Training

Repetition Day

BP: 45x20, 135x15, 185x15, 205x10, 215x10, 225x10
Inc. BP: 135x5, 155x4, 175x3, 195x2, 215x1

-note, inc bp is a glaring weakness

Pushups with feet elevated and band pushdowns: 3 sets to momentary muscular failure

Shrug bar:
Bent over rows: 5 sets, 10 reps, 135lbs
Upright shrug/rows: 3 sets. 10 reps, 135lbs

Curls: 2 sets of easy 'heirarchial' style ascending work.

Abs: banded incline sit ups: This is an interesting and tough move, with resistance provided at the top. 3 sets of 9, 5, 4 using minis to provide resistance followed by 3 sets of standing abs with the light band.

I am very weak. I am out of shape. I need to start making consistent training a priority."

Conner's new favorite t-shirt, from his buddy and mine, Nick M, a stuntman who worked on the movie in question. Conner says "Thanks Nick!" 

Positives

Conner's appointment at U of M was positive. The team handling the case answered my questions and took all the time we needed.

See the full report here:

Conner's Cranio Blog

I cut and pasted that from an email, so it looks a bit disjointed.

Sunset, Saturday June 11th, Ludington State Park, Michigan 

Samara at Sundown 

Fun in the Sun 

The Weekend

Took some time out to head over to Ludington, MI, this weekend, which is on the west coast of the state.

If you've never been there, and you live in Michigan, you don't know what you are missing. The coastline between Ludington and the Ludington State Park is ~8 miles of fine sand beaches and dunes. Beautiful.

You can park your car out and walk down to Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan wasn't as cold as I expected, and I was in the water every day we were there. The in-laws have a cottage in town, and it's a great, inexpensive getaway for the whole family.

I needed a bit of time away from home to get my mind off stuff, anyway.

To Tagg and all those guys from his blog

Thanks for dropping by and for the words of encouragement.

I have started an informational blog here for Conner:

Conner's Cranio

Tomorrow we go and meet with a well respected senior pediatric neurosurgeon and a pediatric neurologist/oncologist down in Ann Arbor. The neurosurgeon is Dr. Karin Muraszko, who's the chair of the neurosurgery department at the U of M Medical School.

Exercise Helps

Exercise helps
The nervousness and anxiety regarding my son.

Today, outside, while the girl napped I did circuits.

1. kb drill (swings, c&js, snatches, windmills)
2. sled drag (heavy facing forwards and backwards)
3. bodyweight calisthenics (squats, push ups, burpees)

did about 4-5 circuits, wasn't paying attention.

and some sprints

Sweated a lot.

Felt good though, and it felt nice being outside.

This was conditioning work, and done at a high, albeit not Crossfit, level of intensity of effort.

Lifting Unmotivated

I am not motivated, but I need to lift.

Seated Overhead Pin Press w/no back support:

45x10
95x10
135x5 (harder than I thought. This is stupid weak)
155x5 (not bad, but not good)
175x3, 3, 3 (tough...not a maximal 3, but probably within the 85-90% 3RM range)

Notes:
-This is an entirely new movement for me, and I am doing it because I lack the height in the basement for standing OHPs.
-Might have to move the pins down one hole.
-This also involves a bit of bach arching I'm not real comfortable with...so, I'm going to keep it kinda light
-Grip? Approximately shoulder width, or ~1" wider each side.

Sled Drags outside. Forwards and Backwards. About 4-5 trips each way, going fast with little rest. Very winded.

Just an afterwards: I feel better now. Hot, winded, sweaty, but better. Exercise does help take your mind off the rest of the stuff going on that might be getting you down.

Thanks to my boys Riddle and BA for telling me to get off my ass and do something.

One Moment, and Everything's Different

On Friday, May 27th, I learned my son Conner, pictured below, has a brain tumor. The pediatritian had ordered a CT scan because of his recurring headaches, on the off chance they'd find something.

They found what appears to be a classic craniopharyngioma. A slow growing and benign tumor that takes up space around the pituitary.

One moment, and everything changes.

That's all it takes.

Conner. 9 1/2 years old. 

Shaf's Gloryhole Basement Gym PR Squat

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Towel Chins

Amusing. On the last set of chins I grabbed a towel that way laying around and did the last set using it. It ripped midway through the third rep, and I barely got my feet under me in time.

Damn old 10 year old dish towel!

CGBPs

Ladders:

CGBP:
WU
275x1/2/3, 1/2/3, x1/2/3

-successful completion of 3 ladders tells me to bump the weight up.

Why close grips? Greater ROM, less stress on my shoulders, overall, more valuable to me at this point in time.

Especially since I haven't made any board stacks yet (nor boxes, for that matter)

Goofy shit:
Axle CGBP with 2x light band from bottom position (note, axle is 35, not 45 lbs)
2x light band: 3 reps....bar went all over, goofy as hell.
125 + 2x LB: 1 rep: stabler, but hard and slow
145 + 2x LB: 1/2 way up, then stalled
125 + 2x LB: 1 rep...easier than the first.

-calling it good enough for that.

Rows hanging from barbell with feet on the bench:
10, 10 (curl grip), 10

Chins: 3 sets of 3 (pathetic, I know)

Squat, Swings, Shrugs 5/23/05

Slow.

Squats:
wu: 135x5, 225x5, 315x5,
5s: 335x5, 355x5, 375x5 (this was kind of ugly, the last two reps - going to 3s), 3s: 395x3 (fatigue setting in-hard),
415x2 - 3rd rep was iffy, so I racked it at 2.

Not real happy with this. However, it'll take some time to get back. 2-3 minutes rest between heavier sets.

Shrug bar circuit
1. SB bent over rows
2. SB scap. rows
3. SB high row

Used 2 45s for the load. Did 10-15 reps each move. 3 circuits. 1-2 minutes rest.

Why? Call it prep work. Lost a bit of lean muscle in the back during the detraining, and I am experimenting with different movements to get it back.

1 handed KB swings:
32kgx5/5, x10/10 - this had me seriously winded

Kb windmills:
8kgx5/5, 12kgx5/5, 16kgx5/5 - windmills make my shoulders and hips feel happy

ghr situps: 6, 6, 6 - once again, might have to send this one back. I don't like the way this GHR feels


TKEs. Green band, 2 sets of 20

The Session

Well, everything went smoothly. I hit a 315 close grip bench, which I was pleased with, having detrained more than trained the last 9 months.

My shoulders are holding up well, which a attribute to the extensive prehab I've been doing for them, including the bent over shrug work.

We had an v-bar lift off.

The v-bar is a 1" piece of cold rolled steel with a small square plate welded to the end.

I eventually hit 250 with my left hand, Blob hit 230. Since he's the grip meister of the group (along with the Man from R.I.D.L), he was somewhat taken aback at my talent for this lift. Riddle hit around 185, proving that giant hands and overall hand strength apparently don't carry over to the v-bar.

Many wise cracks were made over the kettlebells. For example, Bob demonstarted several "hip opener" moves, and "shoulder opener" move, with the poods.

Sometimes there was too much pood to go around.

Heh.

The Shakedown

Tonight, I've got three friends coming over the check out the little basement gym I've put together. Sure, it's great for me, but lets see how it fits the 5'9" Blobert and the 6'4" Man from R.I.D.L. Cubby is, for all practical purposes, the same size as me, but with sexy hair.

Haven't seen Bob in a while, so we'll meander through the usual insults about gripgayness, bench press specialization buggery, and the utter slackness that has become my training lately. That's ok. I'm on a comeback trail. I'm not just starting from a dead stop, I'm laying on the ground, face down, with a 300# blue mohawked post-teen sitting on my back.

I am starting to run my mouth a bit over at Tagg's blog, which means sooner or later I'll have to put up, or shut up. That's ok. I need the pressure to build up. This last year I competed exactly once, and that was at an olympic lifting meet, of all things. I liked it, but I really have the temperment of a powerlifter, or strongman, or even a highland games guy, despite never done the HG gig.

There are some SM contests close by this summer, and I might consider hitting one, despite the difficulty of training for SM without the required implements.

So tonight I'm gonna talk some smack, lift some weight, grill some meat, and drink some beer.

Kelso Shruggery

Paul Kelso: Google the name if you don't know him. A long time contributor to the Iron Game.

His book is top notch. The baby and the wife have went to bed and now I am doing a bunch of light stuff with my shrug bar.

1. Bent over shrugs with the shrug bar
2. "High pulls" - not the full body movement, just the shrug and the arm pull
3. Light OHPs with the shrug bar

All feel pretty good.

5/18/05

My oldest, Gage, is 11 today.

Morning:
DARC swings: 16kg x40, 30, 30
TGUs: 16kg x3, 3, 3 each side

Afternoon:

Squat:
135x10, 225x5, 315x3, 365x3, 405x1,1,1

-a slow start.

Messed around with the Draper squat thing Bob L loaned me.

In the Evening, hopefully I'll mess around with my reclaimed hex bar and axle.