kbm8795

Ya know....I'm almost embarassed about starting this - I admire all of ya'll so much - your dedication and discipline in setting such lofty goals is just really inspirational - so some of you might venture to browse this and will see just how much of a novice I am - and how much I'm struggling with both rotater recovery and trying to adjust and set varied workouts. But I really appreciate IM providing this forum - it gives me a chance to learn more and push myself to accomplish and experiment more.

For supplements, I don't use a lot beyond EAS protein shakes, whey protein supplement (I even sprinkle some on my Special K) and Protoplex Lite shakes - I considered creatine but the nutritionist at the University advised me against it - based on the lack of long term effect studies. Now that doesn't mean it's BAD...I'm just a bit more cautious because of my age. Otherwise, I take multiple vitamins, some glutamine, glucosamine (always good to boost the joints), and flax seed tabs.

Here are my vitals, as far as I have had them checked over the last couple of months.

Height: 5'9 3/4"
Weight: 178
Age: 49
BF (last checked): 13%
chest: 44
arms: 15
waist: 32
quads: 23
calves: 17 (must be the German stock in me)

My diet varies..well, I just try to watch sugars, fat and too much carb intake, though I can tell ya'll that I get confused over some choices. Being a doctoral student, writer and teaching part-time, I'm kinda on the run a lot, so I have to really pay attention to shoving good grub into my system. I'll write more about that in other journal entries.

Workout today:

Noon aerobics: 45 minutes - a torturefest where the fitness instructor decided to work legs and glutes today - and I have never ...like...EVER...had cramps in my buttcheeks like I did during that heavy session. We did so many different kinds of lunges and squats - resistance bands, stretches on the floor...that my bum felt like it was swollen rock by the end of that session. Ten minutes of ab/lower back work...another 15 of rigorous step and leg movements. I knew I was gonna need some rest before I went back tonight and tried a general leg workout!!

Note to those of you guys who might think those aerobics classes are lame - besides a big variety of levels and movements, these can be some of the best stretching and cardio classes you'll ever take. They not only isolate certain muscle groups, they'll work your heart rate with jumping jacks, running in place, kickboxing moves until you know you've earned every bead of sweat and each calorie. For older men and women, these classes are just great for both positive encouragement and learning good balance and stretching techniques while burning fat. When I first walked into one of those classes and started resistance training at our Rec center two years ago, I was 20lbs overweight, had a BF level of just over 20% and periodic lower back problems. I haven't had any of those problems since I started training.

Weight training:

warmup sets at lower weights:
Nautilus equipment tonight:

Leg extensions: 1 x 10 (155)
1 x 10 (160)
1 x 10 (170)

seated leg curls 1 x 11 (130)
1 x 10 (135)
1 x 9 (140) + 1 (I hate not making 10!)

leg press 1 x 10 (270)
1 x 10 (290)
1 x 10 (310)

seated calves 1 x 10 (230)
1 x 10 (235)
1 x 10 (240)

standing ham curls 1 x 10 (35)
1 x 10 (40)

hip abductor 2 x 10 (230)
1 x 10 (235)

hip adductor 2 x 10 (230)
1 x 10 (235)

I've gradually been moving to the free weight room for leg days, but after having to strengthen one knee, I've been playing it safe with the Nautilus equipment. Obviously, weights are a bit lower in the free weights room, though my leg press is actually stronger in there. I skipped squats tonight since I did five million butt busting movements in that aerobics class earlier in the day!

Tomorrow: rotater therapy...hopefully up to five pound dumbbells
and maybe some chest/back work if I'm not too sore from the rotater work.

kbm8795

Ahhh...the trials of being a middleaged doctoral student...teaching two classes today, listening to a variety of student presentations and then trying to squeeze in time at the Rec....

This morning was my rotater therapy - nearly an hour of resistance training targeting the left shoulder - I'm up to 5lbs on about six exercises of 30 reps each, and it's getting stronger, though I'm sore by the time I hit the ice after the resistance band sets. This always means I have to wait hours before I can try to accomplish any other weight training - which works today since I teach all afternoon and had student appointments until early evening.

It's touch and go whether I'll tackle anything chest/back tonight, though the tightness in my rotater isn't as bad as it's been....I'll figure that out in a couple of hours...:-).

kbm8795

Well, this is the worst part about trying to cope with an injury - even though the doctor has told me to proceed with my "regular" routine, I've also been advised to continue doing lower weights on upper body, which has left me trying to gauge how I feel each day and handle a workout accordingly. In some ways, this has been a positive experience - I've been able to add a 'clean up" day to my gym week, which means I tackle things like neck work and try some new things - like attempting to practice form in the free weights area.

Today ended up being that kind of day, after I opted for a weight training aerobics class for cardio/fitness instead of my usual tennis game - the weather was too cold and cloudy. I like the combination this aerobics session had - not as much glute work as on Wednesday, but plenty of jumping jacks, etc. to get my heart rate going..and ten minutes of ab work, so I learn new stuff that can be used at home. We used weight bars, so it gave me a chance to see how my shoulder was feeling today - I use an 18lb bar - the heaviest they have - but at least I can do overhead presses and get a stretch from them.

I've been trying to break up my chest/back work into two different days, mostly to discourage myself from straining the left shoulder too much, even with the lower weights. I have this..well, weird personal rule about workouts for me...for some reason, I have to do a minimum 20 sets or I feel like I'm not finished...I have no idea where that came from inside me, but it seems like a full intense period if I can do that in an hour or so.

Tomorrow I'll do some stretching and try some bench at around 110 or so....very slow reps...I've managed a Hammer Strength vertical chest of 180 again, but the shoulder starts feeling a lot of pressure after eight reps - I try to rest by supersetting and not doing consecutive sets on one thing - it seems to slowly be rebuilding my strength. It's just still strange to be working at about half of what I'm used to doing - guess this is just going to take some time.

kbm8795

This is just so frustrating for me - I feel like I'm doing half workouts and yet trying everything I can think of to make them effective even though I'm restricted while this left shoulder heals. I can tell that it's very slowly getting stronger, but learning how to gauge what I can do at the gym and when to draw the line on pressuring it is very difficult for me to do. One thing I did notice tonight - I was trying to bench...and yes, lower than 110...slow, 8-10 second reps with the thought that these can help me build my foundational strength - and when I felt the pressure starting up in the rotator, I found my mind focusing on relaxing the muscle, and it actually seemed to help ease the pressure! I'm not sure if there is any connection between my mind and that muscle at all, or if it just means I'm taking the time at that lower weight to really pay attention to form and where the pressure exists, but it was an interesting experience for me!

I honestly feel like I've been sent back to kindergarten on days like this - where I'm supposed to re-learn everything from the bottom up and try to find out where I might have caused this injury so I don't run such a risk of doing it again. I have to admit that a month ago, I was close to just wanting to quit - something which really pissed me off at myself after two years of really consistent work. I had been so dedicated that I was going to gyms when I had to attend research conferences, just to make sure I didn't miss a workout - and now I feel like I'm just struggling to keep consistent and learn a few things.

This wasn't a banner day as it is - I came within about three feet of hitting a fawn with my car...we have a LOT of deer around here (they even wander over half the campus) - I slammed on my brakes in just enough time, but it froze right in front of my car - I thought for sure I was gonna hit it!! I didn't...which is a really positive thing, but it had me shaken up for awhile...

Anyway....here is how it all came down at the gym this evening, my favorite time to workout since all the young students are out at the pubs!

Warmup: 20 minutes on the stationary bike

Hammer Strength Wide Chest machine:
1 x 10 (90) warmup
1 x 10 (180)
1 x 9 (190) +3
1 x 8 (200) -------I was pleased with this performance - my max on this machine has been 1 x 6 @ 300, so being able to do 2/3 is a definite improvement!

Hammer Strength low lateral rows

1 x 10 (90) warmup
3 x 8 (180

The rest are Nautilus machines - I know this isn't as clean as free weights, but they help with movement if my shoulder acts out...

Nautilus bench:
1 x 10 (50) warmup
1 x 10 (80)
2 x 10 (90) - this is weaker, but I did slower reps. I'm down from a max set of 230 on this machine...:-(

Pec flies:
1 x 11 (90)
2 x 10 (95) --- about 60% of my max sets

Compound rows
1 x 10 (125) warmup
2 x 8 (185)

ab machine - not a fave of mine
1 x 15 (90)
1 x 15 (100)

Lower back (seated)

1 x 12 (125)
2 x 10 (130)

I honestly feel at a loss with this workout - and will probably do another range of chest/back stuff in a couple of days, just to try to cover more. Without being able to do overhead movements, I feel restricted with traps and some delt work - and need to figure out some way to compensate.

I'm more worried about how to set some kind of exercise goals now - though I wonder if what I should just concentrate on is getting this healed and strengthened and keep proceeding at doing whatever I can. A bud at the gym ...well, at least told me tonight that I should give myself a lot of credit for just continuing to come and put in the effort - and in some ways he's right. Someone told me once that just going to the gym is half the battle - if I get there, I'm always going to end up getting something done.

Tomorrow is a clean-up day...which means I'll take some time to learn a few things - see if I can balance a barbell again without pain, and get some cardio in again so I don't put on any weight.

Food: Breakfast: Special K w/strawberries
and a spoonful of whey protein...
I cooked a six pound turkey breast in the crockpot and split that up for meals over the next two-three days. Had part of that for a late lunch, a protein shake a couple hours later, and one again after the gym. (Protoplex Lite). I need to pay some attention to restructuring my diet - I'm not as disciplined about it as I probably should be, and need to make better adjustments when workouts are not as intense.
I'd ask for a damned group hug ...but both the guys and the ladies on this forum would probably crush me right now....hehehe.

Mike51

I dont know why you'd be embarassed about doing a journal, from what I've read your doing really great just keep doing what you can while working through this injury and you'll be where you want to be in no time

kbm8795

OK....I did some cleanup work last night - tried a couple new things, and hit the gym today knowing that I had to get through another therapy session....:-(. My left shoulder doesn't seem to be doing too badly, as long as I make sure I've iced it, take the Neproxin, and pack myself with glucosamine - but it is growing stronger very slowly. Still, I actually managed to do a few assisted pull ups tonight, along with some dips - the first I've really been able to handle clean in nearly two months.

Cardio schedule:

Aerobics (step and weight training) Noon class - 45 minutes, including 8 minutes of ab work today. This routine, which replaced a cancelled biking activity for me, did a lot of legwork and less glute exercises today. The stretch and the warmup is really good for me - and my balance has improved tremendously over the last two years. We used weight bars - again, I did those exercises with 18lbs, though I can feel pressure on my shoulder on overhead movements...but the weight is small enough to at least give me a bit of a stretch.

Therapy: Six sets of 30 reps w/ five pound dumbbells - targeting specific rotator cuff area - three sets of 30 reps using stretch bands. ICE!

Weight training: (I waited a full six hours later before tackling this)...

Lat pulldowns: 1 x 10 (80)
2 x 9 (90)

Universal tricep pullovers:
1 x 10 (30) warmup
1 x 11 (40)
1 x 10 (50)
1 x 9 (60) - some pressure here because of overhead movement.

Universal tricep pulldowns:
1 x 12 (60) warmup
1 x 10 (80)
1 x 10 (90)
1 x 8 (100)

Seated tricep pushdowns
1 x 10 (120) - slow careful reps here so as to not engage the
shoulder
2 x 10 (140)

Universal bar curls (little better control here over barbell)
1 x 15 (40)
2 x 10 (50)

Assisted pullups:
1 x 10 (80)
alternating 2 x 5 (70)

Assisted dips:
1 x 10 (80)
2 x 5 (70)

Preacher curls: (lower weights - no matter what position I'm
in, I get a bit of shoulder strain here)
1 x 12 (75)
1 x 11 (85)
1 x 9 (95)

Still weaker, and I left out cables tonight - but I can feel like my shoulder has more endurance, and I'm really glad I could do pull ups/dips again, even in an abbreviated, assisted manner.

Diet: Special K w/strawberries
Protoplex Lite shake w/skim milk
One EAS premade shake afternoon
Turkey breast and broccoli
Powerbar
nibbled turkey breast and broccoli in evening.

One dose glutamine; three tabs of glucosamine; one multiple vitamin, one flax oil seed tab.

kbm8795

Ok...Tuesday was my day off, since I get to teach two long afternoon classes, field questions from students, and try to get more research completed before my prelim exams this December.

Wednesday - No biking today, and I couldn't get ahold of my tennis partner. We skipped therapy today also, since my shoulder was aching, even though I had just had a day off, so I decided to do some leg work tonight.

Food: Breakfast: two eggs and three slices of turkey ham
Snack: Protoplex protein shake
Late Lunch - (mid-afternoon after meetings): turkey ham
sandwich, steamed broccoli
Cheating: chocolate milk shake (made with skim milk, fat-free ice cream (no sugar added). God - that was good!!
Late dinner: Steamed broccoli and shrimp (small portion)
EAS AdvantEdge readymade shake after gym.


Workout:
15 minutes warmup on the stationary bike
Because I went in the evening, and the recreation center was PACKED full of students, I opted for supersetting in order to limit delays. I moved FAST tonight, though my sets seemed cleaner and stronger than they've been lately. I was still catching my breath from the lying hamstring machine and managed to do the warmup for the seated calves..

Nautilus machines: Seated ham machine: 2 x 10 (135)
1 x 10 (140)
leg extensions: 1 x 10 (160)
1 x 10 (170)
1 x 9 (179) *I felt strong in this one tonite

Seated calves: 1 x 12 (235)
1 x 10 (240)
1 x 10 (245)

Seated leg press: warmup 1 x 8 (210)
1 x 10 (310)
2 x 8 (330)

Hip abduction: 1 x 10 (230)
2 x 10 (235)

Hip adduction: 2 x 10 (230)
1 x 9 (235)

Ab machine: 2 x 15 (85)
1 x 15 (90)

The Universal squat machine was broken - shoulder pads gone - and the pads were off the standing ham curl machine. I went down to the free weight room (the other side of the building) but there was a line waiting to use both the hack squat and standing squat positions. I decided to try to work those in Friday morning.
I hate it when there are machines broken, but I'm not surprised - as much as a novice as I am, a lot of these students really treat this as a playground and social gathering place.

kbm8795

I felt some pain in my left rotator Thursday, which rather surprised me since I had been doing some legwork on Wednesday night - so I ended up deciding to take a couple days off and see if it would feel better before tackling another chest/back day. This would make three days off this week - not a bad thing at all, but when I'm really using mostly machines during this injury period, I don't often feel like I'm getting the most out of my workouts. Still, I think it's best to KEEP going and doing what I can, work on my form, take the extra time to concentrate on balance so I can go back to more free weight movements and learn some new things.

The crappy thing about being a doctoral student is that I have all that shmoozing stuff to do - like attending a speaker's forum Thursday night and meetings about my upcoming prelims that create enough stress to make me wish I was in the gym more...
I've only managed about 2.5 hours of cardio this week, what with cancellations of one aerobics class, full cardio rooms and having my schedule disrupted - but I went back Saturday evening and found myself stronger on some of the heavier machines.

Warmup - 20 minutes on elliptical
Stretching - towel stretches using hands/arms behind back...trying to loosen up rotator before weight training.

Hammer Strength wide chest machine:

warmup: 1 x 10 (100)
1 x 10 (200)
1 x 9 (210)
1 x 8 (220) .....stronger here, which surprised me, but the rest days might have helped.

Hammer Strength low lateral rows:

warmup: 1 x 10 (100)
1 x 8 (115 each side)
1 x 8 (115 each side)
1 x 8 (115 each side) ---this was stronger too, but I felt the work...

Nautilus bench press:
warmup: 1 x 10 (100) I felt much stronger here..reps were faster
but clean - I could tell that my chest could handle more, but the rotator was still a tightening issue, so I was careful.

1x 14 (110)
1 x 12 (125)
1 x 10 (125)

Nautilus overhead back machine:

warmup: 1 x 10 (100)
1 x 10 (150)
1 x 10 (155)
1 x 8 (160) ..stronger, but I'm still way down from normal here.

Nautilus pec flies: (this is not the best machine - I usually have to do slow reps at this lower weight)

1 x 10 (90)
2 x 10 (95)....I was starting to feel more pressure/pain on the shoulder

Lower back:

1 x 10 (80) warmup
1 x 10 (125)
2 x 10 (130)...this seated machine isn't wonderful, but it gets a good resistance stretch in here, and lower back work is really important for someone who had back problems.

seated ab machine:

I felt lazy here, but doing something for abs is better than nothing.

1 x 15 (80)
1 x 15 (90)
1 x 12 (95) + 3

cooldown was a walk around the track...my right knee had some pain tonight when I was climbing stairs to the second floor - it could be the weather change (rainy and cold) or effects from less cardio this week.

Food (I need to keep this journal better about that)

Thursday was tuna and steamed broccoli....diced potatoes for main meals

Friday - I baked a large rump roast,....corn, spinach salad

Saturday: two eggs, turkey ham - breakfast
protein shake - late morning (Protoplex Lite)
roast beef/steamed broccoli -- damn, I must like broccoli!!
roast beef/steamed mixed veggies (these weren't so hot)
EAS readymade shake after workout
lowfat popcorn

damn...I was into food Saturday....

kbm8795

This was a crazy, hectic day - too much grading, I'm way behind on my prelim preps, and I have a report due and a damned article assignment to tackle, so life is just moving from one task to another today.

I got to the gym late, after delivering some things to a friend...but since it was cleanup night, I went right to work trying to move this left rotator better on some different stretches and machines. I seem stronger at some things I haven't been able to tackle for awhile, but others are extremely low - and working to failure for me in a set is still only to the point where I can feel the pressure mounting in my shoulder area....it's hard to learn how to keep exercising and using the injured muscle without taxing it too much....coaxing it to grow stronger, and I'm not always sure I'm doing that well, but i take better rest periods in the week and am grateful that I can do some movements better in the gym.

Warmup: 20 minutes elliptical

Nautilus neck machine:
This is a four way neck machine - I did one set each direction of ten reps at 50 and the second set in each direction at 60...nothing taxing, but I love the way this seems to loosen stress in my neck area....

Nautilus seated lateral raises - I hate this machine -this causes me some degree of discomfort just from the awkward movement, and I know free weights are better but I'm still afraid of not having that safety factor with my shoulder.

1 x 12 (80)
2 x 10 (90) ....this is weak, but pretty smooth movement

MFS pec/delt machine

1 x 12 (75) delt (this is about half of my max sets)
2 x 10 (87.5)

1 x 12 (135) pec (this is about 60% of my max machine lbs)
2 x 10 (150)

seated ab machine

1 x 15 (90)
1 x 15 (95)
1 x 15 (100) hmmm..stronger on these slower reps tonight

incline chest machine
VERY LOW and CAUTIOUS here..

1 x 10 (80) - I felt almost silly, but wanted to get my shoulder used to the movement again without too much stress
2 x 10 (90) - three months ago, I was doing sets of 235 on this..

overhead raises - another awkward machine on my shoulder

1 x 10 (60)
2 x 10 (70) I was slow and deliberate on these reps - it seemed too light but again, the movement causes shoulder pressure. I liked the thought of stretching the muscle out, though.

kbm8795

Ok...either the weather changed, or I'm just taking my time getting this shoulder healed, but I had quite a bit of pain yesterday which seemed to begin subsiding today. This means no weight training again until tomorrow (Wednesday) but it's customary for me to take more days off during the week.
Yesterday was a cardio day for me anyway, and I opted for a step n' jab class at the rec center, which combines a lot of squats, step work and some basic kick and punch moves from kickboxing class. I worked up a really good sweat though during that hour - since I vary these classes as much as possible, this was a positive move for me.

I tried some five pound dumbbells to loosen up my shoulder, but the stiffness was pretty stubborn and I decided to give myself two days rest from the weight room. Tomorrow I'll do some arm work, and hopefully reincorporate some lower dumbbell curls again.
I just noticed that I'm going to be a day behind on my leg workout..I might see if I can combine the two or do the majority of sets, and finish up what I miss during my "clean up" day this weekend. I really was used to working things every three or four days for so long - perhaps I've been overtraining. The funny thing is that I haven't noticed any difference in size or shape of muscle groups - they just get softer when I have too long a gap between workouts. I might need to restructure these again to maximize the work I'm doing...or perhaps I'm getting enough extra with aerobics/biking and weight training aerobics that it's giving it a different stretch exercise.

kbm8795

Oops - I've missed a couple of days here recording things - typical when I get too wrapped up in just trying to get through a normal day or grading, class prep and trying to get enough reading done to feel ready for these prelims.

Workouts - Wednesday was an hour spinning class, which included a lot of interval training and varied resistance and positions on the stationary bikes - a good calorie burner - I always end up getting pretty sweaty after a good session on the bikes, even when my legs wish I could just remove them...or get a wheelchair to take me out of there! I had nearly 50 exams to grade, so no weight training again - it seems like I'm developing this pattern of only doing weights 3-4 days a week especially while I try to moniter my shoulder progress.
I've also stopped therapy - not because I don't like it, but because I'm doing good resistance with five lb. dumbbells and can do most of the movements at home....and my schedule is getting intense this time of semester. I DO still get pressure in my shoulders, and my endurance before reaching that point is still limited, but I'm slowly getting stronger again, so we'll see how that goes.

Thursday - I opted for an arm workout, since both the free weight area and the Nautilus room were full of kids...and the older Universal equipment wasn't being used very much. I sometimes like to use this as a variety in movement - besides, it helps teach me better form using different movements.
Warmup - walk/jog 10 minutes on the indoor track. . .

Front lat pulldowns:
warmup 1 x 10 (40)
1 x 10 (80)
1 x 10 (90)
1 x 8 (100)

Universal bar raises
1 x 10 (30)
1 x 10 (40)
1 x 8 (50) -- I try to do these as slow as possible to moniter shoulders and stretch the movement a little.

Universal bar curls
warmup 1 x 15 (30)
1 x 15 (40)
3 x 12 (50)

Universal tricep extensions (overhead)
warmup 1 x 10 (30)
1 x 10 (40)
1 x 10 (50)
1 x 9 (60)

Tricep standing pulldowns
warmup 1 x 10 (50)
1 x 10 (70)
1 x 10 (80)
1 x 9 (90)

Seated tricep pushdowns
warmup 1 x 10 (80)
1 x 10 (120)
2 x 10 (140)

Low dumbbell work (careful with the shoulder)
Curls
warmup 1 x 10 (10)
2 x 12 (20)
1 x 12 (25) (I'm still about ten lbs. down on these)

Nautilus assisted chinups
(80 lbs. assisted)
1 x 9...still some shoulder strain here.

Dips ...same problem, but stronger
(80lbs. assisted)
1 x 10

Ab machine
1 x 15 (90)
2 x 15 (95) ...slow movement.


Saturday

The air was terrible tonight - I walked into the place and felt like it was so humid and heavy that I knew there was going to be breathing probs...weird! This is uncommon for me...like this has only happened three or four times over the last couple of years - but enough that my body seemed to know before my workout that it was gonna be bad...

Warmup - walking (careful exertion to moniter breathing...air felt thick and awful)

Leg extensions
1 x 10 (160)
1 x 10 (170)
1 x 10 (175)

Seated ham curls
1 x 10 (135)
2 x 10 (140)

Standing ham machine is broken...still. :-(

Hip abduction
warmup 1 x 10 (100)
1 x 10 (230)
2 x 10 (235) ...strained today

Hip adduction
warmup 1 x 10 (100)
1 x 10 (230)
2 x 10 (235)

Seated calf raises
warmup 1 x 10 (150)
1 x 10 (240)
2 x 10 (245)

Universal Squats --- I got dizzy here before starting! And I didn't feel wiped...this air thing tonight is really affecting me.

warmup 1 x 10 (about 100)
1 x 10 (203)
1 x 7 (215) ...this is way low for me, but after being dizzy, I got a bit panicky about breathing.

Leg Press
warmup 1 x 10 (140)
1 x 10 (290) - I'm straining here too, and can do more than this!
1 x 9 (310)

ab machine
2 x 15 (95)

kbm8795

Saturday - This is my favorite night to go to the University Rec Center, because it isn't busy at all - all the young students are out getting drunk, so the few people at the gym are all acquainted with each other and their habits. My left shoulder has been sore all day - I can't decide if I slept badly on it or moved somehow so that it strained the rotator, but I decided to proceed anyway and see how far I can get before the pressure hits.
Warmup - 15 minutes elliptical - sheesh - my KNEE is bothering me again...am I falling apart or what?

Nautilus vertical chest
1 x 10 (100) warmup
1 x 10 (150)
2 x 10 (160) I'm still down 100lbs on this one...

Overhead back machine
1 x 10 (100) warmup
2 x 10 (160)
1 x 10 (165) good - a little stronger here.

Pec fly machine
1 x 10 (50) warmup
2 x 10 (100)
1 x 9 (105) still low here, but an improvement.

Lower back machine
1 x 10 (60) warmup
2 x 10 (135)
1 x 10 (140) ...slow controlled reps here.

Nautilus bench press
1 x 10 (60) warmup each side - I can feel the shoulder start to tighten.
1 x 10 (110) OUCH!

Ab machine
1 x 15 (90)
2 x 15 (95)


Sunday - This is usually a cleanup, experiment day, but I had a lot of things to tackle. My shoulder was still sore, but not as bad as Saturday, so I thought I'd make sure I got a few more chest sets in, if only for the stretch.
Warmup - stationary bike 15 minutes

compound rows (seated machine)
warmup 1 x 10 (100)
1 x 12 (125)
1 x 10 (140)
1 x 10 (155) I kept this lower tonight to gauge the shoulders

Nautilus bench press
1 x 10 (60) each side
1 x 12 (115)
1 x 10 (125)
1 x 10 (130) stronger, but the pressure was building - no slow sets here at all.

overhead press (I'm not supposed to be doing this..)
1 x 10 (50) warmup
1 x 10 (85)
1 x 10 (90)
1 x 10 (95) ....careful movements here.

MWS Pec/Delt machine
Delt side
1 x 10 (87.5)
1 x 10 (100)
1 x 10 (113.5) (I think that's right)

Pec Side
1 x 10 (113.5)
1 x 10 (137.5)
1 x 9 (150) ...some stress on the shoulder here.

Hammer Strength Low Lateral Row
2 x 9 (80) one handed slow reps each side.

Hack squats
2 x 10 (45) -kept this low and noticed knee pain even though my position was good!

Ab machine
2 x 15 (95)
1 x 15 (100)

kbm8795

Ok...I've been like way outa line here not recording this for the past three weeks or so - it's near the end of the semester and that means heavy deadlines for everything. I have been consistent with workouts, however...and actually have been doing more (it's the stress from all the time in front of the puter - going to the gym is like a break for me)....so I'll try to map out the last few days anyway, so I can at least see where I'm making some progress.

The rotator remains a problem, though it's slowly getting stronger. This affects every chest/back day, though I've noticed that I'm gaining strength quickly with back movements and the chest exercises are still lagging. I still have to split chest work between two days since my shoulder cramps up after six or seven sets - I know this isn't the best way to handle it, but it does seem to give my shoulder time to get iced and recover...

Last Tuesday.....Nov. 18.....off day.

Wednesday, Nov. 19.......

step aerobics - 45 minutes ...ten minutes of ab/lower back work at noon.

Weight training - evening

Hammer strength leg extensions (slow movement)
3 x 10 (25)....low weight but I could really feel this machine more
than using Nautilus.

Hammer strength seated ham curls
3 x 10 (80)

Hack squats:
1 x 10 (100) .....these things kill me
1 x 10 (125)
1 x 6 (150)....then an additional four

Leg Press:
1 x 10 (360)
2 x 10 (385)

Hip abduction:
1 x 10 (235)
1 x 10 (240)
1 x 9 (245)

Hip adduction:
1 x 10 (235)
1 x 10 (240)
1 x 8 (245)

Seated calve machine:
1 x 12 (240)
1 x 10 (245)
1 x 10 (250)


Thursday, Nov. 20

20 minute warmup on elliptical machine - my legs still hurt

Hammer Strength wide chest machine:
1 x 10 (200)
1 x 10 (220)
1 x 9 (230) . . . gaining slow strength again here, but I can feel the shoulder strain.

Assisted pull ups
1 x 9 (70)...
Assisted dips
1 x 10 (70)

Nautilus overhead back machine:
1 x 10 (175)
1 x 10 (180)
1 x 10 (182)

Nautilus bench press
1 x 10 (140)
1 x 10 (155)
1 x 10 (164)....much stronger here

Nautilus seated compound rows:
1 x 11 (170)
2 x 10 (185)

Nautilus pec fly
1 x 10 (100)
2 x 10 (105)

Lower back
1 x 10 (130)
2 x 10 (140)


I'll add the rest of this later. . .