Tuesday, September 14, 2021
09/14/2021 Workout A
Today was a good and hard workout. Coach gave me some props which was cool.
Deadlifts 180x5, 160x8, 140x10
Ham curls 75x5, 60x10, 50x15
Seated Rows 95x5, 80x12, 70x15
Pull downs 55x20, 110x5, 95x5, 80x10
Back extension 175x5, 155x8, 135x10
Hammer curls 25x5, 20x8, 15x10, 12x12, 10x15
I copied pull downs incorrectly. When I loaded it up it seemed odd and then when I got to 20 reps I had to go looking for correct notes. Traps are sore already. I thought about trying out 5/3/1 (check it out here) and then I decided to go linear as long as I can (until I can't go up any more weight at 5 repetitions). So I'll go up a small amount (5-10 pounds) as long as I can on each exercise. Once I get to a plateau I'll stop until I can get comfortable with that weight on that exercise and able to do 6-8 reps. The way I understand it, that is step loading. I think I'll continue this until around the end of November unless I start to feel burned out.
If I feel burned out I will back off earlier to a wave loading. If I make it to the end of November that will be great. When I do wave loading I go up in weight for 3 weeks and then have a light week (also called a de-load week). It can feel complicated. Like many things, after you have spent some time with it, it gets easier. This is a video about different loading approaches. Another approach for late November for two to three months may just be figuring out a high volume approach.
I still like strength training, even though I took off about 18 months due to the pandemic. It seems that for now building as much muscle as I can will be most beneficial because muscle helps with blood sugar. If I can gain muscle with minimal fat that will be great. I'll have to see how my body recompositions and continue to adapt. The earliest I would consider competing is December 2022.
I was on the treadmill for 30 minutes on Monday. I tried to stay in the 80-90% heart rate area and get 2 miles. I stayed under 90% for the first 15 minutes, I was just above 90% the second half. It's good to do and I appreciate the support of people who send me info like this article about heart rate zones.
KEEP GRINDING!!!
Feels like maybe I need a new phrase. Grind culture, in terms of working, seems kind of toxic. Rest is important. Feel free to let me know what you think.
