Tim's Journeyman Log

[Dilmun Bull]

intresting log Tim. glad to hear about ur confrence and the EAGLES WON! still recovering from that weekend.

What have u been recruited to talk on?

 

[tim290280]

What have u been recruited to talk on?

Going to present part of my PhD research. I'm doing pasture agronomy (yeh, WTF has that got to do with lifting?) and just going to outline some of the findings that I'll publish in journals next year.

I'm just in the last stages of this PhD so the conference is as much a holiday as work. Actually interesting having to spend more of my spare time reading about work science rather than hobby science (lifting). What with trying to finish soon and all.

Sorry did I say interesting.... my bad.

 

[Rocky]

Glad things are going well. Hope the presentation of your work goes well too - although I have no doubts that it will.

 

[imraan47]

Had a break through last night. ART massage.

Basically got a tennis ball and massaged the shoulders and back. The idea is to release the adhesions and scar tissue to improve the quality of the muscle. It also helps the muscle fascia.

So after doing that the benching went well, with no problems with feeling the weight in my shoulders too much. I'm going to be doing this stuff more regularly now.

What is this ART massage?

 

[tim290280]

ART is basically targeting muscle adhesions and scar tissue to break it up and improve the quality of the muscles. Because you do damage to the muscles from training, its a good idea to free up the "debris".

Proper ART is a bit different from the tennis ball or foam roller stuff you do yourself. But it can improve your performance dramatically. And this is different from a standard massage, especially the one with a happy ending.

 

[tim290280]

Well this week has sucked training wise. I've battled to have the energy to do anything, I have about the same strength but no motivation to lift the heavy stuff, and my workouts that would normally clock in at 50mins are taking 70-80min.

Stupid stress from work.

On a good note, I'm going on my trip to America next week, so I'll get to train in a whole other country. I've gotta see how bad these 24hr Fatness, and Planet Fitness gyms are. Plus I'll try and lift in some proper athletic gyms.

 

[MexicanMuscle]

that sucks that ur training hasn't been going like u would've liked, but cheer up it will get better.

that's cool about the trip tim, where did u say u were going exactly?

 

[tim290280]

I'm going to Indianapolis, then to Durham (NC), then DC, then NY.

 

[MaKaVeLi]

kool man, i hope that trip will do your training some good too

 

[Chesticles]

Enjoy the hellishly long plane ride

 

[tim290280]

Enjoy the hellishly long plane ride

Half of it will be spent in US customs.

"So what is the purpose of your visit?"
"Business and pleasure."
"Will you be commiting any terrorist acts while in the USA?"
"Yes... I mean no!! Damn, fooled again."

 

[tim290280]

Jorn pissed me off before my session.

So I went and did more than I was planning to do for chest and back. Even found a good groove on the bench that actually seems to be good for the impingement.

 

[tim290280]

Ok the log has been in hiatus for awhile now. I've been working, travelling, and recovering.

On my USA trip I trained at a few different places. NIFS gym (National Institute of Fitness and Sport?) in Indianapolis was interesting. The "hardcore" lifting area was in a side room away from the indoor track and weight machines. It was funny to see people doing laps and sprint training, while some old people did a leisurely walk.

THe hardcore area was mainly made so by the 3 PLers that were training. They selected a local hard rock station (a gym that plays lifting music!!!!!), and were training squats on the first day. They had the end power rack, I set up next to them, and felt inspired. I managed to bang out 5x315 (jet lagged and running on empty). They were pulling on their suits and knee wraps when I moved on to some glute ham raises. In hindsight the GHR was the best hamstring exercise ever invented and left my hammys tight for a week (not sore, just worked hard).

I did some good lifts here, and had some fun. Even found I was about 190lbs (no noticeable BF increases) so that week off prior to travel was a good thing.

That gym was good but was $12 per session. Pretty much paying for that indoor track. Although it was interesting to find my vertical leap is back up to around 70cm (27"), which is a 20cm improvement in 6 months (without training for it).

The next stop was the Duke University student gym in Durham North Carolina.

My friend and I got up early and went in to train early. If you get there early the desk isn't man'd so you just walk in with another member. This was the first time in years I've trained early morning. It was great.

The gym was huge, and attached to their sports sciences faculty. The weights area was pretty cool, although no glute ham raise, and no hammer strength chest press. I managed to get in some good workouts, and even inspired my friend to learn to squat (his own inititive as we didn't actually train together). Biggest thing I did was to not add up the weight plates. See Aussie plates are metric, so a large plate is 20kg, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 (the last if you're lucky). The bar is also 20kg. America with its backwards, last century, we're the only country that matters, imperial measures have 45lb (20.4kg) 35 (~16kg) 25 (11.5kg) 10 (4.5kg) etc and a bar that is also 45lb. This means that on my regular deadlifts I was wondering why I was only getting 3 reps instead of 5. Pretty simple when there is an extra 10kg on the bar from those additional pounds on each plate. I was down a couple of pounds to 188 (probably because weighing first thing in the morning).

For all our sneaking around the entry fee was $2!! Cheap at twice the price!

I was going to go to a Ballys and a Golds on my trip, but tragedy struck. Apparently when you ask if the food you are eating at a restaurant has nuts in it they don't count wallnuts as a deadly poison that could almost kill someone. Two attacks in 4 days!! Needless to say I was not healthy, and just doing the tourist walking around in cold weather was enough exercise for me.

 

[tim290280]

In the two weeks since I've been back I've taken it a bit easy.

THe first week back I just needed to recover. So I did some 'light' sessions. Basically I'd pick a big exercise and an accessory exercise and do 50 reps. Bench was 80kg, Front squat 80kg (60reps), SLDL 80kg (although warmed up with walking lunges and cleans), Chins BW+20kg.

All seamed easy until the 4th set, which would be my normal rep range upper limit (30 reps for a movement). Still wasn't sleeping well, and adjusting to summer heat was making it tough.

 

[tim290280]

The second week was my lead into a new program. Going through the exercises and gauging the weight I would need to use for my working sets.

I've quickly come to realise I've lost 10-20% on all my lifts. Now this is just crap! What was once 5x5 material is now multisets of 2. Its too hot to be bothered with lifting light stuff again.

 

[tim290280]

I strode out last night. Yes night! See I went to get a gift for my supervisor for Xmas, and when I got back I found my computer had crashed and that Windows was no longer working. Bye-bye todays work! So by the time I got dinner and the computer working again it was late evening.

Aside from tripping over some plates hidden in the dark I was off to a good start. SLDL's with my new method (toes in, toes out, two sets each way, plus a normal finisher) went easily, more weight needed next week. The chins were all power as well, dead hang and bam! Pity the chins are about 10kg off what I was doing just over a month ago.

Next came my front squats. I felt low on every rep, and everyone seemed to be hard yet do-able. I needed a form check, I couldn't be going as far down as I thought, Could I? "Yes honey you are" was the offical ajudication from the missus.

This left me pondering whether it was too late and to give bench and arms a miss or keep the momentum going......... Well call me momentum man. The incline bench took a fair bit of concentration, clearly need to work on my ROM to make that easier. The wrist roller, bi's, tri's circuit left me with shakey hands trying to drink. Glad this was at home, people battling to drink a cup of water look stupid!

 

[tim290280]

Dear Santa,

Where are my dumbbells? I wrote to you via the embassy at the North Pole. I even had it delivered via courier so that you would get it early. I knew that you would need to make weight allowances for the complete set, as I did request 20 thru to 65kg dumbbells, which does add up to a fair bit of extra weight on the sleigh.

I need them urgently, so if you could bring them by before Christmas as I asked, that would be much appreciated.

As you know I have had enough of my old dumbbells. They are offloaded, oversized, hard to handle, and have that collar on the end that really digs into the leg and leaves bruises that are making the missus suspicious. Plus I took a whole heap of skin off my finger last night using those things! I mean they're Ok until you get past about 42kg, then I have to put those larger diameter plates on, and a couple are heavier than the others. I've trained like this long enough, its time for some real 'bells.

Oh also I'm leaving out a PWO shake and some protein cookies for you again this year. I know you liked the vanilla flavoured ON, and I hope you like the chocolate one this year. But this year could you make less mess please. It was as though a dog had come and eaten everything, not a kind giver of presents.

Kind regards for the Season,
Tim.

 

[Glex]

I've heard a lot about you from Line, so I thought it would be interesting to check your log when I saw you were updating again. I haven't seen a more humorous log I especially liked the bit about the imperialist Americans. Don't worry, I'm moving to Canada

 

[tim290280]

Thanks for the praise Glex!

 

[tim290280]

Santa,

Alright it is now boxing day! The cricket is on and I don't have my dumbbells!

What, you're fat ass didn't fit down our chimney?! Two words for you pal; Diet and Exer-fucking-cise!

Or did you just decide that I wasn't worthy? Have I been too naughty, hell I've kinda forgiven Jorn, CJU and my supervisors for being dicks. Well better start praying! While I was in the southern states of the USA I was schooled in small arms, and I'm already a bloody good shot with a rifle, so you'd better believe that hunting season has just opened, and it isn't just reindeer in the crosshairs!

How am I supposed to train over Christmas? I had a whole workout with dumbbells planned. Now I have to resort to box jumps (40", yay!), and flipping wool bales. Also pushing the farm truck with a fire fighting unit on the back full of water was not what I had in mind for a Christmas break workout at home on the farm!

You had better not laugh, better beleive you're going to cry, you wonder why? Because Tim is hunting your fat ass down!

Watch your back,
Tim.