Training Sesh 5/6: In which we bench, bitch about benching, and endeavor to get better

Just a quick report on the day's work - bench day.

The occurrence:

• Bench - 5xbar, 5x95lbs, 5x135lbs, 5x170lbs, 3,2x190lbs, 1x185lbs, 5x155lbs, 8x135lbs
• Tbar rows, paused - 3x8x55lbs
• Klokov press - 10xbar, 7x65lbs, 5x85lbs, 5x95lbs
• Reverse hyper, slow, heels together toes out - 3x10x90lbs
• JM  floor press, EZ curl bar w/chain - 3x10 w/two chains/side 

Not the greatest bench day in the world, from a progress standpoint. Worked with Austin and Matt a little bit on form, seems like my bench has taken a funny turn where I want to start pressing toward the hooks as opposed to straight up- needs more rep work and triceps work. Also needs more back work- bench felt a little more solid than the other day, but between the shoulder acting up and the back not able to stay tight, progress seems to be slowing. Seems like I have been stuck at this weight for these reps for a few weeks and it's still occasionally frustrating knowing that my bench would be 75-100lbs over what it is now had a certain few connective tissues not decided to become inflamed and loosen up at the spine.

Smart work and patience. Woosah.

A few things I noted right off the bat after the bench sets were shoulder tightness and fatigue - my left shoulder still feels a bit jammed up and the bicep tendinitis is playing with me with keeping the bar path correct and not dropping at the bottom of the eccentric portion of the lift. I actually ended up having to reset in the middle of my set at 190lbs, hence the "3,2". Spent some time with the TENS on it last night after I got home, and it is time I get back into the rehab work, to include David's ab fab shoulder circuit -

Hell, I feel bad half the time because unless they get programmed in, I almost never do this series, and it really is good for the shoulders and upper back.

Also note that since I am having shoulder issues, seemed like the perfect time to get back into Klokov presses.

Lolly.

Lolly.

Lol.

As to that funny bit at the end, the JM floor press, Austin had apparently seen it via something ol' Dave Tate at Elite had posted somewhere, so we decided it would be generally awesome to give a shot for a finisher for triceps work.

Here's the official rundown over at EliteFTS.com

I did mine a little differently, as listed, using the EZ curl bar and two chains per side with no plate weight for sets of 10. Even that was pretty nasty as with any chain movement, you need to really press through it to lockout. Think we have a short fat bar (in addition to the standard fat bar) at the ol' jamesnasium, may have to give that one a shot next time.

Time to grab a band and get to work. If you don't have any at home or at your own jamesnasium, do yourself a favor and hit up the ol' EliteFTS and grab a handful of them. One (or a pair) of each of the first few sizes will get quite a bit done around the house.

And when you're done with that, go forth and destroy.

Training Sesh 5/4: Skay watts, deathlifts, and bye bye, backloading

Ah, Sunday. Sunday funday.

This particular Sunday was time to squat. The little lady and the wife lady headed to the zoo to meet some friends and their kids and under the influence of the baby childrens, decided to stay for quite some time.

Sunday being funday, this equaled a little more play time at the jamesnasium.

Here is what occurred:

• Stretch, dynamic warm up, etc about 10min
• Squat - 5x145lbs, 5x195lbs, 5x245lbs, 5x295lbs, 5x335lbs
• Sumo deathlift - 5x140lbs, 10x1x250lbs, 5x250lbs, 5x280lbs 
• Band hip abductions - 3x20 w/doubled over EliteFTS Modest Onyx band
• Lat pulldown, wide handle, paused - 3x10x100lbs
• Cable crunches - 3x10x120lbs

As mentioned previously, I have backed my weight down on squats to work on back and parallel, this being the second sesh of such work. With that being said, I am squatting a little slower to concentrate on pushing back a bit better, etc.

I even got several videos

• 5x145lbs

• 5x245lbs (didn't get the set at 195lbs)

• 5x295lbs

• 5x335lbs (sexy time)

All in all pretty decent. They were all right at or below, I think. Even that set at 335, which I have to admit felt like deuce and I got out of position on a few reps, hence the good morning effect, didn't look nearly as bad as it felt.

Mission accomplished, it was off to deathlifts.

Quick set at 140lbs (heavy collars) to warm up and remember positioning and cues, then off to some technique singles at 250lbs. Hips felt like shit at first from squatting and random tightness, but I had Porter try to pop my hips (to no avail, but it helped) and eventually they worked back out.  The singles eventually felt decent enough that I went ahead at a set of five, went up to 280lbs and ran another set of five. They felt fast enough that I probably should have gone up some more, but I honestly didn't have "max effort" in mind. Will pull more next time.

One of the technique pulls at 250lbs:

Again, not awful, but it could be better. Looking back, wish I would have gotten some video of the sets of five, as I think I was able to lock my upper back in a little bit better than the above. Not sure of the arch and all, obviously, but felt decently fast off the ground, etc.

More pulls, more video, more work. Continuing work on the upper back and the hips.

But one thing I am not continuing is the ol' Carb Backloading. Good ol' blood pressure spike the other day got me a bit edgy, and I honestly think I will lift better with a little more constant flow of carbs throughout the regular day instead of spiking them directly after.

Not saying it doesn't work as a diet, I just don't think it is right for me right now.

I just have to watch the calories.

Go forth and destroy.

A salad with extra chicken.

Training Sesh update: Skay Watts and Benchlings, a decrepit brewery, some stuff and things

It's been a busy week or so for the Hanselopolis.

No, I don't intend to refer to myself in the third person all the time. The royal third person.

Speaking of, the Brit royalty is in town for a wedding. I am a little offended they didn't call, what with me having a world famous blog and the princes' known love for squatting and deadlifting, and then there was that time we shared in a "lost night" painting Las Vegas red...

But that's a story for another time. Suffice it to say, Bill and Harry, I am offended.

Harrumph.

Anyhoo, work has been busy as this past week I narrowly avoided going to the graveyard shift, switched positions and functional areas, and got a whole new team under my oversight. Seems to be a good team overall but there is, of course, work to do, processes to tighten up, actions for which to hold people accountable.

My Lean Six Sigma green belt project was also scrapped, so I am about to start to scramble up and start a new one. Huzzah. Actually, fucking huzzah. Like so much GOD DAMNED HUZZAH IT MAKES MY FUCKING LOINS TINGLE.

Shoon

Pretty happy about it.

Frustrating, but there is still some time. Hopefully enough time to get another project done and get my green belt.

So training, right?

Lessee, hurr, Tuesday. Tuesday was squat day. Here is what occurred:

• Some active warm up, air squats, stretch, etc, about 10min
• Squats - 5xbar (Texas squat bar), 5x145lbs, 5x195lbs, 5x235lbs, 5x285lbs, 5x325lbs
• Good mornings - 10x145lbs, 10x165lbs, 10x195lbs
• Cable crunches - 10x100lbs, 10x110lbs, 10x120lbs, 10x130lbs
• Prayer squats - 3x30sec holds

Not an awful session, but after the previous one and game taping video from previous squat seshes, I decided to back the weight up a bit and concentrate on sitting back and getting my hips opened up a bit more, ie, hitting parallel and maintaining form. Lifted with gym bro Scott (thanks fer da cues, yo) with some calls for depth, etc, so everything should have been right on.

Didn't get video, and neither Prince Harry nor Prince Bill were there to attest for it, but just suffice it to say that everything rolled a little better and squats felt pretty good.

Do wish I had gotten video.

Le sigh.

Here's some video. And Meshuggah. It's like a double win, you lucky dog.

Dat Tomas Haake, doe

Thursday was benchling day. The occurrence:

• Shoulder traction, warm up, bout 5min
• Bench - 5xbar, 5x95lbs, 5x135lbs, 5x155lbs, 5x185lbs, 2x1x205lbs
• Bench - 3x10x135lbs
• Tbar row, paused - 4x8x45lbs
• Cable pressdown, left arm only - 10x30lbs, 10x40lbs, 10x50lbs, 10x40lbs, ~20x35lbs

Not the most awesome working sets of recent note, but I did do the 185 without wrist wraps and gpt under the 205. The 205 is the most weight I have benched since the injury occurred, so I guess that is pretty cool. Christian and one of his clients worked in, and Christian noticed I was dipping the bar at the chest the last few inches, ie dropping to the chest instead of controlling all the way down, and maybe overextending at the top of the lift. I am going to have to get more video of my bench to game tape for these issues, but opted to run with more bench instead of OHP to grease the groove, as it were, and work on reps with technique.

Work, work, work.

The other fun thing about Thursday was bleeding into my sinuses on that set of 185 on bench. I had gotten a minor nose bleed earlier in the day at work, which apparently decided to come back on a working set of lifting, go figure. This not an uncommon occurrence in lifting, but it is annoying as crap when you are on your back with a loaded barbell over your chest and you nose tries to drown you while you are lifting.

Come on, face, really? Really?

While David was proud of this instance, I suggested that it might actually be blood pressure related versus effort related, recalling the previous conversation in which we determined that one could be out of shape enough that mere existence was cardio, hence, high blood pressure is actually a sign of health.

Booyah.

Friday was also marked one year since the death of Jeff Hanneman, guitarist of Slayer.

This morning, though, we jumped out of bed bright eyed and bushy tailed at about 8:45AM (and I do mean, we, id est, the wife lady, the daughter lady, and I from the mine and my wife's bed) and headed down to ye olde Memphis Farmers Market, which is always good for some fresh veggies, a cookie for the littlest lady, and some delectable beef treats from Claybrook Farms. Picked up a few small pieces of pottery for the house, moved the car and walked on down to the Tennessee Brewery.

The brewery is a cool old building that is currently under threat of demolition and redevelopment, and the Untapped movement was started to save it and retain it as a historical landmark- it shut down in 1954, and generations of Memphis kids have been sneaking into it and tourists admiring it ever since.

Check out a video here.

What the Untapped folks have done is pretty fun- set up some visiting food trucks, a couple of tap bars, family games, etc. We walked over, wife and I grabbed a couple of beers (I enjoyed High Cotton Brewing's Bier de Garde), and we played all the games they had- cornhole (huh huh huh, cool...), air hockey, and a bit of bolo toss.

Good times.

Go forth and destroy. But not a historical building.

Thanks.