Quest for Fire

[Erok]

Wed., 4/08. 213.75#.

Bench: 45x..., 95 x 8, 135 x 5, 155 x 3, 180 x 5,5,5,5,5.

Close Grip Bench: 135 x 5,5,8. Took me a while to find the groove. I got it back, though - that last set was easier than the first two.

Squat: 45x..., 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 225 x 3, 285 x 5,5,5. These pretty much kicked my ass.

OHP: 95 x 8,8,12. Ok, NOW my ass is truly kicked. I retreat to the Cybex room and lay on the floor until my ride shows up. There was a half-hearted effort to try some bent presses, but the spot in my back that cramped up during those heavy benches weeks ago doesn't agree with it.


Bacon PepperJack Cheezburgers with extra bacon, baked sweet potato chips, flash-fried coleslaw, more bacon, and chocolate milk.

[Erok]

Sat., 4/11. 215.75#.

Deadlift: 135 x 10, 225 x 5, 315 x 2, 385 x 2, 1. alt grip: LL, R.

Deficit DL: 225 x 8,8. really nice smooth breathing rhythm with these. 1.5" deficit.

Lat Pulldowns: 70 x 15, 15, 80 x 15.
LTEs: 60 x 12, 12, 12, 12.
Curlz: 65 x 12, 12, 12, 15. that last set was about 80% cheat curlz.
DB Shrugs: 60 x 12, 15, 25. exhausting. damn near smashed my fingers trying to re-rack at the end.

I get home, and my neighbor needs help lifting his lawnmower out of his trailer. Light weight!


It might not look like much on paper, but I can still feel this session all over.

[Erok]

Tues., 4/14. 215#. Life. Always getting in the way of living.


OHP: 45x..., 95 x 5, 115 x 3, 135 x 3, 150 x 5,3,3, 135 x 5,5. Ooof. Breathing, lifiting, balancing - not as easy as it looks.

Squat: 135 x 8, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 275 x 5. aand I'm done. The Force is not with me today.

Bachelor Chow: these days it's cabbage & eggs, with yogurt and hot sauce.
If Sriracha is the new ketchup, then Sambal Oelek is the new hot sauce. That stuff RULES.

[Erok]

Wed., 4/15. 214.5#. Let's see what happens after a night of crappy sleep and a brisket sandwich.

Squat: 45x.., 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 245 x 3, 295 x 2, 330 x 3,3,3. HooDawwwg! a small victory over my waning strength.

Bench: 45 x 20, 95 x 10, 135 x 8, 155 x 8, 175 x 5, 135 x 8,8. Just to grab some volume. Out of time.

Fried Chicken Feast, with spinach-flavored butter.

[Erok]

Well, I've been sick. Haven't lifted in ten days. Maybe I could have got to the gym on day eight, but I wanted to wait until my appetite was back. Flu recovery leads to strange cravings. Subway, for instance. That was a weird day.

Sat., 4/25. 211.5#. Oh, shit. Belt just slips down to #6. I shudder to think what I must have weighed on day six.

Squat: 45x..., ..., 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 225 x 3, 275 x 3,3,3,3, 225 x 6,6,6. Each rest between sets gets about a half-pint of water and a couple rounds on the Wrist Roller at 25#. 275 has never felt so heavy. The adductors are always the first to go, it seems. This is probably the hardest hour I've spent in the gym.

Bench: 45 x 20, 95 x 8, 135 x 5, 155 x 5,5,5,5,10. Shorter rests, catching the pump. Enjoying laying down.

Deadlift: 135 x 5, 225 x 5, 275 x 2, 315 x 1, 345 x 1, 225 x 8. Probably way too much for the first day back (2 hours total!), but Dammit, I needed that.

Triple Bacon Deluxe Burger, cheese curds, and vanilla malt. Oh, boy, it's good to be back.

[Lakshmi Meadows]

Jeeze, hope you have a foam roller at home.

[Erok]

Jeeze, hope you have a foam roller at home.

Yeah, it was a cheap-o foam one that barely lasted a year. Now it's only good as a flotation device for my epsom baths. I now use a length of 3" PVC with a layer of yoga mat taped to it. Painfully delicious.

Mon., 4/27. 211.25#.

Squat: 45x..., 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 225 x 5,5. Yes, the adductors. Yes.

OHP: 45x..., 95 x 5, 115 x 5, 135 x 5,5,5, 115 x 8,8,8. Not as bad as I expected. Actually had some power under the early reps.

Yates Rows: 115 x 12, 12, 12, 12. pull out the safties and Wha-Bam! Never left the rack. Yep, I'm that guy who hogs the rack for an hour and a half.

Watched this small guy (smaller than me) power clean over 200# for multiple sets with perfect form. Then, he started pressing in the rack for fives, and never broke 100. Although, his form never degraded on the presses, either.

[Erok]

Jeeze, hope you have a foam roller at home.

Yeah, it was a cheap-o foam one that barely lasted a year. Now it's only good as a flotation device for my epsom baths. I use a length of 3" PVC with a layer of yoga mat taped to it. Painfully delicious, and crushingly effective.

Mon., 4/27. 211.25#.

Squat: 45x..., 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 225 x 5,5. Yes, the adductors. Yes.

OHP: 45x..., 95 x 5, 115 x 5, 135 x 5,5,5, 115 x 8,8,8. Not as bad as I expected. Actually had some power under the early reps.

Yates Rows: 115 x 12, 12, 12, 12. pull out the safties and Wha-Bam! Never left the rack. Yep, I'm that guy who hogs the rack for an hour and a half.

Watched this small guy (smaller than me) power clean over 200# for multiple sets with perfect form. Then, he started pressing in the rack for fives, and never broke 100. Although, his form never degraded on the presses, either.

[Erok]

Wed., 213.5#, about two pounds of which is the burrito I had for lunch. Seriously, it was a dense hunk of chicken, sweet potato, onions, rice, garlic sour cream & salsa.

Squats: 45x..., 135 x 8, 225 x 5, 275 x 3, 315 x 5. A tough final two reps, but damn if that belt doesn't do the trick. It's at the point where #5 is looser than I'm used to, but maybe still useable, and #6 is just a leeetle tight, but vanity demands that I crank that thing down and show off the V.

Behind/Front of Neck Push Press: 45x..., 95 x 5b, 115 x 3b,3f,3b,3f,3b,5f. Why not do both? Yes, they are completely different lifts, and I love them equally. For now.

Deadlifts: Waiting for a platform to open up, so I'm screwing around in the rack with one-hand rack pulls @ 135. No, not suitcase DLs, but just grabbing it with one hand in front. By the time the platform opens up, I've done about twelve in each hand.

DL: 225 x 3, 315 x 1, 335 x 1, oh, this feels good, let's just keep throwing on 20# and lift every five minutes: 355 x 1, 375 x 1, 395 x 1 ALL YOUR TENS ARE BELONG TO US. The bar looks a bit ridiculous, but I'm having too much fun. No trepidation, no hesitation, just watch the clock, set the grip, big breath, everything goes red and suddenly I'm standing up! My thumb calluses are tearing off, and I'm loving it until I run out of time.

So, I guess I'm getting into a Texas Method kind of thing now? We'll see how Volume Saturday goes.

[gatorinexile]

Looks like we both went through some unplanned weight/strength loss. Bummer.

Good thing grilling season is almost upon us for some barbegainz.