mjh's training log

[guru]

It's good to see you beat the 90 kg despite the sporadic lifting.

I am seriously thinking about incorporating snatch grip deadlifts as assistance work in my routine. Do you think they help you with breaking the bar off floor?

2 chins without band!! Hooray.

[mjh]

thanks Guru. I forgot to mention that earlier in the day, I had done three chins from a beam in my back yard. It was great to see the progress. I've been doing push ups and chins here and there, despite not going to the gym regularly.

I would say yes, snatch grip deads would help in getting the bar off the floor. I think this is true because you have to get lower to get hold of the bar, which puts the initial part of the lift more on the hamstrings/ass than the hip/lower back. I like to do a set of highish reps after my convential deads. 10-12 reps at 60kg is enough to set my hamstrings on fire.

[RobCosimo]

That's cool you're doing snatch grip DLs. I tried them once, but found them really awkward because my hands would want to pull into the centre really bad. Cosgrove thinks they are probably the best single exercise ever.

[mjh]

That's cool you're doing snatch grip DLs. I tried them once, but found them really awkward because my hands would want to pull into the centre really bad.

This might be why they're so good for the traps, because you're not just passively holding the weight from your arms, but have to work to keep the arms and shoulders tight too. I'd rate them pretty high on the list of "exercises Mickey would marry".

Sunday, 25 October, 2009

Managed to get to the gym with Jase for the first time in over a week, which was good. Very sore legs again, but not as bad as that last time.

Squat
20kg, 1x5; 60kg, 1x5; 80kg, 1x3
90kg, 5/5/4/5/5

Third set, last rep, I went real low. Finding myself so low on my haunches, I thought for a moment "hardcore! Ass to grass mutha f***a!" before I realised there was no way I was getting out of the hole, and so ditched it. Paid a little more attention to what I was doing in the two subsequent sets.

Bench Press
20kg, 1x5
40kg, 1x5
50kg, 1x3
60kg, 1x3
70kg, 1x1
75kg, 0
50kg, 3x5

I decided today to give bench press a go again, since my shoulder hasn't troubled me for a while. Rather than pick an arbitrary weight to do 5x5 with, I thought I'd see how much I could handle. I got 70kg, and failed with 75kg. 10kg more than I've ever had on the bar before. But I won't put too much stock in this, as it's a lift I don't train, and I was just playing around more than anything. Not suure how my shoulders would enjoy repeated benching, I think I'll stick with the push ups for a while yet.

IRs
mid chest height: 8/7/6

Smith Push Ups
mid thigh: 15
knee: 15
mid shin: 10

Dumbell Rows
24kg, 3x10

did these in the knee-on-bench style, though I usually do both-feet-on-ground-and-one-arm-braced-on-bench style. Think I prefer the later version.

Face Pulls
30ish lbs: 1x20

and home to write fiendishly trying to get shit finished for their due date on Tuesday. I'm such a procrastinator, I'm going to address that issue... starting next week

[pagangoddess]

I'd rate them pretty high on the list of "exercises Mickey would marry".

And I thought my affection for the iron went beyond the norm.

and home to write fiendishly trying to get shit finished for their due date on Tuesday. I'm such a procrastinator, I'm going to address that issue... starting next week

Good luck with the writing. I'm sure you'll do great. You've already made an impression.

[guru]

Good benching there Mike. Looks like the rehab exercises are working fine on your shoulders.

[bkklift]

Third set, last rep, I went real low. Finding myself so low on my haunches, I thought for a moment "hardcore! Ass to grass mutha f***a!" before I realised there was no way I was getting out of the hole, and so ditched it.

Classic. From "I hope everybody in the gym can see this " to "I hope nobody saw that "

[atypical1]

We've all dumped the bar at one time or another and that's much better than getting hurt.

Smart on the bench if it bothers your shoulder as it's better to be in it for the long haul.

I know what you mean about being a procrastinator.

james

[mjh]

Uni stuff is done and dusted. Woo hoo! My last essay was pretty shite, but I was just happy to get it finished. I may reconfigure one or two essays to submit for publications, but as far as assessment goes, I'm done.

I now have approximately 17 days of leisure, in which my top priorities are going to be lifting weights, eating well, and napping alternated with recreational reading. But more on that later.

Back to the gym with Jason today. We've both been slack, due to study pressures (and Jason is an increasingly expectant father to be), but we've made sure to get to the gym together on Sundays. I'll be free to get back into a 3 day routine, but some of that may be sans workout partner. We both went light today, but ended up pretty well done for by the end of it.

1 November 2009, Sunday

Squat
20kg, 3x5; 60kg, 1x5
80kg, 5x5

nice and light, no troubles. A bit of a niggle in the shoulder, but that passed with extra stretching and taking a more narrow grip.

OHP
20kg, 2x5
30kg, 1x5
35kg, 5/4/5
30kg, 1x6

not great, not bad here. Out of the groove a little.

Deadlifts
60kg, 1x5; 90kg, 1x3
120kg, 1x5
snatch grip, 60kg, 1x12

nothing too heavy here, but had fun with the snatch grip deads, my favourite.

Chins
blue band: 6/4/6
last set had a different kind of loop in the band, reducing its length and thus providing more help.

Face Pulls
30lbs: 1x20

Iso Push ups
3x30sec

so quite a lot of work, in retrospect. Not surprised to be pretty wiped by the end of it.

[mjh]

03 November 2009, Tuesday

Squats
20kg, 2x5; 60kg, 1x5
85kg, 5x5

good and strong here.

Push Ups
feet: 10/8/7/4

Mixed. Next time I'll either pace myself for 5 sets or push myself for 3. I'm inclined to go with 3, as I follow IRs with smith push ups.

IRs
8/7/6

lower bar (back flat on ground) and supinated grip.

Smith push up
bar at around ankle height: 10/9/8

DBR
30kg, 3x8

all going well. Pretty well beaten up by the end of the workout, but feeling good.

[Kathy]

Hooray for being done with all of your Uni work! You must feel pretty relaxed right about now. Solid workouts - you're turning into a pushup machine.

[mjh]

thanks Kathy.

I'm all done with my honours degree, and I've got about 3 weeks before I start a four week certificate in teaching English as a second language. I intend to make the most of that 3 weeks (eating, napping, reading, working out), and sustaining a good routine through the cert. course (which is much more structured than my history study was, so should be conducive to maintaining a good routine). In Feb next year I plan to go overseas again to teach English- with Vietnam at the top of my list at the moment.

[Buffalo150]

Mjh-

Lots of good work...

Do your shoulders bother you when you do push-ups?

-Bflo

[mjh]

Not really. I often do a few sets on off days, and the first set or two will be a bit creaky. But in the gym I'm always well warmed up and don't have any trouble. I benched last week and didn't have any major issues. I would like to get back to benching, but I think I'll stick with push ups until I'm well and truly above 3x10 at least on the push ups. I've seen it said (Eric Cressey, I think) that if you can't do that many push ups (or some such number), you don't have much business doing the bench press. It makes a lot of sense to me.

[mjh]

yesterday's food stats:

Cals: 3900
Protein: 280g (29% of cals)
Fat: 193g (45% of cals)
Carbs: 257g (26% of cals)

carbs are high due to oatmeal breakfast, p/w drink, and one litre of milk.

Dinner was blissful. Carne asada with pico de gallo on baby spinach leaves, based on this recipe from mark'sdailyapple.com. The twist I gave it was to use Monteith's Radler citrus beer as the base of the marinade. Made for a tangy lemon-lime flavour, but with plenty of chili in there. There's still plenty for today's lunch.