I think we’d make a good relay team:)
Today I focused on upper body again, but stuck to dealing with chest, delt and shoulder exercises. Went pretty well…
Saturday 13/8/16 – Upper body:
20x30 BBw/u
-
Bench:
17x50
16x50
12x50
11x60
7x70
4x80 -
Smith incline 60°:
7x50
6x50
4x50 -
Chest press:
12x60 – 3 sets -
Shoulder press:
6x50 – 3 sets
*I was well aware that last time I damaged my neck doing these, so took the next three sets very carefully:
6x60
6x70
3x80 -
Decline bench:
8x60 – 3 sets
*Getting a feel for the declines now as last time I pressed no more than 40kgs. Next time I’ll be gradually adding more weight. -
Single DB raises:
25x50
18x50
18x50
*Failure sets on these made my triceps almost burst! -
Ab crunch:
20x60 – 3 sets
*Short abs blast only today.
Time: 1hr. 10mins.
I’m not the wisest of folk. I’m gullible, impatient, frivolous and I don’t think things through enough. Which is why I’ve ended up in a meagre financial mess at the age of 51. But there’s worse off and there is a glimmer of twinkling light there in the distance.
And I’ll never be set in my ways. Same with music. I can’t listen to yer general, run of the mill “80’s Hits Radio”, I need something new all the time and regularly only ever play an album the once, unless it’s an absolute classic (like the entire Pink Floyd output of course).
Furthermore, I’m also susceptible to some wild ideas with my training as well. I can’t stand still. I can’t do the bodybuilding handbook these days like I used to do. I need to change things every single session to keep me interested and motivated. But I remain pretty well built in all the important areas, whether that’s by doing text book sets or mixing things up to my own wayward and erratic spec….and I’m still at it and I have no intention of stopping for a long time just yet. So all must be good. I think….
…Or so I thought. Today was a killer of a session and the main reason was because I’m always awake in the middle of the night at weekends, sometimes a couple of times for maybe two hours each. Telly goes on, a box set goes in and Breaking Bad airs once again. When I do get to sleep properly I don’t see the light of day until 11-12 o’clock. All to do with working nights, which is now beginning its 12th year and you just never get used to the body clock fvcking your mind and soul up.
Back to today and the pre-planned legs session I had written out was, on paper, do-able. But as soon as I began I was wondering what I had taken on. I felt exhausted pretty much instantly and also bloated from a bowl of porridge eaten too soon before my workout. All through my session I felt physically sick because of the wild idea of inserting sets of high reps all over the shop.
But even though I ended up missing out a few sets, I got through it. Here’s how it went…
Sunday 14/8/16 – Legs:
-
Incline press:
20x150 w/u
12x200
12x250
12x300 – 2 sets
10x350
25x250 high reps PB (reps, twice)
25x250 high reps
16x230
*Wanted to go for the 400 but knew it would finish me off, so bottled it and did some fast reps instead. Never done high reps at that weight before, but they went up easy so I did an extra couple of sets, as you do. -
Seated leg press:
15x200
30x120 high reps
15x200
20x120 high reps
*This was an interesting option. Doing some alternate heavy/high reps. Made the quads feel quite confused. So did a similar thing with extensions… -
Extensions:
20x80 high reps
10x100
20x60 high reps
10x100
20x50 high reps
*Whatever you may think to my bizarre sequencing, this in between high reps scenario made the thighs blow up like crazy. -
Seated reverse ham curls:
10x75
8x80
20x50 high reps -
Hack squat:
6x200
6x200
3x200
*This is a major exercise because of the weight and should have been done earlier but I just couldn’t get on it. The first time it was being used by an enormous Chinese fella seemingly taking forever to push 30 kilos, and then by a couple of Instagram chicklets pottering about using it for calf presses. Sometimes I don’t feel that ridiculous after all! I’m still rockin’. -
Good girls:
32x60
22x60
17x60 -
Bad girls:
20x60
18x60
18x60 -
Seated press (again):
34x150 high reps
Sat down at my usual finishing post they call the ab crunch machine and I just felt wasted. I couldn’t even be bothered to move forward an inch, so bottled that too. Make up for it tomorrow. And by and by, it wasn’t so bad after all though I haven’t felt this knackered for yonks.
Time: 1hr. 10mins.
I’m home alone all next week. The OH is going to the seaside for a cheapo caravan break with her daughter and her little 'un, so I can do as I please (making sure I complete a things-to-do from the inevitable Post-It of course). Thanks for reading. [:)]
I know that hill well Floydy, you were doing a good workout sprinting up that mean old hill…Alas! I only walk up it now when we visit Lincoln in December. Looking at your schedule of training, it seems very impressive. I’ve been slipping some hill work in while on holiday here in Guernsey and although I don’t sprint up them I never stop on a climb. Certainly makes me feel good for the rest of the day…
Thanks pal:-)
I must admit it was a good 20 years ago when I was doing that hill running (when I was based in Lincoln with the RAF), most of my training is with weights now as my job is pretty physical anyway and I’m on my feet all night. But, yes, I keep it going best I can.
Good on you for enjoying your hill walking. I’ve visited Guernsey a couple of times as well and it’s a beautiful island.
Take my hat off to you Floydy - tough workouts for sure.
I did around 7 mile last night. Ran to the beach and then followed a well worn loop back to the car park. Lovely run away from everyone.
Tonight I did around 5 miles with short 30s sprints and pyramid rests - 90s then 60s and lastly 30s then in reverse. Enjoyed the session but a wasp got me in the neck and boy did it hurt. On attempting to brush it away I got stung in the finger. Really shocked by how painful it was - enough to make me drop my stop watch. Anyway session done and I can see I’m definitely getting strong and fitter.
Wasps, aside from mosquitoes, must be the most pointless creatures on Earth. Sorry to hear of your plight, MKJ, but well done on keeping it going tonight.
Knocked out another 8 mile or so this evening. Red hot but not so much a concern now I’m lighter on my feet. Love running when the sun is shining. Going to make the most of it - run whilst the going is good.
I’m afraid I succumbed to too much alcohol last night and been suffering all day - not overly so but head hasn’t been as it should be - as in bad. Still I managed to shift my malaise and go for another 6 mile easy. Hair of the dog now.
I wonder if all those Olympic runners train and drink like I do?
No they do not.
I have it on very good authority that they DO NOT hit the bottle. It would be detrimental to their health and all their hard work.
Yes of course they train like stink, but a healthy lifestyle is all important to a serious athlete.
Ooo …
That’s pretty good going for a hangover run, MKJ. Good man for taking it on!
While I remember, a quick post of yesterday’s gym session. My mid-week efforts are not too strenuous, but it hit the spot…
:
Tuesday 16/8/16 – Upper body:
-
Chest press:
20x40 w/u
12x70
10x70
8x70 -
Lat pulldown, underarm:
12x50
10x60
7x70 -
DB concentration curl, alt:
6x18
6x18
6x20 -
E-Z curl, preacher bench, low pull:
8x43
6x43
6x48
*Felt good to have advanced to a starting weight of 43kgs on this now. Hardly even felt the weight, going on to great things lol. -
Ab crunch:
20x60
10x70
10x75
10x80
20x50
Time: 40 mins.
So despite the rush, I fitted in the essentials and ended up feeling pretty fine, so well worth the bash.
I do some upper body exercises but they are just to keep myself reasonably strong. Too much upper body muscle is detrimental to long distance running. I do try to keep firm belly muscles though as I read somewhere it cuts down on bad backs.
No wasps tonight mate?
Very true, MKJ, they don’t mix too well. I’m certainly too heavy for running long distance these days:confused:
A good exercise for strengthening the lower back is actually the seated leg press on a moderate weight.
And a cod liver oil tablet every day:-)
Whilst running, it is moderately Ok, to cast to the footpath one of those plastic classy suckertop water containers, but not a Voddy Bottle.
What are you trying to say?
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!!!
Running does drive me to drink and always has done. At this moment in time I’m attempting to break the habit as the older I get the less resistance I have to the effects - doing my head in in other words.
Milk with some vodka seems to be less hazardous for me 
.
I do a lot of exercise, but try to reign it back in hot weather, I tend not to run much because of the possible impact on the joints, in the final phase of this journey, that said, I have a measured mile in the local Country Park, so, when the afternoon temperature drops below say 20 degrees, I’ll give it a bash, and post the timing.