I skipped Saturday, so I only did 2 workouts last week. I'm going to try to get all 3 in this week.

Today was Workout A:
Squats: 100 lbs 5x5. I repeated this weight this time but will try 105 next time. I kind of tweaked my knee so I need to work on form a bit.
Bench: 65 lbs 5x5 (barely). I almost couldn't finish the 25th rep, so I called it 4x5 and 1x4 in the app. Will repeat this weight next time.
Rows: 65 lbs 5x5. My hand started cramping up during my 3rd set, so I had to take a small break, but I did get the 5 reps. This weight was tough so I think I will repeat next time to make sure my form is good before moving up.

Accessories:
RDLs, 65 lbs 3x10
Calf raises, 3x25 (BW)

Finished up with 45 minutes on the elliptical, which is the perfect amount of time to watch an episode of Orphan Black.

Managed workout B today. Things went pretty smooth. Went from one to the other and didn't have to wait for anything. Will be interesting Wednesday morning but we'll see how that goes then.

Squat - 5x5 @‌ 120
OHP - 4x5 & 1x4 @‌ 60
Deadlift - 2x5 @‌ 135


Not bad. I moved up on the squat this time and it felt fine. Heavy but still doing okay. Almost made all 5 sets on 60 for OHP but couldn't do that very last rep. Hopefully can get it next time. I didn't increase on deadlift but instead did an extra set. It didn't bother my hand as much this time but have a feeling this will be a common occurrence with the heavier weights. There is no chalk at the gym so need to figure out a strategy for them. hmmm

I worked out Sunday morning and again today...
Work has been SOOOO hectic I rarely check in these days, so I apologize for that. I know things will slow down mid January when my boats start fishing and I can breath again!

I was tired this morning and tried something new.
Squats - 5 @ 75, 85, 95, 105, 110
Bench - 5x5 @‌ 60lbs
Rows - Nada

LOTS OF CRUNCHES!

And then I came to work and had a lovely slice of apple cake with my coffee

I love the holidays and all the goodies, but feels like my workouts are just to keep my head above water at this point. I may be skipping the weights and enjoying a nice jog tomorrow if the weather cooperates!

Two weeks later, and I finally got back to the gym. Oh how I've missed it!!!

Workout B

Not my normal gym since I'm out of town. It was a little crowded (with equipment and people) and had old racks and plates. But who cares? 45 lbs is 45 lbs, after all.

Squats - 5x5 @ 100 lbs.
- Deloaded a bit since it has been a while. These felt really good. I was able to concentrate on getting as low as I could. Got a little harder towards the last reps, but all in all, really strong.

OHP - 1x5 @ 45 lbs., 3x5 @ 47.5, 1x4 @ 47.5
- The first set felt so good I decided to throw my little 1.25 plates on the bar and give it a go. You wouldn't think 2.5 lbs. would make a difference, but it did. Form suffered a tiny bit in the sets 4 and 5, but overall still really good. Failed the very last rep.
- Considering I only did the bar for the first time on my last OHP workout, I'm over the moon at being able to move up here!

Deadlifts - Warmups 1x5 @ 89 (10 kg plates), 1x5 @ 135 / Working set 1x5 @ 155 (!!!)
- I freaking love deadlifts. These felt awesome. I had that fantastic "used my whole body for those" feeling that left me panting and smiling.

Accessories:
Bicep curls - 5x10 @ 10 lbs.
- They didn't have 12.5 lbs. dumbbells, so I did more reps with slightly lower weights.

I had a bit of a walk home, so I cut accessories short and hit the path along the beach. It was about two miles. All in all, I feel pretty great about what I did today -- and it was SO GREAT to be back at it.

I've been MIA/sick for a few week or so, so deloaded yesterday... felt ok, still not feeling 100%.
5x5 Squats - 170lbs
5x5 OHP - 70 lbs
1x5 DL - 185 lbs

Today was okay but also kind of meh. Not to mention busy. The gym was very busy since they are only open till 2 pm today and closed tomorrow. Cardio machines full. I wanted to walk after lifting but every single treadmill was in use (with one exception as it was being fixed). They have over 20 of them, so that's a lot of people. I tried using something else but didn't want to do steps when I have to be on my feet from 3:30 to after midnight and the other thing, elliptical, I couldn't get whatever the quick start does to make either machine do anything. So I gave up. It's super busy at work and freight day, so I'll do okay since I have a nice long shift today. I'll do extra cardio on Friday and maybe I won't leave my iPod in the car then.

Lifts:

3x8 dumbbell bench @ 20 lbs
5x5 bench @ 80 (barely)
5x5 squat @‌ 125
5x5 row @‌ 75


Out of order so I did my extra lift before the main lifts cause... yeah. Anyways, also forgot my notebook in the locker so had to go off memory. 80 is still barely manageable and I didn't feel like failing this time so I stuck with that for bench. I did use the bar this time for rows instead of dumbbells and used the stand place so I got to pretend I was tall during those sets. I could have tried 80 with them but 75 was pretty tough. Maybe next time.

I chose 5x5 strong lifts as the very start cause of the beginner programs I looked over, it had the simplest layout, the least extra, at least a couple lifts I knew even though I'd always avoided squats, and it didn't have pull ups. I'd rather climb a rope to the ceiling once a week than do any pull ups, lol. After 12 weeks, though, I might look at venturing out into other things and learn more lifts. Clean seems kinda fun from the light weights we did in the les mills grit strength class I tried.


oh..

Merry Christmas and such.

bepeejaye wrote: »

Perhaps it had something to do with that we were let out early.

heh. i'm a freelance so not subject to the usual rules either way, but even so there was no way i was staying in the office today after they turned out all the lights and sent everyone home. i did leave a little later than most people, but i was in the gym by 2:30 or 3. yay.

and it was mobbed. i'm not exactly doing either workout specifically since this neck/shoulder thing made me lose my bearings a week or two back. i did a kind of survey workout, everything except rows. the big preoccupation and project is beating my left shoulder into submission any way that i can.

**in between sets on squats now, i just use the rack as a stretch tool. if i back up to the bar it's right across the tops of my shoulderblades. so i can set my upper arms along it, and then hook my hands behind the uprights of the rack, elbows pretty much at right angles like that. it's a demon stretch for exactly whatever is stiff at the bottom of my left shoulder that's preventing me from getting that side fully rotated or whatever it's called. it has the advantage of telling me when i'm symmetrical, it's got some force in it - which i need. and i found out if i drop my chest/round my back a little, it's a demon pec/traps/levator scapulae stretcher too. so i'm doin' it from now on, and my fingers are crossed. **

squats: 2x5@45, 1x5@65, 5x5@95, 1x3@100. the last one was just to see if i could, and i could - for 3 reps, then i quit. not as bad as i'd thought it would be considering how derailed i feel i've gotten. my bum wasn't really in the game today for some reason, could be the bike switching or who knows what else. i think i had my shoulders more square than i usually managed before though, so there's that.

ohp: hee. i did 1x12 with 30lbs right when i walked in, but that was warmup. actual ohp i did 1x5@45, then i said heck and just went for it with 5x5@50. again, fighting like a demon against the mobility thing on the left. i feel like my left shoulder is *strong*, it's just restricted/gunked up in some way. so anyway, i feel pretty good about 50lbs with the form that i gave it, under those circs.

bench: i'm being conservative here. i did 5x5@45 and called it a session. the thing with bench is i've been doing a pretty wide grip up till now since that's most comfortable for whatever the original problem was, with me. but the more i read the more confused i get, and last night's explorations gave me the idea i'd be better off coming in as close as i can and starting again. i'm just groping carefully around for a safe-feeling form with bench atm - something i can put in the bank because it doesn't feel dangerous. close grip actually seemed to stress the same back-of-shoulder/bottom-of-shoulderblade area on the left, but that improves if i do a certain kind of setting up first that would be hard to describe.

some pulldown sets, close and mid-width, at 20lb. again, just trying to find a workable form, not really working out.

deadlift: well, i know that i did 5 or 6 of them at 115, so might as well call that my working set. i also probably another 4 or 5 at 130 after that, but that was experimentation so i'm not counting it. my hamstrings are crazy with doms this week, although i don't know why.

crabada wrote: »

@Canadian -- With you on the DOMS. I've *never* been sore after a lifting workout -- until today. My quads are screaming at me every time I move. I guess that's what two weeks off, a strong workout, and a long walk home will do to a girl. Holy cow!

I just started adding in some bicep/tricep work. DOMs big time on the triceps. For such a small muscle it can be remarkably painful...