Jcraig's Training Log

[amaeland]

Ouch, I have been crap at eating lately too, this is not good. I wonder what tomorrow's workout will bring.

285 lbs. deadlift is pretty huge, I'd say three reps of that ain't too bad

Regarding deadlifts that eat your shin, long socks are the way to go. I do bruise through the socks sometimes but have fortunately not had a bleeding sore so far. Sounds like a good idea with those band-aids (under long socks?).

[Jcraig]

Ouch, I have been crap at eating lately too, this is not good. I wonder what tomorrow's workout will bring.

285 lbs. deadlift is pretty huge, I'd say three reps of that ain't too bad

Regarding deadlifts that eat your shin, long socks are the way to go. I do bruise through the socks sometimes but have fortunately not had a bleeding sore so far. Sounds like a good idea with those band-aids (under long socks?).

Ya I actually where long socks and long Adidas pants, it was just one work out where I opened it up and it still hasn't healed. I used bandages per advice here and a little different technique and it's almost healed up.

[Jcraig]

2/21/2009

Workout B

Squat - 250lbs. 5/5/5

Medium bar speed. Felt far more powerful today, my diet was on point and I was agressive

Deadlift - 285lbs. 5

Good bar speed. I was not supposed to do these today, but I was so frustrated by last work out I gave them a go. I just beasted it off the ground. The other guys must have thought I was crazy, I was like growling at the bar, getting psyched up.

Overhead Press - 135lbs. 5/5/5

Good bar speed. This was a day of redemption. I failed on this weight last time I did them, but this time I crushed it.

[LudwigVan]

Congrats on the OH press! I'll bet that felt good. Hopefully I'll get to 135 this week.

[amaeland]

Massive workout, Craig. Big squats and huge deads. The OHP is bloody impressive as well. I would have liked to see a video of you growling at the bar

[nburge]

Hey dude - great log, and great lifts too - can't wait to get up to those numbers myself - the thought of all the guys and gals on this site out there shifting tons of weight each day really drives me on. Anyway one thing I notice is you put a lot of emphasis on the bar speed of each exercise, with "good", "medium" and "slow" bar speeds. At the moment I've been focusing on getting the form right, just moving at a standard pace (except bench, which is uber-light for me and I throw it up in the air). I read something on the site that quicker lifts = more power, so should I always aim to move the bar from point a-b as quick as possible?

All the best.

[Jcraig]

Massive workout, Craig. Big squats and huge deads. The OHP is bloody impressive as well. I would have liked to see a video of you growling at the bar

Thanks! I would should put up a few videos for critique as the weight gets heavier.

[Jcraig]

Hey dude - great log, and great lifts too - can't wait to get up to those numbers myself - the thought of all the guys and gals on this site out there shifting tons of weight each day really drives me on. Anyway one thing I notice is you put a lot of emphasis on the bar speed of each exercise, with "good", "medium" and "slow" bar speeds. At the moment I've been focusing on getting the form right, just moving at a standard pace (except bench, which is uber-light for me and I throw it up in the air). I read something on the site that quicker lifts = more power, so should I always aim to move the bar from point a-b as quick as possible?

All the best.

Thanks for the comments. Just to clarify, I always put down "bar speed" to gauge the lift's difficulty. It helps me judge fatigue and possible reset points. Good bar speed means I was wasn't struggling to complete reps, Medium was some struggle usually on the later sets, and Slow is difficult on all sets. If I notice my bar speed slows down on an exercise several times in a row, I may need to reset or review my sleep or diet. If my sleep or diet has been bad, I improve it and see if the lift get's easier. If my diet and sleep is on point and it's still getting harder, I may need to reset. I hope this helps.

I haven't been to the gym in a week due to end of the month work obligations, but I am back in this week. I will keep my log updated.

[DaveT]

Good info on bar speed. I can see that when the weights get heavier that it's probably good to note. I usually find that if my bar speed is slower then there's more chance of my form being off as well.

Great log and great lifts!

[nburge]

Thanks for the clarification. I haven't been doing this long enough to see a drop off in speed yet, but it will certainly be something I bear in mind once the weights go up...

[Jcraig]

3/4/2009

Haven't worked out in a week. Super busy at work.

Workout A

Squat - 255lbs. 5/3

Slow bar speed. First set was ok, than 2nd set sucked and I gave up after I felt my back lose tightness and actually start to bend.

Deadlift - 295lbs. 5

Good bar speed. Was frustrated from Squats so I said screw it, let's go for PR on the Deadlift. Came up nice and smooth.

Bench Press - 190lbs. 5/5/5

Medium bar speed. Felt good, last set had to lock out and take a breath to finish the last 3 reps.

Gym Idiot of the Day

Watched not 1, but 2 guys spot another guy on wrist curls.

[Mouse]

hey can u post a progress picture?
about how u look right now...?

I don't even own a digital camera, I should ask a friend to let me borrow theirs.

Any update re the pics?
With all this work you've been doing you should be able to buy a camera.

Dont forget the whities though

[Bramasole]

Nice lifts...good job.

[Ironfreak]

Hey JCraig,

You still lifting? You better be! We need some upates...

You didn't know this but we actually had a competition going on haha. Our numbers are pretty similar. I used to weigh 175 but gained 10lbs recently. Hop back on that horse.

[bigwhat62]

you can spot my curls any day...haha, i cant believe those guys.