Hardartery - Recreational Outrage

[Hardartery]

That’s awesome that you’re coaching some natives! I’m guessing coaching from a top tier strongman is a rarity over there.

@hector I think that is a rarity anywhere!

I have been hesitant to offer advice, because no one was asking and I usually assume that that means no one wants my opinion. realizing they don't know that I speak Spanish or are just scared but happy to listen changes that for me. I try to mind my own business, but if they are interested in listening I can certainly help them. I was young and clueless myself, I get it. The wide eyed concentration when I help them with something is weird, but they get pretty damn serious about trying it as soon as I finish explaining or demonstrating, so after a while they relax a little and converse more normally. I just hate to see people doing so much dedicated work and getting nowhere for it, and at the same time scared to ask. It's not like I don't realize they all stop and stare when I do a lift, they just don't have the experience to see what I do differently than they do. Or understand why. I reiterate that it is very weird, I am just an old guy trying not to fade too fast at this point, I am positively tiny standing next to most of the Pro Strongmen these days.

[Hardartery]

Side notes, people kept touching my shoulders last week and other people were commenting on how they just wanted to touch them. Weird.

It's strange that you mention this, because last week a bunch of people greeted me by grabbing my shoulder, and this is not something that happens to me normally. Worldwide phenomenon, or odd coincidence?

Also, good on you for defying the monolingual American stereotype!

I can't quite decide if it's weird or flattering.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 2/7/24
Squats
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
475 x 1
500 x 1
475 x 1

405 x 2 x 2 set - paused

DL Negative - walked out from fixed spotter bars on rack
495
585

I failed to come back up with 585, which bothers me a lot. I also failed to just pull it from the floor about a minute later, which annoyed me even more. 495 came up like someone shut off the gravity after the fail with 585, literally did a Clean Pull with it by accident, which really annoyed me. The 500 Squat was difficult but easier than last week. I think the GM's have been playing to a strength and not fixing a weakness and I really need to get some pulls in the rotation again and get serious on them. Hopefully next week is better.

No video, Youtube and the phone I used to record are having some sot of tiff apparently and I lack the patience to fool with it any more today.

[Hardartery]

Tuesday 2/13/24

Squats
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
475 x 2 x 2 sets
405 x 3 - paused

Slow Negative DL from spotters
585

Seated Leg Extension - Atlantis machine
255 x 12 x 2 sets

The first set at 475 was 1 RIR, the second was a fight. Some young fellow came up and asked to work in. He had a couple of 35's in hand, I had just done 315. I have no issue with working in, but I was adding weight and at least 6 inches taller than him. When I warned him that I was still working up, he was incredulous. He watched me move up and decided to wait. Nice enough guy, but he worked up to 205 for work sets and went from the next pin down - the one I would use to crawl under to set up for pressing. Still disappointed with the negative, but it is coming at the end of squats and my back was still sore and tired before I started. Whatever, it smells like progress.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 2/14/24

Incline Bench
135 x 5
225 x 5
295 x 2 = missed the third
315 x 1
295 x 1 x 2 sets
265 x 2 x 2 sets - paused
225 x 5

Lateral Raises
85x 7 x 2 sets
65 x 10

That was it. Went late and had no time. Story of my life right now. Not a great session, I'm going to have to shake something up soon.

[Hardartery]

Tuesday 2/20/24

Squats
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
475 x 2
475 x 1 x 2 sets
405 x 3, 2 -- long pause

Seated Leg Extensions - Atlantis machine
255 x 13 x 2 sets

Kick Backs
5th plate on the stack x 15, 10

Change up, in part because I was holding up other people waiting on the rack. They watched the paused squats pretty intently. Unhappy with the squats, really. The third set single was probably the easiest of the three sets but it didn't feel convincingly enough like the second was there. The second rep on the first set was tough but looked a lot better than the first rep. We'll see what tomorrow looks like.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 2/21/24

Incline Press
135 x 5
225 x 5
295 x 3 x 2 sets
295 x 2
265 x 4, 3 - paused

Lateral Raises
85 x 7 x 3 sets
65 x 10

Tricep Machine thingie - Lifefitness thing next to the squat rack
100 x 10 x 2 sets

Everything felt strong today. Yesterday not so much, today very much.

[Hardartery]

Tuesday 2/27/24

Squats
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
475 x 2
485 x 1
475 x 1

***Edit to add: Partial squats with 585 happened, started as just some walkouts but I went for some quarter squat to feel things out and adjust to the wait. This may have contributed to the fatigue by the time I did the controlled negative DL's.

DL from the safeties - slow negative
495 x 3
495

Seated Leg Extensions - Atlantis machine
255 x 14 x 2 sets

I don't know how many RPE's I have, but it was all of them on the last single. That was the slowest, iffiest squat ever. It feels like I'm finally finding low gear again, albeit with weights that shouldn't require it. The DL negatives are brutal, and confusing, This is a weight that I easily have 8-10 reps with just walking up and pulling. I might puke afterwards, but I could get that for sure. Even allowing for the depletion from squats it seems a ridiculous fall off. I had another rep on the first set but the straps were letting go, I need some chalk with them it's just too much sweat and humidity.

[DanCR]

I don't know how many RPE's I have, but it was all of them on the last single. That was the slowest, iffiest squat ever.

Interesting that it felt that way, because the video didn’t look so bad - I never had any doubt of it going up. You’ve posted some grinder squats in the past that were much slower, where I legit wasn’t sure of the outcome until they were over.

[Hardartery]

I don't know how many RPE's I have, but it was all of them on the last single. That was the slowest, iffiest squat ever.

Interesting that it felt that way, because the video didn’t look so bad - I never had any doubt of it going up. You’ve posted some grinder squats in the past that were much slower, where I legit wasn’t sure of the outcome until they were over.

I didn't record the worst single, the one I posted is actually the heaviest but was decidedly easier. I wish I had recorded it, I think the live audience was holding it's breath.

[DanCR]

I don't know how many RPE's I have, but it was all of them on the last single. That was the slowest, iffiest squat ever.

Interesting that it felt that way, because the video didn’t look so bad - I never had any doubt of it going up. You’ve posted some grinder squats in the past that were much slower, where I legit wasn’t sure of the outcome until they were over.

I didn't record the worst single, the one I posted is actually the heaviest but was decidedly easier. I wish I had recorded it, I think the live audience was holding it's breath.

Ha, in that case I wish you had as well.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 2/28/24

Incline Press
135 x 5
225 x 5
295 x 2
315 x 1
305 x 1
295 x 2

275 x 2 x 2 - long paused

225 x 5

Lateral Raises
85 x 7 x 3 sets
65 x 10

[platypus]

Excellent choice of music! It warms my heart to hear the spread of the Dead South across the globe.

[Hardartery]

Excellent choice of music! It warms my heart to hear the spread of the Dead South across the globe.

It is nice to know someone else listens to them too. They have some banging stuff.

[Hardartery]

Tuesday 3/5/24

Squats
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
475 x 1
495 x 1
485 x 1
475 x 1

585 - walkout and several power curtsies playing with the weight for overload

Good Mornings
315 x 5 x 2 sets

Seated Leg Extension - Atlantis machine
270 x 10 x 2 sets

I thought the top set was going to be tougher, I filmed it because I was expecting a grinder but it turns out I had more in the tank. The subsequent 485 was harder, the GM's were frankly easy. I narrowed my stance a little and barely unlocked the knees and they were still very deep and comfortable, problem incoming is the un-rack. I am shrugging the bar out of the pins at 475 and shrugging quite high to clear with 585, higher weights are going to require different footwear or using the lower pin. I don't like the lower pin, I bang the upper pin un-racking and it's unsettling and much less comfortable in general. Oh well.

[Hardartery]

Friday 3/8/24

Incline Press
135 x 5
225 x 5
295 x 1
325 x miss
315 x 1
295 x 2, 1

265 x 3 x 2 sets - long paused

265 x 2 - T&G
225 x 3

Lateral Raises
85 x 7 x 3 sets
65 x 10

Tricep Machine - seated thingie
100 x 10 x 2 sets

Off session, didn't feel sure of a second rep on the first set of 295, but it didn't feel super heavy just not enough gas in the tank for the reps. I am still dehydrated from the last two days, I've been cutting concrete with a walk-behind and it is easily well over 100 F out there, impossible to get enough fluids or eloctrolytes short of an IV so I'm not letting it bother me too much. I thought the 325 was there, but I got it high enough to set it on the lower pegs and then Zercher it back up to where it's supposed to be. Oh well. 315 wasn't deadly tough, on another day I probably have 325 and a little more.

[Hardartery]

Tuesday 3/12/24

Squats
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
475 x 1 x 3 sets
415 x 2 x 2 sets - paused

585 - quarter squats

Seated Leg Extensions - Atlantis machine
270 x 12 x 2 sets

Session sucked. The first top single was far and away the hardest and the reason why I stayed at that weight. Probably adjustment time again. The current "off-schedule" schedule of lifting just Tuesdays and Wednesdays is not good but likely to persist until early May. I am apparently in calorie deficit as I am fairly firmly at 264 lbs now and seem to be still dropping. Good for the waistline but bad for progress. I have been easing the calories upward but still dropping overall. The screwing around with 585 was actually not challenging, I am doing a bit of a Paul Anderson here, which I have done before but for different reasons. I previously did this with 1k or so, depending on what I could get on the bar with available weights and available bars but I was prepping for a 1k plus Yoke and needed to feel comfortable with that much weight albeit sans implement to train with. Honestly, I went a lot deeper this week with it and am already getting into the dangerous part of the lift for me. That would be a bright spot if it was a more serious amount of weight and not something that i realistically should be able to 1 RM right now.

[Hardartery]

Wednesday 3/13/24

Incline Bench
135 x 5
225 x 5
295 x 3, 2
305 x 1
295 x 2
265 x 3, 2, 2 - paused
225 x 5

Laterals
85 x 8, 8, 7
65 x 8

Seated Tricep thingie - officially I think it is a Life Time tricep something or other
110 x 10 x 2 sets

Felt really strong today for no good reason. I had crap sleep that was interrupted multiple time by a situation involving a hospital, emergencies are emergencies and at least it wasn't me under the knife here. It seems to have come out fine in the end just no sleep for a couple of us. After my 3 or 4 hours of finally sleeping this morning I woke up 261 lbs, 3 pound less than the previous morning. I knew I was in a bit of a deficit but dang, and I actually did a bit of a calorie grab yesterday to slow the loss - what would I have weighed without that? The pressing was really strong, I could have had a double at 305 and 4 was definitely doable on the first set with 295. No explanation at all. I was light headed and feeling trashed before the gym and again a couple of hours afterwards, I felt good at the gym but I had pushed the eating envelope a little pre-workout and I'm thinking the calories were critical.

[MarkKO]

Bad sleep isn't fun, especially under those circumstances. Good to hear things ended well enough.

[Hardartery]

Tuesday 3/19/24

Squats
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
475 x 1
495 x 1
475 x 1
415 x 2 x 2 sets paused
585 x 3 power curtsies

Seated Leg Extension - Atlantis machine
270 x 13 x 2 sets

The first 475 felt easy, easily a second rep was there, 495 did not. It wasn't crazy, but not as snappy as I wanted so I dropped back down. The walkout/partials were about right I think, I got just deep enough that I really had to try to reverse back up with it and it was definitely deeper than last week. Down side, if my rough measurement via hand length is correct I won't get more than about 850 lbs on these bars with any kind of collar so these are going to hit a ceiling quite quickly.

In other news, got totally weirded out by a chick of considerably lower years than me. Way too interested and way too close to my face. That happened last week and now I'm apprehensive walking into the gym. My nieces are older than that, and I am uncomfortable enough to try and get to the gym earlier than normal to avoid it. I am also clearly in too much of a calorie deficit the last few weeks. Waist loss is fine, but all the other side effects of overdoing it for the calories are not. Granted, my log would not indicate that being possible, but it's the other stuff that is doing me in. I cranked the calories yesterday and feel slightly better but not in calorie surplus. Today too.