Becoming an Athlete

My wife and I got in a workout before the kids' pre-Halloween party started. So we trained in the garage, and after we were exhausted from cleaning, running errands, cooking, and all the little things that go along with prepping for a kid-party. Suprisingly, I hit an all-time high on my deadlift workout. jump rope: 4 minute warm-up deadlift: 275 x 5; 295 x 5; 345 x 5, 5, 5 wide-grip pullup: 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 medium-grip pullup: 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 I tried to do some chinups, but my elbow tendons were shot, so that was it. But holy crap!!! 345 for sets of 5 on deadlift is still astounding me!!!!

Another healthy serving of the basic muscle builders today. Stepmill: 7mins @ level 7 Front squat: 135 x 10; 155 x 10, 10; 175 x 10, 8 Nautilus leg extension: 110 x 15; 120 x 15 leg press calves: 180 x 25; 270 x 20, 23 bench press: 155 x 5; 185 x 5; 195 x 5, 5, 5 dumbbell shoulder press: 45 x 10; 40 x 8; 30 x 10; 25 x 12

I got a call yesterday, 28 OCT, from my mom's doctor. Without getting into her personal details on a public forum, she didn't have a heart attack, but it was close. She's still in the hospital and, God willing, will be out tomorrow. My mom was never an active woman, but always busy. As a life-long registered nurse, she was big into nutrition and healthy living when we were kids. We seldom had sodas or sugary snacks, and she'd boot us out the door if we were lounging in front of the TV or Atari 400 for too long. It saddens me to see that, while her lessons have stuck with me, she's fallen away from doing what she knows. She is a strong, educated, and open-minded woman, and I hope this is all it takes for her to start leading a healthier life. I pray my family and I get to spend many more decades with her. The affirmation is for me; that my wife and I are devoting time where it is warranted, and leaving a legacy with the kids that will carry into their adulthood...

I need a day of rest. No jogging. No sprints. No boxing / kickboxing skills and drills. Just sitting around and taking it easy today. So far I have managed to stay on track with: 3 on - 1 off 3 on - 1 off 4 on - 1 off That's 10 days of training in the last 13. And at least one of those days included 2 workouts.

We've all seen it. The constant pendulum shift in the strength training / fitness industry. Whole body training was the only way to train for ever, and then split routines became popular in the late 60s, and became so over-done by the 80s that people would have an AM traps workout and a PM delt workout as "Day 1". Now whole body training is back en vogue and the experts scoff at anyone who dares to do even a basic push/pull split. Well, there is another trend that I have taken part in, and I have to say, old school wisdom wins, hands down! I haven't given much effort to direct arm training. If I do dips, and any variety of horizontal or vertical pressing, my triceps grow. And they grow well. But I can do chin ups, bent rows, pull-ups, 1-arm rows or any other pulling movement till my arms fall off, and my back gets wider and thicker, but my biceps won't change. My biceps HAVEN'T changed with compound pulling movements. I thought direct bicep work was for...

My wife and I met up at Town Lake and did the loop from MoPac bridge to Congress Bridge and back. That's 4.82 miles. I felt it in my feet more than anywhere else.

Man, I crushed it today! Everything felt great! And I'm meeting my wife at Town Lake (I'll never call it Ladybird lake) for a run this evening. Today is awesome!!! deadlift: 275 x 5; 295 x 5; 315 x 5, 5, 5 single-leg lying hamstring curls: 50 x 8, 8, 6, 6 each standing calves: 215 x 10; 115 x 10 (with 5 sec stretch and 5 sec contraction); 115 x 25\ hammer strength supported row: 180 x 15; 200 x 12, 12, 7 wide grip behind neck pulldown; 110 x 10, 10, 10, 10 The work seemed a bit brief, but that was because I kept my rest intervals to a minimum. It was truly just the deadlifts that required any degree of recovery period. I can't wait to get my 3 x 5 with 325 next time!!!!!