27 April 2011

Ran 2 miles this morning.
Been running 2 miles most mornings for awhile.

Was very sore when I started out this morning (did squats two days ago, ran last 2 days), actually turned back around to quit.
Then as I turned back I asked myself "How badly do you want it?"

So I ran the 2 miles afterall.

Lifting tonight!
Gonna be OHP'ing 155.

"Ain't nothin' in the world more expensive than free."

"Ain't nothin' in the world more expensive than free."

Good OHP Day

OHP'd 150 for 3 reps.

Back when I was heavier and used a belt the highest I managed was 150 x 5 x 5. (Or was it 3x5?)

Regardless, it feels good to be approaching my old records lighter and beltless. Will be a big day when I pass them.

Bench weights have been LOW since I introduced the pause. I actually haven't benched over 200 in months now.

Going to Start Eating Greens

1) Making it a priority, starting with my first meal, to eat greens regularly. Going to make a cabbage salad tomorrow for lunch.

2) Finally beginning to recover from back injury. Recuperation squats are getting easier. Wherewas 175 x 5s x 10r was tough a week ago, 185 x 5s x 10r was easy today.

big feat by someone with big feet

Did my first pullup yesterday in what's going on a year.
It's a start.
:)

Benched today.
Got 160 x 11 with the new power-lifting pause on each rep.
That pause makes all the difference.

Think my max, with regular form, still probably about 245.
I look forward to testing in a bit and finding out.

Also been either running or kettlebelling every day for the past few days.
Think it's helping.

Trying to unfuck my life

Trying to unfuck my life.
It's a truly daunting affair.

At times like this I'm truly thankful for lifting. It's one thing that I can control. That i can progress with.

Running

Talking to the recruiter it has become obvious I need to start running.
The ultimate goal is to run 2 miles in 13 minutes.
This will require some pretty radical changes.
But, I believe it is doable.

I'm going to approach running the in a manner similar to my 531 lifting approach.
Slow steps, and even slow progress, but that progress will be consistent and long term.

So, ran 1.0 mile today in 9:56.
Going to run 1.0 mile everyday, always under 10 minutes, unless it's a Squat or DL day.

After a week or two I'll move it down to 9 minutes. Then 8 minutes. Etc. And once I'm at 7 minutes, I'll start upping the distance.

Slow and steady, slow and steady.

Completed 2nd cycle of 531

This past week:
OHP'd 135 x 8, a new record.
Squatted (without belt) 325 x 4.


Building up my squat, beltless, while losing weight is a challenge. Much more so than building up my squat while fat and belted.

I also concluded my second cycle of Wendler's 531. I like the system, especially for me at this point in my training.

Focus

Read a great article on leangains.com.

Takeaways:

1) Need to keep doing what I'm doing even if weight loss progress slows for a week or two. Water retention can do funny stuff.

2) Need to become OBSESSED with Java.

04 Feb 2011 Recap

(Couple days late).

First week of second cycle of Wendler's 5/3/1.
Today was Bench day.
Workout looked like this.

Goals:
150 x 5
175 x 5
195 x amrap
BBB: 160 x 5s x 10r


Hit all the weights, ended up getting 195 x 9.
I'm happy with these #'s for now. I'm more happy that my lifts continue to climb while my weight drops.


The lift I did was actually a mistake though. To arrive at my #'s I just added 5lbs to every lift I was doing at this point in the last cycle. A few of the lifts may have been off by a few lb's.

My next workout, squat day, cycle 2, week 1, will be (based on a 340 max)

What's your max?340
5 reps * 220.0
5 reps * 255.0
All out reps * 290.0 (Haven't done 290 before, no record to break)
5 sets * 10 reps at 187.5 (2.5lb increase from last time):

Update

Haven't written for awhile.
Since last writing I've:


1) Completed the first "cycle" of Wendler's 5/3/1. (I like it. Wendler is a genius).

2) Lost a bit more weight while continuing to have lifts go up. (Was at 280.1 this past weekend). (Total weight loss = 24lbs).

Week 2 Wendler 5/3/1

Did Week 2, Day 1, of Wendler's 5/3/1 today.
I f'd up and accidentally put in the numbers for week 1 instead of 2 so my workout was a bit off. Instead of doing sets of 3 at a higher weight, I was doing sets of 5 at the same weight as last week. Good news is I was able to get more weight/reps.
On the AMRAP set I got 6 reps as opposed to last weeks 5.
On BBB (Big But Boring) I did 5 sets of 10 reps of deadlift at 225 instead of 200.

Deadlifting 225 is a stupidly light weight, but 50 reps will still make itself felt.

Instead of bicep curls I used Kroc rows as the accessory exercise. They were fantastic at revealing how weak my upper back is. Managed 5 sets of 15 reps at 45lbs. Goal is 5 sets of 20 reps with 100lbs. Deadline for this goal: 5 months, 19 June 2011.

Today's workout was.

Week 2, day 2, deadlift day, 18 Jan 2010
Goals:
260 x 5
300 x 5
340 x amrap
BBB: 225 X 5s x 10r
Accessory: Kroc Rows

135 x 5 @ 8:30
225 x 5 @ 8:39
(1) 260 x 5 @ 8:44 (double-overhand and easy)
(2) 300 x 5 @ 8:52 (got it, no sweat)
FUCK!!!! JUST REALIZED I AM DOING WEEK 1 WORKOUT INSTEAD OF WEEK 2!!! PUNCHED IN WRONG NUMBERS AT HOUSE. WILL HAVE TO COMPENSATE BY UPPING THE NUMBERS. WILL MAKE BBB 225 INATEAD OF 200, SHOOT FOR 6+ REPS ON FINAL SET @ 340.
(3) 340 X 6 @ 9:01 (NICE! Improvement from last week. But also possible that this bar is just less slippery than bar at aquatic center).
****************************
BBB:
(1) 225 x 10 @ 9:06
(2) 225 x 10 @ 9:12 (first rep felt so light and came up so easy that I had to stop and confirm it was really 225).
(3) 225 x 10 @ 9:17
(4) 225 x 10 @ 9:24
(5) 225 x 10 @ 9:32

Kroc Rows:
(1) 45 x 15 (obviously both arms)(forgot to record time)
(2) 45 x 15 @ 9:46
(3) 45 x 15 @ 9:51
(4) 45 x 15 @ 9:55 (had to cheat on last 3 reps)
(5) 45 x 15 @ 10:00

Fin

First Week on 5/3/1

The first week on Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 went well.
The weights look pretty light on paper, but didn't seem quite that light in real life. I may have even over-estimated a bit seeing as how on some of the max out sets I was only able to get 5 reps.
First week ended up looking like this:

09 Jan 2011 Sunday (OH PRESS DAY)
goals:
105 x 5
120 x 5
135 x max reps
5s x 10r @ 60lbs

Bar x 5 @ 2:55
(1) 105 x 5 @ 2:58
(2) 120 x 5 @ 3:04
(3) 135 x 5 @ 3:12 (f#ck!! Maybe I overestimated my 1RM).

(4) 60 x 10 @ 3:19
(5) 60 x 10 @ 3:23
(6) 60 x 10 @ 3:29
(7) 60 x 10 @ 3:33
(8) 60 x 10 @ 3:38

(1) Pushup x 5 @ 3:46
(2) Pushup x 10 @ 3:50
(3) Pushup x 10 @ 3:54
(4) Pushup x 10 @ 4:00
(5) Pushup x 10 @ 4:03

NFin







11 Jan 2011 Tuesday
DEADLIFT

Max = 400
65% = 260
75% = 300
85% = 340

MAIN LIFT
Deadlift:
135 x 5 @ 3:25
225 x 5 @ 3:28
(1) 260 x 5 @ 3:31
(2) 300 x 5 @ 3:39
(3) 340 x 6 @ 3:51

BIG BUT BORING:
(1) 200 x 10 @ 4:01
(2) 200 x 10 @ 4:06
(3) 200 x 10 @ 4:10
(4) 200 x 10 @ 4:18
(5) 200 x 10 @ 4:24

Fin


14 Januray 2011 Bench Day
Goals:
145 x 5
170 x 5
190 x arap

Bbb:
125 x 5s x 10r
**************************
Bench main lifts
Bar x 7 @ 7:05
135 x 5 @ 7:08
(1) 145 x 5 @ 7:12
(2) 170 x 5 @ 7:17
(3) 190 x 9 @ 7:24
(Bench BBB)
(1) 115 x 10 @ 7:28
(2) 115 x 10 @ 7:32
(3) 115 x 10 @ 7:36
(4) 115 x 10 @ 7:40
(5) 115 x 10 @ 7:46

(Pushups. 2nd accessory lift).
(1) 10 @ 7:51
(2) 10 @ 7:54
(3) 10 @ 7:58
(4) 10 @ 8:02
(5) 10 @ 8:08

Fin


15 Jan 2011 squats
Goals:
225 x 5
260 x 5
300 x amrap
175 x 5s x 10r
******************************
Bar x 5 @ 11:17 (felt tight, did not get deep)
135 x 5 @ 11:20
(1) 225 x 5 @ 11:25
(2) 260 x 5 @ 11:31 (no problem getting below depth on this set).
(3) 300 x 5 @ 11:41 (did not have a 6th rep in the tank. Might have over-estimated max).

(BBB accessory)

(1) 175 x 10 @ 11:48
(2) 175 x 10 @ 11:53
(3) 175 x 10 @ 11:59
(4) 175 x 10 @ 12:05
(5) 175 x 10 @ 12:11

5 minute kettlebell swing w/ 44lb'er:
80 swings

wrote a Wendler program

Wrote a Wendler 5/3/1 program to calculate your numebrs.

I like Wendler's program so far.

The Diet and the Meal

So I'm doing a diet right now inspired by 4HB.

Idea is to eat strictly slow-carbs 6 days/week, then eat whatever you want on the 7th.

Current vision of a perfect meal is:

1/2 can refried beans: carbs: 33 protein: 11 calories: 175

2 ggs: carbs: 4 protein: 34 fat: 28
1 chicken breast: carbs: 0 protein: 23 calories: 123 fat: 0

frozen spinach:
onions: 0 0 0
guacamole: 30 10 fat: 50
red pepper (if available): 0 0 0 0
-----------------------------------------------------------
67 88 78


The recipe:
-chop 1/3 onion and, optional, chop 1 red peppar
-heat olive oil in pan to medium temp
-add onions and chopped peppar to pan
-cook 4 minutes
-add thawed chopped chicken breast and 1/2 can refried beans
-cook 2 minutes
-add 2 eggs and 1 small bowl of frozen spinach
-cook 2 minutes
-put contents in bowl
-add liberal amount of guacamole

total prep time: ~14 minutes

weight loss going well

Have been able to lose weight lately without giving up strength.

Fit into a black shirt tonight that hasn't fit in quite awhile. I wasn't as ecstatic as people on TV are when they lose weight, but it was nice to be able to wear the shirt.

Lifting Summary this week:

B Squat: 265 x 5 x 5
OHP: 125 x 5 x 5
Bench: 195 x 5 x 5 (failed and reset at 200)
Deadlift: 335 x 1 x 5
Bicep Curls: 100 x 8s x 5r

Decided this week to embrace Pavel's philosophy. Every rep is a deposit in the bank, only going to make major withdrawls at competitions.
So, I'll aim for 5x5 on a weight. If I make it, I'll advance the next workout at keep the 5x5 scheme. If I don't make it, I'll drop down 10%, and switch to 8s x 5r. Then, when I'm back at the point of reset, I'll try for 5x5 again.

progress today

Today's Accomplishments:

-dropped off transcript for SMART Scholarship
-had a good run
-accompanied R to her interview


Things I could have done better:
-should have made time to get more coding in

Python Challenge #1

Solved Python challenges 0 and 1.
Like the solution I came up with to #1.
Posted below.

****************************************

encrypted_string = "g fmnc wms bgblr rpylqjyrc gr zw fylb. rfyrq ufyr amknsrcpq ypc dmp. bmgle gr gl zw fylb gq glcddgagclr ylb rfyr'q ufw rfgq rcvr gq qm jmle. sqgle qrpgle.kyicrpylq() gq pcamkkclbcb. lmu ynnjw ml rfc spj."

alphabet_list = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzab"
numbers = "123456789"

decrypted_string = ""

for i in encrypted_string:
if i not in alphabet_list:
i = i
decrypted_string += i
else:
first_a_loc = alphabet_list.find(i)
second_a_loc = first_a_loc + 2
decrypted_string += alphabet_list[second_a_loc]

print decrypted_string

bugs!

Stayed up stupidly late tonight trying to fix a bug in my python tic-tac-toe.
Ultimately wasn't able to. The function was so involved with other subsequent actions that there were just too many things that went haywire as soon as I touched it.

Anyway, I lost it on today's 20-rep-squats at 262. I could have done it, I just didn't focus enough. Will hit it hard upon return.
Today's workout:

B Squat: 260 x 1s x 13 reps
OHP: 110 x 5s x 10r
Leg Press: 550 x 3s x 5r
360 x 1s x 20 r (this was an awesome set)
Bicep Curl: 105 x 6s x 5r
65 x 1s x 10r (wanted 20 reps, but was burned out.)

Goodnight!

workout yesterday

Another day of 20-rep-squats.
Another day of high rep OHP.
T-Bar was fun.
Didn't get all 10 reps of bicep curls, failed on 9th and 10th sets.

B-Squat: 257.5 x 1s x 20r
135 x 1s x 20r

OHP: 105 x 5s x 10r

T-Bar: 105 x 3s x 15r

Barbell Bicep Curl: 100 x 8s x 5r
100 x 2s x 4r


The B-Squats are tough, but I love them. And anything that tough is probably good for me.
Hoping that the high-volume OHP coupled with the T-bar will allow for mass gains in shoulder girdle and traps.
Barbell curls felt a tiny bit off where I injured my right elbow, but at the same time felt really good to do. Sort of like rehab.