12/31/08 Kettlebell Extra Work

Did some extra work tonight. Nothing too fancy....

KB swings
3x10

KB arm bar
3 sets each arm

Arm bar into Turkish get up
3 sets each side

I have been playing with adding reps of the standing 1 arm press at the top of the Turkish get up and then finishing the rest of the movement.

Cleans into standing 1 arm press
3 sets each side

200 lb heavy gripper
3x6 each hand
3x6 inverted each hand

I believe that I am addicted to this.... hopefully there is no cure...

A first attempt my goals

This will most likely become a long running ever changing list, but I am going to begin to list what things I hope to achieve by pushing myself to be the best that I can be....

1. Back in April 2008 I tore my left biceps tendon. I was told that I would never be as strong as I was. I would never move big weights. I would have to take it easy and learn to do things differently. I believed all these things for about 2 weeks. I stopped going to the gym. I began to feel sorry for myself. I began to believe that my weightlifting life was over. Looking back, I do not know why I let this happen. Thankfully I woke up one day and took myself back to the gym. I started by curling 5lbs, then 10lbs and realized that my arm still worked, sounds silly now but that is where I was. I then began to research and read and learn everything that I should have done before I hurt myself. I discovered that I had many other muscles that still worked which I had forgotten about. I learned that overall the biceps is typically a support muscle. I have learned to listen to my body and keep in tune with what I feel. Before I tore the biceps I was curling 60 lb dumbbells, now 7 months later I am able to curl 50 lb dumbbells again. So to sum this up, even though I have already achieved this goal, I plan to continue to prove those people wrong who said that I could not do it and I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes "those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it."
2. This is a personal and very vain goal, but I promise myself and anyone that reads this that I will achieve a 400 lb bench press in 2009. I cannot explain why this is so important to me, but it is. I think because it is such a numbers game in the gym, but this is for me not for anyone else.
3. I will deadlift 500 lbs before the end of 2009.
4. I will have a 275 lb military press before the end of 2009.
5. I will squat 900 lbs before the end of 2009.
6. I will enter 1 powerlifting competition in 2009.
7. Kettlebells have began to find their way into my training, I will continue to utilize them for training and restoration. I will add more to my arsenal at home as soon I can find a place that will ship 70 and 80 lb ones for free (wish me luck). Until then I will continue to do the best I can with what I have.
8. My grip strength will continue to grow stronger. I am currently doing reps with a 200 lb heavy gripper. I will begin to add my 250 lb in the next week or two. I will most likely order a 300 and a 350 lb in February so the goal here would be to see how much I can close. This is a new area for me as well, so my initial goal will be to keep up with it and see what I can do.
9. I would like to help to educate people, whether it is 1 person or 1000, I would like to show people that nothing is impossible. I am almost 40 years old, I work over 60 hours a week and I spend 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours in the gym everyday. I am stronger than I ever have been. I am more focused than I have ever been. I am in better shape than I have ever been. I am the example. I am the one doing it. I am the exception to the rule. I am the one that your mother warned you about. I will conquer every obstacle that gets in my way.
10. This is a thank you to those who have helped me along the way: Dr. Chad Walker, Carl Sipes, and the staff at Elite Fitness. You have all helped to motivate and educate me. You are the ones who have turned my life around and given me the focus and drive to succeed.

As the year goes on I will hopefully add to my goals as new experiences present themselves...

12/31/08 Bi's and Tri's

Everything feeling good today so I pushed myself a little.
Here is what I moved today;

Skull crushers
65x10
85x10
115x10
135x10
155x5
165x2 (PR)

Alternating DB curls
2x20x10
2x30x10
2x40x10

Alternating DB hammer curls
2x20x10
2x30x10
2x40x6

Standing Tate presses
30x10
40x10
50x10

Standing e-z bar overhead triceps extensions
65x10
85x10
105x10

Rope pressdowns
120x10
140x10
165x10
185x10
195x10

V bar pressdowns
120x10
165x10
195x10
215x10 (PR with the reps not the weight)

12/30/08 Chest

Flat Bench
135x10
225x8
315x5
335x2
335x2

Incline Bench
135x10
225x8
265x3
275x2 (PR)

Floor Press
135x10
225x6
245x3
275x1

Seated Pec Deck Flies
205x10
245x10
265x8
295x8 (PR)

Dips
5x10 (PR)

12/29/08

Easy day, just cardio and stretching

30 min on treadmill

Stretching all over

Foam roller on the hammies and the back of my knees and calves. My knees have been really sore lately. I think I have abused them for too long...


Planning to push it hard the rest of the week....

12/28/2008 Shoulders

I woke up with some anger for some reason today. I took it out on the iron.

Here is what I moved;

Standing military press
barx10
135x8
155x5
175x3
185x2
195x0 (this would have been a PR, I felt like I had it in me)
195x0
135x8

Barbell shrugs off the rack
barx10
135x10
185x8
225x5
275x5
315x3
365x2 (PR)

Seated rear deltoid flies
125x10
175x10
195x8
225x8
250x6
275x5 (PR)

Being angry obviously makes me stronger...

12/27/08 Chest

Felt good at the start today but towards the end my right shoulder began to give me some troubles.
Here is what I moved today;

Floor press
135x10
185x10
225x5
275x2
275x2

Flat bench
135x10
185x10
225x8
275x5
315x3
325x3
335x2

Incline bench
135x10
185x8
225x5
245x5
265x3

Dips
4x10

12/26/08 Deadlifts and Back

My left lat starting bothering me about halfway through the workout so I backed off on the weight;

Face pulls
50x10
90x10
120x10
150x8
160x5

Seated cable rows
100x10
120x10
140x8
160x2

Incline rows
60x10
85x10
105x8
130x5

Deadlifts
Barx10
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x3
315x2
335x0
335x1

Had to give up. Dont want to do anymore damage to myself.....

12/25/08

Gym closed today so I worked with what I have at home:

Shoulder sweeps
3x10 each side

Arm bar
3 sets each side

Arm bar into Turkish get up
3 each side

KB swings
3x10x3

Clean into shoulder press
3x10 each side
This is still troublesome for my left arm with the biceps tear.
I am not giving up on it

200 lb Heavy grippers
3x6 each hand
3x6 inverted each hand

12/24/2008 bi's and tri's

Skull crushers
Barx12
65x10
85x10
115x8
135x8
155x3

Alternating DB curls
2x20x10
2x30x10
2x40x10

Triceps pressdowns
80x10
100x10
120x10
150x10
195x10

Standing one armed Tate presses
30x10
40x10
50x10

Kazmir presses
Barx10
95x10
135x10

12/22/2008 Chest

Keepin it simple, here is what I moved today:

Flat Bench
135x10
185x10
225x5
275x5
315x2
325x2
335x2

Incline Bench
135x10
185x8
225x5
245x5
265x3

Floor Press
135x10
185x10
225x5
245x3
275x0
275x2

Dips
4x10

12/22/2008

Monday's are easy days for me, just cardio and stretching

30 minutes of cardio

Torso rotation with medicine ball

Busy days at work cut into my strengthening time....

12/21/2008 Restoration

Sunday nights I try to do some restoration work on my shoulders. I started working with kettlebells about 6 weeks ago and I have noticed improvement in both shoulders. The grip strength exercises have just been added this week. Hopefully I can progress and move up to a 250 lb heavy gripper before too long....

Shoulder Sweeps
3x10 each side

Kettlebell Arm Bar
3 sets each side

Kettlebell Swings
3 sets of 10

Kettlebell Shoulder Press
3 sets of 10 each arm

200 lb heavy gripper
3 sets of 6 each hand
3 sets of 6 inverted each hand

12/21/2008 Shoulders

Today was a bit of a struggle, my focus was lacking due to the passing of our ferret last night. It is amazing how the smallest of creatures can leave such a lasting effect on our hearts.

Here is what I was able to move:

DB front raises
2x20x10
2x30x8
2x35x5
2x40x3

DB side raises
2x20x10
2x30x8
2x35x5
2x40x3

DB shrugs
2x40x10
2x50x10
2x60x10
2x70x8
2x80x5
2x90x3
2x100x3

Seated rear deltoid flies
120x10
160x10
190x10
225x10

Standing military press
barx12
135x10
155x8
175x5
185x3

12/20/2008

My gym was closed Friday so I added Deadlifts to my normal Saturday chest day, but I ran out of time towards the end
Here is what I was able to move;

Flat Bench
135X8
185X5
225X5
275X3
315X3
325X1

Incline Bench
135X8
185X5
225X5
245X3
265X2

Floor Press
135X8
185X5
225X3
275X3

Deadlifts
135X8
185X5
225X5
275X3
315X2
335X2

Times up....

12/16/2008

This is my first venture into a blog. My goal will be to hold myself accountable to push myself and my training to the next level. I have always wanted to compete with others in the field of powerlifting and strongman competitions. I am now announcing my goal to begin these competitions in 2009. I had set a 400 lb bench press goal for myself in 2008, I did fall short and I have reached a max raw bench of 375 lbs.

In the days and weeks to come I will begin to log my goals and current status and hope that my struggles and successes will help others to learn and succeed as well.....