Day 263

We had our "3 years later" and last post placement visit with the social workers today from adopting Rebekah.  Honestly, it was the only reminder I've had in months that she wasn't born to us.

This has been a busy month, and training just hasn't been on the horizon lately, but spring is coming. Gonna hook up the trailer and move some gym equipment tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited, I like change sometimes, especially when I think it is for the better. I think training at home will give me more time with Rebekah and more time to be a strong daddy.


I wrote a post about how much I hate winter, and invented a new holiday.

See you later February, shame I couldn't torture you before you died....

Day 262

After a generally terrible night of sleep last night I came home and took nap while the family was away at horse riding lessons for little girl.

I slept two hours and it felt like I blinked. Ate a good supper and just hung out with the family.

Day 261

My cough is getting better and I'm starting to feel like training again.

After 3 years I am closing down Auburn Barbell Club and we are moving out Saturday. It was a good experiment, but not enough patrons in the end to make it self sustaining or worth the effort.

With my platform in my garage ready to recieve my squat rack. I'll be putting my strongman stuff in the back yard.

There's no place like home.

Day 260

Skipped the gym again today, the couch was calling my name. Then took Rebekah to gymnastics and then had a meeting with some folks from church about starting an orphan care ministry at my church. It was good, but I'm wore out.

By the way, legs STILL sore from the sprints, being sick really knocked me down.   Likely taking most of this week off from the gym to get ready for the move.

Day 259

Church this morning was good. Had a good lunch and put a movie on for little girl while we took a nap. I slept better than I have in weeks. 

Worked some more on the platform, I'll take some pictures and put them up sometime.

Day 258

Started working on the 6 x 8 platform I'm building on my VERY uneven garage floor. I got the thing framed up with 2x4's (about 24 of them) and got it leveled in the spot I'm putting it. Now I've got to do some reinforcements and hopefully it will stand up to some weight. 

Unlevel concrete is worthless, and by the way we are closing the gym due to expenses and our shady swindler landlord. So, I'll be training at home from now on, hence the platform.

Day 257

Skipped training and took a brief nap, then went out on a date with my lovely bride. Had a great time and now looking forward to the weekend.

Day 256

My legs are sore from yesterday's sprints, curiously sore...  That just goes to show you how powerful a simple new stimulus can be.

Day 255

50 meter sprints x 6

-I was going to do Dan John's great 8 method, which I think is 8 sprints with increasing intensity, but 6 felt right for what I was trying to do today. I'll up the volume on these, I just had to move my feet. I'm so sick of squatting...  Not the funnest thing given the head cold.

Band shoulder mobility exercises x a lot

Axle Press from Racks
110 x 8
130 x 8
160 x 8

Empty Bar Curls x 15 x 3

Band tricep pushdown 12 x 4


Winter training just sucks for me.  I'm just trying to keep moving.

After I got home I hung a new light in the dining area for my lovely wife.  Nice to be able to see my food now.

Day 254

Bodyweight: 300lbs. even (forgot to weigh Monday)

Dad's heart cath went well, and even though he has some pretty good blockage in one artery they are just going to follow up in a year and check it again.  No surgery right now, which is a good thing. Praise the Lord.

No training today, took a long nap.  I'm full on sick even though I was trying to will myself not to be.
Took the my little girl to Waffle House while mom had some friends over. Had a great time.

Day 253

Dad is getting a heart cath tomorrow to see how much blockage they are dealing with, if it's bad he'll have surgery before the end of the week.

complex warmup x 3 rounds

squat
135 x 3
255 x 3
295 x 3
335 x 2 x 6

Deadlift (feels good to type that)
315 x 2
365 x 2
405 x 6 singles and 5 shrugs at the top

Close grip bench press
bar x 15
135 x 12
185 x 10
235 x 6,6,6,6,4,4,4

Empty barbell curls x 20 x 2

didn't get to weigh in this morning, I'll do it tomorrow.

Day 252

More sickness, more laziness, more sitting by the fire.

I took my nephew to Home Depot this afternoon and bought some 2x4's and plywood for the 6'x8' platform I'm building in the garage.

After 3 years we are closing down the Gym, just got too expensive and we are dedicating all our resources to our upcoming adoption. (By the way we are adopting again)

We'll see how this platform comes along.  I've got to level it up so that may be tricky since there is a pretty good slope in the garage.

Day 251

Daughter is running a fever. So we had a pretty lazy day at home. It was cold as the mischief so we didn't stray to far from the fireplace.

I did get a nap in and head out to train this afternoon

Shoulder warmup/mobility/rotator cuff with bands x several sets

Log Bench Press
empty x 15
135 x 10
185 x 10
235 x 10
285 x 4,4 (did not think these would feel as heavy as they did)

overhead barbell lockouts
empty x 10
111 x 3
176 x 3
226 x 3
243 x 1

Low Row
90lbs. x 12 x 3

Plate front raise (blast from the past)
45lber. x 8 x 3

Empty barbell curls x 15 x 3  (bicep/elbow is slowly getting better just going to do these until I can go up in weight)

Day 250

On a chance, I signed my dad up to have a new kind of heart Cat Scan we are doing at the hospital. The results came in and it showed he had severe disease in several of the arteries around his heart.  He was completely asymptomatic, going to see a cardiologist on Monday, may have to have heart surgery as soon as next week. Essentially he would have dropped dead within a couple of years if we hadn't caught it. A realy eye opener.


Cut up and split firewood x 45 minutes.

Day 249

warmup complex

squats
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 5 x 7

Axle press out of rack
empty x 15
110 x 15
160 x 12
180 x 10

empty barbell curls w/ fat gripz x 12 x 4

Nothing is feeling good these days. Bad week of sleep, and my diet has been less than adequate. Gotta tighten up.

On a positive note, Valentine's day didn't catch me sleeping and I hit a grand slam I think. 

Day 248

Long, tiring day, did get a nap in this afternoon thanks to my parents babysitting. Lots of "The Stick" to my thighs and hamstrings, gotta get out my pvc pipe and start rolling.

Day 247

My mama and daddy came into town this evening and we went out to eat some BBQ.  It's been raining for the last 3 days and I'm sure it has robbed me of all happiness.

Legs very sore from the high volume on Monday, likely won't make it to the gym tomorrow, with family in town and all, it's tough to train frequently when you aren't a full time athlete.

Day 246

Bodyweight : 298.6 lbs.

warmup complex

squat
135 x 3
225 x 3
295 x 9 x 4 (full rest, ~10min. between sets)

the first set was the hardest, I think I had to wake my body up, sets 3 and 4 were the easiest... but let it be known that I hate, I hate, I hate high volume squatting.

mini band shoulder complex x 3 rounds

barbell curls

empty bar x 12 x 4 (used fat gripz)
My left elbow/bicep is still killing me, but I'm going to do these every workout until it stops hurting and then add 5 lbs. and repeat.

Incidentally, a great way to make yourself forget about arm pain is to suffer doing high rep squats...

Day 245

Church, nap, the usual.  Spent the evening with my little girl. We watched most of The Jungle Book, which she enjoyed.

Squatting tomorrow.

Day 244

Working today, so there you go.  Of course, today is going to be the nicest weather we've had all week.  But I guess a little time and a half wouldn't hurt either.

Day 243

Had to end up working late.  Used my time in a meeting this morning to thoroughly massage my patellar tendons and vastus medialis in anticipation of the next 3 weeks and 12 squat sessions.

Got to keep my little lady this evening while mommy went to a women's conference. We watched Peter Pan and played in the hot tub. Good times.

Day 242

Squat
bar x a few
135 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
355 x 5

In the squat routine I'm doing it says I should be able to squat 85% for five by the end of week two, so I told myself if I went ahead and did it today I'd just take Friday off and do some light stuff around the house.
I started the program with an estimated, very conservative max of 420lbs. in the squat. It was easy enough, so I'm good to proceed with week 3.

Band rotator cuff and tricep exercises x several sets

axle press from rack
110 x 5
160 x 5
200 x 2,2,2,2 

Just did these to stretch and get keep my shoulders active, left bicep and elbows are still a little achey.


DB shrugs 105s x 20 x 2

Day 241

Took a nap after work, was awakended by my little princess jumping on my stomach asking me to reassemble a toy she had just pulled apart.

Then got out in the garage to do some chores, which turned into a walk with little princess and Gracie the wonder dog, which turned into walking to my sisters house and playing basketball with my nephew. It was a good day.

Oh yeah... meatballs for supper...  Boom!

Day 240

BW = 300.4lbs.  (gonna start including this every Monday)

warmup complex x 3 rounds
Squat
135 x 3
225 x 3
295 x 5 x 4
315 x 3
335 x 2 x 2
378 x 1

Standing Axle Press
110 x 10
130 x 10
160 x 10

Day 239

Church, Nap, general lethargy.  Ate at my favorite Chinese place for lunch, it was delish.

Day 238

Lazy Saturday.  Went and ran a few errands and then cooked some hamburgers for supper. Got a big nap in and had a fire in the fireplace

Day 237

Warmup with complex x 3 rounds

Squat
135 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 8 x 3
295 x 5
315 x 2 x 2
335 x 1

Floor Press
225 x 12 x 3