H's log 2009

[holvoetn]

Here's what I have been doing the past week (kept a daily log on my smartphone )

Saturday 11/4/09
Trip to France, 9 hours total in car

Sunday 12/4/09
Various sets of pushups throughout the day:
PushUp 20/20/20/20/20/20
-> Total 120
1hr15 walk with wife and son, normal roads, quite a bit up and down, too slow tempo for me. I guess we did not make 5km.

Monday 13/4/09
Walk in the woods, steep up- and downhill (on some uphill parts my torso was almost parallel with the soil !). At a certain point I came up with an interesting thought: I already used some compilation Dance music to maintain the tempo and at every change of song (3 to 4 minutes) I was going to do 40 BW Squats !
So ... BW Squat: 40/40/40/40/40/40/skipped (too exhausted from a steep part up)/skipped (still gasping)/40/40/40
Total: 360
Total time of the 'walk in the woods': 1h20

Tuesday 14/4/09
Nothing worthwhile to be mentioned
BBQ with the family next door, it got quite late.

Wednesday 15/4/09
Nothing done (had planned for a circuit with inverted table rows, BW squat, crunches and pushups but it started raining quite hard so could not stay outside).
But we had the leftovers of yesterday's BBQ for dinner

Thursday 16/4/09
Pouring all day (even T-storms all afternoon). Did again various sets of pushups.
20/20/20/20/20
Total: 100
Hopefully I will be able to go for a run tomorrow (again a lot of rain announced)

Friday 17/4/09
Last day, tomorrow we will be driving home again.
Went for an interval run since it has been quite a while since I last ran (at least some years): 5 to 6 minutes running, 3 to 4 minutes walking. After 30 minutes I had huge cramps in my left calf. Had to stop to do some stretching. Continued anyhow at a slower pace (funny enough running was less a problem then walking) and came back at about 50 minutes total.

Saturday 18/4/09
Trip home, feel quite sore in my legs (especially left calf). Funnily enough traps and abs also feel a bit sore.
Quite some traffic on the road, took us about 1.5 hrs longer then planned (started at noon, home around 22h30).
Home sweet home

Sunday 19/4/09
Scales indicate a weight increase of about 300 grams. To be honest, I was expecting worse. May have to take tape measurements to get an idea where it went.
Will keep quiet today (already enough to do unloading the car and starting to weed the garden) and planning to go to the gym tomorrow after work.

[bluestreak]

Wow, that's a lot of bodyweight work! Must be great cardio. I look forward to being able to do 20 pushups

I too was doing some hill climbs recently that got very steep. I did it three times in a row over the easter break. It's very hilly around here and lots of good paths.

BTW, I'm not a fan of running either. Well, sprinting I enjoy but long distance running - especially on a treadmill - is my version of hell.

[helm]

hey, sounds like you had a great week and even managed to do quite some bodyweight work, way to go!

[holvoetn]

Thanks both, it was fun for a change

No gym today, too late to go now (had to mow the lawn, wash out the green container, ... and make my food for tomorrow at work).
But I will go tomorrow. Promise

But that puts the other session on earliest Thursday which happens to be this April 23th ... Ladies Night ! AARRRGGHHH
And Friday I have a meeting with the boy scouts so I guess I will do a home BW workout on Thursday.

[holvoetn]

SL5x5 Session 42
21/apr/09

- 5 minutes warm-up rowing (will come back to this piece of equipment later ...)
- Squat
5x60kg
5x80kg
4x100kg
3x120kg
2x130kg
5x5 132.5kg/291.5lbs ALLRIGHT !
I must admit: this is the VERY first time I feel my hamstrings REALLY have worked. They are sore already now !

- Overhead press
5x20kg
4x40kg
5x5 50kg/110lbs
FAILED: 5/5/5/4/4
Damn, I truly HATE that exercise ...

- Deadlift
5x60kg
4x100kg
2x140kg
1x5 147.5kg/324.5lbs SUCCESS !

- Pull-ups
3xF: 7/4/4 one less on the first rep compared to previous time but 1 more in total reps. Guess those deads killed me

- Rowing machine again:
1 minute warm-up
4 minutes TABATA
was planning to finish the full 30 minutes normal style (so another 25 minutes) but had to stop after 1 minute. My legs were shaking like hell when I got off ...

All in all, not too bad after a week off

Thursday home-workout with BW exercises (remember: Ladies Night at the gym )

[bluestreak]

Great work on the squats! That's huge! I attempted 130 kg today and only got 3/2/1

Congrats on the deadlift! You must be happy. Plus a tabata session? Damn H, you're hardcore!

BTW, Ladies night - as in no men allowed at the gym? If so, that sucks but I can understand why they do it.

[holvoetn]

Great work on the squats! That's huge! I attempted 130 kg today and only got 3/2/1

Remember the little voice ?
After set 3 I was thinking: "Damn, I am not going to make this ...". Then I remembered that little voice (not sure anymore which post made me pick this up) and I said to myself "youcandothis ... youcandothis ... youcandothis" , a BIG gasp of air and down and up and gasp and down and up etc etc
BTW this puts me without any doubt beyond the 1.5xBW marker ! A major milestone towards the 2xBW goal for this year !

Congrats on the deadlift! You must be happy.

Oh yes ! Especially after that failed OHP. I was so pissed off !

Plus a tabata session? Damn H, you're hardcore!

Bwa, some months ago I was able to do a Tabata rowing session AND finish the 30 minutes total. So either my condition is weakening or those weights really take away a lot of energy now they got a lot heavier

BTW, Ladies night - as in no men allowed at the gym? If so, that sucks but I can understand why they do it.

Yup, that's what I mean ... I talked to one of the trainers earlier this evening but even he does NOT understand why the manager decided to do this
Hopefully it is a one-time event... or at least it may not happen anymore until I can setup my home stuff (August, I hope ...)

[holvoetn]

No gym yesterday, had a meeting which ended late.
Today another meeting, did some BW workout at home.

Circuit:
10 BW squats
10 pushups
3 chin ups
3 kneeled ab-wheel roll-outs
Repeat 10 times

Finished in 48 minutes, now I am toast.

[holvoetn]

No gym yesterday, had a meeting which ended late.
Today another meeting, did some BW workout at home.

Circuit:
10 BW squats
10 pushups
3 chin ups
3 kneeled ab-wheel roll-outs
Repeat 10 times

Finished in 48 minutes, now I am toast.

Correction: did 20 BW squats per set...

[holvoetn]

5 sets of 20 pushups throughout the day
5 sets of 5 pullups through the day
55 minutes speedwalk with dog, 6.6km ... caveat: 16kg in backpack

[thunderdownunder]

Hey H great log. Do you find that the BW circuit sessions affect your normal lifting days progress?

BTW impressive numbers on the squats and deadlifts. I'm jealous.

[holvoetn]

Hey H great log. Do you find that the BW circuit sessions affect your normal lifting days progress?
Not at all. I use it as replacement for when I am unable to go to the gym.

BTW impressive numbers on the squats and deadlifts. I'm jealous.

Thanks but I am sure giving time you will also be able to reach those numbers

[holvoetn]

Abs were still sore like hell from Friday's home workout (totalled 10x3 kneeled ab-wheel roll-outs). Even going to the toilet appeared to be a problem
Yesterday I coached my son's volleyball-team, they were one player short for the warm-up (needs to be done per two) so I warmed up with my son. Went quite nice. Imagine a team of 11-year olds with a 40-year old nutcase rolling over the floor to get the ball
... but in the evening I really felt my achilles tendon (have chronic inflammation there already for years, really need to do something about that someday).
Could barely walk normal today but BW squat was feasible, so decided to go to the gym as planned.

SL5x5 Session 43
27/apr/09

- 5 minutes warm-up rowing

- Squat
5x20kg
5x60kg
3x100kg
2x120kg
1x130kg
5x5 135kg/297lbs
5/5/5/4/1
Set 3 was completed with serious form issues (I felt I was using my lower back too much).
Rep 5 of set 4 was down and that was it. No way to get up again.
Set 5 was 1 down and up and down and ... GAME OVER !

Big problem with failing in between sets using these weights ... you have to deload the complete bar, set it back in the stand and reload again.
Oh well, I am confident I will get it on Thursday

- Bench Press
5x30kg
4x50kg
5x5 65kg/143lbs
These felt good ! I guess those pushups are paying off here

- Barbell Row
5x40kg
3x60kg
3x70kg
5x5 75kg/165lbs

- Dips
3xF (last time was 10/9/5)
12/9/8 GOOD progress !

- Prone Plate Switches
5x4x1.25kg
Still too easy ... next time I'll use 2.5kg plates.

- to finish of the triceps: Pushup parallettes
1xF
14

- Tabata Rowing

[thepole]

Agree with the squats, but guess it gives a little extra motivation to get the 5th rep of the penultimate set, knowing if you miss it you will have to deload and reload

For the prone plate switches have you considered switching to turkish get ups if you find the switches too easy? I did this and feel they work the core a lot harder, and progression is easier - just use a heavier DB/KB each time

[holvoetn]

Agree with the squats, but guess it gives a little extra motivation to get the 5th rep of the penultimate set, knowing if you miss it you will have to deload and reload

Trust me, all the motivation in the world was not getting that bar up again the 4th set

For the prone plate switches have you considered switching to turkish get ups if you find the switches too easy? I did this and feel they work the core a lot harder, and progression is easier - just use a heavier DB/KB each time

Very good suggestion ! I might just do that.