cole wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 5:56 am
MailmanMuscle wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2024 10:28 pm
Lifting started as a dare from my wife (married 22 years, 3 children). We were watching an LL Cool J video, and I said that if I got to 200 pounds at 10% bodyfat, then I could look like him. She said I couldn’t do it, but she would love to see it. Challenge accepted!
Did she ever admit that you won the challenge??
Yes, she did!
A few years ago, I don’t remember how or why it came up, but in a casual, matter of fact kind of way she said “oh, you look better than him now”. I’m not convinced that I did, but I took that as confirmation that I had accomplished the mission.
Clearwater47 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 8:32 am
I'm about a week late on the reply, but was just checking out your post on posing from last week. Amazing how much of a difference can be made through improvements in presentation. Looking good!
Thank you! Indeed, presentation is half of this endeavor. I’m spending increasingly more time on it. It’s bad enough that I’ll be essentially naked on a stage. I might as well get good at showing it off.
MarkKO wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 12:42 am
Understandable not wanting to make drastic changes not far out. Probably wise. Nice to know I'm not crazy though.
Nothing I’ve seen from you has me thinking you’re crazy. At least, not any crazier than the rest of us who think repeatedly picking up heavy stuff is fun.
Catching up. I’ve worked some overtime every day this week, plus trying to get things in order for next week when my wife and I make our 13th or 14th trip to the Arnold Classic/Arnold Sports Festival. It’s a fun getaway for us, and an immersion into everything related to lifting and fitness culture: bodybuilding, powerlifting, strongman, and a bunch of other stuff. I need to be nailing my diet over the next week, because I’m going to have 2 (maybe 3) restaurant meals on this trip that are not going to fit my macros, no matter what I do. I already factored this into prep, and I think I’ll be okay.
Thursday 2/22/24: 12,332 steps, 5.5 miles, 4 floors climbed
Friday 2/23/24: 11,128 steps, 4.9 miles, 9 floors climbed
Upper #1, Gold’s Gym
Standing Calf Raise - not upper body, just conveniently outside the locker room
100 lbs/12 reps
160/10 (0:58)
160/18 (0:45)
I tried different rep speeds with the same load on the work sets.
T-Bar Row - hadn’t done these since Feb. 5, topped out at 2 drop sets starting with 160+ lbs
bar/8 wide overhand + 8 close neutral
45+ lbs/9 wide + 9 neutral - the bar feels like next to nothing, but it can’t be zero
100/5 wide + 5 neutral
145/5 wide + 3 neutral
170/12 wide (0:30) - started wearing belt and Versa Gripps here; last 2 reps had slightly less ROM
170/12 neutral (0:26) - definitely a partial on the last rep
Decline Bench Press - with Rogue neutral grip bar, hadn’t done these since Feb. 5, topped w/drop set starting with 205
bar/12 reps
135 lbs/10 reps
185/6
225/5 (0:22)
195/8 (0:31)
I have to keep reminding myself that I’m the lightest I have been in over 10 years, probably 12-13 years. I have to give myself some grace on these lifts. I’m still keeping up with where I was a few weeks ago, so that’s a good sign.
Pullover - last did these on Feb. 10; a
long set with 140 that took almost 2 minutes; I wasn’t doing that again
80 lbs/12 reps
155/12.5 (1:15) - tried and failed a 13th rep
Rear Delt Machine - never used this one before, but they’re all very similar
70 lbs/15 reps - only did this to get used to the feel of this machine, not warm muscles
120/15.5 - tried and failed a 16th rep
Standing Lateral Raise Machine - on Feb. 5, did a crazy drop set starting with 100 lbs
50 lbs/5 reps - just to feel the movement
80/14 (0:41) - partials on last 2 reps
Cable Crossover - cables at shoulder height
50 lbs/6 reps
50/14 (0:55)
I wasn’t sure what weight I would go with, since this is only my second time ever doing them. I did a few reps with the weight I used last time, and decided to run it again for a full set.
Standing Cable Pressdown - back against pad
60 lbs/16 reps (0:50)
I didn’t go into this workout planning to do straight sets, with no set extenders or extra intensity techniques. I’m not sure why I did, but I feel very good about how it went. I might try this again on my next lower day. We’ll see.
Saturday 2/24/24: 16,815 steps, 7.8 miles, 6 floors climbed