Stress and illness

Between the snow shoveling, family, work, and possibly the workouts I've been running out of energy more easily.   Several nights per week over the last three weeks I have developed a sore throat for a few hours.  Last night I was coughing enough in my sleep that I resorted to NyQuil.  

I am enforcing a week off from exercise.  I keep hoping that a two or three day break here or there would be adequate, but obviously it isn't.   I did week 4 day 1 with 55 pound dumbbells 2/26/10 and week 4 day 2 on 2/27/10.  No workouts until 3/6/10.  

Workout addition

I'm reviewing my workout logs here and older logs on paper. I have two problems related to workout logging. First and foremost, I did not pick a dedicated, consistent format and stick with it. So reviewing older workouts versus newer ones is more than a simple exercise in cross-referencing. Second, and more importantly, when I used more frequent, higher volume workouts I tended to skip on the logging entirely. I have consistent logs of infrequent workouts but inconsistent logs of frequent ones.

But three (edit, four) things stick out in my recollection.
1. In my first year of college (15 years ago), during winter break I did 5 sets of 20+ pushups three days or more per week, and when I returned to campus my maximum bench press was up from 135 to 155 for sets of ten repetitions. And I had worked very, very hard relative to my own strength in order to reach 135 before that. I kept working out less frequently, and by the end of the semester my maximum bench press was 135 again.
2. In spring of 2004 I was playing a video game with racing. Between races I would do 10-15 pushups. I did this many nights per week for months. My previous maximum bench press had been 175 pounds for one rep. When I tested it again, the maximum was 200 pounds for one rep.
Similarly, my best leg press for Super Slow had been stalled at 6 reps with 380 pounds or 4 reps with 400 for over a year. I went to the gym three times per week and worked leg press with faster repetitions and similar weights. When I tested my strength, I could handle ten repetitions (at a faster speed) with 480 pounds. When my Super Slow working weight was 380 pounds, I could not budge 480, period.
3. This past fall I was trying 3 sets of 5 or 6 repetitions on shoulder press several times per week, working near my maximum tolerance. I managed to inch up the working weight in shoulder press from 50 pounds to 57.5. Then I took a break, and it dropped to 55.
4. When I am doing higher volume gym workouts, the vascularity of my arms is improved and it's easier for me to donate blood. With my lower volume, high intensity, less frequent workouts medical professionals had problems drawing blood and my last attempt to donate blood failed.

Honestly, that's better progress than I have enjoyed with infrequent, super hard workouts. Plus when doing the infrequent, hard full body workouts I seem to have lost some of the strength I gained with more frequent work.

Henceforth, I am embarking on a new routine. 5 days per week I am going to do 4 sets of 5 reps with 5 minute breaks between of dumbbell squats and shoulder press. Each week I will increase the resistance 2.5 pounds per side. When I hit a progress wall, I will drop the resistance back down to the cycle start + 2.5 pounds and start the cycle over.

Let's see how far that carries me. I would like to use a barbell squat instead of a dumbbell squat and a pulldown/pullup exercise, but I don't have the right equipment.

This week I started with 47.5 pounds, which was far harder than I expected. Day 1 was today, 1/23/10. Unless something noteworthy happens like sickness or injury, I will just note the day and any changes to the resistance going forward. Day 2 1/24/10, Day 3 1/25/10, Day 4 1/26/10, Day 5 1/27/10. Day 1 1/30/10 w/50s, Day 2 1/31/10, Day 3 2/1/10 , Day 4 2/2/10, Day 5 2/3/10 - taking a week off, my right shoulder is starting to be just a little off. When I was younger, I would have ignored it. I still want to ignore it - but if I get hurt, I can't train! So this is a forced break.

As luck would have it, we got 18 inches of snow on 2/6/10 and another 18 inches on 2/10/10. I've done a minimum 8 hours of snow shoveling across the past 7 days. I thought I was good enough today to train, so I did Week 3 (52.5 pounds) day 1 - but take another three or four days off, minimum.  Day 2 2/18/10.  Day 3 2/19/10.  Day 4 2/20/10.  Day 5 2/21/10.

Workout 1/12/10

9 days since previous workout.  Leg press 21x210 per leg, seat 3, seat back 3 -> 215.  Leg extension 9x90.  Leg curl 7x75->50.  Calf raises 9x35 on the machine, go to just the pads on the machine.  Pulldown 11x145 -> the machine does not have intermediate weight increments, so work to 15 reps before trying 160 pounds.  Row 5x85.  Shoulder press 8x150.  Chest press 7x110.  Back extension 10x210.

I was nauseated and had to take a break part way through the workout.   Evidently my attempt at working extra hard has at least some success.  

Next workout is next Thursday, with another 9 day break.   I'll try that for three more workouts, and if progress continues I may use it indefinitely.  If not, I'll change the workout.   Really, the only exercises that matter to me are leg press, pulldown, and shoulder press.   I may experiment with dropping other exercises to focus on those, but I think I should spend more time with my current routine before trying that.

1/21/20 Leg press 16x215 per leg, seat 3, seat back 3 -> 215.  Leg extension 12x90.  Leg curl 12x50.  Calf raises 13x- on the machine.  Shoulder press 10x150->155.  Chest press 6x130.  Back extension 10x230. Pulldown 11x145.  Row 7x85.   Stomach 20x110.  Leg press was disappointing - I've done 12 with 230 and 21 with 210,  I was hoping for more than 16 with 215.  But any progress at all is good.  I was hoping for better with pulldown, since I only tied last time, but I am generally pleased with the rest.  And last time I did pulldown before chest and shoulders, this time it was after.  

Workout philosopy - still refining it

I worked out today, 1/3/10.   That's 19 days since the last full gym workout.   The good news is my strength did not deteriorate.   The bad news is, it did not improve.   Leg press was still 12x230 (1 leg at a time) with the seat and back in position 3.   Shoulder press was 5x175 (I may have done better previously, but I did some shoulder dumbbell presses on 12/31/10 so that may have weakened me for today).   Everything else was pretty standard, 8x160 on pulldowns.

I'm thinking of backing off some on the weight and targeting 20 repetitions on leg exercises before I increase the resistance and 10 repetitions on arm exercises before I increase the resistance.

Workout change... recovery

I re-read parts of some Mike Mentzer bodybuilding books I have.   He was a fan of Ayn Rand, which is unfortunate (for a whole list of reasons I can list if anyone cares).  

But he makes many reasonable arguments about different aspects of strength training.   He describes his trainees working out on a routine that worked chest and arms on day one, shoulders and arms on day four, and legs on day seven, then rest until day ten and start over the next day on day one.   He said that most maintained good progress with their legs for long periods but not their upper body.  So he changed the routine so that the break between workouts was four days instead of three, and upper body progress still slowed.   Then he changed it again to chest/back on day 1, legs on day 5, shoulders and arms on day 9, and legs on day 13, rest until day 17, then start over with day 1, and he said progress was phenomenal for almost all trainees.   Some did not excel until the break was five days instead of four.

I've definitely found that my strength can stay the same or grow despite (or maybe because of) a 7 or even 9 day break between workouts.   I only did that haphazardly in the past, so now I'm going to try it consistently.   I haven't done a full workout since 12/15, so I plan my next one for 12/29.   If I make good progress in some exercises, I'll keep trying with 7,9, or even 12 days between workouts (since I have a best opportunity to reach the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays).   I did some shoulder presses 12/19, so nine days off should be plenty of time to recharge for the 12/29 workout.  

Strength drop

So today my workout was disappointing. The leg press was occupied, so I started with pulldown and row, which were about normal. On leg press, on my last workout with legs five days ago I managed 12 reps with 230 pounds for each leg. I got 7 reps with my left leg and couldn't budge any more. On the shoulder press I managed 5 with 175 on the machine (I could never manage near that weight free weight), instead of the 6.5 I did last time - but maybe that was from fatigue from doing the pulldown and row first.

I see a few possibilities. I wasn't feeling totally energetic this morning. Maybe I have some disease temporarily slowing me down. I did full workouts Tuesday and Thursday last week and a wrist and grip workout Thursday and Saturday. Maybe I am slightly overtrained. And of course, maybe I am not training frequently enough.

I'm going to assume overtraining or sickness and take off until next Tuesday. I may do some wrist and grip work between now and then, but that's all. If I keep hitting a wall, I will drop the leg press, shoulder press, and a few other exercises down a few pounds and start again with more frequent workouts.

12-17-09: I skipped my strength workout for the day, the grip workout Tuesday (the 15th) and today, and just tried 3x6 on shoulder press with a 5 minute break between sets.  I managed 55 pounds in each hand, not bad.  (Not super, but not bad.)   Next time I try shoulder press, I'll attempt 56.  I see no reason to hurry, not hurting my wrist is top priority.

12-19-09 Tried shoulder press with 56 pounds, got 1x6 and 1x5.  Take a few more days off (maybe six or seven because of other upcoming workouts) and try again.   I may decide that two sets is plenty.   I'm also contemplating a switch to a seven or eight rep target per set instead of six.  It will slow down my progress, but presumably the longer sets will fatigue the muscles more - which hopefully is better for mass growth.  

Forearm/Wrist/Finger workout

So today was my first attempt at a wrist and finger workout. My left forearm is cramping up, hopefully that means I did well. Workout:
Hang from pullup bar (feet touching ground, but providing minimal support): 60 seconds -> try for 75
pinch grip between thumb and tips of fingers, two 2.5 pound plates: 60 seconds -> go for 2.5 and 5 pounds
dumbbell finger roll up (stand with dumbbell at side, let dumbbell roll down so only the tips of fingers support it, curl fingers until dumbbell is in palm of hand): 50 repetitions with 15 pound dumbbell -> try for 25 pound dumbbell
dumbbell wrist-up, seated with forearm resting on thigh: 21 repetitions with 15 pound dumbbell -> try for 25 pound dumbbell
dumbbell rear wrist-up, stand with dumbbell down behind back and lift wrist to the back: 50 repetitions with 15 pound dumbbell -> try for 25 pound dumbbell
dumbbell lift to outside, stand with dumbbell and all weight on one side (5 pounds on the 5 pound bar) and grip the other end, and lower and raise the weight: 16 repetitions -> try for 20+
dumbbell lift to inside, 21 repetitions -> raise the resistance
dumbbell pinch, 2.5 pounds and 5 pounds: 25 seconds, try for more
reverse curls, 15 pound dumbbells, 27 repetitions -> raise the resistance.
pullup bar hang, feet touching the ground but providing minimal support: 40 seconds, try for more.

So... we'll see how this works for me. In terms of vanity, I want to bulk up my left forearm. It's very skinny. In terms of useful strength, my left hand grip strength dramatically trails my right hand and I'd like the narrow the gap. It would even be cool if my shorter left arm had a monster grip even stronger than the right, but I would be pleased with near parity. I'd also like stronger wrists to protect myself during dumbbell lifts and be more useful moving furniture, twisting stuff, and so forth.

12/12 - second wrist workout. I doubt a 1.25 inch wide dowel, put a hole in it and a rope through it, and hung a 10 pound weight. I thought it would be easy, but damn is it hard.
Wrist curl up-> 1 repetition (all the way up and all the way down) w/10 pounds with a forward and down curl, about half a repetition with 10 pounds with a back towards me and down curl.
Bar hang: 65 seconds
pinch grip, 7.5 pounds: 45 seconds -> same weight
dumbbell finger roll-up, 25 pounds: 19 repetitions -> same weight
dumbbell wrist up - wrists were fried from wrist curl up, 17 repetitions with 15 pounds, stay.
standing rear dumbbell wrist up: 21 repetitions with 25 pounds -> same weight
dumbbell outside lift, weight on one side, 5 pounds: 21 repetitions -> same weight
dumbbell inside lift, weight on one side, 7.5 pounds: 17 repetitions but range of motion may be less, drop back to 5 pounds.
dumbbell pinch, 7.5 pounds: 27 seconds
reverse curl, 20 pounds: 17 repetitions. Watch right forearm, can't do a 'true' reverse curl with that weight, have it partly turned to use regular biceps. Fix it.
pullup bar hang: 25 seconds
wrist curl up: about half a repetition going forward and done.