Just a quick note.

I was 215.4 today..

Workout wise I hit the gym at about 4:30 for a session of legs with an emphasis on squats. Recently, I've been just blasting em' ironically by lowering the weight. I'm not sure how to express exactly how low I'm going, but it's fair to say that you could rest a stack of quarters on my thigh when I'm in the down position. It's at least parallel and maybe just a tad bit more.

Since making the change to doing my squats with less weight and good form I'm finding that it's now one of the movements I look forward to the most. My form previously was 'OK' -at least compared to other guys in the gym. However, in retrospect I have to admit that 'macho' was getting the best of me. I was simply putting too much weight on the bar and as a result I was only working the top half of my thighs. Trust me, tomorrow morning I'm gonna feel this from the top all the way down the knee..

Anyway, that's all for today, Gang. My sorness level will dictate tomorrow's workout. Home run, I'll do light lifting (still kinda nursing the arm) and then do 45 minutes on Stairmaster. Moderatly sore, I'll do light lifting and the same amount of time on Eliptical. And can't walk, and I take a day off for rest.. lol

Hava good one. And cheers!

Nice form on the squats!!! I don't think I get quite that far down - but I also don't have a spotter or a safety rack...

I've recently taken to loading the bar really heavy and doing partial squats - as far down as I dare. It really blasts the old quads. Guess maybe I ought to try going light and going really low as well. Variety is what we need, right?

I don't have a spotter but I do have a squat rack with suicide bars, which has saved me in times past . Anyway, I do full squats for 4-5 sets, then (the past couple of leg w/o) I've started doing what I call pulse squats. Using whatever my heaviest weight was, I just go down about half way to parallel. Wowza, that really makes my quads feel good. I superset those with something hamstringy. I'm just contributing to this conversation, not recommending anything. I know anything not full squat is frowned on my many, so I make no recommendations .

I've backed off the weights I use on a few things too. Sometimes it's just so heavy you can't even feel the muscle working-- it's just heavy, not helpful. Vanity can sure get in the way at times. And my body has decided to start having very definate opinions on that . Ouch....

Y'all have a great day!

Hey Mark... Hey Debbie...

Thanks for coming by. And ya know, I sense some synergy here.. lol

At the gym, ladies are always asking me what they can do to improve the look of their legs and butt. What I want to show em, of course, are squats. However, as you might guess more often than not that doesn't go over very well... lol - Somehow with Debbie talking about doing hers (way to go, Debbie!) and Mark having that Ronnie Coleman quote in his tag line I just get the complete image of what runs through my mind at work...

Anyway, the soreness isn't very bad today and as a result, I'm getting a little organized.



The lifting here is actually lighter than it prolly looks. I'm still nursing this tendon in my left arm, and my goal is still primarly weight loss -thus all the cardio. However, I think I'm ready to begin at least testing some weight with the left arm, and I'll be doing that today. Since I did Quad's, Hams, and Calves yesterday on a Monday I'll have to project this out a bit. However, I'll be on the week where Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps & Stairmaster roll around on a Tuesday.

Going to this split is also a change for me in that this past year I've done an all Pushing / Pulling / Legs routine. I like doing it that way, however, I'm also looking forward to this. I'm also sure I'm going to enjoy doing Bi's and Tri's on the same day.

Anyway, that about wraps it up for me today. It's a high calorie day so that's good too.

Take care! Cheers! And as always, stay sexy..

Today was a good day and I did good in it..

1. Worked my meal plan just as I intended
2. Did a light Shoulder, Tri's-Bi's routine with no elbow pain.
3. Clocked 45 minutes on the treadmill....

I wanted to do Eliptical today (not treadmill), however, I was in a rush and all the machines were taken. I didn't want to do Stairmaster (too sore - lol), so I got on the treadmill instead.

Tomorrow will be Back, Chest, Abs & Eliptical. Tomorrow I'll also be dropping back down to about 2,000 calories after doing a 2,800 calorie refeed today.

More later - Bent bars! - And cheers!

That's great news JK!!! How did you injure it initially anyway, if I'm not prying too much...

Thanks, Mark..

I can't point to a specific lift where something went 'pop' and I went 'owww.' The pain came on within two days, however, I think it had been building for some time. The two exercises that I feel are most responsible are straight barbell curls and close grip bench. - I should prolly add too that since this injury I've become very wary of close grip bench press. Since the injury I can't begin to tell you how many other folks I've met at the gym who have also injured themselves on close grip bench.. That exercise and forearm problems seem to go hand in hand.

On an aside, however, I won't have to worry about it today..

I'm too sore (legs) to do much of anything..

Catching up for a missed post yesterday.

Workout wise I did a Chest and Back routine in that order. I would have also done abs, however, I was too sore to do them..

The good news is that again I experienced no left elbow pain. I could tell something was going on in there for sure, however, in terms of the word 'pain' I just didn't experience any. After the weights I followed up with 45 minutes of eliptical.

Having said that now is the time for me to start praying for muscle memory. The workout went well, but with the past three months off I noticed a significant decrease in strength. From what I know myself and from what I've read though, if I keep working out it should return quickly.

Will post today's workout later. I'm planning 60 minutes of Stairmaster today, however, if my legs prove to be too sore I may cut it back to 45.

Cya later, Gang. And cheers!

Thanks for the information on the injury... too bad that you didn't notice anything wrong at the time you inured it. That might have spared you some additional damage.

You mentioned two exercises that I do fairly regularly! Yikes! I hate to take them off the table though... close grip BP especially. On the other hand, I don't want to get hurt.

BTW a while back I was doing skull crushers, and did hear a 'pop' come from one elbow. Holy cow did it hurt! And there was kind of a sickening bone grinding sound when I wiggled it. When I got the X ray, sure enough there was a little bone fragment chipped off. Dr. said that's normal, don't worry about it (yep, he said that). It got better, and I do skull crushers again. Right now I think I'm dealing with a hernia too. I pushed a loop of intestine out through my stomach wall the other night doing leg extensions, of all things! It sucks to be old

As for sore legs, I hear you about that!! I took three weeks off, came back and did a workout with about 20% less weight, and OMG you would have thougth I'd climbed Mt Everest the day before. They *still* are a little tender and its been a week! But they'll grow, baby!

Wow, Mark.. The intestine thing sounds like it hurts..

Sure hope you're OK. On an aside, a friend from the gym told me just the other day that there was a video clip floating around the net of some guy having a similar but more tragic accident while doing squats. If I can find it I'll try to post tomorrow. In the meantime, please take care and best of luck with your recovery..

Today, just a brief note to log cardio. I did 60 minutes of pretty intense Stairmaster. It really wore me out too as the air in the cardio room was on the fritz at the time. Man, was that ever hot.

Tomorrow will be both a high calorie day and a leg day. Once again, I'll be focusing most of my effort on squats.

Until later, push that iron, everybody. And cheers!

I got major noodles..

..but it's okay.. lol

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I did a regular calf routine. A few sets of standing calf raises, a few sets of one leg standing calf raises, and then sitting calf raises. Afterward, I spent about 35 minutes doing nothing but squats then straight leg dead lifts. I finished off with two sets of leg extensions and then it was time to hit the shower.

I'm sure I'll feel this one tomorrow..

Cheers!

Heya JK,

Thanks for the note on my success story. That's if you consider getting out of a hole that you recklessly dug for yourself (and could have avoided) a success!

I'm glad that you also had that moment of clarity (amazing moment, isn't it?) - it sucks - and sounds scary - that yours was in the ER though... I hope you've resolved whatever took you to that point

It's good sign when your legs are wobbly. I'm hoping my legs will be in that condition by morning

PM me with that squat accident video if you happen to run across it - we don't want to gross anyone out, do we?

Edit: Oh yeah - the ugly story of my pushing a loop of intestine out of the stomach wall is on page 11 of my gym log. It was definitely an 'owie' minute or two

Hey Mark,

I dropped a link in your gym log, although it's not of the video I was talking about. I couldn't find the video, however, maybe I'll find it soon.

In any case, just a quick note to log a planned recovery day.

I'll also verify that, 'Boy - are my hams ever sore."

Yep that hurt to look at. I also saw the video you posted of RC squatting 800lbs in the Advanced forum. Steroids or not, squatting 800 lbs is nothing to be dismissive of.

Glad you were able to put a hurt on your hams

Hey ya, Mark..

Just another note to the ole gym log. Today I worked Shoulders, Tri's & Bi's in that order. Of significance today I moved off the shoulder press machine and into seated military press. I think I'm going to stick with that one for a while. I already use free weights for some movements, but I want to use them moreso.

Today was also my first day to try NO-Xplode.



I have to admit that this stuff worked for me. The pump I got during my workout was great. It seemed to last, and I'm glad that I bought the product. The only catch I experienced with it was a little dizziness after the workout, however, I believe that once I get accustomed to it I won't experience that anymore. I guess we'll wait and see...

Finished off with 30 minutes of Stairmaster.

Doing chest, back and eliptical tomorrow.