Rooks - Tracking the Daily Grind...

[Rooks]

I'm a software tester for a Cloud-based application i.e. I break software and get paid to do it i.e. I'm a big computer nerd. 

[matty_mcfly]

I need to change professions in order to fit in around here sheesh.

 

How did sumo feel??

[Rooks]

Not terrible.  Felt heavy but so did the triples with conventional.  I'm pretty sure I could hit 400+ with it, but not sure it would match conventional lb for lb yet.

[matty_mcfly]

Actually, go be a ranger for a bit until I get a 4 plate pull lol

[goodbye_farewell]

I am commenting to see your future updates.

TL;DR - sub'd!

[Shortgorilla]

Hey buddy. I'm sorry I'm never around any more. Seriously busy and shit. How's life?

Sent from my N9520 using Tapatalk

[Rooks]

I am commenting to see your future updates.

TL;DR - sub'd!

 

Welcome.  I'm a bit boring, but feel free to tag along.

 

Hey buddy. I'm sorry I'm never around any more. Seriously busy and shit. How's life?

Sent from my N9520 using Tapatalk

 

Life sucks.  I mean not really, but sort of.  I've got a great job, great wife, great kid, no money problems, but seriously seems as though death and pestilence have been all around me lately.  Just loads of sickness and death.  I'm just not used to it.  I know I've lived a blessed life only having had 2 real deaths in my life leading up to my 32nd birthday, but since March, there's just been a lot of people getting really sick or having unknown illnesses or random deaths for healthy people in their mid 30s.  It's just been crazy lately.  It starts to wear on you after a bit.  

 

Overall though, its just pushed to the gym harder since that seems to be a respite from everything.  I can just zone out with whatever tunes I want and go.

 

11/7/2015

Duration:  60 minutes

(load/reps x sets)

HBBS (E3MOM) - 310/3 x 6

Comp. Bench (E2:30MOM) - 210/3 x 5

Comp. Bench w/ Slinghsot (E2:30MOM) - 235/5 x 3

 

This one felt a lot heavier than it did 3 days earlier.  Everything went up find and I did an extra set of squats (which was stupid as I need to just stick to my plan), but yeah.  Nothing too impressive.

 

11/8/2015

Felt pretty sore and stiff so did a load of mobility work and then went for a 1.5+ mile walk.  It's over in my Zombies, Run profile, but apparently work has put that website on the banned list.  /derp  

 

Even after the walk, I wanted to go hit the weights and do my Oly day.  Luckily, my intelligent wife said "Weren't you complaining that your knees were sore this morning?  Probably might be for the best to take a day."  She was right of course and it was for the best.  Did some more mobility stuff with a rumble roller and voodoo floss and other assorted contraptions.  Felt much better this morning.

 

11/9/2015

Duration: 80 minutes

(load/reps x sets)

HBBS (E3MOM) - 330/2 x 4

Comp. Bench (E2:30MOM) - 230/2 x 4

Comp. Bench w/ Slinghsot (E2:30MOM) - 250/4 x 3

Barbell Shrugs - 250/10, 315/5 x 3

Pendlay Rows - 145/5 x 2

 

Worked out right away in the morning, which I might try doing more of.  It fits a lot better in my schedule and hopefully it'll get me motivated to not waste 2 hours of my morning, like I do most days.  Wanted 5 sets of rows, but literally had nothing left.  I was actually getting light headed and having to sit down after both sets I did.  Figured that was a good sign I needed to call it a day and get some food in me.

[The Most Loathed]

sorry to hear life is heavy of late. good thing you've been training heavy.

[Rooks]

sorry to hear life is heavy of late. good thing you've been training heavy.

 

Thanks.  And I indeed have been training heavy.  Haven't done near this type of volume in awhile.  Hopefully my body keeps feeling good.  Been more diligent about focusing on recovery and things have been feeling solid (surprise, surprise).

11/10/2015

Duration:  60 minutes

 

(loads/reps x sets)

Sumo Deadlift - 380/0

Conventional Deadlift (E3MOM) - 380/2 x 4

Overhead Press (E2MOM) - 135/2 x 4, 135/5

 

So much for pulling 400 with Sumo.  Got it about an inch off the floor and couldn't go higher.  That said, conventional felt heavy as well.  This lifting first thing in the morning thing is a different beast.  Interesting to see how being in a fasted state really does affect my performance.  I was running short on time this morning so I mashed the final 2 sets of OHP into one and knocked out a 5th rep.  Overall... glad tomorrow is rest day, and very ready for my deload week next week.   

 

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I've heard things about warming up the opposition muscles supposedly helping wake everything up, so something like front squatting some light weights before deadlifting. Haven't tried it much myself, but might be somehting to screw around with.

[matty_mcfly]

First sumo. Now fasted early morning lifting?? I'm loving it.

 

Yea, I think there is likely an adjustment time for you and your body to get use to it.

[Rooks]

First sumo. Now fasted early morning lifting?? I'm loving it.

 

Yea, I think there is likely an adjustment time for you and your body to get use to it.

 

Yeah.  The shift to the morning is just a scheduling thing.  It works a lot better for my work schedule to knock out the lifts right when I get to work rather than over lunch or before I leave.  Yes yes... I know.  Lucky bastard for having a work gym.

[SpecialSundae]

Yeah. The shift to the morning is just a scheduling thing. It works a lot better for my work schedule to knock out the lifts right when I get to work rather than over lunch or before I leave. Yes yes... I know. Lucky bastard for having a work gym.

/me waves

I still don't use mine much because I like having training buddies who can curl my squat bar.

[Rooks]

/me waves

I still don't use mine much because I like having training buddies who can curl my squat bar.

 

Yeah.  I'd have to pay a lot of money to get to a gym where that could happen.  Right now, the price is right.  

 

 

Good message from Dave.  Funny because I think this is sort of the mindset I've officially landed in.  I've got my own goals.  And I'm figuring out what works.  And since I've only been doing this for 5 years, what the hell do I know?

 

11/12/2015

Duration: 60 minutes

(load in pounds/reps x sets)

HBBS (E3MOM) - 330/2 x 4

Comp. Bench (E2:30MOM) - 230/2 x 4

Comp. Bench w/ Slinghsot (E2:30MOM) - 250/5 x 3

 

Nothing special about squats.  Felt normal.  That said, 230 felt stupid light on bench.  Threw an extra rep into my Slingshot sets because it felt light.  Gives me hope that I might be close to hitting 300.  

 

11/13/2015

Duration: 50 minutes

(load in pounds/reps x sets)

Power Jerks - 95/3 x 3, 115/3 x 3, 135/3, 150/3, 160/1 x 2, 170/1 x 2

Snatch Grip High Pulls - 135/3 x 3

Clean Grip High Pulls - 135/3, 155/3 x 3

Snatch Grip Deadlifts - 225/5, 225/1, 225/2, 275/5

 

Still trying to get better at jerks so doing a lot of work there.  Would love to have a gym that had blocks, but I'll make due with what I got for now.  This is the first time I've ever done high pulls so it was a learning experience.  By the end, they were feeling pretty good.  Snatch Grip deads, first and last set were done strapped.  Middle 2 (i.e. the low rep ones) weren't.  Overall, I was feeling pretty wasted and my left knee didn't feel great so scrapped Front Squats and Oly lifts.  Glad it's deload week time.  

[matty_mcfly]

Haha yea I just watched that a few hours ago. The end made me laugh.

 

Yea, I enjoy the snatch grip high pulls, just tweaks my back sometimes.

 

Both AM sessions?

[Rooks]

Actually neither.  Yesterday was at like 3pm.  Today was at noon.

[Rooks]

11/15/2015

Things finally felt "right" when I would stride today.  So I did a 1/2 run 1/2 walk.  Overall, felt pretty good other than having very little stamina.  Overall though, I was happy things didn't hurt when I would try and stride today.  My mobility work seems to be paying off.  Deload week with loads of mobility work this week.  

 

https://zombiesrungame.com/zombielink/runs-detailed/8019032/public/

[The Most Loathed]

Dave Tate is a largely unrecognized genius. I have a copy of his business book Under the Bar. It's fantastic and I need to reread it. If you come over to train sometime i'll loan it to you.

[Rooks]

Dave Tate is a largely unrecognized genius. I have a copy of his business book Under the Bar. It's fantastic and I need to reread it. If you come over to train sometime i'll loan it to you.

 

Yeah.  The more I hear from him, the more I like it.  When I first heard of him I figured he was more of a "shut up and train no matter what" type guys.  But yeah... he seems intelligent and thoughtful about his stuff AND he trains hard.  And speaking of the training at your place, need to get back at you and get that on the calendar.  You still up for it over the winter (i.e. you'd have to creepy ol' me into the basement instead of the garage)?  Maybe Dec 5th or 12th?  Hate going that far out, but already booked up until Thanksgiving so yeah.  

 

10/31/2015

Duration:  50 minutes

 

(load/reps x sets)

Paused HBBS - 185/3 x 3

Paused Bench - 135/3 x 3

30 minutes of Mobility work

 

Mostly focused on my arms and quads for mobility work.  Got to hit calves and back later tonight and try and get everything feeling great so I can get back into it next week.

[Rooks]

http://youtu.be/d5eGGZXb0Is

 

Finally got around to watching this.  Was a really good video.  Thanks for the share.  

[Rooks]

I could watch these guys squat all day long.  Is that weird?  

 

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

so buttery smooth.

[Drazen]

It must be nice to just hang out in the hole for a cup of tea and just stand up like the weights dont exist.

[Rooks]

11/25/2015

Duration:  70 minutes

 

(load/reps x sets)

Paused HBBS - 275/5 x 6

Competition Bench )E3MOM) - 185/5 x 5

Competition Bench w/ Slingshot (E2:30MOM) - 205/8 x 2, 205/6

 

Wanted to get 3 sets of 8 on the overload work, but ran out of gas.  Probably was a bit much.  Should stick with 10% weight and +2 reps per set for overload.  

 

11/26/2015

Meant to get a workout in before going to Thanksgiving celebrations, but went over to my cousin's house for a "Cousin's Meet-up" on Wednesday night and didn't get home until 2am.  Like I was 21 all over again.    Only had 3 drinks all night, but the lack of sleep hit me pretty good the next day.  Wasn't doing much other then gorging on too much food. 

 

11/27/2015

Another chemo treatment for kiddo.  Got there at 11:30am and go home around 4pm.  Overall, it's easy stuff and it seems to be actually working as we found out last week the tumor has started shrinking.  Hopefully that continues.  Anyway, got home and wife was cool with me spending ~30 minutes to hammer out as much of a workout as I could.  Got through Deads.

 

Duration:  35 minutes

 

(load/reps x sets)

Deadlift - 315/5 x 6

 

And finally, I leave you with a fun video.  Sloan has decided it's super fun to ride dad while he does push-ups.  I consider it a win-win since it entices me to do more push-ups and it's a pretty solid tricep pump after about 20-25 of these.  

 

[Rooks]

11/28/2015

Duration:  90 minutes

 

(load/reps x sets)

HBBS (E3MOM) - 275/5 x 6

Competition Bench (E2:30MOM) - 185/5 x 5

Competition Bench w/ Slingshot (E2:30MOM) - 205/8 x 3

Pendlay Rows - 145/5 x 5

Barbell Shrugs - 315/5 x 3

 

It all felt good.  Tiring, but good.  Totally in the grind phase right now, but I feel like I'm already making some pretty massive strides.  Been working on my goals for my next comp.  Hopefully it'll be in March, and if so, I think I want to aim for a 560kg total.  Huge upgrades needed to get there, but I think it's doable.