Alan H's 2013/2014 Offseason Log

[Alan H]

Ten more days of "between season" before I can start lifting. My hips and head are ready. Wrists? Not so much.

[Alan H]

This may have been the longest time I haven't logged on to X Marks since.....except when I've been on vacation. I think I'm just mentally burned out. My head is all about sailing right now... and some stuff going on with Joan.

I've done nothing, even stopped doing my rotation drills for over a week. However, today is day #1 back in the gym. It won't be much but it will be something. And my right wrist is still jacked.

[Martin Roy]

Hang in there and don't force it.

[Alan H]

First day back in the gym after six weeks off to heal. I'm just greasing the wheels and remembering how to do stuff. Man, I have NO abs. I also am pretty sure I'm going to spend a bunch of time on the rowing machine for a while. I need to loosen up.

Stationary bike 5 min ... no stretch cage. A pretty co-ed got in it just before I was going to, so I let her have it and just went over to the DB rack.
Goblet squats - 3 x 8 x 35. The weight ain't the point. I must have *sat* into each one for 10-15 seconds. Stretch all that stuff out. Man, I am tight.
Flat Bench press - 3 x 8 x 115. Yeah, I remember how to do this. THey don't hurt my wrist. This is good.
Deadlift - 3 x 8 x 135...also did NOT hurt my wrist. YAY!
Rowing machine - 5 minutes around 2:30/500 which is surprisingly good. In a month I'd like to be doing 8-9 minutes at <2:20 / 500m
Then I foam rolled my left piriformis.
Hammer Wind ab crushers - very sad... 2 x 6 x 10 pound medball and it was HARD

Butt is very tight, hips are tight and sore, IT bands are tight. It's a start.

Tonight, some rotation drills. I also have started cutting my morning oatmeal in half. Lunch is going to be significantly smaller as well. I really need to drop some weight. I keep starting and going about 2 weeks and falling off the wagon.

[Alan H]

Day Two of greasing the skids. The weight is inconsequential, it's the doing that counts right now.

Stationary bike active warmup ...4 min
Stretch cage...kind of quick and dirty. I need to spend more time in there.
Goblet Squats... 3 x 8 with a 35 pound dbell. I sat into each one for a long five-count..back straight, eyes up in the mirror. You know, holding that position down there for a slow five count is actually flippin' hard.
Flat bench press .... 3 x 8 x 115. Easy. No worries, here
Deadlift ... 3 x 8 x 135 ...got my heart pumping, tho
then a whole lotta foam rolling on the hips. I need more of this, but it really helps.
Hammer Wind ab crushers .... 2 x 6 x 10 hard, but not as hard as Monday.
Rowing machine.... 5 minutes @ 2:30/500 m

[Alan H]

I'v ecome to the conclusion that what dogged me all season was not fatigued hip flexors, but outrageously TIGHT hip flexors. So I'm working on that...rather doggedly, actually.


Couldn't stand it so I put some weight on today. Not a LOT but pretty good for squat day #1. I'm pleased.

Stationary bike-4 min
Stretch cage
Back squat - 2x4x135, 2 x 3 x185, 3x2x225, 3x245
Flat bench press- 2x4 x135, 2x3x165, 3x190, 3x205
Overhead press- just to try em ...6x95 did not hurt
Hammer wind ab crush - 2 x 7 x 10 lb med. ball
LOTS of hip butt quad and hammie stretching

Tried a couple of dumbell snatches, too- bad, hurts wrists. Wrists are actually rather sore today, after a good first half of the week. Bummer.

[Alan H]

One reason I was grumpy yesterday was that I forgot my ID in the car, so I couldn't get into the gym to work out. HMPH. So I went today instead.

Stationary bike active warmup ... 4:30
Deadlift 2 x 4 x 185, 2 x 3 x 225 , 3 x 2 x 275 - straps 3 x 315, 2 x 2 x 335
Overhead Press - bit off a bit more than I could chew... 3 x 4 x 135, 2 x 3 x 150 barely got the last one, 3 x 135
10 minutes foam roll hips, quads, stretch ankles and hammies
rowinb machine... a minute longer and a bit faster than last time 6 minutes @ 2:25 per 500m
stretch cage

[Alan H]

I forgot Sunday workout.

180 hammer winds...4 xs 25 the "right" way, then 4 x 20 "backwards"
Then some long-wire line drills. I got through 4 of them though the last one sort of disintigrated. Did 8-9 turns on each. It'd be cool to get to 10.
Then did tire flips with the 325+/- pounder... 10 flips, pig-wheeze, then ten jump-ups onto the tire...pig-wheeze....ten more flips, pig-wheeze, then ten jump ups.

And then I was SO done.

[Alan H]

i got caught in a work support chat session and then wimped out because it was *whine* cold yeaterday. But I got in today. I went over to the "new" Rec Center, lo and behold this one has a locker room and showers.

Stationary Bicycle...5 min
backsquat - 6 x 135, 3 x 3 x 185, 2 x 3 x 225, 3 x 255 ... that's ten pounds more than the last squat session. That's my goal. Do a triple at 10 pounds more each week to the first week in January. That should take me up to a triple at 285. If I can do a triple at 185 then I can do a single at 305, which is what I'd like to squat at the SHA informal powerlifting meet on Jan 11th.

"almost flat" bench press....bad combination of available heights on the bench and the safety bar. - 6 x 135, 3 x 3 x 165, 3 x 185, 1 x 205 and I might have been able to get two. I'd *like* to see at least 245-255 by Jan 11th since I pushed up a single at 285 last year.

Bench Rows -- 2 x 8 x 80 each hand *fast*
Windmills - they didn't hurt my wrist so I did 'em. 2 x 8 x 25
triceps extension cable pulldowns - 2 x 8 x 72 pounds "on the stack"..different stack from last year.
pec deck...totally different machine. 6 x 150, 6 x 170 "on the stack".. OK on the wrists, but not great. I should save these for days I'm at Arillaga.
foam roll

No stretch cage in this gym. I'm bummed.

[Martin Roy]

It sounds like the wrists, or one of them anyway, are still an issue. Are you still doing the physical therapy? If so, is it helping? If not, did it work?