aka Charlie, who actually is an X Marks member but I think he never looks here any more...

I've started the "high weights, low reps" routine today. It's amazing how much more weight you can shove around when you're only moving it six times as opposed to two sets of eight. Mondays will be "whole body" from now through the end of February... This means lots of exercises, lower weights, high reps, minimal rest. Wednesdays will be upper body, with lower reps...Fridays will be lower body with lower reps.

Today I did the following.... (this is a subset, I did several other things, but these are kind of benchmarks)

Inclined bench, dumbell press: Two sets of six, 65 pounds, each hand (I only made it to five in the second set, couldn't lock out #6) . I bet I can do six, outright with 70 in each hand.

six squats with 200 pounds on the bar... did this first after the bosu-balance thing I'm doing to strengthen my right knee. What messed me up last spring was squats with 250 pounds, doing two sets of six, so I am going really slow, here.

Dumbell snatches. I know I can do two sets of eight, 70 pounds in each hand so I picked up the 85 pound d-bell. I got six of them out with the right arm, but had to bail at #4 with the left, couldn't lock it out.

Push-ups. Last week I finally, for the first time in I don't know how long, made it to 20 pushups. I did 20...2 sets of ten on Wednesday, and then 15 and 5 clapping pushups on Friday. So today I just went for it....did ten clapping pushups for speed and then twelve more with my hands on the wobble boards. When I can do twenty clapping pushups nonstop, I'll know I've arrived. Push-ups as pylometrics!

Flys...I do these on a machine, they're a lot less stress on my shoulders this way. Anyway, the number on the machine means nothing, it's just a point to judge. Anyhow I've been doing two sets of 8 at 130. Today I did one set of 8 at 145, NO problem. Next time I go for 160.

and of course...sit ups, Russian twists, biceps curls, hamstring curls...the usual.