* left knee almost painless now at lunch workout. still a little awkward in the morning. * adding backup sets to my push and pull using the 3rd resistance. i use 5 working weights with triples on the first 3, and doubles on the very heavy. the last set uses the full stack of the machine. then i backoff with sets of 5 using the middle weight.
* added the seated cable rows using the rope attachment. doing this with 1 feet on the floor and the other on the foot rest.don't want to curve the back the wrong way. squats still fatigued but getting better slowly.
* strain on the left leg around the lower hamstring still there and annoying. squats ok but still being careful. skipped the seated machine rows because those require a heavy planting leg too. i don't like it when i'm being overly cautions on the squats because i'm probably loading my right side more to compensate. thats an injury waiting to happen. il lift better later. more sleep for recovery.
* did not take vid of the 495. i was strongest with this triple. i had enough energy left to walk the weight back to the rack without fear that knees will buckle and break.
afternoon Squats 315-405-495, 545x1
* overslept and woke up 2-5pm. gym reservation was for 5-6pm. got to gym and at least did not wait long for the platform. the 495 was suprisingly explosive coming from a 495x3 a few hours ago at lunch time. no time for anything else anyway so i went for it. figured out that for every rep extra rep i did with 495 adds 10lbs to my total, i should be able to get 525. did the 495 triples consistently for a couple of workouts already, so i could probably get a 4th rep on a very good day. thats 535 total. 10 lbs over total. i plan to re-rack if the weight feels very heavy on lift off. it did not. went for it and it was actually a beautiful rep for a very heavy weight. i can still 495 tmrw. i did not overexert on a broken form. yey. very happy.
* did not have time again to start the workout at 5pm. got there almost 5:30 and only had time for what i did. the 495 was a lot easier than the one at noon. could have 495x2 backoff without overexerting but a triple would be tiring. * just updated log with the added cardio with inclined walking. keeping the pace at 3mph but adding more incline. did a 3min 12% to see how it goes. the treadmill at gym can go 30%. the one i have at home goes to 15%. easier to get HR up using more incline while keeping pace manageable.
3x495, incredible!!! How can i be the only one that thumbed this up, 3 days later. The fuck is wrong with you people!!!
thanks vag. i'm sure that if you've been using a top daily single consistently for 17 weeks multiple times a day, there is a very good chance you can triple that weight on a good day.
late afternoon at home Squats 315-405-495 Shoulders standing press 95-115-135-155x3, | standing cable face pull-rope 100-100x5 Rows seated row machine 235-250-265x3, 280-295x2 rest Calves seated calf raise 3x45lb,+25lb,+45lbx3 rest
* still fatigued from the triple 495 from friday. standing press at home and start building volumes of these. will see if i can continue without tiring my back.
* 495x3 was stronger the first time i did it. i still got a decent 3rd rep but you can tell that my form was beat. * i'm always skipping a calf day because i can't recover fast enough from my routine. il try this one now. lower weight with 3x45lb but with higher volumes to 5 reps and consistent 2-3 sets a workout. i could have added another plate on top but it just fatigues me too fast even with doubles only.
* summer weather high 60s this noon. felt like a very good day to be lifting but cannot lift well because the triple yesterday added too much fatigue. i cannot even double the 200 on the seated overhead press. don't want to grind a rep so stopped at a single. will skip afternoon workouts because i feel tired.
* felt so much better after my afternoon nap. gym goes indoors again tmrw after our county covid guidelines allowed them again to reopen indoor activities. reserved an 11am. the one close by does not have the free weight until thursday but will have a better 5pm-9pm operating hours this time. the one with the elieko plates (24hr fitness) only allows a 1x per day 90min workout with reservation. i prefer to use the one closer to me with the red vtx plates. (the one im going now outdoors)
* used the elieko plate gym on noon workout. don't like that 24hr fitness is limiting to 1 workout per day with only a 60min time slot. adding more of the vertical pulling because the machines are available again.
* did a quick 30 min workout at 5am during a break at work. the gym opens indoors now and it's not very busy at opening time. skipped the heavy doubles because those takes 3min+ rest before the next set.
* thought id be lifting a lot better indoors but it felt the same. my legs are weaker lately coming from the monday heavy triples. it added so much fatigue.
* can go to gym now at 5am opening time and do a blitz 20min routine during break at work. form on the vertical pulling feels very good. the machine top out at 18 but using 16 and heavier starts to tire my legs and back a lot because it pulls me up too much and i spend more energy just keeping myself planted to the seats.
* i slightly stained something non-muscle on the back side of my left knee doing the volumes of lat pulldowns. squats felt a little awkward. did not make the weight feel heavier than usual. its only my confidence when bending my knee. i had to slow down more to make sure everything inside there stays in one piece. planting my lowerbody puts a lot of stress on my knees doing these pulldowns. i have keep the reps low when using the heavier weights. might skip workout later if my left knee still feels broken.
* lat pulldown machine replaced with bw pullups. can't have my knee strained like this. felt like i was doing a calf raise against an immovable resistance trying to keep my body planted to the seats.
* feeling better but not recovered enough for the backoff 475s.
afternoon at home Shoulders seated cable inclined bench front raise with rope 10-20-30x5, inclined bench upright rows 40-50-60x5 Rows standing cable mid rows 100-100x5
* did some work on the cable station at home. skipped the squats. need more recovery on that. the upright rows with the tricep rope is on an inclined bench with the rope in front of me. a lot easier movement for the lowerback compared to standing.
* two days straight of very good sleep and i'm back to strong. did the squat with minimal rest and completed workout in sub 30mins. could have used the full 295 stack on the seated rowing but will save it for later. the volumes of afternoon rowing yesterday added some fatigue.
* skipped the morning workout. had a good nap at lunch break at work but it was a very cold 40s SF morning and i felt like getting more sleep. 475x3 at the noon workout after a 3.5hr morning sleep. slept another 3hr in the afternoon and the 2nd workout was also good.
* not a typo but i got to triple 495 today. i was already feeling very good on the lunch time workout after an 8-12noon sleep. decided to use that workout as a warmup. did the afternoon squats at 5pm after a 2-4:30pm afternoon sleep. the last rep was not a grinder. it was not a one off all out PR set. * i was not able to take a vid because the gym was packed and my camera had no good spot. it will just get trampled too. il get a vid in the next few days after i feel how much fatigue this triple will add.
* legs fatigued as expected but still strong enough to pause the 495 without second guessing myself and squat with the safety pins. will not lift this afternoon because im tired today. il stay home and do some cable work. no more squats til tmrw morning.
* bad idea to use 185 this morning. the last morning had a 185x3. first rep was already very slow. did not even bother with a 2nd and burnout my back. will slowly add more intensity to the facepulls. weight is already maxed out so will increase volume.
* calf raises still shot even with a day off. the standing unsupported rope pulls are adding lots of fatigue. that and the two set of triples last sunday. 475x4 a little better compared to last time i did it. still not confident enough to try for 5th rep because the 4th already slowed down more than i wanted.
* did the squats at garage to save time because gym platform will be very busy at this time. felt a little heavier but getting more comfortable lifting at home.
* was planning on doing the calf raises after the standing cable face pulls but burned my legs planting on that rowing movement. skipped calves. i'm not going to make any big progress in weight on my other exercises so il keep doing these triples for a few more weeks, then go heavier with doubles if that works.
* probably not a good idea to 2 workouts with backoffs on the same day. will see if i can recover with 8hr+sleep and very good diet. shoulder pressing with 185 also gave me a beating on the 3rd rep. this might go downhill fast tmrw.
* squats felt alright coming from a higher volume routine yesterday. coordination is on point. will take it easy today. focus more on little exercises.
* did not fatigue much from yesterday so i did it again. the shoulder press machine with 185 is getting a little easier but not by much. just very happy that i'm not fatiguing my lowerback this time. the resets and mindful arching of the lowerback is very helpful. no pain at all even with some crawling 3rd rep on some days.
* bw 212 and feeling very good this afternoon. one more weight plate on the row machine and machine is topped out. same with the shoulder press. the 185 is getting easier slowly but not going to get another 15lb over it soon.
* getting consistent with the unsupported cable face pull using rope. all are about face height but i adjust the notches 1 up and 1 down just to hit all the angles. feel good soreness on the upper rhomboids/lower traps. all good. i prefer to not overdevelop the shrug-affected area of the traps.
* failed the 3rd rep of 185 on seated shoulder press machine. did not recover enough from yesterdays volume. seated machine rowing now at full stack 295 and i still got to pause/squeeze at the top ROM. can add another 10lb using the moveable plates but this is already a very good top set.
* could have used 265 on seated rows but decided to rest my back more. i used all the way to 295 yesterday lunch so i don't want to tire fast on these. used a longer rope for my face pull and it made the exercise better.
* started the daily 495 last oct 25, making this day almost 4 months now. thats 1/4 of a year done. thats a good milestone if i can keep up with this bw and not get very fat. my blood pressure is still good at 90/60s so no worries staying at close to 210bw. i don't take any blood pressure medicine to keep it this low. i just spent the most of my teens to twenties doing distance running.
* skipped the backoff 475s. did not get the platform and the other setup makes it a lot more challenging. il do it tmrw. this was a 4-night work week so more rest is always good.
* another cold 45F morning at the outdoor gym. felt good and strong after some good dinner last night. did all except calves. too much of these cramp my toes.
* the shoulder pressing feeling better but not improving as easily as my rowing. added the face pull today while waiting for the calf raise machine. i learned how to arc and flex/tighten the lower back better during the pressing and this helped on unsupported rows. most stress now go to the planting feet.
* warm 50F but it will be a stormy week here in SF. platform was soaking wet. had to use the black plates and squat cage. 495 was routine but still felt at least 10-15lb heavier compared to the setup in the platform with bumpers.
* skipped the calf raises. foot / calves taking a lot of fatigue from the standing cable face pulls. it is not supported so the supporting muscles take a beating. will do calf raises next time using triples only.
late afternoon at home Squats 315-405-495
* it was a very windy 48F afternoon and not worth it to lift outdoors and get myself sick. will go to gym tmrw morning after work when this high winds are over.
* coldest outdoor morning workout so far at 43F. no choice but to work in with some regulars there because i cannot sit and wait to squat when its this cold. had a quick and good workout.
* almost 10F warmer at 57 this morning. not a lot of people at gym probably because of the MLK holiday. did not wait on anything. did my push/pull together and grabbed both machines. another sub 30min workout. had extra time to walk at home. baby duties follow so happy to get some cardio in.
* did the squats at the squat rack on concrete. put yoga mat on top. only thing that i got going is the bearing bar. also used the metal plates. setup weighs the same but not as comfortable or forgiving if i were in the platform with the bumpers.
* skipped the calf machine because it was busy. did not wait on everything else. 475x2 only. did not feel like grinding a 3rd. need to back off on the shoulder press. still heavy.
* very rare 1-workout day. the multi 475s yesterday got me tired. squat today felt smooth and good but i would feel a lot better after more sleep for recovery. will get at least 2 sessions tmrw and will make more progress then. today is a much needed deload.
* very cold, wet and foggy morning. had to lay down the rubber yoga mat on the platform because the outdoor fog got eveything wet. been using the rope attachment at my home cable station. top ROM contractions are awesome.
* outdoor gym is the only gym open now in the SF peninsula area and the crowd at least doubled in the last few days. impossible to use any equipment during peak hours without a lengthy wait. my morning and noon workouts are ok. the afternoon will be shot if i get there 5-530pm. on off days, i go there 4pm and its still ok. i might just do my squat routine at home on my afternoon workout and just use the machines at gym.
* bw down 4lbs to 204. felt very good and did the squats without rest. bad idea because the 495 became somewhat of a crawl. nothing back breaking but got me exerting a lot more than i had too. if i took a 3-5min reset on the top set, it would have been an easy day. still very strong on the other lifts.
* gym was very packed. had a good workout because the platform was not busy, the back machine and seated calf raise was also available. very lucky day. did backoff 405x5 because i was feeling good not waiting on anything. gym capacity is almost triple this afternoon from the usual.
* not very cold 48F but it was windy. squats felt uncomfortable because my nose was clogged. 455 was easy. could have 495 but don't want to hurt myself lifting this very windy day.
* no afternoon workout yesterday. back fatigued from the rowing. not the stabilizing back muscle that affects the squat. the rhomboids are shot. would still have a good squat workout but just prefer to get more sleep for recovery. stopped at 455 this morning. too cold and windy.
* strong everything. have vid. load later. dropped the 455 after the triple. don't want to risk injuring something by single leg carrying that weight after 3 tiring reps. looks like i could have done more. i got tired
* fatigue from the multi sets of 190x5 on the double arm rowing. did 8 sets of it the other day. squats felt heavy. nothing broken. just too much fatigue from the other little exercises.
* squat still heavy but getting better. added shoulder press on the machine. doing them without facing backwards. i believe it is only easier and more comfortable doing backwards because the weights feel lighter. its lighter because i can use other stabilizing muscles as momentum generators. not good because thats how i tire my core. doing them with back planted limits the assistance of the other muscles and puts all the work on the shoulders. i stopped at 125 because thats when i see noticeable slowing down of the concentric.
* i'm back to routine now. will slowly integrate the seated shoulder press machine to workout. will see by end of week if these learning volumes i'm doing right now are enough or too much.
* did the shoulder press on the machine with resets. the machine bottoms out on my full ROM so it was easier on my back if i give it a quick break in between reps and not be tense the whole 30-40 sec. set.
* another very cold 45F morning. squats not easy because my toes got numb. already wearing thermal socks. added reverse fly for more midback gains. shoulder pressing on machine with resets are preserving my core. not getting any bad effect yet to my squat.
* since i'm doing the shoulder press with resets, i was able to valsalva each rep on the heavier sets. got all the way to 155. stopped there and will see if i can recover from it.
* start 3-day work nights. did not get long sleep. 455 was routine. 495 would have been a grind. good call to skip that. skipped the chest press too and focus more on overhead pressing.
* all my pulling movements now have a pause at the top ROM. the non-heavy weights have a pause/squeeze but the squeeze becomes less on the top set. might be a good idea to not do that top set if i can't make a squeeze. * squats still solid even with the almost 1 week volumes of daily shoulder pressing. the resets did the job. its like my squat routine before.. a cluster of singles.
late afternoon Squats 315-405-495 Rows double arm cable rows 145-160-175x5 Shoulders seated chest press machine 145-160-175-190x5 | seated shoulder press machine 110-125-140-145-150x5 Calves seated calf raise 135-145-160x5 (135 is 3plates)
* 43F morning but it was not windy so went and lift outside. did not do 495 and saved it for later. don't want to overexert in the morning. back fatigued from the double arm rowing i did at home. everytime i do something out of routine, i fatigue my back and regret it.
* squats felt better but back still fatigued. the walk out/in was uncomfortable. little stabilizing muscles at my lowerback were tense. other than that, 495 was smooth.
late afternoon at home gym Squats 315-365-405 Rows one arm rows 20-30-40 5x1 sets
* gym closed at 4pm. did a 5:30pm workout at garage. could have 455 at least but there is still back fatigue. stopped at 405 for more recovery.
* 46F at gym. didn't feel like doing 495 at this cold. got a smooth 455. will lift at home tmrw if its this cold again. probably get 495 after my garage gets to temp.
* very little back fatigue left. the walk in/out of 495 was ok now.
late afternoon outdoor gym Squats 315-405-495x1 Rows double arm seated cable rows 145-160-175-190 5x1 sets | one arm rows 20-30-40 5x1 sets rest Shoulders seated chest press machine 145-160-175-190-205-220 5x1 sets Calves seated calf raise 2x45lb+25lb, 3x45lb 5x1 sets rest
* back tightness there again on the walk outs. should not have done those non-supported one arm rows. even with lighter weights, my back needed more time off. the squat itself was alright.
late afternoon outdoor gym Squats 315-405-495x1 Rows double arm cable rows 145-160-175-190 5x1 sets | one arm rows 20-30-40 5x1 sets rest Shoulders seated chest press machine 145-160-175-190-205-220 5x1 sets Calves seated calf raise 2x45lb+25lb, 3x45lb 5x1 sets rest
* still not 100% on back tightness. i need to avoid doing any form of non-supported rows. il use my adjustable bench facing backwards with my cable station.
morning home Squats 225-315-365-405 Rows double arm cable rows 145-160-175-190 5x1 sets | one arm rows 20-30-40 5x1 sets Shoulders seated chest press machine 145-160-175-190-205 5x1 sets rest Calves seated calf raise 2x45lb+25lb 5x1 sets rest
early afternoon home Squats 225-315-365-405-495x1 Rows double arm cable rows 145-160-175-190 5x1 sets | one arm rows 20-30-40 5x1 sets Shoulders seated chest press machine 145-160-175-190-205 5x1 sets rest Calves seated calf raise 2x45lb+25lb 5x1 sets rest
* got another heavier than usual 495 at home. back tightness not noticeable anymore (got it from un-supported cable rows) on the squat walkouts. still bothering me a little because i don't feel 100% yet. did some very light overhead pressing on my cable station. i'm ending this year strong. no more stupid routine and get my body broken again. stick to what works.
* skip the chest press machine at gym. want to get my back to 100% soon. squat is normal now but i can still feel the tenderness on a little lowerback muscle (which i broke doing volumes of unsupported rows, without doing any "learning" routine first).
* squat felt very good. no trace of back issues anymore. then i messed it up a little on the 190x5 chest press. should have skipped it. back got very little feeling of tenderness on that last 190x5. nothing that will carry over to the next workout but still annoying. * added very light overhead pressing on machine. this tenderizes my back for sure but kept it very light and will slowly build up the intensity. i was already at 150+ x5s when i was doing them but they are very taxing to the core.
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