One good thing about things being crazy at work? The week blazes by super fast!

Today was a taxing day on the old ‘bod’, in that I had to go physical therapy for the knee, then hit the gym for back day, then ran a bit on the elliptical to round it out. I’ll sleep good tonight! The therapy is coming along well, adding new stuff every week. My hips are getting stronger, I still have no ass (according to my wife) and i’m probably going to be looking for alternatives for squats for awhile to help things heal up. (I’m already doing leg press, and will be continuing to do so!)

We started the next round of our weight loss group today, which was cool to see the friends I’ve made in there, as well as the new faces from the last education class. I’m up a good 6 pound from where I was when we left off, but I know it’s due to my vacation excess, which is a decision I made consciously, and not mindlessly. So, I gotta live with the consequences. The diet’s been on track this week though, so it’s all good and those 6 pounds will come off soon enough.

For a nice aside, I ran into a trainer at the gym I haven’t seen for a good month. he asked how the weight loss was coming, to which I was honest about. His response was, ‘well, it’s obvious you’re still dropping body fat, look how hard your chest is getting?’

Which is cool.

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 545 pts Today
Elliptical Trainer:
- 0:12:00
- http://runkeeper.com/user/CinemaFromage/activity/166395006
Pull-Up:
- 10 reps || assisted || 115 lb
- 10 reps || assisted || 115 lb
- 9 reps || assisted || 115 lb
- 10 reps || assisted || 115 lb
Bent Over Barbell Row:
- 100 lb x 12 reps
- 100 lb x 12 reps
- 100 lb x 10 reps
- 100 lb x 10 reps
Lat Pulldown:
- 100 lb x 12 reps
- 100 lb x 12 reps
- 100 lb x 12 reps
Seated Cable Row:
- 42.5 lb x 12 reps
- 42.5 lb x 12 reps
- 42.5 lb x 12 reps
Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neck:
- 100 lb x 12 reps
- 100 lb x 12 reps
- 100 lb x 12 reps
Weighted Decline Sit-Up:
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 10 reps

Here’s another update. Weights went well, felt good to hit the elliptical after lifting!

In other news, the ‘hell week’ from work that I thought was over? It’s still going. Thanks to horrible vendor support, I’m having to cancel my third physical therapy appointment for my knee today. This shit’s never going to get healed.

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 793 pts Today
Elliptical Trainer:
- 0:27:30 || Easy
- http://runkeeper.com/user/CinemaFromage/activity/165548827
Barbell Incline Bench Press:
- 125 lb x 12 reps
- 125 lb x 12 reps
- 125 lb x 12 reps
- 125 lb x 10 reps
Barbell Bench Press:
- 135 lb x 12 reps
- 135 lb x 12 reps
- 135 lb x 10 reps
Machine Chest Fly (Pec Deck):
- 85 lb x 15 reps
- 85 lb x 15 reps
- 85 lb x 15 reps
Dips – Chest Version:
- 15 reps || assisted || 115 lb
- 13 reps || assisted || 115 lb
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise:
- 50 lb x 12 reps
- 50 lb x 12 reps
- 50 lb x 12 reps
fito2sa

I’m back! I know, you all probably didn’t know I left, but hey it was a short vacation, I made the most of it!

Today, I’m struggling. It’s all a mental struggle, but I’m struggling all the same. Over my 5 day vacation, I ate like crap, which is my own fault. But with the hell that has been my job here as of late, I needed a few days not thinking. I did manage to lift in those 5 days and I did manage to hike a good 6-7 miles total during that time! But I still ate like crap. Which leaves me on this Monday feeling flat and bloated and all around like I set myself back. Of course I’m up a few pounds but in reality, it’s not disastrous and well,we’re going to get back on track as of now.

And I did get back on track! Diet’s tight today, workout was solid and I got some cardio in, so that’s good too.

I’m struggling with my lifting as well. My knee’s doing good, though I still get twinges in it from time to time, and I’m still doing physical therapy for it too. That’s not setting me off so much. The thing I’m having problems with is this switch to a new lifting program. I loved Starting Strength. I loved it a lot. But, I’d been doing it since September, which in lifting terms, is too long. So, I’m trying out this new program, and it’s a good program…I’m just not in the groove yet. This leaves me feeling out of sorts and maybe like I’m not lifting enough (since it’s all isolation) and just not quite where I was in general. However, I’m being realistic about it I know it takes time for anything to become comfortable and this will get there soon too, I’m sure. Tacking on an extra 20 minutes of cardio today helped a lot to erase that feeling of not doing enough, so I think I’m on to something.

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 923 pts Today
Elliptical Trainer:
- 0:20:00 || Easy
- http://runkeeper.com/user/CinemaFromage/activity/165307437
Leg Extensions:
- 50 lb x 15 reps
- 50 lb x 15 reps
- 50 lb x 15 reps
- 50 lb x 15 reps
Barbell Squat:
- 145 lb x 12 reps
- 145 lb x 12 reps
- 145 lb x 12 reps
- 145 lb x 12 reps
Leg Press:
- 230 lb x 12 reps
- 230 lb x 12 reps
- 230 lb x 12 reps
Lying Leg Curls:
- 95 lb x 12 reps
- 95 lb x 12 reps
- 95 lb x 12 reps
- 95 lb x 12 reps
Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift:
- 145 lb x 12 reps
- 145 lb x 12 reps
- 145 lb x 10 reps
Weighted Decline Sit-Up:
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 10 reps

The week from hell draws to a close, though it bumped my schedule by a day before it died! No worries though, because I got chest and back in today and I don’t have to work for the next 5 days! Huzzah!

The knee is doing better, still sore now and then, but better all the same. I’m still doing PT twice a week and they’re working on my butt, cause….my butt’s pretty weak. That’s okay though, it’ll improve! I’ve still been logging some miles running, which has been fantastic with the warm up, and the only thing keeping me sane in this crazy ass period here at work.

On my mini-vacation, I still plan on running AND…I’ve already made plans to visit my parents gym when we’re visiting them at the end of the week, so let’s get this train back on the rails!

Weight’s up by 2 pounds, at 248 but that’s due to stress and me trying to not go crazy with stress on the weekends and indulging a bit. It’ll buff out though.

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 1,096 pts Today
Barbell Incline Bench Press:
- 115 lb x 5 reps
- 125 lb x 12 reps
- 125 lb x 12 reps
- 125 lb x 12 reps
- 125 lb x 11 reps
Barbell Bench Press:
- 125 lb x 10 reps
- 125 lb x 10 reps
- 125 lb x 10 reps
Machine Chest Fly (Pec Deck):
- 100 lb x 15 reps
- 100 lb x 15 reps
- 100 lb x 15 reps
Dips – Chest Version:
- 10 reps || assisted || 100 lb
- 15 reps || assisted || 115 lb
Pull-Up:
- 10 reps || assisted || 115 lb
- 6 reps || assisted || 115 lb
- 5 reps || assisted || 115 lb
Bent Over Barbell Row:
- 100 lb x 12 reps
- 100 lb x 10 reps
- 100 lb x 10 reps
- 100 lb x 10 reps
Lat Pulldown:
- 100 lb x 10 reps
- 100 lb x 10 reps
- 100 lb x 10 reps
Seated Cable Row:
- 42.5 lb x 10 reps
- 42.5 lb x 10 reps
- 42.5 lb x 10 reps
Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neck:
- 70 lb x 15 reps
- 70 lb x 15 reps
- 70 lb x 15 reps
Weighted Decline Sit-Up:
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 10 reps
- 10 lb x 7 reps
fito2sa

Day two of the new four day split! Like I had predicted, I was pretty sore this morning after the first day of the new program, despite if I thought I was working hard or not. It was a good kind of sore, (i’ve actually come to look forward to DOMS, in my mind, it means you worked hard!) so it’s all gravy. Mmm gravy. Today’s workout was all shoulders and tri’s. I felt the burn a little more during the workout this time but by the time I was done, I had some serious T Rex arms going as I tried to wash my hair! When I went to do my dips at the end, an exercise I’ve been busting out 30 reps on at the same weight, I damn near fell off the machine, my arms were jelly!

So, it was good workout.

Tomorrow’s the first day of Physical Therapy. Hopefully I’ll get told I can at least do the elliptical or something. No running is making me antsy and an antsy Casey is no fun for anybody.

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press:
- 25 lb x 8 reps
- 35 lb x 8 reps
- 45 lb x 8 reps
- 50 lb x 4 reps
Seated Barbell Military Press:
- 45 lb x 5 reps
- 65 lb x 5 reps
- 85 lb x 5 reps
- 95 lb x 10 reps
- 95 lb x 6 reps
- 95 lb x 6 reps
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise:
- 10 lb x 20 reps
Reverse Triceps Bench Press:
- 45 lb x 8 reps
- 65 lb x 8 reps
- 85 lb x 8 reps
- 95 lb x 8 reps
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press:
- 95 lb x 5 reps
- 115 lb x 10 reps
- 115 lb x 8 reps
- 115 lb x 6 reps
Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension:
- 32.5 lb x 20 reps
Dips – Chest Version:
- 5 reps || assisted || 70 lb
- 5 reps || assisted || 70 lb

Well, today’s a bitter sweet day. After getting my back healed up, I noticed all the while that my right knee was feeling funny. Not all the time, but at random times I’d get done with squats and my knee would feel like I was wearing a knee brace. At first that’s all it was; a tightness around the knee. But as the next two weeks progressed, the feeling happened more and more often and then the acheyness would set in in the evening.

By this past Friday, I said the hell with it and went into the Dr. The prognosis is not good…well, to be honest the prognosis was pretty ambiguous to be honest. The doctor left me with a physical therapy appointment and orders to stop running for the time being and no lower body lifts, which kind of sucks. When asked about doing say the elliptical or the stationary bike at least for cardio, I was faced with ‘it will slow your healing’. So, I’m faced with cutting my exercise down drastically, just as my plateau began to break! Yes, it sucks.

When looking at the change, I started thinking about my lifting. I was told specifically I could do all the upper body stuff. I had also had a conversation with a friend at the gym about how I’ve been doing the same program since September, and how it was good to change up lifting routines periodically to shock your muscles. It didn’t take long to put two and two together and figure out that this may be a good time to get off of Starting Strength and try something new.

Here I with day one of Alfalfa’s #4. It’s a bit different from starting strength and it feels like I’m back in noob mode, but I’m pretty excited to be doing something new. With this program being a four day split, with one day dedicated to leg stuff, I figure for the time being it will be pretty easy to just skip the leg day and add an extra cardio day once I figure out what cardio I can do safely. I’m not interested in being huge, but this program’s supposed to be balanced for strength and size and with the changes I’ve seen so far, I’m pretty stoked to have muscles once I drop the rest of this pesky stomach fat!

Here’s to day 1. It didn’t feel as tiring as Starting Strength’s A day, but then again, I probably won’t be able to lift my arms by this evening!

Dumbbell Bench Press:
- 30 lb x 6 reps
- 40 lb x 6 reps
- 55 lb x 6 reps
- 60 lb x 6 reps
Barbell Incline Bench Press:
- 90 lb x 5 reps
- 115 lb x 5 reps
- 125 lb x 10 reps
- 125 lb x 8 reps
- 125 lb x 5 reps
Barbell Bench Press:
- 135 lb x 5 reps
- 145 lb x 10 reps
- 135 lb x 6 reps
- 135 lb x 5 reps
Machine Chest Fly (Pec Deck):
- 70 lb x 10 reps
- 85 lb x 10 reps
- 100 lb x 15 reps
- 100 lb x 15 reps
Incline Dumbbell Curl:
- 20 lb x 8 reps
- 30 lb x 5 reps
- 25 lb x 8 reps
Barbell Curl:
- 40 lb x 10 reps
- 40 lb x 8 reps
- 40 lb x 5 reps
Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl:
- 40 lb x 15 reps
Cable Crunch:
- 52.5 lb x 12 reps
- 52.5 lb x 12 reps
- 52.5 lb x 12 reps
fito2sa

De-loading week continues and it still feels good to be back in the gym after a week off. The back continues to feel great, though I got a bit of a cramp in the middle of my back tonight during tonight’s workout, but a little stretching fixed that up. The problems come in when I realize that my knee’s aching quite a bit, which sucks. It started getting twinges about the same time as my back. It’s not constant, but some days are worse than others. It feels like I have a bandage wrapped tightly around my knee, tends to ache after awhile, especially when there’s a lot of walking involved, up into my lower thigh, etc. Oddly enough, the pain/feeling was really prominent when I started my front squats, then died off as I got into my working sets. Came back later in the evening though.

There’s part of me that worries that I’ll have to take more time off, but with the knee, there’s plenty more lifts I can do around it than the lower back. Plus, I don’t want to kill the running either, so I sucked it up and made a doctor’s appointment for today. I’m on too good of a role, better safe than sorry, right?

The weight’s still holding steady at 246, so we’re in good shape there. Looking forward to dropping more, but slow and steady wins the race!

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 1,295 pts Mar 14, 2013
Front Barbell Squat:
- 45 lb x 5 reps
- 65 lb x 5 reps
- 85 lb x 5 reps
- 95 lb x 5 reps
- 115 lb x 5 reps
- 115 lb x 5 reps
- 115 lb x 5 reps
Standing Barbell Shoulder Press (OHP):
- 95 lb x 5 reps
- 115 lb x 5 reps
- 115 lb x 5 reps
- 125 lb x 5 reps
- 125 lb x 5 reps
- 125 lb x 5 reps
Bent Over Barbell Row:
- 90 lb x 5 reps
- 90 lb x 5 reps
- 90 lb x 5 reps
- 110 lb x 5 reps
- 110 lb x 5 reps
- 110 lb x 5 reps
Lat Pulldown:
- 70 lb x 5 reps
- 90 lb x 5 reps
- 110 lb x 5 reps
- 120 lb x 5 reps
- 120 lb x 5 reps
- 120 lb x 5 reps
Pull-Up:
- 5 reps || assisted || 70 lb
- 5 reps || assisted || 70 lb
- 5 reps || assisted || 70 lb
Weighted Hyperextension:
- 10 lb x 10 reps
- 10 lb x 10 reps
- 10 lb x 10 reps
Weighted Decline Sit-Up:
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 15 reps

I spent the last week doing nothing but cardio due to hurting my back. By Monday, I was feeling pretty good so I decided to go back. I tell ya, I was really missing the lifting side of things! I found myself kind of looking forward to that muscle ache that comes later in the evening that lets you know you had a good work out. I had a good workout too! The back felt great! I played it smart this time; the last time I took a week off to heal, I tried to go back to the weights I had left off at and it was like the first day of lifting all over again. So, I de-loaded and stayed light for a bit and worked out quite well. My deadlifts felt good form wise, though I got a twinge in my hip (they were sore from the running the previous week) on rep #4 of 275, so I just dropped it and called it done. Let’s not push it, right?

Yesterday was my typical cardio day and it went well. I was sore from lifting again on Monday, but that’s to be expected. I was still surprised to see my pace though when I finished! It felt good! I’ve take to reading my kindle while I’m on the elliptical. It may look goofy, but an hour passes in no time and it really pushed me into zoning out on what I’m doing more so that music or podcasts, so it’s a great fit for the machine since it used to bore me to tears.

Weight wise, I’m still holding at 246 and I am ecstatic about it! That last plateau was a beast. I’ll be pushing through to 240 in no time!

Monday 3/11/2013

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 2,281 pts Mar 11, 2013
Barbell Squat:
- 135 lb x 5 reps
- 185 lb x 5 reps
- 205 lb x 5 reps
- 225 lb x 5 reps
- 245 lb x 5 reps
- 245 lb x 5 reps
- 245 lb x 5 reps
Barbell Bench Press:
- 135 lb x 5 reps
- 145 lb x 5 reps
- 155 lb x 5 reps
- 185 lb x 5 reps
- 185 lb x 5 reps
- 185 lb x 5 reps
Barbell Deadlift:
- 135 lb x 5 reps
- 185 lb x 5 reps
- 205 lb x 5 reps
- 225 lb x 5 reps
- 275 lb x 3 reps
Barbell Incline Bench Press:
- 95 lb x 5 reps
- 115 lb x 5 reps
- 125 lb x 5 reps
- 125 lb x 5 reps
- 125 lb x 5 reps
Dips – Chest Version:
- 10 reps || assisted || 70 lb
- 10 reps || assisted || 70 lb
- 10 reps || assisted || 70 lb
Weighted Hyperextension:
- 10 lb x 10 reps
- 10 lb x 10 reps
- 10 lb x 10 reps
Weighted Decline Sit-Up:
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 15 reps
- 10 lb x 10 reps
fito2sa

Tuesday 3/13/2013

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 199 pts Mar 12, 2013
Elliptical Trainer:
- 0:50:00 || Easy
- http://runkeeper.com/user/CinemaFromage/activity/156581437
fito2sa

Oh. My. Gawd. It’s starting to feel like Spring time! As such, I hit the road with a vengeance the later half of this week and it was fabulous. I was hitting 8 miles on my long runs right before winter, then all winter I couldn’t break 4 miles on my outdoor runs. It was worrisome, but I’ve heard form other runners that it’s common to see the distance drop a bit in the winter months. Thursday and today though, I started feeling like my old self! Things were falling into rhythm, my legs didn’t feel like lead and it’s all coming back. I’m not quite to 5 miles yet, but by god, it’s coming. All this does is make want to get outside more and build my base mileage! That said, I’m planning on running my first 10k at the end of this month. Kick ass.

On the front, work has been absolutely horrid this past week. Nothing but stress and frustration. For an example, I had the day off Friday to make up for the past two weekends I’ve had to work. I worked 15.5 hrs on my day off. I don’t get overtime either! But, last night, this brought force both some new mental battles, and some mental wins all the same time. I was so tired, befuddled and frustrated by the time I signed off, my first thought was ‘make it better with food’. And while I did eat a bit, I didn’t pig on and it wasn’t on horrible stuff either cause I knew all I’d do was be mad at myself for it. On top of that, for the first time in 2 and a half years, I thought I wanted a cigarette to curb the anxiety and stress. I knew for certain I’d hate myself for that for all the damage it’d do to the running and fitness. By the end of the night, I chewed a giant wad of gum furiously, played some video games and was straight by the end of the night. Plus, when I woke up this morning? All I wanted to do was go outside and run for an hour and just not think about anything. It was pretty sweet.

Then to cap off this shitty three weeks worth of work woes? I weighed in this morning.

I weighed in at freaking 247.4 lbs. Down 104 lbs.

My god damn plateau that I’ve been fighting since christmas is over. Kick ass!

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 507 pts Today
Running:
- 0:47:06 || 4.6 mi || 10:10.1 min/mi || track
- http://runkeeper.com/user/CinemaFromage/activity/155667771
- Comment Share
fito2sa

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 498 pts Mar 7, 2013
Running:
- 0:49:59.8 || 4.7 mi || 10:32.5 min/mi
- http://runkeeper.com/user/CinemaFromage/activity/155202242
fito2sa

So, I’ve been good and listening to the Dr. and haven’t lifted since last Friday! It kinda…makes me sad, but at the same time, the back’s getting better. We’re down to a dull ache and the occasional twinge. I was planning on ellipitcaling for a week straight, but by Tuesday I was feeling pretty strung out from working two weeks straight so took a day off. Today though, I felt a bit more energized, but still pretty fried. Running made it feel better though!

I plan on hitting the elliptical for the next two days, then getting outside for the warm up this weekend, then hopefully easing back in to some lifting on Monday!

On the weight front, I’ve been frustrated. I got down to 250 and last Saturday, I had some popcorn at the movies. (No butter mind you!) I made sure to have the calories free but without fail, the salt hit me where it counts and the water weight has ballooned me up to a good 254. We’re working back down to normal though. It’s funny now that I can tell exactly what’s going to happen when I eat something like that. As much as I Loooooove popcorn, I think I need to lay off of the movie theater variety At least until this pesky plateau is over. Heck, sneaking in a Cliff Bar is probably cheaper and healthier at any rate!

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 216 pts Today
Elliptical Trainer:
- 0:54:00 || Easy
- http://runkeeper.com/user/CinemaFromage/activity/154807988
- Comment Share

Gooch2k2 Tracked a Workout for 240 pts Mar 4, 2013
Elliptical Trainer:
- 1:00:00
- http://runkeeper.com/user/CinemaFromage/activity/154161887
- Comment Share
- propped this.
fito2sa