Beached Whale Chronicles
 

Beached Whale Chronicles 2009

As with all new years, it is a time to change: I believe that New Year resolutions are for lazy people, so my “goals” for 2009 are the same as what they have always been: to stay healthy and get strong.

Starting of 2009, my maxes on the following key lifts are:
Height: 5’7
Body Weight: 200 lbs
Flat Bench Press: 105 kgs / 231 lbs
Squat: 159 kgs / 350 lbs
Deadlift: 175 kgs / 385 lbs
Overhead Squat: 70 kgs / 155 lbs
Military Press: 80 kgs / 175 lbs
Pull-up 3RM: BW + 25 lbs

Youtube videos can be found here: http://youtube.com/user/anuj247

I hope the New Year brings success to everyone and I really hope the world becomes a better place soon.

Cheers :)

Beginning Thoughts:

Happy New Year, everybody :)

Workout:

Overhead Squats:
60 kgs (135 lbs) x 3 reps x 6 sets
40 kgs (88 lbs) x 10 reps x 2 sets
The first 6 sets were REALLY hard. 135 lbs felt like a ton and on two occasions (which I have not counted), I failed at 135 and got stuck and had to dump the weight. I wanted to do 8 sets in all with 135 lbs but after 6 I decided to call it quits. I wanted 6 to have quality.

Rope Chin-ups:
BW x 5 reps x 3 sets
Wow this was hard hell!!!

Facepulls:
45 kgs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Front Planks:
45 seconds x 4 sets
60 seconds x 1 set

Videos:

Overhead Squats, Rope Chin-ups & Facepulls:

YouTube

Overall Impression:

I think today was one of those workouts which looks good on paper but is really shitty in feeling. I know that my OH Squat strength has improved greatly but at the same time, I couldn't seem to get my groove quite so easily today and that bothered me. The rest of the workout was pretty good actually.

In any case, I want to once again wish everyone a Happy New Year :)

Good stuff , Wolf.

Your maxs sure have come up greatly and to think you almost stopped working out because of your shoulder , now look at you !

Beginning Thoughts:

I've been very sick over the last few days. I have been taking my medicines, etc but they've left me feeling very drowsy. Plus, the plates I use to deadlift in Bombay are very small compared to my bumpers at Trinity..so it felt awkward at first to get a good ROM - it was sort of like doing Deficit Deadlift singles. My medicines didn't help me to focus either.

Workout:

Deadlift Singles:
162 kgs (355 lbs)
162 kgs (355 lbs)
166 kgs (365 lbs)
162 kgs (355 lbs) x 2 reps in frustration
172 kgs (380 lbs)
162 kgs (355 lbs)
162 kgs (355 lbs)

Banded Deadlifts:
Double Looped Bands
50 kgs (110 lbs)
70 kgs (155 lbs)
90 kgs (200 lbs)
112 kgs (245 lbs)
112 kgs (245 lbs)
112 kgs (245 lbs)

Heavy Deadlifts:
130 kgs (285 lbs)
150 kgs (330 lbs)
162 kgs (355 lbs)

Unilateral Box Squats:
Density Training @ 12 minutes
7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 49 reps

High Cable Rows:
70 kgs x 10 reps x 3 sets
85 kgs x 5 reps x 1 set

Head Supported Dumbbell Rows:
20 kgs x 10 reps x 3 sets

Bar Rollouts:
10 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Deadlifts:

YouTube

Overall Impression:

I hope next week's workout goes better.....

So you did heavy deads then banded deads then heavy deads?!? That seems like a bit overkill to me.

IW

True. But look at the quality of my heavy deads after the band work vs. the quality of my heavy deads before the band work. World of a difference. This is what I wanted.

Beginning Thoughts:

I am feeling a bit better today....I think I will be fine in a couple of days. The medicines seem to be working.

Workout:

Incline Press Singles:
81 kgs (179 lbs)
86 kgs (190 lbs)
87 kgs (192 lbs)
91 kgs (200 lbs)
92 kgs (202 lbs)
96 kgs (211 lbs)
93 kgs (205 lbs)
96 kgs (211 lbs) x fail
91 kgs (200 lbs)

Pull-ups:
Skipped.

Unilateral Dumbbell Press:
Skipped.

Push-ups:
BW x 15 reps x 3 sets

Inverted Rows:
BW x 12 reps x 3 sets

Ab Wheel Rollouts:
8 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Press:

YouTube

Overall Impression:

I think today was a great press session. I haven't had such a good session in quite a while.

Thats some strong pressing there Wolf. Very controlled.

Dub

good stuff man.....get to feeling better.

Beginning Thoughts:

Still sick and now possibly injured too...

Workout:

Speed Squats:
@70% = 111 kgs (245 lbs) x 2 reps x 10 sets
I felt very much in the groove but then on set #3, I felt this "pop" (like a knuckle cracking) in my right quad - towards the hip and near the groin. It's in my upper thigh. This pain has become quite bad right now. I was able to finish my workout in a great deal of pain - but the pain was weird because it hurt but it tickled at the same time too. I don't quite know why this happened. I hope it's not a quad tear. I don't even know what a quad tear is. I leave for USA in 3 days...I don't want this shit happening right now.

Good Mornings:
80 kgs (176 lbs) x 3 reps x 8 sets

Reverse Lunges using Front Squat Grip:
Skipped because the pain in my thigh was too much.

Unilateral RDLs:
Skipped because the pain has increased in my thigh.

Barbell Rows:
Skipped.

Overhead Dumbbell Side Bends:
10 kgs x 10 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Nothing for today.

Overall Impression:

I am currently icing my quad and I am trying to figure out how this could have happened. I did all my warm-ups with mobility drills, etc. I have been doing these consistently. I haven't been stretching post workout. Perhaps this is a factor. Also, when I do my unilateral squats, lets say that I am squatting using my left leg, I involuntarily tighten my right leg and I get a cramp exactly in the same place as this current pain is originating from. Maybe I aggravated this. In any case, I will try to rest and if I feel good I'll go back to the gym and finish up this workout tomorrow. If I don't get better in a couple of days, I'll go see the doctor.

Another scenario is that perhaps this may be the effect of my body not being used to doing so much squatting. In this mesocycle, my squatting volume has been very high and I am not at all used to that. I am used to squatting 90%+ of my 1RM for a couple of singles or doubles and thats it. I am not used to do 10+ sets of squats. Maybe that is what caused this.

I just hope this is me making a mountain of a molehill.