twenty-twelve: maintenance mode for the time being...

[vegan hal]

tough week. so much snow and ice. not light + fluffy this time, but wet + heavy. continual shoveling of driveway, paths to get to the animals, roofs to keep from collapse. snow is pretty, but no fun on the farm. some failures in workout this week. probably due to being worn out. due to the snow i couldn't do any sprints.

time to hit the 2nd-hand sporting goods store and scour craigslist for used gear. i need TWO more 45lb plates now for squats and i need a short curl bar so i can increase my skull crusher routine. also could use EITHER 2 oly DB bars so i can use my oly plates OR a cheap set of hex DBs.

all my gear is 2nd hand. OK off to plow the driveway and do some more shoveling. then Superbowl this evening.

here's the log.

MON 2/1/10
AM: 25 push-ups
STRENGTH B:
Box Squat: 10xbar, 10x135, 10x155, 5x180, 5x5x210
Overhead Press: 10xbar, 10x75, 2x5x85, 5x95, 5x105, 4Fx105, 5x105, 3Fx105, 3Fx105, 3x105, 1x105,
Dead Lift: 10xbar, 10x115, 2x5x135, 2x5x155, 1x5x180, 1x5x195
Heavy Shrug: 10xbar, 10x115, 2x5x135, 2x5x155, 1x5x180, 1x5x195
Chin Ups: 3x5xbw
Pull Ups: 5xbw, 4Fxbw
Prone Br: 3 x 30sec x bw
Skull Crushers: 10x5, 10x10, 10x15, 10x20, 10x25, 3x5x25
DB Pullovers: 10x15, 10x25, 15x25

TUE 2/2/10
CARDIO: (no sprints due to ice+snow)
HIIT Rope: 15min
Med. Ball: various - 15min

WED 2/3/10
AM: 25 push-ups
STRENGTH A:
Box Squat: 10xbar, 10x135, 10x155, 5x185, 5x5x215
Bench Press: 10xbar, 10x95, 10x110, 5x125, 4x5x140, 3Fx140, 4Fx140,
Barbell Row: 10xbar, 10x80, 5x90, 5x105, 5x5x115
Calf Rasies: 10xbar, 10x80, 5x90, 5x105, 5x5x115
Dips: 5x5x(bw+10)
Rev Crunch: 3 x 12
DB Arnolds: 10x15, 2x10x25, 5x25
DB Lats: 10x15, 2x10x25, 5x25

THU 2/4/10
CARDIO: (no sprints due to ice+snow)
HIIT Rope: 15min
Med. Ball: various - 15min

FRI 2/4/10
AM: 25 push-ups
Shoveling Snow. too tired.

SAT 2/6/10
STRENGTH B:
Box Squat: 10xbar, 10x135, 10x160, 5x190, 2x5x220, 2Fx220, 3x5x220,
Overhead Press: 10xbar, 10x75, 2x5x85, 5x95, 3Fx105, 4x5x105, 2x105,
Dead Lift: 10xbar, 10x135, 10x155, 5x175, 1x5x200
Heavy Shrug: 10xbar, 10x135, 10x155, 5x175, 1x5x200
Pull Ups: 3x5xbw
Chin Ups: 2x5xbw
Prone Br: 3 x 30sec x bw
Skull Crushers: 10x5, 10x15, 3x10x25
DB Pullovers: 10x15, 3x10x25

---**SUNDAY REST**---

[JP]

Its pretty impressive how much training you get in despite your physical stuff at the farm and so on!

Good stuff!

[vegan hal]

Thanks man. boy i'm spent this morning. back and knee are a bit sore. working on snow removal all day yesterday until the superbowl. i know why the pony stayed in his stall all day yesterday because he must've gotten tired of trudging knee deep through hard crunchy snow.

i'll probably go light this week. Wife's birthday tonight. maybe we can get out for a nice dinner.

[Frostfire]

snow is pretty, but no fun on the farm.

Amen to that! Got snowed on at my farm last Friday and was freaking out because we were planning to trim pig and sheep hooves on Saturday, but we lucked out! Sun came out and it was a gorgeous day to work on the sheep and piggies . . . but now its getting muddy! Boot got stuck in the mud and I pulled my foot out before realizing it and stepped right in the muck to mid-shin! Good times

[vegan hal]

boy i can sympathize w/ you on the mud that follows the snow. awful stuff. i need new boots too. my muck boots have a leak so my left foot is always wet. yuck! i patched them once but can;t find the new hole.

keep up the great work FF!

[KaliBaby]

can't believe all this news about the East Coast being covered by so much snow, I'm jealous! don't throw out your back shoveling!

[vegan hal]

can't believe all this news about the East Coast being covered by so much snow, I'm jealous! don't throw out your back shoveling!

yeah it's been pretty intense. last time i remember winter like this was back in the 90's when i lived on Long Island.

[vegan hal]

OK. last week sucked. overall, just felt tired. doing squats on Tues was giving me groin pain on the left side. i could feel myself twisting to the left using my right leg to compensate. no good. i failed on light weight. so basically took the rest of the week off to rest. also having right elbow pain for some reason.

here's my PITIFUL log for the week. hope to get back on my game this week.

MON 2/8/10
too busy. rest.

TUE 2/9/10
AM: 25 push-ups
STRENGTH A:
Box Squat: 10xbar, 10x135, 10x155, 3x5x180 F
Bench Press: 10xbar, 10x95, 2x5x115, 5x130, 3x5x145, 4Fx145, 4Fx145, 2x145
Barbell Row: 10xbar, 10x80, 10x90, 5x105, 5x5x115
Calf Rasies: 10xbar, 10x80, 10x90, 5x105, 5x5x115
Dips: 5x5x(bw+10)
Rev Crunch: 3 x 12
DB Arnolds: 10x15, 2x10x25, 5x25
DB Lats: 2x10x25, 5x25

WED 2/10/10
CARDIO: (no sprints due to ice+snow)
HIIT Rope: 5min
Med. Ball: various - 15min

THU, FRI 2/11-2/12/10
resting left groin + right elbow pain

---**WEEKEND REST**---

[vegan hal]

pretty good week overall.

MON 2/15/10
AM: 25 push-ups
STRENGTH B:
Box Squat: 10xbar, 10x135, 10x155, 5x175, 5x195, 5x5x210
Overhead Press: 10xbar, 10x75, 2x5x90, 5x100, 2Fx115, 2x5x110, 4Fx110, 5x105, 6x105,
Dead Lift: 10xbar, 2x5x135, 2x5x155, 5x175, 1x5x200
Heavy Shrug: 10xbar, 2x5x135, 2x5x155, 5x175, 1x5x200
Chin Ups: 8xbw, 5xbw, 5xbw
Pull Ups: 5xbw, 3Fxbw
Prone Br: 3 x 30sec x bw
Side Br: 1 x 30sec x bw (per side)
Skull Crushers: 10x20, 10x25, 10x30, 10x30, 5x30, 2x5x35
DB Pullovers: 10x20, 3x10x30

TUE 2/16/10
CARDIO:
HIIT Rope: 15min
Med. Ball: various - 15min

WED 2/17/10
AM: 25 push-ups
STRENGTH A:
Box Squat: 10xbar, 10x135, 5x155, 5x175, 5x195, 5x205, 5x5x215
Bench Press: 10xbar, 10x95, 2x5x115, 5x130, 5x145, 4Fx145, 3Fx145, 3Fx145, 3Fx145, 2Fx145, 4x140, 1x140
Barbell Row: 10xbar, 10x80, 10x95, 5x110, 5x5x120
Calf Rasies: 10xbar, 10x80, 10x95, 5x110, 5x5x120
Dips: 5x5x(bw+10)
Rev Crunch: 3 x 12
DB Arnolds: 10x20, 5x5x30
DB Lats: 10x20, 10x30, 10x30, 5x30

THU 2/18/10
* off

FRI 2/19/10
CARDIO: (no sprints due to ice+snow)
HIIT Rope: 3x4min
HIIT mtn climbers: 1x4min
HIIT side lunges: 1x4min
HIIT side crunches: 1x4min
Med. Ball: various - 15min

SAT 2/20/10
AM: 25 push-ups
STRENGTH B:
Box Squat: 10xbar, 10x135, 5x155, 5x175, 5x195, 5x210, 4x5x220, 4Fx220, 1x220
Overhead Press: 10xbar, 10x75, 2x5x90, 5x100, 5x5x110
Dead Lift: 10xbar, 10x135, 2x5x165, 5x185, 1x5x205
Heavy Shrug: 10xbar, 10x135, 2x5x165, 5x185, 1x5x205
Pull Ups: 3x5xbw
Chin Ups: 2x5xbw
Prone Br: 3 x 30sec x bw
Side Br: 1 x 30sec x bw (per side)
Skull Crushers: 10x20, 10x25, 10x35, 10x40, 10x40, 5x40
DB Pullovers: 10x20, 10x25, 10x35, 10x40, 10x40, 5x40

---**SUNDAY REST**---

[vegan hal]

tough one today. while i know my #s aren;t that heavy like most of you, i'm hitting some plateaus. or rather, it takes me a couple days to nail a weight.

also, i wonder if i'm OVER-repping a bit. my squats are getting heavy so i put more warm up sets in to ease the weight up. i failed miserably tonight on the squat and had to drop the weight down and still failed. right knee felt a bit tender.

MON 2/22/10
AM: 25 push-ups
STRENGTH A:
Box Squat: 10xbar, 10x135, 5x155, 5x175, 3x190, 3x205, 3x215, 5x225, 2Fx225, 1Fx225, 1Fx220, 2Fx220
Bench Press: 10xbar, 10x95, 2x5x115, 5x130, 4x5x145, 3Fx145, 2x145,
Barbell Row: 10xbar, 10x85, 2x5x95, 5x110, 5x5x125
Dips: 5x5x(bw+10)
Rev Crunch: 3 x 12
DB Arnolds: 10x20, 5x35, 10x35, 5x35, 5x35
DB Lats: 10x20, 10x35, 10x35, 5x35

[baldy]

also, i wonder if i'm OVER-repping a bit. my squats are getting heavy so i put more warm up sets in to ease the weight up. i failed miserably tonight on the squat and had to drop the weight down and still failed. right knee felt a bit tender.

Not sure what your program looks like, but maybe you are doing too many reps in your warm up?
I find failing a lift is not great and should be avoided, mainly for psychological reasons for me. Deload and build up again, then smash that weight.
Unless your having an off day, then try it again the next workout.

Do you have anything pre workout? I nearly always have a redbull type drink before a session, just to be sure I am on fire.

[vegan hal]

basically my program is stronglifts 5x5. with some other stuff thrown in.

yeah I think i'm doing too many as well. my squats are getting heavy (for me). I should be able to hit that weight. I'll retry on Wed and alter my rep #s.

as for pre-workout, i don't do anything specifically. maybe i should try.

Oh, and my knees were tender this morning. been taking some veg Glucosamine/MSM for a couple weeks. not sure if it is doing anything yet. I know it takes a bit to build up in the system. we'll see.

[vegan hal]

uggh. sore right groin this morning. actually i felt it last night after Cardio. i'm not gonna do Squats or DLs today. will stick to upper body weights instead to give the ole groin and knees a break.

For some reason, missing squats will leave me feeling like I didn't really work out as this exercise seems to be the real base of my plan. But i gotta heal.

NOW, as for cardio yesterday, after 9 months of using a jump rope, i FINALLY got the coordination to alternate legs (meaning raising one, landing on the other). until yesterday, i could only do standard jump 2 foot jump rope. of course I think i overdid it and pulled the groin. haha. this old geezer (40) is still learning. i'll take the progress any way i can.

TUE 2/23/10
CARDIO: (no sprints due to ice+snow)
HIIT Rope: 3x4min
HIIT mtn climbers: 1x4min
HIIT side lunges: 1x4min
HIIT side crunches: 1x4min
Med. Ball: various - only 5min

crushed a huge plate of Punjab Eggplant w/ Chick Peas, Spinach and rice for dinner.

[ninearms]

also, i wonder if i'm OVER-repping a bit. my squats are getting heavy so i put more warm up sets in to ease the weight up. i failed miserably tonight on the squat and had to drop the weight down and still failed. right knee felt a bit tender.

Looking at what you did I'd say you did too much before your top set. Use the lighter sets to warm up physically and then work up quickly using the remaining sets as mental warmups. If you were intending to do 5x5@225 I'd have done:

10xbarx2
5x135x2
3x175
2x205
5x225

Make sure you rest enough between top sets too - 3 mins minimum, but if you need 5 take 5.

[Andrewc]

As has been said and you even acknowledge yourself, you're throwing in far too much warm up sets. On your "bad" day there, there are 6 sets excluding warm ups with the bar before you finally got to your working weight. Ninearms suggested good warm up numbers there, which go roughly in the order of;
Bar > 5 x 60kgs/135lbs > 3 x 75% of max working weight > 2 x 85%-90% > Working weight. I follow this same method too and find it works well.