Sean's "Been gone so long I lift like a girl, not that girls lift badly" log

[Sean]

Stats
Age:37
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 270

3-24-09
Back Day (weight 270lbs)

Rack Pulls (below knees):
warm up - 135 x2
12/225 10/315 5/365 6/365

Weighted Hypers (25# pleate):
12 12 12

Pullups:
7 6 7

Behind neck pulldowns:
15/120 10/150 8/180 8/180

Hammer Strength upper pull down machine (love this thing!):
8/135 8/135 6/145 (weight is per side)

DB Rows:
10/100 8/100 8/100

2x 20 twisting decline curnches with 25# plate
2x rope pulldown crunches - 100#


These are sad numbers, comparetively speaking, but I have been out for serious lifting for almost a year now. Been busy with new life, new baby, new hobby. I was doing Crossfit for about 6 months to try to reduce my size and up my core strength but all that did was help me lose muscle size, strength, and give me tendonitis in the elbow from crazy amounts of pull ups. It was fun though, and many guys in my BJJ school have benefited from it, we even have a Crossfit trainer in our school to give classes, just not for a guy of my stature. So back to lifting and on Friday I start yoga, now that I am going to a large gym again, I have those resources.
My first Highland game in 1.5 years is in June so gonna really push the weight. That is also my next BJJ tourney so I am hoping to hit the mat looking like a monster, since most guys in my weight class are tub-o-lards. My plan is a 4-day split, Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs. Back, arms, chest/shoulders, legs. I am planning to do Yoga on Fridays and have BJJ classes on Tues,Thurs, Sun. Also gonna start throwing in Highland practices on Sat.
Those of you who know me from way ack when know that I dojnt track my diet all that close so not gonna write much about that. I have upped my protein with more chicken, tuna, fish, and throwing in protein shakes 2x a day, morning and post-workout.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Glad to see you back in action man, havent seen you in a while now around here. I was pretty much down and out myself for all of 2008 myself, but I have made a charging comeback on the last 4 months, both in strength AND size...

So keep positive and do what you need to do, I guarantee you will get back so much of what you lost and much quicker than you think.
Muscle memory is like the nectar of the Gods

[Eighth Wonder]

G/L man, we need more loggers around here, its a lonely place

[iko172202]

Right on dude - good luck - the body has excellent memory lol

[Sean]

Thaanks all for stopping by.

BG, I am glad to see you are around =)

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by Sean

Thaanks all for stopping by.

BG, I am glad to see you are around =)

Hell yeah bro, you too

I used to always look forward to your Highland Games.

[Sean]

Well I am planning for 6 this year so hopefully I can make them all.

[Sean]

Have my rotation nailed down and wanted to jot it down here so you can all give your opinions. I kinda started the log on an "off" day but was just excited to get started on here again.

This is what I am planning:
Sunday: Legs/Calves
Monday: Chest/Shoulders
Wednesday: Back
Thursday: Arms/Forearms

I could wait till Sunday to start the rotation but since I am trying a yoga class tomorrow I decided to so todays arm workout, go to yoga tomorrow and then feel justified in resting Saturday =)
I plan on some treadmill walking after at least 3 of the workouts but most my cardio will be from Jujitsu class and sparring.

[Eighth Wonder]

Seems fine except that you are training arms on Thursday and you will have just trained your biceps the day before with the back work and pulling movements. If it were me I'd drop that day and do a push/pull/legs, doing any extra arm work on an off day.

[Sean]

Hmmm...I can see that point. I was planning on only doing 2 excercises for bi's on arm days since I consider them "beach muscles" anyway, just my personal opinion. I want to mostly focus on tri's since that is where the power comes from in both jujitsu and highland throws. I used to do push/pull/legs but jsut found myslef in the gym longer than I wanted to be on days I had chest/shoulders/tri so I opted to try arms on their own day. I ran this a few years back and looking over my logs from then I had some decent increases so figured I would give that rotation a run again. If I suffer from the back workout, I could push arms out to Friday, that should help, you think?

Truthfully, I have never had my bi's affected on a back workout day. I am actually curious when I read that by most folks that they get a pump in their bi's when doing back because you should be concentrating on pulling from your elbows when doing back. Also I use straps on my back days so that helps to keep the bi's out of the equation for me.

[HammerTech]

I usually cringe at doing a separate arm day but given what you're looking to accomplish (tricep strength for throws/jujitsu)...why not, especially if it worked in the past for you.

BTW - that sig is hilarious.

[Eighth Wonder]

Like hammer said, if it has worked it the past then go for it, you are your best judge. Concentrating on pulling with the elbows is the right idea and that will take out some bicep involvement but not all. You can't row 200+ and not use your biceps at all. I'd say Friday would be your best bet unless you really think your bi's can handle the two days in a row.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Eighth Wonder

Like hammer said, if it has worked it the past then go for it, you are your best judge. Concentrating on pulling with the elbows is the right idea and that will take out some bicep involvement but not all. You can't row 200+ and not use your biceps at all. I'd say Friday would be your best bet unless you really think your bi's can handle the two days in a row.

Good point 8th =). I will be in the gym on Friday's anyway doing yoga so might as well change it a little =)
Thanks to both you and Hammer for the advice.

[Sean]

3-26-09
Arms

BB curls:
wu/60 wu/70 10/80 10/80 8/80

seated incline DB curls:
8/40 8/35 8/35 8/35

Hammer curls:
8/45 8/45 9/45 6/50

Dbl high cable pulls (very slow):
10/30 10/40 10/50 10/50

Decline close-grip bench:
wu/95 10/135 10/155 8/185 8/185

lying extensions (straightbar):
10/70 10/70 10/70

dips:
6 8 8

V Pulldowns:
15/120 10/160 10/160 8/180

DB wristrolls (25#):
10x3

BB benind back (135#):
15x2

30 minutes cardio: treadmill at 9 incline and 3.2 speed

[Sean]

Meh...still nailing down the days for my rotation. Life happened on Sunday so did not start the week then, started last night with Legs but forgot to bring my logbook into work to type up the weights so will get to it later at home.
So now looks like this:
Mon=legs
Tues=chest
Thurs=back
Fri=arms

I also did not get to yoga on Friday =(

[Sean]

Such weak numbers makes me feel like a biotch..and I feel stupid cause I still have good size but I am lifting crap poundages. Where the hell is my muscle memory..lol.

3-30-09
Legs

Squat (not impressive at all)
wu/135 wu/185 6/225 5/225 5/225 5/225 5/225

Press (number of plates loaded total)
wu/8 10/10 10/12 10/12 10/12

SLDL
10/135 10/135 10/135

Leg Extensions (these are done slow and holding at the top for count of 5)
12/100 10/100 10/100

Seated Leg Curl
10/130 10/130 10/130

Donkey calf machine
15/115 12/115 10/115 10/115

Calf on the leg press (total plates)
4/20 4/20 4/20

Abs
Rope pulley crunch
20/110 x 3

[Sean]

3-31-09
Chest/Shoulders

Flat bench BB
wu/bar wu/135 wu/135 8/225 8/225 6/225

Incline DB
10/75 7/80 6/80 6/80

Rev grip decline BB
10/135 6/185 8/185

Decline Hammer machine (per side)
7/115 6/115 6/115

Low cable pulls
10/20 10/20 10/20 10/20

Standing military
10/115 8/115 8/115

Machine Press
10/80 10/80 8/80

Cable pulls to the side
10/15 6/20 7/20

Upright rows (Smith)
8/155 8/135 8/135

Shrugs (Smith)
10/225 10/225 10/275 8/275

20min cardio - treadmill grade 6/3.2MPH


OK...now I have a baseline for all body parts, I can start making some progress. Some of these lifts are depressing to me, but I am sure in 90 days I can improve on them. Lets get to rebuilding!

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by Sean

Some of these lifts are depressing to me, but I am sure in 90 days I can improve on them. Lets get to rebuilding!

Good attitude Sean, thats the way to gain ground!

I was just looking back at my log numbers from November, when I had just come back myself and my numbers were terrible.

4 months later and I am back at where I was a year or more ago...
It will all come back dude!

[Sean]

4-2-09
Back

Off the floor Deadlift
wu/135 wu/225 7/315 4/365 3/365 4/365

Good morning
10/95 8/95 8/95

Hypers (25# plate)
12 12 12

Pullups
8 7 7

Hammer Front Lat pulldown (per side)
10/90 6/115 5/115

Bentover BB rows
10/135 10/135 10/135 10/135

Seated Hammer Machine Rows (per side)
10/135 10/135 10/135 10/135

Straight Arm Pulldown
10/75 10/75 7/75

Rope Crunches (120#)
20 20 20

30 mins treadmill
10 minutes revolving stairs (these machine is death!!)

I am please that my off the floor DL is the same as my rack pulls. This means my rack pulls are gonna kick ass next week.

[Sean]

4-3-09
Arms

BB EZ preacher curls
10/95 10/95 10/95 10/95

DB preacher
7/40 9/35 8/35

Rev Grip curls
10/50 10/50 8/60

Cable singles (freemotion machine)
10/20 10/20 10/20

Flat closegrip BB
10/135 10/135 8/185 7/185

Seated Tri extensions
10/60 10/70 10/70 10/70

Dips
9 10 10

Standing rope pullovers
10/120 6/140 5/140 5/140
3
Single cable pulldowns
12/40 12/40 12/40

Seated calf raise
90#x3