10 Sept 2014- Continuing to change it up

"Don't let the noise others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

1 Sept
1830 hrs
Rack Pull
2 x 5 x 135
1 x 5 x 225
Shrugs
4 x 5 x 225

Double Kb High Pull/Cleans/Swings 3 x 5 (ea) x 16 kg
Single Arm KB Swing
L to R 1 x 15,10,5 x 60 lbs (no rest)

Low back felt solid but very stiff from the Physio work earlier in the week.
Finished with 3 different Rows, Pull Ups, and Bird Dogs.

2 Sept
Bird Dogs, McGill Situps though out the day. Transition day from evening to night shift. Lots of sleep.

3 Sept
0200hrs
Low Back still felt solid but stiff, same as 36 hrs before.

Plate Carrier Worn (20lbs) Giant Set of the Following:
Power Clean 6 x 3 x 95
Fat man Pull ups 6 x 6
Push Ups 6 x 6
Bench Squat 6 x 6
Kb Swing 6 x 6 x 60 lbs

Then Moved Onto
Pull ups 3 x 2
Plate Carrier OFF
Finished up with Double KB work, OH Rope Ext, Ed Coan Obliques, and Side Plank.

4 Sept
0150 hrs
High Pull - 9 sets working up to 2 x 3 x 205
Shrugs - top sets 2 x 20 x 275
**Pull Ups 3 x 3**
** (This is the absolute best my Pull Ups have felt in ages, I was actually stopping at 3 reps. A very exciting, positive sign of how my upper back is coming back around. )**

I know I have bitched about it already but my Low back was still F'n Stiff and sore still. Now this is the best my vertebrate alignment has felt in ages but the muscles are readjusting. Physio did a real number on it. In a good way. A side effect though is my hip is starting to be sore, achy.Time for an increase in Glute work.

Finished with Mach Rear Delt work, Face Pulls, YTW's, Airplanes, McGill Big 3.

1830 hrs

Alternated between
Reverse Sled Drags 6 x 20 m x 50 lbs
Farmer's Walk 6 x 20 m x 70lbs

GHR 1 x 21 x Bdywght
Back Extension 1 x 10 x Bdywght

Nice easy recovery session to sweat and stretch out my hip after spending 2+ hrs driving home. 10 min in the sauna stretching out as well post trg. I felt like dog shit after the last midnight shift,

5 Sept
0850 hrs 

Got on the Stair Mill, then 5 Min in I shut the session down.
It was just one of those days.  From the moment I put the Weighted Vest on I could feel my hip socket was not having a good day. I was awake multiple times the night before because of my hip. It just was not comfortable. I think it was probably the humidity.
Spent the rest of the day relaxing on the couch, relaxing in the sun and eating food. Back at it tomorrow. On the Upside my low back feels great.

6 Sept 
1225 hrs

Did not want to Bench again on a Monday again. I also know I will be in the same facility for the next 3 Sundays. So deciding to go with Incline bench.

Incline Bench 
20 lbs jumps starting at 95 lbs
Last set 1 x 3 x 195 (pretty sure this is a GYM PR)

Superset (fast, controlled, not sloppy, tempo for reps)
Incline Bench 5 x 10 x 100 lbs
CSR 5 x 10 x 100 lbs

Superset
Face Pulls 3 x 20 x 90
Chest Supported Rear Delt Lateral 
1 x 10 x 20 lbs
1 x 5, 10 x 20, 10 lbs
1 x 5, 10 x 20, 10 lbs

7 Sept 
The Pool in my apartment building is 4ft 2", so Chest high. Decided to give this a try for a change of pace.
Run /Paddle Board Kick x 20 min
Just stretching out and moving after driving back. Plain and simple.

8 Sept -

Slept like trash. Mcgill Big 3. Pretty much a quiet day except for this:

**Got a Phone call from the Surgeon's office (I called them first on my lunch hour). I meet with the surgeon Tuesday next week. So progress. Excitement. I will have new answers for the first time since December 2014. **

9 Sept 
0510 hrs 
Treadmill w/ 20lbs Plate Carrier x 45 min x Lvl 3 x Incline 3.5

1145 hrs
SLDL 3 x 10 x 95
High Pull worked up to 6 x 3 x 165
Also did Band Pull-a-parts, Vbar Pull down, Straight Bar Tricep Pull Downs, V-Bar Rows

1735 hrs
Treadmill - 20 lbs Plate Carrier x 45 min x Lvl 3 x Incline 3.5

10 Sept 
1140 hrs

Wide Grip SLDL 2 x 10 x 135
Worked on keeping lats, Spinal erectors, and Obliques tight.

Wide Bar Seated Cable Rows (worked from super wide to narrow) 4 x 10 x 105

Superset
Seated Cable Rows (Shoulder width) 3 x 10 x 120
Cable Side Laterals (middle delt) 3 x 10 x 20 lbs

Superset
Med Grip Face Pull 3 x 20 x 80 lbs (almost pure trap contraction)
Db Side Laterals 3 x 15 x 20 lbs (kept the tension on the middle delts)

Ed Coan Obliques 2 x 10 count x 115 lbs
ITW's 2 x 15 x 5 lbs

Another sweat fest. Finished up with Banded side and front steps. Then some lying Glute work. Hip feels great after this.

1600 hrs 
Treadmill w/ 20 lbs Plate Carrier 45 min x Lvl 3 x Incline 3
Working off the fatigue of sitting in front of a computer all day.
Now for some Taco's.

Keep Moving Forward. Keep getting Strong(er)

31 Aug 2015 -Benching on a Monday two weeks in a row? But there might be something to this...

"Don't let the noise others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition." -Steve Jobs

28 Aug
1830 hrs

Superset 
Prowler Push 5 x 40 m x 50 lbs
Farmer's Walk 5 x 40 m x 50 lbs
Short session a little beat up from the drive and overall my body was just stiff and sore. Finished up with GHR 3 x 7


29 Aug
0835 hrs

Stair Climber w/40lbs Weight Vest  20 min - 223 Cal (I hit stop and did not get my flight count but based on the Cal count I would say 95-100 Flights.)
Break Down
5 min x Lvl 12 x 20 sec -Lvl 8 x 40 sec
5 min x Lvl 14 x 20 sec -Lvl 8 x 40 sec
5 min x Lvl 16 x 20 sec -Lvl 8 x 40 sec
4 min x Lvl 18 x 20 sec -Lvl 8 x 40 sec
1 min x Lvl 18 x 20 sec-Lvl 16 x 10 sec -Lvl 14 x 10 sec -Lvl 12 x 10 sec -Lvl 10 x 10 sec
My Legs were cooked by the end of this. My heart and lungs are stressed but short of bursting. I will do this for one more week and then try to max out the machine on the top end. As normal into the weight room for some volume. 10%  increase from last week (goal is 60 reps). A reps completed in 4 sets or less. Vest still on for the remainder of the session
Kirk Shrugs 67 reps x 135
Incline Push Ups 63 reps
Plate Raise 60 reps
Pull Ups 4 reps
Back Ext 30 reps
Bench Squats (new movement) 40 reps
OH Ext 60 reps x 70 lbs
Face Pulls 60 reps x 70 lbs
Db Rear Lateral 30lbs x 15lbs
Side Holds 1 x 20 count hold (Left /Right)


30 Aug
0933 hrs

This was a Prowler, Farmer's Walk, BackWard Sled drag session. The actual conduct would be very lengthy to type out. I will summarize by saying I rotated between the three exercises and did not start Sled dragging until the second half of the session. I kept the rest periods short, the sweat high, and the breathing a controlled gasping for periods of the session.

Prowler 
1 x 40 m x 90lbs
2 x 20 m x 180lbs
2 x 20 m x 230 lbs
1 x 20 m x 180 lbs
Farmer's Walk
8 x 20 m x 70 lbs
Sled Drags
2 x 20 m x 180 lbs
2 x 20 m x 90 lbs

GHR 2 x 11
Back Ext 1 x 11

31 Aug
1920 hrs

Physio Notes:
This was a very exciting day. Physio for the first time in my new city. I have managed to get continuity of care. My new physio knows and actually was responsible for hiring her in my previous clinic. So a simple phone call between them and I am back on track. Overall our assessment session went well. I am not too sore today because of it. We spoke about sleeping positions to help cause less aggravation to my lower back. I also have new exercises /movements to work on. My L4 /L5 are not moving well at all. There is supposed to stability but not total lock down. I also have to balance on one leg through out the day, for glute activation as well my balance on my left side is atrocious. Lastly I have to work on my forward bending and then curling back up to a standing position.
She was happy about me starting to do the McGill Big 3. But more amazing she knew who Dave Tate and Matt Wenning were!

Band Pull-A-parts 64 reps x EFS Pro Mini Band
Bench
2 x 5 x Bar
1 x 5 x 95
1 x 5 x 135
1 x 3 x 165
1 x 3 x 195
1 x 3 x 225
3 x 3 x 175
The 225 is not going to win me any titles but I am super excited about. That is most I have been able to Bench in about 2 yrs. On top of that I did it for reps. I smashed the rack on the 3 rep but still locked it out strong. I would never make excuses for missing a weight but this was all done in a crappy cage with bench that is too low, and rack height is off. Not saying there is an additional 100 lbs in my Bench but working with sub optimal equipment and still smashing it is very promising indeed.

Db Floor Press 3 x 7 x 70lbs

Finished up with keeping the reps fairly high (lowest set was 13 reps) on Pulldowns, V-Bar Pushdowns, Rear Delt Rows(to chin), YTW's. The Ed Coan Obliques I am still working with as well. felt decent my grip is lagging for these but it is more about balancing the bar than losing my grip due to outright weakness.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)