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2015 Fitness and Working Out Thread

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Shoulders today. I'm adding more light weight, high rep into my work-outs this month. ALMOST didn't go to the gym today, but ended up getting home at 9:30 PM and forcing myself to do it. It was nice, pretty empty!
 
Barberakb said:
Ran a 5K today. Goal was 24 mins and ran a 23:30 so I'm happy with that.
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Good job! Keep truckin'!


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4.22 was a "light day". No knee sleeves

Squats
45 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5 belted
280 x 5 belted


Presses
45 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 2x5



Power snatches
Teaching progression twice
45 x 5
89 x 5
109 x 3


130 x 1
145 3x2


Chins
8
7
6
5
 
It's always exciting when a light day is heavier than a heavy day used to be.
 
sudseh said:
It's always exciting when a light day is heavier than a heavy day used to be.
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It is. It takes a while to get there. When undertaking barbell training, most people will not need a light day. But when we progress to a point where session to session progress is no longer possible, they can be a godsend.
 
blugold said:
It is. It takes a while to get there. When undertaking barbell training, most people will not need a light day. But when we progress to a point where session to session progress is no longer possible, they can be a godsend.
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Indeed. I'm a big proponent of what I call a "tech light day" to focus on form and focus. Especially if I've failed a lift.
 
Chins are tough for me, is there value in boosting/jumping into chinned position and then dropping out of it slowly as I can?

I've made nice progress in the past 51 days since I quit smoking. I used to lift a lot in my 20's and 30's but never seriously heavy weights, generally more a lot of reps. And I never lifted much over my head, or nearly enough for legs and back. Now, at 52, I'm doing much more leg, back, and overhead work, with heavier weights. Most of the muscles in those areas are as big/strong as they've been at any point in my lifetime. I actually have visible traps lol. All my life it's long thin neck and flat shoulders/traps, it's a big difference for me.

The great side benefit besides feeling better is that I know 1 cigarette would effectively destroy all the great progress I've made, so it's been very easy to not smoke. I know the day will come, but I haven't had a crisis 'gotta have a smoke at all costs' moment yet. First 41 days were with nicoderm patches, now 10 days with 0 nicotine....I carry nicorette gum around as an emergency backstop, but haven't even reached for one of those yet.
 
keto said:
Chins are tough for me, is there value in boosting/jumping into chinned position and then dropping out of it slowly as I can?
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Yes. There is. Do those negative chin ups ( they have a name!) and deadlifts on alternate days
 
blugold said:
4.22 was a "light day". No knee sleeves

Squats
45 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5 belted
280 x 5 belted


Presses
45 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 2x5



Power snatches
Teaching progression twice
45 x 5
89 x 5
109 x 3


130 x 1
145 3x2


Chins
8
7
6
5
Click to expand...


tips on pressing? 135 is light? Looks like a narrower grip then I take too. At a bit of a stall now and looking to break thru.
 
trruss1086 said:
tips on pressing? 135 is light? Looks like a narrower grip then I take too. At a bit of a stall now and looking to break thru.
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I would be happy to. I like to follow Mark Rippetoe's pressing model.

My grip is such that forearms are vertical from the front and sides and relatively directly under the bar. I try to have the bar start directly over my mid foot. I want my elbows to even or just a little in front of the bar to start. I grip the bar in my hands. Not my fingers. Notice how my hand isn't laying back. I'm pinching my elbows hard against my chest. I want everything to be as tight as possible to start. I then present my chest to the ceiling. This grip width and style isn't easy to get used to, as a heads up.

To get my press started, I take and hold a big breath. I hold it for the entire rep, do not let it out. I then flex my quads and abs, to create as much tension as possible. I then bump my hips forward was quickly as possible. I don't lean back, I bump my hips forward. The tightness of my quads and abs will stop that from being a big bump. It isn't about the length of the bump but the speed of the bump. I let the tension in my quads and abs rebound the bump and I actively return my hips to their starting position.

This bump forces the barbell down, the tightness of the upperbody causes the weight to bounce up. As the weight bounces up, I push to lock out. Lock out is arms fully extended at the top and shoulders shrugged. That way my rotator cuff joints are protected.

Yes, 135# is light. My personal best 3 reps is 170. My best 5 reps is 160. I go for a 5 rep max at 165 on Monday. The weight I use does not make me anymore right or wrong that anybody else when it comes to discussing the lifts.

[video=youtube;CnBmiBqp-AI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnBmiBqp-AI&feature=youtu.be[/video]





P.S. - I thumbed this out of my phone 5 minutes after waking up. If you have questions, please ask.
 
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Just running and eating better. Run 3-5 miles every other day. Oh yeah, some heavy duty hitting in tennis for a couple of hours in the FLA heat can burn some calories. Since getting back into tennis (and putting away the golf clubs), have lost 15 lbs without much effort in trying to lose weight.
 
4.24 Medium Day

Squats
45 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 3x5


Bench press
45 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5
225 x 5
245 3x5

Power cleans
Teach progressions x 45
133 x 5
153 x 3
177 x 2
197 x 1
199.5 5x3


Chin ups
8
7
6
6
 
4.27 Heavy Day.* Sleeves.* Belt where noted

Squats
45 x 5
135 x 5
190 x 5
230 x 5 belt
280 x 5 belt
320 x 5 belt
355 2x3 belt



Press
45 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
150 x 3
165 1x3; 1x2



Deadlifts
225 2x5
315 1x5
405 1x3
435 1x1
465 - failure


That's two weeks in a row that I haven't even gotten a single rep completed. Next week it's 460. I'm going to deload slightly and see what happen. Lower back has been bugging me lately. There's been a lot of pulling from the floor. I've got a deep tissue massage scheduled for Friday.
 
I'm down 6 in 2 weeks, back on Atkins. Starting yoga tomorrow as its week 3 of induction for me and time to start mixing a workout of some type in. This summer it'll be back to the weight room for the first time in about 5 years, but not till I hit 190-195. So about 11-16 lbs to go.
 
I posted pic's somewhere of my 'pre' self.

I'm about 2 weeks in, and down about 6 pounds.

I'm eating mainly fish, and salad/veggies. Seasoning with spices (instead of sauces), and enough oil/fats as I want. Also avoiding beer and processed foods. I love cold beer, so that's the only thing that's been a little hard thus far (it's been warm in SoCal, and warm weather and cold beer are a great combination!).
 
UglySwing said:
I posted pic's somewhere of my 'pre' self.

I'm about 2 weeks in, and down about 6 pounds.

I'm eating mainly fish, and salad/veggies. Seasoning with spices (instead of sauces), and enough oil/fats as I want. Also avoiding beer and processed foods. I love cold beer, so that's the only thing that's been a little hard thus far (it's been warm in SoCal, and warm weather and cold beer are a great combination!).
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I always struggle with the dropping off of the beer early on myself. Good news is, I'm about 2 weeks out to being able to add it back in here and there.
 
I'm going to have to go see my doctor before I work out hard again. I've noticed that when I do a hard chest or shoulder day, I'm getting a pop in my throat when I swallow.

I have bone graphs in my neck and I've heard that when they start to deteriorate they can cause some really odd problems with breathing and swallowing, so I need to get it checked out before I do any real damage. It's not painful, just odd feeling and lasts a day or two and then goes away until the next time.

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This thread is great motivation. Great job by everyone.
I've struggled with my weight for a long time. I had reached my heaviest about 1.5 years ago at 298lbs (6'1). Realized I needed to make some changes. Weighed in at 250.2 this am. The first 8 months or so was mostly just run/walk about 3 miles 5x a week. Changed my diet completely and have lots of whole grains, veggies and fruit. We were given this weight machine and i have set up in the garage:

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I've taken weight training much more seriously in the past 8 months. Lift 3x a week, walk/run 3 miles 3x a week I've been this weight for about 6 weeks now but am still cutting fat. Clothes are still getting loose and I had to buy new golf shorts for this season cause my old ones were way to big

Huge difference in my golf game too as I've easily gained about 15-20 yds off the tee.

Look forward to checking in on this thread and seeing erryones great progress.
 
Bullitt5339 said:
I'm going to have to go see my doctor before I work out hard again. I've noticed that when I do a hard chest or shoulder day, I'm getting a pop in my throat when I swallow.

I have bone graphs in my neck and I've heard that when they start to deteriorate they can cause some really odd problems with breathing and swallowing, so I need to get it checked out before I do any real damage. It's not painful, just odd feeling and lasts a day or two and then goes away until the next time.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk
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Oh shít man. Get that taken care of. I hope it isn't much of a hindrance for you and nothing serious.
 
4.29 "Light Day"

Squats
45 x 5
135 x 5
205 x 3
245 x 3 belted
280 3x5 belted

Bench press
45 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3 belted
225 3x5 belted

Power Snatch
Bar warm up
89 x 3
109 x 2

119 x 2
126 x 1
148 2x2

Deload 133 x 1 - it was supposed to be 2, but me sure caught a tear in the carpet. Last time I pull on the carpet.


Chins
8
7
7
6


I need to work on that starfish landing on those pulls.
 
Chins progressing well!
 
As I'm doing them, 8 is a lot. I've actually questioned whether I've lost count, asking myself, "how can I only be on 5."
 
Currently trying to figure out how much 'off time' I need, and what I can get away with on off days. I'm 52 as mentioned before, but have a great metabolism for my age...still, I don't recover like I used to. The first 50ish days, I went hard 6 days a week and forced myself to take 1 off, but now I'm starting to have some nagging pulls (forearm) and back tweaks that are telling me 6 heavy days a week is just too much. I took 2 days off then went hard the last 2 nights. I feel like I should take tonight off, on the other hand I have all this energy now that I need to dump some of it or I'll never sleep lol.....thus the statement about 'what I can get away with'. Is doing cardio (exercise bike, running stairs) acceptable on what is technically an off day?

Bought a rubber band yesterday to assist with chins I mentioned being so difficult for me on the prior page. Made a big difference.
 
keto said:
Currently trying to figure out how much 'off time' I need, and what I can get away with on off days. I'm 52 as mentioned before, but have a great metabolism for my age...still, I don't recover like I used to. The first 50ish days, I went hard 6 days a week and forced myself to take 1 off, but now I'm starting to have some nagging pulls (forearm) and back tweaks that are telling me 6 heavy days a week is just too much. I took 2 days off then went hard the last 2 nights. I feel like I should take tonight off, on the other hand I have all this energy now that I need to dump some of it or I'll never sleep lol.....thus the statement about 'what I can get away with'. Is doing cardio (exercise bike, running stairs) acceptable on what is technically an off day?

Bought a rubber band yesterday to assist with chins I mentioned being so difficult for me on the prior page. Made a big difference.
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Simple short cardio is acceptable on off days for recovery. You said you've "gone hard" 6 days a week. What does that entail?
 
I'm an athletic trainer and do personal training on the side, so forgive me for jumping in and I'm sure others have answered your question already, but absolutely a light cardio day is a good idea for your "off" day! It's a good idea to move around if you're sore and it might actually help you recover as long it's not super intense. On your rest days it's also a good idea to stretch, and don't forget to ice if you're really sore! You may want to alternate your weights too and do every other day with heavier weights and the alternate days lighter weights, more reps. I hope this helps and again, sorry if you already got your answer!
 
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