Mikedesc's training Log

[mikedesc]

Today's session:

10 min Row L6 - 2343m

3x10 shoulder dislocations
5x30sec squat stretch
Variety of Hamstring stretches - being careful not to stretch my lower back in the process!
1x10 TGUs L&R with 9kg dumbell.
3x10 (bird dogs, hydrants, supine hip raises)

20 min Cycle L4 nice and easy 80rpm - 9.6km

Stretches and mobility excercises order of the day. I don't want to work too hadrd between main workouts, but feel I need to do something to help shift the lard.

[mikedesc]

Today's Workout:

Warm up: - 10 min RowL6-2331m, 5x30s squat stretch, 3 x 10 shoulder dislocations, various hamstring stretches.

Squats:
2x5x27kg
5x31.6kg
5x36.2kg
5x38.4kg
5x5 40.8kg

Worked hard at getting form right. Particularly holding the bar correctly and getting my shoulder blades back and down. Getting there, but had a bit of stiffness or trapped nerve type of feeling just below my left shoulder blade. I did a set of 1x10 dislocations between each set of 5 squats which eased it a bit and I did manage to get better positioning on the bar by the last few sets.

OHPress
2x5x27kg
5x31.6kg
5x33.8kg
5x5 36.2kg

Tried the tennis ball squeeze in the armpit this time as per Mehdi's article yesterday. That felt good. I still can't get the hang of breathing at the top though. I find that although the weight goes up quicker, I can't check my positioning before each lift. ie elbows in front of the bar.

BBRow
2x5x27kg
5x31.6kg
5x33.8kg
5x5 36.2kg

Chin Ups- 0/0/0 - 2 attempts each go. Again as per pull ups last time just managed to move a few inches each time

[luckyfives]

Mike I still have the same issue on the chinups/pullups, doing 5x5 for 4 weeks now. I can hold my own weight on the bar, and pull myself up a few inches, but not far enough to actually get my chin above the bar. Guess it just comes down to keep trying? I weight about 220lbs right now and it just feels too heavy, I'm not lifiting anything close to that currently. Perhaps as the barbell row and deadlifts start getting closer, I'll be able to do more.

[mikedesc]

Today's workout:

Warm up- 10mins rowL6 - 2376m, 3x10 shoulder dislocations, 3x30sec squat stretch, 2x10 leg swings, 3x 20sec good morning hamstring stretch

Squats:
2x5x27kg
1x5x31.6kg
1x5x36.2kg
6x5x40.8kg

Did an extra set of the squats as I can't get any more weight on the bar onboard.

OHPress
2x5x27kg
1x5x31.6kg
5x5x36.2kg

Disappointed here, I didn't read my notes properly and ended up lifting the same weight as last time so no progression. They felt good though.

BBRow
2x5x27kg
1x5x31.6kg
1x5x36.2kg
5x5x38.4kg

Pull ups - 3x3 attempts. Still only managing to move a few inches each time, but I'll get there eventually.

Cardio - 15mins on static bike L4 warm up and cool down. 10x 30s@110rpm,30s@70rpm L6 - 7.8km.

Workout felt good but tough today. Form felt good and my trapped nerve / stiff left shoulder felt much better on the squats. I also did a set of 10 shoulder dislocations between every squat set and OHP set.
I think it felt tough because I'm having to clean and press the weights from the deck for the squats and clean for the OHP.
Still working on getting some sort of a bench in the gym and a method of attaching some 20kg bags of washing powder to the bar for DLs. Hopefully I'll be able to do BP's and DL's fairly soon, weather permitting.

[mikedesc]

Today's workout:
Warmup- 10min rowL6 - 2409m, 2x30s squat stretch, 2x10shoulder Dislocations, 2x10 leg swings
Squats:
1x5x27kg
1x5x31.6kg
1x5x36.2kg
7x5x40.8kg
Feeling good, much better positioning on the bar. Only downside a slight tweak in the left knee.

OHP:
1x5x27kg
1x5x31.6kg
1x5x36.2kg
5x5x38.4kg
These were tough. I'm nearly back to what I failed at frst time round when at home. Having to lift the weight from the floor doesn't help, but they were mighty tough. I know compared to a lot of people it's not a lot of weight, but the last press of the last three sets I really had to grind it out.

Deadlifts:
5x67kg
5x71.6kg
5x76.2kg
5x80.8kg
I got creative as Lathiel suggested. I found two 20kg bags of washing powder and tied them onto the bar (one at each end). I managed to DL with al the weight available to me though. So a little more creativity required for next time. They felt good as well.

Chin ups: 3x3 attempts - one day!

[mikedesc]

Today's workout:

Warm up:
10min row L6 - 2369m, 2x30s squat stretch,2x10 sh dis, 2x10 leg swings

NO SQUAT - Left knee still quite sore after Wednesday's session and leg stiff to bend. I decided it was best not to push it and gave squats a miss for today. I'll see how Friday goes.

OHP 1x5x27kg,1x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 5x5x40.8kg
I previously struggled at 41kg at home when taking the bar loaded from squat stands, and it was tough to do today, so to complete this when cleaning from the floor felt good. It's the max weight I can do onboard, so next time I'll try to do another set.

BBRow 1x5x27kg,1x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 5x5x40.8kg
These felt relatively easy.

Bench press - 1x5x27kg,1x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 5x5x40.8kg.
As I didn't do squats I thought I'd try to squeeze in another excercise. I go creative and used the two bags of washing powder previously used as weights on DLs to be a makeshift bench, albeit very low to the floor. After doing a mainly upper body session I was pleased to be able to complete the Bench presses.

So it now looks that as long as the weather is fine and my knee holds out over the next few weeks, I should be able to do all of the SL 5x5 excercises.

Pull ups 3x2 attempts

[mikedesc]

No Workout today. The wind in the Med is blowing a Force7/8 and the seas are 2-3m and the ship is just moving around way too much to even contemplate going to the gym let alone lift weights above my head.
The weather is due to stay bad for a few days so I might have to take an enforced rest for a while.
Unfortunately we're heading back to the North Sea to I guess I'll have to expect some more of this type of weather and less training when onboard.

[mikedesc]

Today's workout:
Warmp up:10min Row L6-2402m, 2x10s squat stretch, 2x10 should dis, 2x10 leg swings, 2x10sec ham stretch,

NO SQUAT
Although the weather is better and the ship more stable, my left knee is still very stiff and painful to squat on. I guess I might have to leave squats till I get back home where the floor isn't going to move under me and I can concentrate on form again

OHP 1x5x27kg,1x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 6x5x40.8kg,
This still felt tough, but I managed to push out another work set so a good result and I'm hoping to get to at least 50kg when I'm back at home.

BBRow 1x5x27kg,1x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 6x5x40.8kg,
I'm finding this quite easy at the moment. I'm looking forward to getting home and going heavier.

Bench press - 1x5x27kg,1x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 6x5x40.8kg.
Quite tough having to do them on the floor but felt OK.

I wanted to do deadlifts today, but the second sack of washing powder has been used and I need to find something else as additional weights to what is on the bar.

Pull ups 3x2 attempts - I'll get there eventually.

[mikedesc]

Today's workout:
Warm up: 10 min RowL6 - 2403m, 2x10 squat stretch, 2x10 should Dis, 2x10 sec ham stretch, 2x10 leg swings

NO SQUATS

OHP 2x5x27kg, 1x5x31.6kg, 1x5x36.2kg, 2x5x40.8kg
The weather was Ok when I started the workout but we either went through a squall or changed direction as the ship started to move around a fair bit. I decided to stop OHPs on safety grounds. Not happy.

BBRow: 2x5x27kg, 1x5x31.6kg, 1x5x36.2kg, 7x5x40.8kg

Deadlifts 5x67kg, 5x71.6kg, 5x80kg, 5x84.6kg, 5x89.2kg, 5x93.8kg

Pull ups 3x3 attempts - still struggling.

HIIT 20min cycle L5, inc 12x[30s@110rpm, 30s@70rpm] - 10.5km

I really enjoyed doing the DLs aagin. I managed to acquire some lead weights from the AUV that are deformed and can't be used. They weigh in at 20kg each and I got 4 of them! I had planned to stop at 89.2kg, but the DLs felt good and I really wanted to get past 200lb - so I chucked on another couple of weights and it felt good. Hard but good. I really concentrated on form and pushing through the floor not lifting with my back.
Having passed 200lb I'm now aiming for a 1xbw DL at 108kg. I'm looking forward to doing DLs again when the floor isn't moving, the weights aren't swinging around and I'm lifting on a solid platform not a soft gym mat!

[mjh]

Mate, as much as the rest of us whinge about or gyms or equipment, you win the Stronglifts.com Perseverance Prize.

[mikedesc]

Cheers mjh,
but it was Lathiel who suggested I get creative.
Once I got the thought process going it was a case of "improvise, adapt and overcome!"
Something you have to do occasionally when circumstances don't make life easy - make the best of what you've got.

Mike

[Brennan]

nice work keep at it!

[mikedesc]

Cheers Brennan, I certainly will.

Todays' Workout (Fri 16/5/08)

Warm up:10min RL6 - 2434m, 2x10s squat stretch, 2x10 should dis, 2x10 leg swings, 2x10sec ham stretch,

NO SQUAT

OHP ,2x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 7x5x40.8kg,
I don't know whether it was mental attitude or what, but today these felt really tough from the first rep. Form seemed to be all over the place and I had to get angry with myself to get the sets finished.

BBRow 1x5x27kg,1x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 7x5x40.8kg,
However, these were a breeze, no probs at all.

Bench press - 2x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 7x5x40.8kg,
Tough as expected, but comfortably doable.

Pull ups 3x3 attempts - getting there slowly.

[mikedesc]

Today's workout:
Warm up:10minRL6 - 2429m, 2x10s squat stretch, 2x10 should dis, 2x10 leg swings, 2x10sec ham stretch,

NO SQUAT,

OHP, 2x5x31.6, 1x5x36.2, 8x5x40.8kg,
Really really tough again. I think I struggled more than last time, it was a real effort to get them all out.

BBRow 1x5x27kg,1x5x31.6,1x5x36.2, 8x5x40.8kg,
Again fairly easy.

DLs 5x80kg, 5x84.6kg, 5x93.6kg, 5x98.2kg, 5x100.4kg (oh yeah baby!!)

Pull ups - None - ran out of gym time.

Took advantage of being alongside and having the ship still to do a workout. Should have been tommorow's workout, but we'll be spending all day lifting and shifting and prepping the ship for dry dock so the gym will be disassembled. Next workout won't be till Friday as I'll be doing a handover and travelling home Wednesday.

I'll send in a form check when I get home as well as I don't have a camera here and even if I did the company IT Police wouldn't let me get onto Youtube to post it anyway.

[mikedesc]

Today's workout

Warm up
1km jog on treadmill, 2x10s squat stretch, 2xgood morning ham stretch, 2x10 leg swing, 2x10 shoulder dislocations

Squats
1x5x25kg, 5x5x35kg

Bench Press
1x10x25kg, 1x5x35kg, 5x5x42.5kg

BB Row
1x10x25kg, 1x5x35kg, 5x5x45kg

Dips 5/5/5

Great to be back home and have the squat stands again. Squats didn't feel right though. I've deloaded a fair bit as it's been a few weeks since my last squats and my left knee still feels uncomfortable when squatting. Trying to concentrate on form again with the lower weights.
BPs felt good and BBRows were a bit harder than expected.
But as I hadn't done dips for 4 weeks, I was well chuffed to get 3 sets of 5 out.

on a slightly different note, the missus noticed my chest and arms were harder - nice!