08 Nov 2015 -Encouraging...

1 Nov 2015
0120 hrs

Warmed up then:
Rack Pulls 
1 x 3 x 275
8 x 1 x 275 (done at the top of every minute)
2 x 9 x 225 (reps for blood flow, make things feel better the next day)

All Rack Pulls done Double OH. To strengthen grip and to keep me honest. For now at least my grip fails before my Low back especially when doing rep work.

Neck Crunch 4 x 17 x 25 lbs

Finished Up with Wide Bar Seated Cable Rows, T-Bar Rows, Single Arm Cable Rows, lots of OH Tricep Extensions, Machine Rear Delt fly's, Preacher Curls (not going to full extension but far enough), and finally a few quick sets of back Ext with some Stir the Pot to cap things off

2 Nov 2015 
0215 hrs

**20 lbs Plate Carrier worn through out**
Farmer's Walk 
10 x 20m x 65lbs
Spiderman PushUps 5 x 5
Handstand / Push up 5 x 10ct / 1 rep
Shrugs (yes i was still wearing the Plate Carrier)
1 x 20 x Bar
1x 21 x 135
5 x 8 x 225
1 x 8,8,8 x 135 (Wide, Medium, Narrow Grips)

6 Nov
1005 hrs

Band Pull-a-parts & 25lbs Plate Raise  3 x 15 (warm up0
Bench (TM=221)
40%,50%,60% warm ups then
1 x 5 x 145
1 x 5 x 165
1 x 5 x 190
2 x 8 x 145
1 x 7 x 145
1 x 5 x 145

Not world record weights or even PR weights but the right shoulder is feeling solid still as I get up around 200 lbs with volume. encouraging.

Single Arm cable rows 
5 x 8 x 75lbs (Back and forth until completed, No rest)

Barbell Curl (AMRAP) 1 x 73 reps x Bar

This one all out set nearly fucked the rest of my session it took about 5 min before my hands and forearms started to feel like i could even consider doing anything else. But doing this one high rep set once a week I have found helps my bicep tendons immensely. I will simply push it to the closing time at the end of the session next time.

Finished up with Face Pulls (holding the rubber ends of rope and elbows driving back with authority)Stir the Pot, Rolling triceps, Bird dogs (do shit you hate and you will improve- i keep hearing that. Well I do sort of hate Bird dogs, maybe not hate but i really find them not stimulating)

Christmas trees courtesy of Shawn Ray and Flex Wheeler

7 Nov 
1020 hrs

Back Ext (The bar i use for this is the EZ-Curl bar, bar weight not included)
2 x 10 x bar
1 x 5 x 50
1 x 5 x 70
1 x 5 x 100
3 x 10 x 50

Low Back pump. I will have a ripped and shredded Christmas tree in time for 25 Dec. That is the plan. make it grow! Doing this one exercise regularly seems to have immensely contributed to how good my low back has been feeling. encouraging.

Finished up with TKE's, Banded Walks (Front and Side and backwards), Face Pulls, Paloff Press.

The topper for the session was a solid Wide Grip Pull up hang for 30 sec followed by one rep. Something I picked up on in my readings in the last few weeks. I will toss it in, lengthen the time hanging slowly and see what comes of it in the coming weeks, months.

8 Nov
0955 hrs

Pull Ups 3 x 3
Band Pull-a-parts  4 x 13 x Red EFS Mini (Red)
T Bar Rows 3  x 15 x 75
V-bar Rows 3 x 15 x 150
Rope Pulldowns
1 x 13 x 100
4 x 13 x 105
Chest Supported Rear Delt Rows 4 x 17 x 25
YTWI 3 x 7 x 5 lbs
Band Pulldowns 2 x 40 x Monster Mini (Black)
Side Plank 2 x 30 sec (L&R)
Db Shrugs 
5 x 11 x 80
1 x 9 x 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40 lbs

Not sure why i got such a wild hair in my craw today to do so much fucking volume but this session definitely burned some calories.

Pull Ups were strong and solid. Second session of 3 x 3 so i will be adding another set of 3 next session. I will also be shifting them to another training session. I do prefer doing pullups combined with Pushing movements in a session. Maybe it is time to bring back Silverback Saturday.

So I had to go into to see my medical people because my script for Naproxen is running low.
I will not get into all the details but i never saw the doctor only spoke to the med tech so I definitely left frustrated but learned a few things:

-I need to up my arm work so the small cuff does not fit at ALL. Every time my blood pressure gets taken the person doing it always uses the small cuff. Which is supposed to be maxed out at 14.2 inches (I read the cuff during one of the many periods i had alone). My Forearms are almost that big. My arms measure in at over 15 inches relaxed at the spot they put the cuff. I guess I will have to be more insistent for the adult sized cuff in the short term. My Blood pressure came in on the high side due to this error as it usually does.

-I have to go back at the end of the month for a long term script. The one i got will only last me until then pretty much, give or take a few days. The appointment at the end of the month is at least a nurse practitioner. So I can also ask about a sleep study to see if i have sleep Apnea.

-My recent, mild, heart burn may not just be a side effect of working midnight shifts. I forgot Naproxen also causes it.
I will have to do some more reviewing of NSAIDs and Pain killers.

I was asked 4 questions (about side effects) of things i may be experiencing:

- I said No to stomach pain (Liver bleeding i am guessing),
-no to bloody stool (yeah pretty sure you would have seen me before now),
-if i was taking the full dose (yes, other wise i am a miserable person to be around),
- lastly do i have heart burn (um, not really, yes sort of, a little bit, but only after midnight shifts)

Having a discussion with a guy at work who was given Naproxen the other day, he stated he was groggy and super tired. He figured it was the Naproxen. Which made a light bulb go on in my head.

That might explain some of the up and downs i have had the last 2 months. I will monitor this if this applies to me.

Remember I am not a medical professional, I only take what i am prescribed and only by the dosages prescribed to me by my medical professionals

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)