Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select Start AI's Road (back) To Greatness

[Anthrax Invasion]

Monday - 02.13.06 - Week 1 - Day 1 - Lower
Bodyweight: 167 lbs.

Back Squat
Warmups: 45x10, 75x5 130x3, 150x2, 170x1
Work Sets: 180x8, 8, 8

Leg Curl
35 x 8, 8, 8

Front Squat
120 x 12, 12

Romanian Deadlift
145 x 12, 12

Heel Raise
160 x 8, 8, 8

First day back, whoo! Felt good to lift again. Made it through without any back issues. Everything went up a lot easier than expected, but I wanted to be conservative with my weights, to be sure I didn't screw myself on the two week ramp-up my program entails. Hoping to get back my strength rather quickly, but I'm likely gonna take it slow since I don't want to overload and of my connective tissues, nor my back. It's been too long, can't afford another injury.

Didn't do the seated heel raises - no way to do 'em at home. Bar across legs hurts (too much weight), and stacking plates isn't pragmatic. Just gonna forget these, as my calves are already pretty thick anyway - only need another .5" on 'em.

Isolation stuff feels odd. Leg curls - haven't done 'em in so long. They felt alright, but I had to be careful of movement in my lower back.

And wow - I lost a lot more weight than I thought. I've been avoiding scales for some time 'cause I was worried I lost way too much. I certainly did. I guess that's to be expected, though. I feel so thin.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Contra

 

[Jim Ouini]

Contra

 

[Jim Ouini]

Oh yeah AI, good to see you back in the game. Hope the back holds up.

And to 167, you're downright emaciated. What, you used to be 190 something pre-injury?

 

[Madcow2]

Contra

What was it - the unlimited lives code at the beginning? Contra NES circa 1987ish I guess?

 

[carlsuen]

yeah dude.. u lost a lot of weight.. but good luck with your new program there.. and just be conservative about the weights.. as your just healed right? looking forward to see your gains..

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Damn right, Contra. I figured if I typed it in, it would give me the same effect as unlimited lives in the game but instead give me unlimited stamina of some sort during my workouts. No, no, it's really a song "Contra Code" by Curlupanddie (metalcore band from Vegas) - G5, you'd like it. Lots of screaming, lots of noise - motivating.

I fluctuated between 190-195 - my job at UPS shrunk me down a lot. I'm shredded, though. Even when I have a gallon of milk a day (i.e., bloat from sodium), I can see all my abs. That's one plus. I lost a good deal of mass, as the lack of lifting got me depressed, my father passed away over the Summer, and everything has been shit for awhile. I finally started piecing back the rest of my life a month ago or so. After so much research and perseverence, I'm ready to lift again, and I figured I'd throw in with my own journal, since everyone's doing it, and I wanna fit in.

I was born in 1987 - represent.

I'm proud of my lower body numbers - I didn't think I'd retain what I did. I've always had a thicker and stronger anchor, though. My upper body always lags, no matter what I do. It really kills my vain side.

Posting tonight's upper body workout (just finished) in a minute.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Re: Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select Start AI's Road (back) To Greatn

Wednesday - 02.15.06 - Week 1 - Day 2 - Upper
Bodyweight: 167 lbs.

Flat Bench
Warmup: 45x10, 75x8, 105x5, 120x3
135 x 8, 8, 8

One Arm Row (weight listed is weight per arm)
Warmup: 25x8, 35x5
50 x 8, 8, 8

Incline Bench
100 x 12, 12

Chinup
BW x 12, 7

Dip
BW x 11, 8

EZ Bar Curl
65 x 14, 12

Rotator Cuff Work
L-Raise - 20 x 10
Ext. Rotation - 20 x 5
Windmill - 5 x 5 forward & back

Core Work
Curlup - 5x8s
Side Bridge - 5x8s
Birddog - 5x8s w/10 lb. weights on ankle & wrist

Wow. I felt dizzy after tonight. My upper body is throbbing. My shoulders gave out on external rotations. Hell, my body couldn't pull through the chinups, dips and curls for the targetted reps. Close, but I'm way out of practice and the higher volume per session is something new to me.

I definitely like higher reps all around - 5x5 was great, and I'll go back to something like it, but training with 6-8, 10-12 and 12-15 reps leaves you breathless - quite literally. Well, with lower body anyway.

One arm rows are definitely odd, but I think I'll like them. Focus on pushing the elbow behind me and squeeze at the top. Movement all in my back, not my arms. Harder to cheat this way. Eventually I'll do them with a bit of a jerk I'm sure, 'cause it's almost inevitable as rows get heavy. That'll be fine, though.

Really got a feel for flat bench tonight, as per a tip from Lyle. Focus on pulling your elbows across your chest (as in a fly) when benching. It's harder as weight gets heavier (or maybe it just happens automatically), but when I could consciously get it done, I felt it. I normally don't go for that kind've bullshit, but I could feel it contracting and being used more - on the other hand, my shoulders didn't feel they were working as hard - which is good, 'cause on flat bench, I don't need it. My right shoulder already has a flexibility problem from when I was younger and couldn't get in my house. I decided to ram my shoulder into it over and over and finally busted it and got in. It was in first grade too. Ever since, I can't get nearly the ROM in my right shoulder as my left.

So yeah, that little tip for benching was good. Chinups were awesome - had to go outside and do 'em from my old metal awning poles we have attached to the house. It's a nice little tundra in below-freezing weather.

I was shaking with dips - my triceps were dead by then. I decided to use dips rather than skull crushers. The latter hurt my elbows. I was way off my mark though.

Curls. They're curls. Bleh. My arms do look hyoooooge though. I'm totally swole.

These posts will get shorter, don't worry everyone.

 

[nelmsjer]

I was born in 1987 - represent.

For the love, son...

 

[djeclipse]

Re: Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select Start AI's Road (back) To Greatn

Contra kicks ass! But I don't remember the select being in there. I thought it was up, up, down, down, left, right, b, a, start. It has to be the most popular cheat code in gaming history, everyone knows that one even if they don't remember nintendo.

Sorry to hear about your rough times, it;s good to see you getting back into it. You must be shreaded with that amount of weight loss. Do you have any current pics to use as before pictures?