Tim's Journeyman Log

[Glex]

Ugh...knee swelling. Maybe take some aspririn...remember, there's only one thing aspirin won't do, and that's bring a dead hooker back to life Seriously, take care of it, but I know you don't need to be told that.

Good luck getting back up to speed; the reps will come back in no time.

 

[tim290280]

Line: I became a knee knowledge junkie the day after my injury. Its fascinating what they do and what research has been done. Shoulders are even better! I expect front squats to fly up!

Glex: I'm not a fan of drugs to control swelling and pain. They tend to have all sorts of side effects (like eating away your intestine!) that I'm not keen on having, as this is a long term thing. I just go the ice pack.

I like my gym. Its the little isolated corner of the world where only the brave tread, only the strong of mind and body may compete with the iron. But every now and again it is good to expand my horizons and seek out iron in the gyms of Australia. I call these days gym freebies.

My partner got me a free pass to her gym. It is one of those wrinkles and students community gyms, but I thought I'd give it a bash anyway. I always like the looks on this sort of crowd's faces when you do different exercises, or simmilar exercises in a different way. Also the lifting more than anyone there is fun too.

I started off with snatch warmups and drop snatches. By the time I had my working weight on the bar doing the real thing, the only people not staring where around the corner doing cardio. I started to also warmup for benching by doing some one arm DB benches. This was when I realised I wasn't going to be able to dumbbell bench as they only went up to 40kg. I spotted a Cybex Incline plate bench machine and decided to do them instead (I can flat BB bench anytime!). I loaded up with 80kg of plates, then realised I really need 100kg for sets of 5. These felt good, but I still like dumbbells over these machines.

Between sets I was able to commandeer the cable row from the oldies, and once again realised that I'd need the whole stack. Well that just meant sets of 8 instead of 6 (sigh). I moved on past that lightweight, to lunges and hammy curls. By this time people had stopped staring and were getting on with their "workout". I loaded up 80kg for lunges and did my sets. These always make me breathe hard, and after the second set of 8 I was seeing stars. The hammy curl machine I jumped on and began lifting, stopped, dropped the pin a few notches and then did them one legged. From the stares I'm guessing no one does them one legged.

Finally I was close to finishing, with just some calf and arms to go. The incline 'seated' calf raise was something I'd first seen in the US, and gladly jumped on it again. This one I only needed three plates per side, than the last one where I really needed 4-5. Some rope press downs and some db curls to finish and it was time for a shake.

I'll leave the community gyms to the old and wannabes, but its was a good workout for a freebie. Oh and my girl had a great cardio class.

 

[Glex]

Glex: I'm not a fan of drugs to control swelling and pain.

Me either, to tell you the truth. That was just something Line had said during our workout

I like the incline 'seated' calf raise machine, too. There's one back home that I used every second or third workout.

Sounds like you had a fun day!

 

[tim290280]

Thanks Glex. Those calf raises are great as you don't have to have several 100lbs on your shoulders, which I think is merciless on your spine. Plus they are padded, I don't usually do padded.

I worked out early too, mid morning, and have had a really productive day as a result. I'm going to do this more often. Plus this means I can go for the dog walking even on training days.

To everyone: Line is right I shouldn't be pimping myself.

 

[FOOTBALL FAN]

lol well it was an experience hey, and I bet its a good ego boost doing the whole stack on everything

 

[Line]

Yes, that damn shoulder with all its ligaments and muscle attachments...do we really need that blasted coracoacromial ligament?

I really enjoyed this last entry, mainly because I can relate (as usual...I swear I don't come in here to talk about myself) to people starring at you for using more weight. Do you find it distracting at all? Personally I like being close to a wall or mirror so I can focus on my form or just be visually blocked off from the rest of the gym because I hate being watched when going heavy.

Good to see that you broke away (somewhat) from your traditional routine and was able to have what sounds like a very enjoyable session in a new gym.

Props for nice work, and for using the word "commandeer"

Me either, to tell you the truth. That was just something Line had said during our workout

Whoa, whoa! Let's leave my drug recommendations/financial escapades out of this.


PS: I was going to vote for your log until you shamelessly plugged it. For shame, Tim. For shame.

 

[tim290280]

I really enjoyed this last entry, mainly because I can relate (as usual...I swear I don't come in here to talk about myself) to people starring at you for using more weight. Do you find it distracting at all? Personally I like being close to a wall or mirror so I can focus on my form or just be visually blocked off from the rest of the gym because I hate being watched when going heavy.

If its a regular thing it is distracting. When I'm doing the lift I don't notice, its just after. I was a bit concerned that my snatch form was off, so the people watching me then I wasn't so happy with. But in general it makes me push a little more, to make sure I am donig the exercise with good form "Anyone could bench that much if they used that form!".

Actually I think I need a mirror at home so I can watch my squat, C&J and snatch form. But that wouldn't be as hardcore........

PS: I was going to vote for your log until you shamelessly plugged it. For shame, Tim. For shame.

and I bet its a good ego boost doing the whole stack on everything

Yes and no. I know that I'm not exactly huge nor super strong, so while its gratifying, I see it also as a sad inditement upon the people who train there. I've maxed out their dumbbells, cable machines, and was the only one using their squat rack: there is serisously something wrong with this picture!

But it did feel good!

 

[tim290280]

It was a hot day. These 40 degree days are killing me (thats +104 for you backwards farenheit users. I propose we change to using Kelvin as the measure, but then freezing point of water would be 273 degrees.). It gets so hard to train when you drip sweat just from walking outside. Fortuneately a sea breeze came in and cooled things off so I was able to train after dinner.

Nothing really amazing of note. But I have come to the realisation that I need to spend less time training. I seem to spend longer training than I would at a gym, so I should either shorten the workouts, cut exercises, or change programs to exercises that compliment change-over (as the gym facilitated a major cut in time between exercises). I'll stick with this for another cycle (to take it to at least 8 weeks), and then think of changing. Best to incorporate it into the new job too.

I haven't done a split routine in about 6yrs (maybe more), so I might try that for a laugh. I could go back to upper/lower. How about a vote, should I try:

1) Stay the course on the fullbody, just pull your finger out and train harder with shorter intervals.
2) Change to a wussy split, with chest on Mondays like everyone else.
3) Change to a split that at least has legs on Monday.
4) Go back to upper/lower.
5) Screw the looking good and being strong, go eat a bag of chips on the couch!

 

[FOOTBALL FAN]

I say number 5 lol no seriously maybe a upper lower

 

[Natureboypkr]

It was a hot day. These 40 degree days are killing me (thats +104 for you backwards farenheit users. I propose we change to using Kelvin as the measure, but then freezing point of water would be 273 degrees.). It gets so hard to train when you drip sweat just from walking outside. Fortuneately a sea breeze came in and cooled things off so I was able to train after dinner.

Nothing really amazing of note. But I have come to the realisation that I need to spend less time training. I seem to spend longer training than I would at a gym, so I should either shorten the workouts, cut exercises, or change programs to exercises that compliment change-over (as the gym facilitated a major cut in time between exercises). I'll stick with this for another cycle (to take it to at least 8 weeks), and then think of changing. Best to incorporate it into the new job too.

I haven't done a split routine in about 6yrs (maybe more), so I might try that for a laugh. I could go back to upper/lower. How about a vote, should I try:

1) Stay the course on the fullbody, just pull your finger out and train harder with shorter intervals.
2) Change to a wussy split, with chest on Mondays like everyone else.
3) Change to a split that at least has legs on Monday.
4) Go back to upper/lower.
5) Screw the looking good and being strong, go eat a bag of chips on the couch!

maybe you should start getting paid for all the training knowledge you have

 

[Glex]

I propose we change to using Kelvin as the measure, but then freezing point of water would be 273 degrees.

Actually, 273.15, to be a little more precise I'm not sure how I feel about Kelvin; dude didn't even make a new scale, he just moved the zero point. I'm going to make a new scale for benching called the Glex where zero starts at 135 lbs. Put me in textbooks now, please.

I like doing a split routine. I can never get my arms to grow without doing multiple movements for each muscle in a workout. Line and I are on a modified push/pull right now, are you opposed to push/pull?

 

[onebigeric]

Props to you for training in that kind of heat, Tim. I know how it feels to have the energy just sucked and bled out of you like that(lived in desert climates all my life); makes the workouts all the more impressive, and your example all the more tough to match

 

[tim290280]

FF: Number 5 is tempting..... Upper/lower would be my preference, but the new job may make that harder to fit in. I may have to do the socialising thing on weekends and play golf, when I would normally get one of the workouts in. We'll see.

Natureboypkr: Cheers for the compliment! Apparently you need to have a piece of paper saying you're a qualified personal trainer. In Australia that either means shelling out $3500 for a 2 week course which is mostly first aid (a course that costs $80-100), or racking up more student loans for a similar amount of $$ for a year of night school. I could start writing articles for Pain (well finishing them is more the key) but I have a lot of other writing to do on my PhD.

Glex: So in Glexes Mango would only be curling 0lbs. That could be a goer. Although most people talk in pounds because its a bigger number. Case in point: which sounds bigger; 220lbs or 100kg? Lifting 100kg just doesn't sound as good as 220lbs. So maybe Glexes could be a relative scale, so that you add your bodyweight to whatever lift weight is used....

On the splits: I found my arms sucked when I didn't do at least some specific arm exercises, so I now make sure that I have some included in whatever routine I'm doing. Though a full split? Hadn't thought of push/pull, might be worth a shot.

Onebigeric: The heat does suck! Training at the gym could be as much about airconditioning as anything else. Hard to say. My worst training experience was a footy training run in 46 degree heat. I was feeling crap for a couple of days afterwards.

I've got a new job, so I'll be buying a house in the near future, so the plan is to have a "Man's Room" (refer back to my hairdresser post) where I have my weights, guitars, and games room set up. This is likely to get some temperature control of some sort, so the Aussie summer may become an outdated complaint from me.

 

[Natureboypkr]

@tim290280 yeah that sucks, you have those trainers who take those courses and still suck a training and think they're Charles Glass or Milos. I had one of those guy come up to me trying to tell me who I should do deadlifts, I told him "when you look anything like me then come talk to me, other than that go train some senior citizens", I came off like that because he was being an asshole

 

[tim290280]

^^ The irony is that these courses have the bare minimum of actual training knowledge imparted. So most of what they regurgitate is from the head trainer at that gym (or other gyms they have worked in). My cousin manages a gym and he comes out with all sorts of shit when we talk. Its Ok for his clientel (wrinklies and students), as he is trying to avoid getting sued, and having to spend money on stuff that caters to people they aren't trying to attract as members, but to a guy he knows is more serious about lifting he comes off as a jerk.

 

[tim290280]

Well I did another marathon session last night. I managed to have dinner before training, and then still have enough time to contemplate whether I could actually get the workout done before Top Gear came on. In the end I realised that Top Gear was going to have to be on the backburner unless I wanted to train on another 40+ degree day.

So train I did, and fitter about I did, as I finished the session watching TV as much as working out. Up untill my upper body half of the session I was going well. I managed to C&J 90kg for the first time, felt easy, but still not catching quite right overhead. The SLDL's went well, although I went easier (didn't add load this week) as my low back was still stiff from deads on Saturday. Then Front squats were good, all except for the red line across my shoulder from the bar. I've added 10kg to the front squat in 2 weeks, I won't chance another 5kg next week, but I may add 2.5kg. Seem to have gotten the kinks out of this lift, now if only I could be a pussy and pad the bar a bit so that I don't get that red mark.

Then David Hasselhoff stood up on the wall and everything came crashing down around my ears. The incline bench seemed to take for ever, seemed to be overly hard, and I couldn't help seeing the Top Gear guys bag each others cheap sports cars. Chinups were good, however. Don't know why but they just seemed easy, even with the dead hang. Actually the dead hang is something I've started doing again in the last year or so. I always used to do prestretch (drop into the chin) or rapid chins and pullups. The theory is that the dead hang leaves your shoulder vunerable to strain on the rotor cuffs, like the torture victims who have been strung up by their arms. But of course I now think that this is moot, as you are actively exercising the muscles, so they are active in even the dead hang (done correctly). Makes a big difference on back involvement and how much weight you use!

I finished up with wrist rollers, spider curls and my incline triceps thingy. Triceps got a good pump going, and the elbows didn't feel as bad. Spider curls continue to make me feel like I'm cramping at the peak, something I think that I need to conquer if I want that extra 1/2".

At least the 1.5hrs allowed me to finish up before South Park came on.

 

[FOOTBALL FAN]

I know what you mean on those front squats my shoulders feel real bruised, in my garage its freezing cold and where you are its boiling hot if only we could have a mixture of both then it would be perfect lol

 

[onebigeric]

Fear the Hasslehoff; he'll eat your soul

Sounds like an excellent session Tim Thank you for your side descriptions concerning form and muscle feel along the way; adds some spit and shine to an already excellent log.

 

[Glex]

Top Gear...sounds like another Aussie conspiracy trying to tell us that Australia is on top of the world

 

[tim290280]

FF: I've got the pale skin that the monk in The DaVinci Code would be dark next to. So red marks from the bar on my shoulders show up easily. I don't know that they were bruising though, as they have dissappeared now.

Onebigeric: Hasslehoff always talks about dancing and singing on the Berlin Wall when it was coming down. Don't know if he realises he is a running joke or not, though he did have a funny cameo in Dodge Ball. The session was Ok, I'll feel better about it when the routine runs a bit quicker.

Glex: I wouldn't have thought I was promoting Australia, rather my new sponsor Mary Jane. All my posts will now be prefixed and suffixed with DUDE, and COOL.

Top Gear is actually a British car show. They are quite funny and irreverant about the way they review new cars. There's a great clip on YouTube of them trashing a Toyota Hilux (which is regarded as the toughest 1 tonne ute/truck in existence). They set it on fire, drop a caravan on it, drown it in the sea, hit it with a wrecking ball, drive it into a tree, leave it on a tall building during a controlled demolition. After all that they were still able to drive it. Good stuff that show!

Banshee: Dead hangs do make the difference between that easy set and the hard muscle building set. You may be interested in my next post on the Oly lifts, snatches are going up quicker than the C&J.