Tallcall's journal

[tallcall]

yea, def stay away from the smith on squats.. take the time and learn the proper form of a BB

It's not that I didn't want to do that, just that it became dangerous even with just the bar (this was a few months ago). I'd def like to stay with the free weights (far superior to the machine, I feel better doing them than I did with the Smith Machine). I'm sure my trainer and I will end up using the Smith some more for squats (from now on it is only an option in the rotation, not the only way to do it safely).

 

[tallcall]

11/1/07

Thursday:

Back/Biceps:

Superset A: RI - 90

A1 - Ghetto Rows | 50x15, 75x12, 60x12, 60x12

A2 - Squats With Overhead Extensions (kind of like Serrates Pulls) | 25 pound plate x 15, 45 pound plate x 12 PR for Weight, 45 pound plate x 6 (then switched to 25 pound plate for 7 reps), 25 pound plate x 12

Straight Legged Deadlift (No Platform): RI - 60 | 135x15, 135x15, 185x12 PR for Weight

Straight Arm Serrates Cable Pressdowns: RI - 45 | 30x15, 40x15, 50x12 PR for Weight, 40x12

Chin Ups: RI - 60 | BW-112x7, BW-112x7, BW-112x5 (+1 with a 6 second hold), BW-112x5 (+1 with a 10 second hold)

Cardio - 31 minutes SS

5 minutes rowing (min hr - 100, max hr - 165, level 8).

26 minutes on a treadmill (min hr - 100, max hr - 155, incline - 0.0-15.0, speed - 3.2-7.0mph, 2 sets of 60/60 intervals @ 6.5-7mph and 170-175bpm).

My abs hurt so much right now. Damn those over head extensions pulled them good and tight. This was a bit of an all body workout so I'm kind of sore all over.

Calories for the day - 3600

 

[PreMier]

It's not that I didn't want to do that, just that it became dangerous even with just the bar (this was a few months ago). I'd def like to stay with the free weights (far superior to the machine, I feel better doing them than I did with the Smith Machine). I'm sure my trainer and I will end up using the Smith some more for squats (from now on it is only an option in the rotation, not the only way to do it safely).

are you saying bb squats were dangerous? and why?

smith squats are bad for you, there are some good debates why in the training section. it takes you out of your natural arc and its hard on the knees

 

[vortrit]

Nice looking workout, but what the heck is a ghetto row?

 

[tallcall]

are you saying bb squats were dangerous? and why?

smith squats are bad for you, there are some good debates why in the training section. it takes you out of your natural arc and its hard on the knees

With the nervous disorder I have, it is difficult to keep my neck straight. When I jerked my neck forward I almost planted myself in the floor, then I jerked it backward and almost lost balance - I know I could've just dropped the bar, but it was something that scared the hell out of me for another month or two.

I use the machine to help by taking the balancing problem out of the equation. My balance has gotten a lot better, but it's not where it needs to be to do a lot of weighted barbell squats just yet.

I know there would've been an injury if I didn't use the machine since before this week, I couldn't balance just the weight of the bar on my back. Now I'm just going to consider it as one option in my training (I don't know what my trainer is going to have me doing from now on, but I think he's going to throw it in there much more often).

I think my goal for now is to add 50 pounds to the bar and get 3 sets of 10 or so, after that, I want to add 90 and then 140 (that gets me up to about 185 pounds - right where I am now on the Smith).

 

[tallcall]

Nice looking workout, but what the heck is a ghetto row?

Just a bent over row with a barbell on the floor. Load one side with weight and use something to weigh down the other side. Grab a v-shaped cable attachment and pull the weighted side up like a row.

Bent Over Row - aka Ghetto Row

 

[PreMier]

yea, i love ghetto rows.. infact i think i will re incorporate them into my training.

oh yea, i forgot you have a slight form of terrets(sp) right? that makes sense then.. what about the leg press?

 

[tallcall]

yea, i love ghetto rows.. infact i think i will re incorporate them into my training.

oh yea, i forgot you have a slight form of terrets(sp) right? that makes sense then.. what about the leg press?

Oh, I do all forms of leg exercises including Leg Presses (5 plates per side is my current max), Smith Squats (max is 200 pounds + the Bar), Deadlifts (still maxing at 295) and now the barbell squats (haven't added weight yet). Of course there are a lot of other things I do like Lunges, Abductors, Adductors, Leg Curls and Extensions.

I can't emphasize enough how much I love my leg days! They make me feel awesome! I love to beat them up until I start to walk funny.

 

[vortrit]

Just a bent over row with a barbell on the floor. Load one side with weight and use something to weigh down the other side. Grab a v-shaped cable attachment and pull the weighted side up like a row.

Bent Over Row - aka Ghetto Row

Okay. Thanks. Yeah, I've seen people do those at my gym once in awhile. Actually I think a T-Bar row is one of the few things my gym don't have. It does have a supported T-Bar Row which I actually like a lot.

 

[tallcall]

11/3/07

Saturday:

Shoulders:

Superset A: RI - 30

A1- Medicnine Ball Chops | 3 sets x 8 pound ball x 12 reps per side

A2- Planks | 3 sets x BW x 60 seconds

DB Shoulder Press: RI - 60 | 2 sets x 20 x 10 reps, 2 sets x 25 x 10 reps, 1 set x 25 x 8 reps

Smith Shoulder Press: RI - 60 | 3 sets x 30, 40, 50 pounds (respectively) x 10 reps

Smith Behind the Neck Shoulder Press: RI - 60 | 1 set x 50 x 8, 1 set x 60 x 8

Superset B: RI - 30

B1 - Upright Rows | 3 sets x 60, 90, 120 pounds (respectively) x 10 reps

B2- Face Pulls | 3 sets x 60, 90, 120 pounds (respectively) x 10 reps

B3 - Cable Crunches | 3 sets x 230 pounds x 10 reps

Superset C: RI - 60

C1- DB Front Raises | 3 sets x 12's x 10, 10, 8

C2- Side Raises | 3 sets x 12's x 10

Farmer's Walk: RI - 60 | 100 pounders x 200 steps PR for distance (previous record was 193 steps).

Cardio - 45 minutes SS/HIIT

5 minutes rowing (min hr - 82, max hr - 188, level 10).

10 minutes on a stair mill HIIT. Min hr - 97, max hr - 165, level 5, 10, and 12. 4 sets @ 60/60, 1 @ level 10, the other 3 @ level 12, hr - 160-165 on all of them.

20 minutes on an elliptical trainer SS (min hr - 125, max hr - 165, Level - 6). I guess it was kind of a HIIT workout, but my heart rate was high throughout the workout.

10 minutes on a treadmill HIIT. Min hr - 114, max hr - 172, incline - 0.0, 6.0, 12.0, 15.0, Speed - 3.0-6.5mph. 2 sets @ 60/60 @ 6.5mph.



10 sets of shoulder presses combined, I could barely move during the front raises they were so hammered! Everything went great.

Today's Calorie Total: 3900

 

[DOMS]

I think I threw my back out from just reading your workout.

Really, really good, tallcall!

 

[goob]

I think I threw my back out from just reading your workout.

Really, really good, tallcall!

I know. TC only has one speed - Overdrive.....

 

[DOMS]

I know. TC only has one speed - Overdrive.....

That reminds me of something my brother-in-law told me:

People come in two speeds, on and more on.

 

[tallcall]

That reminds me of something my brother-in-law told me:

People come in two speeds, on and more on.

My settings are "on" and "off." Unfortunately the engineering team has yet to actually connect the "off" switch. Yes, I'm Kilroy!!!! (Props to Styx - Mr. Roboto)

 

[tallcall]

11/04/07

Sunday:

Chest/Tri

BB Incline Bench: RI - 60 | 95x8, 105x7, 105x5, 85x10 - I don't know what happened here.

EZ Bar Skull Crushers: RI - 60 | 2 sets x 30 pounds x 10 reps, 2 sets x 50 pounds x 10 reps PR for Weight

Superset A: RI - 60

A1 - Cable Incline Flies | 40 pounds x 10 reps, 50 pounds x 10 reps, 60 pounds x 10 reps PR for Weight

A2 - Cable Incline Press | 40 pounds x 10 reps, 50 pounds x 10 reps, 60 pounds x 10 reps PR for Weight

A3 - Cable Reverse Fly | 40 pounds x 10 reps, 50 pounds x 10 reps, 60 pounds x 10 reps PR for Weight

Dips: RI - 60 | BW-100 x 6, BW-88 x 5

Triceps Pulldown - Wavy Bar: RI - 30 | Machine #5 x 10, #7 x 8 (8 sec negative on the last rep), #8 x 8 (8 sec negatives on the last 3 reps).

Plate Pinches: RI - 30 | 45 pounds x 32 s, 32 s, 10 pounds x 9 s, 25 pounds x 75 s. PR on holding the 45 pound plate for more than 30 seconds.

Cardio - 26 Minutes SS

5 minutes rowing (min hr - 89, max hr - 175, level 10).

15 minutes on a stair mill (min hr - 80, max hr - 155, levels 3, 5, 10).

6 minutes on an elliptical (min hr - 113, max hr - 152, level 6).

Light Farmers Walks - Defending my title as the one who does the strangest combos for strength and cardio - 50's x 4 floors (up and down the stairs 4 times). WINNER!

I swear I have seen more and more people doing those farmers walks since I've begun doing them - I just had to defend my title when someone did it with 45's, I kind of out did him a little there.

I haven't done incline bench in a while, so I think that's why I didn't do as well as I thought I'd be able to do.

Calories - ~3600

 

[tallcall]

11/05/07

Monday:

Cardio - 45 minutes SS

15 minutes on an elliptical (min hr - 75, max hr - 163, levels 1 and 7).

20 minutes on a stair mill (min hr - 111, max hr - 155, level 3, 5, 7).

10 minutes on a treadmill (min hr - 119, max hr - 150, incline - 0, speed - 3.0-3.5mph).

5.5 minutes walking with 40 pound dumbbells in my hands. Min hr - 130, max hr - 150, went up and down 1 flight of stairs with them as well.

Adding that weighted work at the end really helped to spice things up a little, so it was all nice.

Calories - ~3000, but started a carb cycling diet today - Low carb day.

I'm probably going to do low carb for 2 days followed by high carb for 2, then one day of low carb and 2 more days of high carb (at least until I get the no carb days hammered out). This should be interesting!

 

[goob]

"all nice..." what a way to describe that session!!! Low carb did'nt effect me quite as much as i thought it would, although energy levels take a hit.

 

[tallcall]

"all nice..." what a way to describe that session!!! Low carb did'nt effect me quite as much as i thought it would, although energy levels take a hit.

We single handedly support the stimulant industry! I'm thinking of getting something to help on days like that (coffee doesn't really do it for me).

 

[goob]

We single handedly support the stimulant industry! I'm thinking of getting something to help on days like that (coffee doesn't really do it for me).

I found Lipo 6 quite good, but i'm sure there is better about.

 

[tallcall]

I found Lipo 6 quite good, but i'm sure there is better about.

I'll have to look it up sometime today.

 

[tallcall]

Projecting ~3600 calories today.

Low carb day with one high carb meal a few hours before bed (to help refill the glycogen stores).

 

[vortrit]

Looks like an interesting experiment with the diet. It'll be interesting to see how it goes.

 

[Witchblade]

Still PRs all over the place. Nice!

 

[Gazhole]

Did i just see 6 PRs in a single session!?

Yoosa crazay.

 

[tallcall]

Did i just see 6 PRs in a single session!?

Yoosa crazay.

Yes, and I finally felt my chest start to burn, this is a first!

 

[tallcall]

Still PRs all over the place. Nice!

Kicking Ass and Taking Names (too bad I don't have anything to write with)!

 

[tallcall]

11/07/07

Wednesday:

Legs

Hip Adductors: RI - ~30 | 130x20 - followed by a set of BW Abductions x 10 per leg, 170x12 reps, 170x8 reps - Kind of went for power there.

Leg Press: RI - 90 | 270x12, 360x10, 450x10, 540x25 Dropset to 270, 585x20 Dropset to 360 PR for Weight.

Smith BB Lunges: RI - 60 | Bar+50x10 (right leg) and 7 (left leg), Bar+20x10 (right leg) and 8 (left leg). My left knee was feeling kind of weak so I ended up stopping short on both sets. Also, it was a new thing for me to learn, so these were really to learn the form.

Lying Leg Curls: RI - 60 | 80x15 (could have probably done 25 - too light), 100x12 (again, kind of light), 120x10, and 140x6 (slightly too heavy to get the 8 reps I wanted and I felt really toasted after that one).

Cardio - 20 minutes SS

8 minutes on a treadmill (min hr - 67, max hr - 145, incline - 4.0, speed - 3.8-4.1mph).

12 minutes on a stair mill (min hr - 98, max hr - 161, level 5, 7, 10, 3 - about 2-3 minutes or each level ).

Calorie total - 4000+ Cheat day High Carb day

We are going to go for a schedule like this - Mon & Tue - Low Carb, Wed & Thurs - Med to High+ carbs, Friday - Low Carb, Sat & Sun - Med to High Carb. I also ride the calories on the medium and high carb days, and don't care as much on the low carb days (just try to keep them high on the low carb days and keep them in check on the Med to High carb days).

Today was a lot of fun, it is the first time in a while that I can remember that I actually had a hard time walking out of the gym. My legs felt real nice and wobbly. I thought they were going to give out once or twice on my way home.

Oh well, this carb cycling diet looks like it might be a little easier than I originally thought (I'm just practicing the doctrine of "keeping it simple stupid!") Some good news is that I went down one more notch on my belt, and my weight has so far stayed the same as last week - about 283.5 pounds, so good news all around.

 

[Rubes]

585x20 insane. and how are you walkin after all of this?

 

[Gazhole]

Jeez...phenomenal setup here, TC. Those leg presses were nuts!

 

[tallcall]

Rubes - Those were dropsets starting at 585 (approx 6 reps), then we dropped to 540 for a few, and so on until we completed 20 reps.

My legs are still a little unstable!

Gazhole - Thank you, although lunges tend to make me cry louder. The order of most painful is def (1) Lunges, (2) Squats, (3) Leg Presses, and (4) Deadlifts. I don't know why, but Lunges always push me a little over the edge.