I love to row! :-)

Not sure what's going on with me. Either I am more tired overall lately, or I am getting much better intensity in my workouts, because I am upping weights, but I am just beat as hell after, and am not getting through as much of the workout as I expect to.

Anyway, heavy chest today, bench for 185x5, 195x5, 205x2(PR Reps), then incline DB at 80x5x2. Tried to go a third set of incline presses, and just couldn't get the damn things up after I got in position. Decided I was done with chest for the day, did some bar curls at 85x5, 90x5, walked, stretched and went home to shower.

First day in the gym in two weeks. Took it easy after literally dreaming of squatting last night. :-)

Box squats
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 4

Added monster-mini band...

225 x 3

Took out boxes, upped to "light" band (+70lbs @ top)

225 x 3
275 x 1, 1, 1

Decided I wanted to do some banded deadlifts after that; so I got the "light" band on there real tight/stretched. I'm guessing that it added over 100lbs at the top ... probably more like 120-140 given that they add 180 to a bench press when doubled over and about as tight as they were on this.

135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 4
315 x 3
365 x 0 -- couldn't straighten out all the way at the very top
365 x 0 -- same thing. legs were locked out; but it wasn't legal.

Took the bands and the 25s off and was gonna rep out 315; but did 2 reps and realized that my body had enough. :-)

Finished off with 4 sets of pull-down abs.

Felt good to be back. I'll do some upper back and arms stuff tomorrow ... maybe some DB chest work. Sadly, I'll be traveling Wednesday through Sunday and won't be able to lift until next Monday. :-)

Happy lifting to all! :-)

Glad you got back in Dokk....too funny, I dreamt of lifting last night too.

Pete, are you get many rest days in?

I am on a 4 day/week rotation, one week each volume, heavy, light. I will usually try to go to spin at least one of the other days, sometimes two, so I get 1-2 rest days every week, sometimes 3. I also took a week completely off about a month ago.

I'm getting good lifts, but both yesterday and today I was completely spent before the end of my workout, which is unusual for me. I have been going with more intensity, especially on heavy days, since I only will go heavy on a given area once every three weeks.

It's only been the last two workouts that I have noticed it, volume legs yesterday, heavy chest today. I'll take tomorrow off and go heavy back on Wednesday. I also wonder if my light days have maybe been more medium than light... I'm not sick *touch wood* and I've been getting normal sleep for me - about 7 or 7.5 hrs/night during the week.

I am a firm believer in "listen to your body", Pete. If you have had a couple workouts in a row where you felt like you ran out of gas early, might not be the worst thing in the world to throw in a couple extra rest days over the next couple weeks.

I agree with you Tom. Even more so if you are at the gym and you feel like you aren't 100% for a lift stop there. In the same sense you feel you can bust out a few more reps or another set why not take advantage? Listening to your body is a very important part of this game.

Squats tonight.
550x3
assistance crap then bounced.

We used a different bar, was much larger in diameter and I have a tough time getting it set up on my back. Other than that things went decent. Used my new knee wraps on the final set. Did a half ass wrap job but they were nice.

geeze! I could'nt stand with 550 on my back!

Nice. We have a fatter-than-normal bar and I have the same complaint. I've adapted to it by this point; but I long for the day I can use something like a Texas Power Bar. :-)

nice little chest/back day

275x8
275x8
290x8
290x8
305x8

Bent over rows
Dips
Some sort of chest press machine
Incline DBS

We talked about it last night. Buddy was telling me with the small to large bar diameter guys tend to have trouble sitting it on their back. So to overcompensate they let there upper back get loose. Something to think about when you use a real squat bar. Stay tight!

Back today, nothing amazing - but I felt ok. Didn't drop off like I did last couple of workouts. Gotten a bit more sleep last few days, so maybe that helps some. Been tired as heck lately - it's a bit weird to me, being tired and crawling in bed at 9ish and going right to sleep, but I think that I need to do that for a bit. Did bent-over rows, lat pulldowns, HS low rows and finished up with some dips.

I've been having the same problem pete. I need at least 10-11 hours of sleep to feel rested lately. Thing is, it's hard for me to get that much. I usually can only get 6-7.

I usually manage between 7-8 night before off days, and 6-7 before lifting days, since I am at the gym at 5, so up by 4:40 or so (up by 5:45/6 on off days). But since I am usually not home from work until almost 7 (hour commute each way), in bed by 9 barely gives me time to digest my dinner. Maybe I should skip dinner and get in bed by 8 every night :-)

Maybe just eat a smaller dinner?

THe harder I push myself the longer coma I go into when I sleep...

But I get better sleep. I feel mentally better, physically sore. I know I got some good work..

The hardest thing for me is when I lift I crave food like a junkie..I never thought about this, till Tom was telling me he craves red meat when he lifts a lot...My red meat intake is substantially more when I start lifting heavier...I think its my primal instincts kicking in:-)

I'm not a big red meat eater, usually not more than once a week. But I will have chicken, turkey, pork or fish every day. I definitely eat more when I am lifting, and more still when I am consistently lifting heavy.

I hear ya on the red meat. I try to eat red meat at least once a day. Granted doesnt always plan out like that, but I try to eat enough.
Pressed last night.
405x4 ( first two went quick last two were slow and painful )
Incline
Swiss bar Presses ( First time ive done these, only went to 225, but Felt a lot more in me really enjoyed the movement)
Tricep Ladder

Good workout this morning. Press for 115x5,135x4,4(Tie PR), Upright Row for 115x5,5,5, Shrugs for 320x5,360x5,5 and finished off with some strap leg raises. Good times.

Now going to see a different doc about my knees. Wonder what he'll say about my heavy squat day tomorrow...