i need one bad. :-)

I need two, one for tomorrow, one just for today.

They cost like $10 at sports authority or dicks or champs or pretty much any sporting good store. I would send you one, but it will cost me more to ship than you to buy.

I need to swing by SA.

Got my EFS shipment in today -- various bands, a free t-shirt, and some knee sleeves. Yup ... they came, Frank. Problem is, they may be too small for me. Hmmmm. :-)

ME Bench (Tate's Cure, Week 1)

Decided to give Tate's Cure a try since I'm willing to try just about anything to improve my bench. Bad day for ME bench, though -- I must have slept weird last night when my damn dog was hoggin' the bed. Woke up with some kind of kink/catch in my mid-upper back on the left side. Stretched and warmed up for 20-30 minutes and did a bunch of just straight bar work with more stretching in between sets. The damn thing needs to pop; but it just wasn't going to happen this morning.

Excuses, excuses ... blah blah.

Floor Presses
45 x lots
65 x 10
75 x 8
95 x 6
105 x 6 (it's about here that I started finding my groove)
115 x 5
135 x 5
150 x 5
165 x 5
175 x 5 (the 5th was sllloooooowwwww) -- my 1RM on floor presses was 205; so I've gotta think I could hit 185 x 5 if my back wasn't weird.

Should have done 140 x 8; but just totally forgot that it was on my sheet. Oops.

Dumbbell Extensions (standing)
50 x 10
55 x 8 x 2 sets

CSR (plate weights b/c don't know how much the bar weighs)
45+ x 10
90+ x 8
115+ x 8 x 3 sets
115+ x 7 (6 & 7 on what was supposed to be my last set of 8 were sloppy)

Rear-Delt Lateral Raises (seated, machine)
130 x 12
115 x 12
115 x 10.5

I was pretty beat at the end of all that. Wanted to cool down a little, though, so I decided to go play with my new EFS bands on the bench press -- figured that'd give me a sense of what they're like, stretch me out a little, and let me practice form. Threw the micro minis on first (+30lbs @ top); then I used the minis (+90lbs at the top); then I added the micro minis back on (+120 @ top). That was fun! I can really see how these are going to be helpful for lockout and speed training.

Anyway ... that was my day. I might hit up the chair masseuse at the coffee shop for some deep tissue work on my back -- the might loosen everything up to really open up and realign.

Also, I ordered a foam roller from EFS for $10 ... partly because of the free beanie. :-)

Happy lifting to all! :-)

Lotsa good work there, Dokk! :-)

Thanks, Admiral. Don't really feel like it ... especially since I *know* I'm capable of more; but thanks, nonetheless. I'll make up for things on Friday and Saturday. :-)

Nice workout broski.
Dont feel bad I ordered a t-shirt and two beanies.
I have three beanies ah ah ah ah...lol

Had court this morning for my speeding ticket. PBJ 121 bucks down the shitter. Went to the hardcore gym ( in the ghetto ) decided that is where I need to be for squatting, deadlifting, and benching. Other dumb crap I will drag the kids to the crap tastic gold's.

Pulling went like this
final set 5 plates+ bar x 5. ( I dont know what the bar weighs, but its a REAL barbell heavy as **** with knurls in it that actually hurt my hands.
I had more gas in the tank but this is my first week back on the 5/3/1 program so wanted to take it easy slightly.
Otherwise felt good to pull with a non sh1t bar. I'll have to take some picks of this places it's about as hardcore as you can get...


p.s. they have a jump stretch platform for deadlifting :-)
:-) at Dokk

Color me green with envy, Frank. I scouted out the equipment in my "gym" to see how I will attach bands to things. Reverse band squats are a cinch. Banded squats are a little more of a challenge; but I think doable. Bench isn't a problem. And I *think* I'll be able to swing banded deads (because I *really* need more power of the ground to muscle through my plateau).

I'd love to see pics of that place, Frank. I envision a garage with weights, overhead florescent lights, and pretty much nothing else. :-)
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Will do, most likely going to workout there on Thurs. Might bench.

Back to the gym today for a chest workout...the bad hammy didn't hamper me too much. Tomorrow is back, that may be a different story.

Hope it goes well today, Admiral! :-)

Recovery/Support Day

My back was still bothering me this morning -- same spot, same feeling. Got to the gym and started my stretching. Went slow and deep to really loosen up the lats, traps, and spinal erectors since I can't really tell what's bound up back there. I just wish so bad that the damn thing would crack. Anyway, saw that they had a small medicine ball, so I rolled around on that for a little while, which definitely helped. After some banded bench work (just bands, no weight -- still just practicing form, feeling out what the bands do, getting the blood going for recovery, etc.) I did some low rows, high rows, and pull-downs for reps.

After that, one of the employees was kind enough to give me a tennis ball to dig in deep and really work those back muscles good (in bold for Davenport!). Holy eff. :-) I was almost in tears; but it hurt so good. LoL! :-) It's definitely in a better place than when I work up this morning and I think will be golden by the time I wake up tomorrow. I'm gonna roll around on that ball again before I take off for work ... and probably some more once I get home. Lots of water for me today. :-)

Shoulders this morning. OH DB Press for 65x5,70x5,75x3 - pisses me off that I can do this, but not 150 on a bar - my brain hurts... Upright Row for 95x5, 105x4, 100x5. HS Shoulder press for 90x5,100x5,110x8. Finished off with some hanging leg raises.

Lifts are definitely up from the last time I did a straight up heavy shoulder workout, but I still feel like my whole upper body doesn't keep up with my legs.

Reason your DB presses is higher than your barbell press is range of motion. Im willing to bet because I see it all the time. Barbell harder to control and usually ends up coming down farther than most would like. DB's on the other hand are easy to cheat. Also I'd be willing to bet hands placement is an issue also.

Pressed tonight. Took some pics of the ghetto gym with my crackberry phone ( which on a side note will kill me, i.e. reading emails in highway traffic. )

Outside of the Gym
Image

Mono Lift
Image

Entrance
Image

Shot of the unfinished ceiling Exactly as dokk described
Image

Eff yeah. I'd give my left nut to lift there. :-)

:-)

.

Played around with some bands work tonight. Think I might have to order the other three, light average and strong. For heavy deads etc. or I could get more chain too...

Trained back today....lots of weighted pull-ups and cable work. Did a couple sets of T-bar rows, but backed off when it started bothering the hamstring. I am hoping it will be back to near 100% by the end of the weekend.

Had a shitty workout today. My traps are so sore from power cleans/overhead press the other day that I couldnt stand the weight on them to do squats. When I went to leg press, my knee was hurting. EVERYONE was on the bench. I finally just did abs and ran a mile. =/

Ridonkulous Day: DE Legs + DE Chest

I'm traveling this weekend; so since I'm going to be missing my usual DE chest day, I decided to do both today. Stupid? Probably. LoL!

DE Legs

Parallel Box Squats
Bar x lots
95 x 8
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
245 x 3
255 x 3 x 8 sets

Banded Squats
185 + mini band x 3
185 + monster mini x 3
185 + light x 3
225 + light x 3
275 + light x 3 x 2

Pull-down Abs
12 x 4 sets


DE Chest

Bench
bar x lots
95 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 3 x 8 sets (2 wide, 3 medium, 3 close ... on the clock)
135 x 5
185 x 3

Tried to do some 3 board presses, but didn't have boards and the 10# plates I wrapped together weren't very balanced. I almost dropped the weights on my face. Ugh.

Tried 205 after that; but my CNS was just shot -- just couldn't "turn it on" to get the weights back up. Oy. I'd been lifting for almost 2 hours at this point. Talked with the trainer guy who was spotting me. He has an MA in kinesiology. Then did some support exercises.

Overhead cable extensions with v-bar: 8 x 3 sets
Face-pulls: 10 x 3 sets
Cable upright rows: 8 x 3 sets
Hammer curls: 10 x 3 sets
Barbell shrugs 10 x 2 sets

I'm beat and won't ever try that again. Stupid. stupid, stupid.