MacFhearchair's off-season anti-slack

[o1d_dude]

There are two different styles of "chin-up" so are you trying them with the palms of your hand facing you ("pull-up") or facing away from you ("chin-up" or "chin")?

You may find the pull-up a little easier to do in that you'll be using your arms more. A chin-up is more back/shoulder/lat oriented.

[MacFhearchair]

I can't do either, although the ones I attempt most frequently are chin-ups. My greatest performance comes from orienting my arms perpendicular to my body (neither a proper pull-up or chin-up) so that I'm sort of curling my body weight? That's the way that feels easiest, but I can usually match the weight I do that way with a chin-up.

Alan, I've thrown the light weight a couple times where, according to my step-offs, it's gone 48-50 feet. I'll believe it when that's what the tape says, but I'm eager to get it measured.

[Alan H]

I can't do either, although the ones I attempt most frequently are chin-ups. My greatest performance comes from orienting my arms perpendicular to my body (neither a proper pull-up or chin-up) so that I'm sort of curling my body weight? That's the way that feels easiest, but I can usually match the weight I do that way with a chin-up.

Alan, I've thrown the light weight a couple times where, according to my step-offs, it's gone 48-50 feet. I'll believe it when that's what the tape says, but I'm eager to get it measured.

Nice!!!

[MacFhearchair]

Alright, so I've made it to 3 in a row now, albeit not all in the same week. I have every intention of going back Weds and Fri, but then again, I always have that intention.

Last night was a little bit sad. Reality thwapped me upside the head and said "beeyotch, you can't set PRs every time you work out!" As in my max squat was 155 and my max deadlift was 185 and I went home feeling vaguely like some kind of failure when the truth is I didn't eat very well beforehand and I'd been sick that morning.

BAH! Brains are weird.

OTOH, I'm more energetic today and I almost feel like going again like... now.

Other notes:

My overhead press was 85 and I really struggled with it - like, you can barely say I did it because I had to heft it up in a thrusting manner, but I failed my way through it with the hope that abusing my muscles thusly will help somehow idk.

I was able to do one lousy set of bench presses with 45 lb dumbbells. Guess I need to start smaller.

a 35 lb kettlebell kicked my **** after 20 swings. I guess it just wasn't my night.

[Alan H]

We all have 'em. Last night I was Thor. Tomorrow lunchtime I'll probably be Winnie-the Pooh.

[MacFhearchair]

Amazingly after the worst day ever, I still got my **** to the gym. This gets more habitual all the time - gotta love that.

Today I got thru a full set of 155# squats, so I upped it to a new high of 175# and I got one in before I failed. That's ok - I still got the PR.

I did a full set @ 205# on deadlifts. That's promising.

I did 2 sets of bench presses at 115#, thinking it was 95#. I was beating myself up for feeling so weak.

75# overhead presses are still asking a lot.

25 and then another 15 KB swings at 35#

20 knee-high box jumps (2 sets of 10)

Aaaaand some ab torture for good measure.

I've learned I reeeally don't like it when random strangers tell me what's what at the gym. Maybe it's the blood and hormones are flowing and I'm all hyped and energetic and I don't really want to talk to anyone anyway, let alone have them say something negative or bossy at me.

Maybe I'll get a t-shirt that simply says "go away". Tacky? Yeeeahh.... probably. I'll keep brainstorming.

[Alan H]

An ipod or your choice of mp3 player with ear buds plugged in is a sort of universal message: don't talk to me. Personally, it seems pretty anti-social to me, but hey...it works, and if you just want to go in there and get work done, then that's the ticket.