week with legs...drove to the gym and it was closed.

Damn, easter...so I drove to the other gym (powerhouse) and thankfully it was open

Quiet in there except for a guy with a really sweet milk jug full of gatorade or something and 5% on it

5% gatorade solution? 5% alcohol? 5% max effort? 5%....nevermind


Mon - legs (reused one of my favorites from Omega Beam - wk 8)

seated leg curl - did these a bit differently per john's instructions, and ended up doing about 3 or 4 feeder sets, then 3 straight working sets and a 4th with partials....see description:

I want you to use the pad that pushes down on your thighs to pull your upper body over towards your feet, sort of like you were doing a hamstring stretch on the floor. You may have to move the seat back support up a click or two. This will keep the motion EXCLUSIVELY in your hamstrings, and allow no lower back recruitment at all. Use a full range of motion, and squeeze out 10 reps with a weight that leaves one or two reps in the tank. On the last set, I want you to do as many partials are you can on the bottom half of the movement, only allowing your legs to come halfway back to straight before slamming your hamstrings shut again and cranking the weight down again.

+++
superset seated adductor machine - I added these myself, I really do like supersetting them with ham work especially when I know squats are coming up...did the usual warmup then four working sets of 15 reps

highbar ATG squat - did sets of 10 working up in weight until I could barely get six reps, on the six rep set rather than going ATG I stopped at parallel and tried firing up as quickly as possible then tacked on 4 partials, a rest/pause and another 4 partials to really demolish my quads
10 x 135
10 x 185
10 x 225
10 x 275
10 x 315
10 x 365...this was much tougher than expected so I didn't go up to four plates for the final set
6 x 385 (+ 4 partials, 15sec pause locked out but not racked and another 4 partials)

incline leg press - this was the cybex one, so much heavier than hammer strength...did two feeler sets of 15 reps to get a tough weight, then four more sets of 10 (+ more) reps like this:
- first set - 1.25s, each full rep followed by a quarter partial out of the bottom
- second set - 1.5s, each full rep followed by a half rep out of the bottom
- third set - 1.75s, each full rep followed by 3/4th of a full rep out of the bottom
- fourth set - double time, 20 full reps

prone hamstring curl - did these one leg at a time, for 8 reps...then onto the next exercise, before repeating the same with the opposite leg and did four total working sets per leg
+++
superset bulgarian split squat - immediately after the one-leg prone ham curl, I grabbed a plate and did 8 reps on the leg I just finished working

DB SLDL - did these slow with constant tension on the hams (not quite locking out), three sets of 8 to finish things off and some hard hamstring stretches in between sets

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight unknown

Stupid digital scale at the gym was broken, other than that it was a decent workout

Long day though...had to return our TV box (only want internet) and get a new battery for my streetbike

The $350 dry-cell lithium unit apparently needed to be charged regularly over the winter, despite being in a heated garage

Honestly if I'd had any idea that wouldn't have been a problem because I even have a damn battery tender on the bike...I just had no fucking clue

Grr...at least the bike is on the road and running half decently now

Saw batman vs superman tonight, great movie


Tue - chest/delts/abs/calves (made-up/mountaindog style)

warmup - indoor track

reverse pec dec - three sets of thirty reps each, short breaks in between to get a pump going

incline DB press - did quite a few sets pyramiding up to a tough 12 reps weight, then did three sets of 12 reps, not quite locking out at the top and going deep/stretchy at the bottom
+++
superset unsupported hanging leg raise - four sets of 16/17/18/20 reps, respectively

HSPL chest press - banded, did about five sets of 12 with a hard lockout/flex for 2 sec at the top of every rep
+++
superset seated calf raise - five sets of 15 full ROM, 15 partials from the stretch position and a 15 sec hard stretch
+++
dorsiflexion - bodyweight to failure after each set of calf raises, approximately 70/65/60/55/50 reps per set

chest dips - bodyweight to near-failure, approximately 12 slow reps with a deep stretch for three sets
+++
superset wide-grip/stretch pushup - bodyweight to failure after each set of chest dips

delt tri-set...made this one up, it was relatively challenging so I only did three total rounds with a lap inbetween each one
1. seated DB press - 10 reps, good ROM on these with a fairly heavy weight
2. lateral DB raise - 10 reps again, going to 10 and 2 o'clock height with good form
3. front DB raise - 10 reps with both DBs at the same time but not quite touching, above eye level on every rep

cardio - about 15mins around the track postWO more to help my legs recover from yesterday's workout than actual cardio reasons

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight still unknown

I should've weighed my damn self at home but I was in a rush and forgot

Had to get to the gym, workout then get to the dealership in time to drop of my car (airbag light...)

Then drive the loaner home, find a spot to park it on the street and get my bike out of the garage because they're spring cleaning it again

They fucking zambonie that place every 2 months I swear that's where half my condo fees go...


Wed - back/abs (made up/mountaindog-style pump day)

warmup - indoor track
+++
superset pullup - bodyweight, wide and ultra-wide grips, did a set of 12 after every lap around the track for a total of six to get warmed up

seated low cable row - four sets of 12-15 reps, with a hold/squeeze at full contraction on every rep
+++
superset regular floor crunches - short ROM as usual so it's constant ab tension, four sets of 30 reps each

underhand pulldown machine - three sets of 12, squeezing the lower lats hard...went pretty heavy on these because it was a good machine

DB pullover - four sets of 12 with a pretty heavy weight, again constant tension via a shortened ROM
+++
superset smith row - using a medium pronated grip, did four sets of 12 with a quick pace, keeping elbows tucked in and ramming them back and up


cardio - 15mins on the track postWO

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 229

The scale was repaired! I'm not worried about the weight but it's definitely up a little, I haven't been 'cheating' or anything

But at the same time I'm not really pushing the cardio or using any fat burners yet, it's fairly early with >12 weeks to go

Got to try out my new, beefier wrist wraps (grizzly) and they let me do some preacher stuff I almost never can due to forearm tendinitis

I was one week behind on arms so this is the final arms day for annihilation wave


Thu - arms/abs/calves (annihilation wave wk12)

warmup - indoor track

ez-bar curl 1.5s - two warmup sets of 15 reps, then three working sets of 8 reps, each one comprising of a full ROM + partial from the bottom to halfway up
+++
superset unsupported hanging leg raise - four sets, 16/17/18/20 reps per set respectively

preacher hammer DB curl - three sets of 12 per arm, these really hit the brachialis and brachioradialis hard...good feel
+++
superset rope crunches - four sets of 16/17/18/20 reps, really heavy on these and trying to hit a vacuum with all the air blown out on each rep

preacher EZ-bar curl - three sets of 8 reps with a narrow grip and full ROM
+++
superset reverse-grip EZ-bar curl - immediately walked around and did 12 reps of reverse grip curls with the same (heavy) weight

CGBP - two warmup sets of 12/10 reps, then three working sets of 8 reps, heavy
+++
superset rope pushdown - again two warmup sets, then three sets of six reps after each set of CGBP with a 3sec flex/hold at the bottom of every rep

seated tricep dip machine - three sets of 8 reps with a 2sec flex/squeeze on every rep, slow 2-3sec eccentrics with a good stretch at the top
+++
superset standing calf raise - 3 sets of 'calf killers', meaning 10reps + 10sec isohold + 10reps + 10sec isohold + 10reps + 10sec isohold (x3 sets)
+++
superduperset dorsiflexion - bodyweight to failure after each set of calf raises, approximately 70/60/50 reps

DB skullcrusher - basically the same as a BB or EZ-bar skullcrusher but using DBs so you can get a deeper stretch, three sets of 15 reps

cardio - 15mins postWO on the track, quick pace then about 10mins of posing...running through the mandatories as well as the quarter turns

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 228

Woke up with a bit of a tummy ache

Kind of slept/napped it off for an hour and a half then headed to the gym for legs...


Friday - legs/calves (pump - mountaindog style)

warmup - indoor track

prone hamstring curl - three warmup sets and four working sets of 12 reps, finished the fourth set with 12 partials from the stretch position
+++
superset adductor machine - one warmup and four working sets of 15 reps, full stack as usual

HSLP incline leg press - kept the reps higher here, 15 per set pyramiding up until it was tough then I did four working sets at that weight
15 reps x 4 plates per side (360)
15 x 5 plates (450)
15 x 6 (540)
15 x 7 (630)
15 x 8 (720)...this was somewhat tough since I was using a narrow+low foot placement, kept it here for three more sets and added calf supersets
15 x 8
15 x 8
15 x 8
+++
superset leg press calf raise - four sets of 20 full ROM plus a hard stretch after the working sets on the leg press

platz-style hack squat - again with the narrow+low foot placement, quite heavy and slow did four working sets of 8 reps, never locking out at the top and going almost down to the stops
+++
superset kneeling hamstring curl - 10 reps per leg after each set of hack squats, with a 3-4 sec eccentric on every rep

BB SLDL - three sets of 15, constant tension on the hamstrings using a bunch of 25lbs plates to get a deeper stretch (vs 45lbs with less ROM)


I was going to finish with some walking lunges but honestly I was gassed so I just did a few laps on the track to cooldown then showered and headed to work

It's not posing-suit-update-day but a friend posted some kind of "fitness friday" challenge on facebook that required a picture so here they are anyways: Apr1/2016 - 12.15 weeks out (april fools!) - Album on Imgur

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 228

Long day, lots of time / mileage on the motorcycle and since I'm not really accustomed to it, I was fairly exhausted

Got caught in some traffic on my way to meet my buddy to train and ended up getting there quite late, very frustrating

Chatted with him for a bit but decided I really needed some solid food by that point and he was already 30mins into the workout so I headed home

I'd actually had to stay away from the condo for awhile in the AM+afternoon while a bridal shower for a friend was going down...got home and eventually hit the gym

I hate to say it but it was a very low energy workout, one of those ones where I barely broke a sweat even though I was pushing some decent weight...frustrating lack of pump


Sat - chest/delts/abs (volume - mountain dog style exercises)

warmup - indoor track

reverse pec dec - four sets of 30 reps, trying to get warmed up and a bit of a pump going

HS chest press machine - used a wide/neutral grip out on the supports, about 3 warmup sets and 2-3 work sets of 12-15 reps

unsupported hanging leg raise - four sets of 15 reps
+++
superset rope crunches - 15 reps after each set of leg raises

incline flye - using the pronated grip from a few weeks ago, did four sets of 8-10 reps
+++
superset incline BB press - one feeder set then four sets of 8 reps with a 1-2 sec pause just above the chest on every rep

pec minor dip - these are the ones where you don't quite go all the way down but really focus on the top/lockout portion, squeeze hard then continue...three sets of 12 reps

HSPL shoulder press machine - four sets of 8-12 reps, fairly heavy on these

side lateral DB raise - one feeder set then three working sets, 12x45 + 10x50 + 8x55, good form to 10 and 2 o'clock position without swinging


cardio - about 15mins postWO walking around the track, moderately fast but I was having a bit of quad cramping so I couldn't really push it even though I kind of wanted to...

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 225

Some jackass broke into my brother in law's truck last night so we spent the morning looking for a replacement door glass

Eventually got on my bike and met a friend for a back session at the powerhouse gym


Sun - back/abs (optional/volume)

warmup - walk outside about ~30mins prior to the gym, it's beautiful today (again) so Mrs.SP and I went out for about 30mins to soak up some sun

meadows' row - two warmup sets then four working sets of 8 reps per arm

wide-grip pullup - bodyweight, four sets of 12 slow reps and a 20-30sec hang after each set
+++
superset regular crunches - four sets of 30 reps

low cable row - four sets of 10 reps, pyramiding weight up slightly with a 1-2sec flex/hold at full contraction on every rep

nautilus pullover machine - four sets of 12 reps

DB shrug - three sets of 12 reps with a 3sec hold at the top of each rep


Sunday 'progress' photos, mrs.SP was up and at 'em this morning again: April 3 / 2016 - 12 weeks out - Album on Imgur

 

[kianzoid]

Have been reading on ur posts... U really made good progress through sheer hard work and motivation. Thanks for inspiring newbies like me!
Keep up the good work!

 

[snowpatrol123]

Have been reading on ur posts... U really made good progress through sheer hard work and motivation. Thanks for inspiring newbies like me!
Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the compliments, I'm glad you're enjoying the log...and you're right I'm not where I want to be, yet but at the same time I know I've come a long way from where I started


Weight 224

Tough morning, we went to bed at a decent hour but my sleep wasn't great so after I packed my bag I ended up taking an extra hour 'nap' on the couch

I did make it to the gym though, cold af on the bike this AM but at least it's not snowing here!

I've decided to restart the Universe training program from the start (I only got four weeks in last time before switching off on purpose)

So this is day 1 of approximately 6d * 12wk = 72 workouts til my show, if I'm able to take the 1 rest day per week he suggests (or 7 * 12 = 84 days if I don't rest)


Mon - legs/calves (pump day - universe wk1/12 weeks out)

warmup - indoor track

seated hamstring curl - four warmup sets of 15 reps, pyramiding up to where 15 was tough then I did six working sets of 10 reps with that weight except only resting 45 sec between sets

glute kickback - unfortunately the rec centre doesn't have the perfect machine for these but I made do with the adjustable hip/glute machine...one warmup and four sets of 8 reps per leg with a 2sec hard squeeze on each rep
+++
superset adductor machine - one warmup and four working sets of 15 reps

HSPL incline leg press - pyramided weight up to about half of my normal 10 rep working weight (so six instead of twelve plates per side) then did five working sets of 15 reps with only 45 sec rest in between

hard quad stretch - 30 sec per leg, twice after I finished the leg press sets

hip flexor machine - using the same machine (adjusted differently) from glute kickbacks, I did five sets of 12 per leg

standing calf raise - one warmup then five working sets of 10-15 straight reps followed by a hard 10 sec stretch
+++
superset dorsiflexion - bodyweight to failure, tried to get 60 reps on each set and got pretty close except on the last one

DB SLDL - added two sets of 12 to finish off the hamstrings, really want those things to 'pop and drop' this year on the side and back shots


no cardio this morning due to time and also leg day, I may do some very LISS tonight while watching either motoGP or the walking dead season finale but we'll see...

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 230

Evening workout, on a different scale...still a weird weight

Alarm didn't go off in time for me to make it to the gym this morning before I had to go to the dentist unfortunately

Mouth was frozen all morning then when I could finally eat I was ravenous...

Had to wait for someone to program a new garage door opener at the condo tonight, fucker came an hour late of course

Eventually got that taken care of, picked up my brother in law and headed to powerhouse for chest/delts etc


Tue - chest/delts/triceps/abs/calves (base day - universe week 1)

no cardio warmup - no track at this gym and we were both a bit tired so we wanted to get lifting (pumped) asap

incline DB press - pyramiding up doing sets of 8, I wanted to try the 150s so I went pretty quickly up in weight
8 x 60
8 x 80
8 x 100
8 x 120
4.5 x 150...kind of disappointing tbh, I really thought 6 or maybe even 8 was a possibility but either it's just not or I'm weaker than I thought from dieting already
2 x 8 x 130...went back down a few pounds and did two sets with the 130s to finish the exercise

incline smith press - pyramiding up doing sets of 15, no lockout just constant tension stopping ~1" above the clavicles...got 15/15/15/14 reps ending at only 265lbs unfortunately

pec dec - did these conventionally for the first time in recent memory, three sets of 12 reps with a 2-3 sec flex/squeeze on every rep

unsupported hanging leg raise - four sets of 15 reps
+++
superset rope crunches - 15 reps after each set of leg raises

chest dips - slow reps with a deep stretch, to failure for three sets

bent over rear lateral DB raise - three sets of 20 reps with 60 sec rests in between sets

side lateral DB raise - three sets of 10 reps, went quite heavy on these with a longer rest break to accommodate the weight

rope tricep pushdown - eight sets of 10 reps with 45 sec breaks in between

standing calf raise - four sets of 12 heavy reps + 10-12 sec hard stretch after each set


That was it...no cardio since it was late and the cardio equipment/section at powerhouse is pretty shady...not quite at the point where I need to put up with that, yet

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 228

Back on the usual scale, so I guess I really did just have a few extra pounds on me...oh well, that's why I gave myself extra time

Slept in a little but still made it to the gym before work today


Wed - back/abs (base day - universe wk 1)

warmup - indoor track

smith machine row - three warmup sets, then three working sets of 8 reps...focused on keeping elbows in and ramming them back and upwards
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superset regular crunches - four sets of 30

low cable row - four sets, pyramiding weight up on each one and holding every rep for a 2 sec count...got 12/10/8/8 reps (going up to the full stack)

DB pullover - four sets of 8 reps, slow with constant tension via shortened ROM

narrow/neutral-grip pulldown "stretchers" - the workout actually called for forced stretching with a partner but since I was alone I went with the "stretchers" variety from a few programs ago...three sets of 12: https://youtu.be/-hWBCW8V_U0

hyperextension - bodyweight for three sets of 20 reps


cardio - 20mins on the track postWO at a pretty decent pace, and I'm highly considering going in tonight to reacquaint myself with the stairmill and finish watching the motoGP race from sunday

 

[snowpatrol123]

Weight 225

I actually drank an extra cup of coffee before hitting the gym so my real weight might've been back to 224

Trying to estimate variables and then inputting guesstimates just introduces too many sources of uncertainty though

So I always record what I see on the scale, always wearing the same shoes and hat, and very similar shorts/shirt

I dislike training arms so my strategy has been to get a pump as quickly as possible than try to keep it going for the whole workout


Thu - arms/abs/calves (universe week 1/12 weeks out)

warmup - indoor track, interspersed with some DB curls and rope pushdowns to get started on that pump

seated/supinated-grip DB curl - three sets of 8 reps, with five partials added on after the final set

unsupported hanging leg raise - four sets of 15 reps
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superset rope crunches - 15 reps after each set of leg raises

cambered-bar cable curl - the rec centre doesn't have a preacher curl 'machine' so I did these instead, focusing on pulling right up to the forehead...four sets of 10 reps again with partials added to the last set

straight BB curl - went heavier than I should've on these and my wrists/forearms started hurting even with my heavy wraps...three sets of 8 reps with 4-6 partials on every set

hammer DB curl - alternating arms, did three sets of 10 reps with short rest breaks in between sets

tricep rope pushdown - four sets of 15 reps, locking out on the first few sets then as I fatigued just kept decent form but couldn't lockout on the final sets

overhead tricep rope extension - three sets of 12 reps, followed by a 12-15 sec stretch after each set

seated tricep dip/pushdown machine - three sets of 10 with a hard lockout at the bottom and not quite coming all the way up
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superset standing calf raise - four sets of 12 reps, pyramiding weight up followed by a hard 10-12 sec stretch after each set


cardio - 15mins on the track postWO, not pushing too hard