Staving off the decline, part deux

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Cycled 13.67 miles in 53:24, averaging 15.5 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 135/143/446W.
Squat: 165 x 5 @<6; 185 x 3 x 10 @6-7, every 2.5 minutes

[JimRiley]

No regular workout, but I did manual labor for about 4 hours: mostly unstacking, moving, and restacking pavers, so lots of hip hinging and grip.

[JimRiley]

Sat., Nov. 4, 2023
Upper-body machines at the In-Shape:
Incline press: 80 x 11 x 4
Seated triceps extension: 90 x 11 x 2, 65 x 10 x 2
Machine biceps curl: 60 x 10 x 4
Lat flexor: 165 x 8 x 3, 135 x 10
Overhead triceps extension: 120 x 8 x 3, 100 x 12
Seated row: 105 x 9 x 3, 85 x 12

Sun., Nov. 5, 2023
Cardio: Cycled 11.01 miles in 42:51, averaging 15.4 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 135/145/431W.
Bench: 155 x 2 @8.5; 140 x 3, 4, 5, 6*, 3, 4, 5*, 3, 4 (37 total reps) @6-10
*butt came off bench on last rep of the starred sets

[JimRiley]

Deadlift: 285 x 2 @8; 306 x 1 @9; 225 x 6 x 6 @6-7, every 2.5 minutes

[JimRiley]

Wed., Nov. 8, 2023
Cardio: Two hikes on Guemes Island, Washington, totaling 6.69 miles in 3 hours in 6 minutes.

I was on Guemes with two friends doing a guys' retreat. We have a book club in Zoom, and had formed the lofty goal of getting together IRL and having some deep conversations while avoiding stereotypical guy talk. The results were mixed, but we did manage to steer clear of sports and homoerotic banter (even during a sauna session!), and overall it was quite a fun little break.

Sat., Nov. 11, 2023
Cardio: Cycled 14.65 miles in 54:26, averaging 16.1 mph. Average/normalized/20-minute/max power: 153/163/172/503W. PRed the loop that I typically do by 30 seconds.

My left hamstring was hurting some during the bike ride, and a lot in the evening. It's been bugging me at a low level for a while, and the plane ride and multi-hour drive coming back from Washington on Friday didn't help.

Sun., Nov. 12, 2023
Machines at the In-Shape:
Biceps curl: 60 x 11 x 4
Seated triceps extension: 90 x 11 x 3, 70 x 12
Seated row: 105 x 9 x 4
Incline press: 90 x 8 x 3, 90 x 6
Lat flexor: 165 x 8 x 4
Overhead triceps extension: 120 x 8 x 4
Leg press: 135 x 6 x 2, 195 x 6 x 2
Hip flexor: 105 x 10 x 4
Quad extension: 140 x 11 x 4
Hamstring curl: 40 x 6 (both legs), 25 x 6 x 2 (left only)
Lat pulldown: 105 x 8 x 4
Flye: 85 x 8 x 3 (stopped due to left elbow pain)

I was trying to do a little rehab work on my sore hamstring with light, slow leg presses and hamstring curls. It's possible I did something right, as it isn't hurting at all this evening.

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Cycled 13.56 miles in 52:46, averaging 15.4 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 142/153/730W.

Bench: 160 x 1 @9; 135 x 4, 5, 6, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4 (34 total reps) @6-9, every 2.5 minutes
I did almost exactly the same sets with 140 a week ago. It wasn't my goal to do the same thing with 135 today, but that's where autoreg led me. It barely felt any easier with 135, but that may be due in part to the triceps work I did yesterday.

Deadlift: 255 x 3 @<6; 205 x 5 x 5 @<6, every 2 minutes
My hamstring feels better, but not all the way better, so I did some light deadlifts to give it just a little work. It especially dislikes being stretched, so I started the pulls with my hips a little lower than usual and kept the lockouts on the soft side.

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Cycled 14.70 miles in 1:02:22, averaging 14.1 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 118/127/498W. Focused on keeping my pedaling cadence up; my average on this ride was 96 rpm, compared to about 80 on most rides.
Hammer curls: 21s x 11 x 4
Lateral delt raises: 16s x 8 x 4
BB front raises: 37.5 x 8 x 4
Rear delt raises: 16s x 10 x 4
BB shrugs: 135 x 9 x 4
Ab rollouts: 4 sets of 11

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Cycled 12.64 miles in 53:30, averaging 14.2 mph. Average/normalized/max power: 137/150/465W. I had a great tailwind on a 3.6-mile section where there's normally a headwind, and as a result picked up 5 Strava segment PRs basically for free.
OHP: 85 x 1 @9 (courtesy of a dumbass bar path); 65 x 4, 5, 6, 4, 5, 6, 4, 6, 6 (46 total reps) @6-8, every 2 minutes
Squat: 165 x 5 x 8 @6-7, every 2.5 minutes

[JimRiley]

Fri., Nov. 17, 2023
At "The Gym" in Vista, CA (all machine names are direct quotes):
Hammer isolateral decline press: 140 x 6 x 3
Freemotion lat: 100 x 8, 80 x 12 x 3
Precor leg extension: 150 x 10 x 4
Cybex leg curl, left only: 25 x 8 x 4
Paramount rotary chest: 70 x 10 x 4
Deadlift: 135 x 8, 225 x 4 x 2 (first real-life experience with a deadlift jack)
Pretty cool place, except for unnecessarily loud music (pet peeve of mine). I wanted to do more and heavier deadlifts, but being on travel I didn't have straps or shin pads. Still it was nice to have the jack.

Sat., Nov. 18, 2023
At "The Gym" again:
Life Fitness leg curl: 70 x 8 x 4
Precor long pull: 80 x 10 x 4
Matrix triceps pushdown: 50 x 8 x 4
Hammer Strength seated dip: 94 x 10 x 4
Hammer curls: 22.5s x 8 x 2
Standard curls: 17.5s x 10 x 2

Sun., Nov. 19, 2023
Bench: 165 x 1 @8.5; 142.5 x 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 2 (27 total reps) @7-9.5 every 2.5 minutes
Deadlift: 235 x 4, 5, 6, 4, 5, 6 (30 total reps) @6-7 every 2.5 minutes; 275 x 3 @7

[DCR]

first real-life experience with a deadlift jack

Impossible to go back. I won't DL anywhere without one. After over a year and a half away from DLing, in large part due to most of my lifting during that time taking place in a commercial gym, I tried for a few weeks recently. Ultimately said fuck this. I don't have the time or patience when I can just RDL instead.

[JimRiley]

first real-life experience with a deadlift jack

Impossible to go back. I won't DL anywhere without one. After over a year and a half away from DLing, in large part due to most of my lifting during that time taking place in a commercial gym, I tried for a few weeks recently. Ultimately said fuck this. I don't have the time or patience when I can just RDL instead.

Yeah, deadlifting in a commercial gym seems to usually be a PITA, even if they have round plates and a platform level enough for the bar to stay put!

At home I use a single pair of 45-pound Rogue bumpers and add the remaining weight using iron plates with smaller diameters. You're probably not supposed to do that, but it's convenient, and the bumpers are holding up fine after nearly 8 years of this (mis)treatment.

Cardio: Cycled 13.54 miles in 54:10, averaging 15.0 mph. Did three 8-minute intervals with 5-minute recovery periods. Average/normalized/8-minute/max power: 141/158/185/462W.

Later on:
Hammer curls: 22s x 9 x 4
Lateral delt raises: 16s x 9 x 4
BB front raises: 37.5 x 9 x 4
Rear delt raises: 16s x 11 x 4 with wrist wraps
BB shrugs: 135 x 10 x 4
Ab rollouts: 12r x 4s
Chinup singles: 6 at 30-second intervals (stopped due to a little bit of a right shoulder tweak)

[DCR]

first real-life experience with a deadlift jack

Impossible to go back. I won't DL anywhere without one. After over a year and a half away from DLing, in large part due to most of my lifting during that time taking place in a commercial gym, I tried for a few weeks recently. Ultimately said fuck this. I don't have the time or patience when I can just RDL instead.

Yeah, deadlifting in a commercial gym seems to usually be a PITA, even if they have round plates and a platform level enough for the bar to stay put!

At home I use a single pair of 45-pound Rogue bumpers and add the remaining weight using iron plates with smaller diameters. You're probably not supposed to do that, but it's convenient, and the bumpers are holding up fine after nearly 8 years of this (mis)treatment.

Nice. I used to do exactly this in the condo gym at a place I lived a decade or so ago. Wish I could do the same at my current commercial gym, but all the plates are the same diamater down to the 10s.

[JimRiley]

first real-life experience with a deadlift jack

Impossible to go back. I won't DL anywhere without one. After over a year and a half away from DLing, in large part due to most of my lifting during that time taking place in a commercial gym, I tried for a few weeks recently. Ultimately said fuck this. I don't have the time or patience when I can just RDL instead.

Yeah, deadlifting in a commercial gym seems to usually be a PITA, even if they have round plates and a platform level enough for the bar to stay put!

At home I use a single pair of 45-pound Rogue bumpers and add the remaining weight using iron plates with smaller diameters. You're probably not supposed to do that, but it's convenient, and the bumpers are holding up fine after nearly 8 years of this (mis)treatment.

Nice. I used to do exactly this in the condo gym at a place I lived a decade or so ago. Wish I could do the same at my current commercial gym, but all the plates are the same diamater down to the 10s.

But at least they have a jack! (Right?)

Today's entertainment:

Cardio: Cycled 14.71 miles in 55:49, averaging 15.8 mph. Average/normalized/max/20-minute: 152/163/538/170W. Averaged 170 watts for 34 minutes, which might be a PR but would be hard to confirm. Anyway, I felt quite good.

OHP: 85 x 2 @8; 70 x 3, 4, 5, 6, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 5 (41 total reps) @<6-9, every 2 minutes. No zip. I intended to do 5 reps on the 7th set, but it was messed up from the getgo and I settled for a fugly 4.

Squat: 175 x 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5 (36 total reps) @<6-7, every 2.5 minutes. I don't usually do squats in waves, but it was nice having something to look forward to, i.e. the next set of 3.

[DCR]

first real-life experience with a deadlift jack

Impossible to go back. I won't DL anywhere without one. After over a year and a half away from DLing, in large part due to most of my lifting during that time taking place in a commercial gym, I tried for a few weeks recently. Ultimately said fuck this. I don't have the time or patience when I can just RDL instead.

Yeah, deadlifting in a commercial gym seems to usually be a PITA, even if they have round plates and a platform level enough for the bar to stay put!

At home I use a single pair of 45-pound Rogue bumpers and add the remaining weight using iron plates with smaller diameters. You're probably not supposed to do that, but it's convenient, and the bumpers are holding up fine after nearly 8 years of this (mis)treatment.

Nice. I used to do exactly this in the condo gym at a place I lived a decade or so ago. Wish I could do the same at my current commercial gym, but all the plates are the same diamater down to the 10s.

But at least they have a jack! (Right?)

Nope, hence I kicked the movement back to the curb again and returned to concentrating on RDLs as my hinge instead.

Squat: 175 x 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5 (36 total reps) @<6-7, every 2.5 minutes. I don't usually do squats in waves, but it was nice having something to look forward to, i.e. the next set of 3.

Ha, that was my experience with waving squats - dread, relief, dread, relief…

[JimRiley]

Squat: 175 x 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5 (36 total reps) @<6-7, every 2.5 minutes. I don't usually do squats in waves, but it was nice having something to look forward to, i.e. the next set of 3.

Ha, that was my experience with waving squats - dread, relief, dread, relief…

LOL

Cardio: Walked and jogged 3.16 miles in 49:36, averaging 3.82 mph. Walked mostly, but jogged occasionally for 50 to 100 strides at a time. I hadn’t run at all since October 20 due to a painful left hamstring, but I decided it was time to give it a friendly wakeup call. The hammy felt better at the end than at the start, so that was encouraging.

[JimRiley]

Supplemental (machines at In-Shape):

Seated triceps extensions: 90 x 11 x 4
Seated rows: 105 x 10 x 4
Biceps curls: 65 x 9 x 4
Triceps pushdowns: 35 x 9 x 4

They had moved a bunch of machines out to make room for new equipment, mostly ill-chosen (squat racks with spotter arms barely a foot long??), but I sort of made do.

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Walked 3.75 miles in 1:15 with my Honeybunny.
Bench: 165 x 1 @9; 150 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 3, 1, 2, 3 (25 total reps) @6-9
Deadlift: 295 x 1 @8; 265 x 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 (17 total reps) @6-8

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Cycled 17.97 miles in 1:15:38, averaging 14.3 mph. Average/normalized/20-minute/max power: 145/164/170/498W.
Hammer curls: 22s x 10 x 4
Lateral delt raises: 16s x 10 x 4
BB front delt raises: 37.5 x 10 x 4
Rear delt raises: 17s x 8 x 4
BB shrugs: 135 x 11 x 4
Ab rollouts: 12r x 4s

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Walked and jogged 3.16 miles in 47:55. Still mostly walking, but jogged more than I did 4 days ago on the same route.
OHP: 75 x 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 2, 2 (22 total reps) @6-9, every 2 minutes. Had zilch on these.
Chinups, one every 30 seconds: 20

[JimRiley]

Cardio: Cycled 13.66 miles in 57:33, averaging 14.2 mph. Did five 5-minute high-cadence efforts with 3-minute recovery periods. Average/normalized/5-minute/max power: 134/149/183/501W.

Squat: Just did a few warmup sets (45 x 8 x 2, 85 x 6, 125 x 4, 165 x 2). I started to do a work set with 185, but had to take a step forward while bracing for the first rep, so I called it a night. I've been tending to get forward on squats lately, so I may try doing them in something flat like Chuck Taylors, even if I have to sacrifice some depth.