My Diary

Upper Body Strength - 12/26/09

All exercises are 2x8, except where noted.

A BB Bench Press - 1x5@165, 1x4@165 - -2 rep set 1, -1 rep set 2.

B Seated Cable Row - 1x6@165, 1x6@165 - -2 reps set 1.

C Pike Press - BW - 1x6@BW, 1x5@BW - -2 reps set 1.

D Assisted Pull-ups - 1x5@15, 1x4@Plate 15 - -1 rep set 1, -2 reps in set 2.

E Assisted Dips - Plate 12 - Same as last week.

F Cable Curls - Plate 7 - Same as last week.

G Cable Tricep Pushdown - Plate 11 - Could not for the life of me remember if it was Plate 11 or 12 I should be using - turns out it should've been 12.

H Hammer Curls - 1x8@35, 1x5@35 - -3 reps set 2.

Overall - A terrible workout, but that's probably due to the Christmas Eve and Day nutrition (or lack thereof). Still, I think I should get points for working out the day after Christmas.
 
Lower Body Strength - 12/27/09

All exercises 2x8, except where noted.

A Squat - 2x5@205 - Same as last week.

B Lying Hamstring Curls - 115 - Going to sit here for a few more weeks before trying 120 again.

C Static Lunge - 25e - I did much better with these this time around.

D Situps -1x8@R4, 1x6@R4 - Up a rung.

E Back Extensions - 85 - Same as last week.

F Hanging Leg Raise - 12, 10 - Same as last week.

G Woodchoppers - Plate 12 - Not as difficult as plate 17 of course, but I'm hoping I get better control.

Overall - Not a bad workout - at least it wasn't craptastic as the previous day's.
 
Upper Body Endurance - 12/29/09

All exercises 2x15, except where noted.

A DB Bench Press - 55 - Very happy to get two full sets here, even if it was only just barely.

B DB Bent Over Row - 55 - Still waiting for the two full sets in A.

C DB Push Press - 1x15@40, 1x11@40 - -4 reps set 2.

D Lat Pulldown - 112.5 - Two full sets here.

E Diamond Pushups - BW - Difficult, but doable.

F Bicep Curl Supinated - 1x15@55, 1x10@55 - Added total 5lbs.

G Tricep Pulldown - Plate 6, Plate 7 - Again, couldn't remember if it was 6 or 7 that I was supposed to be doing. It was 7.

H Bicep Curl Pronated - 1x15@55, 1x10@55 - Added total 5lbs.

Overall - Delighted about the performance in A - hoping that continues. Not sure what happened in C, but hoping it's a fluke.
 
Lower Body Endurance - 12/30/09

All exercises 2x15, except where noted. Kettlebells are used where kg are noted.

A Deadlift - 1x15@165, 1x102@165 - -2 reps set 2.

B Straight Leg Deadlift - 105 - Might take this up next time.

C Static Lunge - 15 - Might try a heavier weight next time.

D V-ups 37, 30 (AMRAP) - +3 reps set 2.

E DB Swings - 70 - +5 lbs.

F Side Planks - 60, 45 - Again shoulder is the limiting factor here.

G Cable Twist - Plate 8 - Kept it at 8 again.

Overall - And this is the last strength workout of 2009. Not a bad year for workouts, even if nutrition wasn't nearly as good.
 
Spinning - 12/31/09

And so we come to the final workout of 2009, which was the 2 hour spin class on New Year's Eve day. My legs felt strong - not where they were when I was spinning regularly, but better than my previous outings on the bike. I hope to keep it (spinning) in a somewhat regular rotation in 2010.
 
Upper Body Strength - 1/4/10

All exercises are 2x8, except where noted.

A BB Bench Press - 1x6@165, 1x5@165 - +1 rep each set. If I was on the bench with the safeties, I would've tried one more rep in each set.

B Seated Cable Row - 1x8@165, 1x7@165 - +2 reps set 1, +1 rep set 2.

C Pike Press - BW - 1x7@BW, 1x6@BW - +1 rep each set

D Assisted Pull-ups - 1x5@15, 1x4@Plate 15 - Same as last time.

E Assisted Dips - Plate 12 - Same as last week.

F Cable Curls - Plate 7 - Same as last week.

G Cable Tricep Pushdown - Plate 11 - For some reason I couldn't get 12 started with my left hand so kept it at 11.

H Hammer Curls - 1x8@35, 1x6@35 - +1 rep set 2.

Overall - First workout of 2010, and not a bad one at that.
 
Lower Body Strength - 1/5/10

All exercises 2x8, except where noted.

A Squat - 2x5@205 - Same as last week.

B Lying Hamstring Curls - 115 - Again, sitting at 115 to ensure full ROM for both sets.

C Static Lunge - 30e - +5 lbs each hand and some balance issues.

D Situps - R4 - Two full sets - this is definitely my training setup now.

E Back Extensions - 90 - Same as last week.

F Hanging Leg Raise - 15, 12 - +3 reps set 1, +2 reps set 2. Yay!

G Woodchoppers - Plate 12 - I finally understand why I had to dial back on this and the twists in the lower body endurance workout. Definitely felt it in my sides for sure.

Overall - A good workout - happy that I'm getting back to the groove.
 
Upper Body Endurance - 1/7/10

All exercises 2x15, except where noted.

A DB Bench Press - 55 - Two full sets again - surprised, but happy.

B DB Bent Over Row - 55 - Still waiting for the two full sets in A.

C DB Push Press - 1x15@40, 1x12@40 - +1 reps set 2.

D Lat Pulldown - 112.5 - Two full sets here again but just barely doesn't cut it.

E Diamond Pushups - BW - 2nd set was difficult at the end.

F Bicep Curl Supinated - 1x15@55, 1x11@55 - +1 rep set 2.

G Tricep Pulldown - Plate 7 - Used Plate 7 but going to stay a while at it.

H Bicep Curl Pronated - 1x15@55, 1x10@55 - +1 rep set 2, but really need to slow down and not rush through the last set.

Overall - Happy about this workout - on the road back from the holidays.
 
Why are the holidays so irresistible to ruin ourselves? I hate having to come back from the hell of bad nutrition. I wish I could go to a island during the holidays full of the super fit who would inspire and intimidate me into keeping the junk out of my mouth!

:) Way to go on your comeback. I am also coming back from the dark side.
 
Mel Def said:
Why are the holidays so irresistible to ruin ourselves? I hate having to come back from the hell of bad nutrition. I wish I could go to a island during the holidays full of the super fit who would inspire and intimidate me into keeping the junk out of my mouth!

:) Way to go on your comeback. I am also coming back from the dark side.
Click to expand...

Heh I don't think it'd matter where ya are... I think they have umbrella drinks in the islands don't they?

jackie11 said:
Yeah im coming back completely real soon lol

Great work btw Tom!!!!!!! :) xxx
Click to expand...

Nice - welcome back then, and thanks. :)
 
Lower Body Endurance - 1/9/10

All exercises 2x15, except where noted. Kettlebells are used where kg are noted.

A Deadlift - 1x15@165, 1x10@165 - Same as last week.

B Straight Leg Deadlift - 115 - +10 lbs this week.

C Static Lunge - 20e - +5lbs each hand this week.

D V-ups 37, 31 (AMRAP) - +1 reps set 2.

E DB Swings - 70 - Same as last week.

F Side Planks - Plate 7 - Since my shoulder was the limiting factor last time and my shoulders weren't feeling too great, I subbed in cable side bends.

G Cable Twist - Plate 9 - Tried Plate 9 but I think that 8 is better in terms of what I'm trying to accomplish.

Overall - I so didn't want to this workout today, (not that I ever really want to) but was glad I got it done. I had to since I uncharacteristically left my gym clothes at home yesterday. My left knee wasn't feeling 100% anyhow so I think it worked out for the best all around.
 
Upper Body I - 1/11/10

A - C:

Set 1: 6 reps
---rest 15 secs
Set 2: 6 reps
---rest 60 secs
Set 3: 4-6 reps
---rest 30 secs
Set 4: 6-9 reps
---rest minimally
Set 5: 9-12 reps

D - F:

Same as above but without the 15 sec rest and Set 2.

All exercises taken to max in the rep range, except where noted.

A Barbell Bench Press - 85, 120, 170, 120, 85
B Cable Row - 90, 105, 165, 120, 90
C Cable Shoulder Press - Plate 5, Plate 6, Plate 10, Plate 7, Plate 5
D Lying Triceps Extension - 20e, 40e, 30e, 20e
E Dumbbell Bicep Curl - 20e, 30e, 25e, 20e
F Side Deltoid Raise - 8, 15, 12, 8

Overall - First workout with Alan's new training protocol. While I like that all exercises are going to be receiving the same rep ranges, changing the plates for the barbell was a real pain in the butt (which is why I only used it for the bench press). Going to be looking at building some strength endurance. The 170 for the bench press is a personal record as I've never lifted that weight at all for that exercise. Looking forward to tomorrow's workout, but I need to choose the exercises.
 
Lower Body I - 1/12/10

A Squat - 105, 125, 205, 145, 105
B Hamstring Curl - 60, 70, 115, 80, 60
C Static Lunge - 15, 20, 30, 20, 15
D Decline Situp - R2, R4, R3, 5@R2
E DB Swings - 35, 70, 55, 35
F Standing Cable Twist - Plate 5, Plate 6, Plate 10, Plate 7
G DB Calf Raise - 35, 70, 55, 35

Overall - A good workout which revealed a few things - doing endurance work with squats is going to be good for me getting through the last set was difficult. (Still a freakin' pain to deal with the bb plates though) I wonder how deadlifts will go on Friday. Static lunges were decent - some balance problems, but overall I was happy with my showing. The swings I might switch out in favor of back extensions, but I didn't have time (nor the inclination admittedly) to lug the 3 dumbbells across the gym. The cable twists went pretty well - I think I'll keep the weight there a while so I can concentrate on the movement rather than generating momentum. I need to figure out a more reliable way of doing the calf raises. I'd imagine the gym has a machine or other way of doing them, but it eluded me for whatever reason today. (Plus, I was running really close to time to get a move on to work.)

As a side note, I was asked for help today... A woman wanted to use the leg press but some moron left a 100lb plate on each side, and since I was the only other person in the weight room she asked me to help her. Which I did, hoping that I would 1) be able to actually manage the lifting and lowering the plate, and 2) to do it in a way that would not cause myself injury (either bodily or to my pride). Much to my amazement, I was able to pull the plates off and slowly lower them to the ground (as opposed to dropping them). I guess I still have in my mind's eye the original me - the one prior to my gym-going days. Still, it made me feel pretty good.

And lastly, Alan (my online trainer/nutritionist) has indicated he may tweak this protocol, so I might be getting a version 2.x today or tomorrow.
 
Upper Body II - 1/14/10

A Standing Cable Chest Press - Plate 6, Plate 8, Plate 12, Plate 9, Plate 6
B Standing Cable Row - Plate 6, Plate 8, Plate 12, Plate 9, Plate 6
C Standing Cable Push Press - Plate 6, Plate 7, Plate 12, Plate 8, Plate 6
D Kneeling Lat Pulldown - Plate 6, Plate 8, Plate 12, Plate 9, Plate 6
E Cable Triceps Extension - Plate 6, Plate 8, Plate 12, Plate 8, Plate 6
F Cable Bicep Curl - Plate 3, Plate 4, Plate 7, Plate 5, Plate 4
G Cable Read Deltoid Raise - Plate 2, Plate 3, Plate 4, Plate 2, Plate 1

Overall - As you can see, I did an all cable workout today, which was different for me. I think the new modality is a good one as it is convenient for changing weights and is unstable enough to get more work for the auxiliary muscles. That said, it looks like I forgot an exercise in my original post - the lat pulldowns which would be 90, 105, 130, 105, 90. Need to figure out what I'll be doing for tomorrow's lower body workout. Deadlifts for sure, but apart from that, undecided.
 
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Lower Body II - 1/15/10

A Deadlift - 95, 115, 195, 135, 95
B Hamstring Curl - 60, 70, 115, 80, 60
C Quad Extension - 95, 115, 190, 135, 95
D Hanging Leg Raise - 6, 12, 9, 12
E Romanian Deadlift - 65, 135, 95, 65
F Woodchoppers - Plate 6, Plate 12, Plate 9, Plate 6
G Standing Calf Raise - 25e, 50e, 30e, 20e

Overall - Not a bad workout. I don't dread it like the Lower Body Endurance workout from protocol v1.0. Found out how different my left and right calves are due to the poor circulation in the left, and am thinking about getting some rehab in the hopes of evening things out. Other than that, I'm going to train my squats at maintenance and try to get my deadlift up. Incidentally, D counts the number of reps, not weight.
 
Upper Body I - 1/18/10

A Barbell Bench Press - 87.5, 105, 4@175, 115, 87.5
B Cable Row - 90, 105, 165, 120, 90
C Cable Shoulder Press - Plate 5, Plate 6, Plate 10, Plate 7, Plate 5
D Lying Triceps Extension - 20e, 40e, 30e, 20e
E Dumbbell Bicep Curl - 20e, 35e, 25e, 20e
F Side Deltoid Raise - 12, 20, 15, 12

Overall - Increases today, but I have to be more careful about the weights to use for A. I think this workout was better than the first as I'm closer to dialing in my true training weights for this workout. Increases in A, D, E and F. :)
 
Lower Body I - 1/19/10

A Squat - 105, 125, 205, 145, 105
B Hamstring Curl - 60, 70, 115, 80, 60
C Static Lunge - 15, 20, 30, 20, 15
D Decline Situp - R2, R4, R3, 9@R2
E DB Swings - 35, 75, 55, 35
F Standing Cable Twist - Plate 4, Plate 9, Plate 7, Plate 5
G Standing DB Calf Raise - 35, 70, 55, 35

Overall - I think I'm adapting to this workout, and by doing so it's a lesson in how specifically the body trains. Last week, the last two sets in A were very tough. This week, they were noticeably easier. I also think I got more ROM in the first work set. Nice improvement in D in the last set, but that's probably because I HAD to stop and let my abs unclench lol. Still finding my way in E. Might go up to 80 and dial up the other weights accordingly. I'm trying to keep F where it is because I don't want to be using momentum to move the weight. And G really highlights how different my left and right calves are because of the poor circulation on the left. Today's variation was a single leg standing raise, with the dumbbell held on the working side. All in all I think I did well, and I think I'm making progress.
 
Upper Body II - 1/21/10

A Standing Cable Chest Press - Plate 6, Plate 8, Plate 12, Plate 9, Plate 6
B Standing Cable Row - Plate 6, Plate 8, Plate 12, Plate 9, Plate 6
C Standing Cable Push Press - Plate 6, Plate 7, Plate 12, Plate 8, Plate 6
D Kneeling Lat Pulldown - Plate 6, Plate 8, Plate 12, Plate 9, Plate 6
E Cable Triceps Extension - Plate 6, Plate 12, Plate 8, Plate 6
F Cable Bicep Curl - Plate 4, Plate 8, Plate 6, Plate 4
G Cable Rear Deltoid Raise - Plate 2, Plate 3, Plate 2, Plate 1

Overall - I did better with this workout as my muscles get used to the instability with using cables. If nothing else, this workout has led me to a greater appreciation for cable training, as it combines the ease of use of machines, with at least some of the instability of free weights.
 
Lower Body II - 1/22/10

A Deadlift - 105, 125, 205, 145, 105
B Hamstring Curl - 60, 70, 115, 80, 60
C Quad Extension - 95, 115, 190, 135, 95
D Hanging Leg Raise - 6, 12, 9, 10
E Romanian Deadlift - 65, 135, 95, 65
F Woodchoppers - Plate 6, Plate 12, Plate 9, Plate 6
G Standing Calf Raise - 25e, 50e, 30e, 20e

Overall - Very pleased with this workout, as the 205 is a PR for my deadlift. While it's the same weight as the squats, I think I have better form with the DL. The rest of the workout was pretty much the same as last week.

Things which make me want to work out at home: You'll notice that I've got two deadlifts in my workout. When I went to do A, there was nobody else in the weight room except for one guy, and guess what he was doing? If you guessed doing bicep curls off the pins of the power rack you'd be right. So it took me even longer to jockey plates around for the deadlifts, so I doubt I made the required rest intervals. You'll also notice that E (which takes a bit of time to get to from A, even with using machines) also uses plates... and damn if it didn't happen that as I'm finishing D, another guy goes to do freakin' bicep curls (with a back assist) from the pins. So again, I'm stuck with jockeying much bigger plates around. I totally get that the rack's open and first come first served, but... I'd not say a word if someone was deadlifting, squatting or using the rack for something for which the rack was needed. But bicep curls? (If I was going to do back squats, I would ask to use the inside of the rack, since that's the only place I could do them.) At any rate, end of rant - hopefully things will be better this week.
 
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