#side bridges

[teklidragon]

Tuesday 11/8/11 @ 9pm [lowerback, core]

RDL (195) - 8x205, 8x205

Deadlift (225) - 8x225, 8x225

Isolated bicep curls (35) - 8x35, 8x35, 8x35

Core workout: SBL, 2:00; SBR, 2:00; crunches, 40; SLL, 20; pushups, 56; planks, 3:00

Instead of starting off with deadlifts like I usually do, I started off with RDL. I started it off at 205 and was able to lift that weight. However, my left grip started to go. 

I could not keep my left hand grip on this weight. By the sixth or seventh rep in, the bar was barely hanging on my fingertips. I need to figure out a way to get a better grip, or just use chalk. 

Thirty minutes I spent standing around in the gym waiting for the others to show up. I did not want to get started with my workout because then I'll just be watching my friends afterwards. So, I picked up some dumbbells and did bicep curls with them. 

Pretty intense 15-min core workout, even though I really wanted to leave at 10:05. Kyle and James kept me there. 

[teklidragon]

11/2/11 @ 5pm [lower back, core]

Barbell DL (225) - 8x205, 8x225, 8x225

RDL (185) - 8x185, 8x185, 8x135

SBL - 2:00

SBR - 2:00

Planks - 2:00

The lower back takes a while to recover and after my second set of DL, I'm usually walking around as if I have a weird kink in my back. Again, I've not lifted for a while and just started back up yesterday. I decided to hit my max weight anyway. I started off with a warmup of a few sets of 185s or so. 

I think I'm going to stay at 225 for my deadlift weight for now. Maybe sometime next week, I'll try to max out at 5 reps of 285 or something like that. 

For my RDL, I think my lower back could have handled it, but my grip could not. I read online that it's not good to wear gloves for deadlifts because it does not help with grip. That is what I have been noticing for the past two times I've done DL. From now on, I'm just going to deadlift without gloves and be proud of the calluses I get. Because my grip could not sustain, I lowered my last set of RDLs.

My core still feels a bit weak. I don't know when it'll get stronger again. 

[teklidragon]

11/1/11 @ 9pm [Chest, tricep, core]

Dumbbell press (60) - 8x60, 8x60, 8x60

Bench press (155) - 4x155, 4x155, 5x135

Tricep kickbacks (40) - 8x40, 8x40, 8x40

Overhead cable extensions (52.5) - 8x50, 8x50, 8x50

SBR - 1:30

SBL - 1:30

Planks - 2:00

I had not worked out in a full week, so it was nice to get back into the flow of things. However, my chest strength was not there. Last week, I was able to push 155 well, but not this week. I guess I will have to work back up to it. You snooze you lose. 

My core strength is going down a bit too. I hit the 1:30 mark and I'm already shaking like mad. I need to work on it. Well, time to keep my routine. 

[teklidragon]

a birthday workout (not so lonely)

10/24/11 @ 11:30pm [legs]

Squats (205) - 8x185, 8x195, 8x205

Lunges (40) - 8x40, 8x40, 8x40

SBR - 2:15

SBL - 2:15

SLL - 20

Crunches - 30

Planks - 3:30

Today, a nice friend accompanied me to the gym despite it being freaking late (I almost never workout so late in a day), so I'm pretty thankful. It was freezing outside, so I probably would not have gone if otherwise. 

For the past week, I have neglected my legs. When I hit the gym, I would opt to workout chest, shoulders, back, or lower back and just avoid the legs. Today, I decided to work the legs and the squats were tougher than I remembered. 

At first, I warmed up with a set of 135. Then I started the workout with squatting 185, which was fine... but my legs felt super fatigued right after. Immediately, I decided to do some jumproping to warm-up my legs first. I bumped the weight up to 195 for the second set and then 205 for the last set. Since last time, 205 has been my max. I hope that by the end of this quarter, I would be able to squat at least 225 (look cool with two 45lbs plates on both sides of the bar).

Lunges were pretty easy. I did not move up in weight for them, because I was worried I would hurt my wrist. I just did three sets of lunges holding 40lbs weights. 

As for working on my core, I really pushed my limit. I did 2:15 for both side bridges and 3:30 for plank. About three weeks ago, I was at 1:00 for bridges, and 2:00 for planks. YAY! Keep working hard. I'm twenty one now.

[teklidragon]

Around the 200lb mark

Thursday 10/20/11 @ 10:30 [lower back + core]

Pullups (7!) - 7!5, 6!3, 5!4

Barbell RDL (210) - 8x205, 8x215, 8x225

RDL (175) - 8x175, 8x185, 8x195

Pec-deck butterflies (145) - 8x175, 8x190, 8x205

Side bridge right (SDR) - 2:00

Side bridge left (SDL) - 2:00

Single leg lowering (SLL) - 20

Plank with arm raises - 3:00

As usual, I broke my workout down into two. Core being the latter portion. 

My pull-up count is slowly going up. At least for the first fresh set, I was 3 pull-ups short of making 8!. The other sets were consistently more difficult.

I was extremely proud of my barbell RDL. I pushed past my max from last workout by a whole 15 pounds. My lower back is getting much stronger. 

As for RDL, the 195lbs was way too difficult. My grip went before my lower back did. Also, the DL and the RDL worked my legs too hard. My shaking legs and loosening grip preventing me from pushing the weight past 200lbs.

I surprised myself with the pec deck butterflies too. I started at 145... it was way too easy, went up to 160... too easy. I kept it at 175 for the first set. Second set, I added 15. Then for the last set, I tried 205lbs.

Core workout was difficult. The last thirty seconds were especially difficult for all the bridges and planks. My entire body was giving, but I told myself that if I were going to make SDB do core workouts at every practice, I must be able to keep up with them. It motivated me to continue and finish up 2 minutes of side bridges and 3 minutes of plank.

Cheers. 

[teklidragon]

10/12/11 @ 6:30pm [chest + back + shoulder + abs]

Bench press (155) - 8x145, 7x155, 5x155

Lat pulldown (145) - 8x145, 6x155, 8x135

Pullups (7!) - 6!4

Upright delta row (75) - 8x65, 8x65, 8x65

Side bridges (1:30), single leg lowering (20), ball knee tuck (20), plank w/ arm lift (2:30)

[teklidragon]

It's lonely working out alone at the gym

10/8/11 @ 7:30pm [lower back + triceps + abs]

Barbell DL (195) - 8x205, 8x210, 8x210

RDL (155) - 8x165, 8x165, 8x175

Overhead cable extensions (42.5) - 8x42.5, 8x50, 8x52.5

Tri-kickbacks (25) - 8x25, 8x25, 8x30

Side bridges (L & R) - 1:15, 1:15

Single-leg lowering (20) - 20, 20

Ball-knee tuck (20) - 20, 20

Glute-bridge march (20) - 20, 20

Plank w/ arm lift - 2:30, 2:30

Deadlifting over 200 pounds now! Can't do that for RDLs though because my arms can't hold the weight for the entire eight reps. 

I was able to push the weights for the cable extensions. It was to the point where the weight would pull me back before I could actually push the weight. 

ABS! OMG, killed my abs today and it felt great. I side bridged for 75s and the planked for 150s. I am aiming to increase the time by 5 - 15s every time I work out. 

Also... it's lonely working out at the gym by myself. 

[teklidragon]

Finally able to bench my own weight

10/5/11 @ 7:30pm [back, chest, triceps, abs]

Lat pulldowns (75) - 8x115, 8x130, 6x145

Bench press (135) - 8x135, 8x145, 5x155

Upright delta row (55) - 8x65, 8x75, 8x75

Bench dips (40) - 30, 30, 30

Side bridges (L&R, 1min ea) - x, x

Single leg lowering (L&R, 10ea) - 10, 10

Ball knee-tuck (10) - 10, 10

Glute-bridge march (10ea) - 10, 10

Plank w/ arm lift (2min) - x, x

I pushed the weight really high. I was pretty close to lat-pulling my own weight, but it was getting more difficult as the 145lbs almost lifted me back up every time. 

Bench press! When I walked into the gym, I had decided to just stick with 135 for all three sets. However, after struggling through my first set, I felt that I could handle a bit more weight. I tried 145 and it felt good afterwards. I should also say that I didn't have a spotter which was dangerous. For the 155, I did grab a spotter. The first 4 were difficult and the last one, I needed help in putting it back. However, I have gotten past the mental block of benching greater than my own weight. (I weigh 150).

I tried to get the delta row weight up as high as possible. 75 was what I kept it at. 

For bench dips, I don't know what it was, but I could not go past thirty. By thirty, my triceps burned and my fingers were all tingly. I think it had to do with the speed at which I completed the dips. Last time for 40, I knocked them out quick. This time, I took it one a second.