Saturday, September 29, 2007

Why I lift

I lift to get stronger. I'm not a powerlifter; I don't care about how much weight is on the bar, except as a measure of how much I'm improving. I want to get real-life stronger. Moving couches, carrying suitcases, helping friends, intimidating potential muggers.

I lift to look better. Let's face it, everybody who works out wants to look better, even if that's not their primary motivation. I like the fact that people think of me as in shape, physically capable and, in some cases, attractive.

I lift to be healthy. Healthiness has been important to me for a long time. My Dad had a heart attack when I was young, and ever since, my family has eaten healthy. My Mom takes walks every afternoon before dinner, and my Dad gets up and goes to the gym before work. That's one of the many great things my parents have done for me -- show me by example how to live a healthy life.

I lift because it's something I can control. It doesn't matter what else is going on in my life. My best friend could be dead, my girlfriend could be a promiscuous cokehead, my business partner could be a clinically depressed double amputee and my mother could be dying of cancer, (I'm watching Forrest Gump, can you tell?) but none of that matters in the gym. All that matters is I show up and I work as hard as I can. If I do that, I'll succeed. I'll get stronger, I'll look better and I'll be healthier. That's a kind of control I don't have in the "real" world.

I lift because it's fun. Maybe I'm weird, but I get a kick out of moving heavy stuff around in the gym. It's like a little competition against myself. If you're playing Nintendo, you try to beat the next level. When I'm playing in the gym, I try to master the next amount of weight on the bar.

But mainly, I lift because if I don't, I'll have nothing to do after work but sit on my butt and watch TV.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Training 9-28-07

Work was crazy today, and I'll be doing a bit of work on our website tonight and tomorrow. But it's the weekend! Woot!

B

Front Squat
2 x 5 x 175
3 x 5 x 185

Overhead Press
5 x 135
3 x 4 x 135
3 x 135

Bent Over Barbell Row
5 x 5 x 135

Dips
4 x 7 x 40
6 x 40

Swiss Ball Situps
25, 25, 25

Front Squat felt so smooth and easy on the first two sets that I moved up to 185. 185 was more of a challenge -- I tended to lean a bit forward due to the weight on the way up. I'll stay at 185 next time and try to clean that up.

It's hard to believe I only added 5 pounds to Overhead Press. It was so much harder. But I'll stay here and go for more reps next time. On a side note, I've learned that Military Press and Overhead Press are not synonyms -- in Military Press, you must keep your heels together. So I technically do an Overhead Press, since my feet are spread shoulder-width.

Form finally felt good on Bent Over Barbell Row. I'm keeping my index fingers right at the edge of the knurling and pulling to the upper abs. Time to start adding weight -- 145 next time.

And I also finally found a weight that kept me from completing 5 x 7 on dips. Next time I'll move up to 50 lbs and go for 5 x 5.

It's Friday, so I did some "vanity" work after my main workout was over -- 2 x 15 x 150 on seated calf raises, 2 x 20 x 25 (per hand) on dumbbell curls and 2 x 20 x 45 on combination reverse curl/overhead press.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Training 9-27-07

Not much to say today. Ready for the weekend.

A

Squat
5 x 5 x 215

Bench
3 x 5 x 225
4 x 225
5 x 225

Deadlift
3 x 5 x 245

Pullups (underhand)
3 x 5 x 25
4 x 25
3 x 25

Overhead pull machine
15 x 100
10 x 130
2 x 10 x 120

Squats were good at 215 again. Form was sloppy sometimes, good at others. I'll move up to 225 next time.

I think my problem with Bench Press is mainly psychological. If a rep feels hard and I'm not sure I can get the next one, I convince myself that I can't, so I quit. I need to just go for it. I know that even if I can't complete the rep, I can push it down to my waist and sit up to rack it. 225 again next time, but if I can't get a full 5 x 5, I'll have to deload to 205. If I do get a full 5 x 5, I'll move up to at least 230.

I'll move up on deadlift again next time, too. I'm at a good point where the more weight I add (so far), the more solid my form feels. Let's see how 255 feels next week.

I'm still digging the weighted pullups thing. I'm going to start keeping track of overhand vs underhand on pullups. I want to alternate between the two, and I keep on forgetting which one I did last, so I'll write it down!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Training 9-25-07

Received a heavy dose of irony via mail today, in the form of a book entitled "Real Men Don't Say Splendid: A Lexicon of Unmanliness." It's ironic because "unmanly" accurately describes my recent actions towards the sender. I'm not proud of the way I behaved towards this person, but I'm learning from it and I won't do it again in the future.

Also, I say a lot of the words listed in the book. Wanna fight about it?

B

Front Squat
5 x 5 x 170

Military Press
5 x 5 x 130

Bent Over Barbell Row
5 x 5 x 135

Dips
4 x 7 x 30
10 x 30

Back Extensions
15, 15, 15
(in each set: 5 straight up, 10 twisting)

Front Squat felt good, even though my right knee was a little tender from squats yesterday. I'm getting nice and low, and I pushed pretty evenly this time (last time I tended to lean right). I think I should move up to 175 next time.

Military Press was also good. I got a full 5 sets of 5 after only getting 5, 5, 5, 4, 3 last time. 135 next time for me!

I'm starting to get a feel for the Barbell Rows, as well. I'm using a narrowish grip (index fingers basically right on the edge of the knurling), focusing on pulling explosively from the bottom of the movement and really bringing the bar up hard to my upper abs before pausing for a second at the top. 135 again next time focusing on form, and then I'll start slowly moving up.

The 30 lb dumbbell was too heavy to hold between my feet on Dips -- it kept on almost sliding out from between my toes. I had Token Asian Roommate put the dumbbell between my ankles on the last 2 sets, and it was much more stable. Next time I'll try 40 lbs for sets of 7.

The Back Extensions produced a nice warm, tight feeling in the muscles of my lower back, and the twists hit the obliques and abs, as well. Good thing tomorrow's an off day -- I'm going to need some rest for my back before doing Squats and Deadlifts again.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Training 9-24-07

This weekend was definitley a peak-and-valley kind of weekend. Some really good times and some really bad times, and not a whole lot in between. The biggest good thing is that I realized that I have some of the best friends ever. I'm lucky to have friends who really care about me -- some I've known since preschool and some I've known for less than a year.

A

Squat
5 x 5 x 215

Dumbbell Bench Press
3 x 210
3 x 5 x 190
4 x 190

Deadlift
3 x 5 x 235

Pullups
3 x 5 x 25
2 x 4 x 25

Turkish Get-ups
1 x 15
3 x 15
5 x 15

Squat was a challenge. I came the closest I've come to failure on any rep of squat this far on the 4th rep of the last set. But it's feeling good -- my legs are working and I'm gaining confidence. 215 again next time.

All the benches were taken (all 5! at 9:00 on a Monday night!), so we (me and Token Asian Roommate) did dumbbell bench instead. This could be the change of pace I need to break past my plateau at 225 on bench. Using the dumbbells also made me focus on pushing evenly on both sides (my left actually tends to be stronger).

Deadlift was also good. If I want to push it, I might be able to get 245 next time. I'm at the point that I'll need to watch the form closely. I don't want to go too heavy and screw up my back.

Couldn't find the 20 lb dumbbell to weight my pullups, but using 25 lbs turned out pretty well. I'll do 25 again next time and hopefully get a full 5 sets of 5. Adding weight to my pullups makes me feel like a badass. Lucas smash!

Tried Turkish Get-ups for the first time today. They're pretty fun and seem like a good exercise -- I was fried after my set of 5 (per side). I said earlier that my goal with the ab exercises is to go for as long as possible without repeating one. I might make an exception and do these once or twice a week.

And finally, I met a guy named Winston who was watching me Deadlift and asked me afterwards how much I weighed. (I weigh 197ish) He asked if I'd ever considered doing powerlifting. I said that I might be interested, but that I hadn't really been on a regular training program until recently. Anyway, I hope to run into him again and ask him more about powerlifting -- it seems like something I'd enjoy and I'm hoping he can point me in the right direction for how to get started.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Training 9-21-07

Going to Dallas this afternoon to visit a friend. Got out of work at noon to hit the gym before leaving town.

A

Squat
5 x 5 x 205

Bench
3 x 5 x 225
4 x 225
3 x 225

Deadlift
3 x 5 x 225

Pullups
5 x 5 x 15

Decline bench medicine ball twists
3 x 15 x 12

The intensity was there on Squats, and it went well. Next time I'm moving up to 215, but I've got to remember to keep the intensity high, push from the heels and explode out of the "hole."

I'm noticing a trend on Bench. This is the second time in a row I've followed 5 sets of 5 in one workout with 5, 5, 5, 4, 3 in the next. I'll stay at 225 and push through it. Need to really set those shoulders and hips on the bench and push from a stable platform.

Deadlift was good. I felt the work, but form wasn't slipping. I'll move up to 235 next time.

Did 5 full sets of 5 with 15 lbs held between the feet on pullups. I'll move up to 20 lbs next time, and that'll probably be enough to keep me from getting a full 5 sets.

Did some light burnout work with the dumbbells afterwards: back flys, shoulder flys, curls, rows, and seated skull crushers. Now I'm off to pack and head to Dallas!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Training 9-20-07

I have to be at work from 8 a.m. until at least 10 p.m. today. Boo. But I got my butt out of bed at 5:45 this morning so I could make it to the gym and get in today's workout. This is the exciting part of having a training plan -- I'm seeing progress and I'm actually excited enough about going to the gym that I'm willing to get up at an ungodly hour (for me, at least) to keep from having to skip a day.

B

Front Squat
5 x 5 x 170

Military Press
3 x 5 x 130
4 x 130
3 x 130

Bent Over Barbell Row
5 x 5 x 135

Dips
4 x 7 x 20
11 x 20

Leg Raises (laying down)
15, 15, 15, 15

Front Squat felt hard but good. I think I have a tendency to shift my weight more onto my right leg as I come up. I'll stay at 170 next time and see if I can sort that out.

Military Press (aka overhead press) was the standard upper body strength benchmark for the old school strongmen (think black and white photos of muscular guys with handlebar mustaches in leotards), and I can see why. Something about putting all of your effort into pushing something heavy above your head is just FUN. I'll stay at 130 and see if I can get another rep or two in on the last sets next time.

I'm using a narrower grip on Bent Over Barbell Row (index fingers less than an inch from the inside edge of the knurling), and it helps somewhat. I'm still working on full range of motion and involving the back as much as possible. I'm going to stay at 135 for a few workouts, until I can really nail the form.

Added weight to dips with a 20 pound dumbbell held between my feet. I stopped myself at 7 reps on the first 4 sets and then did as many as I could on the last set. Looks like I'll need a heavier dumbbell next time. It's going to get hard to add enough weight pretty soon without a dip belt.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Training 9-18-07

Got to the gym later than usual due to dinner with a friend. If you were in a sushi restaurant this evening and your dinner was constanty interrupted by two young people laughing uproariously at nerdy and/or inappropriate jokes, I apologize.

A

Squat
5 x 5 x 205

Bench
5 x 5 x 225

Deadlift
5 x 205
5 x 215
5 x 225

Pullups
7 x 15
5 x 15
3 x 4 x 15

Bicycle Crunches
10, 7, 5, 5

Today's squat session was a reminder that it's easier to talk about intensity than it is to actually bring full intensity to each set. My first two sets were weak -- I was surprised by how heavy the weight felt and lost that "killer instinct." I managed to ratchet up the intensity on sets 3-5, and they were much better. Making a conscious effort to involve the glutes really helps. They're the biggest muscles in the body -- use them accordingly!

Bench was better than last week. Achieved a full 5 sets of 5, and just barely got through the sticking point on the last rep of the last set. I can do 225 again next time, as long as I remember to really squeeze the bar and brace the abs. Once I've done 2 workouts with 5 x 5 x 225 in a row, I should move up to 230.

Deadlift was good. At 225 I finally felt like I was moving some weight, and had to focus on bracing my lower back and pushing the hips forward. I think now I should hit 225 for 3 sets next time, and then move up on a workout-by-workout basis from there.

Added some weight to the pullups by holding a 15 pound dumbbell between my feet. Not the most glamorous solution ever, but it does the job. I'll do 15 lbs again next time and focus on going for 5 sets of 5.

Monday, September 17, 2007

On sticking to the plan

I recently realized that a big weakness of my workouts for the past couple of years has been a lack of intensity. More specifically, I would give myself a pass on half-assing a particular set by telling myself I'd make up for it by adding another set or another exercise to the end of my workout. This had the double effect of making my workouts longer and decreasing the effectiveness of each individual exercise I was doing.

I realized this because I am now working off of a set plan, where I perform a specific number of sets with a specific number of repetitions in each set. This framework takes away my ability to say to myself "that set was kind of lazy, I'll make up for it at the end of the workout." Now I have to approach every set and every rep with the attitude of working as hard as I can and maximizing my intensity.

This has really improved the quality of my workouts. With no way to make up for a bad set, I just have to make sure I don't have bad sets. Sure, there will be days when I'm not able to do as many reps or as much weight as I'd like, but as long as I approach every exercise with the attitude that I'm going to give this exercise every ounce of effort and intensity that I have, I'll end up with a darn good workout.

So, even when I'm done with this program, I'll always go into the gym with a clearly defined plan for which exercises I'll do, how many sets I'll perform and how many reps in each set. That'll keep me from making excuses for myself and give me the focus I need to get the best workout possible.

Training 9-17-07

B

Front Squat
5 x 5 x 170

Military Press
5 x 5 x 125

Bent Over Barbell Row
3 x 5 x 145
2 x 5 x 135

Dips
10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Rotary Torso machine
3 x 10 x 100

On the last 2 sets of Front Squat, I had to pay attention to keep my hips from moving up faster than my shoulders (spinal compression/curving). Looks like 170 again next time. As I get more reps in on front squat and deadlift, my back should get stronger and form should improve.

Military press felt good again. I find it's easier to focus and push as hard as I can on military than on today's other movements. Maybe it's because it's the only one of these exercises I've been doing on a fairly regular basis ever since I started lifting in high school. I'll be moving up to 130 next time, though it'll be tough.

On the other hand, I lacked intensity on Bent Over Barbell Row. I did end up moving down in weight on the last 2 sets so I could clean up my form. I need to keep the weight where it is (135) and focus on form and intensity for the next few workouts.

Dips were standard fare. I think I'm going to experiment with holding a dumbbell between my feet or knees for pullups and dips going forward. I know I need to add weight to advance on those two.

And yes, I used the rotary machine only days after writing a rant against machines. My only excuse is that my goal for the ab/core exercises at the end of my workout is to go as long as humanly possible before repeating an exercise. My goal on these isn't to gain strength, but just to get those muscles moving, activated, and ready to stablize me as I add weight to other exercises.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Training 9-14-07

B

Front Squat
5 x 5 x 165

Military Press
5 x 5 x 125

Bent Over Barbell Row
5 x 5 x 145

Dips
10, 10, 10, 10, 9

Bridge
3 x 30 seconds

The upside of neglecting any serious lower-body training for so long is that progress goes so fast at first. I feel comfortable with moving up to 170 on front squat next time.

Starting at 125 on military also made a big difference. I made it all the way through the 5 sets, even though I wasn't sure if I was going to make the 5th rep on the last set. 125 again next time, then maybe I can move up to 130.

Bent Over Barbell Row felt heavy again. If it doesn't improve on the next workout, I may need to move back down. The ego doesn't like admitting that I may have started off too heavy, but that may be the case.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Training 9-13-07

A

Squat
5 x 195
5 x 205
5 x 215
2 x 5 x 205

Bench
3 x 5 x 225
4 x 225
3 x 225

Deadlift
5 x 185
5 x 195
5 x 205

Pullups
10, 7, 6, 5, 5

Standing Oblique Crunches
4 x 10 x 50 (per side)

205 is where I should be on Squats. I can do 5 reps of 215, but it's a close thing. I should be able to do a couple of sessions with 205 on all sets and then move up to 210 or 215 pretty quickly.

Bench was disappointing today. If I'm honest with myself, I'll admit I'm pushing myself a bit more with the weight on bench and military press than on the other exercises. It's probably because one of my main goals is to get a max bench of 300 or more within the next couple of months. If I can't at least get back up to 5 x 5 x 225 by the end of next week, I'll have to deload and try again.

I'm still surprised at how easy it is to stack more and more weight on the deadlift. It doesn't have as steep of a learning curve as I'd anticipated. Next workout I should be able to start at 205 and move up to 225.

I don't think I rested long enough after my first set of pullups. I could almost get to the top on the 8th rep of the 2nd set, but not quite. Still need to get a chain belt or figure out an alternative way to add weight, but I'm broke for now.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Why free weights are better than machines

Tuesday at the gym, one of my roommates was having trouble with form on the Bent Over Barbell Row. Frustrated after a few unsuccessful tries, he said something to the effect of, "This is stupid. We should be using machines, anyway. They're better because they let you use more weight."

I've been lifting for almost 10 years. I'm not a certified personal trainer or fitness expert, but I have a pretty darn good idea of what I'm doing in the gym. Everything I've read, everyone I've talked to, and all of my experience tells me that, outside of a few specific scenarios, free weights are far superior to machines.

Free weight exercises work more muscles than machine exercises. Think about the bench press. You push against the bar or machine handles by contracting your chest and triceps, thus lifting the weight. You use the same primary muscles, whether you use free weights or machines. But with free weights, you also use your shoulders, biceps, back, core and even your legs to balance the bar and keep yourself in position on the bench. Using more muscles = building more strength.

So free weights help strengthen supporing muscles, whereas machines do not. This translates to more real-world strength. If you're helping a friend move a couch to his third-floor apartment, the stairs won't come equipped with guide rails or pulleys to make the job easier. You'll have to use your stabilizing muscles to support the weight of your body and the couch, and if you've been working out solely on weight machines, they won't be up to the task.

By controlling your motion during the exercise, machines prevent you from developing proper form in your lifts. This may not seem important at first, but think of the couch example again. If you've trained your body to push up against a weight while balancing with no outside support, then you'll be able to move the couch safely and easily. If, on the other hand, you're used to being able to just push willy-nilly against the bar without a thought for balance or alignment, then your body isn't trained to balance itself under the weight of the couch, and down you go.

Some people, like my roommate, think that machines build more muscle because they let you use more weight. Intuitively, this seems to be a solid argument. But weight machines control the motion of the weight you're moving and allow you to cheat by pushing at an angle slightly different from the angle at which the handle or bar is actually moving when you get tired. This means that you can do more weight on machines, but you're not working your targeted muscles any harder than you would be by doing free weights.

To conclude: working out with free weights develops supporting muscles, balance and form, whereas working out with machines does not. Using free weights also allows you to use less weight while working your muscles as hard or harder than you would on a machine, which means you have a lower risk of injury or overtraining on free weights than you do with machines.

Machines are not evil. They can be useful in some scenarios -- for people who aren't strong enough to support themselves on a movement without assistance, for beginners who need to build a little confidence before moving on to free weights, for rehab of a specific joint or muscle, etc. But for building strength and overall fitness, machines can't hold a candle to good ol' free weights.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Training 9-11-07

First B workout session:

Front Squat
5 x 155
5 x 175
3 x 5 x 165

Military
5 x 135
3 x 5 x 125
4 x 125

Bent Over Barbell Row
5 x 5 x 145

Dips
10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 7

Hanging Leg Raises
10, 10, 10, 10

Front Squat was good at 165. That should be my weight going forward. I'm still not flexible enough for the clean grip, but stretching the wrists and triceps should help.

I thought I'd be able to do more weight on military press. I was doing 4 x 7 with 125 two weeks ago. Maybe starting at 135 was a bit optimistic.

Barbell row was also good. Form was iffy on the last rep of the last 2 sets. Got about 1 inch away from touching my chest, but couldn't quite finish it out.

I still need a chain belt for pullups and dips. I'll need to go heavier to progress in either.

All three of the roomies came along for the workout today! Two of them even completed the workout with me, albeit with three sets per exercise instead of five. The third roomie said that machines were better than free weights because you can use more weight and went off to run on the treadmill. Maybe I'll write a post on the many reasons he's wrong tomorrow.

Training 9-10-07

Here's yesterday's workout, my first A workout: (if you can't figure out what the numbers mean, scroll down to the last paragraph of this post)

Squat
5 x 185
5 x 195
5 x 205
5 x 215
5 x 195

Bench
5 x 5 x 225

Deadlift
5 x 135
5 x 155
5 x 175

Pullups
10, 8, 6, 5, 5

Decline Bench Situps
4 x 10 x 25

As you can tell, I'm trying to find the weight I should be using on Squat and Deadlift. I think I should be able to nail them down by the end of the week.

Squats felt good up to 205. At 215 I was on the verge of breaking form, but just barely managed to keep my back straight at the bottom. I think I'll start at 195 next time and work up again, just to be safe. Squat is the one exercise I want to be most cautious with until I've found my "happy place." If I overload it or screw up, I could really mess myself up.

Bench was right at my limit. First set was hard, middle sets were better, and my 5th on the final set was definitely the last rep I could have done. I'll try 225 again later this week and see if I can bump up to 230 or 235 next week.

I was worried about form on the deadlift because it's a relatively new lift for me and I've been doing low weight and high reps in order to get the form down. I was surprised that I was able to maintain form all the way up through 175. I felt like I could maybe do 3 sets of 185 next time.

Pullups were good. I need to get a chain belt to attach a weight. I've been doing pullups pretty regularly for a while, and seem to have stalled out at 10 for a first set going down to 5 by the 4th set. Adding weight and going for sets of 5 might help break that plateau.

A quick note on how I record my workouts:

Whenever you see two numbers, the first number is the number of reps in the set and the second number is the amount of weight used. For example, "5 x 135" means I did 5 reps with 135 pounds. When you see three numbers, the first is the number of sets done, the second is the number of reps per set, and the third is the amount of weight used. For example, "5 x 6 x 100" means that I did 5 sets of 6 reps each with 100 pounds. On bodyweight exercises, I just list the number of reps done per set.

The Plan

I've recently gotten back in to lifting regularly, and have been keeping track of my sessions on my Google calendar. I figured that using a blog to keep track of the sessions would:

a) Give me an easier way to quickly view my recent training history.
b) Get me back in the habit of writing non-work stuff fairly regularly, even if it's just what I did at the gym today.

So I'm doing it. Starting yesterday, I'm using a new program based on the Beginner's Strength Training Program II that Mehdi posted over at StrongLifts. Basically I'm bastardizing his program by going against his advice and taking out the rest day between the two workouts. I plan to lift Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and rest on the weekends.

Here are the two workouts, slightly modified from Mehdi's plan:

A
Squat - 5x5
Bench - 5x5
Deadlift - 3x5
Pullups - 5 sets

B
Front Squat - 5x5
Standing Military Press - 5x5
Bent Over Barbell Row - 5x5
Dips - 5 sets

One week, I'll do A on Monday and Thursday and B on Tuesday and Friday. The next week, I'll do A on Tuesday and Friday and B on Monday and Thursday. Some weeks I may have to miss a day or move the workouts around a bit due to scheduling concerns. I'll be doing this program for at least 5 weeks. I'll take a bit of a break during week 6 because I'll be traveling from Thursday to Monday. I'll lift light at the beginning of that week, then take a few days off to assess how the program is going and make adjustments accordingly.

So that's the plan. Here goes!