OneMore's Training Log

[Barry06GT]

Hi Barry!

I wouldn't even know where to start with the Bear, haha. Is that a 5x7 routine? I had tried doing burpees (forgot the push-up part, just did jump-squats into planks) and that was pretty brutal at 10x9. That was a while ago though so I might try the bear out on Friday.

I already hog the power rack when I hit the gym, so do you think it would make a difference in the bear if I used a fixed weight barbell instead of an olympic bar? I'm pretty sure my gym probably carries a 45lb one, and I'd be less likely to accidentally hit someone walking by with the shorter bar.

Thanks again!

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Try this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WOP9J7QPwI

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[OneMore]

Great! Thanks!

[OneMore]

Week 15 Progress:

October 10, Day off. I just ran out of time to hit the gym.

October 11 - Workout A
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
110lbs - Reps 5x5
I started to use a little more hip drive instead of just lifting straight up and it made the squats pretty easy.
Bench Press:
90lbs - Reps 5x5
The last set was tough.
Inverted Row:
Reps 6, 6, 6
Still not able to beat 6 reps
Push-ups:
Reps 15, 15, 15
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
With an 8lb dumbbell.
Cardio:
1 hour belly dance class
Stretching:
5 minutes

October 12, Day off

October 13 - Workout B
Warm Up:
Skipped
Squat:
110lbs - Reps 5x5
Overhead Press:
75lbs - Reps 5x5
I hit all reps on this one again, and I didn't hurt my neck like last time.
Deadlifts:
110lbs - Reps 5
I switched back to my normal grip today to address some form issues I've been having lately.
I missed the rest of the workout this day, unfortunately. I made it up later on.
Cardio
1 hour belly dance class

October 14, Day off

October 15 - Workout A
Warm Up:
Skipped warm-up
Squat:
110lbs - Reps 5x5
Ready to move the weight up on Saturday.
Bench Press:
90lbs - Reps 5x5
I was a little shaky toward the end, but I got through all of them. I think one more set at 90 and I'll be able to move up to 95 soon.
Inverted Row:
Reps 6, 6, 5
Too much coffee today. Couldn't get the last 6th rep out.
Push-ups:
Reps 15, 15, 15
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
With an 8lb dumbbell
-------------Making up for the last workout---------------------------
Hanging Chin-ups:
Seconds 11, 10, 10, 8
Pretty good for such a busy day!
Prone Bridges (with leg raised):
Left: 30s, 30s, 30s
Right: 30s, 30s, 30s
Cardio:
The BEAR!!!
Set 1 - 25lbs, 8 reps (I lost count!), Max HR 91%
2 minute rest
Set 2 - 35lbs, 7 reps, Max HR 94%
2 minute rest
Set 3 - 35lbs, 7 reps, Max HR 94%
2 minute rest
Set 4 - 45lbs, 7 reps, Max HR 96%
3 minute rest (I know, I cheated here...)
Set 5 - 45lbs, 7 reps, Max HR 96%
Stretching:
7 minute cool-down on the treadmill

Oct 16 - I'm predicting that this will be a day off

Overview
*I kind of broke some rules by missing some exercises and tacking it on another day... I feel better that they were done though.
*I didn't get much sleep this week. Not that I didn't have time, I just kept waking up in the middle of the night, which kept leaving me exhausted the next day.
*I got back on my protein intake...
*I LOVE the BEAR workout. I took an extra minute to rest before the 5th set (cheater!) and I had to "rest" during the 5th set a couple of times, but afterward I felt like I could take on a real bear! Plus it torched slightly more calories than my previous HIIT routine! Many many thanks to Barry06GT for recommending it!!

[OneMore]

Well... I'm not gone....

I felt my sternum pop a few weeks ago (yawning while running on a treadmill), and have had intermittent chest/arm pain since then. The doctor said it was costochondritis and to take a break from heavy lifting/high impact exercises until the pain stops.

I'm really going nuts right now because that means no running, twisting or weights. I tried easing back into things with a session on the elliptical last night since it had been 24 hours since the last incident of pain, and I felt my rib cage pop all the way down one side like a zipper about 30 minutes in.

This really sucks. When I left off last, I was about ready to move the weights up on a couple of exercises, and now I feel like I'm going to have to do a major deload again by the time everything gets better. And it seems like I can't even do low-impact exercise without aggravating it again. Argh!

[Barry06GT]

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Oh man, that really sucks.

When you described the "rib cage pop all the way down like a zipper" I got the chills.

I guess you could try to hold it all together with a ten foot long elastic wrap around you, but then you could not breath.

I guess you are really not in the mood for a tickle-fight... ouch!

Get well soon.
.

[OneMore]

Okay, it has been quite a bit of time since my last post. Due to my chest pains I had to stop exercising for a while. It drove me nuts, but I took it as a chance to clean up my eating. I stopped eating bread (no excuses!) and I dropped 5lbs back to my week 1 weight on this program. My diet really sucked on the weekends in comparison, but the worst thing I would eat is (too much) rice so it wasn't actually that bad.

I reintroduced cardio (elliptical) two weeks ago and then I decided "what the hell" and did the Bear this past week, and it didn't aggravate my chest at all! It was actually worse on the elliptical!

My Bear stats:
Monday
Weight, Reps, Max Heart Rate, Time
35#, 7 reps, 93%, 1:03
35#, 7 reps, 93%, 1:00
35#, 7 reps, 94%, 0:58
45#, 7 reps, 94%, 1:34
45#, 7 reps, 94%, 1:38
-This was tough but I didn't feel any pain
-I was really sore for a couple of days after this session. Yikes!

(Tuesday, gym class)
(Wednesday, cardio day)

Thursday
35#, 7 reps, 91%, 1:01
35#, 7 reps, 92%, 0:57
35#, 7 reps, 92%, 0:56
45#, 7 reps, 94%, 1:13
45#, 7 reps, 92%, 1:15
-I was sore going into this one, but not sore at all coming out of it. At least recovery is quick!

(Friday, cardio day)
(Saturday, took the dogs out for a run instead of hitting the gym)

Sunday
35#, 7 reps, 82%, 0:55
35#, 7 reps, 85%, 0:53
35#, 7 reps, 86%, 0:56
45#, 7 reps, 87%, 1:15
45#, 7 reps, 88%, 1:10
-Wow, my heart rate was really "crawling" today. Huge improvements in just one week!

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Looking at those numbers and seeing that I'm not in pain from doing the Bear, I think I'm going to ease back into StrongLifts again soon with a big deload on all of the exercises.

I think the biggest "problem" exercise has been the hanging chin-ups, since that almost always gives me shoulder pain. I'm doing overhead presses in the bear and they aren't bothering me at all. So I'm probably going to look into getting elastic pull-up bands to ease the pressure on my chest on those chin-ups.