Beyond Alive: Iamsmuts' Training Log #2

[iamsmuts]

Sex: male
Age: 40
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210

This is my second training log. My first log was focused on my surgery (a first rib resection) and recovery. I had the surgery on 5/5/15 and recovered quickly. I started a LP in August, but hurt my shoulder soon after. I'm waiting for what appears to be biceps tendonitis to heal. . . . I've recently taken my squat LP to an end.

Since I turned 40 today, my LP is over on squats, and the surgery is no longer relevant, I'm starting a new log: Beyond Alive.

My goals for the next year are modest and common: 2/3/4/5 and then body weight equivalents. However, I also want to do a good amount of conditioning. I hope to get my 500m time on the rower down to 1:30 by summer. It's not clear that I will be able to do both, but I'm going to try.

My numbers:

Bench:: 310x1 (4/20/15) [current: none]
Press: 145x5x3 (6/26/14) [current: none]
Power Clean: 217x1 (10/27/15)
Squat: 355x1 (10/18/15), 325x5 (11/29/15)
Deadlift: 425x1 (10/15/15)
Chin Up: BW+90x1, 21 in a set, 54 in 7 min., 100 in 20 min. (11/15)
500m row: 1:35.6 (12/2/15)

[iamsmuts]

BW 210.2

Squat
45x5x2
95x5
165x4
225x3
285x2
315x1
330x3
315x5
300x5
285x5

I had no power today. After that first work set, I should have simply quit and tried again tomorrow. I planned on 3 sets of 3 at 330 plus two back offs. I did 3,3,5 at 325 last Sunday. The long walk yesterday seems to have tired me out. Strange. In any case, this was a grind. Turning 40 might have had something to do with it psychologically. It's not as if an old switch was flipped, but it felt like it today. More probably, this is a result of my foolishly doing a bunch of high rep deadlifts on Tuesday. I don't think I've recovered yet. Lesson learned. It takes a long time for some to become wise. . . . I'm going to get all three work sets next week.

[iamsmuts]

BW 210.8

Chin Up
BW+00x5
BW+25x5
BW+45x5
BW+55x4
BW+45x5
BW+40x5
BW+35x5
BW+30x5
BW+25x8
BW+00x15

Assault Bike
2:00 x 1 = 24 cal. (warm up before chins)
:20|1:40 x 4 = 58 cal.

I lowered the seat one level. It feels much better. Thanks KoJ.

I did the warm up at 60 rmp. That speed gives you 12 cal. a minute.

I kept the intensity intervals in the mid 90's for the most part, peaking at 97 rpm. It takes a few seconds to get to peak speed, close to 4 or 5. It's not instantaneous. It's more like the rower than I expected. I burnt out on the last round. My quads are smashed. My lower back is fresh. Deadlifts tomorrow. . . .

[iamsmuts]

BW 210.2

Deadlift
135x5
185x4
225x3
275x2
315x1
360x5
320x5
280x10

I kept the volume lower on the back off sets. Didn't want to repeat the soreness from last week.

Assault Bike
2:00 @~62 rpm = 26 cal. (warm up before deadlift)
----
1:00 @ 79 rpm = 27 cal.
1:00 @ 70 rpm = 18 cal.

Just messing around. I'm trying to get a better sense of the relationship between rpm and calories. I think 50 cal in a minute will require 95 rpm. It might only take 90. I'm not sure. I can't hold that pace for a minute. 90 for 20 seconds gets you about 18. I got 26 cal in 30 or so seconds at 92 rpm. I'll double check in a couple days. I plan on rowing tomorrow.

[iamsmuts]

BW 211.2

Dumbbell Pull Over
72x10

EZ Bar Pull Over
105x10,9,8

I'm sick of these. I didn't feel like doing 5 sets. Although I'm tired of these, they are effective. Regardless, they are about the only movement my shoulder allows.

Dumbbell Pull Over
72x15x2

The plates were hitting my right wrist causing some odd nerve pain. I stopped.

Floor Fly
42x15x5

Assault Bike
1:30 @70rpm = 28 cal. (warm up before pull overs)
-----

C2 Row
500m x 3
(1:47, 1:46, 1:43 @21spm)

I tried to pull hard and slow on the last split. I kept the spm at 21. That did it for my legs tonight. It's taking me a while to get used to being sickly out of breath.


Got an xmas tree for just $22! The guy helping out alerted me to a $10 off coupon. I used it and gave him the savings as a tip. The tree fit nicely in the Fit. But all the Christmas tree lights in the attic are dead. It will sit dark tonight while the cats explore its branches.

[iamsmuts]

BW 213?

Lots of water in the middle of the night, I guess.

Squat (medium day)
45x5x2
95x5
135x4
185x3
235x2
280x5x3
315x1

Power Clean
135x3
155x3
185x3x2

I had to stop. I'm out of practice, tired, got a pretty awful rejection today, and my shoulder is protesting a bit. I need to stay off it a little longer or practice with lighter weights for a while. Don't have that snap today.

Assault Bike
2:00 @60 rpm = 26 cal. (warm up before squat)

[iamsmuts]

BW 211.6

Run
2.4 miles in 20:16
(a significant hill: 80 ft. el. gn in .5 miles)

It's been about 3 weeks since I ran. I haven't done much conditioning over 2 minutes at a time. My legs are already sore. It's amazing how fast you can lose the ability to run for any sustained period of time.


Inverted Ring Rows (feet elevated, on bench)
BWx18,15,15,15,14,14

Reverse Fly
22x10x4

45' Lateral Raise with Neutral Grip (standing y's?)
22x10x3

The lateral/front raises were probably a bad idea. I locked my shoulders back and stuck my chest out. My shoulder felt fine. But now it feels a little off.


Assault Bike
2:00 @60 rpm = 25 cal. (warm up before rows)

One of the front pegs was a little loose. I had to tighten it. I can't imagine trying to ride this thing for more than a few minutes.


The reverse flys and rows make everything feel great. Of course, I didn't try any pressing motions.


I had a crown replaced today. I wasn't able to eat from 10:30 to about 4. And I had to go to an endless, awkward meeting with a numb face.

[iamsmuts]

BW 212.8

Walk
1 mile (to park)
1 pastrami sandwich
1.4 miles (the long way home)

90 Degree Barbell "Curl"
34x25,20,20

I'm trying to rehab my biceps tendonitis, as suggested here:

Biceps Tendonitis

This seems to have irritated it. The bike might be bothering it too. It might also be irritated from cross frictional massage. Or maybe it was the power cleans that I stupidly did on Thursday. More ibuprofen. . . .

Assault Bike
3:00 @60 rpm = 39 cal.
:20|1:40 x 4 = 61 cal. (103 rpm peak. 18 cal. on the first 20 seconds.)

UNCLE! I hope this doesn't interfere with squats tomorrow. My thighs and butt were all swole and shit from this. The bike is exhausting. If someone needed to get all pumped up for a photo shoot or the first day in prison, this would be the most efficient way to do it. It's like a fluffer for the entire body.

[iamsmuts]

BW 212.8

Squat
45x5
95x5
165x4
225x3
275x2
315x1
330x2,3,3
295x5
285x5

It seems that I am dramatically weaker if I do even a modest amount of conditioning. This is ridiculous. My squat form was shit tonight. I was too vertical, my knees slid forward, and my feet were often too wide. That first work set was awful. I somehow managed to get the intended 3 on the other two, but it was a grind. Even the back off sets were sloppy.

I think a 15% reset might be in order: 5x5@285 on Sunday and something intense or medium on Thursday. And I think I need to do some light squats after deadlifts on Tuesday to work on form. My form sucks and I need to work back up while doing some conditioning, if that's possible. If not, I'm not sure what I'll do.


Assault Bike
1:00 @60 rpm (warm up before squat)

The chain was loose. I had to tighten it, again.

I got some snap ring pliers in the mail, but they so shitty they simply don't work. I'm sending them back. Tekton garbage. I ordered a slightly better pair. They should be here Tuesday. I really want to take that damn Cap OB-86B apart. Something is broken in there. I'm certain of it.

[iamsmuts]

BW 212.6

Run
3.6 miles in 33:13
(3 hills: 226 ft. el. gn.)

Triceps Bar Pull Over
20x10
70x10
110x10,7
100x10,8
95x10,8

I used the Cap OB-34S that arrived this morning. It's not bad.

90 Degree "Curl"
34x25,25,20

An attempt at tendonitis rehab.

Assault Bike
3:00 @60 rpm = 38 cal. (warm up before pull overs)


Saw my GP today for an annual. My blood pressure is a high, as it usually is. He said to drink less. It was fine when the nurse checked it, but it keeps going up the longer I stay around all those sick people. I asked for routine blood work just to take a look inside. Good to keep an eye on the old liver. Otherwise, everything seems fine. They did an EKG. I guess it allows them to bill extra. . . . The computer said that I have a troubling BMI. The navy calculator says I'm 14% body fat, so I'm really about 17-18%. My waist to hip ration is very good, though no one cares to check it. They simply ignore the worthless BMI. I'm fine with that.


I spotted a very well preserved Victorian "mansion" on Zillow in a sketchy area. The house is on a huge lot and looks very nice from the outside. The pictures of the inside are even better. About half the houses around it are nice, but the others suffer from dish blight. I'm not sure I could live there happily. There is a carriage house in the yard that I could turn into a nice gym though. . . . I'm looking at some other neighborhoods too. I really missed the boat on a neighborhood that just gentrified. But I wasn't sure that I wanted to stay here. Now that I have tenure, I'm here for life. . . . I keep seeing houses that have been flipped in the last few months, where the asking price is nearly double the price paid recently. This is going to take a while. My nightmare is to lose the house I'm renting. I'll abandon everything before I move into a 3 top apartment building here. No gym. No privacy. No loud music. Neighbors. Ugh.