Exerbabble for 11-21-7

Decided today would be the workout where I do what I enjoy. I love going into the gym purely for pleasure. A lot of workouts are long-term focused, a small part of a whole plan. Today was pure indulgence. If you can’t just dick around in the gym to have fun, you should reconsider what it is you’re doing.

Today’s workout:

BB Deadlift

3 @ 135 lbs
3 @ 185 lbs
3 @ 225 lbs

Pair A
BB Shoulder Press
3 @ 45 lbs
3 @ 95 lbs
1 @ 105 lbs
F @ 115 lbs
3, 3 @ 95 lbs
12, 10 @ 65 lbs

Pull-ups
3 @ BW
3 @ 25 lbs
1 @ 45 lbs (PR)
2, 2, 2 @ 25 lbs
8, 4 @ BW

Pair B
DB Incline Press
6 @ 40 lbs
12 @ 30 lbs
15 @ 25 lbs

Cable Row
3 @ 135 lbs
8 @ 105 lbs
12 @ 90 lbs

Jogging: 1 mile @ ~ 8 minutes

I’m not sure why I felt like I had it in me today, but after some quick warming up, I completely nailed pulling 275 lbs. That felt awesome. To celebrate, I rested and pulled it twice more. Absolutely no point in pulling 285 lbs. I should celebrate 275 lbs first! What with deadlifting so much more frequently, I’ve felt like my form has gotten better. My shoulders feel more back and set through the lift, and I feel like I’m able to get a little lower to initiate the lift, rather than stiff-legging so much. It has just felt better. All three singles were pretty good form, all things considered.

For those that don’t lift, 275 lbs is a mini landmark between 225 and 315 lbs. 225 lbs represents two 45 lb plates on each side, which totals 225 lbs in all. (Bar weighs 45 lbs.) Add a 25 lb plate to each side, and you have 275. And 315, of course, is three plates on each side. 45 lb plates, I mean. While my 1RM hasn’t been growing particularly quickly, it’s still growing. I’m only 40 lbs away from 315 lbs. If I were to do a particularly deadlift-intensive program, I bet I could get it in two months. But I have other goals right now, and I’m content with small increments now and then.

Of course, I wasn’t content to just do three singles and call it a day. I wanted a full workout! So I steadily dropped the weight, and pulled as many as I felt comfortable with. I’ve done more @ 185 lbs, but man, that gets tiring!

Missed my single for shoulder presses, but got around to doing a chin-up with a single 45 lb plate attached to me. That’s pretty badass, in my opinion. I got most of the way up, and then I ran into a little wall. I was almost with my chin over the bar. So I struggled for it, and wiggled my chin above the bar. IT COUNTS.

And I jogged a mile. Badass. Maybe that’s nothing to anybody else, but I’m still going to bask in the fact that I’ve never been able to do that in my life until a week ago. As for my time of 8 minutes, that’s ballpark. I glanced at the minute hands only, so I could be off a little. Doesn’t matter, I’m not going for time.

Now that I know all about the lag phase in aerobic respiration, I can understand how aerobic activity gets “easier” once you get going for a while. Tends to get easier around the half-mile mark.

Undecided as for what to do with my training for the next month or so. Don’t want to start Hypertrophy II until my major stressors are gone. Assuming I don’t go do my own shit anyway, because I’m starting to get ideas. Ha ha.