Barbell 250s

This is my holiday vacation week and I really can’t get to the gym with any regularity. This is good since I have been peaking with most of my lifts and my body really does need me to take a step back in order to recover. On the third day off I was incredibly achy. Not sore that I couldn’t move around but everything in my body hurt and I had trouble sleeping because of it. On the fourth day I ran the two mile loop at my parent’s house and can be pleased with my ten minute mile pace. Not the distance or duration, but the pace. Writing this blog entry in the morning before I tackle a run in Houston, the goal is to keep a ten minute mile pace for the three mile loop that is near the in law’s house in Houston.

After arriving home from Maryland and before jetting off to Houston, I was able to get one gym session in. What to do? I have one day and then won’t be back until Thursday. 250s! They take less time than regular full sets meaning that I can get all of my exercises in and they are less taxing on the nervous system. They also have the cardio element to them and that is important lately as my diet is not very good since I am surrounded my holiday treats.

As a reminder, 250s means that you do 50 reps of the exercise with two 60 second breaks allowed. I start with 50% of my 1RM. I am finding this manageable and need to move up in weight although I was gassed and not able to do as much toward the end of the workout as I was in the beginning.

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks (http://youtu.be/dmYwZH_BNd0)
• 40 Body Weight Squats (http://youtu.be/QKKZ9AGYTi4)
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Judo Push Ups
• 10 Burpees (http://youtu.be/O7_TBHno0Os)

Strength Exercises

• Barbell Shoulder Press (http://youtu.be/8gVEdhS5AEs)
• Bench Press (http://youtu.be/gRVjAtPip0Y)
• Barbell Row (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCg1YxMt3oY)
• Pull Ups (C= Chin Ups, S=Side Grip, MB=Monkey Bars)
• Barbell Squats (http://youtu.be/b_uAOqA-pxY)
• Barbell Deadlift (http://youtu.be/nFw69zIssgQ)

Notes / Results:

• Time: 65 minutes
• Weight: 204

• Bench Press: 250 @ 85
• Squats: 250 @ 105 (only needed one rest - already did this weight and should have moved up)
• Press: 250 @ 60
• Deadlift: 3 sets of 10 @ 165 (this was rough)
• Pull Ups / Dips: 4, 4c, 3s, MB
• TRX Rows: 3 sets of 10

Last Upper Body of the Year

Good day as far as the amount of work that I got in but not a good day as far as increasing my strength. I am chalking this up to overall “burn out” and the need to take some steps back and allow my body to recover. This will happen over the next week as I am traveling for Christmas and New Years. Good news is that I am down to 201 pounds. Maybe this isn’t good news since i should be eating more and gaining weight to continue to support muscle growth.

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks (http://youtu.be/dmYwZH_BNd0)
• 40 Body Weight Squats (http://youtu.be/QKKZ9AGYTi4)
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Judo Push Ups
• 10 Burpees (http://youtu.be/O7_TBHno0Os)

Strength Exercises

• Barbell Shoulder Press (http://youtu.be/8gVEdhS5AEs)
• Bench Press (http://youtu.be/gRVjAtPip0Y)
• Barbell Row (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCg1YxMt3oY)
• Pull Ups (C= Chin Ups, S=Side Grip, MB=Monkey Bars)

Notes / Results:

• Time: 55 minutes
• Weight: 201

• Rows
• Previous High: 2@195
• 12@145, 10@155, 8@175, 5@185, 2@195
• Bench Press
• Previous high: 2@170
• Sets: 12@125, 10@135, 4@155, 4@160, 2@170
• Press
• Previous High: 1@120
• Sets: 12@85, 8@90, 8@95, 3@105
• Pull Ups
• Previous High: 5
• 5, 5c, 5s - superset with 5 dips each time **need to add weight

Last Deadlift & Squat for the year - maybe

I didn’t kill it today and it looks like I will fall behind in my monthly 1RM goals but that is okay. Due to life’s stress I am not getting the rest I need and that would help but I guess that I should also take into account that my body does need to take the occasional step back for the several steps that I am taking forward.

The goal was to add 15 pounds to my deadlift 1RM but I only got to 2 reps of my 95%. I guess that is not bad. I then did a 250 with 50% on squats. I have an upper body day tomorrow and then am basically traveling for the next week so big lifting is out of the question. We shall see if a good rest helps with progress. Otherwise I am comfortable with where I am at and will most probably not abandon strength focused training when conditioning starts in the spring.

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks (http://youtu.be/dmYwZH_BNd0)
• 40 Body Weight Squats (http://youtu.be/QKKZ9AGYTi4)
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Judo Push Ups
• 10 Burpees (http://youtu.be/O7_TBHno0Os)

Strength Exercises

• Barbell Squats (http://youtu.be/b_uAOqA-pxY)
• Barbell Deadlift (http://youtu.be/nFw69zIssgQ)

Notes / Results:

• Time: 45 minutes
• Weight: 202

• Deadlift
• Previous High: 2@325
• Sets: 12@245, 10@260, 6@290, 2@310
• Squats
• 250 @ 105

Light Upper Body Day

Not a great day. I think that I am still hurting from yesterday’s new PR on squats. Got my press in and wanted to do rows but both those spots were taken. Did pull ups instead.

I need to get more disciplined with my eating. I ate french fries yesterday at lunch and have been grazing on pretzels at the office. No problem eating and gaining weight but it has to be from the right food sources.

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks (http://youtu.be/dmYwZH_BNd0)
• 40 Body Weight Squats (http://youtu.be/QKKZ9AGYTi4)
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Judo Push Ups
• 10 Burpees (http://youtu.be/O7_TBHno0Os)

Strength Exercises

• Barbell Shoulder Press (http://youtu.be/8gVEdhS5AEs)
• Bench Press (http://youtu.be/gRVjAtPip0Y)
• Barbell Row (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCg1YxMt3oY)
• Pull Ups (C= Chin Ups, S=Side Grip, MB=Monkey Bars)

Notes / Results:

• Time: 30 minutes
• Weight: 204

• Press
• Previous High: 1@120
• Sets: 11@85, 7@90, 6@95, 4@105, 3@110
• Pull Ups
• Previous High: 5
• 5s, 3, 4c, 4s, 2, 3c

New PR on Squats / 250 @ 50% on Deadlift

I love what I do and the way that I do it. Since I went big on deadlifts and was weak on squats last time I focused on squats today. I had a great squat day and set a new PR. Instead of trying to go all outon deadlifts too, I tried my 250 routine @ 50% of my 1RM. It was a demanding workout that I don’t think fried my body and enables me to go big on deadlifts again on Sunday or Monday.

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks (http://youtu.be/dmYwZH_BNd0)
• 40 Body Weight Squats (http://youtu.be/QKKZ9AGYTi4)
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Judo Push Ups
• 10 Burpees (http://youtu.be/O7_TBHno0Os)

Strength Exercises

• Barbell Squats (http://youtu.be/b_uAOqA-pxY)
• Barbell Deadlift (http://youtu.be/nFw69zIssgQ)

Notes / Results:

• Time: 45 minutes
• Weight: 204

• Squats
• Previous High: 3@195
• 12@140, 10@150, 8@170, 5@180, 3@190, 3@195, 2@200
• Deadlift
• 250 @ 165

1/2 Upper Body Strength Day

Didn’t get a lot of good sleep last night and got to the gym late after doing a bunch of work from home in the morning. .Bottom line is that I got a good bench session in and did my pull ups. I was going to do a Bodyweight 250 on Friday but instead will do a Row and Press day. Maybe see what I can do with pull ups and bench if I have the time and energy.

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks (http://youtu.be/dmYwZH_BNd0)
• 40 Body Weight Squats (http://youtu.be/QKKZ9AGYTi4)
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Judo Push Ups
• 10 Burpees (http://youtu.be/O7_TBHno0Os)

Strength Exercises

• Barbell Shoulder Press (http://youtu.be/8gVEdhS5AEs)
• Bench Press (http://youtu.be/gRVjAtPip0Y)
• Barbell Row (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCg1YxMt3oY)
• Pull Ups (C= Chin Ups, S=Side Grip, MB=Monkey Bars)

Notes / Results:

• Time: 35 minutes
• Weight: 202

• Bench Press
• Previous high: 2@170
• Sets: 12@125, 10@135, 4@155, 4@160, 2@170
• Pull Ups
• Previous High: 5
• 5, 5s, 4c, 3, 3c, 3s