Ukdude's training log

[ukdudeinuk]

Forgot to say that afterwards I played some basketball. I was super out of breath, not to mention frustrated cuz the kid I guarded kept physically pushing me away, and I couldn't box him out for rebounds because my shoes slid along the floor when I tried.

I think with the squats I've done, I could have flipped him over if I had some grip

It was good fun though, and I realized just how bad you get when you don't play for several years.

[nomercy89]

Just checking your log today.
Looking good, keep up the good work and like Anthony said, stop hoping and get to it!

I immediately related to your post about basketball and I can't wait to get back to school in a couple months time and join up with my intramural basketball team, because by then I'll be ready to physically impose myself during the game, something I've always lacked, getting pushed around during the game, not cool, not cool. So I definitely know what you mean there, and I've also noticed what happens when one stops playing a game for so long.
Keep up the good work

[ukdudeinuk]

lol wow

I've been the laziest person ever lately, I haven't done anything at all. I'm amazed I still read the site.

These next few weeks are likely to be super busy, with me getting ready to leave for school. I know at the very least my schedule will be much more forgiving at school, and at the very least I will be able to work out then.

[ukdudeinuk]

woohoo, finally worked out again yesterday! decided to do workout b, i have more fun with that one, or i normally do...

blah blah several warmup sets of squats and stretching blah blah

decided id try to do 20x135lb squats, got to 10 and had to stop. i couldve kept going, but im not used to being that out of breath. ill work up to it...

so then did another set of 5x135lb squats. when i racked the bar, i noticed my hamstring was tight. whatever, ill do stretches and mobility stuff to loosen it up, right?

well, it was a no go. as soon as i put myself under the bar, it tightened significantly, and because ive had problems with it before, i decided to leave it. this also meant no deadlifts, which are my favorite.

anyway, summary-
135x10
135x5-hamstring tightness, decided to stop to be safe.

press 65-5x5 these were hard, but not as much as i expected them to be after so long off.

pullups-4/2+.75/1+.9

the percentages are partial pullups i couldnt complete.

now today my adductors and hamstrings (both) are more sore than ever. i can hardly squat down to pick something up. anyway tomorrow is workout a.

[sisi]

Ukdude, when you do the 20 squats, they do not all have to be continuous. Do at least 10 one after the other. Keep the weight on your back and pause for a few seconds and then get you another squat. Pause, squat, pause, squat until you get to a total of 20.

[ukdudeinuk]

I know, but it was my first day back, I currently do not have the mental toughness to do them. I don't want to do them at any less weight, I think I'll try to do 20x135lb squats every couple weeks or something.

Anyway, after having to go to dinner and miss the gym last night, I got in today.

Squats 135 5x5 I don't know if I'm going low enough, and I don't think my back is staying in extension. I am also not going as fast as I need to, because if I go too low I hit the catch bars or w/e in the squat rack, so I have to be careful because I don't want to cheat by bouncing off of it, even though I ended up doing it a couple times anyway.

Bench 70 5x5 I hate benching, with a passion. I can't find a hand position wide enough that is comfortable for my wrists.

Rows 75 5x5 MUCH easier than the benches, even though the benches weren't hard. I think my back is stronger than my chest, honestly.

I did chinups instead of dips, because dips still hurt my collarbones. Chinups were 4/2/1 and a partial at the end of the 2nd and 3rd sets because I couldn't finish them. Besides, chinups will help my pullups, right?

BTW, are you supposed to initiate a chinup with your back the way you do a pullup? If so, that explains why I can't do as many as I should be able to.

It feels good to be back in the gym, straining on squats and having people give me funny looks, both cuz of my hair and cuz of the fat that I squat deep

[Scottymouth]

It is probably harder to jump back into it after a hiatus, than if you were starting new. I really struggled with it, especially squats and deads. You probably have this built up expectation and if you fall short it messes with your head. Just start over and forget what you used to do, then you'll have nothing to e disappointed about. Yes, easier said than done, but it got me through the first 2 weeks!
Cheers mate.

[ukdudeinuk]

squats 140 5x5 these felt hard, i think im not bouncing enough, im too concerned with getting enough depth. it feels like im stopping and turning it into a deadlift at the bottom

oh press 70 5x5 BARELY i will for SURE stall these next time, i dont see how i could not stall.

deadlifts 135 1x5 need to film these, for some reason it doesnt feel right, but im not sure what im doing wrong. i was scraping the hell out of my shins though, so i know bar placement isnt the problem LOL

[mjh]

good to see you're back in the gym. I've been a bit off and on myself lately, but the great thing is learning from your mistakes and getting back to it more motivated and wiser than before.

[Scottymouth]

I can attest to that. Forge on!

[ukdudeinuk]

Thanks guys. Im still not going quite as often as I should, but im not missing entire weeks or months now.

I forgot to log my pullups...4/1 partial/1 partial. That'd 4th one on the first set was a grinding one, like watching someone do a really heavy squat or deadlift, where it seems to take forever.

I think I was just wasted from all the other work.

[ukdudeinuk]

wewt

squats 145 5x5 these actually felt easier than last time? weird.

bench 75 5x5 this time my wrists didnt really hurt like they used to. weird as well, not sure what i did different.

rows 80 5x5 still pretty danged easy.

chinups 3/1/0

[ukdudeinuk]

yooooo

Im at college now, and they have POWER RACKS YAY

im going to go work out later

[ukdudeinuk]

I've been traveling ALOT lately, and so I was quite worn out before going in the gym as it is. Add to that needing to get used to having the safety bars from the power rack there, I didn't get alot done. Next time I'm going to try and do this workout again but with the sets and reps prescribed.

Squats worked up to 5x120
press 45 4x5
deadlift 135 1x5 need to lower weight, work on form
1x4 pullups

[ukdudeinuk]

WOW

Tried hang cleans instead of rows today, ala starting strength. Had never done them, so I kept them light at 65 pounds. Weird movement, I found it hard to shrug my shoulders enough, even though I was trying. I ended up doing about a half-3/4 squat to get under this 65 pounds of weight. I now have immense respect for the olympic weightlifters.

Anyway, I've decided to change to 3x5 for now, I don't get to eat as much as I'd like, and this is going to allow me to progress longer.

135lb 3x5 I can go faster, but the safety bar is right around where I stop going down, and I'm afraid of cheating and bouncing off of it. If I put it lower, I might not be able to safely get it down there if I fail. Suggestions?

Bench 85lb 3x5 Any suggestions for wrist pain on this? To get my forearms vertical at the bottom the way Rippetoe says to, I have to put my hands so far out that it kills my wrists. Need some ideas on this too.

Hang cleans 65lb 5/2 I couldn't do anymore. Like I said, an odd movement at first. I found it hard to shrug, even though I was consciously thinking to shrug hard. I need to find someone with a camera so I can borrow it or something, I really need to film all my lifts and ask for advice.

I think my form on everything needs a lot of work, but I think my squat is probably ok other than I probably need to work on hip and calf mobility. Glad to be in the gym though, it felt good.