FamilyBeer Gets Stronger

[FamilyBeer]

My goals for this challenge are really basic:

• keep going to the gym, continue with the StrongLifts 5x5 program so that by the end of this challenge, I'll have been doing StrongLifts for 14 weeks;
• improve flexibility in legs, hip and back for future bodyweight challenges;
• eat less carbs (easier done now that the Christmas/New Years break is done),
• intermittent fasting 2x/wk, and
• use determination to do those things I should be doing around the house (referring to a private New Years resolution).

That's all.

[FamilyBeer]

Monday January 5, 2015

 

Starting weight for challenge

• 174.3lbs

Intermittent Fasting

• today
  • did ok, no real pangs of hunger
  • however, I did overeat after my shake because I thought that I was still hungry, I've got to watch that and make sure I don't do that again

Exercise

• Walked to work: 4.5km
  • in -24C/-11F temps, that's got to count for something!!

Stronglifts "B"

• Squats: 5x5@150
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • hard but good, felt great to be able to complete it
  • increase by 5lbs next time
• Overhead Press: 5x5@80
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • felt much better than last day, the last rep was hard and I struggled but I did it
  • increase by 5lbs next time
• Deadlifts: 5x5@145
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • hard but good
  • increase by 5lbs next time
• Abs
  • 5x5 bicycles
  • 5x5 flutterkicks
  • 5x5 Russian twists with 10lb medicine ball

[Guzzi]

-24C???? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

[wildross]

Great determination to walk while cold (which is harder imo than when it is hot)

[FamilyBeer]

-24C???? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

 

Meh! You get used to it and you learn to dress for it. Last winter, it was -39C with a windchill of -42C (at the coldest).

 

Glad to hear from you Guzzi!!  Happy New Year!

[Guzzi]

And to you too!!!

Sent from my stoopid phone which hates me I swear.

[danica]

Dang...your walk in the freeze impresses me to no end. Whew. It's been around -9C  here on and off and I'm literally cracking from the dry cold. 

[FamilyBeer]

Wednesday January 7, 2015

 

Exercise

• Walked to work: ~4km
  • colder today, -29C/-20F temps with a strong wind from the North creating a wind chill of -44C/-47F, the wind was at my back so with my hood up, I was fine
  • my lunch was in a plastic bag carried in my hand and guess what? I now have frozen veggies and apples for lunch and snack today!!!
  • about 2km of the walk was across the frozen lake (I'll have to take and post photos tomorrow), it was nice, except when there were booms from the ice as it expands and contracts (http://cottagelife.com/13632/qa/noises-made-from-a-frozen-lake), a bit unnerving but I knew that there was plenty of thickness to the ice (likely greater than 30cm/12") so I wasn't concerned

StrongLifts "A"

• Squats: 5x5@155
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • hard but good and completed this weight
  • got a pain in the back of my left knee today, didn't affect squats as I was careful, had it before, don't know why
  • increase by 5lbs next time
• Bench press: 5x5@110
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • good weight
  • on last couple of reps, I did a slow (5sec) negative and fast positive, it made it harder, I like it
  • increase by 5lbs next time
• Barbell Rows: 5x5@125
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • very hard
  • not touching chest every time but coming close so I'm not counting them as fails
  • used bench press grip width, a bit harder than the narrow grip I was using before, I like this, continue using this grip width
  • increase by 5lbs next time

[danica]

Wednesday January 7, 2015

 

Exercise

• Walked to work: ~4km
  • colder today, -29C/-20F temps with a strong wind from the North creating a wind chill of -44C/-47F, the wind was at my back so with my hood up, I was fine
  • my lunch was in a plastic bag carried in my hand and guess what? I now have frozen veggies and apples for lunch and snack today!!!
  • about 2km of the walk was across the frozen lake (I'll have to take and post photos tomorrow), it was nice, except when there were booms from the ice as it expands and contracts (http://cottagelife.com/13632/qa/noises-made-from-a-frozen-lake), a bit unnerving but I knew that there was plenty of thickness to the ice (likely greater than 30cm/12") so I wasn't concerned

More fitness (gym) to do later today

Is it okay if I tell you how jealous I am that you walked across a frozen lake? THAT IS SO COOL. 

[FamilyBeer]

Is it okay if I tell you how jealous I am that you walked across a frozen lake? THAT IS SO COOL. 

 

LOL, sure, go ahead!!!

 

If there is thick snow, trodding through the snow is difficult and only fun for a short while. There hasn't been much snow this winter so far (but there has been cold) so there was only 3-4" of snow except where there were slightly higher drifts. Nevertheless, in heavy winter boots, it was definitely an exercising walk.

[FamilyBeer]

I've just updated the log for Wednesday's activities.

[FamilyBeer]

Winter photos

[redtomato501]

Found you! Way to go on the StrongLifts, you're killing it so far! So jealous of your bench press numbers... but I'll get there!

 

My coworkers are astonished that I'm still walking to work (not that I have another choice?), and it's nowhere near that cold! I never could do the whole walk-across-the-lake thing though, I was so scared of falling in! I love your winter pictures, reminds me of Michigan... and didn't realize you were in Canada! I have family in Sault Ste Marie on the Canadian side.

[FamilyBeer]

Found you! Way to go on the StrongLifts, you're killing it so far! So jealous of your bench press numbers... but I'll get there!

 

My coworkers are astonished that I'm still walking to work (not that I have another choice?), and it's nowhere near that cold! I never could do the whole walk-across-the-lake thing though, I was so scared of falling in! I love your winter pictures, reminds me of Michigan... and didn't realize you were in Canada! I have family in Sault Ste Marie on the Canadian side.

 

Thanks redtomato501 (sounds like a secret-agent name!!  ). I started StrongLifts with the last challenge (Nov 10) with benching just 45lbs and I've been doing it continuously since then with an increase of 5lbs each time (no failures yet, at least, not with bench, OHP, yes, a couple of times).

 

With regard to walking on the frozen lake, let's put it this way; I've passed a couple of pickup tire tracks on the ice from when they dragged their ice fishing huts out to their spots. There is lots of ice. Besides, it is covered with snow so I can't really tell that I'm on ice. However, in early December, the snow we had had in November had melted after a couple of mild days and then it got cold again so the ice was exposed and clear as glass. My friend had to do some ice safety training on the lake and he said that it took the safety instructor a while to chop through 6-8" of clear ice to make a hole large enough for them to go through. My friend said it was rather spooky to be walking on clear ice and looking down 8-10ft into the water at the weeds and rocks on the bottom. I'd be uncomfortable then.

 

Here in Sudbury, we're about 3.5hrs drive east of Sault Ste Marie. My son and his girlfriend are going snowboarding this weekend at Searchmont ski hill, just 45 min north of the Sault. We've been there a few times, it is one of our favourites.

[redtomato501]

Doesn't it feel good to keep progressing?! Unfortunately, I have failed a couple times on bench, but I deload, work back up, and keep moving! OHP... yeah, can't even.

 

Oh yeah, your friend's situation was definitely a spooky one! IMe, I've read too many stories of people falling in where they thought they were fine, and never had a chance to walk a frozen lake until adulthood (my family doesn't do outdoorsy anything), so it really doesn't matter how safe it is, I can't imagine doing so! If I moved back to some frozen North, maybe I'd have to face that fear, but for now, it's not exactly something I encounter here in DC!

 

Signing Off,

Secret Agent RedTomato501 

[FamilyBeer]

Secret Agent RedTomato501 

 

LOL

 

I have failed twice on the OHP but I failed my first day at 75# (reps: 5, 3, 4, 4, 0) but the next time I completed 5x5, then I moved up to 80# and failed (3, 3, 1, 2, 2) and the next time I did 5x5. This might be my pattern with OHP for a while, try once and fail, try again and complete. I'm fine with that, I know OHP is supposed to be really hard.

 

I think the StrongLifts site suggests that if you fail 3x (or is it 2x), then you deload by 10% (or there about) and build back up. If you're deloading after one fail (you didn't say that, I'm just assuming), you're not giving your muscles as much of a workout as you could.

[FamilyBeer]

Friday January 9, 2015

 

Stronglifts "B"

• Squats: 5x5@160
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • very, very hard but it felt great to be able to complete it
  • increase by 5lbs next time
• Bench Press: 5x5@115
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • good weight, lowered for ~5sec, raised as fast as possible, harder but I like it
  • today should have been an OHP day but I decided to swap BP for OHP from now on
  • increase by 5lbs next time
• Deadlifts: 5x5@150
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • hard but good
  • increase by 5lbs next time

Strength Endurance Test "B"

 

This is new and inspired by a conversation I had with danica. The "B" version of this is to match it with the StrongLifts workout in that since the "B" StrongLifts workout doesn't include rows, I assume my rows muscles are less taxed by the "B" workout and will be in better shape to do more than had I done them in the endurance test after the "A" StrongLifts workout which does include rows. Also, on my "A" version of this test, I plan to test my endurance of BP, which is why I swapped OHP and BP so as to test BP after a StrongLifts workout that does not include BP (although some of the BP muscles are used for the OHP on those days). I also plan to do these tests after my Friday workouts, partly because I have the time and partly because I have an extra day of recovery before my next workout on Mondays.

• 20min Squats@45# - 227
  • I can't believe how tiring this was and how hard it was on my legs
  • I'm happy with this weight as a starting point
• 20min Cable Rows@30# - 496
  • I could have done more, maybe as many as 600, because I started out slow and did the first 200 in ~10:30 minutes at which point I realized that I could go a bit faster
  • Back not as sore as I expected after my experience with my squats but the weight was too little, however, a good starting point
  • Use 40# next time
  • Also consider alternating cable rows with cable lat pulldowns on alternating weeks for a slightly different back workout

I think I should also consider bringing a protein shake with me for afterwards, I felt quite weak and it was about 30 min before I got home to have some sustenance (which turned out to be a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, I knew I married her for the right reasons).

 

While I was waiting (in the cold) for one of my sons to pick me up and I was feeling weak, sore and hungry, I was thinking that I discovered a new swear word, "danica" but, at the time of this posting, it has been ~2hrs since I finished the workout and although I'm still physically exhausted, I'm feeling much better now (maybe the food?) so I think I'll retract the new swear word. However, two days from now when the DOMs set in, I may reverse the retraction.

[HDLevs]

Lol I wonder what Danica will think of your new word and its meaning. Yay for stronglifts though. Will be subbing to see your progress especially since we started SL about the same time.

[FamilyBeer]

danica hasn't checked in yet, and if she doesn't like it, look for a bloody body on the floor of this thread, it'll be me (have you seen what she can do???!!??!)

[HDLevs]

Yes. She's a beast and makes me proud and scared at the same time.

[FamilyBeer]

Monday January 12, 2015

 

StrongLifts "A"

• Squats: 5x5@165
  • completed: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • hard, took significant effort to complete last rep but good and completed this weight
  • increase by 5lbs next time
• Overhead press: 5x5@85
  • completed: 3, 1, 2 ,3, 2
  • incomplete, repeat this weight again
• Barbell Rows: 5x5@130
  • completed: 2/3, 2/3, 2/3, 4/1 (115lbs), 5/5 (115lbs)
  • very hard, not touching all the time (2/3 = 2x touches, 3x misses)
  • reduced weight for last 2 sets
  • used bench press grip width, a bit harder than the narrow grip I was using before, I like this, continue using this grip width
  • reduce to 115lbs next time and don't move up unless I touch each time (no touch = failure to complete rep)
• Planks: 10@30sec plank:30sec rest
  • try for 11 planks next time
  • work up to 20 at this timing, then increase plank time

Little disappointed that all my effort on Friday, doing the endurance work, didn't produce better results today. Oh well, I'll continue to do them in case it takes a while for the endurance work to have an effect.

[HDLevs]

Nice job especially on those squats keep it up and hope you don't have to use your new swear word too often. Is the wide grip row better than shoulder width?

[FamilyBeer]

Wide grip and narrower grip target different muscles in back, I can't remember which ones but, unless I'm bodybuilding for size or definition, then it really makes a difference which grip I use/muscle I target. However, I think wide grip targets the lats and I think the lats are more involved in pull ups which is what I'd like to do. Just like the difference between rows and lat pulldowns, both target the back muscles but a bit differently.

[Jeebas]

Nice progress on the Stronglifts stuff!

I'm no expert but I would be a bit hesitant with these endurance tests. Its just my opinion but even keeping form, weighted exercises should never be done as endurance exercises. At the very least I would think it would mess with recovery time between workouts, or could lead to injury. 

I'm not trying to knock it entirely, I'm just trying to understand, is there an underlying reason / goal associated with these endurance tests?

[FamilyBeer]

Nice progress on the Stronglifts stuff!

I'm no expert but I would be a bit hesitant with these endurance tests. Its just my opinion but even keeping form, weighted exercises should never be done as endurance exercises. At the very least I would think it would mess with recovery time between workouts, or could lead to injury. 

I'm not trying to knock it entirely, I'm just trying to understand, is there an underlying reason / goal associated with these endurance tests?

 

I hear and understand your concerns. If you read above (at least a few posts above), you'll see a link to another conversation I had with danica who does them with her trainer and has improved her strength as a result, my goal too. This is why I started to do them.

 

Yes, form is a concern but I'm aware of that and make sure that my form is maintained; not so hard to do at the beginning, harder when the reps get high but the same could be said when I get tired doing few reps with a heavier weight.

 

I also understand your concern about recovery which is why I did them on Friday with 3 days recovery before my next regular workout on Monday. I was fully recovered by Monday, no lingering issues with my body that I could attribute to the endurance test on Friday.

 

Obviously, they are new to me and I'm hopeful that they'll give me the boost I'm looking for but if they don't or they lead to other problems, such as form breaking down, I'll scrap them but so far (one test done), no issues.