One or Two Things

There are things that need to be said unfortunately the general population will not say these things because they are afraid of confrontation. I, on the other hand, am not. So here it is.
Thing # 1: Someone has set up a bench behind the Concept 2 rower and is doing roll outs.
Me: Do you have $10.00?
Person doing rollouts: Yeah.
Me: Then go to Sports Connection, buy an ab wheel and quit fucking up a $900.00 piece of equipment.

Thing # 2:
A big guy has just loaded every 45 pound plate in the room on the leg press so he can do tiny little knee bends. He has finished and is walking away from the machine.
Me: Hey. Is your Mom coming down?
Big guy: Do you know my mom?
Me: No, but if she isn't coming down to clean up after you maybe you should rack those weights.

Thing # 3:
Someone is camping out on the squat rack doing curls with the 45 pound bar.
Me: Do you know what that is called?
Someone: You mean the bar?
Me: No, I mean that other bit.
Someone: The squat rack?
Me: That's right the squat rack. Not the curl rack.

Number 3 is a bit of a stretch but it does annoy me. Feel free to borrow any of these and use them at the appropriate moment. It is great fun and could possibly get you in a fight but that is the price you pay for saying things that need to be said.

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
DROM
Press  5 @ 45/5 @ 55/5 @ 95
Step ups 3 x 5ea to a 20" box with two 35 lb. dumb bells
As per the new schedule the above 2 were done as a circuit

Weighted Pull ups 1 @ 30/1 @ 32.5/1 @ 35 the last one I held at the top for 10sec. and then lowered slowly.
Floor wipers 3 x 5 @ 135
Dips 3 x 5 with 95 lbs assistance
I am going to do the dips on the assist machine for the next few weeks just to get back into the movement.

What's He Doing Here?

Just when you thought Thursday's were safe, I show up. Wanted to talk about balance and flexibility. I have probably been over this but audience attrition demands that I cover it again.
Balance, to me, is not standing on one foot on top of one of those blue half round rubber things. Balance is symmetry, it is having everything on one side working as well as everything on the other side. This is true of range of motion, joint mobility and strength.
If you have  extremely tight hamstrings on one side and  not so tight hamstrings on the other side than you maintain that imbalance by stretching both sides the same. This bears remembering each time you get to stretchin' 'n' mobilizin'.
Here is a link to a really great e-book on Self Myofascial Release. It would be merely great but it is also free so that bumps it up to the really great category.
Here is a piece on balance by Gray Cook.
So keep balance in mind when programming your workouts and selecting your exercises and stretching and mobilizing.

Cloudy and Warm

Kind of like living in the tropics only not as intense. The gym was humid and reeked of humans today. That inspired by the lingering of yesterday's foul mood. Here is another gem from Wendler. I do like that man.

WEDNESDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
DROM

Dead lift  5 @ 125/5 @ 165/5 @ 265
Bulgarian split squat 3 x 5
The above 2 done as a circuit

Pull ups 6/4/3
Ab wheel 3 x 10
Push ups 3 x 7
The above 3 done as a circuit

Row 2 x 2,000 meters with a 2:00 Rest
1) 8:24  avg pace 2:06  SR 25
2) 8:50.2 avg pace 2:12.2 SR 25

I like this new schedule. It gets the work done and it is faster. I may tweak it a little in the coming weeks but for now it is okay.

Wrong Side Of The Bed

Woke up in a foul mood today and that will color the rest of my day. "No colors anymore I want them to turn black."

TUESDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
DROM

Bench press 5 @ 100/5 @ 115/5 @ 135
Goblet squats 3 x 5 @ 25
The above 2 were done as a circuit with a 1:30 RI

Pull ups 6/4/3
Back ext. 3 x 10
Dips 3 x 1
The above were done as a circuit with a 1:30 RI

Dip strength has apparently left the building.

Coming To Grips

I am finally at a point where I can let go of the back squat. I was obsessed with it for a long time but after a fair amount of research I have determined that it will not serve my needs as well as a front squat. The program is going to be changing now so I can start working in more rowing workouts. There is a great series on squats at strengthcoach.com . I think I have posted that before but it is well worth a second read.
It is very much worth your time to examine what you are doing in the gym and cut out the fluff. If you don't need to be doing an exercise than just don't do it.
Bruce Lee said. "In building a statue, a sculptor doesn't keep adding clay to his subject. Actually, he keeps chiseling away at the inessentials until the truth of his creation is revealed without obstructions...It is not daily increase but daily decrease; hack away the unessential."

MONDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
DROM
Front squat 5 @ 65/5 @ 70/5 @ 75
DB press 3 x 5 @ 25 (DB's)
The above were done a circuit with a 1:30 RI

Pull ups 6/4/3
Slant sit ups 3 x 10
Push ups 3 x 5
The above were done a a circuit with a 1:30 RI

Row 5 x 1:00 on/2:00 off
avg pace 1:46.1/avg SR 27
1) 284/1:46.1/32
2) 281/1:46.7/28
3) 282/1:46.3/27
4) 281/1:46.7/26
5 )286 /1:44.8/26                                      

More Fiddling About

Just kind of mucked around today. It was fun.

SATURDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
DROM
Goblet squats 3 x 10 @ 25
Push ups 3 x 10
Back ext. 3 x 10
Swings 3 x 15 @ 35
I did the above as a circuit with a 1:30 RI

And I'm Back

From Thursday of last week to Tuesday of this week I drove over a thousand miles and worked about 70 hours and I am just plumb wored out. In light of that I am just going to screw around in the gym for the rest of this week.

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT
Elliptical 5 minutes
DROM
Single leg squats 3 x 5
Pull ups 3 x 5
Slant sit ups 3 x 10
Russian swings 3 x 15 @ 35
Stretch and out.