Quest for Fire

[Erok]

Mon., 2/18. So damn crowded in here. It's a meandering maze just to get to the water fountain, mainly because I try to interact with people as little as possible in real life.

Log C&P: 90x6-ish, 115x6, 125x6, 135x6, 140x6,6. Getting better at the power move - really using the gut. Ruined another shirt, tho. (The sweat drips start around rep 3 of the final set.)

Wrist Roller - 25x2,2,2,2,2.
Pullups: 3, 3, 2+-1, 2+-3. too many people doing things over here.
Incline Bench w/ 2" block: 45x..., 95x5, 135x5, 155x5, 165x5,5,5. This is the culprit for my shoulder weirdness last week. Gotta narrow the grip a bit, and really work on tucking the scapula down to where it's just at the top of my sacrum. (SO much sweat.)
Chest Supptd Cable Rows: 165x5,5,5, 180x5,5. I love these, so the plan is to make myself hate them. Just a little.

Run around with a sprayer and a towel, getting most of my sweat puddles. Love walking to the car as my body lets off steam, then realizing all too late that the sweat in my shirt has frozen.

steak, soup, grapefruit.

[Erok]

Wed., 2/20. Shoveling: 5 inches of heavy, icy/wet crap. Should have made snowgoons.

[Erok]

Sat., 2/23. 227.2#. One of those days where I have to force myself to show up. Usually bargaining works - if I can just do the warmups, I can go home.

SQ: 45x15, 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 270x3, 315x3, 352.5x3. It worked.

DL, 2.5" deficit: 135x2, 225x2, EMOM, 10 min @ 285: 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1.


Tried a new place for fried chicken and other Senegalese delights. In love. Also tried Faygo grape soda for the first time. OH, man.


Sun., 2/24. unfinished back work.

Rows: 140x8, 180x5, 200x5, 225x5, 195x12.

Sandbag Rollups: 100 x 25.


Fried Chicken Sandwiches: just what it says; between two slices with tomato, avocado and mayo.

[Erok]

Tues., 2/26.

Log C&P: warmups are working the bottom (DL), then the top (OHP) of the lift a bunch, at the empty 90#.
95 x 4, 115 x 2, 2, 125 x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 - strict 30 second rests make it more 'fun'. #feelslikecardio

Wrist Rollers: 30 x 2, 2, 2, 2. My wrist wraps go from way loose to too tight by the third round.
Pullups: 3, 3, 2.7, 2+-3. the forearm pump makes these almost unbearable.
1-arm Cable Tricep pushdowns: 50 x 15, 15, 15, 15. Like to pretend I'm Eitri.
Chest Suptd Cable Rows: 165 x 5, 5, 180 x 5, 5, 5.
Facepulls: 15 x 20, 20, 20
standing cable pullover thing: 50x10, 30x15.

lasagna, popcorn, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.

[Erok]

Thurs., 2/28. 227.6#. lasagna. Good for everything.

Speed Squats: 45x..., 135x8, 225x5, 2 x EMOM @ 250 x 2,2,2,2,2,2.

DL: 185x2,2, 225x2, 265x2, 305x2, straps: 350x2, 395x2.

1-Arm DB Rows: 65x30R, 30L, straps: 90x18R, 20L. so much fun.

Sandbag Squats: 100 x 30. had to rest-pause the last ten reps. #ohgodwhathaveidone


pigs in a blanket, eggs, cheese, fluids.

[Erok]

Sun., 3/03. 226#. Wife wants to squat & leave, and I'm right there with her.

paused Front Sqt: 45x..., 95x5, 135x1, 155x5, 185x5,5,5.

BTN press: 45x..., 95x10. these actually feel kinda good. hmm...

OHP: 135x4, 155x3, 185x0. well, well, well - look who forgot how to press...

band pullaparts & shoulder dislocates x infinity.


Indian buffet, then pants shopping - in that order. That's just the way you do it.

[Erok]

Just saw Quest For Fire has hit 100,000 views. This is the most famous I've ever been. Thank you. Thank you all.

[Erok]

Tues., 3/05. 226.4#.

Log C&P: 90 for partials & presses, 125x6, 135x6, 140x6, 150x6 - last two reps were push press. Guy came up to me and asked "So, when spring comes, you gonna switch over to a telephone pole or a tree trunk?" Hmm... I think tree trunk is the way to go. Thoughts?

Wrist Roller: 30x2,2,2,2,2.
Pullups x 3,3,3,3,3.

OHP: 140x5,5,5,5,5.
Chest Sptd Seated Rows: 150x5, 165x5, 180x5,5, 195x5,5.


Eggs, bacon, sweet potatoes.

[Erok]

Thurs., 3/07. 226.2#. Squat & Leave.

SQ: 45x..., 135x6, 165x2, 205x2, 250x2, 290x2, 335x2, 375x2. No trubba.


I'm not hungry at all post-session, because I spent all day stuffing myself. I force down some eggs and a shake.


Sat., 3/09.

Speed Deficit DL: 135x8, 225x3, 275x1,1, EMOM 10 min: 305x1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1.

Rows: 145x5, 185x5, 205x5, 230x5, 200x12.

Sandbag Rollups: 100x30. ooof. started rest-pause around rep 15. #embracethesuck


leftover onion-fried beef, chicken thighs, pad thai with eggs.


Sun., 3/10.

Rotator cuffs: 5 x infinity
Arnold Presses: 15 x messing around

Overhead Squats: 65x3,5,5. These are better than the last time I tried them, which means my shoulders are better (or the weight is lighter). might try them again.

F Sqt: 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 245x1, 265x1, 275x1. boo-yah.

Farmers Walk: so, there's noplace outside to do any strongman stuff, because construction zones are apparently more important to the majority of the population. I do not yet constitute a majority.
I do, however, have access to dumbbells up to 150#, a modicum of floor space covered in horse mats, the ability to walk in a figure-8 pattern, and straps.
As I'm strapping up, guess what song comes on? Pantera's "Walk". I couldn't have planned this better.
125# for the length of 1 verse, then again for 1 chorus. DB's force baby steps, which is fine, cuz I can only go 20 feet before I have to turn, anyway.


Cheezy Brussel Sprout Casserole, Chicken Pot Pie, Corned Venison.

[Erok]

Summer 2010: Wife tries to catch a falling tray of glassware at work, herniates a disk at L5-S1, and keeps working on it. All. Fucking. Summer. (Beware restaurant work and restaurant owners.) The worst episode of back pain ever. Urgent Care. Takes forever to get to see a real doctor for an actual diagnosis, gets a PT referral instead, who is awful, and somehow convinced that it’s sacro-iliac. In the meantime she looks up some back rehab stuff, and starts her own program (stuff like bird dogs, child's pose, superman pose, stuff like that). By the time she gets a spine doc to look at her MRI, her rehab has started working. Spine doc says "I'm not gonna operate on you - you're doing fine. come back in ten years when you're really broken."

2012: I finally start to realize the gravity of my situation, begin Starting Strength. My Dunning-Krueger Overdrive kicks in, and I eventually get wife to try some barbell training around 2014.

2017: Wife competes in the local strongman comp. Oh, how far she's come.

3/03/19: So wife was squatting, clenched her butt at the top of a rep with 185. Felt odd, but no cause for concern. After a short trip to the outlet mall and back, though, her low back was feeling a bit 'tweaked'.

3/04: Monday comes, she goes to work, sits most of the day. the tweak gets aggravated.

3/05: Guess what: another work day. Tweak gets worse. Back pain prevents her from moving very well.

3/06: Wednesday: She can't even drive to work. Every single bump in the road sets off spasmodic agony. She makes an appointment to meet with a PA in internal medicine (the same day! Amazing!), gets them to rule out any cauda equina, and gets some muscle relaxers. Takes the day off to lay down on a yoga mat. Forced feeding & hydration begins.

3/07: Alternating between the yoga mat and that spot on the couch that's easy to lay down on and get up from. Muscle relaxers enable lots of sleep.

3/08: Able to move around for short periods, starts some light rehab moves. Sleeps.

3/09: Starting to taper off the drugs, able to squat unweighted, gets up from couch without pain.

3/10: Rested and restless, she comes to the gym. What, you think I'm gonna stop her? She hits the Roman Chair for several sets of 15. Deadlifts 65 for three sets of 25. Does one set of squats at 45, reports some discomfort. Overall, she reports the back is feeling great, so I think we stopped at the right time.

The plan for now is to keep her doing the glute-ham raise stuff, progress the DLs, and don't let her do anything that constricts her - no fancy machines or positions that she has to weasel in and out of, and no lifts that cause undue compression or rotational stress on the spine for now.

3/12: Doing better, no specific problems or setbacks. Lots of bird dogs, delts, and GHR for 2 sets of 25, followed by a relaxing 30 minute elliptical.

3/13: She got both socks on without any trouble.

3/14: GHR 25x3, OHP 45x12x3, SQ: 45x20x3, Curlz: 45x12x3, delts: 10x15x3. She was worried about squatting, but these went fine. Recovery for this tweak has progressed better and more linear than previous tweaks.

3/18: she gets one of those neck tweaks just as she wakes up. From the occippital lobe down to the top of the shoulder. Those things are nasty.

3/21: GHR 15x3, SQ 95x10x3, Push Press 95x1x2 (neck is better), delts 10x15x3, DL 135x4, curlz 15x20x3.

3/23: GHRx10, SQ 45x10, OHP 45x10, DL 75x10, 105x10x2, Row 75x10, Curlz 45x10, leg press90x30x2, triceps machine 35x15, delt machine 15x15, 30x15. She's essentially back to her normal workouts, but with much lighter weights on the main lifts. Now begins the incessant nagging and cajoling to get a LP going.

3/28: after some time away, she hits the gym while I'm at work. SQ 95x10, 135x5, 165x5, 185x5, 135x10. supersetted with GHRs. She's very happy.