Barry101's Training Log

[Barry101]

10/26
PM Version...too lazy to get out of bed

Squat 230 5X5 Hard!

Bench 160 Felt okay.

Inv Row 10,9,8

Dips 10,6,bail First time to do ten in a row! Started to feel a burning sensation in the center of my chest on the 5th rep/second set so I stoipped there. Not enough experience with these yet to know if this burn is good or bad. I'll see how this feels in the AM to determine whether I should push through this pain or not.

Diet...Felt really shakey during this workout. Had similar feelings last friday too. Not sure if the change in diet is part of this or not. It may just take a little while to for my body to adapt. I am still experimenting with foods and trying to get my protein up near 220g and lower the carbs. I can get to 185-190g if I start eating at 7AM. If I do not get started until 9AM it becomes much harder to get it all in. Even eating every three hours, I just can't get enough protein.

[Barry101]

10/28

Chest still sore from dips so just did 30 min cardio and stretching today. Will do the B workout tomorrow AM.

[holvoetn]

There is no need to skip workouts when you are still sore from the previous one.
In fact, working out can actually relieve the soreness.

[Barry101]

There is no need to skip workouts when you are still sore from the previous one.
In fact, working out can actually relieve the soreness.

+1 on that!

Not DOMS though. More like a minor injury to my pec and delt from doing dips on 10/26. Felt a burning sensation on a couple reps. Feels alot better today but I was having ROM problems yesterday. Thought I would give it another day. May stop doing dips until some of my other upper body numbers get a little higher. This is the second time I've tweaked something doing them!

[Barry101]

10/29

Squat 235 4,3,2,2,1
Failure is mostly form related. I believe this is how I tweaked my hip/back at 240lbs previously. Last session at 230lbs, I noticed a little GM on a couple reps. The bar was going forward, then up (L shaped path). Was able to correct it without alot of difficulty. This was really difficult to prevent on all reps today at 235. I assume my body wants to "cheat" by unloading my hams and using my quads. I'll see if I can clear this up on the Sat AM workout AND hit 5X5.

OHP 115 5X5
Repeated 115 because last workout I ran out of time and only did 3X5. Fractional plates should be here by next time. I'll try 2lb increments first.

DL 275 1X5 PR
I'll repeat this weight though. I had to stop for a LONG moment to reset. The weights rolled about a foot away from me around the edge of a rack making it impossible to simply reset my body. I had to walk around and pick that end up and put it back in position reset my form and start over. I'd like to pull this without that HUGE pause. Chalk will be here w/fraction plates by next session too!

Pull ups tonight.

Diet-I think i am getting this down. Yestreday: 2500cal, 131g Carbs, 227g protein, 123g fat. The emphasis is on low carbs/high protein. Not sure if this is great or not (how much fat?). This has been as difficult to learn as the lifts for me. Oh yeah, weighed in at 223 this AM.

This workout really hurt!

[Barry101]

10/31
Squat 235 5,4,2,2,3 Depth excellent. hip drive good, strength...not enough. Longer rest on set 5 yielded 3 reps rather than 2. Running about 3.5 min rest on all sets except #5, took about 4.5 on set 5. Maybe a clue for Mon.

Bench 165 5X5 Easy except for reps 4&5 on set 5. On to 170!

Wife was done, ready to go, skipped the rest and went grocery shopping.

I 'll opt for an evening workout on Mon. instead of 7AM. Dog needs to go to groomer in the AM. I'd rather fight the evening crowd than rush this workout. 11/2 will be a big day.

To Do List:
Squat 235 5X5
OHP 120 5X5 (PR)
DL 285 1X5 (PR)

This will take max concentration and strength! I feel like alot of things are in my favor:
-I'm hitting a depth on squats that makes my prev squats over BW look sad. My hip flexibilty is finally improving.
-My DL form has gotten so much better
-OHP I felt really strong on this at 115, it's time to finally hit 120.
-My diet is improved, much more protein intake/down on carbs

Overall...every lift is tough now, diet is coming together, I am excited about these workouts...they are testing me mentally as well as physically, I have to get strronger, my body has no other choice!

[Barry101]

11/2

Squat 235 5X5 Hard...especially the last set. Whole body shaking coming out of the hole and when locking out. rested 4-4.5 mins. between sets. Fun!

OHP 120 5,4,3,3,4 Form needs work at this weight. Did not keep my elbows forward on the failed reps. Also need to get under the bar faster. Once I am under it goes up w/no problem.

DL 285 1X5 PR Need to practice supinated grip. It was really challenging and I could barely hang on. Locking out was a little difficult on last rep. Did not feel the nagging pull in my back I've been fearing. I am getting good results from the correction in my form.

Good workout! I was exhausted when done. Took about 1.5 hours.

[bobu]

Congratulations on the PR! Good news that it didn't bother your back.

[Barry101]

Congratulations on the PR! Good news that it didn't bother your back.

Thanks Bobu! I am sore today, gonna try to squat in the AM. This is some serious DOMS in my lumbar region! Pain did not start until at the office for two hours, sitting...this job is my DEMON!

[Barry101]

No workout yesterday or today . The problem; felt fine Mon night after working out. Felt tired and doms on tues AM (to be expected). Sat in my chair at work for two hours, started getting some intense back pain. By mid day, I could hardly stand up! Felt like I had a knot in the center of my back. Took a rest day at home yesterday (Wed), feel better but not 100% this AM. Trying a different chair at the office today.

Very strange, did not feel anything peculiar lifting Mon night. Did not feel pain at any time other than the mid morning onset of pain on tuesday. Wonder what caused it? Slept in odd position? Chair at work? Who knows. I am really quite pissed that everytime I think I am getting good progress, something comes up to slow me down.

Will try an AM workout tomorrow...we'll see how it feels.

[bobu]

It can be frustrating that even as you get stronger and more fit something stupid like sitting in a chair or sleeping wrong can screw with your back

[Barry101]

It can be frustrating that even as you get stronger and more fit something stupid like sitting in a chair or sleeping wrong can screw with your back

Boy is that true! I'll work through it though. If I keep this up I will become an expert at recovering from back pain...

11/6 Modified workout

Squat
w/broom stick 1X10
Emty Bar 1X10
95lbs 1X5
135lbs 1X5
The plan was to go as far as I could through my warm ups and do 5X5 at the highest weight I felt comfortable with. At 135 lbs my back began to hurt. I did not feel good about doing 5X5 even with 135...sigh. Also noticed alot of tension in the crease of my thigh by my hips. Not to sure it was related or not.

Bench
170 5X5 I tried 200lbsX1 when I was done just to see what that weight felt like. Felt like the last rep of my 5X5.

I did not want to get in a prone postion and stress my back so I replaced IR w/chins and push ups w/dips.

Chins 3X5 Not doing enough of these at home anymore. Still good to get 5 on each set but I need to keep working on them. Slow progress here is probably due to weight gain. When I started in March of 09 I weighed in at 209 and could not do a single.

Dips 3X7 Pain in chest still slightly present. Did not go all out on first set.

Stretched, went to work. Not a bad workout but if I don't squat at least bw, I hardly feel fatigued whe I leave the gym. I''ll try again on Monday. As soon as I heal I would like to switch to BBR's instead of Inverted Rows.

[Barry06GT]

.
You know, if your back is troubling you doing squats, maybe you should read the blasphemy proposed in this article:

"The leg press machine gets a lot of bad things said about it by a
lot of people. It's usually in the context of how it's no where
near as good as squats for building leg muscle. Here's my opinion."

http://www.intense-workout.com/leg_press.html

Every point has a counter point.
.

[Barry101]

Every point has a counter point.

I think if all you wanna work is legs, the leg press would prolly fit in just fine. I am def not there yet. He also mentions wanting more quad activtion than glutes and hams (he could get that w/the front or high bar squat). I really need the posterior chain strength since I sit all day every day. Plus, I actually like squatting better! It is an interesting point of view though.

I wish I could say, "My form on DL or Squat was off, that's how I injured myself" and make adjustments to prevent it from reoccuring. I've tweaked my hip and back a couple of times but I always knew it had happened the moment I did it and been able to make adjustments. This took over 16hrs after lifting before I felt anything. That's why I wonder if I slept in a weird position or something. I slept like a rock after the workout on 11/2!

[holvoetn]

How's the back now, Barry ?