"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

[nisora33]

"He was not...a follower of the Man Jesus, and considered himself in no way holy. He was just an ordinary pilgrim, in other words, and all he could say with real certainty was that he was thirsty. And even so, he had no particular urge to drink." - Stephen King, The Gunslinger

This log follows on the heals of this one: http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=16529

6.07.10

Press - 122 lbs. X 9 sets X 1 rep, resting however long I felt like
(Wrist still fucking hurts. I ignored it.)

SLDL - 150 lbs. X 8-8-8 reps, 2 min. break in-between sets
(Still have a knot in my midback, maybe not as bad, but it's still there.)

Bent-knee sit-up - 50 lbs. X 9-8-8 reps, 2 min. break in-between sets
(Nothing much to say, they're just sit-ups.)

-Stacey

[nisora33]

"I don't like people. They fuck me up." - Jake, from The Gunslinger

6/09/10

1-arm KB "cheat" press - 44 lbs. X 8-6-6-7 reps each arm, 2 min. break between every paired set
(Shoulders don't like these.)
DE deadlift - 210 lbs. X 1 rep X 12 sets, 60 sec. break rest between singles
(Midback felt better today, but I felt a "stinger" in my low left back on most every rep)
Chin-up - 8-6-6-6 reps, 4 min. break between sets

-S.

[Greg C]

Stacy-

One of my favorite reads. Eddie Dean kills me.

G

[nisora33]

"Flip-Flop, hippety-hop, offa your rocker and over the top, life's a fiction and the world's a lie so put on some Creedence and let's get high." - Eddie Dean, Dark Tower Two: The Drawing of the Three

Had a little too much alcohol last night, so I was feeling unmotivated and sluggish today. Did okay, I guess...

6.11.10

Press - 125 X 1, 126 X 1, 127 X 1-1 rep
(Ughh, no motivation at all to do these. 127 felt like a shit-ton of bricks, and the second rep at that weight was uuuuugly.)

ME deadlift - 330 X 1
(Went ahead and slapped 10 more pounds on there this week. Felt okay. Upper back is starting to meet its limit in terms of what it will support while held completely extended--slight thoracic flexion, felt strong otherwise. Also, my low back feels stouter than hell these days.)

http://vimeo.com/12493717

Ring pull-up - 6-5-5-5 reps

Dumbbell bent-knee sit-up - 50 lbs. X 10-9-8 reps

-S.

[nisora33]

"There was a lesson here, he realized, not a shining thing but something that was old and rusty and misshapen." - Roland, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

6.14.10

DE press - 100 lbs. X 1 rep X 12 sets, 60 sec. rest in-between singles
(Wrist and elbow woes continue, so I opted to go light and focus on quick bar speed for practice--sort of an active recovery day.)
1-arm dumbbell "cheat" press - 46 lbs. X 8-8-7 reps each arm, 2 min. rest between every paired set
(These are fun and get the heart rate up, and I like the work that the triceps get at finishing the lock-out.)

SLDL - 165 lbs. X 8-8-8 reps, 2 min. rest between sets
(Upper back kept wanting to give out.)

Bent-knee sit-up - 50 lbs. x 10-9-8 reps, 2 min. break between sets
(Amazing how much the SLDLs tax the abdominals--struggled with the sit-ups as a result.)

-S.

[nisora33]

"The man in black laughed--a full, hearty laugh that seemed to challenge the receding echo of gunshots. 'Would you kill all your answers so easily, gunslinger?'" - The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

"If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." - Zen master LinJi

6.16.10

Press - 105 lbs. X 1 rep X 12 sets, resting maybe 60 sec. between reps
(Continued with the deload from Monday, seeing how badly my elbows and wrists were feeling. Going to see how I feel on Friday, then maybe I'll push some heavier weight.)

DE deadlift - 215 lbs. X 1 rep X 12 sets, 60 sec. break in-between singles

Chin-up - 8-7-6-6 reps, 5 min. break in-between sets

-S.

[nisora33]

"'The prosaic fact of the universe's existence alone defeats both the pragmatist and the romantic.'" - the Man in Black, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

6.18.10
<o></o>
BTNeck press (to eccentric strict press, descending over the course of 4-5 seconds) – 145 lbs. X 1-1-1-1 rep
(Using this lift on Fridays as a max-effort pressing exercise, partly to take the place of benching, which I’ve found myself unable to do time and again in spite of good technique and steady, patient loading, and partly in order to fulfill medium, light and heavy day requirements over the course of the week. I heave it with my entire body to lockout, then slowly lower it to my shoulders in front, strict-press fashion, for a 4-5 second count.)
<o></o>
ME deadlift – 340 lbs. X 1 rep
(Solid, but I got dizzy at the top and panicked, dropping the weight, but not before having locked it out completely. Nice pull anyway, I thought:

http://vimeo.com/12743504 fast-forward to a little over the halfway mark).

<o></o>Ring pull-up – 7-6-5-5 reps
<o></o>

6.19.10
<o></o>
Bent-knee sit-up – 50 lbs. x 10-9-8 reps
<o></o>
Power clean practice – worked up to 135 lbs. for easy singles
(Form sucked, these felt like shit throughout. 1st time doing these in a couple of months, since the broken foot.
<o></o>

6.21.10
<o></o>
Press – 120 lbs. X 1 rep X 8 sets
(Spent the first 4 or 5 singles trying to find the right pressing “groove.” The right-side elbow was also feeling like shit, really pissed me off. What’s worse, I’m starting to develop a mental dread of doing these, which isn’t helping my focus and enthusiasm one bit.)
<o></o>
SLDL – 170 lbs. X 8-8-7 reps
(Felt able to stay tighter throughout my back and midsection during these, compared to last week. Grip was the limiting factor on the third set.)
<o></o>
Bent-knee sit-up – 50 lbs. X 10-9-8 reps


-S.

<!--EndFragment-->

[nisora33]

"'Yes,' whispered the man in black. 'But none of these things are what you wish to ask.'

True.

'All right,' the gunslinger said, and then asked the world's oldest question. 'Will I succeed? Will I win through?'" - The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

6.23.10

DE press - 107 lbs. X 1 rep X 12 sets, 60 sec. break between singles
(Elbows felt a little better today. Shoulders were a bit aggravated from something I did Monday. Should feel better by Friday, I reckon.)

DE deadlift - 220 lbs. X 1 rep X 12 sets, 60 sec. break between singles
(Took me a bit to find my groove. These are starting to feel "heavy" for a light day, but they still went up with a fair amount of "snap.")

Chin-up - 8-7-7-6 reps
(I'm getting much stronger at these. May start subbing weighted chins for the ring pull-ups on Fridays.)

-S.

[nisora33]

"There the gunslinger sat, his face turned up into the fading light. He dreamed his dreams and watched as the stars came out; his purpose did not flag, nor did his heart falter; his hair, finer now and gray at the temples, blew around his head, and the sandalwood-inlaid guns of his father lay smooth and deadly against his hips, and he was lonely but did not find loneliness in any way a bad or ignoble thing." - Stephen King, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

6.25.10

BTNeck push-press (to eccentric strict press) - 147 lbs. X 1-1-1-1 rep
(Could've done more, but form was still a major focus this workout.)

ME deadlift - 350 lbs. X 1 rep
(Getting heavy for sure. Thoracic spine is starting to buckle more and more. Will probably only make 5 pound jumps from now on. Will be toying around with roundback deadlifting again some time in the near future, along with belt use on top sets):

http://vimeo.com/12854978

Ring pull-up - 7-7-6-6 reps

Bent-knee sit-up - 50 lbs. X 10-9-9 reps

-S.

[nisora33]

"It stood six and a half feet high and appeared to be made of solid ironwood...The doorknob looked as if it were made of gold, and it was filigreed...This door. This door where no door should be." - Stephen King, The Dark Tower Two: The Drawing of the Three

6.28.10

Press - 125 lbs. X 1 rep X 7 sets
(Elbows no longer hurt much, nor do the shoulders. Bar speed felt faster. Still having trouble finding the right groove and sticking to it, but all in all, these felt really decent.)

SLDL - 180 lbs. X 5 reps X 5 sets
(The forearm tightness and cramping is probably the worst thing about these--after that, the burning in the posterior shoulder and midback. I don't know how many of you read this log, but I'm telling you, after years of various shit that I've tried--and this is after having bought into and tried all that faggy physical therapy BULLSHIT some seven or so years ago--these have made my low back feel better and stronger than any other exercise I've done, except maybe conventional deads. I'd imagine the same thing could be said of goodmornings, for those of you who've tried them. No shit.)

Bent-knee sit-ups - 50 lbs. X 10-10-9 reps

-S.

[nisora33]

"Listen to me, maggots. Listen for your lives, for that's what it could mean some day. You never see all that you see. One of the things they send you to me for is to show you what you don't see in what you see--what you don't see when you're scared, or fighting, or running, or fucking." - Cort, The Dark Tower Two: The Drawing of the Three

6.30.10

DE press - 107 lbs. X 1 rep X 12 sets, 1 rep every 60 seconds
(No more elbow pain, shoulders not feeling too bad either.)

DE deadlift - 225 lbs. X 1 rep X 12 sets, 1 rep every 60 seconds
(Easy breezy. Low back was a little tender, due to overextension in my pressing work, I think.)

Chin-up - 8-7-7-6 reps
(First week that I've not been able to add reps to any of the sets in a while. Lats were noticeably fatigued from SLDLs on Monday, so that could explain things.)

-S.


"I can't find a tighter shirt," he thought, "so this one'll just have to do."

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4749718704_e10bae1286_b.jpg

[nisora33]

"He lay still, feeling his heart pumping like a runaway engine, feeling fresh energy surge into his body so fast he felt as if he might actually explode." - Stephen King, TDT2: The Drawing of the Three

7.02.10

BTNeck push-press (to eccentric strict press) - 149 lbs. X 1-1-1 rep
(Elbows felt good, shoulder mostly okay. Definitely aggravating my back with these by not keep my abs as tight as I should. Will be more conscious of that going forward.)

ME deadlift - 360 lbs. X 1 rep, belt only
(Ugly rep. First time my low back has lost some extension. Definitely going to have to proceed more conservatively with my weight jumps from this point forward, because I'm not comfortable with the idea of my low back going soft. Still, this wasn't as ugly as some of the shit I see, you dig? Five pound jumps should suffice, and I may even stay at 360 lbs. for my top single next Friday, we'll see):

http://vimeo.com/13040108 (lift starts about one third of the way through the video).

Weighted chin-up - BW (210 lbs?) + 10 lbs X 5-5-5-5 reps

Bent-knee sit-up - 50 lbs. X 10-10-10 reps

-S.

[nisora33]

7.05.10

Today, I began a "different" sort of training program...

Press - 127 lbs. X 1 rep
Deadlift - 325 lbs. X 1 rep
Weighted chin-up - BW + 17.5 lbs. X 5-5 reps
Bent-knee sit-up - 52 lbs. X 8 reps

7.06.10

Press - 120 lbs. X 1 rep
Deadlift - 325 lbs. X 1 rep
Weighted chin-up - BW + 17.5 lbs. X 5 reps
Bent-knee sit-up - 52 lbs X 10 reps

-S.


"Bob Peoples, ye ole patron saint of deadlifting, watch over me!"

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4768942146_d57d2f7b8f.jpg

[nisora33]

I'm selecting loads that feel like an 8 or lowish 9 on the RPE scale. If I feel like I can do more on any given day, I do. Last week, motivation to train waxed and waned just like you'd expect, with my worst training day being Wednesday; Thursday and Friday, I was definitely feeling tired, but the top singles themselves felt "relatively" effortless considering. Aches and pains are cropping up, but nothing horribly showstopping as of yet. Yes, I know deadlifts have a reputation for beating you up, I'm a crazy person.

7.12.10

Press - 124 lbs. X 1-1 rep
Deadlift - 330 lbs. X 1 rep http://vimeo.com/13275015
Weighted chin-up - BW + 20 lbs. X 5-5 reps
Weighted bent-knee sit-up - 52 lbs. X 10 reps


7.13.10

So far, the way I'm managing to get in and train every day, even though I don't feel like training at times, is telling myself that, like a manual laborer, I don't have any choice, it's my "job," I just have to do it regardless. This is working so far.

***

Interesting thing about today's session: my low back had been feeling tight and wanting to complain yesterday during deadlifts, following my two days off, but today it actually felt better. And in spite of having had only 4 maybe 5 hours of sleep last night (I have to open the gym here on Tuesdays and Thursdays, get up early), my energy level wasn't all that bad. Certainly didn't feel like pushing myself, but didn't feel especially drained either.

Press - 122 lbs. X 1 rep (didn't feel "springy," so I stopped here)
Deadlift - 330 lbs. X 1 rep (hands f**king hurt, otherwise felt okay)
Weighted chin-up - BW+20 lbs. X 5 reps
Weighted bent-knee sit-up - 52 lbs. X 10 reps

7.14.10

Just like the middle of the week last week, my motivation sucked. Didn't really want to be lifting--even loading and unloading the weights on the bar felt like an effort. All the lifts felt like a lowish 9 on the RPE scale. Low back is the only thing right now giving me any sort of trouble, with burning down there during and in-between sets being the most aggravating thing; aches a little bit after I'm done. Won't kill me.

Press - 122 lbs. X 1 rep
Deadlift - 330 lbs. X 1 rep
Weighted chin-up - BW+20 lbs. X 5-5 reps
Weighted bent-knee sit-up - 52 lbs. X 10 reps

7.15.10

Better. More motivation. All the lifts today felt like an 8-8.5 on the RPE scale. Low back again burning like a wildfire during and in-between sets. And I've never had the bones of my hands actually ache before; this is a new experience.

Press - 124 lbs. X 1 rep (then backed off to 115 lbs. and did a few singles, 1 every 90 seconds [might use this method to start adding volume?])
Deadlift - 330 lbs. X 1 rep
Weighted chin-up - BW+20 lbs. X 5 reps
Bent-knee sit-up - 52 lbs. X 10 reps

-S.

[nisora33]

7.16.10

These next two days off are gonna feel sweeeeet. On a side note: I'm getting addicted to doing weighted chins.

Press - 124 lbs. X 1, 115 lbs X 1-1-1 rep (90 sec. rest between each)
Deadlift - 330 lbs. X 1 (suckage)
Weighted chin-up - BW+20 lbs. X 5-5 reps
Weighted bent-knee sit-up - 52 lbs. X 10 reps

-S.

[ZKP]

So what's the plan here Mr.Stacey? Doing a circuit a day, Lots of relative max's?

[nisora33]

Hey ZKP,

The workouts are based on the information and discussions found here:
http://www.pendlayforum.com/showthread.php?t=2373

And here: http://www.ampedtraining.com/strength/observations-bulgarian-strength-training

Oh, and here: http://www.irongarmx.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=213265

And lastly, here: http://impulsestrength.tumblr.com/post/799717588/white-paper-high-frequency-strength-training

S.

[nisora33]

Starting my 3rd week of high-frequency training:

7.19.10

Press -125 lbs. X 1, 115 lbs. X 1-1-1 rep, 60 sec. break between singles
(These were easy-breezy, I'm pleased to say. However, I'm not going to commit to doing back-off sets regularly until maybe next week, but when I do, it'll probably be like this, doing a single every 60 seconds at a lighter weight until I've accrued the desired number of reps.

Deadlift - 330 lbs. X 1, 295 lbs. X 1-1-1 rep, 60 sec. rest between each single
(The lift felt easy, like a high 7 on the RPE scale.)

Weighted chin-up - BW+20 lbs. X 5-5 reps

Weighted bent-knee sit-up - 55 lbs. X 9 reps


7.20.10

General achiness was at a whole new level today. Guess this is the "lifter's flu?"

Press - 125 lbs. X 1, 115 lbs. X 1-1-1 rep, 60 sec. rest between singles
(Piece of cake. Felt just like "another day at work.")

Deadlift - 330 lbs X 1 rep, 295 lbs. X 1-1-1 rep
(Didn't go well. The weight itself didn't feel like a challenge [getting mentally acclimated to daily "heavy" lifting would account for that, I guess] but the lift just keeps getting sloppier as the days go by, to the point where I just don't have the strength to hold a good strong position anymore. Low back is getting chronically tighter and more painful, and this only gets worse as my warm-up sets get heavier, until it becomes a full-on throbbing ache that lingers for several minutes after I've finished my top single.)

Weighted chin-up - BW+20 lbs. X 5 reps

Bent-knee sit-up - 55 lbs. X 10 reps

7.21.10

Press - 125 lbs. X 1 rep, 115 lbs. X 1-1-1 rep
(Not bad. Not as good as yesterday, but not very difficult either.)

Deadlift - 330 lbs. X 1 rep
(Back felt worse instead of better. Again, the itself didn't feel heavy, but the deep ache coursing through the low back into the upper glute seemed worse [old L5-S1 injury to blame?]. It might be too early to arrive at conclusions , but I'm wondering if [for me, at least] the high frequency deadlift work is going to be productive; right now, I can't imagine even coming within 10-20 pounds of hitting my [I]local maxima deadlift PR. The press seems to be responding the best out of the two lifts, so I've made up my mind [and this seems to jive with what a lot of really strong, experienced pressers have to say] to continue with daily conservative max singles in the press from this point forward, regardless of whether I continue to do so with any of the other lifts.)

Weighted chin-up - BW+20 lbs. X 5-5 reps

Weighted bent-knee sit-up -55 lbs. X 10 reps

S.

[ZKP]

Great links Stacey, thanks. Exercise "tolerance" has always been an interesting and lively debate for sure, with Arthur Jones/Metzner on one end and The Bulgarians (Broz now)/Weider on the other. People in my experience can thrive and make improvements within a range of stimulus, and with basically as many "programs" as there are trainees, an intelligent lifter certainly has enough options to find out what works the best for them personally based on what they can tolerate/lifestyle/etc. Sometimes less is more, sometime more is what you need. You ever read Steve Justa's book? He deadlifts every day too....

[nisora33]

Great links Stacey, thanks. Exercise "tolerance" has always been an interesting and lively debate for sure, with Arthur Jones/Metzner on one end and The Bulgarians (Broz now)/Weider on the other. People in my experience can thrive and make improvements within a range of stimulus, and with basically as many "programs" as there are trainees, an intelligent lifter certainly has enough options to find out what works the best for them personally based on what they can tolerate/lifestyle/etc. Sometimes less is more, sometime more is what you need. You ever read Steve Justa's book? He deadlifts every day too....

Couldn't agree more.

As for Justa, I have only a passing familiarity with his stuff, most of which I've gleaned from the P&B forum. I think that Pavel has advocated the "groove" approach with regard to deads; Bob Peoples alternated periods of daily deadlifting with daily squatting. And lots of old-timers, from what I've gathered, would sometimes specialize in the deadlift for stretches of time with high frequency. So I know that it CAN work, I'm just not sure whether it's working for me, or if it'll pan out further down the line, OR if now is just not the right time in my life for the high frequency approach using THIS particular lift.

-S.

[ZKP]

Nice...Good luck!