Drex Gets Focused: An Essay on Shenanigans

Did you dance by yourself? Do you have a job man? Thats crazy!

Yup. I started up Stepmania, loaded the 8th DDR mix, and played Endless mode until I completed it. That's where you have to complete every song in a set consecutively, with no rest, and only 4 "lives" (1 of which you lose each time you fail a song by making a few missteps). There are 73 light difficulty songs on the 8th mix, and when I started, I really, really sucked. (If you are perfect and fail no songs, it takes roughly 2 hours. And I don't know how to pause it, if that's even possible.) Hence, 8 hours. :rofl:

Also, yes I have revenue sources, but not what most people would call a job. To me the defining characteristic of a job is that it is an activity in which you trade time for money; usually your time for somebody else's money. By that definition, no, I do not have a job, as it would be the least efficient way to provide for my "needs". I "work" (for purposes of brevity let's make this one 'activity undertaken the consequence of which is ultimately the accumulation of financial resources') less than an hour a day, on average.

However, I am also a full-time student, and have quite a few time-consuming hobbies (contrary to the impression the volume of my e-babbling might give any reasonable person :rofl: ). So it's not that I had 8 hours to spare so much as I had to spare 8 hours. :p

I can't really walk away from a perceived challenge. It's a character fault. Even the smallest surrender of the will is a great death of the spirit, or something.
 
Also, apparently, I no longer require sleep.
 
So does everyone else! And, he's about the most humble person I have ever met.

Yeah, it's like training with Jesus - Great for me, but I'm not sure what he's getting out of it. :D No blasphemy intended, hehe.

That actually makes me wonder, 'cause I don't think I've ever asked or seen it mentioned... Just how long have you been lifting consistently, Drex? :)
 
07/31/08

Training

Ran 1.7 miles in 14.5 minutes @ 8.5mm.

A1 BB Bench Press 85x15x2, 85x9x2
B1 Assisted Chin-Up -70x10x2, -70x8x2
B2 Seated DB Power Clean 40x10x2, 30x12x2
C1 Seated DB Military Press 45x12x2, 50x12, 50x10
D1 BB Shrug 165x10x3
D2 BB Curl 40x10x2, 40x5

Thoughts

Forearms gave out even earlier than usual, once again in very obvious fashion. I'm taking this to mean isolating them twice a week is a bad idea. Or possibly even isolating them at all. Skipped the wrist roller today, will try no direct forearm work at all for next week, and see what my bench does. I'm actually quite pleased with this workout, considering yesterday's massive calorie expenditure. That usually leaves me weak as a pup. Thanks, megashake!

MP's exploding for some reason. Oh, and the seated power cleans were way better than face pulls. Clean's more functional (I can actually feel it hitting my rear delts), and I was sick of those anyway. Chins are considerably harder than pullups.

Shrugs were a bit too light.

Had an idea for what I'm going to do on my next ME upper. Gonna take last week's workout and expand it by adding sets of a single rep of slightly below my max weight with 2 minute rests, until I can't get it up anymore. "Greasing the groove", as DW calls it. Been wanting to try it for a while, and I think it will do me a lot of good. Will look something like:

A1 BB Bench 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 125x3, 135x3, 145xmax, 140/145x1x?

Also, very excited to squat tomorrow. And the run's getting really easy. My knee should be whining, but it's not. It seems my mutant healing powers are restored. Time to do 5 hours of DDR. Oh yeahhhhhhhh. :D
 
So does everyone else! And, he's about the most humble person I have ever met.

:eek:

Yeah, it's like training with Jesus - Great for me, but I'm not sure what he's getting out of it. :D No blasphemy intended, hehe.

That actually makes me wonder, 'cause I don't think I've ever asked or seen it mentioned... Just how long have you been lifting consistently, Drex? :)

I started up May 2007. I had done some lifting in the past, but it usually only lasted a couple months. I did grow up working on a neighbors farm from the age of 12 until I graduated college. It was a lot of physical labor, so I developed some of my strength there, although I don't feel that strong yet.

Focus, are you having problems with your grip and forearms on the bench with that being the first lift? I am suprised if that is what is limiting you and if that is the case maybe a form check is neccesary.
 
7/31/08

It has been very busy at work lately, hopefully easing up some next week. It has been almost all I can manage to just get my meals and workouts in. At least I can work from home. It's late again tonight and I am heading straight to bed after posting this.

Ran 6.15 miles, 49:36, 8:04 min/mile, Avg HR 143.

Played 3 games of volleyball, went 3-0.

Swam for 45 minutes.

Food:
 
I figured, on the work thing. You've seemed rushed the last couple days. Hope it lets up soon. :)

I started up May 2007. I had done some lifting in the past, but it usually only lasted a couple months. I did grow up working on a neighbors farm from the age of 12 until I graduated college. It was a lot of physical labor, so I developed some of my strength there, although I don't feel that strong yet.

Farmboy, eh. That explains a lot. :D Also, you are strong! Your power/mass ratios are pretty dang good, I think. But that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't double your strength over the next couple years, right? :p

Focus, are you having problems with your grip and forearms on the bench with that being the first lift? I am surprised if that is what is limiting you and if that is the case maybe a form check is necessary.

The only time I feel my chest working at all is when I bust the weight down really low (to something my arms can handle), and pump out 30-50+ reps. Today I experimented with the pec dec (I'd never tried it before), and it was the same thing. Arms couldn't take it, but chest wasn't feeling it.

As far as I know, my form's pretty decent, but I'll check it again a couple times, maybe have my CEP pal take a gander.

I can think of a number of diagnostics (and I had already started to ramble about them when I backspaced, haha), but, none of them will really make any difference, I suppose. I will simply have to keep at it until the weakest links catch up. Which is starting to happen for my overhead pressing. So that's exciting.

I just want to know how much or little direct grip work I should be doing.

And I feel like I ought to do direct tri work. So I'm thinking I'll try that for a couple weeks at some point, and see how that flies.
 
Double it in years? NO! WEEKS!!! :D

ur right bb i dunno wut i was thinkn <3

P.S. How's the Velocity coming? Have you started the 'lean bulk' phase, yet?

Nope. I've decided to rock this **** until I can't anymore. :SaiyanSmilie_anim:

Currently finishing up week 5, wherein I have replaced a shake with a healthy solid meal on wed and sun (my "off" days). As before, I will slowly transition to a V Lite style bulk over the course of the next 7 weeks. Unless someone changes my mind (which is not that hard to do, if you can manage to make sense.... so, extremely rare, lolol). Or I hit 6-10% bodyfat before then (which I just might, at this rate).

Also, haihai, ilu, wereubeen.
 
08/01/08

Training

Ran 1.7 miles in 14.5 minutes @ 8.5mm

A1 Full Squat 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 165x3, 195x3, 215x3, 235x1 (PB!), 235x0
B1 Full Squat 105x20x2
C1 Walking Lunge 50x12x3
D1 45 Deg Hyperextension 45x12x2, 45x10
E1 Sprinter Sit-Up 0x10x3
E2 Hanging Leg Raise 0x20x3

Thoughts

Is adding 10 lbs to my squat every week while on a starvation diet good??? :p

Mannnnn, I love this workout. It's way better with the set of burnout squats after the maxing. Btw, I do those with toes straight ahead, while my reg squats are with toes out slightly. Hits my hips more, for postural goodness. It's really making a big difference, I can tell. I cranked out that first 235 like nothin', but on that second set I took a weird breath, paused at the very bottom, and got stuck. I nearly made myself pass out trying to get out, but gave up after 30 seconds or so, haha. XD

I know I keep saying this every week, but one more at 50 on the lunges. I've gone from wobbly as ****, jerky and noncontinuous to smooth, flowing, yoga master, but there's a little bit of room left for form improvement. Then I start adding enough weight for :bncry:.

I dunno what's up with these hypers, but I am getting freaky strong on them very fast. Struggled a lot with the awkwardness of holding the 45 lb plate on them today, but afterward it occurred to me that I can just use a dumbbell. Duh. Gonna add weight again next time. :SaiyanSmilie_anim:

Leg raises and sit-ups are sort of unpleasant after all that other stuff. My body was not liking them at all. Which means I was loving them. Gonna add in another exercise soon. Probably toe touches.

Story time

So this trainer chick I see all the time at the Y (not the one I make nervous, the hot one), she's working with a client next to where I'm squatting. Being the gentleman I am, I felt obliged to warn them that I was working with max weights and would probably be dropping it on the last set or two. She looked at me kind of funny like, "Thanks for the update, tips." So I added, "And if I should die, tell Rolling Stones Magazine my last words were, 'I'm on drugs!'"

Apparently, Almost Famous is her favorite movie, and I am now in possession of major brownie points. Chicks dig my huge (funny) bone, 'sup. :cool:
 
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Nice work on the squat Focus!

For the bench press, can you get a video of your form and post it? You situation with not getting the pecs invovled on bench seems odd to me.

As for grip work, what I did... I always did my grip work at the end of the workout. I didn't even record it as part of the workout. That way it won't affect any of your lifts. For me more was better. My forearms would be very worn out after, a lot of times they were pretty tired by the time I started the grip work, but more was better for me and they did catch up.

8/1/08

Back Squat - 135x10; 220x10; 220x10; 220x10
(ss1)Sumo Dealift - 135x10; 275x10; 275x10; 275x10
(ss1)One Leg Calf Raise - 150x10; 150x10; 150x10
Incline Bench - 95x10; 185x5; 185x5; 185x5; 185x5; 185x5
Decline Bench - 190x10; 190x10; 190x10
(ss2)Cable Row - 185x10; 185x10; 185x10
(ss2)Fly - (50x2)x10; (50x2)x10; (50x2)x10
(ss3)Push Press - 115x10; 115x10; 115x10
(ss3)Lateral Raise - (20x2)x10; (20x2)x10; (20x2)x10
(ss4)Chin up - 13; 13; 13
(ss4)Tricep Extension - (40x2)x10; (40x2)x10; (40x2)x10
Leg Raise - 20x10; 20x10; 20x10

Biked 15.79 miles, 51:47, 18.3 mph, Avg HR 133.

On the third set of push presses I caught my chin on the push...didn't feel very good.

One note from yesterday. My lifting partner grew up as a swimmer. I got him a guest pass to LifeTime and he went swimming with me yesterday. He said when he was watching me swim that I looked pretty level, but my entire body was under water...

Food:


I'm going to try to catch up on sleep tonight. I have a 16 mile run in the morning.
 
Nice work on the squat Focus!

For the bench press, can you get a video of your form and post it? You situation with not getting the pecs invovled on bench seems odd to me.

Sounds good to me. First let me have a week to do some practice: I spent about an hour today refreshing on bench form, and it occurs to me that I've been pretty sloppy this time around. Haven't been "locking in" my shoulders, or driving with my legs at all really, and my hands have actually been bent back 90 to my forearms, which themselves weren't quite 90 to my torso I don't think. Gonna use my she-hulk to get an idea, and then I will definitely post up a vid, as I surely appreciate the feedback. :) But yeah for now I'mma do some practice with just the bar on Monday, and see if I can work it out.

As for grip work, what I did... I always did my grip work at the end of the workout. I didn't even record it as part of the workout. That way it won't affect any of your lifts. For me more was better. My forearms would be very worn out after, a lot of times they were pretty tired by the time I started the grip work, but more was better for me and they did catch up.

Hrm. Thanks. Yeah, it felt great to really wreck my forearms, but then I couldn't put out a proper effort on some lifts. It wasn't just my imagination, I'm pretty sure. So I'll see what difference not isolating them makes this week. After that, I'mma switch to more transferable exercises like simple static holds in the rack/smith machine and hanging from a chin bar for time.

On the third set of push presses I caught my chin on the push...didn't feel very good.

Ouch.

I'm going to try to catch up on sleep tonight. I have a 16 mile run in the morning.

Sleep well, and wake. ^_^
 
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Currently finishing up week 5, wherein I have replaced a shake with a healthy solid meal on wed and sun (my "off" days). As before, I will slowly transition to a V Lite style bulk over the course of the next 7 weeks. Unless someone changes my mind (which is not that hard to do, if you can manage to make sense.... so, extremely rare, lolol). Or I hit 6-10% bodyfat before then (which I just might, at this rate).

Also, haihai, ilu, wereubeen.

So you ARE starting to bulk....? :confused:

6 and 10 are very different. 6 is like...close to bodybuilder low. 10 is, normal guy athlete low.

Can we see pics?

I iz here. Summer school had me busy, now work has me busy. ilu! :D
 
8/2/08

8:58 AM
Ran 16.71 miles, 2:19:34, 8:21 min/mile, Avg HR 144, Max HR 164.

9:00 PM
Swam 1000 meters, 55 mins.

The run started out pretty good, but I was dragging towards the end. Divided into quarters, my pace went 8:16, 8:16, 8:26, 8:28 min/mile. My right calf was flirting with a cramp for the last 2 miles. Not real happy with how I felt for the last 2 miles of this run.

Food:
 
So you ARE starting to bulk....? :confused:

Nono. I am very, very slowly transitioning into a bulk from a huge (2000-3000 calorie) deficit. Over the course of something like 7-11 more weeks, I will go from my current 1600 calories per day (average) to about 3300. During which time my energy level will also have increased significantly. Still getting 95% of my macros in liquid form.

6 and 10 are very different. 6 is like...close to bodybuilder low. 10 is, normal guy athlete low.

I'm aware. I'm also a very crazy person. I like pushing myself to the limit. I don't mean that how other people mean it, like something you say for motivation. I enjoy the process of breaking myself down and building myself up again. It feels amazing. When I squat until I can't even stand, collapse on the floor and hold my hands over my mouth to keep from puking up my PWO, I am having a ****ing great time.

I'd always felt that way about every area of my life, except for this one... this is my "final frontier". Immortality will be mine. :SaiyanSmilie_anim: :D In two years, I will be thoroughly ashamed if all I've managed to achieve is 99th percentile conditioning and doubled strength. At 6-8% body fat. Thoroughly. Ashamed.

Can we see pics?

Pay attention, damnit. ;)

I iz here. Summer school had me busy, now work has me busy. ilu! :D

Sounds to me like your priorities are all mixed up. :p
 
The run started out pretty good, but I was dragging towards the end. Divided into quarters, my pace went 8:16, 8:16, 8:26, 8:28 min/mile. My right calf was flirting with a cramp for the last 2 miles. Not real happy with how I felt for the last 2 miles of this run.

That's too bad, Drexatron. Still a pretty damn good run, though, no?

I wonder what there is for preventatives/remedies for the cramping. I should really do some reading on this stuff so I have something useful to say, haha. I do it later tonight.

Afaik, tho, in your case it prob has a lot to do with hydration and the levels of minerals like cal and mag. And obviously, sodium and potassium. You sure you're keeping optimally hydrated? Also, I can't recall right now, I'm sorry, but are you taking creatine? 'Cause, y'know, ATP, contractures, blah blah.

I've honestly never even had a cramp, I don't think. That means I'm lazy, right? :p
 
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