That is exactly how I dance.

I'm just subscribing to this thread to remind myself to read it all later. I'll post something later if I have anything constructive to add.

Today's workout
Squat: 320 x 5 x 3
Press: 165 x 5 x 3
Row: 190 x 5 x 3
Back Extensions: 12 x 3 @ BW

Weight: 230.1


Was lazy on Friday and this weekend. Squats were good today (not using belt right now). Not sure who was talking about it, but I noticed that I yawned like a mofo during these. Not sure if it was due to reading about it or if I do it all the time. Will have to check next time to see if I do that consistently. Press was tough but got them all up. I think I will need to drop back to 155/160 after my break (won't be pressing again until 03 Jan 2011), but we'll see how I feel when I get back. Possibly need to drop to 2.5 lb increases. Row went well. Was running late and had to choose between dips and back extensions. I think I need the back extensions more so went with those. They went pretty well.

Probably will only get 1 more workout in before I leave. I might get bored on Friday to get a 2nd one in, but I highly doubt it.

Walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes (2 miles), planks, situps, stretching, and foam rolling today.

When in a communal shower (7 showerheads, military head), only one person showering, why would you take the shower head that is right next to said person? Just wondering because that happened today.

He couldn't help but get as close to possible to your marvelous squat ass ldo.

I never looked over at him, just saw him in my peripheral vision so you might be right. I made sure I didn't drop the soap though, just in case.

Thursday's workout
Squat: 295 x 5 x 3
Bench: 220 x 5 x 3
DL: 385 1/2/1/1

Super tired this morning. I didn't want to get out of bed, nevermind going to work/going to workout. I think that hurt my workout today. Squats went well. Bench felt tough, kind of like the 215 last time. I am thinking I could probably get up to 240 or so on 5 lb increases, but we'll see about that. DLs sucked, but got all of them with double overhand w/chalk. I think the squat took too much out of me again, especially since I was tired going into it. First pull didn't feel right, so I took 10 seconds to re-set and pulled 2 in a row. Then I needed to take a breather. Took 30 seconds and did the 4th pull. Another 30 seconds to catch my breath and finished the 5th. Happy I got all 5, but not happy I didn't get 5 in a row.

I probably need to switch up programming soon. This is my last scheduled workout for the year. I may workout Friday, but outlook isn't good on that. I won't be back in the gym until the 3rd, so I will probably do a slight reset in all lifts. I will start reading up on where to go from here (guessing Texas Method, but who knows) while on vacation. I will probably have a lot of questions for you guys when I get back. I figure I will reset to give myself 2 weeks or so to get back to these last workout #s, then plan on changing up my program.

I actually remembered to get out a couple lacrosse balls last night. Started rolling my legs and my wife laughed at me. Told me I should have just asked for a leg massage. I said I was saving that request for later that night. She laughed harder and said no chance. FML.

I brought in a ball here and used it today. Hit a lot of muscles that I didn't even realize were sore. Guess I should start doing this more often.

Lacrosse balls are awesome.

I asked my wife to help me work out some knots in my quads before. However, it quickly became apparent she did not have the strength or intestinal fortitude to do the job. However, what did work was me grabbing her arm and massaging myself using her elbow. This worked surprisingly well as I was able to get angles I couldn't get with my own elbow.

However, when I started to really get in there, and get some good muscle shifting, she got freaked out and quit. What can you do?

The massage I was asking for isn't what you are talking about!

Left elbow is hurting again today. I have no clue what is going on with it. Probably a good thing that I have a week off to let it go back to normal.

I've had some elbow issues. I think most of them are caused by knots in my triceps. I bet if you start working over your triceps your find them to be tight and/or tender.

Not sure the name of it, but was working on my elbow here at work w/a lacrosse ball. It hurt like a mother. Outside, just above my outside elbow bone (looking at elbow with palms facing up, forearm on desk, would be outside bone). Kind of where the muscle meets bone. I will lookup proper name when I get home (early day today, getting out in about 10 minutes). Hopefully that is the issue.

Move up into the triceps and work those hard imo. Tricep adhesions tend to pull on that area you're describing.

edit - one thing I've learned from experience, and from reading a book about trigger points, is pain in an area is actually very often the result of trigger points (aka knots or adhesions) in other areas.

edit 2 - My elbow pain came from my triceps; my knee pain came from my quads; my wrist pain came from forearm muscles, etc.

Hoping my elbow pain is from that and easily fixed. I know my wrist pain isn't from that though. I still have some torn ligament issues going on there.

Today's workout
Squat: 285 x 5 x 3
Bench: 210 x 5 x 3
DL: 355 x 5 x 1
Dips: 5 x 3 +20#
Planks: 1 x 3 @ 60s

Weight: 230.5


Got back from my trip on Saturday night and spent yesterday purchasing groceries and unpacking. Figured today was a good day to start working out again. Dropped the weights a little to get back into the groove. I find this necessary anytime I take at least a week off. Squats and DLs were fine. Bench was tough, but I think it is a good starting point. Surprised my weight wasn't higher since I ate like a pig all week.

Got both SS and PP books for Christmas. Didn't take them on the trip, so will start reading them tonight (SS first, obviously). Also got an Inzer belt, tried it with my DLs today to see how it fits, but I think I need to spend more time breaking it in.

I found the Inzer belt a bit rough for the DL at first too. I like to have it a notch looser for the DL, maybe try that too.

Yeah, I may need a notch looser than I had it. I have no idea. I actually forget where I had it set today. Guess I should keep an eye on it next time.

Forgot to mention that I worked in with the Crossfit guys for my squats. The 2 (1 girl/1guy) "leaders" were doing their totals when I went over there to squat. The guy was just starting his squats so I worked in with him while the girl went on to press. I think he may start working out with me soon. Might not be M/W/F, but maybe W on his non-CF day. Felt bad for him since we were close in strength when I left CF, but not anymore. His lifts today were 245 Squat, 135 Press (think he failed 135, so not sure what he got), and 345 DL. Said he has done 260 Squat and 375 DL a while ago but has taken a couple weeks off for the holidays (I believe him on those #s). Kind of felt bad when I did his 1RM 3x for part of my warmup. Hopefully I can help him improve his #s, but we'll see.

Played ultimate today. Felt pretty good out there for not running the past few weeks. Skills still suck, but my body feels pretty good.

Posted 6 month goals over in the 2011 goals/resolutions thread. Hopefully having posted them I will actually buckle down and get them done.

Today's workout
Squat: 315 x 5 x 3
Press: 150 x 5 x 3
Row: 160 x 5 x 3
Back Extensions: 10 x 3 @ BW
Chins: 3 x 3 @ BW

Weight: 229.6

Workout went pretty well today. Don't think I rested enough between 2nd and 3rd set of presses as the last 2 reps were tough to lock out. May have been that I didn't get a rage going because the guy who never racks his weight actually did today. I got them though. Rows were easy. Guess I reset a little too much on those. Chins bothered my bicep just above my left elbow today. I hate my left elbow, constantly givining me crap. Oh well, plan on working through it.

Got to see some Bosu Ball pushups today. Got to give the guy some credit though. He was doing regular pushpus, then bosu ball ones, then situps and then leaving the area for a bit (run maybe?). Seemed like some type of circuit workout and he is already fit. Just got a laugh out of the bosu ball part. Not many people actually use them here.

Got another laugh later in between my 2nd and 3rd set of back extensions. Had a guy I tried to help w/cleans (he was doing a DL-curl) when he was doing a crossfit workout before Christmas come up to me and ask what I was training for. Told him I was just trying to get strong. He then went on to say he thought I was training for something specific since he sees me doing DLs and squats all the time. Felt a little weird since he is in good shape (not very good form since he is new to most of the lifts, but pounds out a ton of pullups/situps/dips all the time) and I'm not. Another negative was the guy I was going to help today w/press didn't workout. Not sure if he will in the future or not.

May end up taking Friday off of work since my BIL is in town. If I do I will probably do another squat/press/row day since I hate the local gym for DLs. I will plan on doing the DL workouts M/F next week if this happens. If I come into work I will do my normal rotation.

Forgot to mention what my Uncle told me while I was back in MA. He walks into my parents house, first words out of his mouth after hello were "You lost weight!" Kind of chuckled and said yup, I've been working out. Figured it would be easier than telling him I am 10-15#s heavier than the last time I saw him (last summer). Guess the weight lifting is moving my weight around and making me look smaller.

I have been using a lacrosse ball on my left elbow/bicep area to try and figure out what is going on with the pain I have when doing pullups/chins/etc. I definitely found a spot that is causing the pain. It is right where the bicep and the elbow meet. If you have your arm on a desk, palm up, it is right on the inside of the elbow (closest to body) above where the bone is (Humeral Medial epicondyle according to this pic.). Pain is definitely soft tissue and not bone. Guessing tendonitis? Suggestions?

Right now my plan is to try and ignore the pain and work through it. Don't think a Dr is going to help much at this time, unless someone has a reason that my thinking is flawed. If it gets to a point where I can't use my arm, then off to the Dr. I am definitely open to other suggestions, just wanted to put a little insight as to where my current thinking is.

Today's workout
Squat: 285 x 5 x 3
Bench: 215 x 5 x 3
DL: 365 x 5 x 1
Dips: 5 x 3 +25#
Planks: 1 x 3 @ 75s

Weight: 228

Workout went fairly well. My elbow bothered me again on the first rep of each workset of bench. Got them all up, so no big worry on my part. DLs are starting to piss me off. I'm starting to get a little dizzy after each rep, so I guess these are getting more like 1 x 5 rather than 5 x 1. I would do a rep, stand up, take a couple breaths, and then do another. Guessing 10-20 seconds between each just to give me time to stop feeling lightheaded. Going to keep doing them this way until I can't anymore (I feel there is too much time between each rep) or until I decide to totally switch up my programming.

Next week's workouts are probably going to be re-arranged. Wife is going in to have a different surgery on Wednesday. That means I will be home W-T or W of the week after. I hate doing DLs at the local gym so here is my plan:
M: S/Bench/DL
Rest of workouts at local gym (not sure what days): S/Press/Row (possibly sub bench for press as if I was doing an A/B workout)
I will then make up DL days when I get back to work. But that will depend on how I recover from those workouts.

Got to see someone doing BW lunges on the treadmill. And guy who does partial pushups cranking them out again today. For those that don't remember: Kind of bent body (ass up), head bent down, up position is locked arms, but the lower portion is when head just about bounces off the deck (couple inches ROM). Always makes me laugh because I get a front row view since he tends to do them right next to the bikes where I warmup. I don't believe this is a valid variation, but please correct me if I am wrong. He is in good shape, so I expect him to be able to crank out a bunch of real pushups but he never does. One good thing about him is he does crank out some kms on the rower w/good form.

Oh yeah, I may end up taking pics for reference since I plan on trying to cut down for a while. Weigh ins are in April. Not going to make weight, am currently at the line for BF% and would like to be comfortably under by April.

Have you planned your diet/workout plan for dieting?