SLI, Day B, Workout 12

Since I didn't want a repeat of my burnout experience at the end of NRoL's Strength III phase, I decided to end the heavy portion of StrongLifts I this morning and take things light next week (only 2 workouts with fewer reps and sets). It's pretty good time too since I've been on SLI for 8 weeks and need to take a break anyway so I can rest up for StrongLifts Advanced (which I didn't realize until this very minute supersedes StrongLifts II, now I have to update my Excel file... grumble, grumble).

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	394/5	394/5	394/5	394/5	394/5
Overhead presses (belt)	169/5	169/5	169/5	169/5	169/5
Deadlifts (straps)	364/5
Chin-ups	BW/5	BW/5	BW/4

Thoughts

• I'll most probably get to a 404lbs. Squat by the end of next week, but thankfully I'll only be doing it for 9 total reps instead 25... haha!
• I hope I can at least Power Clean 174lbs. once next week. I really need to learn this move properly.
  
• My body's just too wasted to safely do a Deadlift at 384lbs. so I just went back to something I knew I could finish. On a side note, my right hand really  improved in the warm-up set mostly likely to the adjustable hand grip I started training with a couple of days ago.
  

SLI, Day A, Workout 12

Thanks to this nifty Firefox extension called Foxmarks, I can easily synchronize my bookmarks across multiple computers and even publish 'em online like the folder I have dedicated to Fitness articles, which has more links than the ones featured in the front page of this blog.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	389/5	389/5	389/5	389/5	389/5
Bench presses	229/5	229/5	229/5	229/5	229/5
Bent over barbell rows	214/5	214/5	214/5	214/5	214/5
Weighted Dips	25/12	25/10	25/10

Thoughts

• I'm just about to hit my limits with the Squats, but I'm hoping I can get myself to 404lbs. before I switch programs.
  
• Wasn't in the right frame of mind to go for 234lbs. for the Bench so I stuck it out at 229. I hate losing the mental game, but at least my last two sets today were better than last time's.
  
• I'm tempted to use straps for the Rows so I don't have to worry about my grip, but I'll stick it out for as long as I can.

SLI, Day B, Workout 11

Had a crappy workout, but I suppose that was bound to happen after two months of heavy lifting.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	384/5	384/5	384/5	384/5	384/5
Overhead presses (belt)	169/5	169/5	169/5	169/4	169/5
Deadlifts (straps)	364/5
Pull-ups	BW/5	BW/5	BW/4

Thoughts

• The Squats have really been taxing my body, especially my abs, hams and glutes. I felt completely drained afterwards.
  
• Will be repeating the Overhead presses at the same load until I'm sure I'm not cheating. Might take me until next week, but at least this will help me improve my Cleans where I already beat the personal record I set last year.
  
• As for the Deadlifts, not only did I miss my target of 384, but I also couldn't repeat what I did last week at 374, so I had to move down to 364. Since my abs were already so tired from the previous exercises, I couldn't engage them in the manner that could keep my lower back safe. Well, better my ego be hurt rather than my back.
  

SLI, Day A, Workout 11

My workouts have been getting longer because of the added rest time I've been taking after my Squats where I use up so much of my energy that I wonder if I have any left to finish the rest of the workout.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	379/5	379/5	379/5	379/5	379/5
Bench presses	229/5	229/5	229/5	229/5	229/5
Bent over barbell rows	209/5	209/5	209/5	209/5	209/5
Weighted Dips	25/10	25/10	25/10

Thoughts

• So far I've been able to do the Squats quite well without the belt, which I'd like to avoid using as long as possible. I remember whenever I used it, I could hardly reach parallel when going down.
  
• Yup, I really needed that spotter in the last two Bench press sets for my peace of mind.
  
• Increased the load on the Dips and lessened the reps (for now).
  

SLI, Day B, Workout 10

Rainy days are here again. Perfect weather to stay at home and watch DVDs while huddled inside a blanket, but was there any question where I'd be this morning?

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	374/5	374/5	374/5	374/5	374/5
Overhead presses (belt)	164/5	164/5	164/5	164/5	164/5
Deadlifts (straps)	374/5
Chin-ups	BW/5	BW/5	BW/5

Thoughts

• I'm glad I had the past two days to rest since my legs were rather sore from the Squats on Sunday.
  
• Since my tired core had been sabotaging my Presses, I decided to wear my weight belt to keep my lower back from hyperextending, and not only was I able to finish the exercise, I think I can eke a little more next time. My shoulders and triceps haven't been getting as much of a work out as my abs have been.
  
• Finally completed all 3 Chin-up sets. After I make sure today wasn't a fluke, I'll be moving to the hard part: working my way up to 10 reps each. (Good luck with that.)
  

SLI, Day A, Workout 10

Because the gym will be opening tomorrow at 8am instead of the usual 6, I went and did my workout today. I probably have to do this again next week. Hope I can make the most out of my rest days since I need them now more than ever.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	374/5	374/5	374/5	374/5	374/5
Bench presses	224/5	224/5	224/5	224/4	224/5
Bent over barbell rows	204/5	204/5	204/5	204/5	204/5
Weighted Dips	20/12	20/12	20/12

Thoughts

• Decided to up my Squats a little bit today and thankfully the exercise went well. I'll be doing the same weight this Wednesday.
  
• I thought I was doing myself a favor by staying on the same weight the last time I did Bench presses, but I didn't complete the fourth set since I wasn't sure I'd be able to return the bar on my own. I probably get a spotter for the last two sets from this point forward.
  
• On the other hand, my Rows went better than I expected.
  

SLI, Day B, Workout 9

Busy this morning, but there's not much to report anyway.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	369/5	369/5	369/5	369/5	369/5
Overhead presses	164/5	164/4	164/5	164/4	164/5
Deadlifts (straps)	364/5
Pull-ups	BW/5	BW/5	BW/4

Thoughts

• Squats improved a bit from knowing exactly what weight I was lifting, but then, not knowing does have its advantages once in a while.
  
• Still couldn't complete the Presses. (Just too damned tired after doing Squats.) If I still can't do this next week, I'll go down to 149lbs. and work my way back up again.
  
• Left hand did great today with the warm-up Deadlift set.
  

SLI, Day A, Workout 9

Boy, today could've been a very bad day if I haven't recovered from my cough/cold yesterday. Didn't help that I was experiencing some "performance anxiety" for my Bench presses since last night. Haha...

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	369/5	369/5	369/5	369/5	369/5
Bench presses	224/5	224/5	224/5	224/5	224/5
Bent over barbell rows	199/5	199/5	199/5	199/5	199/5
Weighted Dips	20/12	20/12	20/11

Thoughts

• In my haste to be "first!!" at the power cage (so as not to have a repeat of Monday's episode), I forgot how to add and ended up going 10lbs. heavier than I had planned. (Not the first time I've done this.) I only realized at the end of the second set that I grabbed two extra 5lbs. plates when I wondered why I was having such a hard time with the lift but not to the point of cheating. Rather than lighten the load, I kept the weight as it was since I was confident I wouldn't injure myself. I'll probably just stick to the same weight this Friday.
  
• Sometimes I make things more difficult for myself like bestowing a mythic quality to certain milestones, which I did to this Bench press. I added another warm-up set at 184lbs. so I can better prep myself, and it helped right until the fourth set when I began to doubt I could finish the fifth so I got someone to spot me for that last set. Turned out I did OK on my own but only because I knew someone was there to help.
  
• I'm going to stall the next time I do Rows, and I don't care. Goddamn that was hard. Pretty much killed my arms for the Dips.
  

After my workout, I got so pumped I couldn't get my left arm into the sleeve of my shirt. I had to take off the shirt and try again before I managed to slip my arm through.

SLI, Day B, Workout 8

Thanks to a cough that developed over the weekend, I had a pretty crappy time at the gym right until I got rid of what was irritating the insides of my throat.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	354/5	354/5	354/5	354/5	354/5
Overhead presses	164/4	164/5	164/5	164/3	164/5
Deadlifts (straps)	354/5
Chin-ups	BW/5	BW/5	BW/4

Thoughts

• Today started off badly. I woke up later than I intended, and even though I took a taxi to get to the gym first, a couple of guys commandeered the power cage while I was putting my stuff into my locker, and so I had to wait for them to finish. Bummer.
  
• Overhead presses stalled again partly due to my difficulty with breathing but mostly due to the my body's slowness in adapting. Still, I'd rather stall every other session than be forced to deload.
  
• Though I did the 5 warm-up Deadlift reps I was wanted, looks like my left hand grip has some catching up to do with a swapped mixed grip.
  

SLI, Day A, Workout 8

Today is the 8th day of the 8th month of 2008 and supposedly an auspicious occasion for everyone (lots of babies gonna be born, I bet), but it may not be so lucky after all. For one thing the Gregorian and Chinese calendars don't jive (but with the right calculations, they can), and since Chinese New Year this year was in February 7, August is the 7th month, and the 8th month is actually September (which etymologically means "7th month", fun huh?). But none of this will stop the Olympics from opening tonight at 8:08:08pm (Beijing time) and from me watching it.

And what has this got to do with my workout? Well, it's my 8th workout of Day A, and if I were a numerologist-conspiracist, it's also Operation Hulkout: Day 5+4-1 = 8 and S (19th letter) - L (12th letter) + I = 8. Goes to show you can make coincidences (or, gasp, ironies!) out of anything when you try hard enough.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	344/5	344/5	344/5	344/5	344/5
Bench presses	219/5	219/5	219/5	219/5	219/5
Bent over barbell rows	194/5	194/5	194/5	194/5	194/5
Weighted Dips	20/12	20/12	20/12

Thoughts

• I've decided to stop wearing tank tops while I'm doing the SL programs, since the extra friction and coverage that shirts provide have been very helpful with my Squats and Bench presses. (God knows I need all the help I can get.) I already bought a couple new shirts last week so I don't wear out the ones I have as quickly.
  
• I'm glad I only have one Bench press session next week, but it's gonna be a big one. Hope I'm up for it.
• Note to self: the better your Rows are, the better both your Presses will be.

SLI, Day B, Workout 7

Thanks to the crappy weather we've been having over here, I've been fighting off a cold that's threatening to sideline me. At least I don't have a fever, and I'll try my best not to let that happen.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	344/5	344/5	344/5	344/5	344/5
Overhead presses	159/5	159/5	159/5	159/5	159/5
Deadlifts (straps)	344/5
Pull-ups	BW/5	BW/4	BW/4

Thoughts

• I think my tired core is what's behind my difficulty with the Overhead presses. Once I gave myself enough time to recover, I was able to finish the exercise.
• Going "strapless" (heh) at 314lbs. in the Deadlift is getting easier, but I'll need to alternate my mix grip every session so as to keep the arm and grip development balanced.
• Just as long as I'm making progress with the Chin-ups/Pull-ups, no matter how minuscule, I'm happy.
  

SLI, Day A, Workout 7

Busy week last week. Only got to take my pics and my measurements the day before that. Couple of years ago I would've been really annoyed because of my predilection to obsessive-compulsiveness (which, mind you, is very helpful with working out). These days I've been learning to go with the flow. There just some things out one's control and not worth losing sleep over.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	339/5	339/5	339/5	339/5	339/5
Bench presses	214/5	214/5	214/5	214/5	214/5
Bent over barbell rows	189/5	189/5	189/5	189/5	189/5
Weighted Dips	20/12	20/12	20/9

Thoughts

• Ever since I've gone past 200lbs, my biggest challenge with the Bench presses has been convincing myself that my body is, in fact, adapting to the slow progression of weights. Guess I don't like the idea of stalling at this point.
• Having the bar touch the floor on each Row rep is a bitch, but I've been able to target my biceps better that will hopefully help my Pull-ups/Chin-ups. (Still sucking big time with them.)
  
• Probably wouldn't have stalled with the Dips if I kept to 10 reps, but what the hey.
  

Though I could've taken my measurements Friday evening on the 1st, I opted to take 'em Saturday morning so they'll be more in line with how I've been doing it--cold as cold can be.

Height	5'3"	Jul 08
Weight	199 lbs.	+1.5 lbs.
Chest	44.25"	+0.5"
Neck	16"	-0.25"
Upper Arms (unflexed)	15.5"/15"	no change/-0.25"
Upper Arms (flexed)	16.25"/16"	no change/no change
Forearms	12"/11.75"	-0.25"/no change
Waist at navel	38.75"	+0.75"
Hips	44"	no change
Thighs	26.5"/26.5"	+0.5"/no change
Calves	16"/16"	-0.25"/no change

Comments

• Surprised to see I stayed under 200 last month, and I hope I can keep it up for at least one more month.
  
• Glad to see my chest is bigger than my butt again.
  
• I've given up measuring my thighs accurately. They either fit in my pants or they don't.
  

SLI, Day B, Workout 6

I'm at the end of Week 4 of SLI, and things have certainly gotten interesting.

Legend: (Weight/Reps)

Exercise	A	B	C	D	E
Squats (low bar)	334/5	334/5	334/5	334/5	334/5
Overhead presses	159/5	159/5	159/5	159/4	159/4
Deadlifts (straps)	334/5
Chin-ups	BW/5	BW/4	BW/3

Thoughts

• Got my first stall today with the Overhead presses. I already knew I was in trouble in the first set, but at least I didn't cheat in the later sets (i.e. switching to push pressing). I should be back on track next week.
  
• My second stall came at the Deadlift where my right hand couldn't keep its grip for the last two reps at 334, and that was with the chalk powder one of the gym trainers shared with me. From here on out, I'll be using my straps again, but I'll be training my grip by doing a warm-up set at 314.
  
• And my third stall was from changing how I do Chin-ups. I switched back to using the bar at the Smith machine and considered a rep as starting from a dead hang and ending with my chin over or, at the least for now, touching the bar. This ought to train my arms to follow through.