Today’s workout: my first “new” Saturday workout; Tu, Th, Sat, Sun are now my weight training days, M, W, F, Su will be my walk days with a bonus on Saturday IF my body is up to it.
It is my new reality; weights take more time in this part of my life.
Highlights; pull ups were ok, 2 mile easy walk was pain free (yay!) and I bench pressed 200 lb (touch and go) for the first time since July 27, 2018. Of course, I did that at 195 lb and I am probably a bit heavier than that right now (say 203? I’ll weigh tomorrow)
Pull ups: sets of 5 mostly; some singles set; one set of 10 (reps 6 to 15); did some as chin ups. Rotator cuff, hip hikes in between sets.
Bench: 10 x 134, 1 x 200, 2 x 184, 3 x 174, 4 x 170 (seen), 5 x 165
Shoulder: 3 x 109, 7 x 100, 10 x 96, then 10 x 44 dumbbells.
Rows: 4 sets of 10 x 134 trap bar.
push ups: 40, 30, 10,
headstand
then the easy 2 mile walk; no pain.
Rolling, PT afterward.
A squirrel was on the porch and left …
Chin ups…got the height. Reps 31-35
Pull ups: reps 36-40…struggling a bit.
4 x 170 with the bench; 10 x 134, 1 x 200 (touch-go), 2 x 184, 3 x 174 came first; 5 x 165 followed.
Note: videos are for my own information; I am painfully aware of how average/below average my performances are.
Today: I was happy about the better than recent bench press and the lack of pain during my walk (easy and short, to be sure).
Confession: I like learning new things, even if they are kind of silly (e. g. learning how to use an online HW system and then showing my students)
So far, so good?
Well, the walk, while not totally pain free; there was some back soreness and some tingle, was ok. And I rolled around a bit afterward.
Mile 2: a bit too much for me to sustain; maybe deliberately wait until mile 3?
Time: finished at 7:30 so; perfect.
Social/Political
I am surprised…honestly. I thought that Trump losing and leaving office after a stinging defeat would brand him a loser. I thought that McConnell’s rebuke would create some distance; that corporate America would win.
Part of me can’t figure it out. But part of me doesn’t want to accept it; Trump being embraced by the party might not have been about the party bending to him but rather about him recognizing that the party actually is.
Ok, some online hassle (software) but…we’ll get it going..hopefully soon.
I lifted this morning: given some stuff (ice), maybe 75 minutes?
No videos to torture you with. 🙂
pull ups: so so..singles and sets of 5; enough to get to 50 reps. The usual.
Bench press: 10 x 134, 2 x 184, three sets of 5 x 165 (nice pauses; good reps)
Deads: 3 sets of 10 x 134 form.
shoulder: 10 x 92, 10 x 92, 9 x 92 barbell, 10 x 44 dumbbell
rows: 3 sets of 10 x 134
outside: 40, 30, 10 push ups.
headstand (got there; had to try a couple of times.)
And that’s it. Note: this is sort of a bonus since I don’t have a 2 day off between sessions..back at it Thursday; not sure if I want to keep deads on Saturday or move those to Sunday.
You know the drill: “let’s get the government out of higher ed and run it like a business.” So, competition for students went up..and so did the amenities …and therefore..price?
The right wingers would say that is because government pays too much and so market pressures will send the students to less ritzy schools. But where that might happen over a long period of time, higher ed is often a “one time purchase” commodity.
And so the race for students goes up..and “customer demands”..and the universities respond by hiring more and more administrators, VP’s and the like.
The actual education: well…that becomes less important in their thinking. So small section classes are discouraged, “hire cheap adjuncts” where possible..misery.
So, it would be easy to lash out at university presidents and the like, but they are trying to keep the universities “in business.” The issue is really the lack of state subsidies that used to exist.
And, at these prices, students are concerned about employment afterward more than anything else and so the “non practical” degree programs suffer..
It really is a society issue..a “problem” as I see it.
Not much of a walk; only a bit over 5K and it was kind of slow..but it was on…dry roads.
I did focus on posture and I did feel better…not quite pain free but the least amount that I’ve had in a while. I’ll resist the temptation to increase..for now.
Barbara was leaving:
And so…to get ready for the semester…more in a bit.
Now as to why I got hurt..probably “too much, too soon”; I switched from mixing running and walking to 100 percent walking which..too quick of an increase.
So…was it my bad technique: probably not.
The upshot: those with unequal leg lengths, imbalances and other issues seem to do ok. I’ll keep on the posture thing but that is probably NOT what hurt me.
I do want to share a meme that I made with a friend of mine: I like to lampoon my single days and my days of unrequited love..
I am kind of proud of this one, though, of course, a true Mobius Strip is 2 dimensional and what we can see is a thickened one, which does have a genuine local product structure, so it is locally two sided.
The workout: I started with a 2 mile walk (tingles and slight ache)
Then I did a “transition” workout, given that I am switching to a Tu, Th, Sat, Sun lifting schedule, given that my walks will be so short (2-3 miles at a time for a while); this is just a “one day forward” schedule.
Pull ups: 5-5-5-5-10-5-5-5-5 with one of the 5’s being singles and 3 of them being chin ups. So so… rotator cuff and hip hikes.
Bench press: 3 sets of 10: 134, 150, 150
Rows (super set with shoulder) 3 sets of 10 x 134
Shoulder presses: 3 sets of 4 x 109 (44’s on each side) 1 set of 10 x 92
Dumbbells: 1 set of 12 x 44 (note: I need to be more careful about going down far enough: most reps are too shallow.
Afterward, a brief, socially distant visit with Tracy and cats.
Note: watching the games on Yahoo TV as the Direct TV signal is out at the lower channels.
Good news: B got the Moderna vaccine Friday; Tracy gets it Monday. In 6 week’s time, both of them will be better protected than I am and THEY will have to look out for me.
I am thinking about goals for 2021. Off hand, I can think of 5 “what’s next” goals:
heal up this piriformis issue. This has vexed me since, oh, May of this year? I think I have a handle on it but this takes forever.
Deadlift: high handle: like to get to 330 lb. I am at 314 right now.
Deadlift: low handle: like to get to 301 lb. I am at 284 right now.
Bench press: get to 200 with a “light touch, no bounce.” I am at 195 right now and have not seen 200 since 2018.
Bodyweight: am 201 right now; want to be 195.
We shall see how it goes. If I can clear up this piriformis issue, maybe set a half marathon goal (walking) of sub 3 hours?
Today:
Well, it was cold this morning but cleared up; I walked after some deadlifts (5K at 16:20 mpm…easy..focused on posture.
Deadlift:
Low handle: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 1 x 224
High handle: five sets of 3 x 274, 1 x 301; maybe 3-5 minutes between sets.
Low handle: 10 x 224 (fairly comfortable.
It felt good.
The 301 rep (yeah, I looked bad here but made the lift) this was after my work sets: 5 sets of 3 x 274
Then my final set: 10 x 224 with low handle
August 5, 2019: managed a High Handle hex dead 225 (1 rep) August: typical sets were 4 x 175, 4 x 195 (handles up) September: 4 x 205 head dead (handles up) November: got 4 x 225 hex dead, handles DOWN December: got 1 x 225 bar dead, then 4 x 225 December 20, 2019: got 1 x 230 bar deadlift DEcember 25: got 1 x 233 bar deadlift (home) Dec 27: got 1 x 235 dead Dec 29: got 1 x 240 dead (bar)
2020 Jan 11: got 245 hex dead (handles down) Jan 25: got 255, then 260 conventional dead Feb 1: got 255, 260 Sumo, 6 x 233 conventional Feb 8: got 266 conventional, 5 x 238 Sumo. April 5, 5 x 244 April 18: 5 x 244
Gap for sore back: switched to low handle trap deads
May 23: 10 x 206 June 7: 10 x 217 June 20 1 x 250 trap July 4: 10 x 222 August 1: 4 x 250 (trap, low handle)
Gap for Virtual ultra (24 hour)
August 22: 4 x 254 (trap..low handle) August 29 1 x 274 (trap, low handle)
September 5: switched to full stop deadlifts: sets with 244 September 12: 10 x 222 (full stop) September 27 4 x 254 5 x 244 (full stop) October 4deficit: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 5 x 224 regular: 2 x 259; didn’t try a 3’rd rep as I felt a tug in my right hamstring (high)high handles: 10 x 224: October 17: High handle: 5 x 254, 5 x 264 (fairly easy)Low handle, neutral: 5 x 244 October 24: High handle: 5 x 264, 5 x 274, low handle: 10 x 224
October 31: 1 x 254, High Handle 1 x 284, 1 x 274
November 7: High Handle: 5 x 274, Low Handle: 5 x 249
November 14: Low Handle: 1 x 254, High Handle: 1 x 289, 1 x 294, Low Handle: 10 x 224
November 18; High handle 10 x 234 (by accident; added an extra 5 to each side)
November 21: Low Handle deficit: 1 x 254. High handle 1 x 301, 10 x 244. Low Handle: 10 x 224.
November 28 Low handle 5 x 254 (no bounce)
December 5 Low Handle 1 x 284, 10 x 229. (no bounce)
December 12 High handle: 1 x 274, 1 x 304 (easier than the 301 2 weeks ago), 1 x 274, 10 x 244 Low handle: 10 x 224
December 19: 5 x 274 high handle, 5 x 254 low handle. (missed 301 low handle 4 times)
December 26: High handle: 1 x 314, 5 x 279, low handle: 5 x 254
2021
Jan 2: 5 x 279 high, 4 x 259 low, 5 x 234 deficit (lots of misses with 319 high)
Jan. 9: High handle: 5 x 279, 5 x 279 (effort) Low handle 5 x 255
Jan. 16: High handle: 5 x 285, 1 x 285, 5 x 274, Low handle: 10 x 224.
Jan 23: High handle: 5 sets of 3 x 274, 1 x 301, Low handle: 10 x 224.
Life of an old goat 