Staving off the decline, part deux

[JimRiley]

Nice work!

You too, {mention]slowmotion{/mention]! I keep reading your log for motivation.

[JimRiley]

You too, @slowmotion! I keep reading your log for motivation.

[JimRiley]

Machines at the In-Shape:
Seated triceps extension: 85 x 11 x 2, 65 x 12 x 2
Lateral raise: 60 x 12 x 4
Lat flexor: 150 x 10 x 4
Incline bench: 90 x 8 x 4
Biceps curl: 60 x 10 x 3, 45 x 8
Hip adductor: 175 x 8 x 4
Hip abductor: 160 x 8 x 4
Lat pulldown: 105 x 10 x 4
Hamstring curl: 85 x 8 x 2, 65 x 8 x 2
Quad extension: 130 x 8 x 4
Leg press: 260 x 10 x 4

[JimRiley]

Fri., Oct. 7, 2022
Cardio: Cycled 13.8 miles in 1:02, averaging 13.3 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 130/148/442W. This ride features about a two-mile climb. Didn't do the climb very fast, but I PRed six Strava segments coming back due to the wind blowing in the opposite of its usual direction.

Sat., Oct. 8, 2022
OHP: 65 (62%) x 5 x 11 @6 every 2 minutes
Deadlift: 260 (76%) x 1 @7; 225 (66%) x 5 x 5 @6 every 2 minutes

[JimRiley]

Sun., Oct. 9, 2022
Cardio: Jogged 3.8 miles in 45 minutes, averaging 5.0 mph. Did my standard hilly loop in reverse.

Mon., Oct. 10, 2022
Back to the In-Shape machines:
Trap bar shrug: 135 x 11 x 4
Lateral raise: 65 x 8 x 4
Biceps curl: 60 x 10 x 4
Incline bench: 135 x 9 x 4
Seated row: 95 x 8 x 4
Overhead triceps extension: 100 x 8 x 4
Hip abductor: 160 x 9 x 4
Hip adductor: 185 x 8 x 4
Hamstring curl: 85 x 8 x 4
Seated dip: 110 x 12 x 4
Quad extension: 130 x 9 x 4
Leg press: 260 x 10 x 4
That stuff certainly goes better if I don't do any barbell lifts the day before.

Cardio: Cycled 7.8 miles in 33 minutes, averaging 14.2 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 137/153/575W.

[JimRiley]

Tue., Oct. 11, 2022
Squat: 185 x 3 @6, 172.5 x 5 x 5 @6 E2.5MOM
Since I did 165 x 5 x 5 last time, I considered just going to 170 x 5 x 5 - until I realized that would be doing sets of 5 and adding 5 pounds. Ewww.
Wrist curls: 15s x 8 x 4
Reverse wrist curls: 12.5s x 8 x 4
Cardio: Jogged 4.2 miles in 59 minutes, averaging 4.3 mph. It was a bit soon after squatting and I basically hobbled the first mile, but by the end I was feeling great on the uphills, so that was encouraging.

Wed., Oct. 12, 2022
Cardio: Cycled 11.1 miles in 47 minutes, averaging 14.1 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 121/134/515W.
Was going to bench in the evening, but dilly dallied and ran out of time. Mañana for sure.

[JimRiley]

Bench: 155 (86%) x 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 1 (20 total) @7-9, starting every 2:30 (took an extra 30 seconds before the last triple)
Neutral grip wrist curl: 12.5s x 10 x 4
Rear delt raise: 13.5s x 12 x 4
Hammer curl: R17.5, L 13.5 x 12 x 4
BB front raise: 30 x 11 x 4
Hanging knee raise: 4 sets of 10, 8 sets of 5 (80 total)

[JimRiley]

Had the new Covid booster yesterday, so I was a little sore. Skipped or lightened most of the upper body stuff I've been doing something, but that actually was due to some resurgent elbow pain, not the shot.

Machines at the In-Shape:
Seated triceps extension: 50 x 15 x 2
Lateral raise: 65 x 9 x 4
Hip abductor: 160 x 10 x 4
Hip adductor: 185 x 9 x 4
Quad extension: 130 x 9 x 4
Hamstring curl: 85 x 9 x 4
Leg press: 260 x 10 x 4
Cardio: Cycled 7.8 miles in 33 minutes, averaging 14.1 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 132/152/452W.

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Walked and jogged 4.4 miles in 1:07, averaging 4.0 mph. Felt pretty sluggish, possibly due to having gotten the Covid booster and a flu shot within a 48-hour span, and ended up walking most of the last mile or so. No biggie.

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Cycled 13.7 miles in 55 minutes, averaging 15.0 mph. Rode my track bike (a vintage Condor, made in Switzerland sometime in the 1950s) for the first time in several years. In case you're unfamiliar with track bikes, it's a fixie (one gear, no coasting) that's otherwise set up pretty much like a road racing bike. The fixed gear provides a delightful flywheel-like effect that makes climbing a relative breeze, but it also makes cornering somewhat of an adventure, as you have to avoid letting the inside pedal strike the pavement.
OHP: 85 x 1 x 2 @7; 67.5 X 3 X 14 @6-7 EMOM
Deadlift: 275 x 1 @8; 225 x 5 x 6 @6 E2MOM

[JimRiley]

Tue., Oct. 18, 2022
Cardio: Walked and jogged 4.3 miles in 53 minutes, averaging 4.8 mph.

Wed., Oct. 19, 2022
I had planned to go to the In-Shape, but my wife’s out of town and the one car that stayed home with me has its engine splash shield practically dragging on the pavement, so I won’t be driving anywhere for the moment. Homebody stuff instead:
Bench: 160 (89%) x 1 x 12 @8-9.5, every 2 minutes
The best of the batch was the 11th one. I’d love to groove it like that every time. My tetchy left elbow felt better afterwards than before, so that’s a plus.
Cardio: Cycled 10.6 miles in 43 minutes, averaging 14.7 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 133/148/478W.

[JimRiley]

Thu., Oct. 20, 2022
Cardio: Cycled 11.8 miles in 49 minutes, averaging 14.5 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 137/146/534W.

Sun., Oct. 23, 2022
Cardio: Walked and jogged 4.9 miles in 1 hour 4 minutes, averaging 4.6 mph. Hilly trails, including some fairly steep stuff.

Bench: 165 (92%) x 1 @8; 120 (67%) x 7 x 9 @6-10 starting every 2:30
Those were fine through 8 sets, but I hit the wall hard on the 9th.

Mon., Oct. 24, 2022
Machines at the In-Shape:
Machine lateral raise (seat 5): 65 x 10 x 4
Overhead triceps extension (seat 2): 100 x 9 x 4
Quad extension: 130 x 10 x 4
Hamstring curl: 85 x 10 x 4
Hip abductor: 160 x 11 x 4
Hip adductor: 185 x 10 x 4
Leg press (seat 7): 260 x 10, 9, 9, 9
Seated row (neutral grip, chest pad 7, seat 8): 95 x 9 x 4
Lat pulldown: 105 x 11, 11, 8
Machine biceps curl: many reps with 15-40 pounds, doing concentrics with right arm and slow eccentrics with left arm

The upper back machines were all in use every time I checked until right at the end, so I ended up doing pulldowns right after rows. That didn’t pan out very well.

My left elbow seemed to appreciate the curl eccentrics.

Tue., Oct. 25, 2022
Cardio: Cycled 14.6 miles in just under an hour, averaging 14.7 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 136/151/455W. Attempted a PR on a Strava segment that takes me just under 3 minutes, but missed by a second.

Wed., Oct. 26, 2022
Neutral wrist curl: 12.5s x 11 x 4
Reverse wrist curl: R 12.5 x 9, 9, 9, 7; L 12.5 x 5, 9, 9, 8, 7
Rear delt raise: 15s x 8 x 4
Regular wrist curls: 15s x 9 x 4
Anterior delt raise: 30 x 12 x 4
Hammer curl: R 18.5 x 8 x 4, L 10 x 8 x 4 (golfer’s elbow)
Squat: 165 (66%) x 5 x 5 @6 E2M
I was feeling a bit punk, so I kept the squats minimal.

Thu., Oct. 27, 2022
Cardio: Cycled 14.8 miles in 1:06, averaging 13.5 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 132/149/356W. Did my benchmark climb (1.8 miles, up to 10%) in 16:25, averaging 178W.

Bruised the bottom of my right foot somehow. It hurts enough to hold my attention just walking around the house.

Fri., Oct. 28, 2022
Bench: 165 (92%) x 1 @8; 127.5 (71%) x 5 x 11 @6-8 E2MOM
Did the same thing a couple weeks ago, but that was at intervals of 2:30 instead of 2:00, so this was slightly harder. Andy Baker sent an email a few days ago (I’m still on his list from doing an HLM program of his in 2016) about aiming for “explosive speed off the chest” while benching, and that was somewhat inspiring even though I don't really do explosive speed in any domain.

Hanging knee raises: 8 sets of 10 (had to fudge a little on the last couple sets because my grip was giving out)

Foot is still hurting, elbow is noncomittal.

[JimRiley]

At the In-Shape:
Seated triceps extension: 85 x 8 x 4
Machine lateral raise: 65 x 11 x 4
Lat flexor: 150 x 11, 11, 8; 120 x 11
Hip adductor: 185 x 11 x 4
Machine biceps curl: lots of reps doing concentrics with right arm and slow eccentrics with left arm
Quad extension: 130 x 11 x 4
Hamstring curl: 85 x 11 x 4
Hip abductor: 160 x 12 x 4
Leg press: 260 x 10 x 4
Trap bar shrug: 135 x 10 x 4

Cardio: Cycled 12 miles in 50 minutes, averaging 14.4 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 141/152/489W.

My sore foot may be provisionally somewhat better this evening.

[JimRiley]

Sun., Oct. 30, 2022
Cardio: Cycled 11.1 miles in 46 minutes, averaging 14.6 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 144/156/727W.
Deadlift: 285 (84%) x 1 @8; 255 (75%) x 3 x 8 @6-8, every 2 minutes

Mon., Oct. 31, 2022
Cardio: Cycled 11.1 miles in 47 minutes, averaging 14.1 mph. Went fairly easy and just tried to maintain a high cadence. Average/normalized/max power: 132/140/470W.
Bench: 165 (92%) x 1 @8; 137.5 (76%) x 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4 @6-9, every 2 minutes
Was planning to do (3, 4, 5) x 4, but that last set of 5 would have been super hard and I didn’t feel like taking on that much fatigue just to prove I could do it.

My sore foot feels a good deal better. The pain is getting referred to different parts of the foot, which I generally take as a good sign compared to a pain that's very focused.

[JimRiley]

Tue., Nov. 1, 2022
At the In-Shape:
Machine lateral raise (seat 5): 65 x 12 x 4

At that point the power went off at the In-Shape and they closed down. More GPP at home:
Hammer curl: R18.5, L14 x 9 x 4
Neutral grip wrist curl: 12.5s x 12 x 4
BB front raise: 32.5 x 8 x 4
DB reverse wrist curl: 12.5s x 9 x 4 (really hard – I’ll need to repeat that)
DB rear delt raise: 15s x 9 x 4
DB wrist curl: 15s x 10 x 4
BB shrug: 135 x 12 x 4

Wed., Nov. 2, 2022
Back at the In-Shape with electricity, unlike yesterday:
Seated row: 95 x 10 x 4
Machine biceps curl: 20 x 15, 25 x 10, doing concentrics with my right arm and slow eccentrics with my left arm
Incline bench: 135 x 10, 10, 8; 105 x 8, 7
Lat pulldown: 105 x 11, 11, 9; 80 x 17
Hip abductor: 165 x 8 x 4
Hip adductor: 185 x 12 x 4
Overhead triceps extension: 100 x 10 x 4
Hamstring curl: 85 x 12 x 4
Leg press: 260 x 11 x 4
Quad extension: 130 x 12 x 4

I’ll need to switch to “intermediate” programming on some of that stuff pretty soon. So far I’ve been doing an LP of sorts on everything, incrementing the reps from 8 to 12 at a given weight and then switching to the next higher weight. Sometimes I get stuck and just keep trying until it works, but obviously there’s a limit. Right now I’m stuck trying to hit 135 x 10 x 4 on incline bench and 105 x 11 x 4 on lat pulldowns, and I think I’ll give each of those one more shot before changing my routine on them.

Cardio: Cycled 7.7 miles on the indoor trainer in 41 minutes, averaging 11.2 mph (speed based on real wheel revolutions). Average/normalized/max power: 105/176/695W. Did seven 20-second intervals and then, after I was fairly gassed, three 10-second intervals. Hit 34.5 mph on 695W on the last one.

[JimRiley]

Thu., Nov. 3, 2022
Cardio: Jogged 1.9 miles in 23 minutes, averaging 5.0 mph. This was just to see how my right foot, which has been bugging me for about the last week, would respond. It didn’t hurt at all, which was definitely encouraging.
Squat: 165 (66%) x 5 x 6

Fri., Nov. 4, 2022
Cardio: Cycled 13.7 miles in 55 minutes, averaging 15.0 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 142/157/592W. Went pretty hard on my benchmark climb and was just a few seconds from a PR.

Sat., Nov. 5, 2022
Bench: 165 (92%) x 1 @8; 145 (81%) x (2, 3, 4) x 4 @7-10, every 2:00 except 3:00 on the very last rep, which was really hard despite the extra rest

[JimRiley]

Deadlift: 275 (81%) x 1 @6; 230 (68%) x 5 x 8 @6-7 every 2 minutes

Was planning to take a run too, but forgot the sun was going to set so dang early.

Speaking of which, I've got the perfect new project for Elon Musk, now that things are going so smoothly with Twitter: solve the whole time change mess, and make the seasons milder while he's at it, by simply reducing the earth’s obliquity from 23.4˚ to something like 10˚. Yeah, there'd be some climate stuff to model, and there might be a bit of temporary inconvenience while the planet's axis is realigning, but you can't let details get in the way of a great concept! Elon, of course, would start a new corporation (The Mildly Interesting Company?) with great ballyhoo, hand the whole problem off to them, avoid solving any technical problems himself, and get hailed once again as a genius.

[JimRiley]

Mon., Nov. 7, 2022
Cardio: Jogged 2.9 miles in 39 minutes, averaging a pedestrian 4.4 mph. Was really stiff and slow at the start, but rolled along OK towards the end.

At the In-Shape:
Machine lateral raise: 65 x 12 x 4
Machine biceps curl: 25 x 15, 30 x 15 R concentric, L slow eccentric
Lat flexor: 150 x 11 x 4
Hip abductor: 165 x 9 x 4
Quad extension: 135 x 9 x 4
Hamstring curl: 90 x 8 x 4
Incline bench: 135 x 10, 10, 10, 8 with 2-minute rests
Leg press: 260 x 12 x 4
Seated triceps extension: 85 x 11, 11, 10, 65 x 16
Hip adductor: 190 x 8 x 4
Knee raise: 10 supported, 10 hanging, 10 supported
Normally I do a lot more knee raises, but I was getting fairly tired, plus the hanging ones really made my hands hurt

Tue., Nov. 8, 2022
Nada

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Cycled 14.5 miles in 59 minutes, averaging 14.7 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 142/157/420W.
Bench: 155 (86%) x (1, 2, 3) x 4 @7-9.5, every 2 minutes (took an extra minute before the very last set)
Squat: 172.5 (69%) x 5 x 4 @6, 172.5 x 4 @ow
For some reason both my hamstrings started hurting quite a bit on the fifth set of squats. There are lots of aches and pains I’ll ignore, but I stop if it’s in the hamstrings and more than about a 3 out of 10.

[JimRiley]

Machines at the In-Shape:
Seated row: 95 x 11 x 4
Lateral raise: 70 x 8 x 4
Overhead triceps extension: 100 x 11 x 4
Lat pulldown: 105 x 11 x 4
Hip adductor: 190 x 9 x 4
Hip flexor: 90 x 8 x 3, both legs
Hip abductor: 165 x 10 x 4
Leg press: 135 x 10 x 3
Quad extension: 135 x 10 x 4

Did the hip flexor machine for the first time - just 3 sets because I don’t want any flexor soreness that would interfere with running.

Went superlight on the leg press, and skipped hamstring curls entirely, because of the hamstring pain I had yesterday. It was hardly noticeable today, but it sure hurt last night; I ended up taking naproxen so I could sleep.

Cardio: Cycled for 32 minutes on the indoor trainer, covering 8.2 virtual miles at an average of 15.4 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 136/152/276W. Did a 10-minute effort, kinda hard but in a fairly low gear (50x19), averaging 166W.