Get strong, look good, be in shape

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1

Hello everyone. For a decade and more, strength and conditioning has been my pastime, and often my passion. When my wife and I were broke, a gym membership was the cheapest form of daily entertainment available. It helped us bond and establish what would become a cornerstone of our relationship. I love it all.

I’ve dug into many corners, read all the articals, attended the seminars and done many of the things. Like most of us here, I want to get stronger. But I’m also interested in looking good. “Get strong, look good, be in shape.” That’s my (purported) motto. I’ve rarely trained consistently enough to exemplify it, but it remains the goal nonetheless.

Some of you may know me from the old StrengthVillain forums, Starting Strength, CrossFit circa 2007, from wondering aggressively what happened to Chaos and Pain. But you probably don’t know me.

I have a lot of Orthopaedic issues. I used to squat, pull and press a lot. These days, I’m interested in satisfying my motto in whatever way best fits my real life - that of a father, a husband, a homeowner and full-time employee. Never mind one with old cars and myriad other hobbies.

See you out there. Wish me luck!

2

03Jun19

0600

Squat: 45x8, 95x8, 135x5,5, 225x3, 275x2,2,2, 225x5
Neck harness: 35x50, 53x50
Neck flexion: x50

1100

(Pre exhaust) DB “plate” raises: 25x12,12, 30x12, 35x12,12,12 (alternated with work sets on machine press)
Machine military press: 50x12, 90x12, 140x5, 170x5, 170x5, 140x8
Arnold press: 50s x4>35s x6 (drop set)
Cuban press: 25s x8

——-

My work gym is basically a nicer hotel gym. Bare bones upper body machines and a leg extension/curl machine, DBs to 50s. No compound leg machine :frowning:

I’m squatting and pulling “heavy” in my garage in the mornings. Upper body bodybuilding on lunch. Gotta get creative as most of the machines I’m already maxing out so pre exhaust and intensity techniques abound there. Cardio when I feel like running or biking to work (the biking is straight sprinting on a 24” BMX). I mow my lawn once a week with a heart rate monitor as well. 40 or so minutes at 70-80%.

Gotta stay creative to get productive work in with my life schedule. I anticipate it will pay off. I’ve lost 9 pounds the past two months while drinking a bit too much. Still in a deficit so I don’t anticipate any real strength gains until fall.

Future posts will be less verbose. Just establishing my back-story :slight_smile:

3

04Jun19

0600
Warm up the squat, stretch.

1100
a few giant sets of straight-arm push-downs, lat pull-downs and cable rows

1600
mowed the grass

05Jun19

Warmed up the squat, light barbell hip bridges, crunches and stretch

06Jun19

0600

Warmed up the squat, neck harness: 35x50, 53x50

1100

Machine bench: 170x10,10,10
DB neutral grip bench: 50x10,10,10
Cuban press: 25x10,10,10
Triceps pullovers: 50x10,10, 70x10
a few quick pec deck and triceps push down pump sets

4

Took a break from the log, just got lazy. Took a vacation and haven’t worked out in two weeks anyway.
Working light and frequently to build a base back. I’m weak and in very bad shape. I’d hurt myself if I went straight for it. Giving it 6-8 weeks of moderation and consistency before I dive back in.

02July19
warm-up:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10, 24kg swings
alternating one chin up

Deadlift: 135x10,10,10, 225x5, 315x5
Shrugs (pulled first rep from floor): 315x10,10,10,10,10
-alternating-
chin-ups: 5x5

03July19
Swiss bar bench: 60x10,10, 110x8, 150x5,5,10
Squatted quickly to 245x5
Neck harness extension and band flexion, two work sets each

20 minute workout

Weighing 182, a few pounds up and softer after a week of beer drinking at the beach.

5

05July19
Deadlift: 135x10,10,10, 225x5, 315x6
Shrugs: 315x10
chin ups: 6,6,5,5,5

Tweaked my back badly by not respecting a “light” weight like 315 off the floor for some shrugs. Took several days off and started back in with some empty reverse hypers this week to speed things up (hopefully).

10July19
Reverse hyper: empty x20,x20, (20lbsx10)x5
Z press: 95x10,10,10

Adding weight to the reverse hypers starting slowly today. The Z press was an afterthought, really. Just felt like doing something.

evening:
reverse hypers: 10,10, 20x10, 40x10, 60x10,10,10

6

11July19
Reverse hypers: 10, 20x10, 40x10, 60x10, 80x10, 100x10, 120x12, 90x10
Chin ups: 1,1,1,1,3,7,6,5 - feeling weak
20 minutes on lunch. Back feels good but I’m using momentum over about 80 pounds so I’ll back off and work there until it’s easy to move. Trying to be disciplined. You know how that goes…

7

Mowed the grass and lots of lawn work over the weekend. Several hours of light cardio there. Back is feeling better. Been keeping up with the reverse hyper but not much else. Picked up a new heart rate monitor and next week will start doing about 5 miles a day power walking/light jogging in the 70% zone. Try to push 70% until I can hold a run pace there. It’s worked in the past; just need motivation - and my out-of-shapeness is plenty motivation right now.

16Jul19
squat: 45x5, 135x5, 225x5, 275, 315, 225x5
reverse hyper: 70x10)x5

8

Squatted several times last week, lots of reverse hypers. Spent this weekend climbing hills, shooting steel and drinking beers. Wife and kid are out of town for a few weeks so I’m just exercising non-stop until they return.

22July19

0500:
jog 2.5 miles to work: 30 minutes, 139bpm average

1100:
Machine military press: 170x5,5,11
front raises, supersetting arnold press: (25s x8> 50s x5) x3
machine shrugs, supersetting cuban presses (w/ press): (170x20>25s x8) x3
30 minutes total

1500:
jog 2.5 miles home: 32 minutes, 151 bpm avg

1530:
Squat: 135x5, 225, 275, 315,315,315
all squats finished in seven minutes immediately upon returning home.
Neck harness: 53x50
Neck flexion: x50, x75
17 minutes total at 131 bpm (just playing with my HRM)

9

23July19

0600:
70% jog to work: 2.2 miles in 28:30 at 140 bpm avg

1130:

  1. straight arm push-downs: 50x10, (60x10)x3
  2. cable rows: 100x10, 120x10, 140x6-120x6, 120x10
  3. pull-downs: 100x10, (120x10)x3

1,2,3 done as a giant set with no rest between exercises and 1 minute between sets
4. Machine shrugs: (170x20)x3
5. Seated cleans: 15x10, 25x10

4,5 done as one long set, alternating exercises in a shrug sandwich
20 minutes total, 135 bpm avg

1500:
Jog home, 2.25 miles in 31:40 at 148 bpm avg

1530:
Squat: 135x5, 225,225, 275, 315, 315x3
all squats finished in 7:30
neck harness: 53x50,50
neck flexion: x50, x75
17:30 at 137 bpm avg

10

24July19

0545:
Jog to work: 2.25 miles in 29:34 at 141 bpm avg
No power-walking at all today. Was able to light jog the whole way and stay in the zone. Adapting quickly.

1130:
Arm Day! (haven’t done this in forever, saves me putting isolation at the end of a workout to save time)
DB reverse curls, 15x10, 20x10
hammer curls, 20x10, 25x10
suppinating curls > forearm curls, 25x12>15, 25x10>10, 25x10>6
–alternating DB triceps pull-overs the whole way 15x15, 20x10, 25x10, 30x10, (35x10)x3
machine curls > machine triceps extensions, quick 3 super sets
suppinating curls drop set
triceps push-downs drop set
GREAT pump! 25 minutes at 125 bpm avg

1500:
Jog home, 2.25 miles, 34 minutes at 147 bpm

1530:
Squat: 135x5, 225, 275, 315x2,2,1
9 minutes total squatting
Exhausted; skipped the neck work

1600:
Beers

11

25July19
Taking a rest day. Feeling a bit beat-up but looking good. Had some serious gastrointestinal distress yesterday (avoid large quantities of Oikos yogurt at all costs! Tons of chickory root that is a biyach to digest!). Finally got eight hours of sleep last night though. Home Depot on lunch; not exercising at all today… well, I may still squat :slight_smile:

12

26July19
0630:
Jog to work. 2.25 miles, 28:06 at 145 bpm avg. Managed a “run” for a bit today. 11:00 for the first mile. Exceeded my heart rate range slightly but I was feeling myself, so I kept at it. The goal is to get the whole run to a 10:00 pace and then add a weight vest or plate carrier.

1130, Chest and back:
Pec deck supersetting neutral machine bench: 50x10>100x10, 60x10>120x10, 70x10>140x10, 170x5, 80x10>170x10, 80x10>170x10, 60x15>150x10

  1. Straight arm push downs: 50x10, 60x10, 60x10, 50x10
  2. Cable rows: 100x10, 140x10, 120x10
  3. underhanded pull-downs: 100x10, 120x10, 120x10

----1,2,3 done as a giant set with 1 minute between sets, no rest between movements

  1. neutral db bench: (50x12)x3
  2. underhanded pull-downs: (100x10)x3

----4,5 done as a superset with 1 minute rest between sets, no rest between movements

shrug sandwich w/ strict seated db cleans: 170x20, 15x10, 170x20, 25x10, 170x20. No rest, one big set.

Hugangous pump. Exhausting. 40 minutes at 135 bpm avg

1500:
Jog home 2.4 miles in 34:34 at 147 bpm avg

1530:
Squat: 135x5, 225, 275, 315x2,3,2
neck harness: 53x50,50
neck flexion: orange and black band x100
8:00 for all the squats. 17:00 total at 138 bpm avg

13

27July19
0930
Mow the lawn at a jog: 140 bpm for 45 minutes

1015
Squat: 135x5, 225, 275, 315x3x3
----2 minutes rest between sets, 15 minutes total at 135 bpm avg

29July19
0730
Jog to work 2.25 miles, 28:30 at 141 bpm

1130
Shoulders:
Machine military press: 170x5,5,11 (fail 12)
front raises, supersetting arnold press: (25s x10> 50s x5) x2, (25s x10> 50s x6)
machine shrug sandwich w/ cuban presses (w/ press): (170x20>25s x10>170x20>25s x10> 170x20)
---- shrug sandwich was one giant set with little or no rest between movements
25 minutes total at 130 bpm avg

1500
Power walk (too hot to jog) 2.25 miles in 35:35 at 150 bpm avg

1530
Squat: 135x5, 225, 275, 315x5,2,1,2
315 was rest pause - 3 minutes total for that “set of ten”
17:00 at 150 bpm avg

14

30July19 - 185.5 lbs

0700
jog to work 2.25 miles in 29:28 at 137 bpm avg

1130
back work
cable rows: 100x10, 120x10, 140x10,10,10
pull downs: 100x10, 120x10, 140x10, 170x4
db strict cleans: 15x10, (20x10)x5
machine shrugs: 170x20,20,20
straight-arm push-downs: 50x10,10, 60x10,10,10

done as a few circuits with lots of supersetting and seldom more than a minute rest
30:30 at 136 bpm avg

1500
jog home 35:00 at 145 bpm avg

1530
Deadlift 135x5, 225, 315, 365, 315x10
neck harness: 53x50
neck flexion: x75
just testing out the back, 14:00 at 135 bpm avg

15

31July19
Impromptu rest day. All this working out has wrecked my sleep patterns. Way overslept after being dead tired, but paradoxically not being able to sleep for several hours last night.

Go again on the madness tomorrow. Probably ride the week out high-bar squatting to give this abrasion on my back some time to heal. Have a nice day, everyone!

16

01Aug19
0630
jog to work 2.25 miles in 29:10 at 139 bpm avg

1130
chest and triceps

  1. pec deck: 50x10, 60x10, 70x10, (80x10)x4
  2. neutral grip machine bench: 100x10, 130x10, 150x10, (170x10)x3

–pre-exhaust superset 1 and 2 with no rest and a pec-deck finisher immediately after the last set on bench
3. neutral DB bench: (50x10)x3
4. cuban press w/ press: 15x10, 20x10, 25x10, 25x10, 20x10
5. lying triceps pull-overs: 50x20

–superset 3 and 4, finish with 5
triceps push-downs: 70x10
25:00 at 125 bpm avg

1345
jog home 2.3 miles in 35:00 at 146 bpm avg

1530
No squatting. Helped a friend rototill and dig a huge walkway in their yard for about two hours. Sweating like whoa. Watch says 4000 kcal burned today.

17

02Aug19

Thunderstorms today - no running to work.
0730
treadmill walk, 8-11 degrees incline, 3 mph with a 20# vest, 30:00 at 140 bpm avg

1130
back day 2

  1. cable rows: 100x10, 120x5, 140x5, (170x10)x3
  2. straight arm push downs: (50x10)x5

----superset 1 and 2
3. suppinated pull-downs: (100x10)x3
4. machine shrugs: (170x25)x3
5. strict db cleans: 15x x20,20,10

----3,4,5 done as a giant set with no rest between sets
26:00 at 130 bpm avg

1500
treadmill walk, 30:00 at incline, 143bpm with 20# vest

1700
Helping a friend move. Should be several hours of manual labor… again :-/

18

Took a couple “rest” days this weekend. Bar wound on my back is nearly healed so I should be squatting again tomorrow. Lots of work around the house and on my car projects, moved an arcade to a friends house, stayed busy. Drank a lot of beer and didn’t eat much. Got another week before my family is back so I’m trying to stay the course next week. Stay tuned!

19

05Aug19
0630
jog 2.25 miles to work in a 20# vest, 31:30 at 142 bpm

1100
shoulders
machine military press: 100x10,10, 130x5, 150x5, 170x8,8,8
db front raises: 12.5x10,10,10, 25s x10,10,10
Arnold press: 50s x5,5,5 (preexhaust/superset the front raises first)
machine shrugs: (170x25)x3
strict db cleans: 12.5x5,5,5, 35x5>20x5, 20x10 (shrug sandwich the last two sets as one giant set with no rest)
lateral db raises: 10s x15, slow and strict, done immediately after the shrug sandwich
----30:00 minutes at 125-130 bpm

1500
jog home 2.25 miles (no vest), 33:27 at 144 bpm

1530
squat: 135x5, 225, 275, 315, 225x5, 135x5
neck harness: 53x50,50
neck flexion: x100
Nothing in the tank today. Not sure if it was the five hour bad night’s sleep or the weight vest run but squats weren’t happening. 18:45 at 133 bpm

20

06Aug19
Treadmill walk in 20# vest, 2 miles at 10 degree incline, 40:00 at 135 bpm avg

No energy for anything else today. Feeling ill.