Alan H's 2012-2013 OFF-season log

**Martin Roy** · 16th November 12, 09:45 PM

That's exactly how I do my overhead press - from the rack, strict, no legs. Putting up that amount of weight is really impressive.

**o1d_dude** · 17th November 12, 12:36 PM

Nothing wrong with setting up for the press from a rack...done it myself many times...but starting each set of presses with a clean from the floor is a bonus training movement. And yes, legs are involved in the clean. LOL!

**Alan H** · 19th November 12, 10:16 AM

Oh, I will be getting legs involved in it. That's 11 weeks from now, seeing as week 1 of the ten week "strength block" starts right after Thanksgiving.

I think I figured out something this weekend. My knee issue is not really a knee issue. It's a --pinched nerve in the lower back-- issue. I had some funny sensations in both of my feet this weekend, in fact as I type this, I'm feeling a bit of something in my left foot. This is bad, of course. I know I have some stenosis in L4 but so far have been able to deal with it, though there are times when issues crop up. They tend to happen when I'm squatting heavy. So, this is not good. Any irritation or aggravation of this issue probably just puts me that much closer to the day when I have back surgery. On the other hand, that day is not here, yet, and I know what to do to take care of it.

MOVE. Move lots. No extended sitting-down. Ergo...I'm riding my bike to work today and tomorrow, and probably when I get back from Thanksgiving, as well.

**RogerWS76** · 19th November 12, 11:28 AM

I saw someone say (I think it was Mike Baab) that for us old guys, "Motion is Lotion"!

**Alan H** · 19th November 12, 05:11 PM

That's the truth. I'll be riding my bike to work at least 2x a week and probably 3x through the winter. This is a good reminder.

Also, I have become intimate with my foam roller in ways which can't be explained without refuting several laws of physics and also breaking the family-friendly nature of this forum.

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Today...gettin' serious here.

row machine warmup, 4 minutes
stretch cage
deadlift ... 6 x 185 / 4 x 225 / 2 x 3 x 265 / 1 x 315 just to see if I could do it / 4 x 225 ...answer is that 315 went up easy, but I can *barely* hold on to it. I'll bring straps next time. There's no rush, I have 10 weeks to get to my 3 x 375.

Flat bench press .... 8 x 135 / 4 x 185 / 2 x 3 x 205 / 3 x 1 x 225...I actually did more like 1, 1, 4 'cause I asked a guy to spot for me on the last one, but he's unclear on the concept and "helped" way too much. Oh, well. At least I didn't drop the bar on my chest.

cable rows....because Roger did 'em and I haven't, for months.....3 x 6 x 180 "on the stack"
situps ... incline board with 10 pound plate on my chest... x 18. That's better!
reverse wrist curls......both hans, did 2 x 10 with 10 lbs.
Hammer Wind ab crushers.... x 6 each way.

**Alan H** · 22nd November 12, 03:20 PM

Thanksgiving day workout
Zercher squats ... No rack. 6x135/2x4x185/2x2x215
Hang cleans ... 2 x 6 x135/2x165
OHP ... 2x6x135/6x155
Pylobox pushups...10,5
Flat situps...15 w/25lb plate

Then easy throws with my nephews

**Martin Roy** · 22nd November 12, 09:58 PM

No rack on the Zerchers - did you do them from the floor? My back hurts just thinking about that.

**Alan H** · 22nd November 12, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by Martin Roy

No rack on the Zerchers - did you do them from the floor? My back hurts just thinking about that.

My BIL has an OK bench press bench. It's a medium-end consumer model...really too narrow but built OK.However, has an Oly bar and a mess of plates, but no squat rack. So I racked the zerchers on the bench press uprights. I haven't done zerchers in a long time, man, they were hard.

**Alan H** · 26th November 12, 10:21 AM

Updating by phone is tedious! I saw Marty's 270 squat, though!

I've been hiking and doing some riding around on the bike--3-4miles on Friday, then too much time in the car Sat but 2 miles hiking. Today will probably walk 4-6 miles... No weights at all.

**Alan H** · 28th November 12, 03:40 PM

Well, as noted above, we had several extra days vacation over Thanksgiving and we hiked a lot. I'll have a few pictures, actually as I hiked "kilted" every day but one. There have been no weights since Thanksgiving Thursday, so todays "move it or lose it" Wednesday in the gym felt good. This is the Official DAY ONE of the 10 week program, though it seems kind of weird to start on a Wednesday, since the "program" is listed from Mon-Fri over 2 weeks.

Stationary Bike warmup ... 4minutes
Stretch Cage, hammies, piriformis, IT band, quads

power cleans off the floor... 6 x 135 / 2 x 4 x 155 / 3 x 175. I might actually have a single at 185 in me.
Core Crushers ... a la Ryan Vierra ... 3 x 6 x 205

pylobox pushups again .... 10, 10 on the 24" box.
pull-ups .... oh dear. OOOooooohhhhh, dear. with a 100 pound assist I managed 3, 2. Very sad, but it is what it is. It'll be better in 10 weeks.
bar dips ..... also with a 100 pound assist, x6 probably could have forced out 2 more if I'd had to.

hammer wind ab crushers .... 10 lb ball, 10x each way YAY!
reverse wrist curls... 10, 6 with 15 lb dumbell. This is therapy for my elbow
back extensions .... 10 pound plate, x10...running out of time and there was a line for the incline bench that I use.

rowing machine .... 4 minutes @ <2:25/500 m. I want this to be 10 minutes in 10 weeks.