Al–1961’s BodyBlog

I find the workouts to be more of a mental game than physical.  It sure helps to be on top of my game for leg day & heavy squatting.  Today was not that day.  Not enough sleep & felt like a mediocre workout.  I skipped working calves due to a lingering tweak from a calf strain.  I took yesterday afternoon off work since my wife came down hard with the flu.  Daughter #2 had it too, and daughter #1 woke up early this morning with it.  So I’m staying home again today.  I need to get an oxygen suit & gas mask to keep the flu away.      One awesome benefit of the 5am workout habit is that I can hit the gym without interfering with being home to care for the sickies.  Morning workouts rock.  I can hit the gym early when the fam’s sick, when guests are in town visiting, when on vacation, etc. 

Can’t think of anything pithy or witty today, since the brain is on hiatus.  So I’ll enclose a link to one of my favorite scenes in my favorite movies, LOTR.  It’s a scene where Gandolf encourages Frodo, when the going gets tough, "that what we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us", and "that there are other forces at work in this world besides the will of evil…….and that is an encouraging thought."  This scene, and others, reflect Tolkien’s Christian worldview and the hope we have.  OK, done.  Off my soapbox.  What’s YOUR favorite movie? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTlwkg25rsE&feature=PlayList&p=A70212AE8F5133B8&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=16

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  LEGS:

(6-10 reps, 45-75 sec’s rest)

–  Smith Machine squats  (6 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Leg extensions  (5 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Leg curls  (5 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Hack squats  (5 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Step ups onto bench with 25 lb wt in each hand  (3 sets)

ABS:  Crunches w/ 25 lb wt  (5 sets, dropset on last 2 sets w/ 10 lb wt)

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!     

My BS.com friend Brad razzed me yesterday about some of my choices in music.  So……..In honor of you Brad, I’m posting 2 of my choices for the most awful, back-of-the-neck-hair-raising songs.  If you’ve never heard either one of them, click the links & see just how long you can endure them.  The 1st song is called Disco Duck, by Rick Dees (1st link below).  Hard to believe, but it was a big hit my sophmore year in high school.  Gotta be one of the dumbest songs ever.  The 2nd song is called Mother, by The Police (2nd link below).  Now I like most of their music (I had the chance to see them for $3 in college before they became mega-huge, and I passed.  Foolish me.)  This song is one of the most grating, dissonant, teeth-gnashing, fingernails-across-the-chalkboard songs out there.  At least to me.  It should be included in any repertiore of music used to interrogate terrorists…….Guaranteed to get them to spill the beans in less than an hour.     

On the workout front, I had some nice ab DOMS going this morning.  I figured out 2 weeks ago that pullups work my abs.  This morning I narrowed it down to weighted pullups in particular (which I did yesterday).  I must really contract my entire torso when doing weighted pullups.  NICE.  BTW……..What is YOUR music choice for worst ever? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc5d01_riBo 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpPPRF-A9DU&feature=related 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  SHOULDERS  &  TRICEPS:

(6-10 reps, 30-60 sec’s rest)

–  Overhead DB press  (5 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Military press  (5 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Lateral DB raises  (4 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Straightbar tricep extensions  (5 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Cable rope pushdowns  (4 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Cable reverse tricep extensions  (4 sets, dropset on last set)

CARDIO:  22 min’s of LIIT on the elliptical.  HR 130-145.

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!     

Brad The Instructor was spinning some rocking tunes as we were spinning towards Endorphin City.  I arrived there about the time he had us climbing & sprinting to Warren Zevon’s song Werewolves Of London, apropos for Halloween.  The man’s a beast (Brad, that is, not Warren or the werewolf).  He ran the Marine Corps Marathon in DC on Sunday, and here it is Wednesday & he’s blasting away in spin.  No wonder Brad is The Man.        

Warren Zevon:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MRu8N2K0NY  

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  BACK:

(6-10 reps, 90 sec’s rest on pullups, 45-60 sec’s for the rest)

–  Pullups  (weighted w/ 25 lbs):  12, 8, 7, 4, 4  (Dropset on last set)

–  Bentover BB rows  (5 sets, superset bentover DB rows last 2 sets)

–  Cable rows  (5 sets, dropset on last set)

CARDIO:  Spin class

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!     

The Clean Eats Train is back on track.  Leaving the weekend & previous derailings behind & feeling a little better this morning.  Burned some cal’s with HIIT & beat myself up on abs.  Speaking of locomoting down the clean eats tracks, here’s a contemporary jazz tune by Pat Metheny, called Last Train Home.  Yep, I’m a jazz aficionado.       

Last Train Home:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g6nPYyIS_I 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  BICEPS:

(6-10 reps, 30-60 sec’s rest)

–  Curlbar curls  (6 sets, dropset on last set)

–  DB curls  (4 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Straightbar curls  (3 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Cable reverse curls  (3 sets, dropset on last set)

CARDIO:  20 min’s HIIT on stairmaster, HR 165-175.  Then 20 min’s LIIT on elliptical, HR 145-150.

ABS:  Situps on decline situp bench  (10 sets, 15 sec’s rest)

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!     

That’s how I felt this morning.  I RE-LEARNED a lesson this morning……..Crap diet leads to feeling crappy during workouts.  I’ve been stress eating lately, primarily on weekends.  This weekend was more of the same, with yesterday’s food intake being awful.  I partook in unhealthy meals & sweets along with the kiddies, on a weekend trip at the beach.  Too much food.  Bad food.  The result was feeling terrible this morning in the workout, and it wasn’t due to insomnia.  Also, both shoulders were quite sore & achy. 

So I’m bringing back an old friend for November & December……..CLEAN EATS & NO CHEATS.  Actually, I’m shooting for a max of 1 cheat meal per week through the rest of the year.  I’m up 5-6 lbs from several months ago.  Part of that is definitely more muscle, I can see it.  But it’s also more bodyfat.  The mirror doesn’t lie on that either.  So I’m starting TODAY.  The following Billy Joel song, Pressure, is how I feel about my handling of stress lately.  I’m not one to spew my guts.  Suffice to say I can do better.  Back into a NO WUSS ZONE.      

Pressure:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGksm…eature=channel

THANKS BILLY.  I’ll be working on getting the coolness back into my vertabrae, with this other great Billy Joel song, The River Of Dreams.  

TROD:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNS4pV9Pls0

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  CHEST:

(6-8 reps, 45-60 sec’s rest)

–  Bench press  (6 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Decline bench press  (3 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Incline DB bench press  (3 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Incline flyes  (3 sets, dropset on last set)

–  Pec dec machine  (3 sets, each set superset with pushups)

CARDIO:  30 min’s of varying intervals on elliptical.  HR 140-170.

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!     

Leg day on about 4-4.5 hrs sleep.  Woke up around 3am & couldn’t get back to sleep.  The first 2-3 sets of squats were tough going this morning, until the blood got flowing.  Couldn’t lift quite as much today, but still had a decent workout.  Step ups & walking lunges were exhausting.  My right calf is still bothering me from straining it earlier in the week on interval sprints, so I only went about 75% on calf raises.  But at least I’m not limping anymore. 

Here’s a fav Billy Joel song that’s been running through my head, called Big Man On Mulberry Street.  It’s probably not one of his most well known, but I like the big band jazzy sound of it.  I remember the very first time I heard it, was on the old 80’s TV show Moonlighting that starred Bruce Willis & Cybil Shepherd.  It’s part of a dream/dance sequence (clip below) and I remember thinking "cool music, sounds like Billy Joel, only different".  Does anyone else remember seeing this episode?

CLIP:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ML3Xp1rK-8 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  LEGS:

(6-10 reps, 45-75 sec’s rest)

–  Smith machine squats, sets alternated w/ hack squats  (6 sets ea)

–  Calf raises  (5 sets)

–  Leg extensions, sets alternated with step ups onto bench w/ 30 lb DB’s in each hand  (4 sets ea)

–  Leg curls, sets alternated with walking lunges w/ 25 lb DB’s in each hand  (4 sets ea)

ABS:  Laying down leg lifts over the head, sets alternated with crunches w/ 25 lb wt  (4 sets ea)

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!     

The operative word for today:  Sluggish.  Feeling my age.  Slow, low on workout wattage, tired, a little achy.  I slept fine, just one of those days.  Can’t have super blast workouts everyday, so no complaints here.  These are the days that make a real difference.  I read so many blogs about not feeling it, not having the motivation to workout, etc.  But that’s irrelevant in my book.  Just have to get it done because the alternative is making a habit of skipping workouts, which is untenable.  It’s more than a feeling!  So, with that in mind, I give you the following song More Than A Feeling, by one of the best bands ever, Boston.  The lyrics are included.  It has a double meaning to me this morning.  Hitting the gym is about "more than a feeling" AND I can "slip away" into the music to get into a workout zone.  It’s just that today was a slow lane zone.  But even slow lanes are moving forward. 

So give it up for a great band.  This song is for my bodyspace friend Brad, a fellow Boston fan.       

BOSTON:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm_-sW4Vktw 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  DELTS  &  TRICEPS:

(6-10 reps, 30-60 sec’s rest)

–  Military press, sets alternated w/ lateral DB raises  (5 sets ea)

–  Overhead DB press, sets alternated w/ front DB raises  (4 sets ea)

–  Close grip bench press, sets alt w/ curlbar tricep ext’s  (5 sets ea)

–  Cable tricep ext’s, sets alt w/ reverse cable tricep ext’s  (4 sets ea)

CARDIO:  22 min’s of LIIT on the elliptical.  HR 130-145.

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!       

Life is way more fun if you can laugh at yourself.  So…….the following:  Major sweat puddles in spin class this morning, as usual.  I mentioned awhile back that I’m a Sweathog in spin class, and that I’d be Epstein.  For you younger bodyspacers, that’s a reference to a character in the 70’s show Welcome Back Kotter.  So I found a pic of Epstein, and put a couple of my own 70’s pics up for comparison.  I could have been on that show.  Or at least Robert Hegyes’ stunt double.  Here’s the show’s theme song for nostalgia, for you oldies.          (Workout is below pic)

Kotter:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVS3WNt7yRU 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  BACK:

(6-10 reps, 45-60 sec’s rest)

–  Pullups (21, 11, 9, 8, 15, 8, 7), sets alternated w/ bentover BB rows 

(7 sets ea.  Deep & deliberate on pullups to focus on lats.  Short break between sets 4 & 5 as I chatted with someone for a few min’s)

–  Cable rows, sets alt w/ underhand grip cable pulldowns  (4 sets ea)

CARDIO:  Spin class.  Brad The Instructor returns……Brad The Beast.  He’s doing the Marine Corps Marathon in DC this coming Saturday.   

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!   :D  

What a wonderful world……I’ve stormed the gates and retaken ZZZ-land.  Had a good night’s sleep.  I felt pretty crappy yesterday afternoon from Sunday night’s insomnia.  The older I get with a busy life, the more I love sleep.  Z’s rock.        The right calf gave out again during sprints this morning.  But at least it held out during the HIIT portion, and gave out during the lower intensity cool down.  Feel great this morning, and I’m stoked for tomorrow’s back workout & spin class.  I’ll be a Sweathog tomorrow.  So today is full of silver linings & I can’t resist……..I bring you What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.  Sing it Satchmo.   

WAWW:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2OpPfEPqM8 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  BICEPS:

(6-10 reps, 30-60 sec’s rest)

–  Curlbar curls alternated with DB curls  (6 sets ea)

–  Straightbar curls alternated with reverse DB curls  (4 sets ea)

CARDIO:  5 min’s warmup, 18 min’s of HIIT on the treadmill.  HR 160-175.

ABS:  Crunches with 25 lb wt  (6 sets, 15 sec’s rest)

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!     

Sleepless in Raleigh……..YEP.  The Insomnia Beast paid a return visit last night.  Shoulda kept my yap shut in last Friday’s blog about sleeping better lately.  Fortunately, I did sleep extremely well over the weekend.  So as long as I slip back into ZZZ-land tonight, no harm no foul.  I have to throw in Paul Simon’s song Slip Slidin’ Away (below).  I could have been humming it as I tossed & turned all night long. 

My lower back was major sore over the weekend, starting Friday afternoon.  The leg presses I did in Friday morning’s leg workout did a number on it.  It’s still a little sore, but I did have a good workout this morning.  Stu, I tried out the hip pushups.  Killer……I had to drop to my knees on the last few reps.  I hear the siren call of Java Java coming my way this afternoon……

Slip Slidin’ Away:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f88rdBAJSVY 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  CHEST:

(6-10 reps, 45-60 sec’s rest) 

–  Incline bench press alternated with incline flyes  (4 sets ea)

–  Decline bench press alternated with decline flyes  (4 sets ea)

–  Flat bench press alternated with flyes  (3 sets ea)

–  Hip pushups alternated with pec dec machine  (3 sets ea)

CARDIO:  25 min’s of intervals on the elliptical.  HR 150-170.

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!